Soo...long time no see I guess.
I haven't updated this in a while and i don't really have an excuse. I'm currently moving houses so that's of a much higher priority right now. (says he doesn't have an excuse, uses an excuse, smh)
Gonna keep this brief. In fact, I probably won't say much in these A/N's from now on. Y'all just wanna get straight to reading anyway.
So that being said, enjoy :)
Kirito and Toran had stopped their race to the second-floor boss room as when they had come across the labyrinth, they found that it was almost completely empty. Loot and everything.
"Guess someone's beaten us to it," Toran said with an annoyed sigh.
"Must be a raid party up ahead," Kirito suggested "Maybe we can help them with the boss, especially if they're newbies,"
"If that is the case then try not to show off too much," Toran teased as they turned an almost countless amount of corners in the second floors barren labyrinth. "Let them at least get a couple of hits in,"
"I can't really hide the fact that I'm way over-leveled," Kirito said, pointing out his blackwyrm cloak and two obviously powerful swords. Toran just shrugged and chuckled in reply as they continued trekking through the labyrinth. After about three more turns, the boss room entrance was in sight, along with a group of clearly low leveled fighters. They were still a decent distance away but Kirito could already tell that there was five of them in total. As Kirito deduced this, one of the members noticed their arrival.
"Hey, are you guys here to beat the boss too?" The member called out. Kirito dismissed the thought that there's literally nothing else to do here so what else would they be doing and replied.
"Yeah, but we could work together if you're cool with that," The member he was replying to briefly huddled with his group before answering.
"We got no problems, you guys look pretty strong anyway," By now, Kirito and Toran had arrived and the guy they were talking to started introducing everyone.
"We're the Moonlight Cats and I'm the leader; Kaba," He said as he reached out his hand for a handshake. Kirito momentarily lost himself as the name of their group sounded a little too similar to the one he had cherished back in the old game. Toran noticed his brief struggle and shook Kaba's hand first.
"Nice to meet you, Kaba," He said cheerfully before Kirito regained himself and followed suit. The leader of the Moonlight Cats, now known as Kaba, was a decently handsome fellow. He was the tallest of all present by a few centimeters and had long slicked back orange hair that went down to his shoulder blades. His face was as sturdy as an adult despite his age and he sported some shiny silver padded chainmail-like armor with a brown leather pauldron on his right shoulder. To Kirito though, the most interesting part of him was his weapon of choice. Hence the name, Sword Art Online was mainly about swords. However, there were some rare exceptions. If you looked hard enough in the Town of Beginnings, you would find one or two shops that sold some rather unorthodox weapons, such as Sinon's bow or what Kaba had, a big two-handed hammer. While Kirito studied Kaba, he continued to introduce the rest of his party.
"This here is Kaano," He said as he motioned towards the person nearest to him before continuing down the line.
"Then that's Jin, then Ranta and lastly; Maya," He said, pointing to the only female in the group on the end. None of them were of much note as far as looks went. Though they all seemed to favor different colors as Kaba was mostly orange and Jin was mostly blue. Maya, like the others, favored the color purple as her armor was mostly that color. She had long hair that went halfway down her spine that was, of course, a deep purple and her large eyes were no different. She held a one-handed iron long sword that most beginners used on these first few floors. At this point, she seemed to notice Kirito looking at her and looked away hurriedly before slightly blushing. Kirito struggled to fathom this, not necessarily because of the girl's reaction but because of how eerily similar this party was to his old group, the Moonlit Black Cats, which Sachi belonged to. How could this possibly be a coincidence? Kirito attempted to dismiss this thought for the moment—albeit with almost no success—and started their introduction.
"I'm Kirito, and this my friend Toran," He started. He was about to mention that they were players of the original death game and all that other stuff but it seemed one of the other members in the group was one step ahead of him.
"Wait, you're THE Kirito!? The guy who single-handedly beat Akihiko Kayaba and saved everyone from the original SAO?" Kaano almost shouted, causing the others to take a second look at him in shock. Kirito normally didn't like being hailed as a hero, and this was no exception. Yeah, he had saved six thousand people, but he had also failed to save four thousand other innocent people. The burden of this fact made him heavily dislike being called a hero or savior or any of those honoraries. Despite this though, he stayed silent while most of the members admired him. All except for the leader, Kaba.
"If you're the person who beat the old SAO then you may want to take a peek into the boss room, it may not be what you remember," Kaba said, causing Kirito's curiosity to get the better of him and making him follow said order. After opening the big silver door by just enough to look in with one eye, he saw Asterius the Taurus King standing silently in the middle of the room, seemingly asleep. The circular floor was a silvery marble texture with a few detailed features near the center and the surrounding walls were dome-like and made of unbreakable rock, just like before. Nothing out of the ordinary.
"Hey, I don't really see anything wrong wit-" He got this far before he realized exactly what was wrong. In the old game, Kirito and the raid party had to defeat two other mini-bosses named Nato and Baran before Asterius spawned. But here in this new version of the game, Asterius was right there already with no sign of the other two mini-bosses. Instantly, Kirito's senses were on high alert for the fight as he was sure something weird would definitely during the fight. It was just like Kayaba to do something like that. "I see," Kirito closed the door again and returned to the group huddle as he spoke.
