The Café interior was awfully quiet today.
Kirito stepped through the door and was immediately greeted by soft conversation and the dull clatter of cutlery against ceramic. Warm lantern light pooled across the wooden floors and the overall ambiance was quite comforting.
A beautiful girl with long strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes followed close behind with her arms folded, taking in the place with a rather tired expression. She was wearing a dark red leather tunic with a lightweight copper breastplate, accompanied by leather pants with boots up to the knees, and finishing the attire was a long hood.
"Not bad," she murmured, glancing at the cozy lantern-lit interior. "You actually picked a decent place for once."
Kirito smirked. "Credit the menu, Asuna. Not me."
"Can't do that until I actually taste it." She quipped.
The two of them had barely taken more than a few steps inside when a familiar voice called out.
"Oh! Yo! Kirito!"
A player with spiky-reddish hair and a bandana popped up from a table closer to the counter and waved, obliterating the quiet atmosphere that enveloped the cafe moments before.
Loud, lively, and apparently unbothered by volume etiquette.
Of course, it was Klein.
As much as he had made a name for himself, Kirito didn't exactly like being in the center of attention. He winced as he felt multiple heads turn towards him, murmurs starting to take birth instantly.
Klein had already begun weaving through the tables like an excited puppy. As he got closer, he flung his arm around Kirito's neck.
"You won't believe the loot I just pulled!" he said, tapping open his inventory and manifesting the item in his hands. "Windwasp needles. A very rare drop, baby."
Kirito offered him a rather irritated smile, but Asuna had a different reaction. She blinked a few times before speaking.
"That's... actually good. Me and Kirito were going to go hunting for those later."
Klein, after being stunned by Asuna's beauty for a moment, shook his head and answered. "Yeah, but be careful. We were hunting near the southern ridge and a whole ass colony popped! Since there were too many, we managed to get quite a lot of them, despite it being rare."
Kunimittz glanced over, still seated, and cut in. "Didn't you almost die doing that?"
Klein paused mid-brag, then laughed awkwardly. "Oh—right. Yeah. I, uh... kinda forgot about that." He rubbed the back of his neck, then gestured vaguely toward the counter. "If it weren't for him, I'd be dead as hell."
Kirito and Asuna turned to look at their "friend's" savior.
"That's... Kiyo?"
Kirito managed to remember his name, surprising even himself. Honestly, it had been ages since he'd seen the guy. If memory served him correctly, they met during floor 1 after Klein.
Sporting clean leather armor, a dark cloak, and a sword sheathed neatly at his side, Kiyo's eyes looked vacant as he talked to the NPC at the counter before settling his tab.
However, his ears were focused on Klein's conversation. Not that he had to try, anyway—Klein was already loud enough as is.
"I didn't even see him move," Klein continued. "One second, I was paralyzed," he motioned by bringing his thumb and index finger until there was practically no gap, "and next second, three wasps were dead. All in one breath. I swear it looked like he used two skills at once! But according to him, it bugged out."
Kiyo made a mental note to never save Klein again. He should have known he was the type of person to run his mouth around. With a sigh, Kiyo walked towards them. He looked up at Klein, then Kirito, and then finally at Asuna.
He had essentially no way to assess their levels unless he asked them outright. From assumptions alone, he was probably a fair bit ahead of Kirito, closely followed by Asuna. Since this was a virtual world, an increase in stats does not change a person's appearance, or improve any tactile features.
"Hey, uh... Kirito. I think we've met before," Kiyo said.
Kirito smiled. "Yeah. Good to see you're alive, I guess."
He couldn't help but think that something was off. There was something different about the Kiyo now that he couldn't quite place a finger on.
Maybe it was how vacant those eyes looked.
What happened to the socially awkward guy he'd met back on floor 1?
Suddenly, Klein spoke up and called after Kiyo which made everyone turn toward him as well.
"Hey—what do you say? You and Kirito should spar!"
Kiyo's steps didn't falter but he slowed down a little.
"Your save today was absolute elite tier, man," Klein continued. "You're basically a newbie gamer, but you've got skill! Hell, you might be better than me in combat. I think you and Kirito are in the same league!"
Finally, Kiyo's steps came to a halt.
"I would not be that confident." he shrugged, "You have that impression because you avoided basic precaution and were about to die because of pure carelessness. That said, you slay a few dozens of them later on, just like me. That does not justify me being at the same level as someone as Kirito."
A chill ran down Kirito's spine.
"Hey! Come on! Not every day you get to spar a top-ranker! Take him on!"
"Yeahhhh!"
"Go on! Don't be a puss-puss!"
Kiyo let out a sigh. "I do not see any real benefit in this."
"What if I can tell you about something valuable?" Kirito spoke up as everyone went silent.
Kiyo tilted his head. "Unless you prove it otherwise, I do not think you can provide me anything of enough significance that can make me spar on a heavy stomach."
"I am aware of the location of a skill. What do you say? I can share the information if you agree."
"You do?" Kiyo's eyes narrowed as he turned around. Raising his hand, he waved without looking back and slipped his hand inside his pocket. Why was Kirito suddenly being so insistent on dueling him?
"I'm just trying to survive," Kiyo finally replied. "Acquiring a skill doesn't really make it to my list of priorities."
Those eyes...
Where have I seen them?
The same chill ran down Kirito's spine.
What was this feeling? He didn't feel like himself.
A drop of sweat trickled from his forehead as his hand suddenly went to the sword strapped to his back. Asuna immediately looked at him and her eyes widened, as she tried to reach out for him.
"Kirito...!"
Kirito, realizing what he was doing, closed his eyes and let out an exhale. He looked down and bit the inside of his cheek.
There is a biological reaction hardwired into the human brain when someone weaker is suddenly faced with a much stronger opponent—especially in a space where they once felt safe or dominant.
9 out of 10 times, it is not bravery. It's instinct.
The part of the brain called the amygdala takes over, hijacking logic and pushing the body into fight, flight, or freeze mode. But when neither running nor freezing feels like an option, the body sometimes chooses to fight—not because it believes it can win, but because doing nothing feels worse.
Something called reactive aggression—a fear-driven response which not only animals, but humans also possess, triggered in the presence of an insurmountable power. A state in which stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline lash out as a final defense.
It was the same reaction, and the nagging feeling in the back of his head that made Kirito take an instinctive step towards Kiyo.
Feeling the sudden shift in the cadence of Kirito's steps, Kiyo turned around as he stopped. Both of them look into each other's eyes. The overall ambiance of the whole place had turned cutthroat as a sudden silence enveloped the whole place.
"Would you not let me go until I satiate your curiosity?" Kiyo went silent, probing Kirito's eyes before speaking again.
It would've been a lie if Kirito said he was not taken aback. Was his face so readable? Was he sweating? Did he present himself as too insecure over Klein's comments? There were a plethora of questions in his mind, including why he was acting so impulsively. Naturally, for someone like Kirito, who didn't know about reactive aggression, he was confused, but Kiyo had grasped it.
Although he was still a little confused as to why it was triggered in him. He had not threatened Kirito's spot of attention. As a matter of fact, so far, he had tried to keep his presence minimal. Then why?
Was it because he was a black-haired edgelord of a generic Isekai anime who wanted all the huzz and attention? Most likely.
"Both?" Kirito blurted out as Asuna took a step closer, her arm touching his.
"Kirito..." She spoke softly. "What in the world is wrong with you today?"
Letting out a deep breath, Kirito smiled at her while biting back a frown.
"I...am okay. Just...curious...?" He said, more like a question than an answer, but it seemed to satisfy Asuna
She stepped back and lightly tapped his shoulder.
"Good luck. Don't be too harsh on him."
Kirito nodded as he took a step forward. Kiyo sighed as he walked out of the cafe, standing in the middle of the street. Cheers and murmurs started erupting everywhere while the inside of the peaceful cafe turned into a full-blown gambling den.
Although, the odds were strange as everyone began to bet on Kirito. After all, he was the rising star of Aincard.
Kirito withdrew his Anneal Blade from his inventory, but his eyes widened for a fraction of a second as he saw Kiyo withdraw the same blade from its black sheath.
