Hey everyone! Sorry for the extremely long wait. I have had no time at all. But, I'm back, Jack! Anyway, time for the responses to the reviews!
Uub: Thanks!
SilverFlameHaze: Thanks for the advice. Hopeful you will like this chapter a little more!
Huejaded965: Thanks. Yeah, I got to go back and make a few edits.
Frozenwolf96: Thanks. More armor improvements to come!
Not-with-a-whimper-but-a-BANG: Wow! That is awesome to have someone think so highly of this story. I am humbled.
Also…because Uub and Huejaded965 asked about it, there will be NO harems. I don't roll like that. I will have one girlfriend for Daniel in this story, and that is it. Anyway, time to go!
Chapter 3: A Girl named Sachi
April 8, 2023
"Daniel, can you please tell me why we are down here on level 20? The front lines are out nearly done with level 28." Kirito's voice snapped me out of my trance-like sleep.
I must have dosed off. Of course, who could have blamed me? It was spring, the beginning of the best part of the year. Plus, level 20 was beautiful. Green fields and hills spread out as far as the eye could see. A gentle breeze was blowing across the plains, creating a serene feeling. Flowering trees and small fields of flowers were starting to bloom, contrasting the green landscape with dots of yellow and white flowers. The sun providing the perfect temperature for the time of year. Even though he trapped us in here, I still had to give Kayaba props when it came to the programming controlling the weather.
I yawned before answering Kirito. "First, my good friend Kirito, we are enjoying the great season of spring. Second, and most of important, I dropped some teleport crystals down on this level that I remembered about."
"How did you lose teleport crystals?"
I jumped up and started to stretch. "I remember a horde of giant praying mantises being involved." I smiled while Kirito slapped himself in the forehead.
"Now that you have had your little nap, are you ready to go?"
"Heck yeah! I am ready to burn!" I reequipped the Phoenix Armor which I had taken off before I took my nap. Since I got it, I have been able to upgrade it by focusing all non-battle skill points to blacksmithing. Along with greater defense, endurance, and mobility, I unlocked the vambraces, or the forearm guards, and the leg guards. They were red with orange accents looking like flames. The armor now covered my complete front side.
"Man, I wish I had gotten that armor."
"Yeah, I know. But we can talk about who got what armor later. Right now, let's check that patch of woods first." I pointed to the closest cluster of trees.
"Alright, let's go."
We walked off to the tree cluster. As soon as we got underneath the tree canvas, the immediate area got darker as a result of the cover of leaves. Thankfully, it was still light enough to see around us.
"This is close to the area where I lost those teleport crystals."
"How can you tell?" Kirito asked, stopping just behind where I was standing.
"Because of that," I pointed over to one of the trees. Kirito followed my finger and I thought that his mouth was going to hit the forest floor. A giant slash mark scarred a tree. The darker mark of the slash easily stood out compared to the light brown trunk. "I got lucky and was able to dodge at the last-minute. But, if someone weren't as strong as I was-"
Suddenly we heard a high-pitch scream which immediately sent Kirito and I reaching for our weapons. Thankfully, with my tracking skill, I was able to tell that the scream was coming from somewhere just beyond where we were. I looked at Kirito, who was looking at me already, and we both nodded. I equipped my red flamed-accented steel broadsword and shield. Kirito drew his black long sword as we rushed towards the source of the scream.
Soon, we found a group of five players surrounded by giant praying mantises. Four of the players were surrounded by five praying mantises. Another two mantises had pinned a fifth player, a girl, against a nearby tree.
"Kirito, start with the larger group of players!" I'll save the girl!" Kirito rushed over to the group as I ran to help the girl.
I got there just in the nick of time. The praying mantises were about to slash at the girl. I jumped and , while in mid-air, used my sword and shield to block the attacks. I landed to just in front of the female player and the monsterous insects back, causing them to lose balance. I took the opportunity and stabbed the first mantis between the eyes. As that matis exploded into digital fragments, the second recovered and tried to slash me from the side. I blocked with my shield adn slashed its abdomen in half. As it disappeared, I turned to the player I had just rescued.
