A Different World – Striderm8

I'm pissed off. I had a fantastic battle scene already written that was well over 2,000 words long, and I was really happy with it. But nooooo, LIFE IS A FUCKING BITCH! I somehow deleted it and now I have to rewrite the whole fucking thing again. Sorry about the language, but I'm really made about this. Right now, I'm wrath instead of Sloth and Pride. *Sigh* Anyway, enjoy this chapter. I'll fix it up if there's anything major missing.

A large door engraved with a large Kobold Warrior stood proudly in front a crowd of players that talked amongst each other. The raiding parties spoke to each other excitedly, hiding their true feelings as they waited for Diabel to arrive. Kirito sighed as he kicked the ground, creating a small cloud of dirt that traveled a few meters before disappearing. He could smell the sweat from nearby players, their heavy armor making it extremely hot for them. The players wearing heavy armor shuffled unconsciously, their shirt irritating their skin.

'God, that's disgusting.' Kirito looked to his right and saw Sinon standing there, arms folded and eyes closed as she waited patiently for Diabel to arrive. She had insisted that they arrived at least 30 minutes early so they could check their armor and weapons. Instead, they ended up arriving an hour early and stood around doing nothing.

'Heh, you don't say,' Kirito replied as he turned and looked straight at the door, envisioning Illfang the Kobold Lord standing in the center of the room. 'Good thing you wear light armor, isn't it?' Sinon raised an eyebrow at Kirito at this remark.

'Light armor is the best suited for my build,' she replied curtly. 'What about you, Kirito? How come you don't wear heavy armor?'

'The thought never crossed my mind,' Kirito said, taking his gaze away from the boss door and looking around. 'Anyway, it would slow me down, and I prefer to be light and fast. Besides,' Kirito shrugged as he looked at Sinon. 'If you're good enough with a sword, you don't need the extra protection, do you?'

'Oh, shut up Kirito,' Sinon said as she turned her head away, blushing furiously as the onyx-haired teen brought up a memory from the beta. She had just logged in and ran out to the fields to learn how to fight, not bothering with what weapon she was given to fight with. Soon after, Sinon ran into a tall teen who happened to be Kirito's SAO beta avatar. They had decided to stick together to learn how to play when Sinon decided to try out the sword she had. The moment she pulled it from the sheathe, Sinon had fumbled the blade which made Kirito laugh aloud. Glaring at him, she attempted to stab a nearby Frenzy Boar and failed miserably, somehow stabbing herself in the process. As Sinon watched her health bar reach zero, Kirito was on the ground in tears, laughing so hard that he was wheezing. She was beginning to feel embarrassed just remembering the first day of the closed beta.

'Sinon! Kirito!' Pushing aside the memories, Sinon turned around and saw Julian and Asuna approaching them.

'Hey Asuna, Julian,' Sinon said as the two players reached them.

'Julian,' Kirito smiled and gave his friend a fist bump. As the two emerged themselves in conversation, Sinon sighed and turned to Asuna.

'Boys,' she grumbled, making Asuna giggle. 'Anyway, how was the trip up here?'

'It was alright, I suppose,' Asuna replied as she looked down at the floor. 'We got distracted on the way here because Julian wanted to break in his new blade.'

'Heh, sorry,' Julian said, interrupting their conversation. 'Had to try it out before the boss fight.' Sighing, he pulled Kirito into the circle he had just made and looked at Sinon. 'Nice armor, Sinon,' Julian said with a smile. 'When'd you get that?'

Sinon gave Julian a response of, 'Hmph!' Before looking away.

'Yeah, I suppose that armor is pretty nice,' Kirito said as he admired her new set of light armor. Sinon blushed at this, but Kirito ignored that. Sinon had obtained a leaf green jacket mixed with speckles of dark green that reached just underneath her shoulder blades. She still had the beginner's light chest-plate armor, but had had it enhanced to + 3, making it better than most light armors on floor 1. Sinon also had a green miniskirt on, black leggings falling into black boots that reached up past her ankles.

'Would you stop looking at me like that?' Kirito snapped out of his gaze as he realized that he was staring at Sinon, making her blush like crazy.

