Aincrad, Sword Art Online ( Lv. 1, Town of Beginnings) December 22nd, 2023
"KEEP THEM BACK! NOBODY GETS THROUGH!"
None of them saw it coming, and now the once quiet city had erupted into a true hell. They swept through the town in the dead of night, appearing out of nowhere as the noises of carnage rang out through the night. It was like a waking nightmare, first the quiet serenity of night, before everything plunged into terror.
At the square, soldiers were locked in a losing battle as they held back the invaders, their weapons out and fighting to their last breath, bearing through the horrifying laughter and glee that leaked from the grins of their attackers.
Diabel looked all around and gritted his teeth, realizing that they were stuck in a losing battle. He looked back at the civilians, rushing to the teleport gate in an attempt to escape, as more and more soldiers rushed to defend them from the madmen who threw themselves at the helpless crowd, more than eager to engage the players who barred their path.
"THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! COME ON, KEEP SCREAMING! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Another spectral arm swiped at him as Diabel held his shield to guard his front, trying to avoid damage while not allowing the cackling maniac in front of him to get past the line. Jabbing out with his sword, Diabel let out a yell as he nailed the red player in the gut, causing him to grunt from the sudden impact as he flew back several feet, slowly getting back to his feet.
"Keep at it, men! Don't be intimidated! Hold the line!"
He yelled out, gritting his teeth at the sight of the madman rising to his feet as he moved once more to rush the line of defense. Of course, almost none of their attacks did any good to damage them, their attacks literally hitting a wall and accomplishing little to thin down the horde, but thankfully their hits were still able to stun and knock back the aggressors.
"Diabel!"
The leader turned behind him to face a familiar silver-haired woman, running towards him amidst the chaos of soldiers battling the psychotic Stand users and panicked civilians screaming as they scrambled to the Teleport Gate. Yulier was with the Army's Commander, Thinker, who nodded her way and parted ways with her to direct the evacuation.
"Yulier! What's the situation? We've been holding them back for the past half-hour, but I don't know how much longer we can hold out!"
"Where did they even come from?! We barely had time to send men out to bring the civilians to the Gate! Most of the districts are on the way here already! How are the men doing?!" Yulier yelled, flinching as Diabel turned away to deflect an energy blast, likely from an enemy Stand that bounced off of his shield and caused him to inch backward from the impact.
"We're trying our best! With the safe zone restrictions, we're not gonna last much longer! We need to get everyone out of here right now! The Town of Beginnings is a lost cause! How is the residential district?" Diabel growled, swiping his sword at another close-range user that got too cocky, allowing him a clean cut across his Stand's chest, causing him to shriek out in agony as he recoiled and rolled on the ground, unable to continue fighting.
"We sent soldiers there a while back! Most of them should either be here or already through the Gate!" Yulier replied, raising her voice over the loud noise of the ongoing battle as Diabel continued to watch over the vanguard before turning back to the vice commander.
"What about the orphanage?"
"..."
Oh no.
That wasn't good.
Not one bit.
"I haven't heard from Sasha since the attack began. Diabel! Head to the church right away! Get the kids out of here as quickly as you can!"
Diabel didn't hear her finish as he turned to the soldier beside him. "Keep this position stable in my absence! Not a single red player gets through!"
In a flash, he burst down the road, dodging lunges from the red players who noticed him dashing in the direction of the city. He ran faster than he had ever done in his entire life, not even when he was risking his life on the Floor Boss raids did his heart beat this wildly out of fear. He rounded the corners, his feet scrambling to find balance as he sped through every shortcut he knew in these alleyways, from both his time in the game and in the beta test.
He didn't dare turn back, but he could tell he was being pursued. He could hear their deranged laughter echo off of the alley walls, leaving him unable to tell where they were coming from. Accursed cackling taunted him from above, from both sides, at every turn he took. No direction made him feel safer, and he could only brace for an inevitable confrontation.
"THERE YOU ARE!"
Diabel's eyes widened as he jerked his head upwards to face a wild-faced man diving at him from the rooftops, his jagged sword out and spiritual energy visually spilling out from his body as his Stand manifested in full.
Acting as quickly as he could, Diabel moved his arm above his head, feeling a violent impact crash onto his shield, forcing him to take a knee as the attacker leaped off of his guard and landed in front of him, forcing Diabel to assume a stance in preparation, ready for battle with his sword raised.
The man before him was very obviously a Laughing Coffin member, his hooded cloak obscuring his lanky frame, his face hidden behind a chilling skull mask, parting only to reveal his ear-to-ear grin. His Stand was nothing he hadn't already generally seen tonight, an ethereal spirit hovering beside his body bearing a muscular appearance that appeared both artificial and humanoid.
Judging by its appearance and less specialized features, Diabel could only assume it was yet another one with short range, and he hoped he would not face its unique ability, not while he had somewhere urgent to be at the moment.
"I knew you looked familiar…" The man's hiss leaked from his grimace, his eyes scanning him with a carnivore's hunger. Raising his blade, Diabel did not buckle under his opponent's display.
"Do I know you?"
The hooded man paused for a second to stare at him, before revealing a toothy grin, crooked and twisted as a dark aura surrounded him. Not letting his guard down, Diabel prepared himself as the man's eyes flicked back to him.
"Don't matter. Not when you'll be dead soon, golden boy!" The man laughed, running straight at him with murder in his eyes, drawing back his blade and lunging.
Diabel raised his shield, feeling the enemy's sword clash against his defense. However, he knew better than to counteract immediately. Within the limits of the city, his sword was the least of his worries. Sure enough, he caught a blur moving behind his opponent, heading right for him. Pushing off, Diabel acted quickly, spinning on his heel and slashing horizontally with his sword.
A hit.
Both players stood apart from one another, the red player drawing a palm across his stomach, unharmed. Sure, it didn't cut into his skin or deplete any health, but at least their swords were able to knock each other back. With this in mind, Diabel rushed forward with his sword drawn back, glowing as he charged up a sword skill.
Meeting his challenge, the masked man let out another cackle as his Stand wound back a fist, ready to strike. Both players were silent and focused, ready to snap at a moment's notice as they watched for the first move, unwilling to back down, nor fall to the other. The air was heavy and tense as both men stared down as the seconds ticked by like hours.
All of a sudden, it happened.
Diabel stomped a boot down and sprinted down the alleyway, yelling out a battle cry as he watched his foe do the same. He held his shield in front of him as his sword glowed brightly, nearing his target by the instant. In front of him, the red player did the same, running in a straight line with bloodlust spilling from his aura in droves, his sword and Stand ready to tear him apart.
Soon, they were inches apart.
"I remember. You were in Kibaou's guard, weren't you?"
The man's eyes widened, and for a brief instant, he faltered in his approach. Diabel smiled triumphantly. This was exactly what he was waiting for.
Immediately, Diabel unleashed his attack, slashing diagonally before his opponent could react or strike first. His sword slammed against the red player's chest, causing him to grunt as he felt the jarring impact knock the air out of him, sending him flying as the red player crashed into the wall with a firm thud.
Seizing his opportunity, Diabel dashed past him, making a beeline for the church before the man could recover in time to make chase. If he was fortunate, the maze of alleyways should deter his pursuer if he didn't know where he was going. Diabel rounded corner after corner until he could no longer hear his voice.
If he could do little to subdue him, the better option would be to focus on the mission. The more time he spent fighting a battle with little opportunity for him to win, he wasted time he could have spent arriving at the church and risked the safety of the children, which he couldn't gamble on. He made a promise, to his men and to those he fought alongside on the frontlines, to place the lives of the players above all other priorities.
This was why he disagreed with Straight Shooter and his cold, calculating stratagems, using his men like pieces on a chessboard. He didn't care if they made logical sense, he wouldn't risk the lives of others when everyone had theirs on the line in this death game.
Nearing the clearing, he could spot some commotion in the alleyway ahead. At the clearing, he could spot Sasha watching fearfully with her hand to her blade, a group of children behind her, linking hands and staying close. At least he could breathe a sigh of relief, knowing they were unhurt.
