Episode 49 — Loving Dragon
Episode 49 — Loving Dragon
Nineteenth in the Month of Ash Tree (October 19) in the Year of the Dragon
Front Line Floor 41
The day had been a short one for the guild. Their first overnight XP grinding session was going to happen, so they called the day early. Bladescape would be leading Natora, Malus, Thunderborne, Konpeito, and Kiefer to the chosen grinding location. It would be a tiring night, but at least they had a permanent home to go back to. The rest of the guild, Soryuto, Doombunny, Diemond, and Knightstar would be training the next night. Their three guild leaders were doing level calculations in order to ensure they were keeping up with the rest of the Assault Team. It was an important factor for keeping them safe, but overnight training sounded horrible. Both boring and tiresome. They couldn't do it during the day since they had duties to the front, but it was not something Soryuto looked forward to.
For now, she didn't have to worry about it. She would get to bed early and get a good night's sleep, resting up as best as she could. Before that, she had some things to take care of. She didn't get to do it as often as she liked due to their schedule, but when she could, she quietly jumped on the opportunity.
Soryuto wasn't in her gear as she left their headquarters. She was in a green outfit with gold accents that Diemond had made her. It was much better to do this stuff in something comfortable, rather than her field gear. She stopped at a bakery on her way out and got food to go. Reisenki and Konpeito would likely pack her food, but they had other things to worry about, like cooking for the guild or their own lives. She didn't feel like imposing on them in their free time, not when purchasing food from an NPC would do the job.
Soryuto teleported to the Town of Beginnings. It was kind of a taboo place to go back to, especially since the crafters had left, but Soryuto was used to the town. It held its bad memories and emotions of that fateful day, but others eclipsed it. Outside Tolbana was one of those days, when they had lost Joltron and Lessa. Soryuto still had Joltron's shield. It was now mounted on her wall. Mounting a weapon removed it from being an active item. It didn't lose durability unless it was outside of a home. It was a way to preserve weapons and shields beloved by players, but had to be given up as they progressed. Once an item was mounted, it couldn't be unmounted. In her case, Joltron's shield was the only reason she was alive. That and his stubborn self-sacrifice.
Soryuto didn't speak with Kiefer or Reisenki about them. That was a taboo topic to the boys. They seemed more focused forward, on the fight ahead of them. They didn't want to look back because they knew it was bad. It was easier to ignore all the carnage left in the wake of the liberation effort.
But Soryuto couldn't do that. She didn't exactly blame the boys, but she didn't like it. She couldn't blame them since she had never spoken up about it.
Soryuto wound her way through the alleys of the Town of Beginnings until she found the inn. Inside, hiding out, was Alnair and Gauvaine. When SAO ceased being a game, Alnair and Gauvaine were unable to overcome their fear. They hid instead. It kept them alive, barely, but they were not living. Alnair had come around a bit, but was still very fearful and timid, but he couldn't leave Gauvaine who was still paralyzed in her fear, even after all of these months.
Almost immediately upon the start of SAO, the seven friends playing a video game together had shrunk to five. Not long after, it collapsed to three. That's why Kiefer and Reisenki didn't look back, they would stumble and trip on guilt, shame, and other emotions if they did. It wasn't their fault, but they would have to bear the emotions. Soryuto couldn't step forward without looking backwards.
Soryuto knocked on the door to their room. It took a moment, but it slowly opened as someone peaked out through the crack. Once they recognized that it was Soryuto, Alnair opened the door the rest of the way, stepping out of the way so she could enter. As usual, Guavaine was curled up on the bed. She wouldn't move for hours. The only reason she did was to eat and that was usually only at the coaxing of Soryuto or Alnair.
The cheap inn had a table and a single bed. It was smaller than most inn rooms and not comfortable to spend their entire day in. Soryuto had long since given up on the two of them leaving the Town of Beginnings for a nicer location. It didn't matter since they rarely left the room. They didn't make use of the safe zone or crafting to make money. They didn't go on walks in the safe zones. They did nothing but sit in their fear, consumed and paralyzed by it.
