Ch. 3: Taking Control
SYSTEM LEVEL IMMORTAL OBJECT CONTROL PANEL
Wait… This is an only GM feature! So Heathcliff is actually a GM? That doesn't make any sense… There are no GM's in SAO anymore…Wait, no… there IS still one:... KAYABA AKIHIKO!
"Damn you, Kayaba!" I cursed, while slamming my fist into Heathcliff- no, Kayaba's- face having his health start to drain away.
"Guild Commander! Guild Commander!" I heard. It was the other 4 KoB members. They must have heard the commotion.
They were looking for him already? I looked at Heathcliff. I have to do this very quickly.
I looked down and smirked in Kayaba's scrunched up, bloody face. I need a bit more room here… I propped Kayaba against a nearby rock.
"I'm just going to take your finger here…" I murmured.
I quickly and almost gracefully removed Heathcliff's Immortal Object designation and navigated out of the confusing GM menu and into his guild settings. I quickly made Heathcliff resign and pass on leadership to me, disabling the "notify all guild members" function.
I could hear footsteps running toward me.
I quickly went back to the GM menus and pulled the Immortal Object control panel back up. If this was some kind of imitation, which I didn't consider before, in my rage…
Well, if this menu is one sick joke by Heathcliff; if he isn't Kayaba, then whoever's coming now is going to impale me.
I glided through the menus, issuing parameters and gliding through prompts. Finally, it gave me the option to turn myself into an Immortal Object. Yes or No? Heathcliff's finger landed on the Yes option with a resounding "Ding!" sound. The menu closed, with 4 KoB members bursting through the foliage, as if this was a play, and that was their cue.
Every one of them surveyed the scene with their eyes filled with rage.
And they attacked.
The mace use swung his mace, with the rapier user thrusting his rapier. The sword users hacked and slashed, all to no avail. Purple "Immortal Object" and red "You are attacking your own guild members" messages swirled around me at every hit against my body.
It took them a few seconds for any of us to process this. They had definitely not seen this coming, and I was half expecting to die a few seconds ago. Luckily, I came to my senses first, and took the advantage of my enemy's confusion to slice off Heathcliff- no, now definitely Kayaba's head.
Kayaba's body turned translucent and disintegrated into pieces, except for his head, which remained in my hand. I quickly threw Kayaba's head toward Johnny, who had stood up in awe by this time, to preserve whatever durability was left, and forgetting about my invincibility, instinctively turned around, in combat position, toward the KoB members.
They were visibly distraught, very different than their normal composure, but, who can blame them? They just saw their guild leader disappear from existence, and a threatening immortal criminal is about to pulverize them.
I was about to finish them off when one stood up, tears streaming down his face.
"YOU'LL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS!" he screamed at me. The other three stood up and faced me, all distraught. I hacked and slashed with my dagger furiously, but that had no effect on their armor. One slapped me in the face, with no damage, but a horrible knockback effect. I stumbled back.
"You'll regret that…" I told them.
"No," the first one said.
The setting sun cast ominous shadows on their faces.
"You'll regret that." They all said.
They fled into the shadows.
After the coast was clear, Johnny and the gang were ecstatic on the first successful operation. Even with all their reassurances on the way back to base, there was one thing wrenching in my gut. Those guys that I never finished off…?
They were coming back for me.
Yay! I'm finally finished my 3rd chapter! I'm receiving lots of support, both from my faithful beta readers (beaters, of course!) and you readers giving me reviews. Again, all reviews are always appreciated! Peace out guys!
- SwordArtSurvivor