She was pretty. She seemed to be around my age and had shorter blue hair and dark blue eyes. The girl wore blue armor and there was a spear just behind her. I assumed she was using it as a ranged weapon, because she had a petite figure. She was shaking out of fear, but I could see a small glint of admiration in her eyes.
"Are you alright?" I asked as I reached out my hand towards her. I smiled to help calm her down.
It seemed to work, as she stopped shaking the admiring glint seemed to grow larger. "Yeah, I'm fine," She answered as she took my hand. I helped her get back up to her feet slowly. "Thanks."
"No problem. I have to go help my friend save your friends. Scream if you need help, ok?" She simply nodded, probably still shocked. I turned so I could ascertain the situation.
The group of players had moved away and began to tend to their injuries. Kirito, on the other hand, had taken their place and was trying to fight the mantises on his own. There were four surrounding him, so I assumed he had killed one of them. The remaining mantises, however, were doing a good job of timing their attacks and keeping Kirito on the defensive.
I sheathed my sword and charged towards Kirito and the mantises. I pulled out two red throwing knives and hurled them at the giant insects. One knife hit a mantis' eye and the other knife struck hit a different mantis' neck. Both were killed instantly, allowing Kirito to go on the offensive. He slashed one mantis through the neck and stabbed the second where its neck reached the abdomen. They were soon turned into small fragments of digital dust.
"I got three mantises. How many did you get, Daniel?" Kirito asked as I was grabbing my throwing knives.
"I had the other four."
Kirito bent backwards a bit in defeat. "Man, you won this time."
"You're still faster than me, though. I wish I had your speed."
"Um..." I turned and saw the blue-haired girl behind me. She had bent her head slightly, trying to muster some courage to speak.
"Are you still fine, Miss..." She seemed shocked when I asked, but she looked up at me.
"S-Sachi. And I'm f-fine." She turned away, seemingly embarrassed.
"Ok," I pulled out a green healing crystal from my bag menu. "But please just take this, ju safe."
She seemed to be nervous at first. But, she simply nodded and took the crystal. She squeezed the crystal until it broke apart, bathing her in a green light. Once the light slowly faded away, she smiled. Oh my gosh, that is a beautiful smile.
T-Thank you," She quietly squeaked out.
I was about to say, "You're welcome," but I felt someone shove on my shoulder.
"Man, you two were awesome." The group that had been trapped were now standing next to Kirito. The guy who had shoved my shoulder, a younger-looking man with brown hair and a dark red set of armor, reached out his hand. "Keita, leader of the guild, the Moonlit Black Cats."
I grabbed his hand in a firm handshake. "Daniel. Some people call me the 'Phoenix Knight'."
Keita let go of the handshake in shock. "The Phoenix Knight? What are you doing down here from the front lines?" I guess my name and title had spread around all the way down here. I need to talk to Egil about that newspaper he helps run. I think he took my reputation a little too far.
"I lost a bundle of teleport crystals a while back. I came back to see if I could find them."
"A bundle of teleport crystals?" Keita thought about it for a second. Then he opened his menu and went into his bag. Soon, four blue teleport crystals with a string tied around them appeared in his hand. "Is this them?"
"That would be them! Sweet!" I took the bundle from Keita and put them in my bag. "Thanks."
"No problem. We were curious to why there were just couple a teleport crystals lying on the ground."
Well, I am glad that you were gave them back so willingly. As a reward for giving them back, dinner is on me tonight."
"Awesome!" The members of the Black Cats cheered. I couldn't help but smile.
"Excuse me." Before I was getting ready to go, Kirito was giving me a look that brought me back down to earth. I placed my hand on his shoulder and returned my attention to Keita.
"Before we go, let me introduce y'all to Mr. Silence over here. This is-"
"Kirito, I just met him a couple of minutes ago." I turned back to Kirito, completely surprised. What are you doing, you idiot?!
"Nice to meet you, Kirito." Thankfully, Keita did not suspect my actions in any way and shook Kirito's hand. "Anyway, should we get going now?"
