Hello! Kitsune is BACK!
I know it has been a verrrrry long time since I've properly updated everything and I am still so sorry that it's taken me so long to do so and kick my tail into gear and get to doing this for all my lovely, wonderful (and very patient) readers and followers! But first, I should say...
Uggggghhhh!
Spent the ENTIRETY of last night working on the new chapter of Enter The King! for you all and my PS4 decided to give me the utter horror about "Not finding the Link" and losing all the progress I made typing! And PLUS: it didn't copy my text when I clicked to copy it! ;^;
SO!
I'm now sitting in the library where I will probably do my very best in the next three hours or so, having gotten no sleep or food and am gonna aim for retyping everything I had down and finish this damn chapter to upload for you lovely readers to enjoy!
But... for now? Here is the long-awaited Chapter FOUR! Of Sword Art Online: Advent Children!
~Chapter Four~
~The Amber-Eyed Wolf~
A month has passed. A month since ten thousand innocent lives were dragged into this death game...
... not even seven thousand remain.
She had already been here a fortnight. She had the one chance to back out and watch from the safety of the real world as to what was happening in the game; she could have supported him from the outside instead of risking everything she has to stand by his side as he fought his way to freedom and to life. She softly traced his name engraved in the cold and unforgiving stone in front of her; hoping that her touch would give warmth to the person whose name she's tracing. With her now in the game... it meant that all ten thousand players have entered the game and now...
... now the game truly begins.
She had taken to doing this as a routine since the first day she joined the game. Offering her silent prayers to whatever gods there may be for those who had fallen... and for those who still fight for another day. She had seen the reactions that the game has brought on people and she can see the clear divide between each kind of person currently in this death game: those who have been hit by the fear of the game and the seemingly impossible chance of escaping alive... and committed themselves to suicide or paranoia that there would ever be a way out. Although disheartening, she has also been inspired: she had seen the fires in peoples' eyes as they walked past her in the market area and the town itself; the fires that showed her their resolve to make a difference. Even if it meant their lives would be forfeit...
... they would gladly give their lives so that the others may one day be free.
Bowing her head and offering a moment of silence, she moved her brown cloak around her tighter for warmth. Shifting the basic naginata on her back she had saved up a hefty amount of col for, she soon made her way out of the Monument of Life and back into the coliseum where it all started. She had heard from passer players that it used to be called the Room of Rebirth back when the game was still in the beta testing stages; for the fact that it was the re-spawn point when someone was killed by accident and it allowed them another chance...
Of course, now such a comfort and privilege is no longer an option.
The thing that concerned her was that there was still no sign of him. Despite there being less than seven thousand strong remaining (and from what she gathered, only three real player settlements on this first floor), she had not seen any glimpse of her belovéd brother. Even going as far as utilizing her player search directory but coming back with no result on his position. She knew that something was blocking her from finding him so soon so she reluctantly gave up on trying to find him today. She sighed once more as she held her clenched fist to her chest and looked up into the clear skies above with softened and worried amber orbs...
Shaking her head from dwelling too much on said thoughts (and risk upsetting herself again), she decided to harden her eyes as she opened up her menu to access the built-in map feature. She had idly noted during the two weeks that the map were revealed in sections once it was discovered and it updated the system so that everyone could see the new revealed area. Of course, sometimes the areas would reveal a majority of the map or even a small fragment of the floor; but just towards the north-east of the map was still a section of map that was shrouded and not updated on her map. Seeing as it was in the forested section of the map, she decided to venture out and check out if she could be the one to discover what lies within...
~SAO:AC~
~Floor One: Town of Beginning: Tavern~
"No."
"But whyyyyyy...?"
"Nope."
"Pleeeeeeeeaaaaase?"
"... that is genuinely creepy and disturbing as fuck and I would like you to never do that again in front of me. And the answer is still no."
"Why are you so meeeeeeeeaaaaan?"
"Oh, I don't know... how about the asshole who's pathetically begging me for a favour has not only insulted me to my face for something out of my control but has ALSO thought it to be a good ideal to leave a new player in the middle of a death game in which said person has NO FUCKING CLUE how the game is played and almost ended up dying because of your lack of foresight!"
"*sobs* h-he called me an asshole...!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"... he has a point, Kiri-baka."
"No-one asked you!"
*smack!*
*sobs*
"Is... is he always like this?" Asuna shyly asked, tuning to Lisbeth beside her for an answer as this was the brunette's first time meeting Kirito. Lisbeth turned to face her before looking past her to a grinning Argo who had pulled out a camera device and a bucket of popcorn as she recorded this for future blackmail material. She sighed as she turned back to the view in front of them to catch Naruto stomping his foot on Kirito's head while he ranted with some... impressively colourful language that had Argo roaring in laughter and Asuna blushing to the roots of her hair.
"Yeah, unfortunately. I've lost count how many times I want to introduce my mace to his face without getting pegged by the system." she sighed casually, as if talking about the weather. Asuna shuddered as she turned back to watching the duo in front of her as a satisfied grin appeared on Naruto's face and Kirito's head sporting a number of welts. She watched him move towards the empty chair beside her and plopping himself down in it before pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve some of the tension that was growing from handling a large dose of childish stupidity (a.k.a. Kirito). She softly smiled as she closed her eyes and clasped her hands together before bowing her head slightly.
