26"C'mon, Natsu, keep up!"
I glanced over my shoulder with a big grin at the boy following me. He was the same height at me, just a little over five feet, but it was clear to see he was at least two years younger than myself. He bore the same ash-blond hair, inherited to us from our American mother, but he had our father's milk-chocolate eyes. His face was fixed into one of half annoyance, half boredom. I always teased him that he was going to get a permanent crease between his brows if he always looked so cross, but I supposed in this world, that wasn't actually effecting his real face.
Who knew what our bodies actually looked like in reality. Probably sunken and sickly, bony from just laying in hospital beds being fed by tubes. I repressed a small shudder. I always hated needles. But at least here, in Sword Art Online, I couldn't feel them. I wasn't even aware of their presence. Instead, I was stuck in a world of brutality and wonder with my kid brother, Natsume.
"I told you not to call me that," Natsume snapped irritably, though he did pick up the pace slightly.
I offered him one of my signature cocky grins. "Well then, you had better remember to call me Makoto."
"I don't see the point, it's not like you're still in a male avatar," Natsume replied with a roll of his eyes.
I smacked his shoulder with the back of my hand. "Because I've got a reputation to keep. Makoto the Reaper!" I flipped my scythe into view, twirling it around without actually performing any known Pre Motions.
That got me another eye roll from my brother.
He was better than when the world first went to shit. Not as recluse, not as holed up in his own little world, refusing to leave the tavern rooms. I'd managed to convince him to train. So now he was only ten levels behind me. Not bad, considering how hard I worked.
We were in the Forest of Wandering on floor 35, a good area to gather common goods to sell and farm exp. But that wasn't the real reason why we were here. I looked around with narrowed eyes, using my Search Skill to try and pick up any other players in the area. The sun had set about an hour ago, but the moonlight illuminated our surroundings fairly well. Fireflies bobbed through the air, and the clean scent of dew kissed my nose.
The last time I was here was on Christmas Eve. That was about five months ago. I still had the precious revival item in my inventory, and kept it with me at all times. I remembered the Black Swordsman, Kirito, with a faint smile. He was a strange one… a solo player, but he was wicked skilled. He'd only been one level behind me. That was impressive. I'd caught glimpses of him at the floor clearing raids, but he always seemed to disappear before I could get close enough to say hello. Besides, I didn't exactly want to relive my moment of weakness with him.
I hadn't broken down once since this shit fest started, but I almost had that night when he embraced me. The look on his face... the torture… I didn't want anything to do with that. I didn't want to know what that felt like. That was why I had the revival item. I glanced at Natsume as he looked around the forest with narrowed eyes. I wouldn't allow myself to lose him. I wouldn't allow myself to feel the pain I'd seen in Kirito's eyes.
And at the same time, I wasn't going to allow other people to feel that pain either, if I could help it.
I wasn't going to be needed on the raids until they found the final boss. I never participated in the search parties. I wasn't one for wandering around aimlessly. I was the one they called when they wanted something dead. Makoto the Reaper. I lived up to my name shamelessly. So when I had the free time, I took care of other business.
Such as a group of thieves and potential PKers, or Player Killers. The rumors had been floating around the town Natsume and I were staying in. I wasn't about to let this go unpunished. We were all supposed to be finding a way out of this shit hole, not making it worse for other victims.
"Hey, Yuki," Natsume said suddenly, then pointed forward.
I opened my mouth to yell at him for using one of my IRL nicknames, but before I could, I spotted what he was gesturing toward.
There was a player ahead, a little girl, it looked like, and she was completely surrounded by Drunk Apes. They were relatively easy mobs for players of our level, but it was clear the girl was in dire straits. She was on her knees, holding a tiny Dragon mob just as it burst to pieces in the death animation I'd grown so used to. Her entire form was shaking. She barely even seemed to notice the enemy creatures approaching her.
"Let's go," Natsume said, unsheathing his katana before rushing forward, performing a Pre Motion with relative ease.
