Koga

Braso? Hadn't that been where he and NIGHT had run across that one cave...had they even bother to go into it? Koga couldn't remember, the whole affair being slightly foggy. But that couldn't possibly be related to this, that was clear on the other side of the floor. It didn't make sense for a ghost to wander all the way out here. At least, if anything Koga knew about ghosts (or people for that matter) held true. Some vague reference to ghosts preferring to stick close to whatever was binding them to the land of the living or something like that.

"Ghost mentioned music earlier," Koga said to the others, again keenly aware of the potential dangers of delving into what might very well be a dungeon for all they knew. "I think she meant your singing though," he added, glancing down at the girl for confirmation. "Maybe that drew it out or something?" Or maybe it was the gaelic, and the ghost had some affinity for the language. Point being, whatever it was that Nari had been doing earlier, maybe it was worth trying it again.

The man felt her approach and sit down beside him, causing him to look over to her. Though his face didn't show it, he was a little bit surprised. He hadn't meant for her to come and join him, not that it was unappreciated. Koga turned his focus back to the bob before asking his question.

"So, if you can talk and stuff, why do you still use sign?" he asked curiously, almost innocent like a child. It was a question that had been on his mind since she'd first spoken to him in that cave, looking up at him with those violet eyes.

Koga's heart skipped a beat as he thought back to that moment, and found his ears to be a touch warm at the thought. Trying to ignore the sensation, the man gave his pole an experimental tug and found that it was stuck on something. Furrowing his brows in confusion, he gave it another, stronger tug. Still stuck. "Hmm?" Pulling with all his might, the man heaved until the resistance suddenly gave way. Koga fell back onto the ground with a thud, followed by another thud. as a treasure chest landed right between his legs. The man stared at the heavy object with wide, fearful eyes. Just a couple more inches up north and...Yeah, Koga would not be having a good day anymore.

| 209055, CD nat11, LD nat 14, +9Exp, treasure found

Ghost beamed back at him as he held up the fish with what felt like a cheesy grin on his face, her cute little claps sending a sensation of warmth spreading through his chest as he knelt down and unhooked the fish, forcing himself to keep his gaze sheepishly focused on his task.

What was it about her that sent those pleasant little sensations shooting through his brain, he wondered. Her pure unbridled joy was infectious. So much so that even the typically serious and somewhat dour Koga couldn't help but enjoy life a little when with her. But, that was a good thing. Probably. Who really knew, good things usually came with some sort of strings attached, and with Koga it usually spelled impending tragedy.

But that shouldn't stop him from enjoying the moment, should it?

No, it shouldn't, he decided as the fish disappeared into his inventory, and the man began to figure what would make for a good dinner for them tonight. Fish and chips? Stew? Perhaps simply baked, or roasted. There was time to decide.

His thoughts began to drift this way and that as he went back to his fishing, recasting his line and standing idly by the shore. What would tomorrow bring? What was up with all the boars in Aincrad, and why were they all so damned aggressive? And...

"Hey, Ghost?" Koga called over his shoulder to the girl, "mind if I ask you something?"

| 209053, CD nat6, +4Exp

A single word popped up between the players as Ghost signed at them. 'Music?'  Would music draw out their mysterious phantom? Like in one of those video games he'd watched a playthrough of years ago. Unsure, the man gave the girl a silent shrug and look of profound uncertainty, before Nari gave her explanation of what 'the Cave' was.

Seriously though. The player's of Aincrad couldn't have come up with a more creative name than just 'The Cave'? On a floor that was literally all caves? What, were Mumford and Sons playing in there perpetually or something, and someone thought it'd be a funny pun? The man's amazement at the world's ineptitude never seemed to stop growing.

"Can we please rename it?" Koga pleaded, "I mean it's got a freakin' sword and shield engraved to the top, like you said. Maybe 'The Tomb' or something less synonymous with the entire floor? It's giving me a headache." But then, there was also the separate issue of entering the cave. "Also, are you suggesting we actually enter this place, renowned for driving people crazy?...'Cause if so, I'm in. Not gonna lie, I'd like to know what's going on in there." Curiosity did indeed kill the cat.

The man helped Ghost up to her feet, hardly catching what she signed to him before she sped past him, bending over to grab something. Koga watched as she grabbed whatever it was that she had seen, and span around grinning with pride.

