A/N: Ok time for the flashback chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.
It was a rather peaceful day on floor 60 in Aincrad as Wyvern's Inferno trained out in the open fields. The boss of the floor had just recently been located and many players, solo and guilds alike were getting stronger and gearing up for the next boss raid.
"Woo! Go Mai!" Alice cheered from the sidelines as she and Ren watched from their seat atop a giant stone.
Mai quickly ducked under the slice of a Deadly Killer Mantis and deftly stabbed her rapier into its head. The monster screamed in pain before its life bar dropped to zero and blew up in a blue flash.
"Haha! I'm getting stronger!" Mai said as she triumphantly waved around her weapon.
A sudden hand patted her on the head. She didn't even have to turn around to know who was giving that mocking pat. "Ah that's cute. She thinks killing an overgrown mantis is a challenge worth celebrating. Come back when you can kill a dragon then we'll celebrate."
Mai knocked away the condescending hand and sent a hard look at Helios. "Shut up! It's not like I only focus on strength like you! I do other stuff for this guild!"
Helios rolled his eyes and walked away from her. "Whatever, why don't you hunt some bigger game then we'll talk about being on even terms."
"That guy pisses me off so much." Alice growled. "Who does he think he is talking to Mai like that?"
Ren put a hand on Alice's shoulder and shook his head. "Don't be mad at the guy. He's an ass I know but he means well with what he's saying. He just doesn't know how to say it without being the way he is."
"I guess your right Ren. Can't expect him to change."
"Hey are we done here!?" Dagger yelled out to them. "I've just ran out of wares to sell to the chumps here on this floor and I need to go back to the base to restock!"
"Can you not think of money for one day!?" Ren yelled back at the clan's merchant.
"Oh why don't we answer your question with another question? Can you go one day without making out with Alice over there?" Dagger retorted. Their blushing faces was answer enough. "Yeah that's what I thought."
"Dagger's right though." Helios said as he walked next to her. "There are no challenges here. We're basically all ready to go kick this floor boss's ass. So why don't we-?"
A sudden boom behind the clan sounded, interrupting Helios. The guild turned around to see numerous trees falling to the ground to reveal a giant monster. It was large purple furred canine esque looking beast with two bull like horns and a yellow flowing mane around its neck and back. The name above its head read: Behemoth, as it yelled a fierce battle cry. The guild was shocked to see it was level 100, making it much stronger than anything on this floor. Probably even more powerful than the boss.
"What the hell is that thing?!" Alice yelled as she jumped off her seat and pulled out her weapon.
Ren did the same and drew his blade. "I don't know but there's no way something like this should be here! This looks like something that should appear on floor 70!"
"DIE YOU MONSTER!" A sudden voice yelled behind the beast. Ren looked to see a player jump in the air and stab the Behemoth in the head. "YOU KILLED MY WIFE AND NOW YOU'RE GONNA PAY!"
The Behemoth didn't even seemed fazed by the stab as it turned around and rammed its head back where the player was standing on and smashed into a tree. The player cried out in pain before the beast smashed its claws against him, sending his health into the red. The Behemoth lifted i's claws once more, ready to finish its victim off.
"NO!" Alice yelled as she rushed forward and parried the claw swipe away from the man and delivered a Rolling Kick to its maw, sending it skidding back a few feet.
"You impulsive idiot!" Helios yelled out as he drew his axe and charged at the monster. He jumped into the air and took a large swing into its back, making it roar in anger.
"Are you alright sir?" Alice said as she handed him a healing crystal. "Here take this."
"Thank you young lady." The player said weakly as he used it on himself, bringing him back to around almost full HP. "That beast just showed up out of nowhere. My wife and I tried to fight it but she... she..."
"Don't say anymore sir." Alice said as she stood up. "We will help to avenge your wife." Alice turned around and charged at the beast.
Helios swiped his axe against the Behemoth's claw, striking it away from him as he switched with Dagger who jumped on top of the beast and dragged her blade across its back, cutting away a good chuck of its health. The beast suddenly bucked its tremendous body forward, flipping the merchant off his back and knocking her away with its tail. Turning towards the fallen girl, the Behemoth made to charge at her but a stab to its chest stopped it.
"Oh no you don't!" Ren yelled as he jumped backwards from a swipe from the monster. His blade turned yellow as he activated a sword skill and pierced its right eye. "Switch!"
Alice rushed forward and sunk her scythe into the Behemoth's neck and yanked forward, giving its neck a huge, gaping slash dragging its HP to the low red zone.
"I got this!" Mai said as she charged with her rapier thrust forward, glowing red with an active skill. "You're mine beast!"
As she rapidly approached the beast, the monster gave a giant bellow and smashed his claw against Mai's body, knocking her far into a tree. As she hit the tree her health dropped downwards into a dangerous zone of red HP.
"NO MAI!" Alice tried to rush forward to her but the Behemoth gave another mighty roar, sending all the other guild members far away from it and Mai.
"NO DAMNIT!" Ren quickly got up and tried to rush at the monster but it was too late as the Behemoth raised its claws once more to finish the job.
Mai closed her eyes shut out of fear, not wanting to see the claw that would kill her. 'So this is how it ends.' Mai thought in her final moments. 'Never thought I'd be killed like this... Goodbye Alice... Ren... Dagger... even you Helios. I love you all...'
