Chapter 9: All the World's a Stage

Kirito was a blur of leather and steel as he whirled about, ducking under the translucent mace wielded by a «Phantom Knight». Light wrapped around his sword as he countered with «Vertical Arc», a simple 2-hit combo with relatively low recovery time. Fighting ghostly enemies was always disconcerting. Not because they moved more like players than their fleshy counterparts, but because there was no resistance when one's blade struck home. Kirito laughed derisively at himself for having that thought.

I'm feeling uncomfortable because I'm not feeling the sensation of rending flesh and bone…Ugh. This has got to be a bad joke.

He was currently in the «15th District», meaning he could one-shot most standard enemies with a skill. The experience gain was minimal, but he had another reason for being here. The abundance of phantom-type enemies in this district's sewers was useful for Kirito. Because these mobs shared a move-set with players wielding the same weapons, he was able to learn the intricacies behind each weapon without going through the trouble of challenging players to duels. There was a limit to how effective the training could be though. The monsters were tailored to players of a similar level as themselves. Their «Skill» levels would reflect that balance, meaning they would never use moves which required a higher level than an average player specializing in that weapon might have. That meant that Kirito wouldn't be able to learn how to defend against skills that a high level player who focused solely on leveling their weapon skills might use.

However, the number of players with access to those «Skills» was around three hundred at this point in time, the majority of them front-liners who he met on a regular basis during boss fights. Most people, including over half of the players on the frontlines, either levelled multiple «Weapon Skills» so they could be effective against more enemy types or split their focus with a non-combat «Skill» to better support their teammates, diluting the experience they earned towards their main weapon. That left only one other problem. Advanced as their programming might be, a monster could never hope to match a real person's ability to adapt to situations. Nor would they take unexpected actions in order to confuse their foes.

This isn't enough. I need to learn how to handle more!

In order learn how to handle a PK situation, Kirito was currently breaking one of the cardinal rules he had set up for himself when Kayaba's death game began. He had purposely engaged more than one enemy. At first, he had started with two phantoms. Then, as he grew more familiar with their movements, he had upped the number gradually. Currently, he was faced with four «Phantom Knights».

He jumped to the side to avoid a wide swing by an axe-wielding phantom. Two red beams appeared in the air just as he landed, one targeting his side and the other his right shoulder. Kirito swung his sword in an arc, slicing through an arrow lengthwise before deflecting a crossbow bolt with the flat of his blade. He rolled to the side and ducked behind a sarcophagus. The underground crypt he was fighting in provided plenty of cover. Closing his eyes, he concentrated his other senses on his surroundings to determine the locations of his enemies.

This isn't enough. In a real fight, Orange Players would rotate out and try to wear me down. I need to learn how to take them all down quickly. I can't rely on my enemies being as uncoordinated as those guys down in the mines.

Argo had called his focus on Orange Players an obsession. Well, he had to admit that there was a slight ring of truth to the accusation. But Argo hadn't seen what he had. She hadn't witnessed someone get murdered right before her eyes or felt the crushing sense of helplessness afterwards.

In addition to the time they had first met, Kirito had encountered PoH twice. The first was from a distance. To be honest, the man had been so far away that Kirito couldn't see him properly to confirm it was him. But the cloaked figure had turned in his direction and, just briefly, Kirito felt their eyes met. The sense of unease filling him left Kirito with little doubt as to who had been underneath that hood.

The latest encounter he had with the man was about a month ago, about two weeks before the disastrous «25th District» boss battle. It had been far too close an encounter for Kirito's liking.

This wasn't the time to get lost in memories. The sound of a nearby footstep brought his thoughts back to the moment. With a shout, Kirito charged the «Phantom Knight» which had tried to flank him, his sword wrapped in a bright blue glow.

===Four weeks earlier, Mid-April 2025===

That day had begun much like any other. If anything, it had been less eventful than usual. Kirito had decided to delve into the sewers in the «18th District» in order to farm some materials in order to attempt a weapon reinforcement. There were a decent number of players in the area as it was a good zone for mid-level players with plenty of «Safe Zones» close to the various entrances. However, that meant that Kirito had to go deeper in order to minimize the competition for drops.

The spot he decided on was a fair trek from where he had begun. Although he hadn't been to the «Whistling Caverns» in some time, Kirito recalled that it was perfect for his needs. There was an NPC camp nearby where he could rest and procure supplies if he needed to and the zone itself was obscure enough that Kirito was confident few other players would know about it.

The caverns were a series of interconnected natural caves linked by narrow, snaky tunnels winding around in a manner which utterly confounded the senses. It was easy to get lost without the mapping data. «Teleportation Crystals» were a must as a safety precaution. The area was likely named after the eerie whining noise created by the constant cold wind blowing through the passageways. Annoying as the sound was, Kirito was more put off by how the noise interfered with his «Search» skill; hearing-based sub-abilities were just about negated by the constant whistling.

It was due to this effect that Kirito didn't notice the group until he was almost right on top of them.

"I suppose the heavily armed players you're hiding behind means you're backing out of our agreement?"

Although it had been several months since Kirito had heard that baritone voice addressing him, it was unmistakable. Those piercing words, asking why he had taken on the title of «Beater»…it wasn't something he could forget so easily. On a few sleepless nights, that question haunted him. Why? Even after the initial rage against Beaters had died down. Even though few people would even recognize him as the one who had taken the «Last Attack Bonus» in the «1st District» fight. Despite the occasional arguments with Asuna where she used impeccable logic to shoot down every single excuse Kirito had for avoiding joining a guild. Why did he still embrace the role of Beater which he had taken on that fateful day? At some point, he had just gotten used to being alone. He could work with others and even joined in the banter during boss planning meetings, but at some point, he had resigned himself to being a solo. Even when he was with others, his smiles and jokes seemed hollow to himself.

Kirito quietly pressed himself up against the tunnel wall and peeked around the corner to where the speaker was standing. The adjoining room was a particularly large cave, twice again the size of a school swimming pool. There were half a dozen players there, four wearing plate armor standing in front of a fifth as they confronted a single cloaked figure who had his back turned to Kirito. None of them made any indication that they noticed Kirito at all.

"As if I could trust a killer like you!" the man hiding in the back shouted. His somewhat high-pitched voice was tinged with panic. "I'm warning you! If you try anything funny, I have your contact information! I'll report you to the guilds and you'll regret it!"

"I had no idea you had a side job as a comedian."

The cloaked man, unmistakably PoH, replied with calm precision. He showed absolutely no concern for the fact that he was greatly outnumbered. The sound of chains filled the air as his shoulders shook in mock laughter. The four guards looked at one another, utterly perplexed.

"And you have the gall to accuse me of dishonesty?" PoH laughed. "After I've fulfilled my end of the bargain and you decided to break our agreement?"

"I'm warning you," the man spat. He seemed to regain some confidence as his bodyguards drew their weapons. "Our deal is off. I'm leaving now and I don't ever want to see your face again. If you do come near me—"

"Boring."

