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Arc 1 of Sword Art Online: Blade Master.

Prologue[]

He panted heavily. It was raining in a downpour, the heat coming from within him unflinching in the face of the cold water falling all over. His sword felt like searing steel in his hands. He could see the blade's edge was chipped and fractured, worn out from the countless strikes it was forced to endure. His entire body felt heavy; exhausted from this battle. An entire hour had passed since they began, but neither he nor his opponent were finished yet. He raised his head, looking forward to his adversary. He was struggling to keep his composure as well; his usual calm demeanor worn down from the brutal fighting. Neither of the two were going to last much longer at this rate.

Their duel was nearly at an end.

His grip on his blade tightened, and biting his lip, he forced himself to stand up straight, enduring his body's cries and bringing his blade back up in front of him with both hands. He was truly miserable right now... everything within him wanted to stop. Everything within him never wanted to start in the first place. He never wanted this. He never wanted any of this. Fate had rarely been kind to him. This was just another thing he would have to suffer through... looking down at the reflection on his cracked and splintered sword, he could practically see everything... everything he was, and everything that led him here... this blade that was burdened just as much as he was.

He saw the soft red light shimmer against the blade.

He felt it. A twinge in his chest, his power welling up inside him, the last bits of the will he had surging from deep within his heart. It almost stung, now... and he could see those faint glitters of red in the rain just in front of him. He looked forward to his opponent, an icy blue glow shining in his left eye, a clear sign that he knew as well.

They both knew. How could they not?

They were the same, after all.

And then he ran. He ran through everything. His pain. His suffering. All that ailed him, body and mind and soul... he ran through it. His opponent would begin running at the same time, the two prepared to strike out at each other. They both knew that it would be the last time their blades met.

They both screamed, a roar that surpassed the thunder around them as they ran towards each other. They brought their swords together, the blades coming to meet for a final time. The bright clash of sparks and the sound of the shock drowning out everything else around them, time slowing down so they could burn the feeling of their clashing blades into their memories. They both pushed as hard as they possibly could, both of their weary blades surpassing their limits to meet the wills of their wielders.

Lightning struck and flashed against the steel of his blade as it finally gave out and shattered.


Chapter 1[]

The marketplace was bustling this time of day. It had stopped raining earlier, so now everyone was back out conducting their business. There were players and NPCs all over. People were talking and laughing, visiting the shops or grabbing a bite to eat. It was difficult to tell the situation they were all in at first glance. It wasn't that long ago that they had all become trapped in Sword Art Online, but the memories of the initial panic had mostly faded away at this point. 

Now, there were players who dedicated themselves to defeating the game and freeing themselves. They would work tirelessly, near day and night to better themselves and clear as many floors as they could, defeating each boss as they went. Most would die, of course... of the over ten thousand players who were trapped in the game, over two thousand had already perished, from a combination of the dungeons, the bosses, suicide, and even other players. 

However, most of the players got to work trying to normalize their new lives, though nobody could claim that it was the exact same as before. They thought it best to hunker down and lay low until someone stronger than they were could free them. They were all afraid, deep down, but they did their best to ignore those baser instincts. Then there were the player killers, or PKs. They preyed on the weak and defenseless, taking advantage of the virtual world to do whatever they pleased.

And then there were some who were... different. Some who didn't fit in anywhere.

Some who even those PKers did best to avoid.

He walked down the cobbled streets, his footsteps lightly splishing against the still wet ground. Most didn't pay any mind to him. Others took notice of his peculiarity, as he stood out amongst most other players. Very few actually recognized him, and they made sure to stay quiet and not get in his way. A faint breeze blew against his white coat, making the two tails dance in the wind. The sun gleamed against the gauntlet on his left arm and the sword on his back. He was more than aware of his conspicuous appearance, and also aware of those people who purposefully avoided him.

He didn't care much.

Though, normally, he wouldn't even be in a place like this. But he had an appointment to keep, nonetheless, so he made is way to the center of the marketplace, a large fountain marking the area. The person he was supposed to meet was already there, sitting by herself on the rim of the fountain. She was looking off elsewhere, her legs crossed idly. She noticed him approach and stood up.

"You're late, Ishi," She said, putting her hands on her hips sternly, the flowing folds of her white battle dress swaying against the breeze and the sun shining off the light bits of armor she wore on her torso. Her sword was strapped to her back, clearly ready for a mission.

"Right..." Ishi said with a sigh. "Sorry, Misaki."

"You could at least make an effort to be more timely," Misaki stated, seeing fit to chastise Ishi at least a little for his tardiness. "You're always like this, you know."

"I know." Ishi responded plainly in a fashion that made it clear that he didn't really care.

Misaki could only sigh in response.

"Look, Ishi, I know you don't much care for these kinds of jobs, but this is important."

"Right." Ishi again spoke in a dismissive tone, crossing his arms and looking the other way. "Let's get on with it, then."

Misaki's shoulders slouched, but still, she knew him well. She knew he could be a bit cold and aloof, but she knew better than that. She very much cared deeply for Ishi, and she knew that he felt the same way about her, even if he didn't show it often.

"Well, anyway, you know what we're doing today, right?" Misaki asked to confirm if Ishi even remembered why he came or not.

"Something with Pendragon Court," Ishi replied, not remembering much else.

"We're visiting the headquarters of Lanka," Misaki reminded him. "Knight asked us to go as representatives for Pendragon Court."

"Right... negotiations..." Ishi sighed, not eager to go for such a dull task.

"This is important, Ishi," Misaki said, stepping up to him and raising a finger. "Members of Lanka have been PKing more as of late, and we need to put a stop to it."

"And we're doing that by..."

"We're going to speak with the clan leader," she stated. "We're going to remind him that Pendragon Court doesn't take kindly to PKers."

"And what makes you think they'll care?" Ishi questioned. "They're PKers, they do whatever they want."

"Hopefully it won't come to any kind of conflict, but we're prepared to take necessary action in case they don't comply," Misaki said. "Pendragon Court holds quite a bit of influence, after all."

"Hrm... right..." Ishi muttered, still not looking towards Misaki's direction. "And why was I assigned for this?"

"Knight sees you as a... well... an asset in dealing with PKers," Misaki said, trying her best to be easy about the topic. "Many PKers know about you, after all. It may give us an advantage in negotiations if they know that you're with us."

"I'm not with the guild, Misaki." 

"But you are with me," Misaki countered, sharp as ever.

Ishi couldn't deny that. Misaki was a member of Pendragon Court, and though Ishi himself wasn't a member, he would still follow Misaki to the ends of the earth if need be. The two were inseparable, and although at first the leader of Pendragon Court would scorn at the relationship Ishi had with Misaki, he would eventually use that to his advantage. Like it or not, Knight knew of both Ishi's talents and reputation, and it could be used as a trump card to strong-arm less cooperative entities into line. 

Pendragon Court's goal as a guild was to deal with PKers and PK guilds, either through diplomacy or by force, if necessary, to ensure that PKers didn't run amok in Sword Art Online. At first the guild was small, but eventually they amassed a few notable players, and their actions have not gone unnoticed in the wider community. They weren't the largest guild in the game, but they still held a good amount of influence. They were one of very few groups who would dare to challenge the larger PK groups.

Ishi cared very little for it. But he would follow Misaki anywhere.

"Alright, let's get going, then," Misaki said, walking past Ishi and beckoning him to follow. "We're already late, we don't want to keep them waiting much longer."

"Hm..." Ishi followed Misaki's lead as they made their way down the streets, heading towards Lanka's headquarters.

---

It didn't take long for the two to arrive at their destination. Lanka's headquarters was located in a secluded area, hidden away amongst some old, arid ruins. It was a place they had taken residence in a while ago, and though their location wasn't exactly a secret, it was nonetheless avoided for obvious reasons. 

However, they were expecting visitors, this time. Lanka's leader had been contacted by Knight, the leader of Pendragon Court, and the two set up a meeting. Misaki and Ishi were assigned to go and negotiate with him in order to keep his subordinates from causing more trouble than they'd already been whipping up lately. Instances of PKing would usually be isolated to individual members, and from multiple different groups. However, there had been a recent rise in PKing coming from this one group. As Pendragon Court was the only guild with proper leverage to deal with them, Misaki was assigned to be their representative, with Ishi as additional leverage.

Misaki and Ishi approached the main open courtyard of Lanka's HQ, which was open and unprotected, situated just in front of a still-standing temple which housed the actual workings of the guild. The arid breeze carried with it sand that curved around those eroded pillars that still stood, whipping up against their shoes. It didn't take long for some Lanka members to walk out of the center building. One prominent member stepped up to the two, seeming to size them up, though upon noticing Ishi, his face soured into a scowl.

"I guess you're here for that meeting, huh?" The man said, deciding not to mention anything about Ishi, though the look on his face already said everything that he was thinking.

"We are," Misaki responded calmly.

The Lanka member stepped aside as one more figure approached from the ruined building, standing atop the steps leading up to the entrance of the temple. He crossed his arms as he looked down upon the two.

"So, Knight didn't even bother to show up himself, eh?" He said in an authoritative voice.

"My name is Misaki," Misaki introduced herself courteously. "We're here-"

"I know why you're here, little miss," the man interrupted. "Knight filled me in... however."

He then turned his attention to Ishi.

"I don't know why he is here as well."

"He is here as an escort, that's all," Misaki said. "I can assure you he won't be any trouble unless he needs to be."

"Unless he needs to be, eh?" The man stifled a laugh. "Fine... I'll hear you out before I make any judgements. Let's hear it."

"As you've been informed, members of your guild have been committing various crimes against innocent people," Misaki stated, still keeping her calm demeanor. "Pendragon Court simply asks that you control your subordinates before further action must be taken."

Misaki was well aware of the bluntness of her words, but being confrontational was necessary when dealing with situations like these. What must be said must be said without reservation. She knew this, but she was also aware of the danger it posed. Still, she was calm and collected.

Ishi, however, was less so, becoming more and more anxious by the second, and while Misaki's eyes were fixed on Lanka's leader, he kept an eye on the subordinates surrounding him, watching their movements closely and looking for any signs of aggression. He was more than ready to take action if need be, but for now, he steadied himself and waited.

"Control my subordinates, eh?" The man chuckled.

"Yes," Misaki said. "Your members are representatives of your guild. As such, their actions represent your own. Is this unfair to say?"

"Not necessarily... but those words are pretty weak coming from you, right now."

The man turned his attention to Ishi once more.

"The actions of my subordinates represent my own, huh? If that's the case, I wonder what Knight is doing associating with someone like him."

Ishi put his foot behind him a bit, sensing the danger of the situation all around him. He could feel the hostility in the man's voice when he spoke of him. Ishi knew that these people would be aware of who he was, and he had also anticipated things escalating quickly. He knew when the other Lanka members began to circle around them that Lanka's leader was also preparing for the same situation.

"I know why you're here, little miss," the man interrupted. "Knight filled me in... however."

He then turned his attention to Ishi.

"I see you brought some company."

"He is here as an escort, that's all," Misaki said. "I can assure you he won't be any trouble.”

The man continued to stare at Ishi, and Ishi returned the glare with his own. Despite the man’s elevated position over him, Ishi’s stare was just as intimidating.

"Fine... I'll hear you out before I make any judgements. Let's hear it."

"As you've been informed, members of your guild have been committing various crimes against innocent people," Misaki stated, still keeping her calm demeanor. "Pendragon Court simply asks that you control your subordinates before further action must be taken."

Misaki was well aware of the bluntness of her words, but being confrontational was necessary when dealing with situations like these. What must be said must be said without reservation. She knew this, but she was also aware of the danger it posed. Still, she was calm and collected.

Ishi, however, was less so, becoming more and more anxious by the second, and while Misaki's eyes were fixed on Lanka's leader, he kept an eye on the subordinates surrounding him, watching their movements closely and looking for any signs of aggression. He was more than ready to take action if need be, but for now, he steadied himself and waited.

"Control my subordinates, eh?" The man chuckled.

"Yes," Misaki said. "Your members are representatives of your guild. As such, their actions represent your own. Is this unfair to say?"

"Not necessarily... but those words are pretty weak coming from you, right now."

The man turned his attention to Ishi once more.

"The actions of my subordinates represent my own, huh? If that's the case, I wonder what Knight is doing associating with someone like him."

Ishi put his foot behind him a bit, sensing the danger of the situation all around him. He could feel the hostility in the man's voice when he spoke of him. Ishi knew that these people would be aware of who he was, and he had also anticipated things escalating quickly. He knew when the other Lanka members began to circle around them that Lanka's leader was also preparing for the same situation.

“Now that you’ve made your case, allow me to make my own,” Lanka’s leader said, crossing his arms and once against casting his gaze at Ishi. “Do you understand the reason Knight sent him with you?”

“As an escort, as I’d said,” Misaki stated plainly.

“Wrong,” the man proclaimed in an authoritative manner. “You must not be as smart as you look, miss.”

The man then pointed towards Ishi, earning him a heated scowl in return.

“We all know who he is. Everyone does,” Lanka’s leader said. “His presence here is nothing short of a threat.”

“A threat?” Misaki asked, inquiring his meaning.

“A threat to fall in line,” the man clarified. “Or face him.”

“With all due respect, we didn’t come here to fight,” Misaki asserted, trying to defuse the situation.

Lanka’s leader turned to face behind him, gesturing for someone to come forward. Another figure then emerged. He had been watching the whole scene the entire time, but seemingly had been instructed not to appear until his leader told him to. The player was just as imposing as Lanka's leader as he stepped forward, a heavy cloak concealing his body and a sword strapped to his back.

“How about we cut out the middleman and get straight to the point?” Lanka’s leader suggested, gesturing to the one beside him.. “My best man versus the Blade Master. He wins, and I’ll agree to your terms.”

“And if he loses?” Misaki asked.

“He dies.”

Ishi began to reach for his blade, but Misaki placed her hand on his arm, keeping him from doing so.

“As I have said, we didn’t come here to fight,” Misaki once again stated. “If it is to come to blows, then we would rather leave respectfully and consider negotiations a failure.”

“If that’s the case, then Knight will just send him back here anyway, is that right?” Lanka’s leader sneered, once again crossing his arms. “I’d rather our time not be wasted with formalities.”

“Nonsense.”

Ishi’s single word was quiet, but intentionally still loud enough to be heard by everyone present.

“Hm?” Lanka’s leader raised an eyebrow, continuing to stare Ishi down. “Have something to say, little man?”

“If you know anything about me, then you wouldn’t try to take me one on one,” Ishi said, staring up at the cloaked player. “Matter of fact, you aren’t even planning to, are you?”
Lanka’s leader smiled and began to laugh loudly, clapping his hands in delight.

“Amazing how the killer seems to be smarter than you are, missy!” He said to Misaki, before gesturing for his subordinate to go down to meet the two.

The cloaked figure then descended the stairs, drawing his blade, and in short order, the Lanza members surrounding Ishi and Misaki began to draw their weapons as well.

“Truth be told, I’m willing to let you go,” The leader said, shrugging his shoulders. “But he stays and dies here. We’ll have to move shop again, but that’s a small price to pay to get rid of the Blade Master, isn’t it?”

“You’re gonna be paying a bigger price than you think,” Ishi snarled, once again going for his blade and drawing it quickly, slashing the air in front of him and spinning the sword in his hand to take it in a reverse grip. He then casts his left arm out hard, the bladed claws of his gauntlet springing forth from the metal plating to slide over his fingers.

“Ishi, no,” Misaki said, grabbing his arm and attempting to stop him.

“Didn’t you hear him?” Ishi said, keeping his gaze on the cloaked figure who now stood to challenge him. “He said you’re free to leave.”

“You know I’m not going anywhere, Ishi,” Misaki protested, pulling a bit on his arm.

“Then you better get ready to fight,” Ishi said, turning to look her way.

Misaki sighed and stepped forward, drawing her own blade and preparing herself.

“If you won’t let us go peaceably, then I suppose we have no choice but to defend ourselves.”

“Your funeral, missy,” Lanka’s leader shrugged.

The cloaked figure used his free hand to tear his cloak off, revealing an outfit that was a mix of black and brown leathers, accentuated by slim silver armor plating on his legs, chest and shoulders. The man pointed his blade at Ishi and sneered.

“I’ve always wanted to fight against the legendary Blade Master,” He said with a wide grin.
The other members of Lanka surrounded both parties, weapons drawn and ready.

“Only seven, huh?” Ishi said, looking around him, unimpressed. Although their leader looked like he would be a challenge, the others in the group looked nothing near as intimidating. They all had generic armor and weapons, and most looked like they barely knew how to fight.

“I guess you don’t know as much about me as you thought.”

“We’ll see about that!” the man shouted, dashing forward towards Ishi, signaling the other six to close in as well.

Ishi and Misaki looked to each other and nodded in unison. Trading places in one swift motion, the two changed positions to move Ishi to the front and Misaki to the back, allowing Ishi to catch the commander’s blade with his own. Another strike came from Ishi’s side, and he pulled his blade from the lock in a hard slash that caught the other blade bearing towards him, sending both adversaries back.