Running over with his sword in hand, Diabel squinted his eyes and caught sight of a battle ensuing. There, he could see two players clashing swords, one yet another masked player in a cloak howling with mad laughter with a serrated dagger in hand, a Stand manifested beside him. The spirit was of smaller size than the last, but still foreboding with its aggressive fist rushes in the direction of its master's opponent.
Speaking of which, the other was wielding a katana and dressed in red samurai armor. Instantly recognizing Klein, Diabel picked up his pace with his shield in front of him, sprinting directly at the Laughing Coffin member.
"KLEIN! HEADS UP!"
Leaping off, he continued to hold his shield in front of him as he bashed the weapon into the red player's side, stunning him and sending them both tumbling to the ground in a heap. Diabel was about to rise to his feet when he felt a sharp impact on his head. Grunting as he was sent back on his rear, Diabel looked up to see the red player holding out his blade in his direction, only something was off.
"That sword… did its length… extend?..." Diabel muttered, leading the red player to smirk under his mask as spiritual energy boiled around his body.
"Hehehehe… HAHAHAHAHA! So you aren't a complete idiot! Good on you. Yeah. Usually don't bother with this dumb ability when I can just beat the life out of you, but hey, why pull my punches? FUN'S JUST GETTING STARTED! HRAAAAAAGHHH!" The man laughed with maddened eyes as he sprinted at the two swordsmen. Turning to Klein, Diabel raised his shield arm.
"Wait for my mark, then switch out."
"On it!"
The pair of them met the red player's challenge as they advanced with their blades in hand, both sides now meeting in the center of the alleyway as the Laughing Coffin member raised his sword in the air, the Stand behind him placing a hand over the blade, the two only watching with strange intrigue as the weapon seemed to grow in length until it reached the rooftops.
"DODGE THIS!"
The red player then heaved the massive blade down, intent on sweeping the narrow space with it as both players could only look up at the sheer absurdity of the situation as well as the imminent danger they were in. Klein's eyes wavered as the blade edged closer, only for Diabel to sprint past him with his shield out.
Raising it over his head, the Army commander buckled as the heavy blade crashed down on top of him, forcing him to his knees as he grit his teeth and whipped his head back to the samurai, unwilling to back down.
"SWITCH! GO!"
Klein didn't hesitate and moved in closer, his hand at his hip, clutching the hilt of his katana and charging a sword skill. The red player didn't fail to take notice, but alas, his greatly extended blade was now significantly heavier and as he tried to lift the sword, his muscles strained to even move it an inch. The Laughing Coffin member could feel himself sweating upwards as he watched the samurai approach closer and closer by the second.
"S-STAY BACK!"
"Bring it on!" Klein yelled out as he moved into position, standing directly in front of the red player, his blade glowing brightly as he prepared to draw.
"GO TO HELL!"
The Laughing Coffin member's Stand moved to defend its master as he screamed out curses at the samurai, fists at the ready to attack Klein.
"You first, asshole."
Klein's draw was swift, executed in the blink of an eye. He didn't even see the red player's arm fall to the floor before he started screaming bloody murder.
"AAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH! FUCK! FUCK! GAAAAGGHH!"
Not wasting any time, both Klein and Diabel walked up to the maniac, clutching the stump at his forearm amidst pained cries and screams. Grabbing his shield, Diabel pushed the man against the wall, before smacking him across the forehead with the side of his shield, causing his cries to stop as he fell unconscious, his body limp as he crumpled into a pile on the floor.
"It's done…" Diabel muttered, Klein breathing a sigh of relief as he returned his katana to the sheath at his hip.
"Good thing, too. Sasha, kids? It's clear now!" Klein managed a smile as he turned to the clearing, the bespectacled nun wearing walking out of the corner with the children behind her in single file.
"Thank you so much, Commander. What's going on? Who are these people and why are they attacking us?" Sasha asked, her expression betraying great fear. Diabel scratched the back of his head as he gazed back at the body of the red player, knocked out cold.
"They're Laughing Coffin. As for why they're here, I don't know. Anyways, that's not important. Right now, we need to get you all out of the Town of Beginnings. It's too dangerous to stay any longer." Diabel explained, bowing to return Sasha's gratitude.
"The whole town?... Damn it… I don't like the idea of bending to these freaks…" Klein muttered, clearly downcast as more demented laughter echoed through the night, frightening the children who huddled closer to Sasha.
"Yeah, me neither, but between their Stands and the restrictions of the Safe Zone, we don't have a choice! We're evacuating the whole city, trying to relocate as many people as we can to the higher Floors in Collinia, Algade, and Granzam. I'll talk to Yulier about asking for help from the frontline clearers. At this rate, we'll need all the manpower we can summon." Diabel growled as he tightened the grip around his sword as Klein nodded with a hum, turning back to Sasha and the kids with another nod, which was returned by the nun.
"Alright, kids. Stay close and keep holding hands. Do NOT walk off on your own or get separated from the group, and listen to Klein and Diabel. Can we do that?" Sasha asked the children in a calm voice, trying to ease their spirits in this deadly situation, which seemed to work as the kids seemed to ease their fear and nodded in response.
"Right!"
Weapon Showcase
Lv. 70 Katana: Wanderer's Edge, Karakurenai – 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: +40
Damage: 800 (S)
Speed: 480 (A)
Durability: 180 (D)
Range: 1.5m (C)
Precision: 80% (A)
Rank: Quest Reward, Rare (B)
Selling Price: 65,000 Col
Owner: Klein
Aincrad, Sword Art Online ( Lv. 1, Town of Beginnings) December 27th, 2023
Josuke didn't even have to look around to feel the shift in the air, despite the many times he had returned to this place and saw how much the landscape of the city had changed each time.
Back when he first walked these streets, he could still recall the life that flowed through them and all throughout the entire city. A place of joy and congregation where people of all walks of life came together to celebrate the beginnings of Sword Art Online, completely unaware of their indefinite stay within the virtual world that would become their prison.
When he came here with Sachi, it was at a time of relative peace, when everyone was making the push upwards, leaving the Town of Beginnings as a peaceful town where people led humble and quiet lives away from the dangers of the front lines. It was a far cry from that first day, but at least it was still a sight he'd rather see than what was to come for this city.
With the Army coming to blows and Kibaou calling the shots, he could still remember the time he came here with Kirito and Asuna to help Yui. He remembered feeling the coldness in the air which he'd never felt here before. The streets were quiet as they were the last time, but the air had a tension he couldn't sense before, only interrupted by the footsteps of marching soldiers patrolling the streets.
Now, he was absolutely certain that the Town of Beginnings was the worst it had ever been now that he was standing here and walking these streets once again. The streets were completely empty, absolutely devoid of any life whatsoever. All that filled the air was a chilling silence, interrupted only by the eerie whistle of the breeze blowing through the alleyways and buildings.
It was a sunny day out, the city itself visually looking no different than any other time he'd visited it, but with this unsettling silence, Josuke could barely recognize it anymore.
"What happened here?..." Josuke asked nobody in particular, walking through what was the market, the NPC shopkeepers still waiting dutifully at their posts for customers, but without any manner of customers for miles.
"It's like a ghost town… Laughing Coffin really did all this?" Kirito walked beside him, his eyes scanning the cityscape with wariness, the tension in the air not lost to him in the slightest, his hands inching up to the swords strapped to his back.
"Who else? Damn, we really should have been here. Maybe we could have fought them off…" Josuke muttered with his eyes to the floor, clenching a fist.
"You and me both… Klein looked like he'd gone to hell and back then…" Kirito nodded, thinking back to their friend, shaking in his boots at the meeting the other day. The memory reminded Kirito of his own demons, painful memories he bottled inside him. Seeing their friend like that was something that truly frightened him.
"Well, here we are now. It's about time we took the fight to them. They've been hurting people for long enough." Josuke declared with a smile, his resolve strong and on full display. Kirito looked on and couldn't help but smile.
"Right, so what's the plan? I bet you didn't come here just to advertise yourself to all of Laughing Coffin and pick a fight, did you?" Kirito smirked as he turned to his friend.
