Disclaimer: I appreciate and honor the fact that you are taking the time to read my story. I thank you for any reviews, follows, and favorites. Please enjoy this story after the following disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online, nor do I own any of its characters. Sword Art Online belongs to Reki Kawahara, ASCII Media Works, and the SAO Project. Please support the official release. Reviews, Follows, and Favorites are highly appreciated.
Character Ages
Kirito- 16 (October 7th, 2008)
Asuna- 17 (September 30th, 2007)
Sinon- 16 (January 17th, 2009)
Jace- 17 (February 13th, 2008)
Chapter 6
Wednesday, December 12th, 2022. Continent: Ianides. Outskirts of Babel.
A thin mist rolled over the ground just meters from the city of Babel. The faint sunlight cast a shadow through the fog, shrouding the area in a mysterious aura that seemed that seep into the players around Kirito. Though they had done this before, the conditions caused by the rainfall from the night before made the players slightly uneasier than the time before. And in the midst of it all, Kirito was deep in thought as he waited for the time to reach exactly 6:00 in the morning–when they would all storm in and take the city.
It was funny that all of the other players felt uneasy, Kirito thought. After all, he–along with the Army called «The School of Swordsmen»–were the ones that had to move the fastest. The only people that would have trouble were the Stormers, who would be dashing about and shooting at anything green that moved in just under fifteen minutes. Internally, the boy hoped that Kibaou, who was speaking arrogantly to members in his Squadron just to Kirito's right, would be mistaken due to the green helmet and combat pants, but his brown long-coat made him much less likely to be thought of as a Xylote.
Kirito glanced over at Asuna, who looked like she'd gotten a nicer Light Rifle. It was about as long as his «Pyrolith Anneal Blade,» and blacker than the sky. It gleamed in the fading moonlight as Asuna rest its barrel against the ground, not wanting to waste her strength by hefting the heavy looking rifle around. She was smart indeed; a few of the members of the «Warlord Division» seemed to be getting tired from lugging around their ironically named light machine guns. She caught sight of him and waved with a serious look. Had the situation not been so tense, she might have smiled. After all, there were only a few moments until they'd be heading out. The only person who didn't look tense at all was directly beside her.
The leader of the «Knights of the Blood Oath,» known to most as Heathcliff, seemed to be doing just fine. He wasn't at all stressed by the massive obstacle in front of them, but rather seemed as though he couldn't wait, and stood there impatiently. Kirito couldn't understand the man, but in a way, he wanted to get the Clearing done as soon as possible.
Kirito looked at his squadron closely, examining every member. He was with two other Stormers, four Snipers, fifteen Commandos, ten Warlords, three Closers, and five Riflemen, along with an equal number of NPC's in each group–a unit made up of forty NPC's and players that included his friends along with various others. Out of the four-hundred people/NPC's in the Clearers, Kirito could say with confidence he'd gotten an upper-level group of players that wouldn't need to be babysat.
The ten groups each were planned to take a «District» in the city, of which there were ten: Agrarian, Business, Economic, Educational, Entertainment, Governmental, Historical, Market, Military, and Residential. Each of them was about a kilometer in area give or take, and with the density of Xylotian residents, there would be anywhere from two hundred to five hundred in each of the sectors. Kirito's team's target was the «Historical District,» which wouldn't be too full if Argo's research was correct.
Before he had time to think about the specifics of the plan any further, Heathcliff–who had become a type of general in regards to the Clearers–raised a hand and made a gesture recognized by most military groups as the "Forward" command. Without second thought, each of the four hundred players moved forward with their squadrons to their destinations with the NPC's in tow; they only had ten minutes to get into position, nine when they considered that they would have to be ready to storm at precisely 6:00 AM.
Kirito was unsure how the NPC's could follow Heathcliff's orders immediately. Due to their coding, they should have moved at about the time when they recognized the other soldiers moving forwards. This would have been a lag of about a second or two, but the NPC's moved just like a regular player would. The boy shrugged it off though and he and his troops moved to the northern side of the city.
Each Major city was made up of the ten «Districts,» but they looked different in every city. With a skill Argo had learned–«Domestication»–she used a neutral bug/rodent cross of a mob called a «Vermite» to scout the city. The city had the same basic setup as Nefaria, but with a few minor details in buildings. This would be no problem for «The Rat,» however, as she had trained the «Vermite» to map each district. Thanks to this, Kirito and his Squadron had an accurate map of their objective.
Kirito nodded at Jace, who had the largest presence in their squadron, and materialized the map data on a large poster-type material. The blonde then stood up and moved in front of everyone.
"Alright, Beta Team," he started with a slight yawn. "Let's go over the plan one more time. Each of you is going to be put into a Squadron depending on your fighting style. The names are gonna be «Fighting-style-name Division» with the exception of the Sniper unit, which will be referred to as «Overwatch.» None of the alpha beta gamma shit that Heathcliff makes us use."
At this, some of the other Soldiers chuckled. But Jace continued, not letting the situation get too far from the seriousness that it deserved.
"We Stormers are going to be going along the wall until we get to the center of the southern side, when we'll go back up to the heart of the district where the coliseum is. Then we'll go down the middle there, and head out generally, killing the rest of the Xylotes.
"Riflemen and Closers are going to be working very closely together, and I do indeed see what I did there," Jace continued, stopping them from laughing at his unintentional pun before they could start. "The «Rifleman Division» will storm in and head directly to the heart of the «District» to the coliseum. There, your job is to set up Operation Base for a while until we, the «Stormer Division,» can get back from our mission.
"The «Commando Division» will escort the «Rifleman Division» to the coliseum and guard them while they get set up. Once they are set up, leave them in the care of the «Closer Division» and head to the southern edge of the District. Then split up into two groups, one with Bellator as leader, and the other as Kane.
"The «Stormer Division» will be traveling around the edges of the «District» to the southern side before coming back up to the middle. There are six players and six NPCs, so each team gets three of each. Kirito and I will travel with an NPC and take the east side to escort Kratos and Sinon to the northwest and southwest towers respectively. The other half of you will. Then we'll meet up with the others at the south side before heading to the center where we'll rendezvous with the «Commando Division.»
