"You see her?"
"Not yet."
Those are the words conveyed between me and Kureha's eyes as we and the fifty-one others watched Mutasina's army of nearly ninety march along the rocky western riverbank of the Maruba River. Despite the origins of their conscription, they're neatly organized into a line and silent throughout. It begs me to wonder how much discipline Mutasina whipped into them if the demonstration two nights ago was insufficient.
I cannot say whether they have good morale, though I can say the opposite of the Kirito Army and Crimson Squad. With forty-three players of four different games, five human NPCs, and five bipedal rat NPCs assembled, we hid in total silence along both sides of the riverbank of the Maruba. Our plan is coming together nicely, but it hasn't begun yet.
Our first act is to locate Mutasina in the line. To do so, we split into three teams: Kirito's team on the eastern side of the riverbank, Asuna's on the western, and mine farther upriver. Kirito, Asuna, Kureha, and Sinon have their menus open to communicate the location of Mutasina, each well-hidden by whatever plant life they're surrounded by and a black cloth that blocks out the light of the ring menus. Because the four of us know what Mutasina looks like, Kirito and I are on watch for our teams. I can't remember if Lux or Argo is with Asuna, but if I had to guess, the former is and will alert Asuna if she sees the witch.
If we had more black cloth, we could use it for everyone, but since it originated from fallen players' gear, we used what we had. Asuna hasn't developed black dyes, either. I wasn't going to volunteer the armor I'm wearing or is in my inventory for that purpose.
Forty feet is between the other eight members of Crimson Squad and me from Kirito and Asuna's teams; another sixty feet separates me from the lead torch of Mutasina's army. I narrow my eyes, getting a good look at the front line of the invaders. They're made of three tanks equipped with studded leather armor and round leather shields. I can barely see behind them, but if I had to guess, the DPS group is behind them.
Looking down at Zeliska, I motion for her and the others to get low. They're on the ground, but the woods are above the riverbank by a couple of feet. We can see them, but one slip up, and they're onto us. I'm more concerned about Kuro the panther, Aga the agamid, and Misha the thornspike bear, but as long as their masters keep them quiet, the tanks should pass by fine.
One of them is Holgar, the outspoken leader of the Absolute Survivor Squad. His cheerfulness is replaced by determination, though I cannot say whether it is forced or genuine. I can't see the mark around his neck from over eighty feet, but I can see neither he or the tanks at his side wears throat guards. I feel sorry for him, and at the same time, I commend Mutasina for taking the advantage presented to her. It's a dirty move, but all's fair in love and in war. Considering the overall task in Unital Ring, playing fair won't get us far, but will Mutasina's move get her far? Invoking loyalty under the threat of suffocation is one trick I'm not sure I could pull off.
Holgar and the tanks pass Kirito and Asuna's group, heading our way, but I ignore them for now. Behind them are some scout units with short swords and daggers. Mutasina hasn't been seen from my position in a tree, and that's worrisome. Seeing Kureha's frustration, I hold my hand out to her. Immediately she gives an item to me - the scope attachment to her rifle-and I bring it to my right eye. With time being of the essence, we had to find her before the tanks reached the trap in about three minutes.
Almost immediately, I see the familiar dark-haired woman in a hooded white robe. A group of longsword-bearing attackers surrounds her. The gem of her staff reflects the torchlight as it rises and falls with the slender figure's movements. There's Mutasina. But that's not all. There are three other anomalies in this group.
In front of her are two swordsmen in matching black leather armor and hats. Behind her is a mage wearing a black cloak and an unremarkable staff in their hands. That must be Dia, Viola, and Magis, the other members of the VSS who volunteered their necks to the Noose of the Accursed. The swordswomen seem well-equipped, but the other dark mage...having seen what Mutasina can do, I can only question Magis' skills. Friscoll says he's the warmest of the bunch in terms of personality (the 'twin' swordswomen are on the opposite side of the spectrum, apparently), but in my experience, both personally and as a gamer, dark mages are far from the nicest people.
Furthermore, how the hell did they gain such powerful magic so quickly? Yes, we found three, but Yui's fire arrows and my decomposing pea shooter were low-level magic from powerful enemies. The Noose is on a much higher tier. If I am to figure it out, it'll have to be before Mutasina or myself is killed...or my hypothesis pans out tomorrow at lunch.