Josuke paused for a second, before laughing nervously as he scratched his chin. "Hehe…W-well, wasn't my first course of action…"
Kirito sighed internally as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead, a deadpan expression on his face. Josuke stopped laughing as he gave a smile of reassurance, continuing.
"Alright, obviously, it wouldn't be a good idea. After all, we signed on to find out the situation down here at the moment." Josuke clarified, pointing a finger ahead in the direction of the town square, Kirito following his eyes past the buildings and towards a familiar building across the area and standing proud over the entire city.
"The Black Iron Palace… the Monument of Life," Kirito muttered as Josuke nodded with a somber look on his face.
"We need to count those that died that night. If we check the death log from the Monument, we should be able to list down everyone we lost. If we can't save them, then the least we could do is let everyone pay their respects and lay them to rest." Josuke spoke softly, dark thoughts swirling in his head with the words coming out of his mouth. It was a grim truth, but one he would not allow to perpetuate.
"You think that's also where Laughing Coffin's hiding out?" Kirito asked, leading Josuke to turn to him curiously.
"What makes you say that?"
"Think about it. That building's the most fortified in the whole city, and when you really think about it, who wouldn't want to claim an enemy's turf as their own once they kick them out? If they've set up shop anywhere in the city, I have a hunch they'll be there…" Kirito reasoned, only for his voice to trail off before placing a finger to his chin in thought, his voice trailing off, confusing Josuke who tilted his head as he waited for him to continue.
"What's up?" Josuke asked the swordsman, unsure of what he was thinking.
"Don't you think it's weird that we haven't seen a single member of the guild since we came down here?"
Josuke didn't reply for a second as he thought it over quickly. Now that he looked twice, it was strange. The town was completely silent, and had been ever since they arrived. Not a single trace of life was lurking in this area, not even the same people who made it so.
"That's… fishy," Josuke muttered.
"AAAAAAAGGHHHHHH!"
The pair of them whipped their heads around at the noise, then to each other.
"Where'd that come from?!" Josuke cried out, before turning to follow the noise. However, he was stopped by Kirito's hand that was held out in front of him. Seeing this, Josuke's face curled into a frown.
"W-what're you doing? Someone might need our hel-"
"There isn't time! Whoever did that couldn't possibly be alone! You need to head to the Palace! Isn't that why we're here? You're the stronger of either of us, you'd be able to take on whatever's waiting for you inside, right?" Kirito spoke quickly, much to Josuke's confusion.
"But-"
"I'll go see what's going on! Don't you worry, I can handle myself! Now get going!" Kirito insisted loudly, before running off towards the noise down the alley, leaving Josuke alone to stare behind him, eyes locked in the direction of the massive iron castle looming ominously over the city square.
Something was afoot, and he could sense it in the air. Not just from that scream that rang through the streets earlier, but the aura of pure, condensed dread he could feel just from looking at the castle. He could tell, whatever or whoever it was, they were waiting for him.
"It's a trap. I know it is."
He muttered to himself, as he stood his ground, staring ahead to his goal before letting out an audible exhale from his lips.
"But… whoever you are…"
A step forward as Josuke's aura flared in determination, his boots slamming into the pavement as he leaned forward, his lips curling upwards into a confident smirk.
"You won't be the end of me! Not in a million years!"
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 judgment. 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. 1, Town of Beginnings) December 27th, 2023
"AAAAAAAGGGHHH!"
Kirito followed the screams, his eyes on the path as he turned corner after corner, his footwork sure and balanced. The noise was painful to his ears, but with each burst of pain ringing through the air, he could hear them getting louder and louder the further he ran.
He was getting closer, and he couldn't waste a single second.
He passed building after building as the streets were filled only by the noise of his boots smashing down on the pavement accompanied by the loud cries of agony in the air. He heaved breath after breath with strained lungs, panting like a dog as he urged his legs to move faster.
Faster.
"I need to go faster!"
The black swordsman's resolve burst through as his spirit sang in response to his cry. His mind was set on his goal as the world seemed to slow around him. Kirito couldn't describe what he was feeling, but it was all too familiar to him. A tingling sensation filled his whole body like an electrical shock, his senses jolted awake as he had one objective in his mind.
To run.
He sprinted through the city, his mind racing as fast as his legs as he heard the screams ringing through the air. Moving to follow them, he could feel the wind colliding against his face as Kirito swerved to round another corner, his heel twisting as his body rotated to change direction. Feeling his balance shift, Kirito's stance waned as he was about to crash into the wall.
Gritting his teeth, he drew a sword from his back, pulling it from its sheath and driving it into the ground in order to divert his momentum, swinging around and making the turn as his feet left the ground, only to land once more as he continued to run, yanking the sword from the ground and sheathing it on his back.
The seconds blurred by, yet seemed to drag like minutes to Kirito as the bloodcurdling yells of pain echoed in his skull, as clear as it would be from lips right beside his ear. Unwilling to slow down, Kirito pressed forward until he felt his muscles screaming and his heart pounding.
Eventually, Kirito stopped at an apartment complex, a small block in the corner of the city. From the open window, he could hear the screaming blare out. He was absolutely certain, this was the source of the noise.
He stopped to catch his breath and heaved over, his head dipped as his mouth hung open, releasing massive exhales of air as he put a hand to his chest. His heart was thundering like it was about to explode out of his ribs, his entire body aching like he had been running up and down a mountain. He thought back to moments before, when he had been running through the streets.
"What was that… I can't run like that, not normally! What the hell is making me feel so out of breath?! My heart feels like it's gonna blow up inside my chest!"
Nevertheless, Kirito clenched a fist as he gritted his teeth, making his way inside the building. Pushing the door open, he was greeted by dim lights and a cozy-looking interior. A standard living space, but without the spark of life he expected from a place like this. The air was tense, and he could feel his hair stand on end as soon as he walked in.
If his heartbeat had calmed down, he couldn't tell at all as the eerie mood in the atmosphere filled his lungs like a thick fog as Kirito took sure and purposeful steps, reaching the stairs as he looked up, hearing one more scream ring out, echoing off the walls, loud and clear as day.
"I'm getting close… Whoever's up there… I can't let my guard down, not even for a second!"
Rising up the stairs, Kirito let his hands rise behind his shoulders, reaching for the grips of his blades as he reached the second floor. Taking careful measures to restrict his movements, he hugged the wall as he rounded the corner to face the dark hallway. Continuing to walk, he looked ahead past the many doors, before he heard new voices enter his ears.
"Hah! I knew you had it in those lungs to scream like that!"
"Go on, tell us! How does it really feel? Add in aaall the juicy little details!"
Kirito didn't recognize the voices, but he could easily tell they were different from the voice he heard screaming out in the streets. Reaching a slightly opened door, the swordsman leaned his back against the wall just beside the doorway as he eavesdropped on whatever was going on inside. Peeking his head slightly through the open gap, he could see it all.
"Go on, go on!"
"SCREW YOU! GAAAAAAAHHHH!"
"Oi, oi, that ain't any way to run your mouth. Didn't your mom ever teach you good manners?"
Kirito caught sight of three men in the room. Two men draped in ragged cloaks stood in the center of the room, facing the wall. He couldn't get a good read on their faces, both well-hidden. The one standing upright wore a hood with dark locks of hair peeking from under the covering. At his hip was a large butcher's cleaver that reeked of a sinister aura, cursed sadism practically leaking from its blade, shining just like the twisted grin he was able to spot just under that hood.
Beside him, the second man's face was completely covered with a sacklike mask, and yet from his exposed eyes, he could spot a spark of deranged insanity, his pupils tiny and vibrating like he was enduring some strange high. Underneath his dirty rags, he could spot his belt filled with holsters and pouches of all kinds, recognizing the glint of knives and daggers, along with strange potions and concoctions he couldn't identify.
The third man cursing them was lying on the floor at their feet, twitching as he screamed in a hoarse voice, like he had been in pain and screaming all day, if not more. Kirito was wary before hearing his voice, but taking a look at his face and appearance, he recognized him, alright. Aside from a face twisted in agony, he remembered those gray locks and that white armor.
