A/N:
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, time to answer some reviews!
- felipe potter medrado: Yep! This floor's based on Greek mythology; I figured it was an easy fit given the floor's labyrinthine theme.
- Otaku of Anime: Thanks! The gorgon battle was fun to write. Trying to write a PoV from someone who's paralyzed and immobile was an interesting exercise. Liz's shield is definitely a reference to the Aegis. While it hasn't been named yet, it's an important piece of equipment.
- lilLJBeacon: Definitely not planning on dropping this anytime soon. I hate it when good fanfics abruptly end because the author lost interest, and I'm going to do my damnedest not to become one of those. Plus, I've got things planned out til the end! I gotta bring them to life or that's really gonna bother me.
- Lord Destroyer: Lokuss would probably be helpful here, I'll admit, but he's not a dedicated fighter. He can fight, but his expertise lies in not only information gathering, but taking that information, piecing it together, and predicting what comes next. The labyrinth here is incredibly deadly, so keeping him in town to analyze the data obtained in the field seemed the best course of action.
- Drake Vallion: Glad you're liking it! I chose Euryale as the NPC's name because I didn't want it to be obvious from the start that there was something up. Figured it would be a nice little nod to those of you who knew the story behind the gorgon sisters, but a surprise to those of you who did not.
- tom476ty18: The Renegades are one of the major frontline guilds at this point; they're almost constantly helping with the clearing efforts. They take breaks (as we'll see down the line) but they're dedicated to liberating everyone. I don't have any intentions of making a Bofuri x SAO crossover, as amusing as that might be. The references have been only little nods to Bofuri, but nothing will come of it in the long run.
*THUMP THUMP THUMP.*
Nautilus groaned as he slowly awoke from his slumber. He'd been having such a pleasant dream, too. In his dream, he'd been sitting on the 1st Floor just enjoying a day off with Yuna. Just sitting and talking with her; nothing special, but he enjoyed its simplicity. A day off with his best friend, enjoying lunch at some nameless cafe. No front line looming overhead, no threat of death; in this dream he was playing SAO as it was intended.
Nothing more than a game.
He slowly cracked open his eyes and immediately regretted doing so. Damn, that sunlight was blinding, even if it was just peeking through his window. It was enough to jar him awake. Although if he just turned over and strategically placed his pillow, maybe he could -
"Wake up, Naut! Breakfast is almost ready!"
Grumbling, he sat up and threw off the covers. He was tired, and it didn't look like today was going to be a day of sleeping in.
Ever since they'd defeated that gorgon last week, the Renegades had been working non-stop to help clear the floor. Apparently, Euryale was only one of three field bosses, the other two being gorgons as well. According to Asuna, Euryale was one of three named gorgons in Greek mythology, the others being Stheno and the more infamous Medusa. Maybe if they'd found Medusa first, that freak ambush wouldn't have caught them off guard so much.
Liz's new mirror-like shield made the other field bosses easier, though. Because Liz had the shield, which reflected the petrifying gaze right back at the gorgons, the Renegades were present for both of the other field boss battles. In just a few days, the Assault Team had found and defeated all three field bosses. Now, almost a full week later, they'd found the boss chamber and today was the day they'd send in a scouting force to scope out the boss's abilities. The ALS, eager to redeem themselves since their humiliating losses during the first few days, volunteered to scout out the boss.
In other words, Kibaou was trying to mend his reputation and his bruised ego.
"You comin', Naut?" Lokuss's muffled voice said through the door.
"In a minute!" He replied.
"See you in a bit then!" The loremaster answered back before the sound of retreating footsteps dwindled away.
As Nautilus went about his room, checking his inventory and making sure everything was equipped, he took a moment to appreciate where he was right now. Oh, he hated being trapped in Aincrad, but if he had to be trapped anywhere, at least it was within the comfort of the Renegade guild hall. When building the hall, they spared no expense in making sure everyone's rooms - those occupied as well as those that had yet to have occupants - were comfortable. Each room was furnished with a queen-sized bed, as well as tables and chairs in case anyone decided they wanted to invite anyone in for a private conversation. There was a small walk-in closet in each room, which acted as additional storage for armor, weapons, and clothes. A small washroom was even included as well. Fortunately, no one had any need to use a proper restroom since there was no… well, waste, but a small sink was there in case anyone needed to use it. No proper baths inside, though. Asuna had plans to build a proper bath house near the top of the waterfalls ever since they discovered those hot springs.
Nautilus chuckled under his breath. That woman and her baths.
He sighed. He should probably get moving. If Asuna was making breakfast, it was sure to be delicious, and he'd need that kind of refreshment today. They weren't planning on doing anything particularly strenuous today, but he'd need to be sharp while they watched the scout boss broadcast, especially if the boss ended up just as deadly as the rest of its damned floor.
As he opened the door and went downstairs, a knot began to form in his stomach.
He had a bad feeling about this…
God, that thing was ugly.
Nautilus stared up in disgust at the floating screen above the Town of Beginnings plaza at what he could only describe as the kind of ugly that only a mother would love. The 25th Floor boss was a massive creature, easily 30… maybe 40 feet tall? It was humanoid, absolutely, complete with two arms and two legs.
