Chapter 8: The azure devil. Blood flames.
I do not own anything from SAO or Rurouni Kenshin.
Jin, Kirito and Asuna fled from the boss room. They were all shocked to see the boss upon opening the door, roaring loudly in its battle stance. They were catching their breath after their panicked sprinting.
"No mistake about that… That was a demon-type boss…" Kirito said.
"It is… I never thought of encountering another demon-type boss, especially here in this level…" Jin said, catching his breath.
"Wait, you fought other demon bosses…?" Kirito and Asuna asked in surprise.
"You recall the Ifrit from Floor 35? It was a demon-type boss and I was the one who slayed it." Jin said, showing the Asahi sword as proof.
"Dang man… I don't want to know how you were able to fight the boss on solo, especially with your skills." Kirito said.
"Don't bothering asking. I was lucky enough to be gifted with the Secret Swords passive skill, heat resistance. Otherwise, the Ifrit would have turned me into cinder." Jin said.
"Don't you have any rest after each battle, Jin?" Asuna asked, worried about him.
"Not me… I sleep away from the safe zones so I'm on high alert." Jin replied.
"That's very risky for you to do that, Jin. I don't think I can sleep outside in the middle of a monster filled environment." Kirito commented.
Jin scoffed in response. Kirito and Asuna casted concerned looks at him.
"That's how I am… A drifter in Sword Art Online… Anyway, enough about me. That boss, Gleam Eyes looks pretty tough." Jin said.
"Yeah… That zanbato is rather large. I don't think that sword is its only weapon." Kirito commented.
"I have a feeling you're right about that. Some demon-type monsters have skills specific to themselves. The Ifrit was no exception; the hellfire it uses was one example." Jin explained.
"Hellfire?" Asuna asked.
"An AoE monster skill. It's said to be the most dangerous type of fire one could get exposed to." Jin briefly explained.
"What happened if you get caught in those flames?" Kirito asked.
"The flames would produce a burn status that weakens your attack and induces damage over time, similar to poison. It's a very troublesome status effect from the hellfire." Jin said.
"Yikes… That sounded like a troublesome boss for you." Kirito said.
"It has been. Nearly got myself killed in two separate ways." Jin said.
"Anyway, how will we able to take this boss down? We can't fight it down by us alone. We'll need help from the Clearers in the front lines." Asuna said.
"It would be ideal if we had 10 people who are shield users." Kirito said.
"Even so, numbers won't be able to overwhelm this boss. It's essentially asking it to pick off others." Jin said.
"Dang, you're right about that, Jin… We need a powerful squad in this one…" Kirito said.
"Speaking of shields, I never seen you use your other sword that Lisbeth made for you. You appear to be hiding something, Kirito-kun." Asuna presumed.
"What brought this up, all of a sudden?" Kirito asked, sounding nervous.
"One hand sword users tend to have shields as a backup weapon. You never used a shield in part of your combat style, Kirito. Plus, Asuna is a rapier user so shields will slow her speed. I'm a katana user, using the principles of battōjutsu." Jin explained.
Jin and Asuna gazed at Kirito, who looked nervous from their staring. It felt like time was slowing down on him as he felt their staring.
"In any case, it's rude to start speaking ill of their skill choices. It's their preference, especially how it helps one advance this far." Jin said.
Kirito sighed with relief from Jin's explanation.
"Good point there, Jin. In any case, why don't we take a break and have lunch?" Asuna said.
"I agree. Can't go fighting with an empty stomach." Jin agreed, opening his inventory.
From Jin's hands, a tomato basil soup formed. Asuna made a basket appear with her homemade cooking.
Kirito had a surprised expression, looking at the basket like a hungry animal.
"Is… Is it something you made?" He asked.
Asuna giggled while Jin continued eating his soup. Asuna and Kirito looked at him, eyeing his soup.
"How were you able to train your cooking skills if you don't live in a home, Jin-san?" Asuna asked.
"Living the life of a drifter is tough at times so I often practice with a campfire. That's how I learned to cook." Jin said.
"Whatever makes you feel better, I suppose…" Kirito relented.
"Don't you get lonely when traveling through Aincrad by yourself?" Asuna asked with concern.
"I'm used to it now. I'm pretty sure you noticed most of the players' reaction from the raid against Laughing Coffin when they saw me." Jin said.
