gratitude

10:00am

floor 22

blesi saw this as he began to drew his sword out as klein asked "is that who i think it is -" with blesi quickly replied "jakul." as he began to ran to help klein yelling "KLEIN, WATCH OUT!" before jakul suddenly dash toward klein with his blade unsheathed and ready to attack

as jakul had his sword a few inches away from klein head, but jakul see incoming attack from solmani as he quickly parry and pull back as he look to his sword said "long time no see, solmani, or should i say skoll ?"

without talking skoll grab to her weapon as she turn it to her iron form before began to attack jakul, as she thrust, slash, with everything she had, jakul manage to dodge everything without trying to use his sword before uses his sword in his scabbard as he thrust to her stomach pushing her back a few feet

"you grew a lot, but not much" he said as he lay his sheathed sword in his shoulder, as skoll about to attack she was stopped by blesi as jakul chuckle seeing his brother was here

"didn't expect to see you here, brother, i can see that you prepare to defend them" jakul said seeing blesi had his sword ready "you know i'm not the type to let someone in danger" blesi said pulling out his sword

"well then, let's see how much you have grown since we last fight ?" jakul said as he simply put his sword to the ground as he had his hand on the pommel of his sword as blesi can tell he is taunting him

with his sword ready both remain silent as finding a time to strike as blesi decided to kept his sword close to him as he secretly put the a throwing knife as he grip it alongside as he was in the ready position he threw the knife to jakul as he quickly attack him

jakul dodge the attack with his sheathed sword as he see blesi dash attack him, he quickly push the sword to his chest blesi wasn't able to react quickly as he felt like he was punch in the chest, but not enough to make him not focus with his hand grip to the scabbard he unsheathed the sword

as he throw it back at him, jakul see it midair as he grab the scabbard with his hand before start using spell with his black sword turn to blue he unleashes aqua stream on his sword as a slash attack coming toward blesi, with blesi dodgin the attack in second but it push him back a few feet

as the two stand up in prepare for another, blesi and skoll began to charge toward him, with jakul chuckle as he block, dodge, parry the incoming attack without much trouble before with a slash around him as skoll and blesi stand back with their weapon ready

as klein and agil join in on the fight, jakul could simply laught "four against one, this is going to be interesting", jakul prepare his weapon looking at the four with all their weapon ready

klein decided to attack first, as jakul see him as pathetic playing and mock him with every slash he made, before with a thrust toward the side as klein make one last slash, he was decapitated with jakul made another slash to klein body making it dissapear quickly as the three watch in horror before agil with his axe swinging as he swinging it like a tennis racket

with only one nearly made to his face, agil made one slash that can cut a human in two as jakul quickly letting it fall to the side before dismembering his arm as his sword cut through his shield before ended with one plunge to the nose

as even in game blesi couldn't imagine the brutality of such a scene, with jakul pull out the sword he was glad he dont have to clean himself "now the distraction away, shall we continue ?"

as skoll look around but solmani suggest an idea (skoll, i dont know if this will work, but i would like you to let me change your place) skoll hear this as she replied (what !?, are you crazy, how are you going to beat him if even i had a hard time fight him) but solmani replied with (it's okay, i my plan failed, you can quickly turn to me without permission, but i need you to trust me first) skoll though for a bit before replied (fine)

as she remain silent for a bit while jakul was suprise to see that skoll would willing to let solmani out at a moment like this as he got close spinning his sword while blesi stand in front of her with his sword in front defending her

as blesi had to thought of a plan solmani began to speak as she said "jakul!, remember the task you and i made in the fair ?" jakul stopped "yes, i do" solmani see this as she continued "do you remember what task you gave me ?"

"i remember clearly like it was yesterday, you said you will learn to became stronger" jakul said guessing what she planned to do "with that i want to proof it to you, with a fight."

blesi and skoll was shocked at such a response as skoll wanting to stop her by changing place with her, but before she can do so, jakul speaks "if a fight is what you want, then it is what you get" he said as he had his sword ready

"solmani, are you sure you want to do this ?" blesi asked hoping she makes the right choice "it is a promise i make and now i'm going to fulfill that promise" she said as she had her weapon ready

jakul simply chuckle as he said "well then, let's see how much you've changed" with their weapon ready blesi simply stand there have no idea what to do except seeing solmani challenging jakul

as the wind blew around the tree the two remain in their stances before solmani decided it is time as she use her weapon like that of a rapier with it pointing toward jakul chest but jakul isn't going to let her win this easily

before she decided to go for the head as jakul took this opportunity to grab to her hand as he got close to his ear as he quickly whispered something that made solmani in suprise before she began to attack faster as blesi see she began to attack without any resistant, whenever or whatever solmani weapon hits it will be destroyed in seconds

she fought with a fit of rage and frustration as jakul can see tears appear in her eyes, knowing she was distracted by what he said as he continue to parried the incoming attack before with a slice he push her back a few feet

he saw her panting and tired as jakul decided to sheathed his own sword as he said "you did improve, but you lack control" he look to see the notifications from the message to see tate asking "did you get the pixie yet ?"

