09:15
blesi was strolling around the emerald city, he know it might be risky for him to do so, but he make sure that his red colors are well covered before he receive a mail sudden as he look to see it was from someone else, someone he doesn't know, as it read as follow :
"if you want to see me, meet me at the ancient forest" with no names, he wonder since he is the only who receive the message, he shouldn't worry much of getting others in danger "dont mind if i do" he said as he look to the map, seeing he is not far from the ancient forest, he turn around as he walk away from the crowded emerald city
meanwhile
floor 22
forest house k4
"the sleeping knight" asuna said while alice can tell she try to hold back tears as she think its best to not continue this topic "i'm sorry... i shouldn't have mention that name"
"no, it's alright, you can ask right away" she look up the ceiling for a second before looking at alice with a happy smile that alice can tell she try to hide what she truly felt "so, ask me right away" she said as she kept her warm smile but her eyes drop some tears that she try to ignore, though yui quickly grab a tissue as she wipe out the tears "are you sure, asuna ?"
"yes, i'm fine, it's just, it's been a while" she said holding the tissue yui had on her hand as she wipe the tears herself to finish it with one deep breath as she let it out "anyway, shall we continue ?"
"if you say so, asuna, don't force yourself if there is something you don't want to talk about" alice warned just to be sure "i'm fine, please start your question" asuna said assuring to everyone she is okay
"alright then, asuna can you tell me what you know about the sleeping knight ?" alice asked as asuna closed her eyes in though "i know that i used to be a member in goal of helping them in making memories that will never be forgotten, but after the guild leader yuuki, who had sadly pass away, the guild have disbanded, with each goes their own seperate ways"
"can you tell me why they decided to disband the guild ?" alice asked with curiosity in her eyes, yet she maintain herself "simple, it was a promise that they- i mean we have made, eventhough we have disbanded the guild we still remain in contact with each other" asuna explained as she scroll around the direct message seeing the names of the member as asuna got curious and wanting to ask alice
"by the way, alice, who told you about the sleeping knight ?" asuna asked curiously seeing alice ears twitch as she said "about that..." seeing that kirito, asuna, and even yui were looking at her in curiosity
she sigh "to tell you the truth, it was blesi" alice have no choice but to confess "blesi, what does he have to do with it ?" asuna asked just as kirito were wondering before alice continued "you see, last night when you all are asleep, i saw blesi got out of the house, as i follow i saw he was having a meeting with jakul"
"he what !?" both were suprised to hear this while asuna need to be sure "wait, you mean the same jakul that attacked us !?" kirito was attempting to calm her down while alice continued with what she heard "i cannot be sure, but it seems like it, but from what i heard it seems that they know something about the sleeping knight"
after hearing this kirito wonder before he said "i cannot be sure about this, since this was just a speculation, but, i got the feeling that jakul and blesi may have know the sleeping knight in person"
"what makes you reach to this conclusion" asuna asked
"asuna, do you remember what happen when you unleash mother rosaria at jakul ?" hearing this asuna remember that jakul somehow was able to dodge every attack, with asuna repeat what jakul had said
"i never though i would see this sword skill again, but look like she have passed it down to you", but asuna still have some questions "how come i never heard yuuki or the other mentioning them"
"would you like to ask siune about it ?" kirito asked asuna as he look to the chat "let's ask alice first" asuna requested hoping to get more info about them "alice, do you hear everything that they have said last night ?" asuna asked
"no, sadly, i can't hear it very clearly, this is the only one i got"
"that's a pity" kirito said "i guess we can try our luck with asking siune then" kirito continued as asuna request to siune to meet each other when they have time
meanwhile
09: 20
ancient forest
blesi arrived to the ancient forest though he simply chose to walk randomly in the forest since the person in question didnt even gave a coordination, leaving him no choice but walk in random, he wonder around the forest seeing beautiful scenery
a beautiful sight to see as you explore, but he felt as if someone has been looking at him he shrug it off thinking it was his mind playing tricks with him, that is until he heard footstep behind him, he quickly unleash his weapon as he turn around hand ready, only to see leafa
"leafa ?" blesi questioned wondering why leafa was here as leafa turn to see blesi she got close as she have questions to ask
"blesi ?, why are you here ?" leafa asked wondering the coincidence "i was just about to ask the same question" blesi wonder the coincidence but it felt too convenient as leafa asked "wait, blesi did you receive a message from someone else" with leafa said this blesi quickly check the message as he request for a comparison
with leafa showing blesi the message, he see that both were the same message, as he finish reading he realize the bush around the began to startle as blesi and leafa both had their weapon ready, coming out of the bush reveal army of salamander
"again !?, you gotta be kidding me !?" leafa reminded of the time salamander attack her at the ancient forest while jakul wonder what she meant by that "what do you mean by again, have they attack you in here before ?"
