Sword Art Online: Side Stories

Jumping as the door opened, Minato nervously closed the message, "Oh, um, yes...I just...need this repaired." The dagger he used normally on the front-lines only appeared in his hands as he held it out to Star. The three-pointed dagger was split in two places as if from a sharp sword. He smiled and rubbed the back of his head, ruffling blonde hair, "I got too serious and the poor thing was on it's last few bits of durability. Silly thing split and nearly got me cut in half."

 

It was a very poorly treated dagger. This would be beyond easy for her though. "Yeah, come on in. I'll take care of this in a sec." She let him in then closed the door behind him. She walked towards her anvil and began to use some of her own crafted materials to upgrade the dagger. "Alright. Here is the dagger. I cleaned it up for you and enhanced it to +3." It was a pretty dagger actually, and now it had some power to boot. "The first time is free. Is there anything else I can help you with?" She was in a very giddy mood. Finding a husband did that to a girl.

Inferna grit her teeth. Invite Masamune, never would she do that to him. He wasn't worth the council's time. It was hard enough getting PoH onto a seat even. "Whatever Yuko. I'm out. Send me a message whenever you've got a hit for me." She walked off to the portal and warped to the 3rd floor.

"Starlight's old house was once on this floor. Time to dig up some dirt."

 

He waved her goodbye not like he or she cared. "Man...women are such a pain...one little problem makes them all mad or something. Hmm...women can't be on their period in this game can they? Ugh...I hope not...or else the maker REALLY needs to gt taken in." He looked at the ad for Mya's new store opening. "Perhaps I should take a visit soon..."

 

Taking his dagger back, Minato twirled it by inserting his finger into the metal hoop on the end. "Very nice... Oh, something else? Hmm...well...I only need this one currently but I have a dozen others, just like this one that could use a tune up. But I won't trouble you with that. I have a smith a few floors up." He sighed, "Actually, if you could point me in the direction of a good inn....it appears I'll be needing a place to stay. Rotten to the core big guilds...ruining the flow of the front-line." Out of habit, his hand slid into his pocket and pulled out nothing. "Ugh..." My boy...

 

The guilds pushing players aside from the front lines? Sounds like nothing new. They did this all the times. Very few solo players were respected among the guilds to keep on fighting. It was only because they were feared by the guild. "Doesn't surprise me really. Us solo players can get it rough sometimes." He mentioned something about other daggers. "I can repair your other daggers too. I really don't charge that much for repairs. However if you just wish to move along, there is an inn a few blocks down. It is still day so I cant see why you need to check in." She looked back over to Masaru and smiled. "But if that is all, I'll be closing down for a little while. My Knight and I have some things to take care of."

 

Masaru nodded untilt he doorbell rang and she was talkign with a customer until she said she and him had a few thigns to do and stepped out from the smithing room into the shop, looking atat her..

"You are right about the clothes though, I may have to sell my house and perhaps spend the Col I've accumlated to buy a new one for us to live in." he stopped to look at the man who was in the store. "I think I heard about you... you were a Front-Liner but stopped in favour to help Players in the lower levels to get better, I'm a fellow Front-Liner too, well, just recently known." He chuckled a bit at that.

 

Staring, Minato scratched his head before a light bulb went off in his head, "That's right, I thought I recognized you two. You're that idol girl and her so-called knight." Laughing, Minato set his hands on his hips, "Oh...what a ruckus. So you're Masaru...yeah, I've seen you a few times. I guess since you two are married now I won't be seeing much of you." he paused when Star mentioned being pushed aside by the guilds, "Huh? Oh, no, it's not like that. I was once apart of those big guilds...but I couldn't just sit by while young kids far below the required level were up on the front lines trying to be heroes. I told them if they wanted to be heroes...they'd have to fight like heroes. As per agreement...Heathcliff let me go to train those kids and...I head back every few days to help out." His expression became solom, like he felt bad, "But..." snapping out of his gloom, Minato summoned eighteen more of the exact same dagger, "It's not like they don't run me ragged when I go back. All's fair. Ah, don't worry about the money. I think I've got enough here to pay normal charge."

 

Star smiled and took the daggers. It would take a little while longer sense there were so many. She walked by Masaru and kissed his cheek while walking to the back "Be back in a minute." She worked at it each dagger for a little while. So, Masaru is becoming popular? That may be bad for us once we are out of SAO. That reminded her. How could she ever tell her mother or even her manager that she wanted to have less pop time and more time with her family and Masaru. She was number one on the charts. Fans would be disappointed that she was taking longer breaks. She wondered what fans thought of her now being that she is trapped in a virtual reality world. It could go either way.

She walked out with the daggers. "Because of the quality and and level of the weapons, it will only cost you 100 col each. That will come to a total of 1800 col." This was a good discount. Most Blacksmith's charged around 150 col each. She was there for the players. "I also think its great you help the youth here. It is logical after all to get every resource we can to escape from this world." Although she enjoyed helping out and talking, she really was growing impatient.

 

"Alright then, follow me." Fang said, leading her to the inn. When they had gotten there, he directed her to the main room as he waited.

 

Scarlet started the day with a usual routine before heading out and scouting the area. So far everything had been nice and quiet. However it was not long in the afternoon before shouts were heard.

After arriving on the scene she spotted a group of Players, obviously Rouges judging by their armour, harassing people who seemed to have chosen a civilian life. Things like 'you're leeches, relying on others to save you' and 'you don't need these things. Us warriors do!' were said. How disgusting.

