December 25, 2024
Floor 76: Arc Sophia
After spending the rest of the day and all night yesterday to grab presents and gifts for my friends and family, I finally took a breath as I now have multiple wrapped gifts. I smile to myself and decide to take each gift to each of my friends one at a time, playing the role of Aincrad's Santa Claus.
"Alright, who's first on my list?"
I scrolled down the menu screen and tapped on my friends list, finding the first name particularly easily: Kirito. I chuckled and closed the screen while grabbing his gift and placing the rest in my inventory. Making sure to leave Agil's shop without alerting Ashtry and Kiyo, I activated my searching skill and trailed after Kirito, the cold breeze and falling snow caressing my face as I left town.
December 25, 2024
Floor 76: Verdant Plains
"Where the hell is this dude?"
I wondered slightly annoyed that I had to kill a few monster wasps and plant monsters just to find my first target. The snow falling down and blocking some of my vision didn't help at all either. After a few minutes of searching though, I found him standing over a cliff and looking out to the horizon. I deactivated my searching skill and joined him by his side.
"Kinda hard to see much of the horizon Kirito... what are you looking for here?"
Kirito- Nothing in particular, just wanted to come out here and get some fresh cold air.
"You know it's Christmas, right? Shouldn't you be back in the city? Spending time with Asuna and Yui?"
Kirito- Shouldn't you be doing the same with Ashtry and Kiyo?
"Oh, don't worry, I will. I just wanted to spend a bit of time bringing gifts to my friends first. Speaking of..."
I pull out his gift and present it to him with a smile. His gift was wrapped in a dark black wrapping paper and was a pretty slender gift. He smiled wide and snatched the gift from my hands, sitting down on the ground and unwrapping it. I chuckled and sat down with him, watching him reveal his gift. As he did, his eyes went wide as he looked at me in shock.
Kirito- Is... is this...?
"Yes, it is. It's my fathers... Kayaba's sword: Liberator"
Kirito- The one with the unique "Holy Sword" skill!? Kazzu, how did you get this?
"Well, I could lie and say that I didn't find it and I made it myself but, in truth, I acquired it after I defeated Heathcliff on Floor 75."
Kirito- What? So, he dropped his sword like a boss fight would? Then that would mean that you had truly beaten him, the final boss. So why are we still stuck here when he gave his word that we would be free?
"I'm not sure Kirito, but the fact of the matter is that we are still here in the fight of our lives. I just figured that giving you my father's sword might help turn the tides of the fight. And if you don't want to use it, you can keep it as a gift from me to you."
I smile and pat his shoulder, hoping he would enjoy the gift as a decoration at the very least. His responding smile as he put the weapon in his inventory told me his answer.
Kirito- Thank you Kazzu. It's a great gift. Maybe one day, me and you can go a few rounds with it to see if your gauntlets really could beat the "Holy Sword" skill.
"Well, if you want to use it to its full potential, you need to raise your shield skill up to the maximum or find a way to integrate it with your dual wielding skill."
Kirito- Now there's an interesting thought. I just might do that Kazzu. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
"Merry Christmas Kirito. Now let's see who's next on my list."
December 25, 2024
Floor 76: Arc Sophia
It didn't take me long until I found the Lightning Flash herself and her daughter, Yui. Both were enjoying a nice stroll through the cold, snow laced streets of Arc Sophia. They would both see me approach with a smile and gave me smiles in return.
Asuna- Hey there Kazzu. Merry Christmas!
Yui- Merry Christmas Kazzu!
"And a very Merry Christmas to the both of you as well. Enjoying a nice walk?"
Asuna- Well, we are actually shopping for some gifts as well. We've already handed a few to our friends and were shopping to pick something out for Kirito. Have you seen him?
"Oh, he's just outside of town taking in the sights, he'll be back shortly, I'm sure."
Asuna- Sounds like him. Can't stay in one place. Kind of like you huh Kazzu?
"Yea yea. Well, since I'm here, I figured I would hand you and Yui the gifts I got for you."
Yui excitedly jumped up and down before rushing up in front of me.
Yui- You got us gifts!?