"no, met some problems along the way"

"whatever, forget about the pixie, and get back here, now!"

"ok" he closed the tab as he open the teleporter when he look to solmani he said something without any voice before he smiled with solmani understand what he said but the next thing she know he was gone.

as blesi approach her she hold onto her weapon while she began to cry, blesi look around seeing kirito and asuna came ranning with their weapons ready, as it was quite a suprise to blesi how they know they are in danger

"how did you-" blesi wondered "we receive klein and agil message, where is he ?" kirito asked worriedly hoping he wasn't hidng somewhere else "he's...gone" kirito sigh in relief with him putting back his sword while blesi throw a revival potion to the two "help me revive klein and agil"

they look down to see two flame that was near the end as they only have 30 seconds left, solmani simply sat there as skoll was suprise to see solmani could fight a fighter like him because usually she is the one do the fighting. but knowing what jakul had whispered, it simply makes her pity him

klein and agil was revived with klein quickly walk to see solmani to see her hand holding to her weapon in tears, they think it is best to bring her back to home, hoping by walking her back, they can hope she felt better

blesi however felt something was off as he wonder what did jakul said to her during those fight, though the only speculation he can make was that it might have to do with the task they promised, now he know what jakul task to her, but what about her task to him,

whatever it was he have to have sometime to talk with her if he can

as they stroll to the house, yui and the others were waiting for them seeing his parent got home safe she quickly ran toward them, as leafa, sinon, alice join to ask what had happen

"woah, what happened!?" leafa asked noticing solmani was exhausted with some bruises on her arm but also saw her face was as if she had cried

"we encountered jakul, he attacked us to say the least." blesi explained "wait didn't klein and agil joined you ?" alice asked "yes, but he manage to deal them easily"

"four people couldn't beat a single person, what is this guy made of !?" leafa think they were lucky because kirito encounter with him ended with a lost of his arm and eye

"well, i would say it was the mistake in my part, i shouldn't have charge in first" klein said realizing he shouldn't have charge first "i though you already learn this lesson back in ordinal scale ?" kirito said jokingly "hey, as a leader it's better to do that than being a coward"

"well. maybe not do that when you encounter guy like him" agil suggested as they all enter the house

skoll decided to changes places with her as solmani looks really tired, she will do this once solmani got to the seat she fell asleep rather quickly with her head leaning to his arm, skoll simply change in position hoping she can sleep undisturbed

as kirito, asuna, and blesi see her open her eyes, as blesi asked "is this solmani or skoll ?" skoll replied "this is skoll" as she began to ascerting her dominance by crossing one of her legs over the other while leaning on her hands, though she notice they are all looking at her as she guesses they have questions to ask

"if you all have any question asked ahead, don't worry solmani was asleep at the moment" skoll assured because she also have a question of her own to ask blesi

"if that's the case, can i ask you something related to the task you and jakul made" "about that...actually if i recall it is a promise she and jakul made when jakul decided to stay in the hut with us for a few months or so"

"you mean the hut we saw on the desert ?" kirito asked try to comfirm "yep, that's the one" blesi got curious as he asked "may i asked what task did you gave him ?"

"let me think, if my memory serve me right, she gave him a task of defeating the evil of this game" skoll explained as everyone was suprise to hear "that task, it sounds impossible, to be honest" kirito said silently

"that what i though when i heard it but, i am more suprise he accept it" skoll said while blesi said "i think other than to fulfill her promise, he has other reason"

"wait so he had another reason ?" skoll asked suprised

"i believe he had agreed to do so, because just like solmani, he also try to be stronger" blesi explained remember the meeting they have that night "WHAT !?" skoll was shocked hearing this but with more thought it all make sense "it all clicked, he just shooting two eagle in one arrow"

"skoll, will you ever told solmani about jakul alterior motives ?" blesi asked wonder if solmani hear this how would she react "now, knowing this, i'm more of wonder if she had already know his motives in the first place but just kept it as a secret behind the task"

"what if she didn't, wouldn't that be a bit too much for her ?" asuna asked as skoll replied "you right, i more worried she may do something stupid after hearing this, no whatever it was do not let her know anything about this, okay ?" kirito see skoll worried face as if she had attempt to do it before "okay" asuna and blesi replied

skoll began to calm down knowing this, as blesi began to do some research trying to get some understanding, as yui came to sit in the middle wanting to know what they talk about before blesi asked "skoll, this might sound personal but... may i ask how did you came here..."

skoll remain silent when blesi asked such a question while kirito look at asuna as he see that she wanted to stop her but skoll simply said "do you think i'm a parasite of this body ?"

