Jaymes

Party A: Kirito, Jaymes, Asuna, Koharu, Argo, Mito

Party B: Klein and Furinkazan

Party C: Agil, Nezha, and the Bro Squad

Party D: Hafner, Shivata, Liten, Okotan, and Diavel

This is the organization of the twenty-two players based on Diavel, Kirito, and Jaymes' suggestions. After electing Diavel leads the group and Argo beckons them onward through the forest and an easy-to-navigate maze, the gathering arrives at a massive stone wall. Argo claims she knows what to do about the wall and proves it by providing a silver key and injecting it within a particular gap in the wall.

Everyone expected a hidden door to appear as the wall rumbled, but nothing of the sort happened. If anything, a couple of the blocks further sank into the wall, but that's it. As if there's nothing wrong with scaling a sixty-foot wall, Argo begins her ascent up the unconventional rungs of a makeshift ladder, with padding placed at the bottom should someone slip. It took about fifteen minutes to get everyone up to the top, and then the twenty-two continued moving on until they reached the entrance to the fifth labyrinth of the game.

Asuna served the group one of the cakes from the secret shop in Mananarena, and in the meantime, everyone congregated around the observation deck beyond the labyrinth's doors. The Bro Squad and Hafner eat the cake together; Liten and Shivata get cozy in their own little world; Diavel is entertained by Furinkazan; then there are the other three girls huddle up amongst themselves. Kirito and Jaymes are separated from the rest.

"It's almost time..."

"Yeah..." While Kirito pokes at the banana-flavored cake, Jaymes can hardly muster the will to take a bite. He was absent when the others ate the same item almost half a day earlier, and Koharu's retelling made him wish he wasn't hunting ghosts at the time. He's not a fan of cakes that aren't chocolate flavored, but this cake is a delicacy of its own. Yet his hands start to shake when he tries to pick up the fork to slice a piece off.

He can't swallow the cake because his nerves are choking him-and for the first time, it's his life he's afraid for.

This raid is the only option to preserve the peace, fragile as it is. Even if ALS failed to capture the flag, the act itself would further the rift between the two guilds. Their momentum after four successful conquests will dissipate into madness and hopelessness. Players like Liten and Klein, who just caught up, would have their flames of hope extinguished. Koharu and Asuna, people like them who swallowed their fear and moved forward, would sink into despair. And Morte's group would drink that despair like fine wine.

Jaymes takes a deep breath, holds it, and closes his eyes.

The fifth-floor boss will be the hardest they've ever faced. Beyond being a boss on a higher level than the previous four, it is a milestone boss, so there's a degree of further difficulty with that in mind. The beta testers warned their newbie cohorts about that again and again and maybe repeated it for their own sake, but despite it, they coerced less than half a raiding party to the fight.

But Jaymes has seen the impossible made possible before. History is full of fights with the underdogs winning against all odds. The ones that he thinks of now is the Greeks defeating the Trojans in the Trojan War. For ten years, the Greeks couldn't penetrate the walls of Troy, while the Trojans remained secured within those walls. But after the fall of the invincible Achilles, the legendary hero Odysseus instructed the Greeks to build wooden horses and trick the Trojans into thinking the Greeks had retreated and left them gifts.

The twenty-two doesn't have a Trojan Horse to offer the boss, but they must be the Trojan Horse to ALS' plan.

It's too soon for him to give up and die. Just six days earlier, he made it his goal to understand what his father sees in artificial intelligence. But that thought doesn't calm him down. That belief isn't strong enough to give him confidence. His desire to protect Koharu has been conquered by this nervousness, so that doesn't help either.

But the others have something pushing them into this fight. He isn't like Kirito, who fights the antagonism of Morte and company. He isn't like Koharu, who wants to fight for those who cannot. He isn't like Hafner, who fights to beat the game above all else. He isn't like Shivata and Liten, who fight for each other. Asuna, Mito, Nezha, Diavel, Furinkazan, Bro Squad, Okotan, Argo, all of them have their beliefs that spur them into this impossible situation.

"It's okay, Joshua... I'm here with you."