As more enemies came down upon them, Ishi and Misaki worked in tandem, blocking and weaving through and around the consecutive strikes that came their way. They were completely in sync, and their movements and attacks each complemented each other. When Ishi would lock blades with one foe, Misaki would vault over him, using his shoulder as handspring to kick the foe away. When Misaki would deflect and redirect an incoming strike, Ishi would immediately be there to follow up with a hard strike of his own.

The flow of battle at this point was natural to them, and they knew each other’s styles so well that they didn’t need words to coordinate with each other. As each enemy came at them, one, two or even three at a time, they both worked in masterful fashion to stop the danger. The other opponents weren’t skilled enough to be legitimate threats to either of them, even on their own.

The commander, however, was much more skilled than the rest.

The man’s attacks began to become stronger and more varied as the fight progressed, and even as his minions were pushed back and neutralized with low HP, his own attacks became more difficult to deal with. However, Ishi and Misaki were still expert duelists, and by the time the last henchman fell, Ishi and Misaki were still none the worse for wear, and they could then focus their efforts on the last man standing.

Ishi and Misaki both lunged forward, side by side towards the commander, but split off at the last second, Ishi to his right and Misaki to his left. Ishi fell in first, dashing forward in a single step that brought him within striking distance. He lashed out, and the commander blocked the strike. The sharp metallic clang resounded as bright sparks scattered off the impact. Misaki then followed up, slashing upwards in the opposite direction. The commander slid back quickly, managing to evade the strike and retaliate with a hard kick that pushed Misaki back, allowing him to turn his attention back to Ishi, who once again pressed the attack.

Sparks continued to fly, and the sound of metal clashing reverberated against the hollow ruins around them. The commander was keeping up, but was being increasingly pushed on the defense as the two fighters continued their assault, pressing their numerical advantage to tire their opponent out and force him to make a mistake. The commander knew he was being backed into a corner, and he needed to make some distance. He decided to fall back further, leading his two opponents towards a nearby broken pillar. Once there, he made his move. 

The commander jumped up and made a hard horizontal slash, forcing both Ishi and Misaki to fall back to avoid it. They move back in quickly, however, and the commander used the time he’d bought himself to jump back and vault off of the pillar, jumping over Misaki and kicking off of her shoulder to send her into it. Landing just behind her, Ishi moved in with a hard punch from his gauntlet, but the commander managed to just barely dodge out of the way as the attack impacted the stone column, causing the stone to break and splinter off of the surface. The two quickly managed to wheel around, but before they could resume their attack, the commander fell back towards the center of the arena, now separated from his adversaries.

Ishi and Misaki took the break in the action to walk up towards the commander, who seemed to be nearing his limit.

“Heh… you aren’t bad,” The commander said with a sly chuckle, spinning his sword in his hand as the two approached.

Ishi furrowed his brow, glaring at the man. He was still at around half health, but a couple more solid strikes should end the duel. With his and Misaki’s combined efforts, the battle would be over soon.

A sharp cry then rang out behind Ishi, who turned around quickly. His eyes widened when he saw a sword sticking through Misaki’s side from behind. One of the other grunts had managed to crawl up and attack Misaki from behind while her guard was down. Misaki quickly kicked him away, but as she turned back around, she gasped. A glimmer came from the corner of Ishi’s eye, and as he turned his eyes to look, he saw a knife sailing through the air just past his head. It landed and stuck Misaki in the shoulder, just where her chest and shoulder armor separated. Misaki fell back and into the ground. 

Ishi just stared, eyes wide. Everything seemed to fall deathly silent to him.

“Don’t get distracted, Blade Master!” the commander charged once again, thrusting the tip of his sword towards Ishi’s head. 

Ishi, without looking, raised his gauntlet up and slid it against the man’s blade, causing sparks to fly as the blade sailed past Ishi’s head behind him. In the same move, Ishi extended his arm and caught his opponent’s face against the palm of his hand, then locking his fingers against his opponent’s head, preventing him from moving away. The man struggled against Ishi’s iron grip, which only got tighter as rage swelled within him. The man attempted once again to raise his blade to strike down at Ishi, but was instead torn to the side as Ishi pulled him forward and threw him into the ground, hard enough to bounce him off the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust as he flew back and skidded to a halt. Now a distance away, the commander scrambled back up onto his feet to face Ishi down. Ishi glared at his opponent with murderous eyes, shaking the commander slightly. He paused, shaking his head to regain his composure. He then raised his sword with both hands and took a defensive stance. Ishi simply continued to stare, eyes fixated, his hand tightening on the grip of his sword and the fingers of his gauntlet curling outwards and spreading, as a beast extended its claws. 

The commander took a single step back, but in that instant Ishi lurched forward, full sprint towards his opponent. He swung his left arm back and unfurled his fingers, and with a vengeful growl he slashed upwards with his clawed gauntlet, slamming against his opponent’s blade and sending it flying upwards, then cutting forward hard with his blade. The commander acted quickly, but just barely quick enough, only managing to catch Ishi’s sword with the hilt of his own. The shock of the impact shook the commander to his core, nearly causing him to lose grip on his weapon and knocking him off balance. Before he could recover from the blow, Ishi once again came down with a hard claw swipe. The attack found its mark, striking hard into the commander’s chest, immediately sending him reeling into red health. 

In an increasing panic, the commander attempted one last thrust with his blade. Ishi, however, caught the sword against the hilt of his own, the blade falling into one of the four angled notches at the base of his sword. In this position, Ishi quickly twisted his sword to trap his opponent’s weapon between the serration and the raised crossguard of his sword, and in the next motion, Ishi punched upwards with his gauntlet, striking the flat of his opponent’s sword and snapping it in two with a loud metallic pang and shower of sparks.


Dazed from the sudden shock of his weapon breaking, he was left completely defenseless as Ishi reached out and grabbed him by the neck, slamming him into the dirt. Ishi kept a tight grip on his enemy’s neck, holding him pinned to the ground as he raised his blade, spinning it and thrusting it downwards to finish his opponent.

“Ishi, no!”

Misaki’s voice cried out to Ishi, and the sound briefly broke Ishi’s focus, causing his blade to waver and stick into the ground next to the commander’s head, barely missing him. The commander stared upwards in shock, unable to breathe through Ishi’s grip on his neck. Misaki quickly rushed over and pulled at Ishi’s arm, separating the two. With Ishi’s grip relinquished, the commander began to cough before quickly scurrying a distance away from Ishi.

“Ishi?” Misaki called to him, gripping his shoulders. “Ishi, are you okay? Are you with me?”

Ishi panted through gritted teeth, but the sight of Misaki still alive eventually began to quell his anger. His breathing slowed and calmed, and the white-hot grip on his sword finally loosened. Ishi turned away to look towards the ground, his shoulders sagging as he slid his foot against the ground lightly. He turned back to look at Misaki, finally sighing and relaxing.

“You’re okay?” he asked, relieved to see her standing.

“Of course I am!” Misaki said. “I didn’t get hit in any vital areas!”

Ishi looked around a bit as the defeated Lanka members started to gather themselves. Although they were left in critical condition they were at least all alive. Ishi looked up to the main structure in the ruins and glared up at Lanka’s leader, who had been watching the scene unfold the entire time. The two locked eyes for a brief moment, before the leader turned away and headed into the building and out of sight.

"Come on, let's get out of here, okay?" Misaki said, leading Ishi away.

The commander sat up, panting in a panicked sweat and rubbing the base of his neck. He watched the two leave and attempted to calm himself down.

“Just what is he…?”

---

Ishi and Misaki walked together, headed towards Pendragon Court's headquarters to report on their mission. Ishi was silent, Misaki following closely behind him. The two hadn't said a word to each other. Ishi was quite honestly a bit ashamed... he could feel Misaki's disappointment in him. Though, shortly before reaching headquarters, Misaki spoke up.

"Ishi?" she said gently, though her tone garnered no response from Ishi, who kept walking.

"Ishi," she said in a more sternly manner. Again, no response.

She then grabbed his arm from behind, stopping him in his tracks and forcing his attention to her.

"Ishi, that was careless," she scolded. "I told you that you can't afford to go off like that."

"I'm fine," Ishi said, trying to move on, but Misaki held him in place, refusing to let him go until he had an earful of it.

"You clearly aren't, Ishi," Misaki said, tugging on his sleeve.

"Look, I never asked to be a part of this guild's business, alright?" Ishi retaliated, frustration present in his voice.

"You know how hard it is to keep defending you over these outbursts, Ishi?" Misaki was clearly getting angry now. "Knight is already wary enough about you, but if this keeps happening, he's going to treat you just like any other player killer!"

"Yeah, well why doesn't he, huh?!" Ishi shouted. "I mean, what does it even matter?! Maybe you should just forget about it and stop trying to defend me so much!"

"Ishi..." Misaki's voice took a sudden drop into hurtfulness. "Please don't make me choose between you two..."

Ishi frowned, looking away from Misaki, his heart plunging in his chest as he clenched his fists.

"I... I'm sorry," he said quietly, his voice almost a murmur and filled with shame. He meant it, too. He knew how hard he was to deal with... sometimes he felt like he wasn't worth the effort. He'd get angry and he'd take it out on the person he cared the most for... she didn't deserve all the hardship he gave her. Ishi sometimes really didn't understand why she stayed with him.

Misaki sighed and gently reached her hand down Ishi's sleeve to his hand, slowly intertwining her fingers with his. Ishi turned his head further away, but Misaki used her other hand to direct his gaze to her. She had a smile on her face as she looked up at him. That smile... that smile always got to Ishi. It explained so much without Misaki even needing to say a word. It was comfort... it was the reassurance that everything was going to be alright... it would say that she loved him dearly, no matter what. And that no matter what happened, she'd always be there for him.

"Misaki... I, uh..." Ishi was silenced when Misaki placed a finger on his lips.

"I know," she assured him, holding his hand tightly.

And he held hers in return.

"You should head home, now," Misaki advised. "I'll brief Knight on the situation. You just get some rest, alright?"

"You sure you don't want me to come with?" Ishi asked.

"No, it's alright," she said quickly. "Besides..."

"Right..." Ishi cast his eyes downward. He didn't need an explanation. He already knew that his relationship with Knight was tense to say the least. Misaki was right. It was probably best if he let her handle it from here.

Misaki stepped up to Ishi and leaned up to place a soft kiss on his cheek, causing him to stammer a bit, blinking a few times as his eyes darted to and fro in embarrassment. The girl simply smiled and chuckled lightly in response.

"I'll see you later, okay?" She said, before spinning around on her heel, heading in the other direction.

Ishi stood and watched her go on her way. He sighed, once again looking to the ground and kicking his feet, before turning the opposite way and heading home. It wasn't far from where he was.

---

Adeline's was a cozy little tavern settled in an outlying district of the city. Though it was a bit slower around these parts, the place had its fair share of customers. People from all over would come here to stay a while, have a nice meal or a drink or two, perhaps spend a night if they wanted. It was a well-known place that people loved for its cozy atmosphere and warm hospitality. Though most of the customers the establishment serviced were adventurers who would come and go, the place did have some recurrent patrons whom the owner knew well. Nothing ill could be said about the place... except maybe for the fact that it was Ishi's home.

The bell on top of the door's threshold chimed as Ishi opened the door. The place seemed empty at the moment. That made sense; it was near closing time, after all. Across the room at the bar was the place's namesake. She was busy cleaning some glasses when she heard the door open, glancing over from her work to see who it was.

"Ah, Ishi," she greeted him with a smile. "Welcome back."

Ishi stayed silent, walking over to the set of stairs in the back that would take him up to the rooms, one of which was reserved for him.

"Uh, hello?" Adeline leaned over the bar as he passed, causing him to stop as he reached the first steps. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Ishi mumbled as he began to work his way up the stairs.

"Hey, get back here!" Adeline shouted, making Ishi groan as he wheeled around and descended the steps back to the ground floor. Standing at the first steps, he leaned against the wall and looked towards Adeline.

"What do you want?" Ishi asked.

"Don't give me that," the older woman snapped, placing her hands flat on the bar as she leaned over it to peer at him, pushing her glasses up to the top of the bridge of her nose when they slid downwards. "How did it go?"

"Fine," Ishi responded plainly.

"Stop lying." Adeline wagged her finger at him. "I know you're always kind of a downer, but you're downright miserable right now. What happened?"

Ishi looked away from her and leaned further into the wall, not really wanting to talk about it. In response, Adeline grabbed the rag she'd been cleaning glasses with and threw it at him, the cloth plastering itself onto his face over his eyes. Ishi reeled back and ripped the rag off of his face, throwing it back at her.

"Don't do that!"

"Stop being difficult!"

"I'm not being difficult!"

"You're being so difficult!"

"Look, I don't want to talk about it, alright?" Ishi said, backing up so he stood on the first step of the staircase.

"Is it about Misaki again?" she asked, leaning against the bar with one arm.

"I don't want to talk about it." Ishi repeated, meeting her piercing red-eyed glare with his own. After a brief staring contest, turned away from her and began to head back upstairs. This time, Adeline allowed him.

Ishi made his way up and down to the far end of the hallway where his room was. He slipped inside and sighed heavily, leaning back against the door. He began to undress, removing his weapons before taking off his gloves and overcoat, removing his metal-plated boots next. He then flopped down onto his bed, sighing heavily as he sunk his face into the sheets. 

He felt awful... he kept causing trouble for Misaki. He really didn't want to keep causing her difficulties like this... but what was he to do? He really couldn't control himself... he just felt... completely helpless. If it weren't for her, though, he'd be even worse off. Misaki was everything to him... she was a soothing force in his life. He didn't want to lose her...

Ishi felt his hands tighten around the sheets. He just felt so frustrated... he loved Misaki so much, and yet all he did was cause her problems. Whenever he'd have an outburst, she'd always have to clean up after him. It wasn't fair on her... he felt like he didn't deserve her... and yet he clung onto her desperately. She was all he really had. He was scared that someday she'd have enough and just leave him... just the thought of it gave him tremendous anxiety. He rolled around on the bed, grabbing the sheets and wrapping them around him. He felt he had to in order to keep himself from just jumping up and breaking something.

But then, he smelled something.

A strong and warm aroma wafted into his room. He sniffed at it, finding his mouth watering at it. His stomach growled as he realized what it was.

It was coming from downstairs.

Ishi unwrapped the sheets from himself and got to his feet, shuffling over to the door. He opened it carefully, trying to make the least amount of noise possible, before scurrying down the hall. The scent got stronger as he approached the stairs down to the main room. He carefully descended the stairs, leaning over the railing overlooking the main room and eyeing the bar. Sure enough, a bowl was present there, filled with delicious ramen and chicken. His favorite. He scanned around for Adeline, but she was nowhere to be seen.

It was a trap, for sure.

But he was hungry.

Carefully slinking down the final set of stairs, Ishi looked around for any signs of the woman's presence. Wherever she was, she concealed herself well. Ishi scurried over to the seat in front of which laid his prize. He looked at it longingly; the flavorful steam filling the room with the strong scent of the wonderful seasoning, the chicken arranged perfectly in the bowl, sitting on top of the perfectly cooked ramen noodles.

He just couldn't resist.

He scanned his surroundings once more, but couldn't locate Adeline anywhere. He nudged himself forward, slowly sliding onto the booth, before staring down the bowl in front of him. There was even a pair of chopsticks neatly arranged in front of it. It was way too perfect.

But he was really hungry.

Ishi's eyes flashed as he sprung into action, snatching the chopsticks from the table, spinning them around with masterful dexterity before splitting them apart, tossing the second chopstick up towards his right hand, angling the first chopstick against his thumb as he spared two fingers to catch the second, spinning it between them before snatching it in perfect position against his thumb and fingers. His eyes narrowed as he stared down the ramen bowl, playing out his plan of attack in his head.

There would be no mercy today.

And just like that, a rag came for him. Coming from across the room, it slapped itself against the side of Ishi's head, sending his chopsticks flying out of his hand and forcing his head careening down against the bar to the side of the bowl. The blow was swift and decisive.

He had been defeated.

Adeline reassumed her position at the bar, plucking the cloth off of Ishi's face before using it to resume cleaning the glasses she'd set up on the end of the bar.

"So, how'd it go?" she asked once more.

Ishi slowly slithered upright once more, collecting his chopsticks from the table and beginning to eat his meal.

"C'mon, out with it," Adeline probed while setting down a glass of water next to him

"I just don't get why she puts up with me sometimes..." Ishi mumbled between bites of his meal. He was looking the other way, not wanting to show his face.

"Did you have another incident?"

"A little..." Ishi stopped eating for a moment, toying around with the noodles in his bowl. "You think she's..."

Ishi stopped mid-sentence, propping his elbow against the table and resting his face on his hand.

