Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Unknown Floor, Dungeon) December 27th, 2023
Another dark day came and went within the interior of the dungeon where Laughing Coffin resided. The vast and dank space never changed, as no natural elements could erode it nor weather it away with time, forever stagnant within the digital realm. However, all that could change were its inhabitants.
Just a couple of months ago, the cries for blood rang through the halls, preparing for the moment that would solidify Laughing Coffin as a true threat, spilling blood to flow like a river in the streets. No longer content with the baited whispers of urban legend and now an active force, a presence that would forever terrorize the residents of the death game, remaining in bitter memory long after they were gone.
Now, they had done just that, running rampant through an unsuspecting town filled with people, leaving their humanity behind and letting loose on the populace. The fierce battle that night, however, had done little, if anything to satiate their thirst for blood. If anything, Laughing Coffin was more spirited than ever before.
Even now, men raced through the darkness of the dungeon, manning their stations and preparing their weapons, a wave of raw passionate energy overwhelming them all as they thought of their next big raid ahead, for the glorious battle to follow.
"Come on, you scrawny shit-for-brains! You all gotta earn your pound of flesh to stand among the strong! We're gonna make this the biggest, baddest goddamn moment of our lives! Move your asses, LET'S GO!"
The man conducting the flow of hands and movement of the others was a hooded man, his face concealed by a skull mask, covering all but his grinning mouth, his eyes glowing a bright red, commanding an intimidating and threatening demeanor. XaXa did more than just put on a scary face, however, as he commanded the men with every ounce of strength as he boasted and preached.
*crackBOOM*
Those near the center of the dungeon turned at the sudden explosive bang of thunderclap as the darkness of the area briefly lit up with a flash of light. XaXa grinned as he saw his company arrive, but not before turning back to the men, barking out again.
"Hey! Keep those hands moving, gents! I see any one of you slacking off and I deal with your punishment personally!"
Walking up to the point where the lightning struck, XaXa sneered as he spotted the familiar long, purple locks of Frusciante, carrying an unconscious Johnny Black over his shoulders, the electrical Stand user's scowl clearly showing his annoyance in carrying him here. Staring at his fellow Laughing Coffin leader, Frusciante's growl deepened when he saw XaXa's smug grin welcoming him back.
"Heyo, Sparky. Rough day out? Here you were, bragging on and on 'bout how you'd have a clear shot on our OG Stand user hero from the frontlines!" XaXa laughed, leading Frusciante to roar out as he flung Johnny Black's unconscious body over his back and slammed him onto the floor with an unceremonious crash.
"First of all, shut the fuck up, you idiot. You ain't got any business running your worthless mouth when you decided to move on with the others. So don't you dare talk shit to my face until you start practicing all your droning on about strength or whatever. Just a little tip, it gets old real soon until you put some heads to that big fat mouth of yours." Frusciante snarled as he knelt down and flipped Johnny over on his back, his face facing the ceiling, all while pointing an aggressive finger at his accomplice.
"Second of all, we were told to rush things along, so how the hell do you people expect me to settle things properly? I thought I came here to get away from fucking deadlines!" The Stand user screamed as he summoned Red Hot Chili Pepper, the electrical Stand appearing in a shower of blinding sparks and slamming both palms onto Johnny's chest, shocking him with electrical energy like a defibrillator, causing the masked man's body to shake with each shock.
"What the hell happened down there? Johnny of all people got fucked up? Thought he at least had a half-decent Stand on him! Did the Diamond Fist do this?" XaXa asked curiously, watching as Red Hot Chili Pepper unleashed one last shock, causing Johnny to shoot wide awake with a harsh gasp of air, his eyes open wide as he coughed like a dying man.
"No… no, he didn't… It was him… Black Swordsman…" Johnny wheezed out, XaXa's eyebrow rising at the name.
"Kirito…" the red-eyed player snarled as his eye sockets flared brighter, not unnoticed by Frusciante as he gave a smirk in return.
"Bet you wished you stayed back, eh, smartass? I know you've been gunning for that bishie for the longest time." The purple-haired Stand user laughed, as XaXa glared his way.
"Damn punk thinks he's all high and mighty, acting like a hero when he wouldn't know the first thing about true, hard-earned strength… Just the thought of him pisses me the hell off!…" XaXa muttered, before whipping his head back to face the two other Laughing Coffin members.
"How the hell did he do this to you both? You guys' Stands are unbeatable! How could you two morons lose to a Standless weakling like him?!" XaXa exclaimed, ripping at his hair in anger.
"The kid's got himself a boda fine Stand! And one that ain't too shabby either!"
The trio turned to face a fourth voice, as the final man revealed himself from the shadows, a sinister grin adorning his features as he commanded the attention of everyone in the room with his appearance.
"Boss…"
"So what if our friend's got himself a shiny new ability? It's just one guy with a little more bite to him! Take the Knights' castle, and we'll break them all!" PoH laughed, raising his cleaver and pointing it upwards, making his declaration of war loud and clear for all to hear. The dungeon was rocked with the noise of men cheering and hollering echoing off the walls, but the trio of men were less affected, a certain Stand user in particular scoffing in response.
"What did you get outta that shrimp Nautilus anyway? It'd be a real laugh if you came up dry after all those days of prodding." Frusciante grinned, causing their leader to mirror his expression.
"Oh, he gave us plenty. All the info we need to make our move on Granzam. Our boy Johnny made sure of that." PoH replied, as XaXa groaned in the meantime.
"Oi, that's fine and dandy, but I do gotta wonder… why the hell now?"
"The hell you on about, Red-Eye?" PoH tilted his head to face the masked player with an exasperated face.
"When're we gonna be meeting this business partner of yours? Ain't he the guy who put us up to this? If we're taking the Knights on, I'd at least know who we're breaking our backs for. Don't tell me this guy's got you scared, boss. That'd be reeeal embarrassing…" XaXa sneered with a smug look on his face, hoping to push the larger man's buttons.
That was when he was surprised to see a glow in his eyes, as a sinister grin inched wider to reveal his teeth.
"You think so? You don't know half of it. He's like nobody I've ever seen. No higher ideals, no grudges. Just a man who kills every bit as naturally as he breathes. A true demon in the flesh. Hell yeah, I'm scared… but more than anything… I'm eager to see where this partnership takes us." PoH replied with a deranged laugh trailing from his lips.
This revelation deeply unsettled the trio, even the insane Johnny Black, as they wondered exactly what kind of man their leader was in contact with, a man who would terrify even a demon's namesake.
"Now come on, you guys! I'm sick of waiting around! Let's get this show on the road!"
The men all went on their way, following their leader to continue preparations for the operation ahead of them, leaving one of the four speaking internally with a hardened gaze at his open palm.
"Kirito… JoJo…"
He thought back, at that moment when those doors burst down, right when he had the hero bending the knee. The moment when in spite of Red Hot Chili Pepper's overwhelming strength, he was forced to back off, to retreat from another's display.
He hated that feeling. That sheer humiliation. He hated it with every ounce of his consciousness. He wanted nothing more than to scratch it out until his nails snapped clean off and spurted fountains of blood.
Never again.
"Mark my words… I will grind you into the dirt!"
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. 57, Granzam) December 27th, 2023
"They're coming here?! To Granzam?!"
Kirito and Josuke rushed back into the town and were now on their way to inform the frontline clearers of what they had learned from Nautilus. After the intense confrontations they were faced with back in the Town of Beginnings, they were now running through the crowds of people that gazed curiously as they shoved past.
After they had fended off Red Hot Chilli Pepper at the Black Iron Palace, the duo took their time heading back to catch up on what new developments had occurred since they split up in the town, Kirito in particular sharing what he had learned from Nautilus as well as Josuke with what Chilli Pepper's user had said to him.
"Yeah, and if what you said about Chilli Pepper's user was right, then we might have another full-on raid from right under our noses," Kirito muttered as they turned another corner.
"He was serious. Not a smidge of hesitation or fear in him. If you hadn't busted in when you did, I don't think I'd have gotten out in one piece!" Josuke laughed as Kirito turned to face the floor at his feet.