I gripped my scythe and chased after him. Even though these were low level mobs compared to myself and Natsume, I still always got that same thrill of fear when I saw him going into battle. I pushed it aside, reassuring myself there was no way my brother would get killed by these things. But the little girl on the other hand…
There were three Drunk Apes, and Natsume was already targeting the one closest to the girl. I could read his posture like it was second nature. The kid might be a prickly little shit on the outside, but deep down, I knew Natsume was like a Knight Errant. I figured that would be the key to getting him to stop hiding, showing him the new world we were a part of and how he could help it. Though I had procrastinated in doing so for a long while, thinking that bringing him out in the field with me was dangerous. But if I wanted to keep an eye on him wherever I went, I'd have to get him to level up.
I went for the mob on the right while Natsume cut into the one about the attack the girl. It was an easy one-hit KO, with how my stats were. I recovered from my Post Motion and whirled to face the third Drunk Ape, but to my astonishment, I saw it was already bursting into bits.
And there was a familiar figure standing where it had been.
"Oh, well long time no see, Swordsman," I said.
Kirito looked the same as when I'd last seen him. Long black coat, single one-handed sword, the same unruly dark hair and eyes. He blinked as he looked at me, looking just as shocked as I felt.
"Makoto?"
"S'up?" I beamed.
"Yu- Makoto, you know this guy?" Natsume was standing near the girl protectively, eyeing Kirito with clear suspicion.
"Sure do, this is the Black Swordsman, Kirito," I said, replacing my scythe onto my back. "How ya been, buck-o?"
"Buck-o?" Kirito repeated.
But before more could be said, the little girls sobbing voice caught my attention.
"Pina…"
I turned, seeing the girl holding a small feather item, tears streaming down her face. She had russet orange hair up in cute pigtails. Her young, round face was screwed up with sorrow as tears streamed down her rosy cheeks.
Natsume was instantly uncomfortable. He stared down at the girl like she was a wild animal he didn't know the intentions of. I swooped in to save him from trying to say anything.
"Hey, kiddo," I said, kneeling beside her and placing my hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay? Do you need any healing crystals?"
The girl looked over at me, sniffling. "It's all my fault… I shouldn't have come out here by myself… If I hadn't then… then Pina…"
Kirito appeared at my side, looking down at the girl with sympathy in his eyes. "You're a Beast Tamer, aren't you?" he said.
The girl shakily nodded, clutching the feather item to herself.
"Y'know," Kirito said. "There's a place that is supposed to revive tamed creatures. Your pet dropped that item right? If you bring it there, you could get Pina back."
The girl's face lit up instantly, "R-really?" she hiccupped.
I glanced over at Kirito. "You're talking about that flower right? On the 47th floor?"
Kirito nodded.
The girl's smile slowly faded away.
"The 47th floor…?" she breathed then bowed her head. "That's way too high level for me right now… But if it'll get Pina back, I'll just have to level up in order to get there!"
I admired this kid's spirit, though I couldn't understand the concept of her caring so much about a NPC, let alone a mob. But, if I was correct, it had been a Feathered Little Dragon, which meant as a tamed beast, healed its player. That was useful, especially in a game that killed someone IRL if they died in-game.
"I don't think that'll work," Natsume said abruptly.
When we all looked at him, his cheeks pinked from the attention. He coughed into his fist nervously before continuing, "I mean… There's a three day time limit to revive a deceased pet. And, no offense, but you're not going to level twenty-three times in three days. I don't care how skilled you are."
"Oh no…" The girl's head fell again and tears began to well up in her eyes. Natsume seemed to grow even more uncomfortable at the sight of the water works.
"I- I'm sorry, I didn't…" he trailed off, his words tumbling off his tongue like a falling Jenga tower.
I nearly rolled my eyes at my brother's lack of tact, then gripped the girl's shoulder.
"It's okay, kiddo," I assured her. "You don't have to worry, because we'll take you there."
"Huh?" The girl's head popped up, her watery eyes wide.
I grinned at her. Sure, I didn't understand why this kid was so into something a mob that wasn't even technically real, but I did understand that this little girl was in pain. If what she needed to get by in this fucked up new world was a digitized little dragon, then who was I to judge?
"Yup," I said, getting to my feet. "Right, Swordsman?" I looked over at Kirito with my smile to see him blink in confusion.
"What?" He blinked at me.
"You're good, remember? I told you that," I said. "It'll make it way faster if we have three of us escorting a lowbie. C'mon."
I opened my menu and sent a party invite to the girl and to Kirito. They both hesitated, looking stunned. I huffed in annoyance.
