//------------------------------//
// Episode 50 — Thunder Versus Lightning 
// Story: EQG: Sword Art Online - Ruby Palace 
// by Mindrop 
//------------------------------//

Episode 50 — Thunder Versus Lightning
First Day in the Month of Cypress (November 1) in the Year of the Dragon
Floor 42
  
Thunderborne thanked Argo for the information and left the shadow of the building they were conducting their business in. There were plenty of reasons why the top info broker kept to the shadows but none of them concerned Thunderborne, so long as she could find her when she needed her. Thunder had very few concerns and the information she had bought was her top priority, albeit not a very big concern. Nuisance was the better term for the situation.

For over a week she had been hearing players talking about the "Lightning Flash," a player who had earned that nickname for their speed. Thunderborne was the fastest in Aincrad, except the rumors weren't about her. The reported exploits of this “Lightning Flash” were not things the Wondercolts had been involved in. Now that she knew who they were about, Thunder needed to figure out how to fix the situation. There was only one logical way, a duel. The winner gets the title. 

The only problem was that the player who had picked up the nickname wasn't a noob. They wouldn't be easy to beat. Asuna was Second-in-Command of the KoB for a reason and she was quick, but Thunder was faster. Sure, Asuna's skills with a rapier were to be applauded, but Thunderborne absolutely contested the idea that she was the fastest player. 

The only logical way to solve that would be to see who could win in a head-to-head duel. It was risky, especially for members of the Assault Team, to duel. With their weapons and skills, a hard fought half-lose duel could result in either of their HP being barely above the halfway point, and taking critical damage could eliminate the last of it. Unfortunately, a first strike duel wasn't going to cut it. Either of them could get lucky with their speed. It would prove nothing if both could claim it was a fluke.

Malus was usually the person Thunder could compete against, but with how SAO's skills and stats worked, the two of them were not evenly matched in anything. Malus was undisputed when it came to strength and Thunder could run and flip her way around Malus all day long. Agility and speed were something Malus lacked. For a while they had competed for kill count, but soon Malus was doing more defending and less killing, eliminating that competition. They hadn't been able to find anything new they could compete in for a few months and the daily clearing activities were not a challenge, they were a grind. Dueling Asuna would have to suffice. 

Asuna was a great swordswoman who Thunder respected. Thunder had seen her skill in combat many times. If it had been another nickname, she wouldn't even be considering it, but thunder came after lightning and Thunderborne couldn't have that. She was the carrier of thunder, the one giving birth to it, which made her lightning. Having Asuna be Lightning Flash simply wouldn't do. 

Thunderborne went back to their headquarters to plot in the privacy of her room. She had to ensure Asuna agreed to a duel to settle this matter. She wasn't the type of woman to let go of a nickname as awesome as it was, even if she didn't come up with it. If challenged, she would stand by it or she would lose face. That worked in Thunder’s favor. Still, Thunder had to figure out how to overcome the stigma of a duel request.

The challenge had to be public. They had a field boss meeting in two days. That would be a good time to spring it, but she couldn't do so without any warning. Asuna could easily decline without taking a reputation hit if she was blindsided by the request and unprepared for such a resolution. Not that Thunder would blame her. She herself would have to consider a lot if someone randomly challenged her to a duel. A proper challenge really required a time to be set for the duel to take place.

Thunderborne decided to use a letter. She could have one of the other Wondercolts give it to a messenger. There was no formal postal service in Aincrad, but players had picked up messenger and courier occupations to make col. She didn't want Asuna to expect Thunder to be the one challenging her to a duel, only to be ready for one.

Second-in-Command, I respect you and I know that your skills have earned you a nickname. It may not be unduly given, but I hope you are prepared to back it up during the next field boss meeting. For honor, glory, and reputation; you will have to earn the right to bear that title. 

Thunder was satisfied with that note. It was to the point and brief, but not incriminating Thunder or the Wondercolts. It should be enough to ensure Asuna was mentally ready for a duel. She sealed it in an envelope and wrote "Asuna of the Knights of the Bloodoath" on the front. 