Tapping over my left eye, I signal to Kureha that I have eyes on Mutasina. With part one of our plan complete, I relax and watch in silent awe as Holgar's group passes by, shortly followed by the VSS. Onwards to phase two.
Mutasina's army will eventually come up to a small waterfall about Klein or Agil's height. A slope of the same height blocks off the bank, but it is eroded enough that even the tanks could scale the stair-shaped slope. However, that's where our trap lies.
That waterfall is made by Ruis na Rig. That spot is where the woods come closest to the riverbank, and we used tons of logs and stones to create an artificial dam. Kirito's idea originates from when he sealed up the mine behind the waterfall on our return from the Stiss Ruins, and this plan sounded similar enough to the one I used against Lievre to single her out last year.
Like now, the first phase was to locate Lievre's position around the SBC Glocken. The plan's second phase was to destroy all other routes into the city with explosives, which wouldn't be repaired for ten minutes by the system since it's outside the safe zone. Once that was done, we simply had to fight a backed-up army to the end.
Phase two of Kirito's plan is somewhat like that. A couple of tens of feet away is the dam, which from upriver looks precisely as it is. But from downriver, where Mutasina and company approach, it seems nothing more than a natural waterfall. They can't see much, if any, of the logs stuck into the fifteen-foot river and the one-foot stone barriers between them. No, they're not stopping to question the presence of the small waterfall, but why would they? Much farther downstream is the hundred-foot waterfall Kirito, Alice, Philia, and I fell down while in the canoe, and later that night with Argo and Lux we ventured underneath to enter a cavern.
As the tanks scale the slope, I have Kureha send a message to prepare Sinon, then grab the hilt of the Muramasa photon sword. I trade glances with my childhood friend once more, calming our nerves once and for all. "High risk, high thrill, heartless game," I whisper, loud enough for Zeliska, Philia, and the others to hear me at the foot of the tree. Two seconds later, Mutasina's group begins to climb the slope. Two seconds after that, I hear a message received ding from Kureha's window.
Half a second later, a wide gaping hole appears in the middle of the falls, followed by a pillar of water rising from the river in front of it. After that, thunder echoes in the air. That throws Mutasina's army off enough to disrupt their order, but that's just the beginning.
Phase three starts now.
The dam was held together by five logs acting as pillars, four spiral pines on the sides, and one Zelle teak in the center. The teak had withstood the water pressure building up for two and a half hours, but it shattered when Sinon shot it with a 12.7 mm bullet from the Hecate II. We fixed her gun to some logs to allow for steady precision shooting, but she couldn't adjust her aim. That was okay because we decided not to have her shoot Mutasina, but the Zelle teak.
The dam's destruction drowns out the sound of gunfire as it crumbles from the loss of the central support. I watch with a slight grin on my face as the water sweeps up the tanks without a chance of them escaping. The wrath of the Maruba River didn't spare even those that tried climbing the banks.
Somehow, the VSS remain calm. I heard Viola and Dia shout in unison to climb the banks to the east where Kirito's team lurks, but their numbers turn on them. The tanks and scouts previously swept up collide with the attackers. Soon after, not even the standing still VSS could hold their ground against the rushing flood.
I give my command as soon as Mutasina and her gang are flushed out. "Now!" I leap down from the tree, sprinting the moment my feet touch the forest ground, Kureha right on my heels. We ignore the weakening flood and the swept players, keeping our eyes on Mutasina, who floats in the mess of lightly armored players alongside Magis. Viola and Dia must be elsewhere, but I didn't care. That's for the better, and even if Magis tries anything, he can't beat out a rush attack.
As we chase Mutasina, I see her soldiers stick to the shore. If they spotted Kureha and me along the western edge of the woods, they had no energy to say anything or try to stop us. My eyes follow the witch as she continues to rush along with the water. Her trip with Magis ends as they come to a sandbank and jam their staff into it.
