CHAPTER 6
THE DEVIL
-:-
20th floor SUNSHINE FOREST
-:-
"Comrade….. what are your thoughts on love?"
Faux double takes. "Le wut?"
Beside him sat a big Russian man who survived many life threatening situation IRL…. And his asking about LOVE?!
"Err…. Andrei?... where the hell did that come from?" Faux asks in confusion
Andrei silently stares at the distance, then turns his attention back to Faux.
"Humor me for a bit. Let us say there's a person, Person A, who fell in love with a man named Person B…." Andrei says with a serious voice.
"Ahh… it's the typical not wanting to refer to himself, so he calls himself PERSON A."Faux thought."I guess even the toughest man has a soft si-…. Hold on…. Did he just say a MAN named PERSON B?!"
"Stop stop stop! I don't think I'm the right person to ask about that type of topic!"
"Why not?! Please comrade! I have no one else to turn to!"
"I appreciate your trust and all, but I don't have any experience about those things! I don't swing that way!"
Andrei pauses for a second.
"What is the connection of our topic to homosexuality?!" Andrei roars
This time, Faux pauses.
"Its not?"
"It is NOT! How in Saint Nicholas' name did you arrive in that conclusion?!"
"That would be your fault. When someone hides someone behind the name PERSON A, they normally talk about themselves" Faux replies.
Andrei reflects on what he said. "Ahh… I see… that is the normal use of the phrase…"
A second later, Andrei strangles Faux. "YOU DARE QUESTION MY MANHOOD?!"
"Blame your crappy sentence construction!"
"STOP SQUIRMING SO I CAN STRANGLE YOU BETTER! NO ONE INSULTS MY PRIDE AND LIVES!"
"Screw your pride! Who in gods name asks about LOVE at a time like this?!"
True enough, they were the only noisy bunch amongst the ones currently gathered. 8 hooded figures silently stood near the trees, waiting for the start of their meeting.
Excluding Andrei, all of the ones gathered in the peaceful meadow are the top PKK's of SAO. And amongst the 8, 3 holds a silent yet overwhelming authority over the others.
Those are…
#3. Medium Armor, Offense Type, UNIQUE SKILL USER, Scythe user TYRANT. Kill count- 22
#2. Heavy Armor, Tank type, One hand Axe and shield user LINCON. Kill count- 29
And of course
#1. No Armor, Assassin Type, UNIQUE SKILL USER(?),Dagger and Shield user FAUX. Kill count- 44
Normally, the others would tell off the noisy ones to STFU, but who would dare silence the strongest PKK?
People might ask "Why are the bloodiest PKKs gathered in a place called SUNSHINE FOREST?"
The answer is taken from a simple philosophy. The best place to hide something is where everyone least expects to find it. No one would expect to find the most blood thirsty players in SAO in one of the most beautiful places in the game.
"That's enough you two" A man says, as he and 20 others enter the clearing. "Our meeting is about to begin."
20 of the new comers wore dark gray armor with an "I" as their emblem. They are the members of the INQUISITION, a weak-mediocre non-front line guild and the only guild that was made specifically for tracking PKs. Officially, they are only a 25 man guild, but if you count the other non PKKs supporting them (blacksmiths, information dealers, spies of all levels in different floors) they could easily be around 300.
At the center of it all was the businessman-like spear wielder, LaCroix Kill count- 1
Faux also spots an uncommon face, his regular leveling partner and the only female in the meeting, ARGO the rat. Argo approaches them.
"Yo! This is the first time I've seen you in the PKK meetings. Whats up?" Faux asks
"LaCroix paid me, so here I am." Argo turns to Andrei with a face full of expectation. "So…..?"
Andrei shrugs. "Sorry Argo, we were interrupted before I could ask"
Argo sighs. "No…. its fine…. Theres always next time"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Faux asks.
Argo silently stares at him for a second, then takes a seat on the grass. "Its…. Nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Hm…. Weird girl" Faux shrugs, then sits beside her.
"Ahem…. Let us begin the meeting" LaCroix says with his usual businessman-like voice. "As all of you might know, PKing has been on the rise as of late. Disturbing reports show that the number of PKers have risen to triple digits, effectively dwarfing us in terms of numbers."
In short, they have their work cut out for them. But ofcourse, LaCroix is saving the best bad news for last.
"And worse yet, disturbing rumors have stated that our aggressive efforts to suppress them may….. have had a horrible effect. The PKs have formed a guild…. Its name is LAUGHING COFFIN"
Silence met the news.
For the 2 first timers (Argo and Andrei), the news is as bad as it gets. A PK was already a pain to deal with. An entire guild filled of them would be a nightmare. But the two only need to look around them to see which side was more dangerous.
Smile.
Every PKK present are smiling.
And not just any smile…. It was a smile so corrupt, so full of evil glee, that the 2 may have thought that they may be supporting the wrong side.
Even the ever calm LaCroix was showing the same twisted smile.
