"So when does the actual planning part start, Kirito?"
Kirito sighed as he looked down at the center stage amphitheatre, where once again, Kibaou and Lind were arguing over leadership of the next floor boss raid. Lind and his Dragon Knights Brigade were arguing for their blue-haired leader to once again take control of the raid, given their success against ((Asterius the Taurus King)). Kibaou and his lackeys, on the other hand, argued that the Aincrad Liberation Squad should get a turn to lead the raid group. Poor Agil was stuck having to play referee again, but it looked like he wasn't having much success in that endeavor.
"As soon as those two stop arguing." Kirito said, glancing over his shoulder at the red-haired samurai behind him.
"Somehow I expected more from the top two clearing guilds." Klein huffed, crossing his arms.
Kirito turned in his seat to get a better look at Klein and the others assembled around him. Not only was Kirito's own group in attendance, but they'd been joined by Fuurinkazan and The Legend Braves during this meeting. After some brief introductions, all three groups were getting along surprisingly well and were now entrenched in friendly conversation with each other.
While the two other groups were their own separate and distinct guilds, their amiable relationship with Kirito's group caused the two small guilds to naturally cluster around the black-haired swordsman and his group. In terms of sheer volume, the two guilds and Kirito's group were equal in size to both the ALS and DKB and took up a sizable chunk of the amphitheatre. Much to his own surprise, Kirito didn't mind in the slightest. Both Fuurinkazan and The Legend Braves had proven themselves trustworthy allies. More to the point, they were just pleasant people to be around, despite Nezha's shady history and Klein's predictably awkward advances when it came to the fairer sex.
The latter was still struggling in that particular field, if his first interaction with Liz was anything to go off of. At the time, Kirito wasn't entirely sure if the blacksmith was flustered or angry at the sudden advance. Fortunately, Leonn was able to step in and diffuse the situation just fine before things could escalate in either direction.
"They both have good points, though." Kirito said, looking once more at the red samurai. "The raid against the Asterius went relatively well under Lind's leadership, but if the Dragon Knights Brigade constantly takes leadership then there's going to be a power imbalance between them and the Aincrad Liberation Squad."
"Why's it gotta be one of them, though?" Klein asked, irritation plain on his face.
"Because they're the heads of the top two clearing guilds right now." Kirito explained. "The truth is, they're the figureheads of the clearing effort, so naturally people look to them to lead."
Kirito felt a finger jab his left side. Wheeling around to see who the finger belonged to and why they were so forceful in its execution, Kirito looked and saw Asuna looking at him.
"They're not the only figureheads among the clearers, you know." She said pointedly.
Kirito looked at the chestnut-haired fencer in confusion. "Who else? Klein's new to the frontlines and I don't think Orlando's who people look to after the drama surrounding Nezha's scam."
He looked over to Orlando, who was within earshot. "No offense."
"None taken." Orlando chuckled. "You're right though, but I don't think that's who she means."
Kirito looked around the amphitheatre, trying to point out somebody, anybody he might have missed during his assessment. All he saw were small groups that were either new to the frontlines or composed of solo players banding together for this fight.
"Buddy…" Klein said with a chuckle, throwing his arm around the younger swordsman's shoulder. "She's talking about you."
Not this again.
Kirito sighed. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm no leader. I'm just the Beater."
"You're the one who prevented both floor boss raids from becoming total disasters." Asuna countered, once again jabbing her finger into his side.
"Not to mention it was your plan that helped us organize and defeat the Bullbous Bow." Orlando added.
Kirito was about to reply when he was interrupted by Agil, who'd had just about enough of the shouting match between the ALS and DKB.
"Enough!" The merchant clearer shouted. "Listen up. Lind, as much as your leadership helped us during the fight with Asterius, it's only fair that Kibaou gets his fair shake too."
The cactus-haired man smiled smugly.
"However..." Agil continued, which prompted Kibaou to glare at him. "... just like how you acted as second-in-command during that fight, Lind should get the same treatment and have vice leadership here too."
