CH 32 - Witch Time
"Perfect weather for a nap, don't you think?" Kirito asked.
"That's right." Asuna replied, a nostalgic smile creeping on her face.
I looked up. The sun was shining bright, but the air was slightly cool. The sky was dyed blue, and the absence of clouds made sure that the weather wouldn't change anytime soon. A breath of fresh air compared to the last area we went through.
"I dunno about napping, but…ain't a bad time to crack open a cold one." I opened my player menu and took out my drink. It was a transparent glass flask filled with root beer. The bottom of the flask had a separate compartment that contained Eternal Ice - ice that wouldn't melt unless exposed to really hot temperature - that kept the contents of the main compartment nice and cool. I held it to my mouth and took a swig. "...ah, perfect."
"~" Walking beside me, Silica smiled and looked at the sky. A slight gust made her hair sway, and she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
Cute, as always.
"Oh, I know! Instead of napping, how about a picnic? If we ever find a safe zone in the Hollow Area that's set outside, let's bring Yui-chan with us." Asuna suggested.
"Sounds like a plan." Kirito grinned.
"Count me in." I chimed in.
"Me too!" Silica said.
Asuna turned to Phila. "Do you want to come too, Philia?"
"...if it's okay…" Philia mumbled and nodded with a slight smile.
"Then it's decided."
We were at a part of the Selvendys Sea of Trees Area, quite a ways away from where I first met Philia. Other than the trees bearing some kind of pink, apple-sized fruits, the place wasn't anything different from a normal Forest Area.
Well, except for one thing.
"That's the location, right?" Silica pointed toward the sole structure on the horizon. It was a black monolith, but it had neon purple lines that brightened and dimmed like it was a breathing.
I opened my Player Menu to check. "Yup."
"It sticks out like a sore thumb, doesn't it?"
"Meaning there's probably traps littering the place if they made its location that obvious."
"Pina, can you do a wide scan?" Silica asked her companion.
"Kyururu!" Pina chirped in affirmative and flew a short distance above. After a few moments, she hovered back down and let out a string of trills and chirps. Judging by her intonations and body language…
"We're safe for now. She didn't detect any traps close by." I said. They silently looked at me. "What?"
"You can understand what Pina was saying, Riwet-kun?" Asuna asked. "That's quite impressive."
I shrugged. "I've been around her long enough so I'm bound to pick up a thing or two." I took two pieces of peanut out and used it to grab the dragon's attention. "Good work. Catch!" I hurled it upward, the peanuts separating and falling into their own separate trajectories.
"Kyururu!" Pina skillfully caught the two peanuts in one swoop and even struck a pose with her facing us with her wings spread wide.
I gave a brief applause. The others followed suit.
"Hey, Riwet-kun, Silica-chan, does Pina ever get lonely?" Asuna asked us.
"Hmm...I don't really know." SIlica replied. "I'm always here for her, just like how she's always there for me, but…"
"She pouts at me if I don't give her peanuts every once in a while, but yeah, she's usually happy to be here." I chimed in to try and lighten the subject.
"I see...then, Riwet-kun, if you can understand her it to that degree, it means that you have the potential to be a Beast Tamer, yourself. Wouldn't it be a good idea tame a beast for yourself so that Pina will have someone to play with?
Pina hurriedly perched onto my head. "Kyururu! Kyururu!" She trilled indignantly.
I let out a chuckle. "I'm not really interested in dealing with other beasts aside from her. And besides, this little girl ain't too keen on sharing, as you can see here."
Asuna let out a smile. "I'm sorry I misunderstood you, Pina-chan. I'll make some treats as an apology. I'll also use your favorite peanuts as part of the ingredients!"
Pina's demeanor immediately changed. "Kyururu! Kyurururu!" The little dragon flew to Asuna's shoulder and nuzzled her head into Asuna's cheek.
"Wah! That tickles! Ehehe!" Asuna giggled and patted Pina's head.
"Well, if there's one thing that'll make Pina happy, it's the promise of food."
Asuna grinned. "Oh, just like Kirito-kun, then."
"Oi." Kirito chimed in.
The group had a laugh at that.
Pina suddenly perked up and tilted her head. After a second, she flew to Silica's shoulder and let out a string of hushed noises.
"...Pina senses someone close by." Silica pointed to the side. "Over there."
I narrowed my eyes. "Is it an enemy we should look out for, or just someone minding their business?"
She shook her head. "She's not sure. The person is positioned behind a tree, so she couldn't quite tell."
"Let's at least go check it out." Kirito suggested.
We silently approached the area where Pina spotted someone. Eventually, we were able to locate them.
More than that, it was a familiar face.
"Strea!" Asuna shouted. We ran over and approached her. "Strea…?"
"..." there was no response. Strea wasn't hiding. She was unconscious, her back propped up against the tree.
And considering the glistening sweat that covered her body and her ragged breaths, she wasn't getting any rest at all.
"She looks like she's in pain. Is she having a nightmare?" Silica muttered.
"I don't know, but we should wake her up and make her drink a potion or something." Kirito reached out with her hand to try and shake her awake.
"...!" As soon as he touched her shoulder, Strea's eyes shot open and she jumped back. "...you..." She glared at us - specifically towards Kirito.
"Woah, easy there, Strea. It's us. Are you alright?" Kirito asked.
"..." She didn't reply and only silently glowered at us, hunched over like a cornered animal.
"Strea-" Asuna stepped forward and reached out with her hand.
"Don't come any closer!" She snapped. "Don't destroy me..."
"...what? Destroy you…?" Asuna said in a confused, but sad tone.
"...!" Strea must have realized what she just said. "I ...I'm sor...I…" She took an unsteady step back and cradled her head. "I…"
"Strea…"
"Kh!" Strea turned around and ran away.
"Strea! Wait!" Asuna tried to call out to her, but Strea just continued running.
"What's wrong with her?" Kirito spoke up.
"She said something about us 'destroying' her''. Any idea what that means?' I asked.
We hung our heads low and contemplated. Other than 'she was probably a Hollow so she's unstable and unpredictable', no other explanation came to mind.
The moment was cut short when we heard the sounds of battle nearby. "HYAAA!" A shrill scream, accompanied by forceful impacts and explosions.
We rushed toward the source of the voice. As we went closer and closer, I could see that sounds were coming from a clearing.
Due to their higher AGI, the others reached the edge of the clearing and crouched to observe the battle.
"Kirito-kun! Wait!" Asuna screamed as Kirito just leaped into the fray.
"What happened?!" I asked her as soon as I caught up to them
"I don't know! He took one look at who was fighting-"
I took a look at the scene.
And it was enough for me to rush in and draw Caerulus out.
I mean, how could I resist?
She was there.
And she was in danger.
There were two monsters attacking her. They were humanoid stone golems, each one twice my size. The stones that made up the monsters were black and had a tinge of purple.
Kirito was locked in battle with one of them. The other one targeted her and wound its arm back.
I darted in and blocked the attack. "...!" The impact pushed me back a bit, but I was able to knock the attack back. "Are you alright?!" I turned my head and asked her.
"Ye-yes! Thank you very much, you two!"
I turned my head to look at her. She was wearing her iconic outfit - a frilly blue top that exposed her midriff with a matching skirt that billowed out like an upside down flower.
"No problem." Kirito and I said at the same.