Faux feels a small tug on his sleeve. It was fearful looking Argo. "Faux…. W-why are you all smiling?"
Behind Argo, Andrei also looked at him for answers. Unlike Argo, Andrei is considerably calm, though given his profession IRL, it is only natural.
Faux pats Argo in the head. "I assume that you thought of a PK guild as a disaster for us, correct?"
Argo nods
"Though true… an organized enemy is harder to beat down than a splintered group. However, there is also a down side to an organization."
"And that is?"
"An organization is both a shield and a death trap. A chain of command allows quick information sharing and efficient personnel management. On the other hand, if you disturb one part of the chain, it is sure to affect the rest. By destroying that chain, the entire organization will collapse."
Argo scratches her head in confusion. "I don't get it… Whats your point?"
"The point is simple. Just like us PKKs, they have to gather at some point and share info amongst each other. If you make one part of the chain fear you, you make everyone else do the same."
"But still… an organized enemy is very dangerous, yes?"Andrei asks. "I see no reason for your happiness"
As if listening to their conversation, LaCroix answers. "Rejoice my friends, our prey has became much more abundant. Nothing is more satisfying than watching a powerful prey squirm in agony."
Faux silently watches in amusement as the realization hits Argo and Andrei.
These people don't want justice, they want vengeance.
-:-
The meeting proceeded as usual.
Under LaCroix's orders, Argo gave everyone a copy of a detailed report of the current known PKs. This included their fighting style, current home base and even their gender orientation. This alone was the main reason why the PKKs would gather here.
LaCroix also gave the usual summary of what has happened since their last meeting 2 weeks ago. The summary normally comprises of the usual who-killed-who, along with other major events that are worth taking note of.
And of course, THAT incident is something note worthy.
"8 days ago, the 49th floor was cleared, but an interesting rumor has circulated." LaCroix looks at Faux. "Apparently, it was cleared by only one person. Do you know about this Faux?"
Faux can feel all eyes focusing on him.
"Argo…. You are SO gonna get it later." Faux thought after throwing a quick glare at Argo.
"Yeah I heard about it a couple of times. What about it?" Faux replies
LaCroix stares at him seriously. "According to the rumors, you were the one who pulled it off"
"And here I thought you had some brains in that head of yours. Beating a floor boss alone IS IMPOSSIBLE. I suggest you get your facts straight LaCroix. Rumors tend to be exaggerated."
Ofcourse, LaCroix doesn't buy it.
"Come now Faux. Our society has been around… how long has it been? 3-4 months? Surely you can trust us." LaCroix says, clearly using comradery to get some answers.
A smart tactic. But he misunderstands one thing…..
"HAHAHAHAHAHA" Faux laughs maniacally."Trust?! That's a good one! Are we a bible study group now? "
LaCroix face becomes stone cold.
Entertained as he is, Faux continues. "LaCroix, I never trusted the INQUISITION, or any other PKKs. I'm sure everyone else feels the same. I, especially, don't trust anyone with the letter X in their name. Hell! I'm sure YOU feel the same way. For all we know, someone here could be gathering info for the PKs!"
Everyone stayed silent. No one denied it, simply because it was the truth.
Faux continues. "Everyone is using each other for our own personal agenda. I came to this meeting because you guys give out free info. I'm pretty sure you give out free info because none of you have the stomach to kill."
The members of the INQUISITION shift uncomfortably.
True enough, as rich support classes, majority of them have 0 kill counts. Add the fact that all of them are too weak to survive the front lines, it is only natural for them to use the only way they know how to fight….. through connections and information gathering.
To simply put it, though weak in will and strength, the INQUISITION desire for vengeance is great.
"Listen and listen well LaCroix. As long as you provide me with reliable information and not rat me out, I'll do your dirty work. Dont be chums with me, just give me the cold hard facts."Faux draws his dagger and points it at LaCroix."And if you betray me, you and your entire guild will understand that my 44 kill count is not just for show."
The atmosphere becomes tense as the PKKs stand and draw their weapons. This is not aimed at anyone specifically (though most of them are especially cautious of Faux), but it acts as a sign that none of them trusted anyone.
Since everyone present are all green players, any provocative action will turn the calm sunshine meadows into a battlefield.
But never the less, LaCroix smiles. "I see… very good Faux, very good. I'm glad to see we are on the same page. Well then, lets end our meeting here before this turns into a bloodbath."
With that, the meeting ends without anyone ripping someones throat out.
In short, it went exceedingly well.
-:-
20th Floor, MERUMI
Faux, Andrei and a hoodless Argo sits in a café on the town of MERUMI. As usual, Faux takes a large chunk of his egg pie and shoves it down his throat.
"Oh yeah…. That hits the spot…." Faux reclines on his chair, while basking in the sweet diabetic goodness.
On the other hand, his companions did not share his carefree attitude.
Argo speaks in a worried voice. "Faux…. I cant comprehend how you could keep your cool after a meeting like that…"
"Its all thanks to the power of the egg pie. Nothing puts me in a good mood more effectively than egg pie"
"IM SERIOUS HERE!" Argo slams the table." Back then, those guys were seriously considering killing you! Do you understand how worried I was?!"