"«Overwatch,» you will each be given an NPC partner and take one of the towers at each corner of the «Historic District.» Your first priority is to guard our asses in the «Stormer Division.» If we're in the clear, then move on to trouble spots with the «Commando Division» before taking out standalone Xylotes. Then the hunting order is Xylotes with Weapons, high level Xylotes, and then everyone else.
"Finally, we have the «Warlord Division.» Your mission is to provide us with support from our flanks. Even with protection we'll still get shot, and if «Regeneration» isn't enough to take care of the HP loss then we'll rely on you to be «Medics.» Then once we meet up with the «Commando Division,» we'll need you to take care of the «Rifleman and Closer Divisions.»"
Kirito watched as Jace took a deep breath and wiped away imaginary sweat. "Any questions before we head out?" But as the two looked over the crowd, not a single hand was raised. "In that case we should have about two or three more minutes until the Clearing starts, but I just want to say one more thing.
"More importantly than fighting hard, be conscious of where you are: on the front lines of the battle for the liberation of all players," Jace finished. "Fight safely. Always guard the person to your right, and take his safety as a priority. Give up the EXP from the Xylote far away, even if it's an easy kill to protect your teammate."
The soldiers in front of the blonde nodded before turning to each other and nodding what could have been their final salutes to each other. Kirito walked to the boy who had been selected as a team leader and reached for a high five. "You did really well going over the plan," he said. "It only looks really complicated, but I actually understand."
Jace nodded. "I figure with four Player-Snipers in each corner of the map, we have a better chance of taking care of everyone's blind spots," He said, checking the clock in the upper-left hand corner of his vision. "Only about a minute left now. You ready?"
"Yeah," Kirito answered. "You?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."
Kirito found his response confusing. Jace was likely only second to him and perhaps Heathcliff in terms of prowess. His first thought had been that the blonde had spoken with sarcasm, but looking up at the boy's haggard eyes revealed that he was as serious as the grave. How could he be unprepared? "Are you worried?" the raven-haired boy asked.
"Look at these people, Kirito," Jace whispered. "Every one of them has someone that will miss them if they go. No matter if they're good or bad, policeman or murderer, every one of them has a loved one. If any of them die due to my plan, how could I bear the weight on my shoulders? It's my duty to make sure every last one of them logs out after the final battle on Oablion. It's my duty to make sure they arrive safely at home."
This was a man that was put in a position of power, as temporary as it was, and hated it. It ate at his soul. How could it be that he hated something so widely sought out over the world?
Before Kirito answer his own question, the clock in his vision reached 6:00 AM.
Resisting the urge to cry out in battle, the soldiers headed to the gate where two Xylotes stood guard. From Kirito's right came a flash followed immediately by a loud crack as one of the Snipers fired a round into the one on the right. Kirito himself activated a Sword Skill called «Rage Spike» to take care of the second guard, leaping forward as he was shrouded by the red light and slashing upward under the alien's armpit.
The inside of the «Historic District» was as Kirito had seen from Jace's map: rectangular in shape, about one hundred meters east to west and two hundred north to south. From the northern entrance, the coliseum–which took up about an eighth of the district–was already visible along with the four towers in each corner.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Kirito saw a flash and instinctively rose his «Pyrolith Anneal Blade» to block the shot–narrowly saving Jace from a bullet in the chest. On top of the wall twenty meters to Kirito's right was a Xylote bearing a Light Rifle. It let out a screech and steadily, alien after alien came crawling from the woodworks.
"«Rifleman, Closer, and Commando Divisions,» to the center!" Jace called over the alarms that had started going off. "«Stormer and Warlord Divisions» and «Overwatch A,» on me! Move, move, move!"
For now, Kirito didn't have to worry too much about Xylotes, as the ones that were starting to come towards them were too far away for him to stab at. He could take out the one on the wall, however. If he could just get a running start…
"Jace!" Kirito shouted. "I've got the one on the wall!"
"I'll cover you!" the blonde replied as he knelt on the ground to stabilize his shots. He turned to the wall where the Xylote that had ruined his plan came from and fired at some of the ones who were protecting him from the ground. "Go now!"
Kirito nodded and dashed towards the corner at an angle. I should have the stability, he thought as he gritted his teeth an increased his speed. If I can just get there untouched…
Kirito saw a red light in front of his face and instantly ducked, sliding on his knees as a bullet flew past his face. He silently thanked Kayaba for implementing the «Bullet Prediction Line» and rolled, pushing himself up. The sound of shattering glass in the distance told him that Jace had indeed protected him–though almost too late.
The raven-haired swordsman was only about ten meters to the wall when a Xylote jumped in front of him, slashing at the boy's legs. Kirito barely managed to jump over before swinging his sword at the green alien with a powerful «Slant» attack. Much to Kirito's surprise–and dismay–the Xylote blocked with a «Plasmid Sword» of his own. An HP bar sprung to life in front of the boy's eyes along with a name: «Xylotian Knight.»
Kirito groaned and threw his body to the right as the knight stabbed directly where his face had been a half second ago, then jumped over the low swing that followed immediately after. He dashed to the side and hacked down with another «Slant,» but the green homoreptillian intercepted the blade with his own before giving another stab at Kirito's stomach.
Kirito parried and swung with a «Vertical» that the knight flicked back up before cutting down at his head. Kirito raised his sword blocking the blow before moving in for another stab, this time driving the point into the knight's shoulder. Only about a fifth of the green lizard's HP went dark and he seemed to just get faster after the strike.
Kirito ducked under the blue sword of his opponent and spun, swinging his «Pyrolith Anneal Blade» in a full circle that the knight couldn't jump over. It whittled away another tenth, sending the alien into the blue zone that marked less than seventy-five percent. Then the knight went on the offensive, slashing at Kirito's hip. The boy blocked the sword with a firm grip before slashing up into the alien's face, who dodged all by a hair of the blade, chipping away a miniscule amount of ammo.
