Asuna
“Good job.”
“Nice work.” Feeling embarrassed that she said such a thing to Kirito of all people, she looks at him and he does the same back to her. While he laughs it off, she coughs and looks away. Looking back, she notices his raised fist and looks to her own, slowly mocking the gesture and connecting hers to his.
Beyond them, the near-fifty raiders celebrate their victory. Asuna can hear Lind scream at his success of continuing the lack of life lost on the field, and shake hands with Kibaou. Nezha stands at the center of the mass, staring up at the ceiling with his glittering chakram in his hand. She turns to Jaymes and Koharu, the girl smiling happily while the boy looks to his teammates and nods. “Well, another one--or three-bites the dust.”
“Good work, everyone! That King was pretty frightening. I was scared there for a moment.”
Asuna agrees with Koharu. “Good thing we were able to handle it.”
Agil joins the four and gazes at the other raiders. “Your skill and teamwork are as brilliant as ever. But this victory doesn’t belong to you... It’s his.”
Kirito nods and glances in Nezha’s direction. “Yeah. If it wasn’t for him, we’d have lost at least ten people in this fight… Sheesh. They’re best friends after all.”
Asuna bites her lips. “At least until we reach the third floor.”
“And do this all over again.” Jaymes sighs and looks at the pathway to the third floor. “We knew the boss might have a change or two, yet we were still caught off guard. If it wasn’t for Argo, we wouldn’t have known now that we can find information on the current bosses on each floor if we look for it. No longer can we just level and rely on beta information, we have to be sure to complete all possible quests that could give that info. From now on, those two assumptions must be realized.”
“Which means even scouting the boss too. We’re not locked into lairs, so if we send speedy players to get a good look at bosses, we can gain information from them.”
“Right. Lind and Kibaou can be our leaders, I have no desire to upstage them on that, nor do I care if DKB and ALS work perfectly together. As long as they understand the significance of these two assumptions, we shouldn’t attempt another raid. Especially if there’s a weakness to be exploited.”
Listening to the males break down the future of the frontlines as they walked to the larger mass of players makes Asuna feel somewhat useless and ignorant. Jaymes, Kirito, and seemingly Agil are experienced gamers, so their understanding of the future is beyond that of Asuna. Yet, what they’re saying makes sense, even applicable to the real world to some degree. You don’t take a test without reviewing the information, after all. Going in blindly, even with confidence, is a fatal error.
As they got close, Nezha took notice of the five and scrambled over to Asuna’s party, bowing to them. “Great work, Kirito, Asuna, Jaymes, and Koharu. That last midair sword skill was incredible. You four are well coordinated.”
Kirito scratches his head. “Well, actually…”
“Incredible,” Asuna interrupts. “That was your appearance. The way you used that thing without a test run, when it mattered most, I was impressed.”
Nezha chuckles. “Well, most of it was the system auto-aiming for me. But even so, I finally got to be what I’ve always wanted to be. Thank you very much for giving me the push I needed.”
Koharu smiles and stands Nezha up again after a second bow. “It’s fine, really! After all, we’re all here to help each other, right?”
As if blinded by Koharu’s radiant kindness, Nezha turns red and looks away. “R-R-Right!”
“Nezha, shouldn’t you be there with them?” Kirito gestures to the Legend Braves who mingle with the leaders of the ALS and DKB. Despite the explanation behind their ability in the battle, the Braves performed admirably, even rallying the others at the end. To a degree, they achieved their goal of being heroes, and have their place on the front. She wonders if the guilds will swallow them into their ranks, or will they stay independent like Agil’s.
“No, it’s fine. There’s something else I still need to do.”
“Huh? What’s that?” It didn’t take long for that “something” to make its appearance. As Nezha steps away, Asuna can see two players from the blue ranks of the DKB and one of ALS’ green approaches him. At first, it looked like they were coming in thanks, but their faces betrayed that action. Asuna didn’t recognize the one leading the trio, or any of them, but she caught a glimpse of Jaymes’ face turning just as hard as the other players.