"Oh damn!" the man exclaimed, "well, that was pretty easy," he agreed, before looking over in the direction of the creek. "Yeah, that works for me. I need to get some fishing in anyways," he replied, drifting over to the creek and pulling out his fishing rod, casting the line into the gently flowing water.

It wasn't more than a moment or two before the man felt something tug the line, and Koga reeled it back in. Much to his surprise, a fish wriggled at the end of it. This time, it was Koga's turn to look towards Ghost with a proud grin. "Guess dinner's on me tonight!"

| 209047, CD nat9, +1 Material, +6Exp

Unlike when Astreya had accompanied Koga on his gathering quest, where they'd filled their short journey with idle chatter, this time it was filled with a comfortable silence. Not that he hadn't enjoyed his time with Astreya, the girl was easy to talk to. Rather, with Ghost, he simply didn't feel the need to say anything. A sensation that was...unfamiliar. Despite his occasional sarcastic quips, Koga wasn't much for talking. Nor was he someone who had much to say either. With most people, it silence felt uncomfortable, or that something just needed to be said for some other vacuous, unknown reason. Not with Ghost though. Even though she could say something, a fact that still surprised the man, her presence was more than enough. Her presence alone pleased him.

It pleased him even when she suddenly turned and ran right into him, the unexpected collision sending both of them sprawling into the dirt. "Ah! Geez," Koga muttered, wincing as his rump contacted the earth. "What? Did you see something?" the man asked rubbing he behind as he stood up, going over to the smaller girl and offering her a hand up.

"Nada," Koga shook his head at the first question. Nothing but a couple of consumables and a crafting material. Nothing even worth mentioning. A little disappointing, if Koga was being honest, but RNGesus was a fickle god after all. One day you're getting uniques, the next you're just looting rocks.

At the second remark, Koga also shrugged alongside Jomei. "I got nothing either. Like I said. I need to level up my Fishing skill." 'And to think.'

That was probably one of the few things Koga actually liked about fishing. It was calm, gave the man room to breathe and work through his thoughts. Or in this case, his total confusion.

The man broke out his fishing rod, and stood by the shore casting a line into the water, the bob gently undulating in the water. "Hey, if I catch anything, we can have dinner at my place. I can cook us up something," the man offered, looking over his shoulder at the other two, eyes lingering for a moment on Nari. Maybe at the end of the day, that would offer them more time to talk in private.

> 209024, +4Exp

The sound of a voice suddenly coming up from behind him had Koga quickly grasping his weapon. He was already halfway through drawing it and whirling around to slash whoever had crept up on him when he finally recognized the mask.

"Jesus Christ!" Koga explained, slamming his sword back into it's scabbard. "Fuck, dude, don't sneak up on people like that!" Just one more reason for Koga to dislike stealth players. They sneak up on you, and then you accidently kill them, and who's to blame? No, not the idiot who did the sneaking but the idiot who reacted.

The man then began to show the party what he'd found before their arrival, a peculiar set of knitting pins. Koga looked at the items with confusion. "Legendary?" Koga said, eyebrows furrowed together. "What the hell is 'Legendary'?" As far as the man knew, such a tier had never existed in the game.

The man looked between those present, hoping that they might have a clue as to what the meaning or purpose of the peculiar items were, but instead noticed the unease in the air as Cleo's hand drifted to her dagger.

"Assuming you don’t know the other two, this is Koga, and Them. I’m guessing you were sent here by another to investigate the dying flowers? I don’t remember my contact mentioning that another would be joining us…"

"We've met before, actually," Koga interrupted for a moment. "Everyone, this is..." Koga paused, realizing he didn't actually know the other man's name. When they'd dueled, Koga hadn't paid much attention to the player's actual username, he'd been to focused on the challenge. Koga turned to look at their newest, masked, arrival. "Actually, I don't think I ever got your name?"

The man's voice warbled, modified via his mask, the sci-fi-esque sound foreign, despite Koga's familiarity with the genre. It had been too long since he'd seen Star Wars. The modulator might as well have been witchcraft here. But what the voice sounded like on the surface was of little consequence. No, it was the tone, the words. The even tone more dangerous than anyone's shouting or screaming or threats.

And yet, Koga's frown turned into a small smile.

"'Friendly' doesn't mean a half-assed effort," Koga replied, a hint of mirth and excitement in his voice. "But, since we're on the same page now...give it all to me."