Suddenly a blur of red filled the Black Swordsman's vision and he grabbed the Xylote's arm, swinging himself around the surprisingly muscular body before hearing a bullet from the alien at the top of the wall splash into its stomach. The knight dropped to fifty percent, but seemed to not lose its concentration as it slashed at Kirito's shoulder.
With a duck and a slash at the legs to try and confirm the theory, Kirito found that he could only use the same move once without the knight catching on. The «Xylotian Knight» then stabbed at Kirito's stomach which the boy only managed to evade by an awkward half body throw, followed by a «Vertical» that the knight easily blocked, even countering with a «Horizontal» that bit into Kirito's shoulder.
The boy's HP fell to the blue zone, but he didn't care. He stabbed hard at the Xylote, following the point of its own blade. A risky move, but worth it overall; the two swords met and the «Xylotian Knight» took a blow to his HP before faltering due to a «Stun Effect.» This was all the boy needed to cut down the knight into the red zone. Running forward, Kirito plunged the blade deep into the knight's stomach. He pulled it through the now dead body's side and sheathed it, continuing until the body shattered to sprint at the wall again.
Carefully but quickly, Kirito jumped up, throwing his feet to the each of the two walls and using his hands to climb up. A bullet hit the boy in his forearm, but thankfully his energy shield took bullet damage. «Plasmid Swords» were the only type of weapon that passed the protection of an energy shield.
With continued vigor, Kirito climbed the rest of the way up the wall and threw Jace a glance. The Xylotes were definitely getting closer to his position–which had moved much closer to the corner–but the raven-haired soldier had to take care of the «Royal Guardian» atop the wall that was now staring at him. With a screech, it raised its gun and fired three times.
Time seemed to slow down for Kirito as the bullets moved closer. With the «Bullet Prediction Line» his best friend as usual, he twisted his body around one, blocked the second, and threw his head to the side to dodge the third. Then, in a Japanese near-salute stance, the boy's sword began to glow and he rushed forward, aided by the system as his sword found its way to the heart of the «Royal Guardian.»
Without any further delay, the Black Swordsman dashed off the wall and dove to Jace's position, blocking a bullet from the back of the blonde's head. "I thought you said you were going to guard me!" Kirito said jokingly as he guarded Jace with his sword. "I got hit once!"
"I saved your ass from four other Xylotes!" Jace said with a smirk. "What's your total body count, three? Four, maybe?"
At that moment, two bullets flew at Kirito and he swiped at them with his sword, sending them away parallel to the ground. With the angles that they had been hit, they quickly found their way into two different Xylotes–which shattered immediately. "Five actually, if you want to count those as separate kills," he said.
"Showoff," Jace muttered as he shot the last Xylote in the alley. "Kratos, are you in position?"
"Affirmative," came the voice from the Squadron System Assist. "Kratos is in position. Beginning reign of terror."
Immediately a bullet sliced through the air from the top of a large tower. It flew between Kirito and Jace's faces before crashing against a stealthy «Night Xylote» that they hadn't even seen. Apparently, neither had the «Warlord Division,» as they appeared to be too busy focusing on distant enemies. Then it shattered.
"«Warlord Division!»" Jace barked. "Your job is to guard our asses, not to gain a few hundred more «Col!» Get your head into it! Now it's time to move again! South side, go!"
A few of the soldiers grunted a reply, but one looked toward them and dashed over. "Here to provide medical assistance, sir! How may I be of service?"
"Kirito is in need of some quick HP," Jace said, walking hurriedly southwards along the wall. He looked down the alleyway coming up and then dashed past before continuing. "Then if you could also get your leader, Kingston, we'd be all good. I'm fine."
Kirito glanced at Jace, but there was no indication of any injury on his body.
Without much of a wait, the entire «Stormer and Warlord Divisions,» along with Sinon, moved south along the wall. Sinon focused on the enemies that were at trouble spots later on in the path, with Kratos at the top of the northwestern tower doing the same. The «Warlord Division» seemed to be having a tough time handling the enemies as they got closer, but those in the «Stormer Division» quickly maneuvered around the Xylotes, racking up kills.
Kirito now fully understood why the two divisions had been put together. Most of the «Warlord Division» carried light machine guns–ironically named due to their average weight of fifteen pounds–which had excessive stopping power but lacked mobility. They were difficult to lug around, let alone aim at fast targets close-by. The «Stormer Division» carried smaller guns that could be easily aimed at anyone that came near due to their lower weight. Though they lacked the stopping power of their larger brethren, they more than made up for it with their quick aim.
Kirito continued fighting through the thoroughfares of Babel, plasma cutting through Xylote after Xylote. The reptilian flesh burned and sizzled under his blade, slicing searing scars into their bodies before the let out shrill screams and shattered into prismatic polygons. Kirito didn't let the stench of their burning flesh faze him; he just continued on like a helicopter, swinging the blade of light through air and bone.
After a while of fighting, the group finally reached the southwestern tower. Where the last tower was almost as good as new, this one was nearly crumpling under its own weight. Kirito watched as Jace looked at Sinon and sighed. "Will you be alright?" He asked, his hand twitching at his side.
Sinon nodded. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, you're the one on the ground, remember?" the girl asked with a smile. "Focus on your objective." Without another word, the girl with icy blue hair walked into the open doorway and disappeared in the shadows of the ruinous building.
"She'll be fine," Kirito said, glancing at Jace's hand that seemed to almost gravitate toward the sniper. "Trust me. For now though, we have to worry about getting to the rendezvous point and meeting up with the «Commando Division.»"
Jace nodded slowly and raised his gun, turning toward his objective. Then over the Squadron Assist, he called out to everyone. "Western Overwatch has set up, I repeat, Western Overwatch has set up."
"Thank you, Jace," came the voice of Asuna. "Operations Base is set up as well. We're holding them back, and the «Commando Division» should be at the rendezvous point in two minutes if they haven't had too much trouble."
