Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 11, Taft) March 19th, 2023
Waking up.
Josuke had plenty of time to review this thought process of this as he blinked his eyes to filter out the sudden entry of sunlight into his irises. Escaping the clutches of his dreams, Josuke's consciousness returned to him as he sat up in his bed, rubbing his face to shake his fatigue off.
Stretching his limbs as he felt the warmth of sunlight on his arms, Josuke walked to the window, parting the blinds as he found himself gazing over the small town out of Medieval Europe, almost forgetting he was still trapped in a video game.
Sighing to himself, Josuke took a moment to breathe, before deciding to lumber over to the bathroom, picking up a comb to tend to his precious hair, styling it into his signature pompadour, a procedure he made sure to repeat each morning, even in here. The others tended to give him odd looks when they walked in on him, but otherwise grew used to it.
As he tended to another annoying knot on his scalp, Josuke heard a knock on his door, and without turning away from the mirror, Josuke let out a call.
"Come in!"
The door opened as Josuke huffed out a breath, washing his face and splashing it with water. "Didn't think any of you would be awake yet. I thought I'd need to wait a good half hour before you guys came down for breakfast-"
Josuke turned around to face his visitor, but stopped mid-sentence as he faced a familiar face, not someone he had been expecting.
"Sachi?"
The girl was dressed in her battle outfit, and smiled as she saw Josuke face her.
"What're you doing up this early? You need something from me?" Josuke asked as he proceeded to wipe a towel over his face and walking to his bed to sit down, patting the area next to him, prompting the girl to sit next to him.
"Um… It's a bit…embarrassing." Sachi managed as her eyes darted about, clearly on edge, but not in a frightened way like he had seen before. A relief, at least.
"Did Kirito cheat on you? Want me to give him a beating?" Josuke snickered, cracking his knuckles to emphasize his point, leading Sachi to flail her arms around as she panicked at his question.
"N-no! Nothing like that!" Sachi squeaked, only for her to take a breath as she collected her thoughts.
"W-well, Kirito's got something to do with it…" Sachi then told him, leading Josuke to lean in curiously.
"Spill it, then."
Sachi took a moment before she said anything else. Taking another deep breath as she clapped her hands lightly against her cheeks to psych herself up, Sachi faced Josuke with a serious expression of resolve in her eyes.
"Josuke… I need your help with something."
Amused, Josuke smiled. "I'm all ears. What's on your mind?"
Weapon Showcase:
Lv. 25 Gauntlets/Greaves: Jacobo – Stories tell of a man who wrestled with God, someone who through force of will and spirit, managed in his plights and emerged the father of a nation. What challenge will you deign to wrestle?
Special: Faithful Fortitude: Defense increased by 10%, and increases incrementally by 2% every 15 seconds up to 10 times throughout a battle
Enhancement: +4
Damage: 350 (B)
Speed: 250 (C)
Durability: 450 (A)
Range: 1m (C)
Precision: 50% (C)
Rank: Rare (B)
Selling Price: 5,000 Col
Owner: JoJo
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 11, Taft) March 19th, 2023
In terms of how mornings went for the Moonlit Black Cats, it usually followed a surprisingly uniform procedure. Josuke was almost always the first up, but oddly enough he was never the first downstairs and ready to go.
Since his time spent working on his hair took hours upon hours, some of the members of the guild even made a small game out of it, in which anyone who got downstairs after Josuke did was obligated to treat the entire guild to a meal.
Some mornings, Kirito would find himself forking over some of his savings over a big breakfast or two, while other nights, Ducker would grumble as the Cats feasted on a great dinner out of his pocket. If he was the last down, Josuke would simply be the one to pay. Sure, he found it a bit annoying at first, but it grew fun.
Sometimes, he'd take long on purpose just so the others wouldn't have to worry about it. He didn't mind, so long as everyone was having a good time.
That being said, this was the case this particular morning.
Josuke stayed back a bit discussing with Sachi, before going down together, descending down the stairs into the tavern. The entire guild was already downstairs and sitting at a table, some plates of food already going about.
Sasamaru and Ducker are chatting over a cup of coffee, laughing all the while as Kirito and Tetsuo seem to be engaged in an arm-wrestling competition while Keita watches over, munching on his breakfast with a smile on his face.
"Good morning, Aincrad!" Josuke called out as he got off the stairs, walking up and taking his chair and plate.
Sachi followed suit, taking a seat beside Kirito who greeted her with a smile. "I thought Kirito would usually be the one to wake you, Sachi. What's up?" Tetsuo asked, leading Sachi's face to light up.
"Well, a little change never hurts, right? Maybe I'm just feeling it today!" Sachi protested, leading Kirito to chuckle as he took another bite off of his eggs.
"Well, if that's the case, maybe I'd sleep in a little more, so you could wake me up in the morning!" Kirito laughed, leading Sachi to pout.
"I never said I'd do that! You wanna pay for breakfast for the rest of the week, that's fine by me!" Sachi huffed out as she took a loaf of bread.
Breakfast continued on for a while, before Keita saw everyone was done and ready to go, leading him to clap his hands together as he rose to his feet.
"Right, now that everyone's here, I think we'd better get going!" Keita smiled.
The group was now on their way to the teleport gate at the center of town. As they walked, everyone was in high spirits. They had finally found a space on Floor 1 to buy a house, and with the Col they had saved up, the Moonlit Black Cats were eager to finally get a place to call their own.
Once the group made it to the teleport gate, Keita was about to step on, when Sachi intervened, stopping him as she stepped in front of their team leader, leading the boy to look at her in confusion.
"Sachi? What's wrong?"
The girl in question drew a long breath with her hands to her heart, as if mustering up courage. Then she put on a serious face as she faced Keita, looking him in the eyes.
"Keita, guys. Please, let me go to buy the house! This is my way of thanking you, for always being here for me!" Sachi managed out, bowing her head before him, trembling slightly from the ordeal.
At first, Keita didn't say anything, having not expected Sachi to come out with such a bold request. However, this eventually gave way to a laugh and a smile as he patted her head.
"Sure thing, Sachi! You know the place, right?" Keita asked, handing her the Col as her face lit up with a sparkle in her eyes.
"Yeah! T-thanks, Keita!" Sachi laughed, before Kirito stepped forward.
"Hey-"
"Sachi, how's about I tag along with you?"
Kirito turned around to see Josuke raising his hand with a smile, leading himself to look at him with a confused expression, as if he'd been swindled out of a deal.
Turning to Sachi, he waited for her response.
"Sure thing! Come on, let's head out!" Sachi declared as she walked up to the teleport gate with a skip in her step.
"H-hey, Sachi…" Kirito stuttered out, only for Sachi to put a finger to his lips as she smiled with a light blush on her cheeks.
"Don't worry, Kirito. You can tag along on the next one! Besides, aren't the rest of you going to go collect more Col for that special furniture we've been talking about?" Sachi noted, leading Kirito to attempt to protest.
"Y-yeah… but come on! If you're going off on your own, then I should be-" Kirito began, before Sachi cut him off.
"I've got JoJo watching my back. There shouldn't be a problem, right?" Sachi replied, leading Josuke to laugh nervously as Kirito shot daggers at him with a grumble under his breath. Sachi giggled, before sighing and looking Kirito in the eyes.
"Hey, Kirito?"
Kirito turned to find Sachi grasping his shoulders in her hands, looking him directly in the eyes. "Don't worry about me. I'll be gone and back before you even know it."
Kirito didn't respond for a good second, but sighed in defeat as he held her by her hands, locking eyes with her with a serious look on his face. "Alright. Just… promise me you'll make it back safe."
