Chapter 18 - The Crystal

At the start of the day where Kirito meets Lisbeth, you could see the emperor of chaotic Fiends Baator waking up at the break of dawn, he started dressing up as he was sleeping naked as he usually did, he wore only pants for now as he's going to make some weapons... So anyways he made himself and Lisbeth some food like always and after he finished eating he started walking to the lowest floor, he arrived at a metal door featuring an imp presenting a demonic sword and him pointing at a draconic armor near him with his free arm, he opened the door with a wide grin as he prepared a special hammer with demon runes that looks like it could smash even holy weapons, after he opened the door a wave of heat flowed out of the room but he quickly entered and closed the door as even the heat in the air is enough to melt normal ores, he then summoned a portal that dropped 3 red and 4 black ores, he immediately started smelting them and... a little skip now

Baator finally finished the armor he got requested to make, it was horse armor for Mint's special steed [the devil wings nightmare], he admired his own work until he heard a loud s snap of metal, he immediately rushed up the stairs as he heard Lisbeth scream.

He barged into the room where he heard the scream from and he witnessed Lisbeth holding a broken sword that shattered into crystals, after it shattered Lisbeth fell to the ground and Baator just stood there as he noticed it was Kirito, Kirito not recognizing Baator as he's wearing a large dragon skull helmet and without a shirt was bewildered but for now he focused at the angry Lisbeth. After her little runt and Kirito agreeing to get the materials Baator clapped and took off his helmet greeting Kirito and saying "So you need another sword huh? I'll come along too as it sounds fun" they both agreed as Lis knows how strong Baator is and same with Kirito, Liz from living with him so much and Kirito by seeing him fight on the frontlines.

A little skip... Baator is walking with a long red coat while the other wears the same as in the original, when Liz said she's freezing Baator just gave her the coat, when he took off his coat you could see a well-toned body with runes written in a magma like color and when both his companions looked at him with worry Baator just used a skill the skill fuses a fiend with the user, as he used the skill his body turned red and steam was coming out as the cold environment got quickly warmer...

At the area of the crystal dragon instead of bickering with Kirito Liz got head patted by Baator that told her "Just do what he says, the boss will be handled by us 2 easily, Baator walked in front of Kirito while using the skill again he used all his summoning slots to fuse his body with those 2 types of fiends, Baator now has a Hell Hound head and color while he kinda had the body of the Devourer, he had a demonic ribcage on his chest as semi armor, long legs and arms including big claws.

As Baator finished using the skill the crystal dragon appeared and used its ice breath, Baator fired a stronger fire breath in response damaging the dragon, after Baator finished the Hell Hound breath Kirito dashed to attack the dragon, while he rushed the dragon Baator prepared 4 bladed rings in each hand, after Kirito hit the dragon Baator threw the rings making them fly through the air, the rings hit the intended targets and as the first ring came back to Baator he threw it again but at a faster speed as he combined the remaining power of the previous throw to empower the next, after 4 throws of Baator Kirito cut off the arm of the dragon, seeing the opportunity Baator threw all the ring at the same wound making them drill inside its body, the battle almost finished but suddenly Liz cheered Baator to finish the boss, the dragon noticed her and used a wing attack pushing her into the big hole, Baator was faster then Kirito so he rushed after her first while unequipping the rings, as the body of Baator is enchanted he caught Liz before Kirito did to prevent the fall damage and while falling he unleashed 6 kunais attatched to special silk to pierce the walls around himself, the Kunais pierced the walls and all seems good until a wild Kirito fell on top of them making Baator lose his grip on the silk, but luckily as Baator slowed them down already the remeining fall was quite short. Kirito and Lizbeth took less than half of the original damage they were supposed to take and Baator healed fast the lost HP so no need to discuss his damage...