"We'll be a bit late," the voice of the «Commando Division's» leader, Bellator said. "We ran into a solid wall of the greenies, but I doubt it's anything we can't handle. Wait for us at the rendezvous point."
Kirito walked forward with his group, his eyes scanning around for any sign of Xylotes. He saw another «Xylotian Knight» at the back of a small group that was facing away from him. He had to draw the alien closer; even Kirito knew that he was no match for that many. So with a deep breath he drew a firearm, the « Infiltrator» from his side.
The gun was a pistol, black in color and slightly weighty in his hands. As far as Kirito knew it was modeled after the Colt M1911, the main firearm of the United Sates Army. Its twelve round magazine was full of bullets, but the boy only needed one. It wasn't part of a group encounter; all he needed was one bullet to bring it closer.
Kirito raised the gun, remembering to keep both of his eyes open and leveled his gun horizontal to the ground. In his field of vision came a circle that had the «Xylotian Knight» in the center, but he knew it wasn't enough. He had to slow it down to something that would not likely miss. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes in an attempt to slow his heart rate. It took a moment, but he finally got it to a size he wanted; a green circle pulsated between the size of a baseball and a softball, centered on the Xylote's back armor. The raven-haired boy then spread his legs, planted his body to the ground, and fired.
The recoil shot through his arm, though it didn't throw him off much due to his high STR stat. The red Bullet Prediction Line whizzed in front of him, landing on the small of the «Xylotian Knight's» back. Within the time Kirito could take his sword in his left hand, the bullet had soared from the handgun's muzzle with a flash and rapidly barreled towards its target.
In a flash, the «Xylotian Knight» turned around and slashed the bullet clean into two separate pieces. Kirito stepped back in shock as the Xylote crouched down and threw itself forward with breakneck speed. The boy barely had time to raise his sword in a pitiful block before the alien was on top of him with a massive «Slant» that jarred Kirito's bones.
Kirito let the force of the blow send him backwards, increasing the distance between the two. The «Xylotian Knight» had exhibited incredible speed that had far surpassed his expectations. He only knew of one thing that could result in a mob that was this fast. But he hadn't expected to see one this early in the game–in a Clearing for a major city, no less.
«Variants» were Xylotes that were balanced differently stat-wise than most of the others of the same type. Most of the stats were low, except for one stat that was exponentially higher. They were marked by different colors depending on which stat was elevated; white for Agility, black for Strength, brown for Vitality, yellow for Dexterity, pink for Luck, and a dark orange for Charisma.
The «Xylotian Knight» was wearing armor that covered most of its milky white skin, which was why Kirito hadn't recognized it as a «Variant.» The fact that it had sliced the bullet in two had also immensely troubled him; he had shot it with a pistol. These Clearings were supposed to be balanced for the levels of the players, and with the few players that used «Plasmid Sword» type weapons, the odds of one of these players encountering this mob were slim. The only gun that could potentially kill it was a sniper's first bullet, and the odds of a sniper going for the «Xylotian Knight» were almost as slim as there being a swordsman around to encounter it.
Ever since his speech, Kirito had known that Kayaba wanted the players of GWO to clear the game. It was evident by his advice, by the implementation of the NPC Soldiers that assisted them in the Clearings, by the way he added the Bullet Prediction Line to help the players. If that was true, if it all wasn't just a ploy to screw with their heads, then why would we have added a «Variant» so damn hard to kill in the second city?
Kirito felt rage from his confusion coursing through his veins. Adrenaline flowed through him like a river causing his perception of time to decrease. Everything was moving slower–no, it was that his mind was processing of all the information faster. The «Xylotian Knight» moved forward slightly slower and swung its sword down in another «Slant» attack.
The raven-haired soldier swung his sword up, parallel to his chest. The swords clashed, causing sparks to fly left and right. But the swords did not halt. Kirito was already on the offensive with a hack at the «Variant's» leg. The white Xylote moved to intercept the blow, but hadn't counted on Kirito's attack to be a feint followed by a «Slant» of Kirito's own that cut from its left ribcage up to its right shoulder.
The «Xylotian Knight» stumbled backwards, barely able to keep from falling over as its HP trickled down by thirty percent. It righted itself at the last possible moment and brought its sword so that it would be perpendicular if Kirito used another «Slant.» Kirito expected something like this, but he knew a feint wouldn't affect the knight's AI and any other attack would leave him open for a brief moment. It was a game of chess with only one exception.
Not moving was an option in GWO.
Kirito circled the «Xylotian Knight» clockwise like in an old western movie, the adrenaline rushing through him making the action painfully slow. As the knight mimicked his movements, every muscle in his body was screaming for him to rush in and hack away at the white skin. The only thing stopping him was the knowledge that he was tricking the AI into thinking he preferred trickery and waiting to outright blitzes.
The «Xylotian Knight» suddenly darted five meters to the right, ending up very close to Kirito before cleaving the sword through the air at the boy's head. Kirito, however, ducked quickly under the blue light from the «Horizontal» and rolled around the white armored body in the opposite direction of the blade. He leapt up in a pirouette and sliced the blade deep from the alien's waist up to the same point where his first «Slant» ended. The knight took a harder hit from this second attack, with only half of its HP remaining.
The knight then turned to attack where he assumed Kirito would be–still in midair. But Kirito had not jumped, merely went to his full height before going back into a crouch. As soon as the white knight's sword swung a full foot above the boy's head, he came back up, driving the blade of plasma deep through the alien's armored stomach. A sick boiling noise came immediately to his ears as the monster's intestines heated far past the healthy norm. Then with a shrill screech, the «Xylotian Knight» burst apart into prisms of bright cyan light.
Kirito glanced around himself and saw that the area that he had been fighting in had been cleared by his team. Now they only had to rendezvous with the «Commando Division» a bit farther ahead. The «Stormer and Warlord Divisions» walked forward cautiously to the rendezvous point and found it empty. More than that, the «Commando Division» wasn't even nearby, if they'd followed the plan.
"Alright «Warlord Division,» we're setting up shop here for a bit," Jace called. "Kirito and I will scout the area around here."
