Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 48, Lisbeth's Smith Shop, Lindus) May 20th, 2023
One.
Two.
Three seconds.
One second just above the next, hands falling into place exactly as they should.
The rhythm of her swings, the steadiness of her tempo, just like the beat of a song. Easy.
Just one more and…
*crack*
"Drat. Missed the timing there." Lisbeth sighed as she stared at the snapped blade she had been tempering in her gloved hand.
Gripping the smithing hammer in her other hand, Lisbeth could only pout in frustration as she watched the detached point of the sword dissolve into nothingness in the corner of the room where it fell.
Her heart sank a bit at the sight as her head dipped glumly, opening her menu to dismantle the remainder, a number of composite materials appearing in her inventory.
Lisbeth stood up as she stretched her arms, letting out a groan before picking through her menu. "I should get back to work. My masterwork could wait a little while later. Just you wait, baby! I'll have you to my name soon enough!"
The town of Lindus was humble in atmosphere and appearance, a quaint medieval village straight out of a bedtime fairy tale. Surrounded by thick wood and small in size, the village was no dreamlike paradise like Floria just a floor down, nor was it a vast urban city like Mujen, but Lisbeth called it her home for now.
Of course, she had a home she desperately yearned to return to, she could honestly say the same for a vast majority of her fellow gamers. However, she didn't mind sticking around and having a little bit of fun. Her shop was a testament to that.
Lisbeth put on a determined grin as she retrieved a familiar iridescent rapier from her inventory, its turquoise sheen glinting in the light as she raised it to her eye's gaze. If she had to name one piece close to her masterwork, Lambent Light was a damn close piece of art.
For one, it was powerful, she made sure it was in every step of the creation process, from the materials to her smithing process. To top it off, it was in the hands of none other than Asuna, who used the blade to lead the charge and win a great many victories.
Nothing could have made her more proud as a blacksmith and as a friend.
"Hey, Lis!"
A voice rang out from outside the forge, from the door leading to the shop. A voice that Lisbeth knew well. Putting on a smile, Lisbeth went to work on the rapier as she called out with a raised voice.
"Come in!"
The click of the knob gave way to the creaking of the door opening, as Lisbeth could hear footsteps tapping against the stone stairs. She didn't turn away from her work on the sword. Her work demanded absolute attention from her, and as a professional, she prided herself on that. However, she wasn't rude enough to not greet her visitor.
"I'll have Lambent all freshened up in two shakes, Asuna!" Lisbeth called out, her friend laughing in response.
"Don't worry about it! I'm fine to wait around here!" Asuna replied, leading Lisbeth to hum in amusement.
"Ahh… And here I thought Little Miss Vice Commander was too busy handling the meatheads up at the frontline meetings! You cool sticking by for lil' ol' Lis after all?" Lisbeth snickered, tilting the edge of the blade against the wheel as sparks ground from the metal.
"I didn't say I wouldn't hang out more! I've just been a little busier now since we're nearing the halfway point!" Asuna huffed in protest, leading Lisbeth to snort out an undignifying laugh.
"Still, appreciate the company! Glad someone's up there to show off my beautiful work! You're doing me more favors than I could ever ask!" Lisbeth grinned as she moved the blade against the wheel, sharpening the edge.
"You know, you aren't a slouch yourself, Lis. Who knows? You might make one hell of a name for yourself up there if you fought with us!" Asuna smirked as she watched her friend at work, the latter sighing as she lifted the blade to observe her reflection in its sheen.
"You think so? Nah! I'm fine as is! You just keep slaying up there and I'll be one happy girl!" Lisbeth laughed, leading Asuna to raise an eyebrow as a smug grin emerged on her face.
"I'm serious! Are you doubting my judgment? Lord knows I could use someone to help me out with the upper brass." Asuna grinned, leading Lisbeth to stop sharpening Lambent as she pointed the blade to her friend.
"I never doubt you, girl! Besides, if you could handle the heat from the forge then you can take the hot air up there no sweat!" Lisbeth said as Asuna giggled.
Retrieving a piece of cloth from her inventory, Lisbeth ran it along Lambent's surface before raising it to her gaze, the light reflecting into her eyes as her reflection could be spotted clear as day within.
Grinning in satisfaction, Lisbeth lifted the rapier and slipped it into its sheath, handing it back to its owner, eagerly reaching out for her prized armament. Asuna took the weapon, before unsheathing it, hefting it in her hands and giving it a few swings to assess its feel.
"So? How's she feel now?" Lisbeth asked as Asuna sheathed Lambent at her hip.
"She's better than ever! You're a real miracle worker, Lis!" Asuna smiled, passing Lisbeth a handful of coins as payment.
"Yeah, yeah. You flatter me, hun. Just be sure to handle my baby with care! Gotta treat her right! With respect!" Lisbeth proclaimed, jabbing a finger at Asuna's chest with a wide grin, all while the vice commander laughed nervously.
"I'll be sure to, Lis. Lambent's my special partner, after all!" Asuna smiled.
*bong*
The noise of the town bells rang out from outside, reaching the girls' ears as Asuna perked up, her eyes widening as she let out a gasp.
"Oh no! I'm running late! Sorry Lis, I gotta go!" Asuna stammered out, picking up her things and rushing towards the door.
"Make my baby look good out there, Asuna!" Lisbeth waved, as Asuna giggled, leaving out the door.
Once she was alone, Lisbeth took her time to ponder over Asuna's words. Her? On the frontlines? If she was being perfectly honest with herself, it sent a rush of thrill through her to imagine it. In fact, this wasn't the first time someone had suggested this to her. Yeah…
"That was quite a while back, wasn't it, guys?" Lisbeth pondered to herself as she stared back to her wall, at a picture hung on it.
A memory of days gone.
Weapon Showcase:
Lv. 68 Rapier: Lightning Flash, Lambent Light – This mystifying blade must be wielded with a calm and elegant hand, akin to a true goddess's grace. When handled rightfully, it is said the blade can strike like pure lightning in both speed and power.
Special: Goddess Aurora: Movement and Attack Speed briefly increased by 200% and chance to automatically ignore setup time for next Sword Skill on successful Combo Chain
Enhancement: +11
Damage: 251 (C)
Speed: 910 (S)
Durability: 251 (C)
Range: 2m (B)
Precision: 95% (S)
Rank: Crafted, Legendary (A)
Selling Price: 92,000 Col
Owner: Asuna
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 48, Lisbeth's Smith Shop, Lindus) May 21st, 2023
The chirping of birds outside the window was the first thing she heard that morning.
Lisbeth groaned as she rubbed her groggy eyes with her hand, her other level to the bed, trying to hoist herself upright. She lifted her chest from under the sheets, feeling the brief chill of the air wash over her before the warmth of the sun's rays hit her body.
She sat upright, then her head started to pound. Another headache. Lisbeth hated mornings like this, perfectly nice until something else just ruins the mood.
