Where Your God Is - Chapter 20 (Patreon)

I did a pirouette, letting the blade sail past me as Asuna followed it through. Lazily, I finished my spin and tapped her back with the flat of my blade while she went past.

“Eep!” She squeaked, her eyes going wide as she stumbled to a stop and rolled, managing to save herself from a complete spill and ending up on one knee as she reached back to rub where I had – in the loosest possible sense of the term – struck her.

“Hi-ya!” Leafa cried above me, bringing down her current weapon – a kopesh – on my head...

-or, rather, where my head was.

If I hadn't swayed to the right.

In the same moment, my single blade spun lazily until it was facing upwards and held at my waist. Leafa's blade had already landed heavily in the soil, though, leaving it pinned. My blade, then, rested with the barest hint of the tip at her equally bare neck.

I hadn't taken my eyes off Asuna's even as I neutralized my sister.

“Ugh... just wait until I get to your level, nii-san,” Leafa huffed irritably.

I brought my blade up just smidge, pressing it against pale skin. “That's a funny way to say, 'yield,' sis.”

She groaned again, louder. “Yield.”

I hummed in acceptance, dropping my blade and spinning it back into a lazy guard as I turned my full attention back to Asuna. “Continue?”

“That... it's just not fair,” Asuna sighed, dropping her sword from her own half-hearted guard. “Yield.”

“Could have told you that was how it was going to end,” Mito sighed, sitting off to the side and dressed in a yukata that trailed down to her knees as she relaxed in the shade of a tree and sipped some kind of juice.

“We didn't even make him use his second sword, though!” Asuna whined, gesturing at me as she sheathed her rapier. “I thought we'd at least push him that far.”

“Sorry, it's just that my numbers are bigger than yours,” I said, my tone sympathetic as I scratched at my head awkwardly. “Like, I know that there's the temptation to think that you can overcome another person through grit, wit, and luck... but unless the enemy is really stupid and repetitive, a big enough difference in stats means that you're better off running or using a return crystal.”

“And kii-bou's waaa~aaay past that point,” Argo chuckled, dancing forward in a yukata of her own before stopped as she grinned, her favored colors of yellow and brown on full display. “Still, that was some next-level stuff, Kirito.”

“Thanks,” I grinned at her. “You and Sinon picked out your yukata, I see.”

“Part of me wants to know why you have so many of these,” Sinon sighed, wearing an ocean-blue number with white flowers decorating it, plucking at the fabric to emphasize her point. “Another part of me isn't sure I should actually ask.”

“Actually... now that I think about it,” Mito stated, looking down at her purple and gold robe with a curious expression. “If she's not going to ask, then I will. Why do you have three dozen yukata in your inventory?”

I opened my mouth to reply...

...and stopped.

My mouth slowly closed of its own accord as I raised a hand to rub at my chin thoughtfully. Tilting my head, I made a deliberate production of humming.

“Big brother...” Leafa began slowly, looking increasingly exasperated. “You don't actually know why you have three dozen yukata, do you?”

“I think there was something about a fashion show,” I admitted haltingly, squinting into the middle distance as if the memory of the event was slightly out of focus and would come to me if I could look upon it a bit more clearly. “I don't know if I was in the fashion show or if I was transporting them for a quest about a fashion show and just never finished it... or if I snuck in and stole them because I was feeling like a little chaos gremlin that day.”

“Okay, yeah, that makes sense,” Leafa nodded, sighing in relief.

“Perfectly reasonable,” Sinon nodded, her lips twitching, but her tone serious.

“My only complaint is that you didn't come to me to sell the stock off, these are really nice, Kii-chi,” Argo snorted, doing a little twirl. “But your oversight came in handy, so it's all good.”

“...am I the only person here who thinks that's a really weird reason to carry around a bunch of clothes?” Asuna asked, crossing her arms in irritation.

“Yes,” Mito replied, earning her a look of betrayal from her friend and setting the purple-haired girl to giggles. “Sorry, Asuna, but it's pretty standard for gamer-logic. A lot of times we do weird, self-destructive, or just plain crazy stuff because we can. We don't need any better reasons.”

“Truth,” I nodded respectfully.

Proving that I'd corrupted the girls beyond the point of no return, they all nodded along as well, confident in their own madness.

Asuna glared at us for a long moment.

Before we broke.

I don't know who it was that snapped first, but we all ended up in giggles and laughter, some of us bending to the point of near-collapse as we let loose with our humor. It took a few minutes, all of which Asuna spent rolling her eyes at us and hiding a smile as we collectively regained our composure.

“Haha, very funny,” the newb among us commented as she walked over and dropped her gear off at the open tatami porch to the cabin-house that she and Mito were using.