Kibaou grimaced. "Fine."
"That sound good to you, Lind?" Agil asked, turning to the blue-haired guild leader.
"That works for us." Lind replied.
"Good." Agil replied, clapping his hands together. "Alright, Kibaou, the floor is yours."
Agil went back to his seat nearby Kirito, Fuurinkazan, and The Legend Braves. It looked like Agil's friends had caught up with him, as there were two other players clumped together with the man. Lind and the DKB went back to their seats, as did the majority of the ALS. Only Kibaou and two men, presumably his guild vice leader and officer, stood in the center of the amphitheatre.
"Alright, people!" Kibaou practically shouted. "We're going to use the standard group rotation strategy we used against the field boss! According to the guidebook, it's just another tree boss!"
"That overconfidence is going to get somebody killed…" Klein murmured. Kirito couldn't help but agree, but he wasn't in charge, and Kibaou certainly wasn't going to listen to him, of all people.
Almost as if in response to that particular thought, Kibaou looked at Kirito.
"Hey Beater!" He shouted, garnering a few disgruntled murmurs from those around the black-haired swordsman. "Find anything useful from that Elf quest?"
"Actually, yes." Kirito stood up to address the raid leader and the others present. "After we finished the campaign quest line on this floor, we learned that the floor boss has an area of effect skill that will root clusters of people to the ground."
"We already know that, Beater." Kibaou quickly quipped. "It's already in the guidebook."
"However…" Kirito continued, ignoring the raid leader's jab and holding up a vial of liquid. "They also supplied us with this. It's a potion that can now be purchased in town from any of the NPC vendors. If you pour it on the roots while they're grabbing you, they'll release and you won't be subject to the slow damage over time effect that comes with the rooting effect."
The crowd assembled began to murmur and talk amongst themselves at this news.
"There's a DOT?"
"Damn Kayaba and his boss changes!"
"Ok, we're definitely buying some of those later…"
"Hey!" Kibaou shouted, grabbing everyone's attention once more. "Good to hear something useful came out of your little quest, Beater. What about your overpowered Dark Elf friend? Will she be joining us?"
"No, she won't." Kirito answered, glancing at the others in his party. Their mood seemed to drop for a moment at the reminder that Kizmel was no longer with them. "The quest chain on this floor ended with her teleporting to the 4th floor, so she won't be helping us."
As much as he might wish it otherwise, it was true. After returning to the Dark Elf commander and receiving that valuable piece of information, Kirito and his group had been tasked with escorting Kizmel to the Western Spirit Tree. To the Dark Elves, this natural structure functioned almost identically to the floor teleporters on each floor, but it was only accessible for the elves and held no other purpose or relevance to the players. A shortcut, Kirito admitted, would have been nice but completely out of the ordinary for Kayaba's death game.
Kibaou shrugged. "Too bad. Anyway, here's how we're gonna do this, so listen up!"
Kirito sighed and sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
This meeting can't be over soon enough.
Surprisingly, the meeting ended earlier than expected.
Kibaou's matter-of-fact plan and presentation was over just as quickly as it started. Whether that was due to the simplicity of the plan or the fact that Kibaou didn't give anyone else room to speak, nobody knew. With the rest of the day basically free, Kirito and his group all agreed to take the evening off to finish personal errands or otherwise relax.
Much to Leonn's chagrin, Kirito and Asuna's idea of "take the day off" meant grinding mobs, so the dynamic duo decided to go to the 3rd floor fields to grind levels. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to catch up to her friends' levels and improve her skills in combat, Liz had insisted on joining the two. They agreed, of course. Having a tank with them would improve their efficiency in combat and frankly, the two seemed to enjoy having the blacksmith around. Inspired by the impromptu tag-team attack that she and Leonn had done the other day, Kirito and Asuna were keen on finding ways they could synergize as well, both between each other and with Liz.
