Floor 1, Starting City October 18th, 2024

The next morning, Kirito is waiting at the teleporter in Starting City when Asuna runs into him and the two fall to the ground with Asuna on top. Their faces were so close that they were able to feel the other's breath licking their lips. Asuna quickly got off him, blushing heavily. Kirito was the same.

"S-Sorry!" Asuna stuttered slightly.

"I-It's fine," Kirito replied, turning his red face from her. "W-We should get going."

Asuna nodded, not trusting her voice.

"You hungry?" Kirito asks after some time walking.

Asuna stared at him, making him a little nervous, before she eagerly stuttered, "Y-Yes!"

The two saw a cafe nearby and walked in before ordering food. As they were waiting, Asuna avoided eye contact with the swordsman.

Deciding that making conversation would end the awkwardness between the two caused by the incident from earlier, Kirito asked, "So you come here often?"

"No, not really," Asuna replied. The air between them permeated with awkward tension.

They went back to silence. Their breakfast came not long after and they soon ate it before Kirito paid for the bill and once that was done, the two rushed out.

As they were walking towards the teleporter, Asuna got a message from Heathcliff.

"What is it?" Kirito asked as his partner stopped walking to read the message.

"Heathcliff wants me to go after a guild that has been kidnapping kids and using them as bait against monsters and bosses," Asuna whispered as her mouth was covered with a hand and the tears were threatening to spill out of her eyes. "How could someone do such a thing!"

"Evil people," Kirito replied before sending his own message to his Guild Leader. Not even a minute later, he received a reply. One that made his eyes go wide. "My Guild Leader wants to meet you."

"Wait, what?" Asuna looked at Kirito with wide eyes. "Why would your Guild Leader want to meet me?"

"Says he has a "proposition for you"," Kirito told her before exiting his menu. "And he has granted me permission to tell you what we really do."

Asuna just looked at him confused.

"Looks like we are going to Floor 5 then," Kirito stated. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Asuna nodded.

Floor 5, Karluin October 18, 2024

When they teleported to Karluin, Asuna looked around confused.

"Why is your guild here?" she asked him. The two began to walk to the northside of town towards the ruins there.

"To hide in plain sight, Asuna," Kirito replied. He then opened up his menu and equipped a few things.

Asuna's eyes widened at the sight of his weapons.

"Y-You're the..." Asuna couldn't finish her sentence.

"Yes," Kirito replied. "I am the Black Assassin. I will explain more when we get to the Guild. Don't worry, I won't be killing you. If I did, I'd be killed myself and you aren't one of our targets."

"Targets?" Asuna asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see," Kirito replied, before flicking his wrists and two blades slid out from his sleeves. He then inserted the blades into the wall to his right and a secret entrance opened up. He motioned for Asuna to follow. After walking a bit, the two find themselves in front of a door that looks like something for a prison cell.

"This is where the true entrance is," he told her. "You ready?"

Asuna nodded, but her mind was saying, 'No. Don't trust him. He's a murderer!' while her heart was saying, 'You can trust him. He's saved your life plenty of times.' So for the first time in her life, Asuna listened to her heart and followed Kirito into the guild of Assassins.

As the two walked closer and closer to the Mentor's chambers, Asuna looked at the walls of the guild and saw that, while they were underground, the walls were decorated Victorian style with some masonry here and there. A few moments later, they came across an intricate door. With an oddly shaped 'A' on the front of it. Kirito knocked on the door and male's voice ordered, "Come in."

The two entered the chambers and the man remarked, "It's good to have you back, Kirito. How goes the hunt?"

"It goes well, Mentor," Kirito replied with a short bow. "This is Asuna. My partner."

"What have I told you about calling me Mentor?" the man said smiling softly.

Kirito rolled his eyes good naturedly.

"Sorry, but until you prove to me that you are my aunt's boyfriend, I'll keep calling you "Mentor"," Kirito replied. "What was the proposition that you mentioned?"

Asuna looked between the two men, feeling out of place in the room. The Mentor then turned to look at her, his grey hood covering his upper face, concealing his identity.

"I am the leader of this guild," the man stated. "My name is Chrysheight. It is a pleasure to meet you Lightning Flash, Asuna."

"Likewise, Guild Leader Chryshieght," Asuna replied.

"Let's get straight to business," Chryshieght ordered, as he took off his hood. "What I am about to tell you both, is true. My real name is Seijirou Kikuoka and I am part of the Japanese government. I was tasked in getting into this game and freeing the ones trapped here."

"Why?" Kirito asked, his eyes narrowed. "Why not tell the others or me earlier?"

