There was a period of lull in the efforts of clearing the floors of Aincrad.
The frequent news of floors being cleared one every two or three weeks had suddenly halted. And even players within the lower floors had noticed the sudden absence.
Many suspected that the capture group, more well-known by the players as "Clearers", had reached a bottleneck.
They've been advancing so quickly that perhaps the strain in logistics, the dwindling number of players able to keep up with the pioneers, or perhaps a sudden spike in difficulty in the game had finally stopped their blistering advancement to a screeching halt.
While some within the captured group had begun discussing in whispers of some rumors that some of the highest-leveled players had been absent from the frontlines as of late.
The Black Swordsman hadn't been seen on the upper floors recently.
The Flash had also been absent from boss raid meetings and conferences to discuss plans to conquer the 35th floor boss.
And most of all, the mysterious Swordmaster, whose true appearance was never seen yet presence ever present in all guidebooks and boss raids, had suddenly vanished completely.
Many tried to contact them, but to no avail.
At this point, a few had even begun suspecting that they'd been killed. Perhaps not by monsters, but the red-player guilds that had been quietly gathering power and wreaking havoc in the shadows.
But, such rumors were quickly shattered when the Flash and the Swordmaster suddenly appeared once again after two weeks of absence.
And in less than 20 days, the 35th and 36th floor had been conquered, successfully opening the path to the 37th floor.
There was a veritable sigh of relief amongst many players.
After all, although the amount of time and preparations needed to conquer new floors would increase as they climb higher and come face to face against more powerful and dangerous enemies, many still wished that they could clear the death game as quickly as possible and return to the real world.
Now that things have advanced once more, they were able to keep on clinging onto that hope.
Though even now, the reason behind their sudden disappearance was still shrouded in mystery.
The news of the rapid advancement of the Clearers to the 37th floor quickly reached even the Moonlit Black Cats, who had been farming and saving up to buy their very own guild base on the lower floors.
Thanks to Kirito's guidance and assistance, they were able to level up quite a bit and challenge stronger enemies to finally reach their goal.
"We finally did it!"
"We've worked so hard…!"
"Now, all that's left to do is celebrate and buy our first ever guild base!"
"Alright, calm down you guys. Don't make a fuss in public."
Keita warned Sasamaru, Tetsuo, and Ducker, but even he himself could not hide the grin on his face.
"Kirito, thank you so much for helping us. If not for you, we wouldn't have been able to achieve our goal so fast!"
Kirito blushed, rubbing the back of his head, at Sachi's gratitude.
"No, it's because everyone worked hard. I just helped a little."
The guilt for having not told them about his true level still had been pricking his heart for months.
Although he did displayed skills and knowledge beyond what players of his level should have, the Moonlit Black Cats seemed to have simply brushed it off as Kirito gaining them from being friends with the two high-level players, Yuuji and Asuna.
Or at least, that's what Kirito assumed. After all, no one had confronted him about it.
Moreover, although he helped a little, it was their hardwork and dedication that brought them this far.
Sachi might've said that to make him happy and feel included in this group of IRL friends. But, Kirito chose to only accept her considerations and thoughts alone.
"Kirito."
"Hm? What's wrong, Keita?"
Kirito and Sachi both turned towards the leader of their guild.
"I'll be going to the Town of Beginnings tomorrow to negotiate for the price of our guild base. But before doing that, I'm planning to have a small celebration first for our achievement. You know… as an encouragement for me."
"I see. That's a good idea."
Kirito smirked, shifting his gaze slightly at the other three still rowdily celebrating behind Keita.
"None of them can wait anymore. So we can celebrate early. After all, we trust you'll succeed at your negotiation."
Although Kirito had only been with them the shortest, only a little bit more than a month, he had been considered a close friend and a dear comrade in arms. And Keita felt happy that Kirito also seemed to trust him as much as they trusted him.
"Alright. Ah, and if you want to, you can also invite Yuuji-san and Asuna-san to our celebration."
"Eh?"
Kirito didn't expect Keita to suggest he invite Yuuji and Asuna. After all, they hadn't had much interaction with the two, except for when they first met.
Seeing the surprise and confusion in Kirito's expression, Keita explained.
"You haven't met them for quite a while, right? And also, we've all hit it off after that first meeting. And I'm sure Sachi would love to meet Asuna-san again, right?"
Sachi nodded, her eyes shining with anticipation.
She had always been the only girl in this group of guys, and Asuna was the only female friend she had come to get along well with.
Although they've been busy with their daily grinding and farming, Sachi would still occasionally chat with Asuna.
But Asuna seemed to also be very busy with her own business, and their conversations would either be cut short or become very slow.
