Sword Art Online: Side Stories

"I'm not sure, to be honest. But I'm sure if we just look around the floor, we'll find something." Her nervous speech pattern faded as she focused on the possibility of finding her friends' murderer. Standing at the gate, she grabbed Kuroi's hand and held her crystal up. "F-Floor 47."

 

Kuroi opened his eyes. He was back at Floor 47. "Restaurant..." Could it be the cafe he visited earlier? "Do you remember what type of restaurant it was, Shiina?" He asked her.

 

Star sighed. Not really what I wanted to hear. We were just there after all. Maybe Masaru would know a good place to spend while we wait. "Well, thanks Mya. We'll be back later." She dragged Masaru outside again. (this seems to be a trend of hers). "Masaru-kun, where is some place you would like to go just the two of us?"

-Meeting of the Council of Blood-

4 chairs sat around a round table in a pitch black room. 2 of the 4 members sat there in discussion.

"Inferna, it seems you failed your mission to kill the Singer's Knight. Quite a shame you know."
"I lost another battle. It is quite shameful I know. I don't see you doing much!"
The man smiled and laughed a bit. "I do things behind cover. It also seems we have 2 empty seats."
"That Black Swordsman Kirito jailed our man Apollo. I believe PoH is dealin with his second."
"PoH is not among us anymore. He has listened to Masamune's words. We are now an army of two."
"Damn, that traitor. I tried to recruit another one but he has no balls to be loyal to the pledge."
"I am aware. We may have more recruits soon. But who needs them. We are as powerful as need to be."
"Lets cut to the chase, Alpha, why did you summon me here?"
"I want you to kill Mya, otherwise known as Masamune's real treasure."
"Oh the girl? Are we trying to drive Masamune out of hiding and kill him?"
"Kill him eventually, yes. For now, suffering is all he will do for having PoH leave the council."
"Hmph. Should be fun. I will head over there once I can."
"This meeting has been put to a close. Do your job this time Infern."
"Yeah, yeah, she is a weak one. There shouldn't be a problem boss. What are you going to do now?"
"There is a new guild popping up. One that may threaten my plans for the future. I think I will chat with their leader, Scarlet. Not kill this time. Might be able to do more damage through my words."

 

Mya sighed sadly as both Star and Masaru left the shop. It seemed that her advice wasn't enough to give Star an ideal place for her and Masaru to hang out at. I'm so useless...well I'll make it up by giving her a fabulous set of clothes to choose from! She closed her shop, stating she was out on floor 56 gathering materials as she grabbed her stuff and headed to the warp gate, teleporting herself to floor 56. "I'll make her proud..."

Behind a wall, Yuko smiled. "Hmm...guess I'll take this chance to meet here...out on floor 56..." After a bit, he also walked over to the warp gate and teleported to floor 56 as well.

 

"W-well...I think..." checking the blog, "It was a family restaurant on the, um...south end of town. Closest to the edge of town." She pulled him forwards, "Do you...know someone on this floor?"

Floor 56. Patience was a virtue. Waiting, quietly, patiently, he stood at the edge of town.

 

Mya appeared at the warp gate outside of town. "Alright. If my sources are correct, the materials I need are in the forest to the south. With that, then-" She stared at the edge of town and seeing a familiar person. "Ma-Masamune? What's he doing here? Didn't he say he was going off somewhere for a while? I have a bad feeling about this..." She cautiously made her way towards Masamune.

 

Opening his eyes he looked over at Mya. "Mya the Tailor. Owner of Clothed Dreams." Setting his hand on the handle of his sword, "That is your name, isn't it? It's interesting how you've become a target so easily by doing absolutely nothing." Shrugging, he set his dulled gaze on her, "I've heard some funny rumors going around. My friend gave me a list...and it's interesting that you're on it. That friend...he's a Player-Killer so the lists he gives me are really curious things. From what I heard from this rumor...you and I know each other...and that you know what that word means." Forcing a smile, he pulled off the hood of his cloak. "These rumors say you're special to me. Honestly...I don't believe them." Narrowing his blank red-brown eyes, he continued, "You'll have to forgive me if we've met before...I'm bad with faces and names."​

 

Masaru looked thoughtful for a moment, the Hill of Memories was indeed a romantic place but they already been there and thoguht back to the FLoors he ventured, the Sunshine Forest was a nice area on Floor 20.

"I think Sunshine Forest is a good place, low level monsters but the scenery of nature is breathtaking." he recommended to her, -ubbing his hair messily. "I'm never oen for outdoors much but it's at least peaceful and a change of pace." he honestly admitted to his wife, he was never good with kind of thing.

 

​

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Mya nervously stepped back. He didn't feel like Masamune before. He wasn't the Masamune she knew. Did something happen? His words scared her. "Wh-what do you mean Masamune? Target? What's going on? Of course you know me!" He had a sinister aura around him...similar to that time when they were first trapped in the game. The cold, heartless aura. It made her even more nervous. "Why am I being targeted? I've done nothing to gain the attention of the PKers!"​

​

Yuko quickly jumped in a bush after teleporting to the floor. The hell? What is he doing here? He doesn't look very friendly today. Tch...I'll just see how it goes...He placed his hand on his sword in case things got out of hand.​

 

"I-Is the cafe called Cafe Piyo?" Kuroi had a feeling that it was Ittoki's friend's cafe. Natsuki-san's.

 

Star nodded. She knew he was trying. That is what was important to her. Just some time alone would be good. She didn't care for the monsters, she just wanted to be with him, alone, together, with nobody else around. She smiled and took him to the gate to warp. Once there she asked him "Lead the way Masaru-kun."