Kirito nodded and walked up to the blonde. "I don't like this," he said quietly. "Why aren't they even in sight?"
"I'm not sure," Jace said, hefting his SMG up against his chest as if expecting someone to try and take it. "That's why I'm only suggesting that we go. If we're separated for some reason we still have more than half of us over there and we can call for backup. If they're just late and there's nothing amiss around here, we'll be back by the time they are."
Kirito nodded with an uneasy feeling still in his stomach, but Jace's calm and collected attitude despite the situation made him feel a bit better.
As the two Stormers moved forward, gunshots began to get louder. It was apparent to the duo that the «Commando Division» was just up ahead. And from the sight that Kirito could see, they had found the "rough spot" that Bellator had talked about briefly over the Squadron Assist. A crowd of close to forty Xylotes of all different kinds was gathered in front of a building where Bellator and company were holed up.
"What happened here?" Jace asked in astonishment. "They said they could handle it!"
"We get all the hard work," Kirito muttered as he turned on his sword. "Either way, it's our job to help them out."
"But we don't want to just rush in," Jace interrupted, holding Kirito back with an arm. Before Kirito could interrupt, Jace pulled a small green object similar in size to a baseball from his inventory. "We fight smarter, not harder. Observe."
Jace tapped the item twice, bringing up a blue menu screen that Kirito could only assume was the item's Graphic User Interface. His fingers moved wildly, sliding sliders, switching switches, and checking checkboxes before closing the menu and unceremoniously tossing the item into the crowd.
As soon as the item hit the ground, it exploded in a ball of fiery light that enshrouded the entire crowd. Their silhouettes were barely visible through the intense light, but Kirito wouldn't have seen them anyway; he was forced to turn away from the bright light. Jace just looked on without as much as a squint.
When the explosion subsided, Jace turned to his teammate with a grin. "I just love «Photon Grenades,» don't you?"
The raven-haired boy chuckled nervously and looked over the crowd. Apparently, the grenade was a very strong item because about six of the Xylotes had been killed, ten gained a «Blindness» status effect, and all but about eight of the remaining ones had under half health. Kirito would need to purchase some of those «Photon Grenades» in the very near future.
"Right, I'll take care of the ones with lower HP! You focus on the weaker ones!" Kirito announced as he dashed forward, assuming Jace agreed. He reached the edge of the mob and hacked through one Xylote into the next, like a weed-eater with too much gas. Most of the mobs he could one-shot by using a «Sword Skill» and then linking that skill into another.
The only downside to this was that «Weapon Skills» gave the user something called a «Post-Motion Delay» which rendered the player completely unable to move. The more powerful the «Weapon Skill» was or the more «Weapon Skills» were linked together, the longer a player was stuck in a state of immobility.
A surge of yellow electrical charges traveled over the Black Swordsman's skin in an almost cartoon-like manner, signifying the «Post-Motion Delay» had started. Kirito would be stuck standing still for eight whole seconds. Thankfully, since Kirito was able to guess which «Weapon Skill» was the last that could be linked, he used it to create distance between the mobs and himself. When added to the fact that Jace had his back, Kirito wasn't in any trouble at all.
The process went on for a surprisingly long amount of time. Kirito would hack through a lot of Xylotes and kill around three or four before being hit with another «Post-Motion Delay,» when Jace would again cover for him. Then as soon as he recovered Jace would go for the weaker Xylotes and Kirito would continue razing the enemy line.
Eventually, the crowd blocking the door thinned out more and more until Kirito was able to draw the last of the humanoid lizard creatures from the door. Jace kicked through the door and crawled around the makeshift barricade before disappearing in the darkness of the dome. Kirito then focused solely on his opponents.
Kirito was up against four Xylotes armed with shotguns. Each of them had just under half of their HP remaining and were leveled high enough to be considered a decent threat for any of the average players that fought in the Clearings. Luckily, Kirito was leagues ahead of even the average level for Front-liners.
Kirito felt a small red point of light on the small of his back, followed by two on his chest and a fourth on his right arm. In a split second, the boy crouched and sprang up with all his might, about four feet into the air. The shots flew all around his feet, but he didn't lose even a single Shield Point.
As the boy hit the ground in a crouch just as he had before, he brought up his sword level with his head and pointed the tip straight at one of the Xylote's that had shot at his chest. His sword glowed a deep shade of purple as he flew forward like a large bullet thanks to his «Rage Spike» attack. The system brought his sword forward all the way to the alien's body before slashing upward with a force so great, he was launched into the air. Then, pointing his sword straight down, he activated another skill called «Lightning Fall» which sent him crashing to the ground, sword penetrating deep into the ground as blue sparks radiated in every direction.
The attack itself was not strong, but «Lightning Fall» gave those in range a very brief «Paralysis Effect» that would give him just enough time for one of the attacks he saved for moments just like this: «Vertical Arc.»
«Vertical Arc» was a relatively weak attack, but the way that it created a "V" formation in the air meant that it was great for crowd combat. If Kirito aimed the skill in just the right way, he could strike two Xylotes in one hit and do a hefty amount of damage. And so, as Kirito's «Pyrolith Anneal Blade» began to glow a bright shade of red, the Black Swordsman knew that the battle would soon be over.
All three of the Xylotes that he had directly attacked shattered as soon as the light faded from his sword. Now all that remained was a single Xylote armed with a shotgun, who fell quickly due to a simple strafe-and-stab.
With the last of the enemies dispatched, Kirito glanced around in search for any other mobs in the nearby area before he returned his attention to the domed building. Something made Kirito uneasy about the dome, but his objective was to rescue the «Commando Division» and bring them back to where they had set up. Shivering off his concerns about the dimly lit building, he followed in Jace's footsteps and entered the building.
The domed building was smaller than Kirito had expected. There were a few columns that held up the floor of the second level and an array of benches with a thick layer of dust. The Black Swordsman used his «Perception» skill to check the room for any signs of life, but found none and turned his attention to the stairwell at the far end of the room.