Someone knocked on Thunder's door. Thunder went to open it and see who it was. It was Natora. 

"You missed dinner," Natora said, holding up a plate. "I know you had something to do."

"I was going to get to that," Thunder said as she took the plate of food. "Thanks. But I still have a letter to send. I need it to go out to a messenger for delivery."

"Any particular messenger or courier service?" Natora asked. "I'm free and you need to eat. You're supposed to go out training tonight with Bladescape, Knightstar, and Konpeito."

Thunder let out a sigh. She had forgotten about the overnight training trip. It was annoying, yet important. It kept her on the top of the curve for the Assault Team. She didn't want to lose that status. She valued that more than the inconvenient time of the day they were forced to train at and it was worth the exhaustion the following day. She would not easily admit that Bladescape's insistence of doing the training wasn't worth it. Natora and Knightstar publicly backed the training for a reason. They all knew how important it was, even if it was annoying. Annoying wasn't a reason to complain or skip out on it.

The Stone Giants in the catacombs under the city of Kourend on the thirty-sixth floor gave decent loot and great XP. They were a bit hard for Thunder to eliminate due to her use of a rapier, but she could and they always worked as a team. The site rotated, with each spawn point being slotted for an hour before the party switched out with the next one in line. At night, fewer players were trying to train, especially between midnight and four. Occasionally no one was waiting, so they kept going if they wanted to.

"Literally any messenger who keeps their lips shut," Thunderborne said. "I appreciate it. It is supposed to go to the Knights of the Bloodoath." 

"That won't be hard," Natora said. “There are a few good services for that.”

Thunderborne brought the food to her desk and picked up the envelope. She gave it to Natora who promised that it would arrive there. 





Thunderborne was waiting for Asuna to arrive. They were almost at the stated time to start the meeting, but none of the KoB had shown up. The city was fairly busy too. The meeting was also out in the open, in some circular stone ceremonial center. 

Thunderborne had split off from the others as they headed into the meeting location. They probably didn't even realize she wasn't with them. Eleven members might be small, but they were all focused on the meeting or their next crafting task, or whatever Konpeito thought about. Her dreams of fighting hordes of taffy or marshmallow peeps were always entertaining to listen to, but she took it to the next level with some of her comments. She believed her dreams were no different from what they were doing in Aincrad. To Pinkie Pie, this was all one reality and dream. She might not even be able to separate fact from fiction anymore. 

Movement caught Thunderborne’s eye. The KoB had finally arrived, and in force. Usually their third squad didn't show up. It was their backup or training squad. The members were used for clearing, but not boss fights, yet they were all present and walking closer together than normal. Heathcliff was at the head, but Asuna was traveling with her squad in a more protected position. The only reason to do that was if the letter had been read as a threat. So be it, as long as Asuna was ready to duel for her reputation.  

Thunderborne stepped back from her perch on a rooftop, disappearing out of sight as they approached so she wasn't spotted. She let them get to the entrance of the meeting area before dropping down from the rooftop she was using. The three-story drop wasn't a problem for her due to her agility stats. 

"Cutting it a little closer than normal," Thunderborne said, putting an aggressive edge on her voice to grab their attention.  

The KoB immediately went into a defensive pattern to protect their Second-in-Command. That drew the attention of many of the members of the Assault Team, pulling them out of the meeting. Thunderborne saw Bladescape shake her head. Whether in shame or disapproval Thunder couldn’t tell from as far away as she was, but it was obvious Blade wasn’t happy. She would get a stern talking to from her Guild Leader later, but that didn't matter. Not right now. Thunderborne was here to lay down the challenge. Apparently, first she had to correct the record. 

A knight stepped forward. Thunder didn't know him. She really only knew three members of the KoB: Asuna, Heathcliff, and Godfree. Thunder only knew of Godfree because Bladescape was getting cozy to the head of their training. Bladescape was often chatting with him when they were at the same training field and both guilds were out of rotation. Thunderborne left the politics to her and Natora for a reason. 