To the east, Kirito and his team burst out of the woods to the riverbed, sword in hand; farther ahead of me on the western side, Asuna and her group do the same. "We're going to flank her on the other side! Keep moving!" A chorus of "Got it" sings behind me as she past Asuna's charging group to circle to get behind Mutasina.
Just as we prepare to change course and head for Mutasina's back, I watch as Kirito comes to the end of the riverbed, separated from the sandbar by the river. His sword is held over his shoulder, I know he's preparing to use Sonic Leap to cross it. I'm about forty to fifty feet from the sandbar right now, so if Kirito misses, either Asuna, Kureha, or I will have to pick up the task. But even if Kirito misses, by that time, we'd surrounded Mutasina. it's not like she can cast -
"Master! The ground!"
Rei's shout nearly causes me to trip on my feet, and for a good reason. My train of thought about Mutasina casting the Noose of the Accursed was just shot up. The familiar bluish light with various patterns and symbols appears on the ground, encircling Kirito, Asuna, and my teams within a 150-foot circle. Yet, as I look back up, Mutasina's not even executing the spell. If I consider the motion of raising her staff to be the activation gesture, Mutasina is barely on her feet, using her staff to hold herself up. The same is true of Magis.
As the monstrous demon woman reappears, I grit my teeth and bark out, "Turn back!"
"But-"
"Turn back, Momiji!" I repeat to Kureha, then thrust my left arm out to shoot the Ultra Fiber Gun up a tree. I saved myself once, so I have no issue rushing to Mutasina if the spell fires, but I can't protect the others. Most don't wield swords; even accounting that Philia, Strea, and Rain do, only the latter two are good enough to deflect magic with their swords. However, I wasn't going to risk them getting caught. if Kirito fails, it's up to someone else to stop Mutasina.
As I swing out of the woods like a superhero to the end of the sandbar bordering the woods, I catch a surprising sight. Twenty feet away, Kirito did execute Sonic Leap with the idea that stopping the spell means killing Mutasina, but Magis' wooden staff impedes his attack. It's stronger than it looks as it firmly repels Kirito's steel sword, but I ignore it as I charge Mutasina. Once I'm close enough, I call upon Sonic Leap, soaring across the sandbar just as Mutasina's hood falls, and I see her face.
My blade hums with a steady, pulsing rhythm just inches from the right side of Mutasina's face. I adjusted my blade moments before it struck Mutasina. For some reason, I did that, but not because I had a sudden sense of mercy. It's not even that I wanted to confirm my suspicion of her true identity. No, the woman before me has long, flowing black hair and a gorgeous pale face that I find it is a waste that the enemy owns it. This is Mutasina, the woman who threatened my friends, who cursed Kirito, Lux, and ninety-seven others unwillingly. yet...this isn't her.
Yet...
The fear in her eyes tells a different story. The Mutasina I remember did not show fear when her victims turned their swords on her before the truth of the curse was revealed. But in this girl's grey eyes is the fear of death as the Muramusa vibrates mere inches from her face or Kirito's steel sword held by Magis' staff from her shoulder.
A body double.
At that moment, the monster roars, shooting beams across the area. I hear screams across the field from Kirito and Asuna's teams, and I assume Crimson Squad did not escape either. Stuck in the skill delay, I could do nothing but fall to my knees as I became tied to Mutasina's spell. The double is ensnared as well.
We fell perfectly into Mutasina's trap. She somehow knew we'd go for her, created a body double to expose us, and then lured us into the range of the Noose of the Accursed. A devious plan that, once again, I commend her for, but it pisses me off that she and the VSS succeeded in executing it twice now.
"Is this really what you want?" Kirito asks the double, his sword still trapped in Magis' staff.
"Good grief," says Magis, looming behind "Mutasina." "Listen, Kirito. I'm not denying your right to pursue your heroic ideals, but we're doing our best to beat this game here. Is this really the place for pushing your standards on others?"
"Spare the lecture, asshole," I snarl, then a thought prodes my mind. I might be wrong, but Kirito spoke of a "Sensei" character after the raid the first night. This dude's tone and words were undoubtedly meant to lecture us...but I envisioned someone more...aged in appearance. Granted, I can't see much of Magis beyond his dark hood.
