Alright, extra-long chapter here for you guys. From now on, chapters will be coming approximately once a week. I want to thank all of you for reading, and please, please, let me know what you enjoyed.
Caring For A Rat: Part 19
The guildhall of the Knights of the Blood Oath had never felt more foreboding. Heathcliff was clearly stressed, and was not in his top form. The rest of the guilds were clearly uncomfortable as well. Now that the Boss Room had been revealed as an anti-crystal zone, everyone knew that going was a suicide mission.
Technically we were well above the safety cap for the bosses of the level, and a party should be able to take down a boss with only a little difficulty.
But this was not only a floor boss, but a super floor boss, following the pattern of the bosses on the 50th and 25th floors.
There was a very real chance that none of us would be here tomorrow.
"Now that we all understand the situation, and have a rough estimate of the capabilities of our foe," Heathcliff said, looking slightly less well kept, although he looked fat too put together for a man who had just lost most of "his" scouts, "Does everyone know their roles?"
Everyone nodded, some tossing out affirmative noises.
The people here were a mix of peak- and high-level clearers. We were putting as much as possible into this push for the 76th floor while still keeping a B-team back that could train up for a week to be roughly at our level, and more importantly, take over the existing Guild infrastructure.
Lind, the leader of the Divine Dragon alliance, would be sitting this fight out, as the second-most powerful clearers guild in the game, the DDA would be needed if the Knights of The Blood Oath collapsed as a result of the current leadership dying to the floor boss.
As much as I disliked Lind, he was an even shrewder leader than Heathcliff, in some ways.
Some other mainstays for the boss fights were sitting out, including the five remaining members of the original Legend Braves, the Crimson Rose assault team, and the White Cross guild.
If we failed, they would be needed.
As everyone filed out of the hall, Lind approached Asuna, and whispered something into her ear. She almost drew her rapier, but paused when the blade was only a quarter of the way out of its sheath. She came away from the furious conversation that followed looking more than a little upset.
"What did he want?"
"To drive a wedge into the middle of the KoB," Asuna said, tugging forcefully on the straps of her scabbard. I hummed thoughtfully. "Apparently Heathcliff was happy when the scouting team got wiped out."
"But that makes no sense," I said, pivoting to look at her, "Why would he be happy about his guild losing almost a tenth of their manpower? It's going to take the KoB months to recover from that at the very least."
Asuna nodded, still angrily adjusting the straps on her rapier. "The worst part is that he might be right." I froze, stunned by the implications of what she was saying. "Heathcliff was far too eager to let me go on vacation-"
"Asuna, how would Lind know something that Argo doesn't? Especially if it's about a rival guild and not his own?"
Asuna paused, and shook her head, "You're right, it's just Lind stirring up trouble again."
The rest of our journey to the dungeon entrance was quiet. When we reached our destination, Heathcliff pulled a corridor crystal out of his inventory, and activated it. The portal opened on a familiar sight: the doors of a floor boss room.
The various teams moved quickly through the corridor, spreading out and setting up guard for any wandering monsters that might attack. There were generally none this close to the boss room, but with how the rules were changing nowadays, you couldn't be too careful.
I drew my swords before walking through the corridor, making sure to stay in a loose guard position. Asuna fell in behind me, her rapier ready for combat.
The doors swung open with an ominous scraping noise as the last party walked through the portal. Instantly, Team A, Fuurinkazan, dove through the entrance, forming a loose circle slightly inside the room.
The doors started to swing shut.
The rest of the raid group ran through, falling into little groups that clustered back-to-back, searching for the boss.
My attention was caught by a flash of red light that gleamed above us. When I looked up, I saw the same sort of cruel red eyes that the [Fatal Scythe] had born peering down at the group.
I opened my mouth to call out, but before I could speak, the boss sprang off the ceiling, it's wickedly sharp blades coming down towards two of the tanks from Team E. I don't know whether one of them saw it coming, or just felt something run across the back of his neck, but he raised his shield above his head.
It was the only thing that saved his life.