"Least you don't have to deal with his specific brand of stupid in real life, Liz-chan." he sighed as he leaned into his seat and crossed his legs. His sigh soon gave way to a soft groan as his eyes closed from a skilled pair of hands massaged his shoulders and upper back; prompting him to open an eye to find his fellow blonde in crime doing the magical wonder. "You have no idea how good this feels right now, Ar-chan~" he complimented her. She giggled softly in response before pressing harder into his stiff, taught muscles.
"Oho~? I'm sure I can think of some ways where you can... reward my devoted services~" she purred hotly into his ear before yelping as Lisbeth's hand smacked the back of her head and disrupting her 'Naruto Time'. She hissed in response as she saw Lisbeth looking at her in anger and embarrassment before she huffed and carried on massaging Naruto's body. "I'm just surprised you've called us here together for once, Ruto-kun, sa~" she commented, her curiosity shining through as did everyone else's.
"There's been a part of the map that no-one has discovered as of yet and I wanted us to have a shot as to what lies inside there. And as much as we hate Kirito -"
"Oi!"
"- he's the best one out of all of us, possibly sans Ar-chan, for this kind of thing. When it comes to battle mechanics and strategy, even I have to admit he's top notch with this kind of stuff." Naruto finished, not acknowledging the interruption from said raven-haired player mid-speech. Everyone simply accepted this and had their curiosity piqued further still. Kirito, on the other hand, was buffing his nails on his shirt as he chuckled to himself.
"Oh Naruto, have you finally acknowledged my vast superiority over you in all things game related? Are you willing to humble yourself and praise me for my expertise? Does this mean that you finally regard me as thine lord and master in this place?" he hinted smugly with a clear condescending and 'kamidere' tone in his voice.
"I mean, we're abusing you for now until we get a better grasp on the game and then we can make do without you. You're just an ends to the means right now, Mister Solo Player." Naruto savagely grinned in response to Kirito's claim. All three females responded to that with either burn hisses, cat growls or laughter in response as Kirito huddled into the corner with a rain cloud over his head. "Either way, this might have something that could give us a clue as to how to get off this floor and make some headway into escaping this damn game." he finished a bit more seriously. Everyone snapped out of their playful mood for a moment and agreed with him as they began formulating ideas between them.
"In terms of who we have so far, we can manage as a light party but the issue is our current stock on potions, antidotes and other apothecary items for whatever we may face." Kirito started as he moved to the map that Argo had managed to get a hold of and prompted everyone to circle the said map. "In terms of defence, we only really have Naruto as he's the only one of us with any defensive capabilities. Everyone else is more evasion-based but he can eat attacks. If we had another tank with us then we might be more comfortable facing this thing head on since we could have the two 'swap' and split the enemies' focus on them at intervals. Even another DPS would be handy." he summarized briefly, earning nods from everyone there.
As this was a little different from the original game that the Beta players had experienced; there had been a few new additions that weren't previously previewed. First off was the means of the "Class" system as it was divided into three sections; Tanks, who were the shields that took the brunt of the damage from enemies and held them off for the DPS, who split into Melee and Ranged sections. Then, you also have the added crafting classes as a new function into the game to provide the players with more responsibility and independence for gearing themselves outside of the loot drops in the game available.
"Stock normally falls down to Ar-chan as she's got the best scope than all of us combined and has connections within the markets. Liz-chan is in charge of armoury and all of us can pitch in to try and get everyone kitted up for this. I don't want to take risks on this in case we encounter something we aren't meant to handle so soon." Naruto continued off, earning a nod from Lisbeth when he turned his attention to her and briefly smiling in response.
"A-Ano," Asuna shyly interrupted before carrying on with her input into the discussion; "I've noticed that some of the foods I've been trying to make have some kind of stat boost that you get when eaten. I could try and make some for us?" she trailed off quietly. She felt a hand on her shoulder courtesy of Naruto who simply smiled at her. Her heart secretly melted as her fears were soon washed away and she slowly returned the smile with one of her own, acknowledging the unspoken command.
"From what I've heard, there's someone who's beaten you to that Ruto-kun." Argo inputted seriously, all playfulness absent for the time being. "Not much was said about her but the only thing I've heard was an odd weapon on her back that resembled a spear but descriptions told me that it almost seem bladed on the end?" she described as she took note of his expression slowly morphing into one of shock. Everyone else soon noticed this and turned to face him. "Are you okay, Ruto?" she asked, concerned for her friend.
"...a naginata... and there's only one person I know of who uses that weapon. And that means the game has truly begun." he breathed out as his eyes widened further as he had mixed feelings in the matter. There's only one person he knew of who would willingly used said weapon. With that, he quickly summoned his sword and narrowed his eyes as he dashed out of the room, leaving everyone in stupor at the sudden hastiness and recklessness from the blond. Their minds rebooted a moment later as everyone else soon followed him, wondering and concerned as why he suddenly dashed out like that.
"So she's finally made her appearance." Kirito somberly spoken as he sent two messages off and quickly caught up with the others in no time; knowing exactly who Naruto is rushing to.
~SAO:AC~
~Floor One: Labyrinth of the Groves~
"Ungh!"