"Ishi, come on." Adeline smiled, patting his head, causing him to stand straight up. "Misaki loves you more than anyone, you know that."

“I don't know..." Ishi leaned back down, refusing to look Adeline's way. He reached over to take a sip of his water.

"Well that's what she tells me." Adeline continued to clean up her glasses, lining them up on the counter behind her as she cleaned them. "We talk, you know. She's always going on about how much she worries about you."

Ishi's heart sank a bit. "I really cause her a lot of trouble."

"No, Ishi, it's not like that,” Adeline said. “She knows it's hard for you. And she also tells me you're getting better.”

Ishi mumbled a bit, finishing up the rest of his bowl of ramen before putting his face in his hand. Ishi felt a confluence of emotions swell up within him, all culminating to a burning sense of frustration and anger. He bit his lip, and only realized that he'd closed his hand around his glass of water in a vice grip when Adeline tapped his hand. He let go of the glass and placed both his hands on the counter. He really wanted to break something right now...

“You better not break anything here,” Adeline warned.

Ishi didn't respond to that. He just slumped back in his booth as Adeline took his empty ramen bowl away, leaving the water for him to finish.

He didn’t drink any more of it.

The bell over the door chimed and Adeline looked past Ishi to see who it was. Ishi himself already knew who it was.

“Oh, back already, Misaki?” she asked.

Misaki nodded as she closed the front door behind her.

“There wasn’t much to report about, really,” she said. “Everything went well enough.”

“Tell that to this one.” Adeline held her hand above Ishi’s head, a finger pointed straight down. Ishi didn’t look back to his partner, simply staring forward at nothing but empty space.

Misaki sighed and stepped up behind Ishi, ruffling his hair from behind, causing him to curl up a bit in his booth and reach up to cover his head.

Ishi grunted, finally turning to face Misaki. “Agh… Why do you have to do that?”

Misaki only offered a comforting smile in response, causing Ishi to once again look away, this time from embarrassment. Ishi couldn’t help but feel frustrated when he felt that both of these girls started picking on him. He couldn’t do anything about it… they really did know him too well.

“Want something to eat, Misaki?” Adeline asked over Ishi’s head.

“Ah… no, I ate earlier, thank you.”

Ishi then slumped up from his booth. “I’m tired.” 

He said the words under his breath as he made his way towards the staircase.

Adeline leaned over the counter and watched him go. “Going to bed already?”

“Yeah.”

Ishi slowly ascended the stairs, heading back to his room and closing the door quietly behind him. He sighed once more and fell down onto the bed face first. His face stuffed in the sheets and his legs hanging off the edge of the bed, he let out a low groan before twisting himself up and rolling around so he was on his back and situated properly on the bed.

“God dammit…” Ishi sighed in frustration. This entire day really went to hell. The only thing he wanted to do was sleep at this point, but despite what he said before, he wasn’t really that tired. He was just agitated at everything… and at himself.

He heard the door to his room open and then close shortly after. Misaki sighed as she looked at the pitiful sight on the bed. Ishi didn’t look her way, instead rolling over a bit to face away from her. Misaki shrugged and began to remove her equipment, first setting her sword down after having unstrapped it from her side before she had entered the room, then unfastening the small armor plating she had over her chest and along the skirt of her dress, carefully arranging the pieces on a stand on the far wall, taking off her boots afterwards. She took a glance at Ishi, but he was still rolled over away from her. Misaki then began to disrobe from her dress, reaching behind her to undo the straps holding it together, the fabric slipping off her shoulders and allowing her to step out of it. Just in her undergarments now, she walked over to the closet and arranged the dress on a stand exclusively for it, next to another set of drawers arranged against the wall of the closet.

Misaki then turned her attention back to her depressed partner, smiling as she snuck onto the bed with him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled it down to force Ishi onto his back. Ishi turned his eyes to her, but couldn’t help the fact that they quickly wandered around to the rest of her body. Misaki didn’t mind, though. They’d both already seen each other in their entirety. She smiled warmly and scooted up against her lover, sliding above him and straddling him to keep him in place, sitting on his lap. Ishi felt a blush creep onto his cheeks and he turned his eyes away from her, determined to stay in his bad mood, but that wouldn’t do at all. 

Misaki leaned down and cupped her hands on his cheeks to keep his gaze affixed to her, before closing the distance and pressing her soft lips up to his. Immediately Ishi’s stubborn facade shattered, and he quickly wrapped his arms around her, returning her affection whole-heartedly. He held his arms tightly around her as she slipped her hands down to his chest, pressing them against him to feel the muscles underneath. She leaned back and quickly threw his shirt off of him, tossing it aside and onto the floor. Leaning up on his lap, she brings her arms behind her to unhook her bra, biting her bottom lip lightly as she quickly slipped it off of her shoulders, casting it away just as well. Ishi grunted a bit as he stared at her, gritting his teeth in his mouth, trying to control his breathing as his excitement started to build up inside him. Misaki chuckled and reached down to take Ishi’s hand in hers.

“It’s okay, darling…” She said quietly, clasping her hands around his and slowly bringing it up to her chest, pressing it up to her breast, allowing him to feel how soft and warm she was. Ishi bit his lip, all of his worries disappearing in an instant. The only thing that was in his world in that moment was her, and nothing else. He leaned up and wrapped his other arm around her back and kissed her again, a deep, passionate expression of his intense love for her. She embraced him in return, locking herself close to him and making sure to give him all of her love and attention.

Nothing else mattered to either of them. No matter what happened, they would always have each other. Comfort could be found for both of them in that fact.

They’d always be together.

Always.


Chapter 2[]

Waking up, Ishi groaned lightly as his eyes fluttered open, blinking several times to adjust to the sunlight shining through the window. He raised his hand up to his face, covering one of his eyes and letting his hair fall between his fingers. He stared up at the ceiling, his sleep-addled mind slowly coming to full consciousness. Blinking a few times more, he looked over to his side, seeing Misaki lying curled up at his side, still sleeping soundly, an arm draped over his chest up to his shoulder. Her hair was loose and in some tangles, unkempt in her sleep, some strands strung over her face in contrast to how she normally kept her hair neatly in a ponytail. But Ishi admired the more natural look of her right now, and he slowly shifted to his side to get a better look at her, wrapping an arm gently around her so as not to disturb her sleep. He placed a soft palm on her cheek, and he couldn’t help but smile warmly at her. He pulled her in closer, holding her body close to his, enjoying how soft and warm her bare skin felt against his.

He didn’t want to get up just yet… he just wanted to enjoy this for a bit longer

Eventually, though, his lover woke up as well, and finding herself nestled in Ishi’s protective arms, she smiled, digging her face into his chest.

“Good morning, my darling…” she spoke softly, still a bit sleepy.

Ishi pulled her closer in response, holding her head gently up to him. Misaki sighed and closed her eyes once again, listening to Ishi’s strong heart beating in his chest. She was very much in the same mood as Ishi right now, simply wanting to enjoy the moment with the person she loved the most. She allowed herself a few wonderful moments with him, but when she woke up completely, she separated from him.

“We should get up, now,” she said. “We’ll be here all day if we don’t.”

Her tone was playful, but Ishi couldn’t help but be a bit reluctant to let her go. But he knew that she had a duty to fulfill. She was a member of Pendragon Court, after all, and as such she had a responsibility. He didn’t want to keep Misaki from the duty that made her so proud.

Misaki sat up on the edge of the bed, sliding off the sheets and getting dressed. Ishi remained in bed, watching her all the while. Misaki carefully adjusted her gear to fit her snugly, but not too tightly, especially around her waist and chest where her breastplate was concerned. Making sure everything was fastened and secure, she took a comb to her hair to undo any tangles that may have appeared during her sleep, and pulled it back to tie it off in her usual ponytail. Shaking her head to let her hair settle down naturally, she turned once again to Ishi and smiled.

“Getting up, sleepyhead?” she asked.

“Uh… yeah…” Ishi shook the sleepiness off of him and bounced out of the bed, getting ready as well. Compared to Misaki, he was much quicker in getting prepared for the day, not needing to worry about any armor aside from the light plate on his left shoulder as well as his gauntlet. Additionally, he let his clothes hang loose off of him, not minding when his coat twisted in the wind or if the sleeves sometimes slid down his shoulders a bit. So long as his belt was secure and his shoes were snug, he didn’t mind much. Once prepared, Ishi took his sword and fastened it onto his back, then turning to Misaki, ready to head out with her.

“You’re going out looking like that?” Misaki asked, pointing at him with an eyebrow raised.

“What?” Ishi asked.

“Your hair.”

Looking up before realizing he couldn’t see how his hair looked, he patted it down with his hands in an attempt to get his messy hair in order. Misaki shook her head with a smile and ordered him to stop, reaching over to grab another comb.

“Here.” she said as she brought the comb up to him, running it through his hair to straighten out the unruly strands and tufts, catching several knots, causing Ishi to wince whenever the comb tugged at him. In short order, Misaki had straightened out Ishi’s hair, making sure it was neat and tidy before smiling at her work.

“There.” She said, also taking a moment to adjust the collar of his undershirt as well as that of his coat.. “All better.”

Ishi grimaced, not used to his hair being so neat. It just felt… odd.

“Oh, don’t give me that look.” Misaki pointed again, placing the comb back on her nightstand. “If it weren’t for me, you’d just go out with bedhead every day.”

Misaki poked Ishi’s nose, causing him to recoil a bit, and once Misaki had passed by him and left the room, he was quick to bring his hands to his head and ruffle up his hair a bit, undoing a bit of Misaki’s work, leaving him with his usual unkempt but straight hair. He then made a quick jaunt out the door, shutting it behind him to follow Misaki as she headed downstairs. The two made their way down to the first floor, and as usual Adeline was there at the front bar, cleaning up glasses in preparation for opening her tavern.

“Have fun, you two,” she smiled, waving her cleaning rag.

Misaki waved back at her as she opened the front door, the bell chiming above her as Ishi followed. He didn’t return Adeline’s well wishes, but that was fine by her. She was used to Ishi being a bit cold, but just like Misaki, she knew him better.

---

Walking down the streets, Misaki was closely tailed by Ishi. The morning hustle and bustle of the town was just getting into full swing as the two quietly made their way downtown. Misaki would sometimes greet others who they passed by, offering a hello or a good morning along the way, and Ishi, as always, remained stoically silent, following her wherever she went.

“Now, Ishi,” Misaki chimed at him to get his attention. “Do you remember what we’re doing today?”

“No,” Ishi responded plainly.

“You’re so forgetful, you know that?” Misaki sighed, throwing out her shoulders in a defeated shrug.

“Sorry…” Ishi mumbled, turning to look to the side as he continued to follow her.

“In any case,” she continued. “We’re off to inspect a garrison just up the way.”

“Oh… right.”

“Now you remember?”

“Yeah.” Ishi recalled how it was one of Misaki’s duties to inspect several garrisons around the city whose job it was to keep the city defended. Pendragon Court, being stationed in the city as well, took the liberty to help bolster defenses and train its defenders, and in return these individuals were recognized as a sort of militia lead by Pendragon Court. They weren’t honorary members, but they were officially recognized as a sort of subsidiary force for Pendragon Court should the need arise. Every now and again, members of the Court would inspect these garrisons and the troops therein, making sure everything was up to snuff. Today it was Misaki’s job to look over the southern and south-eastern garrisons, and, as always, Ishi would follow her.

“I hope you’ll be on your best behavior.” Misaki added quickly.

“You act like I get into trouble wherever I go…” Ishi groaned, once again looking off to the side.

“I feel the need to remind you more often than I should have to.” Misaki was quick to respond, once again giving Ishi a gentle scolding.

“Yeah, yeah…” Ishi waved his hand in an attempt to dismiss her worries, though with his outburst the day prior, he knew that he wouldn’t hear the end of it until he’d gone a good while without incident. Though Misaki could at least take solace in the fact that Ishi had never had any issues inspecting the garrisons, even if the guards stationed at any of them held animosity towards him.

It didn’t bother Ishi in the slightest.
It didn’t take long from there for the two of them to reach the south garrison, which was nestled in a less populated area of the city. The area around the garrison was more of a small slum, with small unassuming houses haphazardly laid out along the streets, though the area was by no means poor, even if it was slightly neglected. The garrison being the most prominent structure in the area, and not just because it was the largest building around. It was somewhat haphazardly built and a bit disorganized; not like the orderly and space effective barracks of the northern province. In fact, the garrison was effectively built onto the inside of the southern wall, making a path of buildings that scaled all the way up to the ramparts, providing easy access up and down, further aided by a lift system that was operated by gears and chains, connecting each level one by one. A nearby waterwheel supplying the power to the system connected by gears and pulleys, drawing water from a nearby aqueduct which seamlessly passed over the wheel to turn it before being funnelled down further into the city. Unlike most of the garrisons in the city, this was one in which people actually lived, and despite the someone disorganized appearance, the system worked quite effectively.

As they approached, Ishi noticed the two guards standing out front of the main entrance, as usual. They both nodded to Misaki when they walked through the open gate, though gave Ishi a glare when he passed behind her. He could feel the eyes on the back of his head, but he paid it no mind. He was here to accompany Misaki and nothing more.

“Hello there!” a voice called from above.

Up on one of the higher platforms jutting out of the wall, a woman leaned over a railing, looking down at the two as they walked into the main courtyard. Misaki looked upwards, holding a hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun overhead.

“Soryu, hello!” Misaki called back.

“It’s that time again already, huh?” Soryu said, hitching a ride on a nearby chain lift and riding it down to the bottom level to meet the two.

“Once a month, as always.” Misaki smiled, shaking Soryu’s hand when she approached. Ishi looked towards the water wheel, watching the gears and pulleys work and finding the system in place more interesting than the actual duty at hand. It also spared him having to pay attention to the daggers Soryu would shoot at him with her eyes.

“Well, suppose we should get right to it,” Soryu suggested, taking the lead for Misaki and Ishi to follow.

The guided tour always worked the same. Soryu, the garrison’s commander, would walk Misaki through the training yard, which was just adjacent to the main courtyard, where the troops would spar and practice their arts. Then it would be up to the blacksmith a level up where they made and maintained their weapons and gear. Then it would be up the next two levels to the ramparts where cannon emplacements were stationed, and then up one final level to the spotter’s nests where lookouts would scan the perimeter for dangers. This garrison just so happened to be one where a gate through into the city was placed just a ways away, so they had that extra responsibility which most of the garrisons didn’t.

Ishi followed Misaki throughout the inspection paying no mind to the occasional glares he received, paying more attention to the water wheel at the various angles he’d get depending on what level he was on. Where Misaki and Soryu would stand on the small platform and hold onto the handrail as they rode the lift upwards, Ishi would sit and casually let it carry him up, sliding off onto the next level where others would hop. They then reached the ramparts, where the cannons were.

“Right, have you gotten the cannons fixed up yet?” Misaki asked, parsing over them as they walked across the stone wall.

“Most of them,” Soryu responded. “But we’ve still got some we’re working on. The barrels seem to be warped too much to repair and we might just have to replace them altogether.”

“Taking a while, huh?” Misaki inquired.

“We don’t get a lot of resources down here,” Soryu shrugged, spinning on her heel and sitting down on a cannon barrel. “Or engineers that can help. We only have a few people here who know what they’re doing when it comes to these.”

Ishi was leaning up against the wall, looking off into the distance at the horizon beyond the walls of the city, once again occupying his own little world. He always found himself thinking at times like these; when there wasn’t really anything for him to do. He would think about everything and nothing in particular, and his mind would race with ideas and problems and memories all at once. He was constantly trying to come up with solutions to impossible problems, most of which were attributed to himself and his particular condition… 

But mostly right now, he was just really bored.

His thoughts were broken, though, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking over, he saw Misaki smiling at him.

“You could at least pretend to be interested, you know,” She said.

“We done here?” Ishi asked dismissively.

“Just have to check the scouts nests and then we can be off,” Misaki replied, walking over with Soryu to a spiral staircase that led up a tower on the wall, at the top of which was one of two scout nests. The lifts, unfortunately, only went up as far as the top of the ramparts. “You can stay here if you want, I won’t be long.”

Ishi nodded, deciding that walking up and down those stairs wasn’t really in his best interest. He stared off again, wandering around his own head. A group of soldiers were walking down the wall towards Ishi’s location, and when they passed, one of them bumped up against him, pushing him up against the wall with too much force to be an accident. Ishi didn’t look their way and kept silent. He knew how things were, and he didn’t want to get into any more trouble.

“I have no idea why they lug him around,” Ishi could hear one of them say a bit in the distance. It was far enough for them to believe that they were out of earshot with the wind blowing over the walls, but not quite far enough to be completely unheard.

“Me neither,” another said. “We’re supposed to rely on these guys when they hang around with a player killer like him?”

“What really bugs me is that girl,” Ishi overheard, and when he did, he immediately homed in on the conversation, not letting a single word slip him by. “I mean, you don’t see her anywhere without him following her around.”

“You think they’re going out or something?”

