Shattered: A SAO Tale (Sword Art Online)

Silently, Drifter guided Heathcliff through the main settlement of the 27th floor. It was objectively one of the prettiest floors yet, where everything was built out of a pitch-black stone with deep blue trimmings and inlaid shining crystals, but neither player paid much attention to it.

They found Kirito, Asuna, Orlando, Klein, Lind, Shivata, Ambros, and all the other higher-ups of the Assault Team waiting for them in a nearby inn, as arranged by the Reavers' second-in-command. A more private setting than a cafe was required for the next part of this discussion.

The expressions around the room when Drifter and Heathcliff entered were mixed. Some, like Klein and Orlando, were excited at the prospect of new frontliners. Others were guarded after Kibaou, like Ambros.

Most were indifferent. Just because Heathcliff was asking to join, didn't mean the Assault Team would take him or his guild. They had the most important role in Sword Art Online. Getting in wasn't that easy.

Kirito and Asuna, on the others hand, had expressions' much like Drifter's. Indifferent on the surface, but with a touch of a frown and wariness underneath. They didn't have any reason in particular to dislike Heathcliff other than that one conversation they had where the older player lightly belittled the Assault Team's efforts, and the recount of Drifter's second encounter with him. But like Heathcliff himself so aptly said just a few minutes earlier, a bad first impression could easily shape a person's feelings.

"Is an interview to join the Assault Team always like this? Or am I getting the special inquisition treatment for some reason in particular?"

A few eyebrows rose at Heathcliff's unfazed speech and actions before the heavy atmosphere, and some people grinned. He had passed the first test.

Lind pulled out a chair and sat down. Shivata stood behind him, and the other players found comfortable spots for themselves too, whether it was sitting or standing.

"Take a seat, Heathcliff. And no, you aren't getting special treatment one way or the other. But we've upped our requirements since the 25th. The Assault Team - Aincrad as a whole really - can't afford to have another brash idiot who is going to charge ahead and get a bunch of people killed."

Harsh, but true. Another 25th Massacre would permanently cripple the Assault Team and doom all the players. It couldn't be allowed.

And, if Lind was being a bit too much for dissing Kibaou when the other player hadn't been seen for weeks - well, nobody was going to step up and defend someone who wasn't even there. Especially not Kibaou.

Lind had arguably been the one to be hurt the most by Kibaou's actions after the former ALS players. Not only had the DKB lost a dozen frontliners themselves, but Lind also had his odd rivalry with Kibaou. They may have hated each other's guts, but the Dragon Knight certainly didn't wish for it to end this way.

"Then what would be the... Necessary criteria that need be achieved so my Knights of the Blood Oath can join the Assault Team?"

Heathcliff was still placid. Lind, who hadn't met the other guild leader before, glanced at Drifter, who shrugged, deferring to the DKB player.

"Skill is a factor, Heathcliff. Individually, yours and that of your guildmates. More important still is teamwork. If you can't work with others, then you are out. You saw what happens when someone thinks they can do it alone."

Heathcliff gazed past Lind, at the other frontliners, pausing on Drifter, and then on Kirito for even longer. Lind's eyes twitched in annoyance, but he held back well until Heathcliff nodded.

"I can assure you, my subordinates and I are more than qualified."

Lind raised an eyebrow, and several people snorted. This time it was Heathcliff's turn to hide a scowl. Clearly he didn't take so well to having his words dismissed.

"We will be the judges of that, Heathcliff. There was a time when anyone with the guts to do it could join the Assault Team. It wasn't like we were a formal organization anyway. Still aren't really. But nowadays we aren't so irresponsible as we once were. Or as selfish."

"Irresponsible?"

Lind's thousand-yards stare didn't have a place in a face as young as his. But then again, they were all too young.

Drifter chose this moment to step forward, resting a hand on the Dragon Knight's shoulder. Lind, lost in thought, barely noticed the other guild leader taking his place.

"We were very arrogant, Heathcliff. When we started, that is. We thought every life in Sword Art Online was on our shoulders - and they are. As frontliners, we carry the hopes of all the survivors. But we also thought every death was on us too. And that crushed us. Ground us to dust. Until we finally understood we couldn't save everyone."

The frontliners showed bitter smiles at Drifter's words. Too many faces came to mind.

Heathcliff, on the other hand, was staring at the spearmaster uncomprehendingly. He had no idea what he was talking about. Drifter sighed.

"We can't save everyone. But some deaths are on us. Too many of them. Which is why we can't - we won't - bring people into the Assault Team just to pump the numbers. Why we can't let the KoB in without testing you throughly. Because if we do, and you die- That will be on us. And we can only stand so many nightmares."

It was selfishness, not concern. Others, the spectators, might have trouble understanding that, but the frontliners knew it all too well.

If people died, they died. 3.500 players were already dead, and who knew how many more would perish before it was over? The frotnliners had learned to let go of those deaths they couldn't prevent. Dissociation was the only way not to go crazy.

But those deaths directly related to them? Or that they were the direct cause of? Those they couldn't let go. And it would haunt them to the end of their days. Which was why...

"Get your wannabe frontliners ready, Heathcliff. Duels until we say you are done. And then we will decide if you are in or out."

...

Watching Heathcliff walk out of the inn, the leadership of the Assault Team exchanged looks.

"There goes a very cold, maybe unhappy man - I really can't tell. Is he always wearing that mask, Drifter?"

The spearmaster frowned, but not at Orlando.

"As far as I've seen, yeah. But he was decidedly not pleased. I think he thought he was going to walk out of here with a 'yes' and maybe even a 'please'. We weren't what he was expecting."

