Chapter 9 / You Have to Finish This:
Denial. An unusual trait for Kirito to experience, but one that he found himself feeling as he hung from the edge of the castle battlements, holding on for dear life to avoid plummeting to his death. The drop wasn't his concern however. It was the player currently locked in battle with the Demon King boss above him. She couldn't be here. It wasn't safe…he needed to get up there.
The Black Swordsman poured all of his focus into pulling himself up. He slowly elevated his body, bit by bit, grabbing the ledge with his free arm. As his head rose above the edge so did the restrictions on his vision, allowing him to see the battle unfolding. Adira was twirling her sword, gracefully holding her own against the boss. She was utilising her special ability to its full effect, teleporting forwards in a dash, glowing with energy. This was the only reason that she was still alive, Kirito realised. If he didn't get up there soon she would be overpowered. The look on her face confirmed his thoughts. She knew it too.
He once again poured all of his efforts into clambering back over the ledge, finally pulling himself up to relative safety. He was exhausted. He needed to take a quick breather. A luxury that he didn't have the time to indulge in.
The Demon King got a sudden lucky strike, disarming Adira, sending her sprawling. Kirito instantly actived a Sonic Leap sword-skill, shooting forwards without hesitation. Just as the Kings blade was about to make contact with the female player, the Black Swordsman slammed into him, sending them both tumbling to the floor.
The two players regained their footing swiftly, both positioned on either side of the boss. Their eyes met, both silently agreeing on what to do. They nodded in unison. The two of them rushed the Demon King from either side, overwhelming him with a flurry of attacks. They dodged and weaved as the boss tried to fight back, dancing around him in perfect sync with one another. They continuously struck out, aiming for the weakest points in his armour.
Only a few of their hits whittled his health down by a substantial amount. Their strategy was working, but too slow for Kirito's liking. They were both exhausted. It was only a matter of time before one of them made a…
The Demon King struck back, catching the Black Swordsman in his upper arm. Kirito fell to the floor, dropping his blade as he rolled away, clutching his sword arm. He watched in horror as Adira attempted to put some distance between herself and the boss, only to be struck by a blow to the head. The Demon King hit her with the handle of his weapon, momentarily stunning her as she desperately tried to stumble away.
The world moved in slow motion. A scream flew out of Kirito's mouth. A scream that he could not hear. The only thing that his senses could pick up was the boss's sword as it was thrust through Adira's back, impaling her. A sickly bronze-ish glow emitted from her wound, as a bright light travelled down the length of the sword into the Demon King, empowering him. His eyes began to glow the same bronze colour as the magical energy was drained from Adira's body.
The glow slowly faded as the Demon King withdrew his sword, leaving Adira to fall to the floor in defeat. The boss retreated into the castle tower behind them, his mission now completed. Kirito didn't care. The only thing on his mind was Adira.
He scrambled over to her body, ignoring his tingling arm, lifting her onto his lap as he searched his inventory for his last health crystal. He was aware of her wound, still tinted with a bronze glow. It pulsed every few seconds, signalling that its effects were still active. Sure enough, Adira's health bar was gradually depleting. After a moment, Kirito found the item he was looking for. He spawned it, instantly raising the crystal above Adira's wound before activating it. The item performed its usual shattering animation, signifying its success. The Black Swordsman checked her health bar, watching as it continued to ever-so-slowly diminish. The crystal had failed.
"Items don't work on me, remember?" Adira reminded him, her voice light yet weak.
"I…" Kirito spluttered, unable to think.
"There's nothing you can do for me now. With the rate my health is depleting, I'll be dead in a few minutes."
"No!" He responded, his voice trembling. "You can't…I won't let you die! Not…not when its my…"
"Don't!" She cut him off, glaring at him intently. "It's not your fault! It was my choice to come up here to help you! My choice!"
The Black Swordsman was silent, unable to respond. He sat there for what seemed like an age, willing himself to speak. To say something. Anything.
"I…promised you that we'd duel someday….when we got out of here…someday in the real world…."
Adira chuckled, a smile gracing her face. Kirito committed it to memory, unsure of whether it would be her last. She suddenly grew serious, meeting his eyes with an intense gaze. "You've been like a brother to me Kirito. The brother that I never had!" She paused for a second, formulating her words. "You taught me to fight. You gave me the tools necessary to survive in this world. So I want you to make me a new promise, okay?" The Black Swordsman stared at her, tears filling his eyes as he nodded. "I want you to promise me that you won't give up! That you'll survive this world! That you'll make it home to your real sister!"
Kirito hung his head in shame. How could he hope to fulfil that promise? He was trapped in a death game, unable to make it out. Hell, he couldn't even save his own friends. What was the point?
"Please?!" Adira's voice washed over his dark thoughts. "For me?!"
Kirito hesitantly nodded, before attempting to vocally confirm, his voice cracking. "O…okay…I promise…"
Adira rested her head back, her smile returning. She looked back at Kirito, feeling his body as it shook from his sobs. She gently took a hold of his hand. "Hey!" She caught his attention, her voice soft. "I know this is going to be hard for you, which is why you shouldn't be alone. Ever! You have some of the greatest friends out there. Don't pull away like you usually do. Let them help you. Let…let her help you…"
It was Kirito's turn to smile. "You never pass the chance to tease me about Asuna, do you?"
She laughed. "Isn't that what sisters are for?" Adira paused, visibly wincing as her health entered the red zone. "You need to go!"
"What?! Don't be ridiculous!" Kirito responded, emotions welling inside of him. "I can't just leave you!"
"You have to!" The teal haired player told him. "There's a Demon King that's awaiting the defeat you're about to give him! Besides…it's best you're not here when I go. It'll break you."
She was always looking out for him, Kirito thought, as he replied after a brief moment of hesitation. "I can't…I can't leave you to die alone…" His voice failed, loosing the ability to function.
"Hey!" Adira caught his attention once more. "It's okay. You've got a job that you need to do. The Dusk Demons aren't going to stop themselves." She smiled at him. This time for the last time. She gave him one final command: "Go!"
The Black Swordsman stared back at her, his limbs refusing to move. He caught the castle tower in the corner of his vision as it began to glow with energy, emitting a sinister array of lights. He turned his attention back to Adira, nodding his acceptance, before slowly climbing to his feet, laying her head to rest gently on the ground. He shuffled a few steps closer to the tower before stopping. He gazed back, taking one last look at his friend. He turned back around, dragging one foot after the other until he set himself a rhythm of walking. He refused to look back, knowing that one more glance would break him for good. He had to focus on the task at hand. He would defeat the Demon King! No matter the cost!
Notes:
-The feels! I hope you had some anyway. Hopefully this didn't feel like a random death for the sake of it. Adira's fate does have a purpose for the overall story.
-Only two chapters left now…
-Musical Choices:
#Dragonborn / Jeremy Soule
#A Wonderful Thing / Richard Wells
#Simon and Alisha Forever / Vince Pope