//------------------------------//
// Episode 34 - New Blood 
// Story: EQG: Sword Art Online - Ruby Palace 
// by Mindrop 
//------------------------------//

Episode 34 — New Blood
Sixth Day in the Month of Sakura (April 6) in the Year of the Dragon
Floor 26 — 5 p.m. 

Bladescape stood at the front of the town hall where their strategy meeting would shortly happen. Floor Twenty-Six proved to be a regular floor, difficulty wise; a reasonable step up in monster levels and abilities from the previous floors. A quarter of the way up was a milestone, one marked by an unusually difficult floor. The next barriers would logically be Floor Fifty, followed by Floor Seventy-Five. Seventy-Five felt like such a long way away. It was impossible for Bladescape to see that far into the future. 

Their day of rest had been a good one. Bladescape enjoyed sleeping in for once. Their crafters gained a lot of experience in their respective skills and Diemond revamped their potion and crystal pouches. It was also the first time that Konpeito put together a sit down meal for them all; one where she made everything on the table. She pulled out all of the stops to produce a four course dinner for them to enjoy in their Tolbana home. It was also the first time they had all been together at the house since it had been purchased. Konpeito and Bladescape were the only ones to ever use the home and Konpeito only used it because it meant she didn’t have to borrow a kitchen and/or wait for others.

The paper had a field day over the two lead guilds taking a day off. The paper was one of the ways people were going about their normal lives. It took a few months to get it started, but it ran everything from ads for player stores or services, to the stories about the front line and regular news from various floors, as well as rumors and an opinion column. Just about anything you could ask for in a paper, they had, except for an obituary. No one wanted to think of what names in one meant. If people were really interested, or needed to know if a player had died, they could check the memorial stone in the Black Iron Palace in the Town of Beginnings. The paper was started and run by people who likely had little to no experience in the field. It didn’t matter what their prior experience was because they did a fantastic job on a daily basis. Almost everyone read it regularly. It could be hard to keep up on the long days on the front, but Bladescape did her best to stay up with the news. 

A reporter had caught up with Lind shortly after Bladescape had split from him that night. He gave them the facts of the boss battle. He didn't beat up on Kibaou. He was civil. He praised the Wondercolts, especially Bladescape for stepping into the leadership and planning role. The big argument was over their agreed upon day off. The journalist didn't like their plan. Lind didn't back down, not in the interview or with his word. The interview sparked another reporter to catch up with Bladescape, in Tolbana, the day after for her comments. 

Since it was her day off, she made a deal with him; he would pay for lunch in exchange for the interview. He happily agreed. Bladescape gave him the facts. She readily praised those who deserved it, like the clearing squads. She pushed the idea that it was first and foremost a rescue operation, not a boss raid. That they were not playing a game where they would weigh lives against each other. Everyone's life was equally precious and they would all get out of here as quickly as possible. 

The interview might have made the assault team look more benevolent than they were, but that was okay. Many were members because they couldn’t sit by when there was a way to earn their freedom; a personally selfish reason that had a positive benefit for everyone. Others were there because they wanted to be the strongest, fastest, most powerful player they could be. That status would only be accepted by others if they were fighting on the front lines. Ultimately, the Wondercolts were there for their own reasons. It was nice to know their actions would positively affect those who couldn’t fight, that certainly helped them push through the tough times, but the imposition of Kayaba inherently created a system of selfish goals that benefited the public at large. 

The reporter directly asked her about getting stabbed and Bladescape realized that many of the readers didn't know what it felt like. Getting slashed in battle was very different from nearly getting split in half with the thrust of a giant sword. She described it in as great of detail as possible, so that the readers could understand the risk and hazard the Assault Team was gladly accepting. The only detail that she left out was her getting a new sword, because they didn’t have a logical answer for that anomaly.