Hunger couldn't kill in SAO, but it was enough to drive a player mad. Soryuto set out on the table what she had picked up in Mishe. It took some work, but Alnair was able to coax Guavaine back to their current reality enough for her to come to the table and eat. She did smile at Soryuto before slowly eating.
There were only two chairs, which was fine, they needed them as they ate, while she didn't. Soryuto had eaten what Konpeito had made for an early dinner. She leaned against the wall by the table as she strummed her lute, singing a few Japanese folk songs. She didn't know how to play many, forcing her to repeat them, but her friends didn't seem to notice. Just playing the music for them brightened Soryuto's heart. It also brightened the mood of Alnair and Gauvaine.
When they were done eating, Alnair did dare to ask for an update. Soryuto kept them apprised of the Wondercolts and their progress. She specifically focused on Kiefer, Reisenki, and herself, but she couldn't avoid the other Wondercolts. Her two friends were happy that they had found a home with the Wondercolts. It gave them some hope, because they knew the three of them were safe, as safe as they could be, and that they had found friends to help tackle their fight for freedom together. It wasn't viewed by either Alnair or Guavaine as betrayal, they understood, but Soryuto couldn't help but feel like it was somewhat of one. A stupid, illogical feeling that her friends didn't share. Alnair and Gauvaine still mourned the loss of Joltron and Lessa, but nothing could be done about that.
Guavaine quietly ran out of energy and retreated back to the bed. Alnair chatted a bit more with Soryuto about nothing in particular, but even he was getting tired. Her visits were short, but emotionally exhausting for them. Soryuto left him with the col she could spare. It would provide them with what they needed to keep the inn room rented and from going insane from the hunger pains. She didn't know when she would be back, but they understood that and why. Alnair wished her luck and Soryuto departed so they could rest.
She went back, walking as quickly as she could, to the teleport plaza and teleported to Mishe. Back home, she withdrew to her room. As she sat in her desk chair, she looked at Joltron's shield. As good as it felt to see her friends and help them, the visits always left her drained. She would be discouraged and depressed for the rest of the evening, but tomorrow would bring rage.
The rage was threefold. It was about their situation; trapped in this death game, it was about her friends crippled by fear; and it was about her two lost friends. Soryuto was used to fighting with that anger, trying to direct most of it away from herself and feeling helpless, and into whatever monsters they were fighting. That rage had unlocked the skill Fighting Spirit and she would make use of it as she helped cut, hack, and slash their way out of this living nightmare.
BLADESCAPE: Level 63 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Sprint — Blade Throwing — Extended Weight Carry
NATORA: Level 60 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Armor Pierce
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 57 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry
MALUS: Level 60 — One-Handed War Hammer — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search — Martial Arts
THUNDERBORNE: Level 60 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts
KONPEITO: Level 60 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Music — Blade Throwing — Bard
DIEMOND: Level 60 — Mace — Greatshield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging — Extended Weight Carry
DOOMBUNNY: Level 57 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Search
KIEFER: Level 57 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Katana — Battle Regeneration — Slash Weapon Forging
SORYUTO: Level 56 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce
REISENKI: Level 58 — One-Handed Axe — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Cooking
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I know the feeling. I feel the same with certain memories from my past. An example was my experience being in the hospital twice at the age of 10. Reason why was of a rare foot infection that nearly killed me if it wasn't for the doctors who helped me. Still gives me the chills whenever I think of it, or people ask about the scar on my right left.
I feel sorry her friends are in that state. But I don't blame them for they are trapped in a literal death game.
Stuff like this is why I never really liked SAO's attempts to characterize Kayaba as some sort of misunderstood visionary. When you get caught up in the fun adventure stuff, it's easy to forget that he trapped a bunch of literal children in his murder death game, and it's really tough to have any sympathy for a guy like that.
This is new. Presenting the POVs of Wondercolt members who aren't part of the original Equestria Girls group to help show the POVs of other SAO victims, including those still mentally trapped as non-combatants.