This guy who had stepped forward with his sword half drawn was a creep. The black ponytail and wrinkles on his face made him look older than he likely was. He was in serious need of a day to chillax, but as anal as the KoB could be, he was still a step above their usual level.  

"Who are you!" He demanded. "State your business!"

Every respectable member of the KoB knew who Thunderborne was and her armor's colors were a dead giveaway. Most of the Assault Team could at least pick her name out of a lineup. All of the Assault Team could certainly name her guild.

"Relax, I'm not here for you," Thunderborne said. "I've got business with Asuna and only her."

"You sent that threatening letter!" He exclaimed, actually going all the way to draw his oversized sword. They were in a safe zone. He could posture all he wanted, but he couldn't hurt her. If he tried anything, it would look really bad. Besides, she could easily dodge whatever he threw at her. He was big and slow compared to Thunder. Still, Thunderborne wasn't even going to touch her rapier unless they began the duel she requested.

" I don’t know what other kinds of messages you’ve been getting, but the letter I sent to your Second-in-Command wasn’t a threat," Thunder retorted. She had to get this guy to shove off. "She's safe, I'm no threat to her, but she has some explaining to do."

Asuna finally stepped forward. "Kuradeel, stand down," she commanded. "Thunderborne is an upstanding member of the Wondercolts who I trust. She too has some explaining to do.”

Asuna turned back to address Thunderborne, “We received an anonymous letter dropped off by a messenger. I didn't take it as a threat, but others on the counsel didn't want to risk it. We both have a meeting to get to, so explain yourself." Asuna was heavily laying on the "command" part of her title. 

"Well if you had shown up a little bit early like usual, we would've been able to start on time," Thunder retorted. "Anyway, you've picked up a nickname and I'm here today not just for the meeting, but to challenge that nickname."

"And what title would that be?" Asuna challenged, making Thunder state it. She wasn't going to let it go easily, which was what Thunderborne wanted. 

"They're calling you 'Lightning Flash,’" Thunder explained, not backing down. She still hadn't touched her rapier and Asuna hadn't touched her sword either. Others, including Kuradeel, were still ready for a fight.

"So what?" Asuna asked. "I didn't come up with it. I don’t know who did."

"No, you didn't and that's not my claim," Thunder said, trying to be patient. There was a dance to this that she needed to carefully perform in order to get Asuna to agree to defend the title. She couldn't lay it on too heavily, even as she backed her into the duel. "I didn't mean to make any form of threat against you in the letter. I don't know how that happened." Thunder made her declaration for all to hear. "I'm Thunderborne of the Wondercolts. I'm the bearer of thunder, the one who creates it. I am lightning. I can't let you get a nickname which overshadows my name. At least not without a proper duel to settle the matter."

"So that's what you want?" Asuna asked, not dropping her command voice. "A duel? Over a nickname?"

"I liked you better before you joined the Knights of the Bloodoath," Thunderborne stated, intentionally making a cutting remark to goad her into the duel. "We had fun in those early days; taking on bosses with a crackpot team of misfits. We eliminated bosses by our skill alone, as the spearheading guilds failed. We defied the system they had put in place. Then you disappeared and came back as this. Not that I dislike your look, rank, or the KoB, I just have a problem with that nickname."

"This is childish!" Asuna declared. 

"Yeah, well, I'm clearly older than you, which means we're still children," Thunderborne flippantly shot back. That statement lit a fire in Asuna's eyes. "I sent you that letter so you'd be ready for a duel. I said you better be prepared to back up that nickname. That's it. I have no other intention than a friendly duel to see who’s the faster player. To settle the matter, once and for all; winner gets the title."

"Why is this so important?" Asuna pressed. Her voice had lost some of its command, but she wasn't begging. She genuinely wanted to know. 

It was a reasonable request, so Thunder answered. "You only got it cause you're better known than me, because the spotlight is on the KoB. I can't compete against your fame, but I won't let you eclipse my good name without a challenge; a chance to see if you really deserve to come before me. Or if I really am the lightning that brings the thunder. I've tried my hardest to build a reputation as the fastest player. I've seen you fight. We fought side by side many times, sometimes literally, like against that evil tree floor boss. Their disastrous plans always ended up relying on us when they failed, cause they were charging ahead without thinking."