And two heads.
Hence the ugly.
From what he could see, each face was built like those of Western fantasy orcs, the green-skinned ones. Horrible, misshapen teeth and tusks, ratty hair, and adorned with three horns. Not three horns on each head… three horns total. The left head clearly got the better end of the deal, sporting two of the three horns. Then again, the right head had two eyes instead of just one, so it probably evened out in the end.
It did look imposing, though. Its armor seemed to be a hodge-podge of different materials. A necklace laced with what looked to be human skulls, a leather harness stretched across its chest, and what looked like a section of crude metal fashioned into a pauldron made up its armor. It even seemed to be wearing a few normal-sized shields improvised as rings or possible knuckle guards. An absolutely disgusting piece of long, dirtied fabric made up its loincloth - which fortunately seemed to cover any undesirable parts from view - and it seemed to have taken a series of logs and strapped them together to make up a pair of rudimentary sandals. To top off its barbaric look, it wielded a massive wooden club, which was accentuated by bits of broken metal and stone embedded along its wooden surface.
Nautilus leaned over towards Kirito, who was intently studying the live broadcast. "Do we know anything about this boss from any of the quests?"
Kirito shook his head. "Not really. Argo would be the one to ask about that."
Nautilus looked around, trying to pick out the information broker out of the throng of people populating the plaza. "If we can find her, that is…"
"Well if you wanted to see my pretty face so badly, why didn'cha just ask?" A familiar nasally voice said, so close he was pretty sure she was standing right behind him. "And what would Yuna say? I don' wanna be a homewrecker, ya know."
Nautilus froze and pursed his lips. Speak of the devil and she shall appear.
"You know it's not like that, Argo." Nautilus shot back, crossing his arms. "We're just friends."
She waved him off. "Sure, sure. Whatever ya say, Nau-bou. What'd ya need?"
Nautilus pointed at the giant on the screen as it flailed its bludgeon again, this time into Liten's tower shield. "Got any quest info on that thing?"
"A little bit, but it's gonna cost ya if ya want it in advance." Argo snarked. "If yer willin' to wait until the strategy meetin', it'll be free."
Nautilus grimaced. Sure, he could wait. They were due to hold the strategy meeting tomorrow, anyway. Then again, having some information now might help them dissect what they were seeing now. He did also have some extra funds he hadn't dipped into yet. Should he…?
The sound of a coin pouch falling into Argo's hand interrupted his train of thought.
"There." Kirito said, his eyes not leaving the screen. "Tell us what you know, Argo."
"Thanks for yer patronage, Kii-bou." Argo grinned. She pulled up her notes and began to read aloud. "Name's ((Areog the Twin Colossus)). According to what Lokuss was able to dig up about this guy - he claims it's technically a cyclops, though I ain't ever heard of one with two heads - he's the one who built the maze on the 25th Floor. You'd never know it right now, though. Looks more like a buffoon than a mastermind."
Nautilus looked back up at the screen just as Areog stupidly looked behind itself to stare at a player with a spear. After a long second of clear contemplation, it swung its club at the player, who'd already dodged by then.
Architect of the deadliest maze yet seen? Definitely not.
Big, dumb, and ugly? Absolutely.
"Well, looks like they're right on one thing." Kirito interjected, pointing up at the screen. Areog stomped down on the ground and several stone walls sprang up, scattered about the boss room. "It does make walls, but they seem random. Some of the ALS are even taking cover behind them."
"Why though?" Nautilus mused. "Seems odd that it can just summon walls like that. It's not like it's throwing anything at them."
"No, but I could see it becoming a problem with line of sight for the ranged DPS." Kirito said. "Kibaou seems to have a handle on things for the time being, though."
"That's a good thing, right?" Yuna asked as she walked up to join the conversation. "I heard he's been hurting since the first night on the 25th Floor."
"Yeah, Kibaou's been lookin' for a way to redeem himself." Argo agreed. "He's had more than his fair share of screw-ups so he needs this."
Kirito grumbled disapprovingly. "Hmm. Couldn't help but notice when we helped them take down Medusa, he was getting reckless, though. He might be too eager to prove himself."
"Well, he'll have his chance during the actual fight." Nautilus said.
Kirito and Argo seemed too busy watching the fight to really respond, so Nautilus sat down on a nearby bench and watched for himself. Kirito and Asuna had tried to teach everyone how to be more strategic and tactical in their thinking, so he figured he'd give it a shot. His eyes darted back and forth between the boss and the ALS. By all accounts, everything seemed to be going fairly well. Areog was slow but looked like he hit hard. He must have had a very simplistic A.I. if that dumbfounded face - sorry, faces - were anything to go off of.
"Notice anything unusual?" Yuna asked, sitting right next to him.
He offered her a brief smile before looking back at the screen. "Not really. He's dangerous but he's too slow. The walls seem random."
"He does also seem to break his own walls, too." Yuna said. "The leftover rubble looks like it could make moving around difficult for us."
"True." Nautilus agreed. "He doesn't seem bothered by it, though. He just steps right over it if he needs to. Did… did he just kick a chunk of rubble at somebody?"