“For what it's worth, Aa-chan,” Mito snickered one last time before sobering, “As funny as gamer-humor is, that's actually on point. We were being serious, which is what made it so hilarious.”

“Okay, okay... I think I get it. Anyway, now that everyone's picked out a yukata... it's time for the hot springs, right?” Asuna asked hopefully.

“The spar was basically just to kill time,” I nodded. “Well, that and I'd always wanted to have a sword duel in a yukata surrounded by hot springs and beautiful women.”

Leafa snickered, but nodded. “It's very anime, big brother. I approve.”

Asuna scoffed and flipped her hair, looking away to hide the blush on her cheeks at the implied compliment. I hadn't specified 'my girls' as the only beautiful ones, after all. Mito cleared her throat, a lesser blush on her face as she drew attention to herself. “So, how are we doing this? With Kirito being a guy and everything?”

There was a moment of awkward silence as we all looked around at each other.

Sinon hummed. “It'd be rude and inconsiderate to Kirito to make him wait until we're done given that we're only able to access this area because of him.”

Asuna clicked her tongue and pursed her lips. “That's true...”

“An' the pool's really big,” Argo shrugged, looking around at the various rocky pits full of steaming water. “Not like we all have to snuggle up right next ta' each other.”

“I think... I'd be okay with that,” Mito muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Really?” Asuna asked, surprised as she looked between Mito and myself.

Mito shrugged, her face still slightly red. “Kirito's cool and we're going to be on this team with him for a while. And since the rest of us are girls, he can't exactly run off bragging to another guy, either. His avatar is feminine enough that any girls that overhear us talking about it would think that he's one too on top of all that. So as long as he doesn't stare at us like a creep or try to peek...”

I cleared my throat. “Ah... I was actually planning on sitting on the opposite side of wherever you two were, to give you space. At least, presuming you were okay with sharing.”

Asuna and Mito shared a look with each other, silently discussing matters.

Then, abruptly, the brown-haired girl turned to me and looked me over. As everyone else had done, I'd ditched my usual armor for a yukata. Mine was primarily purple with silver trim and black ravens darting across it. Which, yes, was chunni as fuck. But I was already being saddled with 'The Shadowblade' as my title, so I might as well lean into it.

“Don't make me regret this, alright Kirito?” Asuna asked with a sigh. “I've had bad experiences with guys before.”

I nodded, forgoing my usual flippancy. “I have three girlfriends. I consider myself extremely lucky in that regard and don't want to do anything to screw that up. Putting aside anything else, though, I think of Mito as a good friend and it'd be a really shitty thing to make her choose between the two of us if we started fighting.”

Asuna relaxed slightly at that, and I earned a smile from Mito. The former nodded, then glanced at the hot springs longingly. “Just... after we get out of all of this, you'll probably meet my parents. Never, ever mention that I got into a hot spring, naked, with a guy.”

“Oh, absolutely,” I waved her off. “Again, I've got more than enough to worry about whenever Argo's dad eventually clues in about our relationship.”

Argo snickered and grinned. “Hehe... yeah, Papa's probably going to take you out back and slug you. Sorries in advance.”

“He's entitled to one punch provided it doesn't knock out any of my teeth,” I sighed and stood, making my way towards the steaming pools.

“What about my dad?” Sinon asked, torn between genuine curiosity and amusement.

“If he tries anything, he'll end up laid out on the ground,” I promised her with a nod.

Sinon snorted and grinned. “That's... actually pretty fair, thanks.”

Then she turned and pressed her lips to my cheek.

Sinon's relationship with her parents wasn't anywhere near as fraught as Mito's appeared to be, not that I knew the details there, but the shooting incident in Sinon's childhood had put them under a lot of stress. If I was being charitable and understanding, I'd leave my assessment there and be on my merry way, but the end result of that 'stress' had been Sinon deciding to move out to spare her parents the association and remove a visible reminder of the trauma.

And they'd let her.

So while Sinon had actively forbidden me from confronting her parents over the 'family decision' to change their living arrangements, when someone allowed their daughter to move out of the house at thirteen to attend high school in another city... cultural norms about teenage independence or not, they lost certain parental rights in my eyes.

Argo's dad had stalwartly raised two children after a bad divorce. That dude got all the respect and a free punch when he found out his daughter was part of a polycule.

Sinon's would be lucky to only receive the same if it came to blows.

“So what about our dad?” Leafa asked impishly.

“Mom will have explained it to him by the time we get out if she hasn't already done so,” I waved her off. “So he'll have had plenty of time to cool off and decide whether or not to disown me.”