"Yeah," I replied after taking a moment to process what had happened. I pulled out a blue cystal and raised it up. "Any suggestions from my guests?"
"How about Taft at level 11? They have a great café."
"Alright. Teleport: Taft!" The teleport crystal began to spew out blue flames. "Everyone, grab on!" Kirito and the others grabbed on as the flames covered me and the group. The first time I had used the crystal, I was spooked out by the flames. But now, it just seemed to calm me as the blue flames licked over us as it teleported us to the village.
Once we had arrived in Taft, the flames died away and the crystal dissipated. I looked around at the central plaza. All the towns had a similar plaza: a wide open space with a water fountain. Some towns had larger plazas than others, and most of the smaller plazas were more ornate than the larger plazas. Taft had a medium sized plaza so it straddled the border of size and ornate-ness. The plaza had several flower beds with red, white and blue flowers around the water fountain, making the space seem warmer than just a simple water fountain.
The buildings followed a simple medieval based construction. Simple "boxes" of stone walls with slightly larger wooden roofs. One of closest to the plaza was a café with an inn on the upper floor.
"Hey Keita. Does that happen to be the café you were talking about?" I asked as I pointed over to the building.
"Yep, that would be the café. And the awesome part is that there was an inn as well."
"Remember guys, I'm payin' for this tonight. So, let's go eat!" We all rushed off and ordered dinner. After we had eaten, Keita offered up a toast.
"Here's to the Moonlit Black Cats!"
"Cheers!" All of us, outside of Kirito, who sat there confused, banged our cups together and took a drink of punch.
Then Hiro, a hyperactive 15-year-old with yellow hair and armor, offered another toast. "And here's to Daniel and Kirito, who saved us!" The Black Cats raised up another "Cheers"!
I laughed heartily. "I should say here's to you all as well. You all are a great group to host." I raised up my glass to make my point.
Sachi spoke up first. "I was so happy when you came." She wiped away some tears from her eyes before continuing. "I was overwhelmed when you saved me."
"I am always willing to help, Sachi." I did a little bow, which made her blush. I smiled at her reaction. "I'm glad Kirito and I made it in time."
"Hey Kirito." I heard Keita trying to whisper to Kirito. "I know it's rude to ask, but what level are you at?"
"About level 20 or so." I clenched my jaw. You're level 40, two levels above me! What are you up to?
"Oh, so you're really close to us. And you got there by soloing? Impressive."
Kirito shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. Solo players are only able to attack monsters that are alone."
I came up and wrapped an arm around Keita's shoulder and pulled him in for a little 'story.' "Kirito's right. Soloing happens to be a very inefficient way for leveling up because it has so many limitations. The only way I got so high was because I had a friend who also went soloing with me." I shot Kirito a look before starting up again, "Though we were soloers, we had each other's backs. So, in the sense of experience and training, a guild is the way to go." I grabbed a quick drink of water before Keita shocked me.
"Then how about joining our guild?" I was not expecting that at all. After choking on my water (at which Sachi came over and helped me), I turned to Keita.
"Are you serious? Not trying to sound rude, but you do know that I am a front-liner."
"I know that. But, you two are good guys. Also, we need some more close-quarter fighters. Currently our only vanguard is Tetsuo, a mace user." He pointed over to the kid wearing purple armor.
Then he walked over to Sachi and started to pat her head. "I was planning to have Sachi start using a sword and shield rather than a spear. But, she says she not sure how to use it. So, if you join, I know that you will be able to show her the ropes."
Sachi moved away slightly to make Keita stop patting her. "Could you please not talk about me like I am useless? I can't go out and fight in the front rank. I would be so scared."
"Well, you've always been a scaredy cat, so you can just hide behind your shield." The other guys of the Black Cats laughed.
"I'm not sure if having someone in the front ranks who would not be able to handle it." I got a little serious.
"Oh, I-I'm sure that I would be fine if you were with us." That one little stutter didn't make me feel so confident, but I was willing to let it go for now.