Her body flew backwards as she bounced off the floor a few times before gathering herself and crouching down with her weapon poised behind her. Her eyes took in the enemies in front of her and noted that she really picked up his horrible sense of luck. She had been managing so well up until this point; the entrance was an easily overlooked grove of trees that had a bush covering up the entrance. The enemies up until then were all around the level fifteen mark... which proved to be no hassle for the recently-turned level twenty five player. Having been able to dispatch of those with great ease, she slowly made her way through the labyrinthine grove of trees with a great amount of frustration.
She had taken a wrong turn but she had, coincidentally, stumbled across a treasure box.
Having played a few games herself, she knew that the boxes always contained some kind of reward or item that could be used in the game to her benefit, but she never knew that there would also be monsters acting as them to try and eat the unsuspecting players who were unfortunate to escape. So this now left her in a predicament of facing off against a level thirty-two Mimic that proved to be every bit worth the black colouring its name was displayed in.
Knowing that straight-out assaults would be out of the question, she had soon opted to switch to guerrilla tactics and going for hit-and-run passes. She had done well in bringing the creature down to half of one of his four bars but she had mistimed her footing and left an opening that the mimic soon took advantage off and had sent her flying backwards into the junction of the labyrinth she had previously been in. She didn't have much col on her to begin with and only had enough for five potions at best; having already used three to maintain her health against this monster.
So with no other option, she began to run.
Cutting through the forests and abusing the map system as she jumped on top of the rocky formations, she cut through the darkened forest trees and used the darkness as a means of enhancing her stealth and sped through the tress until she came out and landed on the grass a good half-way across to the other side of the map. She glanced around for any kind of noise or sight that would alert her to being spotted but thankfully she had nothing for a good five minutes; granting her a well needed respite for another potion-
Not a moment too soon as she was blindsided by a sinewy leg that had sent her flying once more, clattering legs and teeth suddenly appearing behind her. She grunted in pain as she bounced off the floor before gathering herself and crouching down with her weapon poised behind her once more. Unfortunately, the mimic had managed to attract the attention of several of the local wildlife in the game which also proved to be her bane; namely the additional pack of dire wolves targeted her. Her eyes took in the scene before her and knew that she would most likely not be able to get out of this situation alive without some kind of-
"[UNLEASH!]"
-intervention...
Her eyes widened in shock as she noticed a great-sword shoot past her and impaled all the enemies in front of her; having done little damage to the mimic itself but the one dire wolf had taken a critical hit and burst into pixels having half its head cleaved off from the boomerang-attack. She saw a figure launch over her and she sighed slightly in relief, knowing that the reinforcements would at least save her from the enemies in front of her; noting the incredibly muscular and dark-skinned form of a player who seemed to be able to wield his basic axe with great ease as shown by splitting another wolf into half before dispersing. She turned back to the mimic who had shaken off the earlier attack and jumped into the air, aiming to crush her and whoever else had decided to aid her against this creature.
Too bad she closed her eyes as she missed the sight of another person in standing in front of her and shouting fiercely. Her eyes snapped open sharply as she could never mistake that voice-
"[STEELGUARD!]"
Her eyes looked up to find the mimic having crashed into the flat of the same blade that had taken out the first of the wolves stabbed into the ground and taking the brunt of the leap attack as the figure behind it pushed against it as added resistance, basking in a golden glow that spread out to everyone that stood behind him. Hey eyes traveled upwards and she noted the messy blond hair and sapphire eye looking down at her with so much happiness that it moved her to tears.
"O-Onii-sama..." she whispered as a true smile broke out of her face. Naruto smiled in response as he faced back off to the mimic still perched on his sword and used his augmented strength to send the mimic flying backwards and crashing through a series of trees; taking out the rest of the health that filled the first of four bars. "Y-You-" she started before she felt herself being hugged by her brother and proved too much for her as she started to cry.
"I'm here. I'm here, Kazu-chan." he gently whispered, letting tears of his own fall as everyone watched the scene with soft smiles on their faces as brother and sister were finally reunited.
"As much as I hate breaking this up, Whiskers; we still have to do something about the mimic." Lisbeth interrupted as she made her way over to the pair along side everyone else. Naruto looked up briefly and nodded as he slowly lifted Kazuko up to her feet again and took note of everyone there, noting there were two players he didn't realize that had joined them along the way. His eyes slightly widened as the blond noted the similar-looking male redhead among them but was interrupted from saying anything by Kirito.
"Naruto; the two new faces are Tiffany-" he introduced, pointing to the axe-wielder, "and BallsDeep69." he finished, pointing to the samurai. Both turned to Kirito and smacked him simultaneously on the head and sent him crashing to the floor, holding his head and crying pitifully.
"Tch. My name is Agil and is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Naruto. Glad to see you're a damn better person to be around than this dude." he introduced with a small grin, holding his hand out for Naruto to shake. Naruto was amazed by the size of the man in front of him but gave a firm handshake back, winning a smile and a nod of respect from the axe-wielder. Naruto turned to face the other person and a grin broke out on his face from already recognizing who it was.
"Klein! It's good to see you again, my man!" Naruto smiled as he grabbed Klein's forearm as the samurai responded in kind.
