History Fanfic / Nightblade

'''Rythin:''' Something when wrong, I am definitely not fine.

New non-canon side-story series out as well, [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12405946/1/Nightblade-Gaiden Nightblade Gaiden]].

-->[[spoiler:Leafa: But... that means... oh my god. Is that you? Kazuto?]]
-->Rythin: [[spoiler: Surprise, Suguha, the person you let yourself fall in love with, to forget your previous heartbreak? It's Kazuto. Funny how things turn out, isn't it?]]

-->[[spoiler:Rythin:]] Why did I receive [[spoiler:Future Step?]]
-->Kayaba: [[spoiler:Future Step?]] That was a gift to the player with the most promise; the calmest and most calculating player in the game. The person most like me, I suppose.

-->Nick: I am so angry right now that I am beyond anger. If [[spoiler:Sugou]] was in this room right now, I would kill him in a heartbeat with my bare hands and I wouldn't give a damn about the consequences. I would crush his throat with my bare hands and watch him die in satisfaction. That's how angry I am.

-->[[spoiler:Rika: God, Nick, we've been worried about you. You've been so distant lately, and then Yuuki tells me you were saying something about wanting to DIE. We care about you, you idiot, don't you get that? We all love you. Maybe not the same way we love Kazuto, but we still love you, damn it! You're our big bother! I don't want to lose someone else!]]

The Nightblade series is a series of fanfics written by [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5373945/KnightEstoc KnightEstoc]] set in the SwordArtOnline universe.

* YouAreNotAlone: [[spoiler:In Nick's DarkestHour, Rika of all people, pulls him back into reality but assuring him that they all do truly care for him.]]

The fourth story, [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12288928/1/Nightblade-IV-Book-One-Viper-s-Bite Nightblade IV - Viper's Bite]], has one chapter out for a holiday gift from KnightEstoc. It will release weekly in May of 2017.

The series is currently on hiatus while the fourth story is being worked on.

* TheStoic: [[spoiler:Nick, by virtue of being a sociopath.]] While he literally can't feel guilt or remorse for things he's done, up to and including ''murder'', the rest of it is learned as a coping mechanism with abandonment.

-->Kayaba: [[spoiler:Future Step?]] That was a gift the player with the most promise; the calmest and most calculating player in the game. The person most like me, I suppose.

* TheStrategist: Rythin's role, most of the time due to his intellect. He tends to leave the raw manpower to Kirito and Asuna while commanding them from a step back. [[{{Badass}} That isn't to say he's not just as skilled a fighter, though]].

* BerserkButton: Nick has plenty, though chief among them is targeting people he cares about.
--> '''Argo''': Did you have to piss him off?\\
'''Rythin''': He irritated me.\\
'''Argo''': Everything irritates you!

* {{Badass}}: Kirito and Asuna. Nick, once he [[spoiler:gets Future Step]].

* IJustWantToHaveFriends: [[spoiler:Nick's main fear is to lose the friends he's gained.

[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9912293/1/Nightblade Nightblade]] follows the course of the Aincrad arc, tracking Nick as he tries to survive the death game. The second story, [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/10280455/1/Nightblade-II-Wings-of-Vengeance Nightblade II - Wings of Vengeance]] is the Alfheim arc. There is also a collection of short stories named [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/10604790/1/Nightblade-Sidequests Nightblade - Sidequests]].

The series is currently on the third story, [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11357689/1/Nightblade-III-Defining-Strength Nightblade III - Defining Strength]].

* TrueCompanions: The main cast develop into this. Nick especially relies on this because [[spoiler:these are the only people in the world he trusts and cares about]].

** BrokenAce: [[spoiler:Nick has a lot of mental problems, such as depression, a severe lack of self-esteem, and abandonment issues. It's implied that he basically turned himself into a Type Two so that he didn't have to rely on anyone else.]]

* [[spoiler:{{Asexuality}}]]: Revealed halfway through Nightblade, [[spoiler:Nick is asexual. This causes a fairly large amount of emotional instability at first, but Nick doesn't make a big deal about his orientation once he gets over it.]]

* ObliviousToLove: Rythin. Dear lord, Rythin. [[spoiler:Argo falls in love with him and he doesn't notice for a full year despite fairly frequent interactions, only learning about it after he confesses to her]]. He determines he's in love through [[AwesomenessByAnalysis process of elimination]].

--> BrokenAce: [[spoiler:Nick has a lot of mental problems, such as depression, a severe lack of self-esteem, and abandonment issues. It's implied that he basically turned himself into a Type Two so that he didn't have to rely on anyone else.]]

--> Argo: Did you have to piss him off?
--> Rythin: He irritated me.
--> Argo: Everything irritates you!

* TakeThatMe: Nick has a habit of insulting himself just as much as he does others.

* [[spoiler:{{Asexuality}}]]: Revealed halfway through Nightblade, [[spoiler:Nick is asexual. This causes a fairly large amount of emotional instability.]]

* {{Badass}}: Kirito. Nick, once he [[spoiler:gets Future Step]].

The first story, [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9912293/1/Nightblade Nightblade]] follows the course of the Aincrad arc, tracking Nick as he tries to survive the death game. The author has stated that his goal is to follow canon while inserting Nick as seamlessly as possible.

As a general rule, any major reveals that change the tone of the story have spoiler tags; other than that, everything in the first two stories is unspoilered.

* {{Protectorate}}: Rythin swears he will do anything in his power to keep [[spoiler:Argo]] safe. He really does mean "anything".

* TheStoic: [[spoiler:Nick, by virtue of being a sociopath.]] While he literally can't feel guilt or remorse for things he's done, up to and including "murder", the rest of it is learned as a coping mechanism with abandonment.