"Stardust Witch Alpha Omega!"
Kirito turned to the others. "Everyone! I'll explain everything later, I promise! For now, help Riwet and I protect her!"
The others nodded and joined the fray.
I don't know why one of the characters of my most beloved Magical Girl shows was here in SAO, but now's not the time for questions.
Now's the time for violence.
"Watch out! They're tough!" Kirito shouted. He drew one of his swords back and quickly jabbed the monster. His sword bounced off before it hit. It was as if the monster was wearing an invisible layer of armor.
Which meant…
"A magical forcefield!"
"A what?!" Asuna shouted. "Magic!?"
"Seiya-gh!" Silica hit it with a Weapon Skill, but the monster was barely damaged. "Then how in the world are we supposed to fight them!?"
"E-everyone! Please, Listen!" Alpha said. "I-I can hurt them! I j-just need some time to cast my magic!"
I let out a sharp breath and adopted a defensive stance. "You heard her! Let's stall 'em!"
The fight continued. Instead of trying to deal damage to the monsters, we focused on diverting the monsters' attention toward us while Alpha started her incantations.
Stardust Witch Meruru was a classic anime, dating way, way back in 2008. It told the story of an interplanetary war between Evil Star, a planet that whose denizens wanted to take over the galaxy starting with Earth, and Pretty Star, a planet whose denizens wanted to stop them. The reason Evil Star wanted to start with Earth was because they determined that young Terran girls possessed high levels of magic, especially if they possessed a pure and innocent heart, so they sent their queen and strongest warrior, Thanatos Eros, to Earth so that she could corrupt them and turn into Dark Witches like herself.
Fortunately, Comet-kun, Pretty Star's best warrior, reached Earth first. He enlisted the help of Meru Akaboshi and Arufa Kurotsuki, two young girls who possessed the high levels of magic. Comet-kun transformed them into Stardust Witches, magical protectors of the universe that would keep us safe from evildoers.
Eventually, Alpha Omega finished her chanting, and she pointed her hand toward the golems.
"Please get away from them!" We nodded at her and got out of the way.
Blue light appeared on the ground, the light intensifying rapidly. Before the golems were able to react, the light shot up and formed a pillar, engulfing them and rising past them until it stopped way up high. I could feel its raw power from where I stood.
Amongst the Stardust Witches, Alpha Omega's most defining trait was control. She didn't have the best destructive power or the fastest cast time, but she could mould her spells into whatever form she pleased.
The light pillar disappeared. The golems were reduced to charred rock and disintegrated.
"Did we do it?!" Silica shouted.
I was about to cheer, but I noticed an ominous glimmer in the sky. "No...over there!" I pointed at the light.
Kirito's face paled. "That's not good."
"Everybody, please come over to me!" Alpha shouted.
"What? What's happening!?" Silica asked fervently.
"It's Thanatos Eros! Please, come close to me so I can shield you!"
We nodded and huddled close to her. She raised her wand high and let out an incantation. A blue sphere emanated from the top of her wand and expanded, enveloping us inside it.
Just in time to shield us from a beam of purple energy.
"Gh!" I hugged Silica and shielded her with my body. I could feel the power and intensity of the beam even though Alpha Omega's barriers. The beam was one of Thanatos Eros' strongest attacks. There won't be anything left of us if it hit directly.
Small cracks started to litter the barrier. "Don't fall!" Alpha Omega shouted, fervently trying to mend the cracks.
"You can do it! We believe in you!" Kirito encouraged.
After what seemed to be an eternity, the attack slowly dissipated, until it finally ended.
I raised my head just in time to see Alpha's staff consumed by numerous cracks before it violently shattered, sending a shockwave all around us.
The impact was weak, but I felt lightheaded. "What…?"
My eyes wandered to the others. Philia, Kirito, and Asuna were lying on the ground a short distance away, unconscious. Pina, seemingly unaffected by the shockwave, circled around her master. She was crooning frantically, but it sounded so far away...
"Ri…" Silica was beside me. She stared at me in a daze, but I could see the fear and worry in her eyes before her legs tumbled and she started falling towards me.
I let go of Caerulus and held my hands out catch her.
And then everything went black.
…
…
"..." I heard voices. They sounded so far away...
"...uru…" The voices slowly
"Ngh…" I groaned and opened my eyes. Everything was still a blur, but I slowly started getting a hold of myself.
"Kyururu! Kyururu!" Pina was at my side. I could hear the relief in her tone.
I slowly tried to get up, but I realized that someone was laying on my chest. It only took me a second to realize who that person was. "...Silica…?" My voice...no...everything felt weird.
"Ngh…" She groaned.
I lightly tapped her back. "Are you alright?"
"Ri...Riwet…?...yes...I...I'm al-" Silica looked up and froze. "What...?"
"What? What happened?"
"Y-you...you're Riwet, right?"
She drew out a mirror from her Player Menu and faced it towards me.
Another Silica stared back from the mirror.
"What…?" I touched my face. The Silica in the reflection did the same. "I...I'm you…?" Was all I could say. What the absolute hell…
Silica rolled off from me and helped me up. I was about to take a moment to check what really happened to me before I realized something. "Where are the others?" I asked her.
We looked around and found them nearby. Asuna was lying on the ground. Silica crouched down and shook her shoulder. "Asuna-san, are you alright?"
"nn...Silica-chan…?" Asuna slowly came to and held onto Silica as she pulled her up.
I nodded and looked at the black-clothed person who was lying beside her.
Kirito was already good looking, with sort of a cute charm to him that juxtaposed with how ferocious he was on the battlefield.
But just like me, he'd been changed to look like a UR waifu.
I touched his shoulder. "Hey. You alright?"
"Nn…." Kirito stirred and slowly opened his eyes. His unfocused gaze found me, and he stared at me as if he was in a trance.
"..." I found myself mesmerized by her-his appearance.
"Silica…?" His voice pulled me out of my stupor. Despite the change in appearance, his voice remained the same.
I shook off my thoughts and helped him up. "Not quite."
After we helped them up and gathered our bearings, we took a moment to analyze the situation. We were unconscious for about an hour. We found Alpha Omega lying unconscious on the ground. She didn't look like she was waking up, so I carried her on my back as we moved.
We found Philia lying nearby. When we woke her up, she seemed out of sorts. We explained to her what happened, but she just nodded absently and cradled her head.
"Are you alright…? Asuna asked.
"Yeah...I just feel...tired…I'm seeing two Silica-chans...I don't..."
Asuna nodded silently. "Let's get you back to the Administration Area." She helped her up and lent a shoulder. Fortunately, there was a Transport Console nearby. "I'll lay her down and tell Yui what happened. You three try and figure out what just happened."
We nodded. Asuna nodded back, and the two of them dissipated.
I set Alpha Omega down and propped her up against a tree. "All right…" I looked at myself. My avatar was changed to look almost exactly like Silica, but with some noticeable differences. My appearance, height, and general body size were identical. Kirito said that my voice was more or less the same as her, but a bit different because of how I talked.
The most striking difference was that my eyes and hair were black, and my hair was longer. Whereas Silica's hair only stretched just a bit under her shoulders, mine reached my waist.
Speaking of waist, I reached between my legs to check.
And I didn't feel anything.
There was nothing there.
Nothing.
Not even the other equivalent.