"Naruto! Hot damn, check you out! Already a decent level and got a sweet looking group here, buddy!" he leered as he caught Naruto in a headlock as the blond playfully escaped. Allowing themselves a moment to absorb the much-needed lighthearted moment, they knew they still had work to do.
"We don't have the time for proper introductions right now so we'll save this for once we're finished in here." Naruto sapped back to attention and commanded as the mimic soon came back into view, causing others to pail slightly as they noticed that it didn't come back alone. Blocking their path in front of them was the original level thirty-two mimic and five additional level twenty-five mimics; all of which started to intimidate the party of eight by snapping their teeth and revealing their jagged maws. "Argo! Give Kazuko a top-up on potions! We don't have much going for us so the best thing to do is to split the mob into three." he commanded, noting how this was the lull in the battle as they regrouped together with all their weapons drawn. "Kirito!"
"Naruto; I want you to take Kazuko and Argo to take on the boss Mimic. With you acting as distraction, the other two can focus on disabling the legs and aiming for the 'wooded' part on the hack where the hinges lay. It should be enough to either stun it or possibly score a critical hit." he deciphered as he used his [Scan] ability. "I'll take Lisbeth with me to deal with two of the smaller mimics while Agil, Klein and Asuna focus on the remaining three. If we finish our mob; have one member split to join Naruto and the others to help with the remaining mobs before we finish the boss!" he commanded, stunning everyone how serious he sounded without his goofy persona and was impressed by his fast thinking and analytical skills.
"Hai!" everyone replied in unison before the three parties decided to split up and tend to their specific groups.
~SAO:AC~
(With Naruto, Kazuko and Argo)
The three members rushed forward side-by-side; with Naruto taking the point as he cut his hand and allowed a drop of blood to stain the blade before his weapon glowed, signalling the start of a skill as he lobbed his sword straight for the mimic and watched it fly towards its target as the blade soon glowed red in an aura matching the blond's anger for nearly killing his sister. He turned his gaze to Kazuko and saw the fire in her eyes and couldn't help the shiver tingle down his spine how serious she looked. He smirked as he thumbed over to the mimic and his sword and spoke three words;
"Help me fly!"
She grinned in response as she twirled her naginata expertly behind her back before grabbing it with both hands and arcing it underneath where Naruto just jumped from and pushed him upwards towards the mimic as they timed the jump and sent him further. Argo was stunned to see such teamwork but soon laughed loudly as she let loose a savage grin of her own; putting on an impressive burst of speed and made her way to catch up with Naruto, watching Kazuko as she aimed her naginata and threw it in an arc similar to how Naruto did just now.
"[Crescent Moon!]"
Naruto quickly flew through the air as he reached out to grab his sword as he flew overhead the mimic boss, harshly yanking out the blade wedged in the wooden carcass before aiming for the weak spot Kirito had pointed out to them all. Cause of the critical attack, the mimic was angered and quickly spun around to face him and retaliate while the blond was still airborne; shortly before a shriek pierced out as it felt a stabbing sensation on one of his three weak spots. On the ground, the trio watched a good chunk of the second bar disappear with that one move.
Argo had taken to running between the creature's legs and had used her dagger to slash the tendons at the back of its 'ankles' before leaping back to retreat back with the other two to watch the last sliver of health disappear from bar number two; the mimic collapsing from having his legs giving up on it. The mimic growled and roared loudly, forcing the three to shield themselves from the shock wave as it soon began to glow in a threateningly dangerous red aura as a red symbol with two glowing white eyes appeared to its name. Naruto quickly used his scan ability, having not encountered the icon before:
Name: NM: Mimic Prince
Level: 42
Health: 24879/50000
Mana: 0/0
Status Effects: Angered (+25% Attack, -25% Defence, +25% Agility, Immune to Sleep)
"Oh shit." Naruto cursed, not liking the odds of this fight now the status effect was in play as he dragged the first word out. Both girls turned to him in worry as the sound of his tone hinted that that new symbol meant bad news for them.
"How bad is it, Ruto-kun?" Argo prompted as she never took her eyes off the mimic that slowly rose to its feet again and moving about to test its legs for damage. Kazuko's grip on her weapon tightened as she prepared herself to counter.
"Angered status. Extra attack and agility, lowered defence and we can't sleep it even if we could as it would have no effect- shit! [STEELGUARD!]" Naruto commented in response before he hastily threw his guard up for the Mimic Prince, who had demonstrated the extra agility boost would have possibly killed them if it wasn't for his quick reactions. Nevertheless, all three were sent flying backwards in response despite the girls losing only seventeen percent in comparison to Naruto's fifty-four. The two girls simultaneously used potions on him to bump him back up to eighty-seven before the three regained their bearings and focused solely on instincts as the three began using what they can to try and present an opening to exploit...
~SAO:AC~
(Kirito and Lisbeth)
As the main three moved towards the boss, noting the incredible preemptive strike as they watched the entire second bar disappear from a total of three attacks, they almost missed the smaller mimics rushing towards them. Agil saw the movement and raised his axe above his head as the weapon glowed a golden aura before smashing it into the ground, rupturing the ground and creating an attack that knocked three of the five back.
"[Overpower!]"