"Nautilus? What the hell is he doing here? More importantly, what do these maniacs want with him?! Wait…"
As soon as Kirito asked these questions in his mind, more came to him as he stared at Nautilus's state. His body, while unbound, seemed unmoving. His arms and legs were locked in place, his back fixed in a twisted posture as his entire body seemed dull and gray in appearance. Moreover, his entire body seemed to twitch with each of his grunts and screams, as if he were trying with every ounce of his strength to move.
Alas, he could not. His body appeared to be encased in some sort of stone.
"I'll ask you one more time, shrimp. Tell us what we want to know, and I'll have Johnny here take it easy on you." The hooded man cackled, only for Nautilus to summon a loogie and spit at his boots.
"..."
"I said it before… I'll say it again… I WON'T TELL YOU ANYTHING! SCREW YOU!" Nautilus managed out between weak gasps of breath, before screaming out at the top of his lungs.
Suddenly, something landed on his neck. Kirito could just make it out, the shape of a winged insect landing on Nautilus's neck raising its abdomen with a sharp and long stinger at the end of its body.
"Wrong answer, brother."
"GAAAAAAAAGGHHHH!"
The insect plunged the stinger in, as Nautilus's eyes bulged out as he let out yet another pained scream. Kirito held his back to the wall as he tried his best to stay quiet and undetected. His heart continued to beat as he attempted to quiet the noise of his gasps for air.
"I have to help him… But if I make a wrong move, I'm dead! What should I do?!"
Then he heard it.
The buzzing of an insect's wings droning beside his ear.
Oh no.
"DAMMIT!"
The sudden spike in his intuition caused Kirito's aura to flare out as his spiritual energy materialized the arm behind his shoulder. A clawed wing reached out and grabbed something out of the air, tightening its fist to squeeze something caught in its grasp. Kirito took a look at the intruder and gasped.
The creature, whatever it was, looked like no bug he had ever seen. Its body resembled that of a spider wasp's, with a large pair of wings that produced a noise much like that of an engine revving up, its legs ending in bladed hooks, and at the end of its abdomen a large, serrated stinger that reminded him more of the head of a harpoon than anything a living creature would possess.
Most strangely of all, its head looked completely alien. First, a pair of red eyes that stared back at him, looking more like industrial headlights instead of anything organic, and yet they were indeed full of life. Between intimidating trap-jaw mandibles, he cringed to find open jaws, snapping open and shut as sharp teeth gnashed and it let out a high-pitched screech from between. Certainly nothing like any insect in the world.
"What the hell is this thing?! Is that the same thing that stung Nautilus earlier? Wait… is this monster a…" Kirito thought to himself, before coming to the sudden and horrible realization that the voices in the room stopped.
"Looks like our uninvited guest is here. Your move, Black."
"SHIT! THEY KNOW I'M HERE!"
Kirito jumped to his feet as he felt his Stand crush the insectoid creature in its fist, hearing a pained shriek enter his ears as a disgusting liquid dripped from his fingers, causing Kirito to cringe. Reaching for the weapons at his back, he rounded the corner and entered the room, ready for battle.
"Let him go! I won't ask twice!" Kirito yelled out threateningly with both his swords in hand, his Stand in full view behind him. The pair of Laughing Coffin members turned to face him, Nautilus staring at him with his eyes wide as their eyes then turned to the winged arm behind Kirito, prepared to attack.
"Black Swordsman… heh. I was wondering when you'd show up. Now that you're here, maybe things won't be so boring around here anymore!" The larger man laughed as an inky black aura surrounded him, bloodlust leaking from his mad eyes.
Kirito prepared for battle, raising his swords as the large man gripped his cleaver and raised it in the air. Taking a look at his intimidating form, Kirito's mind began racing.
"This aura… no doubt about it. He's a Stand User! What's his ability?! Was it those freakish bugs?"
*ding*
"Hm?"
All of a sudden, the tension was cut short as the hooded man frowned, before tracing a finger to glance at his menu, seemingly reading a new message he received. The man gnashed his teeth, seemingly frustrated.
"Fuck. Out of time already? Damn old man can't wait a bloody second?" The man growled, as Black stood up to face him, confusion written on his face.
"Oi, boss. The hell's goin' on?"
"Boss?" Kirito thought to himself, turning back to the larger man, who proceeded to grin as he returned Kirito's gaze, much to his unease.
"As much as I'm sure you'd love to cut us up a new one with that Stand of yours, whatever it is, you're already too late. I've got plans to get done, and I ain't got time to be fucking around with you anymore." The hooded man grinned as he took a step forward, his dark aura surrounding him once again
"W-wait… What are you saying?!" Kirito yelled before the man walked up to him with his cleaver. Raising his sword, Kirito took a stance, trying to counter whatever he would throw his way.
However, nothing happened. The man simply walked past him, completely ignoring his defensive stance and moving out the door. Not expecting his maneuver at all, Kirito whipped his head around to face the doorway as the "boss" strided down the hallway on the way out.
"Get back here! What're you planning?!" Kirito yelled in indignation, before catching the man's grin eke out from between his lips.
"He's all yours, Black."
Suddenly, Kirito felt something. Something tickled the skin on his arm, but not just that. It felt like barbs were digging in, hooking into his flesh and rising up to his bicep. Staring down, he gasped as he saw a familiar creature, but it was too late as it had already driven its stinger into his arm.
"GKHHH!" Kirito grunted in pain as he swatted the insect off of him, but the pain had already sunken in. It burned as if he had a live cable driven directly into his flesh, and he could easily tell why Nautilus screamed as he did. Peeling his sleeve back, Kirito reached for a blade at his back.
Slicing the creature apart with his sword, Kirito looked back before a new noise entered his ears. A very familiar noise, but different all the same.
This was a rhythmic sound, repeated at a beat. Even more so, he could detect more than one noise, only it was being sounded off in unison, like hundreds of noises sounding off all at once, of an insect's wings beating.
Looking all around him, he could see it. This was not good. Not good at all.
On the walls and along the ceiling, he spotted hundreds of identical insects resting and all staring their beady eyes directly at him. They all stayed completely still, save for the wings on their backs as each of them released a single beat of their wings, producing a rustle-like noise. Then a half-second later, they repeated, completely in unison and synchronized with one another.
Kirito was undoubtedly on edge. These bugs were producing an intimidation signal, beating their wings together in a rhythm like a war drum, so much so he could compare this noise to the marching of soldiers.
"Is all this a Stand?! No way… how are there so many? If the other guy's gone by now, then that would only mean…"
"You can hear it, right?"
Kirito snapped out of his mental voice as he stared ahead at the remaining Laughing Coffin member, the masked one with the daggers. The man's expression was hidden, but his eyes were staring directly at him with manic glee.
"I don't care how many lives you saved, or that you got your own Stand. I ain't letting you out of here, and I can't have you going after the boss, you see?" Johnny Black grinned under his mask, stomping a foot on Nautilus's back as another insect materialized beside him, landing on Nautilus's neck and chittering, poking away at it.
"I don't think you understand exactly what kind of position you're in, Black Swordsman. That pain was nothing you've ever felt, was it? Tell me how it felt! Tell me, tell me!" The man laughed before Kirito growled and raised a sword arm to him.
"Shut up! I'm taking you down, so get read-"
Kirito saw it as soon as he raised his arm. The point where he was stung. The exposed flesh looked… different. The skin was a dull gray and looked bumpier, more importantly, the pain still persisted, and yet it seemed he couldn't feel anything else. His arm had gone numb.
"W-What'd you do to me?! What is that Stand of yours?" Kirito screamed, leading the man to grin once again.
"It hurts, doesn't it? That's the only thing your arm'll be feeling for a little while. I know it looks like stone, but I'd rather not call it that, more like your arm's been petrified."
Kirito's eyes widened as he felt his hand over the surface of the skin. "I-It's cold! And hard as rock! What the hell is going on? Just what are those bugs?!"