It felt like I was grabbing my armpit.
...
Yeah.
As for Kirito's case, it was definitely him, but like me, his appearance was that of a female. Long, glimmering black hair littered the ground next to her. His face had undergone small, but very noticeable differences. His eyelashes were longer and his lips were colored in a perfect natural pink. He'd shrunk to become as tall and as slender as us.
If I had to describe it, the transformation turned me into more or less an older version of Silica, and Kirito into a female version of himself.
If I had to describe it further, I'd use the words 'innocent but bewitching' on Kirito.
And of course, 'divine and angelic' on mine.
Also, yeah. He checked his lower body. Also nothing.
"*stare*" Silica silently stared at me.
"What's up?" I asked her.
"I can't believe how much you look like me."
I looked at myself in the mirror. "Yeah…" I looked back at her, and I noticed that she was staring at me a bit weirdly. "What's up?"
"How do I say this...you look more...mature than me…"
I glanced at Silica, then back at me. Silica, then at me. "...meh. You're a bit more attractive."
She looked away, her face a bit tinged in a pink color. "W-what makes you say that?"
I shook my head and patted hers. "You're mistaking 'cold and detached' to mature. Your face is better with a smile on it."
"Nn...ehehe~"
"See? Just like that."
"Heeh~" Kirito hummed from beside us. "I see, I see…"
"What's up?"
"Yui offhandedly said that you give really good headpats. I'm taking notes."
"Well, as you can see, I've got lots of opportunities to practice."
"Yeah...Asuna doesn't like being pat on the head. She says that it's like being treated like a kid."
"Hmm…" I turned back to Silica. "Do you feel that way?"
"Hmm…not really…I don't feel that you're patronizing or belittling me by patting my head...so I'd rather have them than not."
"That's good to know."
A sphere of light coalesced and dispersed, revealing Asuna. "I'm back." She greeted.
"Welcome back." I replied. "How's Philia?"
"She's resting. I explained everything to Yui-chan. She didn't have any information about what happened and advised us to wake the NPC up. She should have a questline of some sort, which is tied to getting the Chromacite Fragment. She'll also be caring for Philia until she feels better."
"That's good to know."
"So, without further ado…" Asuna pulled out what seemed to look like lipstick from her inventory and approached Kirito.
"What are you doing?" He replied, taking a step back and eyeing her suspiciously.
"Come on! Just for one quick second~" Asuna urged.
Kirito tried to get away, but he eventually relented. Asuna led him a distance away and started applying the stuff on him.
…
"Done~" Asuna giggled. "I would've wanted to put on a makeup, as well~"
"G-give me a break…"
Asuna turned him toward us. "What do you think?"
"Pretty…" Silica muttered. I couldn't agree more. The lipstick didn't have any color - it just made her-his already eye-catching lips to be all sparkly.
It seemed such a little thing, putting a little bit of lipstick, but it really made a difference...
I shook my head and cleared my throat. "Let's go find a way to turn us back, yeah?"
"Seconded." Kirito nodded.
I glanced to where Alpha Omega was rested. "The last thing I remember was her staff breaking and making a bang. I think she's rested enough, so let's try and wake her up."
We walked towards her. "She doesn't have a cursor…" Silica pointed out. "An NPC?"
"Yeah, sure looks like it. Not just someone cosplaying. She looks like the real deal." I explained excitedly.
"The real deal? You two know this person, right? Who is she?" Asuna asked.
"You don't know?! She's Alpha Omega!" I exclaimed.
She tilted her head. "...Arufa...who?"
"Alpha Omega! From Stardust Witch Meruru!" Kirito replied excitedly. "One of the greatest Magical Girl shows in the known universe!"
"That's right! That's right!" I vigorously nodded before I looked at Kirito. "I see that you're a man of culture as well."
"Indeed, my fellow brethren."
Asuna looked at Silica and tilted her head. Silica shook her head. "It doesn't ring a bell, really."
"Well, don't sweat it. When we get out SAO, let's binge watch the show! We can eve-" Before I finished what I said, I had a revelation. "No…this can't..." I muttered in disbelief.
"What is it, Riwet?" Kirito asked.
I looked at him straight in the eye. "...SAO made us miss the remake." A remake was set to be released back in January 2023, two months after SAO went live.
Kirito froze as he heard my words, and his eyes glittered with malice. "Kayaba Akihiko will pay for this."
I gave a grim nod. "Indeed, he will."
Asuna and Silica looked at us like we were idiots. I don't blame them. They just don't understand Meruru yet.
I crouched down next to Alpha, and lightly shook her shoulder. "Hey. Are you awake?"
"..." She stirred a bit and mumbled. "It's weekend...no...classes…"
I shook her a bit more forcefully. "Wake up, please."
"Ngh..." That did the trick. She made a cute little sound before she slowly opened your eyes. "Wh-what…?"
"Are you awake?" I held out my hand.
"Th-thank you, onee-chan." She took it and I helped her up.
I stifled a chuckle. "Not quite right."
We exchanged introductions and gave a brief overview of what happened. I opened my Player Menu and handed her a piece of the staff that I found on the ground. "This is the only thing that's left of your staff." It was a brilliant blue gemstone that sat on top of her wand. "Can you help us?"
Arufa absently took the gemstone from me. "I can...but I...I need a wand…"
"Is there some way we can get you a new wand? Maybe repair it?" If it came down to it, I'll ask around. There's bound to be Hollow that's based on a Blacksmith who's willing to help out a cutie.
She shook her head. "I...I need my wand….the one that I used earlier...was a spare…" She pointed at a monolithic structure. "...my wand is there...I...I don't know why I know that...I just...I can feel it calling to me..."
"So, if you have the wand, you can undo this and bring us back to normal?"
Alpha slowly nodded. "Y-yes...i-it's my fault that you are like this…b-but I can't fight without a wand. W-will you help me?"
Kirito came forward again and touched her shoulder. "You shielded us from that beam attack earlier, so it's only right to repay you. We'll get your wand back."
"Thank you very much!" Alpha let out a bright smile - the first one that she made since she woke up.
And with that, we were off.
***
Loading...Complete
***
"Haa!" Kirito let out a shout, driving his twin Elucidators toward an enemy Orc Crusher. I could see that the swing was awkward. "Kh!" He grunted and gritted his teeth when the monster blocked it with its weapon.
"Fall back!" I darted in between them and unleashed Mach Kick on the monster's weapon. The weapon flew from the monster's arm as it staggered back, giving us just enough time to retreat. I jumped back but fumbled the landing a bit.
"Look out!" Silica caught me from falling backward and supported me from behind.
"Kyururu!" Pina swooped in and blasted a stream of debilitating bubbles toward the enemy.
"Begone!" Asuna finished the monster off with a Star Splash. The monster roared and disappeared into particles.
"Whew...it's over." I heard Silica sigh from behind.
I cleared my throat. "Yeah, about that." I tapped her hand.
"...eh…?" It took her a moment to realize that she was groping my breast. "Wah! S-sorry!" She squealed and hurriedly let go.
"Heh, don't sweat it." I laughed it off and patted her head. We confirmed that no other monsters were nearby, and then we continued on.