Both Agil and Kirito nodded to one another before Agil performed a second one in a row, allowing Lisbeth to move up beside him as all five enemies were made airborne from the second Overpower, with both of them using their respective weapons to split the mimics up and in opposite directions; giving them ample time to split up and prepare for their own enemies. Kirito had already rushed forward as the mimics flew forward and intercepted the one flying mimic as his sword glowed blue.
"[Horizontal!]"
Thanks to his keen eye, he had managed to time his slice along the spine of the one mimic and had easily split the two halves of the one mimic in half; watching it burst into pixels the moment it hit the ground again. Unfortunately, he didn't notice the one behind him coming from behind and latching onto his sword arm and disarming him while a bleed effect soon appeared next to his name and slowly drained his health down. Lisbeth saw this and quickly moved to strike at the mimic before its instincts kicked in and jumped off the arm, forcing Lisbeth to redirect her attack into the air to avoid Kirito.
Unfortunately, this left her wide open for an attack from the mimic as it charged and tacked her away with surprising force; Kirito leaping back to provide cover for her as the mimic clattered its teeth before dashing at them once more. It proved to be much nimbler than its larger counterpart and, in turn, was proving much harder for the two of them to hit it; as such was proved as both Lisbeth and Kirito moved in for a pincer attack that the mimic nimbly moved out of and nearly prompted the two attacks to hit each other if it wasn't for them turning themselves to clash against each other safely.
"A-Any ideas, Kirito?" Lisbeth panted as she took a potion to increase her health back up from yellow and back into green. Kirito noted the movement from the mimic in front of them and noted that there was a slight irregularity on one of its back legs. He watched closely for another glimpse-
There!
"Liz. D'you see its back right leg?" Kirito whispered to her, prompting the brunette to turn and stare at said appendage as it moved about-
"A limp?" she breathed out, already connecting the dots together and formulating some kind of plan. "Exploit it and cripple it, I take it?" she asked him, earning a small nod in response. She nodded in return as she prepped her mace and dashed forward, looking to make some distance towards the mimic as i copied her actions and dashed quickly to meet her. She watched its maw widen to do a bite attack but she had managed to rotate herself in mid-air to slam the lid of the mimic down on its lolling tongue and biting it off. Using the granted opportunity, she dropped to the floor and used her mace to strike from beneath and flip the mimic over onto its dented back as she leaped away-
Just in time as Kirito appeared above her as he stabbed his sword clean through the mimic and stabbed into the ground. The creature shriek loudly and writhed before it grew still, exploding into pixels. The two sighed in relief as they finished the last of their enemies off before taking a moment to catch their breaths.
"Liz. I want you to go and help Naruto out. You could help them with your blunt attacks and we already have Agil with the others. I'll go help them finish theirs off while you provide support on the boss." Kirito commanded, earning a small nod from the brunette. While she hated his 'holier-than-thou' attitude outside, she had come to respect his battle prowess and she knew that Naruto hadn't described him out of flattery but genuine praise and credit. With her reprieve over she grabbed Kirito's arm as a wicked smile appeared on her face, prompting Kirito to pale before screaming as he was sent at hurdling speeds towards the other group before dashing over herself to the opposite side of the clearing.
"That's for calling me a chick, you bastard!" she yelled after him, grinning like a madwoman.
~SAO:AC~
(Agil, Asuna and Klein)
The three soon moved forward as all three mimics landed in a heap that did some damage to themselves before they all jumped back onto their feet and chattered among themselves before dashing towards Agil, who held the most aggro on them. He wasn't an agile person but he was able to tank some of the glancing blows that bypassed his weapon from the three mimics before finding one piercing as Asuna came from behind and stabbed at the open weak spots on the one mimic, stunning it into place temporarily as she had set a flurry of attacks that struck all three points (even if with very little power). He took it as an opportunity to cleave the paralyzed chest clean in half before it exploded into pieces that soon faded into pixels.
As this happened, Klein sheathed his sword and crouched down and rested his grop on the hilt of the sword as his body glowed orange. "I need an opening, Asuna!" he shouted over the fighting. Said person flickered over to Klein and noted he was building up some kind of iaijutsu attack and nodded; prompting the two of them to work on getting one of them off of Agil's focus. She took a breath as she yelled out in hopes of grabbing attention...
"Oi, you ugly excuse of a chest! Can't you handle a real woman?" she yelled, prompting the one mimic nearest her turning its attention to her and growling lowly. "Hell, this is probably the closest to an intimate touch you'll ever get, jerkwad!" she finished, grinning as it flashed red towards her and started to dash towards her. Klein barked out a laugh before snapping his eyes open as he dashed a good twenty feet in front of him in under two seconds. Having drawn his sword, he soon sheathed it with a click as the stilled mimic soon slid into two pieces and followed its brethren into non-existence.
"[Zantetsuken.]" he breathed out as he fell to a knee from dizziness. It was a move he had unlocked after the first mimic had fallen and it was tried and tested in that moment after unlocking it. Asuna saw him fall and quickly rushed over to him as she pulled out a potion and gave it to him to drink. She was about to ask if he was fairing alright to continue before a voice got louder and louder...
"... and then you have the gall to throw me over here like a fucking goddamn rag-doll! After all I did for you, you ungrateful sadistic bitch! Fuck yo-oooof!" he continued ranting until he crashed head first into the remaining mimic and stunning it long enough for Agil to quickly finish it off. All three sets of eyes were on his still form before the lone female snickered before bursting out into laughter from the sheer hilarity and idiocy of what happened before her teammates joined in and relieved themselves of some of the tension.
