I do not own Sword Art Online or any of the character.
Plunderers of the Deep
Michael ducked under a spider and slashed, splitting it in half.
"I love swords," Michael grinned.
"Gun Gale not your cup of tea?" Kirito asked, slashing a pair of spider behind him.
"It's fucking hard," Michael complained. "I got beat the second fight I was in and lost a hundred thousand credits."
"Ouch," Kirito chuckled as they killed the last spider, clearing the trap they had stumbled into. "Come on. We're going to be late to the beach."
Michael nodded and they flew out of the forest, heading south. They landed on a beach where Klein, Leafa, Asuna, Agil, Lisbeth, and a young girl named Silica were all waiting.
"Everybody ready?" Kirito asked.
They nodded and all flew out over the water, flying until they reached the coordinates.
"Should be around here somewhere," Kirito said thoughtfully.
"Is that it?" Klein asked, pointing to a glowing spot on the water.
"Yeah, that's probably it," Kirito nodded.
"Alright, I'll cast waterbreathing on us," Asuna said, beginning the spell.
"Alright, I'll be taking th3 role of party leader for this mission," Kirito spoke up. "Since we're undrwater, expect your weapons to swing slower and no lightning spells or abilities, at all."
"That might be a shocking experience," Michael grinned.
Kirito snorted and Lisbeth rolled her eyes.
"Alright," Kirito said. "Let's go."
They all flew to the glowing spot and dove in, beginning to swim downward. Leafa seemed to have some trouble adjusting, stemming from her fear of water, but after a moment, she was okay. They swam toward a massive undersea castle where an NPC waited on a pier of sorts outside of a barrier.
"Greetings," the NPC, a short man with a tattered brown cloak, a long white beard, and long white hair, spoke up. "Would you mind helping me? A group of thieves stole something preacious to me, a pearl, and brought it here. I would go through but sadly only fairies can pass through the barrier, not us sea folk. Would you mind retrieving it for me? It is roughly this big."
He held his hands about two feet apart and Michael smirked.
"That's one big pearl," Michael grinned. "Shame we can't keep it."
"The quest is to get the pearl back to him, not to steal it," Lisbeth snapped.
"I know," Michael snorted. "I'm not completely stupid."
Kirito, who had accepted the quest as they talked, turned to them.
"Me, Klein, Agil, and Michael will be the assault team," Kirito stated. "The rest of you are on support."
They all nodded and turned, swimming to the door and landing outside the barrier. They walked into the hallway and silently began to follow it it wound and wove through the castle, going up and down stairs as it did. Finally, they stopped as a massive crab charged down the hallway at them. Michael stepped forward, blocking a claw with his sword as Klein and Agil darted past, slashing at it. As Kirito had said, their movements were slower. The crab batted both aside just as Kirito slashed it with an ice ability. The crab froze then shattered and Klein and Agil stood.
"Seafood monsters huh?" Michael snorted. "I love this place already."
They continued down the hallway and a group of four giant pirahnas swam out of a side passage at them. Asuna and Leafa both launched a fireball at the pirahnas but missed. One swam at Leafa but before it could reach her, a knife stuck into the side of its head, killing it. Michael grinned. The girl from Gun Gale would be really impressed at him throwing knives underwater when he could barely move his arms. He spun, slashing another fish with his sword as Kirito and Klein killed the other two. Michael retrieved his knife and they continued.
As they made their way through the palace, they fought all manner of sea life. Even a couple of demonic mermen. After a bit, Leafa swam foward to help as they struggled against a very fast fish. Just as she killed it, however, a pit in the floor opened, along with a typhoon. They all turned to swim away but Leafa was caught. Kirito reacted instantly, swimming to the center of the typhoon and spinning in the opposite direction of thebwater, slowing it to a stop and catching Leafa, swimming away from the pit while it closed.
"Thank you," Leafa sighed. "Sorry."
"It's alright," Kiriro sighed.
"Come on," Michael said. "Let's go get that giant pearl."
