Sword Art Online: Side Stories

Masaru smiled as he was hugged and followed her to the volcano and she obtained the Magma Core before freezing up, his eyes moved to his status screen, a lightning bolt under the health bar. "Paralysis? Damnit." he thought to himself bitterly, he was on guard all the time but this slipped through due to fighting and hugged by Star, he couldn't blame her and he fell to the ground on his front.

"Not like I got anything better planned." He managed to say a bit sarcastically., thankfully, his mouth and voice were vocally okay, it was just the body.

 

Mya looked back up at him. "But why is that? Why would you want to kill in revenge? Revenge is a pointless act. True I would be furious and distraught if someone killed someone I cared for, but what would it do? Would it make them happy? Killing the killer who caused their pain? If that's the case, you're just as bad as the killer!" She shook her head. "You can't fight hate with hate. Nothing good will ever come out of it. I wouldn't. Even if you killed my friends, everyone in this game, even if you killed me...I couldn't bring myself to hate you. I can't. I don't believe in that system..."

 

Masamune's expression was one of pain when he smiled, "Not everyone believes that. If everyone thought that way...there would be no more hate...no more war. But...hate begets revenge and that only brings more hate. It's a cycle of hatred that cannot be broken. Because I killed them...they hate me. If they killed me...my friends...my family would hate them and seek revenge. The only way I can break the cycle...is to be a good boy when we escape this game and let them do with me what they will."

 

Mya clutched her chest. The topic was starting to get to her. It hurts to hear Masamune talk about the topic. She opened her menu and switched into her in town clothing, the same she wore yesterday in hopes of changing the subject."Anyways, why don't we do something today? The 'weather' is on the favorable side today."

 

"Right..."
"I wasn't here to kill you. I only came to kill the boy, but maybe a "star" would be a great addition to my fatalities." Inferna pointed her spear towards Star. "Prepare to die Hikari Hoshi."

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=6kii96X0WeQ

Both of the girls charged. Sword to spear, sparks shattered form the force of the two girls. Star using the combos preset and Inferna using her own personal combos she had learned over the period of assassinations. <<Periodic Strike>> A lash of fire scorched from the ground as Inferna swayed her spear along it. The blast came towards Star as she evaded the attack as well as threw multiple daggers. Inferna blocked them all and began to smile. A smile of death, she enjoyed the challenge. She knew she could win. Her level was much higher than Star's. Star ran at her once she had landed. Her sword pointed in a stabbing motion.
"Kurama, aid!" A fire fox appeared breathing fire toward Star, which connected. A scream of pain came from her as the burns took effect. The game may not allow some pain, this was one of the ones that was very real. She fell to the ground shivering form the hear. "You cannot beat me Starlight. I am much more experienced then you." She took her spear and stabbed Star right in the chest. "Beautiful, intelligent, talented, even have a nice man under your belt. Women like you discuss me." Star was shaking. The pain was all mental. Her health bar slowly degrading.
Star thought to herself. An image of Masaru came in her head. If she was killed, he too would suffer. Even if he survived, would he really be able to live with himself with her gone? He might stop fighting on. Star hesitated for a moment. She threw her hand to the ground. "I will not give up. I will fight on. Not just for me, but for the man I love as well." She swung her sword at Inferna, whom jumped back, however the cut hit the fox creating serious damage. It was in the red itself as well. "Infinity Bow" Her sword transformed into her majestic bow. <<Daggers Rain>> Her bow pointed up as a hundred daggers and other sharp materials flew, all raining down to Inferna.
The sharp objects flew down hitting Inferna and her fox. Inferna grabbed the fox Kurama and let the material hit her instead of her beast. "Damn, I don't want another failed mission on my belt. What's worse is this may end my reputation. I can't stay and longer either. The paralysis is about to end on the boy too. We have to leave." She grabbed a teleport crystal and warped out of the dungeon. "Damn." She hit the wall behind her. "Damn!"
Star dropped her bow and ran to Masaru. She had very little HP, about 3% left. She drank a potion to heal the burn. Masaru needed some help more. She grabbed a potion to heal is paralysis and HP as well as her own. Star then grabbed onto him. "I won't let you go. I love you."

 

Surprised by her offer, Masamune showed her the first honest expression in his life. "Uh...sure, if that's what you want. What would you like to do? Since I don't linger for very long in the towns...I'm not sure what there is to do really."

 

She looked back at the warp gate. "Hmm...how about we head for floor 26? The town is relatively small and no one is really there at this time of the day. We can think of something to do there. Sounds good?"

 

"Sounds as good as ever." he turned towards the gate and pulled out a crystal. "Floor 26." Low enough that Ima won't come looking for me there and...since there won't be a lot of people I can relax for a bit.

 

She also pulled out a teleport crystal and called out floor 29. As they both arrived there, she was spot on. The small town had very little people walking around and all of them payed no real attention to the 2 arriving members. "Well...seems like I was right. Why don't we walk around town first of all?"

 

A walk...it seemed harmless enough. Paranoia set in but he resisted the urge to equip his cloak. It was a dead give-away to who he was. And...hiding himself might hurt Mya. "Sure...a walk is fine. A walk in town...yeah...no unexpected assassins...no players newly into PKing to stab me in the back. A walk is perfectly safe."

 

She looked up at him and frowned. "You know...if this bothers you, we don't have to do this. I'm not forcing you into this..."