"Oh man! Argo is gonna want some good money for this beauty!" Klein grinned mischievously as he bounced the recorder crystal in his hand and moved it safely into his inventory as he stood back up, having recovered from his attack. "I think that's the last of the buggers?" he asked, confirming their status.
"Mhm. All that's left is the boss Mimic now and we can go from there if we want to continue or retreat. It'll be down to Naruto seeing as..." Agil started before looking down to see Kirito unconscious. Sighing, he bent down and picked him up effortlessly with one arm as the other moved his axe onto his back. "You two go on and help the others while I try and bring this idiot around." he grinned cheekily, earning two in response as they both made their way to the boss.
~SAO:AC~
(Naruto, Kazuko and Argo)
Naruto grunted as he dashed between the legs of the boss and swung his fist out to hit the back of the one leg he had managed to cut, leaping backwards as the mimic dropped its right side onto the floor. Before the mimic could react, his sword flashed into view and struck the two legs the other side as he jumped from underneath it as it soon landed on the floor. The two girls were currently taking a breather as Argo had taken a nasty blow on her arm that rendered her left arm useless and a bulk of her base stats also temporarily cut. With such a disadvantage, she jumped back and Kazuko had offered to tend her would as Naruto took the fight to the boss one-on-one.
"[Impact!]"
A new voice cried out as she flew through the air and smashed down on the top of the mimic and created a new weak spot as the wooden armour caved in to see a bit of pink underneath it. She jumped back out of the way, missing the mouth that almost ate her alive as she dashed back to where Naruto was as his sword was propped on his shoulder for a moment. She noticed his health had moved dangerously close into the red and judging from him not doing anything would mean he had no potions left. She opened up her inventory and made him drink the last two she had on her, watching his health go up to sixty-three percent.
"It's times like these I'll need a separate pack of potions in reserve for you, Ruto-kun~" Argo grinned playfully, elbowing his side as he snorted in response. The banter didn't last long as the downed mimic shrieked once more and watched the icon change from red to black, also forming a black aura around the boss itself as it got to his feet unnaturally quickly before scurrying off to an open patch of field. As this happened, Asuna and Klein both regrouped with the two fighters the same time that Kazuko and Argo moved back to stand beside Naruto.
Whatever they expected to happen? This wasn't it. They saw the bodies of the five smaller adds they had just killed reappear in front of them in a pile just in front of the Mimic Prince... who ate them in one gulp. Whatever momentum they had up until this point quickly stopped and retreated as they watched all four bars of its health filled back up and watched as its level jumped from forty-two to level fifty. It stood there, not even moving as both sides turned to face each other down; allowing Naruto to hit Scan again.
Name: NM: Fallen Mimic Prince
Level: 50
Health: 150000/150000
MP: 0/0
Status Effects: Enraged (+50% Attack, -25% Defence, +50% Agility, Immune to Sleep, Paralysis, Stun), Cannibalism V (Each stack grants 20% extra health at the cost of no health regeneration).
"... honestly, how the fuck did Kayaba expect us to pass the first floor if we have to face something as powerful as this?" Argo solemnly spoke, earning silent nods in response as nothing happened between the two sides. Each of them knew there would be no way that they could possibly fight this thing head on without losing someone, if not all of them to this behemoth. Nothing happened for a few moments until Naruto took a step forward, having dispelled his sword into his inventory. He held his hands up as he walked up to the boss and stopped just outside attacking distance. Everyone watched with baited breath as to see what would happen next.
"I have no idea if you can understand me or hear me but we can't beat you." Naruto admitted, much to the silent shock of the others there behind him. The boss took a step forward slowly and noted the human didn't step back in response. "I don't know if there is anything we have on us we could give you as a means to let us go or if there is anything we could do to gain your blessing." he trailed off as his words evaporated into silence once more. It stayed that way for several minutes, even as Agil and Kirito watched what was happening having rejoined the others.
"... so you finally call a ceasefire now that I've become too strong for you to kill."
Everyone's breath left them as they heard the boss they were just fighting, speak. It shocked them that despite how feral the thing in front of them looked, that it could produce a voice so elegantly calm and yet still maintain an icy coldness to it.
"I don't have any excuses for our actions, nor will we deny them. All we ask is your blessing and forgiveness so that we might actually escape with our lives, Your Grace. Honestly, I don't understand why Kayaba would place you on the first floor and blocking the way to the first dungeon since it'd be almost impossible to beat you and many of us would be killed before we even killed the first floor." Naruto pleaded as he lowered his arms slowly to his sides as he conversed. The Prince growled slightly as it lowered itself into Naruto's face.
"... while I am tempted to kill you all for attacking me, I can sense something in you. Something different." the Prince soon spoke, having lost it's angered edge. "I can't explain it and I will not try to. In response to your thoughts; maybe the idea of me here on this first floor wasn't to defeat me?" he responded knowingly, earning wide-eyed responses from the party of eight as the Mimic Prince smirked as best as a mimic possibly could. "But what can you offer to me in exchange for your lives?" it asked.
