The Last One Standing
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Ch 3
It had been a month after the start of the death game known as Sword Art Online and the boss for the first floor had yet to be found unfortunately almost 2000 people had died trying to get this far.
But for Kirito and his two party members their day started just like any other day for the last few weeks. Go to the dungeon tower, fight monsters, map the dungeon. Go to the farmhouse they were renting out and sleep. Wake up and do it over again.
"I'm bored." Leafa complained as they walked through the fifth level of the twenty level dungeon. "Can't we take a quest for some variety here?" Leafa asked as they trudged toward the limit of the currently mapped sections.
"We could if you didn't want to speed up getting to the next floor." Kirito answered before asking. "Besides if we don't do it who will?"
"Still we could have some variety." Leafa shot back pouting while Silica had a nervous grimace on her face.
The two girls stopped when Kirito suddenly stopped. Putting his hand up asking for silence. "It appears that we're about to come up on a solo player." Kirito said as he began walking forward again following the sound of combat.
Turning the corner Kirito found an interesting sight as he watched a player in a brown cloak using a rapier as they fought a mob group. After the mobs were defeated the player staggered a little as the rapier shattered before another materialized after the menu was opened.
Rushing over quietly Leafa and Silica left Kirito standing there confused as they caught the other player as they fully collapsed.
"It appears that she's fine. Just completely exhausted." Leafa said as she pulled back the hood revealing that the facial features did indeed appear to be that of a girl.
OOooOO
The first thing I noticed as I slowly came to after fainting was that I was surprisingly alive, on top of that I felt warm.
"Nice to see you're back among the living." A male voice stated causing me to instantly sit up in surprise.
OOooOO
The three other occupants of the campsite watched with interest as the girl came to and found that she was in a sleeping bag. After sitting up she immediately flopped down hiding her face in embarrassment.
"You know it's not safe for you to be out here by yourself." Kirito intoned with a tinge of worry.
"Why would you care?" The girl said as she looked away. "Everyone is going to die in this death game so I might as well go as myself and on my terms."
"I can't let you do that." Kirito said causing the female player's head to snap up in surprise followed by a look of disdain. "If I knowingly let you kill yourself without offering my assistance and expertise. I'd be breaking the promise I made to my sister and young friend behind me." He paused to let the declaration sink in as she took notice of the two girls that appeared to be cooking over a campfire. "I will beat this game and save everyone that has the sense and ability to stay alive till the end." Kirito stated his eyes burning with the truth of his declaration.
"Thanks for saving me back there and my names Asuna." The girl said after letting what he said sink in.
"Kirito and the two behind me are Leafa and Silica." Kirito replied somewhat relieved. Asuna looked behind him as the other two acknowledged her before continuing with their preparations. "If you wish I can show you the ins and outs of this reality." He continued to her confused but hopeful face.
The four of them spent three days wandering the dungeon and the fields outside as Kirito instructed Asuna in the important details of the game and the knowledge to assist with staying alive. At the end of the third day they got a game wide message requesting all players that were clearing the dungeons to come to the coliseum that was in the closest town to the dungeon for a meeting.
OOooOO
"Ok people now that all of the stragglers have shown up let's get this meeting started." A player with full plate armor said standing where everybody that was seated could see him. Kirito sat there with a bored look on his face. Leafa sat next to him with an identical expression. While Silica and Asuna looked on all ears. "Anyways I'd like to thank everyone for coming my name Diabel and in this game the job I picked is knight." the blue haired man now known as Diabel said hitting his chest with his fist.
This earned a laugh from the crowd. "Dude you know that this game has no job system." Someone in the audience stated jokingly.
"Ok now that that is out of the way I'd like to say why I've called this meeting." Diabel said with a serious look on his face. "Our party found the boss room. That said we need to defeat the boss and make it to floor two. After that is accomplished we need to tell everyone at the town of beginnings that beating the game isn't some fantasy." Kirito perked up hearing the boss room had been found. "It's our obligation as the most capable players to encourage those less fortunate. Does everyone agree?" Most everyone in the crowd began clapping when he said this. "Ok glad to hear that everyone agrees. Now onto how to beat the boss. To begin with we'll team into groups of six. As this is the maximum allowed group size until the guild feature is unlocked." Diabel instructed. "A typical party doesn't stand a chance against a floor boss. We'll need a raid group made up of multiple parties."
