Chapter 17 - A Battle Of Death and Courage

In the previous chapter, Serenity and her team were finally made to the Dark Force hideout. Along the way, they met a mysterious player named Gereson (the virtual identity character of Jerry Mouse), warned about the new threat of Apsu. Also, they met the other sword players: Klein, Silica and Agil, joining in their quest in rescuing Kirito at the Dark Force castle. On the way to the castle, they met Yumo, whom sent a message from Kirito of the castle's secret traps in which they went to the castle, with full of dark secrets.

Will Serenity and the Sword Art Online players can able to managed and passed those monsters and deadly traps? Will it will be the opportunity chance for Kirito to escaped from the castle, in order to catched up with Serenity and his friends?

Find Out

In a flashback, before they could went to the Dark Force hideout, Serenity and her team entered in a nearby town, named Necker. As they went to a shop that sells precious and high quality swords, the store owner recognized her in surprise.

" You must be the new champion, Serenity, I'm correct? " the store owner asked

" Yes, i am. I need to buy a new sword, in which it has strong ability and not too light. " Serenity answered

A sudden, a young lady with pink color hair, came in, carrying some metal stuffs on a loot bag. When she saw Serenity was standing, she paused for a moment, looked at her from top to bottom.

'' Uh, is there's something wrong, Miss? " Serenity asked, with curiosity

" Um, nothing. I didn't see you anywhere. " the young lady replied

The store owner, who has holding two swords on his hand, said to them " Oh, this is Lizbeth, the daughter of my dear close friend of mine. She was a blacksmith creator. She had came here to bring those metal stuffs here to my shop. "

" You must be the new champion, Serenity, right? " Lizbeth asked

" Yes, i am. " Serenity answered in response

" Everyone in the entire Sword Art Online world knows about you. You are the second strongest next to Kirito. " Lizbeth said

" You know Kirito too as well? " Serenity asked

But Lizbeth didnt know that Serenity has already in an official love relationship with Kirito. She became silent for a moment.

" Is something wrong? " Lizbeth asked, with curiosity on her face

" Uh, it was nothing, Lizbeth. I was wondering if he had came to your shop. " Serenity answered, with a half hearted smile on her face

" Oh, of course not, he often to create a sword at my shop. So, what was your business here? Are you came here to buy a strongest sword? " Lizbeth asked

" Yep, me and my team will going to the Dark Force hideout to eliminate Apsu and her servants after this. I had just needed for the battle fight. " Serenity said in response

" Oh, i see. Good luck and i guess it was pretty spooky when you come in there. Just be careful, okay? " Lizbeth told her

" I will, Lizbeth. " Serenity said, with a smile on her face and the two shaked hands

After the conversation with Lizbeth, she brought a sword from the store owner, in which it was named " the Sword of Hope. " and after that, the team departed the town, going to the Dark Force hideout.

(Return back at the present time)

(At inside of the Dark Force castle)

The players went up to the first floor, in which it was filled with cobwebs in every walls.

" This floor gave me the creeps... " Sana said, with a frightened expression

" Just stayed calm, okay? " Aldrin told her

They hide in a wall. Serenity peeked carefully, saw the knights were guarding the center door.

" What now? " Tana asked her

" knights... we need to distract them. " Serenity said in response

" By what? " Lala asked, in a low tone voice

She still remember of what Kirito said in the message that he gave it to her. She jumped out from the behind and she destroyed by her sword. Klein, Agil and Silica along with the other players were very impressed.

" What an impressive move... " Agil said

" I don't believe it. " Klein said, with impressment

She turned her back, said to them " Let's go, everyone. "

The group went proceeds to the second floor.

Meanwhile at the real life world, the Inner Senshi were watching at Usagi, who was lying down on the bed, with Nerve Glasses attached to it.

" It was almost a week that Usagi can't move all day from the bed. " Ami said

" Because she was still in the game, continued her mission in rescuing Kirito and to stopped Apsu from invading the entire virtual game worlds. " Rei said to her

" I hope she was safe in inside the game. " Chibiusa said

" I was wondering... what was her character identity name in the game? You need a virtual character identity in order to entered in the game. " Minako wondered

" Maybe... her own past life name. " Makoto said, correcting her

" Serenity was a perfect name for her own virtual character identity. " Luna stated

" Do you think Apsu will know her in personal? If she does, she could easily recognized her as Sailor Moon. She had came to the real life world from a few past days ago. " Artemis asked

" She will never recognized her and besides, their encounters in both real life and virtual game worlds is different, what gives. " Luna answered in response

" I guess Luna got the point. " Ami said

" I hope everything will be turned out to be going so well. " Makoto stated

" I had agree " Rei said

Back at the game, the players were reached at the third floor, in which they encountered one of Apsu's monsters servants, holding a large mallet with an iron shield.