“No way, he’s probably just, like… I don’t know, a personal guard or something?”

“Does she even need one? I’ve heard she’s one hell of a fighter.”

“Hell of a looker, too.”

“Well, I mean, that goes without saying, really…”

“You know it’s not polite to talk about a girl behind her back.”

At Soryu’s voice, the group immediately straightened upright at attention, and Ishi looked past them to see Soryu and Misaki walking back down the spiral stairs. Seems the group thought that they were currently in the other watchtower.

“Uh, y-yeah…” one of them stammered, clearly embarrassed.

Misaki passed by them towards Ishi.

“I just got a message from Knight,” she told him. “He wants both of us back at HQ.”

“Right now?” Ishi asked.

“Right now,” Misaki confirmed. “Uh, Soryu? I’m sorry, but we just got called back to HQ, so, uh…”

“It’s fine,” Soryu waved her hand. “Duty calls and all. The other watchtower is basically the exact same, anyway.”

“Great,” Misaki nodded before turning to Ishi. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Ishi sighed and followed after her. He couldn’t imagine what Knight would want with the two, but there was no way it was for anything good.

---

The walk all the way back to Pendragon Court’s headquarters was long given the distance between it and the southern garrison, but eventually Ishi and Misaki arrived in good time. Pendragon Court’s headquarters was located centrally so as to be within reach of everywhere else in the city. The entire place was really under Pendragon’s protection, though unlike some gangs of player killers they weren’t extortionate in their service. An agreement was reached between Pendragon Court and the city council where Pendragon Court would provide protection against player killers and provide a safe haven for all players to convene, and in return the city would provide a place for the guild itself to operate from, and this agreement has been in place for around a year. It has worked out well for all parties, thus far; under Pendragon Court’s protection, the city has flourished in population and business, and the guild was able to establish themselves as a proper force within the game and recruit more members and even create a small militia force.

The headquarters of Pendragon Court was easily the most distinct structure in the city, able to be seen from most places therein. A large courtyard sat in front of what might as well be a castle, complete with three separate spires and several ancillary buildings surrounding it. Though it seemed excessive from the outside, not a single bit of it was wasted. To its credit, Pendragon Court was not here to act as kings; they were protectors of the people and nothing more or less. Everything they had here was necessary for their operations, and besides some banners depicting their winged insignia, there was little in the way of extravagance.

Nevertheless, Ishi had a distaste for the place, and for many of the people in it.

Making their way through the corridors and ascending multiple sets of stairs, Ishi and Misaki finally arrived at what was referred to by Pendragon Court as the War Room, where all of their operations were planned out. It was where Knight spent most of his time, coordinating and planning all day, every day. Misaki stopped at the double doors and looked to Ishi with a concerned look.

“Maybe you should stay out here, Ishi,” she told him quietly.

“Why?” Ishi asked.

“I think you know why,” Misaki said, shaking her head. “I’ll be back in a bit, alright? Just wait out here.”

With that, Misaki opened the left door and entered, closing it behind her and leaving Ishi alone in the hallway. Ishi sighed and leaned his back against the threshold of the door. He leaned over a bit to see if he could hear what the two were talking about inside, but Knight most likely knew that he was just outside, so he couldn’t hear anything with how quiet they were being. Ishi huffed in frustration and leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, deciding to obey Misaki’s instructions and wait.

Footsteps then began to echo through the halls, approaching him from the distance. Ishi kept his eyes closed as they got closer, the steps heavy and deliberate, until they stopped to Ishi’s side. He opened one eye towards it, and there standing before him was none other than the second in command of Pendragon Court, a large, strong man by the name of Gawain. Though he wasn’t much older than Ishi himself, Gawain definitely had a much more imposing figure than he did. He was taller, broader, and favored a two-handed greatsword over the single light blade that Ishi did. He wore spaulders, gauntlets and greaves of steel, matching the gray of his long hair. He looked down at Ishi with his nose upturned.

“If you’re here that means Misaki is already speaking with Knight,” he correctly inferred.

Ishi didn’t answer, looking back with his one eye, meeting Gawain’s gaze head-on and refusing to be intimidated. However, Gawain wasn’t one to keep silent on his own grievances.

“You’re a disgrace to this guild, I hope you can at least see that much,” Gawain scoffed as he kept his icy gaze on Ishi, who’d since then closed his eye again, resigned to being berated as he always was by the guild’s second in command. “Misaki’s word is all that’s keeping you from being hunted down by our guild. That and Kight’s good graces.”

Gawain crossed his arms, scowling even more.

“I still don’t understand what Misaki sees in you.”

“Why don’t you as her?” Ishi retorted quietly.

“I have,” said Gawain, leaning a bit forward to assert his dominance. “Multiple times, in fact. And yet I still fail to see her logic.”

Ishi opened his eyes again, though still not turning his head to face the elder knight.

“Do you even regret the blood you’ve spilled?” Gawain’s voice was deep and vicious, his words meant to cut deep. “Do you even understand what it means?”

“You’re one to talk,” Ishi put his eyes forward and away from Gawain. “You always berate me every chance you get but we all know that you were the same once. The only difference between me and you is that I’m able to sleep at night.”

That earned Ishi his back against the wall when Gawain grabbed him by the collar and pushed him up against the door, making a thump against the wood. Ishi had already brought out his blade in the time it took for Gawain to close the distance, and with feet off the ground he held reversed up to Gawain’s neck, the steel pressing just under his chin. Ishi countered Gawain’s rage filled eyes with those of calm malice, a cold glare that echoed the resentment in his heart.

“And I won’t regret killing you, either.” Ishi hissed, causing Gawain to growl, having to hold back the temptation to break Ishi’s neck. However, just as quickly as Ishi brought his blade out, he once again sheathed it behind his back, and the instant he did the other door to the room opened, and Knight stood there.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said sternly, arms crossed as he looked at both Ishi and Gawain.

Gawain, in response, let go of Ishi, allowing him to land back on his feet with an echoing thud.

“I didn’t call you here to pick fights, Gawain,” chided Knight. “Come.”

Gawain followed his leader into the room, giving Ishi one last intense stare before closing the door behind him, leaving Ishi once again alone. So Knight called both Misaki and Gawain… it must only be trouble in that case. And for once Ishi suspected that it didn’t have anything to do with him, as usually Misaki alone was called upon for those matters.

It only made Ishi even more interested in what they could be talking about behind those closed doors.

Normally just standing around waiting for Misaki to return would be fine enough for Ishi, but Gawain’s admonishment left him anxious. He felt the need to move around to avoid punching a hole through the door.

And so off he went.

Figuring Misaki would message him when she was finished, Ishi decided to go outside to get some air. Moving back down the corridors and staircases, Ishi made his way back outside to the training yard, where members of the guild could freely train in between missions or during their free time, and it would seem that there were three such members who had such time to spare at the moment.

Ishi recognized all three, though only personally knew the one. Trinity was a close friend of Misaki’s, and as such was a friend of his, one of the few people who not only tolerate but get along with him. She was easily recognizable by her violet battle dress and lightweight silver armor, not unlike Misaki’s own gear, as well as her shining blond hair that she had back in a long braid. She was in the middle of a sparring match with a newer member of the Court, wielding twin daggers to counter Trinity’s elegant longsword. Ishi had forgotten her name, as well as the name of the third girl sitting on a nearby bench observing the match, though he did recall that the two were sisters.

Ishi stood at a distance and watched as Trinity and the girl traded blows, Trinity’s experience and expertise easily outmatching her opponent despite her efforts. Though the girl was fast and wielded lighter weapons, Trinity was an expert at keeping her opponents at the tip of her sword, preventing them from getting too close and penetrating her guard, while at the same time preserving her energy and wearing down her adversary before striking herself. Eventually, the two broke off, Trinity holding her blade forward, ready for more, but the girl ahead of her waved her hands, panting in exhaustion.

“I don’t think I can keep up,” she heaved, bending down to place her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

“Shall we take a break?” Trinity smiled and held her sword gently aloft with both hands.

The girl nodded and sighed, sheathing her twin daggers behind her back as Trinity returned her blade to its sheath hooked onto her hip. She then turned and noticed Ishi there.

“Oh, Ishi,” she greeted with a welcoming smile. “Hello, how are you?”

“Fine enough,” Ishi responded, stepping forward towards the two.

“If you’re here then I take it Misaki is as well?” Trinity inquired, reaching behind her head to adjust the band in her hair at the base of her braid.

“She’s talking with Knight about… something.” Ishi’s tone wandered off and he shrugged.

“Gawain was called as well,” Trinity added. “It must be important. I expect I’ll be briefed on it later.”

The girl Trinity had been sparring with ruffled her short brown hair, wiping the sweat off her brow and standing back upright.

“Alright, I think I’m good!” she said, stretching herself out.

“Oh, Ishi, you remember Kana, right?” Trinity gestured towards her before directing Ishi’s attention to the girl sitting on the bench. “And her sister, Diana.”

“Do now,” Ishi stated plainly.

“Well you only met once before, so I suppose that’s fair.” Trinity smiled and turned her attention back to Kana. “Kana, you’re definitely improving, but you must remember that getting inside an opponent’s guard should be your highest priority. Your weapons are short but they’re fast. You need to use that to your advantage.”

“I know, I know,” Kana sighed, scratching the top of her head. “I keep trying but you won’t let me in.”

“Well why would I?” Trinity pointed out, raising a finger up to accentuate the point. “You need to be faster and more decisive when you see an opening.”

“Right…” Kana dusted herself off and looked to Ishi. “Does Ishi know how to do it?”

“Oh, my, yes,” Trinity said, placing her hands behind her back and looking towards Ishi. “As a matter of fact, I doubt there’s anyone in this game faster than he is. He even has a skill he’s developed especially for it.”

“Really?” Kana perked up a bit in excitement. “Show me!”

“Must I?” Ishi sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I suppose a demonstration wouldn’t hurt,” Trinity said, placing one of her hands on the pommel of her sword. “Would you like to show her how it’s done, Ishi?”

Ishi huffed and shrugged, but figured he had nothing better to do while waiting for Misaki to return. He stepped up towards Trinity, his hands in his pockets.

“Excellent!” Trinity clapped her hands twice. “Alright, Kana, watch Ishi very closely. You might miss it if you blink.”

“Is he really that fast?” Kana wondered, joining her sister on the bench to rest up.

“Just watch,” Trinity said, drawing her sword again and aiming it towards Ishi.

Ishi reached over and drew his blade as well, spinning it and catching the handle in his normal reverse grip, holding the edge out in front of him. Trinity nodded to Ishi, and he readied himself. Then Trinity lunged at him, her blade thrust forward in a lightning fast piercing maneuver, closing the distance between them in an instant.

But Ishi was still faster.

In an instant, he kicked off to the side, his whole body sliding away from Trinity’s attack in a single step, instantly passing through her defense and allowing him access to her side. He quickly moved in, and when his other foot touched the ground, he had her.

It was just an instant, a moment that could easily have been missed if one blinked. Ishi had his left hand on Trinity’s arm, holding her blade away while Ishi’s blade was positioned against her neck. Kana immediately shot back up onto her feet from the bench, jumping up into the air.

“Woah!” she cheered. “Where did you learn to move like that?!”

Ishi let Trinity go and the two separated.

“That’s Ishi’s unique skill that he developed all on his own,” Trinity explained. “It’s called Zero Shift. It allows him to instantly move short distances with a single precise step. Useful for getting through an enemy’s guard or avoiding an attack.”

“Wow, that’s cool!” Kana clapped her hands, clearly impressed with the display. “But, uh… I don’t have that kind of skill.”

“Ishi, would you mind demonstrating how to do it without using it?”

Ishi nodded, stepping away from Trinity to be at a safe starting distance from her once again. Ishi and Trinity readied themselves once more.

“Alright, Kana,” Trinity said. “Since you’re using two daggers, you need to rely on your speed to make up for your lack of defense. You need to close distance as fast as possible, as Ishi will demonstrate.”

Trinity nodded to Ishi again, and lunged at him. Ishi returned the gesture and moved forward as well, closing the distance between the two and pushing his blade inwards towards Trinity’s thrust, pushing her blade out of the way and allowing him to pass around it once again positioning his blade against her neck. It wasn’t quite as quick a maneuver as before, but it was still executed in just a few swift motions.

“You see?” Trinity looked over to Kana, still in the same position, before the two once again separated. “When you have the speed advantage, aggression is your friend. Move in when your enemy does and you can catch them before they catch you.”

“I see…” Kana said, putting a hand up to her chin.

“Isn’t that a bit reckless, though?” Diana spoke up for the first time, clearly the more cautious of the two.

“It is,” Trinity further elaborated. “Focusing so much on speed does mean that you will need to sacrifice defense, meaning that you’ll need to be very careful when choosing your moment to strike. In the worst case, conserving your energy and letting your enemy tire themselves out will also allow you to open them up more easily if you can’t end a battle immediately.”

Ishi then got a notification on his screen; it was from Misaki. He opened it up.

Knight wants to see you. Where are you?

Ishi responded quickly.

On my way.

“Alright, I gotta go,” Ishi said, sheathing his sword and wheeling back towards the building.

“Thank you for the demonstration, Ishi,” Trinity smiled. “I hope you can help out again sometime.”

Ishi waved behind him before picking up the pace, breaking into a jog back to the War Room, entering the building and going back the way he came from, up the stairs and through the hallways, coming up to the double doors. He heaved a bit and caught his breath from climbing all those stairs so quickly, but quickly regained his composure, opening the door and stepping inside. The War Room looked exactly like one would expect; with multiple tables and papers detailed with maps and mission reports among other things, all scattered about a bit haphazardly, but nonetheless chaotically organized. Knight, Gawain and Misaki were all together at one of the far tables, looking over several papers and discussing their contents amongst themselves. Ishi approached the group to make his presence known.

“Ishi,” Knight addressed him, looking up from the papers on the table. “I have an assignment for you and Misaki.”

“Lucky me,” Ishi responded.

“We’ve received… rather strange findings,” Knight explained, ignoring Ishi’s sarcasm and turning his gaze back to the papers on the table. “There have been scattered reports of… anomalies, I guess you could say, appearing around Aincrad.”

Ishi looked at Knight quizzically, not knowing what he was talking about.

“The reports are random in their appearances,” Knight further detailed. “They seem to come in from any floor at any place and at any time, and there doesn’t seem to be any kind of pattern to it. The only consistent details we’ve been able to come up with are that whatever these anomalies are, they seem to cause… breaks in our reality.”

“You mean the game,” Ishi stated.

Knight looked back up at Ishi and nodded.

“That’s right,” he said. “There seems to be some kind of entity that randomly appears and disappears. Wherever it goes it seems to cause the game to become unstable. There have been reports of glitches, and at least one person has died to it.”

“So… what is it?” Ishi asked.

“We don’t know,” said Knight, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “But whatever it is, it’s clearly dangerous.”

“Knight wants us to investigate this,” said Misaki.

“Okay, why me?” Ishi threw his arms out in question.

“Someone with your unique skills and… reputation could prove useful in places where Pendragon Court is unwelcome,” Knight said, looking at Ishi directly. “Can I count on you on this?”

“I guess,” Ishi shrugged. “But where would we start?”

“The only leads we really have are investigating the places that the anomaly has been sighted,” Knight explained. “We have a few locations on this very floor that you can check out.”

Knight then handed Misaki a piece of paper detailing the locations that the object of interest had been sighted before patting her shoulder. She nodded to him and then walked up to Ishi.

“I want you two to get started on this right away,” Knight ordered. “We need to figure this out fast.”

“Is it that bad?” Ishi asked.

“Not yet, but I’m not planning on waiting for it to get worse.” Knight waved the two off to get started. “I’ll keep you posted on anything else we come up with.”

Misaki nodded and guided Ishi along with her out of the War Room, shutting the door behind them.

“Anomalies?” Ishi said.

“I don’t understand it, either,” Misaki responded, looking at the paper she was given. “But it seems serious if Knight is so worried about it. In any case, we’ve got a location that seems closeby. We should be able to make it there before sundown if we hurry.”

Ishi followed Misaki as she went back through the hallways and down the staircases to the main entrance of the building, and leaving the headquarters to be on their way with their mission. Ishi thought it a bit of a drag to be doing investigation work, but he couldn’t deny that whatever this ‘anomaly’ was did sound unusual and maybe even dangerous. Though Ishi didn’t really care much about that. 

Wherever Misaki went, he would go as well.



Chapter 3[]

The first location the Ishi and Misaki were to investigate was close to the city itself. Perhaps too close for comfort, if the rumors about the strange anomaly were to be believed. A half hour walk was all that was needed to arrive at the given location. It was mostly along the main path that leads to and from the west gate of the city, with only a slight divergence over a hill needed to get to the exact location.

“Alright, this looks like the place,” Misaki said, going over the map that was given to her to confirm the location.