The fight was sloppy. Regarding Kirito and I, there were no changes to our stats and Skill Proficiencies, but the change in our bodies messed with us. I just felt weird all over, and I'm sure that Kirito felt the same way. We encountered other groups of enemies, but we decided to switch it up. Asuna and Silica dealt damage and opened the enemy. I focused solely on tanking so I don't have to worry about attacking. Kirito hung back and waited for the opportune moment.
That tactic worked well for that encounter. Not focusing on attacking made me more aware of my sense of equilibrium so my movements became more solid for the most part, and Kirito didn't have to worry about opening the monster up first so his attacks dealt good damage and knockback while keeping him safe. So far so good...
"I'm really sorry about all of this." Arufa chimed in, her head hung low.
"It's fine, but you should get something that doesn't go crazy when it breaks so it doesn't happen next time." I stated, and she silently nodded. "So, what happened, anyway? Why don't you have your usual wand with you?"
"...I was under the control of Thanatos Eros. She was a bad lady, and she wanted to rule the world. She forced me to fight Meruru-chan, my best friend who was also a magical girl…" Her face turned solemn. "Meruru-chan and I fought for hours...she could have easily beaten me, but she held back because I was her friend. When we were both exhausted, Thanatos Eros suddenly appeared and casted her beam spell. In order to get away, Meruru-chan blasted me with her spell and shielded herself...or so I thought..." Tears started forming on the sides of her eyes.
"Alpha-chan?"
"Meruru-chan's magic attack didn't hurt me one bit. Instead, it broke Thanatos Eros' control over me. And even though she was too tired to even speak, she darted in and shielded me with her body. I barely got out alright, but….Meruru-chan...Thanatos Eros...took her away….and took our wands away...and I couldn't do anything but watch…" Tears spilled from her eyes, and she hung her head down and raised her arms to cover her face. "Thanatos Eros is hiding my wand...and Meruru-chan...to that place...but now that my only wand is broken...I can't do anything...I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Meruru-chan…" She fell on her knees and wept.
Silica approached her and hunched down to her level, softly grabbing her shoulder. "Don't cry, Alpha-chan. You're strong. You can do this."
"B-but I don't know if I can…"
"But you should still try." Asuna chimed in, her face stern. "If you can't use magic, then use something else. Meruru-chan gave her all to protect you. And wherever she is right now, she needs you. It's only right to save her in return."
"..." Alpha Omega pondered her words. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "...I...I'll…" She looked up at us, her face resolute. "I'll save her...whatever it takes...I'll save her…!"
Asuna's stern face melted into a smile. "Very good. And don't worry so much. We'll all be there, supporting you along the way."
"That's right." Silica spoke up.
Kirito stepped forward toward her. "My body may have changed, but I can still help. You can count on us."
I also stepped forward. "What he said."
"Y-yes! Everyone...t-thank you very much!"
We continued on our journey. I noticed Kirito vacantly starting in the distance as if pondering something. "Something on your mind?"
Kirito turned to look at Alpha. She was on the side playing with Pina. He nodded and faced us. "I know that magic users like Alpha Omega may as well be unique NPCs, but magic in SAO...could you imagine?"
"Hmm...when I play RPGs, I usually don't invest much in magic. Only the simples one to supplement my normal attacks. I'll still use my usual attacks most of the time" I replied.
"This is my first game, so I don't really know…" Asuna trailed off.
"Same with Asuna-san. Sounds interesting, though." Silica added.
"Hmm…" Kirito contemplated. "...in theory, it would make fighting in SAO safer since dedicated mages can attack from a distance while also buffing the frontline tanks. On the other hand," he glanced at Alpha, "Based on what we saw earlier, magic attacks pack a punch but the user needs time to cast, leaving them wide open."
"And if SAO's sadistic enough to employ enemies that use magic, or hell, anti-magic areas…" I took a deep breath. "Depending on how magic will be implemented-no, regardless of how it'll be implemented, it'll make a big impact on how we play."
"...well, even if that happens, we'll be able to handle it." Asuna chimed in. "We're the Clearers. Adapting to uncertain - and even unfavorable - circumstances and turning them to our advantage is our forte. It's what we've done, and it's what we'll do"
Kirito smiled at her. "Damn right."
We eventually came close to the Labyrinth. As expected, the area had tons of traps littered within it, with the occasional golem here and there. Inside the labyrinth were more traps and more enemies.
The enemies and traps got more challenging as we ascended the labyrinth floors until we reached the final floor, where there was none. Which could only mean one thing...
"...Thanatos Eros is expecting us." Silica commented.
"What should we do?" Alpha Omega asked.
"We press on. We have no other choice. Stay close, okay?"
"Okay…"
We eventually reached the final room. It was empty, save for a pedestal on the far side of the room.
And there, floating slightly above the pedestal was...
"My wand!" Alpha pointed excitedly.
We quickly approached the pedestal once we determined that there weren't any traps. Alpha Omega slowly reached for the wand-
"Hahahaha!" A haughty laugh permeated throughout the area. "Well done, Alpha Omega. Well done in finding a handful of misguided souls gullible enough to fight your battles for you."
From the other end of the area, purple smoke spun like a whirlwind. It slowly intensified before it landed on the ground and dispersed, revealing the Dark Witch Thanatos Eros.
She had long, light purple hair that flowed with the wind. Her head was slightly raised, and her blood-red eyes looked down at us. Her mouth, tinged with purple-colored lipstick, was curled up in a haughty smirk.
Her familiar, a snake-like alien creature named Octopus, was wrapped around her body, which was dressed in a skin-tight suit that accentuated her well-developed figure.
"Thanatos Eros!" Arufa shouted. "Where's Meruru-chan!? Bring her back!"
Thanatos Eros's smile widened. "Meruru-chan, you say? Fufufu…" She snapped her fingers. "My dear Meruru-chan, they're calling for you, so come out~"
Another figure jumped from the shadows. Arufa took a step back as soon as she recognized the newcomer. "Meruru...chan?"
It was indeed the eponymous Stardust Witch Meruru. However, she was different. Her usual pink-colored dress was replaced by dark clothes with a design that evoked an impish, devil-like feel. Her skin was noticeably tanned and her pink hair was dyed with a color similar to Thanatos Eros', and her innocent, cyan eyes were dyed red and glowing with malice. A glowing purple gem was attached to her forehead.
Alpha stared in disbelief. "No...what did you do to her?!"
"Oh, this and that. You'll experience it...soon enough." Thanatos grinned and turned to Meruru. "My dear Meruru-chan, would you kindly entertain our guests?"
"..." Meruru let out a wicked grin and charged towards us.
***
Cue Music: Venetian Snares - Hajnal
***
"...!" I was blown back by a magically-enhanced flying roundhouse kick from the Stardust Witch. The others scrambled and surrounded her from all sides.
Not good. Stardust Witch Meruru was renowned for her sheer power, both in close and long ranges. She demonstrated this by continuing to attack me while she dodged the onslaught from three other people. Within a few seconds, she made it clear that she was more than a match for the four of us. And she was just getting started.
Alpha Omega hurriedly took her staff from the pedestal and pointed it at Meruru. "Hang on, Meuru-chan! I'll get rid of whatever that bad person had done to you!"
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." Thanatos clicked her tongue and wiggled her finger. "Did you really think that things would be that easy?"
The gemstone on the top of the wand glowed an ominous purple color, and black sludge poured out from it. "Wh-what?!" The sludge started to spill onto her hands and slowly moved closer to her body.