Warm hands take hold of Jaymes, and he quickly looks up...he sees a girl that isn't Kohaur, Asuna, Mito, or Liten. She has short, brunette hair tied into a ponytail that streams down her left shoulder. Ocean-blue eyes that break through the darkness of the floor gaze down upon him. Rosy pink lips stretch into a smile that instantly entrances him. Her warmth is ancient but familiar, her presence long gone but never forgotten. Though she's older than he remembers, she looks as if he envisions her to be despite never going to see her in Kyoto. His heart beats in welcoming a friend he hadn't seen in three years.

"You'll never be lost or alone, for I'll always be here in your soul. And you'll be here in mine, so I'll never be alone either."

The coldness in his hands' retreated, filled with the warmth of a distant childhood friend. "Momiji..."

"Huh?" The image changes as quickly as it came, revealing that the hands and warmth do not originate from Momiji but from Koharu. Seeing her confused expression, he shakes it off and looks down at his cake.

"Sorry, I was...thinking about someone I used to know."

"...You're nervous, too? I think this is the first time I've noticed." Koharu, keeping their hands intertwined, shifts to Jaymes' left and places her head right over his heart. The contact stiffens his body immediately. He doesn't get why Koharu is weirdly close to him. They're complete strangers in real life; circumstances put them together here. They aren't dating like Shivata and Liten are implying. If he gives in to hormones and looks down right now, he'd feel like he's betraying her infallible trust.

But a slight oscillation in his hands takes his mind away from the question and provides the answer.

Moments ago, Koharu looked to have the upper hand in confidence, but right now, he feels her hands shaking in his. While he's acting like a teenage boy fighting puberty, she's seeking comfort from her trusted partner. He can't see her expression, but he bets it bears some fright just as he tries to hide.

Whether it's for her sake or his, Jaymes releases one of Koharu's hands and brings it to her jet-black hair, stroking and pressing her head against his chest. If avatars contain a heartbeat, she'd hear it, and he'll feel it. If their natural bodies resonate with their avatars, then their heartbeat might slow down to normal levels.

His resolve to protect his partner solidifies itself again, reinforced by his personal goals of seeking what his father seeks and a new one...to reunite with his childhood friend once and for all.

After the short break and strategy discussion, the twenty-two began their excursion into the fifth labyrinth of Aincrad. Three hours later, at about seven o'clock, they arrived at the boss chambers.

The dungeon itself wasn't lengthy, time not being considered. Nevertheless, it was still a difficult journey for Jaymes and company. For one, there were golems everywhere, from normal-class enemies to minibosses. Jaymes may have been concerned about how everything would work, given that he's limited himself to working with the four with him. Furinkazan is altogether new to the front, and never mind the delegates of ALS and DKB. But no matter the trouble that came or the adversity raised against them, the teamwork of the twenty-two and Diavel's leadership took care of them.

He can't help but commend Diavel, Lind, and Kibaou on controlling a large group of players.

While Jaymes has led his companions a few times, he's never led a guild before. Kirito once noted that both he and Asuna would be suited for a leadership role, but he doesn't see it. Leading others in a party is doable, but an organization like a guild? That requires skills Jaymes doesn't believe he possesses or instead prefers not to find out he doesn't have those qualities, and the worst happens.

"Jaymes," Koharu says while tugging on her partner's sleeve. "Look at the walls."

"Mhm. They're changing." What was once plain stone walls and floors progressively morph into sleek, polished granite. The walls are now scribed with ancient text that's certainly pre-Separation. Massive stacks of angular golem heads form pillars that hold the ceiling up. "That means we're coming close."

"Finally at the boss chamber, huh? I should have figured the labyrinth tower wasn't going to be easy to rush all the way through," Agil comments while rubbing his bald head.

"Actually, the fifth and sixth-floor towers have fewer rooms and simpler layouts," Kirito informs. "The tenth-floor labyrinth is insanely huge and complex, and even after three days in the beta, we never made it to the boss chamber."

"Ugggh…" groans Wolfgang, one of Agil's companions. "So you guys just gave up on gettin' ahead right there?"

