Fairy Dance

Trouble in the Lugru Corridor

“Oh, it got brighter!” Leafa turns to Kirito, who recited the spell which gave the trio vision in the dark Lugru Corridor. “Night vision magic? I guess Spriggans are good for something.”

“Put that way, it kind of hurts.”

Leafa chuckles. “But you should memorize any magic you can use. Of course, the only magic you’re good at is illusion magic.”

“Illusion?”

“You can use it to trick people. It’s not that useful in combat, though. Well, even the lame Spriggan magic might save our lives someday.”

“That hurt even more.”

“If you two are done squabbling like brother and sister, let’s keep moving.” The pair turns to Jaymes, still quite moody from what transpired back during their break. Leafa doesn’t understand it, and Kirito has no clue still as to what set him off. All the latter knows is that Yui feels really bad about whatever they were talking about.

To Jaymes’ fault, he shouldn’t blame Yui for speaking of Koharu. He’s not sure himself what about it made him angry, he was fine yesterday. Whatever is bothering him starts with him telling Recon they’ll take care of Leafa and make sure she’s returned to him the same way they took her. A promise to protect someone else’s partner...then Yui’s naive example of his and Koharu sticking together…

Yui knows of Jaymes and Koharu, she met them many months before she met Kirito and Asuna, but she doesn’t know Koharu is dead. If that is bothering him, it is not Yui’s fault. All she knows during their one encounter is that Koharu and Jaymes were close partners, close enough to want to save a nearly deleted memory of themselves in SAO. Her only other encounter with such closeness is Kirito and Asuna, and to her, those relationships are the same. She wouldn’t be wrong to think Jaymes did not love Koharu and vice versa, they both were aware of the other’s feelings themselves, but decided to wait until they survived SAO. How foolish they were...

No, Yui is not the problem. She unintentionally stoked the fire that was unknowingly ignited by Recon, a flame that he tried keeping down the moment he and Kirito planned to come to save Asuna. He tried keeping his mind on helping one friend save another, yet now all he can think of is that he’s helping Kirito save his lover, while he held his own as she died. As for the blacksmith he fell for afterward… He doesn’t know where she is.

Make that two fires of jealousy. Kirito not only survived with Asuna, he knows where to find her.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Moments later

“Don’t try to memorize them as sounds. Learn the words of power’s meanings. Then memorize the spells, based on their effects.”

Kirito sighs. “I never thought I’d have to do something like memorizing English in a game.”

“Just so you know, the higher-ranked spells have around twenty words.”

“I’m just gonna stick to fighting.”

“No complaints… I have a message. Jaymes, hold on a second.”

The former Crimson Warrior sighs and turns around, deciding to let go of his self-irritation. “Sure.”

“Recon again? I’m sure it’s nothing, but…” She presses the floating yellow icon to open the message. “‘I was right. Be careful. S.’ What’s this? ‘S’? Sa… Shi… Su?”