And oh, how it was that the man seemed quite ready to fulfill Koga's wishes. The glee, no the battlelust in Koga's eyes, to the average player, it would have sent shivers down their spine. Fighting a player, it was so much better than a mob, or perhaps, even a Floor Boss. One on one, nothing to distract the two men from their tasks, from driving each other to the dirt.

That was all that Koga wanted from this fight.

And so, as the weapon's were changed, their glowing silhouettes disappearing and manifesting in order, the promise of the use of his proper weapon, his dominant hand, Koga's foot shifted backwards. His grip tightened around his katana. He afforded the Kingslayer a small nod. A fresh go of things.

And Koga launched forward. He wasn't the tricky kind of fighter. Not like this Kingslayer seemed to be. He was direct, focused. And his focus was entirely on striking the man again. His opponent would recognize the attack from early, a quick dash, his sword held low and to the side.

The smart combatant would know what was coming next.

Koga's blade swiped in arc, aiming once more to cut it's way through it's target's stomach. No flames this time. No black glow either. Crimson instead. The same crimson as his eyes. The system began to take over as Koga got closer. Committed fully, he was moving so fast he would not stop until he had passed through his opponent.

For what felt like an eternity, nothing happened. The opening moments of their battle were not filled frenetic clashes of steel as Koga had initially expected. Instead, it was held breath. Careful listening for the slightest sound that would give away his opponent. But all Koga was met with was the low rumble of the Floor's atmosphere, droning into his ear, the embers at his feet snapping and popping just within his range of hearing.

And then there was the quiet, almost imperceptible sound of blades of grass rubbing against each other. A shift of weight as a boot touched the ground.

Cardinal took over immediately, and Koga surrendered himself to the system, allowed it to control his movements as he body turned, his blade dipping to  push away the his opponent's weapon. A brief bloom of sparks, punctuated by an equally brief splash of red against Koga's hip. The wound did not deter him though. In the perfect position to counterstrike, the motion of his blade's downward stroke flowed smoothly into the twist of hips, the raise of an elbow, striking the other man's mask with enough force to stagger him backwards.

'Press the attack.'

The only thought in his head as Koga moved forward, katana low and to his side. The stunned status icon effect flickered above his opponents head, until it disappeared altogether. There was the briefest moment of confusion, as Koga was unsure how or why the stun had been dispelled so quickly. But it didn't matter. Okami, the trusty companion that he was filled that brief moment in time, leaping at their shared opponent, claws raking across the man's outer thigh. Just enough for Koga to close the distance.

The masked combatant's form flickered, glitched and wavered all just a moment too late. Already upon him, or rather, past him, Tsuki no Hikari suddenly roared with deep blue flame before biting into the man's side, drawing a bloody swath across his abdomen.

Koga skidded to a halt just behind the 'Kingslayer'. "Is this really all you've got?" Koga found himself saying before the thought had even fully formed in his mind. "This is all the 'Kingslayer' can offer me?" His brows furrowed in annoyance. The corner's of his lips curled back into a snarl. "If you're not going to give this fight all you have, I might as well just walk away now."

Disrespectful. That was the only word for it. If this was all this supposedly legendary warrior was going to give him, Koga had no care for him. Between two warriors, what else was there but to put your best foot forward? To give no ground, take no shit, or at the least dish it all back tenfold. That was the only law of combat Koga recognized, and to him, it seemed that this 'Kingslayer' was spitting on it.

Koga couldn't help but roll his eyes at NIGHT's chiding. Wasn't like he was trying to kick the bones themselves. But he didn't exactly know if tetanus was an illness in game, and he wasn't exactly eager to find out. All the same, he abided by her wishes, and simply knelt down to examine the weapons as he went along. Rusted, rusted, rusted, oh is that a mace?

"anything biblical in nature,"

Biblical? Koga questioned for a moment what exactly qualified as biblical in a gothic setting, where creepy stained glass windows were everywhere, and crosses were used on just about everything. Also...marble statues? The man refrained from casting her a skeptical look, but narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows at the thought. That wasn't very 'biblical'. Greek or Roman maybe, but not biblical.

"never mind. it's probably that."

Oh...well that was easy...

The man rose from his crouched posture and looked in direction that NIGHT indicated, and it was easy to see why she'd made the reference she had with little more than a glance. A much more macabre version of the Sword in the Stone, perhaps, but that was pretty much part for the course on this floor.

"Keep saying stuff like that and I'll grow an ego," the man joked as he approached the weapon.

