Chapter 13

The Champions Gather

"You could delete us at any moment, right? Kiri-kun said he heard you shout a System Command," I said, trying to sound unemotional but inwardly shaking in fear.

"Yes, I could, but… that wouldn't quite be fair now, would it? My master wants to give you guys a sporting chance, and I think that if you guys can pass this test, then you [[Champions]] have a better shot than anyone. Hell, I might even help… you know, once I've had my fun."

"And what's the test?" I queried.

"Face me, two on one. With your teamwork, clearing the task at hand should be childs' play, should it not?" the man taunted.

"All right, bring it on!"

(Kamiko)

The man threw his cloak aside, revealing jet-black hair and violet eyes, no shirt, and a black jacket with the sleeves torn off and the missing bottom half displaying his muscular build. He drew his scythe and split it in two, just as he had supposedly done with Kirito.

Rita and I shared a brief glance, instantly coming up with a plan.

I dashed forward, my dagger coming into contact with one of the man's scythes. The other scythe swung around to catch Rita's katana as she slashed at him from behind.

With both of our weapons caught in his scythes, he spun us around relentlessly, laughing like a maniac all the while as we struggled to break free.

When our weapons finally slid out of the scythes' hold, the centrifugal sent us flying before we slammed onto our backs on opposite sides of the room.

We got up and ran towards each other, already making a new plan with our eyes.

"[[Team Skill: Flying Fire]]!"

I threw five exploding Throwing Picks at our enemy's face, and even though he blocked them with his scythes, they did their job. The burst of flame and smoke blinded him.

"HAAAAAH!" Rita and I screamed in unison as we ran toward him.

I fell behind, allowing Rita to make the first move. His scythes came up to block her, and she batted them down with her katana. The scythes lodged in the ground, making Rita's target helpless against the final attack.

Rita bent over, and I vaulted off her back, delivering the last part of the skill from above: a three-hit combo called the [[Stunning Flash]].

"RAAAAAH!"

Downward flip-slash, CLAW PIERCE!

I landed behind him, delivering the final hit.

SPIN SWIPE!

"Kamiko, watch out!"

(Rita)

Just as she delivered the final hit, he smirked.

No! He couldn't have that skill!

"Kamiko, watch out!"

He dislodged his scythes from the ground, whirled around, slashed us both in the stomach, and sent us flying back several meters.

"This… is it. Say goodbye, [[Third and Fifth Champions]]."

"Ugh…"

"Hell no!" a familiar voice shouted from the door.

My eyes widened.

"Kiri-kun!"

(Kirito)

"Like hell you'll kill them!" I yelled vehemently, breaking through the door.

"Oh, if it isn't Mr. Silver Eyes himself!"

"You bastards lied to me! You said that you would release them if I led him to the cave!" Argo screamed.

"You didn't seriously believe that a shady gang of people in cloaks would keep their word, did you? Just how stupid are you?"

"You know what? F*** it! I'll take you on here and now! To the death!" I roared.

I had had it. I was done dealing with Yami. However, my vision didn't change as I thought it would. It stayed perfectly clear.

"Bring it on!"

We ran toward each other at inhuman speeds.

Well, this is a video game. I thought in a split second of amusement.

Clashing repeatedly in showers of sparks, neither of us managed any headway.

Argo started running in to help, but I shouted, "Go and rescue Asuna and Cirdan! This is my fight! I don't want anyone else to get hurt in this! Now GO!"

"G-got it!"

And with that, she fled through the North door.

"You've got guts [[First Champion]], I'll give you that much," Yami said cockily, smirking like a demon.

"And you're super strong as always! However, I can tell that your power stayed the same! What, did you get turned into a mini-boss?"

He backed off with a shocked expression on his face. "H-how in the hell did you—?!"

"Wait, I was right?!" I stammered.

Does that mean I get EXP when I kill him?

I rushed back toward him, getting one hit in before we were back to clashing without end.

Left, up, diagonal spin, block, sidestep, parry-

I parried a double strike with my left sword, sending his scythes into the air. I jabbed him in the chest, dangerously close to the heart.