Kirito looked around absently because he had everyone that he was willing to have in his party seeing as there weren't any lone players.
"Alright now that everyone is teamed up." Diabel began before he was interrupted.
"Hold on a blasted minute." An irritating voice called running into the amphitheater. "My name is Kibaou. Got that? Before we take on the boss I want to get something off my chest." The orange haired player said before turning to the crowd. "We all know about the 2000 players that have died so far. Right? Some of y'all need to apologize to them right now."
"Kibaou it's clear to me whom you're referring to." Diabel began. "It's the beta-testers right?"
"Who else do you think I'm talking about?" Kibaou asked angrily. "The day this stupid game began they left us normal players behind and took all of the prime quest and mob spots to level up. They've been the only ones getting stronger in here this whole time, they've ignored us like we're yesterday's garbage." Kibaou said before growling. "I bet there's some of them here. I dare ya to show your faces. We should make them give up their ill gotten money along with their items in recompense. They can't expect us normal players to trust them when they can't trust us."
"Of all the nerve." Silica began beginning to stand up but was stopped by Kirito placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Can I say something?" A large dark skinned man asked as he stood and walked down to stand in front of Kibaou who stared up at the face of a hulking man that easily topped six foot. "My names Agil. Kibaou right? Just making sure I understood correctly. You're saying that the beta-testers should be blamed for the rookies deaths because they didn't help them. Sound about right?"
"Yeah that's right." Kibaou said trying and failing to stare the man down.
Reaching into the pouch on his belt Agil pulled out a little brown book. "The item stores hand these out for free. It's a guide book. You got one right?"
"Of course I got one. What about it?" Kibaou asked angrily.
"You want to know who's handing these out?" Agil asked unfazed. "It's the beta-testers."
Everyone in the audience gasped at this while Kirito nodded. Even if he didn't hand them out himself he had submitted some of the content. Kibaou himself looked like he was ready to try and knock some heads in.
"Listen up everyone had equal access to this information." Agil called as he stowed his guide book. "Even so lots of players still died some of them beta-testers. Like it says across the bottom of most of the pages. Discrepancies have been noticed between the beta-test and this death game. I don't wish to point fingers at anybody. I'm here because I want to learn from those deaths to increase our chances of survival and escape this game."
Kibaou reluctantly conceded and went to sit down Agil right behind him.
"Ok now that that's settled." Diabel began opening up his own guide book. "If everyone is in agreement I'd like to continue this meeting." Receiving nods of affirmation Diabel continued. "For info on the boss it's all in here. The latest issue of the guide book you've just heard about. According to the book the boss is Illfang the Kobold Lord. Furthermore he'll be surrounded by his minions the Ruin Kobold Sentinels. Illfang carries an axe and a buckler. He has four health bars. When the last one turns red his attack pattern changes and he switches to curved sword called a Talwar. That'll be all. Money from the fight will be split equally EXP goes to whomever earns it along with the item drops. Any objections?" Hearing none Diabel continued. "Good then we'll meet tomorrow at ten. Meeting adjourned people." With that everyone cleared out to prepare for the raid.
Kirito immediately left after that the three girls close behind. Diabel noted their departure while he talking with a few of the players that stayed.
That night most everyone was in high spirits as they got to know each other better. Some distance away just outside of town in fact Kirito was sitting in a chair in the rooms they had rented in a farm house. His contemplations of the next day were interrupted by a knock on the door. Walking to the door he opened it and a short cloaked figure scurried in.
The person in question threw her hood back revealing someone with an almost mouse like face the effect only heightened by the whisker like marks on her cheeks. "You know in some countries people have been killed for less, right Argo?"
"Are you threatening your guaranteed source of information Kirito?" Argo asked with an almost dangerous look on her face.
"Nope just pointing something out." Kirito answered a neutral look on his face.
"Geez you're too serious you know that?"
"I have to be. There are people relying on me."
"Well sooorrrry no need to get offended." Argo said in a huff before heading to the only other closed door in the room. "I'm going to join the others in the bath."