"Plus, we were all members of our school's PC Research Club, so we will have our backs," Keita said as he smiled. "But don't worry, I'm sure that the two of you will be fine in no time." The other Black Cats nodded in agreement.
I looked at Kirito, who seemed a little hesitant. "Alright... I'm in."
Then I looked, and caught Sachi smiling at me. AAH! How can I say no to that smile?! "I'm in too!"
Everyone started smiling, and Sachi seemed to beam like the sun. "Great! Let's do our best!" They all gathered around us and encouraged us about new partnership.
Several hours later, when the rest of the guild was sleeping, I went over to Kirito's room and knocked on the door.
"Come in." I opened the door and saw Kirito sitting at his desk, browsing through the menu.
"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Yeah sure." Kirito motioned to the spare chair. Before I moved, I turned to close and lock the door.
"First, I have to ask this: Are you out of your freaking mind?!"
Kirito seemed to be completely shocked. "What?"
"Ok, let me make sure that we are on the same page." I sat down and started to count on my fingers. "First, you say that we only met for a few minutes. Then, you say you are level 20. And for the icing on the cake, you join them without them knowing that you are about 20 levels above their average levels. So, again, are you out of your freaking mind?!"
"Well, I'm not that good with people. So, I was scared that they would reject me if they knew. Plus, I am not as well known as you are."
"Several things that renders those statements illogical. You are level 40. You are stronger than me. Also, Egil's paper constantly mentions you as the 'Black Swordsman' and tells about your crazy expeditions." Kirito opened his mouth, but I stopped him. "And don't even try to say, 'you didn't know.' I saw you constantly going in and out of his store."
I grab my head and try to clear my thoughts. I don't get much time as Kirito speaks up. "Are you going to tell them?"
Under normal situations, I would tell them. But, we already committed to joining their guild. I don't want them thinking we are holding stuff back. "No, not yet. If either of us tells, it will be you. But, since they don't know about your level, you either tell them now, or you want till they have a concrete trust in us and then tell them. However, it's your call. Whatever you do, I'll back...because we are friends."
I stood up. "Now that that's off of my chest, I'm going back to bed. Night."
"Night," Kirito said as I walked out the room. As I went back to my room, I couldn't help but sense that someone was hiding in the darkness of the inn at night.
A month pasted by quicker than I had imagined. All that training with the Black Cats was certainly a challenge...but a rewarding one. However, that meant Kirito and I have been from the front lines for a month. I saw the paper which didn't make me feel any better about our time away from the fronts. I was surprised that it took the guys up there this long to clear level 28, because I thought they would have finished faster.
Now, it was May 9th, and we had been going back to level 20 to do some training. Thankfully, there were nowhere near as many mantises gathered together like the first time we met. However, I was nervous that Keita had Sachi using a sword and shield. So, I was more careful to make sure about enemy strikes. When we met our first mantis, Tetsuo and Hiro had managed to weakened it considerably. Sachi seemed to handling herself well at first, but then the insect reared its head for a last-ditch effort. Then Sachi froze with fear. The mantis took an opportunity to strike.
But, I was right there for Sachi. I knocked the mantis back with my shield, sliced off the claw that it was trying to strike with before turning to Tetsuo.
"Tetsuo, switch!" Tetsuo nodded and rammed his mace straight into the mantis' head. It burst into a cloud of digital fragament. A small window alerting Tetsuo to a level up, from 22 to 23, popped up when the fragments disappeared.
"Alright!" Tetsuo cheered as Hiro and Keita patted him on the back. Kirito stood back with the other support player, Yosuke, as I checked on Sachi.
"You doing fine?"
She looked away. "Not really. I just get scared."
I shook my head, but then smiled. "Hey, look at me." She looked up with those amazingly clear blue eyes. "Here. If you wait behind hide your shield..." I hold my shield up for a demonstration, "and wait for an enemy to strike the shield, then you bring your sword out..." I swung my sword. "...For that final blow."