*chu*
Kirito's brain did a flip that moment, short-circuiting all the while. He felt a brief contact on his cheek, brief, subtle, but it sent tingles all across his body, as he felt his heart ready to burst right through his ribs. Raising a hand to his dumbstruck face, he rubbed at the lone spot where he felt that soft spot where she kissed him.
Staring at the perpetrator of his muddled brain right in front of him, it made his heart beat even faster while the entire guild seemed to be cheering him on all the while, though he didn't exactly process much of the latter.
"That means I promise." Sachi said to him, blushing as she backed away and waved, walking up to the teleport gate where Josuke was waiting.
"Right. Teleport! Floor 1: Town of Beginnings!" Josuke called out as she stepped onto the platform, leading the teleportation process to begin, taking them to the location, as a bright blue sphere of light formed around them, engulfing them as it then disappeared, revealing the two players were already gone.
Kirito barely managed a wave back before Sasamaru slung an arm around his neck, grinning from ear to ear. "Well, well, Kirito my boy! I knew you were getting chummy with Sachi, but this is something else!"
"How'd you do it? I didn't think she'd ever open herself up to anyone for real! You some kind of secret player or something?" Ducker asked mischievously, causing the black-haired boy to laugh nervously.
"Knock it off, guys. How Sachi feels is her business." Keita announced, trying to get everyone in order.
"But we're her friends. Don't you think it kinda is, in a way?" Tetsuo asked flippantly, leading Keita to sigh as he slumped over in surrender.
"It's fine, guys… besides, shouldn't we get going?" Kirito suggested, breaking free from his friend's grasp.
"Yeah, let's go hit up a dungeon on one of the higher floors! After all this excitement, I'm feeling confident today!" Ducker proclaimed, pumping a fist into the air.
"You're always confident, though." Tetsuo laughed, leading Ducker to turn to him with vigor.
"Yeah, but this is special! I can feel it!" He roared.
"Why go high? It's risky. We should stick to the lower levels." Kirito tried to reason, feeling some apprehension. Kirito may have tried to train the rest of the guild to match him and Josuke, but there was still a sizable difference in levels between them. If they were jumped by high-level mobs, even though he would have been able to take them and hold his own, he couldn't say he'd be certain about his allies.
"Don't worry about it! We got you on our side, after all! Besides, this is special! One more hunt before we officially move in! Let's make this a great one!" Ducker replied, leading the others to cheer beside him and Kirito to hand his head in defeat.
"Fine, then I'll be watching your backs. Let's head out!" Kirito declared as the group all headed to the teleport gate.
Weapon Showcase:
Lv. 18 Shield: Black Kite – The kite flies high, and holds fast through the harsh winds. Its movements swift and its strike true. Your formation shall not falter, so long as the kite does not rupture.
Special: Falcon Flight: On block, increase Speed of next attack by 20%
Enhancement: +4
Damage: N/A
Speed: 250 (C)
Durability: 450 (A)
Range: 1m (C)
Precision: 50% (C)
Rank: Rare (B)
Selling Price: 1,000 Col
Owner: Tetsuo
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 1, Town of Beginnings) March 19th, 2023
"Hope they're doing okay..." Sachi muttered as she walked with Josuke through the Town of Beginnings.
"Try to relax, Sachi. I'm sure they're fine." Josuke replied, walking in a laidback posture, his hands behind his head as he looked down to his friend.
Josuke and Sachi had been walking in the Town of Beginnings, looking for the house they were going to buy, and already their eyes widened at the scenery of the town, this massive place that held many memories for the people of Sword Art Online.
The Town of Beginnings was a place every player remembered as their first memory of the game, the place through where they first entered this game of life and death. Josuke could remember it like it was yesterday.
The people cheering and staring in awe at this fantastical new world, a sense of reverence that faded once everybody was aware that they would not be able to leave. He stole a glance at the great square in front of the Black Iron Palace, the giant circular court where everyone learned they were trapped in this death game indefinitely.
He could still hear the screaming of the crowds, Kayaba making his grandiose announcement to the players, his first and final message to all before he disappeared. That was the day life changed as everybody here knew, the day they knew that from that day forward, they would be risking their lives.
Which reminded him…
"Say, Sachi… where were you that first day?" Josuke asked, curious, his mind drifting back.
"What makes you ask, JoJo?" Sachui asked, perplexed.
"I'm not sure… Maybe coming back here tripped a few memories of mine." Josuke muttered, leading Sachi to nod in agreement.
"Yeah, I think I know what you mean. I still remember damn near getting a heart attack that first day. Back when we knew we were here to stay. I was ready to lose all hope right then and there." Sachi reminisced, her mind also drifting back to those first few days.
"But…"
Josuke turned his head to see Sachi's bright smile, a sight she reserved for times of celebration and victory, and when he watched from afar, Kirito.
"I had them. Keita, Ducker, Sasamaru, Tetsuo. Having some familiar faces with me along the way was more than I could have ever asked for and more. I guess it's thanks to them that I'm not holed up in some cheap inn in this place." Sachi mused, leading Josuke to jump to a different memory.
"So I could remain as myself. I'd rather survive as myself rather than rot away at an inn back in Starting Town. This game... I won't give in to it. I won't give up, no matter how far off the deep end I go."
"Is this what you meant, Asuna?" Josuke mentally asked nobody in particular as they continued to walk.
As they loomed over these memories, the two looked over the scene before them and could see that despite the location itself not changing in structure, the air was different altogether. Josuke could remember the bustling excitement in the atmosphere as all kinds of people mingled in the market, chatting up a storm unaware of the situation they were about to be thrust into.
Walking through that same market, he could feel that change permeating in the air itself. The streets were barren, as many of the freeloaders in Town 1 ended up jumping ship and rising to the other towns up top, such as Taft on Floor 11 where the Cats stayed these past few months.
Josuke could still see some soldiers wandering about town, likely members of The Army, what was known as the Aincrad Liberation Force. Josuke had heard Kibaou had been staying on the frontlines with Diabel for quite some time, before something happened on the 25th Floor that led to a split in the guild.
Seems Kibaou took his share of men down to Floor 1 to establish a foothold there. What they were doing was a massive help, sharing information among players so that they could level up easily and survive. If the stories he heard from the elites was anything, Diabel was leading the charge up top with his own men, keeping up with big shots like the massive DDA and the famously skilled members of KoB.
The market was still filled with a good amount of people, but it could not compare at all to that scene he could still vividly recall. Truly, this was a time of change. What's more, he would have to get used to this scenery.
"Where are we supposed to go to get this house again?" Josuke muttered, scratching his head.
"J-JoJo! You came with me and even didn't know?" Sachi whined, leading Josuke to wince as he raised his arms in defense.
"H-hey, it's not like that! I just didn't think I'd be doing any of the actual buying! You did say you wanted to seal the deal for all of us, right?" Josuke countered, leading Sachi to shrink slightly.
"Y-yeah, I guess you're right."
"So, should we get pick up the pace?" Josuke asked, leading Sachi's smile to return as she kicked up her feet with a skip in her step.
"Right behind you!" Sachi giggled as the two ran off into town to search for the house.
It didn't take very long to find, after several minutes of walking about town and a few odd misdirections, the pair finally found the spot. It wasn't too big, nor too small either. It certainly looked cozy enough for the Cats to stay.
Josuke looked over the property, inspecting it up and down with his eyes and gave a satisfied nod. "This new house looks great! Can't wait to move in!"