"Arufa-chan! Thanatos Eros put a trap on your staff! Let go of it before it consumes you!" Kirito shouted at her.
Alpha Omega silently looked down at her staff.
"Hurry up and let go!" Kirito said.
She looked at Meruru, and then to Kirito and I "...no…"
"What?!"
"No! I can't! I...I'll save you…! I'll save you all!" She looked down and started concentrating. The stone at the top of her wand still had a purple glow, but it started to pulse, slowly turning blue by the second.
"Arufa-chan!" Kirito tried to go to her, but she erected a barrier to block him. He banged on the barrier. "Don't be so reckless! We can find another way!"
Alpha Omega paused and looked at him with a determined stare. "You have done so much for me...please...let me do this much...please...believe in me…!" She shifted her gaze toward Meruru. "Believe in me!"
"Enough of this. Meruru-chan, destroy them!" Thanatos ordered.
"..." Strangely enough, Meuru was silently staring at the commotion.
"Did you perchance not hear me, my dear minion?! I said DESTROY THEM!"
Kirito gave Alpha Omega a hard stare before he nodded and went back to us. "Everyone! You know what to do!"
We nodded back and resolved to weather the assault until Alpha Omega was done.
With that, Meruru continued her assault. However, I could feel that her attacks were a bit sluggish. Early on, we deduced that the gem in her forehead was how Thanatos Eros controller her, but every time we went for it, her defense was on point.
I glanced at Thanatos Eros' face. She acted confident, but I could see that she was concentrating. Could her control over Meruru was weakening, and she was too busy concentrating to do anything else?
Time to test it out, I guess.
I looked at Kirito and used body language to explain what I was about to do. He nodded back. We took a moment to communicate with the others. They understood what I said and nodded. I nodded back and made my way toward Thanatos Eros.
"Oh, what's this?" The Dark Witch sneered. "Have you come to surrender and plead to be my pet?"
"Not quite." I threw a Throwing Knife at her.
"Hmph!" She shot out a magical beam from her eyes to the knife, disintegrating it instantly. "Do you think that'll work, you insect?"
"It depends. Do you know how annoying it is to deal with a fly when you've got your hands full?"
I charged toward her. She retaliated with magical spells, but they were really easy to dodge in spite of the fact that I had slightly above average evasion. "Not even close. Wanna try harder this time?" I taunted.
"Silence!"
"Make me, old lady!"
"Gh…!" She gritted her teeth.
I spent the next few minutes being an insufferable nuisance. I don't usually do this kind of thing, so my insults devolved into different ways of calling her old, fat, and/or ugly. She had always taunted Meruru and Alpha Omega whenever they fought, but nobody taunted her back. I figured that she'd be vulnerable to that. Guess I was right.
As the fight dragged on, Meruru's attacks became more and more unfocused, while Thanatos' attacks toward me were getting more and more dangerous. One time, she ordered Meruru toward me, but it freed up Kirito to insult her, instead. And boy, oh boy, was his insults more potent than mine.
Angry veins popped out of Thanatos' temples. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" She raised her hand and started a series of incantations.
"Big mistake, Thanatos!" Kirito pulled out a bottle from his inventory. It was a transparent bottle, filled with glowing, gold liquid. As soon as we saw what it was, we turned our eyes away. He then threw it towards her.
"That won't work!" Thanatos fired a magical beam from her eyes.
"Oh, but it will!" Kirito replied with a hint of triumph in his voice as he looked away and shielded his face with his arms.
The moment the beam made contact with the bottle, it exploded and filled the area with intense light for a split second. "AAAARGH!" Thanatos screamed in pain, her hands holding her eyes.
Ah. The classic Flash Phial. Its use had been steadily decreasing since it didn't do anything much other than flash for a second, the materials required to make it weren't cheap, and monsters were getting resistant to it.
Nevertheless, it turned out to be exactly what we needed. Why didn't I think of that?
"Gh!" Since Kirito wasn't looking at Thanatos Eros, he didn't notice that the magical beam arced over to him. It hit him and knocked him to his back, but he was fine, for the most part. "NOW!" Kirito turned to us and shouted.
"Eeeei!" Silica rushed forward and tackled Meruru with her shoulder. Meruru kept her footing, but she was disoriented.
"Got you!" Asuna grabbed Meruru arms and lifted her from behind.
"Sorry about this, Meruru-chan!" I wound my fist back and punched Meruru in the forehead. The gem fractured, but I wasn't able to destroy it.
Meruru thrashed about and escaped Asuna's grip. "RAAAH!" But instead of attacking, she held her head and screamed.
"AAAAAAH!" From behind us, Alpha Omega raised her staff with a magnificent shout. Her staff glowed with a brilliant blue color, and a shockwave blasted through the area.
I braced myself. The impact was similar to the shockwave that hit us earlier, but. It felt...right.
A sphere of light surrounded me. The light filled my vision, and I closed my eyes out of reflex. After a few seconds, the light dissipated and I opened my eyes. "I...I'm back..." I looked down at my body, it was really me.
"Riwet!" Silica called from beside me.
"Silica! I'm back!"
"Same for me!" That was Kirito.
"Haah...haaa…" Alpha Omega dropped her staff in exhaustion and she slowly fell forward.
"Arufa-chan!" Silica rushed to Alpha and supported her. "Are you alright?"
"Haa...yes...I...I'm just...tired…" She looked really exhausted, but there was no trace of the corruption in her body.
Silica nodded and slowly laid her down. "You've done well, Arufa-chan. Leave the rest to us."
"...!" The shockwave hit Meruru, and it broke the gem on Meruru's forehead. She stared at Alpha Omega as if she was in a trance. "Aru...chan…" She muttered and slowly fell.
Asuna caught her. "There, there…I'll get you to Alpha-chan." She carried her and quickly went to where Alpha Omega was rested.
Thanatos clicked her tongue. "Hmph. I didn't expect her to break free of my curse, much less return your souls to your original bodies. No matter. I'll deal with this myself." She snapped her fingers. A length of purple light appeared in front of her hands. She grabbed it, and the light transformed into her wand. 3 bars of HP appeared on my HUD, signaling the start of the battle.
Kirito and I were back in our original bodies. Just in time for the main event.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I said as I gave Caerulus a twirl, "The first thing that Arufa-chan did after she got out was to return us to our original bodies. Let's not make her effort go to waste."
"Hmph." Kirito drew out his second Elucidator. "Couldn't have said it better myself."
Silica threw her Ebon Dagger upward with a spin before she caught it and twirled it around her hand. "So, without further ado…"
Asuna brandished her Lambent Light. "Let's finish this."
And with that, the four of us charged towards Thanatos Eros.
"Haaa!" Silica dashed in and attempted a stab.
"Hmph." Thanatos simply raised her hand. Silica froze in place and was lifted to the air.
"Let go of her!" Before the Dark Witch could do anything, Asuna unleashed a Linear on her flank.
"Gh!" Thanatos grimaced. A magical barrier blocked the attack, but it rattled her concentration enough that Silica was let go.
Kirito and I followed up, but we couldn't do much other than keeping the pressure on her.
A few minutes of back and forth happened between us, with Thanatos Eros almost filling the entire area with deadly magical orbs and lasers. She was immensely powerful - very faithful to the anime - but it was a good thing that her incarnation here reflected her weaknesses as well.