That sent him into the red, with less than three percent of his HP remaining. I retracted my sword.

"This is your last chance before I kill you."

"Just you f***ing try," Yami said arrogantly.

"All right then, this is it for you!"

I tried to stab him again, but… my sword stopped just centimeters short of his heart. There was a message that appeared next to my sword, one that brought back horrible memories.

{{Immortal Object}}.

"{{Immortal Object}}? What's going on, commander?"

"The system ensures that his HP will never go into the yellow, no matter what happens."

"There's nothing more boring than watching someone else play an RPG! Isn't that right, Kayaba Akihiko?"

"I'll give you the tactical victory here. Ja ne, Kirito," Yami said impassively, walking away.

Then, just as in the [[Swamp of Chaos]], he vanished.

"That guy… he was an {{Immortal Object}}… did they see it?"

I looked around to find Kamiko and Rita unconscious on the floor, blissfully unaware of the crisis at hand. I went to Kamiko first, using a potion to heal her injuries.

When she opened her eyes, I said, "Can you take care of Rita while I go find everyone else?"

"Yeah, go!"

That flash of words… it said… but that means that Kayaba Akihiko is in the game!

I dashed to the next room, finding it to be a control room of sorts. I then saw… a command console.

With this, I can… no, this isn't the time! I have to find Asuna and Cirdan first! I can use this command console to locate them, and then I can do that after I find my friends!

I started to type in a string of code that Cardinal System operated on, and… it worked.

Too easy.

Command Line Activated. Type Your Command.

Cirdan will probably be with Asuna, so I'll just search for her.

I typed in, 706c61796572206c6f6361746f723a206173756e61, and it showed me a location in the building.

Perfect, I thought, downloading the map data.

I typed the code to deactivate the console, immediately running to the place I saw on the map.

Let's see… keep going until I reach room… 666? This does not bode well.

Dashing at my top speed without {{Blood Rage}}, I kept going until I couldn't run anymore.

"Damn it! It has to be here! The map says so!"

Wait a second… this view is from above, and it doesn't say the floor number! Maybe if I switch to a side view, then I'll see something different! Maybe it's on a lower floor!

I switched the map to side view mode, finding that the room was in between the floor I was on and the one below it.

There must be a way to get there!

I started to search the area around me, finding absolutely nothing.

"Need some help?"

(Asuna)

Bound by ropes, I felt as if someone was going to kill me at any moment.

Of course, it didn't help that we were in a dark room, being stared down by a menacing girl with white hair and purple eyes.

"What are your motives, Yamiko?" Cirdan queried, spitting out her name as if it was venom.

"Oh, nothing you two need to know. All I'll tell you is that the test is beginning," Yamiko said, walking into the other room.

"Asuna, scoot closer," I heard Cirdan whisper.

"What is it?" I whispered back.

"How do you distribute your Stat Points?"

(Argo)

"Need some help?" I asked Kirito.

"Argo, you startled me! Yeah, thanks."

And so we set to work… or more accurately, he worked and I got lost in thought.

Does Asuna really mean that much to him? Well, I guess Cirdan is there too, but still… the way Ki-Bou was protecting Asuna before the first floor boss battle proves that Asuna is very dear to him… wait… am I getting jealous? Well, whatever. Asuna is my friend too, so I have to help save her!

I looked over at Ki-Bou, noting… he had an orange cursor. Wait a second, he has an orange cursor?!

"Ki-Bou, why do you have an orange cursor?"

(Kirito)

"That? Weren't you there? When I fought Yamiko, I made the first blow, turning my cursor orange."

"That's right… I'm sorry…"

"Hey now, don't go back into depression mode," I said in consolation.

"… You're right! All right, let's do this!" Argo yelled, pumping her fist in the air.

After a few more minutes of searching, Argo exclaimed, "I found it!"

I turned around to face her as she pushed a tiny bulge in the wall. The switch glowed bright green and revealed a door.

Wait, this is familiar!

