Magicus Ensis Art Online
Magic Sword Art Online
HP/SAO x-over
Asuna/Kirito HP/?

The black clad teens ascended to Floor Two and fist bumped, Harry quickly de-equipped his armour "That shit's fucking heavy...Too damn heavy, I can walk in it..."

Kirito snickere "Let's get your strength up. We can get that martial skill now and if we get lucky we can get the Guild Quest done."

Harry nodded "Let's dissolve the team meet in four days at the inn. We'll split the loot between us and sell the rest if we need to...Now which way was North?" Internally his magic pinged it felt like a warmth from a fire that increased as he got closer to facing North. With that he began to run the town of Urbus that lingered behind him rapidly fell away concealed amongst some of the hills and Harry found himself amongst the open plains.

He heard a bellow off to one side and he quickly dived forwards into a roll as a Lesser Taurus Striker tried to charge him; however as Harry rolled from the first, a second roar was heard and Harry spun to one side taking a glancing hit from a second Striker.

Harry went for his blade only to see that it had become disconnected from his back after the second role and his other weapon was the Morningstar which he had sacrificed to defeat Illfang. "Okay Harry you've done this before. You've beaten five of these bare handed...But I had the Martial Arts quest completed." Harry slid into a low sword profile and waited, he could feel the sword skill begin to start but he denied and he internally focused "Magicus Ensis!"

UNIQUE SKILL AQUIRED! Spectral Blade Materialisation! Then it hit Harry like a lorry, Kayaba was either a wizard, squib or a well informed mundane to ensure his Nervegear didn't go haywire. "First the Witchking Armour and now this? Kayaba what game are you playing with me?" He resolved to have a look at his armour at a later date when he wasn't about to be destroyed by Minotaur based monsters.

Harry made the gesture of grabbing a sword and an emerald blade emerged from his clenched fist forming a guardless Estoc, he hefted it and it jerked to his hand. Harry ordered the blade to increase in weight and it obeyed and he smirked; the Striker charged forwards its hammer glowing.

Harry waited the hammer went to the Striker's side. The hammer was two metres long. The head began its covering of the space between Striker and victim when Harry moved. Harry flickered inside the Strikers hammerswing arc and with a rising diagonal strike the emerald spectral blade raked across the Striker, but Harry wasn't done at the apex of his jump he gestured and the estoc appeared on his left hand, he someraulted and grabbing the blade split the Striker in half.

Harry quelled the blade, grabbed the Hammer and swung it backwards at the last second and it collided with the other Striker with a grotesque crunching sound of ribs shattering and he heard the squelch of a heart rupturing on the hammer. He quickly stowed the two hammers; they'd fetch a pretty price from a smithy.

Soon enough he found his destination and after going through the programmed speech, Harry was facing the massive stone. He slid his right foot back and and crouched with his left leg extended and suddenly with a blindingly fast action Harry punched the boulder his hand glowing yellow, the stone shattered. Harry lashed out with his left fist, then his knees and feet and grinned. "Martial Art Skill completed...Teleport Urbus."

Harry dissolved into particles and reappeared in the town to find Kirito entering the town looking particularly grim "What happened?"

"Some other guys got the Guild Quest...Did you get Martial?" Harry nodded it didn't matter that Kirito didn't get the Guild Quest which wasn't a huge set back as the pair were still head and shoulders above the rest of the players it was only good for the almost guaranteed level or two upgrades.

Suddenly the portal glimmered to life and new players began teaming onto the second floor. "Come on Kirito, Asuna's arrived...She doesn't need to..." It was too late Asuna spied her former squad mates and quickly made her way over.

Asuna when they took on Illfang had been level 13 which was just above the average level of 9-10. It was compared to Harry and Kirito who back then were 18 and 20 respectively was insignificant, now she now stood at 19 almost 20.

Asuna looked at Kirito and Harry noticed that Kirito was still 8 levels higher and Harry was pushing on 9. "Look who seems to be slacking boys?"

"Look at whose hit a growth spurt and become slightly cocky. Still think you can hang with the 'Beaters?'" Mocked Harry only his eyes giving away his good humour.

Asuna rolled her eyes "You two are only as good as the targets you hit. Kirito you hit them and keep on going until they're down. You, Harry seem to either hit them so hard that no-one knows what hit them or you whittle them down with raw speed and small accumulating cuts." The pair shrugged Asuna had them pegged pretty well.

"Have you two been slacking or what?"

"Too be honest Asuna, we only got here a few hours before you did. The fact that Harry has managed to jump to level 28 and me to 27 from 22 and 23 respectively is pretty impressive in itself. We're only slightly behind our timetable of levelling or I am." Explained Kirito getting a raised eyebrow from the brunette.

"You two have a timetable?"

Harry nodded "Yup his mother insists that I join them at least three times a week for dinner and I visit five times for a few hours not 'street discussion' as she calls them."

Asuna chuckled "Do you know where I can find a blacksmith? I need some repairs done to my preferred rapier then shall we do some 'grinding'? If that's the term."

Harry grinned "Follow me he's an expensive Blacksmith but he does a good job...We'll make a beta out of you yet."

Soon enough the three of them were heading into the woods "We're looking for Wind Wasps. Evil little bastards because they're so damn fast but buckets of experience." Explained Kirito pulling Asuna back as she almost stepped on a fallen Wasp nest.

"Found it Kirito...Seven nests all clustered together." Said Harry a maniac grin on his face.

"Harry we know your not all in the head but think about this."

"Harry, I want to do this. Hit all seven and let's see how many levels we can get out of this."