Tears form in her eyes, a clear sign that she is very serious.
"S-sorry…" Faux replies
Argo rushes to Faux and buries her face in her chest. She lightly hits him a couple of times.
"S-shut *sniff* up you bastard! If you died, I don't know what to do *hic*"
"Argo…." Faux can offer her nothing but a light pat in the head.
"I-if you died…. I don't know if I can find another cash cow!"
SILENCE
"Poor guy…." Thought the bystanders who just happened to see what happened.
Their stares burn.
"well….. that's a spirit breaker…." Faux said as his self worth drops into the negative values.
Andrei can only offer a silent pat on the shoulder.
For the next 5 minutes, Faux's face never left the table.
"O-oy…. Faux. You know I was joking, right?" Argo says, clearly feeling guilty.
"Yeah…. I knew it was a joke…. A painfully cruel and ego shattering joke… A joke so mind breaking, I doubt I'll ever recover…." Faux laughs dryly."I knew you still held a grudge when I threw you off ELMAC…. No. Its not your fault. Its my fault for expecting a love-comedy type of situation. Don't worry about it. Give me a few nights of crying and I'll be good as new….*sob*"
"Like I said, it was just a joke! Im sorry!" Argo turns her attention to Andrei."Will you stop looking at me like that!"
"Toying with an innocent person's heart…. I've seen a lot of torture in my life, but the ones aimed at the heart are the cruelest." Said Andrei
"IM SORRY ALREADY! Damn it! Anyways, I have a bit of info that will definitely get your attention, so suck it up and listen" Argo says
"It better be a good one…. A young man's heart is not an easy thing to repair" Faux replied, still faced first on the table.
Argo takes a small white envelope out of her inventory and slides it over to Faux. "Trust me. This one is definitely something you should take great interest in."
Faux opens the envelope and reads the letter.
Dear Faux
I humbly invite you to my tea party in two days time, mid day. I, as host, will be providing our meal, thus I would be thankful if you grace me with your presence.
The venue of our rendezvous will be at the place we first met.
I look forward to seeing you again.
Sincerely yours,
Flandre
As Argo advertised, the letter got his attention.
"Where did you get this?" Faux said. Despite his voice lacking any emotions, everyone can feel the killing intent seething from his words.
"Three days ago, DANIEL, a wanabe info dealer, gave it to me. The sender paid him 10K gold to ensure that the message was to be given to me. He also said that the sender promised another 10k gold when the job is done" Argo replies.
"…..And where is this DANIEL person?" Faux asks
Argo stares at Faux for a second."He died…. Based on the Monument of Life, DANIEL died fighting a mob on 50th floor. Us info dealers are normally weaker than most players, that's why we tend to avoid the frontlines. I wouldn't even survive if you weren't there to help me out. My guess is, DANIEL was portal PKed."
"Ho…. I see." Faux smiles
"You don't sound surprised"
"Naturally. Anyone who deals with the PKs is dancing with death. Be it friend or foe, frontline or support, everyone in the PK world will die. The only question is when."
"Comrade…. You make it sound like you don't expect to live long" Andrei says teasingly.
"I don't" Faux makes smiles softly, much to Argo and Andrei's horror.
"Anyways, Flandre is an especially nasty PK. Do stay away from her Argo" Faux said, clearly trying to steer the conversation clear before the two can comment.
As if taking the hint, Andrei speaks. " You seem to know this FLANDRE a bit"
"Well…. We do have a love-hate relationship" Faux replies.
Argo flinches. "Er…. W-what do you mean by that?"
"Well, for some reason, she doesn't seem to HATE me at all. On the other hand, I would LOVE to splatter her guts all over the floor. See? A Love-Hate relationship" Faux replies.
"Budub Tsss. I see what you did there, my friend" Andre replies.
For some reason, Argo lets out a sigh of relief. "A-anyways, I want to ask something. She seems to know you very well. Why?"
"Most PKs know the PKK ranking, seeing how they have to avoid the high rankers like a plague. However, when the top PKK is screaming for your blood, everyone is bound to hear it and stay the hell away from you. Most of them probably don't want to get caught in the crossfire." replied Faux.
Andrei leans forward with a serious face. "I know I'm not the one to say this, but be careful my friend. No matter how strong you get, you are not invincible."
"Don't worry about it. We PKKs know, more than anyone, how fragile life is." Faux replies. "The deaths of our friends…. forced us to learn that fact the hard way."
-:-
2 DAYS LATER
22nd floor ISPELIA
-:-
"*sigh*….. I cant believe I'm here again…." Faux thought. "I even missed out on the 50th floor boss for this…. Flandre better be here."
He hasn't been to 22nd floor since the 4th of April, 2023. Truth be told, he has been avoiding this floor, at least until he can bring the good news to his best friend. Or atleast until he can bring Flandre's head as a souvenir. Ofcourse, he cant exactly bring her severed head to the grave, the death effect made sure of that. Never the less, it would be nice if he could drag her to Gawains grave, then kill her there.
