Okay, here's the next chapter.
There's not much to say in advance (as usual). A certain character will make a minor appearance. The obligatory imaginary cookie will go to those who get the reference.
When we last left, Asuna had just decided not to use a certain piece of information because of moral concerns. Let's see how the Assault Team does without said piece of information.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online Re:Hollow Fragment or Sword Art Online in general.
Two days after Arboreal Fear had been defeated and Asuna had decided against using the information from that quest, the Assault Team took on the boss of the 83rd floor, The Horn of Fury.
According to the lore of this floor, the blue-skinned bull demon had once been a guardian of the forest, but something had driven it mad, and now it used the "force of nature" to go on a rampage.
The walls and floor of the boss room were covered with grass, twines and moss. Allegedly, the twines were connected to all life in the forest, and the boss used them to channel the power of the forest, either to make plants and animals become aggressive or to strengthen itself.
The last part was actually important as it referred to a strong defense buff the boss began to use once two of his four health bars were down. Thankfully, the Assault Team knew about that and was prepared. The boss "absorbed" the power through gems in its boots, which could be destroyed, thus cancelling the buff.
With that out of the way, only its powerful axe attacks were worrying, but the Assault Team knew about that, too, and they had a countermeasure at hand.
Three tanks with high Parry skills worked together to block the attack. The first tank parried the strike and let himself get pushed back on purpose. The second tank waited in line and took over as soon as the strike hit him, and that player did the same as the previous one in the chain. The third and final tank was able to deal with the remaining force of the blow.
With that method, the most powerful blows could be fend off without putting too much strain on the tanks or their equipment, and the boss battle was overall smooth sailing.
The boss was down to its last HP bar, and right now, the first half of that bar was depleted. With a mighty roar, the boss slammed its axe into the ground, creating a shock wave which pushed all players around it at least three metres away. Apparently, it was about to change its attack pattern for the final time.
Asuna, who was currently observing the fight with a rear unit that acted as reserves, was on high alert. So far, there hadn't been anything unusual, and they had known every mechanic they had seen. By process of elimination, the boss was about to use the one pattern they didn't know.
Asuna: Okay, everyone! Keep your guard up, it's about to use an unknown attack! Remember the plan! All players with forty per cent HP or less retreat to the designated positions! Support squads, defend them if necessary! All remaining players stay prepared! Observe the new pattern, and when we know how to react to it, we launch the final offensive!
Asuna's commands were met with a series of decisive battle cries. Their spirit was good, although they could work on timing for their "synchronised battle cry".
Anyway, the players who were low on health retreated to the walls in order to avoid getting attacked before they could heal. They gathered at two spots depending on their relative position to the boss, and two parties, one of which being the unit around Asuna, took position between these players and the boss to defend the weakened players in case the boss reset its aggro and randomly targeted one of the players at the walls.
Asuna made sure that the battle formation was correct.
Asuna [thinks, slightly determinedly]: Good, everything is in place. We can do this! I know we can!
With that, she began running towards the center, where the raid party had lured the boss so that the current battle formation would work.
As she was on her way to join the attack unit, the boss suddenly began to glow in a green light, which made her stop dead in her tracks instinctively. Asuna cautiously watched as the green light wandered down the boss' body, "entering" the twines on the ground and quickly engulfing them.
Asuna: Be careful! It might be an AOE attack!
The light spread further and further until the whole room seemed to be filled to the brim with glowing plants. However, Asuna doubted that this was actually the case. An AOE wouldn't hit the entire boss room. It was pretty much an iron-clad rule that every attack in SAO would allow for a defense at least theoretically. Therefore, Asuna's guess was that the light spreading from the twines at the center just made it look as if everything in the boss room was glowing.
She was getting ready to run further as soon as the AOE was activated when the light suddenly disappeared. The boss even took its normal battle stance. Asuna (and the majority of the raid party, too) were puzzled and wondered what had just happened when panicked screams resounded from the edge of the room.
Asuna took a look to see what had happened, and her eyes widened in shock when she saw what was going on. The vines on the walls weren't lifeless objects anymore, they… had come to life! That is, vine-shaped monsters had spawned.