They followed him to the others then continued along the hallway. Finally, they reached a large chamber with dozens of exits. In the center was a raised platform with a pile of metal shards and the pearl on top. It looked kind of like a nest with the pearl as the egg.
"Nice pearl," Klein grinned.
"Guard the door," Michael said, swimming to the pearl and picking it up then swimming back to them.
Just as he landed, a pair of octopi swam in, reaching for him. Kirito slashed the tentacles and Asuna and Leafa peppered the octopi with fireballs killing them. They all headed back out, Leafa taking Michael's spot on the assault team. When they got outside, Michael passed the pearl to Kirito and Kirito walked forward.
"Oh you're very kind," the old man thanked him.
"Any of you guys think it's strange that we never met those thieves the old man was talking about?" Lisbeth asked.
"Shit," Michael groaned just as Asuna shouted for Kirito to stop then swam over, taking the pearl and holding it up.
"What's she doing?" Silica asked.
"It's an egg," Michael growled, just as the NPC began to mutate and grow rapidly.
When it stopped, he was a massive creature with dozens of massive tentacles, black spikes running backward on its head, large red eyes, and two thick but relatively small tentacles on the front of its head, probably over his mouth.
"That is the egg of the Royal Child," the creature, now revealed to be Kraken, stated. "Give it to me."
"Never!" Kirito shouted.
"Then die!" Kraken roared.
It swung a massive tentacle down at them and Klein and Agil rushed forward, trying to block it. As they did, Kirito slashed the tentacle with a fire skill and Asuna swam to the others. Michael took the egg, handing it to Silica.
"Leafa, Silica, Lisbeth, guard the egg," Michael growled.
He drew his sword, swimming down to the others as it swiped at them again. Michael blocked the tentacle and sailed theough the water, stopping in open oceqn, health in the red.
"Strong," Michael breathed, staring at the seven health bars. "Stronger than even the New Aincrad final boss. Damn."
Kirito and the others had been hit as well and were all struggling to stand. Michael swam over just as the front two tentacles flipped, up, revealing a mouth with teeth on all sides. Kraken lunged forward but just as he did, a massive trident crashed down in front of it, blocking it.
"I know that spear," Kraken growled as a massive man rivaling Krakken for size with silver armor, a blue cape, a grey beard, and grey hair landed beside them, eight health bars appearing and his label identifying him as Leviathan the Sea King.
"It's been a long time old friend," Leviathan spoke. "I see you're still up to your old tricks."
"And I see you're still playing lapdog to the minions of æsir," Kraken snarled. "You disgrace your title. Lord of the Sea. Hah!"
"I am Lord of the Sea," Leviathan said flatly. "And you are in my backyard. Now, do you really wish to fight me, Lord of the Abyss?"
"I shall withdraw for now," Kraken snarled. "But take heed, Old Friend, this is not over. Soon, I shall claim the power of the child. Then I will rise up against æsir. Mark my words."
He swam backward, falling into the darkness below and vanishing. Leviathan turned to Michael and the others.
"Thank you for guarding the egg from him, and I am sorry that you were tricked into this by him in the first place," Leviathan said.
"Sorry we put the egg in danger," Michael said.
"It is not your fault," Leviathan said. "Give me the egg. I will return it to its resting place."
Silica held out the egg and Leviathan held his hand out, the egg teleporting away.
"Now, allow me to provide you with a ride home," Leviathan said.
Suddenly, a shadow passed over them. When they looked up, they saw a whale above them. It swam lower, stopping beside the pier. They all climbed on and the whale left, swimming to the surface with them. Once there, they took to the sky and it left.
"That could have been very bad," Michael said.
"No doubt," Kirito nodded. "He dropped us to a sliver in one attack."
"He was strong enough that he should have killed us," Michael stated. "The mission protected us. Anyway, I'm going to save and log out. I have a few things to do before I go to bed and I work tomorrow."
Kirito nodded and Michael turned, flying away as fast as he could. When he had saved at an inn, he logged out and got his clothes ready for work. He took a shower and ate then went to sleep.
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