Sword Art Online - The Midnight Shadow

Chapter 1 - Red-Nosed Reindeer

December 24, 2023

Kirito and Sachi were sorting through their inventories, trying to find their most effective equipment.

They said nothing to each other, as there was nothing more to say.

As she worked, Sachi took a look out the window. Her heart ached when she saw guilds walking around the main square.

They were once in a group like that. The memory of being with her closest friends was still fresh in her mind.

She closed her eyes and gently shook her head, trying to remind herself to focus on the task ahead. She had to, for him.

A few minutes passed before they finally closed their menus and turned towards each other.

"Sachi, are you sure about this?" her partner asked her gently.

Sachi looked at him in his sad gray eyes.

"Of course," she responded softly. "If I don't go with you, you'll just go yourself."

Hesitantly, she reached out to hold his gloved hands.

"I won't let you die."

Kirito turned away from his partner, trying to hide his blush.

Honestly, he was pleased with the progress she made. Within the last 6 months, she had learned how to fight better than most of the few players that he knew. He recognized that she was still afraid, but that was natural, she was simply more honest about it.

"Alright," he conceded after some time. "But promise me that you'll escape if something goes wrong."

Sachi smiled sadly at him. Grateful for his unwavering concern for such a timid girl.

"I promise, but nothing will go wrong," she assured him softly. "Because you are my partner."

After holding each other's hands for some time, the duo decided that it was time to leave.

"Hold up, Sachi," Kirito stopped before he opened the door.

Quickly, he went through his menu and pulled out a hooded black coat.

It was the same one that he had left in their shared storage space. They had an unspoken understanding that anything that was kept in this storage was free to be used by the other, however, she wasn't sure why exactly he left it there.

Turning away with an embarrassed expression, he held the coat out to her.

"This is warmer than what you're wearing," he told her as he looked at her shyly from the corner of his eye.

Sachi smiled at him and took the coat from him. Briefly, she pressed it to her face, as if it contained a part of the boy that she had grown so close to. With a smile, she put it on, already feeling warmer.

"Thank you," she said with a light blush.

Kirito smiled at her gently before turning back towards the door.

"Let's go," he whispered as he opened the door.

Sachi nodded and followed after him through the cold night.

***

It didn't take too long for them to reach the entrance to the forest maze. From their research, they knew about the basic layout of the area.

But more than that, Kirito had figured out precisely where the boss would be appearing.

They had spent a lot of their money on the info from Kirito's friend Argo, but it had been worth it.