The vines were everywhere on the wall, and their attack range covered a ring shaped area that amounted to around thirty per cent of the room. They couldn't reach the parties at the center, but the players who had retreated to the walls were attacked relentlessly by dozens of these monsters.
The players desperately tried to fight back, slashing at them or trying to block them as they tried to pierce them or hit them like whips. The individual vines were weak, and the defenders could kill them easily, but there were way too many.
One player, a dagger-wielder, couldn't defend himself well. He was running low on HP from the very beginning, and under the barrage of the vines, he lost his dagger and was brutally struck down until his HP were reduced to 0.
Some of the players around the wall were levelheaded enough to try fleeing to the center, but the vines tried to block their escape route. There were players who just couldn't get any further at some point, and others were hit around their joints until they lost limps.
One player in particular lost both feet and became unable to defend himself properly. Vines were raining down on him and chipped away at his HP bar until it entered the red zone.
Player: Help! Help me!
A different player came to his aid and killed the vines attacking him with an AOE Sword Skill. This player was the leader of a small clearing guild, and the player he saved was one of its members. The leader was desperately trying to defend his comrade despite several hits he sustained himself, putting him in danger as well.
At the very least, things looked better on the opposite side of the room. A tank who was recovering from massive damage tried his best to keep the other players there safe. He had drawn the aggro of most of the vines, and the other players could escape to the center.
That, however, meant that this single player had to fend of an immense amount of continuous attacks. He did well at first thanks to his large shield, which he used perfectly. Nevertheless, it didn't last. The battle had already taken its toll on his equipment's Durability, and the nastiest thing about the vines was that they were designed to reduce Durability of equipment quickly. The shield shattered eventually, and the vines made short work of him after that.
Asuna didn't watch all that calmly. She recovered from the initial shock quickly, got an overview of the situation and came up with a makeshift solution.
Asuna: Support units, help them to get to safety! Clear a way for them to escape! I want the second unit of the DDA to help! All other units focus on the boss!
Some of the players reacted relatively slowly, but everyone caught on before long. At first, all the players wanted to help their comrades in peril, but they realised that the best way to help was to get rid of the boss and to end this battle.
It was a rather messy onslaught compared to the battle so far. The boss managed to use its axe attacks much more effectively. At one point, it slammed its axe right into the ranks of DDA's main unit, so these players had to scatter and to regroup.
Kirito was in the middle of it all. Taking a look at the boss' final HP bar, he noticed that it was down to twenty per cent… and that it launched another powerful attack. Judging from the movement pattern, it was about to swing its axe around – an AOE attack.
Kirito reacted fast enough to leap backwards to dodge. He was about to shout a warning, but it was too late anyway. The powerful swing of the axe caught many members of the attacking unit off-guard. They were blown away by the impact. Kirito, on the other hand, just sustained a narrow cut on the belly as the axe grazed him.
The situation was dire, not just because several members of the raid party were in peril at the walls. Looking at the boss' boots, Kirito noticed that it had almost regenerated the gems it used to get its defense buff. They knew it would regenerate, but this was a horrible timing. With the buffs, it would be even harder to bring it down, and they simply didn't have the time. They could lose half a dozen people here…
As if on cue, Kirito could hear the characteristic sound that accompanied the death animation over and over again from the location of the rear units. He didn't know if the players or the vines were getting decimated, he didn't bother to check anyway. All he knew was that he couldn't let this go on.
The path towards The Horns of Fury was clear, and the boss had to recover after the powerful attack right now. Kirito dashed at the boss vigorously and started the strongest Sword Skill he had got access to again since the huge system error, Starburst Stream.
He didn't even stop when the boss took another swing with its axe. He was too occupied with the sight and the screams of other players who had to defend themselves against the vines… and with the thought of a player who might forsake them for "the greater good".
The powerful Dual Wielding Sword Skill hit the boss without mercy. Most of the strikes even hit its belly, its weak point. Alas, it wasn't enough.
Kirito simply hadn't regained his full strength yet. For instance, his Dual Wielding skill wasn't at the same level as it had been back on the 75th floor, and the stats of his new equipment weren't as high as those of its "predecessor" yet. On top of that, the bosses on these high floors were simply to sturdy to go down that easily.