If he had a choice in the matter, he would have joined the 50th floor boss raid, which will be starting in an hour or two.
"This better be damn worth it!"
He opens his inventory to check stocks.
"2 high quality potions, 1 heal crystal, 10 low quality potions and 0 smoke bombs. I guess 2 days of intense training does take its toll on supplies."
Truth be told, his current situation are far from ideal.
Tamil participated on a 1 week long, large scale ingredient hunt with her guild, which will end in 3 days. As the only who knows how to make the smoke bombs, Tamil's absence is a serious blow to Faux's combat capabilities.
Fully knowing that he is walking to a trap, Faux would really want to avoid facing off against any PKs in his weakened state. However, the chance to kill Flandre is more than enough to override his cautious mindset.
"If worse comes to worse (and it most certainly will), I'll useJORMUNGAND on them." Faux sighs
The thought of revealing his UNIQUE SKILL that he worked so hard to keep it under wraps, was kind of depressing.
"Well…. I did learn those absurdly hard moves from Andrei…. Might as well use them to kill the bitch"
Despite being Russian, Andrei is a big fan of Chinese martial arts (though he cant do any of the stuff he taught Faux). JORMUNGAND may be a purely fictional weapon, but its similarities to a certain Chinese weapon are uncanny. With Andrei's vast knowledge attain from watching god-knows-how-many-hours worth of Chinese films, Faux was able to master some pretty interesting moves using JORMUNGAND.
Deciding to accept the inevitable, Faux sets his skills to make full use of JORMUNGAND.
Faux exits town as fast as he could. He moves down the mountainous landscape at break neck speed, but he keeps to the shadows of the rocks and trees to avoid detection.
Truth be told, Faux has been very uneasy about the whole event. There are simply way to many variables are outside his control. And against an opponent like Flandre, any disadvantage is either crippling or downright fatal.
Faux opens the GUIDEBOOK TO PKs written by Argo and review that he and Argo has compiled on Flandre..
:-:
Flandre AKA THE SCARLET and THE DEVIL
Kill Count- 4
Among all of the PKs Faux has faced, Flandre has proven to be the most challenging. In straight up combat, Faux can rip her apart in 2 seconds or less. However, rather than combat, her true strength lies in manipulation of people through seduction and misinformation. Among the 44 kills that Faux has accumulated, 13 of them are Flandre's bodyguards, and none of them were told about who he was.
She seems to enjoy watching others fight and die for her glory. Some sort of Damsel in Distress complex? Or is it just she enjoys being in the spot light? Either way, friends or foes are both in danger when she is around.
:-:
Faux sighs. He has his work cut out for him.
After a few minutes of trekking….
"PLEASE SOMEBODY! HELP ME!" A voice echoes through the forest.
Faux stops and crouches behind the nearest boulder. He takes a peek from his cover and spots a lone green player running while screaming for help. One thing Faux noticed is he cant tell if the player is male or female. The only person Faux knows that looked ridiculously feminine despite being a male was his ever trusty mentor, Kirito.
Alarm bells rang on his mind.
"Where have I seen that guy/girl before…."
Faux contemplates for a bit… then shrugs it off for now. Right now, there is someone crying for help, but to Faux, this situation can mean 2 things.
Its either exactly what it seems, a guy/girl crying for help…. Or….
A trap laid out by Flandre…
"Either way, there is only one way to find out."
Faux exits his cover and approaches to the boy/girl.
At the sight of him, the boy/girl rushes to him.
"Please help! My sister! PKs! Captured! Other side of the mountain! Don't know what to do! Help!" he/she says erratically
Choosing his words carefully, Faux answers while concealing his intentions. "… Take the lead"
The two rushes through the landscape until they enter a large clearing. There in the middle are 3 people. 2 orange players and 1 green player. Once again, Faux cant tell if the green player is a guy or a girl.
"Ho… look at this GEBRIL! The cute loli came back with a knight in shining armor!" said one of the orange players.
"Hahaha! Looks like I win the bet BEURI. Retards like him do exit!" The other orange player replied
Faux stayed silent as they threw insults at him.
"GEBRIL and BEURI? Now I know I've heard those names before…. But where?"
Faux racked his head for answers. A sound of unsheathing sword from behind made him come back to his senses.
"SHIT!"
Faux dodge rolls and a second later, a rapier goes thru the place where his head once was. The moment he regains his balance, he leaps back while blocking an incoming dagger from the supposedly-hostage. He continues to back pedal while blocking the twins assault.
"So it was a trap after all! Damn it Raphael! You know better!"
Luckily, GEBRIL and BEURI are heavy armor types, thus they are having a hard time trying to catch up.