Sachi nodded in return with a smile, before placing her hand on the buyer's panel, depositing the Col to pay for the house and confirming her purchase, causing a ring with multiple keys to appear in her hand. The house was now theirs.
Smiling as she held those keys in her hand, she felt Josuke's own hand patting her shoulder. Turning around, she could see the glimmer in his eyes when he looked over the humble estate.
"So, how do you like it, Sachi?"
Sachi giggled when she heard this as a light blush formed on her face. "Well, we'll have to look inside first, won't we?"
"Y-yeah, I guess you're right…" Josuke laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head, before his face turned more serious.
"Then once we're finished here, How about we go ahead to get what you wanted my help with?" Josuke asked Sachi.
The girl raised an eyebrow, then nodded with resolve as she put her hands to her heart.
"Right. Let's do it, JoJo!"
Stand Showcase:
Lv. ? Stand: Rampaging Repair, Crazy Diamond – Heal or destroy? Forgive or punish? You have the power to decide, the strength to pass on judgement. You are a diamond in the rough.
Special: Restoration: Ability to heal or restore any object, mob or player without use of items.
Enhancement: N/A
Damage: 550 (S)
Speed: 900 (S)
Durability: 500 (A)
Range: 2m (B)
Precision: 85% (A)
Rank: Unique (S)
Selling Price: N/A
Owner: JoJo
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 30, Dungeon) March 19th, 2023
"For the last time, Ducker…" Kirito muttered under his breath with an irritated sigh.
"C'mon! I just gotta know! How'd you get through to Sachi?" The beanie-wearing tracker poked Kirito's cheek mischievously, trying to eke an answer out of the boy, who gave no answer.
The remainder of the Moonlit Black Cats was well into their dungeon raid, clearing a few rooms with some admitted difficulty on Kirito's part. However, the training he and Josuke had done with the rest of the guild, as well as some well-utilized late-night hunting, their levels were nothing to slouch at.
However, Kirito did have to confess, the enemies they encountered in this particular dungeon were harder than he bargained for, and some close cuts did come for the others, even if Kirito's higher level did spare him some of their punishment.
This was when the gears in Kirito's mind started to turn, processing the situation they were in. The rest of the guild didn't seem bothered by this sudden spike in difficulty, and he did commend them for being able to handle it, but he couldn't help but shake off an uneasy feeling.
"Guys, we've gotten enough loot, wouldn't you say? Why don't we head back?" Kirito suggested, trying to shake off this uneasiness, trying not to risk it.
This caused the other guild members to look at him with confused expressions on their faces. Ducker cocked his head to the side, staring at Josuke as if he was speaking in some alien language.
"What're you on about, Kirito? We can handle this entire dungeon, can't we? Hell, we were trapped in a room and we still made it through! Sure, it was tough, and we just scraped by, but we survived!" Sasamaru noted, remembering when Ducker's arrogance led to him opening a fake chest, trapping them in a red room.
The entire group was caught off-guard, being trapped in that room with a horde of high-level mobs that would have easily killed a poor group of underleveled players unlucky enough to take the bait.
However, the group had worked hard to catch up to their two strongest over the past four months, and Keita was no slouch as a leader. With his direction and Kirito's swordsmanship, the group managed to clear the red room, although not without cost. One of Tetsuo's shields had nearly shattered from taking one too many powerful block-breaking hits, and Sasamaru got a rather nasty gash when he mistimed a parry.
Thankfully, everybody had escaped with their lives, and their lost HP was easily taken care of with a healthy dose of healing potions. Even if Josuke wasn't present, the group was going strong through the dungeon, surviving through its challenges, but something was wrong.
"At this rate, we might just get enough for a few more extra furniture! Don't you think we've done enough already? If you ask me, I'd say we should head on back. Who knows if Sachi or JoJo are waiting for us." Kirito muttered.
With that, Ducker's smug grin returned. "Is that so? You worried about your lady, Kirito my boy?" Ducker snickered, causing Kirito to turn away with an embarrassed expression on his face.
"Sachi'll be just fine with JoJo watching over her! Don't you worry your little head about a thing, Kirito!" Ducker laughed, leading Kirito to sigh.
"You're really set on this, aren't you?" Kirito muttered.
"Well, think about it this way. The way I see it, don't you think we haven't been getting a proper reward the whole time we've been here?" Ducker noted, his eyes stuck in a pondering expression.
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it. This is a high floor, especially for us. In each dungeon I've explored, the best loot is dropped in the best areas. The stuff we got so far is somewhere in the middle ground in terms of how valuable it is. My guess is we haven't found the best spot in here yet! Who knows what kind of stuff it's hiding?" Ducker wondered out loud, staring down the hallway in anticipation.
"You're willing to risk that, Ducker?" Keita asked, perplexed.
Grinning like he always did, Ducker stood his ground. "Yeah! Between Kirito here, you to lead us, and the different stuff we got from our previous room raid, plus if we find ourselves in a pickle, we can just teleport out! We didn't use them last time, so we still have a bunch to go about, enough to get all of us out!" Ducker reasoned, his eyes glimmering with excitement.
"Come on. One last raid, to celebrate us! Us, the Moonlit Black Cats!" Ducker raised his fist in the air, capturing the energy of the others to cheer alongside him.
Kirito let out a sigh in defeat as he followed them down the hallway, further into the dungeon.
Weapon Showcase:
Lv. 10 Shield: Wooden Shield – Light in weight and easy to handle, this shield may crack under pressure, but it should help a beginner get accustomed to the protection of the shield.
Special: Harden: Chance to increase Defense by 10% when blocking
Enhancement: +1
Damage: N/A
Speed: 200 (D)
Durability: 300 (C)
Range: 1m (C)
Precision: 50% (C)
Rank: Beginner (E)
Selling Price: 200 Col
Owner: Sachi
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 1, Town of Beginnings) March 19th, 2023
The day was well over with, and the sun had nearly set. An orange light washed over the Town of Beginnings as the scene changed once again.
Two players walked out of a shop elsewhere in the city, greeting the evening light with renewed vigor. Josuke was the first to leave, his hands behind his head as he gazed up at the beautiful sky, waiting for his companion to emerge as well.
"Thank you very much!"
Sachi was next to exit, bearing a content smile as she walked out, offering thanks to the shopkeeper as she did. The girl's cheeks were flushed as she held a small package in her hand, holding it against her heart, a prized object.
"I guess I can see why you needed me here, Sachi, but you know, I'm not really sure I was the best choice." Josuke muttered nervously, scratching the back of his head as he laughed.
Sachi huffed out a breath in objection, however, as she looked at Josuke with her reply. "Well, that might be true, but I don't think anyone is more qualified than you. You've got at least five months to get that qualification, plus, I don't even know how that adds up outside the game!"
Josuke laughed at that, sweat rolling down his forehead. "Hahaha, I guess you're right there. Still, quite flattered you asked me of all people for this."
"Believe me, I wouldn't have been able to go through with this without you, JoJo."
Josuke took another moment to observe the girl before him, a girl who he once saw only able to speak in frazzled messes of stuttering, a shy flower unable to tap into her courage. The same girl he met wallowing in despair under the bridge that night. That girl was nowhere to be found here.
He could see it in her actions, her laugh, her smile. All bearing conviction and will to continue on. She was stronger, purposeful in her actions and words. She had come a long way to become this way, to do this of her own choice.
"Sachi, you should be proud. I know Kirito would be, too." Josuke said to her kindly, smiling as she brought out a grin of her own.