Looking down, Kirito caught sight of Nautilus, and more importantly, the location he had been stung before. His eyes widened. Oh no. If he was stung in the arm and it got like this then-
"About time you noticed! Our little shrimp here won't hold on much longer so long as my Stand has his neck petrified. Don't worry, it's not like he can't breathe, it'll just be much harder for him. Think you can take out me and my Snake Eater before he chokes on his last breath?"
Johnny Black let out a loud cackle as the insects all descended from the walls and ceilings, floating at his behest beside him and poised to swarm his opponent over. Kirito gritted his teeth and tightened the grip on his sword, the winged arm behind his back poised for the offensive.
"Bring it on!"
Stand Showcase:
Lv. ? Stand: Gorgon Hive, Snake Eater – As the capacity for good lies in all, so must evil. Venom courses through your veins, your very nature is to poison and corrupt, to spread the disease. There is no law, there are no boundaries, only survive. Hunt, devour, and claim your place at the top of the food chain.
Special: Petrifying Swarm: Summons a swarm of insectoid Stands that inject a venom capable of petrifying the target, turning the infected area to a hardened stone-like material.
Enhancement: N/A
Damage: 150 (D)
Speed: 500 (A)
Durability: 500 (A)
Range: 20m (A)
Precision: 60% (C)
Rank: Unique (S)
Selling Price: N/A
Owner: Johnny Black
Aincrad, Sword Art Online ( Lv. 1, Black Iron Palace, Town of Beginnings) December 27th, 2023
Josuke didn't know what to expect as he wandered through the gates and into the desolate palace.
Taking careful steps, the Stand user looked into the palace and all around him. The hallway was vast and stood tall, easily towering over the rest of the buildings in the city. Making good on the name of the castle, the walls and floor were a dark iron color, shining as the sunlight shone from above the main hall just ahead of him.
With every step, the sound of his boots hitting the floor echoed throughout the building, causing Josuke to cringe as he raised his hand to reach for the weapon on his back, grasping the hilt as he walked, ready to bring out Crazy Diamond at the slightest provocation.
Continuing to stride through the hallway and reaching the expansive main hall, Josuke grit his teeth as he listened for anything fishy. Much like it was outside, the chamber was completely quiet, the entire palace almost lifeless.
"Why isn't anyone here? It's freaking me out… Still, can't let my guard down, not even for a second!" Josuke thought to himself as he reached the center of the hall, facing his target, the massive board that stood here ever since the game started for them all.
The Monument of Life hadn't changed much since Josuke had last seen it. A massive slab of stone stretching ten meters from corner to corner, standing smack in the center of the chamber on top of a pedestal, a location that according to Kirito, originally served as the game's respawn point. A function that no longer served a purpose in this game of life and death, where no player would ever return for a second chance should they fall in battle.
On the tablet, columns upon columns of names were etched into the stone surface, all romanized and arranged in alphabetical order. Some of the names were scratched out, a line etched across the names of the deceased, along with a date and cause of death accompanying them. Josuke held his breath as he spotted thousands of names crossed out.
Clenching a fist, he could only cringe as he imagined just how many people's lives were claimed by this hell. People each with their own friends and family waiting for them in the real world, only to be met with grief and regrets. He thought of his own family, his father, his mother.
"Over a year I've been here… Just how much has changed out there? I wonder how Mom's doing…" Josuke thought to himself, before drifting to darker thoughts.
He thought of Kobatz, of Yuna, and most of all, of Sachi. He thought of the many who fell in front of his eyes in the heat of battle. He could only imagine how he could face their loved ones in the real world, how he had been right in front of them when they died, how he could have saved them, only to fail each time.
"Never again. I swear…" He whispered in his head as he gazed over the names, finding them among the 10,000 listed by the Monument, grazing a finger over the dash that crossed them out.
Taking out a recording crystal, Josuke then let it go from his hand and tapped it in the center, causing it to beep as a timer ticked down by the second. Then, a brief flash of light as Josuke snapped a quick photo of the whole board, tracing a finger into the air to open his menu.
Sure enough, in his feed, he could spot his new screenshot. Promptly opening his message section, he sent it to Diabel, sighing as he turned around to leave the building.
"Leaving already?"
"!"
Josuke's eyes bulged out as his hair stood on end, completely turning around to face the voice that suddenly interrupted the silence. Wrapping his fingers around the hilt of his sword and pulling it partially from his back, Crazy Diamond emerged in full with its fists ready for action as Josuke faced the direction of the voice.
High above the alcoves of the main hall, amidst the archways where sunlight peeked through the doms and into the building, he could make out a figure obscured by the sunlight, his shadow cast over and into the empty hall.
"A man! How long has he been there? More importantly, how the hell did he get up there?"
"What a shame. I've been waiting for you to turn up, and here I find you just about to take a hike! What's the rush when we're just getting things started?" The voice called out, seeming to ring out and echo all around him, his voice retaining a certain energy Josuke could swear sounded familiar in a way.
"Who are you? You with Laughing Coffin?" Josuke called out as he gritted his teeth, as he saw the figure tilt his head at him curiously as if mocking him.
"Oh… I believe we've met. Don't you remember?"
Josuke raised an eyebrow at that remark, before noticing a shift in the air. Looking around him, Josuke gasped as he spotted bright yellow sparks of electricity crowding all around the room, before converging on the Monument. Josuke didn't even have to look at the Stand making its appearance to realize exactly who was sharing the building with him.
"You're… Red Hot Chilli Pepper! You're the Stand's user, aren't you?!"
Josuke called out as the electrical energy formed into the shape of a familiar spiritual figure. The energy condensed and out emerged a chest, branching out into short arms and legs, along with a long, snaking tail. Finally, a helmeted head as reptilian eyes gazed upon Josuke, its beaked mouth creaked upwards into a grin.
"Bingo! Right on the money! I'm so glad you remembered, I might just shit myself in joy! Yeah, that's right. Nice to officially meet you, Diamond Fist." The Stand laughed, as Josuke watched the Stand recline on top of the Monument.
"What's your game? You got others waiting in the wings to ambush me? You'd be making a huge mistake, underestimating my Stand's power." Josuke threatened Crazy Diamond at the ready.
However, a mere laugh escaped Chilli Pepper's beak as the Stand turned to face Josuke with an amused look on its face.
"Aahh, that'd be fun, wouldn't it…"
This threw Josuke for a loop as he prodded a little more. "What're you talking about?"
"The boys are already on the move. We won't have anyone interrupting our little chat. Besides, even if you were gonna try and go after the others, you really think I'm gonna let you waltz outta here just like that?" Chilli Pepper sneered as his eyes flashed with a deadly aura, locking its gaze with Josuke's own.
"CRAZY DIAMOND!"
Josuke brought out his Stand and moved to strike at the electrical Stand, throwing out a punch. Chilli Pepper made no attempt to dodge as it simply gave out a smug grin, laughing as it disappeared in the blink of an eye, dodging Josuke's attack entirely, leading him to gasp in surprise.
"Wha-"
"Too slow."
"!"
That voice came from right behind him. Josuke turned around to face the Stand, only to be struck in the gut by a lightning-quick blow from Chilli Pepper. Josuke coughed out from the wind being knocked out of him, as well as the pain of the shock on impact, his body zapped by an instantaneous bolt of electricity.
"Your Stand may be fast, but you don't know who you're dealing with! My Stand, Red Hot Chilli Pepper is a Stand tailor-made for this digital world! Electricity is all around us! I'll never run out of power in this world, and you have no way of running from me! I didn't even need anything more than my pinky finger to send you flying!" Chilli Pepper cackled as he launched Josuke against the wall, the pompadoured teen grunting as he hit the stone and crumpled to the floor.
"What do you want…?" Josuke coughed out weakly as he faced Chilli Pepper, the Stand cocking its head to the side as he laughed.
"You got wax between your ears or something? I already told you, all I want is to chat a little." Chilli Pepper grinned as it shrugged, clearly unimpressed by Josuke's attempt to attack him.
"W-why…?"
"Hm?" Chilli Pepper turned back to Josuke curiously as the Stand user looked back up at him with a frown.
"Why join up with Laughing Coffin? Why use the Stand Arrow to cause… all this?!" Josuke demanded answers before the electric Stand sighed.
