16 Chapter 16

In just about a week, after the clearers manage to defeat the 38th floor's boss and cleared it, the next floor boss at 39th floor was also defeated. The front line change quickly right after that, from 39th floor become the 40th floor.

It's a floor with jail as the theme, with gloomy atmosphere, thick wall and thick jail bars added with jailers as the monsters, make the players playing a role as the prisoners.

It's true though, because they are indeed a prisoner! A prisoner of a jail named Aincrad. So, this floor was like a reminder for them about the reality they are in. That instead a player, rather they are more like a "prisoner".

The city in this floor was named Jaileum too, a city that enclosed by tall stone walls from all side and make the city look so dim caused by the lack of light.

There isn't much players yet around and the players that can be seen here consisted mainly by the clearers that come and go to explore the labyrinth, create a map data and looking for the boss room.

Among the player that come and go, a player with all black attire could be seen around the teleport gate. He leaned against the wall with hands inside his pocket. He look at the teleport gate from time to time and then make a sigh. He clearly waiting for someone to appear from the teleport gate but the waited someone never come after wait a long time.

Time flowed slowly and finally light could be seen from the teleport gate and revealed a human figure and a fox after the light die down. They are Nao and Haku, his tamed monster and the black attired man was Kirito.

Let out a sigh seeing that Nao finally come after he waited for a long time, he come at them with tired and annoyed expression.

"You late!" He said with annoyed look.

"Ahaha~ my bad. There's a black cat crossed my path." He said apologetically.

"I really amaze that damned black cat still crossed your path for two years already and even follow you here into the death game. Find better excuse." Kirito said tiredly.

"Well, I see a UFO...."

"Forget about that!" Kirito cut his word immediately.

"Sigh, Let's go first and talk later." Kirito said again and turn around to leave.

Nao then followed him leave the city to go to the labyrinth. Along the way, they chatting a bit from time to time.

"So, what is it?" Nao asked him.

"I found a mid-boss last time I go inside. So I send you a message to come with me." Kirito said.

He explore the labyrinth with Nao again this days after his problem with the guild was done. Nao didn't mind either and make a party with him to explore the labyrinth from time to time. Not all the time they go to the labyrinth together. There's a time when Nao and him explore alone like when he explore the labyrinth alone before because Nao said he want to rest a bit and finally discovered the mid-boss.

"Mid-boss, huh. Then the boss room would also be discovered soon." Nao mumbled under his breath.

"Aah, if we could defeat this one, what left was to looking for the boss room." Kirito confirmed his word.

"Then, let's try to beat this guy first."

"By the way, I don't know your level." Kirito said.

"Hm?? It's at 62 right now." Nao said after looking at his level under his HP bar.

Kirito stunned and blinking many time while looking at him.

"What?" Nao asked him after sense his gaze and suddenly stopped walking.

"Sigh~ Are you fighting the monster 24 hours a day or something? I can't believe what I heard." His own level now was only at 55 after all and he could reach this high after reducing his sleeping time. Is he didn't sleep at all? Kirito thought.

"Ahaha~ I think it's because my luck was pretty good." Nao said it lightly.

"What kind of luck was that." Kirito didn't believe him at all.

They keep going while chatting and finally reach the labyrinth entrance not long after that.

"This is it. Let's go." Nao said and Kirito nodded at his word.

They enter the Labyrinth together and soon greeted by the monsters inside. They take out their weapons, make a stance then begin to fight them all and explore the labyrinth.

Together, they didn't find much problem fighting with the monsters because they familiar with how the other party's fighting style. They know well when to switch even without them said it. Nao too mostly only train his Sixth Sense when fight together with kirito.

Nao still has two katana on his waist, though only use one of them when he make a party with someone. It'll be an overkill to use the both of them after all in a party.

Kirito ask him before about his Dual Katana technique, so Nao tell him and explain to him how it was possible. He too already know about how Nao could use sword skill without skill-assist help. He even try to do it too before but couldn't do it in the end. Applying it wasn't an easy thing to do to begin with because even for Nao, he need his [Extreme Super Growth] to do it.

Nao keep spreading his Sixth Sense while they are fighting the monster along the way. The mid-boss was ahead of them already and when Nao checked it, he found some players fighting the mid-boss already, though the situation wasn't look good. Kirito also could hear the sound of a fight not long after that.

"Let's go." Nao said and they run to where the mid-boss are.

When they are almost reach the place, someone shouting could be heard.

"Sanza, run!"

They could see the mid-boss execute a skill with its rod to finish an unmoved player on the ground. He will die if the attack hit him! Nao thought when they finally reach the location of the fight and seen what happened.

"Block it!" Nao Shout while dashing at the scene together with Kirito.