PoH's response cut through the wind like a knife.

"What?"

"Hard of hearing?" PoH mocked, "I had hoped that you would give a more entertaining performance, but I suppose it's too much to ask to have a piece of trash be anything more than a piece of trash." He sighed and added with a shrug, "I'm sorry, but you're just far too— predictable—in your responses. Even if you're following a script, you would do well to surprise your audience with some improvisation, Yanagi."

"What the hell are you ranting about?" the man replied as he took a step behind his guards. "You're fucking insane."

PoH sighed again, "This was a disappointingly dull play, but I shouldn't delay the curtain call."

As if on cue, a dozen players, all with Orange markers, entered the chamber from all of the tunnels connecting to it except for the one Kirito was hiding in. Access to that one, of course, was blocked off by PoH. With the sudden loss of numeric superiority, the guards nervously formed a ring around Yanagi.

"Y-y-you!" Yanagi screamed. "I told you to come alone! You fucking lying traitorous bastard!"

"Yes, you did tell me to meet you one on one to conclude our deal," PoH stated calmly, ignoring the man's tirade. "And if you'll recall, I answered, 'If that's what you want.' As you showed up with hired hands, is it not fair to say that you didn't want to meet alone?"

"There's no way—"

"— I could have anticipated you would be cowardly enough to hire bodyguards in an effort to weasel out of our agreement? No way I would be able to predict you would be foolish enough to try?" PoH interrupted, utterly uninterested in the conversation. "I'd tell you to not underestimate my information network, but frankly, you're such an easy read that I really didn't need to bother."

Addressing the four guards as an afterthought, "Before you throw your lives away uselessly for the sake of this scum, ask yourselves, 'Do I really want to die for a man who hires Orange Players to do his dirty work?' I have no business with you lot, so I suggest you turn around and forget you were ever hired. If not...well, use your imaginations. I'm sure you've heard the rumors. You have five seconds before I'll consider your failure to leave as a refusal."

The armored players scattered for the exits before PoH reached a count of "two." The Orange Players who had been standing by the tunnels stepped aside to let them pass, amused smirks adorning each of their faces. They laughed raucously when one tripped over his own feet in his rush for safety.

"Oy, boss! Are you sure we should let them go? They might rat us out, you know?"

"I give you all the freedom to do as you will, XaXa," PoH answered, "But to address your concern, do you really think that those mercenaries would admit they were working a job for a client who hired «Laughing Coffin»? They'd be signing their own arrest warrants, so to speak."

"But think of the loot they'll drop…"

"You have leave to go after them. I, however, will not."

"Tch, fine. You know we wouldn't step on your toes. Still think it's a waste of phat loot though… What about him?"

XaXa shrugged his shoulders and pointed down on the ground where Yanagi sat, shivering and slowly sliding backwards on his rear end, trying to put some distance between himself and PoH. Kirito could make out an expectant grin on the Orange Player's face underneath the skull shaped mask which covered the top half of his head. Kirito drew his sword from the scabbard on his back and prepared a «Smokescreen» in his free hand. If he acted quickly and decisively enough, he should be able to disable one or two of the «Orange Players» and help that man escape while the PKers were confused.

"You boys can have some fun with him. Beat him to within an inch of his life, but don't kill him…yet," PoH stated. Turning towards Kirito's position, he called out, "It seems we had a rat listening in to our dealings here."

How? There's no way he could have…

"Come out," PoH commanded, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I know you've been lurking in that tunnel."

His face reflected genuine surprise when Kirito stepped out into the open. He gave a friendly gesture with both hands, a broad smile on his face as if greeting an old friend.

"Well, Beater-kun. I must say, I did not expect to encounter you again so soon. I hope you have an answer for me?"

"Let him go," Kirito ordered, giving a curt nod towards the prone man who PoH's men were stomping on. The sound of fearful sobs drowned out the wind. He tightened his grip on his weapon, knuckles turning white.

"Now now, Beater-kun. He'll be perfectly alright while we chat. At least physically speaking. Fear does things to a man's mental state which don't heal quite as quickly," PoH replied. His eyes narrowed in contemplation, "I see you have not yet killed that habit of jumping in to save complete strangers, which begs me to ask again. Why bother with the heroics?"

"Why are you doing this?" Kirito asked, glaring at PoH. He quickly scanned the room, looking for an opportunity to present itself.

He hasn't left an opening. I'll need to make him lower his guard somehow.

"Should my reason matter to you?" PoH laughed, "After all, as a hero, what matters is stopping evil, not understanding it, correct? Bringing harm to others, intentional or otherwise, is a universal truth of pursuing personal gain. The oddity is engaging in personal loss for the sake of others. Why bother saving these worthless pieces of trash? I'm sure you understand by now that they will show you no gratitude for your help. They will simply use you for their own selfish goals while doubting your motives the entire time, tossing you aside like so much rubbish once they no longer need you."

"There's no reason why I shouldn't," Kirito replied coolly, his eyes scanning the room desperately. "If someone is in danger, helping them is the right thing to do. That's all there is to it."

PoH clicked his tongue and gestured with a hand, "It's not good to lie to yourself like that, Beater-kun. There're plenty of reasons why you shouldn't. Risking your life for a stranger? Facing down twelve to one odds against people willing to kill? That's quite the compelling reason to just walk away and pretend you never saw anything. I wouldn't even have noticed you to begin with if you did."

From his hunched over position behind PoH, Yanagi gave another pitiful wail. His health had fallen to 50% and was slowly dropping with every blow from the PKs surrounding him. Kirito had to act fast or it would be difficult to get him away without the man dying to a random lucky shot from an enemy player while they escaped. But he couldn't act hastily either; PoH simply had too many allies. PoH's lazily glanced at the «Smokescreen» in Kirito's hand before returning to meet his eyes.

Thinking fast, Kirito decided the best course of action was to keep PoH talking. "How did you even notice me? My «Sneak» skill should be high enough to avoid detection from just about anyone, not even counting the fact that hearing-based abilities are impaired here."

"Trying to buy time, Beater-kun? It's not going to work. Every second you delay will make your task of saving that worthless fool more difficult," PoH answered, a casual smile on his face. "But I'll play along – I simply focused my hearing towards the one spot which wasn't guarded by my men. After all, if anyone is going to sneak up on you, it'll invariably either be from behind or above. Reading lips is enough to figure out what someone in your line of sight is saying, especially if they're as predictable as that waste of existence."

By this time, Kirito had assessed the gear each Orange Player wore, including their weapons. Five swordsmen, two lancers, three dagger-wielders, and two mace-wielders. They were all lightly armored, none of them wore anything heavier than a steel breastplate. Judging by the quality of their weapons, most of the players were in their low-20s. In a fight, the ones Kirito would especially have to be wary of were PoH and the one he had addressed directly earlier, Xaxa. Kirito couldn't tell what level either of those two were based on their gear. In his honest assessment of the situation, there was only a slim chance of saving PoH's would-be-victim. If things took a turn for the worse, he would be hard-pressed to get away just by himself.