When it came to the topic of their day off, Bladescape strongly defended the necessity for the players and guilds on the front line to organize down time into their schedule. She acknowledged that they were voluntarily accepting the responsibility to fight for the freedom for all, even those who couldn’t fight for their own, but that responsibility didn't mean they had to slave over the task. Progress, yes. Work themselves to death, no. It was pointless if they died and exhaustion could easily cause them to make errors in their judgment, resulting in their deaths and the deaths of others directly relying on them in battle. She didn't want to make the interview dramatic, but she wanted to stress the balance they had to walk. The reporter was generally in agreement with Bladescape's perspective, or at least understood it, including the members of the assault team's rights as human beings. The idea that what benefited the assault team benefited everyone was another point made, but Bladescape stressed that it wasn’t a hard and fast rule. She just wanted others to understand that they needed to slow down in order to maintain a sustainable clearing action. The interview went so long, the reporter didn't just buy lunch, but also two rounds of desert. It was a very in-depth interview and he got his money's worth. 

The interviews were hot news. They sparked a debate over the next week, mostly in the opinions section, centered around what the assault team’s responsibilities actually were and what should be acceptable for players to require of them. It was the second most read part of the paper. A debate only brought in more readers, which was better for the paper. 

While the paper continued to debate the arranged day off, they were hard at work clearing the floor. The losses on floor twenty-five were turning around. Although the players lost could never be replaced, their numerical numbers were recovering. The clearers had stalled out for a bit on the challenging floor. Meanwhile, the intermediate players were able to gain levels and edge up towards the elite clearers.

The end of the Aincrad Liberation Squad didn't just leave a vacuum in regards to numbers, Kibaou had effectively prevented many of the guilds from joining the clearers. Despite the work Bladescape had done to keep the door open for other guilds to join them, the reality had not changed; to be a member of the assault team, you needed to be in either the ALS or DKB. The guilds who tried to join were either put off by the demands Kibaou made of everyone, or didn't want to fall in line under him, relegating them to clearing roles if they even stuck around. While Kibaou wasn't considered the sole leader by any means, he had set a lot of the guidelines and the pace. With him out of the picture, the only barrier for entry was the ones a guilds set for themselves. Many of the arriving guilds were smaller, having members numbers between four and eight. 

Joining the Assault Team was still regarded as an earned place, but they now had the opportunity to prove themselves worthy of joining a boss raid. Worth was heavily reliant on the ability to be safe while fighting a floor boss. The twenty-sixth floor had three field bosses. Bladescape convinced Lind to plan the strategy with her and then let the guilds who wanted to prove themselves have the opportunity to do so. Twice Lind led the field boss battle and once Bladescape led it. The other times, they played backup, observing the candidates.

For each field boss, the leader led a party made up of their guild, supported by two parties from other guilds and a third of solo players or guild members whose guild were not trying to be part of the assault team or clearing force. The second field boss required the intervention of the observing party, the Wondercolts, but that was not because of a failure on the players involved. The scouting done by the DKB proved to be missing some information about his defense characteristics. The Wondercolts joined only when the battle was clearly not going to end anytime soon. They acted to prevent deaths from exhaustion, no matter if they were veteran players or new to the front lines.

A longer line of promising guilds and players were working their way up through the levels too. Bladescape saw many of them when she would spend time solo grinding for XP while the other Wondercolts were sleeping or skill training. She wasn't the only player running solo in the best grinding locations. Some were in guilds, but plenty were not. Lind was seen at times, both in a group and solo. Kirito was often around, as well as others Bladescape knew only by face.

Among the newcomers to the clearers, a few guilds stood out. 

The most visible newcomer was Meigibu, who had sixteen members. Their bright white was paired with emerald green, making what Diemond called a “bold yet refined combination.” They were the “Women Guild,” making them the second major guild in Aincrad to be female centered. The women wore traditional Japanese clothing, hairstyles, and makeup, yet had a weapon at their hip, ready to fight. Their battle armor was more in line with Asian styles, but they were better known for their town attire. The four men in their guild were held to the same standard of beauty and composure as the women, exemplifying all aspects of traditional Japanese men, both in battle and while in town. 

