SAO - Another's Story
Chapter 3 - The Shivering HammerSpikes
Floor 21 - February 26, 2023 - Sakura Weapon Shop
We are at the shop of Sakura Akihiko. She is a member of the guild, the Shivering HammerSpikes. Other members of this guild include: Sugimori and Genya. Cora and I walk inside. "Can I help you?" A girl with short-cut green hair, in a short orange dress walks up to us.
"Are you Sakura Akihiko?"
"I am. And note, I am not related to-"
"Yeah, not related to Kayaba Akihiko. Sugimori sent us. He told us not to ask."
"Takashi Sugimori?"
"Yeah."
"What does he need?"
"He and Genya are stuck in a dungeon on the thirty-third floor. He sent me of all people to tell you."
"He's stuck in a dungeon!? Why wasn't I there!? Please! Sakayama is it? Come with me to the thirty-third floor! We need to save him!"
Floor 33 - February 27, 2023 - Labyrinth Dungeon
"Is this the dungeon?" Cora asks Sakura.
"It should be. I did hear the rest of the guild talking about a Labyrinth Dungeon not too long ago, now that I think about it." We step inside of the vine-covered building, our vision enveloped in shadow the moment the door closes behind us.
"I wonder how deep in they are." I say, activating my vision skill. "My vision skill should work for the entire party. Can you see any better?"
"I can." Says Sakura.
"A little." Cora says, worryingly. We step closer to the door to the next room, checking for traps along the way. I tap on the door, opening it with a loud creak.
We venture deep into the dungeon, not finding much of anything. We then reach the boss room. "Where the hell are they!?" I say. Just then, a rotting skeleton rises from the ground. It opens it's bony hand and pulls a rusted shortsword from it's back. A name tag appears above its head.
"The Skeleton King!?" Says Sakura, taking a step back.
"Get ready!" I say, drawing my longsword. The boss swung it's sword in a 180 degree arc and almost slashed Cora. I try to parry its strikes, but it is very fast. "Cora, switch!" Cora rushes in, sword in hand. She activates a Sword Skill and jumps into the air. She cuts the Skeleton's left arm off, and it stumbles. "Sakura, are you ready for this!?" Cora looks back at Sakura, who nods. "Switch!" Sakura charges at the Skeleton King, and stabs him with her sword. She's so fast, her blade is a blur to me. She charges as Sword Skill for the final blow, and slashes.
With the Skeleton King dead, all we have to do is wonder where the hell Sugimori and Genya are. "Where the hell do you think they could be?" I ask.
"Are you sure it was Takashi who sent the message?" Asks Sakura, crossing her arms and looking at me.
"Maybe you were just wrong about the dungeon." I say.
"That's one possibility." Says Cora.
"I was really hoping that wouldn't be the case."
"What do you mean?" I say.
"If that's true, that means that they're leaving me out of multiple dungeon raids. I don't know if they think I'm weak, or if they just don't like me, but-"
"I'm sure they've got a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this!" I say.
"Hehehehehehehehehe..." A voice comes from inside of the treasure room. "All of you. You will all fall before me."
"Who's there!?" Says Cora. Sakura starts looking around the room rapidly in fear.
"Come closer. Please. I want to see your face when I kill you..."
"What!?" Screamed Sakura. A dark figure emerged from the treasure room.
"Who the hell are you!?" I demand. His features appear from the darkness. His player label reads 'Gaia'. His cursor is red. A Player Killer. He holds an emerald longsword in his gloved hand.
I rush over to him, my longsword in hand. He picks me up by the head and throws me to the side. I crash into the brick wall with a grunt. He does the same to Cora, he is going for Sakura.