The sounds of creaking bones stopped Koga mid step and his eyes flicked back and forth the courtyard. "Uh, NIGHT? You heard that right?"

Before the woman could answer, the ground beneath Koga's feet rumbled and burst. The man leapt back, drawing his sword as he did lashing out at whatever was crawling from the ground.

Arms. Skeletal arms, skin and rotten loosely hanging from bones. The things that crawled up from their graves could only be called human in shape. But unlike humans, they gave no care for when their arms were chopped clean off, or set alight with black flame. "...Screw vampires, what do you think about zombie viruses?"

"I don't know what bad blood you have but try not to let it cloud your judgment. This might be bigger than us three."

The words were stern. But a glance at the woman's face, the words didn't seem to be as brave as they sounded. Worry, fear clouded Cleo's features. Was she afraid for herself, or for others?

"Don't worry about me," Koga replied, his hand moving towards his katana's saya and gripping it. "The job comes first." The man turned to follow after Nari, a slightly more leisurely pace than before. "C'mon. The sooner we figure out what's going on, the sooner we can start working on a solution."

While Nari seemed relaxed enough to wander near carelessly towards their objective, Koga was less so. His eyes searched back and forth, peering between trees, always on alert. Mobs, others players with less than valiant intentions, Cardinal itself, Koga did not know what dangers might present themselves, but he'd rather be ready for them than be caught unawares.

When the trio finally did come upon the field of dried dead flowers, the gears of the man's mind began to turn. What could cause this. Why?

“I don’t see any reason for them to have died…at least, nothing from the land here – perhaps there’s something else going on. But what it is, I haven’t the faintest idea…” Nari said. And she was right. There wasn't a single sign as to what had caused so many of these flowers to suddenly shrivel up brown and black.

Then a thought hit him.

"Cardinal is self-correcting," Koga pointed out. "Do you guys remember a year or two ago, when the Frontline was fighting the Floor 25 boss, the rest of Aincrad was drowning. A lot of players died. Myself included. But then we were brought back. Cardinal had no reason to do that, unless it wasn't meant to occur. Ever." The man walked to the other side of the patch of dry dead flowers. "So, if Cardinal is self-correcting, and this was a glitch, it follows that Cardinal would patch the error." The man knelt down and peered more closely at the flowers. "But it hasn't. I imagine fixing some scenery is a lot easier than bringing back thousands of dead players." The man looked up at Nari and Cleo. "So, that would have to mean this is all intentional, correct? So, we're left with either this is a player's doing, or this is part of some...event, or quest or something." The man gestured at the flowers, "Except players can't do this, as far as I know. Not without leaving behind some evidence. Like you said, Nari. Burn marks, footprints, something. So maybe this is Cardinal's doing. Nari, what was it you were saying again about these flowers being representative of dead elves?"

'These two idiots again?' Koga thought to himself as he and Okami crept around the kitchen island, staying on the other side of the men's footsteps.

"Hell if I know, Glebu," Bohzo replied as he marched forward, running a lazy hand across the countertop, then placing his weapon a top it and hoisting himself up on it and seating his fat rump upon it. "Maybe they have some some fruit in one of them cabinets."

"Why the hell would they be keeping fruit in a cabinet?"

"I dunno. These gover'ment types are all weird. Just go look, wouldya?"

"Do it yourself fattie."

"Fattie!?" Blebu shouted back, "You're the one who wanted meat! I, being the healthy person that I am, asked for fruit."

The self-righteous tone made Koga roll his eyes as he pressed his back against the cabinets, praying that the idiot wouldn't decide to peer over the counter.

Ding!

The notification ping rang out, and Koga almost swore aloud, biting his tongue only a moment before he breathed aloud words.

"Well, whaddya know, Bohzo! They do have fruit in here!"

"Great! I'm hungry, give 'em here."

Thank God the notification sound wasn't universal.

The sound of rummaging through more cabinets, and Koga felt safe enough for a moment to peek his head over the counter. The two bandits had their backs turned. Now was the time to make an exit.

Quietly, he and Okami crawled to the door and gently opened it, slipping out and shutting it behind them. The man didn't breathe a sigh of relief until they'd made it some way down the hall away from the two. "Fuck, that was too close," Koga muttered quietly before opening his messenger and replying to NIGHT.