Most clearers either always wore their armor or, after the day’s goals were done, changed into something else, usually something simple and plain. It was rare to see front line players dress up, they had combat related costs they needed to spend their hard earned col on, yet Meigibu was always presenting their best and it clearly wasn't cheap. Diemond didn't have the Wondercolts in rags, she had standards for them, but she preferred to let each Wondercolt's personality play out in their attire, which was very different from the uniformity of Meigibu. 

The head of the guild, Lobelia, was rumored to be a bride, trapped a week before her wedding, which was why she chose to pursue such a formal Japanese style for the guild and was always in white, be it her armor or formal kimonos. “Meigi” meant an “exceptionally talented or beautiful geisha” — the traditional female entertainers who performed the art of life — and the word “ibu,” meant “authority and force.” Ibu’s root was "bu," which meant “warrior.” Meigibu was the idealistic authoritative warriors' guild whose art was both combat and being the best human they could be.

They were proving to be a force to be reckoned with, although only a handful joined the Assault Team. The rest aspired "only" to be clearers. Lobelia used a one-handed curved sword, currently a falchion, and a shield. Kamishi was always in their emerald green secondary color and wielded a katana. 

Imperial Dragoon Guards was a band of eight middle aged men, all armed with shields and spears. Their black armor with gold shields made a flashy statement for the lancers whenever they entered a fight. Tagahashi was their leader. They earned their place as members of the assault team.

Kaigunto Guild was a squad of five teenage boys. They were all swordsmen; three with a sword and shield, one with a katana, and one with a two-handed longsword. They had all of the energy of teenagers and the equivalent discipline to match it. They claimed to be equal, not having a leader. With their chaotic unit tactics and lack of a clear leadership, Lind and Bladescape did not allow them to join the assault team and the two of them expressed what needed to change in order for them to be reliable in boss raids and be able to properly communicate between guilds. Although they were devastated by the ruling, they did understand the reasoning provided and they proved to be useful clearers.  

In contrast to the boys of Kaigunto, Gael Guild was an eleven member guild which was highly disciplined, to the point that they looked like a military unit. Their members were likely either actively serving in the Japanese Self Defense Force or had honorably served for several years. They lacked standardized equipment, but they made up for it by wearing their guild colors — Yellow and Red — when possible and with their crispness and attention. They marched as one unit, perfectly in step with each other, and to the tune of a fife, played by their youngest member, a skinny lad named Marcik. Marcik wasn't a front line fighter, he couldn't be more than 15 years old, but he wasn't a mascot. The lad was learning to fight from the men with the goal of fully joining their ranks. Gael conquered the battlefield with their superior discipline and quick reaction to orders given by Rikusocho, which wasn't his actual game name, but his title – the equivalent of E7, first sergeant, in many other militaries. Those factors combined to ensure that Gael commanded a presence wherever they went and it earned them all, with the exception of Macik, the ability to be members of the Assault Team.

The Dragon Knights Brigade also made some changes. Lind was now the head of a three person council, with Shivata and Yamata, instituting a clear chain of command in his large guild. That was done during their day off as well as the most startling change. Now led by a council, they ceased to be the DKB, becoming the Divine Dragon Alliance, DDA. The colors were the same, silver and blue. The change sparked plenty of rumors, but it made sense to Bladescape. The Dragon Knights Brigade was known in conjunction with the Aincrad Liberation Squad and they needed to fully break away from that disaster as they changed tactics for conquering Aincrad. Their numbers were still rapidly growing.  

