The Swordsman in Black

Chapter 5: Reunion and Betrayal

Kirito's p.o.v.

It has been 8 months since the battle of the 80th Tower Guardian. We have completed the 81th floor through the 85th floor, and I was now just meeting up with my old friend Klein. We meet when I was running from the demons that took my family from me. I was 16 and he was 24 when that happen. We trained together for eight years, along side a young girl named Sinon, before we went our separate ways. It has been ten years since we've seen each other.

I was waiting at a restaurant on the 57th floor when I hear behind me, "Long time, no see, man." I smiled as I turned around in my seat. "Indeed it has, Klein." Klein sat down in the other seat at the table. "So, how have you been man?" Klein was the first to ask. "I've been good. Slaying demons and working alone." He smirked at that. "What about you?" I asked. "I've also been good. Helping my guild grow to be one of the best. Slaying demons on the front lines, too."

Klein was the guild leader of the Fuurinkazan guild. They were up in the top five of the most powerful guilds, even though they were tiny, not even ten members. They mostly wore samurai style armor and weapons. "Hay, I know the answer is no, but there is always a place in my guild for you man." He said. "Thanks, but I have reasons for not joining." I replied. "I know one of those reasons. It is your fighting style that you learned when we were training together, right?" He asked. "Yeah, that is one of them. People would kill to learn it." And they would kill me if they knew my other secret, I thought. "True." Klein replied. "Me, you and Sinon are the only ones who know that it's even real. Everyone else think it is a myth." Klein sighed. "Indeed."

We got up after having dinner and left the restaurant. We were walking to the gate when we heard a scream. No one else seemed to notice but we took off running when we did. We ran down several ally ways and stopped when we say what at caused the scream. A demon stood over a woman who was on the ground. "Crap, a Greater Demon" I said as I drew my sword and charged.

Asuna's p.o.v.

I was walking through the street when I heard a cry behind me. "Hay, Asuna." I turned around to see my friend Amia running towards me. "Hay, Amia. How are you?" I asked my friend. "I am doing good. How has the Vice Commander been?" She replied with. "Tired with roaming thoughts." I said. "Oh? Are they about a certain black haired man?" She said with a sly grin. "What? N-N-No, no." I said, cheeks flushed. "Sure, sure." Came the reply.

"Hay, I have a secret to tell you, but not here." She said. "Okay, where do you want to go?" I asked. She grabbed my hand and started to drag me down several ally ways before finally stopping. "Here looks good." she stated. "Okay, what do you want to tell me?" I asked. "That I am sorry." I was confused with the answer. "Sorry about what?" I asked. "That I have to kill you." "What?" I screamed before watching the person I called a friend transform into a demon. I fell onto my back, my mind not processing what just happened.

The demon swung down to me, and just when I thought I was going die, a black streak passed in between us. A sound of steel again claws rang out in the ally way. Both mine and the demon's eyes went wide with shock. Kirito stood between us blocking the demon's claw. The demon then screamed in pain and I saw Klein behind the creature. I realized he had snuck his way behind the demon while Kirito kept its attention.

The battle lasted for only a minute before the think that was once my friend fell to the ground. Its head rolled away from the body, Kirito having cleaved it off. I looked up to him with scared and shock eyes before pasting out.

Kirito's p.o.v.

I look at Asuna, who had just passed out, lying on the ground. I then looked at Klein. "Guard me as I get her somewhere safe." I said as I picked her up. He nodded and we started towards the gate. We were both on edge, because a Greater Demon had got into the town without us knowing. How did a demon even get in here? We teleported to the 22nd floor, where my house was located.

We arrived at the log cabin I called home. "This is you place!?" Exclaimed Klein. "It is amazing." I smiled, then took Asuna to the bedroom. "While I would usually make a joke about carrying a single women into your bedroom, I will not after what we saw happen." Klein said. "Good, that means that you can learn new tricks." I said back with a smile. "Hay! Now that was just rude."

I laid Asuna down onto the bed, then look at Klein. "Go, you are a guild leader. You have duties, I'll watch over her." I said. He nods. "Understood" He says. He got up and left the house. "Later man" he called out. Later Klein, I thought as I looked back at Asuna's sleeping form. I sighed and sat down on the chair next to the bed.

Asuna's p.o.v.

I slowly woke up to find myself on a soft bed looking up at a log roof. I got up and looked around. I found myself in a bedroom of what looked like a log cabin. I heard a sound and looked to my left to see Kirito asleep in a chair next to the bed. I smiled, he looked so peaceful when he was asleep.

I reached over and placed my hand on his head to wake him up, but froze. I felt something on his head, like little bumps. I moved his hair to the side to see ten little, what looked like horns, growing out of his head. My eyes went wide and I gasped.

A handed then grabbed my wrist and pulled it down. I saw Kirito had woken up, but the look in his eyes told be he was not happy. He got up, "I save you, and you repay me by invading my personal space." It came out as a growl. "I'm sorry, I was going to just wake you up." I said. My eyes were still wide open.

He growled and turned around. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Leaving before I do something I will regret." He said before just vanishing. I looked in shock. He had been there one moment, and was gone the next.

I got up out of the bed. I had to get back to headquarters before father panics, I thought. I went through the house and notice how beautiful it was. I sighed. I probably just ruined my chance of getting near him again, I thought, before leaving the house.

I arrive at headquarters and went to father's office. "Where were you last night?" Came father's question upon my arrive. "You did not come home, I was beganning to worry." "I sorry father. I will explain."

"My friend Amia turned out to be a Greater Demon in disguise. She - it - pulled me into an ally way and attacked me. I could not defend myself because my mine was still getting over the shock of this. I would have been dead, if it were not for Solo Knight Kirito and Guild Leader Klein. They kill the demon and, upon its defeat, I passed out. I then woke up to find myself in what I think was Kirito's home. Not long after I woke, he woke up and left. I then left and came here to report." I summed up the events of yesterday, leaving out what I found out about Kirito.

"This is troubling. To know a Greater Demon got in town by disguise. I guess I will have to thank Kirito, as suspious as he is, and Klein later. And sorry for you trouble and lost, Asuna." Came father's reply.

"Thank you father." I bowed and left the office. "Vice Commander!" I turned to see Kuradeel coming my way. "Sorry, Kuradeel. I will explain as we walk." I said. I turned, not to the doors to leave, but to the direction of the library.