The following is a non-profit Fanfiction.
Sword Art Online is owned by Aniplex, A-1 Pictures and Reki Kawahara.
Please support the official release…
Chapter 4: Phantom Tempest (Prologue - Part 1)
After the Behemoth thing… Not a lot happened. We walked back to the city, sold the loot and split the credits between the two groups. Sinon and got most of our profits, but I still got those 5.000 Dyne owed me. The rest of the weekend was boring. Turns out that most pro-players don't go beyond fridays. Neither do I, not after that lousy excuse for a saturday. You'd think a server full of high schoolers, part-timers and scrubs in general would be fun to plow through…
Don't ask about sunday, we don't talk about those here. As for Monday…
Monday (5 Days to BoB Prelims) - GGO's Western End…
That last week before the Preliminary Round was supposed to be nothing but prep-time with Sinon. She told me that I had potential, but then she said something I didn't understand. "Waiting for your foe to say the magic words that'll piss you off is far from a solid strategy." I had no idea what she meant by that, but I guess it was her way of saying I shouldn't rely on luck?
Despite having a bike at his side, Syber was walking through a sandstorm in the middle of a desert. He was alone for once, and he seemed pretty pissed off. "Some moron rams his car headfirst into the gym, bandits and mobs every 5 minutes, fresh out of ammo and then there was that lunatic with the EMP Grenades. How am I lucky again?" While he mumbled, Syber tried starting the bike's engine again and again, but the thing refused to work. "If I ever meet the dev who made those grenades, I'm choking the green out of their lifebar. C'mon!"
Neither me nor Sinon were available on Mondays, I'd hit the gym after class and she had some… Unspecified Appointment. However, the gym didn't open that monday thanks to some car accident involving a held-back punk from another high school, a fatty freshman and a third year girl who got said punk suspended. Though I don't think he'll be coming back after that stunt he pulled… And that's why I was free that monday. Since we had no plans for the day, I decided to goof off on my own. There was a place I've been meaning to check out, but I had to be alone because the fun nazi was adamant about not wanting to go there…
Took Syber two fights against sandstorm mobs and most of his soda cans, but he eventually got the bike working. It proved enough for Syber to ride his way out of the storm, but it turns out that he wasted too much fuel fighting mobs on motorcycles, barely got to ride 10 minutes before it stopped for good. To make things worst, he used up all the soda to kick start it before, so he couldn't MacGyver his way out of this one. It wasn't all bad news though, for as soon as he dragged the 3-wheeler up a flat hill he found what was looking for. "No way… It really is a thing…"
It was nothing impressive when compared to the massive Sci-Fi landscape that is SBC Glocken (the Capital) or some of the harder dungeons, but it had the kind of charm Syber had been looking for a while now. A small town with small wooden buildings, no more than 4 roads and not a single bit of over the top sci-fi, ruins or wastelands. "This is it… The Wild West-themed town!"
The Wild Frontier City - Sling's Haven...
Though lacking in size, it was easy to see why so many people (with the exception of fun nazis and otherwise killjoys) go through that ungodly roadtrip. First thing Syber noticed upon setting foot in town was the absence of a safe zone prompt. The reason for that, as he soon found out the amusingly hard way, was that players can challenge each other for genuine duels, just like in the movies. "Hey you! I challenge you to a duel- Whoa! I remember you, you're that girl from the Echo-"
After reminding that poor sap some manner via shotgun blast to the mouth, Syber stopped to appreciate just how satisfying being able to shoot peeps in a safe zone felt. "What's this…Duel mode? Oooh, I see now. Sinon was prolly butthurt over this Pistol Clause, I doubt her SMG would qualify for this." Moving on, Syber noticed other interesting things, exotic guns and gear you won't find anywhere else, tumbleweeds spawned whenever things got too quiet, and, best of all, the town had a Saloon, which Syber could tell just from peeking through the door. "Minigames. So that's what the Haven part stands for…"
Hard-boiled Saloon - The Salty Spitoon…
The atmosphere was quite rowdy, unlike the oppressing vibe Syber gets from Sinon's usual hangouts. Tables with card games, boards for throwing darts on the far wall, Untouchable's cousin from another mother, even one of those old pianos with a wheel for music sheets, everything inside that place was a minigame. "Couldn't have fun to save her own damn life, could she? Jesus…"
"Welcome to the Salty Spitoon, how tough are ya?" Perplexed by the barman's odd choice in words, Syber sat down and took a moment to get a better grasp of his surroundings. Or rather, to profile the people there. "Decent gun variety, Assault Rifles instead of SMGs, grenades instead of just ammo… A decent squad by Sinon's standards. Don't think Pros would be this far from everything during the week though, so who are these guys…?"