"Be my guest." Kirito said as he lay down on the couch listening to the four girls getting to know each other.
OOooOO
"Ok everyone just so we're clear you all understand the plan?" Diabel asked standing in front of the boss room. Taking their silence as a yes he finished. "Then there's only one thing left to say. Don't die and let's win." With that he opened the door and they entered the boss room. When they did Illfang and his minions appeared and the battle began.
Having split into groups the groups trade out for each of the health bars between Illfang and his sentinels.
"Alright switch." Kirito called to Asuna who hit the sentinel with a sword skill as Kirito stood admiring Asuna's fighting when he had thought she was just a newbie. 'She's fast I can't even see the tip of her sword.'
"Kirito you can eyeball people later." Leafa called as she was switching out with Asuna.
"Right." Kirito called as he parried a blow from one of the other sentinels. This went on for the better part of an hour till he paused to look when he heard Illfang's roar change signifying that its HP was in the red.
"Everyone stand back I've got this." Diabel called as he ran toward the front of the group.
Prepping the last sentinel for his party to take it out Kirito passed again hearing this thinking. 'I thought the plan was for the group to surround it?' As he thought this he caught the look on Diabel's face which made him take note of the situation since Silica just destroyed their target. As Diabel set up a sword skill Illfang pulled out a different weapon than everyone was expecting causing Kirito to gasp. 'That's not a Talwar that's a Nodachi.' "Wait stop it's not going to work get out of there." Kirito called frantically though only one player heeded him.
Illfang began bouncing around the room before it struck Diabel throwing him back behind the crowd before the monster leapt and landed with the group of players.
"Leafa, Silica stay out of its way." Kirito called as he ran up to Diabel.
"Easier said than done Onii-chan." Leafa called as they attempted to stay out of line of sight.
"What the hell were you thinking?" He asked as he knelt beside the downed player taking out a potion.
Diabel stopped him before he was able to give it to him. "You know. You're a beta-tester as well." Diabel said weekly.
Realization dawned on Kirito before he continued. "You were after the last attack bonus. The rare item. You're just like me a beta-tester."
Diabel smiled at this as he pleaded. "Please you must defeat the boss and save everyone." Grimacing Diabel began glowing before he broke into polygons leaving everyone in the room in shock momentarily.
'When this death game started I only thought about how I and Suguha were going to survive, but you weren't like that. You never abandoned the other players, you brought them together, and you fought brilliantly you tried to accomplish something I couldn't.' Kirito thought to himself as he stood gripping his sword tighter.
"I'll go to." Asuna said standing beside him.
"That's fine." He answered not taking his eyes off of Illfang as they took off running the length of the room to where Illfang was. "We'll hit him just like we did the minions."
"You got it." Asuna answered beside him falling behind as they reached Illfang.
Yelling Kirito charged a sword skill as they reached Illfang successfully putting the Kobold lord off balance. "Switch!" he called as he fell back.
Asuna charged up a sword skill to hit the bass when it suddenly regained balance and prepared to cut her in two.
"Asuna." Kirito called causing her to bring her head up and see the incoming sword and barely dodging it at the cost of her cloak. Crying out in determination she completed her sword skill hitting Illfang.
Everyone in the room stopped where they were in shock at the beautiful girl that was in front of them with the polygons of her cloak sparkling around her as they faded.
"He's coming back!" Kirito called rushing forward as Illfang had recovered and charged again. He knocked the sword out of the way giving Asuna an opening for another jab which she took.
The next combo failed because Illfang feinted giving it an opportunity to cut Kirito across the chest throwing him back into Asuna as his HP fell to about the halfway point. Asuna looked up gasping as Illfang stood over them prepared to give the finishing blow, but was saved when Agil used his axe to stop the swords decent knocking it away from the pair as the rest of the group ran forward.
"We can hold this bad boy off till you get your health back up." Agil said before running over to assist the other players.
"You got it." Kirito said as Leafa and Silica ran up to him to give him a few healing potions.
The other group was able to hold the boss off for a few seconds before he knocked them back with one blow and leapt into the air to take out the downed players. "Watch out!" Kirito called as he charged up a sword skill as he ran to intercept Illfang. "You're going down!" Kirito yelled a he cut Illfang across the belly sending it crashing to the ground. "Come on Asuna help me beat this sucker! One last attack!" Kirito called as he landed and took for the currently owned boss.