Even without the «Tracking Mod» (which Kirito would soon get if he ground his «Perception» skill up a few more levels), Kirito could tell that a bunch of people had headed to the second floor. Footprints from what Kirito guessed were more than twenty people led up the marble-like structure of the stairs.
With caution, Kirito made his way up the stairwell, peeking around the corners. He hadn't expected to find Jace and Bellator along with the rest of the «Commando Division» sitting on benches laughing and talking.
Kirito hadn't formally met Bellator before. He had known that the leader of the «Commando Division» was in the «Order of Eternal Fire» and that he was high up in the chain of command, but he had always thought of him as a boy of maybe eighteen or nineteen.
Bellator was far from a boy of nineteen. Towering at a massive 6'8" and weighing over two hundred and thirty pounds, he could be described as nothing short of a giant man. He had the faintest of hints of stubble on his chin and had heavy armor that made him look almost like a cyborg. He had a military buzz with a black sweatband across his forehead that made him look incredibly intimidating. In his hands, he held a large Assault Rifle with what looked like a chainsaw under the barrel. It looked like a menacing tool of death, but Bellator's massive size made it seem almost like a toy.
Yet, Kirito felt oddly comfortable with the man, despite his rough appearance.
Bellator glanced in his direction before looking back at Jace. "Is this that Kirito character you've been telling me about?"
Jace nodded and stood, his giant friend rising with him. "Kirito, this is Bellator, leader of the «Commando Division» and Lieutenant Colonel of the Army «Order of Eternal Fire.» Bellator, this is Kirito, solo player and self-proclaimed Beater."
At the word "Beater," Bellator's eyes narrowed and he lumbered closer to the Black Swordsman. "So you're the Beater from the First Campaign," he said slowly.
Kirito looked up nearly a full foot at the behemoth that stood in front of him. His right hand subconsciously went back to the hilt of his «Plasmid Sword» as he bravely nodded. "Yeah; you got something to say about it?"
"I do as a matter of fact," Bellator grunted. Then his grimace changed to a smile as he continued. "You took a lot of heat off of us beta testers. For that, I particularly want to thank you. If you're ever in a jam, message me and I'll be right behind you."
Kirito froze for a moment until her realized that a friend request had popped up in front of his eyes. He cautiously accepted it before he spoke again. "Oh. Uh, thank you," he mumbled, still confused.
"Now, shall we get back to where the «Stormer and Warlord Divisions» are waiting?" Jace asked, heading to the stairs. "I'm sure they'd love to see your pretty face, Bellator."
The entire group laughed and they headed back to the others.
)-0-(
The rest of the Clearing was largely uneventful. Most of the Xylotes that hadn't already been killed by the «Stormer Division» had went for the «Rifleman Division» and been wiped out by Jace and Kirito. The group at the coliseum had held up quite well, and the teams on the other side fared just as well. There had been no deaths other than one NPC sniper who had been right behind Sinon when she dodged a bullet from a Xylote with an extremely powerful rifle, and he would regenerate even by the time they reached the third city.
The battle for the «Historic District» alone had taken their team nearly two hours and the sun was already a fair distance into the sky. Kirito wished that he had purchased shades somewhere, but he shook the thought of as soon as it came into being–they had no real use, so he would be spending his Col on a fruitless piece of garbage. Instead of thinking about sunglasses, he turned to Jace and began to speak, suddenly remembering something from the previous night.
"I saw you go and meet with Argo last night," Kirito said to the blonde. "Something up?"
Jace flinched and turned to look far into the distance. "Nothing that you need to know quite yet," he snipped. "If it does become a concern of yours, I'll tell you."
Kirito bit his lip, but didn't press any further. Jace was usually very easygoing, and if he reacted like this, it must have been very important for whatever the information was to be kept a secret. The raven-haired teenager decided not to press any further.
Kirito and Jace led the others into the heart of the city as soon as they finished clearing the «Historic District» to find it already cleared by a smug looking Kibaou leaning against a wall along with his companion Spiegel. Kirito could feel Jace tensing up as they passed the duo, but he was unsure as to why. It was at this point that the Black Swordsman realized that Jace had glanced at Kibaou when asked about his meeting with Argo. Though he was curious, the raven-haired boy forced himself to forget about it and think about the event that would be coming incredibly soon.
The Opening of the Teleport Gate was an event that even players who rarely left Base Camp attended. Though the «Teleport Gate» would be opened as soon as all of the Xylotes were killed in Babel, the festive event after would celebrate the progress of a new city being available for non-combative players.
As soon as all of the teams completed their missions, Heathcliff sent a message over the Squadron Assist to meet at the heart of the «Governmental District» where the «Command Center» resided. It wasn't hard to find the tall obelisk shape from anywhere in the city, and the map data from Argo's «Termite» helped too. Only two players did not arrive at the tall tower, and though it had indeed been because they were lost, it was not because they had lost their way.
Heathcliff then brought the players a few meters away to a large disc-shaped platform. Heathcliff moved to stand on it and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. "Activate «Teleport Gate: Babel!»"
Instantaneously, the platform began to glow a bright shade of crimson under Heathcliff's feet. A beam of the same color shot high into the sky, penetrating the clouds with intense light. When the light finally faded, Heathcliff stood still, eyes darting to the left as he–and everyone else in all of Aincrad–got the notification that Babel had been cleared.
Kirito watched as the city changed around him. The signs, previously written in Xylose, changed to a language he could read–Japanese, since the Nervegear could tell what the player's mother language was and translate other languages from Earth even as words were being actively spoken with virtually no lag time. NPC's began walking out of homes previously inhabited by Xylotes.
The city of Babel was a beautiful city, indeed.
Players streamed in from the «Teleport Gate» that hadn't even ventured outside of the walls of Base Camp. Merchants came by, looking for potential stores where they could sell their wares to the occasional passerby or find NPC stores with merchandise they could use. A girl with bright pink hair passed them by, and Kirito watched her for a moment before returning his attention to where he was walking.