"Alright, I'll try that." For about an hour or two, we continued to train. Sachi was able to grow a little more confident with the sword and shield. She even managed to kill a few mantises. We decided to take a break at a hillside with some old ruins. Sachi, Tetsuo, Hiro, and Yosuke sat at one level, while Kirito, Keita, and I sat at one level lower. The sunlight and the wind was starting to put me to sleep...
Until Keita spoke up. "Hey, Kirito...Daniel." We both turned our attention to Keita. "Why do you think that the guys on the front lines are up at the front lines?"
"Probably because they know where all of the good hunting spots are. They just hog the spots to themselves and level up easily."
"I don't think that is why. Or at least, not completely." Keita seemed serious about this, and I was curious.
"So, Keita. Why do you think the front liners are up there. I do agree with you... to an extent."
"I think that it is because of willpower." Well, this is going to be interesting. "The guys at the front lines seem to have more will to actually complete the game. To protect their friend's... no, everyone. They are protecting us even as we speak. But, I think that I have the same willpower as they do."
Then he looked to the rest of the gang. "Our first priority is the safety of our friends. But I believe that we can make it to the top, with the rest of them, someday."
I smiled. It's not everyday you see someone like Keita. "I agree with you one hundred percent. If we don't have that will to carry on and protect our fellow players, what are we fighting for? We take responsibility on our shoulders to make sure that everyone can get home. But, with that philosophy and attitude of yours, Keita, I'm sure you can see your dreams become reality."
He seemed to brighten up even more. Suddenly, Hiro came up behind Keita and put him in a loss choke hold. "Hey, Keita, looking good!"
"Knock it off!"
Sachi, Tetsuo, and Yosuke came up soon after. "So, do you think that we will be up with the Knights of the Blood Oath and the Holy Dragon Alliance?" Tetsuo asked.
"Hey, there is no problem in setting big goals. But, in the meantime, we all have to reach level 30!"
"What?!" "Are you crazy?" "That's impossible!" Keita got hit immediately with some skepticism. But, I could help but feel some sort of happiness.
These are really good guys... and a girl. They are all hard workers. And if Keita pulls them all the way to the front, that could be a major game changer. I see no problem with them making it to the rest of us. I looked at Kirito, who seemed to be thinking the same thing. But, he nervously looked down at his level marker. I didn't know why at first, but soon an idea started to form in my head... an idea I hope would prove to be false.
After Keita managed to throw Hiro off, we continued with another training session, lasting about fours. Everyone, outside of me and Kirito, leveled up at least one more level. Then we went back the inn at Taft for a guild meeting.
Keita calmed down everyone before speaking up. "After our last efforts, we have 200,000 cor saved up!"
Everyone was shocked, but then we let out a little cheer. "We can almost buy a house with kind of money!"
Tetsuo motioned to speak, and Keita acknowledged. "I think we should get some better equipment for Sachi."
"I agree," Hiro chimed in.
Sachi, however, a little to my shock, shook her head. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure Sachi? I pay for it if you want. Plus, I can tell you whether or not the condition is good with my blacksmithing skill."
"That's alright. Thanks though." She seemed to be fine, but then she looked down, nervous about something. I wanted to know why, but I decided to wait and see what unfolded.
Another week pasted, and unfortunately, my fears came back to haunt me. At some odd hour of the night, maybe after midnight, I heard a door close. And I knew instantly who it was.
"Kirito, please do something that is completely contradicting to what I am thinking." I waited a minute, then got up. I threw on some clothes and went to Kirito's room. I opened the door, and the bed... was empty."
"Darn it, Kirito!" I ran quickly to the stairs. I slid down and practically leaped to the door. As soon as I opened the inn door, I saw Kirito standing at the teleporting block at the central plaza. But, the teleport light quickly poured over him and he vanished to another floor.
"You are not screwing up the trust we have built with our friends, you idiot." I equipping my Phoenix Armor and rushed over to the block, having a guess to where Kirito was heading. But, halfway there, a message icon popped up in front of me. I skid to a stop and opened the message.
[Daniel, Keita here. Sachi left and has not yet returned to her room. We are currently heading to the dungeon room at level 20. If happen to find her, let me know. Thanks.] Kirito, you can take care of yourself. I have a bigger issue right now.