"I think you know by now that you have no chance of saving that trash," PoH remarked. "Why not walk away now while you have the chance? After all, someone who would hire me to kill one of his associates can't be worth saving, right?"

"Shut up!" Kirito shouted back. PoH's point was the one thing Kirito had actively avoided thinking about. "That doesn't give you the right to end his life. You should the one who gets to decide his punishment."

"Well then, that leaves you with quite the conundrum, doesn't it, Beater-kun?" PoH replied half-mockingly. "Someone is going to die here today. One of us will take on the role of judge, jury, and executioner. The only law in this world is strength, the only justice is that which you are willing to mete. Are you prepared to end a life for the sake of another? Are you one who can commit evil to stop a greater evil? Or are you the sort who does what is 'right' even if it means evil survives to see another day?"

Kirito's head was starting to hurt. Even though he knew PoH was just provoking him, the man's words were eerily effective at making him hesitate. It wasn't like he hadn't realized that the only way to deal with Orange Players might be through force, but only now did he learn the difference between knowing something and having to do it.

"That's a nice expression, Beater-kun." PoH waved a hand through the air theatrically. "The struggle between a man's basest instincts and his ideals… That is the true essence of being a hero. Burdened by this weight, can you still walk the path you idolize so much? It's showtime."

PoH motioned to XaXa. Interpreting the silent order, a wild grin split the subordinate's face as he dragged Yanagi over to PoH by his hair. Without changing his expression at all, PoH drew his weapon, a large knife resembling an oversized butcher's cleaver. The weapon looked rusty, the majority of it a dark crimson of the same shade as dried blood, but the cutting edge caught the light with a malevolent sheen. PoH forced his victim's head back with one hand and raised his blade into the air slowly.

Move!

Yanagi gave a whimper of terror as his eyes widened.

Move!

PoH's grip on his weapon tightened.

Move!

The weapon soundlessly began its descent.

MovemovemovemovemoveMOVE!

Yanagi's scream was cut short as the blade plunged into his neck. A few spasms later, his body exploded into constituent pixels in the familiar and mockingly bright death effect of «SLD». Kirito looked down for a moment. His feet had not moved a centimeter from where he had stood while talking with PoH.

PoH flicked his weapon through the air with a flick of his wrist. A portion of the leftover sparks from the death effect changed to a bright red and vanished as they came into contact with his knife. Turning to Kirito, he remarked, "That which you just experienced, Beater-kun, is an essential lesson in what it means to be a 'hero.' A time where every fiber of your being screams someone cannot be saved and that trying would result in your own meaningless death. I applaud you. You made the correct choice. Being 'heroic' does not mean you throw away all reason in the face of adversity."

PoH's words echoed hollowly in Kirito's ears. Someone had just died before his eyes. He could have done something. Should have done something. But a part of him recognized the truth in PoH's statement. Had he tried to intervene, it would not have changed anything. Kirito gripped the hilt of his sword tightly in frustration.

"You need to be stopped," Kirito stated through gritted teeth.

"Perhaps," PoH replied, eerily calm for someone who just murdered another player. "But that won't happen today. I look forward to the next time we meet. Perhaps you will have found your answer by then."

The Orange Players departed as PoH gave them a hand signal. Their leader gave Kirito one last look before turning around and departing, silent as the grave. A voice in Kirito's head shouted that now was the opportune moment to take the man down. Kill him before he could kill anyone else, even if it meant his own death at the hands of PoH's subordinates. However, instead of acting, Kirito stood rooted to his spot, sword tightly gripped in one hand as the wind picked up and howled around him.

"I need your help."

"What else is new, Ki-bou~? I already figured that out from the three variants of 'this is important' in the message you sent me. I assume it's something you don't want anyone overhearing? It's rare that you request a meeting at my place."

Argo's place was a privately owned building in the nice part of the «10th District». More of a small mansion than a house, it came complete with its own garden, a pond which Argo stocked with koi, and a low wall. In other words, it probably cost a fortune to buy although Argo refused (at least without a substantial information broker's fee) to tell Kirito the exact price she had paid for it. The elegance of the residence was only slightly marred by the affectionate nickname she had given to it: the Rat's Nest.

As nice as it looked from the outside, Kirito thought the name was rather fitting given the state of the parlor he was meeting Argo in. The walls were lined with bookshelves, all packed with tomes and volumes of various works. A large grandfather clock took up the far corner of the room by the windows overlooking the pond. At the center of the room were two cushy sofas, facing one another across a coffee table.

As for why "Rat's Nest" was a fitting name for the room, there were articles of clothing strewn across the floor, as if someone had simply decided to change outfits on a whim and didn't care to pick up after themselves afterwards. Blouses, skirts, sweaters, socks, scarves, and frilly dresses which Kirito could not picture Argo wearing at all (incidentally, she was wearing her usual tattered cloak and her combat armor right now, giving Kirito the impression that the two of them were actually breaking and entering.) Kirito sat down on one of the sofas while Argo took the other. His hand brushed against something smooth and he picked it up out of curiosity before hurling it away in a hurry.

"Argo! Why is that lying around in the open!?"

He could feel the heat rising to his face.

Argo shrugged. "It throws my customers off-guard," she explained. "Makes it really easy to score a great deal in negotiating." A broad grin split her face. "Still Ki-bou~, that's an interesting expression on your face. Are you by any chance imagining me wearing that?"

Once, that might have gotten him to stutter out a denial. But he had more important things to talk about than Argo's choice of psychological warfare. Kirito shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Cut it out, Argo," he snapped slightly more harshly than he had intended. He regretted it almost instantly when she shot him a wounded look. It wasn't her fault that he was on edge. Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Kirito muttered, "Sorry…but I need everything you know about «Laughing Coffin» and their activities recently. And anything you think might be key regarding the movement of Orange Players as well. Money is no issue."

Kirito materialized a large bag containing a majority of his savings and tossed it onto the coffee table with a loud clinking of coins. He opened a trade window.

"I'm going to have to refuse," Argo answered, her eyes narrowing to indicate her seriousness. She laced her fingers together and leaned forward. "I don't know what you're thinking, asking about that topic, but they're dangerous. More than dangerous." She pushed the sack of coins back towards him and added, "Let the guilds handle them, Ki-bou."

"You know damn well they're not going to be of much help. They're too focused on clearing districts to deal with what they consider a few inconclusive rumors and isolated incidents," Kirito replied irritably. He frowned, looking down at the table and the bag of coins. His bangs hid his eyes and, he hoped, the extent of his frustration from Argo.