"But never the less…. This is bad…"
He finally realized how he knew these people. It was during the PKK conference that their names were presented. GEBRIL, BEURI and the trap twins CHICO and PICO. These four form the small yet fairly powerful PK guild THE QUARTET, and are normally found 3 or so floors below the front line. They pride themselves as PKs that hunt the most elite of all players, the players of the frontline.
In one on one combat, Faux can rip them apart with little difficulty. Unfortunately for him, THE QUARTET always works in group, making it very hard to defeat them even if Faux was prepared.
In short, Faux is in a hopeless situation.
The pure AGI twins come at him flying. They adopt a well choreographed hit and run tactic. One flies in, strikes then leaves quickly while the other flies in and does the same. Faux dodges what he can and blocks what he cant, but their speed and tactic eventually seals his movement.
On the upside, the two seems to only know one tactic, making them very predictable. All he needs to do is wait for the right moment.
The dagger wielder PICO charges from the front.
From behind, he hears an approaching enemy.
Faux slants his shield slightly, causing the dagger to slide off the shield. At the same time, he turns and spots the rapier wielder CHICO launching a thrust at his gut.
"You traps are DEAD!"
Faux spins like a top and executes the reverse grip dagger skill CIRCULAR SPIKE, catching the twins off guard.
CHICO's HP: 79% (Received a critical stab in the neck)
PICO's HP: 71% (Received a critical stab in the back of the head)
CIRCULAR SPIKE is one of the few defensive skills available to dagger users against multiple opponents. By spinning, the user can attack everyone around him while dealing a decent amount of damage. But more importantly, CIRCULAR SPIKE blows everyone back, giving the dagger user the much needed space to breath.
The twins are blown 10 feet back in different directions. Normally, Faux would have taken the opportunity to run, but after putting their speed into consideration, he decided to end the battle in the place where he has the most advantage. It is a bit of a gamble, but the situation where all the prerequisites are met might is too enticing to pass.
Compared to the hopeless situation earlier, Faux's current chance of winning can never be any higher.
"N-no way…." PICO says in disbelief, while still on the floor
On the other side of ground, his brother CHICO also has the same expression of disbelief. GEBRIL and BEURI slowly approaches their comrades, all the while, keeping their swords pointed at Faux. Whatever enthusiasm and drive they had earlier is replaced by caution and nervousness.
"That's it… be nervous, be cautious, be AFRAID."
The theory is simple. Fear is inversely proportional to Moral which in turn is directly proportional to combat efficiency. The more they are afraid of Faux, the more their doubt will hinder their ability to think and fight properly.
Gebril steps forward. "They've attacked you for 30 whole seconds... Not only did you find a chance to counter attack, you made it out with more than 60% of your HP?! What the hell!"
On the left side of his screen, Faux can see that his HP is 68% full. Considering what he went through, he could say that he did an exceptional job at keeping himself alive.
"What? Didn't Flandre tell you anything about me?" Faux replies with the confidence that he doesn't have."On the other hand, I already know that you 4 are the members of THE QUARTET guild."
Gebril is shocked." No way…. Flandre sold us out? That bitch!"
"You're wrong on that one my friend. Flandre is in my TO KILL list. You small fries just happen to be in my way. That's all"
Faux prays to the god in heaven that Gebril wont notice how much his hand is shaking in fear. Though his chances have improved, its still hovering around 55%-60%. If he messes up instilling fear on them, then he can kiss his ass goodbye.
Though Faux comment struck a nerve, Gebril calms himself and thinks for a bit. A second later, his face lights up in surprise. "You're… a PKK?"
"Correct. But no cigar. I don't smoke"
THE QUARTET freezes and Faux knows why. Based on Argo's info, THE QUARTET has never faced a PKK for 2 main reasons.
First, just like how the PKKs have information on the PKs, the PKs are well versed in the PKKs. If they play their cards right, such as avoiding the lower floor's where the largest bulk of PK activities are located, they could avoid the PKKs for a very long time.
Second, the PKKs are actually afraid of them. Along with PK's such as POH, THE QUARTET members are counted as one of the few PKs that achieved fairly high levels. Since PKK's tend to act alone, the idea of facing a group of 4 decent PKs would make any PKK think twice. Hell, If Faux knew that he would be facing them, he would have made better preparations.
Fear and uncertainty spreads through the 4 as Faux looks down at them arrogantly (or atleast he looks that way). An understandable reaction, seeing how PKKs have completely different presence than normal players. Argo once said that Faux reeked of blood
"Since you know us, can we atleast know your name?" Gebril asks.
That was it.
That was the question Faux was waiting for. If THE QUARTET are PKs, then his answer will most certainly fill them with fear.
"My name is Faux"
As expected, the 4 face drains of whatever life it had left, much to Faux entertainment.
Faux opens his skill window, searcher for JORMUNGAND and presses the ACTIVATE button. The black shield begins to unravel and reveal its true form. It was never a shield to begin with, just an extremely long chain that was spun tightly to form a shield. At the very end of that long chain is a diamond shape four bladed mace.