"if i can survive the previous one, then i can survive this one, don't let your guard down" leafa warned as blesi chuckle "you do the same" as he pull off the disguise reveal himself to be a salamander, with the salamander soldier suprise by this
blesi pull out his crossbow just as leafa drew her sword in ready to fight just as the salamander have their shield and lance ready
as a cloaked women coming out of the bush, as blesi questioned her while pointing the crossbow at her "who are you !?" with her simply laught saying "i am xuanji the poet."
"so you're the poet that those attacker have mentioned and i must say, i didnt expect a pooka to join the salamander, so tell me, who were you working for ?" blesi questioned
"what about you, a salamander helping a sylph, you dont have the right to say me about that" xuanji insulted as she pull down the cloaked revealing a women in all grey
"at least, i'm just helping those in need, i never mention of joining the sylph race" he look at the soldier they just fought and a guess came to his mind "let me guess, these soldier they came from the general right" leafa wander what blesi was talking about
xuanji chuckle as with a snap of a finger more soldier enter "i must say, you are a clever one, but sadly your help toward the sylph is enough to break the trust from the general" xuanji said before order an attack
"hope you prepare for this wave" blesi warned leafa just to be sure "i'm okay, if i can survive the last than i can survive this one" leafa look around the guards that surround them "thank for trusting me back there by the way" blesi had his crossbow ready "no problem now get ready"
the salamander guard quickly charge as blesi quickly roll down toward them, as he quickly point back with his crossbow shooting two of the guard as he quickly change to his sword as he some slashes on the guards
while leafe quickly flew up with her wings as she look down she see the guard following, seeing a line she put her kendo skill to use as she speak out spells of the fenrir storm
she quickly dive down toward the salamander seeing some weakpoint to the guard as it charge toward them, with a quickslash she unleashes green penetrating lighting at the exposed part of the guard with each attack she drop their hp quickly
she stopped as she look at the salamander guard behind her seeing their hp dropped to zero as they shattered to dust now she quickly dive down to help blesi
blesi was able to hold them all fine as he quickly finished them off rather quickly as he had the crossbow pointing at xuanji, with one shot fired, but xuanji quickly parry it with the spear that she just revealed, blesi realized there are two highly skilled guard behind her as they come out, with spear instead of lance and no shield
blesi quickly change to his sword as he prepare for a fight, while leafa had just land down as she see blesi having a fight with two guards, she tried to help but was quickly blocked by xuanji spear as she stab in front of leafa, before she attack with leafa quickly block it with her sword, as she push it beside her before she attack only for xuanji to block her incoming attack with her shaft before she kicked leafa give the two a distance
"i heard that rumor said you have a crush on your, cousin" leafa was shocked to hear this "where did you get that !?" it was something in her mind that she never dare told, something she know was wrong something, something she tried to not think about "my, my, it seems that we are more similar that i thought" xuanji said "what do you mean by that"
"simple, i like you had once loved a man that never loved me, not to mention he is my mentor" xuanji said as she look to her name, viewing herself no different than the famous poet
"you disgust me" leafa said disgusted at what she just said "yet, what do you think they would say if you reveal your love for your cousin" hearing this leafa seems to be distracted as she wasn't able to dodge every incoming attack
blesi was able to deal them one by one as he look toward leafa seeing her hp had reached yellow and if it continues it will turn red in seconds, he quickly slash the last one as he quickly ran to help leafa, as he see leafa getting close to zero with one last attack blesi quickly make as slash as it blocked the spears incoming attack just in time as he look at leafa hp as it was close to zero, he sigh in relief seeing she is okay
"hey, lady, why dont you go ahead and fight someone you targetting!" blesi taunting pointing the blade at her
"you act no different than the blackswordman himself" she said as blesi realize she has been spying on them for some time but he simply put the sword rest on his shoulder as he want to taunt her
"i like the sound of that, a man who willing to sacrifice himself for the good of others, it sounds more like an honorable title to me" blesi said as he look to xuanji reaction before look back to gave leafa some needed hp potion
but it seems that she wasnt looking well as he sigh before he said "what did you do to her?"