Observing the scene, Ishi didn’t see anything exceptionally out of the ordinary, but nevertheless noticed something strange. The grass was oriented differently from the surrounding landscape, as if people had trampled all over a particular spot and spread outwards randomly. Misaki noticed it as well.

“Alright, let’s have a look around.”

Ishi and Misaki separated to different sides of the scene. Upon getting closer, Ishi noticed something else even more strange. Randomly, he would see some strange sights in the air around him. It was in the corner of his eye the first few times, so he didn’t think anything of it. But then one appeared in front of him, disappearing just as soon as he noticed it. He thought it strange, but nevertheless he didn’t mention it. However, as he got closer to the center of the misshapen grass, he began to notice more of them. They were odd geometric shapes blinking in and out of existence; almost like video artifacts, though strangely it seemed they didn’t appear at a distance. Looking around at the ground further, Ishi noticed something even more concerning; the ground he was standing on seemed to be cracked, as if it were glass. He could make out thin, almost invisible lines in the ground; uneven splinters that spread out randomly. Ishi stamped the ground lightly to confirm that he was indeed not standing on glass before turning to Misaki.

“Are you seeing this?” He said, beckoning her over.

Upon approaching, Misaki noticed as well. The strange floating and flickering artifacts, as well as the ground appearing broken, almost like it had been shattered and mended together again.

“What in the world…?” Misaki crouched down to inspect one of the lines in the ground. Running her hand over it, her hand seemed to distort in the same fashion at the line, as if she was seeing it in a bent mirror. The texture of the ground felt the same, but the image of it seemed to be broken somehow.

“Breaks in our reality…” Misaki muttered the same phrase Knight had used.

Ishi scratched put a hand on his head and shook it around lightly, feeling a small headache coming on.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Misaki said. “Have you?”

“Not at all,” Ishi stated.

“It doesn’t look like there’s much else here to see… whatever happened here probably happened a while ago.”

Misaki pulled out a small book from one of her pockets, taking some notes. While she did, Ishi inspected the strange artifacts more closely. He noticed a strange discoloration with them whenever they appeared. It wasn’t just that they were just distorting the air around them… they seemed to have a slightly reddish tint to them. Ishi attempted to reach out to one, but it disappeared before he could grasp it.

“Alright, I think that’s about all we’re going to get,” Misaki said, closing her book and pocketing it before bringing out the map again. “You think we have enough time to get to the next one? It seems somewhat close.”

Ishi shrugged, opting to just follow wherever Misaki’s lead went.

“It’s not sundown just yet,” she continued. “I think we can make it with a bit of light to spare. C’mon, it’s this way.”

Ishi nodded and followed Misaki as she made off at a brisk pace, hoping to reach the next point of interest before the sun went down.

---

With their quick pace, the pair were able to make it to the next scene in time before the darkness set in. The sun was slowly setting and the shadows made by the trees were long and dark, but there was still plenty of light to work with for the time being. Misaki estimated they had enough time to conduct a thorough investigation before it got too dark to see.

Arriving at the area indicated on the map, the two witnessed a startling scene. Nothing like the previous area, it was much more damaged and unstable. The terrain was skewed and jagged, and the artifacting seen before was outright static. As well as making a trail along the ground instead of being isolated to a single point, the cracks in the ground seen earlier gave way to entire pieces of the terrain contorting and flickering in and out and back and forth. Naturally, Ishi and Misaki kept their distance.

“Oh, my God…” Misaki whispered as she took in what was in front of her. Ishi remained silent, but nonetheless stayed put.

“What could have caused this?” Misaki wondered aloud, taking out her book and beginning to take more notes. She made sure not to get close to the scene, but instead wheeled around it, observing it from a safe distance. Ishi did the same, moving around the other way. Every anomaly the last area exhibited was amplified here, and the air itself felt heavy. Ishi could hear buzzing and scratching, almost like electric sparks interspersed with static. Moving around the trail left over from whatever came and left, the two noticed that the damage seemed to intensify the further along they went, requiring them to give a wider berth as they progressed until they reached what appeared to be an epicenter.

This was much, much worse. It looked like glass that had been frozen in time after someone had smashed it with a sledgehammer. Shards of what looked to be the terrain were strewn all over the place, and in place of where the ground used to be was nothing but an empty void of static. The deep red hue was apparent now.

Misaki quickly wheeled around to Ishi’s position.

“I don’t think we should be near this thing,” she said, deep concern in her voice.

Ishi, however, was bolder. He took a step forward, but was stopped when Misaki grabbed his sleeve.

“Ishi, are you crazy?”

“I’ll be fine,” Ishi stated plainly, no such concern present in his voice.

As Misaki reluctantly let him go, Ishi moved forward just a bit to get a closer look. The weight in the air increased quickly as he got closer; it felt as if a constant pressure was being exerted all around him. It made him grunt a bit, but he pressed forward just a bit more until he saw the artifacts. They were much more frequent and abundant now, and the scene in front of him was blanketed in them, appearing as if it were an impenetrable wall of digital noise. However, curiosity pushed him to reach out his hand to those artifacts. When he did, however, his hand became just as distorted, and suddenly a soft pain from his fingertips up his arm intensified into what felt like a powerful electric current surging through his whole body, causing him to yelp and reel back. Misaki was there immediately to catch him as he fell backwards, dragging him back to a safe distance.

“Dammit, Ishi!” she shouted. “Don’t do that!”

Ishi gripped his arm, gritting his teeth as the pain slowly subsided, the red artifacts on his arm causing his body to distort and flicker relenting as well.

“Are you okay?” Misaki looked him over, holding him by the shoulders.

“Damn…” Ishi grunted, bringing himself up onto his feet and dusting himself off. “That hurt…”

“Wait, what?” Misaki asked.

Ishi turned to look at her, and she had a look like she didn’t know what he was talking about.

“That hurt,” he repeated.

“How?”

“What do you mean?

The question confused him at first, but then he realized her point. This game shouldn’t allow him to feel any pain at all. If that were the case then how was he able to feel all of that? Moreover, even though the pain in his arm was gone, he was left with a splitting headache. Upon realizing that, he put his hand to his head.

“Ow…” he muttered softly.

“What, what is it?” Misaki’s voice was filled with even more concern than before.

“My head hurts…” Ishi replied, shaking his head in an attempt to rid himself of the pain. It felt just like a headache in real life… or more like the worst migraine he’d ever felt.

“That’s not right,” Misaki said. “You shouldn’t be able to feel any pain at all.”

Ishi stumbled slightly, but Misaki was there to catch him.

“Ishi!”

Holding his head in one hand, Ishi felt the effects slowly subside, the throbbing pain in his head becoming more and more bearable as the moments passed, until finally the pain left completely. Ishi looked around a bit, confused at the situation, but sighed in relief. At least the headache was gone.

“I’m alright,” he said, picking himself back up and patting his head.

“Ishi, that wasn’t normal,” Misaki said. “How could you possibly feel pain in this game?”

“I don’t know,” Ishi shrugged. “Don’t worry about it, I’m fine.”

“Don’t worry about it?” Misaki reached up and flicked Ishi square in the head, causing him to recoil. It stung too, though he kept it to himself to not worry Misaki further.

“Alright, you know what? We should get out of here,” Misaki sighed, shaking her head. “It’s getting dark anyway… let’s report what we found to Knight, okay?”

Ishi nodded and scratched the back of his neck as Misaki quickly fled the scene, Ishi in tow. Ishi took a second to briefly glance back at the scene, confused and a bit worried… this ‘anomaly’ was even more dangerous than Knight had made it out to be.

---

It was night by the time Ishi and Misaki arrived back at Pendragon HQ. Misaki led Ishi back to the War Room, as Knight had previously messaged Misaki shortly after leaving the second scene wondering where the were and requested the two meet him there. Upon entering, Knight was sitting in a chair alone, going through papers on the desk in front of him. He put aside his work upon noticing the two.

“There you are,” he said, standing up. “Did you find anything interesting?”

Misaki quickly handed Knight the notes she had previously taken, and Knight scanned through them. He hummed in thought as he perused the pages.

“I see,” he said quietly. “Well this is troubling to say the least.”

“Knight, um,” Misaki started. “There’s something else.”

“Something else?”

“Well, you see… Ishi came into contact with… whatever it was,” she motioned to Ishi as she addressed him. “He said afterwards that he’d felt pain.”

“He felt pain?” Knight looked at Ishi with a raised eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Just that, sir,” Misaki said, standing up straight. “He told me that his arm had hurt and then he suffered a headache. I had to catch him before he fell over.”

“Is that right…?” Knight walked over to Ishi and looked him over. Ishi stared blankly forward, not meeting his gaze. “Well you look alright.”

“Sir!” Misaki stamped the floor, frustrated.

“Well, if what you say is true, that doesn’t make any sense,” Knight said, returning Misaki’s notes to her and walking back to the desk. “How is it possible to feel pain in game?”

“I’m not sure… I’m only saying what Ishi had told me.”

“Can you feel it right now?” Knight asked Ishi.

“Don’t know,” he responded plainly.

Misaki was quick to flick Ishi on the side of the head, causing him to once again recoil.

“Ow,” he stammered. “Why do you always do that?”

“Did that hurt?”

“Fucking yes, geez,” Ishi rubbed the side of his head, the sting of Misaki flicking him subsiding quickly, as it would in real life.

“Well that’s… strange,” Knight said, though he didn’t seem too concerned about Ishi’s health. “In any case, we’ll need more information on this anomaly if we’re to take proper action. Tomorrow I’ll need you to head out again to investigate some more sightings.”

“But what about Ishi?” Misaki asked.

“Monitor his status, let me know how it turns out,” Knight said, his sigh of apprehension indicative of his disinterest in Ishi’s wellbeing, though he was interested in seeing some results come from this. “It’s pretty late, anyway. You two should head home.”

Misaki sighed, taking Ishi by the arm and towing him out of the room, huffing and shutting the door behind her. Though she was frustrated by Knight’s ambivalence, she understood why it existed. There was no point in arguing on Ishi’s behalf at this point; everyone was already set in their beliefs. It was going to take more than Misaki’s word to change that, especially when Ishi himself was so uninterested in changing his own apathetic tendencies.

“Yeah, I suppose we should head home, huh?” Misaki said, tugging lightly at Ishi’s sleeve. “Are you alright?”

Ishi sighed through his nose, rubbing the side of his head and scratching his hair. His head still gave him some discomfort.

“I’m fine,” he stated.

Misaki wanted to ask for more affirmation, but she knew it would only annoy Ishi, so she refrained from doing so.

“Well… let’s head home, then,” she said, walking ahead of him. Ishi watched her go for a few moments before following at a distance.

---

The bell above the door to Adeline’s rang as Misaki and then Ishi entered, locking the door behind him. As normal, the door was to remain unlocked until one or the other or both returned home, and Adeline herself was still present at the bar, waiting.

“About time you two got back,” Adeline said as she put down the glass she had been cleaning off with her rag. “What kept you?”

“Normal business,” Misaki responded, looking to Ishi. He was still rubbing his head as his headache finally began to subside, but he quickly put his hand back to his side when he noticed Misaki turning to him.

“Well now I can finally get some sleep,” Adeline yawned, putting up the glass in the cabinet with the others. The thing had probably been properly clean for a while now, but Adeline would rarely be seen not cleaning something if she wasn’t dealing with normal business of running her restaurant, even if she had to clean things that she had already cleaned. 

Adeline waved the two goodnight as she ascended the stairs, and Ishi went to the back of the counter she had previously occupied to scavenge for something to eat.

“Hungry?” Misaki asked, sitting down at the bar as Ishi was bent over rummaging around the cabinets for something easy to eat; nothing he would need to actually prepare.

“Haven’t eaten anything in hours,” he replied, fishing some meat jerky from one of the cabinets. On his way up, however, he bumped his head on the cabinet, causing an audible thump and making him reel back and cover his head.

“Fucking shit, what the hell!” he cursed loudly.

“Sleeping!” Adeline’s muffled voice called from upstairs.

“You alright?” Misaki asked, leaning over the counter.

Ishi rubbed the top of his forehead, the pain still very real, though it felt somewhat less than before. Maybe the effects of those glitches were finally starting to fade.

“Stupid thing…” Ishi shut the cabinet and took a large chomp out of his meal. “Aren’t you going to eat something?”

“I’m fine,” Misaki, shaking her head. “Still hurt?”

“Well now it fucking does,” Ishi sighed and rubbed his head again.

“I sure hope that isn’t permanent…” she sighed and leaned back a bit in her seat, placing her hands in her lap, casting her gaze downward.

Ishi could tell she was very worried, but looked away from her and ahead out the window, continuing to eat his meal. Part of him wished that he could be as concerned as she was, but the truth was he didn’t really care. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that… 

No, that’s not right.

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he took the last few bites of his meal and went around the counter towards the stairs.

“Going to bed?” Misaki asked as Ishi reached the first steps.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“You go on ahead, I’ll be up in a moment.”

Ishi turned his eyes back up the stairs and headed up to their room. Once there, he began to disrobe, taking his weapons and equipment off, kicking his boots off and casting his jacket aside, then removing the black undershirt and tossing it with his coat. In front of the cabinet mirror on the side of the room, he caught himself gazing back at himself. He stepped forward, meeting his own eyes in the mirror. He wondered what he was looking for in them. He noticed the scars that were still present over his left eye and on his right cheek, years old but still very much permanent. He pressed a hand down on the table, sliding it over to one of the corners and pressing his finger against it. He felt the pressure and uncomfortable pain from doing so. 

Sighing at himself in the mirror, Ishi looked over to his sword, which was propped up against the wall in its sheath. Furrowing his brow, he stared at it, the dark gray of the blade showing in the split scabbard.

He wondered.

Reaching over to it, he took it up by the straps. The scabbard was split on the edge’s side, allowing him to bring the blade out without having to fully draw it out from the sheath’s entire length, and while the flat end of the blade was secured by the whole length to keep the blade in place, the edge of the blade was exposed. Ishi brought his thumb onto the blade and gently pressed down on it, barely moving it across. With the blade as sharp as a razor, Ishi felt his skin split, but with how surgical the sword cut, he didn’t feel any pain from it. He brought his thumb back, seeing a small trickle of red leaking from the cut. The sharp sting came shortly after. He glared at it as it bled… he felt it. He could actually feel it. It seemed like forever since he was last able to feel something as real as pain. The why was irrelevant to Ishi at that moment.
He felt better this way.

Misaki entered the room shortly after, and Ishi quickly, brought his thumb into his mouth to lick the wound clean. Misaki didn’t notice, and luckily the wound had stopped bleeding enough to hide it by the time she turned to him.

“Making sure your sword is still sharp?” she asked.

“It’s always sharp,” Ishi responded, even more confident in his own answer than usual.

Setting the sword aside once again, Ishi cleaned his cut one more time to make sure it had completely stopped bleeding as Misaki also removed her equipment, storing it safely away in the closet as normal, making sure everything was neat and tidy. Now just in her underwear, she sat on the bed and looked at Ishi through the mirror.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

Ishi shook his head and turned to face her. He remained silent as he looked directly at her, his brow still creased in quiet thought. His eyes turned downward, and then looked over to his arm. The scars were still very much there as well. Multiple scars littered the outside of his right arm from the forearm all the way up to the shoulder, most of which was localized on his upper arm.

Pain is what he was thinking of. But the darker thoughts he harbored in the back of his mind confused him and caused him some distress. The fact was that he…

Misaki had stepped in front of him to grab his hand, grabbing his attention away from his thoughts. He stared into her eyes for a moment, and she took the opportunity to direct his hand up to her cheek, nuzzling into it gently. Ishi sighed, his thoughts sorting themselves out in his head. He couldn’t help but smile as Misaki closed her eyes, keeping Ishi’s hand pressed onto her cheek.

“We should sleep, darling,” she spoke softly, opening her eyes and gazing back up into his.

“I guess so,” he responded as she let his hand go.

The two disrobed completely afterwards, joining each other in bed. Misaki snuggled herself up into Ishi’s chest to listen to his heartbeat as usual, enjoying the feeling of being so close to her lover. Ishi enjoyed it as well, relaxing in the bed with her, the tension in his body fading. He pulled her closer and sighed, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself staring out the nearby window and at the moon partially shrouded by clouds. The soft patter of rain could be heard building up outside, until the individual drops became a consistent noise as the rain moved in.

Relaxing in the sound of the rain, Ishi gently held Misaki close to him and closed his eyes once more.

---

Heading down the stairs the next morning, Ishi yawned and stretched himself out at the bottom of the stairwell.

“Morning,” Adeline said, cleaning dishes. Ishi nodded to her, noticing someone sitting at the far side of the room. He was eating a meal of his own, a sword with a silver handle propped up neatly against the booth next to him. Adeline did receive a few customers from time to time, so Ishi thought nothing of it. Misaki as well was sitting one one of the bar seats, having a bit of breakfast for herself.

“Good morning, Ishi,” she said, smiling at him as he took a seat next to her.