When his drink arrived, Syber thanked the fellow who brought it over… But then he realized something important: "I didn't over this." The would-be waiter sat down, took off his cowboy hat and explained himself. "Terribly sorry for the deceit Sir, I'm actually a player." Though Syber was quick to apologize, explaining the similar outfit led him to mistaking the lad for an NPC, but that was the point. "You see, I was practicing my roleplay. That will be 260 Credits, by the way."
Syber glanced at the bottle he brought over. A light blue liquid called Agave Azul, classified by the game as Tequila, though the brand was likely made up. "Now, to answer your question. You won't find too many mid-tier players in GGO, but we do in fact exist." He took off the dark brown hat, left it on the table and poured two shots of the drink. "Most of us usually steer clear of Pro-Players though. We tend to avoid trigger-happy harlots as well." Finally, the two raised their glasses and cheered, then the drinking started…
20 Minutes Later...
"...and then the jerk pins me down, but I start smiling and by the time he figured out what was going on it was too late. Boss was falling down the tower, yelling 'YOLO' before putting one right through his nose. The odd part is that she dropped a minigun, but it wasn't the model he was using against us. It was like, Congrats on beating that boss, here's a watered-down version of his weapon cuz the real deal is too OP for you right now." It was clear from their red cheeks and shaky balance that the drinks did something to them. They weren't drunk for real, though, Syber could tell…
"This is so phony… Being drunk feels nothing like this milquetoast imitation." Syber's new friend confirmed his theory, claiming it was just a debuff made to resemble being drunk, but he wanted to know how Syber knew what it felt like being drunk for real, claiming he looked underaged. "My father dragged me to a party last year and I drank some by accident. Unlike you, that waiter was rude and careless." He chuckled at that last part, then inquired about the party. "Hell if I know, my Dad's political career is the last thing I want to think about, especially when I'm playing GGO." Weary of this phony sensation, he got up and headed out. The lad picks up his hat and follows suit, though not before finishing the bottle.
Outside…
One thing Syber felt like clarifying before putting that topic in its coffin: "He's not an actual politician, he a diplomat in Washington." On a brighter note, the guy introduced himself at long last, "Though some might call me a Junk Hoarder, I prefer the term Unusual Gear Enthusiast. But you may call me Samir, pleased to make your acquaintance." No matter how hard he tried, Syber couldn't get the idea that Samir was an NPC off his mind. "Too polite, even for a roleplay. Heck, I don't think my father's lackeys are that formal… And I just realized I said that out loud…"
The two chuckled over that, after which Syber noticed it. "You weren't kidding about the debuff though, gone like magic." As Samir explained while they were drinking, he recently finished just about everything there was to be done in that Saloon, including tasting all the drinks, so he had plenty of time to figure out everything there was to know about that status effect. The only part Syber remembered was him saying that tequilas were the only enjoyable drinks though. "Quite, though I'm sure it was a design flaw. Many adult players claim real drinks taste somewhat better."
Then, a moment of silence came about. With their senses back to full sharpness, each noticed the other's pistol. Syber's Gunblade hogged the spotlight as per usual, but so did Samir's Magnum, which completely overshadowed the Photon Rifle on his back. "I know I said everything, but the Barkeep won't let people duel inside the Saloon." Knowing full well where Samir was going, Syber sort taunted him, saying he didn't expect Samir to be so eager about it. "Reminds me of myself when I'm pissed, only with less symbolism and more going straight to the point."
Main Street - Duel Field...
_No reloads, Pistols Only… Last Stand Sling._ Those were the rules set by Samir, though Syber didn't know what that last part was about. "Should neither of us be defeated, the game will evaluate our performance to determine the winner. We're unable to leave the field, but it won't stop others from walking in and out. It should go without saying, but you're not allowed to attack me with your blade. Now, are you ready?"
Standing back to back, each took 9 steps. As their feet landed for the 10th time, said field stretched out in front of them, after which they quickly turned their hips and gun arms around and begun shooting one another. Although Syber's reflexes weren't enough to give him the first shot, all Samir did was a scratch to Syber's chestplate. Syber on the other hand missed his first shot entirely, but it stopped Samir in his tracks, netting Syber a clean 2nd shot through his leg. "Clever little trick." Samir chuckle was understandably aggressive compared to before.