"Ki-bou," Argo groaned, "I won't be a part of something like this. There's no reason for you to ask after them and I don't want you to get hurt. Any other topic, I'll be more than happy to help you with but this—"

"This is something I've set my mind on doing. I'm not stupid. I won't do anything that'll make me a target or get me neck-deep into trouble, Argo." Kirito gritted his teeth and looked back up. For some reason, Argo reeled back slightly when their eyes met. "If you're not going to help me, I'll have to get my information from elsewhere. And I don't know whether any of the other information dealers have ties with the criminal players. You're the only one I can trust with this."

A moment of silence passed between them, broken only by the cawing of a crow outside the manor. A shadow flitted past the window as the bird took flight.

Argo sighed, "You've learned how to fight dirty, Ki-bou. Don't know who you learned that poor behavior from. I should complain to them." She gave him a sad smile. "Fine, I'll do what I can. You don't need to pay me now, but in exchange, I want to know everything you learn from your investigations. As a trade but also because I need to keep track of what you're doing so that I can cut you off when you're about to do something patently stupid."

"When I'm about to do something patently stupid?" Kirito repeated incredulously.

"When," Argo insisted smugly, "I think that we can both agree that it's only a matter of time." She materialized a large tome and a pen and added, "It'll take me a bit of time to organize what I have on the topic. For now, you'll want to talk with Sinonon. You probably didn't hear since you've been living under a rock camping out in unreclaimed districts for the past few months, but she joined «The Army» the other day. Apparently she was attacked by members of «Laughing Coffin»."

What? Sinon was attacked? Kirito hadn't expected the Orange Players to be bold enough to attack a front-liner. It sounded like she was ok since Argo didn't sound concerned, but still…things might be worse than he had first anticipated. Were they really strong enough to go after clearers or was it because Sinon was a solo player? For a brief moment, he felt the same powerlessness that he had when PoH murdered that man right in front of him.

"Earth to Ki-bou," Argo chided. "You have that scaaary~ look on your face again. Sinonon's fine, though I think the incident did shake her up a bit which is why she joined the guild. Don't let her know I said that though, you know how prideful she can be. She'll hold it against me."

"Noted," Kirito answered, still lost in thought. "I'll be going then."

"Hang on," Argo interrupted, causing Kirito to turn back around. "You're not thinking of going to the Black Iron Castle right now, are you?"

"What if I am?"

"They're not going to let a stranger in in the middle of the night," she reminded him. "You'll probably also want to know that a good number of the people in charge there hate your guts. And not in the general 'we don't like Beaters' sort of way. I'm talking about a personal vendetta."

"Huh? They do?" Kirito asked, taken by surprise. Not total surprise though, he hadn't exactly been making himself many friends since the death game began. "I can't see why they would single me out."

PoH's words echoed in his mind. I'm sure you understand by now that they will not show you gratitude for your help.

"Remember that loud-mouth cactus-for-brains from the «1st District»? He's the second-in-command," Argo answered. "Seriously, you haven't been keeping up to date about anything unrelated to the front, have you?"

The pieces fell into place. If Kibaou was that high in the chain of command, everything made sense. It would also make going to the Black Iron Castle a much more arduous ordeal. Kirito frowned and made for the door again.

"Heading back to the front?"

"Yeah, I'd better get some grinding in this evening since I couldn't get much done during the day. I'll talk with Sinon tomorrow and do a little investigating myself," he replied, tossing on his black jacket. "Thanks for the info, Argo. Can you send me a message as soon as you're done with my request?"

He stumbled back a step as Argo grabbed the back of his jacket and gave a tug.

"What is it now, Argo?"

"Stay the night."

His mind blanked for a moment, "What?"

"Stay the night," Argo repeated. "Take the rest of the evening off. Don't think about «SLD», don't think about leveling. Don't think about what you have to do or who you need to contact."

Thoroughly confused and more than a little annoyed at being stopped, Kirito asked again, "What?"

Argo closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she snapped them open again, they burned with fiery determination. Kirito occasionally thought that she had an "older sister" vibe to her. Right now, that feeling went into overdrive.

"I was just going to let this go, but I don't think I can anymore," she said angrily. "Do you have any idea what you look like right now? You're a mess. It's like you're jumping from one obsession to the next. Leveling this, farming that, grinding mobs, chasing after player criminals, trying to save everyone you see."

She poked him in the chest hard, causing his breastplate to ring with a metallic ping.

"When was the last time I heard you laugh? I'm talking about for real, not those self-mocking ones which don't reach your eyes. When was the last time you talked with a friend without needing something from them? The «15th District»? The 10th? I can barely get a reaction out of you these days," Argo continued, indignant. She looked angry for real, something Kirito had never seen before. "Most of the time you have this half-dead look to your eyes. Almost like you're slowly Turning or something. It's worrying everyone, you know. So just for today, stay the night. Relax and just forget about being a front-liner, or a Beater, or the "Black Swordsman" and just be yourself, alright?"

"I'm the same as always, Argo," Kirito replied, backing up a step. "And you know how careful I actually am about things, there's nothing to worry about."

"You're completely missing my point, you idiot," Argo exclaimed, running her hand through her hair and mussing it up in frustration. "You're not the same as always. Seriously, why do you seem to think that just because you're a solo, people don't give a damn about you? If I actually charged Asuna for every time she asked after you, I'd be able to build an extension to this house already! And Klein's actually offered to pay me up front to provide you with any information you ask for if it'd help keep you alive!"

"Argo, listen to me…"

"No, you listen to me, Kirito!" she interrupted, grabbing him by his collar. "I know what you're thinking, that people around you would end up getting hurt if they're around you…" Her voice quieted down a few decibels, "But for those who think of you as a friend, it hurts more when you push them away."

Kirito was left completely speechless by Argo's sudden burst of emotion. He had known her for quite some time now. Counting the beta, the better part of a year. She had always been a cheerful but mischievous girl. Thinking back, she had never really deviated from that even after Kayaba's announcement. At least, not until today.

"Alright, fine… But one evening isn't going to change anything. You know that, Argo. The problems aren't just going to go away until someone does something about them."

At hearing those words, Argo released him and turned around. It might have been his imagination, but Kirito could have sworn he heard her sniffing.

"I'm going to freshen up," she declared. She turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. "You should too, actually. No offense, but you smell like the sewers. There's a spare bathroom that way."

That explained the sniffing sound. He had been worried that she might have started crying (which really would have been a sign of the apocalypse) but she was back to the usual Argo again. It wasn't until near the end of a rather relaxing hot bath that Kirito realized that in the minute she was asking him to stay, Argo had stopped calling him by his nickname.

-o-

Argo had left by the time Kirito woke up the next morning. There was a note on his nightstand which he picked up and read quickly:

Ki-bou~,

I've left some food on the coffee table where we talked yesterday. You're going to die an early death if all you ever eat is instant food or store-bought stuff. Try not to piss off Sinonon too much when you meet her. She has her own problems to handle right now.