"I thought it'd be fun. Ain't that the whole damn point of playing a video game?" Chilli Pepper snickered as Josuke's eyes widened in outrage.
"Fun?! Hurting innocents? Bringing suffering to thousands? Cold-blooded murder?! Is that what you maniacs call fun?!" Josuke snarled as Chilli Pepper laughed at his expense, mocking him.
"I don't think you're looking at the bigger picture here. Start by thinking about why we came here in the first place! Why do we run to a virtual reality when we got our own lives waiting for us back home? Now, start thinking about what kinda place this shithole game has become lately! Several hundred on the frontlines! So many people, content to simply stay here and kick back! Accepting this place as their new reality!" Chilli Pepper proclaimed, Josuke tilting his head in response.
"Your point?"
"Don't you see? Not everyone wants to go home and get things back to normal. Not when we have a perfectly new slate with this normal we're living now! No old systems to rely on, no greater power or authority telling us what we can and can't be! A world where we can be whoever we damn please! After all, look at you!"
Josuke's eyes widened when he heard Chilli Pepper's words addressing him.
"I have the hunch, that back home in the real world, you're nothing but an average joe, just a normal teenage boy living a normal life. Yet in here, you're the biggest damn hero this world has ever seen! Your Stand is known by everyone in this game, and I bet your hide your story will be told well after we're outta here! Don't you see?! We're new people here! People who don't need to hide, don't need to conform! Who needs reality when we're so much more here?!"
"That's…" Josuke began, but Chilli Pepper wasn't done.
"Many of us at Laughing Coffin understand that very well! We said goodbye to a world where we were held back, beaten to the curb, kicked into a ditch, and here we have a whole new horizon to make our own and hide no more! You think we'd fold and give in to good apples like you?! Like hell we'll let you steal this freedom from us! This is what we're fighting for! The reason why we shed as much blood as we please!" Chilli Pepper roared unabashedly, his voice echoing all around the hall.
"As for me… I'm the same. I'm tired of boring things like entrance exams and resumes. Nobody gave a shit about me in the real world, but here, I've got power beyond my wildest dreams! I figured, why not have my cake and eat it too? Ain't nothing wrong with having some fun in a video game, after all." Chilli Pepper sneered as he turned back to Josuke, now upright on his feet, clutching the location of his earlier wound.
"This guy… no doubt about it. The most dangerous member of Laughing Coffin… is him!"
"Also, I bet you're wondering why we're all alone here. I bet you're wondering, "Where the hell is everyone else? Wouldn't this be the most advantageous spot to hang around?" Well, that's the thing. How boring would it be if it was that easy to get your kills? The thrill of life and death! That's the essence of Laughing Coffin! To relive that sensation and face it head-on!"
"The way he's talking… It's aggressive. Are Laughing Coffin Planning something? Something bigger than this?!" Josuke screamed internally, dreading what conclusions he might come to.
*ding*
Chilli Pepper paused for a second as Josuke spied the user high above him taking a look at his menu, leading Josuke to squint his eyes to have a closer look.
"The hell is he doing?"
After a brief moment of silence, Josuke watched as the man said nothing, the air still for several seconds before the man stood up straight with vigor.
"I'M ALMOST DONE! CAN'T YOU MORONS JUST WAIT A LITTLE LONGER-"
Suddenly, the air shifted as he heard the noise of the doors swinging open. Turning to the gates, he spotted a figure sprinting at an inhumanly fast speed towards Chilli Pepper. The electrical Stand barely had time to turn its head before being met with blades to its face. Raising its arm, the Stand deflected one strike, before punching out a barrage of blows, all fended off by the newcomer.
Then, a discharge of electrical energy, but not before the figure flipped backward to evade the blast, allowing the Stand to get away as the user above the hall disappeared in the blink of an eye.
With this in mind, Josuke turned to the intruder, who stared back at him. Josuke then got a very good look at him, a familiar figure adorned with a set of ethereal wings spread above his back. Wings he immediately recognized.
"Is that… you?"
Stand Showcase:
Lv. ? Stand: Shock and Awe, Red Hot Chili Pepper - Shine brighter than the sun, scream loud enough for the world to hear your name. Make yourself known, for the time has come for your electrifying debut. It's showtime.
Special: Electricity: Manipulation of electricity, ability to turn into electricity. All parameters increase dramatically when absorbing electricity.
Enhancement: N/A
Damage: 500 (A)
Speed: 800 (S)
Durability: 450 (A)
Range: ∞ (Digital) (S)
Precision: 50% (C)
Rank: Unique (S)
Selling Price: N/A
Owner: Frusciante
Aincrad, Sword Art Online ( Lv. 1, Town of Beginnings) December 27th, 2023
Within the dingy apartment complex, Kirito gnashed his teeth as he faced down Johnny Black and the massive swarm of insectoid Stands surrounding him.
Looking around, Kirito could tell he was already at a massive disadvantage. He could already see hundreds of miniature Stands forming a cloud around the masked man, preventing a direct approach. Even worse, he couldn't tell just how many he was hiding away in the shadows of the room.
"What's the matter? Too chicken to take me on? Not like I blame you. You're up against my Snake Eater, after all." Johnny gloated, as Kirito tightened the grip on his blades as he allowed his fighting spirit to shine outwards, energy forming behind his shoulder as his Stand appeared.
"Like hell I am. You think you're so cocky? I'm gonna wipe that smug grin off your face, just you watch!" Kirito declared as he pointed one sword at Black, his Stand's claws spread out as he prepared for battle.
The Laughing Coffin member grinned under his mask as he let out a laugh, before shifting his visible eyes to focus on Kirito's, demanding his full attention. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~! I bet you're excited, but in case you haven't noticed, the battle's already begun!"
"Wha-?!"
Kirito took a moment to notice but took notice a split second before he could blink or process it completely. Swinging his blade, Kirito cut down one Snake Eater, bisecting it out of the air as it squirmed and vanished. Then his eyes shifted to take notice of a trail of insects skittering up his legs.
"GKHH!"
The sharp pain kicked in as the insects plunged their stingers into his shins, before being diced into pieces by Kirito's swords, his Stand's claws grabbing and crushing his attackers. The blades bounced off his skin as they struck the Immortal Object barrier, but served well to clear his legs before stomping down on the rest of the damned bugs.
"Damn, you're just as fast as I've heard! Still, it's already too late! Your leg'll petrify just like your arm, and soon you'll be wide open!" Johnny Black laughed as Kirito gasped, feeling his leg tense up in pain, before crusting up and solidifying.
Grunting in pain, Kirito looked up as Johnny approached him, his hand out as his eyes stared at him with manic glee.
"SNAKE EATER! SWARM HIM AND MAKE HIM SUFFER!"
The entire swarm of Stands flew from his side and made a beeline for Kirito. The beating of their wings was deafening, stuffing the room with a noise like a jet engine going off near his ear as the insects screeched for blood.
Readying himself, Kirito allowed his Swords to glow as he charged up a Sword Skill, prepared as the Stands approached him by the second.
«Spinning Shield»
Holding one sword in front of him, Kirito felt it rotate at an increasingly breakneck speed to form a high-speed circular shield out of his sword, spinning at such a high speed he could compare it to a circular saw spinning. The insects struck the shield and were shredded to pieces as they flew into the windmill, before the swarm redirected their movements, maneuvering around the shield and zooming in on the swordsman.
Grinning, Kirito spun on his heel and swung his second sword in an arc, cleaving a path as he diverted his momentum to make a dash for Johnny Black.
"You're the one who's wide open! Not the wisest move to play all your cards right at the start!" Kirito smiled as he readied an attack straight for Johnny, raising his swords as they glowed once more to prepare a Sword Skill.
"I'll knock him off-balance, then bring the hurt with my Stand! This is where it ends!" Kirito thought to himself as his swords neared the man's chest.
"Nice try."
"!"
All of a sudden, Johnny gave a wicked sneer as he made his next move. His hands moved upwards, clutching a twin set of daggers as he stood his ground, blocking Kirito's sword strikes. However, his feet didn't budge from his spot, causing Kirito to flinch.