“You’re the blacksmith who was working in Urbus and Taran just a few days ago, aren’t you?”
“...Yes.”
“Why did you switch to a fighter? And how’d you get that rare weapon? It’s a drop-only item, isn’t it? Did you make that much money from smithing?”
In light of this, the whole room turned their attention to the encounter. The scenario Kirito feared would happen was beginning to form, and though Asuna did not want anyone to die, she knew it would be hard to convince the DKB player and others affected (Agil included) to not search for some form of retribution. But no one, not Asuna and her party, not Lind and Kibaou, not even the Legend Braves make a move to intervene.
Asuna glances back at Jaymes. “What do you know? I see it on your face.”
“The day we left you, I ran into that player. Shivata, at the bar. After a little chat, he ‘warned’ me of a player who was a blacksmith, and that player broke his high-level Stout Blade. Of course, I didn’t say anything to him about the truth, but I can see Shiva was angry, albeit in better control than I had when you lost yours.”
So this was inevitable once Nezha stepped through those doors. Nezha knew that too, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise when Nezha dropped his chakram and body to the floor, hands out, head low. “I deceived you, Shivata, and the two others with you. I switched out your swords before attempting to upgrade them, replacing them with spent weapons that I broke instead.”
The silence was thick and painful, it made Asuna uncomfortable. Now that the truth was out, her eyes are on Shivata and his companions. If what Jaymes said is true, Shivata held his angry back then, and looks to be doing the same now, with only a deep frown on his face. His companions have less control over their faces, but they also don’t react as she would’ve expected.
Then the two questions they’ve asked Nezha themselves days ago returned. “Do you still have the weapons you stole?”
“No… I already sold them for money.”
“Can you pay me back the value?” Nezha didn’t answer as quickly, which only thickened the uncomfortable air. But it wasn't just Nezha; the Braves were distressed as well. The money Nezha and the Braves made has been converted into the equipment the Braves wear. To arrange that payback, the Braves would have to sell everything. Would they do so, after being a critical piece in the battle that just took place? Can they get away clean if Nezha somehow gets himself out of the situation?
Apparently, by telling them the same story he told Asuna and the others, incriminating himself, not the Braves. “No… I cannot repay you now. I used all of the money on all-you-can-eat meals at expensive restaurants, and high-priced inns.”
Shivata’s large DKB teammate snapped. “You….why, you filthy… Do you have any idea what it's like to see your favorite, beloved sword smashed to pieces? And you sold it off...to have yourself a feast? To stay in deluxe hotels? Then you sue the rest to buy yourself a valuable weapon, barge into the boss battle, and fancy yourself a hero?”
“When I lost my sword, I thought I’d never fight on the front line again But my friends donated some funds to me and helped me gather materials… You didn’t just betray us, you stabbed everyone fighting to complete this game in the back!” Those two outbursts from Shivata’s companions lit the fire, and players all around started calling out Nezha angrily. But no one, not Agil, not the Braves, tried quelling the anger. Agil’s inaction (the opposite of his defense of the beta testers) makes some sense, he was a victim of the scam too, and the Braves (as horrible as it sounds to admit) is reasonable. And though she wanted to act, what could Asuna say? She defended the beater along with Jaymes and Koharu, and they certainly have clout with the frontlines, but what can either of them do?
But eventually, someone does act. As he walks out and holds his hand high, the fury dies down and Shivata’s group moves out his way. Lind, one of two (three if Diavel decided to pop up again) who could calm the masses, took the stage. “Will you tell us your name?”
“...It’s Nezha.”