A transparent speedometer appears just below his HP bar. As he spins the JORMUNGAND faster, the speedometer rises. The sound of chains echoes throughout the forest like a rattlesnake preparing to strike.
"Well then….DIE!"
-:-
"RUN! GOTTA GET AWAY! FASTERFASTERFASTERFASTERFAST ERFASTERFASTERFASTER"
That is the single thought that repeated in Chico's mind as he dashes at full haste towards the town. This was not a tactical retreat… hell, this is not a retreat made from any logical thought. This retreat is something in a more primal in nature.
This retreat is similar to an animal fleeing from fire….. this retreat is made out of fear.
"Listen to Flandre they said! We can find an easy to kill frontliner they said! It will be fun they said! Biggest bullshit I have ever heard!"
It took the twins 30 seconds of pure onslaught to reduce PKK Faux's by about 40%, making him the 1st person to ever survive that tactic. On the other hand, it only took the PKK Faux one strike to kill his retarded older twin brother Pico. Even with their top tier armor (for their level) and decent level, Pico died after being crushed by PKK Faux's weapon.
To the PKs, Faux's infamy has reached to near mythical levels. Invincible, undefeatable, monster are amongst the many nicknames that they often describe him.
There was even one theory that he might be Akihiko Kayaba himself. Who else is capable of killing 40+ people? The answer would be the madman who trapped 10 thousand people in his very own hunting ground.
Ofcourse, there is no concrete proof of that claim.
Unfortunately, there is no concrete proof to disprove it either.
Either way, it was none of Chico's concern. What fate has befallen his comrades was also none of his concern.
"I told them not to trust Flandre, but ~noooooo, she looked like an angel so lets trust her. Whatever happens to them is their damn fault! As for me, I am SO out of here!
Thus he ran.
In the distance, he finally spots the town of ISPELIA. If he can just get in there he'll be saf-
He feels a light stab on his shoulder. Before he could even confirm what was happening, he falls to the ground, unable to move any of his limbs.
"Paralysis?"
"Non non non! I prepared this feast for Faux-sama to enjoy. What host would I be if I let the food run away?" says a familiar playfully haunting voice.
Behind him stands a familiar doll like person, wearing a frilly red gothic lolita dress.
"F-flandre?"
A foot suddenly sinks into his face. "Oh my Oh my! The fried chicken is still alive? Now that wont do! How can I serve Faux-sama something raw?!"
Flandre repeatedly kicks Chico in the face.
"Why?! Why are you doing this?!" with no means to defend himself, Chico can only ask.
"My my my! This day is full of surprises! To think a food would actually ask MWUA why I'm doing this? Wonderful!" Flandre raises her hands like she was praising the gods in heaven (she is still stepping on Chico's face)." Since you asked, I shall answer! It is all for Faux-sama's glory!"
Chico is more confused than shocked at her statement. "Huh? Arent you POH's wife or something?"
"True…. I was one if his fan girls at one point…. At first, he was like the handsome and fearless leader that will save us all from SAO. I even entered the PK world just for him! How foolish was I to fall head over heels at first sight….."
Flandre sighs."But I guess all in all, POH was good for something. After I killed for the 4th I did meet Faux-sama! The passion in his eyes…. The anger in his roar…. His battle against insurmountable odds…It was like a hero out of a shounen manga! At that very moment, my heart fluttered like never before!"
Flandre went on and on like the yandere that she is.
"Damn it! She's crazy! I rather take my chances with Faux! At least I'm sure he'll kill me quickly"
Feeling the paralysis starting to wear off, Chico makes his move…. Or atleast he tries to.
A throwing dagger sinks into his shoulder. To his horror, the paralysis effect was renewed.
"My my. Trying to escape are we? That wont do!" With a deranged smile, Flandre raises her spear. "Know. Your. Place."
-:-
Reality is a cruel, selfish yet surprisingly generous mistress. She'll never give you what you want, but she'll give you a near equivalent of it.
A prime example is Faux's UNIQUE SKILL.
As the only ranged weapon in the game, Faux trained using the THROWING DAGGER without any system assist in hopes that it would unlock the ACHERY unique skill.
As a fan boy of a certain anime, the urge to copy one of the most badass character of that series is irresistible.
If Faux had his way, his shield would shape shift into a black bow. He would take out spiral sword out of nowhere and use it as an arrow. And finally, with a voice filled with GAR , he would announce…
I AM THE BONE OF MY SWORD
… and let the spiral sword fly.
A second later, a GARxplosion would rock the world.
But as stated earlier, Reality is one sadistic mistress.
ARCHERY is not available for the players, and with good reason. IRL Medieval English longbows had an effective range of 165 to 220 meters. Put that in a game where the maximum range normaly peaks at 1.5 meters (Polearms), wielders of bows would have an unfair range advantage.
As such, Faux was awarded with the weapon JORMUNGAND under the unique skill LIUXING CHUI (commonly known as a Single Handed Meteor Hammer).
JORMUNGAND is a Chinese weapon….
named after a mythical Norse serpent….
used by a half American player….
playing in a European themed game….
made by Japanese game designers….