With that she let out a moan of frustration as she plopped her head back down on the bed, slapping a pillow over her face in order to drown out the ringing sensation in her head.
"Make it stop..." The girl groaned, tossing and turning on her bed, trying to find a semblance of comfort.
The ringing didn't stop, and all of a sudden Lisbeth could swear the cicadas singing outside were screeching into her ears.
"AAaaaarrrgghhhh!" Lisbeth slammed her head against her pillow, squeezing against its fluffy surface, but to no avail.
A different ringing was heard, but it was ringing nonetheless. It irritated her.
"No visitors today! Go home already!"
Wait a minute.
That noise was the door's bell. She had a customer!
"Oh no!" Lisbeth immediately popped out of bed, suddenly full of energy as she breezed through her menu as she barged out the door to her room, putting on her shopkeeper's outfit as the clothing materialized over her pajamas. Running down the stairs, Lisbeth could still feel her head aching, but it was not important right now.
As a shopkeeper, she had a duty to see to her customers, to make good on her shop's name and her own as a servicewoman.
Barging in through the door as she rubbed her fingers through her knotted hair, Lisbeth heaved out a few breaths and tried to compose herself, patting her skirt to straighten it out before coughing to clear her throat.
"Welcome to Lisbeth's Smith Shop- *cough*" Lisbeth began, before doubling over and dropping to her knees, coughing like she was huffing ashes.
Beating her fist to her chest to stop her fit, Lisbeth could only cringe internally at the thought of embarrassing herself in front of a customer, in her own shop, no less.
Looking up with a frustrated whimper, Lisbeth locked eyes with her early-bird customer. The man was leaning over her weapons racks, but his head was tilted in her direction, his face contorted into one of confusion, a bit of pity mixed in.
"Great… he noticed…" Lisbeth cringed as the man walked in closer, allowing her a clearer view of his appearance.
He wore a coat, rather long and expensive-looking. The guy clearly had quite the fashion sense. His build was robust and stocky, but not overly large to be called a giant. His eyes were an iridescent violet, a hue that matched his hair.
Speaking of which, his hair was quite the eye-catcher itself. It was styled in a rather loud pompadour, Elvis style if she wasn't mistaken. Old school, to be sure. However, she did admit it did contribute to the unique kind of style he was rocking. One look at that hair and she already knew exactly who this customer was.
"What's the Diamond Fist JoJo doing here in my shop?" Lisbeth pondered to herself as she stared at him, her mind going blank for a second as her eyes drifted to his hair and got distracted.
"Hey, you alright over there?"
Lisbeth blinked and there he was, right in front of her and extending a hand out. Lisbeth sighed and took it, clasping around his palm as he pulled her up to her feet.
"If I'm being brutally honest, I'd be in a way better mood if you didn't decide to window shop at the crack of dawn," Lisbeth muttered, as Josuke scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Haha… sorry about that… Guess that makes you Lisbeth then?" Josuke asked, leading Lisbeth to turn his way midway through her pout.
"Depends on who's asking. What's a Stand User like you doing down in humble backwater Lindus at this hour?" Lisbeth smirked, her sarcastic side begging for her to release its chains.
"Well… that depends on what you want to know. Long or short story? Take your pick." Josuke smirked back, leading Lisbeth's eyebrow to quirk in curiosity.
"Well, you've piqued my interest already, Elvis. You've arrived long before any other customers usually come in, too. What the heck, I got time." Lisbeth waved flippantly with her hand as she turned to the wall, slouching against it as her eyes fixed on Josuke, who tilted his head in curious interest at her.
"Long story it is."
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 49, Floor Boss Dungeon) May 19th, 2023
"Hang in there, guys!"
Josuke yelled out, watching as the boss emerged from the shadows once more, hovering above the ground and into the light, allowing Josuke, Okuyasu, and the rest of the party a good look at the creature before them.
The Chaos Nimbus, the 49th floor boss.
The boss took the form of what Josuke could only describe as a massive cloud. Most of its body consisted of a churning mass of what appeared to be black thunderclouds, gaseous in appearance and shrouding the creature's body in a thick aura of fog.
Josuke then turned to what seemed to be its face, or at least, the closest thing he could assume was its face. A single eye, staring at them unblinking. The orb would appear and reappear at what he assumed was random, fading in and out of the mass, sinking into the cloud every time they would take a swing at it.
The party was still holding strong, with Okuyasu and the rest of the tanks holding up the front, just as another bolt of lightning shot from the boss, striking their shields with a metallic clang, knocking back a few others who didn't put their guard up quick enough.
"We got a plan?" Nautilus called out, attempting a strike at the creature's weak point while it was recovering, only for the eye to vanish back into the cloud as it rushed backward to safety, leading the boy to curse under his breath.
"Working on it!" Josuke yelled back, watching for more tells of the boss's attacks.
The creature moved through the air as a synthetic hum rang in an echo around the room, the Nimbus's body crackling all over with electricity. The creature's eye then reappeared at the center of the cloud, flashing with light as it let out a ghastly screech, leading many to cover their ears or cringe at the noise.
"Eyes up! It's gonna charge again!" Yuna yelled out, calling everyone's attention to the giant cloud monster, which vibrated and levitated higher as if charging an attack.
"Shields! Brace!" A KoB soldier called out, just as the boss descended like a fighter jet, ramming directly into the shields.
The soldiers all held fast from the impact but were then unprepared as the creature screeched again, a burst of electricity engulfing it, washing over the shield bearers, knocking them all back with nasty burns, Okuyasu's shield bursting into pieces from taking one too many heavy hits.
"Argh! This guy's tough! We can't even block its charge attack!" Okuyasu groaned as Josuke put Crazy Diamond's hands over his shoulders, healing him as Yuna did the same with the others, singing a song with her lute.
"At least we know it can do that… should be a handy tip for the clear mission," Nautilus noted, watching the creature take to the air as it prepared another attack.
"It's charging again?!" Josuke heard another soldier cry out in shock as he looked up, watching the creature's single eye once again move to the center of its mass as it let out another shriek.
"It rammed into the tanks, and let out that attack to bypass our defenses. We can't get by just blocking that attack. Its weak point also dodges attacks… but why does that eye always move to that same spot to charge?..." Josuke searched for an answer as the boss prepared to dive.
Then, an idea popped into his head.
"Get out of the way! Hurry!" Josuke rose to his feet, calling out to the others, while Nautilus stared at him with a confused look on his face.
"W-what are you doing?!" He cried out, as Josuke broke into a mild sweat, facing down the Nimbus's unflinching eye.
"If we can't block its attacks…"
The Nimbus then charged, body surrounded by sparks of lightning, making a beeline for Josuke, who stood his ground defiantly.
"Then I'll take them head-on!" Josuke cried out, just as Crazy Diamond made its appearance, materializing in front of Josuke just as the beast was a few meters from colliding with him.