More content with the idea of taking the afternoon off to relax and de-stress, Leonn and Sinon decided to visit the 2nd floor to unwind. While not necessarily spoken between the two, they both were eager to hang out like they used to in real life. Ever since they'd met Kirito on the first day, not a single day had gone by without having Kirito, Asuna, or Liz nearby. They didn't dislike that fact; to the contrary, they both viewed the others as close friends and trusted allies, but today was going to be like the good old days for Leonn and Sinon.
As they stepped off of the teleport platform and into the town of Urbus, Leonn took a deep breath…
...and instantly regretted it.
"Damn." Leonn remarked, exhaling out through his nose in the most undignified way. "Forgot how dry it was on this floor. I got too used to green."
Sinon chuckled softly. "Eh, I don't mind this floor. Not as many trees to block my shots."
"Hey." Leonn jokingly pointed a finger at his companion. "We're supposed to be relaxing. No talk of combat."
"Fine." Sinon relented. "So where's this restaurant you've been talking about?"
Leonn opened up his map, using his index finger and thumb to zoom in on the town, magnifying the individual streets and buildings. He set his map to "visible" and pointed at a structure near the western side of the town. "Should be there, I think."
Leonn started walking in the general direction of the restaurant before he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"You think?" Sinon asked. "You don't even know where it is?"
"Hey now." Leonn replied. "Argo told me about this place, said they had good food."
"You mean she sold you that info." Sinon corrected.
Leonn shrugged. "Well yeah. You know her, she doesn't hand out info for free unless she owes you."
"Or if it's literally a matter of life and death." The archer replied.
"Yup." Leonn said before turning his attention back to his map.
The next few minutes were spent in comfortable silence as they walked down the streets to their destination. It reminded Leonn of their walks home after school. Shino was never a talkative person, and while Dan could be talkative and conversational, he was more of an ambivert in that he was just as comfortable talking as he was not talking. It wasn't long before they spotted the restaurant in question at the end of the street.
"There it is." Leonn said, pointing a finger at the establishment. "Kirito and Asuna said this place was good, so I'm a little eager to try it."
"Those two went here? When?" Sinon asked. "The five of us are practically glued to each other every day, so when did those two sneak off?"
"I asked that same question, actually." Leonn replied. "Apparently they went here after confronting Nezha about that scam of his."
"Wasn't that when I was practicing my new bow?" Sinon asked.
"Bingo." Leonn said, giving her a nod.
At that point, they reached the restaurant doors and walked in. Almost immediately upon entering, their senses were blasted with a variety of sensations completely different from the outside. The lighting inside was inviting, the fireplace on the far side painting the room with a pallet of warm oranges and yellows. The scents of baked breads and cooked meats filled their noses with rich, hearty smells. In a corner nearby the fireplace was somebody playing what looked to be either a lute or guitar, who was serenading the patrons with soothing melodies. After a bit of searching - the dining floor was packed with players unwinding after a long day - Leonn and Sinon found a table near the singer in the corner.
"Speaking of…" Leonn said as they took their seats. "What's your read on those two?"
"Kirito and Asuna?" Sinon asked, giving her friend a shrug. "He seems to be making smarter decisions now and not putting his life in needless danger, and she seems to be opening up a bit more."
"Ugh. I still can't believe what he did for that stupid sword of his." Leonn said, bringing his hands up to his face in exasperation. "I am glad that Asuna's getting more comfortable around us."
"If you're talking about how they are around each other, I have my suspicions." Sinon concluded before bringing the restaurant menu up. Her eyes were quickly scanning over the various menu items, much faster than Leonn could. He figured it was her visual speed as an archer that was helping with that.
"Oh good, so I'm not the only one who picked up on that." Leonn said with a chuckle. "I ship it."
Sinon put her menu down. "You ship it? This isn't some anime or manga, you know. They're our friends."
Leonn put his hands up defensively. "Hey, I'm just sayin'. If it happens, I called it."
"Ugh…" Sinon shook her head before going back to her menu.