Japanese logic OVER 9000!
…. Anyways, JORMUNGAND is an exaggerated version of the Chinese Meteor Hammer with a range of 20 meters (Meteor= 5 meters). Aside from that, JORMUNGAND is a carbon copy of the Meteor Hammer.
Unfortunately, JORMUNGAND has 2 very big drawbacks.
First and for most, it has no SWORD SKILLS. Thus, the only way to use it properly is purely based on the player's ability. That's why Faux asked Andrei to teach him the kung fu moves from the films he loved so much.
Second big drawback. Due to the nature of the weapon, Faux can no longer use the DAGGER's ability of a SWORD SKILL machine gun, lest he risks entangling his right arm within the chains. This drastic change in style allows him to wield 2 weapons at once, but the DAGGER is limited to single hit attacks.
Despite these severe drawbacks, JORMUNGAND is a fatally powerful weapon thanks to its deceptively humble yet absurdly powerful functions.
First function. As long as JORMUNGAND is active, Unique Skill LIUXING CHUI multiplies the damage done based JORMUNGAND's velocity. The faster JORMUNGAND is swung, the stronger the damage is.
Second function. JORMUNGAND has the ability to pull anyone that it latches to, similar to GET OVER HERE! by Scorpion from Mortal Kombat. If the target is too heavy for his strength modifier, Faux will be the one who gets pulled to the target. This function works well when instilling fear to his enemies as he takes them out one at a time, just like in the horror movies.
Thanks to his weapon load out and general fighting style, Faux can no longer copy his favorite anime character. On the flip side, he partially copy one of the most badass video game character of all time.
"I AM THE GOD OF WAR! NONE SHALL DEFY ME!"
-:-
The tides have shifted, just as Faux planned.
Faux rapidly strike at the axe wielder, Gebril. The meteor continuously spins at his left, hammering its victim viciously and repeatedly. After each strike, Faux spins the meteor faster in order to strike behind him, forcing Beuri to think twice of approaching him.
He keeps the heat on Gebril, launching a barrage of meteor strikes while sneaking a couple of dagger stabs amidst the chaos. His target can do little but block and parry, but never the less, the meteor keeps striking within his guard thanks to its ability to attack at corners. Despite the thick armor, Faux can drop Gebril's HP to zero in 20 seconds. 5 if Faux can get a clean hit.
The sound of footsteps behind starts to fade, a clear sign that Beuri is trying to escape.
"Not on my watch!"
The battle tempo pauses.
Faux retreats a bit, spinning the meteor at full force and swings at Gebril at full force. Gebril blocks it and is blasted a few meters back, as expected. Faux pulls back JORMUNGAND, turns around and launches it at Beuri's leg, making him fall flat on his face. Faux jumps and at the same time, retracts the meteor, pulling him to Beuri like a predator to his prey.
"GET OVER HERE!"
Only usable while airborne, Faux executes his strongest reverse grip, single hit dagger sword skill, AIR ASSASINATION.
BEURI's HP: 36% (Damage: 45%, critical damage to the back)
As expected, the armor reduced his damage considerably…. But Faux wasn't going to let him stand
Faux executes PENTASTAB again and again and again until Bueri's HP drops to zero.
"Down and out"
Faux turns his attention back to Gebril, who took the chance to run for his life.
"Gotta love it when they squirm"
Faux launches the meteor up a nearby branch and shoots up the tree. He parkour his way through the trees while using the meteor in a way that would make Spiderman proud. As he swings through the trees, the rattling of the meteor's chains causes Gebril to trip in panic. Faux makes one big swing and lands 5 meters in front of Gebril.
"Sorry bub… your life ends here" Faux spins the meteor as fast as he can.
Gebril kneels in front of Faux and begs for his life. "Please don't kill me! I didn't know you were the target"
"Ho… begging for your life huh? That's a very ugly way to go, you know? Be a man will ya" Faux replies
"L-lets make a deal. How about I tell you everything you need to know about the PK's. That's a good deal r-right? All you need to do is to let me walk." Gebril begs in desperation
"Tempting.." Faux cracks a twisted smile. "But I have a reputation to protect"
"WAI-"
Gebril's head explodes into the blue as the meteor goes through it.
"Another one bites the dust… but still no Flandre…" Faux rubs his head in rare frustration. "Then there's that other trap who ran…. Need to hunt him quickly… he did see my unique skill …. *sigh* This is seriously not my day…"
-:-
22nd floor ISPELIA
Faux is mildly pissed off. The beautiful view from the mountain top café and the sweet milk he ordered did very little remove his mild frustration. No Flandre, nearly got killed, missed out on the 50th floor boss and revealing his unique skill to a person that could be anywhere by now. No one would blame him for being mildly angry.
"Enough belly aching. That trap Pico… or was it Chico? I cant tell which is which… but more importantly, need to kill him fast. My ace of spades is at stake here…."