"He… wow, he did." Yuna said, looking a little puzzled by what they just saw on screen. "The battlefield's a mess. It's a wonder anyone can dodge."
"Yeah, that's…" Nautilus trailed before a look of realization dawned on his face. He looked towards his guild leader and cupped his hands over his mouth. "Hey Kirito!"
The Renegade leader glanced over his shoulder. "What's up, Naut?"
"Yuna just pointed something out." He flashed a smile at the Songstress, who seemed to blush at being given credit. "Between the walls and the rubble, it's going to be hard to move around while fighting. We're going to need a way around that, or fight with that in mind."
"Good point." Kirito admitted. He glanced over at Argo, who seemed to be taking notes.
After a moment, the Rat finished typing and looked up to the three of them staring at her. "...What? You thought I'd just sit back while you battle maniacs brainstormed? This is good stuff!"
Kirito looked away from the screen and towards the still studious Rat right next to him. "It's been a half hour, so they should be wrapping up soon. The meeting's tomorrow at 10:00 right?"
Argo nodded. "I'll go grab the other guild leaders."
Nautilus turned back to Yuna, knowing full well what Argo was doing. It was tradition at this point following a scout broadcast. After a half hour of combat, the scouting group would retreat and those who were watching the broadcast - the leadership, specifically - would briefly meet to discuss what observations they made. While that happened, Argo and a few other information brokers would take notes to compile and present during the strategy meeting the following day.
They had bosses down to a science at this point.
"Here we are." Yuna said, an uneasy smile on her face. "Once we clear this boss, we'll be more than a quarter of the way to freedom."
"Nervous?" Nautilus asked, bumping her shoulder with his own.
Whatever anxious energy she had seemed to lessen at that as she smiled. "A little, but I trust our friends. We'll get past this."
Nautilus looked over those of his guild that were within the immediate vicinity. He trusted them too. When SAO was revealed to be a death game, he thought he and Yuna would have to go it alone. Thank goodness that didn't turn out to be the case, especially after his own FNC was revealed. His mood soured for a moment, realizing that he was still handicapped by that crippling disability. He'd done well as the backline guard for the support team, but that particular weakness of his was an insecurity he wasn't sure would ever go away. Even Argo had limited information on how to combat FNC outright; those few individuals who had FNC had found creative ways around it. Nezha had circumvented his lack of depth perception with a weapon that didn't need it. He'd even heard of another individual whose FNC manifested itself as a hypersensitivity to taste; they'd specialized in the ((Cooking)) skill and reportedly owned a very expensive restaurant on the 12th Floor.
His own was so much worse.
Yuna frowned. "You're thinking about it again, aren't you?"
It was less a question and more a blunt observation. She knew how to read him, alright. Well, she knew how to read most of what he was thinking. Whether or not she was aware of his growing feelings towards her was another matter entirely. If she knew, she hadn't said anything about it. He counted himself lucky.
"Yeah." Nautilus shrugged. "Just wish it wasn't an issue, or at least not as deadly. I worry that one of these days, it's going to kill me… or someone else."
"You can't worry about that, Naut." Yuna said, resting a hand on top of his, which - by the way - was not helping with those feelings of his in the slightest. "One day we'll find a way to fix it, but until then you can't let that weigh you down. Don't worry about what you can't change."
He sighed. "You're right. Doesn't mean I have to like it, but you're right."
This time she was the one to nudge his shoulder. "I wouldn't be doing my job as best friend if I didn't tell you when you were wrong, now would I?"
"I guess not." He admitted before looking up at the screen. Areog was still fending off attacks from the ALS and the battlefield still looked to be in shambles. He frowned. "Yun', how long have they been in there?"
She glanced up, likely at her HUD clock. "About 35, maybe 40 minutes now. Why?"
"Because they should have been out by now." He grimaced, then stood up and looked towards Kirito. The leaders of the major front line guilds were standing in a circle discussing something, but none of them were watching the screen. "Come on. Something's not right."
Yuna dutifully followed Nautilus as he weaved his way through the crowd. Already there were a few murmurs of confusion, some of the audience clearly picking up on just how long the ALS had been in there. Finally, after almost mowing down a few unaware players, Nautilus came up alongside Kirito.
"Kirito. Something's wrong." He said, prompting various looks from those assembled. Heathcliff and Alice looked genuinely confused, as did Klein and Orlando. Lind and Shivata had looks of slight concern etched on their faces. Kirito and Asuna, on the other hand, both looked confused, but the latter seemed to be catching on.
"What is it?" Kirito asked.
"Look at the clock." Nautilus suggested. "They're late."
Kirito's brow furrowed. "They are. What the hell are they doing staying in there for?"
Just as they were about to look once more towards the screen, a scream of terror rang out. Everyone - not just the leaders, but the audience too - looked over at the screen at a horrifying sight.
It was a completely different fight. A multitude of walls were erected, many making navigating back to the gates exceedingly difficult. Rubble was strewn about, and the ALS players didn't seem to be leaving. That wasn't different in and of itself, but the next thing Nautilus noticed did send shivers down his spine. He looked again at Areog.