-Argo

P.S. You have the cutest expression when sleeping. Don't worry, it's not like I saved the image to my mental hard-drive or made a sketch of it or took a screen capture…

Kirito grimaced as he crumpled the paper and dropped it into the nearby wastebasket. Considering the letter was left inside the guestroom where he had slept, the post-script was not very reassuring at all. Still, he appreciated that she was looking after him in her own way. And he did take her up on her offer of breakfast (a decidedly Western-style affair, complete with coffee) before he left for the Black Iron Castle.

Recognizing that Argo's warnings about his notoriety in «The Army» weren't unfounded, he equipped a nondescript cloak before he reached the gates. While a hooded figure would be viewed with some suspicion, it was better than being denied entry. He got past the guards at the gate by waving a folded blank sheet of paper and declaring that he had a message for Sinon. Messengers weren't that rare of a phenomenon in «SLD»; some liked the roleplaying aspect, some liked the privacy, others just didn't have the person they wanted on a friends list so that they could send a private message through the friend system. Kirito's lofty attitude earned him a few dirty looks, but they let him through without confirming his story, muttering all the while about "that worthless unit."

Friendly bunch of people aren't they?

Sinon watched as the «Ranged Division» went through a live-fire training exercise. The activity, set up in the large room where she had first met the group, consisted of two teams, each tasked with destroying the other team's setup of bottles placed seemingly randomly on their respective sides of the field. Crates and various pieces of furniture strewn across the room provided cover and made it more difficult to hit the targets.

When they had first tried this activity, most of the division had simply stood in front of their team's targets, using the rule that "you don't pull the trigger when someone is in your targeting circle" to prevent the other team from hitting anything. Because she had wanted them to learn how to stay out of the line of fire as much as possible in addition to aiming and shooting quickly, Sinon relaxed the rule on not shooting when someone was in your targeting circle. That and she was training them to fight, not to become lawyers. It was now fair game to take a potshot at anyone who stood exposed for more than 10 seconds. While getting hit now could result in getting knocked out, it was far better to get rid of bad habits in a «Safe Zone» rather than in the field.

After the changes to the activity, the men had slowly become more accustomed to combat. There were still a few problems which some of them needed to correct, such as panicking whenever someone took aim at a bottle near their general location, but overall they showed vast improvement over how they had been merely two days ago. Back then, most of them seemed to have given little thought about what death really meant in this world. The younger ones especially thought they were invincible. Seeing someone like Raker diving for cover every time he heard a shot was both satisfying and frustrating. Satisfying because he had learned a healthy respect for the weapons they were carrying. Frustrating because he apparently had forgotten how to do anything except dodge.

She was in the middle of thinking about which zone to take the Ranged Division to this afternoon for field training when a (somewhat) unwelcome and certainly uninvited guest entered the room. Although the rest of the men paid little heed when the door to the room opened with a faint creak, Sinon took note from the start.

Argo did warn me he might show up…

It was odd to see Kirito off the frontlines for anything other than a boss clearing meeting. She wondered why he had come but before she could find out, someone in the division had noticed the lone swordsman and shouted "Striker Division!" The shout was followed by several cries along the lines of "Get him!" Sinon had barely any time to react when a dozen red beams appeared in the air around Kirito.

Damn it! What are those idiots doing?

"YOU MORONS, sto—"

The loud clap of gunfire drowned out Sinon's voice. Although she had come to expect ridiculous feats from him, she didn't expect him to dodge the first bullet easily, swaying to the side just enough to get out of its path. Instead of jumping for cover like any sane person would at this point, he charged straight for Sinon's position, heedless of the fact that more bullets would be coming his way in a moment. He was helped by the fact that the members of the «Ranged Division» still weren't very accurate, but Sinon was genuinely impressed when he ran past ten shots without batting an eye, even when one of them brushed against his cloak and tugged it sharply backwards. He dodged the final shot by leaping over it, somersaulting once, and sticking the landing right in front of Sinon.

"That was quite the greeting."

"I'll discipline them later," Sinon answered as she gave her division the order to take a break.

"Don't worry about it, no harm done," Kirito replied as he took off his cloak and brushed off his jacket.

"That's not it, their aim was terrible." After a silent pause, Sinon raised an eyebrow. "Wow…not even a chuckle. If even dark humor doesn't work anymore, I guess she was right to worry about you."

"Has Asuna been talking behind my back again?"

Sinon gave him a questioning look, the corners of her mouth twitching with amusement. "Worried about what she thinks of you? But no, this was from Argo. She said you might be coming to see me about something."

It was odd enough to get an unsolicited message from Argo to begin with, but when she had first read it, Sinon had some doubts about whether Kirito would actually show up. After all, he practically lived on the front.

"That's why I'm here," he replied. Suddenly looking concerned and dropping the volume of his voice to a whisper, "I heard you were attacked by a few Orange Players?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

A blunt reply which should have cut off any conversation. She had good reason to refuse, Sinon got annoyed and more than a little angry when she recalled the humiliation she had suffered at the hands of those two. She was supposed to have shaken off the weakness that was Asada Shino a long time ago. Remembering who she had been prior to Kayaba's announcement…shunned by so-called friends and classmates, being called a murderer by those she thought she could trust just for defending herself…those were unpleasant memories she thought she had discarded as "Sinon." Argo had some nerve blabbing to Kirito. He was among the last people she wanted knowing about it, although she wasn't really sure why she felt that way.

"It's kind of important, Sinon," Kirito insisted, his face steeling up. "You know I wouldn't ask otherwise."

Sinon examined him again. Although his eyes had a determined gleam, they also had creases beneath them, as if he hadn't rested well in ages. He seemed tired, which was strange considering that none of the boss fights so far had caused him to show exhaustion despite how stressful they could be. The reliability and strength he represented was something Sinon respected about him, although rather grudgingly.

"What happened?"

Kirito hesitated. "I had a bit of a run-in with «Laughing Coffin». I was thinking that it would be best to be prepared for the next time something like that happens. You know, share information. That sort of thing."

"Fine, we'll talk in private," Sinon sighed, giving the Ranged Division a hand signal which meant they should take a breather. Although it sounded like he was hiding something, she could find out the details from him later. "This isn't exactly a topic we should talk about where anyone can overhear."

She led him down the twisted corridors of the Black Iron Castle to her quarters. It occurred to her briefly that this was her first time ever inviting a boy to "her" room. It might have been something which would have given Asada Shino reason to pause, but Sinon really didn't care. Opening the door for Kirito, she ushered him in and closed the door before taking a seat on her bed. Kirito moved the stool to face her and sat down as well. His eyes scanned the room quickly before turning to her.

"Alright, spill it," Sinon demanded. "I know you well enough to know that a quick encounter with a few Orange Players wouldn't be enough to get you to waste time off the front."

Kirito chuckled softly, "Was I that obvious?"

