Her Mission To Save Them All || Sword Art Online Fanfic

Chapter 44

POV: Kayoko

The pin pierces the corner of the flapping paper onto the last notice board, my hands aching as I stretch upwards to reach the second corner. As he has every time I do this, Shi smirks at my struggle, only holding out the pot of pins in offering to me.

Rather than placing one in each corner as I did with the first lot of posters we put up, I put in just two in an attempt to end this whole ordeal quicker.

Something presses on my spine, a slow pain edging out while I step back to admire the work of the last three hours. One poster on every notice board in the city to advertise the protection tax raising, with a railing coat of both Tori's, and somehow, the Laughing Coffin leaders red waxed seal of approval.

I swear the people in this city must be the most ignorant people on earth because we put up at least 30 in every one of the sectioned walls of Katralis.

Shi stretches his arms in front of him, putting away the pins back in his inventory. His armour clanks as he moves away from the notice board and into the crowd, and mine makes a similar sound as I follow after him.

I ignore the figures who approach the notice board when we leave, blocking out the wail of a few at the raised price of life I have inflicted upon them and their family.

I refuse to feel sympathy for red players in any degree because they did not feel it for their victims. None of this would be a problem if they did.

Diving further into the crowd, I increase my pace to meet the white hair bobbing between figures, steps assured. It seems as though he is aiming for the outer wall, the opposite direction that we should be heading.

"Shi, wait." I reach out to grab his shoulder. "Sister's waiting for us."

When my hand meets his skin, I see his back straighten. It almost looks as though he flinches but I remove my touch as soon as I know he's listening.

"Screw Tori." He says coldly, head firmly fixed on whatever has captured his attention on the Outer Wall. "If she can put up with not knowing what's behind that door for months, then she can wait another couple of minutes."

"Fine. Let's hurry." I bite my lip, aware how we are holding up the movement of traffic standing in the middle of the path. Moving towards the side, where the stalls bordering each wall create a thin line to move between.

My hip connects with one of the vendor's displays, and though it can't pass by the armour of the guard patrols to cause real pain, I wince. The streets are busy, noisy and every face blends together into another; the only share one trait that causes me to want to back away further: their red cursors.

Each hovers like a ruby prise dripping with blood, a deadly yet beautiful crown I now wear above my own head. Even if it's an intimidation, even if it's a lie, the threat of it rings true.

Anyone, any day, I could be forced to take the life of another. And that would make me no better than them.

Between a gap of the rows to vendors, I cross my arms, waiting for Shi to finish. From where I stand, I can't see much of the stall or what he holds in his palm; I can see his shoulders curling inwards and the flash of his menu as he pays for the item.

As he turns away, I approach him so that we can make our way to Tori and catch a glimpse of what was on that stall. A carousel of necklaces swing in the breeze, the delicate chains softly swinging over to meet before failing and missing the other by inches.

Though I can't be sure that was what he bought, I give Shi a curious glance. The slant of his eyes moves upwards, daring me to comment.

No taunting words come to me, only a question. That empty weight around my neck feels hollow as I reach out to touch it briefly before letting my hand drop. Several times I am tempted to say it, even opening my mouth to shape the words but the voice of them never comes.