'Gah, s-sorry,' Kirito said before scratching the back of his neck nervously. 'Didn't realize that I was staring.' Sighing, he turned to Julian and looked at his gear. 'Woah, don't you think that you're going a bit too flashy with this?'

Julian grinned as he looked at Kirito. 'What do you mean, Kirito? This isn't flashy at all!' Taking a step back, Julian flashed a smile at him as he unsheathed his sword hanging from his waist and rested it on his shoulder. Julian had donned shoulder-plate armor on both arms, both made of a bright, white metal. He wore a black leather vest underneath the straps which disappeared underneath two massive belts which crossed over each other and held up the sheathe of the sword. Julian also sported two pieces of leg armor that went from his knees down to his ankles, also made of white-metal. Long black pants underneath his armor disappeared into white shoes with a black underside that made barely any sound when he walked. The blade on his shoulder shone brightly in the dungeon even though there was barely any light.

'Eh, sure,' Kirito muttered, watching the people around him turn around and admire Julian and all his flashiness. 'You are actually a beacon of light in this dark, musty dungeon.'

'Ahh, come on Kirito,' Julian said as he grabbed Kirito by the shoulders and pulled him in close. 'I'm can't be that attractive that I light up the room, can I?' The onyx-haired teen didn't respond to this, making Julian laugh. 'Oh well, you'll get your chance soon enough Kirito.'

Kirito sighed as Julian walked off. 'Show off,' he murmured under his breath.

'Hey! You can't talk!' Sinon said as she swung a friendly punch into Kirito's arm.

'Ouch! Hey, Sinon, what's that for?' Kirito exclaimed as he backed up, feeling the spot where she punched him.

'Hmph!' Sinon turned her back to him and faced Asuna. 'You can't call him a show off as you are one yourself!'

'You make a good point there, Sinon san,' Kirito replied cheerfully as he stepped beside her and patted her on the head. Sinon blushed and looked down at her feet, hands clenched.

'Umm, excuse me Kirito kun?' Asuna said nervously, raising her head to look at the teen.

'No need for the honorifics,' the teen replied as he focused on her, taking his hand away from Sinon's head. The girl sighed in relief and glared at Kirito, ready to punch him again. 'What's up?'

'Ahh, well,' Asuna looked away nervously as she spoke. 'I was wondering why you hadn't upgraded or got new armor like the others yet.'

Caught off guard with this question, Kirito took a step back as he yelped with surprise. 'Well, you know, I just don't need new armor yet, that's all. I totally didn't run out of Col yet at all...' Trailing off, Kirito tried to dart off, only for Sinon to grab his shirt and yank him back.

'Ohh, so that's why you still have the starting gear equipped,' Sinon said as she moved her face closer to his, giving him a smirk as she got ready to punch the teen right in the nose.

'I'm not going to escape this, am I?' Kirito muttered as he planted his head in his hand. Before Sinon could mercilessly torture him, a voice called out, 'Silence!', making all the players instantly shut up.

Turning towards the door, Diabel appeared from the shadows just as the time turned to 9:00.

'Sorry for the delay guys!' He called out as he faced the raiding parties. 'Anyway, I'll go over the basics real quick before we enter.' Receiving a massive groan from the gathered players, Diabel laughed nervously before he addressed the crowd again. 'Sorry, but it is essential for us to know our roles before we enter.' Clearing his throat, Diabel began telling every raiding party what their jobs were. Kirito sighed as they went through the long process.

10 minutes later…

'Alright, let's go!' Diabel shouted as he pushed the door open. With shouts of confidence, the raiding parties ran into the dark boss room. As the last player entered, the door shut quietly behind them, shutting out the last source of light they had. The raiding parties began murmuring between each other nervously, waiting for Illfang to appear. Suddenly, pillars lining the room burst into life with fire, making the room explode with light. Kirito's eyes narrowed as they adjusted to the new light source before he grabbed the hilt of his sword.

'ROWGRH!'

Illfang the Kobold Lord dropped from the ceiling and landed with a smash in the center of the room, creating a mini shockwave. Tall, muscular and with red fur, the Kobold Lord stood well over two meters tall. Glaring at the players with copper-red eyes, Illfang pulled out its weapons; a large bone axe and a shield in its hands.

