Chapter 18

I took a defensive stance as I dodged and parried one of his horizontal and vertical cuts, Swinging my sword and connecting a sword skill. "One skill isn't gonna make the cut for it, Pipsqueak!!" Kuradeel shouted, swinging again as I dodged the attack and Swung at his weak points in his armor. I held out my Shinestone Rune as I shattered a piece or a corner of it, activating the rune once out of Five times. I then began activating sword skill after sword skill, dramatically dropping his health from near-full green to near-death red using my strongest skills.

Kuradeel dropped his sword and got on his knees, he then began to beg "Please don't kill me! I-I didn't mean to cause this much trouble! Please!!" as I looked at him. I kept looking at him as my mind flashed memories of Rina and I gritted my teeth a bit, I kneeled down to him saying "Tell me... Who was the girl you killed..." as Kuradeel looked up at me. "W-what?" he said in a shaky voice as I said "the girl...What was her name..." as he tried to think of the name.

"R-Rina? Right?"

Kuradeel said as I grabbed him by the hair, I then told him "Did you give her a second to plead... like you are doing now... Did you give her a chance to beg on her knees..." as I pulled out a small dagger. "W-what are you gonna d-do with t-that?" Kuradeel said scared as I told him with a sinister smile "I am going to enjoy every bit of this..." as I pressed the dagger up to Kuradeel's face. I kept pressing harder as the dagger slowly and painfully began to carve into his face.

The Screams that Kuradeel gave out did quench my sadness but also awakened a dark side of me, enjoying hearing Kuradeel's screams of agony before he shattered from dying slowly. My icon above me turned red as I killed someone with my own hands, I then began heading out towards Kamdet City, carrying the dagger that I had given Rina on the first night.

My Mentality was in all sorts of places, I wasn't able to think right for the first time. I stopped at the entrance of Darkwood Forest as I gripped the dagger's sheath and broke into tears, looking down at the ground thinking to myself "I'm...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry Rina...I'm very sorry Rina..." as I began wiping my tears away.

I was a bag of mess, walking to the Restaurant still in tears as the Tavern Owner was shocked and asked me "What happened man?!" as he got out from behind the counter and put his hand on my shoulder. "I-Its...It's nothing..." I said in a saddened tone and sniffled a bit, "You sure man? I'll get Sato and Toru" the Tavern Owner said as I shook my head saying "N-No...Just...Can...Can you...get me a....a...Ragout Rabbit S...Stew..." as The Tavern Owner looked confused as much as the other people eating there.

"Surree..." he said, confused as I sat in the very back of the restaurant. I looked around the rest of the restaurant seeing happy faces, smiling, and laughing. I looked down at a cup of water I had gotten earlier as I began to reflect on myself "I...I won't be able to keep your promise...Rina..." as a teardrop dropped into my glass of water, turning the pure virtual freshwater into a mixture of sadness, grieve, and emotions unparalleled.

My order came to me as I saw a recording crystal on the side and looked at the Tavern Owner, He then said to me "It...It was given to me a couple days before today...She said she wanted you to listen to it.." as I took it the recording crystal and put it into my inventory.

I ate the Ragout Rabbit Stew as I envisioned Rina sitting on the other side eating it as well as laughing and talking like she normally does. I kept eating the stew as eventually the stew was gone, I looked down at the empty bowl and set a coin bag at the side, getting up from my seat and leaving.

I walked over to my log cabin as I walked inside, locking the door and setting the space to private. Sitting down on the couch with the lights dimmed down and setting the recording crystal onto the table. "Recording playing now" the recording crystal said in an automated voice as I heard Rina's voice come from the crystal.

"Hey.. If you're getting this Kirin, then this must mean I'm dead... As sad as that is..You need to keep pushing on Kirin... I know by the time you're listening I'd be gone... but...All the times we had gone onto our first separate journeys was a stepping stone for me... You have inspired me to fight on and see the world as it is...A world where we can make friends...find lovers... and live a life worth living for... Kirin...You succeeded in giving me that glimmer of hope I needed... I don't know how to repay you but... Someday... maybe in another life... We'll meet again... Hold your chin high, don't let my death be a burden on you... So please... Win...Win the game not just for me... But for everyone who can't win their own fight... My Prince in shining armor..."

"Recording ended" the recording crystal's automated voice said as the crystal powered down, I sat there in tears again as I messaged Sato, Toru, Asuna, and Kirito "I want some time alone..." as I laid down onto my couch, holding the crystal and began crying into my couch pillow.

Four weeks had passed since Rina's Passing, and a mere Two weeks since Rina's passing was made to the public towards her closest friends. I heard a knock on the door as I just didn't want to open the door, My health had been at 1 rather than 350. "Kirin, please open the door... It's been four weeks..." a voice said from the other side as I said "Leave me alone... I don't want visitors..." as the person knocked again.