I pulled up my menu and went to my "Skills" list. I selected "Tracking" and let the magic work. "Tracking" was a very useful skill. Once I had made Sachi the target, my screen turned from the normal night colors to a green screen. Thankfully, I soon got a hit. Two hundred yards away, light green dots appeared. I zoomed in on those dots, and the dots turned out to be footsteps... Sachi's footsteps. I ran off and followed the trail.
After a couple of minutes of navigated the labyrinth of buildings, I came upon a sewer system near the edge of town. After a quick scan, I found Sachi sitting near the water, holding her legs against her chest. I walked over and stopped a few feet away, letting Sachi notice I was here. Until her, who was down in the shadow of the wall, I stood in the moonlight.
"Sachi, what are you doing here? Everyone is concerned about you." She looked at me for a split second and then looked back down at the ground.
"Daniel... what would you say if I said we should run away together?" I have never seen her like this... what is going on?
"Sachi, what would we be running away from?" I asked as I sat down.
"From this town... from the monsters... from the Moonlit Black Cats... From Sword Art Online." I couldn't belive what I had just heard. Sachi, how can you say this?!
"You can't possibly mean... double suicide?!" The sad thing was, that was not an uncommon occurance. People began to lose hope. Then you would find either a place at the edge of Aincrad or a really tall building, jump, and the rest is history.
Sachi opened her mouth, as if to answer. But, she closed her mouth and just shook her head. "No. I'm sorry." Sachi buryed her head into her legs and started crying. "*sniff* If I had the courage to die *sniff*, I wouldn't being hiding within the safety of this twon, would I?"
Then she looked at me; those eyes seeming to be a darker shade of blue because of her sadness. "Why *sniff* why can't we leave this place? Why do we have to die, even though this is meant to be just a game? What is the point...*sniff* of any of this?"
I just sat there, feeling the angry rising inside of me. Trust me, Sachi, I ask myself those questions every freaking day. I have no idea what Akihiko Kayaba's sick twisted game is. I try to do the best I can, but I still have no answers... no guesses... no freaking idea how this happened. My mom, who worked with him, never suspected anything like this. Knowing what I know, I feel like I am not doing the best I can because of his decision. Why? Why, Akihiko?
I was able to calm myself before answering. "I have no idea. I wished I did, but I don't. All I know that we have to keep moving foward.
She wiped away some tears before continuing. "I am afraid of dying."
I looked at her. "I know what you mean. And I don't blame you one bit."
"I'm so scared. I haven't been able to sleep lately..."
I suddenly came to realize something. Sachi was just like me... just like everyone else here. No matter how far you had to dig down, we all had this fear of one mistake, and then we would be gone... forever. So, I did what I thought was a good idea. I went over and sat down right next to Sachi. Then, I wrapped her in a hug and pulled her into my chest.
"Don't worry, Sachi. You won't die."
She seemed so shocked at what I had done. But, she soon relaxed. "Are you serious?"
I chuckled. "Yes, I mean that."
She relaxed even more. Then she started to hug me, which shocked me. "How can you be sure?"
After a moment, I told her, "We are in a strong guild. The Black Cats keep a very strong margin of safety. Plus, I will make sure that you stay safe. You don't have to go and force yourself into the front ranks."
Sachi turned to choke up again. "So, I don't really have to die? I can make it back to reality someday?"
"Yes. I will help you get home. I promise."
After a few minutes, we went back to the inn. Once in my room, I sent a quick message to Keita, telling him that I had found Sachi and we were at the inn. Then, I heard a knock on my door. Who could that be?
"Come in." The door opened and Sachi walked in. I was a little surprised, even though I shouldn't have been because of what had happened earlier.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I still could not get to help." She turned away a bit and I could see a small pink blush. "So, can I stay here?"
"Y-Yeah... sure." I was shocked from her asking. But, I went with it, especially since she had opened up to me so much earlier. So, we slept in the same bed... back to back, cramped in a small space. Nothing happened; we both just tried to sleep.