He was grinning. Both heads were.
The entire demeanor of the boss had changed. Gone was the expression of blissful stupidity and airheadedness. Instead of clumsy movements, now the giant cyclops seemed to be fighting with more intelligence. In fact, he was using the walls and rubble to box players in. Already a few clouds of pixels were drifting about, which was undoubtedly why someone had screamed.
Someone died.
Now Nautilus understood. It was a trap, masterfully laid by the architect of the 25th Floor mazes. The same mazes that had already killed over a dozen front line players. Now that the chamber was riddled with walls and rubble, the trap had been sprung. They'd been played. Duped.
The cyclops was playing dumb.
"What the hell?!" Klein shouted. "What happened?!"
"That idiot." Lind cursed, slamming the bottom of his fist into his palm. "The boss seemed easy, so that idiot decided to stay and see if he and his guild could take it out by themselves. Now the boss sprung his trap and people are dying. We need to go!"
"Agreed." Heathcliff nodded, furiously swiping through his menu. "Alice, get everyone together. I recommend you all assemble your guilds as well. Time is of the essence. We need to move fast if we are to save them."
"How?!" Orlando shouted, gesturing towards the beginnings of a massacre broadcast live for thousands to see. "By the time we get there, it'll all be over!"
Heathcliff pulled out a large crystal from his inventory. "With this."
"Is that a…?" Kirito muttered.
Heathcliff nodded. "Yes. A ((Corridor Crystal)). We were fortunate enough to come across one on the 21st Floor and I've been holding onto it just in case it was needed. I think this qualifies."
"What does it do?" Yuna asked as she shared a worried look with Nautilus.
"It opens a gateway between here and a location of the player's choosing." Kirito explained. "You had it keyed to the boss room?"
Heathcliff nodded. "I've been keying it to the front gates of every boss room so far just in case. I had hoped I would never need to use this, but…"
That thought didn't need to be finished. Within short order, maybe 3 minutes or so, all of the major frontline guilds had been assembled around Heathcliff and the KoB. Each player in attendance had a grim expression on their face. Some looked terrified, many were visibly frustrated, and some were just downright angry. He couldn't blame them.
Kibaou had forced their hand, and now they had to go rescue them from a mess of their own making.
"There is little time, so I will make this short." Heathcliff began, commanding the attention of all present. "Kibaou and the ALS are fighting a losing battle. Let me be clear: they will die if we do not rescue them. This boss has shown an intelligence we've not seen before. It will be incredibly dangerous, and there is a good chance that some of us may die."
Silence reigned in the plaza as even the bystanders listened to the Paladin's speech, the only noise pervading the Town of Beginnings the cries of panic and death as shown on the screens above.
"I have a Corridor Crystal here. Once I use this, any who follow will be deposited just outside the boss room gates. We will need to act swiftly. Our priority is rescue. Get in, move the injured to safety, and if possible, get out. The boss has made the battlefield incredibly difficult to navigate, so be prepared for anything. Some of us will need to occupy the boss while this happens." Heathcliff continued, his expression determined.
"Questions? No? Good." Heathcliff said, not giving anyone a chance to interject. Not that anyone would, really. The objective was clear and the stakes were high. Any second wasted here was another potential casualty. Nautilus already counted five clouds of pixels on the screen, and he wasn't even giving the broadcast his full attention.
Heathcliff held the crystal up to the sky and a massive portal-like gateway expanded into existence in front of him.
"Let's go!"
Chaos.
Pure, unbridled chaos.
Nautilus wasn't a soldier, obviously, but the sight that welcomed him on the other side of the gate was what he imagined soldiers experience during war. Actual war, not the little skirmishes that he and his friends had dealt with here in SAO.
Stone walls, easily 10 feet tall, littered the boss room in what seemed to be random intervals but what Nautilus now knew were calculated positions. Chunks of rubble were strewn about, creating tripping hazards for those who were either too hasty or negligent in their footing. Panicked cries and screams echoed around, from where exactly Nautilus did not know.
And above it all stood a two-headed monstrosity, grinning devilishly at its quarry.
With a bone-crunching *THUMP*, Areog slammed his massive club down on a player dressed in ALS green. The poor man was in the process of running away, only for his life to mercilessly shatter before their eyes as only a crater was left where he once stood.
Then Areog roared.
"Come on!" Kirito shouted, snapping Nautilus out of his shock. Several tanks ran forward to engage the boss while nearly everyone else scattered about to start the rescue efforts.
Shaking his head to reorient himself, Nautilus ran forward towards the first injured ALS player he could see, only sparing a passing glance at Yuna, who was helping someone else off to the side. Nautilus ran faster than he thought possible and finally slid to a stop next to someone holding up their tower shield, guarding two injured people behind themselves.
"How bad?" Nautilus asked as he fell to a knee. "Can you walk?"
The shieldbearer who he could now identify as Liten, shook her head. "It's bad. I'm fine, but Berit and Nui were crippled by falling rubble. I can't carry them both back!"