The other tank's eyes widened as the bone-white claw slammed down, tearing through his uncovered head like it was paper. I saw a glimmer of realization in his eyes as he exploded into a shower of sparks. His companion was driven to his knees, his health in the yellow from a deflected hit.
The Boss rose up as the surviving tank scrambled away, it's many legs waving menacingly in the air, the two blades that formed claws on its front waving menacingly in the air. It moved unnaturally fast, it's many limbs propelling it as it lunged toward Assault Team D, who barely scattered in time.
It looked like nothing so much as a giant, demonic centipede.
"Assault Team B," Asuna yelled, jolting me out of my observational mindset. I had to fight, there was no time to analyze this boss. "Circle around back! It looks less defended there!" Me and the six fighters that made up the rest of our team followed Asuna as she moved, the fencer limiting her speed to allow us to move as one.
And so the 75th floor boss fight began.
When it was over, ten people had fallen beneath the boss's claws..
I sat on the floor of the boss room, staring at nothing, leaning against Asuna. She had wrapped one arm around me, and was desperately trying not to cry. Three members of team B had fallen in the raid. Where a full eight-man squad had once stood proud, now only five people remained.
We weren't almost wiped out like Team C was, but it was a small pittance. We couldn't keep doing battles like this. Less people would be willing to become clearers, and eventually we wouldn't be able to replace people fast enough on the battlefield. Progress would slow down immensely. It had taken us just under three weeks to clear this floor.
How long would it take us to clear the next?
We'd have to face the next floor boss with even less strength than before, despite us holding back a portion of our strength for a second attempt. But that didn't matter right now.
We'd lost a full fifth of the raid group. Almost everyone had lost someone, not that some people showed it. Heathcliff hadn't even reacted when his subordinate had died, like he was made out of granite rather than flesh.
He wasn't even mourning now, or if he was, he was hiding it well; he didn't even look worried. Not like the rest of us, and why should he. He'd never come close to death throughout the entire fight, even a direct blow from one of the Boss's claws not dropping him below… half… health.
A thousand wild details came together in my mind; I heard what Asuna had said before the battle replay in my mind "He wanted them to die." I remembered how Argo had been cut off from getting any info out of the KoB. And I felt the way that Heathcliff's shield had seemed to teleport during our duel.
It was a long shot, and If I was wrong, I would be thrown out of the KoB at the very least, but if I was right…
I might be able to end the game here and now.
Asuna tried to grab onto my coat as I moved, but I shook it out of her grasp. She didn't deserve to go down with me if I was wrong.
I raised my sword and swung.
The resulting clang was distinctive to every person in the room.
The sound of someone striking an immortal object.
"Found you," I snarled, a complex knot of emotions welling up in my heart, "Kayaba,"
Heathcliff stared down at the spot where my sword had impacted his side, the purple hexagon of an [immortal object] popup hovering above where they met.
"Interesting," Kayaba said, examining me like one examines a metal rod that is bent out of shape; interesting, but only for how it is different, not for any of its innate qualities.
I heard a clatter from behind me, and dove out of the way.
"KAYABAAAAAAAAAAA!" Asuna roared, her rapier flashing out as she lunged, moving faster than I had seen her move before, her eyes almost glowing with rage. Kayaba twisted to the side almost faster than I believed possible, My wife's sword barely grazing his cheek as she lunged past.
The GM's fingers flashed out on his menu, and I felt my limbs lock up for a second. I staggered as the paralysis effect ran out. I was the only one to stay upright. The rest of the Raid Group fell like puppets with their strings cut.
"Well, this is surprising," The madman said, grinning maniacally, "I didn't expect for anyone to discover me this soon. How did you do it?"
"Your health never dropped below the halfway mark. Not even after you got hit by something that killed a tank one level below you in one blow," I grit out, raising my swords into a ready position. I needed to be ready if he attacked.
"Kayaba," Asuna growled. Even though she was paralyzed on the floor, she still looked incredibly intimidating. I had never heard her this angry before. "You knew what was going to happen when you sent the scout team here, and you did it anyway!"
