[F22 - SP] The One Who Remembers The Past (<<Katana Skill Acquisition>>)

[Sotarou 0]

The info broker's words were cryptic...

[To bring your skills in, you must bring your thoughts out. The forests on 22 can help. Go... and remember.]

Cryptic... anyway, he made it here. Luckily. He was able to avoid most of the enemies and keep them from spotting him while he made his way up the floors. He made it to 22 and managed to find the forests... though he had gotten himself lost in the fog. "Great job, Kisuke... getting lost on a floor where everything could one-shot you... why did I let that broker convince me to do this...?" He sighed and continued to explore the mists...

A few minutes in, he sighed and sat on the floor as he was getting tired. "Who'd have thought walking in a game would tire you out...?"

Suddenly, a voice called from behind him: "Don't you dare say you're tired. Get up! Now!"

 

Combat Statblock

Sotarou | HP: 100/100 | EN: 28/28 | DMG: 2 | MIT:12 | ACC:2 | EVA:1 | REC: 2 | LD:1

First Post Character Information [Signature]

Name: Sotarou
True Tier: 1
Level: 5
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 100/100
EN: 28/28

Stats:
Damage: 2
Mitigation: 12
Accuracy: 2
Evasion: 1
Loot Die: 1
REC: 2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket:
- Sokuchi
Armor/Trinket:
- Akaviri Samurai Armor
Shield/Armor/Trinket:
- Jeweled Bee

Combat Mastery:
-

Combat Shift:
-

Familiar Skill:
-

Custom Skill:
-

Skills:
- Curved Sword R2
- Light Armor R1
- Quick Change
- Searching R1

Extra Skills:

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:

Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
- Lucky Straits x1
- Raikiri x

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:
- Blacksmith[exp] R1
Gathering Profession:

 

(( Equipped Items: Akaviri Samurai Armor (Light Armor, +1 MIT, +1 EVA), Sokuchi (Perfect Katana, +2 ACC, +1 DMG), Jeweled Bee (Trinket, 2 Recovery) ))
(( Battle-Ready Items: Raikiri (Rare Katana, Para 1 Post on 8-10), Lucky Straights (Bracelet, +2 LD), 3 Starter Healing Potions. ))

Edited 2 hours ago by Sotarou

[Sotarou 0]

That voice... no... no way in hell! He immediately stood up and turned, seeing a shadow in the mists approach... as it did, the features became more prominent. Older, gaunt face, shaved head, missing eyebrows, and he was soot-stained from head to toe. Kuzu Azumai: Kisuke's grandfather!

Sotarou's eyes went wide! "Grandfather!? Wh- how are-"

His grandfather wasted no time, taking a bokken and sweeping, causing Sotarou to fall to his side! "A weak stance! Has my son taught you nothing!?"

Wait... he remembered this... his first instructions with his grandfather... the exact same move, the exact same words... Kuzu and Hanoi (Sotarou's father) had been fighting, and Sotarou had gone to mend the fence... "Grandfather, I don't-"

"You don't think! That's what you don't! Stand! You want us to speak again? Show your resolve!"

Sotarou did as he was told... standing up and taking a breath... he looked at his grandfather again with a determined glare, drawing his Sokuchi. As he did however, he found in his hand instead his old Bokken. The one he'd trained countless hours with. "Fine... if that's what it takes...!"

[Sotarou 0]

A long pause began between the two... as the space around them seemed to shift... he was no longer in the forests of floor 22. He was in his family's dojo. But Sotarou wasn't focused on that. He was instead focused on the image of his grandfather in front of him. Memories of their training, the times he's been knocked down. Struck. Every loss a failure... but he had no plans on losing here. This was his world... Aincrad. No way he'd lose! "It won't be like all the previous times! I won't lose!"

"Cocky attitude. Put your money where your mouth is, boy!" Kuzu stepped forward, taking a single swing! Sotarou was ready for it, however! He brought his own 'blade' up and parried the strike. Which sounded odd... as the two Bokken struck each other, there was no wood sound. The sound of metal against metal was heard. Something was off... but he didn't have much time to think about it, as a second swing brought from the first came towards him. He had to flex to avoid it before bringing his blade up to slash upwards against his grandfather. The old coot was still rather spry, however, as he backflipped to avoid the strike. As he got back into stance, it was revealed that the front of the old man's clothing had a small rip in it... a fresh tear from the slash. "Maybe there's hope for you... but you've not won yet!" He dashed forward and continued the assault!