"It was disastrous, but isn't this the same? You're not thinking!" Asuna fired back. "You're charging ahead!"

"If I believed that, I wouldn't be issuing this challenge," Thunderborne stated. "This is about principle. About my honor and reputation. I can respect you and all you've done while still believing that you don't deserve the title others have given you."

Neither of them had touched their swords. For now, all that had been exchanged were words. If Asuna touched her rapier, that would admit that the duel should happen, on the flip side, it would be seen as too aggressive, coercive even, if Thunderborne touched hers. There would be no going back if one or both of them did. At this point, Thunder would accept a scheduled duel because of the misinterpretation of her letter. She probably could have written it better, explicitly stating a duel, but that was in the past. Hindsight was always clearer.  

Heathcliff strode forward, but he didn't step in between them, staying off to the side. "I understand your reasoning, but I have to ask, for the safety of my Second-in-Command, do you truly understand the consequences and dangers of a duel? You obviously don't intend to issue a first strike duel."

He wasn't directly putting a stop to the idea, which was good for Thunderborne. It almost seemed like he was encouraging it. Coming out and endorsing it would be bad, because Asuna would have no option but to duel, but he still hadn't directly made a move to discourage it.

"Half loss," Thunderborne confirmed. "You voice a valid concern. I absolutely don't intend to harm Asuna. I may have liked her better before, but I still respect her, like a lot. I'll never deny all she has done for our campaign for freedom. She deserves more credit than players give her cause they never saw what I saw. They don't know what we did in those early days. If a first strike duel would settle it, I'd gladly choose that option. Unfortunately, our speed makes it too easy for either player, or even spectators, to claim the other got lucky. I'd accept not finishing a half loss so long as we have a clear winner. I don't intend to harm my friend, but I can't let the title go unchallenged."

"Your mind is made up then " Heathcliff stated. "I admire that. I also admire that you clearly have thought this request through. Yes, your letter was taken in a way that you didn't intend. I'm glad it isn't as serious as the consensus believed it was."

That was an interesting ending statement. Even Thunderborne could tell that Heathcliff didn't believe it was a threat, but while he was the head of the guild, he couldn't go against the combined will of his officers. Who in the guild had the clout that they could sway the actions of both the commander and second-in-command was an interesting question. Thunder didn’t know enough about the KoB’s leadership to know. She left the politics to Bladescape for a reason, but she did briefly wonder. It certainly didn't matter right now.

"Sorry about that," Thunderborne said. "I didn't want to expose who I was. An element of surprise isn't bad, but I also didn't want to put her in a position where she wasn't ready for a duel. I'd struggle to accept an unexpected duel. I’d totally understand why she’d deny it on those grounds. Still, that's why I said she should be ready to back up her nickname. I thought that would get the right message across, not the consensus drawn by the KoB. The way I see it, the only way to settle this is with a duel. How else could we prove who is faster? I don't want an undeserved title either. Is it really that bad that I want to challenge it and make her prove she truly deserves the nickname she was given?"

"No, it's not," Heathcliff admitted. "But that is my opinion. It is up to Asuna to decide. I won't force her to duel anyone, but I will enforce her decision if she chooses to decline. You are right though, there is only one way to settle such a matter."

"Well then," Asuna said with a nod. "I have one request before I agree."

"Name it," Thunderborne said. 

"I want two members of the Knights of the Bloodoath to be on standby with healing crystals," Asuna declared. "The same for the Wondercolts. We've fought besides each other enough that I know you have a legitimate claim to the nickname, but while we should settle this, we should take appropriate steps to reduce the risks that come with a half-loss duel."

Having a healing crystal be used on one of the dueling parties would automatically forfeit the duel. It was a smart request.

"That's reasonable," Thunderborne said. "I accept." She swiped up her menu and issued the duel request. 