Koga's eyes monitored his opponent's every movements. The bend of the knees, the forward posture. Energy gathering in his legs, a sharp movement to initiate. As soon as the timer disappeared, the fighter shot forward, nearly a blur as his weapon drew upwards to strike. Koga held his ground though, his wrists twisting, preparing to deflect the attack, just enough to leave an opening for a quick strike. The attack came and-

The man bounced backwards, a feint, disengaging and disappearing, as if being swallowed into another dimension entirely as polygons wrapped around his body until nothing remained. 'Fucking stealth players...' Koga thought to himself, an increasingly frequent complaint.

Koga's eyes darted around the field, searching for any sign of movement. Nothing. Just the quiet battlefield. A brief bloom of deep blue light circled around Koga's feet, more discolored embers than his typical flames. Well, if that was how the man wanted to play it...

Truth be told, Koga had never fought a stealth player before. He had never been the kind to go looking to pick fights with others. This was a new experience for him...he was going to have to learn how to fight all over again. Well, the best way to do that was to get right into the thick of it. This seemed to qualify.

A flash of steel as Koga dashed forward, drawing his weapon and slicing through the air in a single motion. The razor edge sang through the air, never once tasting flesh. "Woah! Mas, put that away, you're could've hurt us!" The shade of Tsukiko said, reappearing out of thin some meters away, as if she stepped through a curtain.

"Shut up," Koga said, straightening his stand and lifting his weapon. "You're not them. You're not her. And I won't let you use them just to get to me."

"We're not trying to do anything here, Masato. We're just showing you what you need to see."

Koga leapt forward again, raising his sword and bringing it back down, aiming to cut into the phantasmal body from shoulder to waist. Dust and dirt and concrete exploded into the air as shockwaves reverberated up Koga's arms, threatening to shake the weapon free of his grip.

"Don't you get it Mas, we're trying to help you!"

"And how the fuck does pretending to be my dead friends help me!?" Koga lifted his weapon and looked around himself. But the entity seemed to have disappeared entirely, not a single trace left behind except the voice that continued to taunt him. "You tell us. We're only here because you called out to us."

"Bullshit," the man swore. "I think I would remember if I asked to be mentally tormented by a couple of sick fucks masquerading as people I care about."

"Would you though?" the voice whispered softly in his ear.

Koga leapt out of the way just in time, the ground where he'd just been standing now nothing more than a small crater as he rolled back to his feet to face the specter. No longer in street clothes, but in armor, and holding a straight sword. Silver pieces of plate, all dull and dirty, strapped to her chest, her shoulders, her arms and legs. Low level gear. Even the sword, simple and plain. But that power, it would've one shot Tsukiko if she'd been hit with that.

"You have things that need to be settled. Not with all these people, but with yourself."

A gust of wind as Tsukiko shot forward like a bullet, sword aimed to pierce Koga's throat. The grinding of metal on metal, sparks exploding into the air as he brought his weapon up to defend, deflecting the thrust to the side.

"These people, they're just the symbols. Symbols of the parts of you you despise."

Koga grunted as he planted his feet into the ground and pushed, throwing the smaller girl backwards. "So what is it that you need to settle with us?" The small, lithe shape of Tsukiko began to morph once more, into the taller, stronger form of Hikaru, similarly armed, save that the small, light straight sword had been replace with a warhammer.

Jomei and Nari focused in on one of the last two remaining Knights. Movements occured so quickly, their figures were almost blurs. The swing of a bladed arm, the thrust of a sturdy lance followed by the fast moving tip of a rapier. Smooth, flowing, like a dance.

But, even the best dancers made mistakes some times. The best simply knew how to cover their mistakes. The party's mistake in this performance was taking their eyes off the last Knight. Not even Koga, who rightly should have been responsible for keeping track of it, noticed when it slipped away for a moment, only reappearing to swing it's arms at Jomei. That man was far too quick, however. Liquid, he rolled beneath the bladed arm, cutting it close enough that it looked like the entire fight was choreographed, practiced, staged.

"I got him!" Koga called back to Jomei, ducking beneath another swinging arm, this time aimed for his own neck. No time was wasted. A single, quick upwards slash across the mob's chest, and it too joined it's brethren in Cardinal's recycle bin.

"Well, look's like that's that." Koga said with a nod to the other two, sheathing his weapon.

The man opposite Koga tapped his prompt without a word, the translucent panels before them disappearing in an instant, and immediately a periodic beeping began, numbers floating high in the air between them. It seemed that this Kingslayer wasn't much for talking. That suited Koga just fine. The appearance of the countdown timer was talk enough for him.