"Oh…" Asuna realized.
"In any case, aren't you guys going to eat?" Jin questioned.
Asuna realized she held the basket out. This got her embarrassed, realizing she didn't notice it when Jin began explaining.
"Alright Kirito-kun. Gloves off first." Asuna said.
Kirito did so and unclothed his hands. Asuna provided him with a sandwich that had spring onions with meat. He was reluctant at first but he decided to bite his meal. Upon tasting it, he was surprised of the flavors.
"It's amazing… How did you make it taste so good?" Kirito asked.
"A year's worth of practice and savings." Asuna said, showing the information to Kirito.
The information created a hemisphere around the trio. Jin was not as surprised as Kirito, but he kept his composure. Kirito, on the other hand, was definitely surprised.
"You have been experimenting the sauces and spices to find the appropriate flavors and to find out whether the reproduction taste effect would occur." Jin deduced.
"Sounds like you also had your part on cooking, Jin. What did you typically use to cook?" Asuna asked.
"It's best not to know…" Jin said.
"Come on. Enlighten us." Kirito said.
"If you insist…" Jin relented, showing the information on cooking.
Asuna and Kirito were shocked to see how much info he had. The hemisphere of information overlapped Asuna's, making her looked surprised.
"How on earth were you able to amass this much info?" Asuna asked.
"During my travels across Aincrad, I sometimes stop by a restaurant and often ask some of the chefs on how to cook. They taught me during their hours off, allowing me to practice on my own." Jin answered.
"Now that's convenient… With your cooking skill being trained to the max, you can make almost anything you want." Kirito complimented.
"Asuna's cooking does look better in my opinion though. My meals, although really nice, are usually short." Jin said.
By then, the trio noticed several players arriving in the safe zone. Jin quickly stood up, ready to fight. He then noticed a familiar face that he hasn't seen for a long time.
"Klein? You're here too?" Jin asked in surprise.
Klein was wearing red robes and black armor resembling those of a samurai including a katana, along with his guild members. They were all males.
"Jin… Is that you?" Klein asked in shock.
"It's been a long time since we last saw each other." Jin commented.
"How are you holding up, Jin? I heard about what you have been doing so far." Klein asked with a worried tone for his friend.
"It's a painful struggle, but it's nothing I can't handle. Looks like you guys need a break from the monsters here in the Labyrinth." Jin replied.
"Yeah… After the constant fighting, we need a break from it all." Klein said, showing his guild mates looking exhausted.
"If you guys are planning to take the boss on, forget it. It's too dangerous for even all of us." Jin warned.
"I know… We're only mapping out the area so we can inform the Clearers on where the next boss is." Klein said.
"We found the boss room, but it's highly advisable to just flee from it. This one is another demon-type boss, one that makes the Ifrit look like a cheap walk." Jin commented.
"Wait, you faced the Ifrit alone?" Klein asked in surprise.
'Why do I have to show them proof every time…?' Jin complained in thought, making a poker face.
He then showed his Asahi katana, as proof from his confrontation with the Ifrit.
"Well… That proves you have been successful…" Klein said, near speechless.
"I also see that you prefer using a katana. I guess my influence of using battōjutsu must have made you want to learn katana skills instead." Jin pointed out.
"Yeah. Plus, a katana is more damage inducing, thanks to converting speed into power." Klein admitted.
"Good choice of words there." Jin commented.
Klein then noticed Kirito with him.
"Yo Kirito. How have you been?" Klein said.
"Took you long enough." Kirito said off handedly.
"Rude as always, I see. It's kind of odd that both of you being solo players would be teaming up, especially with a girl. Then again, I won't question it." Klein said.
'Duly noted…' The boys thought.
Klein then had a look at Asuna, leaving him quiet for a few minutes.
"I'm sure you know each other when fighting the bosses, but this is Klein. A friend of ours, whom we helped back in Floor 1 on how to fight monsters. He's now the guild leader of FuurinKazan. Klein, this is Asuna, the vice commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath." Jin introduced to both of the people.
Klein remained stunned, unable to make a response. His mouth was open, leaving him frozen.
"Oi Klein. You might want to close your mouth before a bug gets in it…" Jin joked.
This had the effect of making Klein close his mouth in response, but it made Kirito and Asuna snicker in response.