With that a branch went swirling into the seven Wasp nests. Harry jumped back pulling out the Reaper blade as the wasps descended upon the three of them. Harry's blade began glowing and he launched out with a devestating combinations of right hand vertical, horizontal, switch hands, left hand vertical, horizontal, switch.

Asuna tracked Harry with one eye as she performed 'quadlateral splash' a four hit combo which would later lead to 'Star Splash'. "Kirito is he duel wielding?"

Kirito shook his head as he launched a Horizontal Square "No he just throws his blade from hand to hand. It's gotten to point where it looks like a mirage; he's trying to increase his speed and his single handed two hit combo's. He can chain two attacks together before he freezes for cool down which is where uses 'Switch Hands'..."

Asuna was lost at the jargon but she managed guess what the Black Swordsman was saying "He can attack twice with one hand which results in him 'cooling down' and instead of switching, he can circumvent the cool down and switching by chucking his blade into his other hand and then chucks it back."

Kirito nodded "In essence yes. So he can keep on attacking."

Harry growled as he got stung and the 'poisoned' status appeared and his health began to get sapped. Instead of it being depleted 30 in 5 or more depending on the amount of stings; it was 15 in 2.5. "Thank you Basilisk Venom and Phoenix Tears. Makes poison less of a bitch and no idea about paralysis."

Soon enough the massive horde of Wasps had been destroyed with Kirito and Harry glowing green. As you levelled up your outline turned white; but if you advanced more than one level the outline changed colour. So far their had been so many inconsistences with multiple levelling up it was hard to work out what colour meant what.

Kirito was glowing orange with Asuna glowing a brilliant blue. Harry had jumped from 28 to 32. "Green is four levels. Now level 32." Stated Harry piling his results into strength, stamina, endurance and agility when a notification appeared Armour of Terror can now be worn with -100 to Agility and Speed and +50 to concealement.

"Update?"

"Yeah Terror Armour's negativity to agi (Agility) and spd (Speed) reduced to half. Concealment +50 nothing else to Strength, Defence or Vitality. Does say 5 out 20 slots of upgrades are available...Kayaba must have plans for me if he's spoiling me this badly."

Kirito snorted "I'm 33."

Asuna grinned "And I'm 24."

Harry nodded before rooting through his inventory "Hmm it appears I've got an EXP doubler. Don't remember that, limitation is to level 45. Works upto maximum of three people."

Asuna stared "Okay as I've not been asked to join a guild yet, I'm sticking to you two like glue if only to exploit Harry's exp artefact." Kirito snickered.

"I may as well need to. Someone needs to look out for you both."

Asuna flushed red "That is SO not true. I DO NOT NEED YOU to look after me. I'm pretty sure Harry doesn't either."

Harry smirked "With him with us you're more likely to survive this game with me. I'm not exactly the most tactile person in the game."

Asuna grinned "I remember you're more of a wrecking ball. Knock 'em down and keep 'em down...You're poisoned!"

Harry looked up and shrugged "And? It's only 15 in 2.5. My health is 8000. My battle medic is regenerating 80 in 20...I'm going to be okay. I'm not going to be dropping dead anytime soon...Anyway's their's a mine dungeon few couple of miles away. Some good ore's that work upto floor eight if information in the beta is accurate."

Asuna nodded "Just how much do you two know?"

"Three floors from a quarter of the way up. We're not divulging not because we're being 'dickheads' as Harry would say but because Illfang had been changed slightly and if our information is inaccurate then more people are going to die. This mine spawns monsters lowest are 9's highest being 18-20."

Asuna nodded "Why is it that we are in our late 20's early 30's in levels and we are taking things much lower?"

"It's to do with Zone Bosses being exceptions to their respective level. If a level 8 monster attacks you and you're level 7-8 you struggle, to combat a monster effectively you need to be 2-3 levels higher than it. Zone Bosses by the thumb need to be double the mini bosses."

Asuna nodded she knew of the 'Thumb' rule it was something her brother taught her in a few online games. She hadn't really been interested in the game, but she enjoyed spending time with her brother. "Generally to beat a boss easily you need to be stronger than it because a boss tends to be a lot more powerful for its level than regular monsters."

Kirito nodded "Harry our little add on is learning quick."

"Come on lovebirds we have monsters to fight, boss to find and ore to grind...Also we may find Angel's Grace. The strongest rapier on this floor."

"Strongest rapier? I thought that your blades are the strongest!"

Harry grinned "I'm a coder...If a game has a legendary type of weapon of a class for example the Anneal being the strongest single handed straight sword on the first floor then each level or floor requires one legendary weapon of each type...You heard of Maid Marian Games? Sherwood Forest?"

Asuna nodded "I coded the uncommon, rare and legendary weapons for it. Made them harder to find but much more effective."

"That game was awful!" Said Kirito.

"My first game I helped code. Like you've coded anything that complex and so basic."

The trio bickered as they headed towards the mine when a loud arrogant voice shouted "GIVE US YOUR WEAPONS AND WE'LL LET YOU GO!"

Harry spun around to find a team of eight players facing them, Harry unsheathed the Reaper blade and prepped his armour "Do you recognise the three of us?"

One of them paled "Black coat, green blade that's the Black Swordsman. I don't recognise the other two...One beta can't stand against the eight of us."

"Equip armour." Harry stated aloud and the attackers noticed Harry's Health Skyrocket and he was cloaked in the armour of the Witchking.

"Kiba! You JACKASS! How could you not remember that the Witchking worked with the Black Swordsman? The Swordsman may let us live but the Witchking I heard trashed Commander Kibaou with a headbut and almost took a life of one of the new assault players for a playful insult."

Harry snorted and entered a combat stance "Think you can win?" He growled the helmet distorting his voice even more.