"Seriously, for someone to floor you just like that… Just how strong is that guy? If he tried hard enough, I bet he could take you and me at the same time, hell he could take on the entire clearer team on his own!" Kirito gritted his teeth, leading Josuke to direct a different look his way.
"Speaking of which… You finally got the hang of your Stand! When'd you figure it out? How come I totally missed it?!" Josuke grinned as Kirito sighed, summoning his Stand, two feathered claws emerging from behind his shoulders, the winglike appendages folded as the claws at their ends clasped over Kirito's shoulders, giving the swordsman the appearance of an angel with wings at rest, their feathers fluttering into the air.
"Figured it out when I fought the guy holding Nautilus. He had a damn powerful Stand of his own, but it was nothing my Stand was able to handle. What do you think?" Kirito asked with a grin of his own, leading Josuke to laugh in response.
"Are you kidding? It looks great! Still, was hoping for a full body, you feel me? Man, we're just one step ahead and nowhere near my level!" Josuke jokingly lamented with a forced sob, leading Kirito's deadpan expression to return as the mood lightened.
"Hold on, aren't we still marvelling over my awakening and how it saved your ass? Besides, I can take Crazy Diamond no sweat, just you watch!" Kirito asked before laughing, Josuke scoffing as they entered another street full of people.
"You're awful bold for someone who barely survived fighting another Stand User, with an ability they'd just picked up, no less. Bet it's got nothing on my Stand's powers! What's it good for? Boiling water?" Josuke joked, laughing smugly.
However, Kirito's grin only grew as he said nothing, his Stand flashing with spiritual energy as his eyes glowed a bright shade of yellow, his whole body surging with power as Josuke watched in awe.
"It'd be good enough for racing you back to the castle, jackass! Try to keep up!"
Kirito laughed as he shot off like a rocket, kicking up a cloud of dust as people leaped to the side of the road in surprise as a dark blur parted the crowd, leaving Josuke behind, waving a hand over his hair to disperse the winds, chuckling under his breath as he picked up the pace, watching his friend round the corners in a beeline for the castle.
"That smug bastard…"
Josuke muttered to himself as he ran, sprinting past people and pushing through the crowd in an attempt to catch up. However, he had already lost track of Kirito as he had sped ahead of him entirely, probably waiting for him at the steps to the castle with the smuggest grin he could imagine. Snickering, Josuke could only shake his head as he pressed on, awaiting that inevitable sight.
Alas, he was right as he found Kirito leaning against a pillar next to the main gate, his face insulting his pride and joy from sheer smugness without even saying a word. Josuke could only laugh weakly as he leaned forward, his hands slapping onto his knees as he heaved over, drawing great breaths as Kirito walked over, offering his shoulder wordlessly as he laughed himself, the two friends sharing a moment before linking their arms, Kirito draping his arm over his shoulder as they walked through the gate.
"Super-speed, huh? Quite the ability…" Josuke rasped out weakly.
"Kinda, but not really. It seems whatever This Is War touches speeds up however quickly I want it, just happens to include my own body." Kirito replied as Josuke raised an eyebrow in his direction.
"Thirty Seconds to Mars, huh? Quite the name. Guess all Stands need one eventually. Picked out my own from an old Pink Floyd number." Josuke grinned.
"What? Not your taste?" Kirito questioned with a jesting smile as Josuke let out another laugh.
"Are you kidding? Good music is good music! So what if I like Prince and you prefer Jared Leto? Your Stand is your own, your very soul. Don't let anyone else define it for you, you hear?" Josuke exclaimed, pointing a finger at his friend's chest, the latter nodding with a smile.
"Yeah. I promise."
The duo walked through the castle hallways, passing by soldiers, some of them turning to face them, only for Josuke to wave them off with a smile as they continued on. Josuke turned his head to his friend's eyes, recalling the foreign yellow glow he had seen in them when he used his Stand's power, the wings that adorned his back, gifting him the ability to fly at greater heights and speeds.
"Still, ain't that something… You and me… versus a gang full of crazed, murderous Stand Users. Liking our chances, aren't ya?" Josuke laughed, before Kirito sighed.
"First of all, you forgot Griselda. The ability to grow a forest wherever you want isn't half bad, and she's plenty creative with it! Lastly, it's not like we're gonna be all alone in this! Nautilus knows where they are, and we just need to head on over and-"
"Hold on…" Josuke raised a finger to interrupt his friend, who paused awkwardly with a stammer, confused.
"W-wait, what'd I say?"
"What was that you said earlier?" Josuke asked, his face suddenly serious as Kirito felt his weight leave his shoulders, the pompadoured teen rising to his own feet.
"A-about how Nautilus knew their location? Thought I already told you! It makes sense either way, right?" Kirito asked, only to be stopped once again by the taller Stand user.
"No, no. Griselda… THAT'S IT!"
Kirito flinched at Josuke's sudden and loud exclamation, before he pondered to himself, trying to collect his thoughts, turning to his friend.
"What's got you all riled up?" Kirito asked before Josuke's fingers clasped over his shoulders, then jerking to his collar and dragging him away by the neck at top speed, his previously drained energy somehow instantly reignited.
"NO TIME TO EXPLAIN! SAVE IT FOR THE STRATEGY MEETING! WE'RE TAKING LAUGHING COFFIN DOWN FOR GOOD!"
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
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 57, Knights of the Blood Oath Headquarters, Granzam) December 28th, 2023
Night fell over a long day as darkness washed over the virtual world of Sword Art Online, the city of Granzam falling quiet under the cover of a simulated moon and sky full of stars.
After spending so long living in this world, many of those trapped within have grown used to these nights. As a flash of lightning crackled over the empty town square, the man who stepped out walked with these thoughts in mind.
He prodded his memory for what he could recall from breathing real air, real touch, seeing a real night sky.
Anything, anything at all.
Alas, nothing.
With a sigh, he turned a head to the sky above him as he stood alone, letting the wind pick his long, purple hair up, causing it to dance in the breeze as he simply stood, his mind astray as he collected his wayward thoughts.
Looking up at the stars, he noticed their twinkle, how they managed to eke out a blink amidst a wide canvas ceiling of night sky. He knew that not even a hundred meters above him, that ceiling was solid, holding up every other floor above them within this massive iron castle that was their prison.
He knew that the beautiful night sky above him was nothing but a sham, an artificial construct within an artificial world, none of it the same one he'd known all along. Despite that, he still didn't see a difference. He couldn't distinguish this sky from the one he clearly knew was real.
After all, he had all but forgotten the view.
He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as he shook his head, looking down at his hand as he clenched it.
"Who would've thought… the place where I first felt free… was in this goddamn cage…"
Frusciante thought out loud to himself with a grin inching over his face, deep in his own thoughts before raising his head, turning his sights to the castle in the distance.
Amidst the city lights and towers of concrete, the Stand user scoffed at the sight before him, of the massive structure simply sitting there, no lights illuminating the windows as he walked closer, the grin on his face widening in anticipation.
An entire fortress standing tall, bearing the appearance of a sentry standing guard over the city, its spires and banners rising over the horizon. They were waiting inside, for all they understood, leaving the door open for their arrival. He reached a hand out, his spiritual energy flaring up as sparks danced around him, answering his soul's hunger for the upcoming battle.
Interrupting the silence, he heard the Teleport Gate start back up behind him. Turning behind him, the silhouettes of other players appeared as the Teleport Gate let in two of his allies, Johnny Black appearing first with his mask on, his eyes angry and wild, ready and hungry for battle. Hovering around him was his collective Stand, dozens of mutant insects on guard and prepared to swarm his enemies.
"The hell're they hiding?! I'm gonna kill them for what they did to me!" Johnny screeched furiously, just as the second figure appeared from the Gate.
XaXa stepped out, his hood covering his head but leaving his glowing red eyes visible through his skull mask. Gripping the hilt of his sword, the man smiled through his mask as he patted his free hand onto Johnny's back, causing the man to turn his way.
"You'll have your share of the cut. Just keep your eyes on the prize, we're all aiming for a piece tonight, after all." XaXa sneered as he stared ahead to the castle at the center of the city, standing beside the electric Stand user.