"What the hell?!"
Spinning his body around, Kirito then took the next move within a split second, sending his Stand's arm at Johnny, aiming to slash at his chest. If he couldn't budge him with his blades, he would use his Stand to leave a nice gash on him.
However, Kirito felt the attack miss its mark, the claws barely chipping away at him, not leaving behind any notable damage to speak of to his health. Regaining his footing, Kirito stood up as Johnny Black gave a triumphant smirk.
"Bravo, bravo! I'll give you points for effort, but like I said, you got nothing on my Snake Eater! Think you can sweep me off my feet? Think again!" Johnny cackled as he gestured to his feet. Looking again, Kirito saw it.
Completely covering his feet up to his ankles were piles of his Stand, the insects positioned on top of each other, all of them encased in a familiar grayish and rocky exterior. Johnny then parted his cloak to reveal his chest was covered by a carpet of the same Stands, all lined up in rows and petrified.
"I underestimated you… You had your Stands petrify each other to build on your foothold to the ground. If that wasn't enough, you pulled the same trick to give your chest some armor plating!"
Johnny Black gave a toothy grin at Kirito's observation as he then proceeded to clap in a mockingly sarcastic manner. "Well, glad you aren't a complete moron! You're exactly right. Even if you did get through my swarm, I'm not letting you get any hits in on me! No matter what you do, it's completely useless against my Stand!"
"Besides, play it safe all you want. You're running out of time."
Kirito's eyebrow was raised at that last remark, only for him to pick up on something. Wiping a sweat from his brow as he felt himself draw heavy breaths, he could already tell – the room was heating up like an oven.
"W-what is this heat…" Kirito gasped, as Johnny chuckled darkly under his mask.
"A little fun fact, did you know that bees can regulate the temperature of their nests, by vibrating their bodies and their wings to either raise or drop the temperature! A little step further, ever heard of bee balls?" Johnny grinned, as Kirito's eyes widened, catching on quickly.
"Bees can fend off hornets by completely surrounding them with their own bodies, then vibrating their muscles to raise carbon dioxide and temperature, literally cooking them alive! Take a look behind you, swordsman!" Johnny laughed as Kirito turned around, and sure enough, he wasn't bluffing.
Completely covering the door and all around the walls, he could spot Johnny's Stand covering the room, all beating their wings and vibrating. At this rate, he'd be in no condition to fight as the bugs baked him alive. Gritting his teeth, he raised his swords and fended off another swarm of bugs, cleaving them in two as he panted in exhaustion.
"You're out of options! Keep fighting and you'll only exhaust yourself! Every way you look at it, I have the upper hand!" Johnny boasted, as clouds of his Stand moved in closer.
"I think it's time we ended this!"
Kirito's eyes widened at the massive swarm approaching and readied his Spinning Shield skill, but his intuition ticked him off that something was wrong. Looking around him, he could spot the insects keeping out of his range while encircling him, completely surrounding him as they obscured his vision of the rest of the room, some breaking from the cloud in order to attack him.
«Sharp Nail»
Readying a Sword Skill, Kirito leaped from the ground and swung his swords diagonally in a spinning slash thrice over, hoping to clear a path through the swarm. Recovering and rising to his feet, he cursed under his breath as the insects evaded his strikes and reformed the cloud, like a flock of birds or a shoal of fish evading a predator at breakneck speed.
Using his swords to fend off the stray attackers, Kirito could already tell he was in a grave situation. As long as the insects surrounded him, the heat was only building up at an even more alarming rate, and he found it harder to breathe. He had to do something, and quick, or else he would have his insides boiled if he didn't suffocate first.
"Think! Think, dammit! How the hell do I beat him?!" Kirito thought to himself as he continued to swat away the insects, grunting as some latched onto his body and delivered painful stings, some climbing onto his arm and stinging it all over, causing him to scream in pain.
"AAAAAAGGGHHHH!"
Using his Stand, Kirito swiped away at those aiming for his back and tore the stragglers off of his body before they could completely immobilize him. Alas, his arm was crusting up, and soon, he would be unable to move it to fight any longer. He was in a losing battle, and he had to think of a way out post-haste.
"Faster…"
"I NEED TO BE FASTER!"
Kirito's eyes flared open as he felt his body move independently from his mind, his actions moving ahead before he could process what he was doing. He felt something wrap around his arm, but it was not the painful and uneasy sensation of the insects crawling up his skin, but warm and soft, a familiar feeling he could trust.
Heralding his Stand's touch, Kirito felt his arm petrify and tense up but relieving and recovering within only a few seconds. It was as if he had suffered the pain and effects of the venom in full, before healing naturally, but all within a drastically decreased span of time.
"I knew it. The venom has a time limit for how long it can hold me. Then-"
His Stand wrapped around his arm as he struck out with a Sword Skill, thrusting out with a deafening yell from his very soul, slashing at a speed that made Kirito feel he was disjointing his arm from his shoulder. Even faster than his eye could even track.
Direct hit!
A section of the swarm was caught in the slash as his Stand's claws shadowed his strike, slicing into the insects as they fell to the floor. Kirito took a good look at them as they fell dead.
Their bodies withered and crusted up, before dissolving into dust and scattering into the drafts of the swarm. This told Kirito all he needed to know.
"So that's it… My Stand's… ability! I've finally cracked it!"
Outside the swarm, Johnny Black stood over Nautilus's body, who was slowly losing consciousness from his shortness of breath, watching over the swarm covering Kirito's body.
He had this victory in the bag. As long as his Snake Eater had Kirito surrounded and continued to fly in close proximity, encasing him inside the cloud of Stands, he would collapse from exhaustion of neverending attacks, if not by his Stand petrifying his entire body, then the shortness of breath and skyrocketing temperature would definitely do him in.
"Give up! You've already lost! For all that talk, you're nothing more than a filthy piece of shi-"
A part of the swarm was sliced open, then again, and again, and again, and again.
"WHAT?!"
This wasn't possible. Even as fast as Kirito was, Johnny made sure his Stand was faster! More importantly, the insects were out of his range! Even if he used a Sword Skill, he wouldn't be able to use it again thanks to the cooldowns! In that time, he'd drop dead from his Stand! What's more, he felt Snake Eater hit his arms and legs! He shouldn't be able to move at all!
"DAMN YOU-"
"THIS IS WAR!"
Suddenly, a figure burst out of the swarm, blowing a hole through the cloud of Stands and rocketing towards Johnny Black, eyes wide and in complete shock at what he was seeing.
Kirito sprinted across the room, in a mad dash to reach him, his Stand draped around his chest, wrapped from behind his shoulder, under his arms, and reaching for the other side of the collar on his neck. Even more surprising, he spotted a second arm mirroring the other, now adorning Kirito with a pair of wing-like appendages emerging from his back like an angel. The arms seemed to feed some kind of power into the swordsman, causing him to scream out defiantly as his eyes shot open to reveal glowing yellow light.
"SNAKE EATER!"
Growling, Johnny sent out more of his Stand to attack Kirito, the insects rushing out from the walls and poised to dive at him.
Kirito's eyes snapped to the insects, and his swords began to move. It was unlike anything Johnny had seen before. His movements were absolutely precise and his arms swung at an incomprehensibly great speed, even greater than he'd seen anywhere else in this game. So much so he'd even call it impossible.
Insect after insect fell to the floor in pieces in the span of seconds as the awakened Stand user's eyes snapped back to the Laughing Coffin member as he resumed his sprint, reaching him in the blink of an eye. With no time to dodge, he could only brace through gritted teeth.
"SHIT! I CAN'T MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!"
One of the winged claws on Kirito's back unraveled itself and stretched out to reach for Johnny's face. The claws dug deep as his Stand clenched its grip tightly, securing a firm hold on the helpless red player. Yelling out, Kirito swung his body back, This Is War moving alongside him as the arm flung Johnny to the far side of the room to crash against the wall.
"Damn… punk… It's not over yet, dammit!"
Johnny groaned as he recovered, rising to his feet as he growled in frustration. How dare that bastard fight back against him! How dare he make him look like an idiot! So he got a bit more spine in his Stand?! Like hell that was gonna stop him!
However…
Johnny could feel something was off the moment he tried to move. His movements were slow, almost mind-numbingly so. In the time it'd take for him to flip back up to his feet and rush in for another attack, he was still trying to push his body off of the floor at a snail's pace. It was as if his entire body was moving in slow motion.
Looking ahead at Kirito, he could see the yellow glow in his eyes had faded, but his wings were still very visible and unfurled, poised for another attack. The swordsman growled, then Johnny panicked as he saw Kirito approach him, breaking into a sprint. However, it was like before. He was moving far too slow to be considered normal.
"It's like everything's in slow motion! Is this his ability?! Wait…" Johnny thought to himself, before coming to a realization.
"His Stand… he wrapped it around himself and he was able to move at incredible speed! Then, he struck me in the head with the same Stand… His Stand's ability… is to accelerate anything! That's how he increased his speed and reaction time, and how he was able to expire his cooldown times and my venom's lifetime so easily! That's also how I'm seeing everything moving so slowly! He sped up my consciousness to accelerate ahead of real-time!"
Suddenly, he realized Kirito was right in front of him, bearing a face of pure anger and determination. Johnny tried to react, but alas, he was still trying to position his body upright on his legs, and he was in zero control of his body!
"SHIT! WHAT'S HE GONNA DO?!"
Kirito roared as he tackled the Laughing Coffin member to the floor, snapping him immediately out of his slow-motion perception, causing him to gasp for air as Kirito restrained his arms and pinned him to the floor. Grinning at the opportunity, Johnny Black took his chance.
"YOU IDIOT! I'M FREE FROM YOUR SLOW-MOTION! SNAKE EATER!"
Kirito gnashed his teeth as the swarm bombarded him from behind, striking at his back as he could feel his body crusting up and drying out, petrifying at an alarming speed. Yelling out amidst his pain, Kirito didn't have time to think as he summoned This Is War for one last attack.
Punching past the armor layer of stone insects on his chest, Kirito's Stand reached the center of his chest. Screaming out in determination, Kirito flooded Johnny with the energy of his Stand, as Johnny's own screams of pain echoed out.
Johnny could feel the sudden surge building in his chest, an unbearable pressure flooding through his veins and blood vessels as his heart screamed in his chest, pounding away like a jackhammer against his ribs, getting faster and faster without slowing down.
"He's… accelerating my heart rate! At this pace… w-what'll happen to me?! NO! STOP! STOP, DAMMIT!"
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!"
Johnny screamed with Kirito as they both struggled and flooded their Stands with spiritual energy, both trying to overwhelm the other before they themselves gave out. Kirito felt his organs turn to stone and reach further in, as Johnny's heart smashed against his chest at a frightening speed, only getting faster and faster by the second.
"KIRITO-"
Suddenly, the pain on Kirito's back vanished as if it never happened. The buzzing in the air was no more and gave way to cold silence, the insufferable heat seeping away. Snake Eater was nowhere in sight, the Stands absent from the room and leaving no trace. Kirito heaved out heavy breaths as he looked down at his enemy.
Johnny Black was on the floor, motionless and silent. His eyes, still visible through his mask, were still open and wide, locked in an expression of panic and fear. Judging from his avatar not glitching out and disappearing in an explosion of pixels, Kirito let out a sigh of relief as it seemed he had simply fainted from overworking his heart.
Turning back to Nautilus, he rushed over to the boy who coughed and hacked as he sat back upright, his neck recovered from petrification. Now in better shape with the battle finally over, Nautilus turned to Kirito, who allowed his wings to dematerialize and vanish from view as he approached and knelt down to face him.
"I… didn't ask for your help, dammit…" Nautilus croaked out weakly as he let out another cough, Kirito sighing in reply.
"Look, whether you asked or not, I was protecting myself just as much as I was saving you. The important thing is, we're in the clear. Looks like he's not getting up anytime soon." Kirito noted, as Nautilus groaned in defeat and slumped down against the wall.
"Why're you down here? Why'd you save me? I bet you didn't come all the way down to get my sorry ass out of trouble." Nautilus muttered softly, causing Kirito let out a breath as he got to business.
"I'm here to see what's going on down here. Now, I need to know why the hell Laughing Coffin's been torturing you. Is there anything they need from you? Information? Intel? Or was it just for the hell of it?" Kirito asked as Nautilus's eyes widened.
"They… they wanted my knowledge of the Castle in Granzam…"
Oh no.
That was when Kirito understood, things were about to get a lot worse.
Stand Showcase:
Lv. ? Stand: Roaring Adrenaline, This Is War - The moment to live, the moment to fight. This is a duel between heroes and villains, and there will only be one victor in this brave new world.
Special: Acceleration: On touch, applies or amplifies the concept of "speed" onto anything.
Enhancement: N/A
Damage: 250 (C)
Speed: 900 (S)
Durability: 200 (D)
Range: 2m (D)
Precision: 75% (B)
Rank: Unique (S)
Selling Price: N/A
Owner: Kirito
Up Next: Down with Laughing Coffin!
Hey, guys.
I know, it's been almost a couple months since I last updated. I don't really have an excuse here, I just had a bit of writer's block and I hadn't been motivated enough to write new original chapters. On the bright side, I think I'd made it up by writing probably my longest chapter so far yet again!
Despite that, I can say with absolute certainty that after this next chapter, will be two-part finale I've been itching to write since I came back to this story half a year ago. Keep posted for that. On another note, wow this was longer than I expected. Writing out two Stand battles in one chapter is one hell of an endeavor! Also a few things, I've been rewatching SAO at least twice over these past few months so I could reconnect with this series and map out my plan for the story, and recently I've had the incentive to revisit JoJo, both in the dub (because I primarily put anime on when I'm working on projects, and putting on dub means I can keep my eyes on other stuff) and I have to say, I'm having a great time, reminding myself why I have love for both series, flaws and all. Best of all, it gave me a reminder on how JoJo battles had me so hooked! Hope it paid off in the Snake Eater fight.
Now, let's talk references. Johnny Black's Stand is a reference to the song, Snake Eater, the theme song of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. If you haven't seen the memes of the really long ladder, then you're missing out. Metal Gear is prime meme material. Just a heads up, this won't be the last time I reference music from Metal Gear, or any video game for that matter. After all, if Araki can reference classic rock bands and songs, doesn't it make sense for me to reference video game music in a series crossover based in a video game? If you have any suggestions for names, I'm all for hearing them out! Don't hesitate!
Finally, the moment of truth! Yes, if you have watched SAO Abridged, you know for absolutely certain that I wouldn't have Kirito's Stand be named anything other than its opening song, This is War by Thirty Seconds to Mars! Again, for its appearance, look up Nero's Devil Trigger wings from Devil May Cry 5. That's how I picture them looking.
I hope you love the abilities I created for these two Stands, and I'll be keen to incorporate Kirito's new abilities throughout the course of this fanfic.
BoredMadman: Well, you guessed right in a way. Glad that it wasn't completely lost!
Aurum79: Hi! Glad you're back and still reading my story! Yeah, I do think Klein deserves better in this series, as do a lot of the other characters. Glad Asuna got her moment to shine in Mother's Rosario and I hope I give the others their moments too as I write this story. I do admit, Back in Black sounds like a great Stand name! I wonder if I could use it elsewhere…
ThyDevoutBeliever: Yeah, I know it seems a bit OOC for that part. Then again, it's been three years since I wrote that chapter. I might go back to edit it later. As for Josuke's age, I wanted him around the same age group as the others, but he's still older than Kirito, which places him around the same age group as Asuna and Lisbeth. Keep in mind, Giorno is fifteen in Part 5, and Josuke is sixteen in DiU. Wouldn't put it past him to be doing all this around this age.
Librarian343: You're right! Hope you liked it!
AshenOne: Hi! Glad you're keeping up! Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I've been hooked to my PS4 ever since this pandemic rolled around, especially without much friends to chat with offline. And yeah, I'm taking my time with Kira. Hope it pays off.