SAO:BTFL Chapter 4 – Operation First Floor Boss Raid

Town of Tolbana Stadium
Town of Tolbana
Floor 1, Castle Aincrad
Sword Art Online
December 2nd, 2022 10:00 am AST
Day 23 of SAO

They had found the First Floor Boss Room. When players heard the news, they became ecstatic, some even tried to go up there themselves before being stopped by common sense, and…well the fear of death.

I stared at the sky as the Player's down below debated how they should attack the boss room.

"They seem excited, don't they?" Sayori asked me.

I looked over at her "Unlike you miss 'I want to be in here forever' and despite popular belief, these people have lives they are trying to get back to so of course when someone says 'hey! Look we found the first boss room' then they'd want to get it over with as quickly and somewhat as efficiently as they can" I pointed towards the players "They are all trying to get out of here, even if that means they have to work together to do it, because trust me, if one of these people could just solo a boss room I'm one hundred percent sure that they would"

Sayori looked over at me then back to the players who were now arguing about something, Beta Testers or whatever, I didn't give half a shit, as long as they made a plan then they can talk about whatever they wanted.

"I guess your right" Sayori said.

"Master Sergeant?"

I turned around to see Yua and Sachi.

"Corporal, Sachi, hello a surprise to see you here" I said.

"Well as soon as we heard about the First-Floor boss room being found we rushed over quick, couldn't miss the action"

I laughed "Of course"

"I hope I'm not intruding"

Yua and Sachi turned around I looked behind them, a tall Japanese man had appeared behind them.

"Ah, Officer Itou, good of you to join us" I said, welcoming him to the ever-growing group.

Itou, who goes by the screen name of Officer_Itou was a Material Trader I met in Medi's Tavern on the Second Day of SAO, in the real world he was a Special Assault Team Member attached to the Hokkaido Prefectural Police.

"Please, Itou is just fine, and thank you"

He came and sat down next to Sayori who nodded her head in greeting.

"This is Yua, and that is her friend Sachi, Corporal, Sachi this is Itou a Material Trader"

"Nice to meet you" Sachi and Yua said in unison.

"And to you two as well"

"This concludes the briefing" Diabel said, finishing the conference that had gathered here.

"Lastly, Items will be automatically distributed, EXP goes to the party that defeats the monster and whoever receives an item gets to keep it, any objections?"

After hearing no complaints from either myself or the rest of the congregation Diabel continued "Okay, we leave tomorrow at ten in the morning"

Everyone in the Greek structured stadium started to stand up and leave, many were hanging back to chat with friends and what not, I turned toward my group and smiled "Who's up for a game of Poker?"

Town of Tolbana Tavern
Town of Tolbana
Floor 1, Castle Aincrad
Sword Art Online
December 2nd, 2022 8:35 pm AST
Day 23 of SAO

"Ah damn it" Yua complained as she slammed down her hand of Cards as Sachi picked up the pot for the 34th Time.

I laughed as I dealt out the cards again.

"How are you so good at this?" Yua asked.

Sachi just shrugged, she had no clue herself.

I looked at the clock in the upper-right corner of the UI and sighed.

"Alright, last round, winner takes all" I pushed all my winnings into the pot, Sachi, Itou and Yua soon followed suit.

The last card hit the deck and Yua and Itou folded, just me and Sachi who was currently giving me a smug look.

"You know" I started, placing my cards facing up showing a Royal Flush "I enjoy smug looking girls any day of the week, but at least have some bite to it"

"Woah" Yua commented inspecting the cards in my hand.

"How the hell?" Itou responded.

Sachi giggled "I can never beat you, can I Master Sergeant?"

"Oh? Now Yua has you calling me that too?" I complained.

Sachi continued to giggle.

"Alright, Dinners on me tonight" I say as I wave over the NPC.

"Yeah, I'd like double meat combo with a glass of beer"

"What he's having" Itou said.

"I'll have a salad" Yua said.

"I'll also have the double meat combo" Sachi said.

The NPC nodded then the food appeared in front of us, a payment window popped up and I accepted it deducting all in all 118 col out of my account.

"Hey, where'd Sayori run off to?" Yua asked, her mouth full of lettuce.

"She went to bed half an hour ago" I answered before tearing off another bite of meat.

Yua understood, we had to get up at 10 tomorrow and here we were playing poker and eating dinner, as if we had already accepted our fate in this game. I somehow feel wrong now, like something was off. It's been almost a month since Sword Art Online started Service and here I was, living in Tolbana with Yua, Sachi and Sayori, doing normal things like eating breakfast, walking around town, playing poker, drinking beer. However, the only ever constant that brings me back to reality is the nightmares, the PTSD induced nightmares, Benghazi, Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan, all the places I was sent while part of the Defense Intelligence Headquarters SAD. I chewed the last bit of my meat and left the table, heading to bed.

Boss Room
1st Floor Tower
Floor 1, Castle Aincrad
Sword Art Online
December 3rd, 2022 10:00 am AST
Day 24 of SAO

The congregation of players were restless as we ascended the large spiral staircase to the door of the Boss Room, this of course, included myself and my squad consisting of Sayori, Itou, Sachi and Yua. Sayori was brandishing her two-handed sword, Sachi and Yua were checking their Potions and Itou was doing business with other players, apparently some players who are planning to open shops in the higher floors had joined us, Itou was just networking so that he could get some customers in the future. Me? I had no idea how to feel, both the feeling of excitement and the fear of death rushed throughout my body causing me to shiver. This was a normal reaction from my body, started in Middle School and hasn't stopped, however it's circumstances and how it shows up is still a mystery to me. Sayori looked over at me.