"Of course not," Kayaba scoffed, resting his shield on the ground. "There was approximately a 3% chance that they could have beaten the Skull Reaper." He grinned. It was a very evil grin. "Some of them might have even survived."
"Is that all we are to you!" Asuna screamed, her face flushing red with anger, "Just fucking pawns on some chessboard that you sacrifice when it's convenient!?"
"Of course not," Kayaba scoffed, "I have the utmost respect for human life,"
"Tell that to all my subordinates that you killed!" Asuna spat at Kayaba, the globule of liquid falling far short of the traitor. Her hand twitched, her fingers curling into a fist.
"Rude," The programmer said, taking a step away. I stepped in between them. Asuna needed a bit of time. "Oh, do you have something else to say, Kirito?"
"Yes," I swallowed, my throat dry. "Were you trying to turn the KoB against the rest of the players?" I could feel the weight of the silence fall on the room.
"No…" Asuna breathed out behind me. Every member of the raid group was staring at me in shock. What I had just proposed ran antithetical to the stated purpose of the KoB, and I knew of several people in the KoB who would sooner die than kill another player.
"I don't know how long it would have taken, but you were already starting to isolate your guild from the rest of the server-"
"I always knew you were a special one, Kirito. To think you figured out one of my contingency plans…" Kayaba interrupted me with a laugh. "Well, I'm not sure I can let you leave here alive." He pulled up a window, and a duel request popped up in front of me. "How's this?," He offered, "You defeat me here, and I will consider the game complete. And if you lose..."
I would die. Behind me, there was a rustle of movement.
"You don't deserve the honor of a duel," I spat, even as I pressed my finger down on the [accept] button, trying to crush it into a little ball of paper that I could throw at him. He smirked in response.
"So why did you do this, Kayaba?" I asked, falling into a rather unusual stance. My arms were spread out slightly, and I faced the Game Master with squared shoulders. "Do you get some sick enjoyment out of watching us struggle to survive?" I needed to keep him talking.
"Of course not," Kayaba scoffed, raising his shield as the timer started to count down. I was at a lower health than Kayaba, but I didn't have the time to grab a health potion. "This whole game is necessary."
"Necessary?" I seethed, tightening my grip on my swords. "Over 3,900 deaths are necessary!?"
Kayaba, the madman, nodded.
"You're a sick fuck." I finally shifted, bringing my swords up in front of me, but not moving my feet just yet.
"And so it begins," Kayaba said, "A duel for the fate of the world. I always knew that you would come to face me one day, Kirito."
"Don't even start with that prophetic bullshit. You couldn't even predict this duel properly." With that, I dropped to the ground as Asuna leaped over me, her powerful legs carrying her to Kayaba in an instant.
Her rapier flashed out in a ray of light. It moved so fast it looked like it was a skill. Kayaba's shock caused him to raise his shield a second too late, and the fencer scored another gash across his cheek.
Emboldened by her success, Asuna stabbed again, this time aiming for a shoulder joint.
I lunged forward as Kayaba deflected the blow, one sword coming in from the side in an obvious overhand cut.
As Kayaba moved to parry it with his blade, I stabbed forward with my other hand, the blue blade flickering in and leaving a gash on him, his shield still out of position from deflecting Asuna's strike.
It was the last blow either of us landed on him for a while.
The Paladin backpedaled, steadily giving ground as we harassed him, diving out of the way of his deadly swipes and making him turn constantly to present his shield to us, trying to get him to turn his back.
This was why he spent so much time in the Arena, I realized. He was training himself to fight players! I deflected one of his swings down into the floor, letting Asuna stab forward with her rapier.
He caught it on his shield and I had to swing a double hammerblow in from the right to prevent Kayaba from striking at my wife.
During a lull in the fighting, I glanced at Asuna. She was panting heavily, and the tip of her rapier was shaking slightly. We couldn't keep this up. Both of us were already exhausted from the boss fight, and now we were facing a foe that knew every single sword skill like the back of... his... hand...