Inferna watched closely at Mya and Masamune. "If he kills her them my job will be much easier. The mission however will suffer." She noticed that Yuko was also there. He always seemed to be around when she was. "Will just have to sit low until he leaves."

Alpha jumped down to Scarlet, attacking with his sword. It was an easily blocked attack of course. "Hello Scarlet. It's a pleasure to meet you." A dark grin on his face rained over her. The red mark on his head was no indication that he was a kind soul either.

 

As she moved back, Masamune reached out and snatched her wrist, "Not running away now, are we?" Sighing, he flicked his eyes over her shoulder. Do they really think they can hide? Masamune's detection skill was high enough to see their observers from where he was. "Nevermind your questions, little one." Leaned closer to her, he whispered, "Why don't we just go about your day, hm? Nothing says normal than a little girl doing what she's supposed to." He still gripped her wrist tightly in an unforgiving grip.

 

Masaru nodded and took Star by the hand to the Gate and descend down to <<Floor 20>> to reach the Sunshien Forest s he walked with her, the tresses swaying with parts of light poking through gaps downa dirt trodden path with a breeze blowing them gently back and forth, it wasn't the most impressive palce but it was still quiet and enjoyable, if they were cherry blossom season, that'd be a special moment indeed, but it was Autmn.

"How long has it been since we been trapped in this game?" he asked her.

 

"Too long." Standing beneath a patch of sunlight stood Minato the Yellow Flash. His hands were tightly wrapped around two of his daggers and anger in his dark blue eyes. "But long enough for your friend to hide away and create a plausible excuse as to why we haven't escaped yet." Blinking, the young man fought back tears until his throat stung. "You....Star, or whatever your name is. You're a Beater," he flung the word out as if he both hated and longed for the strength of that word, "You're the reason we're still trapped in this game. You know the ins and outs of this games mechanics and yet you do nothing to help us. You stand there basking in your own glory of being an idol rather than help those of us who have families and reasons to leave!" Minato knew the mechanics of the game well too, but he believed not as a Beater would know them. Being a technical genius in the real world did him little inside a game other than understanding it's make-up and systems better than the average player. "You've played us all for fools long enough! You, like Lady Asuna's friend, are a Beater and you should take responsibility for the lives trapped in this piece of binary code." Grinding his teeth, he vowed, "I will see my son again....I will not be too late to see him grow up. You will finish this game.....or so help me, I'll find a way to finish you!" Anger and grief...but not a trace of desperation. Instead, Minato held determination in his arsenal.[DOUBLEPOST=1360966132][/DOUBLEPOST]

Shiina frowned at him, "I honestly don't know. All I know is that it's a restaurant and that he was spotted there along with Mya and a few other PKs."

 

Mya winced in pain as he grabbed her hand in a tight grip. "S-stop it Masamune. It hurts." She couldn't comprehend why he was acting this way. It was as if he just met her for the first time. Did someone tamper with his memories? "What happened to you Masamune?"

 

"I don't know what you're talking about, little miss, but if you keep asking questions like you know me....things are going to get complicated." He glanced behind him at her, "And I don't like complications." Looking even further behind than at her, he growled, "But I dislike that woman more than complications. Wild red hair...fits the description well enough. The other one's probably her lacky and I can't have someone else taking..." he didn't finish his sentence and stared blankly ahead as he walked. For now, he didn't sense them following and annoyingly far into the town, Masamune couldn't do his job. Frustrated, he shoved her forwards, "Get on with what you came here to do...I'm not stopping you, but I'll be damned if I let you leave my sight."

 

Mya stumbled forward and got a hold of her footing before she looked back at Masamune sadly. Masamune...what happened to you? What did they do to you? She gritted her teeth and opened her menu. "Then take this back. I don't want something that means so much to me when you can't even remember it." She took the knife he gave her earlier out of her inventory and threw it on the ground behind her before she headed off towards south to the woods.

Yoku sighed. Seems like he doesn't remember her...what's the point in that... He stood up and headed back towards the teleport gate, teleporting back to floor 50.

 

Star heard the words of Minato. At first she was about to slap him for following her and Masaru when the two just wanted to be alone. No peace could be found with all these issues going on between the world and her... then it hit her. The rest of his words. Her eyes trembled as tears began to elapse from her eyes. She fell to the ground without having one word to say. Drops of water hit the floor with each last one having more sorrow then the last.


"That wretch knows I am here. His skills must've increased. Whats more is that PoH used his brainwashing technique. I know the cue ball has bad memory but having lost it in a few hours is too pitiful even for him." Inferna went into her inventory and equipped the Blind Cloak. This cloak would aid her. It made it so she could disappear into the shadows and no skills within this game could find her once equipped. She had to go through a pretty tough Reaper-like boss to obtain this treasure and she was going to use it. Dashing along the back streets of the city, she followed the two. Masamune had to be planning something. This was a way to protect her, it had to have been. He was more afraid then she realized. "Will hunt you down Mya. And you will die."

 

Masamune growled as she fled, but his eyes were drawn down to the dagger. A pulse went through his head and he bumped into the wall behind him. His vision blackened, "I won't let you do this!" "We'll go together...okay?" Shutting his eyes, he expelled a shaky breath. Holding his head, he stood, picking up the object as he did and staggered after Mya.

Watching Star fall to the ground, Minato suppressed his nurturing personality and took an advancing step towards them, his daggers held poised for an attack. "So you don't deny it. You could beat this game and set us free but you want to stay here....to stay fooling everyone, this young boy, and those you call friends. They wouldn't be your friends if they knew exactly what you were." Self-absorbed, selfish and pathetic. It was his first opinion of someone that had no positives in it.