Faux shifts his brain into overdrive. He considers all possible options, all possible connections and all possible scenarios to find the trap that fled.
A highly formal voice snaps him back to reality. "Pardon me, may I have your permission to sit here?"
"Sure, it's a free cou-" Faux freezes.
In front of him was the beautiful and elegant girl that he has desired to see for so long.
"Good day." The girl curtseys." This is the first we've sat down and ta- "
A massive explosion rocks the café as Faux's dagger, the +7 DEATH PERCEPTION (Last Attack Bonus Rare Drop from the 49th floor boss) strikes the girl's forehead and blasts her 5 feet back, shocking the other customers in the process.
As expected, her life doesn't drop at all.
"My my, how bold. Though I don't dislike being treated roughly, doing it in front of so many people is unethical" The girl replies with no sense of fear in her voice
"Sorry about Flandre, but I did come here to kill you" Faux says, not bothering to hide his killing intent.
About 14 men suddenly blocks his way.
"Stop right there evil do-er! How dare you hit this lovely lady?!" Says the leader of the 14 stooges
"Oh god… a bunch of retards playing hero…just what I need"
The leader offers his hand to the fallen Flandre. "Have no fear my lady. We will defend you against this scoundrel"
"Oh my, what a gentleman." Flandre takes his hand and stands."I find it very flattering for men such as yourself to fight in my honor. But I must inquire… are all of you certain that you will fight Faux the PKK?"
Fear spreads not only to the 14 stooges, but to everyone in the restaurant. As the people focused on Faux, the ring leader, Flandre, smiles in twisted joy.
"She's having way too much fun." Faux thought. "I know I'm not the one to talk, but scaring this much people in public is kinda sick…."
Flandre recovers her calm and overly respectful persona. She walks towards Faux and wraps her hand around his hand (Faux used all of his self control to stop himself from stabbing her agian.)
"I'm sorry for all the interruptions Faux-sama. Shall we continue with our rendezvous? " Flandre presses her sensual breasts to his arm.
Normally, Faux would pierce the heavens with his drill for such a rare eroge-like encounter, but right now, he keeps his wits about. For all he knows, this could also be part of an elaborate trap.
"M-my fair maiden… why are you going with that scoundrel?" The leader of the stooges asks
With a seductive smile, Flandre replies. "Should it not be obvious? Beautiful girls such as myself are reserved for the hero's pleasure. I thank you for helping me up. Good day"
Flandre lightly pulls Faux, leaving the audience with their jaws glued to the floor.
-:-
For the next 2 hours, Faux participated in something similar to a date. The two browsed for clothes, accessories and food, just like a normal date. The main difference is Faux, who kept his vigilance through out the entire date. He chose his words carefully and spoke only when it's necessary, very unlike his normal demeanor. He kept conscious of his surroundings, just in case Flandre leads him to an ambush spot.
From the looks of it, Flandre didn't mind his unusual silence. She kept talking and talking about irrelevant subjects, which is exactly how a girlfriend would act in a date.
Surprisingly, the date proceeds normally, defying Faux's expectations.
At the moment, Faux and Flandre is sitting on a wall with a beautiful view of the setting sun. Flandre leans on his shoulder with her hands still wrapped around his.
"Faux-sama, did you enjoy our date?" Flandre asks sweetly.
"Unfortunately, no. I have a lot on my mind." Faux replies.
Aside from being cautious during the date, he also has to worry about the last remaining member of THE QUARTET.
"If you are worried about CHICO of THE QUARTET, he is already dead. Please put your mind at ease." Flandre replies as if reading his mind.
Though surprised, Faux remains cool and answers back. "… let me guess… you killed him?"
"You are correct. I do apologies for that. I fail as a host if the food I prepared was still raw."
"Oy…. No remorse for your fallen comrades? That's cold"
"Comrades? No no no. They are the finest food that I prepared for you. This is our first rendezvous, after all."
"They nearly killed me, you know?"
"But they failed to do so. The thought of you dying against such meager prey did not cross my mind at all." Flandre snuggles closer to Faux
"Damn it… she is definitely much better at manipulating others than I am" Faux thought.
"…. Flandre…. What are you planning?" Faux asks, hiding his annoyance as best as he can
"That is obvious Faux-sama. I wanted this rendezvous to be a success, nothing more" Flandre replies innocently
"And THE QUARTET? What the hell is their part in this perfect date plan of yours?"
"That should be obvious as well Faux-sama. They are measly food to increase your glory"
"This bitch is CRAZY!" Faux rubs his forehead in frustration.
Flandre releases her hold on Faux and stands. "Unfortunately, time is against us. Regretfully, I must end our rendezvous here. It was a joyous event for me, and for that, I thank you."
Flandre turns around and heads for the Teleport Stone.
"The next time we meet, I WILL KILL YOU." Faux calls out to her.
Flandre stops and turns around. Much to Faux's shock, Flandre is wearing a beautiful and innocent smile.
"For our next rendezvous, I await in bathed breath!"
-:-