Asuna- Kazzu, you didn't have too.
"I know I didn't have too but it wouldn't be a fair Christmas if I didn't give you two gifts. Now let's see here..."
I pulled down my inventory and pulled out two more gifts. One wrapped in red and white paper while the other was wrapped in pure white. I handed the first one to Asuna and the other to Yui.
"I hope you like them. I was thinking that you would be able to use these items as a family"
Asuna opened hers first and revealed a whole assortment of cookies, desserts and even a S-Class food item. Her eyes widened at the last item and looked at me surprised.
Asuna- You managed to get your hands on the rare "Red Nosed Venison"!? How did you manage to do that!?
"Well it wasn't easy to keep it in the best condition, but back last year I fought a boss enemy named "Nicholas the Renegade" in order to get a very rare item. Along with that item, he dropped a whole bunch of other rewards. That meat happened to be one of them."
Asuna- So wait, this is meat from last year? Then how come it still looks fresh? The durability on it hasn't dropped that much.
"Because I kept it stored away in a fridge while keeping it maintained with a whole bunch of items that help restore item durability and halt durability decay. I figured I would give you and your family a chance to have a Christmas feast."
Asuna- Well that's very thoughtful of you Kazzu, thank you so much.
Yui- Can I open my present now mama?
Asuna- Oh of course Yui. Sorry.
Yui quickly ripped into the gift and revealed a small assortment of paints all places inside of a length rectangular plastic case. She looked at me with slight confusion.
Yui- Paints Kazzu?
"Face paint, to be precise. I gathered a few plants around the area and some on the upper floors and decided to grind them down into liquid. Thick enough to stick onto skin but not thick enough to be a glob. I figured you might want to paint designs onto your parents faces. Or maybe you and Kiyo could paint each other's faces."
Yui's face gleamed at the idea, and she looked at Asuna with the biggest smile on her face.
Yui- Can I mama!? Please!? Please!?
Asuna- Well I'm not going to say no to you on Christmas Yui. Why don't we go find Kirito after we're done shopping and see if he would be interested?
Yui- Yay! Thank you mama! And thank you Kazzu for the gift!
"Not a problem Yui, now you and your mom enjoy the rest of your Christmas ok?"
Yui- Ok! Merry Christmas Kazzu!
Both her and Asuna waved me goodbye before walking away happy with their gifts.
"Alright, three for three."
Walking along the streets of Arc Sophia opposite of Asuna and Yui, it wasn't long before I heard the screeches of a familiar blue dragon followed by the tamer the dragon belonged to.
Pina- Screeech!
Silica- Pina, please don't run off without me. It's hard to keep track of you in the snow. Oh, hey Kazzu! Merry Christmas!
"Merry Christmas to you two as well. Enjoying a walk like Asuna?"
Silica- No, I was actually wanting to see if the stores had any new daggers in stock. I wanted to explore the upper floors after Christmas and wanted to be prepared in case I was attacked.
"If you're going to the upper floors Silica, you could always ask me to tag along."
Silica- I know, but I don't want to bother you in case you are helping out with a boss raid or exploring the Hollow Area. Plus, I want to be able to handle the upper floors alone you know. Not that I don't enjoy your company, because I really do, but... I'm rabbling. Sorry.
"No I understand. Well, since we are here together, how about we explore the shops and get you a new dagger? Think of it as a Christmas gift on top of the one I got for you."
Silica- Aw, Kazzu, you got me a gift?
"You and Pina actually. But I'll give it to you after we are done. Come on, to the shops!"
Without another word but a few small chuckles and giggles, the three of us set out towards the shops. Thankfully with the team advancing through the floors at a decent pace, the shops kept getting updated for players to explore. It wouldn't take us long before Silica found a dagger that would help her out in combat. I purchased the weapon for her and smiled as she held it in her hand, twirling it around with ease as if she was born to wield it. After testing it out, she put it in it's hilt and gave me a wide smile.
Silica- It's perfect! Thank you Kazzu!
"Well that's only part of your gift. Come her and I'll give you the rest. Remember one of these is Pina's."