Drawing his sword, the quiet rasp of wood and steel Koga took up a mid-guard. Their eyes locked onto each others for a moment, before the Kingslayer's disappeared behind a mask, unfolding to cover his face. Koga breathed in deeply, relaxed his shoulders, exhaled, then shifted his gaze from the glowing mask to his opponent's shoulders. The location where all movements were hinted at. The cotton wrapping around his katana's hilt creaked and strained as Koga tightened his grip, the time for action drawing closer and closer.

The numbers kept ticking down, each second passing by with a sharp tone.

3.

2.

1.

Fight!

> 208839, LD nat10. bahr has initiative

Nothing that Nari said reassured Koga in the slightest. Probably because the man was a cynic at heart. And frankly, he was currently accompanying one of the reasons he was a cynic in the first place on a skeptical at best quest from some mysterious, anonymous 'benefactor'. Call him jaded.

"Stupid? Possibly. Regardless, you still followed her. Doesn't that mean you trust her?" Cleo said as she caught up to them, to which Koga scowled. "No, I don't," he said tersely, a hint of anger hiding beneath the surface of his words. "But someone I care about cares about her. So I gotta look out for her too," the man said loud enough to be certain that Nari heard. He was helping her because of NIGHT. Simple as that. He trusted Nari about as far as he could through her while she was in full plate. But NIGHT? Koga trusted NIGHT. And that was the only reason he was willing to follow Nari into what could potentially be their dooms.

The question then became why dead flowers even mattered in the first place, and while what Nari had said made sense within the context of lore..."I'd like to also point out, when was the last time you saw a dead fucking flower on this floor?" Koga added. "Hell, I don't think I've even seen a blade of dry grass here before. Dead flowers are a bad sign no matter how we look at it. It being a scripted event is the best case scenario, I think."

It seemed that Nari was hardly paying any attention to what Koga had said to her, the woman muttering about this and that. "I mean, I didn't even see anything," Koga answered Ghost's question, before looking at the other two in their part for their response. No verbal reaction. Just NIGHT pointing nervously, eyes shifting back and forth between Nari and...more empty space?

Well, that made two who had seen this ghost...

The man cast an inquisitive look towards NIGHT, before turning his attention to Nari as she decided that licking the mystery powder off her finger was a good idea. Ya know what, if she wanted to get poisoned, that was her business.

"Ugh. Sulfur. Do not taste that."

Not much better.

"Uh, there are a lot of caves here," Koga replied to Nari, before throwing another look at NIGHT, this time one of mild confusion. They'd delved into a cave or two while they'd been completing a questline on this floor. Not mention the fact that the whole floor itself was technically a system of caves to begin with..."You're gonna have to be a bit more specific."

Koga glanced down at his outfit as NIGHT corrected him before looking back up at her. "Ya know what, I can't even argue with you on that one, valid point." Black, drab, kind of looked like he was a vampire hunter. Yeah, Koga fit right in with this floor, he supposed.

The the question of old age, Koga shrugged. "I mean, I guess we could, eventually," he admitted. "Not like our real bodies are gonna stop aging." That grim reality again. Fact was that one day, life support would run dry. They'd be unplugged if they didn't get out quickly enough. It would be sudden, and come without warning to those inside. No matter how Koga still felt about the real world, he didn't wanna die like that. He at least wanted a fighting chance.

"Fangs and bloodshot eyes...I mean, I dunno, but as long as I don't sparkling in the sunlight, I could care less about the other two. My eyes are already bloodshot as it is," he replied as NIGHT span back around to face forward again. "That really would be the biggest concern though, right? Like, vampires burn in sunlight, so if there was a condition in-game for that...guess you're doomed to be nocturnal or something."

Looking around as they entered the Ashen Keep, the remains of what Koga would've guessed was an ancient battle laid scattered across the courtyard. Unmoving bones, armor, red cloth and weapons scattered about. "The red shirts are really good at getting their asses handed to them, huh?" Koga commented, putting his hands on his hips as he looked around. "So uh, where do you think we'll find a holy sword in this place?" Koga asked as he started to walk around the area, kicking around the rusted weapons. "Better question, how will we know its holy?"

In the dim light shining through the windows, Koga searched through the kitchen, cabinet by cabinet, shelf by shelf. But just what was it that made the man think that there was a lockbox full of evidently important documents hidden in the kitchen of all places? Well, truthfully, he did not. But he was hungry. How long had it been since they'd had breakfast? The moon was already out, for god's sake and all Koga had had today was a cup of coffee. The man needed fuel.