Kirito nodded and execute a skill and block the mid-boss attack with his sword. The two attack collided and repelled each other make the both of them, the mid-boss and Kirito knokced back. Nao didn't waste any time and attacked the mid-boss when it was still in the knocked back state. He make slash after slash make it roar in the end.

Nao didn't stop his attack after the last one. He continue to attract the mid-boss attention and engage in the battle with it make the guy on the ground have time to retreat and heal up.

"You fall back and heal up!" Kirito said to the guy while Nao keep the boss occupied.

Nao fighting the mid-boss alone right now. Not just because the mid-boss aggro was directed at him completely, but also because the other players still in their dazed state at the moment. Soon, Kirito also join the fight after helped the guy from before and help Nao fighting the mid-boss.

But the others still dazed and didn't move at all, especially their party leader, the one who shouted when the monsters's rod almost hit someone of their party.

Just a glance and people would know that they are from The Knight of Blood or KoB, one of the elite clearers guild in SAO. This party itself was lead by the sub-leader of their guild, The Flash, Asuna who right now has a complicated feeling. She feel something inside her heart when looking at the both of them fighting together. She was part of the duo too before joined the KoB! she thought. Make them trio instead of the duo.

She brush the feeling off and command her party to join them fighting the mid-boss. The other players wakes from their stunned state and do as ordered and fight the mid-boss again.

It's been over half a year already since she decide to leave their party and joined the KoB. After she leave the party, she know that they seldom to make a party again because every time, she always see Nao alone in the labyrinth. She didn't know the reason before, so she decide to ask Nao when they meet at a boss raid meeting, and he said that Kirito has join a guild too.

However, right now they make a party together again, explore the labyrinth together again after a long time.

"I don't know why but suddenly I feel a bit hungry." Nao said in the middle of the fight make some player speechless. He is hungry in the middle of a fight with a mid-boss? What this guy talking about? Is the mid-boss hit his head or something? They couldn't believe what they heard.

"What are you talking about?" Kirito sweatdropped too.

"You see, I suddenly remember Katsudon because all of this jail and jailer things." Nao said while slash and attack the enemy before him.

"Sorry but I don't... UNnderstand!?" Kirito said after block the mid-boss attack with his own attack.

"You see, when a criminal interrogated, isn't there always a bowl of Katsudon served to them in the film." Nao said again.

"Ah, I see. But Isn't it usually donuts instead if we use western style?" Kirito said to him about the other version.

"Well, either of them is the same. Rather, it's make me more hungry right....NOw!!!??" Nao said while land the end of his skill to the enemy.

"I think I feel a bit hungry too." Kirito added to with his statement.

Their talking about katsudon here and katsudon there, then about donuts here and donuts there, make the members of KoB's lips twitch from time to time until they finally defeat the mid-boss. What the hell this two really. They thought inside their mind. They are mostly newcomers of the guild after all and was in the middle of trained themself how to fighting as a group and make them ready as soon as possible.

That's right, this party main purpose was to train them, the newcomers of the guild and make them familiar fighting with a boss class opponent using the mid-boss from before.

The fight was over right now and the mid-boss was defeated. They cheered after the enemy disappear into fragment and Asuna, as the leader of the party ordered them to recovered their HP. Asuna leave the circle and step up to the both of the duo at the other side of her group.

When she come close to them, she could hear that they still talking about katsudon and donuts. She couldn't help but smile slightly at this talk, she want to interject with 'be more serious!' and something around that to reprimand them, but while looking at them, or rather the one who put his katana on his shoulder, the word that come out of her mouth was a very dull word.

"I appreciate the support." She said plainly while feeling the tightness of her heart. She feel very hard even to breath.

The both of them turn around to face the Sub-leader of the KoB.

"Well,..." She's very stiff! Nao thought.

"It's alright Fuku-danchou-san." Nao said while smiling wryly.

"We need to go through here anyway." Kirito added too.

She felt a prickling pain at how their somewhat reserved-mannered reply. Especially at how formal the katana shouldering man addressed her. She calmed herself down inside and ask again.

"...You're still going further ahead?"

Nao lift his katana from his shoulder and sheathed it into its saya on his waist.

"Well, After we defeat a mid-boss at this level, the boss room won't be far from here. So...." He said while sheathed his katana and ready to leave.

"I see...... Be careful." She said to the both of them.

"Thanks, you too." Kirito said.

"Fufufufu It's alright. I'll protect your boyfriend an....."

"STOP IT!!!" She cut Nao's word right away with scream-almost-like tone and red face. 'Why!?!' she thought while clench her fist tightly and endure the smarting pain inside her heart.

Nao and even Kirito stunned for a moment because of that. Nao blinking several time and coughing before apologizing to her about him teasing her.