Ah, the ((Crippled)) condition. Much other conditions like ((Paralysis)) or ((Poisoned)), ((Crippled)) was an actual status condition applied to a player under the correct circumstances. Where a blade striking a leg would give the ((Amputated)) condition, literally cutting off the limb in question, the ((Crippled)) condition arose when one was subjected to a large burst of bludgeoning damage. Warhammers, mauls, and quarterstaffs were the most common culprits for this condition.
Or, you know, falling rubble.
"I'll help." Nautilus said, picking up the closest player and supporting their weight on his shoulder. Meanwhile, Liten stowed her shield and did the same for the other player. "We need to move. I think we've set up a rest area outside the boss room."
"We were fools." Liten spoke softly, barely heard over the crash of battle around them. "Kibaou just had to listen to Morte. 'We'll be fine,' he said. 'We'll earn their respect again,' he said. They got cocky. I think we've lost a dozen already."
"Damn." Nautilus grumbled, sidestepping a chunk of rubble that he would have been able to climb over were it not for his passenger. "We'll regroup and figure out what the new plan is. Kibaou's likely to get chewed out, but we'll pull through this."
Then a massive hunk of wall came screaming in from the side, cutting off their path.
"Shit!" He cursed, looking to the side.
He felt his body lock up - thanks to that damned FNC, no doubt - as Areog came charging forward, a murderous gleam in all three eyes as he barrelled down on their position. Just as the cyclops went to slam his massive bludgeon down on their position, a blur of movement shot past his vision as the bludgeon was barely swatted away by a familiar maul.
"Go!" Leonn shouted, charging headlong into the cyclops's shin and easily drawing its attention. "Liz, get them out of here!"
"On it!" The blacksmith answered, grabbing hold of Nautilus's arm in particular before dragging him and his passenger away. She looked into his eyes with understanding; while he couldn't bring himself to say it, he knew she understood his unspoken gratitude. The sight of that cyclops bearing down on them was enough to trigger his FNC and lock up, and she knew that.
The five of them finally made it to the gate while Nautilus felt himself regain control of his body again. Already outside the gates, a relief area had been set up. Silica and Pina were running and flying around, respectively, administering health potions and healing breath to all who needed it. Heathcliff himself was organizing the efforts, shouting out command after command to get people to where they needed to be. Personally, Nautilus thought the Paladin would be better positioned tanking the cyclops, but even he couldn't deny the boost in morale and coordination the KoB leader brought to the table. It was definitely needed right now.
But where was Yuna?
He frantically looked around, not spotting the Songstress anywhere along the back line.
"Has anyone seen Yuna?" Nautilus asked, grabbing the first non-ALS player he could find by the sleeve.
"She went with Kizmel further in." A blue-dressed player answered. DKB, no doubt, but that was unimportant right now. "We've still got more than two dozen stranded in there!"
He cursed under his breath. That was just like Yuna, putting the safety of others over her own. He wasn't about to hide back here while she braved that battlefield out there, though. He saw what that monstrosity was capable of. Without a second thought, he rushed back into the fray. Leaping over piles of rubble and running around walls, Nautilus glanced up at his HUD. He let out a sigh of relief; Yuna and Kizmel were still alive and kicking. They had taken some damage, though, so that was concerning.
"Yun'! Kizmel!" Nautilus shouted, trying to raise his voice over the clang of metal and the roar of the cyclops. "Where are you?!"
"Here!"
Nautilus whipped his head over, spotting the duo next to a downed Kibaou some distance away. Unfortunately, that distance happened to be past the cyclops. Leonn went tumbling past Nautilus's field of vision, evidently thrown by the boss as the other tanks nearby moved in to keep the cyclops contained. Kirito was among their number, oddly enough, leaping about to deal damage and keep its attention. Ignoring them for the moment, Nautilus began to run towards Yuna and Kizmel. However, the sight of the maul wielder collapsed to the side against a wall sent a shiver of fear up his spine. If Leonn, one of two people who could shrug off attacks like nothing, was sent flying, what chance did they have?
Wait. Oh no. He felt fear.
His muscles froze and he fell down, momentum and physics dictating that the lack of moving legs should lead to an unceremonious faceplant into the ground. He cursed inwardly. If it wasn't so life threatening, it would be flat out annoying.
Then the cyclops… laughed? Oh gods, it just laughed. A raspy, crackling chuckle that sounded like wet boulders grinding against one another.
Areog swept its club out in a circle, either knocking back his assailants or forcing them to back off. Even as Nautilus's heart sank at the sound of shattering glass - another casualty, undoubtedly - he could only watch in horror as the cyclops picked up a chunk of rubble and launched it towards Kizmel and Yuna. Kizmel, much to Nautilus's relief, noticed the danger and raised her shield to guard them. The hunk of stone impacted against the Pagoda Knight's shield, tossing her aside but ultimately missing Yuna and Kibaou entirely. Then Areog began gleefully stomping towards them, Yuna still crouched over to help Kibaou up. They were going to get crushed and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Kibaou he couldn't care less about, but Yuna?
He'd sooner die than let any harm come to her.
