October 18th, 2024 (Floor 74: Labyrinth)
"Where the heck is this boss room?" Maisie moaned. "We've been all over this labyrinth..."
"Hey, at least Argo's getting plenty of data," I said with a shrug. Argo paid well for good info and map data. By cataloguing monsters, attack patterns, potential traps, and other details about the labyrinth, Argo got solid info and we got a good discount on future deals.
"I hope we find it today," Asuna murmured from her place in the vanguard. She had been going back and forth from the labyrinth to Grandzam, the headquarters of the Knights of the Blood Oath, ever since Silica's birthday. Today was the first day she's been able to get away easily for nearly a week. "I don't know how much more Kuradeel will put up with."
"I don't like that guy," Heidan said decisively, tightening his hands around his hammer. "Skulking around your house like that... He's a creep."
"It's the guild's policy that all higher ups have a bodyguard."
"Yeah, but I'm sure you can get one that isn't a stalker. I feel like he's more liable to attack you than anything in this labyrinth."
"Hey, at least Kirito beat him up," Blake said with a smirk. Kirito scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"I didn't beat him up..."
"No, you just totally destroyed his sword," Maisie corrected, smothering a laugh. Her laugh died quickly as she looked further down the path. "No way... We found it!"
"Should we scout it out?" Heidan was looking at me and I glanced around before smiling.
"Yeah, we might as well. Everyone grab a teleport crystal and let's move in." I opened up my menu, quickly going into Friends and sending Argo the updated map data. She'd probably let the top clearers know so they'd know to stage a strategy meeting.
We approached the door and, crystals in hand, I tried hard to not think of the 50th floor boss. We had only meant to scout that fight too and we ended up fighting the boss on our own. This was different though. That fight had been one of the 25-50-75-100 floors. The boss in here, regardless of what it was, wouldn't be as relatively hard. Hopefully.
The room was dark inside but blue torches quickly lit themselves, filling the room with a deathly glow. In the center of the room, towering all of us, was a monster. It was a hideous demon with blue skin and a cobra for a tail. Goat horns grew out of its forehead and a massive zanbato was clenched in one of its clawed hands.
Four HP bars appeared next to the boss's head along with the name "The Gleam Eyes."
The Gleam Eyes roared and swung its zanbato.
"Run!"
I wasn't sure exactly who said it, but we all fled the boss room, running back to one of the few safe zones in the labyrinth. Once back in safety, all of us collapsed. Nymer rubbed up against me, agitated and still giving off a low growl. Silica was holding onto Pina for dear life and I found myself reconsidering whether I really wanted her in a boss fight or not.
"That one's gonna be tough," Asuna managed to say.
"Yeah, no kidding... It had four HP bars. We'd have to have tanks and shields up front and kick switching just to wear it down," I agreed.
"Shields..." Asuna hummed. She turned her attention to Kirito. "What's up with you, by the way? The biggest advantage of having a one-handed sword is to be able to use a shield as well. I don't use one because it would slow me down too much to use my rapier effectively and Riva doesn't use one because her sword isn't her primary weapon, but what about you?"
"I- uh..." Kirito began to twitch and looked much relieved when Asuna merely shrugged it off and offered everyone lunch. I accepted the proffered sandwich hungrily; Asuna was an amazing cook and it was a rare opportunity that she cooked for the Hunters.
Just as we were finishing lunch, the Fuurinkazan wandered into the safe zone, all of them looking exhausted. I looked up and waved at them.
Kirito had introduced me to the clearing guild a while ago. Apparently, he had helped their guild leader- Klein- gain some experience on the first day of SAO. Klein had shared that experience with his guildmates and the Fuurinkazan has been staying strong ever since. Klein and the boys were nice people but they could be a little... weird.
"Kirito! Guys! Still alive, I see?" Klein called, jogging to meet us.
"You look dead on your feet, man. What happened to you?" I asked, getting to my feet to offer the man a hug. He ignored me, immediately fangirling over Asuna, just like the rest of the Fuurinkazan boys. I sighed, shaking my head. "You're gonna get in trouble one of these days, Klein..."
"Riva," Maisie said quickly. I turned in time to see a new group pass through into the safe zone. "Is that... the Army?"
"I haven't seen them since the 25th floor," Heidan murmured. Taka nodded, his brow furrowed.
"The Army was another guild that got nearly destroyed. Over half of it, I believe," he said quietly. Silica hugged Pina closer.
"That's so awful... But what are they doing here? I thought they were still on the first floor."
"At ease!" one of the men in full armor shouted. The others, which had been staying in line as they kept up with their leader, immediately collapsed and started talking, assuming they weren't trying to catch their breath. The man walked up and Silica winced. She had been one of the SAO orphans. She probably had some bad experiences with Army thugs and I stepped in front of her protectively as the Army approached. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Corvatz with the Aincrad Liberation Army."
