Hello everyone and welcome back for another chapter of The Black Swordsman and The Gray Huntsman. Previously, the Kirigaya brothers have defeated the first boss and have begun their dangerous quest to clear the game, but not before being ousted as 'beaters.' Kirito and Yuga still have a long way to go before they can beat the game and get back to the real world, will they pull it off or will they become just two more statistics in the game's increasing death toll. This chapter, the brothers join up with a guild, hoping to clear the game with much better odds. Let see how this pans out. Before going on, I'll answer some reviews.

Last Step: I'm glad you like it and thanks again for letting me adopt the story. I assure you won't be disappointed.

Monster: Oh don't worry, there are many adventures to come for the twins. Stick around to find out what.

Zack: I'm glad you are liking it.

So without further ado, here is the next chapter. Read, relax, and enjoy.

Chapter 2

The Red-Nosed Reindeer

April 8th, 2023 * 11th Floor – Taft

It's been four months now since the boss fight on Floor One. Right now, in a tavern on the 11th floor, a small guild of five players were celebrating a hunting quest completed as well as toasting a familiar pair of twins who saved their lives when all hoped seemed lost for them.

"Here's to us, the Moonlit Black Cats! Cheers everyone!" A member of the guild named Ducker, a young man with blonde hair, a black beanie, and wearing a yellow tunic with a dark yellow shroud, shouted.

"CHEERS!" Everyone in the guild shouted as they raised their glasses for a toast.

"I've got another. Here's to the guys who saved our lives! To Kirito and Yuga!" The same man declared.

"To Kirito and Yuga!" Everyone cheered to the brothers with smiles. The twins looked at the guild members shyly as they raised their own glasses for a toast.

"Uh...cheers guys." Kirito said softly.

"Thanks." One member said in gratitude.

"Yeah, you guys saved us back there." Another said.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." The lone female member of the group said.

"Guy's, really. You flatter us." Yuga said with a blush.

"Please, it was nothing. Really." Kirito added.

"I can' tell you how scared I was. And it made so happy when you both came to save us, I..." The female tried to say but couldn't find to words.

"Hey, Kirito. Yuga. Sirs." The leader of the guild equipped in a red tunic and dark brown hair said, trying his best to be formal. "I hope I'm not out of line asking, but I was wondering what levels are you two at?" He asked.

The twins looked at each other then back to the him. "We're both level 20." Kirito answered. Of course he lied about that. He and Yuga were both at level 40, but they didn't want to reveal that to them for fear of revealing their statuses as beaters.

The leader looked at the brothers with an awed expression. "Really, you guys are at our level and still solo players. You are inspirations, sirs." He said, still looking a little tense. He looked as if he were talking to higher ranked military officers and he was just a low ranked enlisted man.

"Look, Keita was it?" Yuga asked the leader, who nodded his head. "Look, this isn't a military unit and Kirito and I certainly aren't your superiors. You don't need to be so formal with us. Relax will you?"

"Plus, being solo players means we're always hunting enemies out in the boonies. Truth be told, it's not very efficient."

Keita seemed to calm down a bit from being told that. "Oh, right." He said. He then smiled as an idea popped in his head. "Well in that case, I hate to swing this on you both here but...if you want, we'd love to have the both of you in our guild." The twins gained wide eyed expressions at the leaders offer. "Our mace wielder, Tetsuo," He motioned to the member of the guild in a purple tunic. "is the only one we can put out front right now. And of course," He then went to the female member and started patting her head. "We got Sachi over here. I was thinking of having her switch to a sword and shield, that way she can fight on the front lines. The thing is though, she thinks she won't be able to handle it. If you joined us, maybe you can teach her a thing or two."

The female member, now known as Sachi, just looked at him annoyed. "Oh come on. I'm not that useless." She retorted as she got out from under his hand. "Seriously, you can't just put me out front and expect me to know what to do. I'd be terrified."

"It's no big deal. Just hide behind your shield."

"Yeah, right." Keita said, further annoying Sachi. "For as long as I've known you, you've always been a scaredy cat." He said jokingly, making the other members laugh along with him in good fun. "We always joke around like this. You see in real life, we all go to the same high school and are members of the computer club. But if either of you are worried about fitting in with us, don't be. As far as I'm concerned, you're already part of our group. Right, guys?" He motioned to his guild mates, who all had smiles on their faces and agreed. Even Sachi looked to have a smile on her face.

The twins stayed silent for a moment, then looked at each other. "What do you think, Kirito?" Yuga asked his brother.

"Well...this is all very flattering and all, but...I just don't know." He responded, causing the guild members to become disheartened. They certainly didn't want them to say no.

"Come on, Kirito. What to we have to lose? We'll stand a better chance at clearing this game if we do it in a guild. So why not give it a shot?"

Kirito stayed silent for a moment before he smiled, which Yuga returned. The two then looked to the guild. "Alright, we'll do it."

The guild member's faces soon perked up and they surrounded the brothers in celebration They welcomed their newest members with open arms and gave them both a very warm welcome. For a good portion of the night, The Moonlit Black Cats got to know the twins and vice versa. After a while, they retired for the evening,

The twins booked a room with two beds. Right now the two were browsing their items menus, making sure they had everything and were prepared for the next hunting party. Yuga glanced a look at his brother, who had a look that looked like his mind was miles away. "A penny for your thoughts?" Yuga asked lightly, but he got no answer. "Hey, Kirito."

That managed to break his concentration and look up to his brother. "Hmm? What was that?"

"You got something on your mind you'd like to share?" Kirito just remained silent. "Come on, I'm your brother, you know you can tell me anything."

Kirito just remained silent for a moment before he answered. "I just...I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Are you thinking about mom and Sugu?"

His eyes began to tear up in sadness. "Yeah. I...I miss them a lot." He then started to cry.

Yuga closed his menu, got up from his bed and went to his brother's and sat next to him. He then put a hand on his shoulder, making Kirito look at him, tears forming in his own eyes. "I know. I miss them too." Yuga responded. "But come hell or high water, we're gonna beat this game and we're gonna see them again. And when we do, we're gonna have to find a way to make it up to them for worrying them so much." Yuga said with a chuckle at the end. Kirito smiled at his brother's words, wiping the tears from his face with his sleeve. "And always remember, that no matter what happens, no matter where or how far you go, you'll always have me and I'll always have your back, no matter what. I...I hope you know that, Kazuto." Kirito then smiled further, not even minding that he used his IRL name.