Two knights under Asuna's direct command stepped forward with healing crystals at the ready. From where the Wondercolts were watching, Bladescape nodded to Malus and Kiefer, who both came over with red crystals in their hands. Anyone who didn’t know Sunset would think Bladescape was as calm as Commander Heathcliff, but Thunder could see her friend was not happy with her at all. She’d deal with that later though. 

The four healers spread out so that one of them would be close if they were needed. The other Wondercolts moved to get to a place where they could spectate. Thunderborne had been concentrating on issuing the challenge and had missed the crowd that had amassed. It had grown a lot bigger than she ever expected. More than just the members of the Assault Team attending the meeting. They had kept the street mostly clear, anticipating the duel. 

Asuna hit accept and the clock started ticking down. They had a minute to prepare as they drew their rapiers. Thunderborne was ready, but she could tell that Asuna had taken advantage of the talks to also mentally prepare herself. Thunder's surprise advantage was gone, but that was okay. It meant that they were as equal as they could be for the duel. 

Interestingly enough, Thunderborne recognized the rapier Asuna was using. When Thunder had bought her boss fighting one from Lisbeth, she had gone back and forth between the two rapiers Lisbeth had on hand. The difference in stats was negligible. It came down to aesthetics. Thunder chose the fancier, carmine Pappenheimer Rapier called Ruby Saber over the plainer, silver Cup-Hilt Rapier with the emerald grip named Dawn’s Ray. 

Thunderborne slipped into an inline stance, rapier straight out from her body and pointed at Asuna. Asuna didn't flinch at the move. She kept her rapier neutral as the clock ticked down. At the last moment, Asuna shifted her left foot forward, drawing her sword up by her head, parallel to the ground and pointed at Thunderborne. 

As the buzzer sounded for the duel to start, Thunderborne blitzed Asuna, who stood still. She let her come. Thunderborne's sword position didn't change as she charged. It didn't leave Thunder many options for attacks, but that was the point. Asuna couldn't read her intention. This was a speed battle. Neither would fare well if they bound their swords. That would become a contest of strength, not speed.

Thunderborne flicked her wrist, causing the tip to roll out and then back on point. The moving blade as the distance between them disappeared triggered Asuna to respond. Her rapier flashed forward, glancing off Thunder's and then down to center mass. Thunderborne cleanly danced to the left, avoiding it. As she stepped, she brought her rapier into a diagonal slash that immediately transitioned to a low horizontal cut. Asuna skipped out of the way of the slash and blocked the cut with her sword. The tip was immediately flipped up into a thrust. 

Thunderborne avoided it with ease. Their dance had truly begun as they made use of their swords without triggering any sword skills. They both had phenomenal muscle memory for each skill, able to perform the different actions without triggering a skill that would force them to complete it. They could switch, and did, if an opening was created by a counter strike or block. Their swords flashed brilliantly in the sunlight as their blades danced and sparked from the collisions. As fast as the attacks were, they each had strength and power behind them. The two fencers were clearly evenly matched in their strength stats.

Asuna was the first to trigger a skill. Thunderborne saw it in time and stepped into an aerial to avoid the Quadruple Pain. It was a rapid set of four thrusts. Thunderborne saw each one come as she flipped out of the way. As she avoided the attack, she got her rapier in position. As soon as her feet touched down, the initial motion was triggered and she set off Crucifixion, a sword skill that did six thrusts, three horizontally followed by three diagonally, forming a cross. Asuna avoided it by doing several back handsprings to create distance, barely leaving her delay in time to do so. 

Neither moved, even when Thunderborne was released from her delay. They were deciding how to proceed. Thunderborne was quick, few could track her sword when she performed a speed based sword skill like Quadruple Pain or Crucifixion. None of the Wondercolts could. Tracking that much rapid movement was difficult and the only reason why Thunder could was because she had to track her own sword while fighting. It was a learned skill. Asuna's Quadruple Pain was faster than Thunderborne had ever seen performed, even by herself. She almost couldn't see it, but she knew the skill well enough to avoid the four thrusts. That was the issue. They could drive home a sword skill if the opportunity arose, but it didn't just expose them with the delay, they could read each other's skills and knew when an opening to counter strike would come.