“What’ll you have today?” Adeline asked.

“Something good,” Ishi responded plainly.

“Got it,” Adeline nodded, shuffling over to the back to prepare his meal.

Misaki then flicked the side of Ishi’s head, causing him to tilt his head and look to her.

“What?” he asked.

“That hurt?” she responded.

It didn’t, as a matter of fact. He rubbed his head where he had been flicked and his mouth skewed.

“No,” he answered.

“So then whatever that was must’ve worn off,” Misaki sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

Ishi nodded, but he grimaced slightly. Part of himself was a bit disappointed.

Adeline returned quickly, delivering to Ishi that something good he wanted. A bowl of his favorite ramen, this time decorated with eggs and bacon with a bit of cheese and spices to boot and presented as a breakfast meal.

Awesome.

Taking his chopsticks and expertly splitting them apart, Ishi quickly got to work on his meal.

“So you two off to do anything today?” Adeline asked, sitting down opposite them at the bar.

“Well,” Misaki started with her mouth full of the eggs she had been eating before realizing and quickly swallowing and composing herself. “Well, we’re going to continue our job where we left off yesterday.”

“You sure it’s safe?” Adeline asked, looking to Ishi, who was eagerly munching down on his meal.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine this time,” Misaki nodded. “So long as Ishi doesn’t do anything reckless like last time.”

“You mean like he is all the time?” Adeline asked.

“It’s a work in progress,” Misaki said, patting Ishi’s shoulder.

“Heading out right away, then?” Adeline said.

“Yes, just after we’re done eating,” Misaki nodded, looking to Ishi who was already halfway through his bowl of breakfast ramen.

“How about you breathe a bit, there?” Adeline suggested to Ishi, causing him to stop briefly, noodles hanging from his mouth as he looked up quizzically at her before resuming.
Misaki only smiled at him from the side, resting a cheek on her hand as she watched him. It always made her happy when Ishi was enthusiastic, even if it was for something as simple as eating. 

Then again, it was Adeline’s signature ramen.

Misaki then received a message. It was from Knight. Pulling up the message she read it silently, Adeline peering around Ishi to get a peek at its contents.

Misaki, when you’re available, come to HQ first thing. We’ve been contacted by someone who may have more information regarding your investigation.

- Knight

“Something came up?” Adeline asked.

“I guess so,” Misaki said, closing the menu and turning back to Ishi, who had at this point lifted up the bowl to his lips to drink the broth, determined not to let any of it go to waste.

“Finish up, Ishi,” she said, patting his shoulder to get his attention.

Once done, Ishi put the bowl back down on the table.

“Right…” he sighed heavily, finally catching a proper breath. “What happened?”

“Knight’s summoned us,” Misaki said, getting up out of her booth and straightening out her dress.

“Again?” Ishi groaned, spinning around in the booth to face her but not getting up off of it. Adeline quickly snatched up the dish Ishi left behind and began to clean it.

“Apparently he’s come across an informant of some kind,” she explained. “They may have some information for us that could help in our investigation.”

“Alright…” Ishi sighed, sliding off of his seat and standing up straight.

“Don’t worry,” Misaki smiled, patting Ishi’s head. “I’m sure he’s not going to scold you again.”

“Better not,” Ishi said, following as Misaki headed for the door. “I haven’t even done anything yet.”

“Yet?”

Ishi looked to the side and upwards innocently to avoid Misaki’s glare back at him. She flicked the side of his head in response.

“Come on,” she said, opening the door and leaving as Ishi followed.

---

The two arrived at Pendragon HQ in short order. It was always a good idea not to keep Knight waiting. Once again heading to the War Room, Misaki entered with Ishi closely behind. There were waiting both Knight and Gawain, who were discussing something amongst themselves, interrupted when the pair entered.

“Good, you’re here,” Knight said, beckoning them forward.

Ishi caught a cold glare from Gawain, but paid it no mind.

“Good morning,” Misaki greeted them both. “You mentioned an informant, sir?”

“Yes, he said he’s on his way right now,” Knight responded, going over some of the papers scattered on the desk, trying to get them in order.

“He must have contacted you recently,” Misaki noted.

“Just last night, actually,” Knight confirmed. “I woke up to the message. The timing was odd, to say the least.”

“We just started our investigation,” Misaki said. “Could he have already been investigating before us?”

“I can’t see any other reason why he’d get into contact with us so quickly,” Knight said. “We also have others conducting investigations of their own, so it’s possible he was able to make contact through them.”

“His message didn’t say?” Misaki asked.

“I suppose it’s not exactly relevant,” Knight said, standing up straight. “In any case, we can question him when he arrives. Should be any minute now.”

And like clockwork, there was a knock at the door, causing Ishi and Misaki to turn around towards the noise.

“Enter,” Knight called over.

The door opened, and in entered a man that seemed to be around Ishi’s age. As a matter of fact, his golden eyes and black hair even matched Ishi’s own. He wore an outfit that seemed more fitting for a dignitary rather than something made for combat, featuring a white undershirt with a black overcoat that featured intricate golden inlays, with pants and boots that matched the aesthetic. However, the silver sword he carried on his back, unlike the rest of his outfit, did not look like it was merely for show, though nothing about the man’s appearance or the way he carried himself indicated right away how experienced he may or may not be in its use. The man’s confidence, however, was on full display simply in the way he walked and looked around the room.

Ishi took immediate suspicion with the stranger.

“Hao, I take it,” Knight said. “Welcome.”

“A fine stronghold you have here, Sir Pendragon,” the man named Hao nodded to the four. “I’m impressed.”

“Don’t see many castles yourself?” Knight asked.

“Oh, no, not in my line of work,” Hao said with a friendly smile. “This is actually my first time reaching out to a guild as large as yours.”

“About that,” Misaki chimed in. “How is it you found out about us and our investigation?”

“Ah, well,” Hao placed his hands behind his back and turned to Misaki. “I’ve been doing investigations of my own, you see. However, the more I discovered, the more I began to realize that this kind of job was a bit too much just for me. So upon learning that Pendragon Court was also beginning investigations into these anomalies I jumped at the chance to assist.”

“You must’ve run into one of our agents out in the field,” Knight said.

“Around the town of Madira, yes,” Hao nodded.

“We do have a small outpost there, right?” Misaki turned to Knight, who nodded in confirmation.

“It wouldn’t be hard to get a hold of us here through one of our outposts further out,” Knight said.

“Forgive me if I raised any suspicion in the promptness of my contact,” Hao said, bowing humbly. “I wished to get in contact with you as soon as I could to share what I know.”

“So you know more than we do, then?” Knight asked.

“Much more, if I can be so bold,” Hao said. “Even if I don’t have the resources you do, I have been looking into the matter for quite some time.”

“Mind sharing, then?” Knight asked, crossing his arms.

“Of course,” Hao nodded, clearing his throat. “The cause of these anomalies you’ve been seeing is actually the effects of a glitch in the game. A localized glitch, actually.”

“Localized how?” Gawain asked, leaning over the table.

“It’s a piece of broken code that randomly appears and disappears across the game on all floors,” Hao elaborated. “However, if it’s any relief to know, it is just a single batch of broken data wandering around.”

“So it’s a singular entity, then…” Knight put his hand up to his chin in thought. “Well that helps to know, I suppose. At least it’s not the game itself falling apart.”

“Not the game itself, no,” Hao said. “But I’m afraid the effect of this anomaly is very much the same.”

“So if it’s a glitch could the administrators fix it from the outside?” Gawain asked. “Aside from Kayaba Akihiko, I’m sure some administrators are trying to help.”

“I’m afraid it’s not possible,” Hao said, shaking his head. “Kayaba Akihiko as the game master has complete control over all systems of the game. He’s most likely locked the other administrators out to ensure that they don’t interfere with his grand design. I’m sure some have tried in the time we’ve been here, but clearly it’s had no effect if that is the case.”

“How could something like that make it past the beta testing phase without anyone noticing?” Misaki asked.

“Most likely it didn’t,” Hao responded. “Which means that a beta tester voluntarily allowed the malicious code into the game.”

“Why would they do that?” Knight wondered.

“I can only suspect,” Hao said. “On that front, I don’t have many definitive answers. However, I have discovered that the game was given a sort of failsafe in regards to broken coding.”

“A failsafe?” Knight asked.

“Indeed,” Hao nodded. “I’m sure Kayaba Akihiko was aware that once the game had started, it would be unable to be altered in any way from the outside, even to address glitches in the system. To that end he created a failsafe program that would be set to activate when it detected a glitch in the system and was programmed to automatically seek out and mend the broken coding itself. The program’s name, I have discovered, is Corbenik.”

“Corbenik?” Misaki said.

“Yes,” Hao responded. “And the broken code it has been tasked with destroying was also given its own name. Skeith.”

“Skeith…” Ishi repeated the name under his breath, quietly enough for nobody to hear.

“So… Skeith is a piece of broken code that’s floating around in the game,” Gawain said to recap. “And Corbenik was a program that was put into the game that’s supposed to automatically seek out and repair broken code.”

“That’s correct,” Hao nodded.

“So why has it not already fixed Skeith?” Knight questioned.
“Unfortunately it’s not quite so simple,” Hao said. “The broken code has manifested itself in the game as a physical object. It’s no longer held within the underlying code of the game, and as such Corbenik is unable to simply reach it that way. It also has to manifest itself and seek it out manually.”

“Seems like a useless bit of code,” Gawain remarked.

“It was supposed to be a last resort,” Hao nodded. “Under normal circumstances, Corbenik would have already done its job.”

“How could it have manifested itself in such a way?” Misaki questioned.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Hao said, shaking his head and putting his hand up to his chin in thought. “However, if I had to guess, I believe it has something to do with the person who allowed it into the game in the first place.”

“They made it appear like that?” Misaki asked.

“I believe so,” Hao responded. “Though how exactly they did so I can’t imagine. It’s not so easy as just reaching in and grabbing it from nothing.”

“And in response, Corbenik also manifested itself in the same way…” Knight said, casting his eyes downward and pondering the situation.

Hao once again nodded in response.

“That’s the long and short of it,” he said.

“So then the plan is to find Corbenik and Skeith so we can fix the glitch, right?” Gawain asked.

“That would be the simplest solution,” Hao said. “However, I’m afraid that is not a simple matter either.”

“What do you mean?” Misaki asked.

“Skeith’s influence is spreading,” Hao elaborated. “Finding Skeith is one thing, but finding Corbenik is another matter altogether. I fear that we may not have time to find Corbenik before Skeith deals considerable damage to the entire game.”

“So then what solution do you suggest?” Knight asked.

“I suggest we find Skeith first and contain it,” Hao said matter-of-factly.

“Contain it?” Gawain repeated. “Contain it how? Doesn’t it just break everything it touches?”

“Ordinarily, yes,” Hao confirmed. “However, there are unique circumstances that allow it to be bound to separate coding in the game. More specifically, it can be bound to player coding.”

“What do you mean?” Knight asked.

“You see, player characters are actually unique entities within the game,” Hao said. “They aren’t like the geometry or NPCs. They carry much, much more complex coding to account for them being inhabited by actual consciousness. That allows for certain individuals to contain Skeith within themselves, acting as a physical barrier between it and the outside world.”

“That sounds dangerous,” Misaki mentioned.

“It is,” Hao nodded. “Only certain players are able to accept it, anyone incompatible who tries to do so will more than likely be destroyed instantly. Even with a compatible player, however, the long-term effects of the broken code on player data may be… problematic.”

“How do you know this?” Knight asked, leaning over the table.

“Because I have reason to believe that it’s happened before,” Hao said. “And I believe it was the aforementioned player who allowed it into the game in the first place.”

“How do you figure?” Knight said.

“Skeith has always been in the game, but only now are its effects being felt,” Hao explained. “At the rate its effects are accelerating, I surmised that if Skeith had truly been active from the start of the game to now, the entire world would have long since been destroyed. I believe that shortly after the game began, this unknown player acquired Skeith and contained it within themselves, thus sparing the world the corruption it brings… at least for a time.”

“But now?” Knight began to pace around, further contemplating Hao’s words.

“Now it seems that containment has been broken,” Hao said. “Though when it happened I can’t say. It could have been a while ago. Most likely the player who had contained it is dead now.”

“He was destroyed by Skeith?” Misaki asked.

“It would appear so,” Hao responded, crossing his arms. “I certainly don’t believe that anyone would have been able to defeat him as long as he had it in his possession.”

“So then the plan is to find Skeith and contain it, right?” Gawain asked.

“That’s correct,” Hao nodded. “Afterwards we hunt down Corbenik as quickly as possible.”

“But how are we to know if someone can contain it?” Misaki asked. “I certainly don’t want to risk trial and error if it outright destroys anyone incompatible.”

“I felt it,” Ishi then spoke for the first time, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.

“I’m sorry?” Hao said.

“We were looking for traces of it yesterday,” Ishi said. “I saw… I don’t know… some kind of weird shimmering bits in the air that distorted everything around it. I was able to touch it somehow… I don’t really know how or why, but… it hurt like hell.”

“You touched a fragment of Skeith?” Hao asked, approaching Ishi. “And it hurt? As in you felt pain?”

“Gave me a splitting headache for a while afterwards,” Ishi said. “Though by the next morning everything was normal again.”

“Interesting…” Hao said quietly, putting his hand back to his chin, supporting his elbow with the other hand. “It sounds to me like you managed to absorb the fragment into your player data. If that’s the case then you may indeed have the compatibility we need.”

“Well that’s lucky,” Knight said. “So do you know how to track down Skeith?”

“Woah, what? Hang on, wait!” Misaki interrupted, stepping in front of Ishi and up to Knight. “Sir, I’d really rather Ishi not get near anything like that again.”

“Misaki, your concerns for Ishi’s wellbeing are well understood,” Knight said callously. “However, if Ishi is compatible with Skeith, then we’re going to need to use him to contain it.”

“Sir, Ishi was almost crippled from just a fragment of that thing!” Misaki pleaded. “I don’t want Ishi to have to go through any more pain like that again!”

“I’ll do it,” Ishi said plainly, interrupting the two.

“What?” Misaki said, bewildered.

“It’s fine,” Ishi said, turning his eyes over to the two. “I can handle it.”

“See?” Knight said, gesturing to him. “He said he’ll be fine.”

“Sir!” Misaki stamped her foot.

“I’m afraid we may not have a choice,” Hao interjected. “Compatibility with Skeith is very rare. I doubt we’ll be able to find anyone else suitable within a reasonable timeframe.”

“But that’s-” Misaki tried to say, before being interrupted my Knight.

“I’m sorry, Misaki,” he said. “Look, I know you care for him and all, but it’s like Hao said. We’re going to need to use every resource we have available right now. There’s no time to be arguing about this.”

Misaki huffed, frustrated with the situation. She knew he was right, but she was worried about Ishi, especially after their first experience with the anomaly the day before. She was obstinate about letting him go through that again.

Ishi, however, was of the complete opposite mindset. Despite his calm and cool demeanor, he couldn’t shake the feeling of excitement he had about it. If he could feel that again… that same feeling as before… 

“Well, then, I suppose we have a plan,” Hao said, smiling towards Ishi. “The young lady is right, though. I hope you’re prepared for this.”

Ishi nodded.

“Perfect!” Hao said. “In that case, I am aware of a site where we can continue investigating. I’m sure that we’ll be able to find Skeith quickly if we all work together.”

“Sounds good,” Knight said, before turning to Ishi. “Don’t screw this up.”

Ishi grimaced towards Knight. He was well aware that Knight didn’t care much about Ishi’s safety, but it was a good thing the feeling was mutual.

“We should head out right away,” Hao said, turning to the door. “Time is of the essence here.”

“Go on,” Knight commanded, gesturing for Ishi and Misaki to follow. “Report back to me when you’re done.”

Misaki huffed and stomped out of the room, Ishi following at a fair distance behind. Once the three left the room, Misaki stamped the ground once more.

“Unbelievable!” she shouted.

“Eh, hello?” a voice said from the side. The three turned and Trinity was standing there, a friendly hand raised in greeting. “Is everything okay?”

“I just hate it when Knight acts like he doesn’t care at all about Ishi!” Misaki said.

“Probably because he doesn’t,” Ishi quipped.

“Ah…” Trinity smiled nervously, skirting over to Misaki’s side to look towards Ishi. “Ishi, Guren wanted me to tell me your grapple hook is ready.”

“Oh,” Ishi said. “Uh, I’m a bit busy right now, could you tell her I’ll get to her later?”

“A grapple hook?” Hao asked, turning to Ishi. “Actually such an item might be of use to us.”

“How do you mean?” Ishi said.

“The stronger Skeith’s influence, the more the world around it breaks, as I’m sure you’ve seen,” he said. “If it’s a particularly nasty instance, the ground might be scattered in pieces, even floating in the air. It’s very possible in such situations to fall through the world.”

“Sounds fun,” Ishi smirked.

“It’s not,” Hao responded quickly.