After ordering their food, Leonn and Sinon made idle chit-chat, all the while listening to the musician in the corner. She was very good, and Leonn would have mistaken her for an NPC were it not for the stylized green cursor over her head, which signified that she was a player. When she finished with her performance, Leonn couldn't help but applaud her as she left the stage and took her seat, which oddly enough happened to be at the table next to them. Sinon arched an eyebrow at Leonn as he shifted in his seat.
Leonn leaned over to the table next to them. "Hi, sorry, I don't mean to interrupt your dinner, but that was a great performance up there."
The white-clad musician spoke up, giving him a friendly smile. "Oh, not at all, thank you!"
The musician's three friends all gave a smile before going back to their food. Leonn shifted back to his own table just in time for the NPC server to come by with his and Sinon's food. Leonn had ordered a beef and melted cheese sandwich with a rich broth served on the side for dipping, whereas Sinon ordered what looked like a pasta dish with red sauce and herbs.
They ate their meals, only stopping to talk between themeselves, but neither made mention of the real world. There honestly wasn't much to talk about when it came to real life concerns. Both never really socialized with anyone else since they were both outsiders, one being a foreign exchange student and the other being constantly bullied by her peers. Thus they found themselves talking about people and events in the game as if that was the new normal. In a sense, it was.
As they were finishing their meals, they heard a voice call out to them from the side.
"Excuse me, are you both clearers?" A small girl asked, clutching her hands together nervously.
Leonn and Sinon looked up at the pigtailed youth before glancing at each other. Sinon put down her fork and turned to the girl. "Yes, we are, but how did you know?"
"W-well…" She replied nervously before rushing over to the table next to them and dragging a flaxen-haired boy with her back to Leonn and Sinon's table. "Geeou said you were."
Leonn looked at the boy with mild amusement. Geeou looked rather embarrassed, clearing his throat before speaking up.
"Sorry about that. I told her not to bother you." Geeou said before gesturing to Leonn and Sinon's weapons, which were holstered on their back and across their chest, respectively. "Your weapons. We've seen you on the broadcasts and you're the only bow and maul users we've really seen."
Leonn looked at Sinon and rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess we forgot to unequip our weapons, huh? Bad table manners, I guess."
Sinon turned back to their visitors. "Why do you ask?"
"My group and I wanted to try to defeat the field boss on this floor." Geeou explained, gesturing behind him to the swordsman and musician seated at the next table. "We were wondering if you had any advice."
Leonn looked at the four players, scanning over their holstered weapons and equipment. The girls each had a dagger as their primary weapon, it seemed, and the boys each had a longsword. The ((Bullbous Bow)) was a formidable field boss, and it had taken the coordination between four clearing groups to take it on, though it could certainly be accomplished with fewer with a solid plan and a well-organized team.
"Well, you guys are probably going to want a tank." Leonn suggested. "You want someone who can grab its attention and keep it still long enough for you four to DPS it down."
"We figured as much…" Geeou said with a sigh. "We can't find one that isn't already in a party of their own."
"We'll have to keep looking!" The pigtailed girl exclaimed.
"Well, thank you anyway for the advice." Geeou said, giving a bow before he and his companion went back to their table.
Leonn let out a sigh and smiled before looking back towards Sinon, who seemed to be busy in her menu. He took a look at the clock on his HUD. It wouldn't be tonight, it was too late in the evening, but…
"Hey Sinon…" Leonn started slowly. "The raid against the 3rd boss isn't until two days from now, right?"
Sinon paused while scrolling through her menu, looking him straight in the eye. She made a few swiping motions and then seemed to be typing out a message. "Yeah, that's right."
"So I was thinking..." Leonn began, a grin crossing his face.
Sinon held up her hand, cutting him off. "I'm already letting them know."
"Glad you're on the same page." Leonn said with a chuckle. He stood up from his seat and walked over to the table of four, who seemed to be deep in a discussion of their own. They didn't immediately notice his presence, which gave Sinon enough time to finish sending her message. She walked up to his side.