"I said c'moooon, it's not that hard to figure out. The Beast Tamer needs to be there to retrieve the flower, and we have three high level toons right here to help her! It's not rocket science!"
The girl hit the accept button first. Her name popped up, and I grinned at it.
"Silica, is it? Cute," I said.
"I…" Kirito looked over at me, and I shot him an impatient glare.
"Did you forget how to use your menu since the last time we talked? Do I need to help you? Here." I moved over toward him and he let out a small sound of protest when I started reaching for his arm.
"Stop, stop! Okay!" he said. "Besides, I should have been faster to save her Dragon…" He hit the accept button, and shot me an irritated scowl.
I beamed at him, then blinked in surprise at his level.
78. Day-um, someone's been busy. But I gave him a small smirk because I was still one level higher than him. Looking at the party list, I saw Natsume's screen name gleam just below Kirito's and above Silica's. Nori – level 67.
Yup, getting this girl to the 47th floor wasn't going to be difficult with the three of us.
And, if my hunch was correct, I might be able to take care of those thieves at the same time…
We stopped at Mishe, the main city of floor 35, at Kirito's request. He wanted to review the map and show Silica exactly where we were going, not to mention crash for the night. Best to traverse the 47th floor with a noob during the day. The Black Swordsman stepped away for a moment when we reached the town and for a bit there, I was convinced he'd ditched us. I wasn't sure what it was about that boy, but he just didn't seem like a people person. Not like how Natsume was, though.
My brother tended to fumble with social interaction. He got easily frustrated, easily embarrassed, and easily flustered. Kirito, however, was able to speak fluidly with others and put on an easy smile, it seemed. But at the same time it was like there was this shield around him. I supposed losing his whole guild kind of messed with his head.
Sachi. I was a little surprised I remembered the girl's name. There were so many dead, so many people I've heard wail about lost friends. But Kirito's Sachi stood out in my mind the most. Was it because I'd let him see through my cracks on Christmas Eve? Did that burn through my memories more than anything because I almost lost my mask?
I hadn't cried yet. Most would think I would. Almost everyone had. The day the log out button vanished, the day Kayaba informed us that he'd trapped us in Sword Art Online, it was like people's inner selves were revealed. Natsume retreated into a shell and barely spoke for a month. He wouldn't leave the inn for three. But I'd seen that from him before, in the real world. When something happened that he couldn't accept, he rejected it not only the situation, but everything else.
Me? I put on a mask. A mask that protected Natsume, because seeing his big sister confident gave him hope. A mask that let me pretend that I was fine. A mask that I myself couldn't even really see through, because I never, ever, EVER took it off.
Except for that night on Christmas Eve. When Kirito managed to lift it, ever so slightly, and saw a sliver of what lay beneath. When he'd embraced me, I figured it was because whatever he saw there made him want to reach out and comfort me. Or maybe he was just trying to comfort himself. Either way, I hadn't forgotten the warmth of that hug.
Kirito finally returned to us with a pleasant grin and traded over some decent gear for Silica to equip. She'd gaped in astonishment.
"Oh! I- I don't think I have enough money to-" she started to stammer.
"No, it's a gift," Kirito assured her. "Take it. It will help in case you're attacked while we're out."
Silica blushed and hesitantly hit the accept button.
"Oh, I see you seduced another couple of boys."
I turned around to see a woman walking toward us. She was pretty, with vivid ruby red hair done up in an elegant twist, her bangs covering her right eye. She wore and equally red outfit, and smirked at us with glossed lips as she approached. I couldn't help but notice how pronounced her feminine figure was (especially in the chest department) compared to mine. I'd always had a boyish frame, but this lady really made me feel it.
"And a girl this time too, eh? Well, I suppose that charm of yours is just too hard to resist," the woman said. "Where's your little pet?"
The tone she used was anything but concerned. She leered down at Silica with a delicate smirk. Silica bowed her head, looking both angry and upset.
"Pina died saving me…" she murmured.
"Well, that's a surprise." Sarcasm dripped off the woman's tongue like acid as she let out a small chuckle. "What will you do now, Silica? Continue to manipulate higher level players to do everything for you?"
"I'm getting Pina back," Silica announced with a surprising amount of snap in her tone.