"Y-yeah. Thank you, JoJo. For everything." Sachi said as she gave a small bow before him, the sun on their backs as they walked down the road.
A gift. That was the reason they had come down here. Why he had agreed to go with her. Why they insisted they went down to the Town of Beginnings as a pair while the rest of the guild stayed behind. A private matter that he had only come to be told of that morning when Sachi asked for his assistance.
"You know, JoJo?" Sachi asked, staring out into the endless sky over the edge of the balcony, where Aincrad ended into an infinite void of clouds and orange sunlight.
"Hm? What's up?"
"I have a weird feeling… that everything's gonna change from here on out." Sachi muttered wistfully, yet her smile staying on her face.
"Is that so? Well then, I hope it's for the better. But then again, guess we won't know unless we officially move in, am I right?" Josuke asked, leading Sachi to nod beside him.
The walk continued on for a while, as Josuke and Sachi continued to wander through the town, taking in the sights as the evening carried on.
"By the way…"
"What's up?" Josuke asked Sachi, who had stopped next to a nearby alleyway.
"There's something really quick I need to do, to complete this gift." Sachi told the pompadoured teen, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
"It's something private. I-if you don't mind, I'd rather you not hear this." Sachi nervously stated, her cheeks blushing as she said so, leading Josuke to shrug.
"Sure, I'll be waiting right around the corner. Just holler if anything happens, you hear? I'll be there in a flash." Josuke smirked, as Sachi nodded in understanding, running into the alleyway while Josuke leaned on the side of the wall, keeping watch.
"As I live and breathe! Jo-boy, is that you?"
A familiar voice woke Josuke up as he turned his head to the side, his glance falling upon a face he could vividly remember. Before he could take a glance at her spiky blonde hair, his eyes immediately moved to her whisker tattoos decorating her cheeks. Most importantly of all, he hadn't forgotten that shit-eating grin of hers.
"Argo?"
"You remember lil' ol' me! That's quite a surprise! I told ya yer girl Argo's always got her eye on ya!" The girl laughed, leaning against the wall next to Josuke.
"So, what's big, beefy, and stylish doin' down here in Startin' Town? Thought you always walked about with Ki-boy? Ah well, that ain't none of my business, isn't it?" Argo scoffed with that smile ever present on her face as Josuke huffed out a breath in resignation from yet another silly nickname.
"Yeah, that's right. None of your business. Just running an errand with a friend." Josuke replied.
"Hoh… By "friend", I assume you're talkin' 'bout those folks you partied up with last I saw ya?" Argo asked, still remembering that night at the bar when they last met, the same night they officially joined the Cats.
Josuke didn't answer, but he smiled all the while, his face radiating warmth. With that, Argo smiled all the same. "I'm takin' that as a yes."
"I'm not one for these kinda words, but if I'm bein' real, I'm glad you and Ki-boy found a nice batch to hang out with." Argo muttered, leaning into her hands behind her head, leading Josuke to turn to her with a curious expression on his face.
"Huh. Wouldn't peg you to say that kinda stuff, Argo." Josuke mused, leading Argo to scoff under her lips.
"Look, didn't ya hear? I just told ya I wasn't one for this kinda stuff. Maybe I shoulda kept my mouth shut." Argo grumbled, leading Josuke to laugh.
"Still… I feel you. We've really gone far as a team. We're even planning to join the frontliners soon." Josuke said, hope in his eyes as he looked up to the sky beyond the buildings.
"Oh? What makes you think you'll get there? Heard it's mighty competitive up there among the top brass. The Army's pretty scattershot without golden boy Diabel up there takin' charge, DDA's a damn sauna with all that hot air, and KoB, tough as they are, they're hella exclusive. What makes ya think yer lil' litter of kittens'll survive up there among the elites?" Argo asked, curious to hear his answer, remembering her many trips and stories about the frontlines.
"We'll change that attitude. The Moonlit Black Cats aren't like that. We look out for each other, we're like family. We treat each other as equals, and nobody gets left behind." Josuke responded, leading Argo to turn his way with a raised eyebrow.
"Furinkazan's up there, and nothin' really changed much. What makes you guys any different, Jo-boy?" Argo asked, leading Josuke to grin as he answered.
"Because they got me and Kirito, and we're gonna fight our hardest along with them, for them." Josuke declared with pride, raising a hand to the sky, his face lit up with the spark of hope as Argo stood by, bearing witness to his determination.
"Well, when you say it like that, I'll hold yer word to it, Jo-boy. I swear, you'll make a girl fall hard for ya someday with words like those." Argo sighed, as she kicked up her step and moved away from the wall.
"Just remember to come to yer girl Argo whenever y'need anythin' else. Wouldn't want my favorite duo of heroes to forget all about me, now. Take care, yeah?" Argo waved back with a grin on her face, as she pulled her hood over her head and walked down the streets of the market, not unlike the way she did that Christmas night.
Josuke waved back and was about to doze off until he asked a question in his mind.
"How long have we been talking?"
"AAIIEE!"
Then it happened.
The dread, the fear, the panic all kicked in hundredfold as Josuke burst into a sprint, rounding the corner in a flash.
That voice that cried out…
… it was Sachi's.
Outfit Showcase:
Lv. 20 Cloak: Dealer's Rags – Not very sanitary or comfortable, but it does keep away rain and prying eyes just fine.
Special: Incognito: Mobs take 10% longer to detect you in the area
Enhancement: +2
Damage: 100 (E)
Speed: 250 (C)
Durability: 200 (D)
Rank: Common (D)
Selling Price: 750 Col
Owner: Argo
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 30, Dungeon) March 19th, 2023
"Teleport, Taft!"
Nothing.
"TELEPORT, TAFT!"
Again, nothing.
Ducker yelled out as loudly as he could, but nothing happened as he raised the crystal to the ceiling, hoping to escape this nightmarish situation.
The Moonlit Black Cats did indeed clear out every room they came across in this dungeon, conquering the place and well on the way to wiping the entire area of loot and gear. That was, until they came to the last room.
It was Ducker's idea. The arrogant tracker had never regretted a call he had made himself, never second-guessed himself, but now he felt regret greater than ever in his life. He insisted on carrying on, on completing the entire thing all the way.
He knew the risk was great, he knew the final room had to be a boss fight, they had prepared plenty of healing potions for this raid in particular, and Kirito had come along with them. The Cats were prepared, they very much indeed were.
However, they had not expected to come across a room that disabled teleport crystals. Now, they were trapped in this room with monsters the likes of which they had never seen before. For one, none of them had anticipated their power, and worst of all, they were unable to escape by any means.
Kirito parried another strike as one of them appeared out of the blue, mere nanoseconds before the creature could reappear and disembowel him. He moved to strike, but it merely disappeared again, into thin air.
The entire group looked in fear as they looked ahead, both creatures revealing themselves as they stopped to stare at them a brief moment.
Kirito raised his sword to them, prepared for a blindsiding attack. The creatures in question were reptilian, their bodies lithe and sleek. Spiked tails swished behind slender and muscular legs ending in clawed toes, the big toe raised with a raptor-like sickle claw at the end, standing upright to hoist a toned body. Their hands ended in sharp claws, blades jutting out from their forearms as the light reflected off of them gleamed menacingly, almost more so than the ghostly glow coming from their eyes.
Dromaeo, the Blade Runners.
Fitting names, Kirito thought to himself as their mouths opened to reveal pointed fangs, raising their arms before them as they entered attacking phases.
"EVERYONE GET READY!" Keita yelled out, frightened out of his mind.