 

"Ah...no, that's not the problem." He needed to stop worrying and act normal. "I'm fine. Just a little nervous, I suppose. I don't get out much...so...I'm just a bit paranoid." He started forward, determined to be able to walk through the town beside Mya and relax. "You...reminded me of a friend just now. When I was a kid, he used to tell me he wasn't forcing me to do anything with him. Even though it seemed like our parents were forcing us together. I...don't remember his name or face anymore... I think it started with an 'M'."

 

She scratched her head. The only person she knew that has a M in his name was Masaru. She thought of bringing it up, but shoved it aside. Impossible. It can't be Masaru...can he? She looked around and spotted a restaurant. "Hey look! Wanna grab something to eat? I only see some NPCs in there."

 

"Hm?" Pulling him from his thoughts, he half smiled at the restaurant. "Why not. I bet you haven't had breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day, after all. Even if it is only pixels." Since he couldn't be bothered to remember his own friends, he figured trying to help Mya make some of her own was best. "Cmon...NPC's are good news for me. And since they have scripted dialogue...it's fun to mess with them." They also couldn't die. Masamune knew that as well. At least...if they did die, they just came back the next day and went about what they were programmed to do. Entering the restaurant, he inhaled the scent of eggs and toast. "Figments of my imagination...or...programming. Ah...trying to make sense of a game is hard on my brain." Rubbing his head, he dragged Mya into a booth and flopped down on the cushioned seats. "I'm not computer smart...as you might've noticed, but I know my way around this system. All the pre-programmed combos...they're useless. If the code is already there...I'd rather not use it. Let someone else have their fun with a worthless code." Realizing he was talking hatefully again, he smiled, apologetic already. "Sorry...none of the others use their own muscles to swing the sword. That is...they'd rather think of this as nothing more than a game." He thought back to the bets he'd made with Mya and how even as he won...he wanted to tell her.

 

Inferna walked into the restaurant and sat at one of the cushions. The only time she went down to relax and have a drink was whenever she had been beaten. It had only happened twice before Star, and that was with Masamune and PoH. Sometimes she would lose to random PvP's who saw her level and wanted to fight. They never knew her identity though. "Hey, waiter, give me the most expensive thing you got. Make it quick." She lied her head to the bar as she saw in front of her was Masamune himself and some girl. Oh please don't notice me. I don't want to deal with HIM right now.

 

Masaru watched the battle commence, he could see the variration of fighting styles, it was worrying that Star was a lower level than Inferna but Inferna used he rown familar as a shield to protect her but she left due to a Teleport Crystal and Star's muttering sof curses before running to him and given hima potion to heal his status ailment and she grabbed onto him as if he was the most important thing to her ever and he heard the three words no-one would expect coming from her lips, that she loved him.

He was currently in a swirl of a emotions as he tried to process his train of thought for a few minutes and he spoke. "I kind of figured you won't, but I accept your...love and give you mine in return." he said, blushing faintly.

 

OOC: Sorry I'm late. Had no clue what to say...

Ittoki stared after Mya. She just ran off. "G-Guess I just got ditched, huh?" Ittoki's heart hurt. "Everyone just leaves me..." He clenched his fists, trying not to cry, but he felt so lonely. Being stuck in SAO made him feel lonely. He couldn't see any of his band members, (except for Natsuki, of course).

"I-I can't be all mopey and sad here. It's the Hill of Memories, a-a place... for c-couples...." People were staring. Ittoki pulled up his hood to hide his face. Ittoki reached into his pocket and pulled out a teleport crystal. He teleported to the floor with Natsuki's cafe.

The cafe was closed today, but Natsuki lives on the second floor. He threw open the door of Natsuki's apartment. Natsuki looked at him wide-eyed, in the midst of lifting up a cup of tea. He clearly didn't expect Ittoki.

Ittoki stared at Natsuki and scrunched up his face, "N-Nacchan....." he began bawling.

"W-What happened, Ittoki-kun??" Natsuki was worried.

"I-I feel so lonely!" Ittoki buried his face in his hands. "I-I miss everyone. Tokiya, Masa, Ren, and Syo. Everyone!!"

"I do too... Ikki..." Natsuki pulled Ittoki into a hug and stroked his hair, patting his head, trying to calm his friend and classmate down.

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Kuroi had wandered off as Minato and Shiina chatted about some IRL stuff. He wasn't interested about other Players' life stories. Especially those he just bumped into.

 

Mya sighed. "There you go again. Screwing around with more things other than players." She sat next to him and pushed a few buttons on the menu, ordering some dishes. "You seem very knowledgeable on technology and this kind of stuff. It's pretty impressive." She stared at the plate that magically appeared in front of them and pondered on what Masamune said. It was true everything here was pixilated and not true, but it was coded so well it made everything in this game feel realistic. Was this the world Kayaba Akihiko wanted the people to live in? A world that was impossible to find and inhabit in real life? A place where every gamer can live their life?

 

When morning had risen, Kaito put back on his armor and left the inn. Maybe he would head down to a lower floor to train, it probably would be good for him.

 

Masamune dug into the food that had appeared before him, "I'm not really. All I did was just experiment with the limits of the game. After a few years of doing that...knowing the little things isn't much of a feat." Waving half of a sandwich around, "Eat it anyway. Even if it's an illusion...it fools our brains into thinking we're getting food and water enough so that we don't feel fatigued by it." He looked around and took note of the red-headed player sitting a ways away. She also had an orange cursor. Flicking open his menu, Masamune's sword appeared on the table.