"Cover me," I muttered to Asuna as I ran forward, my wife keeping pace beside me. She frowned, but readjusted her grip on the hilt of her rapier, and nodded. I fell into a stance that was ingrained into my body as I approached Kayaba, and the Paladin smiled.
The 14-hit combo of [Starburst Stream] came easily, and Kayaba parried my blows just as easily. With a sick grin, he twisted his sword just As I was coming in for the fifth strike. The strike shattered my blade, [Elucidator] vanishing into motes in my hand.
Kayaba raised his sword, a look of triumph on his face as his shield deflected the last blow and I was locked into the ending position. His smile only lasted until Asuna stabbed him through the armpit.
His eyes widened in shock, and he pulled away, his health bar down in the red. I pulled open my inventory, grabbing the item I had placed at the top of the list.
Argo's sword materialized in my hand, and I dove back into the fray, just as Asuna launched into a skill of her own, a [Star Splash]. Kayaba fell back under the assault of the skill, to preoccupied with parrying the rapid blows to block overhead blow from crashing down onto his helmetless head.
The paladin staggered, and Asuna stabbed him through the chest with the last blow of her skill, the rapier puncturing Kayaba's chestplate.
"Well… Done…" The paladin grit out as Asuna drove her rapier in further and his health bar emptied.
When he shattered, he was smiling.
For a second, no one moved. Then, an announcement started to play.
"As of 14:57 Standard Aincrad Time, The Game has been cleared. Commencing mass logout."
Then the light of teleportation enveloped me, and the boss room faded.
When the light faded, I found myself facing a strangely familiar sight. The giant metal structure hung in the sky, with seeming disregard for the laws of nature. It took me longer than I would have liked to admit to realize that I was looking at Aincrad from a perspective no one had seen since the launch: The Outside.
"Congratulations, Kirito, Asuna." I whirled around, raising my… sword? Where I had once held a blade, there was nothing. A gasp to my side indicated that Asuna was in the same position.
"Oh, none of that." Kayaba waved his hand, and sat down on the edge of the clear platform we were standing on. "You defeated me fair and square." The madman leaned forward, resting his head on one hand, peering down at the castle.
As if waiting for him to watch, the bottom of the castle started falling away. "With my death, Aincrad is falling apart, and soon nothing of this world will remain. As promised, all 6,151 survivors will be returned to the 'real world'." He said the last two words with a virulent distaste, as if they were bitter to say."
"Real world?" I couldn't help myself. It was all over, and I wanted to know why he did it.
"Tell me, Kirito, Asuna, did this world ever seem fake to you, inauthentic somehow? If you turned off your HUD and stared into the sunset, would you be able to tell any difference between here and the physical world?" Kayaba raised his arms, spreading them wide.
"No, I truly did create a living, breathing world!" The madman laughed, "And now it is all being deleted."
"So that's why you did all this?" Asuna asked, walking forward and pulling Kayaba around by the shoulder to face her. "Almost four thousand people died because you wanted to play god?!"
Kayaba leaned away from the enraged fencer, trying to smooth out his jacket. "Of course not," he scoffed, "This was both a warning and an experiment." Then the madman doubled over as Asuna punched him in the stomach.
"A warning doesn't involve killing people." Her voice was low, and cold with anger. Kayaba's eyes widened as she wound up another punch, and he vanished, reappearing behind me.
"I think you will find that four thousand deaths would be the least of the crimes someone could commit if the FullDive industry was not properly regulated," Kayaba said, once again trying to smooth out his suit. "And besides, you proved my hypothesis, Asuna."
"I don't care about your fucking hypothesis," Asuna growled. "You killed Ferdie. You Killed Jounesson. You killed Griefer. You killed the people who trusted you to lead them out of Aincrad, and you don't even care."
Kayaba sobered, seeming to come to an understanding. "Very well. I will leave you here, then. With perhaps the grandest sight in any world." He turned, and raised one hand in farewell.
Before he left, he half-turned back, and looked us in the eye. "And know this; The laws of the virtual world are only slightly more restrictive than the laws of the physical one."