The Aincrad Liberation Squad was not entirely gone. While they were off the front lines, the surviving members followed Kibaou into merging with the mutual aid organization, MTD. They became the Aincrad Liberation Force, ALF, and were led by MMO Today's head writer, Thinker, who got trapped in SAO like everyone else. The master game strategist and information guru had built MTD to care for the common player, those not on the front line, and even with the merger and taking on the dark green and steel colors of the ALS, they continued to carry out MTD's original goal; spreading resources and information to as many players as possible.  

A lot had happened over the eight days spent clearing the floor, which was why they were having the strategy meeting. They had planned it the day before, as a way to organize all of the members of the new assault team and ensure they were all on the same page and to finalize some communication logistics, however, the Wondercolts had found the boss chamber earlier that day. The meeting would now serve to both organize them all and to plan the battle.

Everyone was assembled on time and Lind had just welcomed them when a man strode into the town hall. He was a middle-aged man with steel-gray hair, crimson metal armor that was polished to a shine, and he had a white heater shield on his left arm. A white longsword was at his hip. His every stride gave testimony to his strength and confidence as he came right to the front. His guild tag was one Bladescape had not encountered before; a white background with a gray square cross.

“Forgive my tardiness,” he said. His voice was smooth and scholarly. “I only just learned of the meeting. The rest of the guild will be along shortly.”

“I’m sorry,” Lind said. “I don’t think we have met yet.”

“Where are my manners?” He replied. “I’m Heathcliff, commander of the Knights of the Bloodoath. You both, Lind and Bladescape, have done a fine job of advancing the liberation effort.”

The statement clearly meant he had more to say on the matter, but he didn't state it. Lind clearly wasn’t going to ask because the effort, to a strong degree, was reflected on him. Bladescape had been the outsider the entire time, unable to practically affect any change.

“But?” Bladescape asked, voicing the question. 

“But your organization has been limited and sporadic, plagued by communication issues,” Heathcliff stated. “I know things are changing now that you, Bladescape, have been allowed to take charge of certain aspects, but it’s not enough. And not to be rude-”

“I’m aware,” Bladescape said, cutting him off. “I’ve been slow to effectuate the changes necessary since the dynamics of power have shifted. I’ve been too laissez-faire, even as I encouraged new guilds to join us. That is a major reason for the meeting tonight, to tighten that up so we are focused and unified in our goals as we proceed into the new era and the upcoming boss raid.”

“A raid which will be restricted to members of the Assault Team,” Lind added, pretty forcefully. 

Heathcliff just gave a sly smile back. He was keeping his cards close to his chest. Bladescape couldn’t even guess at what his hand was and she had tried to draw some of it out with her last response.

The hall doors opened and a group of twelve players strode in. Outside of their leader, they were all in the same white metal armor, trimmed in red, and sporting the same capes. They each had identical guild tags as Heathcliff. Their standardized custom equipment was not something most guilds could afford. 

Bladescape immediately understood what Heathcliff’s sly grin had been hiding because she knew the player leading them. Her long chestnut hair and rapier were just missing the red cloak. It had been replaced by the white battle dress, cleverly accented with red, that she now wore. It was clearly the same player who had helped defeat many of the floor bosses. It also explained her recent absence from the front lines. 

All of this was part of a well planned entrance designed to make a statement about who the Knights of the Bloodoath were. Their leader, Heathcliff, was clearly a clever man who knew how to plan and implement long term goals, even if that meant sacrificing in the short term. The guild was making their debut at a time where the leadership at the front lines was severely weakened, but Bladescape couldn’t tell if it was luck that it worked out with their plans, or if it was a strategic move. Either way, judging by the reactions of the others in the room and how stiff Lind had gotten, their tactics were working.  

“Sorry we took so long, Commander,” Asuna said to Heathcliff. 

“We, or at least I, have missed your rapier in the last few boss battles,” Bladescape said, directly acknowledging Asuna. “It's good to see you back, Asuna. Because of, as your commander pointed out, the logistical issues with communications our effort has suffered from, I had no way of knowing what happened to you or to find out, at least not without paying an info broker to track you down. Kibaou had us on such a breakneck push, I didn’t even have time to do that.”