“Fine, I’ll get it,” Ishi said. “I’ll be a few minutes.”

“I’ll meet you at the main gates, in that case,” Hao nodded, heading down the hall to leave the building.

Misaki sighed and went back to Ishi’s side.

“I’ll meet you at the front entrance, okay?” Misaki said, storming off to follow Hao

Ishi and Trinity glanced at each other, and Trinity gave him a knowing smile as if to wish him luck. Ishi shrugged and began to walk in the opposite direction down the hall. He was headed to Pendragon Court’s resident smithy, which was placed farther back and separate from the main building, connected by a single hallway to give it proper space and exposed to the open for proper ventilation.

Upon arriving at the smithy, Ishi looked around for Guren. The room was a mess, but it was a sort of organized chaos. There was a large furnace to the back of the room which Ishi has never seen once unlit. Multiple anvils could be seen around, as well as many, many works in progress. Blades of all kinds were hanging up on the walls, leaning against them or just scattered around the floor. A few separate worktables were around for the more precise craftwork, upon which a few works could be seen. Guren was the girl that members of the guild would go to in order to maintain or even modify their weapons and equipment. She wasn’t much in the way of socializing, but she was a savant when it came to her craft.

It was also a good thing Knight couldn’t stop her from doing freelance work on the side, which is how Ishi was able to contract her for work from time to time. In any other circumstance he’d be banned completely.

Ishi looked over to a nearby suit of armor when it began to rattle on its own and he gave it a quizzical look. It rattled again, and Ishi approached it, staring at the eyeless helmet as it rattled once more. Ishi then gave the head a swift backhand to the dome with the armor of his gauntlet, causing it to ring out loudly.

“Oww!” a voice echoed inside. From behind the suit stepped a small girl, all dusty and charred from her work. Her hands were almost entirely black and her heavy duty clothes were in tatters in some place, and her orange hair was just as dirty and messy as the rest of her. She wore goggles that were clearly too large for her.

This was Guren.

She was weird.

“Oh!” she stammered, raising the goggles up off of her red eyes to actually allow her to see clearly. “Ishi!”

“Hey,” Ishi said. “Heard you had something for me.”

“I do!” Guren said, shuffling over to one of her worktables, upon which laid probably the cleanest item in the entire room along with Ishi himself. The device was a long metal ring with grooves in which was coiled a black wire. On top of the device was a simple plate which held onto the ring and featured a small hook which was attached to the wire that coiled underneath.

“Here it is!” she said delightfully, picking it up. “Here, lemme see that gauntlet and I’ll install it.”

Ishi grabbed his left handed gauntlet and undid the straps underneath, loosening it from his arm and allowing him to slide it off. With that Guren took it and got to work installing the new device.

In all fairness, the device wasn’t actually new for Avalon. The gauntlet was originally designed by Guren herself for Ishi, and the intricate mechanics behind the gauntlet could be considered some of her best work. The gadgets she could make in this workshop seemed to be technologically years ahead of what everyone else had, and Avalon alone was a mechanical marvel in how it functioned. It was originally designed without the grapple hook accommodation but it was shortly thereafter added as an upgrade. However, this new grapple hook was even stronger, had more length and featured a sturdier hook that could cling more strongly to objects. The mechanics that allowed the hook to launch itself and grab things were a bit beyond Ishi’s understanding; all he cared about was that it worked.

Or at least it did until he broke it.

It was an accident, he swore.

“Alrighty!” Guren said, smiling as she firmly fastened the grapple hook to the gauntlet, tugging a bit on the wire to make sure it functioned normally. “Done!”

With that, she presented the new gauntlet to Ishi, who took it and replaced it onto his arm, fastening it in place and clenching and unclenching his fist, moving his arm around to cause it to settle comfortably on his arm.

“That wire is a lot stronger now!” Guren said, pointing up. “It’s got a better length and launches at a higher velocity so it’ll stick harder into surfaces. Should be able to hook into most things now. You’ll still have to pull yourself up to retract the wire, though.”

“Right,” Ishi said, making sure the gauntlet was tight on his arm, extending the claws to make sure they still slid neatly over his fingers.

“Just make sure you don’t break it this time, okay?” Guren added.

“I told you it wasn’t my fault,” Ishi said.

“Sure it wasn’t,” Guren smiled, putting her goggles back on and pointing at him. “You’re so careless with my masterpieces!”

“It’s supposed to be made for combat, right?” Ishi retorted. “It’s not my fault it couldn’t handle it.”

“You calling my work weak?!” Guren shouted, running up to Ishi, who placed his hand on her head, his arm’s length enough to keep her swinging arms away from him.

“Got work to do,” Ishi said, gently pushing Guren back onto her feet.

“Fine,” Guren huffed, crossing her arms. “I guarantee you that piece will be able to handle anything you throw at it!”

“I believe you,” Ishi said. “Thanks.”

Ishi looked back down to Avalon to inspect it, taking note of all the mechanics of the thing. He had no idea how it worked or how Guren was so good at designing things like this.

It was hard to believe the girl was only 10 years old.

“Alright, I’m off,” Ishi said, turning to leave. “Don’t fall off the rafters again.”

“That was just once!” Guren called back.

“And you almost broke your neck, so don’t do it again.”

With that, Ishi left Guren back to her work. He had to cough a bit of the dirt and smoke from the room back up and take a deep breath of the fresher air outside before sighing and dusting himself off. Time to meet back up with Misaki and Hao.

It took a bit to cross the entire length of the building, but before too long Ishi finally made his way back to the front entrance, where he spotted Hao and Misaki talking among themselves. Stepping down the front staircase, the sound of his footsteps caught their attention.

“Ah, Ishi,” Hao smiled. “Ready to head off?”

“Sure,” Ishi said with a nod. “Where to?”

“I’ll lead the way,” he said. “Follow me.”

Ishi looked to Misaki who nodded and walked with Hao, and Ishi followed suit.

Hao and Misaki began talking once again as they headed out, with Ishi following closely behind them. Ishi scowled at Hao behind him. Like hell he trusted this guy. There was something wrong about him… he got the feeling that the stranger knew more than he was letting on. He could sense the stench of dishonesty and inauthenticity from him… but for now, he was their best lead on Skeith, so Ishi decided to play along.

Besides, he was confident if things did turn bad that he could handle it. Even if Hao turned out not to be who he claimed, Ishi knew that he wouldn’t be difficult to take care of.


Chapter 4[]

Ishi followed Misaki, who in turn was following Hao’s lead. The group had been travelling for a while now, and throughout the journey Ishi had remained entirely silent. Hao was still talking to Misaki, explaining everything and anything he knew about Skeith in an attempt to calm her nerves. She was still worried about Ishi, after all, and through information and reassurances from Hao, she was eventually placated enough.

Ishi, on the other hand, never let his guard down. Silent as he was, he nonetheless was completely focused on Hao. Every movement Hao made was carefully scrutinized, and Ishi hung onto every word that left his lips. Ishi wasn’t expecting anything spectacular, at the moment; no grand betrayals yet, but it was amazing how much he could figure out about someone just by watching and listening. Ishi let no detail slip, and made methodical plans in his head about how best to best deal with Hao should the moment arise; a moment he was sure eventually would.

For now, however, he would wait, and watch.

“It’s around here,” Hao said, pointing forward.

Ishi looked past him and noticed something peculiar. Ahead of the group were the same kinds of strange distortions he had seen previously. However, this time the fragment of the same kind he had encountered before was nowhere to be seen. He could only surmise that this meant that its influence was far stronger than the first.

“You know it too, don’t you?” Hao said, looking back at Ishi. “This must be a particularly powerful piece of our puzzle.”

Ishi nodded, but took a mental note about how quickly Hao managed to pick up on what Ishi was thinking. He wasn’t the only one able to deduce intention through observation, it seemed.

“We should proceed with caution,” Hao said, gesturing to Misaki. “We should be alright for the time being, but we won’t be able to get too close to the fragment.”

He looked back to Ishi and nodded. “That’s where you come in.”

“Right,” Ishi said, looking forward with anticipation. He could feel it… the same feeling as before.

The group entered the field of distortions, and Misaki was the first to show signs of fatigue nearly immediately. She gasped lightly and placed a hand on her head, clearly feeling the effects of the pressure set upon them.

“Misaki, are you alright?” Hao asked, ready to catch her if she fell. However, Ishi was there before him, quickly jumping up to her side to make Hao’s intervention unnecessary.

“I… I feel strange…” Misaki panted lightly, taking a moment to try to compose herself.

“Misaki must have a particularly acute sensitivity to Skeith’s influence,” Hao said to Ishi. “I’m not sure if she should go any further.”

Misaki shook her head, sighing and standing up straight.

“I’m fine,” she said, doing her best to keep a dignified tone. “It just… caught me off guard, is all.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Hao inquired, concern present in his voice.

“Yes, thank you, Hao,” Misaki nodded, before turning to Ishi. “Don’t worry, I’m alright.”

Ishi looked over to Hao, who curiously wasn’t showing the same symptoms as Misaki. Once again, as if his mind had been read, Hao was quick to provide an explanation.

“I’m somewhat resistant to the effects of Skeith’s fragments,” he explained, nodding his head. “Although I’m most likely not as compatible as you are, even so.”

“You’ve encountered fragments before, then,” Ishi remarked.

“Only a few,” Hao nodded. “And not for very long. This will be my first encounter this close and for so long.”

Hao then continued onwards into the field. Misaki followed closely behind, and Ishi tailed them both. As they continued, the field began to become more dense with distortions; particles of red appearing and disappearing randomly. Ishi noticed that, curiously, he could look forwards supposedly deeper into the field, but would not see any differences in the distortions. The area around him looked constant; unchanging when viewed from any angle at a single position. However, as they moved deeper into the field, the area around them all at once began to experience stronger distortions. They could not see the increase in distortions from a distance and would only see them as they experienced it. Ishi found it interesting, but concern mounted at the thought that the three would be unable to see just how bad the distortions were beforehand. They would have to venture further in to discover the extent of this fragment’s influence.

The pressure became stronger… even stronger than before… Ishi became more and more excited.

Misaki suddenly fell to her knees, and Ishi quickly swooped up to her, leaning down to her level, Hao also tending to her from her other side. She was wincing in clear pain, holding her palm up to her head and groaning.

“She can’t go on any further,” Hao stated plainly. “Misaki, you need to go back for now, it’s too dangerous for you.”

“I… can…” Misaki attempted to get the words out, but was struck with a searing pain in her skull. The pressure was clearly too much for her.

“Ishi,” Hao said, looking up to him. “I’ll escort Misaki out of here. You go on ahead and secure that fragment.”

“I’m going too,” Ishi stated, not comfortable with leaving Misaki alone with Hao.

“It’s fine, Ishi,” Hao nodded. “I can get her out of here. Besides, you need to move quickly if we want to secure that fragment. It could easily disappear at any moment.”

Ishi scowled and looked down to Misaki. He couldn’t stand to see her in so much pain. Clenching his fist, he stood up and stared Hao down. “Get her out of here,” he said. “If you don’t…”

“I will,” Hao nodded. “Don’t worry, once the fragment is gone, the distortions will fade as well. Misaki and I will wait for you outside the field.”

Ishi watched as Hao helped Misaki back to her feet, allowing her to lean on his shoulder as they turned around and began to make their way out of the field. The two disappeared into the distortions, unable to be seen past the rapidly flickering bits of red.

Ishi sighed and turned around, venturing further into the field. As he went, the distortions continued to get even more severe, to a point where the ground beneath him seemed to break apart, just as Hao had described before. Stepping over small gaps and raised geometrical shapes became maneuvering around or jumping over wide drops and climbing up steps that reached up to Ishi’s shoulders. Ishi began to wonder if he’d even be able to get out after this, but remembered Hao’s words that the distortions would disappear when the fragment did. He pressed on.

Eventually, he reached his goal. Looking upwards, he could see it; a red piece of digital mass suspended up on a plinth of broken geometry set high above him, through a gauntlet of chasms and elevated platforms that once formed a cohesive ground, now suspended above a white void of nothingness. In the midst of all of this, Ishi found his own body becoming distorted, the lines of his form becoming blurred and sometimes broken, sputtering into obscurity before reforming, only to be broken again moments later. The pressure here was immense; even Ishi was having a difficult time now. But still, he knew that he could reach it.

True to Hao’s word, the grappling hook provided by Guren proved to be of use here, as Ishi would be unable to scale up or over the impossible distances between platforms set upon him without it. Ishi armed the mechanism on his gauntlet and fired towards a platform floating above him. The hook sunk into it, and Ishi pulled on it to make sure that it was stable enough for him to climb up. The line was stable, but as Ishi climbed he couldn’t help but think about how nonsensical it was that a small bit of floating debris held as much resistance as the entire earth itself that it once composed a part of.

Ishi managed to scale up the wire line of his grappling hook and lifted himself up onto the floating platform, retracting the line back into his gauntlet and rearming the mechanism to be fired again. He then shot the line towards another piece of debris above him, this time aiming to swing between the platform he was standing on and another that was nearer to his target. Making sure the line was secure, he jumped off the platform and swung towards his desired destination. He made it to the other side, but failed to grasp the proper footing, finding himself swinging back the other way. Ishi groaned at the misfortune, but kicked his feet forward to swing forward again after reaching the apex of his reverse swing, this time properly catching the platform and standing upon it, retracting his line to again ascend upwards.

In sequence Ishi would do this until he finally made it up to the last platform; one which fortunately was larger than most of the others surrounding him. Using an elevated platform he had hooked himself underneath, Ishi climbed up the wire and then swung towards the larger platform, letting go at the right moment to sail through the air and land well clear of the edge of the terrain.

Now within walking distance of the fragment, Ishi felt an even more intense pressure around him. It wasn’t just pushing down on him now; it was pushing against him from all sides. He felt as if it was threatening to crush him entirely. Still, his goal was now in sight, and he stepped forward, his steps heavy and difficult to make being this close to the fragment. He reached his hand forward, watching as it distorted and shattered apart in multiple places, reforming and breaking constantly as he attempted to reach his fingers outwards. He felt pain… a pain in his head that was nearly unbearable. His hand felt hot, like he was reaching into a raging fire. His breath was labored, as the pressure around him gripped his chest like a vice. But even so, Ishi pushed ever forward.

And then he touched it.

Instantly it reacted to his touch and shot forward, energy surging through his arm to consume his entire body. Ishi cried out in the pain, his entire body shocked with the sudden surge of energy.

He could barely take it.

He felt as if he’d black out.

He cOuld fEel iT.

But then, just as quickly as it began, it ended. When Ishi opened his eyes, he found himself standing in the middle of a grassy field, the blue sky and bright sun hanging above him. He quickly wheeled around and made sure he was on solid ground. Everything seemed normal, now. He turned and saw Misaki and Hao running over to him.

“Ishi!” Misaki stopped next to him and placed her hands on his shoulder. “Ishi?”

He was staring off into space. He had seen them coming but at this point was looking past them.

“Ishi, are you with us?” Hao tried to get his attention, but Ishi still didn’t respond.

“Ishi, darling, hey, I’m here,” Misaki stepped into Ishi’s field of view. “Ishi, talk to me, please!”

Without blinking, and without moving, Ishi’s eyes turned to fix on Misaki. He blinked. He turned his head to her. He finally exhaled. His eyes focused on her.

He was back.

He mumbled.

“Ishi?” Hao said, stepping beside Misaki. “Are you there?”

Ishi looked to Hao before placing his hand on his head.

“This headache is even worse than the last one,” he stated with no emotion.

“I imagine,” Hao said, sighing in relief.

“Ishi, are you okay?” Misaki reached her hands to Ishi’s cheeks, attempting to calm herself down, though her panic was clear in her voice.

“I’m fine,” he said, staring back at her. “Just… headache.”

Misaki sighed, finally relieved at a proper confirmation of Ishi’s wellbeing.

“Thank God,” she sighed. “I was so worried…”

“Sorry,” Ishi said, rubbing the side of his head, the base of his palm pressed against his temple.

“So you have a headache, then?” Hao inquired. “So you can feel pain right now?”

“Yeah…” Ishi said, closing an eye and slowly shaking his head. “Hurts like hell.”

“And worse than the last one, you said?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, hopefully that will wear off soon,” Hao said, taking a moment to inspect Ishi himself, looking over everything from the state of his clothes down to how he was breathing. “Well it seems you were able to take in the fragment without any repercussions as far as I can see. Aside from the headache, that is.”

“Hm…” Ishi continued to rub his temple, trying to ease the pain in his skull in any way he could. It definitely was worse than last time… it felt like his head was close to bursting.

“Even better news, though, is that you were able to take in a fragment of that magnitude,” Hao further stated. “Taking in a small fragment is one thing, but one that of that power that caused such strong distortions definitely shows that you are highly compatible with Skeith. I imagine you’d even be able to contain the whole thing within yourself.”