Ambros snorted.

"If that's really what he thought, he might as well not show up tomorrow. Bosses already cause enough damage without needing us to sacrifice idiots for them."

Crude, but accurate. After rolling his eyes at Ambros, Drifter turned to Asuna, who had been uncharacteristically quiet. She was usually more vocal during meetings.

"What do you think, sis-in-law?"

Several people, even Lind, stifled chuckles, and Drifter preemptively dodged a quick to the shins. Alright, maybe the teasing was out of place. But it was funny.

"Hmph! I'll get you for that, stick-man. But about Heathcliff... My guess is he saw Kibaou leaving and ALS' disbandment as a power vacuum. He was hoping - still is probably - to fill it."

"So he wants to play politics. Well, that's a nope from me already."

Klein shook his head in disgust. Even Lind, who had played that game for a long time, seemed slightly ill at the idea of another clash for power within the Assault Team.

"We will see how it turns out tomorrow. We do need more people, so if they are good for it... Heathcliff will understand with time what is important and what isn't."

"And if they aren't as good as they think?"

Drifter fingered his spear, unpleasant scenes of players donning red and white dying running through his mind.

"Then we reject them. I meant what I said. All of us here - all the frontliners, we've made our peace already. We know what the price is and we are going to pay it. One way or the other. But I won't have any more deaths in my consciousness than I need to."

Any more. It was too late to say none at all. That ship had sailed many floors ago. To all of them.

"Hmm. Yeah."

Kirito grunted, and that summed up all of their feelings pretty well. Lind clapped his hands.

"See y'all tomorrow then. Good night."

----------------------

The next morning, the 27th floor was bustling with activity. Someone - Heathcliff - must have let spill the news that the Assault Team would be testing the Knights of the Bllld Oath, and hundreds of players had come to watch.

Watching the overcrowded plaza, Drifter raised a tired eyebrow. If Heathcliff had leaked the news in hopes of attracting attention and making his guild famous, he succeeded. The spearmaster honestly hoped the grey-haired guild leader wasn't just setting himself up for a bigger failure, though. They needed more frontliners, his dislike for Heathcliff aside.

"Well, I was not expecting that."

"Yeah, me neither."

Yuna leaned into his side, and Drifter wrapped an arm around her. He was already getting a headache. So was she.

"Should we start charging admission? I mean, if we are gonna put on a show and all. We could probably put a down-payment on a guild base just by selling tickets."

Drifter snorted with laughter, and lowered his hand to tickle the songstress' ribs for the joke.

"Should we move to somewhere else?"

While the couple flirted, Kirito and Shivata came up to them. That Heathcliff decided to turn this into a spectacle wasn't going to sit well with many of the frontliners.

"If Heathcliff wants to give himself a black-eye, I say we let him. And it's just going to make the test harsher for the KoB. Our guys are going to be fighting harder, and are used to being in the spotlight. His people are greenhorns in both. We aren't the ones who are gonna be impaired here."

The spearmaster shrugged. In his opinion, Heathcliff had miscalculated. But Drifter was also someone who didn't give a damn about public opinion or what strangers thought of him, so maybe that was it.

Either way, it was about time they got started. They still had to explore the floor in the afternoon - which was undeniably, at least from the frontliners' point of view, a lot more important than entertaining some wannabe guild leader.

With a nod to Lind, who was chatting with some of his guildmates nearby, Drifter walked towards the KoB contingent, changing his spear into a polearm and dragging it across the ground in a slow swipe. The screeching noise was very effective in silencing the crowd.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road! We've already hashed out the whys with you yesterday, Heathcliff, and I don't want to lose time here. How many are going to be on your frontliner group? Send them forward."

"I have been waiting anxiously."

With a wave of Heathcliff's hand, a large group of players detached from the main KoB body. At the same time, the crowd retreated to open a large circle in which the frontliners and KoB players stood, facing each other.

Doing a quick headcount, Drifter was surprised. 28 hopeful frontliners. It was about a dozen more than the spearmaster had been expecting. Not enough to fully replenish their ranks, but it was a start - if all of them passed the test, that is.

They looked at him, displaying various degrees of excitement and wariness. Some were clearly more enthused than others, and two Drifter already knew they would have to cut, just from the look in their eyes. But that could be discussed later, in private, with Heathcliff, not here in front of everyone.

"I'm not a fan of the show and pomp, and I don't think a lot of you are either, so let's make this simple. We will have individual duels first, then some team battles."

Heathcliff glanced past Drifter, but must have received a confirmation that the spearmaster would, in fact, be the one in charge here, because he kept quiet and just nodded.

Drifter nodded back, and surveyed the KoB contingent. Like most players, a lot of them seemed to favor swords, although there was a certain variety to it. The second most common choices of weaponry were shields - every guild needed tanks - followed by spears.

"You."

Drifter pointed to a tall and burly man who had an uncanny resemblance to a bear. He was grinning madly and seemed to be the most excited one out of the lot, likely for the chance to duel frontliners more than anything, so Drifter thought he might as well start with him.

"Hell yeah! Let's do this! Who am I fighting? Is it you, Broken Spear? Or maybe Merchant Warrior Agil? Or the other merchant brothers, Shigio and Wolv?"

The red-haired man had a huge greatsword as his main weapon, and seemed eager to pit himself against someone who matched him both in stature and destructive power.

Drifter shook his head. This was a test, not some normal sparring session. Drifter wanted to see them give it their all, so he wasn't going to make it easy. Quite the opposite.

"Asuna, you are up."