'Good way to make a joke like that, Jin.' Kirito thought, holding his laughter at bay.
Klein then bowed at Asuna. He was looking really tense, judging by how he was shaking.
"N-Nice t-to meet you! I-I'm Klein, 24, single, and looking for a girlfriend…!" He said.
Kirito merely slugged Klein on his abdomen, making him stagger and lose his breath.
"Geez, Kirito. You could have chosen a more rational method…" Jin commented.
Klein's guild mates gathered around Kirito, making him tense up.
'This can't be good…' Jin thought comically.
The guild mates remained in place, causing Jin to hold his hand on the handle of his sword, Amaterasu. The tension grew thicker as the seconds rolled by.
"It IS Asuna! I'm glad to finally meet you!" The guild mates said, breaking the tension.
Jin calmed down, but had to stifle from laughing as Kirito was forcing the boys back in a near futile attempt for crowd control.
"Looks like you have a fan group, Asuna…" Jin said.
Asuna was puzzled, unable to respond on the sudden events. Kirito tried to reason with her.
"They're not bad people. Despite their leader, they're good people to get along with." Kirito said.
Klein stepped on Kirito's left foot, getting his attention.
"Payback…" He said smugly.
This caused Kirito and Klein to make a comical fight, almost acting like brothers. Asuna and Jin watched with a deadpan expression before Asuna started laughing. Jin smirked seeing the play fight occurring.
"You guys act more like brothers fighting over something childish." Jin said, holding his laughter at bay.
Klein decided to drag Jin in to talk with him and Kirito.
"What's the deal, you two?" Klein comically questioned to the boys.
"Well…" Kirito said, thinking of a response.
"Come on, you guys. Spill the beans." Klein pestered.
Asuna decided to speak out formally to help stop the comical discussion.
"Nice to meet you. We were partying for a little bit." Asuna said.
Klein and his guild mates all had crestfallen expressions. Klein decided to comically voice his outrage at the boys.
"Kirito! Jin! Start explaining!" Klein demanded.
"Simmer the hate down, will you? Asuna only wanted to party up with Kirito. She also asked Kirito if I could join in so he sent me a message to join in. Also, those two have each other while I don't have time for relations." Jin explained.
Klein noticed how Jin looked away, crossing his arms. The young man felt bad for the teenager, forcing himself to be a martyr for everyone's safety.
"That only makes it more worrisome on your part… This game has changed you a great deal…" Klein sympathized.
"Yeah… In the worse way possible." Jin confirmed cryptically.
By then, everyone heard what sounded like a small squad of knights marching from behind. They all looked to where the sound was coming from. They were all males, wearing high-quality heavy armor with a crest in the shape of Aincrad engraved on it, complete with a helmet. One of them was wearing a red cape to distinguish himself from his men. Jin noted that he was wielding a one-handed straight sword and a heavy shield.
"That's The Army…" Kirito said.
"The Army…? They were called the Aincrad Liberation Force or ALF a while back. Seems like they're pushing themselves to clear this dungeon… However, their numbers are crippling since the incident in Floor 25… An incident that I failed to protect their men…" Jin said, feeling guilty.
Asuna and Kirito felt concern as Jin was lost in his memories. He had a forlorn, off-look expression in response.
"Why are they doing here in Floor 74? I don't think they can take this any longer…" Klein said.
"You're right… The soldiers look exhausted." Kirito noted.
"I heard they have been trying to strengthen their members to help recover the losses, or try to recruit others for increasing their troops. They have been doing this instead of going to the front lines." Asuna explained.
The leader of the small squad of the ALF paused and turned to his men.
"Rest!" He ordered.
The other players behind him collapsed on exhaustion, catching their breath. Jin snapped back and noticed the leader of the squad approaching him, Kirito, Asuna, Klein and his guild.
'This guy with the red cape must be a lieutenant… No doubt he has some authority from the guild leader.' Jin thought.
"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Kobatz from the Aincrad Liberation Army." The leader introduced.
"Kirito. Solo player." Kirito responded.
"Asuna. Vice-commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath." Asuna followed.
"Klein. Leader of the guild, FuurinKazan." Klein also followed.
Kobatz looked at Jin who remained silent.
"State your name." Kobatz commanded to Jin.
Jin's eyes locked at Kobatz's eyes, who briefly gasped in seeing him.