"Riva, alpha of the Hunters of Artemis. Klein, leader of the Fuurinkazan. Asuna, second in command of the Knights of the Blood Oath. What do you want?"
"Intel. Have you cleared the rest of the dungeon yet? Have you found the boss room?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Hand over the map data and we'll be on our way." The man held his hand out expectantly and I raised an eyebrow. Was he seriously trying to intimidate me?
"You seriously think I'm just going to hand it over? No. You can wait until the strategy meeting, when all of the clearing guilds have an opportunity to give information."
"We share our resources and information with civilian players all the time and we don't charge a cent! We maintain order in the chaos of battle so that all players can leave this world as quickly as possible! Therefore, it's your duty to cooperate with us!" he shouted back at me. I glared back at him.
"I don't care about your money and I don't have any duty to you. Get out of here and wait for the strategy meeting."
"That is my decision to make," Corvatz growled. I threw my hand out and pointed to his men.
"You see those players?! There are lives in the balance here, idiot! We looked into that room and saw the boss and you guys are nowhere near powerfully or prepared to take him on without dying! Your troops are already half dead!"
"They won't quit until I say so! Now hand over the map data!"
I stared into the man's eyes, calculating exactly how serious this man was. I could either give him the map data or not. Giving it to him would either encourage him to take on the boss. Not giving it to him might mean he wastes more time in the labyrinth, exhausting his men, but still tries to take on the boss when he finds it. He wasn't going to leave without blood spilled but, at this rate, the lives lost wouldn't matter.
"I have a proposition. We'll lead you to the boss room in person. You can even peek inside if you want. But no one goes in. You don't fight it. You run and you run fast. The Hunters are a top clearing guild, second only to the Knights and that's just because we're small in numbers. We saw that thing, and we ran. I am not telling you this to hurt your pride but to save your lives. You. Aren't. Ready."
"Hmph! I'll be the judge of that!" Corvatz decided. He hesitated for a moment before complying. "Men! On your feet. You. Lead the way."
"We'll come along," Klein decided with a sly smile. "Keep an eye on you all."
I translated to "see Asuna in action for a little longer" and I sighed but shrugged. Asuna wasn't a Hunter. Random guys ogling her wasn't really a concern of mine.
We made it to the boss room in good time. Corvatz opened the door and waited, true to his word. When the room was illuminated by torchlight and the boss appeared, though, he smirked.
"Charge!" he ordered. I stood at the doorway, shocked, for a few crucial seconds as the Army men and women followed in after their leader.
"You idiots!" I shouted. "Retreat! Use your crystals; get out!"
"The Aincrad Liberation Army doesn't know the word retreat!" Corvatz declared. The Gleam Eyes roared, unleashing a breath attack before swinging his zanbato into the center of the Army's forces. Players were sent flying and one of them landed just in front of us.
It was Corvatz. His helmet shattered and he managed to say one more word before he shattered into light.
"Impossible."
"Oh, fuck it! Hunters! Support! Squad A, left flank. B, right! Asuna, Kirito, with me! Primary assault! Wolves, evac Army!" I drew my staff, running into the boss room. With some trepidation, the Hunters followed me in.
We engaged the Gleam Eyes just as he was about to unleash another attack on the vulnerable Army players. With the force of the Hunters, we distracted him just long enough for the wolves and the Fuurinkazan to get the Army out of the boss room but we weren't as lucky as I would have hoped. Asuna was flung away first, sent flying by a massive fist. Maisie was next, hit by the flat of the zanbato. Both survived and, in the short glances I could spare away from the boss, Blake and Silica were taking care of them.
Crystals didn't work. They didn't work! Of course they didn't work.
Brightroar was knocked against my leg as I swung my staff into the Gleam Eyes's leg and I forced myself to breathe.
There was no way for us to get out. Even if we managed to make it back into the labyrinth, we'd be lunch for anything waiting between the boss room and the safe zone. We had to kill it, somehow. We needed to pull out all the stops.
"Kirito! Fall back! You need to use it!" I shouted as he finished a salvo against the boss. His head snapped in my direction, his eyes wide as they darted towards Klein and Asuna.
"But-"
"But nothing! Now move! I'll cover for you!"
"Not alone, you won't!" Klein growled, sprinting up to follow me as I started moving towards the Gleam Eyes. I abandoned my staff in favor of Brightroar. It was the weapon I needed at this stage of a fight.
"She's never alone!" Maisie pointed out a little angrily. She buckled under her shield when the Gleam Eyes's zanbato skirted too close but she remained steady. She, Taka, and Heidan returned their focus to the attack, drawing the Gleam Eyes's attention while Klein and I moved under his defenses.