Kirito then put his own hand on Yuga's shoulders. "Thanks Yusuke, and the same goes for you. If you ever find yourself in trouble, even if you find yourself in Hell itself, just call my name and I'll come running to save you. Even if I have to crawl to you." Kirito responded, his brother smiling warmly at his brother as he nodded. "And Yusuke, when it's just us, let's address each other by our real names. But when in public, it's back to Kirito and Yuga, got that?" He proposed as he put out his fist.

Yuga smiled again and bumped his brother's fist in agreement. "Yeah, you got it big brother." The twins smiled at each other at their agreement as they bumped fists with each other. After a little more preparation, they bid each other good night and went to sleep, eagerly awaiting for the next raid with their new guild mates.

May 9th, 2023 * 20th Floor – Sunlit Forest

The twins have been with The Moonlit Black Cats for about a month now and everything seemed to be progressing well, albeit slowly for the guild of beginners. Right now in a forest dungeon on Floor 20, The Moonlit Black Cats were locked in battle with a human sized grasshopper. The lancer of the group was trying his best to keep it at bay. Sachi was about to jump in and deal a blow to it, but when it snarled at her, she froze. The grasshopper attacked Sachi, hitting her shield and knocking her back.

"Sachi!" Kirito shouted in concern. He and Yuga then took out their weapons and charged in. "Get back, we got this."

As the grasshopper was about to swing down on Sachi, Yuga jumped in and cut off it's appendage, causing it to snarl in pain. As it brought down it's other appendage, Kirito parried the attack, causing it to stumble back. "Tetsuo, it's all you! Switch out!" Yuga shouted.

"Got it!" The mace wielding member of the Black Cats shouted as he charged towards the grasshopper with his mace skill activated. He delivered a powerful blow to it's midsection, bifurcating it in half and making it explode into polygons. Tetsuo grinned at his victory as the rewards for killing the creature appeared before him, even saying he went up one level, to level 23. The other members gathered around Tetsuo and praised him for his victory. The brothers looked at the guild with hopeful smiles. They believed that with more training, these newbies will have a shot at surviving.

The Black Cats decided to have a celebratory picnic to commemorate a job well done. Kirito and Yuga were sitting with Keita on the grassy plains while the others were mingling in another area. Keita was lying on his back while reading a news letter called 'The Weekly Argo' and it detailed how the assault team had cleared the 28th floor, and with no casualties to boot. "The assault team made it through to Floor 28. That's amazing!" Keita said in awe. "Hey Kirito, Yuga, what the heck does the assault team have that we don't?"

"You mean aside from larger numbers and a cooler name." Yuga said facetiously, making Keita look at him irked.

Kirito just chuckled at his brother's humor. "Well, they have access to better information." Kirito answered. "With that, they can find the easiest ways to get XP and they don't share that info."

"Hmmm, yeah, you're probably right. But what I think really sets them apart is willpower." Keita said as he crossed his arms over his chest. Hearing that made the twins raise their eyebrows in curiosity.

"What do you mean by that?" Inquired the older Kirigaya.

Keita sat up before he answered. "I guess what I mean is they have the will to stick up for their friends or any player for that manner." he said before he faced the twins. "Truth is, I like to think we got that same kind of drive. Even though we still need the protection. That said, our first priority is looking out for each other. That someday, if we get strong enough, we'll join the elites in the assault team."

Kirito and Yuga both smiled at the leader's ambition to make his guild stronger. "Well, that's quite the ambition you have there, Keita." Yuga said. "I think that if you keep going the way you all are, you'll achieve your dream in no time."

"You really think so, Yuga?" Keita inquired.

"We know so." Kirito added, making Keita scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. Ducker soon jumped down and playfully locked Keita in a choke hold. "Hey leader, give me some love." He said in a jovial manner.

"HEY!"

Soon enough, the rest of the guild joined the three. "So you really think we can be as strong as The Holy Dragon Alliance or The Knights of the Blood Oath?" Tetsuo asked rhetorically.

"Yeah. What if I do?" Keita asked rhetorically. "There's nothing wrong with setting our sights high. But we have to be level 30 first."

The twins just smiled at their guild mates as they continued to joke with each other. Kirito leaned in to whisper to Yuga. "I like the way Keita thinks. If the Black Cats can level up fast enough and get to the front lines, his ideas could change the elitist attitude of the assault team."

Yuga nodded his head and whispered into Kirito's ear. "Indeed. Keita certainly has the drive to level up and clear the game. You're definitely right, I think these guys can knock some of those arrogant pricks on the assault team down a peg or two." Kirito nodded his head in agreement. Their smiles soon turned to a frown as they looked at their levels. The twins were now level 48, a good 15 levels above everyone else.

With the hunting quest completed, The Black Cats returned to the tavern on Floor 11. Everyone was sitting about with Keita at the front of the room. "Everyone, I have an announcement to make." He said, getting everyone's attention. "After our latest hunt in the field, we've got 200,00 col." Everyone shouted in excitement at the announcement.

"Buying a house of our own doesn't seem like a pipe dream anymore." Said Tatsuo.

"Ooh, I know. How about we upgrade Sachi's equipment."

"Good idea." Keita said jokingly.

Sachi just shook her head with a small smile on her face. "I'm fine with what I have."

"Oh come on. You know, it's not fair to make Kirito and Yuga be out in front forever."

This made Sachi frown sadly as she faced said brothers. "I'm sorry."

They both shook their heads. "Don't worry about us, Sachi. It's cool." Kirito said casually.

"Yeah, Kirito and I don't mind being out in front. We're just happy to be of help."

"Thanks guys." Keita said gratefully. "Sachi, I know switching jobs isn't easy, but seriously, you're almost there. You can do it, I know it." Keita said confidently to Sachi, who still had a doubtful expression on her face. Kirito and Yuga saw this and couldn't help but feel worried.

May 16th, 2023 * 28th Floor – Wolf Plains

The twins left the Black Cats' HQ and soon found themselves on floor 28. As they were walking around, they came upon a guild wearing what appeared to be matching samurai armor fighting against a pack of wolves. They looked to the right and saw more guild members chasing down a wolf and at the front of it, the twins were surprised to see a very familiar face, one they hadn't seen in months.

"Hey wait, is that-" Yuga said.

"Klein." Kirito finished.