"Kirito and Asuna say good luck, and Liz says you better not break that maul." Sinon informed him, simultaneously making their presence known to the four seated before them.
The musician took notice first, lightly tapping the swordsman next to her before turning to address Leonn and Sinon directly. "Hello again! Was there something you needed?"
"Did you all find a tank yet?" Leonn asked.
The swordsman seated next to the musician spoke up. "Not yet. Geeou and I were thinking of maybe buying a shield and seeing how that might work."
Leonn shook his head. "You don't want to do that. You both look like STR/AGI builds, if I had to guess. Our friend is one, so we'd know. You want someone with a STR/VIT build."
The two swordsmen looked disappointed by that news. The musician looked back at Leonn. "Do you know someone who could tank for us, then?"
"You could say that." Leonn said, giving a smile.
Sinon nudged her friend out of the way. "What he's trying to say is that he and I are willing to help you, if you'll have us."
"Really?!" The pigtailed girl exclaimed before shrinking back down in embarrassment from the stares she was getting from the other tables. "You will?"
"Sure!" Leonn replied. "The 3rd floor boss raid isn't for another couple of days, so we've got some time to kill. I'm no shielder, but I can tank the field boss for ya."
"Liz is going to kill you.." Sinon said, shaking her head.
"Probably, but she repaired my maul before we left so at least I shouldn't have to worry about it breaking." Leonn replied. "Anyway, it's too late in the evening to try it now, but we can tackle the boss tomorrow."
"That would be amazing, thank you." The musician responded. "Geeou, you should probably invite them to the party."
"Right!" The flaxen-haired swordsman said, quickly sending party invitations to the two clearers.
"My name's Leonn and this is Sinon." Leonn said. "This should be exciting, I think. A nice challenge to take this thing on with only six people."
"It's nice to meet you two properly." The ashen-haired swordsman said before gesturing towards the musician. "I'm Nautilus and this is Yuna."
"I'm Silica!" The pigtailed girl exclaimed.
"And I'm Geeou." The blond swordsman said, giving a slight bow. "We look forward to working with you."
Leonn grabbed two chairs from the old table and brought them over, handing one over to Sinon. The two clearers took their chairs and sat them at either end of the table. Leonn scanned over the motley crew assembled.
"So let's talk strategy then."
"Are we ready for this?"
Nautilus looked around at the motley crew assembled around him. His oldest friend, Shigemura Yuuna, who for whatever reason had decided to call herself Yuna in this game. His fellow swordsman Geeou, a boy who clearly had a good head on his shoulders. The youngest and easily most energetic of the group, Silica. It was a solid group, and in the past few days had proven itself effective at quickly gaining levels and experience here on the 2nd floor. Sure, they were heavy on the damage side and had next to nothing in damage prevention and mitigation, but they'd made it work.
Then there were the two temporary additions to the party, whose presence here with them had genuinely baffled Nautilus. Sinon, the only archer in the game so far, and one whose accuracy and skill with her weapon were nothing to scoff at. Leonn, the only maul user on the front lines and one of the few players who could stand his ground against a boss. Two of the strongest players in the game, who would undoubtedly be involved in the coming boss raid tomorrow, and yet instead of preparing for the upcoming battle, they were here, helping his modest little group.
Why?
Nautilus felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Looking over, he saw Yuna's ever-cheerful face beaming at him. She had a way of cheering him up whenever he was down, and they'd known each other for so long that all it took now was a smile from her to do just that.
"We'll be fine." Yuna said, removing her hand from his shoulder. "Have a little faith."
"You're right." Nautilus sighed as he turned away from his friend and towards the open field where the ((Bullbous Bow)) stood. He took some solace in the fact that Sinon and Leonn had fought this beast once before and triumphed, but part of him was still scared. This was their first boss fight as a group. Up until now, they'd only fought regular monsters, who were still dangerous in their own right but lacked the overwhelming presence that a boss had.