"no" kirito said as skoll replied "that what she always told me" before took a deep breath said "if it is a backstory you want, then it's a backstory you get, all i can remember was that, i appear one day, as i look around me, i was above a tower, only a single step away from jumping down, i had no shoes in my feet, other than that i dont have anything, i quickly get down and walk away, i don't know how i got there, but i can tell something wasn't right"

"i'm pretty sure you understand why she was in the tower now, right ?" blesi asked just to be sure "yes, after multiple times, i understand why...she was trying to kill herself" skoll said as her eyes are in tears as asuna covered yui ears hoping she doesn't have to hear such sensitive topics, while yui looking at skoll feeling quite sorry for her

"but do you know why she want to end herself ?" blesi asked looking skoll hoping he didn't crossed the line "i don't know about that sadly, but sometime i wonder...is it because of me ?"

"i disagree with such a conclusion, in fact i wonder, how long does it take for her to echknowlege your existant ?" blesi asked "i think it took her a years or so before we play alo" skoll replied

"so, if it took a year to realize your in her, then why would she want to kill herself before even knowing you are in her ?, there has to be another reason" blesi said

"even with that won't i still be a parasite in her ?" skoll said before a sound appear in her mind (no, i never view it that way) "you're awake !?" she suprise to hear that solmani had waken up at this moment (yes, and i'm sorry.) "sorry, for what ?" (for not thank you earlier, if you haven't stop me that very day, and everytime i try to end it all, i probably had missed the opportunity to meet great friends of this game) "you have nothing to apologize for, not when you had suffer so much, even though i don't know what driven you to do that, but whatever it is, i will be there to stop you, you hear me ?" skoll said as solmani still in silence before she said (thank you, skoll)

skoll began to calm down in silence, she took a deep breath closing her eyes as she breath out she suddenly felt a hug, when she opened her eyes she see yui hugging her as she whispered "sorry, sister skoll, sister solmani" skoll suprised but like the feeling of warm embrace decided to hug back said "thank you, yui"

meanwhile

jakul, through the teleportation had arrived to the location as he see he had seen this place many times, with the desert city outside remind him of the city of sands, as he about to enter the room with guards guarding it

he expected it to let him enter only to be halted by the red colored guards, though he was suprise to see crossbowman, with the long saber resembles the one used by blesi as they standing in front of him blocking his path saying "no one allowed to enter!"

"oh, i got an important meeting with the general, so please, step aside" jakul said feeling some sense of threat in front of him "are there any proof ?" the guard asked "about that..." jakul said with his left hand on the guards of his sword "if that is the case then i entrust you to leave."

seeing he have no choice and most of his energy spent in the fight he decided to leave only to hear another sound coming from the room "jakul, was it ?"

jakul realize it was the general "yes"

"let him in." the general said as the door was opened for him, seeing this he quickly walked in though he realize on this, the room around him was filled with lamps but in the middle sat the general on his seat made of pillows, but he can't see his face as behind him were lamps that shine the brightest, but it was also the fact he was covered by layers upon layers of veil

"do you know why i told you to came here ?" the general asked "giving me more missions ?" jakul replied "no, but rather, i would like to ask you" the general said as jakul see his silhouette of him leaning his head on his hand

"ask me, about what ?" jakul wonder "i'm pretty sure you and i both know one person, can you guess who that is ?" the general said from his voice jakul can sense his intimidating nature "kirito ?" jakul replied hoping this is the true answer

"you mean the spriggan that ruines people plan ?, no, but rather a fellow salamander that you and i know"

jakul suprised to hear this but can't be sure as he can guess either blesi or klein before he decided to go with his brother "blesi ?"

"yes" the general replied calmly "what are you going to do with him, general ?" jakul asked "i need you to bring him to me" the general said with jakul suprised to hear this request "what !?"

"they say you and blesi are equal, only one has strength the other have speed, so the only person capable of bringing him is no one else but you" the general said as jakul wonder "so you want me to bring him to you, as simple as that ?"

"yes, as simple as that" the general replied calmly as jakul think for a bit before "it will be granted"