Moments passed as she waited for her fate but it never came. Slowly, Mai opened her eyes to see the Behemoth standing deathly still before it suddenly fell to the ground and disintegrated into a flurry of blue fragments.
"Wh-What!? What happened!?"
She looked around but saw nothing other than her friends and the man staring at her with disbelief on their faces. Soon the shock wore off as Mai made a breakneck run for Alice and hugged her while crying. Alice hugged the crying girl back and soothed her with comforting words.
"Well..." Helios started as he looked at Mai with a small smile. "Good job squirt. You really nailed that thing good."
Mai looked up from Alice's embrace with a confused look. "What are you talking about? I didn't kill it, I thought one of you guys did."
"What? Then who did-?"
"Look!" Dagger pointed towards the rock where Ren and Alice were once sitting to see a young man sitting on top of it with a blade drawn. The young man had long black hair which was tied in a ponytail and a mask sat upon the top part of his face, resembling that of a hawk. He wore a purple oriental shirt with a pair of Japanese styled gii pants that was tied with a red and black striped rope belt. The mystery person slowly sheathed his blade onto his back and turned around to the guild. With deft quickness, he jumped forward and landed in front of Mai and the others. Ren, Helios and Dagger stepped back in shock of the guy's speed while Alice's protective grip on Mai tightened.
"Here..." He said lowly and kneeled down as he brought out a healing crystal and shattered it towards Mai, healing her back to green health. "I trust that you are okay now?"
"Y-Yeah I am... Thanks for saving me..." Mai said softly.
The young man then got up and looked at Alice. Well, one would assume he was looking at her as with the mask on his face, it made it hard to tell. "And you. You should be more careful with your sister. Had I not been here, she would have died."
"Excuse me!?" Alice said as she let go of Mai and gave him a glare. "Where do you get off telling me how I should take care of my sister!?"
"He's kinda right you know." A quick glare from Alice made Helios flinch back. "I'm just saying!"
"Regardless, I am only speaking the truth. You were too careless with her." the young man continued. "She was only level 67 fighting a level 100 Behemoth. In any other circumstance she would have been killed, much like the man's wife before. I don't mean to make you mad, I am just stating my honest opinion."
"Well I don't care!"
"Alice stop!" Mai yelled at her sister. "We should be thanking him, not yelling at him! He saved my life and I am thankful for that." She turned to the young man and bowed to him. "Thank you again for saving me."
"Don't mention it though I am sorry for not showing up in time to save your wife sir."
The man shook his head and patted him on the shoulder. "No son, thank you for avenging her. Now her soul can rest in peace... Please, excuse me..." The man then lifted a teleport crystal. "Teleport! Town of Beginnings!" Then a flash of light, the man disappeared from the guild's sight and vanished into the town down at floor 1.
Ren moved forward and looked at the mysterious savior. "My name is Ren and this is my guild Wyvern Inferno."
"I know who you are, tactician of the front lines." The young man said. "Along with the rest of you. The Berserker Lotus, Alice. The Fragile Lily, Mai. The Unrelenting Psychopath, Helios. And The Rip-off Merchant Dagger."
"What did you call me?!" Mai growled.
"Do people really call me a beserker?" Alice wondered.
"Flattery will get you nowhere." Helios smirked.
"Ripoff might be overstating it a bit. But anyway, you wanna see my wares?" Dagger offered.
"He didn't mention me." Riku sobbed.
"Wyvern Inferno is a well-known guild, just like their leader, the head tactitian of the front lines." the mystery man continued.
"Heh, well I guess that makes introductions easier. But who are you?"
The young man brought his hand forward to Ren, as if asking for a handshake. "My name is Yaksha. I am from the clan Amaterasu. It is a pleasure to meet you in person."
Ren smiled as he shook the now known person's hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Wait." Dagger said suddenly. "Did you say Amaterasu? As in; 'The Golden Hunters' Amaterasu!? The clan that focuses on gathering rare equipment!?"
Yaksha nodded his head. "The very same."
Dagger grabbed both a Yaksha's arms and bowed her head low before looking at him with teary eyes. "...You... *hic* you're my heroes!"
Yaksha looked a bit weirded out but he was soon saved as Helios dragged his girlfriend off of him. "Dagger, you know how I get when you get clingy to other guys..."
"Sorry..."
Yaksha turned again to Ren. "Anyway I was wondering, would you honor me with a match Ren?"
"Excuse me?"
"I wish to fight you in a fight Ren." Yaksha said once again. "I have heard of your strength and I wish to pit myself against you. Will you fight me?"
Ren considered Yaksha's challenge for a moment before giving a nod of his head. "Alright i'll fight you. But can we do it later? I think we need some rest from today's excitement."
"Of course." Yaksha said as he opened his screen and send a message to Ren. Ren saw a screen open in front of his face.
'Accept Yaksha's Friend Request?' The screen asked. Ren pressed the yes button and the screen vanished.
"Until we meet again Ren." With that being said, Yaksha suddenly jumped in the air and vanished from their sight.
"He certainly is a character of his own." Alice said as she walked next to Ren.
Ren nodded his head in agreement but smiled. "Even so, the guy looks tough, I can't wait to fight him."
A/N: Phew. Writing two chapters in one week definitely wasn't easy but it was well worth it. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Till next week readers.