Klein stopped in front of the wolf creature and readied his sword skill. He charged forward and slashed the beast, killing it. He sheathed his sword in reveled at his victory. He then looked to the distance and saw Kirito and Yuga. "Hey! Kirito, Yuga! What's up guys" He shouted, happy to see his friends again. "The trash mop is all yours, guys." He said to his guild mates.

"Sure." One member said as Klein ran to greet his friends and try to catch up.

The twins were surprised, they didn't expect to run into Klein of all people. His appearance had changed drastically. He still had his original hairstyle and trademark headband, but now he sported red armor and a katana, giving him the appearance of a Japanese samurai warrior. "Oh man, it's been forever since I've seen either of you two." He greeted.

"I'll say, good to see you again." Yuga said with a smile.

"You seem to be doing well for yourself, Klein." Kirito said neutrally.

Klein gave them both a wide smile. "Yep, couldn't be doing any better. So what brings you two out here? Doing some late night leveling or something?" He asked before he noticed an icon with what appeared to be a black cat and a crescent moon displayed above the brother's health bars. "What's with those icons? Did you guys join a guild?"

"Yeah I guess you could say that." Kirito answered as he looked away, making Klein wonder what was up with him.

"It's all clear, we can move on." A member of Klein's guild shouted. With that, Kirito just started walking away. "See ya." Kirito said as he walked past Klein. Yuga just shot his brother an annoyed look. Still just as rude as ever.

"Sorry about that Klein." Yuga apologized. "It was great seeing you again. Message me sometime." Yuga called out as he tried to catch up with his brother.

Klein just looked at them with a soft smile and crossed his arms. "Still practically attached at the hip, those two are. Well, as long as they're still alive and watching each others backs, I guess that does me some good." He said to himself as he rejoined his guild.

After some late night walking, the twins returned to the 11th floor. Yuga had a 'chat' with Kirito about how he treated Klein. Of course Kirito apologized and said he would do better next time, which Yuga reluctantly took his word for. As they entered the town, they received a message from Keita. He said that Sachi had gone out and hasn't returned, which worried the brothers. He also said he and the rest of the guild would check the dungeon area and to let him know if they found her.

"So Sachi is missing?" Said Yuga. "Where could she have gone?"

Kirito brought up his skill list and selected the skill 'track'. Soon, his eyes glowed green as he looked around the town for any trace of Sachi. He looked in a part of town and discovered a trail. "I see foot prints. Come on." He said as he took off in a sprint with Yuga right behind him. After following the trail a ways, the brothers managed to find Sachi hiding under a bridge.

"Sachi, there you are!" Exclaimed Kirito, making the girl look up to see who called her out.

"Kirito, Yuga." She addressed them with a somewhat relieved tone.

"Sachi, why'd you run off like that? Everyone is really worried about you." Yuga said. When she didn't say anything, Kirito and Yuga walked up to her and sat close to her.

"Hey guys." She addressed them, making them look at her. "We should...run away." She suggested, confusing the boys.

"Run away? From what?" Asked Kirito.

"From this town. From the monsters. From the Moonlit Black Cats. From Sword Art Online." The last bit made the brothers become wide eyed in shock.

"Are you...suggesting...a suicide pact?!" Yuga asked beyond shocked.

Sachi just chuckled at Yuga's claim. "That's not such a bad idea." She responded, further scaring the boys. "I'm sorry, no. If I had the guts to die, I wouldn't be hiding in town where it's safe, would I?" Hearing that calmed them down a bit. "But really, why can't we just leave? Why do we have to die? It's just a stupid game. What's the point of going through all this."

The twins thought for a moment and realized Sachi's question's had merit. Why were they trapped in the game and why did Akahiko Kayaba do such a heinous act? What was the point in all this? No one had an answer. "Yeah...you're right about that. There certainly is no point in this." Kirito responded.

"Yeah, nothing to go on but the ramblings of a psychopath with a god complex." Yuga said, anger present in his voice.

"I...I'm so afraid of dying in here."

The twins looked at Sachi in empathy. "Is it really that bad for you?" Kirito asked.

Sachi nodded her head. "I'm so scared. I haven't been able to get any sleep lately." She said as she continued to curl into a ball.

"You won't die, Sachi." Yuga declared, making Sachi look at the twins, both with confidant smiles on their faces. She wished she could share their confidence.

"Really? How can you two be so sure of that?"

"The Black Cats are strong enough as a guild. And besides, our margin of safety is well above the norm." Kirito answered.

"Plus you got Tetsuo, Kirito, and I up at the front." Added Yuga. "So there's no reason to be on the frontlines with us."

"You honestly don't think I'll die? Will I make it back to the real world?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah, you're not gonna die, you'll see. We'll clear this game and go home soon." Assured Kirito with a smile.

Yuga nodding his head in agreement. "Kirito is right Sachi. We will protect you and everyone else in the guild and we'll see to it that we all get out of this game alive. No matter what." Sachi looked at the two in awe before she adorned a hopeful smile on her face as she began to cry.

Yuga got up and walked to Sachi and held out his hand. "Now, how about we head back to the tavern?" Sachi continued to smile as she accepted the younger twin's hand as he helped her to her feet. With their search a success, the three headed back to the tavern to get as good night's rest.

Back in their room, Yuga was lying on his bed with his hands behind his head while Kirito was on the opposite bed going though his items menu. Yuga turned to his brother. "Did you really mean what you said, Kazuto?"

"I did, Yusuke." His brother responded. "If you and I are in this guild, Sachi will be safe and we'll all make it back to the real world someday."

"Hmm. It's just that I didn't think you had it in you to be that kind of supportive." Yuga said jokingly, making Kirito roll his eyes in annoyance.

"Yeah well, when I see Sachi, I can't help but think that there are other players like her. Ones who are afraid of dying here. Even still, they laugh, they cry and try to live as best they can. I never really thought about it like that before." Kirito said seriously.

Yuga looked at his brother and how insightful that was. "Wow, that was...that was deep, Kazuto."

KNOCK KNOCK

They heard a knock at the door. Kirito closed his menu and Yuga sat up. "Come in." Said Kirito. The door opened and their visitor was revealed to be Sachi in a night gown and a pillow in her hand.

"I'm sorry. I can't seem to get to sleep." She said with an apologetic smile. "Is it okay if I stay here tonight?"

The twins looked at each other for a bit before glancing back to her. "Sure, Sachi, we don't mind." Yuga responded.