"Argo, don't!"

Too late.

Before I could stop her, the door shut behind her, leaving her on her own to defend herself against whatever deadly trap awaited her.

(Argo)

Just after I walked into the room, I heard Ki-Bou shout something, but I couldn't hear it clearly through the now closed door behind me.

Wait, the door closed?!

The seafoam-green room turned red in an instant, alarm noises blaring as a very powerful fourth floor mini-boss appeared in front of me.

[[Rainus the Storm Chimera]].

Rainus towered above me at six meters tall. It had the head of a dragon, the body of a muscular human, the tail of a rattlesnake, and the legs of a goat, all covered in crimson fur. It wielded a giant axe, almost as big as the beast itself.

It swung its axe down at me, narrowly missing me yet sending me flying.

Damn it!

I kept narrowly avoiding its attacks, but the sheer force kept sending my HP closer and closer to the yellow zone.

Do I have to use it? But what if someone comes in?

While I was fighting with my sense of reason, Rainus swung its axe down. I had just enough time to dodge, but the force sent me flying to the wall.

Ow… damn it, this isn't the time to hold back!

I quickly opened up my in-game menu, all the while dodging Rainus' attacks as fast as I could to avoid recoil.

I equipped a second pair of claws, immediately dodging one more attack before activating one of the few pieces of information I possessed that wasn't for sale.

My [[Unique Skill]].

The claws extended to form mini-swords of sorts, and I used them to block an oncoming strike, deflecting all recoil onto the beast.

While the mini-boss was stunned, I ran at it and performed three quick slashes to its stomach, followed by a double jab.

I jumped back to avoid an incoming slash from the now-recovered monstrosity.

"[[Infinite Snake Bite]]!"

My claws began to glow indigo.

Left, up, diagonal down, down-

My skill adapted, and I jumped back to avoid another slash. Afterwards, I continued attacking.

Jab, jab, uppercut, cleave, spin, down, down-

My skill adapted again, blocking an axe swing and sending the axe flying into the air.

Spin, double uppercut, tear, inverted V-

I jumped back, avoiding a punch. This time, however, it wasn't because the skill adapted. It was merely preparing for the final part of the combo.

The tips of the claws started to come loose, and I threw them at the Rainus with deadly accuracy. They hit him right in the eyes.

Now it was time. My claws re-extended, and I held them in front of me. They began to glow a bright red color, a sharp contrast to the indigo color they had previously been.

"RAAAAAH!"

I crossed my claws, making a mad dash towards Rainus. Just before he would have slashed me with the axe he had retrieved, I jumped and disappeared in a flash of light and appeared behind him, leaving a cross mark on its chest.

Silence.

All of a sudden, the Rainus shattered behind me, leaving countless polygons in its wake and signifying my victory.

I quickly deactivated my [[Unique Skill]] and unequipped my second claw just before the door reopened and a staircase revealed itself behind me.

Kirito rushed in, running up to me and hugging me tight.

"K-Ki-Bou?!"

"Thank god, you're alive! It didn't happen again… it didn't happen again…" he cried.

Once he withdrew from our embrace, I saw him wipe tears from his eyes and put on a bright smile.

Ki-Bou…

"So, what kind of trap was it?" he asked, brushing off his show of emotion as if it never happened.

"It was just a mini-boss, don't worry about it!"

"… All right. I'm just glad you're okay."

I blushed, not used to him being like this.

"W-well, what say we get moving? The stairs are over that way!"

"Right."

As we were walking down the stairs, the temperature fell lower and lower. I soon found myself shivering.

"Here, take this for now," Kirito said, offering me his coat.

"B-but isn't that the boss drop you got from floor one?" I stammered.

"Yeah, it is. Just hold on to it for now. You're cold, right?"

Acquired [Coat of Midnight]

"Y-yeah… thank you, Ki-Bou."

Really… thank you.

Once we reached the end of the staircase, we found ourselves staring down an ominous double door.

"Well… let's go," Kirito said hesitantly, pushing on the door.