" That monster was much a little bit stronger than the others. " Klein said

" We had no other choice but to fight him off. Let's fight him, everyone!! " Serenity said in a serious tone, act like a commander leader

And their fight against the monster servant has been begun.

" You can do it, Serenity!! " Yumo shouted, watching her from afar

" I will, Yumo. please guide us, okay? " Serenity told him

" Okay!! " Yumo answered

The fight went on smoothly. Yumo, was impressed of Serenity's fighting skills and her bravery determination, thought on his mind " She was so very cool, brave and well determined sword lady fighter. I had never seen just like this from before. I think she was the perfect one to paired up with daddy Kirito. She is the one..." with strong excitement on his face

" Switch up from the front, while the others will go next. " Serenity commanded

" Okay! " Klein said, with excitement on his face

They switched groups by time to time. When the life points of the monster was reached at the yellow bar, it's weapon was switched to a huge blade sword, in which they were all surprised of what they had saw, with horror on their faces.

" Oh, no... it has a huge blade sword. It was named " Red Blood Purity ", whenever you will be hitted by that sword, you will ended up as a dead flesh. " Gereson stated

" But... how we gonna prevent it from hitting by that kind of sword? " Aldrin asked

Serenity, without second hesitation, stepped in slowly, confronted the monster servant alone.

" You cant faced that creature alone, Serenity. You will be getting killed. " Jesse said, with anxious expression on his face

" Don't do it! It was too risky. " Tana said, in a loud voice

She turned her back, said to them " I know that all of you were getting worried about me but somehow... i will keep on fighting until death, no matter what... for the sake and peace of the entire virtual world games... and for everyone else. "

" We know that but you cant fight that creature alone. We will gonna back you up. " Klein said

" Yeah, he is right. " Silica said

" No need for back up, i will faced that creature alone. I will gonna defeat him until death. " Serenity said, turned her back away from them, continued stepped in, facing at the monster.

" Serenity, don't! " Jesse shouted, still with anxious expression

The monster launched his strike against her, but then she released the other sword whom she brought from the shop a long while back ago, making the other sword players were surprised including Gereson, Klein, Silica and Agil with the exception of Tana and her team.

" She got an another sword... what was that name of that sword she holds? " Klein asked Tana

" It was called " the Sword of Hope ", the second strongest sword of all. It can able to strike at any creatures, even the most strongest boss monsters. It was brought from the town named Wecker a long while back ago. " Tana answered in response

" What an amazing sword she picked.. " Agil uttered

Back at the fight, Serenity was keep dodging away from the monster's sword attacks, making the life points of the monster was reached at the red bar point.

" I need to activate it, now... " she thought

She raised up her sword, in which it was glowing brighter, and then it was transformed into Spiral Heart Moon Rod, one of her weapons that she used in the real life world, as Sailor Moon. The sword players, were surprised in awe.

" Her sword was switched into a... rod?!! " Lala wondered in a surprise manner

Gereson, recalled on his mind regarding about Sailor Moon, who used the Spiral Heart Moon Rod in finishing off every enemies and after that, he shouted in a loud voice.

" Use your rod to finished him, Serenity. Do it! "

The other sword players were surprised of his reaction.

" How did know about this, Gereson? " Jesse asked, turned his head to him

" It was a long story. " Gereson said, with a little smile on his face and he said to Serenity " Do it now, Serenity!!! "

" Got it, Ger. " Serenity said, with a smile

She jumped higher, and then she raised both of her sword and the Spiral Heart Moon Rod, by both of her hands, shouted in a loud voice, said her battle speech when she was Sailor Moon in the real life world " I am Serenity, the pretty sword warrior who fights for love and justice. In the name of the moon, i will gonna punished you! "

She fired her blast attack at the monster's chest, it's main weak point.

" Prepared yourself, you evil monster. "

She leaped down herself, as her sword pointed to the it's chest and she shouted in a loud voice.

She recalled on her mind about Kirito.

" This one for you, Kirito. "

That very moment, she launched her strike against him but the monster tried to hit her by his blade sword, in which both are clashing with each other.