DORA!
The Stand's fist moved upward, striking the Nimbus's eye just as it reached the apex of its dive, right in front of Josuke. The strike was not intended as an attack, but to deflect. Crazy Diamond's arm parried the strike, knocking the beast back and stopping all momentum in its charge.
The creature shrieked once more as its eye popped out of the cloud and into the open, its electric field dissipating back into its body.
"It's open! Let's go!" Nautilus called out, as the rest of the team moved in to attack, the soldiers screaming with their swords out.
"AAAGHHHH!" Josuke dropped to his knees, grasping his arm in agony with a scream.
"JoJo!" Yuna rushed over, covering her mouth in shock once she took a good look at his wound. His hand was burned to a crisp, wisps of smoke coming from the reddened flesh of his exposed hand.
"Did that thing's lightning do this?" Yuna cried in a panic, scrambling to retrieve a healing potion from her menu, while Josuke thought to himself amidst his injury.
"I knew it… you'd need to parry that charge to get a good hit in… But that eye was in the middle of the storm… guess my fists didn't have good enough range on them to get away scot-free…" Josuke muttered as Yuna retrieved a potion into her hand, about to pass it to Josuke.
"JoJo! Here, heal up!" She implored, only for Josuke to stop her with his good hand as he weakly stood up.
"Don't waste those. Damage to my Stand can't be healed by anything in this game." Josuke explained, clenching his teeth to block out the pain.
"In that case, don't you think it's best we pull back? We've gotten enough info for now." Nautilus called out, getting in one more strike before the boss recovered, rising into the air again.
Josuke considered his options. Looking back down on his hand, Josuke could already tell that this injury would cost him, and without his fists, his combat options were now limited for a while. If he lost his second hand, he wouldn't be able to heal anyone else, and that was an option he couldn't allow.
"That sounds good." Josuke nodded reluctantly.
"EVERYONE! FALL BACK! WE'RE HEADING BACK TO BASE!" Nautilus called out, as the party regrouped and ran for the exit.
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 48, Lisbeth's Smith Shop, Lindus) May 21st, 2023
"... and Asuna grilled me for a good minute over that arm… hehe, I guess she can be a real worrywart, huh?" Josuke droned on, telling his story over the raid that took place just a couple of days before.
Still leaning against the wall, Lisbeth tilted her head in curiosity as she listened to his story.
"Yeah, that girl puts up quite the front, but she's soft as a button, she is." Lisbeth sighed with a smile at the memory of her friend as Josuke laughed in agreement.
"Yeah. She put me off the team for a while after we gave the report. She even managed to convince the other top brass to put off the assault until I healed up. Asuna sure is strong when she wants to be…" Josuke muttered before Lisbeth let out a small yawn as she rubbed her eyes.
"Oh, sorry. Did I bore you with my story?" Josuke deadpanned as Lisbeth snickered lightly under her breath.
"Oh yeah, yeah. You're a real snoozefest, you are, Elvis. No, in case you haven't noticed, I just woke up with a raging migraine just to tend to a certain blockhead who thought it real funny to barge in this early. Thought that spectacle earlier showed that plenty." Lisbeth snarked dryly, as Josuke let out a laugh, leading her to pout lightly.
"Well, you're not wrong about that." Josuke mused.
"You being a blockhead?" Lisbeth countered, a smug grin on her face.
"Try me."
"Alright, alright, I'll bite. But seriously, why'd you come visit? Folks go window shopping about the bigger cities, not some backwater village like Lindus." Lisbeth asked, curious as Josuke sighed as he faced Lisbeth with a more serious expression.
"When that thing fried my arm, I knew why I'd gotten hurt. That weak point was hidden away in its body, meaning if I'd reached in with my fist, I'd only shock my arm off." Josuke explained, rolling up his sleeve to reveal a bandaged arm.
"Ahh… you need a new weapon, then. One with the range to poke around in there?" Lisbeth breathed out, stepping off the wall and brushing down her smithing outfit.
"Yeah, I asked around town for the best blacksmith around, and Asuna pointed me to you. I asked Argo, and she said the same, that there's no better place to get custom gear." Josuke noted, leading Lisbeth's ears to perk up.
"I've already got advertising? That's neat! From the best info broker in Aincrad, no less!" Lisbeth inwardly cheered, a smile creeping onto her face.
"Yeah, I trust those two, so when they both recommended you, I hopped right on over!" Josuke replied before Lisbeth raised an eyebrow, her head tilted to the side.
"You trust Argo of all people? Man, you really are a bizarre one, Elvis." Lisbeth deadpanned.
"First of all, I don't, but she doesn't lie when she's paid." Josuke sighed, leading Lisbeth to hum in understanding.
"Well then. If you've come all this way, then I guess we should get started!" Lisbeth said as she clapped her hands together in resolution, walking behind the shop's counter as Josuke rubbed the back of his head.
"Alright. Now, let's see the weapons you're using right now. It'll help for reference." Lisbeth asked, leaning over the counter with her hands to her chin, as Josuke nodded and sifted through his menu.
"Here. I've been using a fisticuffs playstyle for a while now. Thought it complimented my Stand's fighting style." Josuke explained as he retrieved his weapons and placed them on the counter.
Lisbeth looked over the weapons, a pair of metal gauntlets and greaves. Scanning the weapons with her eyes, Lisbeth could already tell without appraising the item that they had a degree of quality to them. The surface of the armor was obsidian, shiny yet dark in appearance, scales segmenting down the forearms and along the shin armor, adding a layer of intimidation to it. In the center of this armor, on each arm and shin, was a cross emblem, giving the weapon an additional flair.
"Well, gotta give you points for style. Not only for your cosmetics but your weapon choice." Lisbeth muttered, admiring the beauty of the weapon.
"You think so? Thanks." Josuke mumbled, staring off to the side at that comment.
"However… style doesn't go anywhere if it isn't very practical." Lisbeth then noted, leading Josuke to whip his head back in her direction, his face showing blatant shock.
"Hang on, weren't you complimenting me earlier?"
"Hehe~! Yeah, don't think you're getting off easy with me, Elvis." Lisbeth laughed, leading Josuke's eye to twitch for a moment.
"Gauntlets and greaves, huh? It's certainly a flashy weapon to use if you know how to use them well. I've known some people who can dance around enemies with these. Putting your martial arts skills to use, you can land some nasty crit damage if you know what you're doing." Lisbeth noted, appraising the weapon, tapping over it to view a menu popup, detailing the weapon's stats.
"Jacobo… rare gauntlets and greaves… Interesting perk it's got there." She muttered, before nodding and looking back up at Josuke.
"Alright, Elvis. The way I see it, you got a few things to work with here. For starters, you seem like you could be good with a heavy weapon. The sort of thing that demands strength to swing. Usually, it comes with some risk with the lack of speed, but with your Stand, I guess speed shouldn't be much of an issue." Lisbeth elaborated, leading Josuke to pinch his chin in contemplation over her offers.
