SAO FB: Scars

I Swear My Revenge

———August 2024 Aincrad———

In the corner of a room, a man with a charcoal poncho sat in silence. He stared at the outside walls until a voice called out to him.

"Lobo?" someone asked.

The man looked up to see another Laughing Coffin member standing in front of him. He stood up from his seat and questioned why an article in the Aincrad Times mentioned a large attack on Laughing Coffin. After a few minutes of talking, an ALF guard walked up to the table causing the two to silence their conversation. The two waited for him to leave. As they discussed why there were Laughing Coffin members in Black Iron, Lobo could only wonder about what happened.

"There was a raid," the second person sighed. "A-and there were losses."

"Losses? How so?" Lobo interrogated. "Who attacked?"

"It was the floor clearers. They came to arrest us all but PoH warned us about them. We set up an ambush, but there was this one person. They seemed to know that it was an ambush."

"How would he know?"

"He knew our ambush tactics. He knew about the smokes and the positions we've waited in."

"Could he have been a former Laughing Coffin member?"

"No he wore a trench coat and he only used one sword."

"That's Kirito The Black Swordsman. He's more like an edgy teenager. How'd he figure it out?"

"No, No, No... It's a new guy. He looked like that ghost that everyone talks about. Uses every weapon type and leaves without getting caught."

"The Ghost of Aincrad? The so-called Incognito Individual picking sides?"

"Yeah...It gets worse though sir," the member continued. "He killed someone."

"Who'd he kill? I bet it's another one of them new recruits that PoH had brought."

A moment of silence fell over the table as the member sat there fidgeting in his seat. After a few minutes of waiting, the member gathered his courage and whispered, "It was your brother, sir."

Lobo's seat fell backward as he got up from his seat and grabbed the collar of the member in front of him. The member strained as Lobo pulled him close. Lobo's breath sent chills down the member's neck.

"My brother? Are you sure?" Lobo spoke menacingly.

"I'm sure sir. I checked the Monument after the attack. His name is scratched off."

"Take me there."

Lobo released the collar of the member. It took a moment for him to ask the member to bring him to Floor 1. The member caught his breath before leading Lobo to Floor 1. As they reached the Monument of Life, an ALF guard walked up to them and tried to hustle them for money. Lobo pushed the guard out of the way and stood at the base of the monument. The guard tried to approach them but Lobo knocked the guard unconscious. After a few minutes of searching, Lobo found his brother's name scratched off. Under the name was the time of death and how he died.

"Time of death, 1700 August 2024," Lobo breathed.

Once he saw the cause of death, Lobo's fists clenched and a tinge of red appeared from them. Under the cause of death, Kato's name was written along with the type of weapon used which was a dagger.

"You're mine," Lobo threatened under his breath while he exited the Palace.

———Floor 22———

Kato walked along the elevated pathway toward the large lake on the floor. The cool wind brushed along his skin and the sun warmed his soul. Kimiko, a guild mate, walked alongside him. There was a palpable amount of tension in the air.

"You went to the raid on the newspaper, didn't you?" she asked.

Kato responded, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Kato, you can tell us what happened. At least tell me."

"You weren't a part of it. I saw things that I wish I didn't see. You don't need to know."

Kato quickened his pace to put some distance between himself and Kimiko. Kimiko watched him disappear over the crest of the hill. Kato believed that it was in his best interest for them to not know what he did. He sat down at the edge of the lake and waited for the guild to join him at the shoreline. They discussed the future plans of the guild while grilling their catch. Kato liked this state of mind. No one had to worry about what he did. They didn't know what happened nor should they get involved with it. He kept everyone and himself blissfully ignorant about his past. He believed that leaving the past behind was the best course of action for everyone. He hoped that nothing would return from his past.

In the shadows of a nearby tree, Lobo watched Kato and his guild. He considered the possibility of getting under his nerves, forcing another confrontation. His favorite tactic would work perfectly in that situation. Kato was unwilling to open up about the attack and Lobo was ready to use it to his advantage. As the group dispersed for the night, Kimiko walked along the boardwalk to buy supplies for the upcoming dungeon raid. Before she reached the entrance to the main town, she heard a whistling noise in the trees. When Kimiko turned around, a figure stood in the center of the boardwalk dimly lit by the half-moon. A faint clanging of metal could be heard in the same direction.

Kimiko asked, "Who are you?"

"A friend of your friend," Lobo spoke. "I was hoping that we could have a...conversation about him."

Sensing hostile intent, Kimiko pulled out her dagger and slowly backpedaled to the town which was a safe zone. Lobo noticed Kimiko's plan and blitzed toward her. Kimiko quickly turned around and ran for the town while screaming for help. Lobo raised the sickle and activated a sword skill. The sword skill activated and dismembered Kimiko's leg. As she struggled to reach the town's gate, Lobo twirled the sickle in his hand before bringing the tip of the weapon to her neck. Kimiko gulped as fear took over her ability to speak. Lobo raised the sickle and a red glow came from the blade. Kimiko closed her eyes and accepted the end. Before the skill could be initiated, a wire wrapped around the arm wielding the sickle preventing Lobo from following through with the strike. Kimiko's leg reappeared and she scrambled across the threshold of the town, protecting her from further harm. Lobo sliced the wire and followed its shimmer in the moonlight to its user. In the darkness of the trees, a figure watched Lobo carefully with a sword half unsheathed. As more players started to congregate around Kimiko, there was no way that Lobo can continue with the assassination.

"This was a wash," Lobo breathed.

As players approached him with spears and swords, Lobo laughed while grabbing a smoke bomb and teleport crystal from his belt. As the players started to enclose Lobo, Lobo let out a final chuckle before throwing the smoke bomb at his feet. After a few minutes of clearing the smoke, Lobo had disappeared from the floor entirely and arrived in the old Laughing Coffin base. Lobo needed to force a one-on-one directly. No tricks would do.