She was certainly very formidable, but endurance was never her strong suit.
We made slow but steady progress, observing the Dark Witch's attack and movement patterns. Eventually, we were consistently dodging her attacks while hitting her with our own. There were times where Thanatos would try and send a magical attack toward the resting Stardust Witches, but I quickly deflected them while the others dealt damage.
"Gh!" Thanatos was blown back from being hit by a Linear and a Draconic Assault. She glanced at Silica and Asuna, and her lips curved into a smile. "Fufu...fufufu~"
"What's so funny?!" Asuna shouted.
"Nothing. It's just hilarious that you two even dare to fight me when you are this lacking."
"We're beating you! What part of us is lacking?!" Silica said.
"What, indeed…" Thanatos Eros smiled mischievously. She put her hand on her waist and bent down, putting a bit of emphasis on her…
Her...
…
...how do I say this…
Bouncy.
And curvy.
"..." Silica and Asuna slumped slightly. I don't know if it's my imagination, but dark aura started to seep out from their bodies.
"U-um, you two should calm do-" Kirito nervously started to say to them.
"..." He hurriedly shut up when Asuna silently glanced in his direction.
"Riwet…" Silica called me. Her voice was soft but simmered with rage. "...let's crack some eggs."
"Haa!" "Seiya!" The two of them charged forward before I could say anything.
While Thanatos Eros was a master warrior, she also had an uncanny ability to get under people's skin. A lot of times, it provoked her enemies enough that she was able to catch them off guard.
Other times, it lead to her biggest downfalls.
We continued the battle, with Silica and Asuna attacking with impressive ferocity. I had seen Asuna a couple of times before, and it was a sight to behold.
As for Silica, it was the first time I saw her genuinely seething with rage. And you know, it kinda spoke volumes about me when I found her furious, bloodthirsty visage to be extremely attractive.
"Haa!" "Seiya!" Silica and Asuna charged in tandem.
"Naive~" Thanatos raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Magical orbs rose up from the ground all around them. "You two walked right into my trap."
"Then it's a good thing that you walked right into ours, as well." Silica retorted.
"What?!"
"Kyrururu!" Pina swooped in and breathed a stream of bubbles toward Thanatos' face.
"Argh!" She staggered back and held her face. "You pests!"
"Haa!" Kirito sliced one of the orbs, making an opening for the two.
I swooped in and threw a bottle of fast-acting paralyzing poison underneath her to try and prolong the debuff. Fortunately, it looked like she wasn't immune to its effects.
"It's now or never!" I shouted.
The four of us unleashed a barrage of Weapon Skills. The attack was powerful enough that Thanatos Eros' magical barrier broke, opening her up for even more damage.
The onslaught continued until we depleted her second HP bar. That was when all hell broke loose.
"ENOUGH!" Thanatos Eros roared, and I got blown back and landed on my front. I tried to push myself up, but it felt like something was weighing me down and pinning me. I looked up and saw that the others were also crouched on the ground. My eyes widened when I saw something on the corner of my vision, but I quickly turned my attention back to Thanatos.
"I have had enough of your feeble struggles!" She shouted, her voice reverberating throughout the area. She levitated a bit, and dark aura started exuding from her body.
I slowly pushed myself off the ground and stood, but I couldn't shake off the heavy feeling. The others were still struggling to sit up.
"Stay. Down." She raised her wand, and I felt the weight become heavier. Now that I had the time to think, she did this to Meruru and Alpha Omega during the final battle.
I tried to resist, but I was forced back onto one knee.
She levitated in front of me and pointed her wand. "Any final words?"
I sighed in resignation. "Hurry up and shoot, then."
"Hmph. Very well." Her wand started glowing.
"No! Riwet!" "Riwet-kun!" "Riwet!" The others shouted my name.
I turned towards them. "It's gonna be okay!"
Thanatos scoffed. "In what way is this going to end up well for you?"
I turned back to her. "Because, my dear Thanatos, when I said 'hurry up and shoot'…"
"He wasn't talking to you!" A voice said from behind.
As if on cue, a pink beam of pure energy pierced through Thanatos' center. "Wh-What?!" She roared as the blast sent her toppling a short distance.
The beam coming from way behind us, where the two Stardust Witches were resting.
I turned around and smiled at Stardust Witch Meruru, who was restored in her normal outfit. Her right hand was holding her staff, which was smoking from the magical attack. Beside her was Alpha Omega. She incanted a spell, and I felt the overbearing weight leave my shoulders, as well as fully restoring my HP. I looked around and found that the others receiving the same treatment.
The fight continued, but it was clear who was the winner. Meruru's powerful spells tore Thanatos Eros apart, while Alpha Omega protected us and negated every single thing that the Dark Witch tried to do, as well as protecting us from collateral damage when Meruru blew the whole ceiling off and dropped toward Thanatos.
After a few more minutes of fighting, Thanatos Eros' HP was completely depleted, and I had the honor of performing the finishing blow. Caerulus was impaled deep into her stomach.
"Gh!...this...this..this isn't over." Thanatos glared at me and gripped my glaive. "I, Thanatos Eros, will come back. And I swear that next ti-"
"Then hurry up out of here." I shook her grip off, pulled Caerulus out, and aimed at her face this time.
Before my blade made contact with the dark witch, her body glowed bright purple and blinked away like a bolt of lightning - the same way she always did on the anime.
***
Music End
"Phew." I sighed and sheathed Caerulus before I turned to Silica. "You alright?"
"Hmm...more or less." She replied.
"Attagirl."
"Meruru-chan!" Alpha leaped into Meruru's arms. "Meruru-chan! Meruru-chan! Uaaaaaah!" She dug her head into Meruru's chest.
Meruru let out a gentle smile and wrapped her around Arufa's back. "It's all right, Arufa-chan. It's alright…" She whispered as she patted the back of Arufa's head.
Silica approached me. "We did it…"
I nodded. " But Thanatos Eros will come back."
"She always does." Meruru said. "But we'll be ready next time. Right, Aru-chan?"
Arufa nodded. "That's right. This time, I won't get corrupted by her!"
Kirito smiled. "I hope the best for the two of you."
Meruru smiled and started floating. Alpha Omega looked at her. "Meruru-chan?" She asked.
"It's time for us to go, Aru-chan. All this time, we've been Thanatos Eros get away with doing bad things to people. Now, we should chase her and defeat her, once and for all." She reached out to Alpha Omega with her hand. "Will you come with me?"
Alpha didn't hesitate to grab on. "Yes!"
Meruru turned to us. "I'm sorry, Onii-sans, Onee-sans. I would have loved to have known you better. Thank you for helping Aru-chan. I hope we meet each other again!"
And with that, they flew away and disappeared into the sky. We waved goodbye towards them.
"Now that I think of it," Kirito spoke up, "When I was researching about Sword Art Online, there were rumors that Stardust Witch Meruru will be having a collaboration with it, in celebration of its remake."
"Yeah, I've heard of that, too. I brushed it off since it didn't have any ground it, aside from the fact that it'll start airing a bit after SAO launched." I paused. "You know, I hope that the marketers didn't announce the collaboration. The last thing that the anime needs is a connection to a death game."
I paused again and realized that I brought the mood down a little. "Regardless of that, a lot of things happened, but it's a good thing that everything turned out well."
