Chapter 19: Laughing Coffin falls
[Hello guys, this chapter was a bit slower to write than my others because I've gotten a sore throat but I'm finally sitting down to write it, I hope everyone had a good thanksgiving and if you don't celebrate it than I at least hope you had a good day. Without any further ado, Link Start!]
A goon ran from around a corner and tried to jump Eric from behind. "I'm not in the mood for games." Eric said as the threw his fist back smacking the goon in the head knocking him out.
"Eric me and Jimmy are heading downstairs to their computers." Jason said. Eric nodded in agreement.
"Where do you think they are keeping her?" Kirito asked.
"I don't know but we will check room by room and floor by floor." Eric replied. Eric and Kirito saw that the first 2 floors were clear but time they reached the third floor they were ambushed. It was an open space with the only thing being some speakers in the center, a camera, and the stairs leading up and down. In between the boys and the stairs up was many laughing coffin goons. "Listen up! Give yourselves up and your leader will be the only who gets hurt." Eric announced. They all burst out laughing before attacking the boys.
"I can handle them, go ahead." Kirito said.
"You sure?" Eric asked.
"Yeah, remember I got your back bro." Kirito said.
"Thank you." Eric said. Eric started running towards the goons. Eric slashed his way through while any goons that tried to chase after him was attacked by Kirito. Eric made it to the stairs and saw Kirito was holding his own then ran up to the next floor. The fourth floor was the same as the third. "What really?" Eric asked as the goons charged him. Eric tried his best to fight them off but with so many he was eventually beat to the floor. The two remaining goons picked Eric up and held him in front of the camera.
"Are they dead?" The leaders voice asked from the speakers.
"No, I just slashed and beat them till they passed out." Eric replied.
"I think It's time to tell you my name." The leader said.
"Yeah it'd be nice to know the name of the man I'm gonna murder." Eric said.
"aghahahhahahahahaha you are so funny. My name is Dulk." Dulk said.
"Well now I know what to put on your grave." Eric said. Dulk chuckled. "What's so funny?" Eric asked.
"My men have you trapped while I have your friend trapped. You know what that means?" Dulk asked trying not to snicker.
"What?" Eric asked starting to feel his blood boil.
"I can torture her and all you can do is stand there being held by my men while you listen to her screams of pain and suffering." Dulk replied not being able to hold back his laughing.
"Don't you touch her." Eric warned. Eric heard muffled sounds before he heard Dulk remove some duct tape.
"E-Eric." Asada said.
"Asada." Eric said. Asada let out a sharp howl of pain as Eric heard what sounds like a stabbing sound. "Dulk! What did you do?!" Eric yelled.
"Oh I'm just practicing my pumpkin carving skills. I wanna be prepared for Halloween this year." Dulk answered with a chuckle as Asada moaned in pain. Eric felt something in him snap.
"I tried." Eric said in a low tone.
"Huh?" Dulk asked.
"Ever since I was born I've had a slight sociopathic personality, but when I was trapped in SAO and started killing the Pkers I learned what drove people to commit murder….. IT WAS SO FUCKING FUN!" Eric yelled with a twisted smile. Dulk and the two goons were dead quiet. "Sometimes I thought about killing normal players because I was bored of you guys, however I had enough control to stop myself and when I returned to the real world I put that blood lust behind me. Then I met Asada and I knew I had to control the darkness not just for me but for her." Eric continued. "But she's in danger and I already planed on killing you, and if I have to go all murder to get to you then I will. Even if it results in everyone fearing and hating me it at least means she will be safe." Eric said going quiet.
"Well that was quite a speech, if you snapped with that little bit of push I wonder." Dulk said. They was a slight thud and Asada yelled in pain.
"Last chance goons." Eric said. The goons just chuckled. "Ok then I'll have to result to…. KILLING YOU!" Eric yelled as he slammed his arms up freeing himself. Eric turned and punched the goon's noses causing their nose bones to shoot into their brains killing them instantly.
"Now I'll admit I'm worried." Dulk said before cutting of the speakers. Eric just laughed before running up the stairs leaving his sword on the ground. Eric burst into a control room that had Asada tied to a chair.
"Asada!" Eric yelled as he ran to her. She had a few stab wounds and punch marks.
"I-I'm ok." Asada said. Kirito ran in.
"Watch her." Eric said as he ran past Kirito. Eric heard Asada yelling at him but he was so focused he couldn't tell what she was saying. Eric came to a stairwell that said roof. 'Time to end this for real.' Eric thought. Eric lifted his shirt up slightly and took out his Glock9 and grabbed a Magazine from his pocket. "One shot, One kill." Eric said as he dropped 9/10 bullets down the stairs and loaded the last one into the Mag and slid it into the pistol. Eric cocked the pistol and kicked open the door to the roof. "Dulk come out." Eric said as he stood in the center of roof. Eric heard a sound all to familiar to him thanks to GGO, the sound of a shotgun. Eric spun and aimed at Dulk's head.