"Everyone remembers the plan, right?" Leonn said, capturing their attention. "I'm no shielder, so I can't 100% stop it in its tracks, but I will do my best to keep its attention on me."
"Remember to have your potions ready at a moment's notice." Sinon added. "Things can go south in boss fights, no matter how much you prepare."
Nautilus looked over at the other members of his party. Geeou had a look of worried determination on his face, in stark contrast to Silica, who was practically shaking with anticipation.
"We're ready." Nautilus answered, brandishing his longsword.
Everyone else did the same, and together they walked steadily forward to meet their quarry. When they were halfway to the bull, Leonn quickened his pace into a lumbering charge. Sinon planted herself in place, drawing an arrow and after just a moment's pause, loosed it at the field boss. The arrow soared and found its mark, striking the bull in its right eye and causing it to bellow with rage. Taking a second to locate the one who fired the shot, the bull charged forward.
"Here it comes!" Geeou shouted as he veered off to the right side with Silica. "Just like we planned! Get ready!"
"On it!" Nautilus shouted in reply as he and Yuna swung wide to the left.
The bull charged forward, its hooves pounding through the loose grass and soil underneath. Its eyes, flaring red with rage, were dead set on the archer who'd dared to fire at it.
As a result, it wasn't even paying attention to the maul rushing towards its face.
*WHAM!*
As Leonn's monstrous maul collided with the bull's snout, the boss re-evaluated its target priority and skidded, churning up chunks of earth and vegetation as it came to a halt. It wheeled around, its ire now focused on the man with the oversized hammer. It reared back to charge, but was met with another bludgeoning blow as Leonn closed the distance, denying it the chance to charge again.
"Now!" Geeou shouted.
The swordsmen and their dagger-wielding escorts rushed in as Leonn and the ((Bullbous Bow)) began trading blows, the former doing his best to dodge or parry the boss's strikes. The girls, having higher agility stats, were the first to make contact with the bull. A series of glowing purple slashes began to appear on the bull's flanks as both girls unleashed everything they had. Geeou and Nautilus soon caught up, unleashing their own red-tinted sword skills on the bull's side. The boss flailed about at the onslaught, swinging wide to catch both its primary target as well as the others who were harassing it. All the while, arrows were whizzing by at alarming speed as Sinon riddled its hide with bolts.
"Silica! Yuna!" Sinon shouted. "It can't attack you if you're on its back!"
"Right!" Both girls shouted in acknowledgement. Nautilus looked on in simultaneous awe and terror as both dagger wielders vaulted up onto the bull's back, using the arrows planted in its hide as handholds to facilitate their climb. Within a matter of seconds, both were secure on its back, using one hand to grasp a lodged arrow and the other to repeatedly jab their weapons into the bull's back. The bull bellowed in rage at the appearance of its two unwelcome passengers and the repeated thrusting attacks they brought with them.
With two less bodies on the ground, Geeou and Nautilus were able to spread out more without fear of crowding out their comrades. They shifted away from the boss's horns to allow both it and their tank ample room for their bout.
This is going well, actually. Yuna was right. We've got this!
In hindsight, Nautilus shouldn't have tempted fate like that. Three minutes into the fight, the six players had reduced the boss to the last half of its last health bar, and the ((Bullbous Bow)) clearly wasn't having any of it. Its attack speed suddenly spiked, catching Leonn off guard as it threw him to the side.
"Shit!" Leonn cried out as he skidded across the ground. "Watch out, it's loose!"
The bull suddenly charged forward, running through and away from the cluster of players surrounding it. It was all Yuna and Silica could do to stay on its back, using their daggers and the arrows as handholds to anchor themselves in place.
"Hang on!" Yuna shouted as the bull ran and flailed itself about.
Nautilus and Geeou rushed forward, swords drawn. While neither were proper tanks, Nautilus hoped that their presence would at least force the boss to stop running about. They quickly closed the distance, sword skills readied and waiting to be executed. They didn't get there in time though, as one particularly violent shake from the boss ejected both girls to either side.