"That's right!" Silica spoke up. "I hope that we'll meet Alpha-chan and Meruru-chan again someday when things aren't that serious."
"Yeah. I think that you and Meruru-chan would get along really well."
A high-pitched sound caught our attention. We turned to the source and discovered that a chest materialized at the center of the area. "And to the victor, go the spoils." I muttered as we approached it. We took a second to make sure that the chest wasn't a mimic before we opened it.
"Alright! That's one more Chromacite Fragment in the bag !...Huh…?" I inspected the other thing that I got and took it out of my inventory. "Huh..." It was a white gem about as big as a Corridor Crystal. It was cut neatly and gleamed vividly as sunlight reflected off of it.
"What did you get?" Silica asked.
I showed her the gem. "It's called 'Gear Uplifter". The item description says that it'll upgrade a specific equipment that I've used for a long time." I accessed the item and said that it's able to enhance my Cobalt Coat. "Nice." The upgrade was significant. I was contemplating on replacing my Cobalt Coat since its stats were about to be outdone by the stuff that I could buy on the later Floors. I had been holding out since I was more than accustomed to it, but now, I don't have to feel guilty about sticking to what I was used to.
I took one last look at it before I canceled the process and stored the item back in my inventory. "I'll check with Yui if I can use this item safely." I turned to Silica. "How about you? What did you get?"
"Let's see...wah~" Silica cooed. I looked at what she got. It was a simple black cape. A red ribbon was at its center, connecting the ends of the cloth.
"Oh! That's a cape from Pretty Star. They have an annual period there where the weather was inconsistent so that cape is magically enchanted to keep them warm when it's too cold, and also to keep them cool when it's a bit hot."
"Heeeh…" She tried it on. The cape stretched down to just above her stomach. "How do I look?"
"Perfect, as always."
"Ehehe~"
"What's this?" I turned around to see Asuna holding a unique-looking school uniform on her hands.
"Oh, that's the uniform from the school that Meruru-chan and Arufa-chan were in!" Kirito explained. "The school allowed them to wear casual clothes, but they were required to wear that uniform for formal events and whatnot."
"Hmm...I'm too old to be wearing something like this...oh! I should give this to Yui-chan!"
"Good idea! I think she'll like it!" Kirito nodded and checked his inventory. "Okay, so what did I ge-" He froze.
"What did you get?" I asked.
"...Thanatos Eros' costume…" Kirito gulped and instinctively glanced at Asuna.
"Hmph. Not a chance." Asuna crossed her arms and scoffed. "That's practically a strip of cloth, you know!"
"Oh, come on! You've already worn something more perv-" Kirito froze from where he stood. Part of it was he realized what he had just said.
The other part of it was Asuna's rapier centimeters away from digging into his throat.
"*ahem*" I cleared my throat to catch their attention. Time to bail Kirito out of the deep hole he'd just dug himself. "How about this? The next time Kirito wants you to wear something, you should also make Kirito wear something."
Asuna paused, deep in thought. After a second, a lecherous grin crept from the corners of her lips. "A maid uniform….complete with a long-haired wig and lipstick...fufu...fufufu~" She muttered in a creepy tone.
"O-oi. N-now that you think about it, you don't have to do it." Kirito nervously interjected.
Without missing a beat, Asuna straightened up, her smile changing from being lecherous to being demure. "You make an excellent point, Riwet-kun." She looked back to Kirito and just silently smiled at him. "I'm ready when you are."
"...crap." Kirito was sweating. Can't blame him. He turned towards me and frowned. "Hey! What gives?!"
"Oh, you wanted to be executed, then?"
"Gh…"
I guess I'll ask for a for a picture of him later. "Anyways, four down, two more to go. Let's hurry up and check up on Philia."
***
Loading...Complete
Changing Perspective: Third Person
***
"Ngh…" Philia let out a groan. She turned sideways and slowly picked herself off the ground. The last thing that she remembered was being hit by
"Good morning, young lady." She heard a voice from behind her say.
Philia's eyes widened and she quickly stood up. She quickly turned around and was greeted with a familiar sight. "Y-you again?!" It was the hooded stranger from back then.
"You're so defensive. I don't bite, you know!" The stranger let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, yeah. Now that I think about it, I haven't introduced myself. The name's PoH. Pleased to meet you."
"What. Do you want. From me?" Philia gritted her teeth and tried to look for a way out, but she couldn't. She was inside a forest, and she could see hooded players all around her, hiding behind the trees and surrounding her.
"...tell me, how long are you planning on teaming up with those people for?" PoH suddenly asked.
"That's got nothing to do with you." She retorted.
PoH chuckled. "Well, the thing is...If my instincts are right, you're going to realize who you really are before long…Of course, I might be wrong. You tell me, Philia."
"Philia the Orange Hollow."
Philia's eyes widened, and she found herself out of breath. "I-I don't know anything about Hollows or anything like that."
"Like I said. You and your friends live in different worlds. I mean that very literally, by the way." PoH sighed. "You belong here, in the worlds of shadows...you're like us, you know. You and me, we're not really people."
"I...I…" Philia couldn't reply.
"You can feel it, don't you? You try so hard to deny it when the truth is so painfully obvious."
"Stop...stop it! I-I'm a human!" She shouted out.
"Why can't you just accept it? Admit that you're not a person!" PoH's smile widened." You're no different from me...we're just the same...exactly the same."
"..." Philia wanted to deny what he said, but she couldn't.
Maybe it was because, in her heart, she agreed with him.
'Whoa! Mmm….now that expression is exactly what I wanted to see! What a very nice look of despair!" PoH seemed to be having fun, taking in Philia's pained expression as she wallowed in misery.
"E-Even if it's true, they're my friends! They won't give a damn about it!" She shouted.
"Haaahhh….how naive." PoH shook his head. "The moment they get out of this Hollow Area, your death is all but certain. And the funny thing is that they'll be directly responsible for it!"
"..what?"
"Not just you. Everyone here...it'll be game over for us."
"...I don't understand..."
"The way they're going at it, they have a strong chance of clearing SAO. And when it's cleared, everything will be erased."
"...!...including us…"
"Bing bong! That's right! You're not as stupid as I thought." PoH guffawed. "So you see, it's just like I said...your friends are going to kill you someday...and you're helping them tie your own noose."
"...I..."
"Try and convince yourself all you like, but remember what I said. These are the facts. And that's why I'm going to stop them. I don't know about you, but I don't wanna die...so, I've come to ask for your help."
"Help you…?...Y-you want me to...kill….?!"
"Oh, no no no! You don't have to do anything like that! All you have to do is lure them in a cage. You won't have to do a thing to them. They just need to stay out of the picture for a bit. We're not going to kill him, I promise. They can go back to doing whatever they want once we're done. You don't have to be part of anything else. What do you say?"
Philia looked down and shook her head. "I...I can't…"
"Come on...they're your friends, right? Don't you want them to come and live in our world for a bit?"
"..."
"Do you want to die alone, with your friends not even noticing? Or do you want to live with them, for all eternity?" PoH concluded and turned around. "...I'll leave you so you can think about it."
"Wait!" Philia called out to him when he started to walk away. "Wait…"
PoH turned back and smiled silently, waiting for her to speak.