'Remember the strategy!' Diabel yelled out as he pointed his sword at the boss. 'Tanks, move forward and-'

'KILL IT!' The players all yelled as they rushed Illfang, weapons brandished above their heads.

'YOU IDIOTS!' Diabel yelled as he tried to stop them, his attempts in vain. 'You'll die if you don't-!' Kirito looked over at the self-proclaimed knight as he fell to his knees, the tip of a dagger sticking through his gut.

'Diabel!' Kirito sprinted over to the blue-haired man and slid to a stop next to him. Propping him up, Kirito brought out a health potion and popped the lid off.

'Idiots,' Julian muttered to himself as the first wave off players were sent flying backwards, health in the low yellow. 'Kirito! Where are you!' Looking around. Julian saw Kirito talking to Diabel who was injured, a dagger placed firmly in his gut. 'Damnit,' Julian said through gritted teeth before running at Illfang, sword glowing a bright blue.

'No,' the knight said weakly as his health reached the yellow. 'This is for the greater good.' Kirito was shocked at this comment.

'Shut up,' the teen said, shaking his head as grabbed the dagger and pulled it out, making Diabel groan in pain. Damn, he thought to himself. Where did the attacker go? Looking around, Kirito saw someone slip out of the boss room door unnoticed. I'll have to leave them be for now. 'I'm not letting you die, Diabel!'

'Heh.' The knight looked up at the players attacking Illfang, its first health bar half gone. 'Death seems like a utopia right about now.' Diabel turned his head to Kirito, a smile of despair on his pale face. 'Just leave me be-!'

'I won't let you die,' Kirito muttered to the knight as he shoved the potion into his mouth. Forcing Diabel to drink it, Kirito waited until the potion was empty before tossing it behind him, ignoring the crack indicating the durability of the potion reached zero. Resting the man onto the ground to rest, Kirito watched Illfang roar in anger and swing wildly, knocking back multiple players.

'Kirito!' The teen spotted Julian waving at him from behind Illfang, motioning for him to come to his side.

'Coming!' Grabbing his sword from the dusty ground, Kirito stood up and began sprinting towards Illfang, passing players who were drinking health potions. The Kobold Lord roared again and swung its axe wildly, missing Kirito by inches. As he reached Illfang's legs, Kirito slid through them, bringing his glowing-blue sword overhead in an arc that left a long, red gash through the Kobold Lord's now non-existent private part.

'GROUGHWR!'

Getting up from the slide, Kirito darted forward as Illfang swung its arm behind it's back violently, missing the teen by inches before the other players began attacking the boss again. Without turning around, Kirito kept running towards Julian before coming to a stop beside the blonde warrior.

'Good, you're here,' Julian said to Kirito as he turned around and watched the raid parties attack.

'What are you planning on doing?' Kirito said as he sheathed his sword before stretching.

'Well,' Julian pointed across the room towards Sinon and Asuna. 'As you can see, our party is currently too busy helping the idiots who keep jumping in and getting hurt.' Julian sighed as he watched more players get sent flying backwards by Illfang.

'So, we just need to buy some time?' Kirito asked as he pulled out his annealed blade, Julian also pulling out his weapon.

Julian smiled as Kirito's sword began to glow a light blue. 'So glad that I've got a person with brains on my side.' Without waiting for a signal, the two teens sprinted forwards, both blades now glowing a bright, light blue. Illfang sensed the teens approaching and turned around roaring, axe at the ready.

'Tsk!' Kirito slowed down as Julian darted forwards with his sword at the ready. With a shout of determination, the blonde's sword connected with Illfang's axe before sending both stumbling.

'Switch!'

'I've got you!' Kirito shouted as he sprinted forwards. Jumping up, Kirito yelled as he activated Horizontal, making the boss roar in pain. Kirito hesitated as he fell towards Illfang, not sure whether the boss would recover in time to hit him. 'Fuck it.' Taking a risk, Kirito landed underneath Illfang and activated Uppercut, sending the boss flying into the air. But it wasn't without a penalty. Illfang's tail whipped around and caught Kirito in the stomach, smacking him all the way back to the wall.