"Gonna take your share this time? You sure you aren't rusty, dumbass?" Frusciante joked, before feeling the cold of steel touching his neck, turning to XaXa holding his sword to point against his throat.
"Oh, I ain't rusty. Not by a long shot. You on the other hand..." XaXa directed his glowing red stare his way, a sinister grin on his face. Frusciante smiled as he pushed the blade away from himself, just as the rest of the red players started flooding in through the Gate.
Dozens of cloaked players rushed in through the Gate, materializing onto the platform one after another, taking their positions and their arms at the ready, hungry for blood. The trio watched as they entered the town one after the other, amounting to over a hundred of them in number, crowding around the town square and ready for battle.
Frusciante turned around to face his two accomplices, nodding to each as their spiritual energy leaked from their souls, dripping with lust for blood. Grinning, he summoned his Stand, Red Hot Chili Pepper as electrical sparks danced and writhed around him.
"Try to keep up?"
With a sudden flash of lightning, he was gone.
XaXa and Johnny then nodded to one another, then gestured to the group of red players. Wordlessly, they all gave sinister grins and nodded, dispersing and making their way towards the castle in the distance, scaling rooftops and traversing them with great agility under the veil of the night sky.
Another bolt of lightning struck the castle courtyard, as Frusciante's outline stepped from the light, his boots rustling against the grass within the walls of the fortress. It was completely quiet, an open area where he could imagine Knights and soldiers of other kinds wandering the courtyard, going about their business during the day.
Amongst trees and benches, he spotted a large fountain in the center of the courtyard, spouting water into a large pool of water.
However, the empty field gave way to a thin silence, an air that seemed to crack like glass every time he would take a step, from the grass to the stone path. Looking ahead to the exit on the south end of the wall, he grinned as he moved on, heading for the drawbridge.
"Thought you'd arrive sooner."
"WHAT THE-?!"
Turning around in an instant, Frusciante whipped his head behind him completely as he let Chili Pepper separate from him, standing to face the intruder as he himself bolted for the doorway, leaving his Stand to face the man behind him.
Hidden amongst the branches of a large tree in the center of the courtyard, Chili Pepper's reptilian eyes looked up to spot a man sitting atop a sturdy outcrop of branch, leaning against the trunk and surrounded by the shade of the leaves. Even despite his eyes being hidden from view, he could make the outline of his smug grin as well as a very familiar shape of hair atop his head.
"You…" Chili Pepper growled, as Josuke chuckled, leaning down so that he got a better look at his face, dim light cast on it by the moon above.
"Yo, Red Hot Chili Pepper. We've been expecting you to show!" Josuke grinned, as Chili Pepper looked around him.
"You were waiting for me… For us… What? Did the KoB shrimp tell you guys? From what I hear, he got it pretty bad from Johnny and the others. How'd he look once you found him? Tell me, I'd love to know." Chili Pepper assumed a grin of his own as he turned his beady eyes toward Josuke, malice radiating from his glare, convincing a frown out of the pompadoured teen.
"He's fine now. I made sure of that. More importantly, don't think you're in any position to act so smug." Josuke replied, all without losing his composure. Chili Pepper gritted his teeth, balling his fists.
"Heh… hehe…"
Then he started laughing, as Josuke waited for him to finish and take a breath, the two now facing each other once again. "I believe I am. First off, don't think I don't know you're stalling for time. Like it makes any difference. I've actually been doing the same! If you really wanted to stop me, then you should have gone after the user instead of chatting with the Stand!"
"Your point?" Josuke asked, cocking his head as if confused.
"I've already opened the drawbridge, and the boys'll be in and surrounding you from all sides in seconds! Not to mention, we've got a whole castle of do-gooder Knights ripe for the slaughter! You're outnumbered, and you can't do a damn thing about it! You got the guts to act so damn confident when I folded your ass back in the first Floor?! I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY AGAINST ALL OF US AT ONCE!"
Josuke blinked and said nothing, silence filling the air for a good dozen seconds.
"Heh… hehe…"
Chili Pepper's eyes widened as he heard Josuke laugh back at him, in the same smug and confident way, as if what he was telling him did nothing at all to faze him. It was like… he was mocking him.
He hated that.
He hated that with a burning passion.
"What's so damn funny?!" He seethed, fury burned onto Chili Pepper's face as he stared at Josuke.
Looking up from his laughter, Josuke stared down at the electric Stand user with a smile on his face, showing without a single word that he was in complete control and there was nothing Chili Pepper could do to wrest it from him.
"Funny thing is, you're not the only one who's been thinking ahead. I knew you'd come in here with your entire guild to off us all. In fact, I'd counted on you letting them all inside. After all, how else would we have all of Laughing Coffin in one place at the same time?" Josuke smirked, holding an object up in his hand.
Chili Pepper squinted, then saw it. At first glance, it resembled a teleport crystal with its blue color and rectangular, but with a second look, Chili Pepper instantly knew that it was different. It was larger, and about twice as long, resembling a large brick in size than any other crystal in the game. He instantly caught on.
It was a Corridor Crystal.
"JOJO-"
"CORRIDOR, OPEN!"
Chili Pepper dashed straight at Josuke, bursting into a mass of crackling energy and making a beeline for the Stand user. However, it was already too late.
Outside the gates, the drawbridge had already come down, leading the members of Laughing Coffin to rush inside and into the darkened halls, the whole horde barreling in through the main entrance to the castle.
However, while they entered, the darkness of the hallway left them unable to see the gate that had opened up ahead, and they rushed in, knowing none the wiser and arriving at an entirely new space than when they entered, as the first who passed through the gate looked around, finding themselves in a very familiar place.
"The hell…? That was a Corridor!" XaXa immediately noted as he turned his head to scan his surroundings, clenching his fist.
Turning behind him, he gritted his teeth in annoyance to find the corridor had already closed behind him. Wherever they were, they were trapped and falling right into their captors' hands. What's more, he knew exactly where they were just from a look around.
"We're back at base?! How?"
Each dungeon appeared the same to at least several dozen others in the game at a glance, but not Laughing Coffin, who had made their home in a certain dungeon on a floor not known to many. It was a well-kept secret, one that the group made sure to protect, through blood or silence. Having spent so long in this game, in this one particular dungeon, XaXa couldn't mistake this place for any other.
"Bastards! They've caught onto us! Black, have your Stand cover the area!"
Johnny nodded and sent his Snake Eater out, exploring the new territory and scouting out the area. Meanwhile, the group of red players moved out, traversing the dungeon that was so familiar to them and hiding in the shadows to await their next move. They may have been caught off-guard, but they knew these shadows like the back of their hand, and nobody would one-up them in their home field.
Despite this, XaXa couldn't help but shake the uneasy feeling off the back of his mind, a piece of his intuition that warned him that they were running in circles within the enemy's hands and there was nothing he could do to resolve it.
"Anything?" XaXa screeched, panicked.
"They're… THEY'RE ALREADY HERE!"
Johnny Black screamed as pieces of his Stand fell to the ground, sliced apart by the swings of blades as battle cries and screaming filled the air, but not that of Laughing Coffin as the shadows brightened ever so brighter, made so by a surging swell of light coming from the center of the dungeon.
Filling the area was an unfamiliar forest of dried trees, their branches bare and their bark dusty and crusted. This made the fire spread further, burning away any and all shadows throughout the dungeon and filling it with a dense and suffocating fog of smoke.
XaXa opened his glowing red eyes and was shocked to see soldiers of all kinds engaging the Laughing Coffin members, amongst the red-and-white armor of the Knights of the Blood Oath, he could see the dark steel of the Army as well as the silver plates of the DDA. Everyone from the clearing teams seemed to be here, and there was nothing held back in their counterattack.
He spotted Laughing Coffin members with their Stands out, taking the bloody battle to the soldiers and standing their ground, others he spotted panicking and losing themselves in the pandemonium of the sudden ambush. Growling, he turned to Johnny Black, staring up at him with anxiety.
"They've been waiting here the whole time for us… They knew we'd come in from the gate… HOW THE HELL DID THEY FIND THIS PLACE?!" XaXa screamed, frustrated and furious, confused out of his mind as he scratched at his hair, the lack of pain from his nails digging into his scalp only confusing him more.
"I thought you of all people would know."