"You good?" she asked.

"Yeah" I answered.

"You don't need to worry, I'm your bodyguard mister Info Trader, I won't let anything happen to you"

I gave Sayori a weary smile, for some reason I felt those words had some secret meaning behind them.

"Listen up, everyone" Diabel started to speak, catching everyone's attention "I have only one thing to say"

He paused for dramatic effect.

"Let's win!"

Diabel pushed the doors to the boss room open "Let's Go!" and rushed inside.

Everyone else followed suit. The room was dark and seemed empty, all expect for the boss who sat leisurely on his throne, seemingly mocking us.

"Commence Attack!" Diabel commanded.

The boss leaped out of his throne and landed on the ground causing it to shake, his nameplate and health bars appeared beside his head "Illfang the Kobold Lord". Sentinels, the guards of the Kobold Lord started to spawn behind the group. Diabel started to give out orders, we were Squad D and were tasked with taking care of the Sentinels.

"You heard him squad! Corporal, Scenario Alpha Thirteen, Sachi and Itou cover the right flank, Sayori on me"

"Rodger" they all said in unison.

Scenario Alpha Thirteen was a combat simulation used during my time in JGSDF Basic Training at JGSDF Camp Takigahara. A Squad of 6 to 4 were surrounded and you had to keep your squad alive at all costs until backup arrived. However, this situation was much different from Scenario A13, there was no backup coming, we were on our own, much like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Survival Mode. Sayori and I were working as a team, she'd block the swings of the Sentinel's hammer causing it to stumble and lose balance, I would then take that chance and charge in with my dagger, ending it's pathetic life. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

"Stand Back" Diabel called out to the front line teams who proceeded to back away from the boss.

I turned around to look at the bosses health bar, it was on its last legs.

"I'll go!" Diabel began to run towards the boss, past the front lines.

Wait a minute, this wasn't part of the plan I thought to myself, the original plan was to surround it and take it out. It then clicked, and it seemed to for Sayori as well. The last attack bonus! Before I could say anything a boy took the words out of my mouth.

Diabel wasn't listening to him however and got his shit rocked. The boy rushed over to him and tried to give him a health potion, which he continued to refuse. The two had a chat before Diabel shattered into pieces, much like the boar I killed on my first night in SAO. The congregation of players sat there shocked as the boy got up slowly from where Diabel's body was and turned around, his partner, the girl I recognized as Asuna joined him and the both attacked the boss.

The boy defeated the boss by slicing it in half. When the boss also shattered the pieces, we all cheered, relieved that the battle was over.

"Yay!" Sachi and Yua cheered.

Itou, Sayori and myself all continued to stare towards where Diabel's body used to be, before we could say anything, another man decided to attack the boy who had defeated the monster.

"Why?" a man by the Gamer Tag of Kibaou asked "Why did you let Diabel die!?"

The boy looked at the man in confusion "Let him die?"

"You knew the technique the boss used!" Kibaou screamed "If you told us about that up front, he wouldn't have died!"

The other players started to agree with Kibaou.

"He must be a beta tester!"

"That's how he knew all the boss's attack patterns."

"He knew, but he didn't tell us!"

"Other beta testers are here, too, right?"

"Come out!"

Me and Sayori looked at each other. Sure, I was a Beta Tester, so was Yua, and as far as I can tell so was Sayori. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Yua was also staring at me, I gave her a reassuring shake of my head as if to say "Don't", she understood and kept quiet.

The boy looked at Kibaou and gave him the smallest of smiles "A Beta Tester? I wish you wouldn't compare me to those newbies"

Sayori brought her sword up and gave me the look of a pissed off female, I however put my hand in front of her and shook my head, he was going somewhere with this and I wanted to see if it would stick it's landing. Sayori backed off.

"W-what!?" Kibaou stuttered.

"Most of the thousand beta testers were beginners, who didn't even know how to level up" he said "you guys are better than they are"

The congregation of Players listen intensely to this boy's lecture.

"But I'm not like them, I made it higher than anyone else during the Beta test" He had brought out his interaction menu now "The reason I knew the boss's skill is because I fought monsters with katana skills on floors far above us."

He was now scrolling through his inventory screen "I know a lot more, way more than any Information broker"

"W-what?" Kibaou stammered out "that's… that's worse then a beta tester!" he screamed "You're cheating! A Cheater!"

"Yeah, a cheater!"

"A beta tester and a cheater…"

"A beater!"

The boy gave a small laugh "A Beater….I like it" He turned on his heel and faced the crowd "That's right….I'm a beater, from now on don't confuse me with the other testers" A black cape appeared around him as if to punctate his point.

He then strolled through the crowd and up the stairs to the teleport room before he was stopped by Asuna, to which they had a little conversation.

"What the fuck was that about?" Sayori asked.

I could only guess.

Aincrad Military Intelligence Sector 5 Operation Report:
Operation First Floor Boss Raid
Status: Complete (Success)
Time & Date: December 3rd, 2022 11:06 am AST
Casualty Report: 1
Report Author: SeanCityNavy, Head of Administration