Sword Art Online - Alternative Reality

- The Storm CHP.1

~~~ Authors Note: Trying a bit of a different writing style for this one, hope you still enjoy it! ~~~ 

The air was stagnated and stale, not a single gust of wind blew through the field. The clearing group had only spent 3 days to clear this floor, and although his memory of it had been close to nonexistent, Klein could not believe that it always had this atmosphere. He looked up towards the sky and saw the dying lights of the sun, each second ticking towards the inevitable. They still had an hour until the raid but the figure he had followed, more like sent to watch over, said they would only need a few minutes.

In front of them was a log cabin made of wood Klein had no way of knowing the name off with a slanted roof and a chimney. It seemed too far out of the way to be of any importance, but to the brat, it appeared to be a source of strength, so he stood silently by, thoughts running rampant at the thought of what was to come. At some point, the kid had pulled out a small red box with, the type they use for wedding rings. Seeing as much, he could no longer stay silent.

"Ya know, you could just buy this place can't ya? Stay the night, invite your girlfriend. Prepare a house welcoming party or something for us tomorrow."

Klein was well aware that nothing he said would change the idiot's mind, but he wanted to try anyway. The face of the brat after a certain night remained in his mind and although a certain fencer had changed it, the last thing he wanted was to see that face again. The face of someone who had taken on a burden that should have never been his, and which would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"You youngins shouldn't even be out late anyway. Early to bed and early to rise and all that."

"...I always thought you looked like a retired bandit. Now you're starting to sound like one too. You'll never get married if you start acting like a crazed 60 yeard old."

The boy who had earned himself a variety of nicknames put on a cynical smile as he glanced back at Klein. He had the same smug look of arrogance as always, but something to be shifting in his eyes, a change that even Klein could notice.

"Oi! I'll have you know that I'll soon be more popular than you or Holy Shield-sama. When that happens, you better not come crying to me for relationship advice!"

"The day I come to you for relationship advice is the day the world ends."

The boy looked away and Klein could no longer see his face, but he knew that whatever expression he had on couldn't be a good one. Looking at his back, it seemed far too small for someone who was in the running for 'Strongest person in the world.' Yet, it had been the one countless people had seen protect them, pushing forward for tomorrow. Klein could tell that he would soon be done, so he made one last-ditch effort to push the idiot off his chosen path.

"...No one would say anything if ya change your mind ya know? Hell, you could run away and no one could say a dam thing about it. Haven't you done enough?"

There was silence between the two of them for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, as the sunlight that was shining on the log house faded, the brat spoke.

"Ever hear about the upgrade scam back on the 2nd floor when the front-runners first got to it?"

"Yeah...was kinda a big deal for those who were trying to catch up."

"Know it was Legend Braves who did it, with Nezha as the centerpiece?"

Klein only knew that the Legend Braves had joined and immediately departed the frontlines, only to rejoin them around the time his guild ended up catching up. Ignoring Klein's surprise, the brat continued.