"The Fiery Battosai…" He said in hidden shock.
"Seems like even The Army fear me… I don't blame them for giving such a horrified expression…" Jin commented.
"No, it was my actions that may have riled you." Kobatz said with respect.
"You can relax… You were doing your job as commander of your squad." Jin said.
"You have been doing okay, Jin? I understand that you were trying to help us in Floor 25…" Kobatz asked.
"Still having nightmares…" Jin revealed.
"I'll have a word with you for a moment." Kobatz said.
Kirito and the others were surprised on how Jin knew The Army to the point of friendship. They then paid attention to Kobatz.
"Forgive me for earlier. Have you all ventured further from this point?" The lieutenant asked.
"Yes. We also found the boss room." Kirito answered.
"We request that you share the map data with us." Kobatz said.
"What!? That took us a while to map out this whole area! We can't give it for free!" Klein protested.
"We intend to share our resources with the other players fighting for their lives here in Aincrad! Plus, we're the ones maintaining order, especially keeping an eye out for the prisoners!" Kobatz refuted.
"It's best to share the data… However, I must warn you and your squad, Kobatz. The boss is without a doubt dangerous. Don't take the risk to fight it. Your men are already fatigued." Jin spoke.
"How sure are you about this?" Kobatz asked.
"Sure enough that I could end up dead if I were to fight it alone…" Jin said.
"I'll trust on your word once we see it. Thank you for cooperating with us, and for providing a message to prepare for a potentially dangerous battle." Kobatz said.
Jin shook his head in response, not liking that the lieutenant making a hasty decision.
"Lieutenant… I suggest preparing your group or asking some help with the Clearers to fight this boss. It's useless to fight it on your own." Jin suggested.
"I know, but we must fight this boss, no matter how tired we are." Kobatz said, refusing to back away.
Kobatz and his men moved out. Kirito, Klein, and Asuna began to ponder whether or not they can handle the boss.
"Will they be able to survive?" Klein asked.
"No, they won't…" Jin said, clenching his hands tightly.
A heat wave began to pour around Jin. Everyone backed away from him as they saw his teeth grinding against one another. He then walked away to follow the small squad.
"We should follow him… Jin might end up fighting the boss to protect them…" Kirito said.
"Are you sure about this? You'll risk getting killed…" Klein said.
"I would do the same for a friend of mine… Let's hurry!" Kirito said.
######
Jin was walking through the direction to the boss room, killing any monsters who stood in his way.
"Get out of my way…" He said coldly.
Kirito and the others showed up to see Jin killing a Lizardman with one slice, causing it to be burned in ash before disappearing in blue polygons.
'Whoa… Now would not be a good thing to get in front, especially when Jin is all riled up…' Kirito and the others thought.
Each monster that came up to him, ended up being killed in a brutal fashion, scaring everyone.
'He's scary like this… Being cold and dark with those fire oriented skills…' Asuna thought.
By then, a man's scream echoed in the labyrinth. Jin wasted no time cleaving his way through a small group of Lizardman.
"Hiken: Shingu Renge Henka: Kasai no Senkai!"
Jin turned himself into a flaming buzz saw, slicing through the monsters blocking his way to the boss room. His eyes evidently changed to a crimson color, showing his anger.
"Guys, wait up!" Klein shouted before more Lizardmen showed up.
Kirito and Asuna followed Jin to the boss room. Another male scream echoed in the Labyrinth, forcing Jin to dash at insane speeds.
"Rrrraaagghhhh!" Jin shouted, pushing himself to his limits.
######
Jin arrived at the boss room to notice several members of The Army were at their limits. As much as he feared, they were ill-prepared to fight the Gleam Eyes.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING!? GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE BY USING YOUR TELEPORT CRYSTALS!" Jin bellowed.
"We can't! We tried using them, but they won't work!" One of the members said in panic.
'Oh no… No, no, no… Not this trap again… Not the same one that almost killed the Moonlit Black Cats…' Jin thought with fright.
Kirito and Asuna arrived to see Jin with a horrified expression. They were all shocked to see him in this state.
"The Liberation Army shall never know shame from retreating! Fight! We must fight on!" Kobatz ordered.
"YOU IDIOT! DON'T START ATTACKING THE BOSS!" Jin yelled.
Klein arrived just in time to see Jin shaking.