Move…
Step after thunderous footstep echoed as the cyclops came closer and closer to his quarry. Nautilus's mind screamed in agony as the limits of his NerveGear strained against his commands. He spotted Orlando of the Legend Braves attempt to run interference, thrusting his spear into Areog's ankle. It seemed to work, however briefly, before the massive cyclops lifted its massive foot up and crushed the already injured Orlando like a bug. There wasn't even a scream of pain, just the scattering of polygons. Nautilus's eyes widened like saucers, watching someone he considered a friend die before his eyes.
Move!
He felt pain for the first time as his brain and NerveGear struggled for dominance, an intense migraine splitting his head. Harry One came screaming in from the side, rage plain as day on his face. It was no secret that the Legend Braves and Fuurinkazan were close friends, and Harry One was clearly furious at the loss of one of his friends. The shielder began to slam his weapon into the monster, which only earned him a bludgeon to the face. Harry One was able to block the hit with his shield, thankfully, but the impact sent him flying backward into a pillar. Free from his distraction, Areog continued on, eyes hungrily seeking Yuna and Kibaou.
MOVE.
A charged arrow slammed into the cyclops's face - his left one, that is - and caused him to flinch. Arrow after arrow soared through the air and Nautilus silently thanked Sinon for the distraction. Nautilus's eyes darted downward, willing his limbs to move. He had to move. It didn't matter if he died here. It would matter if Yuna died though. A cry of alarm rang out; his eyes darted back up to see Sinon jump out of the way of a piece of rubble the cyclops threw like a softball. Thankfully, Yuna and Kibaou had gained some distance by then, and were halfway to the gate.
Not so thankfully, Areog still wanted them dead.
Finally, and much to Nautilus's horror, Areog caught up to the limping duo. With a sadistic grin on both faces, the cyclops raised its enormous bludgeon overhead, its shadow casting an ominous shape over them. Yuna looked absolutely terrified while Kibaou seemed to be barely holding in his own fear.
MOVE!
Nautilus cried out in pain as he felt something in his mind - his brain, whatever - tear. Like a rubber band that had been pulled and stretched far too long, something within him snapped. Before he was even aware of it, his legs were moving, feet pounding on the stone floor as he sprinted at the cyclops. Oh, he was afraid alright, but more than that?
Nautilus was angry.
"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!"
He roared, in a way that he was sure would shred his vocal chords if he tried to do so in real life. In a bout of agility and strength he didn't know he possessed, he used several pieces of rubble as stepping stones to launch himself up into the air. Areog slowly turned his left head to see what meddlesome insect had decided to interrupt its bloodsport, only to receive a longsword directly to its only eye as Nautilus slammed into the monster with a righteous fury.
The effect was immediate. Areog roared out in pain and missed the swing of his bludgeon, the impact of its erroneous attack rattling the chamber. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Asuna run over and help Yuna carry Kibaou off to the front gate. Nautilus smirked, glad that Yuna was now safe from the immediate danger. He grabbed onto the back of the cyclops's sweaty head by its greasy, oily hair and yanked his sword out. Before the cyclops could forcibly remove its unwanted passenger, Nautilus swung around using the hair as a rope and stabbed his sword into the back of the cyclops's right shoulder. Unfortunately, the slick hair made maintaining his grip near impossible, and before he knew it he'd tumbled to the ground.
He quickly stood, fear gripping his heart but anger easily overriding it. He brandished his longsword and got into a battle ready pose even as Areog stared him down with his right head, the only head now capable of sight. This was probably a stupid idea that Yuna would admonish him about later, but right now it was the only course of action. Though he doubted such a thing existed here in Aincrad, he felt virtual adrenaline rush through his system as he looked the cyclops right in the eyes.
"COME ON!"
He charged forward, yelling at the top of his lungs as he sidestepped the massive club. A quick slash of his sword across the cyclops's ankle here, a daring thrust into his calf, and a leaping strike against its thigh. All done in a matter of seconds. He jumped to the side as the cyclops haphazardly kicked out, wincing as the foot grazed his stomach, shaving off a bit of his health. He couldn't stop now, though. He was invested, and every second spent occupying this creature was a second more that the rescue team could get people to safety. It was also another second he could die, but he'd made his bed.
Time to lay in it.
In a display of inner strength and courage that would leave thousands awestruck in its intensity, Nautilus dueled the floor boss of the 25th. The same boss that had felled dozens of players already that he knew of. He was no Kirito, that was for sure; he simply didn't have the kind of reaction time that the Black Swordsman was known for, but what he lacked in skill and technique, Nautilus made up for in sheer ferocity.
Being the more nimble between the two combatants, Nautilus used his smaller frame to dodge and weave past the heavy bludgeon that had slain so many already. Where lesser men would have fled or faltered, Nautilus was relentless in his assault. It was not without cost, though. He wasn't infallible; his steadily dwindling health pool could attest to that.
"Naut, get out of there!" A familiar voice called out, tinged with concern.
He spared a glance over towards the gate. A few shielders were rushing in, no doubt to relieve him from his duel, while Yuna looked on in horror. Perhaps he could back off. The others could take it from here.
That moment of hesitation cost him, though.