“I am glad to be back, Bladescape, and it’s good to see you too,” Asuna said, reciprocating the pleasantries. “Things will certainly be different now. We have you to thank for this opportunity. None of us would be here without you pushing back, making room for others to come up. Everyone in this room, outside of the Divine Dragon Alliance, owes you a great debt of gratitude for keeping the door propped open for us.”

“I have always maintained that the unified effort should not require a forced adherence to a single guild,” Bladescape replied. “Diversity can bring strength. All that matters is that the unified effort sticks to its clearly defined ethos and practices, then diversity becomes an asset, not a liability.” 

“I think that you will find that the Commander has a very good idea of what that should be,” Asuna stated. 

“I’m sure I will,” Bladescape said when Heathcliff made it clear he wasn’t going to say anything. “After all, he got you to join him. You have always been a strong individual, looking for an equally strong person to fight beside. But we can catch up after the meeting.” Bladescape looked at Lind. “Lind, please continue.” 

Lind didn’t look at her. He was focused on Heathcliff. “Yes. If everyone would please take their seats, we chose this location to easily fit everyone as we discuss the logistics.” The Knights of the Bloodoath quietly took seats without any protest or even a bad glance. “The first step to our plan is to implement an information chain. We need a point of contact for each guild or individual player, so that we can organize strategy meetings and keep everyone informed of any relevant information.”

The process of formalizing the information chain wasn’t difficult, but it was slow. With that done, Bladescape discussed the expectations of the members. It was centered on the use of a chain of command. Members followed the orders of their party leader and the party leader followed the orders of the raid leader. Leadership would be determined by the boss type and qualifications of the members available for the raid. They didn’t need heroic actions by a single player or someone going rogue, they needed to follow the formalized plan so they could succeed at their ultimate goal of beating the boss.

Lind immediately recanted on their agreed upon strategy when he started laying out the boss strategy. They were supposed to design parties around the needs of the raid, not guilds. Slotting for guilds over the needs of the effort was the major issue with the strategies of the previous twenty-five floors. Bladescape had finally thought the matter was settled, but when it came down to it, Lind refused to change. Bladescape stayed stoic throughout the strategizing. They were already on shaky ground from the results of the last boss raid. The new guilds didn’t need to witness the two players spearheading the effort publicly tearing each other apart. It would send a mixed message, an even worse one than what Lind had just sent by contradicting her.  

Lind’s change in strategy slotted Group A as being from the Divine Dragon Alliance and Group B from the Wondercolts. At least he hadn’t given his guild more than one squad. The first two groups were supposed to be tanks and the next two composed of forwards who had shields. 

Lind paused when it came to framing the needs for Group C. He had thrown the plan off and clearly hadn’t figured out how to adjust for his choice. Bladescape took the opportunity of the lull to fix that as best as she could. “Group C needs to be a unit mostly of forwards with shields. Asuna, you and I have fought side by side in many boss raids. I hate to put you on the spot, but I respect your opinion and skills. I know they are eager, but the Knights of the Bloodoath were not on our radar for joining the Assault Team. We never had the opportunity to observe them as we did with the other guilds. You understand what is required of members in a boss raid. Are your fellow knights able to meet that requirement?”

“We wouldn’t be here if they were not ready,” Asuna confidently declared. 

“Then Group C will be led by Asuna and be from the Knights of the Bloodoath,” Bladescape stated. “I'm glad to have your rapier once again joining us. Please ensure there are at least four shields in the party to fit your role.”

“I shall,” Asuna replied with a nod. 