As soon as the clock struck nine in the morning, the players gathered around Heathcliff to listen to him speak–he was the one who would start the ceremony of the Opening of the Teleport Gate. All was quiet for a brief moment as Heathcliff collected himself, preparing for his first big speech to anyone aside from the Clearers or members of his own Army.
"Friends," Heathcliff started, just loud enough for everyone to hear him. "On this day, we have won, but not without cost. Today, two soldiers died fighting for our freedom. These were real people with families and friends. I knew both of these soldiers personally, and I can say without a doubt that Isuke and Kotaru fought to the very end. They will be missed.
"But we cannot allow ourselves to merely dwell in the sadness that comes from death," he continued, growing louder slowly. "We must continue fighting so that their sacrifices–no, so that their lives–are not spent in vain. We must continue fighting for their sake and for the sake of the thousands of others who have died in this accursed game of death and demise.
"So on this day, rejoice as we come closer to our ultimate goal. We will clear this game and we will make it back to the real world!" Heathcliff finished in a shout. Then, he raised his LMG in one hand and cheers rang through the crowd. This would be an event for the newspapers in Aincrad, Kirito was certain.
The party raged on for close to another hour. As the sun began to set on the horizon, Kirito looked towards the crowd and began thinking. Everyone was having fun here, but he felt oddly out of place. Even though he'd killed nearly fifty Xylotes, he still felt the need to close himself in from the festivities. He decided it was about time to leave. But just as he walked to the western gate that led to the town of «Whiteshadow,» a voice called him by name.
"Kirito!"
The voice was silky and smooth, sending shivers up Kirito's back as he turned around. In her full glory stood Asuna, the girl he had fought with only a few short weeks ago against «Sergeant Illfang» and his sentinels. And of course she was as beautiful as always in her elegant uniform given to her by the «Knights of the Blood Oath» and their leader.
"Hey, were are you going?" she asked. "There's still so much stuff to be done!"
Kirito shrugged and turned back to where the inn was. "I'm not much of one for festivities," he said weakly. "I'll take pictures though if you insist."
"No, dummy!" She laughed. "You have to stay for until the night or you miss the best stuff!"
Kirito looked back at the gate, shifting his weight between his legs subconsciously. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again; he had no reason to argue for his leave other than the real reason.
"Come on, Kirito!" Asuna begged. "You don't want to miss the night life. As soon as the new merchants get settled in, they make bargains! I got a «Plasmid Sword» of my own, a «Rapier Type» one, for only 13,000 Col!"
At this, Kirito's eyes lit up. "You got a «Plasmid Sword» too? But you were using a Light Rifle in the Clearing."
"Just because I bought it doesn't mean I use it frequently. It's more for defense against other players than anything." With that she frowned and cocked her head ever so slightly, staring into Kirito's eyes. "Kirito, I've been meaning to ask… Why do you use a sword? Wouldn't it be safer to use a gun? I know they cut through Energy Shields, but is it really that much of an advantage?"
"I'd say so for sure. Besides, I already have experience with swords from practicing kendo back home," Kirito began to explain. "Plus, they're a lot better than guns at this stage if you're leveled up high enough…"
"Well maybe you could teach me how to use one before the next Clearing?" Asuna asked with a smile. "If it's as much of an advantage as you say it is, it must be worth it."
Kirito suddenly felt something in his stomach. Asuna, a higher-up in the «Knights of the Blood Oath» was asking him to teach her how to use a sword? He knew several guys that would kill to have a chance for the same opportunity–Asuna was one of the more famous female players in the game.
"Well it's really risky, so maybe if you get to a really high level I can teach you in the low-level hunting grounds where there's as little risk as possible," Kirito explained.
Instantly, Asuna's hands were at his collar, gripping him tightly. A look of fury rang through her eyes. "Do you think I'm too weak to take care of myself?" she hissed. "I killed twenty Xylotes today by myself; I can hold my own!"
"No!" Kirito squeaked, waving his hands in front of his face as he turned the same color as strawberry ice-cream. "I just know a ton of guys who would kill me if I got you killed because you're–"
"Because I'm what?" Asuna demanded, tightening her grip.
"Really attractive!" Kirito yelped. Suddenly, Asuna's grip loosened greatly and Kirito nearly fell back on his rear. She looked like she was about to hit him, but he held his hands up again, saying "that's what they say!"
Asuna nodded thoughtfully, breathing hard. Then, she unclenched her fists and took a deep breath. "I suppose that's okay… Thank you."
Kirito nodded and sighed deeply. "Yeah, of course."
Asuna then walked forward, extending a hand to help the Black Swordsman to his feet. "Listen, Kirito, I'm staying here and–this isn't a move, but–I don't want to walk around alone. There are a lot of weird guys out tonight, and despite the fact that the «Ethics Code» protects people from being harassed, I don't want to be put in the situation to begin with again; an old guy already tried to grab me. Would you come with me just until about ten o'clock tonight?"
Kirito felt something in his stomach leap. All of a sudden he felt light-headed and warm in his cheeks. He had been caught off-guard by her sudden offer, and he really wasn't opposed to it. But at the same time, it was much safer for him if he just moved on, making as few connections as possible. He had already left a player named Klein, the leader of a small Army called «Fuurinkazan» behind and he had been the closest thing to a friend Kirito had had in a long time. He began to stammer as she grabbed his hand and pulled him up slowly. "Um, I mean–I could uh–if you want, I–"
"Great!" Asuna said with a bright smile, turning around and skipping away. "Come on, we've got stuff to do!"
Suddenly Kirito realized what he had agreed to and groaned. "No, wait–ugh. And she's gone." Then with a sigh, the Black Swordsman followed the girl with chestnut hair into the market district.
Author's Notes
Okay, so the Clearing was pretty fun to write, but it took a lot of time and effort. I'm almost certain that there were a lot of flaws, but I'm gonna do my best to explain everything that doesn't make a lot of sense and fix what needs to be fixed. But first, the news.