The two creatures immediately rushed forward, before disappearing from sight entirely. These creatures were fast, so freakishly fast that Kirito couldn't even track their movements, so much so that they were essentially teleporting all over the room.
A footstep right behind him.
Kirito gasped as all the hairs on his head stood up for an instant, causing him to turn around, only to see nothing as he cursed. Closing his eyes, Kirito concentrated, trying to figure out who they were going to attack next. Another footstep travelling to his left-
"SASAMARU!"
Kirito yelled out, leading the helmeted boy to raise his spear once he heard the noise, an attempt to parry the incoming strike, but alas, a mere inch of a second too late as one of the Dromaeo reappeared directly behind him and thrust its blade into the poor boy's back, piercing one of its arm blades directly through to jut out his chest, leading the rest of his guild to yell out in horror.
"NO!"
However, Sasamaru grinned as he watched his health drop at an alarming rate, as he raised his spear in one hand and thrust it behind his shoulder, impaling the Dromaeo right in its eye, causing it to screech out in pain as its health dropped a significant amount.
The creature dropped Sasamaru before disappearing again, jumping in and out of space, seemingly. As the others moved to assist him, Sasamaru heard another noise and weakly raised his hand to stop them.
"Guys! T-the other one!"
The second Dromaeo reappeared right above the group, its blades raised and ready to pin to the ground whoever it pounced on, only to be thwarted once Tetsuo raised his shield to parry its attack. Unable to assist their friend, Kirito could only watch as Sasamaru laughed, his body fading.
"Hahaha… at least I went out helping you w-win this…"
With that, Sasamaru's face hit the ground and shattered into a mass of blue pixels. He had died.
"SASAMARU! NO!" Keita cried out, in complete and total grief.
"E-eyes up, guys!" Ducker stammered out, leaping to the side to dodge a Dromaeo rushing at him, attempting to slash at them, only for them to blink away as he cursed under his breath.
"H-how are they so fast?!" Kirito screamed, afraid out of his mind as he again, narrowly missed another lightning-fast strike.
"I don't know! Just keep surviving!" Keita yelled out, rolling to the side as one of the reptilian monsters slammed into the ground where he once stood from above.
"G-guys!"
Kirito turned to Tetsuo, who was holding out just nicely thanks to his shield, enabling him to tank their powerful blows, but he could tell something was wrong. Very, very wrong. A Dromaeo struck at him with a series of blows, each one violently clashing against the metal, as Tetsuo's stance was constantly pushed back.
It was with the final blow that Kirito had noticed, Tetsuo's shield was cracking and on the verge of shattering entirely.
"TETSUO! YOUR SHIELD!"
Kirito tried to warn him, Tetsuo grunting as he saw another strike from behind. Raising his shield, he swung it in a brief, but purposeful upwards motion, meeting the strike of the Dromaeo as his shield finally exploded into tiny fragments and disappeared entirely. This caused the Dromaeo to stagger back, stunned. In this brief window of opportunity, Tetsuo swung his mace with all his strength, striking the beast on the head, caving it in as it fell dead and disintegrated into a mass of pixels.
"GUYS! IF YOU TIME YOUR PARRIES PERFECTLY, YOU CAN STUN THE-"
Tetsuo yelled out, before the remaining Dromaeo blurred into space in front of him in a rush attack, flying directly at him with its blades out, impaling him in the chest and stopping him short as it bared its fangs and bit, tearing into the boy's face, causing his health to drop instantly.
"TETSUO!"
It was no use, as Tetsuo's mace hit the ground, his body fading into blue pixels and dispersing into the air.
Gritting his teeth in frustration as he gripped his staff even tighter, Keita turned around to face the remaining two survivors. "You heard him, right?! Predict their moves, stun the last one, and we just might escape from this hellhole!"
"RIGHT!" Both Kirito and Ducker yelled out, raising their weapons in preparation as the last Dromaeo reappeared from its space jump right in front of them, before getting on all fours and roaring, a menacing aura appearing all over it, before blinking out of sight once again.
"Get ready!"
Kirito again raised his sword, prepared to face the beast, hearing for its footsteps and tells, desperately trying to pinpoint its next target. He could hear the noises behind him, fading in and out of space itself as it dashed everywhere.
Suddenly, a dreadful kick of intuition filled him, just as the faint noise of a blade drawing could be heard directly above them.
"ABOVE US!"
Ducker immediately crossed his arms above his head, his dagger protecting him just as the Dromaeo descended from the ceiling, crashing on top of him. Ducker could feel the voices screaming in his head, his fear making his heart pound like a war drum. However, he immediately noticed the Dromaeo hadn't even attacked him, and immediately jumped off of him.
Turning around, his breath was cut short, as the Dromaeo had pounced on an unsuspecting Keita.
"T-that thing… jumped off of me… to get Keita…"
Ducker was now completely frozen, his eyes twitching as his arms shivered like they were struck by lightning. He couldn't even form a sentence as Kirito rushed over to help Keita, raising his sword and hacking at its flanks, causing it to screech and jump away.
Keita was short of breath, and could already see his health dropping below the critical level. He was almost dead. Kirito was about to administer the healing potion, when he could hear the Dromaeo appearing right beside him. Reaching for his sword, he tried to fend off the strike, only for the arm blade to strike him in the elbow, hacking Kirito's forearm clean off.
Kirito dropped to the floor as the Dromaeo withdrew to attack once more, its eyes glinting Ducker's way. The blonde tracker was frightened, so frightened he could hardly react to anything, much less make sense of it all. His eyes twitched madly, his mouth gasping for air as his fear took hold.
He didn't even notice the reptilian beast appear before him with its blade drawn.
"DUCKER! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Kirito yelled out as he tried to help himself to his feet, but he was too far away.
Ducker braced for the end, only for a shadow to cast over his body. Raising his head to see what happened, Ducker gasped as he saw Keita, rushing in to save him, slamming himself into the creature's body, leading it to redirect its blade through Keita's stomach, causing him to grip onto the Dromaeo even tighter.
"KILL IT, KIRITO! QUICKLY!"
Kirito rushed in with his other hand gripping his sword, sloppily charging a sword skill as he rushed in, yelling in complete fury.
"RAAAAAAGGHHH!"
Unable to run, the Dromaeo's legs were lopped off by Kirito's sword, then skewered in the head, as both Keita and the boss's health dropped to zero.
Ducker's mind raced, he thought of how this all started, how he had brazenly pushed his team to enter this dungeon, how he was so damn overconfident he didn't even think to listen to Kirito's warnings. How he had blocked an attack and gotten Keita killed.
As he watched his friend's weak smile just before he and the Dromaeo disappear into blue crystals, Ducker fell on his hands and knees, opened his mouth, and just as he snapped, he screamed.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHHHH!"
Outfit Showcase:
Lv. 30 Coat: Cloak of Midnight – The Cloak of Midnight is said to allow its wearer to be one with the night and strike silently like a phantom from the shadows.
Special: Dark Night: All EXP gained between 6:00pm and 6:00am (Japan Standard Time) is increased by 30%.
Enhancement: +6
Damage: 350 (B)
Speed: 275 (C)
Durability: 350 (B)
Rank: Boss Drop (S)
Selling Price: 20,500 Col
Owner: Kirito
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 1, Town of Beginnings) March 19th, 2023
Josuke didn't even have to turn two corners to find her.
It all happened so fast.
The second he rounded that corner, he saw what had happened to her, but it was only for a moment, a brief and fleeting instant.
Sachi was against the wall, a cloaked figure grabbing her by the hands, pinning her to the brick. Sachi's mouth was covered by his hands-
Wait.