"That's a good point… Any suggestions?" Josuke asked as Lisbeth tapped the counter with her finger, racking her brain.
"Well… I have a few options open. I could get you a mace, maybe a war hammer. Those things can wreak some damage if you can handle them right." Lisbeth listed off.
"I've got my fists for blunt damage already, don't I?" Josuke reasoned, as Lisbeth clicked her fingers at those words.
"Bladed weapons it is? Right. We have three main options ahead of us, then." Lisbeth concluded, reaching for a weapon on the racks, dropping a large spear on the counter.
"Give that a swing for a bit. I always point to the spear first. Easy to use, long reach, wide parry window, and usually come with a teamwide perk. Jack-of-all trades kinda deal." Lisbeth explained as Josuke picked up the polearm, giving it a few quick thrusts.
"Any downsides?" He asked.
"Damage usually doesn't speak volumes. If you wanted something like that, you'd look at a battle axe or a greatsword." Lisbeth noted, just as she noticed Josuke's eyes turn to her at the mention of the latter.
"Greatswords?"
"Yeah. Take the usual one-handed sword, then give the blade a good upgrade in size and weight. Blade's strong enough to take a few hits like a shield, and one swing could easily tear through most things, but the strength you would need…" Lisbeth pondered.
"Got one around? How about I take a few swings?" Josuke suggested to the girl, as Lisbeth sighed, reaching for a particularly large blade next to the spear.
Josuke lifted the weapon with his good hand, and he could already feel the weight of the metal blade weighing his arm down. It was a powerful weapon, that was for sure. Grabbing the hilt with his other hand, Josuke lifted the sword, then gave it a few swings.
A sweep to the side, then a rising slash, before he gathered his momentum and slammed it back down on the ground, a burst of air blowing out from the impact, as the blade smashed into the ground, leaving a sizable dent in the ground.
Contemplating for a second, Josuke let out a satisfied hum as he stared back at the blade. It was heavy and tough to swing around, but he could already tell from that impact that it could deal incredible damage if his hits landed.
"This'll do. Think you can make me something like this?" Josuke asked as he turned back to Lisbeth, who tapped her foot with an annoyed pout, causing a bead of sweat to drip down his head.
"I'll consider it. First, how about paying for damages? Holes like these don't fix themselves, you know?" Lisbeth said as she pointed to the hole in the floor left by Josuke's swings, only for Josuke to laugh much to her confusion.
"Oh, that's it? Well, consider this deal fixed!" Josuke beamed, summoning his stand and placing his hand over the hole.
Lisbeth watched with intrigue as the Stand's energy manifested and cast over the hole, leading the damage to seemingly rewind, the floor reassembling its broken parts to return to their places. Once Josuke had taken his hand off the floor, it was like nothing had changed at all.
"Didn't you say your Stand could heal? How'd you do that?" Lisbeth asked, now curious.
"Close, but not exactly. Crazy Diamond has the ability to restore. Fix, so to speak. That includes people, but it can work on other things too as you just saw." Josuke elaborated as Lisbeth nodded.
"Well, Elvis, you've thoroughly convinced me. With a power like that, how can I not give you a weapon all to yourself?" Lisbeth grinned at Josuke.
"So you'll do it?"
"Yeah! I promised, didn't I? Besides, when big shots like you in the front lines use my gear, that gives me some great name value! It's a win-win, don't you think?" Lisbeth smirked, raising a hand with an open sideways palm level to his chest.
Smiling, Josuke decided to shake on it.
"Deal."
Weapon Showcase:
Lv. 30 Greatsword: Zweihander – What one hand cannot accomplish, two can do better. A weapon for the strong in body and spirit, mastery of the greatsword is the hallmark of a mighty warrior.
Special: Rising Spirit: Final hit of any combo deals 30% more Damage
Enhancement: +1
Damage: 350 (B)
Speed: 200 (D)
Durability: 300 (C)
Range: 2.5m (B)
Precision: 40% (C)
Rank: Crafted, Common (D)
Selling Price: 4,000 Col
Owner: Lisbeth
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 46, Obsidian Ravine) May 21st, 2023
"You sure this is the right spot, Lisbeth?" Josuke asked, turning to the girl tagging along behind him.
"You doubt the word of a master blacksmith like me? You'll break my poor little heart, Elvis." Lisbeth teased the boy, who sighed in exasperation as they continued to walk through the path along the slopes of the canyon.
Josuke looked around, scanning the landscape as he did so. The area they had traveled to consisted of a massive valley, a rift in the ground several hundred meters wide, a bottomless abyss below them. The walls of the valley were made of a solid mineral, but strangely enough, dark to the eyes and smooth to the touch.
"Why this place of them all, again?" Josuke asked as he kicked another pebble off the edge to tumble down the rift.
"Hey, you want a good greatsword? This place has some of the best crafting materials for a super tough weapon, just the kind of metal fit for a hero's blade!" Lisbeth proclaimed, leading Josuke to laugh under his breath, before pausing to wipe the sweat from his brow.
Josuke squinted his eyes as he looked up at the bright sun, the light of its rays seeming to reflect off of the walls, cooking him in the heat. Working up a good sweat from the walk along the paths down the ravine, he looked behind him to see Lisbeth doing the same, her frilly outfit seeming ill-fitted for this weather.
Sighing as he opened his menu, Josuke unequipped his coat, leaving him in a simple shirt, just as Lisbeth looked back at him with an odd expression on her face.
"At least say something before stripping your clothes off…" Lisbeth mumbled as Josuke groaned.
"I'm gonna cook like a dumpling if I don't get a few clothes off, bite me. Besides, not like you're doing any better over there." Josuke noted, turning around at an embarrassed Lis.
"I-I'll be fine, I can take it. I work next to a forge all day in these clothes, this shouldn't trouble me too much." Lis said, while Josuke huffed and turned back forward, continuing to walk as Lisbeth picked up the pace behind him.
The pair continued to walk down the path, a rope fence separating them from the harrowing drop into the void as they walked next to the steep walls of the canyon. Coming down into a depression in the wall, Josuke noted the path widening considerably and curving into a new path.
The pair were now at the entrance of what appeared to be a large cave in the canyon wall. Lisbeth looked over Josuke's shoulder and walked up to the entrance, tracing a palm over the wall to allow the dust to blow away, revealing a piece of stonework, intricate in design.
"A door?" Josuke asked out loud, his eyes scanning over what looked to be a stone doorway embedded in the wall.
"I guess. Shall I let you do the honors?" Lisbeth asked, moving aside and gesturing to the lock.
"What happened to "ladies first"?" Josuke sighed, placing a hand on the lock, prompting the door to open, the stone giving way and parting as dust blew out of the hole, prompting the two to raise a hand over their eyes.