"YOU-"
XaXa knew that voice, he knew it well. And he hated it. Unsheathing his sword in a blink of an eye, he turned around so fast and in such rage that he didn't even process his sudden rush at the swordsman before he was clashing blades and facing down the object of his hatred, staring back with an expression of stone determination.
"Black Swordsman…"
Pushing off of him, Kirito let out a scoff as he managed a small grin to edge onto his lips, both his swords in hand as he faced down both senior Laughing Coffin members. "Yeah, it's me. We've been waiting for you. And it wouldn't have been possible without Nautilus's help."
"The shrimp… He's the one who set up the corridor!" Johnny exclaimed as he summoned more of his Stand, the swarm numbering in the hundreds.
"Yeah. He'd been brought back here to be interrogated, then taken back to the Town of Beginnings as leverage to stall me and JoJo when we came down to investigate. You must've been pretty damn confident to assume you wouldn't lose and allow him to leak this kind of intel to us. If I'd lost that day, we'd never be here right now." Kirito smirked as Johnny growled, his Stand becoming just as agitated as he, their wings buzzing louder and louder.
"As for your ace in the hole Chili Pepper, I'm sure JoJo's doing quite fine taking him on alone. Now it's just you guys and us. Not so tough when you've been caught in the act, huh?" Kirito smirked, his smug aura instilling savage anger into the two men.
"You… I'll KILL YOU!"
Johnny roared as he bolted straight for Kirito, his Stand rushing ahead as the swarm dove for Kirito. Smirking, Kirito blinked as his eyes glowed a bright golden yellow to accompany the pair of ghostly winglike arms unfurling from behind his shoulders.
With that, he simply stepped to the side as he let Johnny rush ahead with his momentum, only to clash blades with another. Looking ahead of him, he spotted a familiar ensemble of red and white, as well as long chestnut hair flowing in the wind.
"You've had your run with him. For hurting him, you'll answer to me now." Asuna stated coldly as another set of trees grew to separate the two pairs, leaving Kirito and Asuna to face down their respective Laughing Coffin members. Kirito heard the noise of battle surrounding him, but took a breath to face the red-eyed player ahead of him.
"You're not getting away. Not this time. No matter what, you're not hurting any more innocent people." Kirito declared as This Is War unclasped its grasp from his shoulders and reached up, making a motion of cracking each arm's knuckles in an intimidating manner.
Both players stared each other down as XaXa raised his sword in one hand, the other holding a set of throwing picks that seemed to glower with dark spiritual energy.
"Let's end this! You and me!"
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 stonelike 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. 57, Knights of the Blood Oath Headquarters, Granzam) December 28th, 2023
As the battle ensued down below in the dungeon, two men remained at the castle courtyard in Granzam, staring each other down with a vacant and thin silence filling the air. The atmosphere was so dense one could hear a pin drop in the distance as none of them dared make the first move.
Josuke watched his opponent's steps carefully, as Crazy Diamond materialized beside him, fists balled, raised, and at the ready for the first sign of danger. He paced around the courtyard cautiously, his steps rippling through the dead silence that permeated the air, his eyes laser-focused on the glowing yellow reptilian spirit hovering over the grass, watching him with murderous concentration.
Red Hot Chili Pepper remained there, the Stand's slitted eyes never leaving Josuke's as it watched without letting its guard down for a second. The wind howled as Josuke continued to circle him, the only noise sitting between them both and filling their ears as Chili Pepper let out a sigh.
"So you got us. You think it ends there? That I'd just fold and throw my hands in the air?" He asked, exasperated, rocking his head to the side with a tired droop in his eyes.
Josuke hummed as he rolled his eyes, giving his reply. "Well, that'd be way better for either of us, wouldn't it? None of us'd get hurt that way."
Giving a smile, Josuke continued to watch his enemy, not letting him out of his sight as Chili Pepper let out a low cackle from its beak.
"You'd prefer that, huh? Well, I ain't like you. If I have beef, I'm taking what I'm owed. In this case, I believe we've got unfinished business." Chili Pepper snarled at Josuke, who planted his feet and stood at attention, facing his opponent.
"You talking about our chat at the Palace?" Josuke asked as Chili Pepper's beak curved upwards into a grin.
"Ah, so you do remember. Thought you'd forgotten how I floored you without even trying. Don't think you can just take me on and expect something different, unless you're insane enough to give me another chance to crack your ribs and fry you like chicken karaage. I'm looking forward to it!" Chili Pepper sneered, watching Josuke attentively as they both stood several meters apart, a good length of the courtyard between them.
"I'm not the same as I was before. When I get beaten down, I'm not gonna take that. I'm ready for you, and anything you throw at me!" Josuke smiled, before the noise of footsteps interrupted them both.
Coming from the darkness of the exit to the entrance of the courtyard, Josuke looked up to see a man stepping out from the shadows, his face obscured and enshrouded by the tunnel's darkness. Stepping out, Josuke saw him, with long purple locks and a dark cloak covering his attire. The man looked up, giving Josuke a clearer look at his face.
Over his left eye, he saw a long scar that ran down his face, giving way to a toothy grin as the man stared at him. Josuke didn't need to look twice to know exactly who this was.
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Hate to hear you've lost all your spine before I came back to kick your ass again." He laughed, as Chili Pepper snaked along the floor to return to the man's side, floating beside him like Crazy Diamond with Josuke.
"By the way, don't think I've properly introduced myself. Name's Frusciante. Remember that, the name of the man who stands above you in every way!" He laughed, striking a pose as he did, as Josuke turned his head to the side.
"Frusciante… John Frusciante. No wonder you went with that name." Josuke muttered as Frusciante grinned in response.
"You a fan of the classics too? Man, why is it that I find the weirdest people in the weirdest situations these days? Too bad I won't be able to chat anymore." The Stand user chuckled, shaking his head as he did so, clearly amused.
"Funny, I was thinking the same thing…"
No further words were exchanged between them as the sound of water pouring from the fountain was all that interrupted the silence, neither two making another move as they stood their ground, their Stands both on guard beside them in preparation for the first move, a wait that seemed to take entire hours to pass by.
Josuke had his hand to the blade on his back, his fingers clasping the hilt in preparation to swing, and Frusciante simply stood there, Chili Pepper rooted to the ground with its body leaned forward to lunge forward.
One second passed.
Two.
Suddenly, a drop of water fell from the fountain and onto the pavement.
"HRAGH!"
Frusciante was the first to make their move, Chili Pepper vanishing in a blink of an eye. Josuke barely managed to catch the Stand's disappearance as his eyes bulged out, genuinely shocked at how fast the Stand was moving, as he never saw him move away.
However, it didn't even take a second for Josuke to feel a sudden spike in his intuition, screaming at him to dodge something. Turning around and whipping out Crazy Diamond's fist, jabbing at the space behind him, finding himself face-to-face with Red Hot Chili Pepper, mere inches away from him, the Stand's fist balled and zooming right at his face.
"DORA!"
Before he could even process this, Josuke screamed and directed a fist at the ground, causing a massive shockwave that sent a ripple across the ground. Frusciante was swept off his feet, forced to the ground. The attack was followed by a loud boom, sending chunks of the sidewalk flying outward, some hurtling towards Chili Pepper.
"Smart, but you're still too slow!"
Josuke then saw Chili Pepper was gone from his previous position. Spotting the trail of sparks, he looked up to see the Stand flipping down towards him, jumping up to dodge the debris and the punch, now aiming a kick down at the pompadoured Stand user.
"Taste it!"
Gritting his teeth, Josuke drew his blade from his back, holding it parallel to his face, the flat of the sword facing outward. A hand planted against the other side of the blade at the tip, he grunted as Chili Pepper slammed its foot down against Overture. The impact forced Josuke back a few inches, but he remained standing as both forces pushed their strength against one another.
However, Josuke remained resolute and roared as he swung upwards with his sword, swinging it round as Chili Pepper pushed off and propelled itself backward. As Chili Pepper reached the ground, the Stand's body yet again began to glow and blink out of sight in a shower of sparks.
Josuke kept his eyes open and remained alert for his enemy, watching as the sparks left a trail, light zipping all around him at unimaginable speed, before rushing in his direction.
