Progressive Factor II: Lacrimosa Of A Reaper

The Realm of Puzzles

Part 6: The Puzzling Sixth Floor, A Cursed Quest, The Fourth Key, and Farewell to The Friend Who'll Always Be

Mito

At three in the morning on January 1st, 2023, Mito and her four companions took their first steps on the sixth floor of Aincrad, teleporting from Karluin to the main town of the sixth floor, Stachion. Upon first glance, the town of Stachion remains as she remembers it. Surrounding the teleport gate is a giant sudoku puzzle that's twenty-seven rows and columns wide. The giant puzzle comprises seven hundred and twenty-eight smaller puzzles, each containing eighty-one tiles that make up a single sudoku puzzle.

As Kirito explains to Asuna and Koharu, some were bold enough to attempt to solve the entire puzzle. It could have been accomplished if it didn't take so long to do so (Asuna quickly calculated ten days at minimum) and if the puzzle didn't reset and shuffled the hint numbers at midnight. So on the final day of the beta, the puzzle solvers used outside resources to help in their endeavor. Mito heard that the puzzle might've been solved, but the reward, if one exists, is unknown.

Minutes later, they found an inn and rented their rooms. Asuna and Kirito have rooms 201 and 202, Jaymes and Koharu share 203, and Mito takes 204. Tired as she is, she quickly solved the annoying puzzle that acts as a lock for the door, then bids goodnight to the other four as they work on their puzzles.

As soon as she's alone in her room, bathed in the moonlight from the large window, Mito sighs and topples down to the floor, back against the door. Knees folded against her chest, the purple-haired girl stares at the window.

When she joined Asuna and her new friends, Mito wondered why she initially backed off. Asuna had forgiven her, understanding the events that led Mito to do as she did. Mito believed it came too easily, but Asuna never said something she didn't mean. Furthermore, she had found new friends and a reason to live in this world. Was it part jealousy that Asuna moved on from their separation, or did the guilt of the matter weigh so long on Mito's shoulders that it wasn't something she could easily drop?

As she adventured with them until now, Mito knew two things; she would only stay temporarily in the party and had to ensure Asuna was in good hands. After beating the fourth floor, she was certain Asuna was fine with Koharu and the guys, and had the desire to part ways then...but something told her to stay just a while longer. She'll call it fate, destiny, whatever. Why it wanted her to stay, she doesn't know, but because of it, she got to witness that her worries about Asuna were unwarranted.

"You did well. I'm glad...you're all right..."

"I was scared... I was so scared... There was a ghost, and I fell into a pit...then I got lost,, and dropped my rapier, and I thought I was done for...I thought I was going to meet my end in this horrible dark cave...I was so, so scared, so scared...I really mean it..."

"It's all right... You're all right. If we ever get split up again, I'll find you and come help. You're...my partner, Asuna."

"...Yeah."

That moment in the catacombs between Asuna and Kirito initially made Mito angry at herself. That should have been her comforting Asuna, not Kirito...but then she realized why she was made to stay. Why she was made to see this very moment...and the one the previous evening after they beaten Fuscus the Vacant Colossus.

"Why...why... Why do you have to be talked to like that...? After how hard you worked...After you risked your life to fight for the sake of the group, for the sake of everyone trapped in here...After you bowed to them and apologized...Why do you deserve this? This is wrong. They make their guilds, pull all their friends in, do whatever they want, bicker with each other...and you ran yourself ragged for their sake, only to get accused like that...It's wrong. It's absolutely wrong."