[Sotarou 0]

The continuing back and forth between Sotarou and Kuzu lasted quite a while. The normal sounds of what shoulda been wood on wood replaced by the clanging of steel on steel. Scraping of blades, ringing of ripostes, feet pattering against a padded floor. Each side had minor cuts by this point, but a decisive blow had not been seen by either side. Neither willing to give in. By this point however, it seemed the memory was on repeat... the fight had gotten predictable, where before his grandfather was always changing his style. He had to be hallucinating, obviously, but why was it not changing? Was it waiting...? What happened next in this scenario...? Then he remembered...

"Why do you hate my dad!?"

The image of Kuzu stopped suddenly. He sighed. "I don't hate your father, boy... I could never hate him... I hate what he's doing. I hate that he's abandoned family traditions."

"He didn't have a choice! Mom-"

"Your mother made her choice too! Abandoning a father and child, just so she could go and get herself the newest model... how's it feel to know she never loved you, boy? That you were just an obligation!"

He had forgotten this conversation... but the anger and rage returned back as if the memory were still there, still happening... and he ran forward, lashing out! Of course, Kuzu was waiting for this. He sidestepped the predictable anger and struck Sotarou from behind. Upon doing so, ordinarily there'd be some striking pain and mostly humiliation. But the pain felt... real... the strike felt bladed as his back felt pained and reaching back, there was a trickle of blood. He looked towards his grandfather with contempt!

[Sotarou 0]

"You don't get to say that about her! You were the one who drove her away in the first place!" The anger was in full force... but he forced himself to focus and get back into stance.

"I merely pointed out that she didn't belong. That she would cause nothing but disaster for this family! She was the one who decided to listen!"

"And that makes it okay!? No wonder she left! No wonder father hates you! You're bitter, you're vindictive, you're a blight on this family! You deserve to die alone!" He rushed forward, the Bokken in his hands glowing as he performed a maneuver! Not just a normal maneuver, but a Sword Skill! He recognized the feeling of it, letting his body move, as he rushed forward, striking his grandfather! But... he didn't remember this before now... when he struck, the blow seemed to just be allowed... he remembered actually landing a blow there... but in his anger, he thought he was superior! Of course... it felt weird in this instance... but looking back on it, he did realize that his grandfather had a look of both shock and fear...

[Sotarou 0]

As he struck, the image burst into wisps, scattering and remerging behind Sotarou. As he turned to ready his fight again, he realized: the memory had changed. It was a later memory... one from near the end of Kuzu's life... he stood in his dojo, looking at Sotarou with sorrowful eyes...

"Back then... you were right... I ended like this myself..."

Sotarou approached his grandfather, worry on his own face. "No... I shouldn't have-"

"You had every right... every right to call me out back then... I was a fool... and a coward."

"... why? Just... why?"

"Why?" He gave a wry laugh... "Fear of loss will do some strange things... your mother... she was going to take you and your father away... far away... and leave me..."

He remembered this revelation... but having learned that the memory wouldn't advance without him continuing it... "What... what do you mean? She didn't tell you?"

Kuzu looked up with a curious face. "What do you mean? Didn't tell me what?"

"You're talking about us moving... she was planning on buying a storefront... bringing you to America... she was enamored with yours and dad's creations! She wanted to keep us all together!"

"She...? She was going to... to take me with you all...?" Tears welled up in his eyes... he fell to his knees, sobbing. "I caused... my son sorrow... for nothing!?"

[Sotarou 0]

"Not quite nothing."

Kuzu and Sotarou looked back as a third voice appeared... this time, it was Hanoi: Sotarou's father! "Dad!"

"Hanoi..."

Hanoi sighed, moving to Kuzu. "Father... I knew what you were up to the entire time..."

Kuzu looked flabbergasted! "But... then... why didn't you say anything!?"

"At the time... purely just out of anger... but later on, I realized you helped out a lot... even if you didn't mean to."

Sotarou looked confused at his father. "What do you mean?"