"Oh you got a real one this time eh?" Dulk asked.
"Yeah, And I'm gonna use it." Eric said.
"Safety's on." Dulk said. All Eric did was smirk.
"Please I loaded it and checked the safety on the way up the stairs." Eric countered. Dulk just stared blankly before laughing.
"Not that easy to get ya huh?" Dulk asked. Eric chuckled before ducking behind a pipe as Dulk moved his hand. Dulk shot at Eric but the bullets was blocked by the pipe.
'Ok maybe dropping my bullets was a move of false bravery.' Eric thought as Dulk closed in laying fire to the pipe. 'Wait I already had a bullet in the chamber so I have 2 chances.' Eric thought with his blood crazy ideas flooding back to him. Time Eric heard the click click sound of Dulk's empty magazine he jumped up and shot at Dulk. Dulk was able to duck and start running before the bullet hit him. Eric ran after Dulk, while running Eric cocked his pistol and loaded the last bullet into the chamber. Dulk slipped and fell down because of the little rocks that the roof was covered in. Eric jumped onto of Dulk and started pistol whipping his face over and over again. "How's that feel you bastard!?" Eric shouted. "That's only a part of the pain you made others feel!" Eric yelled as he rammed the barrel of his Glock9 in the mouth of Dulk. Dulk in a blur was able to strike a nerve in Eric's hand making him drop the gun, Dulk used this chance to kick Eric off him and tried to grab the pistol. Eric wouldn't be beat that easy though as he kicked the pistol away. Eric and Dulk started throwing punches.
"You know I wanted to have you join us for so long but you never wanted to, such a shame." Dulk said with a laugh as he wiped some blood off his face.
"I'd never join you." Eric said as he swept Dulk's legs out from under him. Dulk rolled away and jolted up and round house kicked Eric in the head sending him stumbling back. Eric ran to the pistol and picked it up but Dulk came up behind him and picked him up and threw him towards the edge. Eric got up in time for Dulk to start kicking him in the side repeatedly.
"I'm done messing with you." Dulk said as he picked Eric up by his shirt collar.
"You're nothing but an evil beast." Eric said as he spit some blood into Dulk's face.
"Beast? I'm fully happy being a beast because that means I have nothing to lose nor anything to love or protect, and I can destroy everything other people love until this beast stops working." Dulk said with a laugh as he pushed Eric over the edge. In Eric's eyes time slowed down as he just fell.
'This can't be it, can it?' Eric thought as was getting close to the ground. 'For all of their safety.' Eric thought as he aimed the pistol at Dulk. "Remember this while you burn in Hell; Everything we do as humans has an equal balanced or sacrificial reaction." Eric said as he shot Dulk right between the eyes. Eric started to roll to his side to make sure his back didn't get to damaged from the fall, he hit the ground THUD! It could be heard all around the area. Dulk fell off the roof and landed beside Eric. Eric conjured up every last bit of his power to stand and walk inside the building. Meanwhile Jimmy was using his sword to fend off some goons while Jason finished getting the proof.
"Alright let's get outta here." Jason said as he grabbed his battle axe and started helping Jimmy finish off some goons. Suddenly Eric came up behind the last goon and slammed a chair over his head. "Hey what happened?" Jason asked as he saw Eric. Eric's left arm was obviously smashed and broken from the fall, and blood covered almost the whole left side of his head from where his head slammed against the ground slightly.
"I'm ok, get out of here quick." Eric spoke in a broken voice.
"Eric!" Asada yelled from the door way as she saw Eric. Eric slowly turned around to see Asada and Kirito standing by the door.
"Let's get out of here and to a hospital quick." Kirito said.
"I think it's to late, make sure she stays safe and the proof gets to the police." Eric said as he fell to the ground.
"No!" Asada yelled as she ran and kneeled beside Eric.
"Before I close my eyes I must know… why do you like somebody like me?" Eric asked.
"Because I knew you would always keep me safe and happy and I learned that's what I wanted to do for you, make you happy and safe!" Asada shouted at him as she shook him to try and keep him awake.
"Well You made me happy, Thank you from the depths of my heart for that." Eric said with the most real smile he's ever done. Eric closed his eyes as Asada and Kirito yelled for him to stay alive. 'With the murder I did in SAO and now in the real world I'm going to hell for sure, but at least she will be safe from laughing coffin.' Eric thought. 'Thank you Kirito, Asuna, Klein, Agil, Leafa, Lisbeth, Silica, Hunter, and Asada for making me realize even after what I did in SAO I could live a kinda normal life, and I enjoyed what bit of it I had left.' Eric thought as he felt his mind fade into darkness.