Instead of resort to what he referred to as trickery, Samir went with with a carefully placed shot that punched through Syber's shoulder, nearly tearing his arm off. Samir would have to one up himself next time however, as Syber got the hang of his timing and dodged the next shot. It didn't help that Syber's legs were undamaged, but Samir figured a clean shot there wouldn't be doable for his pistol. Following up on his dodge, Syber put a couple bullets on Samir's elbow and stomach respectively. Rats. He knows I have to go for his vitals to keep up with that hand cannon. And he says I'M clever...
In general lines, their duel was very back and forth, all the way to their last bullets. Despite his advantages in ammo and speed, it only took Samir 2 clean hits and one scratch to even the game. The way Samir handled his Magnum, although different in concept, felt very much like Sinon with her Hecate. Even so, Samir had acknowledge Syber as more than just an amateur with high numbers. "Hate to say, but you're pretty darn good yourself. Now, GIVE ME YOUR BEST- …oh no."
Dismissing that as a jest, Samir fired his last bullet without hesitation. But when Syber took the bullet without putting up any fight, Samir realized that wasn't case. He was too late, however, as whatever Syber was looking at bolted past Samir, heading straight to a very wounded Syber. "Not this crap again!" Upon drawing his blade, Syber forfeited the duel, but at least he deflected that mysterious assailant. By the time Samir laid eyes upon this assailant, they had already retreated, running away at tremendous speed. Syber tried to use his last bullet on them, but he missed. "A hit and run…?"
City Hall - Minutes Later…
Unlike the town around it, the building's inside was just like every City Hall in GGO. Once inside, the two had their health fully restored, after which they sat down and Syber explained some stuff. "In short… I have no idea what that guy wants, but they've been at it all day today."
Samir found that to be quite amusing, in particular about their choice in gear. "I wonder if that person was one of the victims of that rumor. Probably not, given they knew how to use that Void Suit." Syber didn't ask, but Samir explained it anyway. "That suit is one of the items I seek. Its changes the user's weight according to how many belts and clothing they wear. Supposedly, since the suit itself is not counted, their weight gets multiplied by zero and thus voided. In real life, that would be the equivalent of being in outer space, but it didn't seem to be the case…"
Normally, Syber would've found that to be quite interesting, but he was too annoyed about that unknown player, who was dubbed "Speed Demon" by Samir, to care about trivial facts. "Well, did you try fighting back? I don't think they have much Health." Only problem to that plan was that Syber tried bullet, slug, lead and blade alike, but nothing worked. "Too fast to be gunned down, and the best I managed was to parry his attacks with my blade."
Samir thought about this conundrum for a short while, during which Syber toyed with his gunblade, flipping the blade in and out, until he cut his thumb on the blade as it came back. "The infamous Finger Reaper at work, I suppose. Never seen the trap mechanism in action until now though… Wait a moment… Yes, that could work. Why not set a trap for the Speed Demon?" Syber dismissed the idea, but then he remember something and changed his mind. "I got it!"
Town's Outskirts - 15 Minutes Later…
Back on that flat-topped hill where Syber left his bike. Samir was nowhere to be seen while Syber was having a look at that engine, another mini-game that Sinon hated with a passion, though it didn't seem to be Syber's favorite either. "Work, you stupid heap of junk, I need you to outrun that bastard… Oh, here we go again. Incoming!" As Syber got up and readied his guns, a trail of smoke begun cycling the hill at high speed. For all its speed, the Speed Demon's tactic was far from silent, and Syber was getting fed up with that sound.
That standstill continued for about half a minute, Syber had both guns ready to fire while the Demon pulled a high-speed Jaws on the him. "I've had enough of this guy. Do it… Now!" At his command, Syber pointed both guns north. The catch to the plan was that, when Speed Demon got close to the north side, its path was blocked by a barrage of lasers coming from further north. They can't risk taking a hit, so they won't cross this line. Which way to go, then? I'm shooting from sea level, so the safest place would be the high ground to the right. Right into Syber's aim. Not a bad plan… But will you land that shot, Syber?
Everything was going according to Syber's plan: The Devil ran up the flat hill from the north side, right into Syber's aim. Syber fired as soon as he heard the lasers, so it was a split second dodge the likes of which even that hero guy from Aincrad would miss if he flinched… Or so Syber thought would happen. What actually happened: instead of a perfect 90° degrees turn, the Demon did a 50° to 60° turn, so when they entered Syber's sight it was far from the expected and, once again, Syber only managed to deflect their knife before another lightning fast retreat.
= TO BE CONTINUED
Credits for this chapter go to my co-writer: Sonny Firestorm