I grabbed two more presents from my inventory, one red and gold and one light blue. I handed them both to Silica and she opened the one in blue first. Inside was a basket filled with different fruits and crystals that Pina immediately seemed to drool over.
Silica- Fruits and crystals? These are for Pina right?
"Yes. After Pina took that blow from you the other day, I started gathering possible items that could enhance her abilities. The Hollow Area has some great item drops for one such occasion so I figured you could feed these to Pina and see what happens. Maybe her abilities get stronger or maybe she'll learn something new."
Silica- Oh my gosh that would be amazing! That's a great gift for Pina. Thank you Kazzu! Say thank you Pina.
Pina hovered over my head and landed on top like she enjoyed doing and gave me a small happy screech as she nuzzled my hair.
"Aw, you're welcome Pina. I hope you enjoy them. Alright Silica, now it's your turn."
Excitedly, Silica opened her gift and gasped as a bouquet of flowers appeared in her hands. She studied the flowers for a bit before gasping.
Silica- These are...
"Flowers from the Field of Memories, correct. I noticed you staring at them when we went to get the Pneuma Flower for Pina so I went back afterwards to grab a few for you. It's a shame that we can't go back there now so I figured I would give you a piece of that floor to keep with you."
Silica- Aw... Kazzu... that's so sweet...
She moved the flowers away from her face and looked at me with tears almost forming in her eyes. She scooted over towards me and gave me a soft hug, nuzzling against my chest.
Silica- Thank you so much...
I gave her a hug back and smiled as I lowered my face to her ears and whispered.
"Why don't you look at the center of the bouquet?"
She pulled back and studied the flowers again before a huge blush appeared on her face. There in the center of the bouquet was a bloom of mistletoe.
Silica- It's... mistletoe...
"Now I know the tradition is that it needs to be hanging above two people but... I thought it would be a nice gift for the both of us."
A small blush would appear on my face now as I rubbed the back of my head, nervous at what her reaction would be. But before I knew it, she approached me, pulled me down and held my face in her hands before planting a soft kiss on my lips. I didn't fight against it and pulled her closer to me as I deepened the kiss. A minute would pass by before Pina started to nudge us, forcing us to break apart with a small chuckle. Our eyes still stayed locked onto each other as we both held each other close. We smiled at each other as we pressed our foreheads together and closed our eyes.
"Merry Christmas Ayano Keiko..."
Silica- Merry Christmas Kazuhito Akihiko...
We pulled away from each other slowly before I gave her a wave and proceeded to my next destination. Without me knowing, Pina kept nudging Silica and gave her as much of a smug look as a dragon could which caused Silica to blush even more.
Silica- Oh stop it Pina...
Next on my list was someone who I was a little afraid to meet again. I wasn't sure they even wanted to see my face again, but I wanted to try and see them again. A few houses down from Agil's Inn, there was a nice two-story house with a small flower garden next to the front door. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door, waiting for an answer. A few seconds later, the answer came.
Keita- Oh... hey Kazzu... um... what brings you here?
His face wasn't entirely displeased at the sight of me, but he was nowhere near happy to see me. I started to get more nervous, but I kept my emotions calm and collected.
It's like I'm talking to a parent to get their blessing to take their daughter out on a date... intimidating...
"Well, Keita I was wondering if Sachi was home as well? There's something I wanted to hand you two."
Keita- Oh... um... yea I guess. You want me to come get her or...
"Well, if it's alright, I was wondering if I could come in?"
Keita- Oh... right... yea alright then... um... come on in.
He begrudgingly opened the door and allowed me in. I shambled on inside and looked around the place. It looked relatively the same as our old guild headquarters. I smiled at such a fond memory before sitting down on a couch.
Keita- Hey Sachi! Kazzu's here and says he has something for us!
Sachi- Ok! I'll be right down!
I chuckled at their dynamic, acting as if they were a married couple. A small tinge of jealousy came over me at the thought, but I shook it off.
If anyone deserves to be happy with each other, it's these two. If they've gotten together, good for them. Especially Sachi.