"Although, you might want to sleep in my bed, Yuga here has a bad habit of hogging all the covers." Kirito said jokingly, earning a ticked glare from his brother.

"What?! I do not!" Yuga exclaimed.

"Yeah you do."

"Do not!"

"What about the time at that hotel when we went to Kyoto for the festival with mom and Sugu?"

"Uhhh..."

"Or the time we stayed at our grandparent's house?"

"Uhhh..."

"Or all the times when we took naps together as little kids before we got separate beds?"

"...Oh whatever." Yuga said defeated. Kirito just smiled smugly as he reveled in victory.

Sachi just watched in amusement at the twin's shenanigans and could help but chuckle. After some more back and forth banter, the twins and Sachi went to to bed and waited for tomorrow to come.

June 12th, 2023 * 11th Floor – Taft

Today was the day. The day that the Moonlit Black Cats were going to get a house of their own. The Black Cats were currently gathered at the warp gate. Keita was tasked with going to get the house while the others were to wait for him so he can take them there and show it to them.

"Okay, I'm heading out guys. Teleport: Town of Beginnings" He bid farewell to his guild mates as he was teleported to his destination.

"Man, can you believe it? I never thought buying a house would be so exciting."

"Dude, you sound like an old man."

The others just giggled at what was said.

"Hey guys, I have an idea." Said Tetsuo. "While Keita is off buying the house, what do you say we go out and raise some extra cash?"

Sachi was already on board with the plan. "Oh yes, then we can buy furniture." Everyone nodded their heads.

"Hey, let's go to a dungeon on a higher floor." Suggested Ducker.

"Not a good idea Ducker. We should stick to our usual hunting spots." Yuga said to the yellow wearing member.

"Oh come on. Up there we can make more and faster." Said Sasamaru.

"Sasamaru's right. Plus with our levels, we got nothing to worry about." Replied Ducker

"I still don't think it's a good idea, guys." Kirito added.

Sasamaru put his hand on the older Kirigaya's shoulder. "Guys, come on. This is a golden opportunity."

Kirito and Yuga just looked at each other with worrisome expressions. Sure the pay would be good if they went to a higher floor but the risk was too great. But they figured if a couple of higher level players like them were around, the others would be safe. So, without much resistance, the twins nodded their heads, earning smiles from the rest of the guild. And with that, they set off for the dungeon.

June 12th, 2023 * 27th Floor – Dungeon

The Moonlit Black Cats were currently walking in a dungeon on the 27th floor. "See guys. I told you this was gonna be cake. We might even be able to reach the front lines sooner." Sasamaru said with a smile on his face.

"That's what I'm talking about." Added Ducker. "Hey look!" He exclaimed as he gestured to the wall ahead of them. He ran up to the wall and pressed it. The section of the wall glowed and revealed a secret passage, which surprised Kirito and Yuga. Inside the room was a single treasure chest. "A treasure chest!" Exclaimed Ducker happily. The cats smiled in anticipation, but the twins just looked at it suspiciously. As Ducker was about to run in and plunder it, Yuga grabbed his cloak, stopping him in his tracks. Ducker just looked at Yuga confused. "Hey, what are you doing, Yuga?"

Yuga narrowed his eyes on the chest as if he was analyzing it. He watched plenty of movies to know that when a secret room with treasure in it is discovered, once you touch it, booby traps start to go off. He decided he was not taking any chances. "This seems a little too easy. All of you wait here, I'll check it out."

"Yuga-" Kirito tried to say.

"I'll be fine brother. If I need help, I'll holler." He assured with a smile. He then entered the room and continued analyzing the chest. He took out his axe and tapped it a few times. He looked around the room and nothing was happening. He then struck the chest, again nothing happened. Now for the final test, he knelt down to open the chest. He unlocked it and slowly started to open it. Once the lid was a smidgen of the way up, he opened it quickly and flinched away. He opened his eyes and noticed once again that nothing happened. Looking inside the chest, he saw that it was completely filled with col. Breathing a sigh of relief, he signaled the others to come in.

Ducker was the first to run inside. "See, you were just being paranoid." He jokingly said as he head for the chest. The others close behind him as they surrounded the chest. Kirito walked to his brother with a suspicious expression.

"I guess I was worried for nothing, huh Kirito." Yuga asked. Kirito continued to eye the chest.

"I don't think so Yuga. Something in my gut tells me that something bad is about to happen." He said seriously. Kirito had no idea how right he was. As soon as Ducker scooped a large amount of kol, suddenly, an alarm sounded and the whole room was covered in a red light, frightening and confusing almost everyone as they tried to make sense of what was happening. The door suddenly slammed, trapping everyone inside and suddenly the walls started to open and dwarf like creatures wielding pick axes emerged from the them and surrounded the guild. Rock golem like creatures also started to appear.

"Shit! I hate it when I'm right sometimes!" Kirito exclaimed as they got out their weapons to defend themselves.

"This is exactly what I was afraid of. Hurry, let's get the hell out of here!" Yuga exclaimed.

"Don't gotta tell me twice!" Said Ducker as he and the rest of the guild pulled out their warp crystals. "Teleport: Taft!" Ducker shouted, but nothing happened, confusing and frightening him. He tried again and again nothing happened.

"We can't use our crystals!" Exclaimed Sachi.

"The walls are probably whats blocking them!" Deduced Kirito. Suddenly, the creatures guarding the chest moved in on the guild, ready to kill them. "Here they come! Get ready!" Kirito shouted as he started slashing at the creatures.

Ducker was soon knocked down, dropping his warp crystal. He looked up to see he was surrounded by four dwarf creatures and they started attacking him while he was down, not even giving him a chance to try and get back up. He screamed in horror as his HP started dwindle away. Eventually, his HP hit zero, killing him and making explode into polygons.

"DUCKERRRR!" Yuga shouted as he witnessed what happened. He started angrily slicing at the dwarves and golems in an effort to get to the rest of his guild mates and help them out with his brother doing the same.

Soon, Tetsuo suffered the same fate as his guild mate and was killed after being attacked by a golem. "TETSUO! NO!" Shouted Sasamaru as he charged toward the golem that killed his friend. He then trusted his spear into the golem's chest in a vain attempt to avenge Tetsuo, but it was for naught as the same golem struck him down, killing him as well.