Leafa snorted. “He'd never do that, Kirito.”

Privately, I admitted that she was probably right. Kirigaya Minetaka was... distant, in more ways than one. Working in the United States most of the year, he was seldom home and only some small fraction of that time was spent seeing to his children. There were a few calls, particularly on special occasions like birthdays and holidays if he couldn't be home, but... I don't know. It was hard to see the man as a real father figure with how little he involved himself in our lives.

Realistically, he'd probably just fuck off back to America and leave mom to deal with any sort of relationship Suguha and I found ourselves in as long as it didn't blow back on his career.

But that was probably uncharitable of me.

I knew the man cared, in the abstract. I just think he didn't know how to show he cared. And that made it easy to believe he didn't.

“Ah,” I sighed in relief, stepping foot in the steamy water and forcing my spiraling thoughts away. “Ooooh yeah... that's the stuff.”

Various exclamations of delight and satisfaction followed as each of us slid into the springs at our own speeds. Then slowly, the yukata we'd been wearing vanished into motes of light as we all stored them away in our respective inventories, stretched out, and relaxed.

“Think we can just wait here for someone else to clear the game?” Sinon asked, popping her neck before leaning back against Leafa.

A few scattered grunts and chuckles met the joke, no one wanting to really refuse the option.

“Ah... actuallies,” Argo sighed, “we should talk about something. Since everyone's here.”

Just like the laughs, a chorus of scattered groans echoed out.

I am not ashamed to say that mine was among them.

“Aww... c'mon, Kii-bou, you're supposed to be the responsible one, help me out!” Argo whined and leaned closer, rubbing bare skin against my own.

“Shh... no work, only soak,” I replied, dragging her further into the water as I slid down as well.

“Mmm... that's not fair,” The Rat muttered sleepily, sighing in delight as the warmth soaked through more of her body. “Ehh... just need to pick out a crafter for the group. Nuthin' big!”

I grunted and looked skyward to the darkening blue of Aincrad's false ceiling. “Let Asuna and Mito do it.”

“Fuck you two, Kirito,” Mito sighed.

“Mito!” Asuna gasped, and I heard splashing so she must have risen up or something. “Language.”

Still, that was a pretty lukewarm – heh – response compared to Asuna's usual distaste for cursing.

“But interviewing new party members is a paaa~aaain!” Mito whined childishly, the hot springs having done their job and reduced all of us to soggy brats. “Especially crafters! And healers!”

“Why those two?” Asuna asked.

My eyes had slipped closed at some point, my reaction times slowing enough that Leafa answered in my stead. “Because crafters are usually OCD, neurotic, or have deep social anxiety and just want to play with their toys and be left alone. Sorry, I'd usually be nicer about it, but I'm feeling way too lazy right now.”

I chuckled. “And if you're really unlucky, you get all three in one. But, yeah, crafters like to make art when most groups just want equipment that works. And they need a lot of money, too, which is usually a problem because the rest of the group wants coin to spend on random stuff.”

“Huh,” Asuna replied. “And healers?”

“The problem isn't really with healers,” Sinon groaned. “It's the fact that most groups of players' best idea of strategy is to group up and hit something until it dies. So people who aren't supposed to take damage take a lot and eat all the spells and items, leaving nothing left for people who are supposed to be on the front line.”

I finished things off. “And everyone who's ever played a healer in an MMO knows about that, so only stupid newbs are going to sign up to do it in a real, actual death game. Hence why I'm asking for a crafter and not a healer.”

There was blessed silence for a long moment.

“You know... I'm getting the feeling that a lot of gaming culture is really toxic sometimes,” Asuna announced.

The blessed silence continued.

“...someone should be disagreeing with me,” Asuna stated.

“Asuna, honey... do you want your worldview shattered and disillusioned or do you want to relax in the hot spring?” Mito asked flatly.

More silence.

“I thought so,” Mito hummed. “And Kirito? I get free reign?”

“Sure, I trust you not to screw us over,” I shrugged. Admittedly, her 'question' was more of a demand, but Mito knew her shit. But that wasn't the only reason I'd given her the job. She and Asuna weren't exactly isolated, but they could use someone else on 'their side' of the party that wasn't in our relationship. Oh, and Mito would pick a cute girl. That too.

Yes, that was slightly manipulative, but a girl in the group would cause fewer problems.

And, also, Mito was right. Vetting new party members sucked.

“Mmm... Kii-chi makes delegation look sexy like that,” Argo whispered in my ear, lea-ah, no. Rubbing closer.

I took a sharp, but measured inhalation, my eyes sliding open to stare at Argo.

“That,” I whispered back, “is a dangerous game you're playing there.”