If he was using a hand to cover her mouth, then what was holding her hands? He knew instantly, just from the bright color of pink he was able to see.
This attacker was a Stand User.
Right that instant, Josuke knew he had to be as fast as possible. He would round the corner, strike with Crazy Diamond, save Sachi and bring her home to Kirito so she could present her gift to him.
It would have been beautiful. It would have been the right path.
It would have.
Josuke hadn't even turned the corner before Josuke could see the cloaked man turn to look directly at him, curse under his breath and do something that would haunt his dreams from that day on.
He pushed his thumb down onto his fist, and Sachi was gone.
Gone.
Nothing was left.
It all happened so quickly his brain didn't even have the time to process exactly what happened. There was a bright flash, and Sachi was missing from sight.
No death animation, no bright blue pixels.
She was gone.
Josuke's eyes turned feral as his anger boiled to the breaking point.
"YOU BASTAAARD!"
Josuke saw red as he summoned Crazy Diamond and ran straight at the assailant, the Stand roaring as it prepared to pummel the man with its lightning-fast fists, but the assailant was ready.
Flicking an object into the air, Josuke recognized it as a throwing pick. Josuke for an instant thought to catch it with Crazy Diamond, but something didn't click.
Why would he flick it upwards, like he would a coin instead of tossing it at him?
Throwing picks were pitifully weak in terms of damage, so throwing it at someone would not work in any possible scenario, and even more importantly, dealing damage to players was impossible within safe areas such as cities like these. That meant…
"His Stand ability!" Josuke immediately realized. He had Crazy Diamond cross its arms in front of him as the assailant revealed his stand, a humanoid figure pink all over, spikes on its shoulders and black glove-like armor on its knuckles, decorated with skull decals.
Most notably, the Stand had a distinct face, noseless and without discernible facial expressions, feline ears and eyes, almond-shaped and glowing pink with slitted pupils.
As soon as it appeared, the Stand again pressed its thumb down onto its fist and the throwing pick the assailant had flicked up glowed and exploded terrifically like a bomb. The bright flash of the explosion blinded Josuke for a brief second, stunning him for a good second.
Shaking off his state, Josuke returned to his senses, but once he opened them again, the man was completely gone. Immediately, Josuke clenched his fist in anger.
"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!"
Josuke activated his Tracking vision as he followed the footsteps down the alley. He ran, ran, and ran, his mind set on one thing and one thing alone: pummeling this man into the ground with his Stand.
Following the prints, Josuke rounded corner after corner, before he stopped in a dead end. Confused, Josuke looked down again. Sure enough, the tracks ended here.
Stomping his foot, Josuke cursed as he yelled out in anger. "DAMN COWARD! HE USED A TELEPORT CRYSTAL TO ESCAPE!"
However, once the assailant was no longer on his mind, Josuke immediately came to a horrifying realization.
Opening up his friends list, he prayed.
He didn't know who he was praying to, who in the world would listen.
Nonetheless, he prayed, that maybe, just maybe, it was all a dream. That he would come home and forget this ever happened at all.
Looking over his friends list, Josuke's hope plummeted. Even lower than he could have ever imagined.
Sachi's name was gone. She had died.
What was more, three other names were gone as well.
"Oh God, no." Josuke muttered, his eyes fearful and his spirit dying inside.
Stand Showcase:
Lv. ? Stand: Touch of Death, Killer Queen - Elegant and deadly. You are above the rest, and you can prove it. Get out there and blow their minds.
Special: Bomb: Anything that has been touched can be turned into a bomb, and can be remotely detonated.
Enhancement: N/A
Damage: 800 (S)
Speed: 400 (B)
Durability: 400 (B)
Range: 2m (D)
Precision: 70% (B)
Rank: Unique (S)
Selling Price: N/A
Owner: ?
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 1, Town of Beginnings) March 19th, 2023
The silence was hell.
None of them dared break it.
Ahead of Josuke was Ducker, shivering like a homeless dog, his eyes mad and his voice cracking. Right beside him, was Kirito. His friend's watered eyes stared directly into his, burning a hole into his soul.
Tears ran down his cheek, but Kirito was not blinking. He just stared at Josuke, a horrified expression written all over his face.
"Where's Sachi…?" Kirito muttered, his voice dead.
Josuke didn't speak. He could only imagine the thoughts running about in Kirito's head. He didn't even dare tell her how she died.
"Tell me, Josuke… w-where is she?" Kirito muttered again, his tears multiplying.
"I-I… I'm s-sorry… Kazuto…." Josuke mumbled out, his own tears rising to his eyes.
Kirito's face started to break, before he walked up to Josuke and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, dragging him to the wall. "I KNOW YOU ARE! I BET YOU ARE! YOU PROMISED TO PROTECT HER! "
He shouted, he screamed, and Josuke couldn't raise a finger to protest. How could he? After he failed her? Failed the boy before him? This was supposed to be a new leaf turned for them all, a day of celebration.
Now, all they could think of was how they had failed their friends.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… " Josuke muttered on and on and on as Kirito wailed into his chest, unable to hold back his grief. The two remained in that embrace, but stopped once they heard something else.
"It's all my fault… it's all my fault… it's all my fault… it's all my fault…"
Both players turned around and saw Ducker was already on the edge of the balcony, muttering incoherently and completely out of his mind. His eyes stared dead ahead, all life gone inside them.
Kirito and Josuke's eyes widened as they looked at the boy, immediately coming to horrified realization of what he planned to do.
"DUCKER!" Josuke yelled out, but it was too late.
Devoid of hope, the boy leaned forward, tossing himself over the edge and into the endless Aincrad sky.
The Moonlit Black Cats were all dead.
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 49, Mujen) April 9th, 2023
"I'm calling in a favor."
"I'm all ears, Jo-boy."
Unlike Christmas, Easter was a holiday not commonly celebrated in Japan, and Josuke could easily tell with the lack of decorations all about town as the crisp breeze of the spring air filled the town.
Josuke sat on a bench in the massive town square, where people gathered and mingled with one another, some taking a glance at Josuke's hair, but one feeling of his tense aura sent onlookers scurrying away quickly like rats. However, one rat in particular recognized him and leaned against the bench facing the opposite of him.
Her hood obscuring her face, Josuke could hear Argo all the same, not turning away as he stared ahead into the crowd.
"I hear there's a new event raid appearing tonight. Know anything about it? Name your price and I'll pay it." Josuke asked, getting to business right away.
"Ya know me too well, Jo-boy. That's one helluva bid yer offerin' up, but just this once, I think I might just spare ya the fee." Argo grinned, leading Josuke to turn his head her way.
"That's new. What changed?" Josuke asked, causing Argo to sigh as her voice turned a tone more serious.
"I heard about what happened, JoJo. My condolences." Argo muttered, as Josuke started to tense up.
"It's… fine, Argo. We're… trying." Josuke replied softly, his eyes downcast as terrible memories resurfaced.
"It's fine. Anyway, onto this event. This wasn't in the beta, so don't start yappin' if the details are fuzzy." Argo said as she clapped her hands together in resolve.
"Ever hear the Easter story before? The one from the Bible? It's a Christian kinda thing." Argo asked, leading Josuke's curiosity to peak.
"The story tells of a holy man who was executed and killed, then he was buried in a tomb on a hill. Three days later, the man walked right back out, scars and all." Argo recounted.
Josuke was no man of faith, but he was aware of the story. A godly man, killed and raised from death. "Go on."