"What the heck is going on?" Klein asked with worry.
"This room won't allow crystals to work here. There hasn't been a boss room with this kind of trap…" Asuna said.
"Is there something we can do?" Klein questioned seriously.
"If we can provide an opening, they can escape." Kirito said.
Kobatz stood his ground, while his men cowered from the boss.
"Men! Attack!" He ordered.
Jin growled loudly, causing flames to sprout around his sword, almost reaching his right arm.
"YOU FOOL!" Jin bellowed, racing his way to rescue the members of the Army.
Gleam Eyes then leaned its head back before breathing out a powerful stream of purple energy, killing off two members.
"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS WAITING FOR!? GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Jin said.
The boss then swung its zanbato on Kobatz, who had no time to dodge or block the attack. He was hurled to Jin with his HP dropping to zero.
"KOBATZ!" Jin yelled.
The helmet shattered, revealing his sharp face, very short dark hair, and a pair of sharp eyes below his thick eyebrows. His face was contorted with a horrified expression.
"I-Impossible…" Kobatz said, before disappearing in blue polygons.
The Army could do nothing, but pandemonium broke out for the loss of their captain. They were panicking, screaming for any hope of leaving the boss. Jin lost his footing, falling to his knees in seeing one of his friends die in front of him. He remained motionless for a second till he looked up. His hair covered his eyes, but he had a crazed expression. He was out for blood. The blood of the Gleam Eyes. He slowly walked in the boss room, lurching with flames licking his body.
"Jin…! Don't do it!" Kirito said, trying to call him back.
"It's suicide, Jin! Don't fight this boss alone!" Asuna screamed.
"Stop it, Jin! You won't be able to survive!" Klein called out.
All words were fallen to deaf ears. Jin continued moving till he start to run at insane speeds. With a running start, he leaped up to the boss's face and performed a straight kick, knocking it back.
"Did he just…kick the boss on the face?" Klein asked in shock.
"We saw what he did… He's lost it completely…" Kirito said, bringing the rest of The Army out.
Jin held his right hand on his sword, facing the Gleam Eyes who roared at him.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He bellowed.
The pure rage, sadness and pain from Jin's inhumane scream was all bare to show. It caused a shockwave of fire to blow at the Gleam Eyes, making it stagger. Jin's hair then changed. It turned orange red, almost like fire.
"What the heck is going on? What's happening with Jin?" Klein asked, seeing the events occurring.
"I don't even know… He didn't mention anything like this…" Kirito said.
Jin unsheathed Amaterasu, causing the sword to create white-hot flames. He then uttered two words in a cold tone so chilling, one would feel their spine tingle upon hearing the words.
"Hiken: Shukuchi Mugen!"
Jin dashed forward at fast speeds that an untrained eye cannot trace. Despite Kirito having a fast reaction time, even he had a hard time tracking where Jin was moving. He kept moving in a blur, cutting the Gleam Eyes in various sections of its body. The first cuts appeared on its face before another set began appearing on its abdomen, legs and back. This gave Kirito a chance he needed to fight alongside Jin.
"Everyone… I'm going to help him out… This time, I won't hold back any more of my secrets…" Kirito said.
He then opened up his menu and decided to equip his Dark Repulser alongside his Eludicator, shocking everyone. Kirito walked forward to fight in the carnage.
"Kirito, come back! It's dangerous now!" Asuna called.
Kirito didn't listen as he then felt the wind of hot air blow on his face as Jin stabbed the Gleam Eyes on its right arm, forcing it to drop its zanbato.
"I don't have much of a choice at this point… Jin's fighting this boss alone, but he's not doing much damage… It's now or never… Starburst Stream!" Kirito said seriously.
Both swords began glowing in a light blue color. Kirito dashed forward, performing a horizontal slash with his Eludicator, followed by an uppercut slash with Dark Repulser. He then jumped and spun the air, creating two slashes with both swords at the same time. The boss had its HP decrease by half due to the relentless attacks.
'Faster…!' Kirito though.
Jin continued barraging the Gleam Eyes with Shukuchi, creating deep wounds, while Kirito performed an x-shape dual slash from top to bottom, following an inverse x-shape slash from bottom to top. The Gleam Eyes roared in pain. Everyone outside the boss room watched the amazing yet brutal spectacle happening in front of them.