""NOOOOO!"" Shouted the twins as they continued to hack and slash their way through the crowd to get to Sachi, who was the only one left. "GET OUT OF OUR WAY!" Yuga demanded as he continued to kill their attackers, a couple managing to get some hits in. Sachi looked to be struggling with her attacker. Seeing this, the brothers charged their way toward her.

"Kirito! Yuga! Help Me!" Sachi shouted as she pushed the golem attacking her away

"SACHI, HANG ON WE'RE COMING!" Shouted Kirito as the two continued their assault, the creatures not giving them a chance to get to Sachi. Kirito and Yuga managed to get rid of the opposing enemies blocking their path and ran to Sachi. Sachi was struck in the back by a golem and was on her hands and knees. She saw a pair of feet in front of her. She looked up to see a dwarf creature holding it's weapon over it's head, ready to deliver the final blow to Sachi. Sachi closed her eyes as she began to cry, unable to stop her impending doom.

CLANG

Sachi opened her eyes to see Yuga standing in front of her and blocking the dwarf's pickaxe with his ax. "YOU. WILL. NOT. TOUCH HERRRRRR!" Yuga roared as he pushed back the creature, who back peddled a few steps. Yuga then let out a yell as he jumped in the air with is ax overhead and brought in down on the creature, bringing the creature's health down to zero and killing it. Yuga shot a death glare at the remaining creatures.

Sachi then heard the golem that attacked her and was once again frozen in fear. As the golem was about to strike, a sword was plunged into it's back and came out it's chest. Kirito had jumped and plunged his sword into the golem. He then pulled it out and delivered a diagonal slash down it's back, killing it. Kirito landed on the ground after killing the golem and looked towards Sachi. While Sachi was relieved to see the twins, she noticed the look of fury in the older twin's eyes and judging from Yuga's tone from earlier, she can only assume that he had the same look. A look that reminded her of a ferocious beast getting ready to tear it's prey apart.

Kirito turned and eyed the remaining creature's on his side of the room. The twin's readied their weapons and activated their respective weapon skills. "RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" With a final yell, they ran towards the creatures and proceeded to slaughter them all. They took several hits from a select few who were lucky enough to get a hit in, but it wasn't enough to deter them and they too fell along with their brethren. Sachi backed up and hugged the wall as she witnessed the onslaught. In all honesty, she didn't know how to feel, relieved that Kirito and Yuga have rescued her or afraid because of how they were acting right now.

After what seemed like an eternity, all the dwarf creatures and golems were killed. Upon their deaths, the door opened. Kirito and Yuga stood still for a few moments before they dropped their weapons and fell to the ground, Yuga fell on his hands and knees while his brother backwards, supporting himself up with his arms. Both were breathing heavily. Sachi continued to have her back to the wall and remained there for a bit. After collecting herself, she got up and walked towards the twins.

"Kirito. Yuga." She said in a low voice. The two boys looked up to see Sachi standing over them.

"Sachi." Kirito said with tears in his eyes.

Yuga looked at her but remained silent as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. "Sachi...we-" Yuga tried to say but was interrupted when she suddenly wrapped both of the twins in a hug, which surprised them. Sachi's eyes were closed as tears were also present in her eyes.

"Kirito, Yuga, please...let's leave this place. Please." Sachi begged.

Kirito and Yuga both nodded as the got back up and helped Sachi up. The twins grabbed their weapons and the three survivors left the dungeon. Kirito held Sachi close to him with Yuga right by their side as they walked in silence all the way back to the tavern. The twins replayed the events of what happened in their minds over and over again. The image of their companions dying one by one was permanently seared into their brains and that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. They may have been able to save Sachi and clear the room all the while leveling up a tad, but in the end, it was a loss.

June 12th, 2023 * 11th Floor – Taft

Later that night, Sachi was with the twins in their room at the tavern. Sachi sat on Kirito's bed while Kirito sat with Yuga on his bed, one hand to his forehead and right next to him with his face buried in his hands. The silence was nerve racking, so Sachi decided to break it. "Hey, Kirito, Yuga."

""Hmm?"" They both acknowledged.

"Well...I...I never thanked you two...for saving me." She said.

"How could you thank us Sachi?" Yuga asked.

"What?" Sachi asked.

"Sachi, we got you guild mates killed." Kirito responded. "You shouldn't be thanking us, you should be hating us right now."

Sachi's eyes widened in surprise. "Wh-why would you two think that. You couldn't have known that room was going to be a trap."

"No, but we could have prevented it." Yuga retorted.

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when we first joined, that we told you that we were Level 20 just like the rest of you?" Kirito asked, to which Sachi nodded her head. "We lied. Fact of the matter is Yuga and I are 15 levels higher than any of you."

"The truth is Sachi, my brother and I are beaters. Nothing but no good, selfish, beaters. We kept our true levels a secret because we thought you would all hate us." Yuga explained.

"But now after everything that's happened, we realized our foolishness was what got the Moonlit Black Cats killed. If we hadn't hidden our true levels, hell if we never joined in the first place, none of this would be happening."

"You have every right to hate us Sachi. And no one would blame you either. What happened to the others is all our fault. If we hadn't kept our true levels a secret, they would all still be here." Tears formed in Yuga's eyes. "We don't deserve to be here."

"Yeah, we should have died in that dungeon and you and the others should be here right now."

"Don't say that!" Sachi yelled, surprising the twins. She then leaped from the bed and embraced the two in a hug. "Don't say things like that. Don't either of you two ever say such horrible things about yourselves!" She said, tears falling from her eyes.

"Sachi, it's the truth." Yuga replied.

"No, none of this is either of your faults." She looked up to face the brothers, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "Besides, you two saved me. Not to sound selfish or anything, but I'm alive thanks to you two and I couldn't be more grateful. You both promised that you would protect me and you kept your word." She continued to hug the twins. Kirito and Yuga for their part returned the hug. After staying like that for a while, the three decided to call it a night, but not before the twins swore to each other that they will protect and take care of Sachi and no matter what, they were going to beat the game.

December 24th. 2023 * 49th Floor – Mujen

Christmas Eve in the game is just like how it is in the real world. The town of Mujen on the 49th floor was decorated for the season and the players were either going around doing some shopping or hanging out with each other for the holiday. Normally it would be a time for cheer for some, but not all. Sitting on a bench near a large Christmas tree sat Kirito alone while his brother and Sachi waited at the inn they booked. The twins had no reason to be merry, what transpired nearly six months ago still plagued their minds. The night after the raid, the twins were trying to figure out a way to explain what happened. Sachi offered to come with them, but they shot her down, saying it was their fault what happened and they had to be the ones to bite the bullet.