"Going for that flower huh? So that's why you have a gang of saps with you with clearly better gear," the redhead drawled as she eyed each of us. "Take my advice, fools, don't trust this one."
"How about you back off?" Natsume said the words so matter-of-fact, it almost took me off guard.
He had set the woman in his dark gaze with a cold expression. He didn't fold his arms or even shift his posture, merely glared at her with one hand resting neatly at the hilt of his katana. Not that anyone could fight other players in a town without accepting a duel invite.
"She really has you wrapped around your finger, does she?" The redhead stepped toward Natsume. "Has she told you just how many boys she's charmed, blondie?"
"Alright, Titty Express," I snapped, stepping between her and my brother. "Could you please take your bitchtastic attitude somewhere else?"
"What did you call me?" the woman asked indignantly, taking an offended step back.
"It was in reference to your jugs, tits for brains," I replied with a roll of my eyes. "Now seriously. Get lost. Or found by someone who gives a damn." I gave her my best, toothy, shit-eating grin.
The woman scowled at me with clear disdain before turning on her heel and stalking away. I turned, smiling at the others in my triumph, seeing Natsume looking non-impressed, and Kirito gaping at me like I'd grown a second head.
"There," I said, ignoring the Swordsman and looking over at Silica. "Who the hell was that dame?"
"Rosalia," Silica muttered softly. "I was in a party with her before Pina died…"
"She's a bitch," Natsume muttered, glaring after the redhead. "What were you going around with her for?"
"Silica?"
Before the girl could answer, a couple of boys approached us next. I whirled, ready to use my flawless wit and name-calling skills to chase away any other ass hats trying to pick on poor Silica. But these two boys were beaming at the sight of her. I remembered Rosalia's words about how Silica 'charmed' boys. I supposed the Beast Tamer was rather adorable.
"Where've you been, we were worried!" the taller one with darker hair said.
"Oh, thank you, I'm fine," Silica assured, bowing her head toward them.
The boys seemed to just notice Kirito and Natsume and their smiles fell off their faces like hot wax. I could practically choke on the jealousy that had just flooded the air.
"Who're these punks? Are they bugging you, Silica?" the shorter, plumper boy demanded.
"Apparently I'm invisible," I muttered.
"N- no!" Silica quickly waved them off. "They helped save me, actually- uh… I'm in a party with them now!" In an instant, she darted over and clutched Natsume's arm. "Right, Nori?"
Natsume's face flared crimson so fast I had to swallow hard to keep back the bark of laughter that threatened me.
The boys continued to glare and scowl. Sensing the increasing tension, I stepped forward, trying to draw attention to the fact that there was another girl here and they needed to cool their jets.
"We're just helping Silica with something, no big deal!" I chimed, grinning at them.
The boys finally spotted me and I saw their faces soften a bit. It wasn't like I was famous- well, I was, at least, Makoto the Reaper was. But since I always wore my hood up at raids and boss clearings, and rarely flung my scythe around willy-nilly, hardly anyone ever recognized me as Makoto the Reaper. I was just some blond girl with a stupid smile and (I hoped) stunning blue eyes. In fact, I was fairly certain a good percentage of the population in Sword Art Online thought Makoto the Reaper was a boy.
"C'mon," Kirito said, stepping forward. "Let's get some food. It was nice meeting you." He bowed his head toward the boys before leading the way off toward the inn.
The rest of us followed suit, and Silica didn't release Natsume's arm until they were out of sight from the boys.
"Sorry." She smiled shyly up at him.
"Just… just don't do that again," Natsume murmured, his cheeks still dark.
It earned a tiny, nervous giggle from Silica.
"So you are popular," I noted, looking over at her.
"Oh, no, I mean, not like you think," Silica replied quickly. "I was more just… their mascot."
"Cute little girl, cute little dragon, yeah I suppose that makes sense," Kirito said with a shrug.
That earned a blush from Silica. I nearly laughed at how much she and Natsume mirrored one another right then.
When we reached the inn, we found a table to sit at and ordered some food from the NPCs. I sat beside Natsume, Kirito across from me and Silica from him. I hungrily bit into a roll and leaned forward on my elbows.