"oh, just some ladies talk, that's all" xuanji said keeping the discussion without knowing that blesi had hear what he had heard "you expected me to be that stupid, you slut !?" blesi said as he want to find a way to angered her "what did you just call me !?" nobody dares to call her that, nobody
"a slut, what !?, as if you call yourself by that name isn't enough of a proof, you mentor loving crazy wench" blesi see her reaction as it seems to go as how he had planned
"you!?, you!, ahhh!" she scream as she charging toward blesi with spear in her hand as she began to attack blesi like crazy "i kill you, i will kill you!" she screamed as she continue to fight like she is insane
with the strength of the metal shaft enough to cause chipping on blesi sword, that slowly making him even more vulnerable, before with a kick as he was push to the ground she began to stab him continuosly
while blesi try to dodge every incoming attack in anyway he could before he was suddenly pinned down as she look down on blesi she raised her spear as she going to stab him like a maniac with a plunger blesi closed his eyes
he felt nothing he opened to see the spear stopped in front of him, he look to see leafa with her sword stab on xuanji chest behind her as her hp dropped to zero slowly dissipating into dust
blesi look to leafa as she knelt down while blesi got up to see leafa in tears, he wonder why before he see leafa grab to her sword as she was about to slid her own throat but blesi quickly stop the blade as it simply touch the skin
before he pull it away from her "what were you thinking !?" blesi look at leafa before leafa burst out in tears as blesi think its best let her cry a bit while he get leafa and his sword to see multiple chipping on his blade he simply sheathed the sword to fix it later
he look back to see leafa getting calm down as he came to ask "are you alright ?" seeing leafa nodding is enough to make him felt relieved to see
she about to get up but her knees seems to be weakened "grab this" blesi pull out leafa hand as he let her grab to his sword like a staff, while he had leafa sword at his hand "you able to walk with that ?" blesi asked making sure if she is really okay
as it seems that the word that xuanji had said really take a toll on her as she doesn't seem to want to talk at the moment, but he still gotta need to help her somehow
he thought for a bit before decided to just suck it as he seeing her even with a staff wasn't able to walk so he decide to do a piggy back ride, as leafa see she was suddenly being carried all of the sudden as she wanted to be put down emmidietly
but he had already carried her might as well just ignore leafa complaint and kept on moving, his time in salamander army weren't for nothing, though he can still find her complaining a bit annoying for a bit...okay maybe a little...okay maybe a lot more but
he had no choice he just hope she get tired of wanting to be put down and remain silent and it came sooner than he did, he simply chuckle imagine how funny her face looks at the moment "i'll put you down when we outside this forest"
"hey, blesi, do you think what xuanji said was true ?" leafa asked wanting answers "which one she said many weird stuff?" blesi said just to light up the blue
"were we the same?" leafa asked reminded of what xuanji had said as her heart beating fast for an answer
"no, in fact, i simply think that you may have mistaken your love for kirito, love doesnt always have to be all passion like asuna to kirito, maybe you dont fully understand it yet, but maybe just maybe you love him as a family, that's just how i see it in a way" blesi explained
"what about her ?" leafa wondered how blesi see her
"you mean that lady, oh i just try to enrage her, didn't expect it go that way though" blesi explained his true motives of calling her that
"you really act like kirito sometime" leafa can't believe what she had heard and how reckless of a plan it was
"like you said, sometimes" blesi said as he look in front of him were the path toward swilvane
"look like we arrived" blesi said as he put leafa down, giving back her sword and leafa gave back his, blesi asked "are you feeling better ?"
"yep" leafa replied as blesi making sure his sword was okay as he pulled it out to see multiple chipping some were deep enough that could break in half if it continued to be use
he doesnt know much location for blacksmith as he wanted to ask "leafa, do you know any blacksmith that you recommend"
"well when it comes to blacksmith, i know a friend that could help with this, here let me send you the address" leafa look to the map as she picked up the location to her friend, before send it to blesi as he check to see it was in yggdrasil city, as he look up to the giant tree as he sigh "should have put you down a while ago"
"hey, what was that supposed to mean!?" leafa about to get her weapon before blesi quickly step a few feet away, as he asked "how do i got up there ?"
"wait, you never been there before ?" leafa asked in disbelief "no?" blesi replied in confusion s leafa decided to tell him "fine, i'll tell you, first go to the city of alne, there will be an elevator that shall brought you to yggdrasil city then you need to find a leprechaun girl by the name lisbeth"
"that's it ?" blesi asked expected something long and confusing "that's it" leafa replied "seems simpler than i expected, well than, i'm off now, see you next time" blesi said wave his hand without looking back
"wait, did you brought enough money though ?" hearing this blesi stunned as he quickly walk back for further question "since you know her, how much does it usually cost ?"
"about that, it seems to be depend on the person" hearing this blesi quickly checked the money he had in his inventory "well, better bring extra i guess, anyway, i'm off now" he said as he walk away for real this time
meanwhile
09:20
floor 22
forest house k4
asuna send a message to siune hoping she is on and would reply as she requested to have a meeting as a guest in her house with the message send now it is all just a waiting game for the four of them as she think it's best to prepare something for the guest while she about to got up yui notice their is a reply as siune had said yes for the meeting