Neither did I care. Instead, I look around for the real Mutasina. She had to be somewhere nearby to have cast the spell, but it's clear she isn't visible. Now if I were a deceptive, sneaky bitch like her or someone else I know, I would undoubtedly appear to gloat about the fact I tricked my enemies. Or maybe I'd teach them the folly of thinking of fighting back. If I were someone like Pitohui, where would I be now that I can see everything?
"...No way..." For some reason, my eyes went skyward. We're in the land which the transferred fairies of ALO originate, so maybe that helps, but I know none of them can fly. There should be no reason for me to think Mutasina is in the air right now.
Yet as my Night Vision kicks in, I can see a circling black shape in the form of a gigantic bird. Its wingspan is no more than ten feet. And, though I can't see her, Mutasina had to be on its back, preparing to land and end this once and for all.
We have three-ranged attacks to take down the bird, but none will work. Sinon's rifle is fixed into position, aiming at the former dam; Yui's Flame Arrow and my Rotten Shot probably would make the bird twitch. Not even the farthest-reaching sword skill could come close to the bird at two hundred feet in the air. There are the optical weapons the GGO players have, which we've barely used in place of muskets, but two hundred feet is inside the effective range. Strea, the only one with a live-ammo rifle, Lievre's optical rifle, and Kureha's optical SMG, could shoot it. The fact they aren't trying means they cannot see it...and at the risk of alerting Magis and Mutasina, I cannot call out to them.
Yet the risk doesn't outweigh the benefit this time. I prop myself off the ground to dash to the woods when a frightening "Groaaaaaah!" ruptures the air behind us. It's Misha the thornspike bear, standing on its hind legs, forelegs extending to the atmosphere. The lightning pattern on its body glows and flashes, firing numerous needles in the air.
Oh. We do have one attack.
The dark bird is peppered with needles, causing its feathers to explode. It doesn't die, but the attack hurts enough to cause it to lose balance and plummet slightly. It flutters its wounded wings to stay aerial, then a series of gunfire from more than one source strike the breast of the bird. Some of it was musket fire, but I even saw lasers soar up from the sky. Kureha and the others caught on and put the nail in the bird's coffin as it descends toward the river.
This is our moment.
Kirito and I trade glances, and as soon as he adjusts his weight and position, I rise up and quickly take the stance for Vertical. The motion goes through fluidly as Kirito backs off, throwing Magis off guard, and I sever his fingers and cut through the staff. The double unharmed, I lock eyes with Kirito again. We can still do this. "Everyone, aim for the spot where the bird falls," he shouts as we leap over Magis and race towards Mutasina's ride, heading west twenty yards upstream of the sandbar.
We ignore Mutasina's recovering forces as we leap over the river and cross back to the west bank. To Kirito's left, Asuna joins us, rapier in her hands; Kureha appears to my right, SMG carried like a football. Like me, they were caught by the dark spell this time, evident by the mark around their neck, but the girls do not have a shred of fear in their eyes, only concentration. The personas of the Flash and the Princess race once more alongside the Black Swordsman and Lucky Red towards our enemy.
"Ignore the bird," Kirito says. "We have to stop her before she strikes the ground." I nod as my eyes catch sight of the still-falling bird no more than a hundred feet above us. Assuming she'd leap off before her bird hits the ground, land, and strike the ground with the end of her staff, we'd have ten seconds to attack. I start counting down as I prepare to swing up with the UFG and attack Mutasina from above.
And once I reach five, Mutasina does something insane - she jumps off while the bird is still seventy feet in the air. For a moment, I believe she's nuts. Given her abilities, I doubt she invested much into the Swiftness ability tree, so there's no way she has the Landing ability maxed out at rank 10. She's falling faster than her bird, so she isn't trying to resist the air. Her form straightens out instead of spreading, and she holds her staff down and out.
At the same time, the four of us realize what she's doing. Kureha stops, hoists her gun, and starts shooting at Mutasina as the rest of us continue to chase. Kirito and Asuna start the Sonic Leap and Shooting Star sequence as I'm lifted up into a tree, land on a branch, and begin to bounce off with Vertical ready to go. Yet, before any of us could launch ourselves forward, the bottom of Mutasina's staff touches a large one on the ground...