"Cough, Well, mm~ I'm really sorry. Then excuse us." Nao said and bow to her apologetically and leave with Kirito.

Asuna even felt more pain at how he bow at her and almost chocked because of that. She low her head and stood still there for a long time before going back to her party and leave the labyrinth.

Meanwhile Nao and Kirito keep going more deep into the labyrinth and explore it, try to discover the boss room as soom as possible but didn't discovered it in the end. So, they decide to end this day and go back to the town.

----

Nao was in a save area of a hunting ground right now. He going here with Kirito because he said he want to raise his level. So Nao accompany him here while he raised his level too.

They fight with some monster until just now and Nao decide to rest a bit when he discovered this save area while Kirito continue to raise his level.

"Here Haku. The berries!" Nao take out the berries and give them to Haku.

"Kyu~~" Haku jumping around cheerfully.

He rest in there for a long time while fed Haku with berries when someone was coming. He look at who's coming and see that it was Kirito and Asuna.

"Hm? Why she's here?" Nao thought.

"Yo! Fuku-dan....... Cough A-asuna." He want to say fuku-danchou but stop when he see how bad her mood become when he almost say that then coughing and say her name instead.

'Ah! I forget that she didn't like to be called "The Flash", "Fuku-danchou" or something like that. I see, I make a mistake before. So, that's why she angry at me when I tease her??' Nao thought.

Asuna nodded at him and the three of them sit down together.

"So you hunting at here too?" Asuna finally ask him who was fed Haku with the berries.

"Well, Kirito said that he want to raised his level, so I accompany him here while raise my level too." Nao said while pointing at Kirito who drinking from his bottle.

"I see... How high your level right now, Kirito-kun?" Asuna asked Kirito.

Her question was actually an ill-mannered question. To ask someone's level was a bit inappropriate, but Kirito answered, giving a light shrug.

"I just recently went up to 57..." Kirito said after checking his level.

"Fif....?!" Asuna was surprised to know his level.

The standard safety level for the players in SAO was floor+10. The front line was at the 40th floor right now. So for the most clearers, their level was mostly around 50. Asuna herself was at level 53 and place her second only from Heathcliff's level in the KoB. But to think that he was four level above her.

She then look at Nao. Nao could feel that she was staring at him, so he lift his head and understood right away what she mean by staring at him.

"A-ah! It's 62 last ti...... Oh! It's 63 right now!" Nao corrected his answer after looking at his level.

Asuna was speechless. Just what is he doing to raise his level!! Is it even possible?? Does he not sleep at all?! She thought.

"I see, That's why you can fight with the mid-boss while talking about katsudon and donuts and all. Thanks for that... Thanks to you, we were able to get by without casualties." She said to the both of them.

"Ahahaha~ well, the one that said donuts was him." Nao said pointing at Kirito.

"The floor's theme was western-styled jail. So, of course it's donuts." Kirito said.

"Isn't it the same? Well, donuts tasted sweet though.... But still,..." Nao said again.

"Cough.." Asuna cough to stop them talking further away about katsudon and donuts again make the both of them scratch their back of their head and smile wryly.

"Ah! that's right, is Asuna here to hunting too?" Nao asked her to change the topic.

"No! There's something that I want to discuss with the both of you about the upcoming battle...." Asuna said while explain everything to them.

It's turn out that the disorder of the party at that fight was because there's a member that didn't do his job properly or rather he isn't do it at all because he can't move. When Asuna said that the player was Nautilus, Nao remember that there was a player who fall on his butt and didn't move at all at the corner of the group when the fight with the mid-boss.

'So I'm right. That guy was Yuna's childhood friend!! Then the floor where Yuna Incident ...' Nao thought while hearing Asuna's explanation.

Asuna said that when she report the incident to Heathcliff, the commander of KoB and also Kayaba himself, he said that maybe there's some problem with his nervegear or FNC, FullDive Non-conformity. It's a problem with the device of Full-dive system, the nervegear. It's a mass products after all, so there'll be always some of them that had a problem with it and in the gravest case, it can't be used at all.

In Nautilus case, he can't move when he felt fear. The nervegear can't convert the brain command for him to move into digital code when the other part of his brain instinctively command him to stay when he feel fear of something. The nervegear failed to read the complexity of the command resulted in his situation right now.

This FNC problem has ever happen before at the lower floor, but the problem at that time didn't this complex like Nautilus case and can be done with changed his build and his fighting style.

However, Nautilus problem has something to do with his instinct as a human being, the fear. It's impossible to completely remove someone fear. Every human has it, without exception.

Asuna and Kirito discuss about it seriously while Nao was currently quiet and didn't say anything because he was thinking about something else right now.

'Nautilus problem was happen right now so Yuna's incident was also near. Yuna promised me before that she will never use her enchanter skill to do something stupid, but still.....' Nao thought for a while and decide to take action.