The Horns of Fury still had a shred of HP left. Kirito thought that one more powerful Sword Skill should be enough, but when he saw the boss swinging its giant axe at him, he wondered if he would get to that. With the post-motion delay, he was defenseless, and a look at his HP bar showed that it was already in the yellow zone.
Kirito had incredible luck, though, and somebody jumped in to shield him. It took a second before the dust cleared and the tall figure of his "saviour" was revealed. It was Agil. He had tried his best to parry the blow, but he alone wasn't strong enough for that. The axe had pierced his shoulder, and his HP were decreasing significantly.
Meanwhile, Kirito stood still, needing a moment to process this rescue.
Agil [slightly desperately, strained and upset]: Kirito, get your act together and finish this! I can't keep this up much longer!
Kirito snapped out of his trance, thanked Agil quickly and got back to business. He used his next Sword Skill, Nightmare Rain. This time, the boss couldn't withstand.
Its HP bar disappeared and the boss tumbled backwards as the vines across the walls disappeared. The Horns of Fury shattered into polygons, and a system window displaying "Congratulations!" appeared in its place.
Nobody was in the mood for celebrations, though. There was only relief – at best. Kirito walked around the boss room aimlessly for a minute or two, observing how the members of the raid party coped with the events.
There were people who were overall shocked or baffled. These player just needed some time to take in everything that had happened. To be fair, most members of the Assault Team were veterans who had been in several nerve-wracking battles so far, so they wouldn't break down just like that. Klein and Fuurinkazan were a good example. Sure, they were a bit worn out, but they'd be fine.
Some players seemed more upset than confused as to what had happened. Not everyone knew what had happened between Akinym, Kirito and Asuna, and the majority of the raid party thought that "something" had gone wrong with the intel quest, so a piece of information was just missing without much of an explanation. Not everyone was happy about that, though. Some players didn't like being left in the dark.
And there was the DDA, of course. The second major party of the Assault Team actually had been informed about the circumstances. The KoB had figured that the DDA would learn of the circumstances sooner or later, so they had been informed to avoid further conflict. Some DDA hardliners had complained about Asuna's decision, but ultimately, the guild had accepted it. A lot of the DDA raid party members had complaints about that now, and their units seemed to discuss that right now.
Last but not least, there were those who had barely survived the onslaught of the vine monsters, or those who had comrades among them. There was a lot of relief and a few tears here and there.
However, in some cases, those weren't tears of relief. Some people were just devastated. The most prominent example was the guild leader who had tried to defend his comrade. Said comrade was nowhere to be seen as his guild leader was kneeling on the ground, surrounded by the other guild members, who were obviously distraught.
After a while, Kirito came across Asuna, who was discussing something with Max and a few members of the KoB party. He arrived just as they finished talking. Asuna gave Max a quick nod, and he and the other KoB members walked away, heading towards the gate to the next floor in order to activate the teleport gate. They were visibly concerned, and one look at Asuna showed Kirito that she was no exception.
During the battle, they had been separated most of the time because Asuna had to pay more attention to "unexpected developments" than usual due to the lack of information, so she focused on her role as the leader of the raid party. Kirito's best way to contribute was still to fight in the first line, so he supported Agil and the Two-Handed Builders in this boss battle.
Due to those circumstances, Kirito hadn't had any idea as to what state she was in until he saw her. Dragging her feet aimlessly, she looked to the ground, and her expression showed deep regret.
Kirito: Asuna!
Asuna lifted her head and saw Kirito running up to her. She put on a bitter smile.
Asuna: Kirito-kun… You… I…
Asuna's quiet, broken voice worried Kirito even more, and he was sure that he saw the first signs of tears welling up in her eyes.
It was quite obvious what was going on, yet he had to voice this question, a question which he'd rather not ask. He felt a lump in his throat, as if his virtual body refused to address this topic.
Kirito: H-how… many…?
Asuna [slightly shakily]: Th-there are… a few people who lost equipment. Valuable armor or shields, but they are fine. We can handle that, but…
At this point, Asuna started sobbing and tears flowed down her face.
Asuna: Four. Four people are… They didn't... make it! I-it's all… my…
Kirito reached out to her, and Asuna took the gesture as offering a hug, which she gladly took. It startled Kirito a bit since he actually hadn't had that in mind specifically, but of course he was okay with it. He put his arms around her while she was quietly crying into his shoulder.