"What the…?" Klein said, seeing the two swordsmen maiming the Gleam Eyes to death.
Kirito performed two diagonal slashes moving opposite of each other. The Eludicator was going up-right, while the Dark Repulser was going down-left. Gleam eyes tried to attack the boys, but it proved fruitless as Jin continued barraging the beast with flame coated slashes on its arms and head. It managed to land a punch on Kirito before he reverse gripped his swords. Kirito unleashed an x-shape slash, following by a barrel roll-like a maneuver, similar to a corkscrew. Gleam eyes attempted to breathe out a purple beam, but Jin attacked its chin, forcing its mouth shut.
'More speed…!' Kirito thought.
Kirito performed a downward x-shape slash before creating an upward x-shaped slash. He repeated the dual diagonal slash before spinning in a full circle. The momentum allowed him to unleash a powerful horizontal attack before concluding with two uppercut slashes with both swords.
'Damn it… I'm at my limit…' Kirito thought.
Gleam Eyes had a sliver of HP left in the yellow zone, shifting its attention to Kirito. However, Jin pushed it back by kicking it on its abdomen, forcing it away from Kirito, who sheathed his swords and regrouped with Klein. It roared before Jin jumped towards its chest. In due to his rage, he began performing the next set of skills.
"Hiken: Shingu Renge Henka: Kasai no Senkai!"
Jin was rolling on the creature's body tearing pieces of the boss's flesh off as blood sprayed all over him, dying his body red. Immediately, he followed with another attack. He began rolling in the air, maiming the boss. The force caused the air to blow his hair back, showing his eyes. They were glowing off white while his irises glowed blood red.
"Hiken: Yasai no Hi!"
Using the skill, Jin kept cutting the Gleam Eyes on its leg, forcing it to stagger. He then dashed up to it and began slicing the neck off. The flames from his sword turned from a pure white to a raging red color from the relentless attacks that sprayed him in blood. The boss tried to outstretch its hand to stop Jin.
"Hiken: Shukuchi Henka: Mugen no Ken!"
Through the use of this variation, Jin's attacks pierced through the hand and arm, turning it to a bloody mush. With all his rage, Jin focused his final skill at the boss, which staggered back with fear. The boss's HP was now in the red zone.
"Hiken: Hono no Kanji!"
The fluid slashes from Jin were numerous before forming the shape on Gleam Eyes' abdomen. It was the kanji of anger (悻). The Gleam Eyes roared before it disappeared into blue polygons. Jin placed Amaterasu back in its scabbard before looking on the floor. He bellowed out his rage before collapsing on the floor, not paying attention to his HP, which was a very small sliver. He had 15 HP left. His hair eventually turn back to its normal, black color.
######
In a few minutes, Jin woke up. Kirito, Asuna, and Klein were all concerned for him.
Jin, thank goodness you're okay!" Asuna said.
Jin didn't respond, looking despondent for the loss of his friend.
"Once again… I survived, but not my friend…" He said, losing his will to live.
Asuna realized he was now losing himself in his sorrow. She slapped him to get him back.
"Snap out of it, Jin! This isn't like you!" Asuna yelled.
Jin remained quiet as Kirito and Klein all felt terrible for him. He didn't make any response.
"That was so reckless of you, Jin! I thought you would end up dead!" Asuna said.
Jin merely moved Asuna away from himself. He looked at the survivors to evaluate the casualties.
"How many losses?" Jin asked in a monotone voice.
"There were three casualties, including Kobatz." Klein reluctantly responded.
Jin fell to his knees in response. His eyes were still red.
"This was hardly a battle… It was a death fight…" Jin said, despondent.
"They should have listened to you, Jin… Damn it… Why didn't he?" Klein said in frustration.
Jin began to move to the staircase leading to the next floor. Klein ran to him, stopping Jin by holding his right shoulder.
"Jin! What you did just now, it made me happy to see that you care for others despite how much you've been through… Don't forget that…" Klein said, wiping his face.
Jin remained standing for a few seconds before moving forward. Although he didn't show it, his red eyes were shedding quiet tears.
'I knew Kobatz when we first fought against the boss on Floor 25… It was one of my failures in protecting those I cared for… Now here in Floor 74, I lost a friend whom I knew… How much more hell do I need to endure before I succumb to my torture…?' Jin thought.
Klein decided to talk with Kirito in regards of the performance the boys did against the boss.
