War For Underworld

Nocturne of Black, White, and Crimson

Kirito descends from the cloudy sky behind Jaymes as the other boy turns around, his hot-red irises glaring at the winged swordsman. Kirito didn't expect Jaymes to be happy to see him, yet he senses something has gone horribly wrong. There's intense malice coming from Jaymes, evident from his vexing eye color, and for reasons based on Primus' lecture, Kirito has a bad feeling about who is the recipient of such rage, but not truly why. "Joshua…"

"All I wanted was to keep her safe. But you and Asuna took her away from me."

"H-Huh?"

"You killed Koharu."

Kirito winces as thunder booms in the distance, then sets his feet on the wet, grassy ground and walks towards his confused friend. "What are you saying? Koharu is-woah!" Kirito dodges a flaming arrow shot by Jaymes. However, it came so fast that Kirito almost didn't see it. Kirito rebalances himself from the shock and faces Jaymes, now less forceful in his approach. "Joshua! It did not happen!"

More Thermal elements appear around Jaymes head. "Liar! I saw you!" He fires them as arrows, but this time Kirito is prepared as he summons Aerial elements to counter, then directs a burst of wind towards Jaymes and sweeps him off his feet. Jaymes breaks through several trees before landing on the ground on his back, groaning as Kirito catches up to him.

But then several crystalline spears shoot toward Kirito, forcing him to draw the two blades on his back and defend himself. Slashing through the spears, he lands by Jaymes and smacks him with the flat side of the Night-Sky Sword with all his strength. Jaymes falls near the forest's edge, just where it meets the eastern road of the Cordea Plains away from Medina's home. This time, Kirito is quicker on his approach as he stands over the red warrior's body and pins Jaymes' neck underneath the sharp upper edges of the Night-Sky and Blue Rose swords. "Stop it! I don't want to fight you, and Asuna and I killed never killed Koharu!"

"Liar!" Kirito feels Jaymes' palms on his belly and quickly protects himself as he's impacted by a burst of hot, steaming water. He lands on his knees, mostly safe from the blast, but is too slow to recover as Jaymes frees himself and places one hand on Kirito's shoulder. Kirito is sure Jaymes is physically stronger than him in real life, probably even normally in VR as he normally carries his sword and shield. But in the Underworld, where the only "stats" are the priority levels that affect the ability to wield weapons and cast higher-order spells.

So when Jaymes fully impedes Kirito from getting up to his feet, he can only summarize it as Jaymes using some sacred art to do so. And with just a little more force, he slams Kirito against the ground. "You feel that, Kazuto? That's how I've felt this entire time while you and Asuna parade your love around me. This weight of having to protect Koharu's life and fail while you two got to live careless and free on Aincrad and back home. They called you heroes, but that's bullshit."

Kirito, with all his willpower, stretches his arms out and calls his discarded blades to him. Jaymes steps back and releases Kirito, to which the Black Swordsman reacts by attacking the weaponless Jaymes. But the dual blades stop in place just inches from Jaymes' forehead, Kirito seeing a faint outline just between them. An Incarnate Sword.

"You're a joke. And she's nothing more than a self-absorbed bi—"

Something in Kirito snaps as he kicks Jaymes in the gut and leaps back. Jaymes slides back himself and stretches the mostly invisible blade out towards Kirito. Kirito puts away any doubts in the back of his head and slowly walks to his right. "You've never beaten me in a swordfight, Jaymes."