Bladescape hated sidestepping around Heathcliff because he was their leader, but it was the only way she saw to keep to the standard of ensuring the assault team was bringing qualified members, while also allowing them to participate. It clearly annoyed Lind, he saw their guild as a threat, but he was the one who had changed plans on Bladescape. Bladescape wasn’t going to let the opportunity be wasted. Guild egos competing against each other had proven exclusionary and disastrous. She wouldn’t let it happen again. Heathcliff hadn’t changed from his calm expression at any point since he had sat down. He didn’t appear to have an issue with Bladescape going through Asuna. With how well organized and planned their entry had been, he likely understood what Bladescape was doing. 

Squads D, E, and F were also assigned to guilds, with G and H being non-guild members. Bladescape jumped on the opportunity to assemble G and H by role, not by guild. She was able to get Agil, Kirito, Lobelia, and Kamishi into Squad G before Lind could force Kirito out of the fight. She didn’t name Kirito first because she didn’t want to make that intention blatantly clear to Lind. He couldn’t argue that she was giving Kirito preferential treatment. She solidified G and H without any pushback from Lind.

The strategy was now compromised, but Lind kept with it despite the party compositions. Bladescape would have to bring all three tanks in order to ensure they could fulfill their role. Asuna clearly understood Group C’s role. She was actively asking questions to ensure she understood their job. Bladescape had to resist smiling every time her simple and logical questions highlighted the reason why they were supposed to be using squads designed for the boss. 

The strategy meeting finally wrapped up, but Bladescape got the last word in as Lind tried to dismiss everyone. “I’ll be here if any of the new members of the Assault Team have any further questions. I’m aware of how confusing it can be when you step into the role. We are glad you have taken it upon yourselves to help us achieve the goal of every player.”

A few people came up after, to quickly say “thanks.” Lobelia and Kamishi were among them. Bladescape was looking forward to seeing how they performed, due to how well they did in the field boss fight. Agil swung by simply to bump fists with her as she spoke with others. 

As Bladescape left the empty town hall, she found Asuna waiting for her outside. 

“You did a stellar job not betraying your feelings in there,” Asuna commented. “Lind apparently isn’t going to make things simple and easy.”

“Apparently not,” Bladescape said. “We had our plan…” She let out a sigh. “I shouldn’t have expected more from him, but I did. If I knew he was going to do that I would have shoved him down the stairs with Kibaou. Still, we had enough losses and division among us. I really did think that we had finally made a good step forward. He was in agreement with me, all week long, up until he wasn’t.”

“He clearly perceives us as a threat,” Asuna stated. “We are like you, not interested in that argument. It’s why you didn’t dispose of him and take over by yourself. After all they did against you, you still took the high road, but of course, you wouldn’t be who you are if you took cheap shots.”

“Lind’s made his fair share of trouble, but he didn’t deserve to be removed by me for Kibaou’s mistakes,” Bladescape stated. 

“Although, unlike you, Commander Heathcliff does want to lead the Assault Team,” Asuna added. “Or more accurately, he wants the Knights to lead that effort using a coalition of the best players, separate from the guilds, who will work towards our mutual liberation. I believe that aligns with your views.”  

“It does,” Bladescape said. “Someone will have to champion that guiding effort. I admit, I don’t want to unless I have to. A guild is enough to juggle, let alone ensuring floors are cleared and the bosses are safely and systematically reduced to polygons. If that is your commander, I'm sure he will earn it.”

"Thanks to your tact, he has the opportunity to do that tomorrow," Asuna added with a sly grin. 

"Squad C will have a difficult job, which is why I trusted you," Bladescape said. "We have plenty of new members in the Assault Team, but the sudden strategy change required a strong element to hold the line and back us up. None of the leaders of the new members have the raid experience you do."

“We have a nice rush of new players stepping up, but there are a lot more coming,” Asuna stated. “So far, the effort to clear the game has been very centralized and small. A few hundred at most. I expect that number to triple over the next three months.”

“That will make things easier,” Bladescape stated. “Honestly, I’m excited to have you back. The last several boss fights have been a horrible drag; that's ignoring Twenty-Five. Kibaou was a very heavy taskmaster, yet I couldn’t walk away. Both because it would’ve made him happy and because of my own stubbornness about me and my friends’ role in clearing the game.”

