And we are back with more SAO Parallel.
Fanfiction has been acting really buggy as of late, and I have no idea why or how. I hope this gets resolved soon, especially for everyone on here. This place we like because we can share our ideas on our favorite fandoms and here what people think about them. So admins, please get on it.
With that out of the way, I want to thank everyone for making it this far. I hope you continue to enjoy this story, and maybe be inspired yourselves by something here.
Disclaimer: Reki Kawahara is the original author/creator of SAO. All rights and content belong to him.
Now then,
LINK START!
Chapter 17
Light at the End
On floor 22 by the lake, Kirito and Eugeo had lines set out to try and catch some fish for tonight's dinner. Unfortunately, they hadn't had even a nibble for much of the time. In the last two hours though, Eugeo had managed to catch at least three fish, while his partner had nothing. Not to mention Kirito was getting rather bored with everything.
"It's hopeless," he griped, pulling his line up to find not even bait on it. "I might as well just find some at the market. I won't be getting fish this way."
"You're giving up too easily," Eugeo replied, his gaze on the water. "You forget it takes patience to catch these fish." At that moment, his line became taut as something snagged the end. With a hefty yank, Eugeo pulled up a fish to toss into the bucket they had set aside for their catches. "See what I mean? Patience."
"Not my strong suit Eugeo," Kirito pointed out. "I like to get things done as quickly as possible."
"Unless it's a duel, then you'll drag it out as long as you can," his friend returned as he cast his line once more with a new bait.
At that, the black-haired boy retorted, "I was quick in my duel with Volo. And even when we confronted Raios and Humbert."
"That's just a couple of times," Eugeo addressed tiredly. His line snagged another fish, enabling him to draw yet another catch. Where were all these fish coming from that Eugeo was catching like crazy? Kirito had no idea.
Looking back at his slack line, Kirito mumbled, "Sure wish it was like back then. I remember Suguha was always snagging fish whenever she went fishing."
"Suguha was the one who taught me what I know now," Eugeo told his friend. And at his friend's verbal surprise, he relayed the day he learned to fish.
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It was when he was nine. Kirito had been grounded at the time thanks to his last prank, and both Asuna and Alice were forced to do their respective practices of swordsmanship and Sacred Arts study. Suguha had come across Eugeo as he was just wandering around, inviting him to join her as she was going to go fishing to cheer Kirito up. So they ended up at the nearby lake down a ways from the End Mountains that fed into it.
Finishing her line, Suguha looked over and saw Eugeo was struggling to work his around the rod. "Eugeo, not so hard," she chastised as she came over and helped untangle his hands. "Let me do it." She quickly wove the line like she did with her own rod before handing it over to Eugeo.
"Thanks Suguha," Eugeo said as she did.
Retrieving her own rod, Suguha instructed, "To cast the line, you want to wind up by bringing the rod back against your chest." She brought her arm and turned her body as she prepared the line. "Then you want to gently but quickly cast it out. Let the hook and weight draw the line out." And she demonstrated by casting out, letting the line soar until it reached a good distance out into the lake. As she sat down, Eugeo replicated what she did: turning his body and bringing the rod against him. When he cast it out, he used a bit too much force and nearly fell into the water as a result. He caught himself, and his line thankfully made it into the water.
"Not so hard on the line Eugeo!" Suguha chided. "Remember: gently."
"Sorry Suguha," Eugeo responded. They then sat and waited for the fish to bite. But the time went on with little coming forth. Eugeo began to worry that there might not be any fish. Until Suguha's rod bent and bowed towards the water. When that happened, Suguha stood up and began to wrestle with the rod and the fish on the line. After a few minutes of pulling it back and relaxing to let it flow out, she eventually managed to pull up a rather bulky fish that flailed on the end.
Smiling, Suguha said, "Perfect. This will make a great dish for Kirito." She then put it in the bucket she brought before casting her line out again.
At that moment, Eugeo felt his line pull on him and he pulled back as a result. "I got one!" he exclaimed. He kept trying to rein it in, fighting fiercely with whatever was under the water.
But Suguha warned, "Don't fight it! You're going to break the line." But her words came too late. The next moment, Eugeo lost the tension and flung onto his back. His line was revealed to be snapped, allowing the catch to take off once more. Sighing, she told him, "You need to relax so the line won't be strained. My father said you need to give as much as you take."
"But I thought the purpose was to catch the fish, not let it get away," Eugeo tried to argue.
Suguha giggled, telling him, "That's something everyone who starts out thinks. And you'll lose more fish than you'll catch that way. The trick is to move with the fish, tiring it out so you can more easily bring it in." As they both cast their lines, they sat down and waited for the next big bite to come.
They stayed and fished in the lake for a good couple of hours before Suguha decided they had enough, having caught five fish in total. Eugeo had managed to catch the last one, but it almost got away until Suguha came in.
Walking back to the village, she commented, "Not bad Eugeo. You're getting the hang of it. Do you want to meet me down by the lake to learn more?"
"I would, but I might be getting my Calling soon," Eugeo told her. "But I would love to try and learn as much as I can before then."
"Then I'll come get you until you get your Calling," Suguha promptly proposed. "I'll make you a great fisherman someday."
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"But when we got our Calling, it became more difficult to meet," Eugeo finished. "When we could, we would fish at the lake on our days of rest."
Thinking back on it, Kirito mentioned, "You know, Sugu did seem upset after we got our Calling as Carvers. I never did learn why that was. But I remember her being mad at you a couple months after that."
With a forlorn expression, Eugeo told him, "That's because she told me why she wanted to keep teaching me to fish. She wanted to be as close to me as Alice was. But I messed up and told her I didn't want to fish just for that, especially if I could share what she taught me with you guys. She took it the wrong way and kept her distance until Alice and Asuna were taken."
"So what? She had a crush on you or something?" Kirito inquired. "I had thought Selka was the one with the massive crush on you."
Looking aghast, Eugeo exclaimed, "Wait, what?! Selka? But she's just a little sister to me."
"You better tell her that someday," Kirito told him. But his words were then met with Eugeo throwing him into the water.
"Kirito, you really do not pay attention to these things, do you?" Asuna chided as she helped dry Kirito off from his dip at the lake. They had gotten back as dusk began to arrive, where the chestnut-haired girl immediately whisked him away to get cleaned up.
"I thought it was pretty obvious with how she hovered over us back in Rulid," Kirito protested in his defense. "I'm just surprised Sugu was carrying a torch for him just like her."
"Honestly, you boys always seem to make things like love to be some kind of competition," Asuna grumbled, rising to get a fresh shirt for Kirito to put on.
Taking the shirt and dressing himself, Kirito said in an undertone, "He didn't have to chuck me for it."
"That just goes to show how much he cares about Alice, and reinforces what he thinks about Selka," Asuna stated snubbly.
Deciding not to pursue the issue, Kirito asked, "Have we heard anything from Heathcliff or Bercouli?"
Taking a breath to vent her frustrations, Asuna replied, "We haven't heard anything so far. But the scouts have been getting further into the dungeon to find the Dungeon Master's lair. We may be called to fight before too long."
"Well, the sooner we defeat Kayaba, the sooner we can all be free of this place," the boy returned.
With that, the two returned to the living room to join Eugeo and Alice. And just in time too, as black smoke was coming from the kitchen, forcing Asuna to rush in. As the boys hurried to open the windows to vent the smoke, they discovered that Alice had burned one of the fish Eugeo caught. Asuna took over to finish dinner while Eugeo consoled the girl about her mistake.
After dinner, the four began to get ready for the night. It was then Eugeo brought up, "Hey, would it really matter if we went back to Rulid?"
The three looked at him weirdly at his inquiry, and Kirito questioned, "Why are you suggesting that Eugeo? That's what we left Rulid and went through the academy for. We finally found Alice and rescued Asuna. Why shouldn't we go back?"
"I know that was what we set out to do, but here me out," Eugeo urged. Thus, he further elaborated, "Ever since that day, we've been in one mess after another. The goblin attacks, Raios and Humbert, and now here in Aincrad. At this point, no one back home would want us to come back. We're all criminals. Even if we got home, people would ostracize us. Alice and Asuna especially." What he said was true. The villagers even behaved like Asuna and Alice never existed after they left, which was what drove Kirito mad every time he thought about it.
Thankfully, he remembered something and brought up, "Well what about Selka? Or Suguha? Are we just going to let them believe we all died? Eugeo, we promised to bring Asuna and Alice home. Those two are waiting for us. I'm not giving up if they're still waiting, and I know they are."
Thinking it over, Alice spoke, "You're right Kirito. And to be honest, I have to go home. Selka is too important to me. She's my family, someone I hold dear to my heart. To never see her again would destroy me. I don't want that to be our fate."
"Alice is right," Asuna pointed out. "We're not going back to the village to show everyone. We want to go back because there are people waiting for us. I know my brother and father probably want me to come home too if I can. That should be why we go back. The chief, the villagers, I don't give a damn about them if they can forget us so easily. If I go back, it's for people that want me back." Alice and Kirito nodded, in the same mind as she was. But Eugeo was hesitant. Because he knew there was no one waiting for him back home. Not his mother, not his father, and especially not his brothers. For him, going after Alice and Asuna had been his only motivation. Nothing else really mattered to him.
There's no place for me there anymore, he thought. There's no reason I should return. Looking up at the others, he added, But I won't be apart from them. If they want, I'll gladly go back with them. But if I had it my way, I would stay here. Content in this life with Alice, Kirito, and Asuna. That would be enough for me.
The conversations after that turned back to simpler things, like mundane stories from the academy or recollections of their time when they were younger. As dusk turned to night, the life of four close friends went on.
The following morning, Eugeo awoke when he heard a knock on the door. Getting out and going to answer, he found a messenger waiting to meet him.
"Greetings," he spoke once Eugeo opened the door. "You are Eugeo, Swordsman from Rulid, yes?"
"I am," Eugeo responded.
"Wonderful. I have a message to deliver from Commander Heathcliff of the Knights of the Blood Oath." He then handed a crimson envelope to Eugeo before saluting and hurrying away. The boy came into the living room with the envelope while Alice just entered, rubbing sleep from her eyes and starting to braid her hair in her usual fashion. She saw Eugeo had a letter and went over to sit at his side.
"What is it?" she asked.
"A message from Commander Heathcliff," Eugeo informed. Looking back at the letter, he voiced, "I wonder what he wants." He opened the letter to see what the message was about, and what was inside made his and Alice's breath catch in their throats. They looked at each other, then back to the letter, before going to wake up Kirito and Asuna.
Later in the morning, the four were trekking the road to the Teleport Gate, dressed for battle and wearing rather grim expressions. None of them could shake what the message had said to them:
Kirito, Eugeo, Asuna, Alice,
I send this message to you to inform you that we have found the Dungeon Master's lair. But the scout team has learned some dire news regarding this Dungeon Master, one I was afraid we would have to face at some point.
Please report to Grandzam as soon as possible. I will explain the specifics to you, as well as some trusted individuals.
May the goddesses watch over you.
-Heathcliff
It wasn't just how the message was being conveyed, it was that it came from Heathcliff himself. He was worried about something they would inevitably have to face. What that was, none of them knew. But it did not sit well with them.
As they neared the gate, Alice turned to them and said, "We should be cautious. Do not forget Heathcliff tried to induct us into the KoB when we got Asuna back. I do not expect anything sinister, but we must not let our guard down around that man. Something doesn't feel right whenever we meet him."
"Alice, Heathcliff isn't a bad man," Asuna assured. "He's trustworthy. I should know, being his Vice Commander for all that time."
"I know," Alice replied with a sigh, "I just don't feel right around him. Something's just off about him."
"Let's not dwell too much on what-ifs or anything like that," Kirito reasoned. "Right now, what we should worry about is the word the scouts got on this new Dungeon Master." Everyone agreed to at least hear Heathcliff out, making the final stretch to the Teleport Gate.
"Teleport: Grandzam!"
At the castle fortress, the four came into the meeting room to find not only Heathcliff and his advisors, but also the Integrity Knights. Considering how the order was not well received by most people in Aincrad, and even the KoB after Bercouli defeated their Commander, it was a bit surprising to see him, Sheyta, and Renly here with the leader of the KoB.
When the three Knights turned to greet them, Heathcliff regarded, "Excellent. Thank you for coming."
Coming forward, Kirito asked, "What's going on Heathcliff? What did the scouts find in the next lair?"
"I was just about to discuss it with Commander Bercouli when you four arrived," he told him. With everyone present, he explained, "Now the scouts did indeed find the Dungeon Master's lair, but they ran into a problem. Per the usual procedure, half of them went inside to investigate. When they did, however, the doors closed behind them. About ten minutes later, the doors reopened, and the remaining scout members saw nothing and no one inside." This news shocked the four from Rulid.
But Bercouli inquired, "Could they have used Teleport Crystals to escape?"
"No, because we looked into it ourselves. The families of those scouts and any friends they knew had not seen them," Heathcliff informed. "And one scout did manage to look inside and get out before he was sealed in. He found remains of their crystals, all destroyed with latent sacred energy." This sent a wave of horror among the group.
"No way," Eugeo gasped. They knew scouts weren't warriors that were weak by any means. These were strong fighters, similar to them in skill and techniques. If they had died, and nothing was left of their bodies, that did not bode well for what kind of Dungeon Master they would have to face.
"I am gathering all the top guilds and their members to lead a raid on this Dungeon Master," Heathcliff informed. "But, considering the threat we are facing, I am also asking Bercouli and his Integrity Knights to lend their strength as well. I hope you four will add your strength to ours."
Stepping forward, Alice replied with a salute, "If you ask it of us, we will help. Our goal is to free everyone from this castle."
"I am happy to hear you say that," the KoB commander returned. He rose from his seat and offered, "You may stay in this room until it is close to the time to begin the raid." Turning to Bercouli, he asked, "If the Integrity Knights have anything they wish to speak of, I am willing to listen."
But Bercouli waved his hand and said, "That won't be necessary. We'll be ready for the raid. Just don't take too long with your guild." And the three of them left.
As Heathcliff passed Kirito, he whispered, "A fine sword you wield Kirito. Might I ask for its name?"
To which Kirito returned, "It's called the Night Sky Blade."
"Forged from the Gigas Cedar, I reckon," the Commander muttered. "Beyond even my wildest dreams." And he left along with his advisors.
Now left alone, the four settled around the room as they waited to be called upon for the raid. Asuna sat on the table looking up at the ceiling, Alice sat on the ground with her sword drawn in the sunlight, Eugeo sat in one of the chairs as he looked over his crystals, and Kirito leaned against the pillar between windows with his head downcast.
"It won't be long before the next raid," Asuna spoke out. "I always get so nervous before a Dungeon Master fight."
"I'm always worried the next Dungeon Master we face might be the end of us," Eugeo confessed. "I'm still amazed we can fight these creatures and make it out with our lives."
"If we make it out of here, maybe we will be more than capable of fighting the Dark Territory when it breaks into the Human Empire," Asuna replied.
Just then, Kirito piped up, "Hey Asuna, Alice, I have something I want to say. But I don't want you two to get mad at me for it." The girls plus Eugeo looked over to him, all with expressions of curiosity. Somewhat hesitantly, Kirito asked, "When the time comes for the boss raid, can you two stay here and let Eugeo and I fight this next Dungeon Master?" Silence fell after he had made his request. Eugeo's eyes were somewhat widened at the boy's words, but he quickly understood his reasons. He saw that change ever since they got back from fighting the Gleam Eyes.
Looking away from Kirito, Asuna asked sternly, "Why would you ask something like that of us?"
"We won't be able to escape using Teleport Crystals for any future Dungeon Masters," Kirito reasoned. "And these monsters are only going to get stronger and craftier. At some point, they might be too much for us."
"So you want us to just sit here and wait while you two go off to somewhere dangerous?" Asuna questioned, her tone harder than before. Kirito winced at the pointed question, but said nothing to refute it.
"Kirito—" Alice began to say. But she stopped when she saw Asuna going over to him, spotting the look in her eyes. A look she hadn't seen since they reunited back in Selmburg.
"Do you know what would happen if you two didn't come back?" Asuna asked her partner. "What we would do if we heard you had died?" Kirito said nothing, continuing to look down in shame. And then, shocking everyone, Asuna stated, "I would kill myself!" This dug straight into Kirito, who had not expected such a bold statement from her. "I wouldn't feel right about letting you go somewhere dangerous without me. You asking me to stay behind while you could possibly die would be the end of me."
"Asuna—" Kirito tried to reply. But she grabbed him by his coat and looked him straight in the eye. And he saw that she had tears in her eyes, despite her apparent anger.
"I almost lost you before," she told him, her voice cracking as she tried to hold back the emotion threatening to spill out. "Nine years ago, we were torn apart from each other. And years later, I would have lost you. The Pontifex saw what was most important to me. She knew that if anything happened to you, I would never be able to resist her. And when you nearly died, I thought it was over." Unable to hold back, she let go and rested her head against Kirito's chest as she let the tears fall. "I was so scared," she cried against him. "You are everything to me Kirito. You made friends with me even though my family was better off than everyone else. You gave me the most amazing birthday by showing me that grotto in the forest. And you came here to find me, like you promised you would."
"Asuna…" Kirito breathed out, taken aback by her words.
"If you were to die, to leave me behind as you return to the goddesses, there would be nothing left for me here," she continued, breaking down. "I can't lose you again."
"Asuna, you are everything to me too," Kirito returned, his voice remaining strong but failing to hide his own emotion. "When you were taken, I was so furious. I sometimes got into trouble with the chief because I wanted to leave Rulid and go after you so badly. I got mad at everyone for forgetting you because you broke the Taboo Index. If it wasn't for Eugeo and Sugu, I would have rushed off and abandoned everything just to find you." Hugging her close, he sobbed as he told her, "I want you to survive. I want to go back to our log cabin in the woods. I want to bring Yui back, have our family back. I just want to be with you, Eugeo, and Alice."
Burying her face in his chest, Asuna cried, "I want us to get married, to have beautiful children like Yui, and to grow old together. I want all of that, and I want it with you. I want it with you." The couple held each other as they shed their tears, holding each other as if the other would vanish if they let go.
At some point, Alice came over and rested a hand on Asuna's shoulders. She then said, "Kirito, Asuna, to lose either of you would be unbearable for us as well. Not just because of our oath, but because you two are important to Eugeo and I. We can't imagine a world without you."
Coming up next to them, Eugeo added, "She's right. Kirito, you were the one who encouraged me to learn the sword from Kayaba when we began, making me want to do something for Alice. You pushed me to excel as a Swordsman at the academy. And through it all, you told me to never give up on Alice and Asuna. To lose you, either of you, would rob me of any purpose to wield a sword like I do. We all need you Kirito." He set his hand on Kirito's shoulder, and the four took this moment of solace to cement their bond and mission. The two sobbing individuals simmered down, with all four praying that they would make it through, and that their oath would bring them home.
A little later, the four went to meet up in the square for the raid. Numerous guild members from different groups turned up to help in the battle, some of which came from familiar guilds like the Holy Dragon Alliance. Kirito looked around at everyone gathered, surprised and relieved to see so many fighters still in Aincrad.
As they meandered, they heard someone call out, "Hey you kids! You made it." Coming up to them was Klein, and beside him was Agil. The larger man's appearance surprised Kirito and Eugeo, who had only known him to run the shop on floor 50.
Once they came up, Eugeo inquired, "You're part of this too?"
"Hell yeah Eugeo," Klein replied animatedly. "No way am I sitting on the sidelines with such a big battle on the line. I'm going all in."
Looking towards the other man, Kirito asked, "When did you learn to fight?"
"Hey, don't give me that Kirito," Agil returned, sounding slightly hurt. "Just to be clear, I am also a fighter. You don't survive in Aincrad by just peddling wares. Especially when you need to collect them on a regular basis."
"I just don't think I ever saw you fight before," Kirito explained.
Moving past that, Alice then asked, "Klein, where is the rest of the Fuurinkazan?"
"They're all taking care of a security job for a family down on the lower floors," Klein answered. "I volunteered to go ahead of them and handle this new Dungeon Master the scouts found."
"Will they be alright without you?" Eugeo questioned.
Scoffing, Klein replied, "Don't underestimate my boys. They've handled themselves before. Don't forget they were saving those army guys' butts when we confronted the Gleam Eyes."
Their conversation was cut short when they heard the other warriors murmur and move. The six looked over to see Heathcliff and a small group of knights accompanying him. He went forwards and held up what the group recognized was a Corridor Crystal, one of the rarest sacred items in Aincrad.
"Corridor, open," Heathcliff commanded. The crystal shattered immediately after, and a portal manifested before them. He led the way with everyone else following.
When they got to the corridor in the dungeon leading to the lair, there was a palpable drop in temperature all around them. But it wasn't because it was cold. There was an air of death here, more so than in any other dungeon before. It reminded Eugeo of when he had been manic in trying to kill Humbert after he attempted to defile Ronie and Tiese. He fell back a step behind the group as this brought back several fears to the front of his mind. Alice noticed this, placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort and assure him with her presence. They didn't say anything to each other, yet things were conveyed nonetheless.
At the door leading to the Dungeon Master, Heathcliff turned around and announced, "Once we are all prepared, we shall enter and eliminate this Dungeon Master. Ensure you are equipped for this mission. For once we enter, there is no turning back."
Everyone checked over their gear and talked among their respective groups to properly prepare themselves for the trial ahead.
Alice pointed out Bercouli, Renly, and Sheyta in another part of the group, who hadn't moved and simply stared at the door with intense interest. They seemed more than prepared for this fight, which wasn't too surprising for the four after seeing what they could do for so long.
As everyone braced themselves to enter, Eugeo looked down to his sword and prayed, Blue Rose Sword, carry me through this battle so my friends can go home.
Just then, Alice's hand rested on his holding the sword, and she whispered, "Stay with me Eugeo. I can't afford to lose you now." He nodded but said nothing else. They noticed Asuna saying something to assure Kirito, calming him down as well. Agil commented about how he would make a fortune off this Dungeon Master, while Klein told the four not to die on him.
Before they entered, Heathcliff proclaimed, "Today we take yet another step towards the end. Today we fight for the chance to shake off the shackles of the world and return home victorious. For our glorious liberation!" With a great cheer, the doors were opened, and everyone charged in. Once everyone was in, the doors shut behind them and vanished.
Inside, there were platforms on top of pillars dotting a massive space. But there was nothing else to be seen. Not even the Dungeon Master supposedly residing in here. Everyone scanned as hard as they could for it to find any trace in the entire room.
Out of nowhere, something fell near Eugeo, causing him to jump. He looked over to see it was a severed hand, limp and flabby as if the bone was missing. He prodded it with his sword, and it gave way with no resistance. With terror in his eyes, Eugeo glanced up and froze.
"K-K-K-Kirito," he uttered, terrified. Said boy looked over, then followed his friend's gaze.
When he saw it, he called out, "Up! It's above us!" Everyone's heads shot up, gazing at a sight that made their blood run cold.
A monstrous, centipede-like creature that looked to be made entirely of bones clung to the ceiling with two scythe arms. Its head was an elongated skull with four eye sockets with red lights within, and a jaw with four parts that clattered amongst itself. The sight of this creature made the whole room go white with horror.
Renly, scared beyond all comprehension, cried out, "That's the creature spoken of in the coliseum. The Skull Reaper." Klein and Kirito repeated the name, eliciting the terror further from said monster.
The Skull Reaper leapt down and slammed the ground hard, knocking most people down before letting out a terrifying screech.
Shaking off his fear, Kirito called out, "Get out of there! Scatter!" Some swordsmen did as he said, but others were too slow to react. The Skull Reaper swung with two mighty swipes, cutting four swordsmen clean in half and spraying blood over the edge. If people weren't terrified of it before, this just made them realize the horror they were confronted with.
"One hit…" Alice gasped, stunned at the sight she witnessed. She gripped her Osmanthus Blade tight at this.
She was about to utter a Sacred Art when Bercouli came over and held a hand out in front of her. "Not right now, Little Miss," he instructed. "Save that power for another time." Drawing his own Time-Splitter sword, he commanded, "Everyone, the Integrity Knights and Knights of the Blood Oath will draw its attention and divert its attacks. You all find its weakness and strike!" He acted immediately, charging for the Skull Reaper as it registered his approach. Heathcliff came up beside him, and the two acted together to block the swings the monster unleashed. Asuna and Sheyta charged in after, going up its arms before making numerous stabs at its eyes.
This caused it to react and stagger back, and Kirito bellowed, "Strike at its body and eyes. Any place it can't reach you. Use all your sword skills." He raced in and slipped past the monster's arms before jumping up and unleashing Vertical Square on its main body. Emboldened, everyone else began their attacks while the KoB and Bercouli blocked its arms every chance they could.
Eugeo was still frozen where he stood, seeing everyone fight with all they had, unafraid now that they were inspired. Yet here he was, too scared to even move. But he steeled his gaze, thinking of one thing he could do.
"Kirito!" he called out. As the boy turned to look, Eugeo threw his Blue Rose Sword to him. As Kirito caught it, Eugeo told him, "I'll support everyone from here. Use your Dual Wielding and take that monster down." Kirito didn't argue, taking both blades and rushing back in.
Eugeo held out his hand and called out, "System Call. Generate Luminous Element, Arrow Shape." Once formed, he fired the bolts at the Skull Reaper's eyes. They exploded and blinded the Dungeon Master, making it swing near its face as if to get rid of what was blinding it. This helped provide more openings for the other warriors to slip in and attack at blind spots on its body. Kirito and Asuna were at the forefront of the ambush, slashing and stabbing away wherever they could. Alice would switch between dishing out hits with swordsmen like Klein and Agil, and helping parry its arms with Bercouli and Heathcliff. Eugeo remained out of range, using Sacred Arts and warning others of attacks. And thus, the battle ensued.