We have our first OC! Meet Bellator, the Lieutenant Colonel of the «Order of Eternal Fire.» I really liked the character, from the model to what I think he can add. His OC App was just right and I have no problem writing him (even if only in small doses so far). If I had to make a comparison to what I plan for him to be, I would say he'll be to Jace what Agil is to Kirito. Granted, few OC's if any will be given main character status, but Bellator is about as close to a main as I plan to get.
Second, I'm thinking about changing the format of the future chapters from one character to multiple points of views. The focus would still be on mainly one character, but others would be added in between a few places, much like in Catsy's Fairy Dance of Death. The characters of Asuna and potentially Argo would also be included if I change the format to multiple viewpoints. The only thing is, I would also have to take out the stats at the end, but I like those and I think others do too. So I will be making a poll on my profile on whether I should keep the chapters the way they are or change the format. I will only leave it open for a week so that I can start on the chapter either way it turns out, because that means it'll be about a month until the next chapter is released, probably half way into March or even early April, considering the date is February 2nd and I'll be busy with a school thing for the first two weeks of March. (A side poll will also be up on Kirito and Asuna/Jace and Sinon)
Now moving onto the areas that I'm going to clarify. I'm going to start with the question that everyone's been asking: Why a sword? Kirito uses a sword for several reasons: first because he practiced kendo for years and was quite good at it before he stopped playing; second because «Photon Sword» type weapons can pass through Energy Shields; and third because he used them when they were introduced in the beta test and liked the feel of them, so he never stopped using them. In essence, he is more comfortable with swords than guns and, as explained in the last chapter, being comfortable is the most important thing in a game where a slip-up can mean eternal death.
Secondly, why was Jace just sitting and chatting with the «Commando Division?» Isn't he a leader blah blahblah blahblah? Yes, he is a leader which is exactly why he did this. What happened off-screen (which isn't quite an applicable term in this case, but whatever), away from Kirito's point of view was Jace calming down the «Commando Division.» They had been cornered by more than forty Xylotes, one of which was faster than any mob they'd seen in the game. At that point, they panicked a bit and rushed off. Jace took the time to calm them down and say they were being rescued.
Now that those two are out of the way, let's get onto the smaller things. Fluff, Kirito's kill-count, the meeting with Argo which was never truly described, Jace's door kick, Photon Grenades, and Variants.
There was a fair amount of fluff for a chapter filled with mostly action. We had a little moment with Jace and Sinon and a fluffy ending between Kirito and Asuna. At this point, I think it would be safe to say that Kirito finds Asuna attractive in her Army's get-up, and the scene at the tower was fairly obvious IMO; Sinon could have been killed by another Xylotian sniper and Jace could have easily been killed by a Xylote. That could have been their last goodbye, and Jace is already a mess since he's been put into a leadership role… which will come up later. *Evil smirk*
Kirito's kill-count seems a bit excessive at nearly fifty, especially if there were maybe four hundred Xylotes in the «Historic District.» He did engage in the encounter where it was forty Xylotes versus him and Jace though too, so he got about twenty five or thirty there–especially when you leave the last ones that Jace ran out on. Then add about ten or so more from traveling along the western wall and ten on the other two walls.
The meeting with Argo will be seen as a flashback from Jace's point of view in the next chapter, don't worry. I will get to it.
Now the next question: If Jace could kick down the door, why couldn't a Xylote just bring it down? And the answer is that they were working on it, but the average level of monsters in the Clearing is about level six or seven. Jace is level twenty-two. As a level twenty two player, his STR stat is much higher than the Xylotes, who had even weakened it almost completely for him. One final push and Jace had it taken care of.
Moving onto the Photon Grenades, yes they are hella overpowered. They are also hella expensive at 2,500 Col a piece. I've got it all levelled out, don't worry. On a side note, the sliders that you didn't get to see has a variety of effects, such as increasing the blast radius at the cost of some power, adding a «Blindness Effect» and a timer/setting to make it stick or not.
Finally, we arrive at the Variants. I feel that I explained this pretty well, but the essence is that they have a boosted stat like Jace's AGI stat due to the «Sky Coat.» Their skin is a different color corresponding to the stat that is boosted, and they have a limited sense of AI.
I appreciate the time that you took to read the story. Please ask any questions you may have (especially ones I've neglected to answer in these notes) in the reviews. I appreciate the follows and favorites, and I really appreciate 1.6K views. Signing off…
Artie Ross
Kirito's Game Data
Level: 28
HP: 1,600 (200+50xlvl=HP, where lvl=level)
Col: 40,725
Pyrolith Anneal Blade- A variant of the Plasmid Sword, used by a group of beta testers called the School of Swordsmen. Not ideal for use without hours of practice.
Isodex Infiltrator- Entry level pistol with low stats; ideal for players below level 14. Real counter-part, Colt M1911.
Black Jeans- Black Jeans with no stat boost.
Black IGAF Shirt- Black shirt with the IGAF Insignia on the chest.
Coat of Midnight- Black long-coat with studded shoulders. The Last Attack Bonus from the first Planetary Boss, «Sergeant Illfang».
Kryptus Type 2- Mid-level Energy Shield available on Ianides. Has a low health, but gives the wearer a +6 DEX boost. Ideal for players below level 16.
Skill Slots: 8 (6+1xlvl = Skill Slots where lvl=10 levels)
Skills (Basic Mastery 0-249 pts, Advanced Mastery 250-499 pts, Proficient Mastery 500-749 pts, Expert Mastery 750-999 pts, Mastered 1000 pts)
Plasmid Sword- Makes the player more proficient in the use of Plasmid Sword-type weapons. 526
Sprint- Allows the player to sprint forward a set distance at superhuman speeds. 213
Regeneration- Allows the player to regenerate a set amount of health every ten seconds. 320
Extended Weight Limit- Allows the player to carry more weight on their person. 241
Perception- Allows the player to find other players using the «Stealth» skill. 268
Acrobatics- Allows the player to perform acrobatic techniques. 124
Unarmed- Allows the player to inflict large amounts of damage with their hands. 142
Stealth- Allows the player to hide from other players easier. 513