Integral Factor: Ordinal Scale

Jaymes' Bane, The Storm Griffin

After the duel, and thanking her partner for protecting his sister, Suko started to hold Jaymes in such high esteem that he started calling the older boy his "sworn brother", whatever that meant. Suko's current dream was to snatch Jaymes from ALO and GGO to play Asuka Empire. Since Jaymes would preserve his stats from those games, it wouldn't be difficult for him to progress through the player classes. Jaymes promised that one day they'll play together.

Back to the present, Koharu was annoyed that the samurai otaku was ignoring her, so she reached for the bottle of spicy chili sauce on the table and nearly poured it on Suko's curry. He stopped her with his hand, still paying her no attention. Defeated, she slipped down to the floor, applied a few drops of the sauce to her plate, and continued speaking anyway with something that would interest him. "So you're going to YUNA's concert? We saw her last night at one of the Ordinal Scale raids, against Kagachi."

Like clockwork, her brother's eyes sparkled. "I saw. Kagachi the Samurai Lord, right? He was so cool! What's the story behind him?"

"Another time. About the concert, your sworn brother is coming, so you won't be hanging out with us girls. So there goes your short-lived popular phase." She snickered while he grumbled something mean to himself. "Why so mad? There's no good being popular with the ladies anyway."

"My brother is popular with the ladies. Why he likes you is the mystery. If he came to Asuka once, he'll see there's tons of girls in kimonos. Some are pretty str-ouch!!!" Suko nursed his throbbing forehead while Koharu set down the spoon she wacked him with.

"I'll pretend you didn't imply that there are girls better for him than me. There's things more than looks that make our relationship work. Sure, I know there are prettier choices, but I know him and he knows me."

He sighed and returned his attention to the samurai show. "I know, I was just joking. If I had a girlfriend like how he got one, I guess there'd be no one else for me. I'm kinda jealous. It's not like I'm not trying, but who'd date someone with extensive knowledge of the Warring States period? All the girls in your group are older and taken."

"Hmm... Not true. Keiko's the same age as you and single." Before Koharu could elaborate further, her phone vibrated. She found a message from Asuna that read, "Klein just texted me the details for tonight's raid. It's close by at Yoyogi Park and I'm getting ready to head out. You in?"

It was 8:31. Koharu hadn't realized there'd be a raid tonight, but she was pumped to go. She replied back to Asuna, sent Joshua a text, and scarfed down her food. "What is wrong with you?" her brother asked, disgusted by her sudden behavior.

She hopped to her seat and rushed to her room. "Can't talk, gotta head out with Asuna and Joshua. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Okay, be safe."

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Yoyogi National Gymnasium, ~ 30 minutes later

"I feel like a third wheel to a late-night date."

"You should be used to this by now."

"You have a problem hanging out with Koharu and me? It's not often you get to be with two pretty girls like us."

Joshua sighed and placed his hands in his pockets. Asuna and Koharu were walking with linked arms as they walked to the park, so to any unsuspecting observers, it would look like Joshua was third-wheeling a same-sex couple, if not being a creep behind two girl best friends. Considering that Asuna and Koharu were like sisters, they thought nothing of it. They've been like this since they officially met at the amphitheater in the village of Tolbana on Aincrad's first floor. The bond of sisterhood started hours later as they shared a bath in the living space Kirito rented from some farmers.