A minute or two later, Sachi came down wearing a very festive outfit for the season. I chuckled and nearly blushed at how cute she seemed while Keita looked at her with slight disapproval.
Sachi- Well boys, what do you two think?
"I think it fits you Sachi. Really cute outfit."
Keita- I mean... yea it's cute but it's a little much don't you think?
Sachi- Oh stop being such a grouch. I thought it would be nice to wear something for the holidays. Besides, the new Moonlit Black Cats are coming by tonight and I want to show my Christmas spirit to them.
"The new Moonlit Black Cats?"
Keita- Yea... we've decided to reignite that idea of us being a guild. Believe it or not, there are a few students of a computer club at a different school pretty close to ours. We connected and now we are reforming the Moonlit Black Cats.
Sachi- Sorry we didn't tell you... we figured you didn't want to be a part of it considering you're busy with the boss raids and all...
Keita- Among other reasons...
Sachi- Keita, zip it.
"No it's ok Sachi. While being part of the Moonlit Black Cats would be nice, that would've happened in another time, another life. But I do wish you and the guild the best of luck. Maybe I'll swing by to check on the guild's progress."
Sachi- That would be wonderful. So, what brings you by? Something to give us? A new mission perhaps?
"Nope, no work to be had on Christmas. I instead come bringing gifts for you two."
Keita- Gifts?
Sachi- Oh Kazzu, that's so nice. You didn't have to.
Keita- Really didn't have to...
Sachi- Keita... seriously...
I decided to ignore Keita for now and hand them both their presents. Keita's was wrapped in a mixture of colors while Sachi's was a light blue. Keita immediately put the gift away in his inventory, telling me that he didn't want to open it which I accepted. But Sachi went ahead and opened hers, which was a small box containing a message crystal similar to the crystal I received after beating Nicholas. A small gasp came from her lips as she looked up at me.
Sachi- A message crystal?
"Like the one you gave me..."
Keita- Yea... um... I'm gonna go... get some fresh cold air... you two... go ahead...
He stood up awkwardly and left the room. Before going any further, I looked at Sachi a bit nervously.
"Before you open that message, are you and Keita... together?"
Sachi- Oh... no... we aren't. He's too focused on the past and trying to make up for our lost friends that he's forgotten that it's ok to move on... me, on the other hand, haven't forgotten what we lost but I know that we could save a lot more if we focused on the path ahead. We are still friends but... that's all we ever will be. Why?
"Just didn't want this message to be awkward if you two were together. Go ahead and open it."
She did as I asked, and the message started to play.
"Merry Christmas Sachi. I figured I would make you a message just like the one you left last Christmas. I didn't bring Kiyo for this message since she didn't get to hear yours so... it's just me here. As you could probably guess at this point, I have moved on from what we could've had and have found happiness with Ashtry. Not that I didn't enjoy our time together, but I just wanted to inform you that I am happy where I was. But, in the back of my mind, I keep wishing we had something more than what we had with the Moonlit Black Cats. I wish I would've been bold enough to make that first move but then everything happened and... it all came crumbling apart."
Sachi kept listening to the message though a tear dropped down from her face. I felt guilty and just kept my head down as the message continued.
"To be honest, I was afraid to leave the Town of Beginnings as well. If my mission to stop my father wasn't a priority, I would've stayed there to ensure my own survival. But I'm glad I left, since it led me to great friends, a great relationship and... it led me to you."
Sachi's hand went to cover her mouth as a few more tears fell.
"You have so much more potential than you or anyone in Aincrad can believe. I have seen your progress during my time with the Moonlit Black Cats and have continued to see it here on Floor 76. You have the capability to be one of the strongest players and one of the strongest leaders of Aincrad and once you reach that, you will be able to handle anything thrown your way, including the last floor of Castle Aincrad. It's what made me fall in love with you in the first place. It's what I love about you now."
Sachi let out a gasp as she looked towards me. I kept my gaze from her and remained silent as the message continued and concluded.
"I know that things are crazy now and probably even crazier now that we are getting closer and closer to the end of the game but... maybe... perhaps once all of this is over... and once I get my affairs in order in the real world... perhaps we can meet up there and... talk about the future. Maybe see about being friends or even more in the real world. That would be nice if we could. Oh, it seems I have a bit more time as well so, why don't I return the favor and sing you a Christmas song as well? Seems fair to me."