It cemented Thunderborne's initial belief; that Asuna would have to be beaten without Sword Skills. 

With her mind made up, a process that couldn't have taken more than two seconds, she charged, eliminating the distance between them in only a few steps. Asuna was slow to react and Thunder realized that she couldn't follow Thunderborne's charging speed as well as she could her rapier. 

The dance of rapiers was once again performed as each stepped, blocked, thrust, and cut at their opponent. Attacks missed as their opponent avoided it and others were blocked, prompting split second redirections into either another attack or a block to stop the incoming counter strike. 

It was a dangerous game and Thunderborne reveled in the challenge and ferocity of the duel. This was what she missed. Monsters didn't fight even a quarter as well as Asuna was. Maybe by floor 100 they could reach half their speed. The downside to monsters was that the rapier was a high speed weapon with low damage. You could quickly unleash a barrage of attacks, but each one was minor in its damage. That made fighting certain monsters very difficult.

Thunderborne spun. As hoped, it threw off Asuna's timing of her planned assault. Like during the charge, Asuna was slow to react to bigger movements which relied on agility or raw speed. Thunderborne played to that weakness, pairing her counters with spins, flips, aerials, and other acrobatics. Anything to give Thunderborne the advantage, and it worked. She scored the first hit on Asuna. It barely did any damage as it was a shallow cut from a thrust Asuna narrowly failed to avoid. If their time ran out, the system would recognize Thunderborne as the winner based on the overall reduction in hit points, but it would not be a win which could be celebrated or even force Asuna to abandon the title. It proved nothing. Thunderborne needed more. 

Asuna quickly evened the score by landing her own glancing blow. Her sword danced almost too fast for Thunderborne to process. The longer they fought, the better Thunder felt about tracking it. 

As the timer for the duel entered the last minute, Thunderborne brought her best to bear on Asuna, going for the fastest two combination attack she could throw before flipping backwards to avoid Asuna's counter. She was clear in two flips and immediately changed back in. 

They actually locked blades as Asuna barely got her rapier in place to block it from impaling her. The bind was natural and they disengaged, jumping back from each other. As Thunderborne shifted forward to eliminate the distance separating them, Asuna also took the opportunity to charge. She made it a whole step before she stopped, hopping backwards as Thunderborne struck. Her thrust missed and Asuna countered with her own thrust. The five points made an X. Thunderborne blocked the first four and then was stabbed in the chest. The blade didn't go in more than an inch, but it was relentless as it was pulled back and another set of attacks was launched. Thunderborne blocked each one, getting in two good counters, but the low cut wasn't deep enough and the high thrust at Asuna's head was dodged simply by leaning slightly to left, letting it harmlessly pass. They were too close and Thunder was overextended from the attack. An upward diagonal slash was performed, slicing across Thunderborne's chest before Asuna eliminated the last of the space in between, grabbing Thunder and pulling her in close as a thrust was made. It pierced Thunderborne's abdomen. It wasn't too deep, that was clearly the goal, but it definitely dented Thunderborne's HP. 

Thunderborne never got a chance to repay Asuna as the buzzer sounded. The match was decided, with Asuna clearly in the lead for eliminating the most HP. Thunderborne lost her grip on her rapier and it clattered to the ground in her defeat. It was an outcome Thunderborne knew was possible, but she also didn't expect to lose. Still, Asuna had cleanly bested her. There was nothing Thunderborne could have done to improve her chance at winning. Thunderborne would stick to her word and never raise even a hint of resistance over the nickname. 

The crowd cheered for a solid minute as Asuna let go of Thunderborne and stepped back a pace. Thunderborne doubled over and fell on the ground as the pain from being impaled became too much without her adrenaline rush or Asuna holding her in tight. The crowd's cheering was about the spectacle they had just witnessed, not the result of the duel. Thunderborne wallowed in the sound of her defeat for a minute as the pain subsided.