The grating sound of the sword leaving its scabbard was muted by the garrulousness of the gathered players.
"Say, Asuna, who is going to win?" Klein asked as he stood a bit closer to her.
"Kirito, of course." She replied without batting an eye, without wasting a moment. "It is obvious. Not to demean the other guy, uh—" She paused, as if trying to remember his name.
"Kiyo."
"Ah, yes! Not to demean or downplay Kiyo, but Kirito is just better. And his merit speaks for itself."
"So, you're gonna bet on him?"
"I don't like betting, but this time, maybe I will."
Klein smirked as he saw Asuna place her side of the bet. Taking a step to the side, Klein placed everything he had on the other side. The only place that was empty.
"You think Kiyo is going to win?"
"Yes." Klein said as he looked at Kiyo. "Something about the way he moved was abnormal. I'm willing to bet everything that it wasn't just a glitch like he'd said. And well, hey, if I am wrong, I am just a bad judge of character. Skill issue on my part!" Klein let out a guffaw that made Asuna look at him as if he had lost his mind.
Meanwhile, on the outer side of the cafe, Kiyo and Kirito both had gotten into a battle-ready stance.
Kirito swiped his finger through the air as a notification popped in front of Kiyo. He looked down at it.
[KIRITO HAS CHALLENGED YOU TO A ONE-ON-ONE DUEL YOU ACCEPT?]
[YES/NO.]
Without taking his eyes off of Kirito, Kiyo gently pushed the "yes" button.
Kirito tightened his hold over his Anneal Blade+8 and held it up in an orthodox mid-level stance, spreading his legs front and rear.
Meanwhile Kiyo tightened his grip as well, however, he didn't take a stance. He drew his sword back, and let it hang loosely, until the tip was barely touching the ground.
Kirito suddenly felt unease creeping up his spine. "Since I persuaded you to partake in the fight, you can decide on the stipulations."
Kiyo fell into thought but decided very quickly.
"First strike mode."
"Fine by me."
There existed three kinds of dueling types in Aincard.
First one was called "Total Loss Mode." As the name suggests, the duel will only stop when a player's Hit Points reach zero, which results in permanent death for the loser.
The second one was called "Half Loss Mode." The winner is decided after the other player loses half of their hit points. While it seemed safe on paper, it was quite dangerous. Despite there being a safety net, a critical hit could throw a player's HP from 70% to 0%, resulting in death, or in a less extreme case, dangerously close to 0%.
The third and final kind of duel was called "First Strike Mode." The most common type of duel in Aincard. The winner is decided by whoever lands the first clean hit that deals at least ten percent damage or whittles the opponent's HP to half.
As the two of them agreed to first strike mode, both of them entered the «Inner Area» of the virtual extension of «Battle Area» which extended like a semi-transparent column from where they were towards the sky and then engulfed everything from street level to the base of the previous floor, trapping them inside a three-dimensional cubicle.
The sub-window in front of Kiyo and Kirito shifted and began a sixty-second countdown.
During the beta days of Aincard, many beta-testers had complained that a full-minute timer before the duel began was overkill. But the development team made no moves to shorten the timer while the test was running.
The duel was about to start soon as the cheers and clamorous chatter suddenly came to a sudden lull.
[10]
'Is he going to attack first?' Kirito thought.
[9]
[8]
[7]
Kiyo lifted his sword up and suddenly got into a rush stance.
[6]
[5]
[4]
[3]
'I understand it now...he's going for a Sonic Leap!' Kirito thought to himself.
[2]
[1]
[GO!]
Kiyo's knees bent forward as Kirito suddenly brought his sword up and clenched the handle tightly, as if trying to block an attack. However, his eyes widened as he saw Kiyo still standing in his original position.
"Your initial evaluation of me not attacking first was rather accurate. You should've stuck to it." Kiyo mumbled and the following moment he was right in front of Kirito, Anneal Blade already shining in a sick color through the air.
[Sonic Dash!]
Before Kiyo's sword could hit its mark, Kirito had executed a Sonic Dash of his own and had already gotten out of harm's way. In the blink of an eye, Kirito was way out of Kiyo's reach.
'...Impressive reaction time,' Kiyo thought, however, his thoughts came to a halt as he saw Kirito preparing another move.
[Rage Spike!]
Kirito blitzed and covered the distance of around 10 meters in a blink, as his sword slashed at Kiyo from the right in a diagonal motion. With his sword still mid-strike, Kiyo's options had narrowed down.
Letting the sword freefall and complete the motion, he twisted his upper body violently midair and dodged the slash as the tip of his Anneal Blade dug into the ground, and he used it to anchor himself before landing on his feet.
There was not a moment's delay when Kirito was on Kiyo again.
[Horizontal Square!]
Drawing his sword to the back and right, Kirito let out a series of quick, and blinding slashes.
The first hit was a horizontal swing from right to left. Kiyo used his own sword to parry it and swat it to the side, however, the sword then bounced back, and after an instant of being held still, Kirito slashed him with another horizontal swing from left to right.
Kiyo's grip tightened around the Anneal Blade, and he twisted his wrist at the last second to deflect the blow upward. Sparks scattered between them like tiny fireflies.
'His follow-up timing is near-perfect.'
There was little time to admire it. Kiyo noticed the subtle shift in Kirito's feet as he transferred his weight to the back of his left foot.
[Sharp Nail!]
The sudden thrust came darting toward Kiyo's torso. Reacting on pure instinct, Kiyo slid one foot back and rotated his hips as the tip of Kirito's blade missed his coat by a breath.
"You've got quick eyes," Kirito remarked. "Most players can't even see Sharp Nail coming."
"Thanks. I was lucky, I think," Kiyo replied.
Still holding his stance low, Kiyo twisted the Anneal Blade and struck forward. It wasn't a Sword Skill. Instead, it was just a fast jab meant to control space. Because normal attacks lacked velocity, Kirito knocked it aside with ease.
Kirito still couldn't understand it.
Kiyo was definitely faster and sharper than the average player. But what stood out to Kirito was how weirdly composed he was. Most new players would flinch during duels due to how bright the sword sparks were, but he didn't even blink.
Kirito leapt forward again. His blade shimmered faintly as he activated another skill.
[Vertical!]
An overhead cleave came crashing down on Kiyo. In response, he sidestepped to the right, letting the edge of Kirito's blade miss his shoulder by centimeters as it drove itself into the ground.
Suddenly, and unexpectedly, Kiyo stepped in.
'He's finally going to use a skill—?'
[Linear.]
Kiyo launched a clean and efficient strike aimed at Kirito's exposed flank. It wasn't fancy, but it was perfectly timed to the point where he couldn't dodge it.
Not many players could do that. Even for Asuna, who Kirito considered to be extremely good for someone who he'd consider a 'newbie gamer', her potential didn't compare to Kiyo's.
At this point, Kirito would consider him a PvP prodigy. If Kiyo were fighting a normal player, the duel would have ended right then and there.
Kirito followed up with his own [Linear!], but allowed the tip of his Anneal Blade to shift out of position ever so slightly in order to create an opening.
The counter-Linear scraped against Kiyo's cheek, shaving off enough HP to trigger the First Strike victory condition.
The match ended.
A small blue system notification floated between them:
Winner: Kirito
Kirito stared at the result for a beat longer than necessary. The final moments of the match replayed in his head as the crowd cheered on.
That was it?
"Kiyo," Kirito called out.
"Hm?"
"You had ample time to dodge that."
It wasn't a question, but a statement.
Kiyo shrugged once and lowered his blade. "Perhaps."
For a moment, Kirito looked like he might press further, but he caught himself. After all, everyone had their reasons, especially in a world like Aincrad.
'Still, what was that feeling from before?' Kirito asked himself.
***
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka
Night had fallen once again.
The moon, although artificial, hung up in the sky just like a real one. The streets had mostly quieted down after my duel with Kirito, now replaced by the distant chatter of blacksmith NPCs and wandering players.
After some walking, I stood just beyond the outer perimeter of the flat-top mountain where the safe zone couldn't reach. My original intent had been to test a few theories I had with some skills. Gathering XP was, after all, preferable to wasting time wandering.
But the sight before me caused a slight change in my plans for tonight.
Three players were tailing a smaller figure wearing a cloak through the uneven field. They were barely keeping up, but it didn't seem like they were giving up any time soon. After all, the player they were tailing was:
Argo the Rat.
Her full-body coat fluttered behind her as she used her high agility stat to create distance. If she tripped even once, the players tailing her would be able to catch her.
Dangerous. She was outside of the Safe Zone, so they could hurt her here, or maybe even kill her if they had the drive to. And from the way they were shouting their complaints, it wasn't hard to guess their intentions.
"Asshole!" one of them shouted. "People could've died because of your lies! You really think you can get away with this, you damn psychopath?!"
"You beta trash hoarded all the real info, didn't you?! Hand over the rest!"
The witch-hunt mentality had already begun. Someone had exposed Argo's guidebook for its inaccuracies, and now, combined with the real fear of death, it didn't take much for the mob to find scapegoats.
Beta testers.
And in particular, the most prominent one.
It didn't take long for Argo to reach a cliffside, where she was essentially cornered. No amount of skill could surmount it.
"Like I said, I wasn't lyin'! Everything from the guidebook is from the beta! The beta! Jeez, can you guys use your brains for even a sec?!"
Her voice was angrier than I'd ever heard her before.
"I don't wanna hear your excuses!" One of the men shouted, drawing a blade to her throat.
Quickly equipping the [Feathered Gale's Hood], I rushed forward using my enhanced agility stat and used my palm to knock the blade out of the man's grasp. As he stepped back in surprise, I quickly placed my foot behind his sole, causing him to trip over.
Then, I pointed my Anneal Blade at his neck. It was essentially an empty death threat, since I'd rather not have a yellow cursor hovering above my character.
The other two men hesitated briefly.
"N-Not worth it. Damn Rat's not gonna get far away."
"Yeah. Screw this."
Then, typical of cowards, they tried to save their face. The third one—who'd I'd just attacked—scrambled up and followed behind them after being gestured to do so by me.
I watched them go without another word until their figures dissolved into the dark. After confirming that they were gone, I unequipped my cloak.
Silence returned, again.
"...You." She finally remarked, cutting through the silence. Her eyes slightly widened. "Didn't expect you of all people."
"I know your situation," I said.
Argo wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead with the back of her glove. I could tell she was still eyeing me suspiciously.
"Gee, thanks. Real insightful."
I didn't react to the sarcasm.
"How does it feel? The very people you were trying to help are now rejecting you. Errors in your guidebook. Beta testers supposedly hoarding information."
Her gaze sharpened slightly. "What's gotten into ya, frontliner? You're... somehow different from before. And what was up with that cloak? Never seen that before..."
"This is only the beginning, Argo," I continued, ignoring her questions. "It's true that you could have outran them now with your agility. But if you don't take precautions, they'll corner you properly next time. Maybe with five, ten, or even twenty players."
"And you're here because...?"
I met her eyes directly, letting my gaze bore into her.
"I'm offering you a deal."
She snorted. "A deal? Lemme guess. I keep my pretty little neck safe, and you want something in return?"
My request was simple:
"Information. I need all the information you have at my immediate disposal. Quest locations. Skill data. Monster patterns. Everything."
She laughed in response.
"You're getting ahead of yerself, frontliner. Even if I needed a bodyguard—big if, by the way—how would I know you're not bluffing on me? You could just turn tail the second things get ugly. Or worse, sell me out."
I supposed those were reasonable concerns. I had to admit that she was sharper than most people.
Still, I opened my inventory without another word and equipped a specific set. The flash of blue light faintly illuminated our surroundings.
Her face paled slightly. She took a step back, probably out of instinct, and a rock fell down as her foot teetered on the edge, rolling down the steep, jagged path.
She wasn't stupid.
Only one person had soloed the first floor labyrinth.
Only one person had soloed Illfang.
Only one person had the [Cloak of Midnight]
Player 'X.'
"It...it was you..."
********************
A/n
Once again, big thanks to @Jinzooru for helping me write this chapter.