######
Jin didn't ascend the stairs. For the next few days, he went into hiding in Floor 1 in town, away from the public eye. He didn't respond to anyone's messages. He kept a torn black robe on to cover is presence.
'I don't want anyone to bother me at this point… I heard of Kirito's trouble with information brokers trying to find him for details of him regarding of a new skill. However, they're more interested in me.' Jin thought.
In Floor 1, several players received news of the Gleam Eyes' defeat. It was spreading like a wildfire.
"Have you heard? The boss on Floor 74 was killed." A male spear user said.
"No way… Who was the one that killed it?" A male shield and sword user asked.
"I heard it was from the Black Swordsman and the Blaze Swordsman." A female sword user said.
"The Fiery Battosai was with the Clearers?" A male blunt weapon user asked.
"No, he and a solo player maimed the boss to death." A female sword user said.
Several players began reading the article, detailing of Kirito's 16-sword combo and Jin's immeasurable attacks.
'To think that boss forced me to use a variation of the Shukuchi… The AI of the bosses have been changing drastically.' Jin thought.
He sighed in response before using a teleport gate, teleporting to a different location.
######
In Floor 48, several players were also reading the article of the recent news. Nearby, a familiar blacksmith girl noticed the black robe. She recognize the person who wears it.
"Jin…?" Lisbeth said.
She followed Jin's retreating form. Jin heard Lisbeth coming to her, prompting to speed up.
"Jin, wait!" Lisbeth called out.
By then, he stopped for a moment. Lisbeth watched as he slowly turned around. When he removed the hood form the robe, she was shocked to see his face. His eyes remained red after the battle.
"Your eyes… They're red…" Lisbeth said with concern.
Jin remained quiet, unable to speak due to his reluctance.
"Why won't you say anything, Jin? Did something happen in that battle in Floor 74…?" Lisbeth asked reluctantly in concern.
She heard Jin sigh in response.
"It's not easy for me to say this… One of my friends, whom was with The Army, perished in front of me while trying to fight the boss in Floor 74… I don't want to share much about what happened…" Jin said.
The solemn tone from his voice was evident. Lisbeth gasped, realizing he lost a friend he was close to.
"I'm so sorry…" Lisbeth sympathized.
She went to Jin, hugging him immediately. This surprised the Blaze Swordsman, leaving him quiet for a bit.
"Jin… You have been through so much… Why can't you stay with someone that you'll love?" Lisbeth asked.
"Then the same person would be forced to deal with the pain I've endured. Everywhere I go, one or more of my friends perish in front of my eyes… Do you think any normal person would remain sane after seeing this happen frequently in less than a year?" Jin questioned, countering Lisbeth's.
"It's still wrong for you to hold it all to yourself… You have been alone for a long time with no one to fall in love with…" Lisbeth said.
"Nothing right now means anything more to me than to end this nightmare… I'm already at my breaking point…" Jin said, walking to a teleport gate.
Before Lisbeth could stop him, Jin teleported away. She watched the retreating form disappear, leaving her to watch the teleport gate.
######
Jin arrived in Floor 47, seeing the flowers through the horizon. This provided a form of peace for him. However, it was anything but peaceful. Several players took note of him, staring out at the fields. One in particular, was a familiar girl with a small dragon.
"Jin…?" Silica's voice said.
This shocked the players when Silica went up to him. Silica noted how quiet he was.
"Sorry, Silica… It's a terrible day for me…" Jin said.
Before Silica could ask what was wrong, Jin disappeared via warp gate. She tried to locate him, but there were no traces of his presence.
######
Jin arrived in Floor 1, only to end up meeting with the Moonlit Black Cats, who were coming back from a battle.
"Jin? Are you alright?" Sachi asked.
Jin looked at her for a few seconds. He then pulled his hood back, showing his blood red eyes.
"Your eyes… They've turned red…" She said in shock.
"They have been like this for a while… I'm not in a battle though… It's because I'm mourning…" Jin said.
"Mourning? Who are you mourning for?" Sachi asked, feeling terrible to see him in such a pitiful state.
"A friend of mine… He died in front of me when I was in Floor 74…" Jin said.
Sachi and the others noticed a stream of tears from his eyes. Only, there were tears of blood.
"Jin, your eyes are bleeding…" Sachi said.