Liz after drinking the HP potion hugged Baator hard and thanked him while Kirito just said "Thank you" in a grateful way as he knew how chaotic Baator is and if he would hug him he might be called gay and be told to stay back, Baator ignored his environment and was thinking of a way out, Baator had an idea but right as he turned to Liz and Kirito he saw him trying to run up the wall, he looked at him weirdly as he slipped and fell to the ground. So Baator said "Let me try something..." as he took out the Kunais he used earlier and reattached the silk on the handles to get a better grip on them, so Baator used them like the 3D Maneuvers [Attack on titan] and launched himself into the air with those using his own strength instead of the gas in the real one, so Baator got three fourths to freedom constantly switching to new Kunais each time he grappled but as the momentum of his jump ended and as the amount of Kunais is limited he started dropping, on the way down he grabbed the silk of the used Kunais to reuse them in real battles and to slow down his fall...

So after talking a bit night time has come so they prepared their sleeping bags and entered them, Baator was in the middle of Kirito and Baator, this time Liz just snuggled with Baator instead of asking Kirito questions...

So as the sun has started rising you could see Baator in the Fiend form of the Hell Hound just breathing fire at the ground unraveling crystallite ingots, after he found about 3 he stopped, now he just waited for the others to wake up...

After Liz woke up and Kirito explained what the ingots are and the nest they are in they heard the dragon's expected roar, Baator turned into the previous form he was fighting with and prepared his Kunais, as the dragon flew towards them Baator grabbed Liz and started running up the wall with Kirito behind him, as Baator jumped to the dragon throwing 8 Kunais in total he roared "How dare you trap this emperor in your nest... You shall pay for this with your death!", Kirito pierced the dragon with his sword to get a grip and the 8 Kunais Baator threw wrapped the dragon perfectly [like a saddle] in a way even a human would have a hard time getting this silk off himself not to mention a dragon without thumbs and with short hands, Baator took the edge of all the silk wires like a saddle and Liz is sitting between the 'reins' and Baator while Kirito is holding to dear life with the sword. Kirito's sword finally slipped and Liz is just laughing and enjoying the warmth of Baator while confessing her feelings, Baator saying "Sorry Liz but I'm gonna need to kill this dragon as it's still going up" As he used a skill as the wires started hardening turning into a strange metal while turning hotter and sharper by the second, the dragon is screaming in pain as it feels itself getting cut up and seared by the flaming sharp wires, the dragon started falling and when it finally hit the ground it exploded into data crystals, Baator slowly putting down Liz in his hands said, "Let's go back quickly now as Kirito is probably worried".

Kirito was not worried when he saw them, he said the reasoning is because it's Baator he felt they wouldn't have any trouble. So when it finally came to forging the weapon Baator said "I know you could create a great weapon so please do your best!", so instead of the sword making being powered by her love for Kirito this time it was powered by the thought to impress Baator, as Baator is too a blacksmith like her so she wants him to see her as worthy to work side by side with permanently.

The Dark Repulser had the original stats and this earned Liz a hug and a pat on the head by Baator, she was smiling brightly and Kirito said "I'll be sure to count on you two if I ever need something repaired or made" brightly probably influenced by the atmosphere and him realizing Baator may get a wife by the end of Sao.

Suddenly Asuna rushed through the door to hug Lizbeth but stopped when she noticed the atmosphere and Liz being hugged by Baator while Kirito watched with a smile, they all noticed her and [Skip a bit], when Kirito and Asuna finished their chat Liz said "I see you got a partner Asuna huh? Well, I too got one!" as she hugged tightly Baator's arm, Asuna blushed and said "Stop teasing me, Liz! We are just fighting on the frontlines together so we meet quite often!" Liz just smiled teasingly while Baator gave a thumbs up to Kirito, they both blushed until Asuna rushed out while saying "I can't believe I was worried about you with him with there! Now if you excuse me I have some matters to attend to!" Kirito just turned between the leaving Asuna both Liz and Baator until Baator said "Just go with her, good luck and bye!" Kirito waved his hand and started running after her.

Baator smiled and said "Good that I went with you to get those ingots. It was a lot of fun..." Liz smiled and hugged him while saying "I'm glad you came with us too..."