Gaia grabs Sakura by the neck and picks her up. Cora and I have been infected with paralysis. "Sakura! Cora, his gloves must cause Paralysis!" I say. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
I try as hard as I can to get up and help her, but the Paralysis is preventing me from movement. "I bet you're all wondering why I'm doing this." He says. "Your, friend, Takashi, betrayed me in the other world. I was his friend too. In the other world I mean. Well, Sakura here knows what I'm talking about. One day, he betrayed me. I have him and his friend Genya in my house on floor 14. They are safe. I forced Sugimori to send you, Sakayama, a message. Forcing you to try to find the boy. I am even the one forcing the members of the Shivering HammerSpikes to talk about this here dungeon. You see, I have been planning this for quite a while. And now, I shall finally get my revenge on Takashi!" He stabs his sword through Sakura's stomach, killing her almost instantly. "Sakura! No!" Says Cora, tears running down her face.
"Let me talk to Sugimori!" I say. "Please! Let me talk to him!"
"Very welll. I shall start a voice chat with him." He opens his menu, and opens a call with Sugimori. "What do you want Gaia!?" A voice comes from Gaia's chat window. It's Takashi!
"Sugimori!" I say.
"Saka?" He says. "Why are you- wait... How are you calling from Gaia's menu?"
"He killed Sakura! We're in a dungeon on the thirty-third floor!"
"Oh, the message... Gaia made me-" Gaia stops the call and picks up a teleport crystal.
"Teleport - Taft." He disappears into a shining blue light, leaving us in the dungeon to rot. We fall into a deep sleep.
"Hey! Wake up!" I open my eyes slowly. A bald man with a goatee is standing over me. "Saka, you ok?"
"Opilla!" I say, standing up.
"What're you doing down here?" I sigh as I remember what happened.
"My friend, Sugimori, sent me a PM telling me to tell a girl named Sakura that he was stuck in a dungeon. We came here thinking this was the dungeon. We get to the boss room, still no Takashi or Genya. A man named Gaia paralysed us, and killed Sakura. He left us here and teleported to Taft."
"A PKer named Gaia?" Says Opilla. "I heard he jumped from Aincrad on Floor 1. Apparently he felt guilty about his kills." My eyes widen.
"What!?"
"He committed suicide, Saka."
"Help me get Cora." I kneel down beside her and shake her arm. She opens her eyes. I smile at her, and she blushes. I wrap my arms around her. "I'm so glad you're ok!" She puts her hand on my head and leans on me, sitting up.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah." We use teleport crystals to get out of the dungeon and back to Sakura's shop.
We sit down in silence, thinking about the events of the last couple of days. Cora starts to cry, and I get up and sit down next to her. She lay her head on my shoulder and I wrap my arm around her. "Come on," I say. "It's alright." She muffles her crying on my shoulder.
"No." She say. "It's not." I rub her arm, calming her down to talk to her.
"Can I get you anything?"
"No. I just need you to stay here with me."
We sit here for hours, until Takashi bursts in. "Are you serious?!" He says, his eyes watering. I nod. He falls to his knees and starts to cry. Opilla kneels next to him, rubbing his back. A stream of blue energy appears next to us and Swavé emerges. "What's wrong?" He asks, noticing everyone breaking down with emotion. He steps to Cora in my arms and puts his hand on her head.
"Cora?" I say, and she looks up at me. "We are going to get through this, ok?" She nods, and puts her head back onto my shoulder.
Floor 21 - February 29, 2023 - Sakura Weapon Shop
Sugimori plants his sword onto the desk in the back room of Sakura's shop. He lazily sits down and starts talking. "So, now that Sakura's gone," he says. "What's gonna happen to the shop?"
"Not sure." I say, looking around the room. "So you two were really close... How did you know each other?"
"I met her in a large city," he closes his eyes, and begins thinking dreamily. "We became friends and went almost everywhere together for a while. Then I left. I found her a year later in a criminal group. It turns out she only joined to find me. Then we bought the game. And then she died."
"How long ago was this?"
"Two days ago."
"Not when she died, when you met her."
"Oh, it must be... 9 years... We met in 2014 so... Yeah, 9 years. God, 9 years gone to waste."
"Seriously? Gone to waste? 9 years with someone can't just go to waste. The memories with them stay with you forever. If anything, your closer to her than you ever have been."
To be continued...