So, it would be great if they could finally meet again. And now that they don't have to grind so hard, Sachi might be able to spend more time chatting with her.
"Well… Sure. I'll ask. But I can't promise anything."
Knowing Yuuji and Asuna, they might be busy with their own questing and grinding on the newly opened 37th floor.
"Of course. That's fine. It'd be nice to have them, but we can't force them too. Thanks, Kirito."
"Sure."
Kirito nodded, and opened up his friends list to message Yuuji.
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"Oh? It seems like they've finally done it."
"Hm? What's wrong, Yuuji?"
Sitting on the bed, Yuuji opened the message he had received from Kirito. While Asuna, who had just finished her shower, came over the bed and slipped into the blanket to sit with him.
With the day's hard work behind them, having finished several quests and grinded for levels and items for a whole day on the newly opened 37th floor, the two had rented a nice inn for the night to retire for the night.
"It's Kirito. The Moonlit Black Cats seemed to have achieved their goal of saving up for their guild base. Their leader, Keita, invited us to celebrate with them."
"Eh, really? That's great! Let's go! It'll be nice to take a break for a bit since we've been working so hard for the last few weeks. I also want to meet Sachi again and talk with her."
Yuuji nodded. Since Asuna wanted to go, he had no reason to refuse.
"Alright. I'll tell him that we'll come."
He and Asuna had been "hunted" by many guilds, and they've been increasing in frequency as of late.
The attention made it harder for him to go unnoticed and continue with his investigation on the red player guild, Laughing Coffin.
He didn't want them to know that he's investigating them, or they'd be even more slippery.
So, this might be a good chance to lay low for a few days and slip back under the radar.
"Ah, but before we go, can you help me buy another cloak and mask? I've worn this one for a few weeks now."
Asuna nodded with a smile.
"Sure. Let's get you something new. I'll have to buy a new one too."
"Mm. Let's buy them on the lower floors. We'll make it seem like we're new players who just came to this floor."
With their plans for the next day made, the two finally decided to end their day and retire for the night.
They cuddled under the blanket, and fell asleep in each other's embrace.
The next day.
After buying a new set of cloak and mask each, Yuuji and Asuna headed to their meeting point with Kirito and the others.
The inn where they first met the Moonlit Black Cats on the 11th floor.
"Ah, Yuuji-san! Asuna-san! I'm glad you can come!!"
Yuuji and Asuna pushed opened the wooden doors to the inn and entered. And without having to search for the Moonlit Black Cats, Keita's voice immediately resounded, welcoming them.
At the far end of the floor, gathered around the largest table with a myriad of dishes—more in quantity than the celebratory dinner they joined when they first met—already laid out, were all the members of the Moonlit Black Cats, including Kirito.
And as if trying to get Yuuji and Asuna to notice them, they waved with their entire arms, even though there was no one else taking the other tables around them.
Yuuji swept his gaze across them and let out a deep breath, relieved at his count. None seemed to have died since they last met each other.
'Kirito's doing a good work babysitting them.'
He secretly smiled under his mask, and joined their table along with Asuna.
"It has been a while. Thank you very much for inviting us. I'm glad to see all of you again."
The meaning of words depended heavily on context. Contexts such as the relationship between the speakers, the situation they were in, the tone in which they were spoken, and many more. But they were extremely important in imparting the meaning—not definitions, but meaning—behind the spoken words.
Some may be subtle and targeted, meant to be understood by some.
Some may be obvious, meant to be easily understood by everyone.
Some may be in between, spoken just because the speaker wanted to utter it without the need for others to necessarily understand the true meaning of his words.
But Kirito and the Moonlit Black Cats noticed and understood what he meant.
If it was the real world, they would've understood it just as a regular greeting.
But this was Sword Art Online. A game where if your HP reached 0, you would perish in the digital world as well as the real world.
And when spoken in a true death game, it was no longer a simple greeting between friends. But a greeting spoken between survivors.
Kirito, Tetsuo, Sasamaru, Sachi, and even Ducker who was usually loud, simply nodded with a smile.
Yuuji could see it in their eyes, the strength built upon the journeys and trials they've overcome and grew from, and the unspoken determination to continue doing so.
Keita walked forward towards Yuuji and Asuna with his hand extended.
"Likewise. We've all managed to survive, one way or another. Kirito has been a great help as well. We're improving thanks to his guidance."
Yuuji took his hand in a handshake.
"That's great. Learn from him as much as you can. Despite his looks, he's pretty good at the game."
"Hahaha, we will!"