"THERE!"
"DORA!"
Crazy Diamond punched and met Chili Pepper's fist, the Stand cackling as the punch let out a shockwave so powerful it blew back the leaves of the trees from the gust of wind, causing the branches to dance.
"DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA!"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The two Stands clashed in rushes of lightning-fast fists, their punches thrown at such a speed and force that none of them could see them connecting, but the winds being stirred by their arms moving was enough for Josuke to raise his arm to cover his eyes from the drafts.
"HYAH!"
It was then that Josuke saw it. Chili Pepper threw another punch, one that he saw coming. He had Crazy Diamond catch the strike with an open palm, squeezing down to clasp around it, growling as he squeezed down to crush Chili Pepper's fist, securing a grip on the slippery Stand and keen not to let go.
However, something was wrong, and he could tell just looking at Chili Pepper's face.
"Heh."
Josuke's eyes widened as he saw energy flowing from his arm and into Chili Pepper's, making him glow brighter. All of a sudden, his instincts screamed at him to let go, that keeping his hand on Chili Pepper would only cost him dearly.
Yanking the Stand in, he directed a sharp kick swinging at Chili Pepper's torso, causing both the Stand and his user to heave out a cough from the jarring impact, the both of them flying through the air and sent sprawling across the ground. For good measure, Josuke curled his arm back and swung, letting his sword fly right at Frusciante.
"DORA!"
At Crazy Diamond's cry, Chili Pepper's eyes shot open as it began to shimmer once more, disappearing and reappearing in the flying blade's path and flicking an arm to swat the blade away, Overture spinning in the air and falling to the ground, stabbing into the ground.
The two Stands and their users remained apart for a second, as Josuke held out his hand, Crazy Diamond's restorative ability applying to the cloth wrapped around his knuckle, as the blade returned to his waiting open hand, cursing under his breath as he saw Red Hot Chili Pepper's capabilities even more apparently.
"Damn, he's fast. Might even be faster than Asuna, maybe even Crazy Diamond. I can't let my guard down around this guy. If he hits me once, I'm done!" Josuke thought to himself, his thoughts racing as he struggled to think of a way to stay on his feet. However, his mind was also focusing on one question as he stared at his hand, flexing his fingers to open and close his palm methodically.
"Bet you're wondering about that trick I pulled when you tried to grab me?"
Josuke looked up to see Frusciante grinning confidently, his eyes filled with malicious glee as Chili Pepper surrounded itself with more sparks of electricity, seemingly more so than when they had originally begun the fight. Josuke didn't need to ask to understand exactly what had happened to him.
"That's right! Chili Pepper's main ability is to absorb electrical energy to replenish itself and multiply its strength and speed! As you can imagine, in this digital world, there's simply no shortage of electricity! Not to mention, I've got energy packs all around me fresh for the taking!" Frusciante laughed, as Josuke's eyes widened, his mind flashing back to his final encounter with Straight Shooter all those months ago.
"WHO SAYS I CAN'T?! YOU SEE THIS?! I'VE GROWN SINCE THEN, AS YOU CAN CLEARLY TELL! THE POWER OF MY STAND, RED HOT CHILI PEPPER IS PROOF ENOUGH OF MY AWESOME STRENGTH! NOW THEN, HOW ABOUT I HELP MYSELF TO SOME OF THAT JUICY BATTERY IN YOUR NERVEGEAR?!"
"So that's it… You took the energy from my NerveGear's battery! You did the same thing to kill Okuyasu's brother!" Josuke exclaimed, leading Frusciante's smile to widen further.
"Bingo! All it takes is a few seconds of contact! All that energy then starts siphoning into my Stand, making it faster and stronger! Did I mention that any damage you give me can be healed up with a little energy?" Frusciante sneered confidently as Chili Pepper pointed a finger at Josuke menacingly.
Josuke took this information to note and began thinking to himself, his mind racing for a solution. "He's strong. Scarily so. If he keeps draining my battery with each hit, if I get in his clutches for too long, then not even the local power from wherever I'm staying in the real world might save my NerveGear from running completely dry! At that point, if the microwaves don't kill me, then the electricity will fry me inside out!"
"So then, thanks for the boost! Now, thanks to your generous donation, I'm feeling a little bit better!" Frusciante turned to his opponent as Chili Pepper rose into the air, energy crackling all around its body as the Stand assumed a battle stance, prepared for a second wind, Josuke immediately taking notice as he did the same with Crazy Diamond.
"This is where you end, JoJo!"
The Stand once again disappeared in the blink of an eye, making a beeline for Josuke. Josuke's eyes raced to find his enemy, being tested as he saw the sparks approach his front. Reacting in an instant, Josuke threw his first punch, aiming to strike him as he appeared, maybe intercept the hit before it could connect.
"Wrong way, idiot."
"!"
Josuke's eyes bulged in shock as he turned to face the voice behind him. Within a fortunate fraction of a second, he had Crazy Diamond turn around and raise an arm, barely able to miss a swing of Chili Pepper's arm that clipped at his hair ever so slightly. Josuke cringed as he felt the familiar sting of pain graze his arm from blocking an attack of such force.
Chili Pepper, however, was far from done as he then went in with a greater rush of fists, cackling as the blows came in at overwhelming speed, so much so that Josuke felt the strain of keeping up, a sentiment he hadn't known when it came to Crazy Diamond. For every blow he deflected, twice as many strikes seemed to head his way.
"DORARARARARARARARARARARARA!"
Josuke threw as many punches as he was physically able, but found himself gasping as all he could feel himself punching was empty air. That was when he felt a familiar tingle of electric energy appearing behind him.
"Too slow, still too slow!"
"DORARARARARARARARARARA!"
Josuke turned around to deflect another round of strikes, attempting to counterattack by directing another series of punches right at his enemy, only for them to fail to connect as well.
"Are you even trying?!"
"DORARARA!"
Again, more strikes from another direction. He moved to react, but he was too slow to catch him.
"Pathetic!"
"DORARARA!"
"ENOUGH!"
Frusciante screamed as he sent a punch into Josuke's stomach, the impact causing Josuke to cough up violently from Chili Pepper's great strength. He was sent flying through the air as Chili Pepper sent a punch straight at Crazy Diamond's head, smashing Josuke's skull and rattling his brain as he flew into the trunk of a tree in the center of the courtyard.
"Shit… he's way stronger… All that from a little contact with me? Dammit… Kazuto… could use a hand…"
Lying down on the ground as he leaned against the tree, Josuke nursed his wounds at the point of their impact, wincing as the pain throbbed and lingered, spitting out a bloody loogie as he heard footsteps approaching from his twelve.
Looking up, Josuke saw Frusciante striding up to him with Chili Pepper in tow, clapping his hands sarcastically with a smug sneer written across his scarred face. Leaning down, he turned his head down to face Josuke in the eye as his grin widened.
"Well, well, well. Looks like for all that smack you've been talking, you haven't learned a single damn thing! How the hell are you the hero that everyone keeps sucking up to? Acting like that does no good for you if you aren't looking out for yourself and yourself alone!" Frusciante gloated, laughing confidently, as Josuke frowned, staring up at his attacker.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Josuke spat, as Frusciante raised a brow, turning to the sky above and spreading his arms out.
"Like I said, bet you've lived quite the life back home, to be so trusting, so kind and compassionate. People like me, we don't got room for that, not in a world that'd eat us alive. If you have that kind of power, the power of a Stand, then why not use your power for yourself? Why else come to a place like this, be brought to a world where this power is made bare for everyone to see?" Frusciante grinned, before turning back to Josuke.
"Don't you see it? It's a call! A call to awaken the real you! To become more than what you really are! That's why I brought the Arrow back to the rest of the boys, to see exactly how far we could go, how far we could reach ahead of our normal selves!" Frusciante laughed.
"You sure did. You fell so far you went past your own humanity. Finding pleasure in hurting others, in murder, yeah. You've become something lower."
Josuke smirked as Frusciante's expression slowly turned to one of annoyance.