The next thing he knew, Nautilus was hurtling through the air, ironically right towards Yuna. She dropped her lute and braced to catch him. She was no STR build player, though, so the impact sent them both tumbling into the back line, where many from the raid group were trying to recover and recuperate. As the duo came to a still, he looked up and was immediately met with a healing crystal to the face.
"That was reckless!" Yuna scolded him as the healing effect washed over him, and he couldn't help but wince from embarrassment. Her frown relented and morphed into a tearful smile. "...but it was brave, and heroic, actually. Thank you. You didn't have to do that, but you did."
He was about to answer when she suddenly cut him off.
"Wait!" Yuna exclaimed, looking startled for a moment before looking him dead in the eye. "Your FNC! How did you…?"
"Like hell I was going to let him get to you, Yun'." He answered. "I felt the FNC lock up, but… I don't know, something changed. I saw him about to crush you and something broke. I don't know if it's gone, but I pushed past it for you."
He winced. Ooh, that was cutting it close. 'I pushed past it for you?' That was getting dangerously close to confession territory. This was neither the time nor place for something like that, and he wasn't even sure if she felt the same way.
Then she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, and those doubts fell away like ash in the wind.
"Yun'...?" Nautilus softly began.
She smiled. "Later. We've got a job to do."
He stood up, feeling remarkably energized, which was odd, all things considered. He looked over at the battlefield and felt his joy squash at the carnage. The shielders had been carelessly pushed to the side as players swarmed around the cyclops. Many of the Renegades were rushing in to help keep the boss in check, and Nautilus noted that some of their friends were looking visibly shaken and angry. Notably, Nezha and Klein.
That did not bode well.
"Are you good back here?" Nautilus asked, turning to Yuna. "If you need help here, I'll stay."
She shook her head, but looked back at him with concerned eyes. "Be careful, Naut. I can't bear to lose you, so if things start to go south…"
"More than they already are?" He quipped.
She nodded. "More than they already are."
"...then I'll come back." He assured her.
"Thank you." Yuna said as she picked her lute back up. She gave him a wink. "Go get 'em, my brave knight."
"I like the sound of that." He admitted with a smile. Without another word, he ran back into the chamber.
Things hadn't progressed in a good way since he'd been flung back. The boss had two health bars left and was rampaging. The tanks were trying to keep the cyclops in one place, but between the rough terrain and the obstructing walls everywhere, it was clear who was in control of the battle. He spotted Kizmel, Liz, and Leonn trying their damnedest to help keep the boss contained, but nothing was working. The boss itself looked to be having the time of his life; gleefully stomping and swinging his club around, even with his left head rendered blind and useless. Nautilus ran up alongside Klein, who was clutching his katana so fiercely that his knuckles were turning white.
"Klein." Nautilus said, momentarily grabbing the samurai's attention. "Talk to me."
Klein growled with such hate and vitriol that it took Nautilus a moment to realize it wasn't directed at himself, but at the colossus nearby. "...Bastard killed Issin and Harry."
Nautilus felt his heart sink and his face blanch. Issin and Harry died too? He set his sights on the monster that had so brazenly robbed their friends of their lives and scowled. "Let's kick his ass then."
"Took the words out of my mouth." Klein spat. "Damn thing won't keep still, though."
It was true. Areog was so massive that they might as well have been insects under his feet. If he wanted to move, there was little anyone could do but get out of the way. Even some of the heavyweight tanks like Liten - who'd since healed up and returned to the battle, apparently - and Leonn were incapable of keeping the monstrosity in one spot for any period of time. Heathcliff, much to Nautilus's chagrin, was still coordinating rescue efforts in the back line. Maybe once everyone was safe would the Paladin finally get up off his ass and use that impregnable defense of his. At least Alice was nearby, doing what she could to coordinate some semblance of a defense using the KoB tanks. That was neither here nor there, though. He had to focus.
"Hit-and-run tactics sound good to you?" Nautilus asked.
"Better than sitting here doing nothing." Klein grumbled. He shot forward, his hand furiously gripping his sheathed katana. "Let's go!"
"Not alone, you're not!"
Nautilus looked over his shoulder and saw Kirito and Asuna running just behind them, their faces just as grim and determined as his own. Under normal circumstances, he would have been ecstatic to finally join his leaders fighting on the front line. For too long, his FNC had prevented that and he'd been relegated to support, not that he minded the responsibility.
Now, though, they were all out for revenge.
Asuna shot past the boys, using her famed agility and slamming into the cyclops's right ankle with a well-placed, precision ((Linear)). She quickly pivoted and ran past, allowing Kirito to follow up with a skill resembling some sort of cross chop with his blades; he neither knew nor cared what it was called right now. Klein was next, unleashing one of his ((Battoujutsu)) sword-drawing katana skills. The sound of a sword unsheathing resounded with the motion, and it wasn't until Klein was well past his target did the red damage marks finally appear on the ankle. Nautilus was last up, letting loose a roar and landing a ((Horizontal)) on the same spot that his friends had assaulted back-to-back. The moment his post-skill recovery period ended, he dashed forward to avoid a sloppy backhand by the boss.
