Progressive Factor II: Lacrimosa Of A Reaper

The Land of Ruins and Player Killing

Part 5: The Red Samurai, The Masked Shielder, The Man In The Black Poncho, and the Chase For The Guild Flag

December 28th, 2026. Fifty-two days since Sword Art Online began. Four days until New Year's.

If anyone asked Koharu if she'd survive this long at the beginning without Jaymes, she'd honestly answer no if she tried exploring the world. If she were to survive any other way, it would be by holding up in the Town of Beginnings. She had no hope of seeing the New Year, never mind the ending of the game, but her friends had changed that. She may not be as brave as they are, but she's far from the weeping coward on November 6th.

Right now, she spends the second evening on the fifth floor with Mito, Asuna, Jaymes, and Kirito in a moss-covered ruin. The area looks to be what could have been a square in its heyday. The five sit around a campfire Mito and Kirito had put together. Kirito even had an iron kettle to boil water and branches for the fire. When Asuna pointed out how Kirito had the branches, he and Mito explained how branches, specifically those in his possession called Fossilwood, can burn different colors and longer than a typical branch. They've passively collected a bunch on the third and fourth floor, but neither Jaymes nor Kirito said anything because they truly believed Asuna and Koharu would be against touching sticks found in damp soil with bugs attached to them.

Asuna was visibly grossed out, but Koharu wasn't too bothered. Bugs bother her, but her mind is on her partner, who stands a couple of feet away from the group, leaning against an eroded wall, his eyes closed and ears up. He's been this way more or less since they stopped at the square. She knows why; he's been apprehensive the entire time the group has quested within the ruins. Then again, he warned her about the great danger the fifth floor presented yesterday afternoon.

Mito, Koharu, and Jaymes did not scale the winding staircase between the fourth floor's boss lair and the entrance to the fifth; instead, they returned to Rovia and waited until Kirito and Asuna opened the main town's gate. After spending the night in an inn, they've spent the entire day fulfilling quests. Koharu's group didn't get to the fifth floor until close to sunset, so she did not notice the floor was unnaturally dark. Not the sunlight that shines through the apertures of Aincrad broke the veil, and now that it's evening, the light of the moon provides little relief from the darkness. Kirito would be nearly indetectable to her if it weren't for the campfire.

And, whether a blessing or a curse, the fifth floor presented the same as it did in the beta, so Jaymes' warning about the potential of player-killers could become true. Kirito's Search skill may warn them of any danger, whether man or monster, but Jaymes trusts his instinct. After all, his one goal is the survival of Koharu, even if it comes at his own expense. She proved yesterday in a duel with Jaymes that she's still not ready to fight other players despite holding her own against the Forest Elves. But while Koharu at least dueled her partner to completion, Asuna backed out of hers against Kirito moments ago. If that were Koharu, Jaymes wouldn't be so forgiving...and he wasn't at all.

"Koharu," Kirito calls, holding two cups in his hands. It's filled with a fruity-smelling tea Asuna bought in Rovia. He gestures toward the silent guardian, asking Koharu to serve and talk to him. She nods and stands up, taking the two cups with her as she steps over to Jaymes. Whether he knew it was her, he opened his eyes calmly. Deciding to be upbeat, she presents her best smile and holds the cup in her left hand to him.

"Here. Kirito made tea."

"Thank you." He accepts and takes the cup to his lips. He grimaces at the heat after taking a sip, drawing a laugh from Koharu. He looks back at her with a raised eyebrow. "What's funny?"