I just laid there, thinking about what had happened. Nothing will happen to you. You won't die, Sachi. I am just as scared as you. Everyone trapped in this game is. But, we still find a way to laugh... to cry... and to live the best we can. That's all we can do.
"Daniel?" Sachi must had known I wasn't asleep. I turned so that I could face her.
"Don't worry, It's okay. You are going to return home." She cheered up a lot, turned around so that her back faced me, and went to sleep. I turned around as well, reminsicing at this final thought: I will protect you... I will protect all of you.
Another month past, and we finally had enough money for a house. Keita decided to go down to the Town of Beginnings to buy a house for the Black Cats. He somehow managed, to my surprise and relief, to bring Kirito with him. So, the rest of us decided to see them off.
"Remember Daniel, you're in charge while I am down at the Town of Beginnings with Kirito."
I saluted and smiled. "Yes, sir!"
He chuckled. "Alright. See you." Keita then joined Kirito on the platform and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Teleport: Town of Beginnings." Seconds later, they were wisked away by the blue teleportation light.
"I had no idea buying a home would be a such a big deal," Yosuke remarked.
Hiro punched him in the arm. "You are starting to sound like an old man, Yosuke." We all laughed.
"I have to admit, we have come a long way from when we first met." I smiled knowing how good the past two months had been.
Then Tetsuo came up with an idea. "Hey, we should go and get some cash while they are buying the house."
Sachi jumped up and down a little, clapping her hands. "Will we be able to buy furniture?"
"Why don't we go to the dungeon?" Hiro's suggestion sent a chill up my spine.
"I don't think that's a good idea. We should just stick with our usual hunting grounds.
"But we'll be able to get more cash up above." "Plus, we are fine at our currently levels." Yosuke and Hiro instantly tried to rebuke my statement. I just sighed.
"Alright, let's go." Everyone got bright eyed.
One trip and a little walk later, we were in the dungeon at level 27. The dungeon was a simple: a large maze made up of large turquoise block built of stone. It was not like a cookie-cutter mold. There was no set design. Some sections of the wall reached farther then other. Some sections were longer. Some sections were taller. Though there was no set design, the dungeon was able to keep from falling apart... much to our relief.
"I told you that there would be no problem, Daniel." Hiro seemed to be happy at our progress. We still had not encountered many enemies. But, dungeons were like a game of poker, you don't see your opponent's hand. And our opponents were merciless and did not care for living being.
"Just keep your heads on a swivel, guys. You never know when the enemy is going to make its move." I keep in the back of the group, acting as support. I kept on making sure that my Phoenix Armor was equipped properly. As we walked along, Hiro and the others stopped in front of a certain section of the wall. Similar to Braille, a random pattern of rectangular edges jutted out of the wall. After Hiro held his hand over the pattern, it lit up in a light turquoise color and the section of the wall slowly crawled its way up. Just behind the section was a simple wooden door.
What is this? I don't remember this door. An uneasy feeling began to creep in. But, there was one thing that immediately caught our attention.
"Look, a treasure chest!" Hiro, Tetsuo, and Yosuke all ran towards the chest. Suddenly, a gut-turning memory popped up in my head. That chest was Pandora's box... and my friends were about to release the demons.
"Guys! STOP! Don't open that chest!" I rushed to try to stop them, with Sachi tailing me. But, I was too late. Hiro knelt down and opened the chest. Instead of an item, the turquoise light, which enabled us to see through the dungeon, turned into red, almost like an alert light. The wooden door quickly shut and locked itself. Different sections of the wall rose, letting in a swarm of more than 40 Goblin Raiders to rush in. To make matters worse, 20 Stone Golems suddenly materialized. They quickly surrounded us... there was no way out. We immediately set ourselves in a back-to-back position, preparing for the onslaught.
"Guys, get out teleport crystals! Teleport to Taft and meet in the inn! I'll go last to make sure that everyone gets there!"