"You think so? You're one to talk. Your ability does nothing to yourself and is why you'll never become more than this. All you people in the frontlines want is to leave, and yet you ignore the thousands who've already made this place their new reality! You think we'd rather be back out there, in a place where we go back to being "normal people" living "normal lives", when we know just how much more we are?! BULLSHIT!" Frusciante screamed out, angrily stomping his feet.
"Prove it, then."
"What?!"
Frusciante turned back to Josuke, who wore a smug grin on his face even despite his pain. Coughing out, he bore eyes that stared back at Frusciante with confidence.
"Prove it. If you've become more, then take your best shot. Prove you can beat the hero, the Diamond Fist! Or what?! You too much of a coward to finish the job?! Thought you said you were past things like that!" Josuke taunted, prompting Frusciante to roar out as Chili Pepper burst into a flash of electrical energy.
"GRAAAGH! ENOUGH TALK! YOU THINK I DON'T GOT THE BALLS TO END YOU?! THINK AGAIN, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! DIIIIEEE!"
Chili Pepper flew at Josuke in a rage, aiming a punch directly at Josuke's heart. The punch was fast and powerful, containing all of Chili Pepper's anger and energy. As the punch connected, Josuke flinched at the impact, and let out a cough from the force, Frusciante laughing as he saw Josuke make no attempt to dodge or defend himself.
"I WIN! HOW'S THAT FOR GUTS, YOU SHITTY-HAIRED FUCK NUGGET?!"
"WHAT."
*crack*
"AAAAAAGGGHH!"
Before Frusciante could detect the sudden shift in the air, Frusciante suddenly realized something as he landed the punch. It didn't seem to faze Josuke, as he felt none of the electrical energy flow into his body.
What's more, his Stand's arm was entrapped in a vice grip, several times stronger than the one Josuke had previously attempted on him, and had twisted it so quickly that he felt his arm break before he could process the sight of his own arm bending at an odd angle.
Looking right at Josuke, his eyes now wore an entirely alien expression, one he had never before seen on him. His eyes were now cold, murderously so. So much so that the chill that permeated the atmosphere leaked with killing intent, a killing intent directed entirely onto him.
"W-what the hell?! I thought I'd landed that punch perfectly! How the hell didn't he get shocked to heaven and back?! What's more, t-this killing intent! This aura! He's… different! What the hell is this?!" Frusciante screamed in his mind, as he watched Josuke move with rage empowering his body.
"EYAHH!"
Swinging his arm with frightening strength, Josuke slammed Chili Pepper into the tree behind him, then summoned Crazy Diamond, overflowing with a dark spiritual aura that mirrored Josuke's own previously unseen fury. Winding its arms back, Frusciante could only watch helplessly as Crazy Diamond unleashed its wrath.
"DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA!"
Frusciante felt searing and jarring pain pelt every inch of his body as Crazy Diamond screamed in primal rage, leaving Frusciante to stare at the stone-cold Josuke amidst his mirrored pain as his Stand was eviscerated by the assault by the former's Stand.
He spotted the point of impact of his punch and saw several layers of an unknown material past his breastplate that Chili Pepper had blown through, but whatever it was seemed unharmed and protected him. However, he was only spared a fleeting glance before the pain intensified, Crazy Diamond's cruel judgment raining down on Chili Pepper as the bark on the tree was ripped to shreds in the midst of the beatdown.
The wood chips then reassembled, Josuke's ability taking effect as Chili Pepper was enclosed within the insides of the tree's bark. Turning to face Frusciante, the latter once more locked eyes with Josuke's, the pompadoured Stand user's demeanor cold, yet deadly as his eyes bored into his soul with such hatred and silent fury that it was like he was trying to kill him with his stare alone.
"Hahahaha… You're an idiot, JoJo! You think a simple tree's enough to hold down my Red Hot Chili Pepper?! I don't even need much strength to punch through the bark and-"
"DORA!"
"Gkh!"
Frusciante was socked in the mouth by Crazy Diamond, sending him to the floor as he stomped a boot on Frusciante's wrist, digging in and grinding, before jerking his heel to the side, causing the purple-haired Stand user's other arm to shatter as well.
"YAAAAAAGGHHH! M-MY ARMS! FUCK! BOTH MY ARMS ARE BROKEN!" Frusciante screamed in pain, his cries of agony not doing anything to shift Josuke's cold expression of silent fury as the man looked down with those laser-focused eyes.
"Shut the fuck up and listen here, you worthless human trash. You're half-right. Normally, I'm a compassionate guy. I'd normally be letting you off easy, even if I really shouldn't. In case you're wondering why your stupid attack aimed at my heart didn't work, it's the same reason why your shitty Stand won't be getting out. It's a rubber tree." Josuke's dark voice growled, causing Frusciante's eyes to widen.
"Of course! Rubber's an insulator for electricity! Even if I could punch clean through it with enough power, it should be able to dampen the electrical shocks! But how'd he get a rubber tree here?!" Frusciante thought before Josuke opened his mouth again to answer.
"Your worthless ass can thank Griselda for the rubber. Her Stand's ability to grow any kind of tree comes in handy, so I had her make me some armor, and a temporary trap for your Stand you'd never expect." Josuke explained before his aura intensified and he took another stomp forward.
"Now, I'd normally settle for a hit across the head to knock you out. I try not to hurt anyone more than I really need to. But… I make an exception for fucking trash like you. You just had to do it… You just haaad to go for the hair." Josuke growled, cracking his knuckles as he did so, Crazy Diamond raising its fists as Frusciante could only stare up with a mixture of pain, confusion, and sheer horror.
"Nobody…"
"Talks shit…"
"ABOUT MY HAIR!"
"DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA!"
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 22, Log Cabin) December 31st, 2023
Josuke looked out at the expanse of the lake ahead of him as he sat on a bench at the balcony, his eyes scanning the horizon.
On the night of New Year's Eve, the moon stood watch over the beauty of the 22nd Floor. Josuke let out a relaxed sigh in awe as he looked over the trees shaking in the wind and the mirror surface of the lake shimmering as it reflected the light of the moon up above. His ears could pick up the songs of crickets chirping amongst the bush of the forest, and The Stand user could also spot the lights of the tiny Coral Village in the distance across the lake.
No doubt they were also celebrating the coming of the New Year as well, much like Purple Rain was here in the Log Cabin. With these thoughts in mind, his ears turned their attention back to the cheer and songs of the guild's celebrations as they mingled within the cabin's living room.
He spotted Lisbeth and Silica chatting amongst themselves, sharing a drink as Pina sneaked a sip, spooking Silica and causing her to spill a little from her cup and splattering its contents on the floor. This caused her to pout and Lisbeth to laugh.
At the couch, he spotted Klein and Griselda sitting with each other. They seemed to be wrapped in their own conversation, glasses in hand as they laughed together and chatted. What Josuke found interesting was when Griselda put her cup down and used that hand to run a hand across his chest complete with blush lining both their cheeks, indicating something had sparked between them.
"Huh, who'd have guessed they'd be a thing…" Josuke thought to himself as he continued to look around the room at his friends.
He spotted Agil and Argo playing with cards, with piles of chips on both their sides of the table, along with glasses filled with what he could only assume to be alcohol of some kind. He saw Agil lay his cards down, only for Argo's face to light up with a smug grin as she showed her hand, causing Agil to smash a fist on the table as Argo cackled, shoving chips from his end to hers.
Taking care of everything in the house was Asuna and Okuyasu, Okuyasu helping her around the kitchen and arranging food and drink items for the others around the house, all with a chipper grin on his face. Josuke smiled, happy that Okuyasu was having fun with them in his own way. Meanwhile, Asuna was in the kitchen, seeming to be preparing more food for the entire group, sighing as she hummed a song under her lips, preparing ingredients among other items.
Looking all around at the guild this evening, Josuke couldn't help but smile contentedly, happy to watch this scene and preserve it eternally in his memory, of his friends enjoying themselves and taking a break from the terrors they had endured not even a week ago.
"Fancy seeing you by yourself."
Josuke turned in the direction of the voice, then locked eyes with the one face he hadn't seen in his previous observation. He turned to face his friend with a smile and a soft chuckle as he swirled the glass in his hand, gesturing to the seat beside him on the balcony.