Sachi set the message down and continued to listen as my song started to play, my voice gentle, soft, quiet and sweet, just like hers from before.
"You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He's making a list
Checking it twice
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when your sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
Oh, you better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town"
Sachi wiped a few tears away as the song ended, smiling at finally being able to hear my singing voice.
"Well that's all the time I have for this message. I hope it was a good Christmas gift for you. I'm very happy that I met you and had the opportunity to be a part of your guild. And just in case I'm too afraid to say it to your face... I love you too Sachi... let's beat this game together and meet up in the real world... goodbye..."
The message ended and I lifted my head back up to see her sobbing but not sobs of sadness. She looked at me with a smile and wiped more tears away.
Sachi- That was a beautiful gift Kazzu... thank you so much...
"Of course, Sachi. And... maybe once we are out of here, we can explore those feelings more... but for now... I'll leave you be to have some fun with your guild."
I stood up from the couch and walked towards the door, but before I could make it out, I was stopped and turned around by Sachi, who quickly planted a kiss on my cheek before stepping away.
Sachi- Come visit us from time to time ok? We would be happy to have you.
"Of course. Merry Christmas Sachi."
Sachi- Merry Christmas Kazzu.
I smiled and left the house. walking down the streets again. Keita looked at her confused but shrugged as he went back inside.
Sachi- Please... stay alive...
There was only three people left to hand gifts too: Lisbeth, Ashtry and Kiyo. I figured the others were either too hard to find gifts for or were too new to my life for me to know what they wanted so I decided to skip Klien, Agil, Strea, Sinon, Leafa and Philia this year.
They can all whine about it with me tomorrow.
Continuing down the streets for a while longer, I made it over to Liz's Workshop. The steam coming from the chimney meant she was either cozy by the fire or hard at work. Either way, I stepped inside and looked around.
"Lizzie!? Are you here!? It's Kazzu! I have something for you!"
Lisbeth- Kazzu!? Damn... um... I'm coming give me a second!
I chuckled at her reaction and sat over in the waiting area, listening in as I heard her fidgeting and moving metal items aside, some of them clanging to the floor.
Lisbeth- Oh damn it... ok... sorry! Almost there!
"No worries, take your time!"
I chuckled and waited around a bit longer, taking note of the mistletoe hanging by the entrance door. I shook my head and smirked.
Lizzie... you sneaky smith...
Lisbeth- Ok... I'm here...
I looked over as she came out of her workshop area and blushed hard as she came out wearing an outfit that was very similar to Sachi's only slightly different from her own design.
Lisbeth- S-so... don't just stare... what do you think?
"Lizzie... if you're trying to tempt me... it's working."
Lisbeth- Oh is it now? Well... are you gonna do something about it?
"Maybe later but right now, I wanted to give you a gift. If that's ok"
Lisbeth- A gift? O-oh, yea sure. But y-you didn't have to you know. Just being here is a great gift for me.
"Oh, really then? Then I guess I'll just give the materials that I found in the Hollow Area over to some other smith, maybe they'll be lucky enough to surpass you as my personal smith."
Lisbeth- Oh you asshole! Give me your gift!
I chuckled and handed my gift over to Lisbeth, which she snatched with a huge pout on her face and left it on the table in front of her.
Lisbeth- Jerk...
"Love you too Lizzie."
Her body twitched as I said that, and her face started to blush. She gave off a small smile and looked up at me.
Lisbeth- Say that again?
"I love you Lisbeth..."
I scooted closer to her and her blush grew bigger as she did the same, inching closer to me
Lisbeth- Again...
"I love you Liz..."
We got as closer as we could to each other, our face nearly inches apart and our hands crawling towards each other's so that they could intertwine.
Lisbeth- Again...
"I love you... Rika Shinozaki..."
Lisbeth- Kazuhito...