“Mmm,” Argo purred, grinning at me as she shoved my arm between her breasts, one hand wrapping around it to keep it here. The other hand... “A good surprise deserves a good surprise, right?”

I hissed as she began moving her hand up and down slowly, stroking the already-erect meat between my legs. “Not that I don't appreciate it, but I'm throwing you under the bus if they notice.”

“Fuu~fuu,” Argo snickered, rubbing the full length of her palm against me. “Do it, I'll own that.”

I smirked and leaned in, giving her a direct kiss on the lips.

A round of ooh-ing and ahh-ing rose up around the hot springs.

“Rare pair,” Leafa giggled. “Argo's feeling lovely-dovey. Sinon...”

“Okay, okay...” I could practically feel the blue-haired girl roll her eyes with faux-aggravation. “Yay, cuddle time!” Leafa chirped, and I heard water slosh as I pulled back and settled in with Argo, situating ourselves such that her hand's precise location was better-hidden.

“You know...” Asuna said thoughtfully, and I blinked as I turned to her...

...to find her turning towards Mito. Who, in turn, blinked owlishly.

“I almost forgot, but Kirito gave me some advice before we ran into the elves,” Asuna admitted, smiling at Mito. “And I've been thinking about it, so...”

Mito's eyes widened as Asuna closed the gap, planting a chaste kiss on the other girl's lips.

“I accept your confession,” Asuna announced, blushing brightly as she smiled.

“Woo!” I cried, raising my hands to clap as Argo did the same, followed quickly by a chorus of applause from Sinon and Leafa.

“Eep!” Asuna cried, dipping back into the water as she covered her chest in surprise. “I forgot you were there!”

“You've got nothing to be ashamed of, don't worry!” Argo called out, cackling like a witch.

I shook my head, but... Argo was right. Asuna did not have anything to be ashamed of.

Very nice tits.

“And Kirito agrees,” Argo said, leaning up to breath on my ear with the quiet statement, but what I felt next wasn't a hand. Instead, Argo shifted and looped her leg over my lap.

I took a breath, looking directly into her gaze as I instinctively grabbed at her waist to steady her. My mouth opened to ask-

“Don't ruin it,” Argo grinned, looking over to where Asuna and Mito were cuddling together and kissing softly, trapped in their own little world. “Now be quiet and enjoy it, Kii-chi.”

Warm softness enveloped me as I helped Argo ease herself down my length.

“Mmm,” she sighed, “been awhile.”

“It has, but you're here now,” I murmured, leaning forward to take on of the blonde's nipples in my mouth. I smiled around it, hearing her gasp as she began to work her hips. She couldn't precisely bounce if we wanted to hide anything at all, but...

I groaned into her breasts, feeling her intentionally squeeze and massage me by flexing her inner muscles. Argo, for all that she flaunted and made a production of everything, was subtler in bed. Her hips gyrating slowly as she slipped arms around my neck to hold me close.

“I'm sorry this scares me so much,” Argo confessed breathlessly.

“You don't have anything to apologize for,” I whispered back, slipping my hands down to grip her rear and massage it. “I love you.”

“I, um... I-I love you too,” Argo squeaked out, gasping as she came.

I pumped once more into her, then allowed myself release as she came down from her high, shivering and twitching.

“Go Kirito!”

A round of applause rose up again, all of the girls giggling and openly watching us.

Then Asuna of all people brought her fingers to her mouth and gave a wolf whistle as she called out again, “Go Kirito!”

Even Mito looked astonished as the normally demure girl raised a firm thumbs up at us, a startling combination of dorky and wholesome. “Asuna?”

“Huh, what?” The brunette asked, looking around at everyone. “Mito and I just k-kissed, so... it's like that, right? When, um... someone s-scores?”

Mito pressed her lips together as Sinon and Leafa collapsed against each other, startled to the point that they almost sank into the water completely. Finally, Mito seemed to find her voice. “You know what? Sure babe, that's exactly how it works.”

“I feel like you're lying to me,” Asuna muttered with a pout.

Turning to a flushed and still-quivering Argo, I smirked. “Guess we failed that stealth check, huh?”

“S-shut up, Kii-bou,” Argo snickered, shaking against me for an entirely different reason.

~~~

...and I'm a couple of hours late on this one. Sad, but true.

I'll have the June Poll up in an hour or two, so sit tight on that, but enjoy this update while you're at it.

Next WYGI will be moving the plot along, cute stuff is fun, but things need to start happening again. Expect some real-world interlude as well.

As for the next update in general... I'm not sure. It'll be something. Have to think on that. I was trying to get this finished so hard I didn't pick which story would be next.