Asuna: W-what did I… do… Ki… kun?
After about half a minute, they were approached by Schmitt, who had led one of the DDA units. He cleared his throat to get their attention.
Schmitt: Asuna-san, if it's okay, there's something I have to say.
Fortunately, Asuna had calmed down enough to hear Schmitt out. She quickly wiped off her tears before turning around to face Schmitt.
Schmitt: I think you should know that all DDA members in this battle will object against your decision, and the council will probably demand accountability.
Asuna wanted to say something at first, but in the end, she just nodded. Frankly, what Schmitt had told her came as no surprise.
Kirito [slightly annoyed]: Is that… really everything?
Schmitt [slightly exasperatedly]: More or less. I figured I had to say that, like an official announcement, if you will. [slightly sternly] But out of respect for you, and because of what you did when… you know, my former comrades and I were in trouble, I'd like to say that you shouldn't make such a decision again. It will only cause trouble with the DDA. And many others if something like today happens again. [slightly worriedly] I'm also not okay with the way you put my life at risk… or those of my guild mates.
Asuna couldn't utter any kind of reply, she was beat and pretty much a nervous wreck right now, so Kirito "dismissed" Schmitt in her place.
Kirito: Schmitt, if that's what you think, so be it, but right now… [slightly upset] Just leave us alone, okay?
Schmitt was a bit startled, but he took another look at Kirito and Asuna – and a hint – and just nodded quickly before taking his leave.
It was a marshy forest, covered in a thin layer of fog. Akinym ran across a narrow trail, desperately trying to reach…
...what actually? Frankly, he didn't know it himself, his body basically moved on its own. It was rather cold, and the high humidity made it feel even more unpleasant, but for some reason, his mind was focused on running.
Akinym kept running until a figure emerged from the fog. It was a creepy hooded man, who was a bit taller than Akinym, and he held a strange curved shortsword. The hooded figure seemed to wait for Akinym, literally welcoming him with open arms, and began to grin like a maniac.
Hooded figure: You can't do anything!
Akinym didn't bother asking questions. He took his spear and aimed its tip straight at the hooded figures chest. The hooded figure chuckled in response.
Akinym [very nervously]: What makes you think that?
The expression of the hooded figure distorted even more. He showed Akinym his shortsword. The polygons from the death animation spouted from the blade, almost as if it was a fountain and the polygons were the water.
Hooded figure: Because you didn't!
The polygons began to form the shape of a human body which was impaled by the hooded figure's sword. Akinym's feeling of shock and anxiety rapidly became worse until…
...he shot up, lying on his bed in his inn room. He looked around frantically until he was able to fully understand the situation again. That had just been a dream. Well, "just" was probably not the right word…
Akinym remembered how exhausted he had been after returning to the inn today. He had hardly slept last night because of a similar nightmare, only that this one had been even more vivid and intense than the one described before. In his tired state, Akinym had taken a nap, which had only resulted in another nightmare.
These nightmares weren't new to him. He had been having them for pretty much exactly one year now. The intensity and frequency varied. Recently, he had such nightmares at least twice a week. They had become more and more unsettling as Akinym's concerns about Kirito, Asuna and the Assault Team had grown.
When he woke up, Akinym had the feeling that his heart was beating so hard that it made his entire body tremble. Did his virtual body actually have a heart? Akinym could never really figure out whether the sensation of a heartbeat was an actual feature of SAO or if it was purely psychosomatic…
Either way, it took a moment for his senses to work properly again. Once he could discern the sounds around him properly again, he noticed that someone was at the door. He heard knocking and a voice calling him.
Rather than asking the person to come in, he went to the door to open it himself. The person outside turned out to be one of his students. To be more precise, this guy was the leader of the group that had helped him to defeat Arboreal Fear.
Player [slightly nervously]: Ah, hi! Um, sorry to barge in like… [slightly shocked and worriedly] Whoa, are you okay?! No offense, but you… don't look like you are.
Akinym thought about what he could mean by that for a second. Oh, right, the nightmare… He figured that he was probably a bit pale and showed other signs of stress.
Akinym: It's nothing! Just say why you're here!