After realizing that Sinon wasn't going to answer his rhetorical question, he continued, "It's not that I want to get involved with them. But one of their members seems to have taken an interest in me. I can't exactly shrug that off, can I?"

To Sinon, it sounded a lot like what had happened to her with Xaxa and Johnny Black. He was right, there was a huge difference between a casual encounter and being targeted. As a (former) solo player, she had a good sense of what Kirito might be going through. Being alone was tough enough; having to deal with those guys on top of it was something that she could live without. Having no allies she could call upon on short notice was a major reason she had joined «The Army». Given a choice between being stubborn about independence and survival, she would always chose survival first. So for now, she'd lay low until she felt confident enough to strike out on her own again. If he had the will to continue on the path of solitude, she had respect for that decision.

Although she had some initial reservations about telling her story, Sinon described her encounter with the two Orange Players to him, mostly hand-waving the part of the fight where she had been incapacitated, only briefly mentioning Thinker's timely intervention. She also withheld mentioning how she had almost been ready to kill them after getting back up.

What's the matter? You've killed someone before, right? You know you can kill again if you have to…why not let him know?

Shut up! I'm not a murderer! And my past is none of his business!

Silencing memories of mocking laughter from Asada Shino's classmates with a scathing mental retort, Sinon finished with, "And that's the reason I'm here, since I owe Thinker one."

"Thanks Sinon," Kirito replied softly, "and sorry."

"Huh? For what?"

Kirito took her hand in his own. Startled by the motion, Sinon pulled back and almost slid off her bed as a result. Looking down, she finally noticed how much her hands were shaking. She hadn't even noticed when she had been talking. She wasn't sure whether it was because she remembered the anger she had felt at Xaxa and his partner or because a remnant of her past self she had failed to adequately quash actually felt scared reliving those memories, but it didn't matter. It was a sign of weakness that Sinon couldn't afford to show.

After she forced her hands to stop trembling, Sinon remarked, "You can let go now, I'll be fine. That was because I remembered certain annoyances from that day, nothing more. It's a little odd for you to act concerned anyways, being the one to ask about that topic."

Although her words were even, she wasn't wholly convinced of their truth. And oddly enough, she felt a slight pang when he did release her hands. She hadn't realized just how warm contact with another person could feel.

"I still feel bad about getting you involved," Kirito mumbled.

Sinon kicked him in the shin. "Before you go off into a masochistic self-loathing phase, let me remind you that technically I was involved before you were, considering I ran into those two before your incident."

Her words had the opposite effect she intended them to. For some reason, he looked even guiltier than he had before.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said awkwardly.

Kirito's still hiding something…He's pretty bad at lying, or maybe it's just that we're similar enough that I can gauge his reactions. I shouldn't press him on it if he doesn't want to talk about it.

Getting up off his stool, Kirito brushed off the back of his pants and thanked her, heading for the door. Seized by a sudden thought, Sinon stopped him. Kirito was one of the strongest people she knew, perhaps he had an answer to the question which haunted her.

"Hang on, Kirito," Sinon requested. Suddenly feeling hesitant, she clumsily stumbled over the question she had for him. "There's something I want to ask you—how to put this… it sounded so much less stupid in my head. If you were faced with a choice…if you had to kill an Orange Player and the alternative would be that either you or another person would be killed by that player, would you do it? Even knowing that you'd be taking that player's life in reality?"

Kirito's face turned white. Horrified, he backed up a few steps, only to have his back collide with the door. The sudden jolt took him out of his stupor, but he was nonetheless still extremely rattled.

"W-w-why…?" he stuttered before collecting himself and muttering, "No, there's no way …" Looking down at the floor for a moment, he coughed and added awkwardly, "I don't know if I could, I really don't. I mean, I want to say it'd be the right thing to do but… I'm just not sure anymore. Sorry, Sinon."

If it was that easy to find an answer, she wouldn't be as troubled as she was over her past. Sinon had no clue why she had felt Kirito might have been able to help her with it. Shaking her head, she replied, "No, that wasn't a fair question to ask. Just forget I said anything."

She turned her back to him, hugging her knees to her chest while waving for him to leave. The door creaked as it closed shut behind him, leaving Sinon to her thoughts. Why had she asked him that question, even knowing that it would bring back the weakness that Asada Shino represented? Why did she feel like she needed him of all people to know? Why open herself up when she knew all it would bring was pain? Asada Shino was weak. Sinon was strong. The girl mumbled her mantra to herself as she once again sealed off her past in ice.

-o-

"I take it you're friends with the sergeant?"

Immediately upon exiting the room, Kirito encountered an elderly man waiting outside. The musket he carried slung over his shoulder proclaimed him to be one of Sinon's subordinates. He carried his age well, giving off a sense of being well-weathered and reliable rather than infirm and in need of assistance.

"I guess you could call it that," Kirito replied, not in the mood for small talk. "We're certainly not enemies. Although I get the feeling she'd rather challenge me to a duel than hang out."

"Ah well, she's young. And so are you," the man replied with a smile which emphasized the wrinkles around his eyes.

"Is there a reason you're here?" Kirito asked. Then, in an effort to sound less rude, "I'm not getting in your way of seeing her, am I?"

The old man chuckled, "Nah, I'm here to talk with you, actually. Why don't we head down to the cafeteria while we speak? I wanted to apologize for the behavior of the rest of the division. Told them to man up and apologize to you in person, but I think they're too embarrassed over their mistake."

"Mistake? Oh, you mean where they were shooting at me," Kirito thought out loud. His conversation with Sinon had pushed that incident out of his mind completely.

"That would be it," he replied. "They thought you were a member of the Striker Division. Well, it still doesn't excuse them, but there's quite a bit of bad blood between them and the two Melee Divisions in the guild."

"Oh?"

"Well, long story short, Kibaou's running the show with that lot and—"

"Say no more," Kirito interrupted. "I know how much of an ass he can be. I'd probably be tempted to grab a gun myself if that guy showed up."

Kirito's response brought a smile to the man's face, "Had a run-in with him before?" His eyes narrowed in thought. "Hmm, if you're a friend of the sergeant, you're probably a front-liner. I can't see how you'd have met Kibaou personally since he hasn't been to the front since the early districts. Unless, with that outfit… So you're the infamous 'Black Swordsman' Kibaou paints as the devil himself."

The man laughed out loud at Kirito's shocked expression. "Just because I'm old doesn't mean I'm senile. Though I guess I might be getting there since I've clearly forgotten to introduce myself." Extending a hand out to Kirito, he added, "The name's Phileas."

Kirito took the proffered hand; Phileas had a strong grip. "I'm Kirito, aka 'The Black Swordsman.' If I had to guess, it means I'm some kind of sadistic, heartless jerk who kill-steals bosses from newbies and subsists on their tears?"