"Why you-" Asuna said, marching towards him. As she lunged forward with a fist, Kayaba's body faded into mist, leaving her swinging through air. "Asshole!"
"Easy Asuna," I said, holding my hands up in a placating motion. "He's gone now, and we can make sure he faces justice. Let's just relax for a bit, okay? It's been a very long day."
Asuna turned towards me, her eyes alight with anger, and for a second I thought that my wife might hit me, but instead she let out a breath, walked to the edge of the platform, sat down, and patted the space next to her.
She wrapped one arm around me when I sat beside her. "You're right," She said as floor 37 fell into the void. "It's been a very long day."
We sat in silence for a bit, watching the floating castle of Aincrad slowly crumble into the void. As floor 55 crumbled, Asuna spoke up again. "We need a way to find each other in the real world."
"Yeah, oh, My IRL name is Kirigaya Kazuto. I turned 16 this October." Asuna nodded. It seemed strange, but somehow natural that this woman who I had married only now knew my "real" name.
"I'm Yuuki Asuna," my wife said, running one hand through my hair as floor sixty crumbled. "I'm seventeen years old now."
"You're older than me." It was both a surprise and not. Asuna had always been more capable than I was after the first month. My wife giggled.
"I guess I am."
The two of us sat there in silence as the floors fell away in the distance, the sun illuminating them from behind. It was somehow the most tragic thing I'd ever seen.
"When we wake up," I said, curling one hand around Asuna's waist. "The first thing I'm going to do is find you and Argo."
"Poor Argo," my wife laughed. "She must be so confused right now."
"I know I would be, if I wasn't there for it." I said, even as Asuna quieted down.
"Do you think she'll be able to find us?" My wife said, her hand clenching further around my shoulder. "I know I said that Aincrad let us love who we wanted to, but I- I'm not sure we'll be able to- to find-"
"Hey," I knocked my head against hers, "We're not gonna leave her behind. Besides, if anybody could track someone down IRL it would be Argo. There's nothing that can stand between her and a piece of info she wants."
"That does describe Argo very nicely," Asuna said, her hand relaxing.
The next words out of my mouth almost surprised me. "Can you hold me?" I almost stammered. "Until the castle is gone?"
Asuna didn't respond. She just pulled me into her lap. We were going to be leaving behind everything we had built for ourselves in this new world. We were going to lose the strength, the items, and maybe even the friends that we had found over the last two years. But as long as we had each other, I had hope that things would work out all right.
As the sun faded from the sky, the last floors of Aincrad fell away, and I felt the very unfamiliar sensation of logging out.
The light stung my eyes as I opened them. What sort of light was that? It was like staring into a fire for too long- Fluorescent lights! They were long, and tubular, and I almost cried when I saw them. I was out!
I was Free!
I tried to move my head, but a weight on it kept me from moving fast. The Nervgear! I slowly, painfully raised my hands up, and lifted it off my head. Why was I so weak? I could barely even move without an enormous exertion of will.
It was a struggle to sit up. But I had a job to do. There were people I needed to find. "Asuna," I said, gripping the, the, what was it called again? The pole on wheels next to my bed, with a bag hanging from it. A bag that had a line leading from it that led into a needle stuck in my arm.
Right, better not touch the needle. "Argo," I finished, as I tried to stand up, my feet pressing down on the cold hospital floor. "I'm coming." I tried to stand up, and it felt more painful than when Kuradeel had skewered me with his sword. "I'm coming," I said, the memory of Argo smirking, and Asuna smiling giving me strength.
"Whatsa matter Kii-bou? Can't make the jump?" Argo teased, leaning on my shoulder.
"Course I can," I muttered, speaking to a woman who wasn't really there.
Another hand landed on my other shoulder. "Take your time, Kirito," Asuna said, smiling gently, "We'll wait for you."
"I know," I said, as I slowly, excruciatingly levered myself to my feet. From there, it was easier to put one foot in front of the other, letting myself almost stumble forward, leaning on the pole on wheels as I walked towards the door. "But I want to see you, make sure you're alright."
I pushed open the door, and staggered through.