We closed the gap between us and kissed each other passionately. Our hands connected as one for a while as we explored each other's mouths. Our tongues exchanged saliva as it got more heated. Before I could stop her, she pushed me against the couch and straddled herself on my lap but not going any further than that. I decided to give in for a few more minutes and let her enjoy her position. My hands would come free of hers and move up to her waist, holding her tightly as we continued to kiss. A small moan escaped her lips as she pulled back and stared at me with love and lust in her eyes.
Lisbeth- Do you have to leave right now...?
"I don't have too but I would like to hand Ashtry and Kiyo their gifts... I'm sorry..."
Lisbeth- Don't be sorry Kazzu... just... let me stay like this for a little longer...
"Another Lisbeth recharge?"
Lisbeth- Something like that...
We both smiled and held each other close as she stayed on top of me for a while longer. Her scent of metal and gingerbread hitting my nostrils and making me want her more. But as much as I wanted more, I wanted to keep the pace as steady as possible. After a while, I pulled back from Lisbeth and gently scooted her off of me before standing up and heading to the door.
Lisbeth- Hey Kazzu?
"Yes Lizzie?"
Lisbeth- Next time, could we... you know... try to go a bit further?
"We'll see Lizzie. Merry Christmas."
Lisbeth- Merry Christmas Kazzu."
I left her workshop with a smile on my face. Meanwhile, she looked at the door and gently rubbed her finger along her chest.
Lisbeth- I love you... and I want to show you that Kazzu...
There was one last stop, back in Agil's Inn and in my own room. I climbed the stairs and quickly fixed myself from the passionate visit from Liz's before entering my room and finding Ashtry and Kiyo enjoying some cookies for breakfast. They both looked at me and smiled.
Kiyo- Papa! Welcome back! Merry Christmas!
Ashtry- Merry Christmas my love... how has your day been so far?
"Just got done playing Santa Claus for the day. Friends are really happy with my gifts. All that's left is for me to hand you two your gifts."
Kiyo- Oh papa, you didn't have to get us anything.
Ashtry- Just being here with you on Christmas is enough.
"If I had a Col of every person who has given me the same similar answer... anyways, I got you two gifts and I'm not taking no as an answer"
I pulled out the final two gifts in my inventory and handed them to my family. Ashtry's was a pure blood red wrapped gift while Kiyo's was a light purple color. Kiyo wasted no time ripping hers apart to reveal three small woven dolls, each representing herself, Ashtry and me.
Kiyo- Awww, a tiny family of us! Thank you, papa, I love it!
"I hoped you would sweetheart. Now you have us with you wherever you are."
Ashtry- Aw Kazzu, that's so sweet.
"Thank you, my princess... now... open yours."
I would blush and look away as she ripped into the wrapping paper. Once I heard her gasp, I knew she had discovered that her gift was a ring. A ring made of various different gemstones, but the biggest of them all was an amethyst right in the center. She looked up at me and I slowly turned my head over to her.
"I... I um... I figured that... we've been together for a while... and I know Kirito and Asuna did it but... um... I..."
Ashtry- Kazzu... it's ok. Go ahead and say it...
She held my face into her hand, her warmth outmatching the warmth on my cheek as I nuzzled into her. I took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes with a serious loving gaze.
"Ashtry... we've been together for a while now and I figured that... this would be the best time for us to maybe take it a step forward. I know that this isn't like proposals in real life but... Ashtry... would you... marry me? If only in the game?"
Ashtry- Kazzu... you are the greatest man I have ever met. The sweetest gentleman I have ever been with. The most loving lover I have had the pleasure of having. Nothing will ever change that. This is the greatest gift you have ever given me... and it's one that I accept. Kazzu, I will marry you.
I gave her the biggest smile and lurched forward, hugging her tightly and kissing her cheek repeatedly. She had made me very happy, and it made me even happier as she slipped the ring onto her finger. Her smile matched my own as we both held each other close and kissed more passionately than me and Lisbeth did in her workshop. We were so lost in each other until after a few minutes, Kiyo cleared her throat and pointed to a Christmas tree in the corner of the room.
Kiyo- So, are you two gonna keep kissing or is papa gonna open his gift over there?