Hanoi sighed, sitting on the floor. "... I'm sorry I kept this from you, Kisuke... but I didn't want your memories of your mother to be tarnished..." He looked to Kuzu. "You know she was planning on taking you with us, right...?"

Kuzu nodded. "Kisuke said as much."

"Well, what I didn't know until recently... she only planned on taking you with for the money."

Kuzu looked stunned at that. Sotarou shared the look. "What do you mean? We're not exactly made of money..."

"She'd bought that shop for the sole purpose of putting us to work making 'authentic' Japanese blades for her to sell... and her to pocket the profits. I learned about it when she left... she was pissed that she'd lose out on the building she'd already purchased for those purposes."

"Wait... so..."

"She was...?"

"Yep..."

[Sotarou 0]

A long silence stretched between the three... Sotarou thought he'd forgotten a piece of the memory and it was halting until he did something... but then his grandfather spoke, assuaging his memories. "I always had a bad feeling about that woman..."

Hanoi just chuckled. "Right, dad..." He stood up and sighed. He approached Kuzu, offering a hand. "I'm sorry..."

Kuzu looked at the hand... then at his son... and just pulled him into a hug. "No, kiddo... I'm sorry... even if it was a bad relationship, you loved her... I should have trusted you..."

Sotarou smiled, watching the interaction between the two. Then the scene shifted once again. The forest was back, the fog was there... and there stood once more Kuzu.

"These memories... you know what they are, right?"

This was different... he definitely didn't remember this at all... "What do you mean?"

"These woods... the fog... it's meant to dredge up the memories of your past... show you what you missed... and help you move past, clearing your mind of the fog, as it were."

"Wait, you're... you're not a memory of my past?"

"Not quite... I am your grandfather... but I'm just a drawing of your own memories of me, and your own thoughts on the situation. Even if you yourself doesn't realize everything."

Sotarou looked around at the forest surprised... "This place... is so weird..."

Mist-Kuzu nodded. "Yes... but it is also a boon. The memories we hold dear... sometimes we forget the reasons we hold onto them, and in turn, we forget the memories themselves. The very reason you escaped into this place... it was because of your mother... but you'd forgotten what it was that your father had said... of our fight... you had to be reminded of that past... so you could continue on into the future."

He was right... he had gone into SAO originally because of a fight he had with his father regarding his mother... he wanted to visit his mom, his dad refused to let him. Now he remembered why... "Why did I forget...?"

"You didn't really forget... you merely lost your focus. Speaking of your focus... the strike you made against me... you know what that was, right? You did it..."

"Did what?"

Kuzu chuckled... "Did you already forget why you came to this forest...?" Kuzu then turned around and started heading back into the mists, his form becoming obscured by them.

Sotarou called out as he left! "Wait! Grandfather!"

"You know... all you need... continue moving forward... and become the man I know will make me proud." The last word echoed around him, causing Sotarou to become dizzy... he closed his eyes...

[Sotarou 0]

He slowly and blearily blinked his eyes open as he found himself lying on the ground of the forest... the fog permeating it was now gone. As he pushed himself up into a sitting position, he looked around. There was no sign of the fight he'd had with his grandfather... no signs of either his grandfather or father... did... did he just imagine everything...?

Suddenly, a popup hit on the side of his HUD.

<EXTRA SKILL GAINED: KATANA. NEW SWORD ART OBTAINED: CHICHI SHAZAI. WARNING: SKILL INSUFFICIENT TO USE SWORD ART. RANK 5 REQUIRED>

So... he had gotten the skill needed to use Katanas in SAO. Looks like that info broker's cryptic words weren't so useless after all. He accepted the popup and checked his skills list. His Curved Blade skill was now gone. In its place was the Katana skill with the same number of ranks as Curved Blade once was. He chuckled a bit... he looked in the direction he'd seen his grandfather disappear in... he smiled and nodded. "Thank you... rest well, grandfather."

With his objective complete, he made sure he had everything on him before grabbing a return crystal from his pack, using it to return back to the Town of Beginnings!

 

THREAD SUMMARY:

Word Count: 2166

Exp Value: 433

Quest status: Complete

Sotarou receives: 433 Exp(thread progression), Extra Skill: Katana