"Yuna!" Nautilus cried, momentarily distracted by his closest friend suddenly being tossed aside and discarded like trash. That quick glance would prove costly, however, as the bull swung its horns horizontally towards the two swordsmen. Geeou ducked underneath in time, but Nautilus, having spared a concerned glance at Yuna, could only raise his blade in a vain attempt to block the attack. Horns met blade and the ashen-haired swordsman was thrown aside, landing a short distance from Yuna.
"Are you ok?!" Nautilus shouted, once he was able to get back on his feet again.
"Yes, I'm fine!" Yuna shouted before her eyes went wide. "Watch out!"
Nautilus looked back towards the boss and time itself seemed to slow down. The ((Bullbous Bow)) had run past Geeou's attempts at an assault and was now barrelling towards Nautilus and Yuna, the latter clearly having done enough damage while on its back to draw its ire. Every muscle in Nautilus's body screamed in silent agony as his body willed itself to move out of the way. Every fiber of his being knew that staying here would spell death.
Yet he could not move.
Literally frozen in fear, Nautilus could only watch like a spectator in his own body as the bull charged towards him. Each hoof-step echoed in his ears and in his mind, replacing that sound that had been absent from every player's body ever since that first day.
His heartbeat.
His body rebelling against his survival instincts, Nautilus could only close his eyes and prepare for the end.
*THUD!*
Nautilus felt something slam into his side. Opening his eyes, he saw Yuna clutching his mid-section while both laid prone on the ground, some distance away from where the boss was. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. Yuna, being the closest person in proximity, had rushed towards the fear-stricken Nautilus and tackled him, violently and suddenly bringing them both out of the path of the bull.
"Are you ok?" Yuna asked, concern and fear laced in her voice. "What happened?"
Nautilus looked up and past Yuna's shoulder to see that Leonn and Geeou had re-engaged the boss. Nautilus heard footsteps rush up towards them and looked over to see Sinon kneeling down near he and Yuna.
"Are you two alright?" Sinon asked, nocking another arrow and loosing it at the bull, sparing glances down at the two players at her side.
"I… I couldn't move." Nautilus stammered out. "I literally couldn't move a muscle."
"Maybe some sort of stun?" Sinon mumbled to herself before glancing down at Nautilus. "Are you good to keep going?"
Yuna helped Nautilus to his feet, both taking a second to brush themselves off and drink a health potion.
"I think so." Nautilus said, taking a deep breath. "Let's finish this."
He and Yuna charged forward again, glancing up to see that the ((Bullbous Bow)) was on its last legs, only a small sliver of health remaining. Geeou and Leonn were still occupying its attention on the ground, whereas Silica had scrambled up onto its back once again and was stabbing away.
Nautilus looked over at Yuna, who glanced over at him and only nodded. Both charged up sword skills, their weapons glowing a bright red and purple, respectively. Yuna was the first to reach the bull, striking out with a wide slashing motion across its shoulder. She hurriedly jumped to the side as the bull swung out to catch her with its horns.
Now it was Nautilus's turn. Once he was within distance, he lunged forward with his own sword skill, thrusting his longsword straight forward and into the ((Bullbous Bow))'s forehead. Its eyes went wide with rage as its whole body froze. A moment of uneasy silence passed before the bull shattered like glass. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath and not a word nor sound was heard, save for the soft *thud!* that signalled Silica's abrupt fall and impact on the grass.
[Congratulations!]
Nautilus let out a sigh of relief. He'd received the last attack bonus, a ((Chakram)). Like Sinon's longbow, this was an exceedingly rare weapon and his group stood to profit in a significant way if they decided to sell this. Despite his victory and the small crowd of players assembled around him in celebration, Nautilus couldn't focus. His mind and thoughts wandered elsewhere, namely to what had transpired earlier in the fight.
Why did I freeze?
Why did I falter?