Gashadokuro Amanojaku:Thanks for all the input!
Well, that was embarrassing. We went in, all gung-ho, thinking that I could take anything that went my way. Not only was this embarrassing, but it was depressing! It made me think over how the hell I beat Kayaba, and cleared SAO. Maybe he isn't as strong as I thought, considering that we both took that Dungeon on. Him a Def/Str type, me a Agi/Int type. Opposite sides of the coin. If we couldn't take that damned Tree on, how could anyone? Maybe we weren't that good at all, I mean, the only way I could beat him was because I was fighting for Argo's life, and am I fighting for something I hold dear? Or am I just fighting? I don't know Angelica that well, we only spent a year and a half together… fuck you Tryn! She is your friend! How could you think of such things?! Outside of ALO, I voiced this to Argo. Her reaction was a really hard slap to the face. "That is the kind of attitude that makes you fail! She is in danger, and you are here to free her! Or are you going to chicken out?" I started studying my shoes.
"I don't know if I can help her. If I try, I am sure she will die right in front of my eyes! How do we know that Suguo hasn't rigged her like we were rigged in SAO?" She slapped me again. But this one was accompanied with a peck to the cheek. She grabbed my chin and pulled my head to look at her. Where she kissed me was tingling. "Now, listen, Baka!" She said, as though scolding a three year old. "You are going to bust her out, no ,alter what! You know that she will not die as long as you are there to protect her! You are the hero of the Death Game, you are the leader of the Blades of Aincrad, you are my love! I know you can do this!" She pressed her lips against mine, her tongue slithering into my mouth. As always, I reveled in the feeling of kissing her, but it felt different. Almost forced.
"I am still unsure…" I said, almost on the verge of tears.
"Baka! We have Kayaba in our corner! He is the creator of the same system the ALO runs on!"
"But Suguo wrote that program too! He knows it as well as Kayaba!" I said. She slapped me a third time. I flopped back on my bed, and started sobbing.
She grabbed the collar of my t-shirt, and pulled me up, hugging me.
"You will succeed. I know it. I, Argo the Rat, believe in you. And you know whatever I think, is right" I took comfort in her words. I am just being stupid. We have Kayaba, me and him can do anything! We ate a huge dinner, and slept. We have school the next day, even though I am an adult, and already know everything they are teaching me (YouTube is sooo awesome!), I go, mostly to help tutor the other kids who don't understand the material as well as I. Argo hated it when the blonde-bimbos came up to me, with their really low cut shirts, and really high skirts. They always seemed to direct the conversation to how handsome I am, or how hot they are. That exchange always ended with Argo pulling me away, saying that I already had plans that evening. After school ended, we ate again, planning to pull an all-nighter in ALO.
We met outside the World Tree, for round 2. We entered, and Kayaba and I hacked these mobs to shreds. It got very bad when some of them learned to throw their lances, which I dodged easily, but Kayaba wasn't so lucky. They did hit him, spears going through his armor, and sticking there, but still did little damage. We landed, huffing and puffing.
"This seems to be futile. They spawn faster than even we can kill them" the knight said.
"Then how about we crash the party!" I heard a familiar Cait Sith leader shout. I turned to see Alicia Rue, with about a hundred Cait Sith… riding dragons. Wow, that's not impressive at all. She was accompanied by Sylph warriors and Undine mages. Oh, yeah.
"So, want some help?" She asked, astride one of the great beasts.
"Oh absolutely!" I shouted. We fought with renewed vigor, even Liz, Argo, and Silica pitching in! Though, they spawned faster still. My friends and I (and Kayaba) re grouped on the ground.
"Goddamn!" Swore Liz. "We can't beat this!" We sat, recuperating, for the next onslaught.
"I have an idea…" started Argo. She looked at the knight, "How about we use your and Tryth's [Shining Sword] skill, but with four people…."
The knight nodded. "There is a sub skill, called [Shining Star]. It requires at least three knife wielders, and a sword user. We have those requirements."
"Awesome, so what about me?" Asked the smith.
"You will follow us, stay close. We will be moving very fast." She nodded.
"So, how do we do this?" I interjected. He explained it, and it sounded knight stood, holding his sword above him, pointing straight up. Argo, Silica and I stood around him, backs against him, our knives pointed straight forward. Then it started.
Kayaba activated his [Shining Sword] skill, and we started spinning. Fast. I felt like I was going to throw up some virtual bile, but, the system doesn't allow that. I was vaguely aware that we were going up…. fast. We stopped spinning, and we were above the mobs… a huge gaping hole in the wall of them. I looked above me, and there was a large white wall, with seams in it.
"Kayaba, your up!" I shouted. He might be able to get us inside somehow. The mobs turned from their Cait Sith, Sylph, and Undine targets, to face us, who dared to get close to the doorway they were protecting. Oh, shit.
"Little faster please!" Shouted Liz.
They advanced. Oh, shit. So close, yet so far. Then, I heard a hiss behind me, and I felt like I was jerked out of my skin. When I landed, I landed hard. I sat up, to see us inside a stark white hallway. I saw my friends and Kayaba near me. Well, we got here virtually unscathed, except for my HP bar, in the red. I layed on my back, and sighed. Part one done, next, part two. I stood.
"So, where to, Kayaba?" Asked Silica.
"This way." The knight led us down the never ending twists and turns of sterile white. After this is all over with, I think I will gladly take Argo to that Couples Diner. Gladly. Kayaba stopped in front of a door, and it opened. Outside was a tree branch, thicker than many humans strapped together. On the end of the branch was a birdcage…
Nothing could stop me from dashing at that cage. "Angelica!" I shouted, and grabbed the bars.
"Tryth?" She asked. She was wearing very little. She had on a bikini, which showed us the many cuts and scrapes along her arms. Kayaba appeared beside me, gently pushed me out of the way, and with a single punch, broke down the door. I rushed to the girl I haven't seen in almost two years. I hugged her tight, and she did me. "I thought you were dead" I whispered in her ear.
"And I thought you were" she said.
"I am sorry I didn't come sooner"
"You are here now, that's what matters"
I heard a voice that set my teeth on edge. "Sorry to interrupt the happy reunion" I let go of the nearly bare girl in front of me. I looked into her eyes. She was scared. I could see her trembling. I turned. In front of me was a tall blonde man, with blue eyes. He wore light liver armor, and a green cloak on the outside. He had a one handed longsword at his waist.
"Ooooh, it's the Shadow Reaper of Sword Art Online, pleased to make your acquaintance!" He said this with a mock bow. "I am Oberon, and Fairy King." We weren't in the cage anymore. We were somewhere pitch black, but I could still see. My friends were standing, weapons at the ready. I shook my head to them, not yet.
"Suguo, what have you done to her?" I asked the man in front of me.
"What are you talking about?" He said, straightening.
I gestured to the dust on her body.
"Oh, those" he mused. "Oh, we had some fun" the way he said "fun" made me want to rip out his throat.
"Liz, you are about the same size as Angelica, give her some clothes please". The smith rushed over, and I heard mumbled thanks behind me.
"What are you planning?" I asked. He laughed sadistically