The two managed to run into Keita, who had the keys to their new house and was eager to show it to the rest of the guild. When he asked where everyone was, Kirito and Yuga told them what happened and the Sachi was the only survivor. After explaining the situation, Keita was shocked. The Kirigayas apologized at great length but Keita didn't respond. After standing in silence for what seemed like an eternity, Keita started walking towards the edge of the town. The twins knew then what he was planning. They tried to stop him, but it was no use as he jumped down into the abyss, killing himself. Before dying, he asked the twins to take care of Sachi. With his death, even though Sachi was the only survivor, The Moonlit Black Cats were officially finished.

The twins blamed themselves for what happened and swore that they would do whatever it took to clear the game, so the three started training, killing monsters, and getting stronger so that an incident like what happened to their former guild would never happen again. Within six months, they had gone up 30 levels and became some of the strongest players in the game with Sachi not too far behind them. Right now they were in Mujen to meet up with an info broker. Apparently in their travels they heard a rumor of an item that can supposedly bring back a dead player and that the monster that dropped it would appear tonight and they were there to confirm the rumor. Upon hearing about the item, the twins decided that they would try to bring back Keita, hoping to redeem themselves for at least one of their screw ups.

After some waiting, a hooded girl with green hair, purple eyes and what looked like whisker marks on her cheeks approached the older Kirigaya twin. This was one of Aincrad's info brokers; Argo the Rat. She had a reputation as one of the best info brokers in the game and for the right price, her information could be yours.

"I hear that some people have been taking risks with their level raising as of late." She greeted trying to lighten the mood with no success.

"You have anything for us or what, Argo?"

"Well, nothing worth charging you money for." She answered as she leaned against the bench.

"Tch! You give info brokers a bad name." Kirito scoffed.

"Hey man, this wasn't in the Beta Test, it's a first time event. How am I supposed to know what's gonna happen? Come on, cut me some slack." Argo said somewhat offended at what Kirito said to her. "Look, all I know is that tonight, on Christmas Eve, the event boss is gonna appear. He's called Nicholas the Renegade and he's gonna show up under a fir tree somewhere. The major guilds are searching everywhere for the tree even as we speak." Kirito, having heard enough, got up from the bench, making Argo look at them. "You, your brother, or that girl wouldn't happen to know where it is, would ya?"

"Maybe." Responded Kirito as he started to walk away.

"Hey, are you thinking about going at it with just the three of you?" She asked, but Kirito just ignored her as he continued his walk through the town to the inn they he and his brother were staying at.

After getting back to the inn, Kirito explained what he had heard to Argo and the three prepped themselves for their fight against the boss. Kirito equipped a different sword and coat with a fur collar while Yuga sported a longer version of his Hunter's Shroud and a new ax. Sachi put on a long light blue winter coat with a fur collar with matching boots and equipped a sword and shield. Yuga looked at his brother. "So do you really think this item exists?"

"There's only one way to find out. If there really is an opportunity to bring back a dead player, we have to take it." Responded Kirito.

"But, this mission could be dangerous." Sachi said nervously. "I mean, there's a good chance that...we can die."

Yuga went up to Sachi and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sachi, none of us are going to die."

"But you are right Sachi, this will be very dangerous. You're free to stay here while we go, we won't hold it against you." Kirito added.

Sachi shook her head and adopted a determined expression. "No, I'm not going to let you two go at this alone. Where you go, I go with you."

The twins nodded their heads seriously. "Alright, but remember, if things get bad or if anything happens to us, we want to you run as far away as you can, you understand?" Kirito said.

"But-"

"Sachi don't argue with us." Yuga interrupted. "We mean it, anything happens to us, you run. You run fast, you run far, and you don't look back. Got it?"

"...I understand." Sachi replied reluctantly.

Kirito then sat up from the bed and addressed his brother and Sachi. "Alright then. Now if we're ready, we got a monster to slay and an item to retrieve." Yuga and Sachi both nodded their heads and adopted serious expressions on their faces. The three then left the inn and headed for the warp gate in the town.

35th-Floor – Forest of Wandering

The twins and Sachi were currently running in the forest to find the fir tree where Nicholas the Renegade would appear. They ran towards what appeared to be the tallest fir tree in the forest. As they approached it, a flash of light caught their attention. It was revealed to be Klein and his guild who had just teleported to the same location as the brothers.

"What's up Kirito, Yuga." Klein greeted the twins. "It's been a while hasn't it?"

"Indeed it has." Responded Yuga. "Sorry, we've been busy lately."

Klein then saw Sachi with them and couldn't help but smirk deviously. "Yeah, I can see that." He said jokingly.

"It's not what you think Klein. We were in the same guild as hers. It's a long story, one we don't want to talk about." Kirito replied.

"Sachi, Klein and his guild." Yuga motioned to Klein and his guild. "Klein and his guild, Sachi."

"H-hello." Sachi greeted shyly as she waved to them, which they did back.

"Anyway, what are you doing here, did you follow us?" Kirito asked.

"Well, duh! You guys are after the revival item, right? And I'm guessing Sachi there is along for the ride?"

"We are Klein. And also Sachi came with us of her own free will." Answered Yuga.

"Come on, don't go risking your lives on some rumor that could turn out to be bogus."

"Klein, this is something we have to do. Please, just stay out of the way." Demanded Yuga.

Klein was shocked to hear that. "Guys, come on! You can't be messing around in this death game. Once you're HP hits zero, that's it. In the real world, you're brain gets-"

"We are aware of what happens, Klein." Interrupted Kirito.

Klein just gritted his teeth. "Look, I'm trying to get you guys to stop with all you're soloing. Come on, join up with us. Whoever gets the item to drop keeps it. No hard feelings. That's fair, isn't it?" He suggested, but the twins both shook their heads.

"We can't Klein. Like Yuga said, we have to do this ourselves. We have our own reasons for wanting it" Kirito responded, causing Klein to grit his teeth in anger at their recklessness.

"Guys, think about what you're doing. It's freaking suicide, and I'm not going to stand by and watch my friends die like that." Klein said when suddenly multiple flashes of light appeared around them. Out of the flashes, multiple people wearing silver armor or silver clothing, all with their weapons equipped surrounded them.