Player [nervously]: Um, r-right! It's about that quest. You know, the other day? When we fought that field boss? I think there's something you should know… about what happened.
Akinym was actually glad about this topic. His guess was that Asuna had reconsidered her decision as Akinym had hoped, so his student would inform him that he had been approached by her and told her about what they had learnt from the intel quest. After that, the Assault Team had undoubtedly taken on the floor boss without major problems, so another floor was probably cleared without casualties now.
After the horrendous nightmare from earlier, this was exactly the kind of good news Akinym needed right now – in every sense.
Meanwhile, Asuna's friends tried their best to cheer her up. They sat at a table in the restaurant area of the inn, trying to comfort her. Thankfully, Asuna had calmed down again. She was still down in the dumps, though.
Yui was particularly concerned. She had greeted Kirito and Asuna when they had returned as usual. Usually, their "reunions" after boss battles were happy occasions, and Yui could just congratulate them on clearing another floor. This time, however, she had immediately sensed that something had gone wrong.
Asuna took the last sip of her tea. Agil had served it on the house. The tea provided a nerve-calming effect, so it was exactly what Asuna needed. It was Agil's contribution to the "Consoling Asuna" project.
Yui: You've finished your tea, Mama. Shall I get you another cup? It seems to do you good!
Asuna put on a weak smile.
Asuna: Thank you, Yui-chan, but I'm fine. As you said, I'm already feeling better!
Yui wouldn't be much of an MHCP if she fell for such an obvious act. She nodded hesitantly, but her facial expression showed clear concern.
Lisbeth: You know, Asuna, you're not at the height of your acting career right now. [slightly annoyed] Come on, it's just us, and we know you're feeling down! Yet you're trying to play it cool again!
Leafa [slightly nervously]: Well, let's calm down, okay? [worriedly] But honestly, I still can't believe something went so… wrong. I mean, the boss battles are the most dangerous events, I guess, but it hadn't really seemed that way so far. I don't think I'll see them the same way again if a single decision can mess up everything… [shrieks slightly, apologetically, slightly awkwardly] I… I don't mean to blame you or anything, Asuna-san, it's just… [struggling for words] U-um…
Asuna [slightly reassuringly]: It's okay, Leafa-san! I… [slightly worriedly] Actually, I can hardly believe myself what had happened. I knew there could be trouble, but I didn't think that… [very dejectedly] several people would die. It's… I thought I had a good idea how to prepare, but it was exactly what I had tried that caused these deaths. Now I wonder… Should I have accepted the final piece of intel after all?
Kirito, who literally couldn't sit tight right now and was pacing around the table, trying to think of something that might help, finally took a seat next to Asuna and laid a hand on her shoulder.
Kirito [determinedly, slightly worriedly]: Asuna, please don't think that! There are things that you just can't predict! Nobody could've known that this would happen. You've made a decision you believe in. No matter how you feel about those deaths, I think you shouldn't regret making a choice, making that choice.
Asuna [doubtfully]: Kirito-kun… Thank you, but I doubt that those who died – or those they've left behind – will agree.
Figures. Pretty much everyone averted their eyes for a moment, knowing full well that Asuna was right. Although...
Lisbeth [slightly exasperatedly]: There you go again, worrying about others like that! Geez, I love you and that caring side of yours, [exasperatedly] but give me – and yourself – a break for crying out loud! You can't take care of literally everyone! [to the others] Isn't that right?
Lisbeth looked around, and most of the others nodded determinedly. Only Sinon seemed to be too deep in thought to even notice.
Lisbeth [slightly upset]: Hey, Sinon, don't just sit there like a philosopher or something! What's wrong?!
Sinon [slightly surprised]: Huh?! Oh, um, nothing, it's okay. [calmly] It's just… Are you sure you're not making this sound a bit too easy? We can say that this wasn't predictable, but it actually was. There was a perfectly fine intel quest which would've provided that specific information. And let's be honest: There's no way you would've made that mistake if you had known about the spawning vine monsters.
Liz [surprised, slightly defensively]: Hey, you're supposed to lift her spirits, not to crush them!