She rushed in, drawing her sword as she continued to examine the scene. Five fighters. One holding a bag probably stolen from the man on his knees in front of them. Two more citizens standing behind him, small children. One shouting back and the other hiding behind the more assertive one. There was only a small space between the two groups, but it was enough.

They hadn't seen her, she was too fast. And when she stopped moving she held the bag and stood behind the leader of the pack, pointing her sword at his throat. He seemed frightened. How quaint.

"Leave," she said. No. The word was not said but growled. And it worked, as they then left. However they promised to return and she figured they only left because they could not fight her in a safe zone.

She returned the items to the people who thanked her before returning home. After that she pulled up her menu, making a guild announcement.

 

His cheek was kissed as Star left to get the work done, he ahd to think, what would happen when he gets back in the rreal world? Tell his family he met up with a popular idol in the game and married her in-game and date her in the real, that would more less likely to believe, not to mention the Number One of Japan's charts from back then, the backlash and press could be a problem too as they loved tidbits of inomation to get more coin into their pockets.

"Then there's scandals and such, gee, nothing ever comes easy does it?" He thought sarcastaically, but he didn't care abotu now, it wa sin the future and who knows when this game will get cleared? ceratinly not soon as it took this long to get to the floors in the 50's, and the bosses and monster spawns will only get more tougher and harder to boot, making it a very long wait back to reality.

"Wonder how Misaki's doing..." he thought to abotu his sister, luckily, she wasn't dragged into this, and msot likely all the remain players in Hospitals provided by that man to watch over them and ensure theya re healthy and such since whiel wearing the NerveGear, you couldn't exactly eat or go to the toilet, he didn't want to know how they do that, but the human body can only last so long.

 

Fang was relaxing in one of the chairs in the inn when he'd gotten the message. While he wasn't much on a strategist, an ambush did seem like the best course of action. Especially in this situation. Since he was already in the meeting place, he just waited for everyone else who was going along to show up.

When Kaito had gotten the message, a small smirk had appeared on his face. Finally it was time for some action. Hopefully he wouldn't do anything to mess it up. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that, now he needed to head back to the inn. So without wasting anymore time, he started to make his way back.

 

Minato's happy-go-lucky expression died on his face the more Star spoke of helping the youths in the game. His heart gave a painful pulse as he retrieved the daggers and handed over the col required. "It's the least I can do...if not for them...to keep myself from going crazy." Again, his hand wandered to his pocket. "How many years will it take for us to escape? Ten...twenty? It's been too long already." How far along would his son have grown by the time he got back? "I'm missing too much....to take any of this lightly." he mumbled to himself.

 

Within a short amount of time the first floor of the Inn began filling up with people. There wasn't an overwhelming amount, maybe ten members, but it ought to be enough for this little mission. And once it became clear no one else was going to show Scarlet started the meeting, standing at the end of a long table where everyone was seated.

"Seems like we got a good selection here...so they won't stand a chance," pulling out a map she placed it in the center of the table and pointed towards The Rouge's training grounds, a clearing in the forest nearby. "My sources say that there should be a small group of Rouges coming here this evening, about five of them give or take. Seems easy enough but if you're unsure about this say so now, before I go on any further."

 

Star had little clue of what the solo player had been talking about. Maybe he had family back in the real world that he was missing more and more the days go by. "Judging from the amount of time it has taken to get this far, I estimate about 5 years more unless a miracle happens." Their bodies probably wouldn't last that long either. Not without having serious physical handicap. Being on a hospital bed for so long would degenerate your muscles and eventually give you the inability to walk. There wasn't even a treatment for it no matter how far technology had become.

"I know you wish to converse some, but Masaru and I just wed. I would like to spend my evening with him." The impatience finally gave in. She escorted Minato out while taking Masaru with her. "I'm sorry. If you need more assistance, come again tomorrow." She even put a sign up stating this as well as to why. She walked to the teleport gate and warped to Mya's shop. Whilst there, she knocked on the door waiting to go in.

 

Shiina had watched Minato and Kuroi head off in different directions after their match and now..."Wh-What do I do? M-Minato... K-Kuroi..." Shiina and her wolves hung their heads and wandered down the streets. "What do we do now, Mina...Kuro? Masamune is gone...Minato-sensei is probably heading back to the front-lines...and we've made zero friends." Mina barked at her side and she formed an O with her hands, "A big, fat, zero. Don't argue with me, Mina." The girl knelt and patted her familiars' heads. "We should begin looking for Masamune again. Let's try to find some hints."

Minato's own impatience snapped when Star suggested five more years in this lonely hell and proceeded to leave him alone with his thoughts. Just wed... Reminds me of my own wedding day... "Five years...." He sat down on the steps of Star's shop and gripped his kunai tightly in his fist, "Is death our only release from this place? Five more years...and my boy will be..." he didn't want to count the years as they passed, knowing each day left a larger and larger gap between him and his son. "Anna will raise him well...but I'm not going to sit back and let my family suffer." Jumping up, he scowled at the dagger, "That foolish girl is wrong. If five years is too long...then I'll shorten it considerably."

 

Spending all day in a haze, the knock on her store door snapped her out of her daze. She placed the dagger back into her inventory as she opened the door. "Hello customers!" She then realized it was Masaru and Star. and gave them a warm smile. "Oh hey you two! Come on in! What brings you here today?"