Lind nods and clears his throat. “I see. Your cursor is still green, Nezha...but that speaks to the severity of your crime. If you’d committed a properly-recognized crime and turned orange, it would be possible to return it to green through good karma quests. But no quest will wipe your sins clean now. If you cannot repay what you owe to others in the game...we will have to find a different means of punishment. It was not just swords that you stole from Shivata and others. It was a great amount of time that they poured into those blades. Therefore…”
Asuna almost let her shoulders relax. Lind stating that part implies he wanted Nezha to aid the advancement of the front, maybe exclusively DKB. A better punishment than death, for sure, yet she doesn’t relax as another member of the ALS steps forward and utters mood-changing words. “I...I know the truth! There are plenty more players he stole weapons from! One of them had to use a cheap store-bought weapon, and ended up getting killed by mobs he’d handled just fine before!”
“If… If someone’s died because of this...then he’s not just a swindler anymore. He’s a puh...puh…”
“That’s right; He’s a murderer! A PKer!”
“PK?”
“Player killer,” Koharu answers worriedly. Asuna needed no more information than that. That is self-explanatory, and she figures it is a regular occurrence in these types of games. But SAO has a severe penalty for the death of the avatar--the subsequent death of the player.
Kirito further explains. “In most MMORPGs these days, players cannot attack each other outside of duels. But in SAO, which has that system, you can skip the honesty of that and attack another player. You know the safety of towns and certain zones as opposed to the field, so like any monster, another player can attack in the field and dungeons. PKers are those who operate like that for fun and profit. I’ve had my fair share of that experience, but not once here in SAO...well, there was an MPK the first night.”
“Monster PK? Damn.”
That ALS player continues to point and accuse Nezha. “A few bows and scrapes can’t make up for a PK! No amount of apologizing or money is going to bring back the dead! What’s your plan? How are you gonna make this right? Well?”
Asuna takes a look at the accusing dagger-wielding player, narrowing her eyes. His voice is familiar...like the one who called out Kirito as a beta tester before he was labeled a beater. Now here he is again. Kirito managed to get out of the situation, or at least shut the man up by separating himself from the other testers, but Nezha has no such out. If what that player said is true, Nezha indirectly murdered another player.
“I will accept...whatever judgment you decide upon.”
Silence lingered a moment longer, then judgment rained down with four short words. “Then pay the price.” The cries for Nezha’s death overwhelmed the chamber, so much so that Asuna couldn’t even think of thinking of a way to prevent it. The players had a right to be furious, and to a degree, with no laws or system of accountability amongst the players for PKing, she couldn’t concretely decide whether death was an appropriate judgment. She just knew that Nezha, just as Kirito, had become the outlet of thirty-eight days and two floors’ worth of rage, pressure, and desperation.
Then Orlando and the Legend Braves made their move.
Asuna watches Orlando like a hawk as he confronts the bowed Nezha, then gasps as Orlando’s right gauntlet reaches for the sword strapped to his left side. She hears Kirito call Orlando’s name, and shifts in a position to intervene just as Kirito and Jaymes do. She can’t see Koharu, but she assumes the other girl will intervene too, as she had more faith in Nezha than anyone else.
“Don’t do anything, you three.”
“No,” Asuna responds to Kirito’s warning flatly.
“Don’t you get it? If you interfere with this, you won’t be allowed among this group anymore, you might even be labeled a criminal.”
“I still won’t stop. Don’t you remember what I said the first time we met? I left the Town of Beginnings so that I could be myself.”
“And don’t you remember what Diavel said about me, that I know about myself? I can talk all I want, but I can’t let something like this just happen. I’m already a criminal as a beta tester, what’s a little more?”
“We aren’t letting you carry every burden alone, Kirito. A team, a real team, doesn’t do such a thing. So even if we are excluded, we’ll all be excluded.”
Kirito has no comeback to Asuna and the others, so he shuts up and returns to watching. Asuna does too, so she almost loses her footing when Orlando says something to Nezha, something like an apology, and lays down his sword, helmet, and himself on the ground. Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and Cuchulainn follow suit. Dead silence surrounds the six Legend Braves as they all bow in unison apologetically.
“Nezou… Nezha is our partner. We’re the ones who forced him to commit that fraud.”