"Looks like you guys were followed too. Huh, Klein?" Kirito said as he, Sachi and Yuga prepared to draw their weapons.

"Yeah, sure looks like it." Klein replied as he drew his sword.

"It's the Holy Dragon Alliance." One of Klein's guild mates said.

"They'll do anything for a rare item, no matter how shady." Another added.

"So what do we do?"

The twins gritted their teeth at the hindrance. They didn't have time to deal with these guys. They had to get to the tree and quick. "Kirito, Yuga, Sachi, get out of here!" Klein shouted as he got into a battle stance, shocking the twins.

"No way, Klein!" Responded Kirito.

"We're not leaving you all to take these guys alone." Added Yuga.

Klein just smirked as his guild mates all readied themselves for battle. "Don't worry. Leave them to us. We can hold them off. Besides, didn't you say this is something you guys have to do?"

Sachi then walked to Klein and stood by his side. The twins were surprised to see this and so was Klein. "Sachi, what are you doing?" Yuga asked.

"I'll stay and help them." She looked back to the twins. "Don't worry about me. I know I said I would go with you two, but I want to at least do my part in helping other people."

"Sachi." Kirito said.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. You two go get the item. But you two better come back alive." Sachi said determined.

The twins nodded their heads and were about ready to head off, but not before Kirito looked to Klein. "Klein." The swordsman looked to his friend. "You better keep her safe, you hear me?!" Kirito asked seriously.

Klein grinned confidently at the two. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to her." he declared.

"We mean it Klein, anything happens to Sachi on your watch, you guys are next on our hit list, right beneath Kayaba." Yuga added with a cold tone.

"Don't worry, we'll protect her with our lives. You have our word." One member of Klein's guild said as the others nodded their heads. The twins returned the nod.

"Well, what are you two waiting for? You got an item to get right?" Klein said. "Well then get going you two."

""Right!"" They shouted as they turned around and continued their way towards the fir tree. Once they got to the tree, they heard a bell chiming and what sounded like sleigh bells coming from above them. They looked up to see what looked like a sleigh flying in the sky and someone dropping from it. Suddenly, a giant, monstrous version of Santa Claus with pale blue skin and red glowing eyes and wielding an ax stood before them. He had four health bars and the name Nicholas the Renegade appeared above him. The twins readied themselves for combat.

The brothers eyed the monster with serious expressions. "You ready, Yuga?" Kirito asked his brother.

Yuga readied his ax in anticipation. "Let's kill this sucker." He responded, getting a nod from his brother. The brothers screamed as they charged towards the giant Santa Monster as it charged towards them.

Back with Sachi. Klein and his guild, they managed to keep the Holy Dragon Alliance at bay and get them to run. Weapons lay scattered on the ground as Sachi, Klein and his guild mates rested, weary from the battle.

"Whoo man! That was intense!" Klein exclaimed as he breathed heavily.

"I know." Sachi replied. "Guess I got my work out for the month."

Klein looked to Sachi and couldn't help but be curious about her. "Hey so...Kirito and Yuga said you guys used to be in the same guild right?" He asked.

"Yeah...we were." Sachi replied with a saddened expression.

"So, what happened, did the guild break up or something?" Klein asked. Sachi didn't respond as Klein noticed the saddened look in her eyes. After a moment, he figured out what the twins meant and widened his eyes in realization. "Oh...I see. I-I'm sorry. I didn't know." He said apologetically.

Sachi shook her head. "It's alright, there's no way you could have."

Just the a flash of light caught Klein's attention. It was revealed to be the Kirigaya brothers coming out of the portal, having returned from their bout with Nicholas the Renegade. Klein of course was happy to see his friends and that they had survived and they had retrieved what looked to be the revival item.

Sachi saw the twins and a sense of relief washed over her. "Kirito! Yuga!" She exclaimed happily as she ran towards the twins and embraced the two in a hug with happy tears in her eyes. "I'm so glad you two made it back alive." Sachi let go of them and faced them. "So did you-" She was interrupted when she saw the blank and hollow looks on their faces. "What? What's wrong." They didn't say anything as they continued to walk towards Klein.

"Kirito! Yuga! Hey, you-" Klein said happily until he saw their faces and suddenly his smile disappeared as he noticed the brothers looked to have blank and hollow looks on their faces. They had the look that while they may have been victorious, they had suffered a horrible defeat. Kirito, who was holding the item, suddenly tossed it to Klein, who caught it, but was confused as to why he did it. Sachi had the same confused look on her face.

"There. That's the revival item." Kirito said blankly.

Klein looked at the item and brought up it's description. "Let's see, it says 'must be administered to affected player...WITHIN 10 SECONDS'!" He exclaimed in shock before he looked back at the brothers. Sachi adopted the same shocked expression.

"If someone dies in front of you some day, make sure you use it, alright." Yuga said blankly as he and his brother turned to head back to the inn. "Come on Sachi." Sachi did as she was told and joined the brothers.

"Wait." Klein grabbed both brothers by their waists, stopping them in their tracks. "Kirito. Yuga. Sachi. Listen...stay alive, you hear? I don't care what you do or how you do it. Just stay alive...to the end." Klein begged as he cried and let them go before he fell to his knees.

"See ya." Kirito bid to the samurai as the three headed back to town. The three were silent the whole way back. No one said a word and the tension was heavy. Sachi couldn't bear to see her friends in such a state.

'I have to say something. Just seeing them like this is breaking my heart.' Just as she was about to say something, Kirito beat her to the punch.

"We're sorry Sachi."

"Huh?" Sachi inquired. "You're sorry, for what."

"There was indeed a revival item, but it was too late to bring back Keita." Kirito responded.

"We thought that if we brought back Keita, we could somehow redeem ourselves for our mistake of getting his guild killed in the first place." Yuga said.

"And we also thought that if we brought him back, it would at least offer you some comfort knowing that someone else in your guild was still around." Kirito added.

"Kirito. Yuga." Sachi soon had tears in her eyes.

"If you wish to leave when we get back to town, we wouldn't blame you." Kirito added.

"Stop it." Sachi responded softly.

"This proves it Sachi. Kirito and I...we're poison. We bring suffering to everyone who gets around us. This must be a sign, that maybe we are just meant to spend the remainder of our days alone and ultimately...end up dying alone." Yuga added.