Kikuoka sighed. "Because I was ordered to tell the ones I knew would be able to keep all of this a secret. But also because I needed to hide from Kayaba so that I won't be found out. Those are the reasons why, Kirito. Do you understand them?"

Kirito sighed.

"Fine," Kirito told him. "I understand your reasons, and I understand why you did what you did, but it still doesn't make it okay to keep secrets from us. From the Brotherhood. What else are you keeping to yourself?"

Kikuoka sighed and opened up his menu, before bringing out a piece of parchment that had a sphere on it.

"What is this?" Asuna asked, as she looked over Kirito's shoulder. "An orb?"

"That is called the Apple of Eden," Kikuoka began, his voice taking a very serious tone. "I don't know much about this game artifact, just that it is very powerful and very dangerous. We must keep it out of Templar hands. Not to mention the Red Guilds."

"Apple of Eden," Asuna and Kirito said in unison.

"I need you both to find it and bring it back here," Kikuoka ordered. "Then, I will hide it somewhere in these walls and keep it hidden from all other players."

"Why us?" Kirito asked. "Why not some other Assassin and someone outside of the Guild?"

"Because you two are some of the best players in the game," Kikuoka replied. "And I trust you both. Are you two in?"

"But what about Heathcliff?" Asuna asked. "I can't just abandon the Guild."

"Listen," Kikuoka Began, "I understand that you must take responsibility for your guild."

Asuna nodded.

"However," Kikuoka went on, "Heathcliff is a dangerous man and he needs to be eliminated."

"How so?" Asuna asked.

"Heathcliff is a red player and he has been known for killing big numbers of players daily," Kikuoka explained.

Asuna yelled, "You can't say that! Heathcliff has been there for me at my lowest point and has given me a life in this game that I couldn't have been given if I didn't join him."

"I understand that he has been there to help you," Kikuoka replied, "but if you follow me, we can get to the bottom of this."

Asuna thought for a moment, 'Kirito seems to really look up to him a lot. If he is correct, I'll be very shocked.'

There was a long, awkward silence that permeated around the room.

Asuna continued to think, 'If I take charge of both guilds, it won't be suspicious to General Heathcliff. I could even pick up on the behavior that General Heathcliff gives around me.'

The silence was broken when Asuna spoke, "I'll join you under one condition: That you allow me to keep my enrollment as a guild member with General Heathcliff."

Kikuoka nodded.

"And if it makes you feel better, you will not be the one who kills other players," Kikuoka informed her, getting Asuna to let out a sigh of relief. "Instead, you will be an infiltrator of sorts. A spy if you will. You will inform us of any and all behaviors, fights and the newest members of the Knights of the Blood Oath. Is this reasonable?"

Asuna thought for a moment, before she nodded in agreement.

"Yes," she replied. "It is reasonable."

"Then I welcome you to the family." Kikuoka smiled.

Asuna received a message in front of her that read, "New title received: Assassin Spy."

She then opened up her menu and saw new skills that were added to her skill slot.

"Stealth and... pickpocket?" she muttered. "Why would I have those kinds of skills?"

"Because you are a spy now, Asuna," Kirito told her. "As such, you need to be stealthy and a pickpocket in order to do the job correctly and to be unseen."

Asuna nodded in acknowledgement and closed her menu before Kikuoka ordered, "Now then, onto our next order of business. The Guild known as The Young Despair has been located on Floor 22 thanks to the informant, Argo. Your job is to save the kids and get them back to Sasha, and kill all members of the guild. Do you understand the mission parameters?"

Kirito raised an eyebrow. "Do we have to remain undetected or can we charge in?"

"I would rather you keep yourselves undetected, but if you can't, you can charge in and kill them," Kikuoka stated. "Make sure that the kids are safe though. We cannot lose any of the children. Understand?"

Kirito nodded.

"When do we leave?" Asuna asked this time.

"Tomorrow night," Kikuoka told her. "Any questions?"

"Can we expect The Young Despair to have allies?" Kirito asked.

"Argo has reported that Laughing Coffin has been seen amongst them," Kikuoka informed them. "But that is all she has reported."

"Okay," Kirito started, "I have no more questions."

Kikuoka looked at Asuna. "Like I told you, you do not have to kill. But if you do, we can help get you over that one fact. Okay?"

Asuna nodded without saying anything.

"You two are dismissed," Kikuoka told them.

The two then walked out of the office and Kikuoka sighed.

'Wait a little longer for us, Midori,' Kikuoka thought. 'We'll be out of this accursed game once we kill Kayaba Akihiko.'