And so, the man rummaged through the cupboards looking for something edible and a bit more appetizing than watercress crackers. Honestly, why did every cabinet have these stupid crackers? Sighing as he shut the doors on another cracker-filled cupboard, the man turned to moved towards the other end of the kitchen when the sound of a door creaking on it's hinged caught Koga's attention. Dropping down low immediately, the man hid himself behind the kitchen's island. "Hey, Bohzo, think we'll find any chicken in here? Or maybe pork?"

| 208821, LD nat9

"Koga, good to meet you," the swordsman said with a nod as an unfamiliar girl approached them, before turning his attention back to Nari...an action he immediately regretted. The man's facial expression shifted concerned, to confused, to 'what-in the fuck???', each state lasting all of about three seconds, before finally settling on the latter. The man groaned as he closed his eyes pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to make sense of what he understood only as complete and utter stupidity, recklessness, and a general lack of regard for ones own well-being.

"Hold on, let me get this straight," he said, still massaging the bridge of his nose with his index and thumb. "So you've been getting mysterious messages from an unknown sender, who may or may not have ulterior motives, and for all you know, could just be playing the long con, and you're going along with it!?" Seriously, if they weren't stuck in the game, and Koga was strapped for money, Nari would've been one of the first people he targeted for a phishing expedition. People like her were easy prey if they just went along with clearly sketchy mysterious missives like that.

Koga looked over at Cleo, "Like, I'm not the only one here that thinks that a stupid move, right?" Not that it mattered, because Koga was at least going to be one of the stupid mooks that followed Nari into what could very well be a death trap. "Fuck me in the ass..." the man groaned once more before chasing after the woman.

The man slowly turned and look at Koga, eyes peering at him with coldness, an unfamiliar chill that Koga put his finger on. Both unexpected, and yet, perhaps it should have been, given what great lengths that the man must've resorted to in his crusades.

"I'm waiting."

"A friendly challenge," Koga stated, his tone lacking any cheer, despite his words. "I'd like to see where my strength lies at present. What better way to test that than to challenge the man who took on Aincrad itself?" Between his first floor boss fight, taking on Calming the Soul, and pushing himself to solidify his build, carve out his niche, the man felt he'd made great strides in the recent months. But the question still remained, how far had he come? And how far did he still have left to go?

A few short gestures, and a duel prompt would appear before the Kingslayer, and though it detailed the specifics of the duel, Koga laid them out anyways. "Fifty percent. No additional buffs but our skills and our gear. Is this acceptable to you? It's not like you have anything to lose if I come out on top."

Despite one of theirs taking only the most minor of blows, the group of players did not break their battle cadence. Pressing on as if she couldn't even feel the blow (underneath all that plate, Koga would have been surprised if she could feel it) Nari raised her shield, her spear and thrust the sharp point into one of their prey, her form almost reminiscent of a Spartan's.

What exactly was it that made NIGHT choose her?

"Alright! Hit 'em!" Jomei's call interrupted Koga's stray thought, and the man turned back towards the mobs. "On it!" he called back, leaping straight into the air, where the gleam of shining armor caught his eye, drawing his attention for a moment once more.

He just didn't get it. Was it some weird enemies-to-lovers plot he just didn't understand?

The man came crashing back down to earth in a fury of red light, the glowing blade cleaving two of the mobs in half and destroying them. But that still left two more. A low growl of frustration this time as Koga backed off from the group, avoiding a flail of deadly arms. Not good enough.

"Fuck, someone please finish these guy's off," Koga muttered, "I'm not here for this shit right now apparently."

Giovanna gave what Koga assumed was the standard pitch for these gathering quests. Anthony had given him  a similar one in fact, except instead of a fancy compass, he'd given Koga some fancy fishing bait. Remarkably it had worked so well, Koga had caught one of those multi-colored fish on his first cast, though he doubted he'd be so lucky again. Perhaps Ghost would be on the other hand...or, well, as lucky as you could get with a compass at least...

In any case, at Ghost's bidding Koga stood and conjured his fishing rod out of thin air, resting the thin wooden pole against his shoulder. "Mmhm," he grunted, dusting off his pants before looking up at Ghost. A moments pause as his eyes met hers, the tinge of violet more prominent now with the low angle of the sun. Just a moment's pause to drink those eyes in before giving a small nod. "Lead the way."