(Kirito)

We opened the door, only to find an angry Yamiko glaring coldly at us.

"Get out of our way, Yamiko. I don't want to hurt you," I hissed, steeling myself.

"I can't say the feeling is mutual, Kirito."

I looked at her beautiful face, now marred by hatred and anger.

"I'm sorry, Yamiko."

I drew three specialized Throwing Picks from my pouch and threw them into her arms. She failed to dodge, and collapsed from the [[Sleep]] condition that the picks inflicted.

I looked at her from above, noting that she looked completely innocent when unconscious. Her sleeping face remained unchanged by the wicked virtual world that we now lived in… she looked completely at peace.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Let's go, Argo."

As we walked past her and into a hallway, I couldn't help but reminisce about my past with Yamiko.

We always used to fight each other over the stupidest of things… yet somehow, we would always be able to make up and become the best of friends again… it's as if we had an unbreakable bond.

Yamiko… what happened to you…?

"Ki-Bou!"

I snapped out of my thoughts with a start, turning to Argo and asking, "What?"

"You were spacing out. Anyway, I think they're in here," she said, pointing to a door in front of us.

"All right…"

"Are you okay? You seem really down. Is it something with Yamiko?"

"Yeah… I knew her outside the game," I said, already feeling depressed.

"Really?"

"Yeah. We… we were the best of friends in the real world… up until I gave up kendo. Then, we just kind of grew apart. I knew she resented me for quitting, but I didn't know that she hated me this much…"

Tears threatened to escape their ocular prison.

"Ki-Bou… don't worry, I'm sure she doesn't hate you. The game must have just messed with her head. There's definitely a way to get her back to normal."

"I hope so… you know what? You're right."

I opened the door to find that Asuna and Cirdan had freed themselves of their bondage and were quietly sitting at a table, drinking what looked like green tea.

"Guys? Are you two okay?" I asked quietly.

"Kirito?"

"Kirito-kun?"

They looked over at me, and that was when I remembered all of the fights I had gotten into with them.

"Kirito, you unbelievable asshole! Why won't you let us help you?!"

"Kirito-kun, you jerk! I don't ever want to see you again!"

"Guys… I'm sorry…"

"Don't start with that! We already forgave you a while back. Besides, you did save us just now, right?" Cirdan comforted me.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said, perking up.

"Well then, let's go!" Cirdan and Argo shouted in unison.

As they started to leave, I stared into Asuna's eyes, pleading for forgiveness with my own.

Her eyes started to water.

Crap!

"BAKA!"

And with that, Asuna rushed towards me and delivered a bone-crushing hug.

"A-Asuna?!"

A/N:

I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!

[Insert some random excuse as to why I haven't updated in so long.]

I am so burned out right now! I spent two whole days just trying to find inspiration to continue, and finally, after TWO MORE DAYS, I've got a chapter out!

Ahem. Well, anyway, I'd like to say that updates would come more frequently, but sadly, I can't do that. Stuff happens, and I've found out the hard way that it can get in the way of not only writing, but also finding the inspiration to write.

Also, I'm going to TOKYO IN TULSA August 2nd through the 4th, and I finally earned enough money to do a KIRITO COSPLAY!

So yeah, if any of you are going to TnT and see a teenager cosplaying as Kirito (my badge's I.D. is Kirito as well) with a Squirtle gijinka in tow, don't hesitate to say hello!

Anyway, it's kinda strange that I didn't end it with a cliffhanger, isn't it? Hmm… well, whatever. Maybe next time…

And now it brings me so much pleasure to say:

I am a jelly donut! Save 15% or more on your auto insurance!

Nah, I'm just messin' with you. Here's the disclaimer!

I don't own the Sword Art Online anime, manga, or light novel series, and all of the characters I borrow from it are just that: borrowed! XD I could never do as good of a job as the big man at the desk writing those novels, so please feel free to check out his work! You can find the translated light novels at baka-tsuki! (I feel like I'm rambling now, so I'll cut it off here.)

And with that, I bid you ado!