"I don't understand why Rosalia has to be so mean," Silica grumbled as she glared at her food. "We're all just trying to survive. Why can't she just be nice?"
"Sometimes people change when they play video games, especially MMOs," Kirito said. "Some play as the bad guy because they think there are no real consequences."
"Silica," I said once I swallowed my mouthful of bread. "Has anyone ever explained Color Cursors to you?"
"You mean the icons over our heads, right?" Silica asked, pointing over her pig-tailed hair where normally a green cursor would be spinning, but since we were in a building it was hidden.
"Yeah," I said. "And how they can change color?"
Silica blinked, looking a little confused. Kirito cast me a slightly knowing glance and he looked over at the girl beside him. "Green is standard, it means the player is free of any recent crimes. But when a player commits a crime or attacks another player outside of a duel, it turns their cursor orange."
"This includes Player Killers," I added.
"Player Killers?" Silica echoed in a small voice.
"There are some players that think because we're in a game it's okay to attack and even kill other players," Kirito said gravely. "In any other game, that would be whatever, but in Sword Art Online…"
"It's murder," Natsume said flatly.
"Yes," Kirito agreed, looking up at him, then back to Silica. "It's important to know these things, and to watch out for players with orange cursors."
"Do you think we might run into some on the 47th floor?" Silica asked with wide eyes.
"You might run into them anywhere," I said. "So just be aware. Alright, sugar-bite?" I grinned at her.
"Sugar-bite?" Silica repeated.
"Makoto likes to make up weird nicknames and other words, don't mind her," Natsume muttered, poking at his food with a fork.
I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Are you two brother and sister?" Silica asked. "You look a lot alike."
"You've got a good eye, kiddo," I said, casting her another grin. "Yep, Nori's my kid brother."
"Don't say it like that," he grumbled.
Once our bellies were full, the four of us got rooms for the night. Natsume and I shared one. We had since being trapped in Sword Art Online. Kirito got his own, and was kind enough to pay for Silica's next to his. We went to our rooms, and I yawned as I flopped onto one of the beds.
"So how do you know that guy?" Natsume asked, a clear hint of suspicion in his tone as he opened his menu.
"Who, Kirito?" I asked, looking over at him, "I met him about five months back. He's with the Assault Team like me."
Natsume stared at me. "It seems like there's more to it than that."
"What do you mean?"
"The way you look at each other… it's like you know each other, and I mean like, know."
It took me a second to understand the look my brother was giving me.
"Wh… oh. OH. No. No, no, no. Nuh-uh, not even, wrong answer," I said, waving my hands dismissively. "I told you, he's just another Clearer."
Natsume continued to give me his penetrating glare.
I let out a long sigh then looked at him. "He was a Beta Tester. Like me. But no, we didn't meet back then, and no we haven't been knowing each other. Beaters. That's what they're calling us now, right? We seem to think on the same wavelength about this place. That's all."
Natsume shrugged. "Whatever you say. He stills stares at you more than I'd like."
I opened my mouth to question him, but there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Makoto. Nori. You still awake? I wanted to go over the map to plot our route for tomorrow."
It was Kirito. Natsume gave me one of his crushing looks, like his eyes were made of stone that he was hammering into my own, as I replied.
"Sure thing. Be right out."
Kirito's footsteps retreated and I got to my feet, setting Natsume with a threatening point of my finger.
"Nothing is going on. Seriously, do I look like I have time for boys?" I asked in an annoyed whisper.
He just rolled his eyes before following me out into the hall and into Kirito's room. Silica was already there, and Kirito dimmed the lights to pull up his Mirage Sphere. I watched as he pointed out and explained to Silica where we were heading on the 47th floor.
"We'll want to stick to the roads, there's less monsters that way," he said. "It'll be slower, but safer."
"Yeah, I suppose even with three of us, we might muck up at some point and lose her to a big mob," I agreed with a shrug. "But the roads should be fine."
Natsume lurked in the corner, saying nothing as he watched with his arms crossed. I cast him a big smile which he scoffed at and looked away.
I opened my mouth to start teasing him for being broody, but I heard a soft tap just outside the door. A footstep.
Kirito and I moved as one. Both of us rushed to the door. I was closer, and threw it open and stepped into the hall, looking left then right, Kirito just behind me. Natsume and Silica both blinked at our sudden movement, the former stepped toward us.