"By the way, some quick context," Kaano said as he briefly interrupted the huddle "I was one the six thousand people who survived SAO, so that's why I sort of blurted that out a second ago. The problem for me was, I never took part in any of the boss fights and I never left the first ten floors because I was too scared to die. That's why I want to take part in every boss battle this time around, so I can prove to myself that I'm not weak," Kaano looked slightly pained as he spoke. Perhaps he feels he could've helped save more people had he manned-up and fought on the front lines. Kirito didn't feel that way though.
"It's okay to be afraid, dude," Kirito spoke in a soft but dull voice to avoid making it seem like he was being heroic again. "Fear is the most important feeling when doing something like this. How can one appreciate their own life if they don't fear death? If you ask me, the more fear you have, the stronger you are," Kirito spoke less as words of courage, but more just from personal experience. How many times had he witnessed death in those old battlefields because a few gung-ho players thought they were invincible? He didn't even want to remember that at all.
"Anyway, we need to have a back-up plan just in case this boss fight is different from the one Kaano told us about, the one Kirito did in the old game," Kaba said sternly to get everyone back in the mood of a fight. Kirito briefly noticed Toran pout at not being mentioned since he was also there at the original second-floor boss raid. "In any case, let's review what we know," After he said this, the other members of their party started talking.
"Everything about the room itself, including aesthetics, surface materials, and atmosphere conditions match that of the original arena perfectly," Kaano said before looking towards another of the members to continue.
"However, Asterius has already spawned before the fight has started. Not only that, but the other two mini-bosses, Nato and Baran, are nowhere to be seen," Jin continued.
"To this, there are two conclusions. One, a previous party had already beaten the mini-bosses but perished at the hands of the actual boss, and for some reason, the fight hasn't reset yet," Ranta stated as he counted the possibilities.
"But that wouldn't make sense since you guys cleared out the labyrinth as if no one had ever been through here before. So, if that is that case, then why did the labyrinth reset but not the boss fight?" Toran questioned, adding his own two cents.
"Exactly, which brings us to possibility number two," Ranta answered "The entire fight is totally different than before,"
"Plus, if that's the case, then who's to say that there isn't a new hidden boss that's even harder than Asterius?" Maya added shyly, causing everyone to double think their tactics. Everyone except for Kirito that is.
"Well, even if that is the case, you guys can leave the aggro to me," Kirito said confidently. For a second, it looked like Maya was going to question him about it but was stopped by the voice of Kaba.
"That looks to be about our best bet. I mean, look at him, he's obviously the highest level here so if we maintain distance and only attack when it's safe while Kirito and Toran take aggro, then we have a likely chance of success even if someone unusual happens," He said before looking towards Kirito and Toran. "You guys good with that?" Kirito went to reply but Toran beat him to it.
"Piece of cake," he said cheerfully. "Plus, even if Kirito does get in some form of danger, I've always got my shield to deflect any attacks,"
"Alright then, that's settled," Kaba said happily before standing up. "If anyone's got something they need to get before we start, like potions or whatnot, now's the time. I'll wait here for everyone just so that we don't lose our progress," When he said this, Kirito thought about seeing if he could bring Asuna and the rest of his own group on board to make it that much easier, but quickly remembered that most of them were logged out doing stuff in the real world so that was a no-go. Suddenly, Ranta, who was going through his inventory, shot up.
"Oh man, I just realized I'm almost fresh out of potions," He barked loudly but apologetically at the same time. "I'll just quickly teleport to Urbus and grab a bunch, as well as extras just in case. Brb!" He said before using a teleport crystal to vanish in a flash of blue light.
"Anyone else?" Kaba said as he looked around to find that everyone else seemed well enough prepared. "Okay then, once Ranta gets back, we start the fight," To this, everyone nodded. After about thirty seconds had passed, Kirito suddenly noticed he had received a message from none other than Argo. He walked a few steps away to read it privately.
Hey Kii-bou, you busy? I got something to tell ya! I may not be so useless after all :D
Come see me at the entrance to the second floor labyrinth, and be sure to tell me you're coming so I don't wait for hours on end ya doltz ;)
"Could it be…?" Kirito accidentally said aloud.
"Hm? What was that Kirito?" Toran asked from a few meters away. Suddenly, Kirito turned around with an awkward smile on his.
"So uh, turns out I need to very quickly see someone," He said, causing Toran to sigh. "I'll be back very shortly!" He shouted as he charged off back into the labyrinth.
"Does he know he can just teleport? He just watched Ranta do it," A confused Jin said as he scratched the side of his head. Everyone else just shrugged and watched him disappear into the darkness of the labyrinth. After retracing his steps to a tee, Kirito eventually saw the light coming from the entrance from around the last corner and as he made the turn, he saw the feminine figure of someone leaning against the walls of the entrance.