Sinon [slightly defensively]: Please don't get me wrong! I'm not blaming you for anything, Asuna, but… [slightly dejectedly] there is just no way around the fact that your decision has led to those deaths. I'd say you think that, too, so why are we bothering trying to tell you something else? The outcome of your choice ultimately makes it controversial, and it's hard to say whether you've made the right or wrong call. It is a difficult question, [dejectedly] and I won't pretend that I know an answer.
A moment of silence followed. Nobody argued with Sinon, not even (or rather especially) Asuna. Well, nobody but one.
Silica [determinedly]: I still think you've clearly made the right decision, Asuna-san!
Everybody turned to Silica, who actually hadn't said much so far. They were surprised that she was the one to say that. They had expected Kirito or Lisbeth to speak up.
Silica [slightly sadly]: I mean, I feel sorry for the players who died, and I'm sure their friends are heartbroken, so much that I'm not sure if I could say that to their face, but if you doubt your decision, you're also doubting the reasons that led to it.
Silica picked up Pina, who sat on her shoulder, and petted her familiar while looking at it affectionately.
Silica: Asuna-san, you've made that decision because Akinym-san had used NPCs as bait, haven't you? Because it would've happened over and over again if you hadn't stepped in. Four people may have died in the end, they could've survived or not, that was something you couldn't know when you've made that decision, but if you had decided differently, it would've caused a lot of sorrow for all players who have formed bonds with NPCs, just as I formed a bond with Pina. That's for sure! [worriedly] Akinym-san often suggests that I use her as a tool, even if he doesn't say it explicitly, but I can't accept that, so I'm happy… that you can't, either.
The others thought about what Silica had said for a moment. Their exact thoughts varied, but they were overall on board with the core message.
For instance, Lisbeth remembered the NPCs that had worked in her shop in Lindarth. They had really felt like co-workers. Well, like subordinates, but she had never thought of them as mere computer programmes. Now she had a shop in Arc Sophia with new NPCs, but it wasn't the same. Not in a good or a bad way, they were just different, mainly because the kind of memories she had made with them were different.
Leafa was a… difficult case. She hadn't been in SAO long enough to feel at home in Aincrad, and the players in ALO didn't view NPCs the same way as those in SAO. Nevertheless, Leafa showed a lot of empathy, and treating the life-like NPCs like mere tools seemed just wrong to her, especially after getting to know Yui.
Sinon had the weakest opinion about the matter. She could understand where Silica and the others were coming from, and she felt a certain sympathy for the NPCs. It was just that she had other issues to deal with, which clearly took priority. She actually had more concerns about Akinym using paralysis poison, an infamous weapon of murderers in SAO.
Lisbeth [teasingly]: Hehe, look at you, Silica, being all mature and philosophical!
Silica [slightly upset]: Don't make fun of me like that, Liz-san!
Kirito [happily]: Hey, who's making fun of you, Silica? That was well-spoken. Nice!
Silica [nervously, slightly awkwardly]: S-so? Well, I guess…
What she said afterwards was mostly incomprehensible muttering.
Kirito thought about the situation. It was nice to see that his friends tried their best to comfort Asuna, and that they seemed to feel so passionately about this world. At the very least, there were some people who were willing to support a decision in the NPC's favour.
He thought about what Schmitt had said. There were more than enough people who wouldn't think that way, and Asuna as well as many others among the Assault Team would have trouble dealing with that.
Now that Kirito thought about it, there was another person who wouldn't take kindly to what had happened during the boss battle. It was inevitable, but Kirito didn't look forward to that issue…
As if on cue, he heard a bang behind him. He turned around and saw Akinym squatting on the ground.
Akinym had jumped down the stairs, not thinking about the… unusual method of coming down. He got up again and looked around the restaurant area for a moment.
Unsurprisingly, he was searching for Asuna, and he had no problem finding her. After all, she sat at the table closest to the staircase. He walked straight towards their table with a furious expression.
Akinym: What did you DO?!
So... The issue finally got out of hand.
The Horns of Fury actually is the boss on the 83rd floor in HF, and some mechanics like the defense buff and the axe attacks are taken from the game. The missing piece of intel, however, is original content.
Akinym's nightmare is obviously important, and it will be explained pretty soon in an upcoming chapter.
Little Preview: After a severe argument, Akinym finally snaps - or so it seems. What will he do? And how will Kirito and his friends react to it?