The doors opened, but much to the surprise of the two players, the path was blocked by a pile of rubble. A massive amount of rock and debris sat at the entrance, barely a meter from the doorway.
"Damn. A dead end?" Josuke cursed, as Lisbeth held her fingers to her chin to ponder for a second.
"Hang on, that doesn't make sense. Why make this clear sign of a dungeon when the only way in is blocked?" Lisbeth wondered out loud, as Josuke thought over the situation on his own.
"Maybe this place was a trap to lure in unsuspecting players, and we're looking at the aftermath…" Josuke wondered as Lisbeth stared at him with a horrified expression.
"No…"
"It's possible. I know that all too well." Josuke said, his face clouded over. Lisbeth turned to him, and she could tell from one look at his face that he was going to a dark place thinking about that.
"What happened to him for him to get all gloomy about it?" Lisbeth wondered to herself, before turning back to the clogged doorway, looking over the rubble.
"Well, I'm stuck. What now?" Lisbeth asked as Josuke turned his head up, looking over the doorway as he stopped next to Lisbeth.
Staring down at the rubble, Josuke moved aside a few stray bricks and stones before stopping. Knocking against the rock, Josuke raised a hand, gesturing for Lisbeth to come a little bit closer.
"Look at this…" Josuke muttered as Lisbeth walked up next to him, staring where he was pointing.
The rock gave way to a larger stone surface underneath, but not just any rock. Lisbeth particularly noticed its shiny appearance, not unlike the mineral that composed the walls of the ravine. However, despite the similar appearance, she could tell from a glance that it was not the same. Even more so with a touch.
The surface was astonishingly smooth, like glass as her hand appeared to glide over it. Even more curiously, there was a strange warmth that seemed to emanate from the rock, not from the glare of the sun like the walls, but oddly enough, from within the stone itself, like it was a living creature with a beating heart. There was no doubt about it, this was what they were looking for.
"JoJo! This is it!" Lisbeth beamed, her hands scrambling to remove more and more rubble to reveal what was essentially a massive boulder consisting of the strange ore they were looking for.
"Look at the size of that!" Josuke gasped, using Crazy Diamond to remove more of the rubble to see that the boulder was at least double his height, and they hadn't even seen the whole thing yet.
"Quick! Let's bust this thing down! I'll have enough ore to make enough swords for an army!" Lisbeth urged Josuke, her eyes shining in a hungry way that reminded him of Argo at certain times.
"Yeah, I'm on it… although…" Josuke muttered as he walked up to the boulder, tracing a palm along its surface.
"...you might want to stand back!"
Crazy Diamond appeared in full, bearing a fierce growl on its face as it reared its fists back, rushing towards the boulder.
"DORARARARARARARARARARA!"
The Stand's barrage was swift and devastating, delivering blows at a speed comparable to a rocket ship. They were so fast that Lisbeth couldn't even track Crazy Diamond's fists with her eyes. The Stand roared as it continued to pound its armored fists against the rock.
"Whoa…Is this the power of Stands?" Lisbeth could only wonder to herself until something felt wrong.
The Stand's blows were relentless, but oddly enough, they didn't seem to do any damage to the rock. Its hits appeared shattering, but now that she looked closer, they seemed to be absorbed by the rock itself. Then the next thing she saw put her into a panic, as the rock then appeared to start glowing.
That heat she felt from the boulder earlier… OF COURSE!
"JOJO! TAKE COVER!" She yelled out, Josuke himself barely able to turn around and face Lisbeth before-
*BOOM*
The rock… exploded.
Josuke could barely process what had happened because right now, he was flying through the air.
In a massive canyon.
Oh no.
Josuke's panic skyrocketed as he managed to find Lisbeth screaming her lungs out not too far from him. Looking all around him, he knew he had to act quickly before they were paste at the bottom of the ravine.
"LIS! GRAB ONTO MY STAND!" Josuke called out, extending Crazy Diamond outside his reach to grab Lisbeth's hand, before returning the Stand into himself, leading the terrified blacksmith to hug him from behind in a death grip.
"OH MY GOD JOJO WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Lisbeth screamed, just as Josuke managed to grab ahold of a large piece of rock that flew from the cliff due to the explosion.
"CRAZY DIAMOND!"
Josuke's hands were shadowed by his Stand's as its energy coursed into the rock, gradually slowing their descent. After a few moments, the rock he was holding began to rise into the air, carrying Josuke and Lisbeth along with it.
As they rose into the air, the rock then came to a halt at a spot several meters below the cliff's edge, embedding itself back into its original dent, leading Josuke to summon Crazy Diamond's hands, driving them into the rockface and allowing him a firm grip.
"Well… we're alive…" Lisbeth huffed out, drawing long and exhausted breaths to calm her drumming heart.
"What… was that?!" Josuke asked as he began to climb up.
"My guess?... An Ancient Golem." Lisbeth said, looking up to see smoke wafting from the origin of the explosion.
"How could you tell?"
"You got normal golems, those are easy enough to kill. They're not too smart or difficult to fight. The Ancients, however… not so much." Lisbeth explained as Josuke grabbed another ledge, lodging his hand in the cliff face.
"Ancients, they're covered in an indestructible shell of rock that can't be damaged at all. If you're insane enough to strike that over and over again, it just absorbs that damage and sends it right back all at once." Lisbeth told Josuke, who hung his head at that last part.
"Would've been nice to tell me that before… these things got any weak points?" Josuke asked as Lisbeth paused for a moment, smacking her forehead in an attempt to remember.
However, they were interrupted when Josuke felt more tiny specks of rubble trail onto his shirt and hands, leading him to look up at the cliff face as his face paled over.
Leaning over the edge of the cliff, he could spot a monster looking down at them. The creature was covered in rock but seemed to shine much like that boulder at the gate. Stone fingers gripped the edge of the cliff as its headless chest revealed itself. The golem's upper body consisted of a group of rock all seeming to guard a flaming center, which remained closed off by these plates.
"We got company!" Josuke called out, watching the golem open its chest cavity to reveal a glowing core that intensified in light by the second, almost as if it were charging up an attack.
"It's aiming for us! Hang on, Lis!" Josuke cried out as the golem shot off a fireball down the cliff in their direction.
The ball of flame hurtled down towards the pair, leading Lisbeth to equip her shield in one of her hands, raising it above the two of them to absorb the hit. However, it was not without cost, as Josuke's grip began to falter as he flinched from the impact, pieces of rubble falling from his grip.
"Damn, that thing hits hard! Not sure if we'll make it to the top if it keeps shooting at us!" Josuke cursed, trying to keep his balance and hang on.
That was when Lisbeth shook his shoulder with her hand.
"Wait, JoJo! I think I know how to get back up there, how to beat that thing back!" Lisbeth shouted.
"WHEN I TELL YOU, THROW ME!"
This only led Josuke's face to assume a greater state of confusion.