"Word on the street is, this new event raid has that kinda idea behind it. Go into the forest at midnight, and underneath a certain rock, you'll find a hole in the ground. Head down it, and a boss should be waitin' for ya. Kill it, and you get an item that revives the dead. A bit of a long shot, but if anyone can do it, I bet you and Ki-boy could." Argo shared, as Josuke nodded, getting up from his bench.
"That's all I needed to hear." He muttered, before Argo stopped him.
"You know, the other guilds are dying to get this item. I even got big shots from KoB askin' for my scoop on this thing. I've got no doubt you'll run into some tough competition along the way. Hell, they might've already found the place. Ya still gonna go through with this?" Argo asked, a hint of concern laced in her voice.
Josuke didn't answer and just walked away, his hands in his pockets as he disappeared into the crowd, his eyes never turning back to Argo as he vanished from sight, causing the girl to grip the edge of her coat as she looked on.
"Stay alive, Jo-boy."
Lv. 40 Katana: Wanderer's Edge, Manslayer – The blade of a nameless ronin, this light and streamlined sword is to be wielded with honor and skill, and only the most refined of samurai can bring out its true potential.
Special: Bushido Creed: Critical Damage increased by 50%, 30% Damage VS unarmored enemies, 20% extra damage VS Humanoid enemies, first hit briefly increases Critical Chance by 50%
Enhancement: +10
Damage: 500 (A)
Speed: 450 (A)
Durability: 150 (D)
Range: 1.5m (C)
Precision: 80% (A)
Rank: Quest Reward, Rare (B)
Selling Price: 10,000 Col
Owner: Klein
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 35, Forest of Wandering) March 19th, 2023
Silence.
More damn silence.
Since that tragic day not even a month ago, that was all that surrounded the duo. Since the Moonlit Black Cats died, everything had changed between the two players.
Kirito was quiet. Far more reserved since that day. He wouldn't utter a word to anyone, not even his friend unless he had to. Josuke despised this development. He still hated himself for what happened to Sachi, and he couldn't confront Kirito after what had happened. Suffice to say, they were drifting apart, and they weren't able to do a thing about it.
The two players rushed through the darkness of the forest, their minds set on a single goal, to find this item, whatever the cost, whatever the sacrifice. Josuke wasn't even sure if Kirito intended on leaving this place with his life. Like hell he was going to let him die on him after all that pain.
The pair had been running for quite some time, when a noise had them skid to a stop, their feet kicking up the grass. Kirito reached for his sword and Josuke's gauntlets and greaves materialized onto his limbs. If a guild had come to take the item from them, the pair were ready to fight for it.
Thankfully, as the teleport animation ended, it disappeared to reveal the familiar red samurai armor of Furinkazan.
"What's up?" Klein greeted, as Kirito and Josuke relaxed their stances.
"Klein… were you tailing us?" Josuke asked, willing to be the voice of his disconsolate friend.
Klein nodded, his eyes steeling. "Yeah. We know why you're here, too. You're here for that special item, aren't you?"
"Yeah, we are." Josuke replied, his eyes locked onto Klein's.
The bandanna-wearing samurai then coughed as he stated his purpose. "Well, since we're here for the same reason, why don't we party up and take the boss down together? We'd have a greater chance of winning if we work as a tea-"
"No."
Josuke, Klein, and the rest of Furinkazan turned to Kirito, his eyes dead as he stared at Klein.
"This is something we have to do. Us alone." Kirito spoke monotonously, like a robot as he gripped his sword tighter.
"H-hey, what's the big idea! I don't even care if we get it or not! If you want it, you can take it! I'm just asking you to let us help you!" Klein yelled back, trying to get through to the boy, before Josuke walked forward and placed a hand on Klein's shoulder.
"Klein, please. We have to do this. For them." Josuke spoke softly, leading Klein's eyes to widen in realization.
"H-hang on… no. Don't tell me…"
"Please." Josuke implored again, his voice cracking.
Just as Klein was about to reply, more teleporting animations appeared all around them, as a massive group of players arrived on the scene, all bearing a similar uniform of silver armor. A uniform the group all recognized.
Furinkazan assumed their battle positions, as Kirito and Josuke readied their own weapons. The guy who seemed to be in charge, bearing some expensive-looking armor stepped forward with his weapon in hand.
"Well, well. Looks like we got a few more guys out to try this raid! What's say you join up with us and we might consider giving you this revival item? Strength in numbers, you know?" The man smirked arrogantly, pointing at the group as Klein stood his ground.
"Like hell you will! You DDA douchebags couldn't care less about other guilds unless you get some shiny loot!" Klein declared, assuming a stance with his sword.
"Alright, then. If you won't let us through, then I guess we'll just have to push you aside!" The man laughed as the rest of the DDA party riled up for an attack.
Klein then stole a glance at the two boys behind him. "You guys go on ahead! We'll hold down the fort here!"
Josuke's eyes widened, before he tried to retort to Klein's gamble. "You sure you can take these guys? DDA doesn't mess around!"
"You're forgetting, Furinkazan doesn't mess around either! Now go! Time's a-wastin'!" Klein smirked, causing Josuke to smile back lightly as he gave a quick nod of approval.
Kicking up his legs, Josuke ran off into the thick of the wood alongside Kirito, until the noise of battle behind them faded into the bush. The two continued to run, eventually reaching a tree that towered far above the canopy. Stopping at the tree, the two simply stood there and waited.
*bong*
*bong*
The chime of the midnight hour rang out, as both teens braced for what came next. Suddenly, the entire forest shifted and shook, as a great tremor rang throughout the wood. Josuke and Kirito kept their balance, long enough to see a great hole open up at the base of the tree, forming a large tunnel.
Without hesitating, without batting an eye, the pair jumped in.
The tunnel was long and dark, so much so that Josuke could compare it to a tube slide with how fast they were going down. Maybe under different circumstances, he would have screamed and laughed from the thrill. However, he couldn't afford that, not while his mind was so focused.
The pair were released into a luminous cavern, stonework lining the walls in a manner that was beautifully intricate, a shining emerald moss coating the rocky surfaces, and oddly enough, flowery grass in patches along the floor as sunlight shone from openings up above, despite it being the middle of the night. An entrancing, blooming underground temple.
However, as the ground began to shake, Kirito and Josuke steeled themselves. Kirito unsheathed his sword and Josuke pounded his fists together as he summoned Crazy Diamond to aid him. This was all in or nothing.
The boss finally revealed itself, a creature that was most certainly a massive rabbit with its giant, pointed ears and rodent-like face, but its build was humanoid and muscular, not too unsimilar from a kangaroo's. The creature roared as it faced the two of them, prepared to attack.
Kirito and Josuke hadn't even taken the time to look at its name before they gritted their teeth and charged, screaming as they rushed into battle.
Several minutes later…
Klein heaved massive breaths as he laid there on the grass, gazing over the battlefield.
The DDA were powerful with their many numbers, but ultimately Furinkazan had them beat in skill and level. DDA was a massive guild alright, but that meant individual members wouldn't have held a candle to smaller, but high-level guilds like Klein's own.
He had been able to beat back a generous amount of them himself before they decided to give up and turn tail. Of that, Klein was oh, so grateful.
He wasn't sure how many in the DDA were willing to kill other players, enemies or not. However, he wouldn't tolerate player-killing among Furinkazan. The ultimate goal of SAO was to survive until the end, and killing other players was an idea that frightened him. To take another player's life was to kill them in real life, essentially in every concievable way, murder.
Klein wasn't going to go down that road, and he prayed nobody had actually died in their struggle.