The Gleam Eyes had four bars of health at the start of the battle and, by the time Kirito leapt back in, he was down to one. I was exhausted but I wasn't about to let Kirito and all his overpoweredness cover for the guild.
"Starburst Stream!" he yelled. On the other hand… I hesitated, drawing back. That wasn't a sword skill I wanted to be anywhere near.
"Kirito, switch!" I ordered as soon as the combo was finished. He needed to breathe and the Gleam Eyes wouldn't have given him the chance. I jumped into his place, a sword skill already activated and I unleashed my most powerful move: the same technique that had gotten me into so much trouble with the 50th floor boss. I'd worked out the kinks though and came prepared this time. I sliced and slashes into the Gleam eyes and, at the end of the final strike, I used the slight lag to draw the hunting knife from my belt. I threw the knife and it sunk into the Gleam Eyes's left arm. I smirked and, when the Gleam Eyes twisted to attack me, I was flung out of his reach.
The knife had been Blake's idea of course. Attached to me by a thin wire, when the Gleam Eyes flung out his left arm to prepare his attack, the wire had tightened and I was pulled out of harm's way. With the momentum I had from being yanked to the side, I sliced the wire and let myself fall as Kirito flung himself forward to deal the final blow.
I hit the ground roughly but I was on my feet just as Kirito started to fall. I sprinted forward and caught him just before he hit the ground.
"Idiot," I growled at the unconscious idiot. I reached into my pocket and grabbed a potion, forcing him to drink it. After a few seconds, he regained consciousness and his battle healing kicked into overdrive. "You fucking idiot. What are you doing, almost dying? It's not like we have a revival item at the ready anymore!"
Everyone rushed up to join us and Asuna pulled Kirito into a tight hug, crying.
"You reckless idiot!"
I looked up to Blake and she looked down, knowing what I was after.
"We lost Corvatz and two of his men. Everyone else has been treated and is ready to go when you are... I- We hadn't lost anyone in a boss fight since floor 67," Blake muttered. Klein scowled.
"That wasn't a boss fight; that was suicide! Corvatz was a fool for thinking he could take that thing!" Klein paused, shaking his head. His attention went to Kirito, who was drinking another potion that Blake threw at him. "And you're not off the hook either! What the hell did you just do?"
"I... I don't think you want to know," Kirito said slowly.
"Oh, come on! I've never seen anything like that before!"
"It's an extra skill," Kirito said, looking away. "Dual wielding."
"Argo called it a unique skill. We've all tried learning it since he found out we had it, but it just doesn't work. We all agreed to just keep quiet about it and only have him use it when it was really needed. I didn't want anyone painting a target on his back for something he can't explain," I said. Klein nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah, I guess some MMO players would get jealous... I can see why... Alright then. We're gonna go activate the teleport gate. You guys in?"
"We'll follow you later," I decided, looking around. "75 is probably going to be tough and I want to make sure the rest of the Army gets out of the labyrinth safely."
"Suit yourselves... I'll see you guys around. Stay alive."
"You too, Klein." I glanced down to see Asuna still holding Kirito in a tight hug and I suddenly felt like I was interrupting something. I retreated to the side, where the Hunters were moving through the Army ranks.
"Seems like there's some tension in the Army," Heidan mumbled to me. "Thinker, that guy who lead MMO Today, is trying to keep the Army out of the shadier aspects of floor one but our old pal Kibaou is not having it. This whole thing was all Kibaou's idea of a power play."
"I see... Are you proposing another trip down to floor one?"
"Someone has to help sort this out. Floor 75 won't be going anywhere without us," Heidan said with a shrug. I sighed, nodding.
"It definitely won't be... Taka! Send word to the other clearers that the boss has been defeated and that the Fuurinkazan is on their way to activate the teleport gate. If anyone asked about casualties, have them talk to me. We need to stem information flow or the non-clearers might get antsy."
It was hard to figure out what to tell the non-clearers. We didn't want to scare them but we also didn't want to lie. Our best bet was somewhere in the middle and that was how the clearers worked since the 25th floor.
"Kirito. We're moving out when you're ready," I told him. He nodded and looked between Asuna and I. When they got to their feet, Asuna stepped forward and gave me a tight hug as well.
"Thank you," she whispered in my ear. I hugged her back but frowned, confused.
"For what?"
"For keeping him safe. If... if he was still a solo player, who knows what would have happened," she told me in a low voice. She pulled out of the hug, holding me by the shoulders as if to look at me. "I'm taking a leave of absence from the Knights of the Blood Oath. Guess you'll be stuck with me for a little longer, right?"
"Glad to be stuck," I responded with a smile.
Updated 22:18, 1.27.2022