"Yuuji…"
The room quickly filled with laughter, and Yuuji ignored Kirito's offended look and followed Keita to finally join the table.
"Then, let's have a toast together!"
Keita picked up a large mug of juice, and the rest followed suit, including Yuuji and Asuna.
"To friends! To success! And to many more celebrations ahead!"
""Cheers!""
The celebration began in reality and in spirit as the Moonlit Black Cat members immediately dove into their feasts.
And having a full mouth didn't deter them from conversations. They would talk with mouths half full, and if they were truly full, they would gulp down anything in their cheeks with their drinks before speaking.
Only a few kept a modicum of decorum. Namely Sachi, Yuuji, and Asuna.
Yuuji ate more out of respect towards the Moonlit Black Cats who had invited him and Asuna to their celebration.
After all, he had become used to the food he and Asuna cooked for themselves. The food here, though on the upper end of the level of cuisine in these floors, were just simply incomparable.
But he came not for the food. He came for the Moonlit Black Cats, so he spent most of his time conversing with the members, listening to their stories, and sharing some of his.
Meanwhile, Asuna and Sacchi were chatting like they were close friends, sharing stories of their adventure, and even some funny or memorable moments they had that they hadn't been able to share through messages.
At first, the Moonlit Black Cats conversed mostly with Yuuji and Asuna. But as time went on, they naturally chatted amongst themselves as well.
Given their IRL relationship as high school friends in the same club, it was only expected.
'He's fitting in quite well too… That's good.'
Yuuji expected Kirito to fit in sooner or later with the Moonlit Black Cats. It was hard for him to make friends, but it didn't mean that he couldn't. It simply took time, longer than most, for him to open up and truly become friends with people.
"Hey hey."
"Hm?"
Asuna suddenly scooted closer to him and whispered to his ears.
"Look! They seemed close, aren't they?"
Yuuji followed the direction of her gaze and saw Sachi and Kirito talking to each other, each with a smile plastered on their faces.
"Hehe~ Aren't they cute? They're both shy and introverted, but they opened up to each other~"
Yuuji snorted with a smirk.
"Well, I didn't expect the introverted kid to get a girl. They grow up so fast~"
Asuna giggle and nudged his with her elbow.
"You sound like his dad!"
"...Then are you his mom?"
Asuna's grin instantly turned into disgust.
"Ugh… No way."
The thought itself revolted her. Not only did she not want to have a son like Kirito, just by logic alone, it would be impossible.
After all, with Yuuji as his dad and her as his mother, how could he have that appearance!
Impossible! Their child will definitely be the cutest child in the world!
"Hahaha, I'm kidding~ I don't want him to be my son, either."
Meanwhile, while they were badmouthing Kirito secretly, the person himself suddenly felt an unseen and unnatural sense of… irritation.
"Hm? What's wrong, Kirito?"
Sacchi asked, tilting her head confusedly. They were just conversing normally one moment, and he suddenly furrowed his eyebrows.
"I-It's nothing."
He shook his head and smiled reassuringly at Sacchi.
"Hey hey, Kirito."
From the side, Ducker scooted over to him and spoke in a lower volume, only enough for Kirito and Sachi who were close to hear him.
"Yuuji-san and Asuna-san seemed close… Are they really not dating…?"
The three secretly shifted their gazes at the two who were now touching shoulders, chatting and giggling to each other so closely.
And to his question, Kirito also couldn't answer.
"I'm not sure… They've been together for a long time. And they're also close to each other. But…"
"I see… But Asuna-san is really beautiful. And judging by his voice and demeanor, Yuuji-san must also be an "ikemen"!"
Ducker then added.
"Well, he's actually a real life "ikemen". That's why he always wears his hood and never takes it off so he won't attract too much attention."
"Eh? Really?"
"Seriously?!"
Ducker and Sachi almost raised their voices unintentionally, only to catch themselves just before they spoke out loud.
"So that kind of thing really happens in real life too…?"
Ducker crossed his arms.
"If it were me, I'd show off my appearance and finally live my dream of becoming popular with girls!"
He added with a confident smile. While Sacchi and Kirito could only look at him with condolences.
"Oh, that's right. Kirito, should we invite Yuuji-san and Asuna-san for the "plan" tomorrow?"
Ducker whispered, this time in an even lower voice.
"Ah, that's a good idea! With their help, we'd be able to get the item faster."
Kirito crossed his arms, considering it for a moment.
"Well, I'll try asking them… But they're busy, so I can't promise anything."
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AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!!
Also, if you'd like to read additional chapters ahead and get a pdf version (Light & Dark), please feel free to check out my at patr_eon.com/verglasx ~!
Thank you~!