"Argo!" He called out and the figure turned its head in reply.
"Oh, so you're already in here," She observed as Kirito reached her position
"So, what was it you needed to talk about," Kirito asked with a hint of seriousness to his tone, so in fact that Argo could pass up the opportunity to have a little fun.
"Well, firstly, there's this really really important thing that can't wait any longer," She said with a mental smirk.
"Yeah, what is it?" Kirito said with intense seriousness and curiosity.
"The thing is…When are you going to come to visit me!? I waited for days and you never came!" She complained sarcastically. Kirito froze for a moment at her sudden outburst before his eyebrow started to twitch in anger.
"Did you…did you seriously call me here just to make fun of me!?" Kirito yelled angrily.
"No no no, I'm kidding. I actually do have some pretty interesting news. I just thought you were being too serious so I was lightening the mood," She said as she raised her arms in front of her to calm Kirito down. He slowed his breathing and rested his shoulders to calm himself down before talking.
"Sorry about that, that was a bit over the top. I'm just in the middle of helping a group of people while also facing a bit of the past, I'm not doing the best," As Kirito apologized for losing his cool, Argo laughed and lightly punched him in the shoulder.
"Ah, no worries. After all, it's pretty rare I get to see the mean ol' bum side of ya," Argo said, to which Kirito silently debated whether she actually deserved a stern yelling.
"Moving on, what's this news you wanted to tell me?" Kirito asked again, but this time with success.
"I was hiding in the shadows of the tavern in Urbus recently to see if I could overhear anything interesting, and I happened upon a conversation between two NPC's regarding the second-floor boss room," She started as Kirito listened in "They said that the boss room on this floor is different from what it used to be. Apparently, Nato and Baran aren't apart of the fight anymore and it just starts with Asterius right from the get-go,"
"Yeah, I discovered that when I took a peek into the boss room. All I saw was Asterius sitting alone in the middle of the room with no other enemies to be seen," Kirito mentioned, to which Argo stopped for a second to think before continuing.
"I see. However, the NPC's also mentioned something else," To this, Kirito's interest fully peaked. "From what I heard of their conversation, something is supposed to happen once Asterius' final health bar hits the yellow zone," These were the words that Kirito was hoping to hear.
"I figured as much," He said with relief. "But it's nice to know that we can surely expect a surprise. Anything else?" Argo shook her head while she spoke.
"Unfortunately not. After that, the two NPC's just randomly stopped talking to each other. I stayed for a few minutes just to make sure but they never spoke again. That's when I messaged you and made my way here," Argo said with a sigh that signaled the end of her news.
"I see. Thanks a bunch, Argo, that's really going to help us," Kirito said as he gave her a soft head pat. Being the small person she was, she got this all the time from her family members, but this was the first time she was getting one from someone that wasn't directly related to her. She looked downwards to hide her intense blushing from Kirito who continued patting her for a few more seconds.
"Well anyway, I should get back to the group," Kirito said after removed his hand from her head and turned to reenter the labyrinth. "Oh and by the way, I'm sorry I haven't come and visited you like I said I would," His sudden words took Argo aback but he didn't notice and continued. "I haven't really had much time to myself with this whole thing and you do live a bit far away, but I promise that as soon as I have a weekend off, I'll come and see you,"
"Jeez," Argo chuckled with blissful delight. "You don't gotta make it so soppy Kii-bou, hurry up and go help your friends already," Kirito stuttered a bit before waving and taking off back into the labyrinth. As Argo watched him leave, she heaved a sigh of happiness. "Tread carefully Kii-bou or I may just fall for you all over again," She thought to herself before taking the scenic route back to Urbus. After he made his way back through the labyrinth a third time, Kirito reached the Moonlight Cats plus Toran group as they were just preparing to set off.
"Ah, Kirito, good timing," Kaba said with a sigh of relief. "We were just about to start without you," As he spoke, Kirito saw that Ranta had already returned so he was the one holding them up.
"Right, sorry. But I did found out something interesting from a friend of mine," Kirito revealed, causing Kaba to still his steps for but a moment. "Apparently, she overheard some NPC's talking and they spoke of something weird happening when we get Asterius' last health bar to the red zone,"
"I see. We already assumed something like that would occur but it nice to know that we can definitely expect it and prepare as such," Kaba said to which everyone present nodded in agreement. "Ok everyone, prepare yourselves! The second-floor boss fight starts now!" Kaba announced as he swung the door to the second-floor boss room open and the entire group rushed in behind Kaba who lead the attack with Kirito right behind him. "Remember Kirito, the success of this operation lies with you! Don't make me regret my decision," Kaba suddenly said to Kirito as they charged in.
"Leave it to me, I'll make sure to follow this through without fail," Kirito reassured him as they approached Asterius with a battle-cry.
Could another big fight scene be on the horizon?
Will DxDBourne release the next chapter sooner rather than later?
Found out next time on FanFictionZ!
pls excuse any and all spelling mistakes, proof-reading ain't my strong suit (I'm trying thou)