"What's up?" my brother asked.
"Eavesdropper," Kirito said.
"Gone now," I reported.
"But you have to knock on a door in order to hear any conversation inside," Silica said.
"Not if you have a high enough Listening Skill," Kirito replied with a frown.
He glanced at me, and I gave him a nod, showing him I understood something was up.
It seemed those murderers I'd heard so much about might be closer than I thought. The flower on the 47th floor we were after was a valuable item, and only Beast Tamers with a fallen pet could pick it up. It wouldn't surprise me if someone wanted it to sell. Rosalia's image flashed in my mind and I frowned slightly. Could that redheaded twat bucket have something to do with this?
"Well, let's rest up," Kirito said, stepping back into the room and glancing at Silica. "Don't worry, no one can hurt you in town without challenging you to a duel, so you're safe to sleep." He gave her a comforting smile.
Silica nodded, looking a little shaky.
"I'll… uh..." Natsume came to her side. "I'll walk you to your room."
His cheeks were red as he said it. I cast him a smirk which he returned with a glare.
"Oh." Silica's cheeks mimicked my brother's. "Th-thank you!"
"Just go," Natsume muttered, and followed her out of the room.
I went to go after them, but Kirito closed the door before I could pass him. I blinked in surprise and turned to look at him questioningly.
"Wanted me alone in a dimly lit room, did you?" I asked, raising a brow at him.
Kirito's cheeks darkened and he took a step back from me. "No- no, that's not…"
"Yeah, yeah." I waved him off. "It's called teasing, Swordsman."
"Right…" Kirito rubbed the back of his neck. "I just… does he know?"
I frowned, looking at the dark-haired boy while crossing my arms. "Who about what?"
"Your brother. Does he know about what you did Christmas Eve? About the revival item."
Kirito's gaze was like stone. I felt the need to squirm slightly under it, and found my eyes looking away.
"No. He thinks I took a stroll. To clear my head or some sappy shit," I said with a small shrug.
Kirito just stared at me for a long moment. I felt myself growing more and more uncomfortable under his metallic gray eyes.
"Wh-what?" I finally spluttered, taking a small step back from him.
Kirito let out a soft breath. "It's just… from what you said back then, I thought you would have wanted him to know you had something to bring him back if he ever…"
"No," I said instantly, then took a step toward him again, pointing threateningly. "And don't you say a single word of it to him, Swordsman. If he knew I had that item, he'd insist on having it in his inventory to bring me back if I ever died. Or, knowing him, he'd want to use it on anyone that died in front of us." I glanced away, shuffling my feet a little as my pointing arm fell. "I know it sounds awful. Selfish. But I… I can't let him do that. This item is for Natsu…"
"I see," Kirito said, folding his arms as he glared at me. "So you'd let someone die on the off chance your brother might die?"
"Look." I heard my voice drop into a growl. Kirito actually winced a little. "Natsume is all I have left. He's starting to go out and fight more, you saw his level. He's not far from becoming a Clearer. I'm not. Risking. Anything."
Kirito opened his mouth, but there was a knock on the door.
"Uh… Makoto?"
It was Natsume's voice. I reached over to open the door, paused, thinking better of it, and flipped the lights back on first. When I swung the door wide I gave my brother a grin. "Sorry. Kirito wanted to discuss a little about who might've been listening without worrying Silica. Thanks for distracting her." I winked with an accompanied wicked smirk.
Natsume's cheeks flared red and he turned on his heel. "Oh shut up. I'm going to bed. You coming?"
"In a second," I called to him.
I waited until I heard our room's door close before glancing back at Kirito. He was still giving me that cold stare of his. I couldn't help but think his face looked a lot cuter when he was smiling.
"Swordsman, you got a sibling?" I asked him.
His face seemed to soften. He looked at the ground and I saw his feet shuffle a little.
"A kid sister. But she's back in the real world," he replied.
"Then you should have some understanding of what I'm doing," I said softly.
I didn't give him a chance to respond. I left the room, heading back toward my own without another word. I had a good feeling that Kirito would keep my secret from Natsume after that. He had to know the fierce protectiveness an older sibling had. He had to understand.
Because I wasn't going to let anything happen to Natsume.
I'd die first.