"You got it!" Asuna called as she ran up even with Kirito as they charged the recovering boss. Kirito knocked the sword out of the way as Asuna hit Illfang causing it to lose its grip on its sword followed by Kirito giving two quick slashes. The last taking off Illfang's head causing it to lose the last of its HP and break into polygons as a Congratulations appeared with a fanfare of music. Everyone cheered at this because the first floor boss was defeated.
There was a window in front of everybody showing the item drops, exp, and col they earned. Kirito's told him that he had earned the last attack bonus. The bonus item being the coat of midnight.
"Good job Onii-chan!" Leafa called as she threw herself at Kirito.
"That was some fine swordsmanship." Agil said as he walked up. "Congratulations today's victory is all thanks to you.
"No it isn't." Kirito said though it was lost as everyone else began cheering. Making Kirito start to look uncomfortable.
"Stop cheering!" Kibaou called out angrily causing the others to quit and look toward him. "Why did you do it? Huh? Why did you let Diabel die?!"
"Let him die?" Kirito asked confused.
"That's what I said." Kibaou said from where he was sitting at the other end of the room. "Come clean you knew the technique the boss was going to use. You could have told us and Diabel wouldn't have had to die!"
"I know why he knew he used to be a beta-tester!" Someone else called pointing at Kirito. "That's how he knew the bosses attack patterns. He knew and he kept it from us."
'This is bad at this rate.' Kirito thought before thinking about what he had basically promised to Diabel and sighed heavily.
"Listen here buddy!" Silica said loudly from where she was standing close to Kirito. "Anyone with some knowledge of history would know that the sword he was using wasn't a Talwar. So it wasn't his fault."
"Yes please calm down." Agil said trying to placate the crowd but he was interrupted by somewhat maniacal laughter coming from Kirito as Leafa backed away to give him room.
"So you guys think I used to be a beta-tester?" Kirito said quietly though the room allowed to carry to everyone. "It's not cool to put me in the same class as those newbs."
"What'd you say?!" Kibaou asked defensively.
"You heard me most of the 1000 people that scored a slot in SAO's beta were rookies. They didn't even know how to level up. Even you guys are leagues ahead of them."
Kibaou looked shocked not believing what he was hearing along with everyone else in the room. Leafa though knowing her brother had an idea what was going on and had the sense to stay out of it.
"As for me? Well you could say I'm in a class of my own. During the beta I made it to floors Higher than any of the other testers. That's a fact. I knew about the boss because I fought tons of monsters with way more sword skills on higher floors." As he was speaking Kirito had stood and walked towards Kibaou and at this point was standing in front of him with a cold look in his eyes. "I know other things too more than any info broker."
"What the hell?" Kibaou asked looking scared now. "If that's true than you're worse than a tester, you're a damn cheater." Most of the rest of the group called out in agreement at this.
"He's a beta-tester and a cheater! He's a Beater!" Someone in the crowd called out.
"A beater huh? I like it." Kirito said with a smug look on his face as he opened his menu screen. "Ok you can call me a beater. Just make sure you don't confuse me with those beta-testers anymore." With that he pushed the button to equip and materialize object causing a black trench coat, the Coat of Midnight, to appear giving him the look of someone you didn't wish to mess with. Giving a pointed look at Kibaou he turned and walked toward the stairs for the next floor Leafa and Silica following him.
Asuna stood looking between the groups for a minute before running to catch up to Kirito.
Kirito was at the top of the stairs before Asuna caught up to them. "You can cancel your part of our party if you want." He offered looking down the stairs at her.
"Why would I do that?" Asuna asked looking slightly concerned.
"Because of what happened back there if you wanted to join a guild later it could pose problems." Kirito answered.
"That is my problem." Asuna answered with a smirk. Fully relenting to his plight Kirito turned and opened the doors heading to the second floor. After which the four silently walked through the gates to the second floor.
"I hope that we can get along." Leafa said smiling as she spoke quietly as they disappeared out of sight.
OOooOOooOO
This is the first of two chapters that'll be uploaded today.