'Kirito! Damnit.' Julian glared at Illfang as it landed, smashing the ground underneath it. Without realizing it, Julian was running towards Illfang with his sword ready. Leaping into the air, the teen waited until he was above Illfang before stabbing downwards with his sword. Illfang screamed in pain as Julian's blade went straight through its skin, the sword sinking in all the way to the hilt. 'Attack damnit!' Julian shouted at the stunned players. Pulling out the sword, Julian jumped away as the players ran in shouting, weapons brandished.

'Ouch,' Kirito muttered as he sat up, rubbing his head. Looking around, he saw Julian shouting orders at the players as Illfang stood up and roared again, only two health bars remaining. 'Heh? We did that much damage,' Kirito murmured to himself as tried to stand up, only to fall back to the ground as his ribs flared up in pain. 'Why can't I move?'

'Maybe,' Kirito looked over and saw Sinon walking over with his sword in her hand. 'It's because the game has more realistic pain factors now.'

'Hmm, I hadn't thought of that,' Kirito said to himself before Sinon sighed and hit him on the head.

'Dummy,' she said to herself as she dropped the blade on the ground beside the teen. 'Check your health before you do anything else.

My health… 'Crap!' Kirito exclaimed as he saw it in the yellow. 'I'll need a heal-ouch.' Grabbing at his sides, Kirito winced as he felt pain flare up again.

'Geeze, you're hopeless,' Sinon sighed as she knelt down and brought out a health potion. Popping the lid off, she handed the potion to Kirito who muttered a thanks before draining the liquid.

'Gahh!' Kirito winced as he felt the thick liquid slowly run down his throat. 'This tastes completely different from the beta.' Kirito grabbed his blade and stood up, sighing in relief as he felt all the pain his body fade away. 'Thanks, Sinon,' Kirito muttered, scratching the back of his head as he spoke.

'Hmm?' Sinon smiled sweetly as she moved closer to Kirito until her face was mere centimeters away from his. 'What was that, Kirito san?'

Kirito's cheek went slightly red as he looked away. 'T-Thanks,' the teen murmured before pushing his way past Sinon. The girl smiled as she watched the embarrassed teen run away towards the boss, happy that she finally had managed to make him say thanks. While she was stuck in her happy paradise, Sinon felt something hit her in the head and looked up, shocked to see an empty potion disappearing into green and blue polygons. Glaring at the teen, she watched Kirito stick his tongue out at her before turning around and joining Julian in the fight.

'Pull back!' Julian commanded as Illfang arched his back and roared. The boss brought down its axe and smashed it into the ground, missing a retreating player by inches. Before it could do anything else, Kirito leaped up onto its shoulder and slashed at its neck, leaving a red gash before jumping off and avoiding the hand that swiped at him.

'Hey,' Kirito said as he landed on the ground and began walking in Julian's direction. 'How's the fight going?'

Julian scratched his chin as he watched Illfang raise his axe over his shoulder. 'Well,' the Kobold Lord brought the weapon down with brute force. 'It's going alright, I suppose.' Before the blade hit Kirito, he whipped around and yelled as his blade glowed a bright blue.

Activating Vertical, Kirito deflected the blade as he shouted, 'Switch!' Before Julian could move, Asuna darted forwards with her rapier, the blade glowing as she moved closer. When she was in range, Asuna shouted and activated Quadruple Pain, her rapier moving so fast that it was a blur. Illfang became stunned and began to fall back, only for Sinon to jump over its head and stab it right between the eyes with her dagger, making the beast roar in pain as the second last health bar disappeared.

'Geezes,' Julian sighed as he rested his head in his palm. 'You guys really just going to do that after I ordered a retreat?'

'Yep,' Kirito said as he reached the teen and turned around. Asuna backed up and came next to Julian as Sinon fell into place next to Kirito. The four players stood in front of the raiding parties as Illfang rose to its feet. Growling, it dropped the shield and hurled the axe at the players. Kirito and Julian both grinned as their swords began to glow. Both activated different sword skills and deflected the axe into the ground with ease. Illfang glared at the two teens before reaching behind its back and grabbing its katana.

'Oh shit,' Kirito said, eyes widening as Illfang brandished the blade.

'What?' Julian asked the teen, noticing his eyes wide open.

'That's not a Tulwar,' he murmured. 'That's a Nodachi.'

'Damnit.' Julian whipped around. 'Watch out! The weapon Illfang is using is a Nodachi!'