"W-what?! Where's this coming from?!" Josuke screamed back, only for Lisbeth's hand to pat his shoulder as she leaned in next to his head.
"Trust me on this! I know what I'm doing! Just be ready!" Lisbeth exclaimed, leading Josuke to sigh in defeat.
The golem finished recovering from its attack and shifted its stance, returning to its firing position. Again, its chest plates bubbled from the hot magma within, preparing to release another fireball.
"Not yet…"
The golem's chest then split open, as it propped its arms onto the cliff, just about to fire.
"NOW!"
"DORA!" Josuke's Crazy Diamond latched onto Lisbeth's body then swung her upwards with incredible force.
Lisbeth's body flew through the air, shooting directly towards the Ancient like a speeding bullet.
"One second…"
The Ancient's chest bubbled until it overflowed, a blazing orb forming at its chest.
"Two seconds...!"
Lisbeth was now directly underneath the Ancient's open chest.
"THREE!"
Swinging upwards with all her might, Lisbeth's mace struck not the golem's chest first, but the fireball the instant it left its body. A purposeful motion that transitioned perfectly into a shattering strike to its open weak point.
A Perfect Parry.
The creature received the full brunt of the counterattack, staggering backward weakly as it fell on its knees, stunned into submission with its chest plate wide open. Lisbeth then rolled onto the flat surface of the cliff's edge, back at the cave's mouth where they began.
"Jackpot!" Lisbeth cheered inwardly as she raised her weapons once more, charging in to take advantage of the Ancient's weakness. With a yell, the blacksmith delivered a powerful blow to its chest, repeating to her heart's content as the creature's health plummeted.
However, before she could land a further strike, The Ancient recovered, immediately closing its chest cavity, leading Lisbeth's next hit to bounce right off as the golem focused its attention on the girl.
Lisbeth raised her shield to brace for impact, just as the golem dropped to the ground, stopping its descent with its fists. Then the golem's body began to glow as Lisbeth recognized the tell. The golem's body then exploded yet again, as Lisbeth raised her guard to deflect the shockwave, but found herself dropping to the floor from the force.
Getting up, Lisbeth could only gape in horror as she realized her shield had fallen too far out of her reach, several meters away from her position. Gritting her teeth, Lisbeth then picked up her mace in a single hand and raised it to the golem's chest, which shifted, preparing to fire once again.
"Come on! You think you scare me?!" Lisbeth screamed at the creature, burying her fear as she raised her weapon.
The golem, seemingly meeting her challenge, fired two balls of flame. They moved towards Lisbeth, but she was not about to be outdone.
"One…"
A swing inwards, knocking away one fireball to rebound into the canyon wall above the cave mouth.
"Two…"
Another swing outwards, batting away the second projectile at the creature's leg, leading the beast to stagger back as if it flinched from the impact.
However, Lisbeth could tell that she had made an error at that last counterattack, as the leg of the golem began glowing once more, before the glow spread throughout its entire body, coating the Ancient in a superheated haze. Lisbeth then watched as the creature burst its chest wide open, charging up a new attack, seemingly more powerful than the last.
"What now?" Lisbeth frantically thought to herself, running to her shield, in hopes she could reach it in time.
If only she could just pick it up, and hoist it in front of her, it might not be able to take another hit before shattering, but at least it would buy her time!
She was too late, as she already heard the noise of the attack being fired before she could even start kicking up her legs. From the golem's chest, a massive heat ray shot out, aiming for the blacksmith and rocketing directly towards her at breakneck speed.
Lisbeth closed her eyes as she braced for the end.
"DORARARARARARARARARARARA!"
Only to realize that she wasn't dead yet. She looked up to see Josuke standing in front of her, Crazy Diamond fending off the laser with its fists flailing wildly, somehow fending off the attack as it roared its battle cry.
"Quite the climb, but I made it just in time!" Josuke grinned as the beam began to weaken from the golem.
"You deal back damage you take, huh? Well, try this on for size! CRAZY DIAMOND! FIX IT!" Josuke yelled out as Crazy Diamond unleashed its power.
The laser beam fired by the golem and caught by Crazy Diamond reappeared, shooting from Crazy Diamond's own open palms. The energy struck by the Stand returning from whence it came. The beam had hit before the golem had the time to block it with its chest plate, leading the creature to flinch as it screeched in pain, its health melting away into nothing.
The golem then fell limp, its fists falling to its sides and its knees giving way, leading it to fall face-first into the ground. The glow of its fiery core then began to fade, and once it was completely extinguished, the golem fell apart, the stones making up its limbs and body crumbling into mere rubble.
With that, Josuke received a notification from his menu. Opening it, his eyes bulged out when he saw the haul he had just pulled in.
50x Black Obsidian Ore
"LIS! LIS! YOU SEEING THIS?!" Josuke screamed out in shock, turning around to face the blacksmith, only for something to happen that shocked him further.
Lisbeth wrapped her hands around his waist, pressing her face against his chest. She didn't say anything, but Josuke could feel her body shivering and quivering against his own.
"U-uh… Lis?" Josuke stammered amidst a blushing face as Lisbeth released him.
"We… almost died…" Lisbeth muttered, her eyes wide.
"Um…" Josuke mumbled, unsure how to respond to that.
"T-that was…" Lisbeth continued.
"L-Lis?" Josuke asked, nervous.
"...SO FUN! OH MY GOD! IS THIS HOW YOU FRONTLINERS ALWAYS FEEL?! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I ALMOST GOT MELTED LIKE BUTTER BUT I FEEL SO ALIVE!"
Josuke blinked once.
Twice.
"...eh?"
Weapon Showcase:
Lv. 40 Mace: Stormchaser – The eye of the storm is calm and still, but gives way for harsh winds and wrathful lightning. Your enemies will pray they see the former when you arrive to challenge them.
Special: System Shock: Stuns staggered enemies for 2 more seconds, increases Perfect Parry activation window by 10%
Enhancement: +5
Damage: 400 (B)
Speed: 200 (D)
Durability: 250 (C)
Range: 2m (B)
Precision: 60% (B)
Rank: Crafted, Rare (B)
Selling Price: 40,000 Col
Owner: Lisbeth
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 48, Lisbeth's Smith Shop, Lindus) May 21st, 2023
"Alright, now that we have the ingot, all we need to do is to make the sword!"
Lisbeth and Josuke were back at the blacksmith shop and had celebrated a good amount of hours over the huge bounty they collected. Josuke thought he'd seen looks of greed incarnate when he met with Argo, but Lisbeth's faces might have had her beat. Lisbeth had brought him back into the forge and began the smithing process.
Lisbeth smelted the required materials into a single metallic ingot and brought it onto the anvil, the metal block glowing red hot from the forge's heat.
"Is it really that simple? Just beating a hammer onto that thing?" Josuke asked curiously, leading Lisbeth to roll her eyes at his remarks.