" You can do it, Serenity!! " Sana shouted

" Beat him with all you got!! " Aldrin yelled in a loud voice

Klein, looked at Serenity's facial expression attitude, recalled on his mind of the fight back when Kirito was clashed with a monster beast, in which his facial expression was actually the same as hers. He thought '' She have the same face attitude that Kirito has,when it comes to clashing with an enemy. She couldn't be that...''

She kept clashing with the monster's sword. She keep pushing harder and harder, in order to strike him at the chest until she swift back away, launged herself and she strike her sword at the chest of the monster.

After that, the monster felled down and he was destroyed completely.

When the other sword players were surprised of what they had saw and they were began to shouted with loud cheers, meaning that Serenity had beat the monster servant.

" Hooray for Serenity! Hep! Hep! Hooray! " the other sword players shouted

'' Alright! Way the go, Serenity. '' Gereson said, with a thumbs up pose

'' Thanks, Ger. '' Serenity said, with a smile

The others went approached to her.

'' Job well done, Serenity. You had finished the monster in a limited amount of time. " Tana said to her

'' Congrats, girl. '' Lala said, with a happy expression on her face, shared a friendly hug

'' Thanks, Lala '' Serenity said

" So, shall we proceed to the next floor, Serenity? '' Agil asked

'' Sure thing " Serenity answered in response

" I'm so glad that you are okay, Serenity. '' Jesse said, in a comfortable manner

'' Thanks for concerning me, Jes. " Serenity said

But suddenly, Yumo was started to getting panicked.

'' Something wrong, Yumo? '' Serenity asked

" Apsu... she was on the way back here to the castle. '' Yumo said in response

Everyone were surprised of what Yumo said.

'' I think we should teleported back to the town ahead. If we keep on staying here, Apsu might able to find us or else we might get caught.'' Serenity said to them, acted just like a commander leader

'' But how about rescuing Kirito? '' Klein asked

'' We should replanned that again later, time to back out. '' Serenity said in response

They used their teleport crystal, teleported out of the castle so that Apsu might never find them. When Apsu returns back, she checked every floors of the castle, in which it was all checked, except for Dark Tower, in which Kirito was placed. She walks out, going back to her throne room, to relaxed herself after a long fight at the mountains.

She called her servant '' Bring me some drink ''

" Yes, Ma'am. " and she left out

In a moment of sudden, two knights went approached to her, in a panicked manner.

'' Your Highness, we have some bad news for you. '' the first knight said

'' What is it? '' Apsu asked

'' Some sword players had entered here in the castle, including the new sword champion, Serenity. " the second knight said in response

Making her to be shocked in a surprise, she stood up from the throne room " They were here... in the castle?! Why you didn't catched them immediately? ''

'' We were so sorry, Your Highness. They were so very quick that we never expected with and most of the knights were been killed in the first and second floors. They got away from the castle a few hours ago. "

Getting angry with frustration, she ordered the knights '' Find them in every towns and every villages and then killed them one by one. Don't let them get away, got that? "

The two knights bowed down and they left out. The evil queen, was sat back on the throne chair, thought on her mind, about Serenity '' You are getting too far this time... soon, you will completely dead as a dead leaf for good." and she laughed, maniacally

Suddenly, another servant went approached to her, in a panicked manner.

" Lady Apsu, the Black Swordsman has been escaped from the tower. ''

'' Say what?! '' with a shocking expression on her face

Meanwhile, Kirito had escaped from the Dark Tower, running as fast as he could, going to the command center, the hidden point of the entire castle.

Serenity and her team along with the other sword players had finally entered the castle, in which they encountered the monster servant of Apsu at the third floor, in which Serenity determined defeated him by both of her sword and the transforming " Spiral Heart Moon Rod '' from the sword '' Sword of Hope ''. After that, they decided to continued but when Yumo said that Apsu was on the way back, they teleported away using their own teleport crystals. When Apsu went back, she was surprised when the knights tell her that Serenity and the group had entered in the castle, making her to getting angry in frustration, ordered them to be eliminated but things are getting much worst for the queen as Kirito had been escaped from the Dark Tower.

Will Kirito can able to escaped from the castle or he will be caught again by Apsu? What will be the next move for Serenity and the Sword Art Online players?

Find Out

In the Next Chapter

Chapter 18 - Usagi Discovered The True Identity Of Apsu

Don't Miss It!

" Be well determined in facing a difficult challenge. ''

- Jerry Mouse (Gereson)