Murmurs ran through the players as Illfang roared.

'You mean the info's different from the beta?'

'So, the beta testers lied then?'

'We won't be able to trust them anymore.'

Julian sighed as he backed up with the others, avoiding Illfang's wild swing. 'Just make sure to watch out for its attack patterns. They would have changed by now.' The players behind murmured in agreement before tightening their grips on their weapons.

'Ready?' Sinon asked Kirito as he held his sword by his side.

'Of course,' he replied, stifling a yawn with his other hand. 'Once we beat this boss, I'm going to have a nice nap on the second floor.'

'Tsk. You and your damn naps,' Sinon muttered as Julian stepped forward and pointed his sword at Illfang.

'Tanks! Move forward and- 'Julian stopped speaking as a man with blue hair rushed past him.

'Diabel!' Kirito shouted as he stepped forward, only to stop in shock as the man turned his head towards him.

Despair

Julian watched in shock as Diabel screamed, a scream of despair as he attempted to stab Illfang. The Kobold Lord snorted as if Diabel was a joke before raising his Nodachi. With a swift slash, Diabel cried out in pain as a thick, red gash appeared on his gut. Kirito gritted his teeth and sprinted forwards as Illfang jumped up to the ceiling, flipping so its feet hit the ceiling before leaping back towards Diabel. The boss roared as it flew towards the ground at an amazing speed, sword raised to strike at the dying player. As the blade got closer towards Diabel, he smiled as he watched imminent death approach.

'DIABEL!' Shocked, the knight looked at Kirito as he fell through the sky and watched as the teen leaped into the air, sword glowing a bright blue. The onyx-haired teen activated Vertical and sent Illfang crashing into the ground before grabbing Diabel carefully and falling to the ground.

Julian watched Kirito instantly open his menu and spawn in a health potion, only for Diabel to put his hand on his arm and whisper something, making the teen stiffen. The self-proclaimed knight smiled sadly as the teen remained frozen, the hand holding the potion shaking. Diabel's health bar disappeared, his avatar began to glow brighter and brighter, and then… it exploded. Kirito looked at his arms, searching for the knight, only to see a green polygon bounce off his arm before slowly fading away. Julian watched in shock with the other players as the onyx-haired teen stood up, arms by his sides.

'Damnit,' Sinon muttered to herself. Stepping forward with Asuna mirroring her movements, the girls were stopped by Julian who had his arms raised to block their path.

'Why are you stopping me?' Sinon asked angrily. 'Kirito's in no shape to fight right now!'

'She's right! Why are you stopping us?' Asuna said, the hand holding the rapier beginning to shake with anger.

Julian shook his head as he watched Kirito slowly approach Illfang who snorted angrily. 'No,' he said sadly to the girls. 'This is his fight, and his fight alone.' Sinon and Asuna were shocked, but didn't advance any further as Illfang raised its sword. Kirito came to a stop in front of the Kobold Lord and looked it directly in the eyes, a murderous glare in his eyes. Illfang, caught off guard by the glare, took a step back, making its first, and final, mistake.

'Die,' Kirito muttered under his breath as he leaped towards Illfang and activated Horizontal, creating a long, red line of pixels against the Kobold Lord's throat. Without hesitating, Kirito activated another sword skill: Horizontal Arc. Slashing from the left, Kirito made a large gash in Illfang's gut, then slashed from the right, making the gash even larger. Illfang screamed in pain as Kirito then used Uppercut, sending the boss flying towards the ceiling. Landing with a grunt, Kirito darted backwards as Illfang began descending back to earth.

'It's over,' Julian murmured as the boss roared at Kirito, still in the air. The teen's sword glowed a bright blue as he vanished, only to reappear right in front of Illfang. Yelling, Kirito struck downwards with all his might, Illfang screaming in pain as its body was cut in half. With an explosion as the two halves of Illfang erupted into thousands of blue and green polygons, a message popped up above the center of the room.

Congratulations

The raiding parties stayed silent as Kirito fell to the ground in the center of the room, stunned at the performance they just saw. The teen got to his feet and accepted the final hit reward from the boss before sheathing his sword.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Agil stepped forward out of the crowd, clapping. Soon enough, everybody else was clapping as well, congratulating Kirito on the kill. Julian leaned against a pillar and sighed as Kirito made his way towards him, hair covering his face.