"...you promise that they're not going to be hurt?"
He nodded. "Of course."
Philia bit her lip. Could she trust him? He's a murderer, ruthlessly slaughtering everything just because he gets a rush out of it.
But what other choice did she have? Should she just let things be? if she really was a real person, then there would be fine.
But what if she was not?
Once SAO would be cleared, then she would disappear. Alone...and forgotten...
The mere thought of betraying her friends' trust and trapping them in a cage was enough to make her stomach turn.
But in the end, her sense of self-preservation overwhelmed everything else.
"…give your word that you won't hurt them."
"...I, PoH, give my word that I won't hurt them."
"T-then...I...I'll do it."
PoH grinned. "Now, we're making progress." He outlined what she was going to do. "...and that's all of it. After that, you and your friends will be home free."
"That's it?"
"That's it...now if you'll excuse me." PoH nodded to someone behind her.
She felt something tap her shoulder from behind. She turned around, only to come face to face with a gauntleted fist that rapidly closed in on her.
Her eyes closed out of reflex, only for them to open up moments later. "Philia! What are you standing around there for? Let's go!" Asuna's voice came from behind her.
She turned around and saw that Asuna, Kirito, and Silica were waiting for her.
She smiled and started walking towards them. But before she could catch up, she saw that their expressions were stiff and apprehensive.
"What's wro-" She reached her hand out to them, but she realized that her hands started to deteriorate into ones and zeroes. She looked down, and other parts of her body started deteriorating as well. "No...this...this can't…." She staggered back, her breathing ragged.
"..." The others stared at her without a word.
The deteriorations covered her whole body, and slowly worked its way up her neck. It wouldn't take long before it finally engulfed her face.
Her vision started turning black, and her ears started ringing. "No...NOOOOOO!" All she could do was shout.
"Philia!" A voice cut through the pitch-black darkness and the overwhelming sound.
"Gah!" Philia bolted upright and frantically looked all around her. She was in the Administration Area, surrounded by her friends. "Haah...haah…"
Are you alright?" Philia felt Asuna's hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Calm down. Just breathe…" Asuna gently said to her.
"Hah...hah...hah….haaahh….haaahhh…" Philia closed her eyes and focused on her breath. "...hahhh... " She took one deep breath before she opened her eyes and smiled at Asuna. "I...I'm alright now. Thanks, Asuna."
"Thank goodness." Asuna stood up and offered a hand. ."
Philia took Asuna's hand and stood up. "...I don't really know...I got hit by something….and I remember staggering somewhere…"
"A lot of stuff happened after we woke up" Riwet explained. "It's a long story."
"That's right. You've been out for quite a bit, but everything's alright now." Asuna added. "We've got the fragment. Only two more, and we can go back."
Philia looked away. She couldn't bear looking at Asuna after what she had decided to do. "...sorry for not being much help…"
"Don't be absurd. You're safe now, so that's all that matters."
The group slowly disbursed. Kirito and Yui went to the Main Console to try and decipher more of the Hollow Area's secrets. Silica and Riwet went to a corner to rest.
But Asuna remained by her side. "Do you need anything? Maybe something to eat?"
Philia shook her head. "I'm fine. I just need to lie down for a bit…."
"Alright. Just tell me if need anything, okay?"
"...okay…"
Asuna stood up and made her way to Kirito. Philia silently observed her shrinking profile.
If Philia was feeling bad before, she was really feeling it now. That sinking feeling in her stomach, telling her that what she was about to was wrong. Very wrong.
But she had made her decision. And she planned to stick to it.
***
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Deep inside the Hollow Area, there existed a peculiar dungeon. An amalgamation of various medieval and esoteric architecture, woven into each other like a braid. Rows and columns of rugged bricks lined the walls and ground, but the torches that illuminated the area - as well as the other liveries present on the dungeon - had an unconventional design that evoked a futuristic feel.
A lilac-haired girl traversed the dungeon halls, trying to find a spot where there were no people around so she could be alone to fool herself that she really did make the right choice.
She shouldn't have come here. She shouldn't have talked to these murderers.
But there was no other way. This one time, their interests aligned.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts, but her mind was still in disarray. She was too focused on her own thoughts that she tripped on an uneven tile.
But before the lilac-haired girl hit the ground, a gauntleted hand pulled her back. "Whoa there. Don't hurt yourself, sweetheart." A youthful voice behind her chuckled.
The lilac-haired girl turned around and looked at him. The player was wearing a hooded coat that hid his body. His hood was down, but he wore goggles over his eyes and a plain black cloth mask covered his lower face. His hair was short and cut neatly from left to right. His seemingly friendly demeanor was a fresh air compared to the other Laughing Coffin guild members, who were all either murderous, lecherous, or just plain insane.
However, Strea was in no mood for conversation. "Don't. Touch. Me." She snarled at him as she shook his hand off and walked away. However pleasant he might be, she shouldn't forget that he was a murderer, just like the rest of his ilk.
"Oof. What the hell's her problem?" The boy sighed as he watched the girl disappear further into the lair.
"Crash and burn. You're losing your touch, Excello." He heard a chuckle coming from behind. "Musta heard what you did to our little blonde-haired girl a little while back."
"Hey, I didn't hit her that hard." Excello shrugged and turned around. Amongst the three hooded people, PoH, his eccentric guild leader, was at the center. "I'm still surprised you let her in. You know she killed three or our guys, right?"
PoH gave a toothy grin. "And nothing of value was lost."
"Heh...yeah. Those two assholes deserved it." Excello smiled back for a moment before he narrowed his eyes. "Speaking of dealing with women, you really make it easy back then, boss. Blondie took the bait. Hook, line, and fucking sinker."
"Hey? Who do you think I am? It's what I do." PoH let out a throaty chuckle. "Let's go and meet up with our a couple of new friends, as well."
"Right behind ya, boss." Excello nodded and pulled his hood up.
The four of them headed out of the hideout.
"So, boss, what's on the schedule for today?"
"We're gonna meet with some new meat. People who have...personal stakes toward our new quarry."
Excello scowled under his mask. "Yeah, about that. Can I just get a hint as to what you're planning? May
PoH chuckled and shook his head. "Relax. I'll explain everything later. I know how much you love surprises."
"Ugh…" Excello sighed in resignation. "Alright, alright, I'm not gonna ask. As long as you leave Lefty to me, I'm fucking gucci."
"Don't worry, Excello. He's all yours."
"Thanks, boss."
"Now let's shut up and start killing some bastards."
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Chapter End
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A/N: Alright. This has been way too late, and I'm sorry. Real life got in the way. Simple as that.
I didn't have much fun writing it for the most part. I observed the pacing of my story, and I realized that I have room for one filler-style one-off. The problem was that I had too many ideas, and couldn't tie them together until after a couple of rewrites. That, and coupled with real life commitments, was enough to make me feel like I would never complete this Chapter.
However, I really liked what it turned out in the end. I wanted to dip my toes a bit in writing about magic and stuff in preparation for ALO, and the Hollow Area is the perfect place to do that without it being too far off. All in all, I got a bit of practice while developing the other characters, as well as providing some character development here and there and, most exciting for me, giving a sneak peak of my very first OC antagonist. I've got plans for Excello, and I hope that I write them well enough for you to enjoy what happens next.
That's all for now. Thank you very much, and have a good one.