“I don’t remember you explaining how this ‘compatibility’ works, Hao,” Misaki said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Well… the truth is, I’m not entirely sure how it works,” Hao smiled, seemingly a bit embarrassed at his lack of knowledge on the subject. “I can’t tell you for certain what makes someone more or less compatible with Skeith or Corbenik, although I do have a suspicion that it is somehow tied to personality.”

“Personality?” Misaki said. “So only certain personality types can contain them?”

“I can’t say for sure, as I said,” Hao replied. “It’s just a suspicion on my part. It’s not like I’ve had a particularly large group to test my theory on. Ishi is only the second person to display such a high compatibility with it.”

“The first was the player who let Skeith into the game in the first place, right?” Misaki said.

“That’s right,” Hao nodded. “If all of my theories are correct on the matter, anyway. I’m afraid I don’t know for certain.”

“Well perhaps it’s best if we just assume for now,” Misaki said.

“Yes,” Hao agreed. “The details are irrelevant at this moment. All that matters is finding Skeith.”

He then turned to Ishi, looking him in the eyes.

“And you, Ishi, may very well be the only one who can lead us to it.”

Ishi looked to his hand, still feeling the residual power that now dwelled within him.

“In any case, the effects of the fragment may not be apparent until later,” Hao noted, looking over to Misaki. “Will you keep me updated on his condition?”

“Oh… sure,” Misaki said with a quick nod. “I’ll need your ID in that case.”

As Misaki and Hao exchanged IDs, Ishi turned away from them. He flicked his wrist, noticing a small bit of red data flickering off of his fingertips. It felt strange… it felt good. He did it once more, quickly stretching his fingers outward in an attempt to produce the same effect.

It didn’t work. Maybe he needed more…

“Alright, then,” Hao said, breaking Ishi out of his thoughts. “We’ve got what we came for. We should get back to Knight and report our findings.”

Ishi silently nodded, following as Hao and Misaki began to walk back. The sun was beginning to set, now, and while they walked back, Ishi could only think about the events that had transpired. He could only think of the power he felt. His mind was still lost in that moment when he seized the fragment. Part of him knew it was wrong, but even so, he wanted more.

---

By the time the group had made it back to the city, it was well past dusk. The empty streets were lit by the soft glow of oil lamps, and a faint breeze kicked up the leaves that littered the cobblestone the three walked on. Misaki and Hao walked side by side as Ishi tailed them both close behind. He was still lost in thought and his eyes were cast slightly downwards. He was listening to the sound of his own footsteps. The entire way back he had been clenching and unclenching his fist, testing the pressure and occasionally flicking his wrist, attempting to invoke Skeith’s influence. He would alternate how heavy his walking was, feeling the way the ground resisted his steps. He would bite his lip, hard enough to feel sharp pain, but not so much as to cause him to bleed.

Ishi had gone so long without being able to feel these basic sensations that now that he was able to feel them again, they almost seemed foreign, and he was testing them out to make sure they all worked the way he remembered.

He then bumped into Misaki’s back. She had stopped walking and Ishi hadn’t noticed while eyeing the ground below him.

“Ah!” Misaki stumbled forward a bit, but caught herself quickly. “What’s wrong, Ishi?”

“Sorry,” Ishi said, snapping out of his thoughts.

“You looked like you were spacing out a bit, there,” Hao said with a soft smile.

“Hrm,” Ishi stared into Hao’s eyes, but then looked away, choosing not to respond to him.

Looking ahead of them, he noticed they were at the entrance to Pendragon HQ.

“Do you want to head home now, Ishi?” Misaki asked. “We can take things from here.” Ishi once again glanced towards Hao, scowling a bit as Hao tilted his head slightly.

“I’m good,” Ishi said plainly.

“You sure?” Misaki asked. “I know you don’t really like dealing with reporting to Knight.”

“I’m fine,” Ishi said, turning to Misaki. “Let’s go.”

Hao looked to Misaki and shrugged, gesturing for her to lead the way. Misaki continued on and the two men followed her.

The group made their way to the war room and entered. Knight and Gawain were there, looking over papers on the table as normal, and they looked up from their work as the three entered.

“That took a while,” Gawain remarked, crossing his arms.

Knight leaned over a bit as he noticed Ishi entering the room with Hao and Misaki, and he scowled a bit before turning his attention to Misaki.

“How did it go?” he asked.

“We found it,” Misaki nodded.

“Further, Ishi was able to capture the fragment and assimilate it into his player data,” Hao added. “I’d call it a successful mission.”

“So are we closer to finding Skeith now?” Gawain asked.

“Well, we’ve at least confirmed for sure Ishi’s compatibility with Skeith,” Hao said. “Further I believe he displays a very high level of compatibility, considering the severity of the fragment he managed to absorb.”

“But are we closer to finding Skeith was my question,” Gawain asserted.

“Well, yes and no,” Hao replied. “Were you expecting us to just be able to pin down its location right away?”

“I mean, sort of,” Gawain shrugged.

“It’s going to take a bit more time than that, I’m afraid,” Hao explained. “But if we can continue to track down Skeith’s fragments wherever it goes, eventually we should be able to catch up to it.”

“So we’re stuck just chasing it for now,” Knight said, leaning forward over the table, his hands planted on the wood to brace himself up.

“I’m afraid there isn’t much else we can do at the moment,” Hao nodded. “However, if we put our resources together, I’m sure we can expedite the process.”

“Very well,” Knight said, standing back up. “We’ll push our efforts towards finding more fragments for now.”

“Excellent,” Hao said. “I’ll look into it on my end as well.”

“And then every time we find a fragment, we’ll send Ishi in to contain it, right?” Gawain asked.

Misaki looked towards Gawain and then back towards Ishi, concern drawn on her face.

“That’s correct,” Hao nodded. “The more fragments of Skeith we contain the safer Aincrad will be overall, and the less there are in the game as a whole, the better our chances of locating their source.”

“But we don’t have all the floors to work with, here,” Knight said. “If this thing is jumping randomly across every floor in the game then we’re limited in our ability to track it by the highest floor reached so far.”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Hao said, placing his hand up to his chin. “We’re unfortunately limited to 40 floors.”

“So there’s a whole 60 floors that we can’t search in,” Gawain said. “Think we’ll be able to make do?”

“We’ll have to,” Hao nodded. “Hopefully the Clearers will be able to assist in unlocking more floors for us to investigate.”

“So should we help them out to make the investigation go quicker?” Gawain asked Knight.

“I think it’s best if we stay independent from the Clearers,” Knight replied. “Pendragon Court has its mission, and I think it’s best to stick with it for now.”

Hao nodded.

“Besides, the Clearers are doing well enough on their own,” Knight elaborated. “Way things are now, we’d probably just get in their way.”

“Skeith requires our full attention, as well,” Hao added. “It’s best we stay our course and move up in floors as they become available.”

“Alright, then,” Knight said. “For now we’ll continue as we are.”

“Very well,” Hao said. “Shall we convene later, then? Perhaps have correspondence?”

“Once every week, at least,” Knight nodded. “Every Monday at noon sound good for you?”

“I can work with that,” Hao smiled. “Misaki, Ishi? What about you?”

“Alright,” Misaki nodded.

Ishi crossed his arms but stayed quiet. His own opinion didn’t matter; he’d go wherever Misaki did.

“Very well,” Hao said with a determined grin. “Let’s get to work.”

---

The bell chimed overhead as the door was opened. Adeline’s was closed by now, but as usual, she would keep the door unlocked for Ishi and Misaki. The two stepped through the threshold and Ishi closed and locked the door behind them. Adeline herself wasn’t at the bar; she was most likely already in bed. Ishi stretched himself out and sighed lightly. Misaki began to undo her armor in order to release the outer layers of her battle dress, taking them off and placing them on a nearby table. With the heaviest of her garments removed, she sighed and stretched herself out, now in a much lighter under layer of her normal clothes, which was a shorter white and black loose fitting dress.

Misaki looked to Ishi and smiled, strolling to the bar and slipping behind it.

“Hungry, Ishi?”

“What, you’re going to cook?” Ishi asked.

“You don’t think I can?” Misaki said, crossing her arms.

“No, it’s not that,” Ishi responded quickly. “It’s just you haven’t cooked in a while.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to cook for you,” she smiled, placing her hands behind her back. “Take a seat, darling.”

Ishi took a seat at the bar as Misaki rummaged through the cabinets, looking for something that she could make.

“Ahah,” she said quietly, finding several ingredients that she could use.

“What’re you making?” Ishi asked.

“You’ll find out,” Misaki chimed as she bent over to fetch ingredients and kitchen ware to use.

Ishi shrugged and placed his arms on the bar, leaning forward and attempting to get a better look at what Misaki was doing. On the other side of the main bar was a small kitchen area in which Adeline did all her cooking. The sounds and smells of Adeline’s cooking in this area were always a delightful experience for her customers, being able to smell the food as it was being expertly prepared before being served. Ishi enjoyed it, too.

Misaki turned on the burners and started adding her ingredients, and as she cooked, Ishi couldn’t help but smile. He was imagining her in a more idealistic world. They were both at home, happily living together, and she was making dinner the same as she did every night. Just the two of them. Ishi knew it was cliche, but even so, he couldn’t keep himself from thinking about it. Just being with Misaki made him feel safe and comfortable and happy.

Maybe once this was all over, Ishi could make that dream real.

“You’re eating too, right?” Ishi asked over the counter.

“Of course,” Misaki called from behind the bar.

Misaki bounced around between her work stations as she prepared the meal, working on multiple parts at once. Whatever she was making, at this point Ishi could smell it, and it smelled damn good. As much as Ishi loved Adeline’s cooking, he always had a difficult time deciding whose cooking he liked more between hers and Misaki’s.

After a bit more waiting, Misaki finally came back around the bar with two plates prepared, one smaller portion for her and the larger for Ishi. On both plates were two steak dinners that looked absolutely delicious, and Ishi could feel his mouth watering at the sight of his plate. The steak was seared and looked to be cooked perfectly, and fresh out of the oven it still sizzled nicely on the plate. The perfect spicing and light garnishings just made it look all the more appetizing, and Misaki had even thrown in some boiled sliced potatoes that were lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Misaki slid the plate over in front of Ishi and then quickly fetched silverware for both of them as well as two glasses of water.

Misaki stood back and smiled as Ishi took in the sight, enjoying the way he ogled at her work.

“Looks good?” she asked.

“Looks amazing,” Ishi said, immediately grabbing his utensils and wasting no time in tearing the meat apart into bite sized pieces. He took a look on the inside to check how she cooked it.

Medium-well, just how he liked it.

Ishi began to dig in as Misaki sat down on a nearby stool and cut into her own smaller portion, which she’d cooked differently. She always liked her steak medium-rare, not as tough as Ishi liked his. She also didn’t share Ishi’s ravenous appetite, which soon came to full display as Ishi wolfed down his meal.

“Hey, now, be sure to breathe, Ishi,” Misaki said.

Ishi paused for a moment, mouth stuffed full of meat, and stared at her.

“Whoff?”

Misaki chuckled attempting not to drop her fork. Ishi, as usual, couldn’t resist a good meal. By the time Ishi had downed half of the entire piece of meat before him, he finally took a pause to take a sip of water.

“I guess you really like it, huh?” Misaki said, smiling over at Ishi.

“It’s great,” Ishi said, finally taking a decent breath after gulping down about half his glass of water.

“I’m glad,” Misaki beamed, taking a bite of her own steak, at a much slower and more steady pace than Ishi.

Ishi glanced over to her, taking a moment to just look at her. In the moment, it was easy for him to get lost. Being with her like this, in the quiet of the night, just the two of them, it really made him forget about the situation they were both in. Spending this time ogether, he didn’t need to worry about the fact that they were in a death game. He could just relax and focus on Misaki and Misaki alone. It really almost felt like things were normal in this moment. As often as the two of them were together practically all the time, they didn’t often get to just spend time alone to themselves. They were always working in some regard; most of the time on missions for Pendragon Court. When they weren’t doing that, chances were they were sleeping.

But right now, they were alone, and they had this precious time to spend together. Ishi wanted to make the most of it. He was a little bit tired at this point, but he didn’t want to say so. He just wanted to spend as much time with Misaki as he could.

Ishi knew it may be a while before they would be able to spend time like this together again. This new mission to track down Skeith was sure to take up the majority of both of their times. Thinking on that mission, his mind began to wander back to the situation at hand. He turned his gaze away from Misaki as he began to think. Just what exactly was Skeith? Who was Hao? Ishi knew better than to trust him… he wondered if Misaki did as well.

“You’re thinking again, aren’t you?”

Misaki’s voice made him turn back to meet her gaze. He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back a bit in his stool, his steak still half eaten.

“Your food is going to get cold if you don’t finish up soon,” Misaki noted, pointing at Ishi with her fork.

“What do you think of Hao?” Ishi asked plainly, turning just his eyes over to her.

“What do you mean?” Misaki asked.

“I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t trust anyone.”

“This is different,” Ishi explained. “There’s something about him that puts me off… I think he’s hiding something from us.”

“He’s definitely hiding something from us,” Misaki said, nodding firmly.

“Oh,” Ishi said, leaning up a bit and facing her. “So it’s not just me.”

“I have my suspicions as well,” Misaki said. “Though like you I’m unable to place my finger on it. And it’s not like we can just confront him about it.”

“Why not?”

“Well we don’t want to draw suspicion to ourselves,” Misaki explained. “I’m sure what he’s saying about Skeith and Corbenik and all the rest is true; we’ve seen some of it for ourselves.”

“But he’s not telling us the whole truth,” Ishi said.

“I suspect not,” Misaki nodded. “Truth be told, I suspected as much from the beginning. He never explained to us his true motivations, and the fact that he appeared when he did seems too convenient for my liking.”

“So then what do you think?” Ishi asked.

“Well I’ve not had reason to believe that his true intentions are malicious in any way,” Misaki elaborated. “Just that he’s selectively handing out certain pieces of information as he sees fit.”

“To me that’s cause enough to be wary,” Ishi said. “If he’s not telling us the whole truth then there has to be a reason why.”

“I agree,” Misaki said, taking a sip of her water. “But then again, if I were him, I’d probably do the same.”

“What do you mean?” Ishi asked, once again beginning to eat.

“I’m sure he feels somewhat wary of us, as well,” Misaki explained. “It would be foolish of anyone to reveal all their cards right away.”

Misaki finished her meal, cleaning up the last piece of steak from her plate.

“As I said before, I don’t believe he’s lying to us,” she said. “Just omitting certain pieces of information.”

“So you think that he’s telling the truth?” Ishi asked.

Misaki nodded in affirmation.

“I do,” she said plainly. “And if he’s telling the truth, then this Skeith is definitely a danger to everyone in this game.”

Ishi could see Misaki’s point. When he thought about it, he really didn’t have any reason to believe Hao was explicitly lying. It would make sense that he was simply keeping them at a need-to-know basis. Maybe it was Ishi’s natural distrust of people, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that it ran deeper than that. He just couldn’t place exactly why…

“But enough about that for now,” Misaki said, grabbing Ishi’s attention. “Are you going to finish your dinner?”

“Oh… uh, yeah,” Ishi said, continuing to eat and finishing up his meal shortly after.

Misaki took the two empty plates and glasses behind the bar, washing them down in the sink and returning to Ishi.

“So how are you feeling?” Misaki asked.

“Huh?” Ishi said, looking up at her.

“I mean the fragment,” Misaki said. “The effects are the same as last time, right?”

“Oh… uh, yeah.”

Ishi held his hand out, looking into his palm. He attempted once more to conjure the red digital sparks he had before, but still nothing came from it. Ishi’s natural senses felt just as real as they would outside the game, just like last time, but nothing new had come about from this fragment. One one hand, Ishi supposed it was a good thing that it wasn’t affecting him in any unfamiliar ways, but at the same time…

At the same time he felt… disappointed.

“Maybe we should head to bed for now,” Misaki said, stepping out from behind the bar and walking over to the armor and dress she had placed on the table, snatching them and preparing to take them upstairs.

Ishi still sat on the stool, watching her carefully. Misaki took notice and tilted her head.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I love you.”

Ishi had blurted it out without even thinking about it; he’d just felt an unbearable urge to say it. The bluntness of the remark took Misaki by surprise, and it took a few seconds for Ishi to realize what he’d just said out of the blue. He quickly turned his gaze away from her, a little flustered.

Of course she knew, but it still felt strange to Ishi whenever he did that. He wasn’t used to sharing his feelings so openly.

Misaki placed her items back down on the table and strolled over to Ishi, leaning over next to him and turning his cheek over in her direction, allowing her to place a loving kiss on his lips. Ishi practically melted at the feeling.

“I love you too, my darling,” Misaki said softly, smiling warmly as she stared deep into his eyes. “Now come. We should get to sleep now.”

“R-right…”

Ishi stood up from his stool as Misaki went back to collect her things and head upstairs. Ishi followed her closely behind.

He always followed closely behind.

He always wanted to be close to her.

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