Naruto and the rest of the party paused for a moment before Naruto swiped down to bring up his menu and brought out the two jewels he had gained upon desynthing his ring and showed it to the Prince, who took a moment to hide it's surprise as the tongue slowly scooped up the two gems and devoured them. "Is this enough or do you require more?" Naruto asked, slightly more relaxed from the accepted offering.
Before anyone else could speak, Kazuko moved up to her brother as she opened up her hands and revealed a golden ingot within them. She moved forward and placed it on the ground in front of her and moved back to stand next to Naruto. Asuna also moved forward and placed a few high-quality plates of steak down while Lisbeth placed several of her rarer metal ores down as a tribute. The Mimic was surprised it would gain so many valuable items so early in the game but was impressed it would offer those up in exchange for their own and friends lives. Devouring the rest of the offered items, the black aura faded and the icon where its enraged status was changed to one of blue; showing it was now calmed and docile.
"I am impressed! I will allow you eight to pass with my blessings and am glad to see that you still value the real things over something superficial and non-existent. My name is Namizu, Prince of the Mimics and I bestow upon you all protection of my kind up until Floor Thirty-Three. I will also reveal the way to the dungeon that leads to the next floor as a token of gratitude in honour of your selfless act and bravery to protect your friends." the Prince, now identified Namizu, spoken, earning widened eyes from them all as they had their notifications pop up;
Quest Complete: Friends in High Standings! (Bronze)
Exp:+ 250000
Col: +25000
Items: [Prince Nazimu's Blessing] Perk! (All Mimics will not attack up until Floor Thirty-Three. If given the requested item, Mimics will temporarily fight with you.)
Quest Complete: To The Dungeons! - Floor 1!
Exp: +50000
Col: +5000
~Congratulations! You have leveled up!~
Naruto: 36 - 38
Kirito: 38 - 39
Argo: 34 - 37
Asuna: 32 - 35
Lisbeth: 33 - 35
Agil: 30 - 32
Klein: 28 - 31
Kazuko : 23 - 28
"Thank you, Prince Namizu." Naruto sighed in relief as he and everyone else bowed in gratitude; having averted a disaster and gaining a blessing in response. The Prince Mimic tilted itself in response before the ground beneath them lit up in a more golden glow and provided a path for the eight of them to take. Seeing as they were here already, they all agreed to at least clear the way for the remainder of the other players before calling it quits. The Mimic Prince watched them all leave for a while longer before noting one of the small mimics having appeared from underground. A few skittering noises chirped from the smaller mimic as Namizu paused for a moment.
"No, I don't believe it would be necessary. Pass the word around to my kin within my jurisdiction and let them know of those eight and provide them safe passage; per my request. Should they require it, lend them your aid. Knowing what dangers lie ahead and both my Mother and Father to face; plus whatever is in store for that male blond... they will need every edge they can get." he solemnly spoke before the two mimics departed and disappeared once more into the Labyrinth.
~SAO:AC~
~Floor One: Hidden Hot Springs~
Having stumbled across this place by accident during the evening, all eight of them had decided to treat themselves to a session in the Hot Springs just a little out of the outskirts of the Town of Beginnings. Much to most of their relief, there were separate bathing areas for male and female players and had adjusted accordingly. Agil, Klein and Kirito had thrown their stuff at Naruto and had silently designated him as the watch over their items... which made no sense as they have their inventories. Nevertheless, he waited until the three guys had finished up with their stuff before he made a show of having stored all his items away in his inventory and gave the sheepish boys a glare that froze them in their spots before entering the now-empty male side of the springs.
Sighing to himself as he sank into the water, he closed his eyes and allowed the water to soak through his muscles and wash away his fatigue from fighting earlier on. He didn't know how long he remained there with his eyes closed and soaking in the hot waters but his eyes opened as soon as he heard the doors open from his side; and was surprised to see Kazuko standing there in nothing but a towel wrapped around her figure. He smiled softly at her as he beckoned to her, earning a soft smile from the girl in question as she softly closed the door behind her and slowly made her way towards him; taking a small breath of courage before allowing the towel to pool around her slender legs before placing it on one of the closer rocks an arm's length away from her and slowly let her naked body sink into the water and softly walked over to his side; which he immediately wrapped an arm around her as she snuggled into his side with her eyes closed.
"O-Onii-sama... I-I'm so glad to know you're safe." she trembled in his arms as her voice wavered slightly from emotion. He sighed but didn't stop himself from pulling her into his arms and holding her softly and brought her head into his neck. She didn't even fight to move away as her naked body pressed against his as she cried. All the worrying, all the fear, all the loneliness; now gone as she was back with him. "I looked for you and I couldn't find you..." she trailed off as she cried softly and silently into his neck.
"I'm here now, Kazu-chan. I... I was so scared seeing you there..." he admitted, letting his feelings out as he pulled her closer to him. "I was so scared... I didn't want to think what would happen if I didn't make it in time." he confessed, letting his voice waver as his emotions thicken his voice. She moved her hands to his chest and softly rubbed him to calm him down slightly as he shuddered in her arms. "I'm just so glad you're safe, Kazu-chan~" he smiled warmly as he felt her hands stop moving as her light breathing reached his ears, letting him know she had fallen asleep in his arms; causing him to smile warmly as he stroked her damp hair tenderly.