'Hey, you alright?' Kirito nodded his head as he looked up at Julian.

Sadness

'Y-Yeah, Diabel just said something that shook me, that's all.' Kirito sighed before looking up at the players. They had finished clapping and were talking amongst each other, happy that the boss fight was finally over.

'Why?' The players moved out of the way as Kibaou walked towards Kirito, head down as he walked. 'Why did you let Diabel die?' He looked up at Kirito, glaring as tears ran down his face. 'WHY DID YOU LET HIM DIE!?' The crowd of players began to murmur between each other, pointing at Kirito as he grimaced and turned away. 'You knew the boss's attack patterns, didn't you?' Kibaou pointed an accusing finger at Kirito. 'Why didn't you tell us, you damn beta tester? If you did, Diabel would still be alive right now!'

Kirito didn't say a thing, his face still covered in shadows. He looked up at Julian and whispered something.

'Understood,' Julian said with a smile as Kirito turned around to Kibaou with a smile.

'Diabel?' Kirito said with a menacingly look on his face. 'That idiot? I already saved him once from dying today, and you're blaming me for his death?' Kirito paced up and down through the players as he spoke, his footsteps echoing throughout the boss room. 'Correct me if I'm wrong, but who was the one who took action against the boss when all of you were staring at Diabel dying?'

'W-Well,' Kibaou looked away before turning back and shouting at Kirito. 'If Diabel had known of the boss's attack patterns, he wouldn't have died, would he?'

Kirito buried his face in his hands as he chuckled. It soon turned into a laugh, making Kibaou back up nervously. 'How thick are you?' Kirito laughed, grabbing at his stomach. He could feel the hate rising from the other players as he spoke. 'Diabel was a beta tester as well, you idiot. I recognized him from the meeting the other day when he addressed the whole crowd. Besides,' Kirito wiped away the tears from his eyes and gestured at everybody. 'All of you gathered here today are much more skilled than the beta testers. Hell, they pissed themselves when they saw the first boss.'

Kibaou trembled with rage as he listened to Kirito speak. 'Y-You're worse than a beta tester. You're a monster. A cheater! A-A, a beater!' Kibaou cried out, the other players joining him.

'Hmm,' Kirito scratched his chin with his hand as he pondered. 'A beta tester and a cheater, ehh?' Opening his menu, Kirito looked for the final hit reward in his inventory. 'That's right,' he murmured before addressing the crowd. 'I'm a beater! I'm going to clear this game, so don't fall behind you slowpokes!' Finding the item, Kirito equipped the Coat of Midnight, letting a black leather coat fall into place around his body. Walking past all the players, Kirito smiled as he felt all the player's hate directed at him.

'Hold it right there.' Kirito sighed as Julian stepped out in front of him, sword pointed right at his chest. 'What's your name, Beater?' Kirito smiled as he slowly raised his hand to the hilt of his blade. In the blink of an eye, Kirito pulled the blade out and rushed Julian, meeting him halfway as their blades connected, the sound of metal clanging against each other, echoing throughout the room.

'Kirito.'

'Well, Kirito,' Julian said as he sheathed his sword and turned his back to him. 'I'll let you off for today, but I'll let you know that if you let another player die intentionally, I will come for you.'

'Heh, I'd like to see you try.' Walking past the blonde warrior, Kirito sheathed his sword and made his way towards the door to the second floor. As he climbed the steps, Kirito looked behind him and glimpsed Julian getting the support from the other players. As he reached the top of the steps, he saw Asuna and Sinon staring at him. Without hesitation, Kirito winked at the two girls before turning around and pushing open the door.

Walking up the steps, Kirito began to cry as he remembered Diabel's final word before he died.

'I'm glad that I got to meet you again, Kazuto Kirigaya.'

Alright, sorry for a late upload, I was really pissed when I somehow deleted the chapter, and after that, I kinda lost inspiration to re-write that part. I've had this document open for a couple of days and ended up just staring at it before watching YouTube videos. Also, with the ending? I ain't changing that. Why? Because it may have something to do with the next chapter. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to follow/favorite if you haven't already, and share this story around with your friends if you want to. It'll help me out greatly.

-Striderm8