"I swear, you jackass. You're leaving an impression on me and that makes me cringe like you wouldn't believe." Josuke laughed as Kirito took his seat, his own glass in hand.
"So then, what brings you away from the heat of the party and into my territory?" Kirito jested, as Josuke sighed, looking out to the horizon past the balcony railings.
"I've… been thinking. About what he said to me. What you said." Josuke muttered, Kirito's smile faltering as he caught on, nodding as he faced the horizon as well, wistful expressions filling both their faces.
"About how it's not the same anymore? That we won't be able to go back to being normal if we even want to leave this game?" Kirito asked, prompting Josuke to nod silently.
"It's not just that… you saw how Laughing Coffin was. They didn't care anymore. They accepted this place as their new reality. So much so that they'd rather stay here to preserve their inhumanity, like it was something they wanted to protect." Josuke whispered, taking a sip from his drink and staring down at his cup.
"That doesn't mean everyone who'd given up on going back is like that. Most of the non-fighter players are just people trying to survive and live life, and honestly, I don't blame them. Life in the frontlines… it's exhausting. It's been… exhausting." Kirito sighed, as Josuke turned his way, before looking ahead again.
"Look at this place. It's so… beautiful. You wouldn't think someone built this place, with a Stand no less." Josuke mumbled with a somber smile, Kirito laughing.
"Well, someone did, and he's guarding the way out. What? You scared?" Kirito asked with a teasing grin, Josuke laughing in response.
"Who'd I be if I didn't fear the unknown? Everyone does. It's only natural after all. However… we did beat Laughing Coffin. They're all locked up, and they won't be causing any more trouble until we get out of this death game. What's one more Stand user if we beat an entire murder cult filled with them?" Josuke muttered, Kirito letting out another sigh.
"You got that right. Still… this view… you wonder if we'd have a shot at staying here forever? If one day people could live their entire lives in a simulation? Live happily like you would in the real world?" Kirito mumbled, his hand reaching for the pendant around his neck, Josuke noticing his gesture and smiling, before looking up at the moon.
"Doubt it. Even now, who knows exactly what's keeping us alive. Our bodies are still out there in the real world, and they've been asleep for the past year while we've been fighting to get out of here. Whether we're in some hospital, shelter, whatever, who knows if tending to our needs ends up decided as a liability. If we're even worth wasting resources to keep alive in a world that's not even our own…" Josuke suggested as Kirito exhaled with a tired demeanor.
"Well, when you put it like that… guess there's no choice. We'll be out before the next year comes back around, and I'll kill you if you're not at the end with me, hear me, you jackass?" Kirito turned to Josuke with his glass out, Josuke staring at the glass then back up at his friend before rolling his head back and laughing.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Alright, then, you dork! Tell you what, the first thing we do once we make it out, we're all meeting together in the real world! Wherever in Japan we might be, let's all find each other and reassemble Purple Rain to conquer the real world like we did here!" Josuke laughed as he raised his own glass, Kirito grinning in response.
"It's a deal! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The two's glasses tapped with one another as both tipped their glasses over, emptying their contents into their throats, letting out a satisfied breath as they sank back into their seats, only interrupted by the noise of footsteps behind them.
"You guys! Hurry up! The countdown's about to start! We can't do this without you guys!" Asuna urged with a smile, Kirito and Josuke facing each other as they laughed, standing up to join the excited group inside, opening their menus to check their clocks ticking down the seconds to the new year.
"Ten!"
"Nine!"
"Eight!"
"Seven!"
"Six!"
"Five!"
"Four!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Item Showcase:
Lunar Pendant:
An amulet bearing the symbol of the crescent moon. If held out in the light, it resembles the shimmer of moonlight in the night sky.
Uses: N/A
Owner: Kirito
Aincrad, Sword Art Online (Lv. 1, Black Iron Palace, Town of Beginnings) January 1st, 2024
The new year celebrations were just as lively in the castle headquarters of the Aincrad Liberation Force, the guild and their soldiers all drinking, feasting, and singing in the mess hall, where cheers rang outside the castle walls and into the Town of Beginnings.
However, down below in the dungeons, anything but celebration was echoing off the walls as the surviving members of Laughing Coffin huddled in the jail cells, too weak to break out or use their Stands to destroy the bars of the cells, as they cursed any guards who moved past them.
"Quiet in there! Silence!" One female guard shrieked as the angry screams built up in volume, slamming her sword against the bars, agitating the red players further.
In the corner, three members sat in the cells apart from one another. Johnny Black was a shell of his former self and was curled in a fetal position behind a metal door, the only way he could hear the others through tiny ventilation holes through which his Stand could not burrow or squeeze through, his teeth chattering as he looked around to be surrounded by more wall, his ears filling with grunts and shrieking from next door.
"WOULD YOU STOP WITH THAT, YOU JACKASS!"
He heard the voice beside him, screaming at the XaXa on the other side, the man bearing a cold expression of burning hatred and anger as he continued, again and again, the motions of his Sword skills, practicing as he swung his arms and moved his legs in a brutal exercise that lasted every hour of every day he was trapped in the cell.
"I'LL STOP ONCE I'M STRONG ENOUGH TO KICK THAT FRAUD KIRITO TO THE CURB AND CRUSH HIM ENTIRELY!" XaXa shrieked in response, kicking the wall to Johnny Black's cell, agitating him more.
On the other side, Frusciante sat, his arms in casts as he leaned against a wall, his face seething and angered, just as much as XaXa's. "I KNOW YOU'RE PISSED, BUT GODDAMMIT, I WANT SOME FUCKING SLEEP, YOU BLOCKHEAD!"
"YOU FEEL THE SAME, DON'T YOU, SPARKY?! YOU WANT NOTHING MORE THAN TO GRIND JOJO'S FACE TO THE GROUND AND MAKE HIM REGRET EVER CROSSING YOU?!" XaXa roared, as Frusciante kicked his own side of the wall in frustration.
"OF COURSE I DO! I HATE THAT FEELING SO MUCH I'D WANT NOTHING MORE THAN TO RIP HIS LIMBS OFF AND MAKE HIM SQUIRM! BUT WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING LOCKED UP IN HERE! LIKE IT OR NOT, I'LL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT! RIGHT NOW I JUST WANT TO FUCKING SLEEP AND YOU'RE NOT HELPING AT ALL, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Frusciante exploded, only for the chime of metal striking the iron bars to catch his attention.
"QUIET! ANY OTHER WORDS OUT OF YOU AND YOU CAN FORGET GETTING ANYTHING TO EAT TOMORROW!" The guard sternly commanded, causing Frusciante to spit at her feet.
The guard winced in disgust and was about to retaliate when the noise of the door to the dungeon opening suddenly rang out, leading the guard to turn towards the end of the corridor, spotting a shadow at the doorway.
The shadow moved her way, revealing the outline of a man.
As he approached, she saw with wide eyes that he wore a dark cloak and a hood that obscured his face, but did little to hide the frightening visage of a skull mask that covered his mouth. The man looked up to face her, and she froze in place to see dark eyes framed by blonde locks of hair, so dark that she saw no hint of light in them, a sight that was simply and unsettlingly inhuman.
In his hand he grasped the scabbard of a katana as he moved towards her without slowing down, prompting the guard to raise her sword, sweat dripping down her face as she faced her opponent down.
"H-hey! Who are you?! How'd you get in here?! S-STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" The guard screamed at the man, not knowing why she felt such fear at the sight of the figure.
The man did nothing to slow down and picked up speed, keeping his hand on the scabbard and walking closer, the guard screaming as she rushed at him, her blade in hand and raised above her head in preparation to swing.
"Hm."
The man, however, was too quick. With a subtle, but lightning-fast movement of his hand, he moved his scabbard across his front to parry the attack with such ease he made it look casual, the man's eyes then shifting to the stunned woman's blade arm, unsheathing his blade with a click of his thumb and drawing it, swinging it for her wrist.
Gritting her teeth, she raised her blade again, clashing blades with him. With this, he sighed and delivered a series of slashes, slashes she had never seen in this game, seen in no Sword Skill she had previously encountered. This told her all she needed to know about this man, a frightening truth.
"This guy… he knows how to use a sword! He doesn't need the system!"