Do you plan to show those orphans as shown in the anime and the story's first version? The kids Doombunny hired to hunt smaller animals to feed Colorra?
may i ask about the chapter title? I dont get the conection to a dragon
That took a darker turn right here. Can we have some more?
I get that. It's like how in Minecraft you can frame an item, especially those that have important sentimental value. In this case it also serves as a memorial to Joltron.
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It must be some clever japanese wordplay on Soryuto's name. I know for sure that ryu is japanese for a dragon.
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oh i see
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The best way I can characterize Kayaba is like Chaotic Neutral. Definitely aspects of him which are misunderstood and mischaracterized, the Light Novels cover it much better, but that does not justify at all what he did.
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I do enjoy pulling in other POVs when I can. I will try to get more snapshots of the regular and intermediate players. The Kids and Sasha will be in this story again. I can do more since I have more time, but the best thing they can do is push to get everyone out. Still, they will be more present.
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It's a throwback to Soryuto's name and the chapter focuses on her loving personality, which we don't usually see. All the way back from Episode 13. Whiel all names are Romanized, it would be expressed in Kanji as 蒼龍闘 -- sō+ryū+tō.
Her name is derived from the Imperial Japanese Naval Carrier Sōryū* -- 蒼龍 "Blue (or Green) Dragon") -- launched in 1935. She was one of the six carriers to attack Pearl Harbor and was scuttled in the Battle of Midway in 1942 after being damaged beyond repair, but still floating as night fell. 蒼 (sō) means both blue and green, as green was seen as a shade of blue. It was not until much later that 緑 (Midori) came into use to directly distinguish green from blue. Midori's use began in the Meiji restoration but really kicked off after WW2.
闘 (tō) means fight; war.
*There is now is JS Sōryū (SS-501), the first JMSDF submarine in the Sōryū-class submarine. There are twelve subs in the class, all having ryu in their name. Sōryū (blue dragon), Unryū (Cloud Dragon), Hakuryū (White Dragon), Kenryū (Sword Dragon), Zuiryū (Auspicious Dragon), Kokuryū (Black Dragon), Jinryū (Benevolent Dragon), Sekiryū (Red Dragon), Seiryū (Pure Dragon), Shōryū (Soaring Dragon), Ōryū (Phoenix Dragon), & Tōryū (Fighting Dragon). The last two use lithium-ion battery propulsion technology verses the diesel-electric system, with Ōryū being the world's first lithium ion battery submarine.
Armament is:
6 × HU-606 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes with 30 reloads for:
1.) Type 89 torpedo
2.) Harpoon (missile)
Mines
EDIT: I know, I'm a nerd.
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More "darkness" will pop up at appropriate times. It still is an adventure based story, but there are times to show the cost/tole/darkness.
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Mounting Items is nice. lol. It will be seen a bit more.
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Thanks for the interesting information!
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Oh, and that's why her wing banner is green with a tinge of blue!
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?
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The wing banner at the end of the chapter, separating the character stats. This one is Soryuto's.
i.postimg.cc/ZKz4BJvh/Soryuto.png
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Well, Sasha and the Kids provide one worrying aspect of those trapped in SAO, i.e. the children trapped in said game. That is one group of victims I never expected and could further add another level of urgency and responsibility to their elders/guardians. So, Sasha looking after them is one aspect that deserves more credit and extra attention, more so if you have the Army (can't remember the name) starting to act more like a gang of thugs in canon.
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Yes, the Aincrad Liberation Force will largely stay canon, as it is used to develop Kirito and Asuna. It certainly will spur urgency to the matter. I will give Sasha her due.
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The only characterization of Kayaba that I ever found understandable if not sympathetic I'm not even sure is canon. It's the theory that among his many many reasons for setting up SAO was a warning. Full dive technology was becoming a thing, largely but not completely due to him. It was barely understood and largely unregulated. SAO, along with all the other selfish reasons, was his way of telling the world that the technology WAS dangerous. Better a small tragedy at the beginning than a massive one further down the line after the technology's use had become widespread. Like I said, I'm not sure if it's canon, but it lines up better with his characterization as a misunderstood genius than an unalloyed madman.