"We didn't give up; we ran out of time. I think I got the highest of anyone, but I was fighting one of those real bastard Snake Samurai when they announced the end of the beta test and teleported me back to the Town of Beginnings."

"Whoa, yer kiddin' about that Snake Samurai business, I hope. I hate snakes."

"Barely got higher than anyone," mutters Mito on the other side of Jaymes, her lips pursed outward. Jaymes forces himself to bite his lips to prevent his laughter from coming out, but his body moves instead. That catches Mito's attention. "Hey, what are you laughing at/ You didn't even walk on the tenth floor."

"I choose not to. If I wanted to be on the frontlines, I would've."

"Uh-huh. Just to let you know, Kirito saved Koharu and you on the first floor and made it 'farther than anyone' on the tenth floor in a couple of hours on the last day. What does that say about you, Crimson Warrior?"

"...Still, he made it farther than you. Reaper."

"Hey, look at that!" A shout comes from Diavel's group up ahead. Beyond them is a vast staircase wide enough to fit snugly in the corridor. It leads up to a dark, gaping hole in the ceiling. They approach it but remain at the foot of the stairway. Mito, Jaymes, and Kirito advance to the head of the group, joining Diavel.

"There are no gaps to the side."

"Meaning we'll just have to climb up," Hafner states. "Our coordinates put us right about in the tower's center."

"Hmmm... But will there be another hallway and then the door up there, or will it just be the boss chamber?"

"It wasn't like this in the beta?" Shivata inquires.

"No, it wasn't," Mito answers. "It was a normal set of doors back then. Not the first change we've encountered, but it might not be anything to worry about. This is where the boss is, no doubt about it."

Jaymes nods. "We should scout it out, see what we're dealing with."

"R-right," Kirito stammers. "Well, assuming that goes straight into the boss chamber up there, I'm going to go up alone to scout it first." Kirito turns around to address the group; at the same time, Jaymes opens his mouth to protest, but another voice beats him to it.

"Hang on. Leave this to me."

"Huh…?"

"This staircase is worrisome. It could be a trap, where the stairs rise up from the floor to seal the exit. I'm quick enough to slip out before it closes if it happens."

"…Let's go together, then. I'm not backing down on this."

"Whaaat?"

"Don't give me that look! I may not be as fast as you, but I'm still a speed type. I'm capable of escaping, too, if the stairs start to move, you know."

"Sheesh! Fine, fine."

"Ah, I'll come with you," Liten calls out, pushing through to the front. "You'll need a shield in case something bad happens."

"Whaaat?"

"Wait, Liten, hold up-"

"Fine, I'll go too," Jaymes says, taking the first step up the staircase. He looks at the step, sees more of the ancient writing carved into them, then faces the raid's leader. "Diavel, we'll be back."

Diavel nods. "Okay. Jaymes, Kirito, Liten, and Argo will scout out the boss. If anything happens, come back here or we'll rush in." Kirito drops his arms, a sign he's no longer arguing. Shivata seems to do the same, but not before wishing Liten a safe trip.

Asuna does the same as she comes forward to Kirito and Jaymes, whispering, "Be careful, both of you." Kirito reassures her while Jaymes, two steps above, nods. He looks to Koharu, still with Mito at the back of the group, and they share that same message across silent glances.

"Let's go," Argo says as she passes him, and the rest of the scouts follow her up.

Moments later, they reach the top of the staircase. Argo's torch and reflection off Liten and Jaymes' shields are the only light source as they scan the room. "It's...really dark in here. There doesn't seem to be any sign of the boss, either," Kirito says. The room itself is vast, with barely any lights present aside from the pale glow along the walls and a soft vibrating hum in the air. From the looks of things, the curved walls are grey, almost futuristic-like the dark carved-out parts. As Kirito notes, they're the only occupants of the room.

"Maybe the boss hasn't spawned yet because we're not in range?" says Argo as she appears on the other side of Kirito. "I'll go ahead and take a look. Wait until I come back."

"I'm right behind you," Liten says. Argo nods and goes with Liten toward the center of the room. Ignoring Shivata's previous worries for his little girlfriend, Jaymes glances around the room, his black and red sword Imperial waiting impatiently in its sheath. He's already unnerved by the fact they're half a viable fighting force; now the lack of the golem's appearance is another worry.

Kirito and Jaymes step out to the sleek floor, the latter kneeling to palpate one of the grooves on the floor. "You don't think...the ALS already beat it, do you?"

Jaymes shake my head. "Not likely. When we left Mananarena, they were still there. At the very least, we got a couple hours' lead on them, so..." He scans the room again, noting the lack of an ascending staircase to the sixth floor. If ALS had got the jump on them...no, no point in thinking about that. It's already weird enough that the entrance to the chamber was a staircase leading to a hole, not the giant doors we're used to. Then there's the fact that the room did not light up and the lack of the bosses' presence upon our entry. That has not happened before and based on Kirito's confusion, that extends not just to the past four bosses but the beta bosses themselves.

Moving those thoughts aside, Jaymes turns his eyes to Liten and Argo, who made it into a concentric pattern that might do something. The girls hesitate, and the boys watch nervously. After a still moment, Argo glides over the smooth surface and steps on the circle.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

At the fifth second, the lines on the floor and walls start to glow, and a vibration rocks the entire room. Kirito shouts for the two girls, who are already in a dodging motion. However, SAO's controlling system ignores that fact, so the vibration knocks the pair to the ground.

Around them, five pillars of varying lengths with blue pulsating lines appear from the ground. No, those aren't pillars. The shape and slight motion they make, they're more like...fingers?

"Argo!"

"Liten!"

Kirito and Jaymes make a mad dash for the growing hand and the two occupants, planted to the ground by the tumble stun debuff, However, Argo shouts for them to stay back, then throws something in the direction of Kirito and Jaymes. Jaymes didn't pay it any mind; my eyes remain frozen on the rising hand that encapsulates Argo and Liten, then crushes them to the point sparkling blue light appears.

But Jaymes doesn't have any fear; Argo's HP bar is right underneath Mito's, and for now, she's alive inside the giant fist, but her health is dropping quickly. As members of the same raid party, he can see Liten's. Her health falls too, but much slower than the other girl. Shivata must see the same for Liten and is probably worried right now. Together Jaymes and Kirito slash the colossal hand with sword skills, freeing Liten and Argo. The arm sinks into the ground, for now. That sparkling light belonged to Argo's leather cloak breaking, but thankfully her leather armor and the thousand ores that made Liten's steel armor held their durability.

"Somehow, we're okay..."

"Whew! That started me!"

"That's what I'm saying... I think we should go back-"

"Below. Kii-boy, down there!"

Kirito and Argo immediately start to retreat while Jaymes stalls with Liten. As they prepare to move, blue lines flashing along the floor moved underneath Jaymes' feet towards for Kirito and Argo, forming a blue circle at their feet. They evade the giant hand that comes from it.

"Jaymes."

"Not yet."

For many reasons, Jaymes is happy he did not attempt to run back with Liten yet. Having giant hands pop out from the floor to grab and squish them-and now gigantic legs raining from the ceiling to squash them-is not the way he wants to go out. But it gave him time to analyze the situation.

For some reason, Argo and Kirito are being targeted by the hands and legs. They move towards the wall while Liten and Jaymes are feet away from the concentric pattern that began this ordeal. He thinks the limbs detect movement, but that wouldn't make sense... No, it actually makes sense. The moving targets are not passively drawing the boss' aggro; there's a mechanism here as to why half the players are being attacked, and the other half isn't.

Jaymes' eyes determine the culprit is the glowing lines on the floor. Apologizing to Kirito and Argo in his head, he grabs Liten's attention. "Liten. Move towards the stairs, but do not step on the lines."

"What about Kirito and Argo?"

"...We'll get to that if my hunch is correct. Move carefully." Liten doesn't look to agree but follows along as they quickly tip-toe around the lines toward the stairs. It isn't easy, for the patterns are irregular and random in size and shape. At best, a single person could fit within a pattern; at worst, the tip of Jaymes' boot is all that can fit. After a few seconds, the arms and legs, stuck in place near the chamber's center, haven't come after them. His hunch is correct.

Though he hasn't told them yet, Argo must've been paying attention, for she's instructing Kirito to do the same thing. They haven't moved just yet, while Jaymes and Liten are moving slowly and carefully. Since no one has touched the lines, the stone limbs have started to retreat; arms to the floor, legs to the ceiling.

Nerved by the movements of the limbs, Jaymes exhales and glances at Liten. "Let's keep moving. Slow and stea-"

"Hey, you all right?"

"Liten!"

Those voices come from Hafner and Shivata, who leads the other sixteen up the stairs into the chamber. Thirty-six feet trample on the glowing blue lines, resulting in four blue circles underneath their feet. Stunned by their appearance, Jaymes can't form the words to warn them, but Kirito picks up that slack.

"Evade! Evade!"

In truth, only those who could see the blue lines needed to move, but there was no time to be specific in Kirito's warning. Because of that, it caused the eighteen others to evade all at once. Some of them did it on reflex with no real direction of danger; those who saw the circles moved with purpose. That caused a commotion of collisions between a couple of players, but somehow they all avoided the large limbs.

"Nwah!"

"Woah!"

Or so Jaymes thought. Stuck in place, he watches as the boss' right-hand slams close on two figures, a man named Lowbacca and Sgivata. Because they're larger than Argo and Liten, everyone can see the men's limbs stick out as they're squeezed by the colossal hand. The only lack of cause for alarm is that their HP bars are depleting slower than Argo's. Still, they had to act fast to save their armor's durability before it gave out.

But they're saved by a valiant roar. Diavel, drawing his weapon, hits Vertical Arc on the hand, opening the palm. As the two are caught by others, Diavel points to the wall and shouts, "Retreat to the closest wall to you! Once you get there, do not step on any lines!" On his command, everyone retreats to the wall closest to him or her, and once they get there, they pay mind to the position of their feet. Kirito and Nezha, the latter with a Full-Dive Nonconformity issue with depth perception, were last to the chamber wall.

"Everyone who suffered damage, drink a pot while you listen! Those arms and legs belong to the floor boss!" Kirito announces. "You see those blue lines on the floor? Step on them, and the lines on the floor and ceiling start moving around randomly, creating target circles either below or above the person who stepped on it! When the lines stop moving, the arms come up from the floor to grab you, and the feet come down from the ceiling to stomp you!"

"…So you're saying that as long as we keep straddling the lines, the arms and legs won't attack us?!" Agil shouts from another part of the chamber, about fifty feet away from Jaymes and the usual three girls in his party.

"That's right! At max, it can attack with two arms and two legs at once! If the arm grabs you, it'll lift you up about thirty feet and simultaneously damage your HP and armor durability! But if you hit it with a sword skill about equal to a two-hit attack from a one-handed sword, it'll let go of its prey! I don't know how powerful the legs are because we didn't get stomped yet, but I'm guessing their damage is worse than the arms! And like with General Baran, they create outward shock waves when they stomp, so you might get tripped up if you don't avoid them!... Well, that's all!"

After a moment of silence, Diavel, pressing against the wall to Jaymes' right, opens his mouth. "So if we stay here, we're safe, but we can't attack ourselves? That's troublesome. Imagine if we had a full raid party..." Diavel glances at Jaymes, then nods. "I think we should purposely draw the hands and feet at us, then counter with attacks. Just be mindful of what attack you use so you do not hit your ally, then retreat to the wall to regroup. If we take this slow, we can-"

If Sword Art Online's game system takes the phrase "the walls have ears" literally, it responds to Diavel's plan before he can finish it. Blue lines flow through the ceiling, and they watch in horror as part of the top of the chamber starts to metamorph into what can only be called a face that someone who played a Nintendo 64 can feel nostalgic about. The blocky black head, about ten feet tall, bears twelve pale-colored eyes, a complex symbol in the middle of its forehead, and, the frightening part, six HP bars, one of them slightly chipped.

Its name: Fucus the Vacant Colossus.