"On paper, it sounds simple enough. However, turns out there's a whole nuance to it." Lisbeth explained, leading Josuke to tilt his head, intrigued.
"Enlighten me then, master smith," Josuke smirked as Lis rolled her eyes once again.
"First of all, the hammer strikes have to be precise, exactly at the right places and instants. There's a rhythm to it, essentially. Once you find it, the swords come out with the best quality possible! Repeat until the ingot cools, and voila! One piping hot new sword!" Lisbeth explained, posing dramatically to emphasize her points as Josuke laughed at her antics.
"So… it's basically a rhythm game? Like DDR?" Josuke reasoned before he heard Lisbeth snickering under her breath.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!" She was now laughing, her hand on her forehead as she leaned backward, caught up in her own laughter.
"Hah… funny you say that… rhythm games were my favorite! DDR, osu!, Beat Saber, you name it, I could do it all!" Lisbeth laughed as Josuke's eyes widened.
"Back then, when we fought the golems… you could parry its fireballs like nothing! Was that from your… expertise?" Josuke asked, now very interested.
"Well… once I get the rhythm down, I can nail them no sweat. Can't say much about myself when I'm trying to get the pattern. Why did you think I had to block that first fireball when I was on your back?" Lisbeth sighed, while Josuke stood up to look her in the eye.
"Hey, that's still nothing to scoff at! I bet you'd be one hell of a soldier at the front lines!" Josuke smiled, while Lisbeth giggled, covering her mouth with her fist.
"You know… you aren't really the first person to tell me that. Asuna's been nagging me about that for some time now. I don't know, honestly. I've always been happy sitting by and helping others from the sidelines, but if I'm being perfectly honest…" Lisbeth sighed, leading Josuke to quirk an eyebrow in her direction.
"...that fight with that golem… that was some of the most fun I've had since I got into this game, hell, maybe even ever in my life! Who knows? Maybe I'll take up that offer sooner than I think!" Lisbeth laughed as Josuke smiled.
"Lisbeth…"
"Alright, now hush! I need complete concentration for this. Not a peep out of you or I ban you from this store, you got me?!" Lisbeth pointed a finger at Josuke, who nodded silently.
"Good."
Lisbeth slipped on her gloves as she took her smithing hammer in both hands. With a long and calming breath, Lisbeth's eyes opened once again, assuming an aura of deadly focus, like a snake with eyes on their prey and ready to strike.
*tap*
She struck the ingot with the hammer, leading a very small glow to burst from the hot metal.
*tap*
*tap*
Two more were delivered as Josuke watched in awe. Not a single one of her strikes was a moment too late or too early. Each and every one of her strikes was delivered with overwhelming purpose and precision as if she were keenly aware of the exact moment and position to swing her hammer.
To top it off, Josuke had never seen such an intense pair of eyes in his entire life. Lisbeth's eyes seemed to burn into the ingot as if she were counting the atoms making up its surface.
"Three."
*tap*
"Two."
*tap*
"One."
*tap*
With one final swing, the ingot glowed brighter as it shifted to take another form, shaping itself into the form of a large sword.
Lisbeth ran her gloved fingers over the blade, soaking in its beauty as she grasped it by the hilt and lifted it into the air, presenting it to Josuke.
"Your new sword."
Josuke took the blade and paused for a moment to let his eyes drink it in. The blade was wide but converged into a leaf-shaped point at the tip. Tilting the blade… oh yeah. It was sharp. The hilt covered the wide base of the blade but otherwise was featureless. The hilt was cold to the touch, colored the same shiny gradient of chrome black covering nearly the entire blade, ending in a rounded pommel, giving the heavy blade a good counterweight, balancing his grip on the sword.
"I…" Josuke began, before Lisbeth clicked her fingers as if she had just realized something.
"Ah! I just forgot! Some finishing touches I wanted to add! Give me a few minutes!" Lisbeth chirped, snatching the sword from his hands, but not before turning back.
"I'll be right back in a flash! One last thing! Do you have any decoration ideas you want? A symbol, maybe?" Lisbeth asked, leading Josuke to pause in confusion for a minute, before undoing a pin on his coat, a memento of his old life in Morioh.
"Use this." He flipped it like a coin into Lisbeth's hand, leading her to inspect the object with a keen eye.
"Ooh~! I knew you had an eye for style! Be right back, Elvis!" Lisbeth beamed as she disappeared into a different section of the forge as Josuke waited.
A few moments later, Lisbeth returned, his sword in hand. Josuke took the blade and could notice a few alterations to it. The hilt was now a bright violet color, wrapped in a sort of cloth, making it softer to the touch. At the crossguard, it now bore an engraving identical to the one on his pin. A golden heart, an open palm in the center. Josuke smiled at the sight, a memory of days before, a reminder of where he was fighting to return to.
"Thanks for the engraving, Lis. This means a lot." Josuke smiled, only for Lisbeth to raise a finger to his mouth, hushing him.
"I haven't even shown you the best part, so don't go thanking me just yet!" Lisbeth huffed, extending a hand before him.
"Give me your hand!"
Raising an eyebrow, Josuke complied, allowing Lisbeth to bring out a piece of cloth, the same color as that of his hilt. The blacksmith then tied it around his right hand, tightening a strong knot around his knuckle.
"What's this?" Josuke asked, curious.
"You'll see! Why don't we take her out for a spin?" Lisbeth piped up, grinning with pride as Josuke sighed.
"I got a little training ground with dummies outside. Try not to rough her up too much, Elvis." Lisbeth told him, leading Josuke to smirk in return.
"Don't worry, I'll try to be gentle." He snarked, wrapping his fingers around the hilt and walking outside, Lisbeth following suit out the door.
The yard outside was relatively spacious, but not too open. Josuke could hear the splashing of water coming from the wheel on the side of the shop, churning water from the stream as it rotated. The area was grassy, with a bare patch of dirt in the center, decorated with a few odd test dummies.
"Go on, give her a shot," Lisbeth told him, as Josuke hefted the blade in his hands.
"Way ahead of you."
Josuke took a breath as he raised the blade with both hands. His eyes stayed focused forward, his feet shuffling towards one of the dummies. His composure was calm as he concentrated, stilling his mind to keep his focus on his opponent.
Then Josuke burst forward, reeling his blade back as he rushed in with a sprint, charging up a sword skill as he did so. Screaming a battle cry, Josuke stabbed forward with the blade, piercing the dummy, leading its health to drop.
He then pulled the blade back, then used his momentum to wind up a swing from his right, his left hand moving to grab the hilt in conjunction with his right. Swinging, the attack hit the dummy's neck, draining its health further.
Then, as Josuke spun on his heel from the swing, he wound up a third and final strike from his left hip, his right arm winding up power as he swung upwards in a motion not unlike swinging a baseball bat, leading the greatsword's blade to swing into the dirt from its momentum. The final hit shredded through the chest of the dummy, leading it to disintegrate.