“An appropriate stubbornness,” Asuna added. “Your interview in the paper was good. With an increase in players on the front, all of the guilds will get more rest time while still being able to advance the front at a good pace. I'll admit, I did spin out. Kibaou drove us too hard. It was good to know that you were still there, keeping the door open. I always planned to come back, but it was especially appreciated once the Knights were formed. I knew as we prepared for our debut that you would still be holding the door open. You did catch us off guard. The meeting was a day earlier than we expected.” 

Bladescape chuckled. “The Wondercolts didn’t expect to find the boss chamber today either, but we did. Your new uniform looks good.” 

“You like it?” Asuna asked. It was apparent she wasn’t exactly sold. “I didn’t choose it. It was designed for me without my knowledge. I was under the impression that only the Commander would be in a different uniform. I only agreed to wear it because of the cost. Daizen, our financial officer, made that decision and Godfree, our vanguard leader, made a very persuasive argument.” 

“It’s fitting,” Bladescape said, smiling to reassure her. “Refined, chic, fierce. I don’t think it’s my style, although Diemond may end up making me something similar sooner or later. I’m sort of at her will when it comes to my defensive equipment. Still, it looks great on you and you clearly are in a special role compared to the others in the guild. I will miss the red cloak.” 

Asuna blushed as she chuckled. “I do miss the red cloak, but I’m the Commander’s right hand officer. We plan on a very structured format, the Commander has it all worked out, even our anticipated expansion, but if he isn’t there, it falls to me. I am the veteran SAO raider compared to the others. Then probably Godfree before Daizen. Godfree will also be in charge of the training of new members and our leveling requirements.”  

“Knightstar is the Wondercolts’ statistician and third councilor,” Bladescape stated. “It’s a good place for someone with those skills to be in, and it sounds like Godfree has them. Your format and structure sounds solid, which isn't a surprise. You certainly showed a strong strategic mind and the steady heart needed for leadership.” 

“You mentioned missing me recently,” Asuna said, steering the conversation in another direction. “Has anyone else been missing me?”

“Maybe Agil?” Bladescape replied. “He has been hit or miss with the boss raids since his shop is fully opened. Out of a vendor cart, but still open, although he has to pack it up so he can join our raids. Except for him, the Bro Squad has retired from the front. He's asked about you, but he hasn’t been around for the last two planned raids, so like I said, hit or miss. I haven't seen Kirito much the past three floors, he is always hit or miss, but tonight was the first time I have seen him since the twenty-fourth boss fight. And Argo is Argo, you never get anything from her, even if she asks a question, without paying. We’ve all come a long way since Floor Five; our rag-tag team of misfits claiming victory before Kibaou could backstab everyone.” 

They both laughed, remembering the raid. 

“Thank you, again,” Asuna said. “I should be going.”

“I will see you tomorrow,” Bladescape said, bowing politely to Asuna who reciprocated. 

Bladescape almost added something but kept her mouth shut. It would be better to watch and see if it happened, rather than push in any way. The organic replacement of Lind by Heathcliff would be much more satisfying to observe, mostly just to see how a man like Heathcliff would handle a boy like Lind. 




BLADESCAPE: Level 39 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration 
NATORA: Level 37 —  Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 36 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid — Battle Regeneration 
MALUS: Level 37 — One-Handed War Hammer — Shield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration 
THUNDERBORNE: Level 37 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid 
KONPEITO: Level 37 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense —  Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration 
DIEMOND: Level 37 — Mace — Shield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor  — First Aid — Battle Regeneration 
DOOMBUNNY: Level 36 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation 
KIEFER: Level 35 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor  — Weapon Defense — First Aid  — Katana  
SORYUTO: Level 34 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration 
REISENKI: Level 35 — One-Handed Axe — Shield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid