Hey. Me again. 'Nother chapter too.
I might not be able to update next week because...reasons (stop being nosy!) so sorry...
Peace out.
xxxxxx
"Everyone. Decide into groups of around six and join their party. We can't take on this boss alone."
Kirito's eyes widened. He watched everyone divide into their friend groups, but he was left alone by himself. Suddenly he noticed a hooded girl sitting a little away from him. He nudged closer to her, "Hey. Do you want to team up?"
The girl nodded slightly.
"Umm...hey you two. We're a four so we need two other people. Could we join you?"
It was the group of strange people he'd followed to town. He'd lost them when they'd gone into a cafe place to eat. He'd been kicked out because they'd had no tables left. He wondered where the other four were.
The girl who'd come up to him had dirty blonde hair and a long black coat that covered what looked like a school uniform sort of attire. She was followed by the spiky blue haired guy who'd climbed the plaza buildings on the first day, a pink haired guy wearing black who looked extremely frightened and insecure, and a guy also wearing all black with a few striped patterns that were probably meant to match the three stripes on the left of his hair. He had golden eyes. They weren't part of his avatar since he didn't have one. It was creepy.
Kirito looked at the girl to his left. She shrugged.
"Okay." He confirmed, "I'll send you all party requests."
Asuna
Death the Kid
Black*Star
Maka
Crona
'Death the Kid' and 'Black*Star'. Strange names...but they were just usernames after all.
"Okay. Let's go defeat the first boss!" It was the knight dude that Maka couldn't remember for the life of her. Something beginning with D? She'd been too busy trying to stop Black*Star from running up on stage. She could tell he was very organised though, she could give him that.
There was a cheer from the team.
"Ready?" Maka smiled back at the rest of the team. Crona was going to use a sword, unless things got out of hand. Then Maka would give the signal, and he'd use Ragnarok and his black blood.
There was a series of nods. She glanced at the player called 'Kirito'. They'd noticed that he'd been following them on the first day, and managed to loose him. There was no point in hiding their skills when this was a game of life or death, but they'd decided they'd appreciate some privacy.
"Aren't you going to get out your weapons?" He asked.
"We will in a second." Kid replied. They didn't want to delay the battle more than it had to be by showing how they owned guns, a scythe and dual scythes.
"Okay..."
Just then, the people at the front pushed the door open, just to find that there was another player there.
A red player, who wasn't fighting the boss, just waiting.
With hair separated into two then twisted into one at the front of her face.
"Medusa!" Kid, Maka and Black*Star said as one.
"Oh, is that you, Crona, dear?" She grinned, "I'm surprised to say the least."
They, at once summoned their weapons and ran to the front of the group, shortly followed by an extremely surprised Kirito and Asuna.
"You're not getting away this time, Medusa." Maka said.
"Oh really?" She smirked, "Vector Plate."
They were surrounded by two rings of arrows. The inside ones faced inwards and the outside ones faced outwards.
"I'm afraid you're the ones not getting away." She laughed.
One of the other players tried to run into the circle, but was thrown back by the arrows on the floor.
Kirito looked at them all in astonishment. Guns, scythes and chain scythes weren't in SAO were they? And if so, where'd they find them? And who was this person who could change the environment without being a GM? Was she a GM? If she was, she wouldn't be a red player, would she? And how'd she know these four weirdos? And especially Crona?
"Fight the boss. We'll deal with Medusa." Maka yelled. She was pleased to see the blue knight once again taking control of his group and pointing them over towards the boss, "Alright, Crona. Let out Ragnarok."
To Kirito's amazement, the pink haired player's back exploded, making the poor guy yell loudly. He caught his breath and reached up, taking a sword from the thing that emerged. It was a smallish sized upper half of a black body. It's face was covered in a white cross, with two white, spherical eyes popping out from either side of it. It's hands were also covered in what seemed like gloves.
"What are you doing Crona? We did this before and look, she's still back. We won't get away this time. Medusa's gonna kill us!" The thing started hitting him. Kirito couldn't help but feel sorry for Crona.
"Stop it Ragnarok! Maka told me how to deal with this situation. It's something I know how to deal with." He held up the sword, "Scream resonance."
A mouth sprouted from the sword and opened, revealing a large, slobbery tongue. An ear piercing scream rang throughout the place. So loud even Medusa had to put her hands over her ears. The vector arrows faded.
"Hey, Kirito, wasn't it?" Death the Kid asked over the noise, "Go help fight the boss."
He nodded and pulled Asuna over to the boss fight, "You know what to do?" She nodded.
"Let's go then."
"Let's go soul resonance!" Maka's yell could only just be heard over Ragnarok's screams, "Kishin Hunter!"
Her scythe grew to three times its original size and she attacked.
"Oh, so you're going to play it like that, are you? Well then." Medusa grinned as the Kishin Hunter hit her. She exploded into blue triangles.
"Really? It was that easy?" Maka turned to the others in her team, "Well then..." She quoted Medusa.
"IT WAS NOTHING FOR THE ALMIGHTY BLACK*STAR!"
No one noticed the snake slithering away across the floor.
xxxxxx
The other battle had also finished.
"Why?!" Kirito heard a yell he recognised as the orange haired guy, Kibaou, "How could you have let Diabel die?!"
He turned slightly, "Let him die?"
"Of course! You knew the technique that boss used. If you'd told us about that up front, he wouldn't have died!"
"He must be a Beta Tester!" Yelled someone in the crowd, "That's how he knew all of the Boss's attack patterns. He knew, but he didn't tell us."
There was a short moment where the other players began murmuring things to each other.
"There are other Beta Testers here, too, right?" The guy yelled, "Come out!"
Something came over Kirito. He hated it. He hated how he was being judged just because he'd been a Tester. Diabel had been one, but no one knew. He would've hated it too. They should be working together, not this pathetic fighting.
Kirito laughed.
"A Beta Tester?" He stood up and faced them, "I wish you wouldn't compare me to those newbies."
"Wh-what?!"
"Most of the thousand Beta Testers were beginners. They didn't even know how to level up." He walked slowly towards where Kibaou kneeled. He had his head down, with his eyes covering his hair, "You're much better than they were. But I'm not like them." He now stood in front of him, "I made it higher than anyone else during the Beta Test. The reason I knew the Boss's moves was because I've faught others with katana skills on levels much higher." He looked straight at Kibaou, "I know a lot more. Much more than any information broker."
"Wh-what?" This time it was Kibaou who spoke, "But...but that's way worse than a Beta Tester! You're cheating! You're a cheater!"
The players around them started up again, "Yeah! A Beater and a cheater..."
He just smiled, "Beater...yeah. I like it." He opened his menu, "That's right...I am a Beater. From now on, don't confuse me with the other testers."
Kirito put on his coat. Diabel had died, and somehow it felt like it was his fault. Maybe if he could've helped more than been stuck in that stupid circle. He hadn't even helped the other guys when inside the arrows...he needed to make himself stronger so that he could protect everyone.
He'd be how a Beater should be. He'd play the villain so the other Beta Testers wouldn't be judged the way he had.
Just as he was about to leave, Asuna stopped him. Her cloak had come off during the fight, and he had to admit, she did look pretty.
"Back then. How'd you know my name?"
He was slightly surprised at such a simple question, "In the left corner. It shows your party member's names."
"Oh yeah...I probably should've seen that." She laughed slightly, "Kirito." She read.
He nodded, "Asuna?"
"Yeah?"
"At the first chance you get, join a guild and stay in it. You're going to be a great fighter."
She nodded, and Kirito turned away, walking through the door.