Huffing out a few breaths, Josuke hefted the blade over his shoulder and gave a goofy grin to Lisbeth.
"So? How was that?" He asked, laughing, only until Lisbeth called out again.
"That's not the coolest bit!" Lisbeth smiled as she raised her voice.
"You gonna keep me in the dark forever?" Josuke whined, leading Lisbeth to laugh again.
"Alright! I'll tell you! You see that second dummy?" Lisbeth called out, pointing at the second figure in front of Josuke.
"Throw your sword at it!"
Josuke blinked.
"W-what?!"
"Trust me on this! Use your Stand! Think of it like tossing a really big throwing pick!" Lisbeth explained as Josuke sighed.
Winding back his arm, Josuke charged it with a sword skill. Keeping his eyes on his target, Josuke focused again, taking aim.
"DORA!"
Josuke's sword was now in his Stand's hands, as Crazy Diamond's grip shadowed his own, cloaking his arms. With one swift jerk of his arms, the sword flew out of his grip as he tossed it straight at the dummy like a javelin, causing the blade to speed through the air like a missile.
The dummy didn't stand a chance. The sword's tip pierced through the midsection and emerged far out the backside, the force of the throw so strong that the dummy was ripped straight out of its post as the sword was pinned to the ground, the dummy hanging in suspension, impaled on its blade.
"Whoa…" Josuke could only marvel at the sheer power of the attack but was quickly interrupted by Lisbeth.
"Now use your Stand on that cloth I tied to your hand! Fix it!" Lisbeth instructed, leading Josuke's eyes to widen. Now he understood!
Raising his hand out to the weapon, Josuke applied Crazy Diamond's ability to the cloth on his hand, before the same energy appeared on the sword, surrounding the cloth wrapped around the hilt, cut from the same fabric as the one on his hand.
The sword flew up from the ground and shot backward, returning to Josuke as the Stand User caught the weapon, before taking a good moment to marvel at this incredible feature.
"Do you like it? I thought it myself when I saw what your Stand was able to do! That being said, I thought your sword needed a little personal touch, something to it that made it so only you could use it to its full potential! The cloth on the hilt and around your hand is one and the same. Use your Stand to "fix" it, and it should return to your hand whenever you so please!" Lisbeth bragged, clearly proud of her work.
"I feel like a superhero! This is so cool!" Josuke gushed, smiling brightly at his new weapon.
"Yeah, be sure to treat her right, okay, Elvis? Give her respect and care." Lisbeth winked at Josuke, leading him to smile warmly.
"I promise. I'll take good care of her." Josuke declared, before looking over the blade one more time, curious over a few things.
"Hey, Lis… she got a name?" Josuke asked, prompting a soft smile from her.
"Overture."
"Because she's going places. She'll be the beginning of your new legend, Elvis. The introduction to your symphony." Lisbeth beamed, Josuke's cheeks flushing at her words.
"Since when did you get so eloquent?" He laughed.
"I'll be whenever I want, thank you." Lisbeth pouted, sticking her tongue out mischievously.
The two paused for a second as they both turned to face the sunset, its orange rays washing over the town of Lindus. The pair said nothing, their minds drifting back to their adventure together and the day they spent as a team. Although they spent no time talking about it, there was something in the air.
A lingering feeling, a fleeting sense of familiarity and sympathy between them. They didn't speak on it, nor did they call attention to it. However, the two players could tell the other was thinking the same thing as they were.
"I missed this."
A good minute passed as they watched the sunset, the forest breeze washing through the village as the relaxing ambiance of the watermill turning filled the air to harmonize with the chirping of birds and the songs of cicadas.
"So… I don't know how I can pay you back for this…" Josuke muttered as he turned back to Lisbeth.
"Hm?" Lisbeth blinked as she returned to reality, turning to stare back at the pompadoured teen before her. Contemplating his question, she put a finger to her chin but then sighed as she clapped her hands together.
"You know what? How about I let you off charges this once? That's me paying you back for saving my life back then." Lisbeth suggested, but before Josuke could reply, she continued.
"But… promise me this, okay? Just… come pay me another visit sometime. I could use a little more rhythm and danger in my time here, and I can trust you to keep me safe." Lisbeth smiled at him, her cheeks red as she said this, raising another hand to him.
"Promise, Elvis?"
With that, all he could do was smile, smile as he shook on it.
"Sure, anytime."
Weapon Showcase:
Lv. 50 Greatsword: Overture – The thumping beat, the weaving of the melody, the dance of the rhythm. The songs of your legend have yet to be sung, the first verse written by the strikes and slashes of the blade.
Special: Reverb: Increase all counter and parry damage by 30%, increase critical chance and critical damage VS staggered enemies by 20%. Perfect Parry up to 10 times to unleash a powerful counterattack.
Enhancement: +0
Damage: 400 (B)
Speed: 250 (C)
Durability: 500 (A)
Range: 2.5m (B)
Precision: 50% (C)
Rank: Crafted, Legendary (A)
Selling Price: 75,000 Col
Owner: JoJo
Up Next: Welcome to Floor 50!
Sorry about not updating for over a week! I had college work to do and now I have a week of Spring break! Hope I get the next chapter up in due time! Now, for this chapter. Hope I got Lisbeth good! I feel she's such a severely underutilized character especially in the show itself, and I hope I did her justice! How did you like her interactions with Josuke? Now for references. The Ancient Golem should seem familiar if you played God of War (2018). They're stone golems that are totally invincible until they open their chests to fire projectiles. To beat them you just spam axe throws until you stun them into a grab. Second, Josuke's sword. Look up Clarent from Fate and picture it black. Either that or Kirito's ALO sword. Idk which honestly. Hope you liked that new ability I gave him with his sword! Finally, the title. Crazy my Beat is one of the anthology songs for the JoJo anime sung by Coda. Look it up on YouTube. This song slaps. Anyways, that's all, and I'll see you in the next one!
Again, PLEASE Review my story. I don't care if it's roasting, criticism, or appreciation. I love hearing what other people think about my writing. It motivates me to press on and gives me ideas on how to approach future chapters. Please leave a review, and I'll respond to all of them in each future chapter.
NotMrMundy: Thanks for sticking around! I will be including more Stand users, just you wait!
Zahndrekh: Interesting tidbit, Reki actually wrote Sachi's character after he did Asuna's. The second half of Aincrad was the first novel, while the second was a collection of side stories that compose the first half of the anime, the anime placing them in chronological order to pad out the episodes. I do agree that it's pretty bullshit that they didn't address her death as having more of an impact on Kirito. If your lost interest refers to my story, then I understand. Apologies I wasn't able to satisfy you.
Miguel Angel Lopez Hernandez: No, I am not pairing Josuke with Suguha. I have a plan for his pairing. Whether it's for the best or doomed to fail spectacularly, I'll let you guys be the judge of that.