The furious assault on its right ankle caused the cyclops to fall to one knee in momentary agony. Its left head roared with fury while the right head seemed to focus on someone else, swinging its club with murderous intent. Nautilus took a few steps back to gather himself for another attack. So long as they kept up with quick ambushes like that, they could do this.
A gust of wind heralded the arrival of Kuroi, who came to a sudden stop next to Kirito and Asuna.
"Milord, Milady." The ninja addressed them. "Commander Heathcliff reports that the injured have been safely extracted. He wishes to know your estimation on whether to proceed or fall back."
Nautilus looked up at the boss's health bar. With the injured rescued and recovering, more and more people were filing in to lend their help against the rampaging colossus. They were nearing the last health bar. They could do this, but they'd already suffered losses. Were it up to him, he'd keep going.
Pulling back would demean the sacrifices of those who'd already fallen.
"We finish this." Kirito said, shifting his swords in his hands as if ready to charge forward again. "Full assault, but be careful. We don't know what his phase change will be like."
"I shall relay the message, Milord." Kuroi said before sprinting off towards the gate.
"Last push, everyone!" Kirito shouted, raising a sword in the air. "We finish this!"
A roar of agreement rang out, some with cheer and others with rage. They'd lost so many from this battle already, and while none were eager to see more fall, they wanted to see this to the end.
What followed was more intense than any boss fight he'd encountered so far. The absolute fury with which everyone fought was as intoxicating as it was frightening. More than four dozen people with a singular motivation to crush one entity was rivaled only by their hatred of Kayaba himself. Nautilus hardly noticed that during the entire final assault, he had never felt more fluid, more focused while fighting something that also scared the absolute shit out of him. Maybe his FNC was gone. In any case, he wouldn't let it hinder him ever again.
"KoB! Charge!" Alice commanded, coming in from the flank with a full regiment of KoB reinforcements, many of them looking battered but ready to fight. Heathcliff himself was trailing behind, his heavier armor and tower shield slowing him down while his vice-commander took charge.
Then Areog roared. Again.
This time, the roar was so intense that it physically pushed everyone back. Those who were closer to the boss at the time were flung the farthest, and a quick look at his HUD confirmed that he was now under the effects of a stun. Based on the motionless prone bodies around him, everyone had been hit by that AoE knockback and stun. Heavy tanks like Liten and Heathcliff were no exception, their forms defined by crumpled lumps of heavy plate armor.
"A phase change…?" Kirito grumbled through clenched teeth, unable to raise his voice while under the effects of the stun. "...this early? Why?"
Most bosses went through a phase change either halfway into their last health bar, or when their last health bar reached the red. It never happened while the last health bar was green, not like this.
Just another reminder that they had underestimated this boss.
Areog roared again, his two-toned voice shaking the cavern. He tossed his club to the side, inadvertently crushing and killing someone off to the side. He pounded his fists together and began wildly thrashing his feet and arms, moving deceptively fast for a creature of his size. His strikes resembled crouching sweeps of his arms rather than proper attacks, but given how massive he was it mattered little to those in his way. People were sent flying, and at least one died on impact with whatever they'd collided with. A glimmer of light caught the right head's eye, and the cyclops whipped over to spot what had caught its attention. Nautilus struggled to turn his head and see what was giving off the light.
It was Liz's new mirror shield, reflecting a beam of light directly into Areog's eyes.
And she was still stunned.
Finally shaking off his stun effect, Nautilus shot to his feet even as Areog stomped forward, keen on crushing the stunned blacksmith. Nautilus willed his feet to move faster, and he could hear the hurried footsteps of those behind him trying to reach their friend as well.
Yet he wasn't fast enough.
Finally upon the downed blacksmith, Areog raised his monstrous left foot. Liz could only look up helplessly, still under the effects of the stun as that massive wooden sandal came crashing downward. Liz was already missing health, Nautilus realized. There was no way she was going to survive this.
He was going to lose another friend.
"LIZ, NO!" Asuna screamed tearfully behind him.
Then the foot came down, and the entire chamber shook from the impact.
A/N:
Put those pitchforks away! Torches too!
Yes, I have committed the gravest of writing sins: the cliffhanger. I gotta get you to come back next week somehow, right? Had some good and a lot of bad in this chapter, but not everything's going to be sunshine and daisies in a death game like SAO.
Nautilus has pushed past his FNC, and after such a monumental event like this it's unlikely to come back. Anger, especially when prompted by protectiveness and wielded in defense of another, can be a powerful emotion that can even overcome fear.
Yes, we've lost some people in this fight. Orlando of the Legend Braves, Issin and Harry One from Fuurikazan; they're the few confirmed fatalities - and yes, there are more. Yes, Fuurinkazan in canon hadn't lost anyone, but it should be pretty clear at this point that this is not canon Aincrad. I'm not even sure Fuurinkazan was there for the 25th floor boss fight during canon.
I'm sure I've probably upset some of you by killing them off so unceremoniously, but that's battle and war. Not everyone gets a heroic last stand. Death is oftentimes sudden, always unfortunate, and never is it fair in who it claims.
That said, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter (as I did with next week's!) so let me know what you thought!
Until next time!