Hiro was the first to get out a teleport crystal. "Teleport: Taft!" Rather than the familiar blue flames, Hiro just stood there. "Teleport: Taft!... What is going on?!"
"Why can't we teleport?" Sachi asked.
This is the worst scenario to be in... especially in a dungeon. "Guys, this is a crystal nullification area. There is only one way out of her," I drew my sword out and prepared my shield, ready to attack the closest Goblin. "We fight!" We rushed forward and attacked. We were able to defeat a few enemies. But, there were more Goblin Raiders swarming in... more Stone Golems also kept on materializing. If we had been all towards level 38, which was where I was at, there would not have been a problem. However, everyone else was at an average level of 26. They were unprepared to handle the rush of the attackers.
Hiro was the first to fall. He got knocked down by a Golem, then four Goblins repeatedly struck him with their hammers. After a few seconds, he disappeared in a cloud of digital fragments.
"Hiro!" My fight-or-flight response instantly turned to fear. I tried harder to fight through to save me friends. But, the enemy kept on replicating faster than I could destroy them. The others were doing their best... but it wasn't enough.
Tetsuo was smashed by a Golem's fist and then disintegrated. Yosuke was struck down by a Goblin hammer. There was only one other person left... Sachi.
"Tetsuo! Yosuke!" I looked around quickly, and saw Sachi blocking a Golem. Though she was using a more comfortable spear, the Golem was too strong. It was only a matter of time. I slashed through two more Goblins and rushed to save Sachi...
She threw off one Golem, but was struck in the back by another. My heart stopped as I saw the large digital scar on her back as her body turned around from the force... so her face became visable. Time slowed as I continued to rush forward. It seemed slower as her health gauge slipped from green to yellow... from yellow to red... to red to 0.
"NO!" She looked at me. Rather than a face of defeat and despair, Sachi smiled. Her lips moved, but I was unable to comprehend what she said. Then, she turned into fragments of digital data... then faded away forever.
I stopped and fell onto my knees. Sachi... I failed. I couldn't save you. I let you die. No... no.
"SACHI!" I screamed as I hit the floor with my fists. Tears were streaming from my faces. I thought that my heart was going to burst with anguish. Even as I laid there, the Goblins and the Golems slowly gathered around me. One Golem finally came forward and started to raise its rocky fist. Then it brought down in a deadly arc.
But, I moved my shield incredibly fast to block the attack. I felt a surge of energy rise inside of me. A red, flame-like aura covered me, my sword, and my shield. My vision turned into a fiery orange vision. I felt stronger and faster. I slowly stood up, causing the Golem to lose some balance.
Then, I attacked. My sword became a red blur and instantly vaporized the Golem. All I could see was a blur... I knew I was stabbing, slashing and bashing. But, I was moving so fast, I couldn't see my sword and shield move. Golbins and Golems were being mangled left and right. An attack was deflected... any weapon was broken if they hit my armor. I soon took out 30 Goblins and 20 Golems so that there were no enemies in front of me. I turned around and saw 20 Goblins and Golems remaining. I concentrated my new-found energy into a single blast. As I thrust my sword forward, a giant phoenix, all ablaze hurled towards the remaining foes. The monsters were vaporized into digital ash.
After the phoenix dissipated, there were no enemies remaining, and the door had been burned. The aura faded away and the new-found strength receded back inside of me just as quickly as it came. I went down onto one knee, breathing heavily. I sheathed my sword and looked at my hand. What... was that? How... did I obtain this power?
I quickly surveyed the area. Half of the room was charred and covered in charcoal. Nothing remained on the burnt half. However, there was one item left... just on the edge of the burnt and unburnt floor.
I slowly got up and hobbled weakly over to the item. I knelt down and picked it up. It was Sachi's spear... perfectly undamaged. I gripped the grip hard, and the tears started to flow again, knowing that I had lost a great friend...
"SACHI!"
DONE! Oh my gosh, guys. You guys have no idea how much I hated to write this chapter. BUT! This is only a half, and for my SAO fans, you know that there is more to come. The next chapter will be out in a couple of days. For now, read and review please! See you guys next time.