Phileas scratched his head, "That sounds about right, though it also goes the other way with the part of the guild that doesn't support Kibaou. I admit, I thought you'd be more imposing just from the stories." Then, chuckling a bit more, he added, "It's Kibaou's men who have bad things to say about you and other Beta Players. Which, come to think of it, is probably why you and some of the other known beta players have taken on a sort of Goemon-esque folk-hero status with the minority of the guild which despises him. Anyways, we're here—"

Phileas led him over to the counter where a portly chef was busy shuffling ingredients at blazing speed. Kirito was struck by an idle thought, wondering whether the man's hand movements might actually be equal to Asuna's god-speed «Linear». The chef's expression soured slightly when he noticed the sword strapped to Kirito's back, but quickly resumed smiling when he realized that he was with Phileas. The two of them took their meals (a dish which resembled pork udon) to one of the many empty tables in the cafeteria.

"By the way, and you don't need to take my advice if you don't want to," Phileas said between mouthfuls, "but you shouldn't continue on this path of yours."

"Excuse me?"

"This whole business about Orange Players," the old man explained. "Getting involved with people who are willing to commit crimes up to and including taking a human life is completely foolish. Unless you're doing it for some personal benefit, of course. Then it's just reckless."

"You were «Eavesdropping»? Who are—" Kirito asked, his hand reaching over his shoulder towards his weapon. If he's a mole for the Orange Players…

Phileas raised his empty hands in a placating manner. "Call it a bad habit. But what you need to know is that I'm on your side. Well, that young girl's side, but if you're her friend, that extends to you." He took another bite of food as Kirito regarded him with suspicion. Pointing his chopsticks at Kirito, he continued, "Getting back on point, it's not a good idea to get involved with people who take human lives just for fun unless you're looking for a way to lose your faith in humanity."

"We're all involved, like it or not," Kirito answered. "Every player who steps foot outside a «Safe Zone» is fair game to them. How many will have to die before the guilds step in and start taking action?"

"How many will die even if you act rashly?" Phileas retorted. "I know it's hard to swallow, but if you put them on alert, it'll make it harder for the guilds to counter them once it is time to act. Worst case scenario, they get away and kill more people than if you had not acted because you put them on guard."

"So you're saying I should leave them to do what they want?"

That was something Kirito could not accept.

"Psh, with that look in your eye? I was your age once upon a time, you know. I know telling you not to do something will just make you rush out and try anyway. I'm saying that if you do try something, take extra precautions so they don't find out you're chasing after them and especially make sure they don't find out who's helping you," he replied.

Kirito narrowed his eyes. This man...it sounded almost like he knew firsthand. Curious, Kirito blurted out, "Were you in the SDF?"

"What?" It was the old man's turn to be startled, although he did not remain so for long. "Nah, I wasn't part of any formal military. But you live long enough and you learn a few things about life that you probably would like to forget. Such as how charging in guns blazing to try to punch a hole in the enemy defenses is a great way to get killed. Or how not waiting for a green light on the plan because you think the hostages are going to die will get those hostages killed anyways."

Kirito decided that it was better not to ask why all of Phileas's examples were so specific. In order to cover up the awkward silence which had fallen between the two of them, Kirito focused his attention on his meal. Argo's, Sinon's, and Phileas's words swam around in his mind. Combined with PoH's, they served to confuse him all the more. He knew the Orange Players had to be dealt with, just as he knew that PoH personally had to be stopped. But in between what he knew to be right and the result lay a minefield of choices with no discernable path. Things were so much simpler in manga. The good guys always won in the end and no one blamed them for the tragedies which happened during their heroes' journey. And certainly none of them had any reason to question the merits of saving people or not.

"Done eating? I'll walk you to the exit. This place is a bit of a maze and we wouldn't want you running into Kibaou's men while wandering about."

Kirito blinked. He hadn't even realized that the bowl was empty except for the broth. His chopsticks had been clicking against the bottom of the bowl, unable to grasp noodles which didn't exist. He hastily slurped down the soup and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"You have an awful lot of time to spare," Kirito noted to Phileas as he returned the bowl to the chef. "Is Sinon that lax of a taskmaster?"

"Nah," Phileas replied with a wink. "But this gives me an excuse to skip out on the harsh lecture she's sure to be giving the others right about now for shooting at you."

===Present Day===

Kirito let out a long breath as he placed his weapon back into the sheath on his back. The last of the phantoms exploded into nonexistence behind him, scattering cold sparks which quickly died in the darkness of the crypt. His health was full, even without «Battle Healing» the enemies could deal nothing more than scratch damage to him. However, he was disappointed in his performance; although he held back in offense to purposefully drag out the fight and practice his defense, he had taken about a dozen hits. He had to assume that in a fight against «Laughing Coffin», those dozen hits would more than merely inconvenience him. He had to get stronger, hone his instincts and reactions so that defense and offense flowed into one another flawlessly.

True to his promise to Argo, Kirito had limited his activities against the Orange Players to information gathering but that didn't mean he shouldn't prepare to face them again. While PoH's words still bothered him, the intervening month had allowed Kirito to calm himself and think about his options. Looking back, he really had given Argo a hard time the first week or so in his desperation to do something, anything, about «Laughing Coffin». She had been right that he needed a break. He kept better tabs on his behavior around people now so that he wouldn't worry them. At least, not more than usual. Kirito resolved himself to apologize to Argo for all the trouble he'd caused her the next time he met her in person.

Speaking of Argo, most of the leads she had turned out to be dead ends. Small fry running scams or selling misinformation about farming areas. There were also a few rumors which Kirito had no idea how to track down. After all, the "ghost of a young woman seeking revenge for her lover's betrayal" sounded more like a quest or an NPC than an actual lead and there was literally nothing to go on with "the PKK with no name." Setting aside the stories which sounded more like urban legends, only two of the more credible leads had panned out. Either the Orange Players were being extremely careful or the rumor mill was greatly exaggerating their reach. Regardless of the reason, Kirito had been unable to find out anything which could be used against «Laughing Coffin».

He couldn't help but feel bothered by the whole situation. The disaster in the «25th District» had wiped out the frontline's best hope for a sudden influx of players. Over a hundred dead because one man had more ambition than he had common-sense. While many new players were finding the confidence to head out into the sewers to level up, they would not be ready for the front for a while yet. Although Kirito hadn't heard of any PK incidents recently, there had been an increase in the number of players reporting being robbed by Orange Players. That was the second reason he had returned to the «15th District» today. Even if the chance of running into Orange Players was low, it salved Kirito's conscience a bit being there just in case. The cynical side of him wondered if he was trying to make up for abandoning Klein and his guild on the first day even if they were doing alright now.

As he traveled to the next area of the crypt, Kirito caught the sounds of battle on the other side of the wall. Although he couldn't make out any words, he could hear the muffled shouts of at least four voices. He was a little surprised that there was a party of adventurers this deep underground. Most would have stuck to the upper levels where it was easier to get to safety.