"She must have gone through a lot, sa~" Argo commented as she sat directly behind Naruto and pulled his head back into her lap as she did the same to him as he did to his sister. "Such a caring older brother you are~" Argo smiled softly, comfortable enough showing this side of her to the blond. Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he looked up and noted she didn't have her towel around her and have a free look at her misleading B-Cup breasts. She smiled down at him as she ran her fingers through his mane of golden hair and smiled, feeling at ease about showing him herself. "As for why I'm here and naked in front of you? I just feel comfortable knowing my Ruto-kun wouldn't take advantage of me, sa~" she answered the unbidden question, still smiling all the while.
"... yeah. I'm just glad she's safe. I'm glad everyone's safe after that." he smiled warmly as he squeezed Kazuko gently, making her snuggle closer to him. His eyes turned back to the sounding of the doors sliding open and noted both Lisbeth and Asuna standing there in their towels as well before both of them blushed at the scene before him. Lisbeth's carmine orbs soon hardened before she was stopped by Asuna's soft touch. Asuna pointed towards Naruto and Kazuko and patted her friend's arm in response, earning a sigh from Lisbeth as she decided to let it go for tonight.
"I can't believe we managed to dodge the bullet earlier. What was Kayaba thinking about having a level FIFTY monster on the first fucking floor!?" Lisbeth cussed quietly, not to disturb the redhead of the group as she joined the others in the water alongside Asuna. The latter had shyly glanced to the spot to the left of Naruto and asked him for silent permission to join him. He smiled softly as he hinted for her to do so; noting that the two of them weren't quite as comfortable with their bodies and wore a set of swimwear to relax with: Asuna wearing a soft-white two-piece bikini that gave her C-cup breasts a nice lift and fullness to them while Lisbeth donned a two-piece mauve set that covered the entirety of her feminine parts to avoid revealing anything.
"That we did. I'm just glad everyone's safe and that our Persuasion and Bartering skills came in handy so soon. We wouldn't have made it unscathed from that. Not a chance." Naruto grimly confessed, earning solemn nods from them all before he felt Asuna lean her head on his shoulder. He made no move to stop her but was curious about something. "I have to ask though; why are you all on this side of the baths? I mean, I'm glad you're here but I'm naked and... a-aren't you all uncomfortable at all?" he asked, his anxiety kicking in as he held Kazuko closer as a form of comfort; who (as if she sensed him) wrapped her arms around him in response.
"I know you wouldn't take advantage of us or leer at us, Whiskers~" Lisbeth commented as she smiled at him, moving the other side and copying the rapier-user's actions of leaning against him. "That and we feel more at ease with you than without you." she closed her eyes as she let the relaxing bliss consume her and enjoy this moment. None of the five of them could complain right now as they felt so at ease with one another and knew that this would simply be the start of something...
Amazing.
~Chapter End!~
So there we go~! This was a bit of a nightmare to write, admittedly. The fight scene went a lot smoother than I had anticipated and managed (read: attempted) some light humour within that and I'd love to get your responses for that! And yes, I've finally added Kazuko into the mix and I was at war with myself as to whether have her meet up so soon or to wait a little longer before their reunion but: since I'm making the fic a lot harder than the anime, I decided that it would be safer to have them together.
As for the Mimic Prince: there might be some people who wouldn't like my decision. But there's three things that needs to be understood and explained:-
Firstly: The fact that I made the boss so OP. You need to remember that this is STILL a death game and I've made Kayaba a lot more desperate to keep people in his world for all the work he's put into this. I've purposefully made it seem like an impossible challenge even by normal standards.
Secondly: The fact that they are at the levels I have given them already is something that's not to be scoffed at. Reason being: this is still only the first floor and likely not expected anyone to go above and beyond level twenty without having the exp grind slow to an absolute stop. So imagine how many enemies they have had to kill just to be able to get that far is nothing short of grinding religiously and pretty much for fourteen hours a day just to be able to hit it.
Thirdly: Since SAO originally was based around fighting through everything; I wanted to make a change. It's NOT to say that their attempts will always be successful but it will add a new dimension into the game (much like the added Luck stat I've implemented).
And don't forget: I will be implementing Hollow Fragment into this fanfic so there will be so much more story and content as it will basically be a combination of two different halves of the tales. But for now: I can say I'm pretty happy with how this chapter has turned out and I hope you guys will enjoy it! Don't forget to R/R and F/F! I've not stopped taking note of them! *wags tail happily~*
Edit: 01/11/18
Not much happening; just some major errors I made and ended up removing them so I could fit the story better. Also, I've changed the name fr which Argo calls Naruto and now will mainly stick with "Ruto-kun" and have Lisbeth calling him Whiskers. Also, making progress on the new chapter for you all so please keep watching this space!
Edit: 16/07/19
... do I need to say? xD
Edit: 19/07/19
HOLY CRAP. There was so much wrong with this chapter in terms of grammar and even the spelling! This was awful and I must've been so damn tired to have made so many mistakes without even realizing them! So a lot of stuff has been auto-corrected and also changed the sentences of a few lines to make more sense than whatever nonsense I wrote before! x.x
Also! Have a new "story" up filled with small little tidbits of writing to help with my writer's block so feel free to mosey on over and check them out if you like a small quick read! :3