'I don't want to take a risk.' Nao decide to make precaution.

He contact his clone outside the game right away.

Nao: You there?

Sebas: What's wrong?

Nao: Do you know already where Yuna's real body hospitalized?

Sebas: Yeah, Why?

Nao: Nautilus problem was occurred right now, so Yuna's incident must be near. I want to take precaution to be more save.

Sebas: I see. What to do then.

Nao: Make a clone and use invisibility magic to keep watch on her all time. If the nervegear start the process to damage her brain with its microwave, make an energy barrier and protect her brain. I don't want even a wisp of the wave pass through the barrier. Then destroy the nervgear completely. Make sure she didn't die. If she die, go to where Kayaba hide, capture him and torture him but don't kill him until I awake.

Sebas: Understood. I think the energy barrier was more than enough, rather it's overkill already if it used only to save her from the microwave. Even if the power of the microwave was a hundred times more powerful than what it has right now, it won't touch even a strand of her hair once the barrier was created.

Nao: You are right, my bad. I lost my calm.

Sebas: Or should I just eject her from the game right now then to be more safe.

Nao: Just make a clone to always standby all the time for now. I will consider the other option later.

Sebas: Understood.

The communication was ended soon after that.

'I don't care even if you trap one million people and kill them all, but touch her, don't ever you dare thinking about die. I will torture you for eternity.' Nao thought inside his mind.

He subconsciously leak a very thick blood-lust from his body make people about a mile in radius around the hospitals catch a glimpse of carnage and shiver uncontrollably.

Sebas: OI OI OI!!! YOU LEAK YOUR BLOOD-LUST. Calm down I already create the clone and teleport it to her side.

Nao: Sh**, my bad.

Sebas: She's alright right now. Sigh look at this, you make a chaos in a mile radius from here. Luckily it's late at night so not much people outside and no casualty because of that, I can sense people around the effect was fine. Sigh that was close.

Nao: Ugh... How's Sugu?

Sebas: She is sleep soundly. The necklace react right away and protect her so she didn't even know anything that had happen.

Nao: That was a relief. I'm glad that I create that necklace.

Sebas: Calm down, Yuna was alright right now.

Nao: Alright, Then!!

And once again, the telepathy was ended.

However the problem wasn't ended yet. When Nao look at the two in front of them, he could see that the both of them was stunned.

When Nao leak the blood-lust outside, his avatar inside was somehow affected too. When kirito and Asuna look at him because he didn't respond at all to their discussion all this time, they could see a very dangerous and ominous glint in his eyes make the both of them shiver.

Luckily they could only see the glint in a short time, so they could calm themself down not long after Nao look at them.

"Umm What's wrong, Nao-kun?" Asuna asked after calming herself down.

"Ahahaha~ nothing. I just thinking that the commander of the KoB really know much about the full-dive system, so I wonder about his job at the real world maybe has something to do with it." Nao said try to catch up with them.

"Un! That's possible. Then what do you think about Nautilus problem?" Asuna ask again.

"Well, I think Heathcliff's word was right too, and like Kirito had said, his problem is different from the cakram guy from before, so just change his build and make him fight at the back of the group won't help at all. His problem has something to do with human nature after all, his own fear. Inside a game that could really kill someone if the HP hit zero, feeling something like "fear" is normal. Fear was part of human itself, so completely remove it was impossible. But this thing is fatal for him. When solo, he can die because of his immobility, and in a party he could be the cause of the annihilation of the whole party caused by the same reason."

"So, his only way was to somehow overcome his fear. However in this death game, it'll need a very long time and it'll not completely solve the problem and only make it a bit better. So it'll be better not include him in the raid group at least for now until he can overcome his problem."

"And about the mutual trust after his exclusion, I think it'll be alright if you explain to him about the FNC problem first and the solutions available right now. He will understand better that way than go to the exclusion right away." Nao give her his opinion.

It's thanks to his [Parallel Thought] that make him still listen to their discussion even thought he doing the other thing until just now.

Asuna was quiet to digest everything and after some time she nodded.

"Alright, thanks to the both of yours opinions. Sorry for interrupting your hunting." Asuna said while stood up and ready to leave.

"No problem." Kirito said.

"Un!" Nao just nodded simply. After that he close his eyes to calm himself down from what happen before.

Before Asuna leave, she stop and glance at Nao who close his eyes and bit her lips slightly then sigh in the end before finally leaving the area. Kirito noticed it all and look between the two and raised his eyebrows seemed to realized something and look at Nao who still close his eyes and smiled wryly while he shook his head. Sinful guy, huh! He thought.

Asuna leave, Kirito sigh and Nao close his eyes calming his messy mind. Each of them had their own thought.