Perhaps by sheer luck, she stayed on her feet even as a slash connected to her ankle joint as her blade rang with his, causing him to let out a click of his tongue, causing the woman to realize that her blade was being grasped by an unknown force.
Looking up, she saw it. The ghostly outline of a spirit appearing behind the intruder, eyes almond-shaped and slitted like a cat's, its face completely emotionless. The man was a Stand user, and her blade was trapped in its vice grip.
"Killer Queen."
The man spoke, she could only assume to be the Stand's name, before the Stand's other hand made a fist with its thumb up, pressing the thumb down, causing her sword to literally explode out of existence, and soon, her hands were completely empty.
Realizing she was completely unarmed, the frightened soldier turned to the exit, hoping to get away from what every instinct within her screamed was a horrific death.
"GUARDS! WE HAVE AN INTRUDER-" She screamed as she scrambled for the door as Laughing Coffin members in the cells around her laughed and cheered, their cackles filling the dungeon like a den of hyenas.
"Whoa there… We've barely gotten time to get to know each other… Stay awhile."
She tried to move her legs.
She couldn't run.
She tried to cry out.
She couldn't even breathe.
The man's fingers had a vice grip around her neck, clenching tightly and blocking her windpipe, choking her as he turned the guard around to face him, lifting her off the ground. Her hands reached for her throat as she gagged for a desperate breath, wrapping around the man's hands, but to her despair, couldn't do anything to make them budge.
This was when he saw the man's eyes turn to her hands. The look in his eyes shifted slightly, to one of curiosity and interest, in a manner that sent chills running down her spine, a feeling that made her fear spike further.
The Stand's hands moved to the gauntlets covering her hands, and she watched as he made them disappear as he did her sword, leaving her hands bare for him to see.
"Ahhh… Exquisite… What a beautiful pair of hands you have… What a shame you conceal their luster behind such clunky things…" The man's eyes widened as his gasps of breath became audible, his voice leaving that mask with euphoric ecstasy, filling the woman with dread as tears ran down her face.
"P-please…S-sorry… I-I'm s-sorry!..."
"Don't apologize for your beauty. It's ridiculous. As much as I'd love to get to know you… I'll have to settle with what I can have and make this quick. I'm afraid I'm pressed for time." The man then stated, the woman attempting to scream out, before realizing her voice was silent.
*crck*
The man's hands tightened around her throat, as she desperately tried to remain conscious, only to fall limp as her throat was crushed, her face stuck in a horrific expression of fear and despair, eyes wide open and streaking tears.
The man sighed at the sight of the woman's lifelessness and revealed his Stand, Killer Queen's hands touching the woman's body and detonating the trigger, causing her body to disappear in a flash of light and smoke, leaving a disembodied hand on the floor, not a scratch or dirtiness on the skin at all.
The man picked up the hand and stared at it for a good second, before inching it closer to his face with shaking fingers, rubbing the hand against his cheek, causing him to let out a moan in sheer ecstasy.
However, it only lasted that second as it flickered and exploded into a group of blue pixels, causing the man to stare at his empty hand with a greater tremble in his limbs.
"Dammit… Every time… They just… leave before I can enjoy our time together…" The man growled under his breath, before looking ahead and spotting something else that caught his attention.
An orb of light, hovering where the woman's head used to be. The light was beautiful in appearance, as he inched closer with attentive curiosity. It was then that he had a hand on his mask, pulling it down as he opened his mouth, causing the orb to enter, his throat moving as he swallowed.
All of a sudden, his hands moved to his shoulders and stroked up and down as he squirmed, a depraved and orgasmic grin on his face. "Yes… yeeeessss…This taste… This sensation… Just like every other one… This… euphoria…"
Killer Queen beside him hunched over and convulsed, glowing a strange dark aura, before correcting its stance, facing its master.
"Enough delays." The man muttered, before turning to the three cells in the corner.
Frusciante, Johnny Black, and XaXa watched with fear and anxiety as the man approached their cells, his Stand behind him and flaring with a sinister and frankly, evil power as he faced them. The three had no doubt in their minds, this was the same person who had not only been collaborating with their leader but had been behind Laughing Coffin to begin with.
A true demon in the flesh.
"You want your revenge on those who wronged you? PoH and I have plans in place for the three of you. Come with us, and you will have what you wish."
Stand Showcase:
Lv. 75 Katana: White Death, Juuchi Yosamu - Legend tells of a contest between legendary swordsmiths Masamune and Muramasa. The former bested the latter with a blade that stayed from the innocent, yet seamlessly sliced through the leaves. This is the inferior cursed blade forged by the infamous Muramasa, a weapon that indiscriminately bathes in the blood of all it strikes.
Special: Ten Thousand-Fold Winter: Inflicts «Blood Curse» on critical hit. When attacking target afflicted by «Blood Curse», weakens their stats and steals health.
Enhancement: N/A
Damage: 550 (S)
Speed: 400 (B)
Durability: 200 (D)
Range: 2m (D)
Precision: 90% (S)
Rank: Legendary (S)
Selling Price: 200,000 Col
Owner: Mercury
Up Next: Beginning of a Dream
FINALLY DONE WITH LAUGHING COFFIN ARC! HALLELUJAH!
Took me a good amount of months to churn this original trio of chapters out, but writer's block is one hell of a bitch and I've had a lot going on lately! I'm living in a college dorm now, and after bouncing around with preparations and personal life, I'm gonna try to make time for this story when I can! Now that I'm through with this, I'm excited to get started with the next couple of chapters, which should finally wrap up the Aincrad arc I've been trying to finish for the past year! As for why I powered myself through this, I have my reasons, one primary reason being the fact that the members of Laughing Coffin come back in later arcs, and I thought I'd establish them as a group here. We aren't seeing the last of them, and I have big plans. Hope you like what I have in store!
Hope you liked the Josuke VS Akira fight!
If that last scene looked familiar, then yes. I noticed the final villain of Alicization, Gabriel Miller looks way too damn similar to Kira, and I thought I'd merge the two together into one villain. As for why he uses a katana, it calls back to the real-life Kira clan, famous for the story of the Forty-Seven Ronin, or maybe I project too much Vergil onto him from playing DMC 5 way too much lmao. Hope you don't hate it too badly, since this is pretty big. Hope I make it work in the long run. And yes, this means he's the real final boss.
Also, yes. Jared Leto is the actor best known for playing Jordan Catalano in My So-Called Life, the Joker in the DCEU as well as Michael Morbius in the upcoming movie. However, what you may not know is that he's also the lead singer of Thirty Seconds to Mars. Yes. That is his voice you're hearing.
So, Part 6 is coming out. About time we get the epic chapter before the glory that is Steel Ball Run! Now, everyone's excited for the cool Stand battles, Jolyne's theme, and all that but I gotta ask: what songs are we getting for the EDs? Hope we get some bangers to end it off, especially with what we've gotten before.
That should be all, I'm ready to fall over and die after writing this all, and hope I get all my work done after doing this.
Once again, please review. I'd really appreciate it, because it's the greatest motivation and support you can give me, plus it shows me what you guys thought of the chapter. I don't mind a few words, just any of your thoughts. That's me signing off! Deuces!
Primal Deva: Thanks for your words! I'm glad you liked my idea for Kirito's Stand, and while I do think this ability can be overpowered, I prefer to say that it has a lot of potential and versatility. Kirito right now has a basic understanding of his ability, but in the future, I'm going to try to see just how far I can have him learn his abilities.
NotMrMundy: Thanks! Yeah, writer's block is a complete pain in the ass.
Librarian343: I'm so glad you love the references as well as the design of the Stand! I'm also really glad you liked the showcases! That was something I've been throwing in since the first chapter and you're the first one to comment on them! I also find it great you appreciated my changes with the characters. I won't be giving all of Purple Rain Stands because that is hard enough honestly, but as for Koichi and Rohan, I will say right now that they are going to be in the story in future chapters, and I already know how I will be implementing them. All I'm asking you is to be patient.
TITAN URANUS: Added it. Also, I am following canon, but not copy-pasting it. Not that I think so at least. If it's still too similar, feel free to keep warning me. I'd appreciate it.