"I yield to you," Thunderborne said as she sat up. The crowd stopped cheering to hear the words exchanged. "You have earned the nickname fair and square. I'll never challenge it again, Lightning Flash."

"You fought well," Asuna declared for everyone to hear. "I respected you before, but now I do even more. You have skill and an eye that exceeds most players in the Assault Team. It's admirable, to say the least. The Wondercolts are lucky to have you."

Thunderborne nodded to Asuna. She didn't see it as a defeat counted against Thunderborne. She saw the value of Thunderborne as a fighter and as an individual. The duel only helped her see that more clearly.

Asuna continued before the crowd eclipsed her. "Despite the outcome, it's clear that you are the overall faster and more agile player. My sword is quicker than yours, but that is a refined speed. Your refined speed may not be as fast as mine, but you blocked most of my strikes and saw them coming. Few can do that. Most players only see the flash of my rapier as it strikes like lightning. It surprised and thrilled me, because I know that you're fighting for our freedom and that we still get to fight side by side. 

"I may be Lightning Flash Asuna, Second-in-Command of the Knights of the Bloodoath, but you are Thunderborne of the Wondercolts, the fastest player in Sword Art Online." Asuna held out her hand to help Thunderborne up.

"Thanks," Thunderborne said, as Asuna helped her up. "It was an honor to duel you and personally witness the skill I've seen displayed multiple times. I think we have a meeting we are now late to."

"Yes," Asuna nodded. As Thunderborne grabbed her dropped Rapier and sheathed it. "We need to get that underway."

Thunderborne was certain that no one heard what Asuna said as they walked side-by-side to the meeting. The crowd's general noise was too loud. "You may have lost, but neither of us stipulated that you would have to call me by that nickname. Let the others do what they wish. We have done too much together to let a nickname others came up with come in between our history. They choose it because they are too afraid to even use my title of Second-in-Command."

"Thanks, Asuna," Thunderborne said. "I hate titles. I never was big on them back home. I've done my best to be super respectful while in Japan, but I'm too chill for the culture. I thought I could handle four months and I could, but I never planned on being stuck in here."

Asuna laughed at that. "I don't know if you and your friends speak in any other languages, but outside of a slight accent, you can't tell you didn't grow up in Japan. Nowadays, many people live and travel for business and their children come back and visit, so a variety of accents are heard even by residents in international metropolitan centers like Tokyo."

"Thanks for the compliment," Thunderborne said. "If you sat me down, I still couldn't pick out regional accents no matter how hard I tried. It all just sounds the same to me. But I can understand the language, which is what matters."

"That is what matters," Asuna said with a nod. "He isn't as cold as he appears, but Commander Heathcliff does like a formal setting at all times. You would be wise to ensure you stay formal around him. As best as you can."

"Noted," Thunderborne replied before they split off. 

Thunderborne headed over to where the Wondercolts were. It was only a few yards separating the two guilds. Bladescape was clearly focused on the meeting. The lack of eye contact meant she would have words to say once they were back home and she could let Thunder have it. This business came first and as guild leader, Bladescape had a responsibility to the other guilds that she had to meet. Natora flashed Thunderborne a smile and gave her a wink to express her approval of the fight. 





BLADESCAPE: Level 65 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Sprint —  Blade Throwing — Extended Weight Carry 
NATORA: Level 62 —  Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Armor Pierce 
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 59 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry 
MALUS: Level 61 — One-Handed War Hammer — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search — Martial Arts
THUNDERBORNE: Level 61 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts
KONPEITO: Level 61 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense —  Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Music — Blade Throwing — Bard
DIEMOND: Level 62 — Mace — Greatshield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor  — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging — Extended Weight Carry
DOOMBUNNY: Level 59 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Search 
KIEFER: Level 59 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor  — Weapon Defense — First Aid  — Katana — Battle Regeneration — Slash Weapon Forging 
SORYUTO: Level 58 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce 
REISENKI: Level 59 — One-Handed Axe — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid —  Battle Regeneration — Cooking