Hearing that was the final straw for Sachi as she burst into tears and stopped walking. "PLEASE STOP!" She yelled.

The twins stopped walking and looked towards her. Sachi then ran and embraced the two in a tight warm hug. With how tight the hug was, the twins felt like Sachi was never going to let them go. "Don't say things like that! You two aren't poison! Don't you ever think that you two are something so horrible!" She said inbetween sobs as tears continued to fall. "I don't care if you two are beaters and I don't blame either of you for what happened to the Moonlit Black Cats!. You two are my best friends and the two of you are so very precious to me. Please...just seeing you two like this...it breaks my heart."

"Sachi." Kirito said.

"Please...promise me. Promise me that we're going to beat this game together and we're going to go back to the real world. Please." Gravity got the better of them and they were on their knees in the snow. After a couple of seconds, the twins embraced Sachi in their own hug.

"We will Sachi. We're going to beat this game. We promise you that." Kirito said.

"And we swear to God, we're going to go back to the real world and see all our loved ones again. One way or another, we are getting out of this hell." Yuga added.

The three continued to hug each other with comforting smiles on their faces. "Thank you. Both of you." Sachi said gratefully. "I don't care what anyone says about you two, you two are my best friends in the world, and being with both of you make me so incredibly happy."

The three said nothing as they continued to embrace each other as the snow continued to fall. After a few moments of silence, Yuga spoke. "Merry Christmas, Sachi."

"Merry Christmas, Kirito, Yuga." Sachi responded softly.

"It's getting late, let's head back to the inn." Kirito said.

"Okay." With that, the twins helped Sachi back up and the three walked together back to Mujen with Sachi walking closely in the middle of the twins. The quest to get the item may not have panned out the way they thought it would, but at the very least, Sachi was still alive and with them and that she would stick by them no matter what happened, even if they were beaters. And to the twins that was a win in their books. Yuga even thought that this a big middle finger to Kayaba. Kayaba's death game may have taken the lives of the Moonlit Black Cats, but this was one win neither he or his brother will allow Kayaba the satisfaction of having.

Back at the inn, Kirito and Sachi had gone to bed while Yuga decided to stay up for a bit longer. After doodling around in his menu for a bit, he closed it and looked back to Sachi and his brother. Seeing the two of them sleeping so soundly brought him some peace of mind. But Yuga knew that they were going to need some help to beat the game. Yuga had an idea and was going to pitch it to his brother, but decided to wait a few days before he would. For now, they would enjoy the moments of peace they have been given.

It was nearing midnight and Yuga decided to hit the sack. Right when Yuga was about to turn in, he heard a noise indicating he had a message. He looked to and was surprised to see the header saying it was a gift box from Sachi. "From Sachi? What's this?" He asked. He looked towards Sachi, who was still sound asleep. He looked back to the message and opened it. Immediately afterwards, a green prism shaped object appeared in his hands. He recognized it as a recording device. He pressed the button, causing the device to glow and the message began to play.

'Merry Christmas, Kirito and Yuga. By the time you two hear this, I'll probably be dead.' Yuga was surprised to hear that. 'How can I explain this? Let's see...to tell you the truth, I never really wanted to leave the Town of Beginnings. And I knew if I fought with an attitude like that, I would end up dying someday. But that's not anyone's fault, that's something I have to deal with. Kirito, Yuga, ever since that night you found me, you kept telling that I wasn't going to die, no matter what. But what if I got killed anyway? I knew that if I died, you both would curse and blame yourselves. So that's why I decided to record this for the both of you. Think of it as...an insurance policy."

"By the way, I knew how powerful you two really are. Sorry, I sorta peeked when you weren't looking. I wondered why you weren't telling the truth about what level player you were. I wondered why you both decided to fight with us, but I never figured it out though. You know what? When I found out how strong you two were, I don't know, it made me so happy. I felt relieved. So even if I die, promise me that you'll both go on living, alright? Stay alive so you can see the end of this world and find out why it was created. Find out why a weakling like me ended up here. Find out the reason you and I met. Please...that's what I wish."

Yuga's eyes began to tear up. 'Sachi.'

"Looks like I still have some time so, seeing how it's Christmas and everything, I'll sing you both a song." Sachi then started to hum the lyrics for the first part of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Hearing it made Yuga's eyes start to tear up. 'Anyway, Kirito, Yuga, I'm so glad that I met the both of you and that I could be with you both, even for a little while. So thank you and goodbye.' With that said, the device stopped glowing to show the recording was over and fell onto the table.

Yuga covered his face with one hand as he started to cry tears of happiness. He looked towards Sachi and still had a smile on his face. 'Oh Sachi.' He thought 'I'm glad Kirito and I were able to save you. If you were gone...I don't what we would have done. So thank you, for sticking with us despite the circumstances.' His face soon became serious. 'But, I swear to you here and now, we will fulfill Keita's last wish and take care of you. We will protect you with our dying breaths.' Seeing Sachi shift in her sleep made Yuga smile again. He leaned down close enough to be by her face. "Merry Christmas Sachi." He said softly. He then looked to his brother. "And Merry Christmas to you Kazuto."

Yuga then went to the window and looked toward the sky as he put a hand on the window. He had one last thing to say and to the two people in his life that really mattered; his mother and sister, Suguha. "Merry Christmas Mom, Sugu. We love you both and miss you so much." He said as more tears fell from his face. After staring out the window for a few moments, he finally went to bed.

Hey y'all. I decided to try and rewrite this chapter because I've gotten a few complaints about it with Sachi dying and that it was too close to the canon. So I managed to let Sachi survive and now she and the twins had their Christmas quest. I admit, this was a bit of a challenge but I think I managed to make it work. Let me know what you all think and let me know what I can do to fix it. Now from here, I am also going to move some chapters around. Yuga is still going to start up the mercenary guild and Sachi will be a member as well seeing as how she had gotten stronger in the months after the destruction of the Moonlit Black Cats. The forming of the guild will be next chapter while the twins meeting Silica will be the one after that. The rest of the story will follow the canon a bit, but I will find a way to add my own elements to the story. If any of you want to give your input, pleas do so, all input is welcome as is any criticism, just nothing too mean please. Anyway, next time on The Black Swordsman and The Gray Huntsman Chapter 3: The Mercenary Guild. I'll have it out in the next few days, like I said, work has been keeping me busy but thank you all for your patience and look forward to more on this and my other stories. Til then, TTFN, ta ta for now.