A month ago, he would not have hesitated to rush to make sure they were alright. But in the month since he had failed to save that man, the seeds of doubt in his heart had taken root. Doubts about whether his reasons for helping others were as pure as he had initially believed, doubts that he was strong enough to make a difference, and worst of all, the lingering fear that perhaps PoH was right about the nature of the people he had been trying to save all this time. Kirito slammed his fist into the wall, angry with himself for thinking that way.

It shouldn't matter whether they see me as a useful tool or not. What matters is that there's human lives at stake!

Gritting his teeth, he opened his map of the area and plotted out the fastest route to get to where he had heard the fighting. Enemies in his path scattered into prismatic dust as soon as he swept by, no longer holding back.

He reached the battle zone, a large antechamber, in a little over two minutes. A miniboss-class monster, «The Falsely Condemned», stood at the center of the room, its back facing Kirito. A small group of players stood at the far end, surrounded to the sides by a dozen «Phantom Knights». Most of them still had green health bars, with the exception of the mace-wielder who had the attention of the boss who was just under 50%.

«The Falsely Condemned» was a two-meter tall armored figure with a missing head which spawned when enough enemies in the crypts were killed within a certain timespan. Although he had not fought it himself before, some of the clearer guilds had farmed it for drops back when the «15th District» was the frontline. Judging from the fact that only a small sliver of its two health bars had been shaved away, the boss might even have spawned when Kirito carelessly slaughtered the half dozen or so enemies in his way coming to their aid.

"Are you guys alright over there?" Kirito shouted. Since he had killed everything in his path, there was little chance the extra noise would attract more enemies.

"We're fine for now," a shout came back. "Although Tetsuo will need a quick break to drink a potion."

"If I draw away the boss's attention, can you guys handle the small fries on your own?"

"Definitely, we were farming them for drops when that big guy suddenly appeared out of thin air," came the reply.

That was all Kirito needed to hear. Dashing in low to the ground, he initiated the skill «Sharp Nail», cutting a diagonal gash across the monster's back as he jumped into the air in order to slice at the stump of its neck for a critical hit. The «Sword Skill» concluded with a final diagonal slash which drew a glaring red "X" through the center of the boss's back. The attack took out a fourth of one of its health bars in an instant, more than earning Kirito the monster's ire. It turned to face him, readying a two-handed headsman's axe in its gauntleted hands. Light from the torches along the wall reflected dully off the boss's black armor. «The Falsely Condemned» lowered its stance, bringing the axe back and charging it with an angry red light.

«Crushing Twister», drawing a full horizontal circle around the user before arcing a smashing blow from above. Kirito recognized the move before it was even initiated and dropped to one knee, feeling the wind tussle his hair as the blade swept over his head. He quickly sidestepped as the boss completed its attack and struck back with «Vertical».

«Razor Typhoon», three full diagonal circular swings followed by a stomp with the right foot.

«Maelstrom», a left to right horizontal swing with a sudden trajectory change back to the left after moving 180 degrees.

The names of each attack as well as their patterns floated to the surface of Kirito's consciousness before they were even unleashed. Accompanying that knowledge were a half-dozen ways to avoid or mitigate each. He spent the next few minutes avoiding the bosses attack and fighting back only half-heartedly in order to keep its focus on him. Fighting just one monster, even if it was a miniboss, felt unfair. Because attacks with two-handed weapons tended to be widely telegraphed, Kirito was able to easily dodge and parry everything. He could have taken it down by himself fairly quickly, but it would be better for the group he had come to help if they got the «Last Attack Bonus» since the drops from this district were of little use to him except as vendor material or for bartering.

Once the group had finished off the «Phantom Knights», they joined in to the boss fight with unmatched enthusiasm. Well, most of them, at least. The lance-wielding girl stayed at the back of the group and only attacked hesitantly when she felt it was safe. Kirito allowed himself to take a few hits in exchange for speeding up the fight. Even though this was a miniboss, it wasn't able to take off more than three hundred hp with a single hit, something he could shrug off thanks to «Battle Healing» and his health pool. Once the boss dropped to 10% of its final health bar, Kirito stopped attacking altogether and let the party finish it off.

They let out a cheer in a celebratory display which Kirito felt could draw attention from more undead as «The Falsely Condemned» burst into a billion flecks of light. Still, their high spirits were a refreshing sight for Kirito who was more used to the "business as usual" attitude the frontline guilds adopted towards district clearing.

"Holy crap, that was amazing," one of the members of the party remarked as he walked up to Kirito, using his staff as a walking stick. He was tall, with neatly cropped brown hair which just reached his eyebrows. "I thought we were done for when that big one showed up. Thanks for the timely assist."

"No, it was partly my fault as well," Kirito replied. "I didn't expect there would be other people this far into the sewers and didn't check before I started mass pulls. If I had, you guys probably wouldn't have encountered any danger to begin with."

"What're you talking about?" said another group member as he threw an arm over Kirito's shoulder, placing his head in a light lock, and tussled his hair. "We probably would have ended up in that situation either way. The fact is, you really pulled our butts out of the fire out there."

"You're remarkably strong," the mace-user from before commented as he joined his companions, wiping off his face with a rag. "Even though I'm supposed to be a tank, that thing was hitting me for more damage than you, despite your light armor. You're not a clearer, by any chance, are you?"

Etiquette in «SLD» called for high-level players to stay out of zones meant for lower level players unless they were partied so that they wouldn't deplete areas of mobs for the people who needed them most. The greater the gap in levels between a player and a zone, the more taboo it was to hunt there. For a player like Kirito who was just short of thirty levels above this district's average monster level, it was less a restriction and more of an absolute mandate. Still, he had grown numb to criticism by this time, so Kirito answered them honestly.

"Wow, clearers are sure something," the staff-user remarked without any hint of hostility, causing Kirito to double-take. "I really admire how you guys are risking your lives to beat this game. That's why we're here, trying to catch up and do our part." He wrestled his companion off Kirito and extended his hand, "My name's Keita. And as you've probably figured out by now, these are my guildmates. Nice to meet ya."

Author's Note: Finally got around to finishing this chapter up. I decided to skip doing a second sidestory for now in order to start up Kirito's first story arc. It took a while to get PoH's dialogue the way I wanted it to go. A few shout-outs to the original series here and there and a bunch of setting up plotlines for future chapters.

Two housekeeping items. I've decided to use «» specifically to indicate official game terms (and guild names). Player named things like nicknames or groups are going to be distinguished just through capital letters or quotation marks where appropriate. e.g. Ranged Division or "The Black Swordsman". This was mostly to reduce the visual clutter as some paragraphs got a little heavy on terminology. I'll try to be as consistent with this as possible from now on.

Lastly, just in case it wasn't marked clearly enough, the entire middle of the chapter takes place around the time Sinon joined «The Army». The first and last sections occur a month after that which is the "present day" or mid-May 2023. In the original timeline, Kirito would have met the Black Cats in early April.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.