That was when he heard the familiar noise of a teleportation animation. Turning around, he could see Kirito and Josuke emerging from their battle.
"So? How'd it go?" Klein asked, before he got a good look at the two of them.
Josuke looked beaten within an inch of his life, his eyes downcast and hidden by his hair. Kirito on the other hand, didn't have a scratch on him, but he looked like a dead man walking just from his eyes. He didn't even bother to steal a glance at Klein and walked right past him.
"H-hey, JoJo. You got the item, right?" Klein asked, confused.
"Yeah. Here." Josuke muttered weakly, his eyes nearing death as he reached into his inventory to retrieve an item and tossed the item in question to the man, who managed to catch it in his hands.
The item resembled a patterned egg, he figured was because of the Easter theme. Then he proceeded to open up its info and read off of it. "Right. So it revives a player of choosing within…"
Klein read the last part as Josuke dryly sighed in complete defeat.
"...ten seconds."
"Keep it. When you see someone who's about to die, use it. Something like that shouldn't be wasted."
Klein didn't know how to respond to that. Josuke looked absolutely crushed, as he then turned to walk out of the forest with Kirito, all without saying another word.
"Josuke!"
Klein grabbed onto Josuke's coat, causing him to stop. He couldn't just leave things like this, not while Kirito looked one foot in the grave already.
"J-just… promise me, you'll stay alive. Both of you!" Klein cried out.
Josuke looked at the man in surprise, before a tiny upwards curve formed on the edge of his lips.
"Thank you, Klein."
The pair then walked off, as Klein could only watch them from behind, praying that they would carry on.
Item Showcase:
Divine Egg of Resurrection:
After a player dies but before the light effects completely disappear (within 10 seconds), you can revive the player by selecting this item from the pop-up menu, or by holding it in your hand and saying "Resurrect" followed by the player's name.
Uses: 1x
Owner: Klein
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 49, Mujen) April 10th, 2023
"You're going?"
For once, Kirito managed to respond to Josuke, particularly once he heard what came out of his mouth.
"Yeah. I know it'd be stupid of me, but I need to do this." Josuke muttered as he stood before Kirito, who sat on the bed.
"What do you mean by that?" Kirito asked, confused.
"I… wasn't fast enough to save Sachi. No amount of apologizing could sum up how much I hate myself for that." Josuke muttered, leading another tear to find its way to Kirito's eye.
"That's why… the least I can do is avenge her." Josuke then growled, his face twisting into a frown as Kirito looked on in fear.
"Sachi's…"
"Killer. I'm gonna track him down, find him, and make him regret he ever laid a finger on her." Josuke declared, pounding his fist against the wall to calm his nerves down.
"Then why leave? Why can't we go together?! I have a say in this, too! I DESERVE TO SEE THAT PIECE OF SHIT MYSELF, DON'T I?!" Kirito screamed, not caring if he woke up the entire inn.
"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO END UP LIKE SACHI!"
Kirito didn't understand, and was about to protest when Josuke raised a hand, pleading him to hear him out. "There's something about Stand users, something that my family used to say about them."
"For some reason, Stand users attract one another. People with this power find themselves crossing paths easily. I'm… afraid that you'll run into people with my power… because I'm always there with you." Josuke cried, releasing his emotions.
Kirito's eyes widened. This was why Josuke hated himself so much for what happened. He thought Sachi had gotten attacked because of his presence.
"J-Josuke… that's not your fault…" Kirito stammered, before Josuke rose to his feet.
"How can we be certain? We can't take any chances in life or death! If some other Stand user got to you, and I wasn't able to heal you, then what?!" Josuke ranted on, before stopping to catch his breath. "I'm trusting you to survive!"
"You're strong. I know you are."
"So please, stay alive for me."
"Stay cool, Kazuto. I'll see you around." Josuke said as he opened the door.
However, he stopped himself before he left. "One last thing. I have something from Sachi. She wanted me to hold onto it so she could give it to you when the time was right. She'd want you to have it."
Once Josuke was out the door, Kirito checked his message box, finding two messages: one from Josuke, the other from Sachi.
Widening his eyes, Kirito clicked on both. From Josuke's message, he received a small package, wrapped up nicely in colorful paper, a little ribbon on top for good measure.
From Sachi's message, a small prism appeared. He recognized it as a voice box, a device that recorded and played audio. Tapping it, the message began to play.
"U-um… hi, Kirito. I thought I'd record this message just in case for some reason, I wouldn't be able to do so in person. T-that means, if you're hearing this, I'm probably dead. S-scary thought, huh? First of all, I'd like to thank you. From the very moment I was born, I always feared everything. I was afraid I wouldn't fit in, afraid people would hate me if I tried to talk to them, afraid of dying in Sword Art Online. When I first met you, I could tell you and I were minds alike. You were shy, quiet, and got easily flustered, just like me! But when I saw you fight, I knew that in some ways, you and I were complete opposites! You were so strong and brave, saving us at every turn you had. I told you once that I wanted to pull my own weight? Well, these past few months, you training me, I felt so happy that you were helping me make that wish a reality. You were strict, but I learned so much from you! I want to spend more time with you! But… I know that someday we'll be apart, and when that happens, you wouldn't get over it. You'd never forgive yourself. I don't think even Josuke could snap you out of it. That's why… stop crying. Look for a shoulder to cry on, these things you just can't overcome alone. O-oh, and I almost forgot. Remember when I said I'd spend my money on better gear? Well, I've been thinking about what you and Josuke said, and decided on something a little special. You see that box? I'd like you to open it. My everlasting gratitude to you, Kirito."
Kirito softly unwrapped the box, tearing at the wrapping paper as he opened it to reveal something that made his breath catch in his throat.
A pair of thin silver necklaces, adorned with a small ornament at their end, a crescent moon, no bigger than his nail.
"Do you like it? I thought it should have been something special, something that represented the memories we shared together. I thought of a sword, but I didn't think it hit the mark. Josuke helped me pick out the moon, and I don't think I'd have been able to do it without his help. I've got the other half in that box, and thought we should have worn matching sets. I-if we ever did marry in the game, then we'd have gotten the rings anyway, so I wanted something a bit more us, don't you agree? Thank you, Kirito, for everything you've given me. Every memory we shared, even if for a little while. Keep helping people, keep holding your head high. Make it to the end of this game, and live a long, happy life."
"I love you."
Up next: Josuke goes off alone.
Dare I say, this is the longest chapter I've ever posted. I hope I nailed the conclusion to the Moonlit Black Cats, and I hope I made this work. If not, then rant all you want in a review. I don't mind hearing criticism. Now, several references I put into the chapter. The Dromaeo should seem familiar if you played Devil May Cry 5, since I based them off the Furies, vicious enemies that spam teleporting attacks, making them a nightmare to fight if you don't know their attack patterns. Also, Dromaeo means "runner" in Latin, which is why I went with that name. The Easter boss level is based off of Bunny's Warren in the Dreamworks movie, Rise of the Guardians, and the boss is based off of Bunny himself. These next couple of chapters, I will be solely focusing on Josuke as he ventures in SAO, and I will be introducing a few JoJo characters into the fray! If you're willing to stick around, I'd be grateful! Anyway, tell me what you thought in a review, trash it, love it, anything, I'll appreciate just a few words. Thank you all so much!
Guest: Yeah, that's true. Hopefully you enjoy what I have in store!
Guest: Yeah. Was it handled well? Or worse? I'm not entirely sure. As for pairings, I think I have a pretty solid idea on how to handle that.
Dasgun: .