A/N: Time to kick this mystery quest into high gear, this'll be similar to the Elf War Campaign only spanning various floors but that's all I'll say. Also, I never said it but thank you so-so-so much for over 3000 views thus far for Misfits, I'm really happy a lot of people like it! Now, Review Time.
To MeMyselfAndI82907: I... didn't know a large number of people also picked the Katana skill, huh, I learned something today. And good for you, creating a different skill altogether is a lot of fun once you work out the bugs. And yeah... that's Argo for ya.
Enjoy.
|Dec. 23rd, 17:53|
|Sword Art Online, Floor 4, Town of Rovia|
Hopping down the steps of the locale inn, Nagi turned to his right to see someone wave him down. The player was dressed with apparel that fitted a samurai. He wore a murky green shirt with baggy pants to match with black tabi socks with maroon sandals. A red breastplate with a black undertone, same for his thigh plates hung under a yellow belt, lastly, he had two red vambraces and a standard katana at his hip.
"Hey, long time no see, Nagi!" Klein smiled in greeting.
"Same to you, Klein," Nagi greeted, noting his equipment change. "You look like a real samurai now."
He chuckled, patting his chestplate. "It took me a ton of Col to scrap all the materials together, plus a player that could craft it," Klein then deflated. "Sadly, that means the others are out paying for my damages to our funding..."
"I'm sure they don't mind making their leader stronger, they'll catch up," Nagi assured him, then his expression flattened humorously. "Um, tch, your Detection skill needs tuning though..."
"Huh?" He blinked, not seeing the crescent smile over his shoulder with a glint in one eye.
"Nyahaha, holdin' out on me agaiN?" Argo spoke up, appearing from the shadows.
"Yaah!" Klein fell off the bench, staring back at the broker with a wicked grin. "H-h-how the hell did she do that!?"
Nagi sighed, "Argo is amazing in her own ways," Not even Kirito could match her skill.
"Mm, compliments from you are always a pleasurE," Argo tipped her cowl, sitting down with her arms crossed. "So, what's the deal with the message ya sent, spikY?"
Klein rubbed his ass before jumping up in realization, "That's right! I found it!" The two friends gave one another a look, then stared at the red samurai buzzing with joy. "The quest for the Lotuses, it's on this floor!"
The trio traversed the Bear Forest's edge with Klein as their guide through the night. Over the cliff was the spectacular sight of the various lakes and towns glowing over the highlands, the southern-most side of the floor blocked by the Field Boss.
"How'd ya find this place theN?" Argo inquired, hands behind her head.
Klein rubbed his neck, leading them through the trees now, "That's the thing, we were out hunting for the materials to make a gondola like everyone else but when we ran into a group of Mobs..."
"Why the hell are there so many of them!?" One of Klein's friends screamed, the leader at the back of the group to keep them safe.
"Dunno man, keep runnin'!" Another yelled.
"Alright!" Klein snapped, throwing his arm left. "You guys head back to town, I'll kite them and meetcha back there!"
"But boss-" Klein put his hand up to stop him, turning it into a thumbs up with a smirk.
"Hey-hey, I'm the leader, only right I handle this, now go get your asses outta here!"
"RIGHT!" The team divided themselves, Klein spinning around to use an Aggro Skill to attract the large Bears away from his guildmates. The three bears craned their necks toward Klein, the man trembling on the spot. "Oh, crap!"
The redhead kept running, weaving between the trees desperately. Without noticing it, his feet stumbled upon a stone brick pathway, turning around to charge a skill with his sword above his head. "Alright, come and get me!" He was going to use the momentum to escape.
The three beasts lunged through the forest, roaring as the wind blew between them. Klein let out a war cry, beginning his skill motion-
*Shing-Shing-Shing*
It was strange, a flow of pure white sakura petals flew amongst the Bears without the monster's even twitching. In a striking flurry of silver cuts, a person severed their heads a meter away from Klein's slack-jawed expression, leaving only a shower of glass in their wake, sword pointed at the ground, a pair of crystal white eyes staring back into his from behind a bandana and black straw hat.
"After that, they just went back to the edge of this old shrine, and when I checked my quests it said it updated the old 'Way of a Thousand Blades'," Klein summed up his story with Argo noting it down.
"Intrestin', so less you had that Lotus it would've never occurreD," Argo grinned. "Too bad no one else took up that lil ol' quest due to the prerequisites followed by a tough bosS,"
"We're lucky to have beaten it considering it had access to sword skills not available to us," Nagi shivered at how close to the wire the battle was, even with two of them. "Why didn't you message us before though?"
"I was going to but I checked the place out again but I couldn't find the shrine anywhere," Klein's answer stumped the pair as a chibi diagram appeared. Showing Klein standing at the shrine at night, then in the same location in the daytime with only trees. "I mapped the location exactly but it wasn't showing up,"
"A timed evenT," Argo answered, flicking her finger out. "It may be why no one's said a word either, since yer the only two workin' through the quesT,"
"That makes sense, plus, if it only shows up at a certain time the likelihood decreases," Nagi nodded with her.
"Here!" Klein pointed through the thicket, "I remember it being this way now!"
The trio sped up to avoid any hostile mobs in the area given it was nightfall. Once in a clearing, a strange sight befell the former Beta Testers. The thick roof of the forest was now sparse around an old, withering shrine. The walls were tall with gaps filled with rusted fences. The odd gravestone on either side of the path leads through an archway.
"I don't remember seeing this in the Beta..." Nagi whispered, hearing what sounded like a wind flute mingling with the forest's music. Following the tune, they stepped through the archway where the path continued to extend up a hill toward a plateau where the large Japanese-style shrine stood in silence. "Huh, smells like... vanilla?"
"That's a new onE," Argo commented, searching the graves for loot as Nagi gave her a flat look, a sweatdrop rolling down his face.
"I know it's a game but that is so wrong on so many levels," All she did was chuckle back with her eyes closed, stuffing her cloak with goodies.
"Nagi?" Klein waved him over to where the music came from. Sitting atop a boulder with a flute in hand was the NPC that saved Klein yesterday. The music played silence the background music with a soothing, flowing melody that made them feel completely elevated of stress and fatigue.
Their head was turned away, so they only saw the flute poking out at an angle. They wore mostly darks. They bore the striking resemblance to a traditional ninja, so much so Argo shuffled behind Nagi given her background with 'ninja' in the past. The word 'Purify' in kanji was written on their back in white.
Resting against the boulder was a katana with a white handle grip. The person slowed their song, removing the instrument from their lips to tug their bandana over their nose again, turning with their hood up, leaving only a few white bangs to poke out with their pearl white orbs greeting them.
Klein leaned back considering they had yet to speak. "What do we do now?"
Argo gave him a curious look, "You willin' to pay for that little tiP?" She smirked, seeing him retract rigidly.
"Excuse me," Nagi took the initiative, "We were wondering, are you playing that flute here for a reason? Why in this place over a town?"
A quest prompt appeared, the person turning completely with their voice muffled. "I play to ward away the dark, my effect is weak, I must reach the shrine but I am in a bit of a conundrum," Their hand motioned to the shrine. "For something sinister lurks up those stairs,"
Then their eyes lit up, "You are a Shinobi and Samurai? Hm, this is good fortune-" Then they perked up, placing a hand on their chest. "Where are my manners, I am Shirayuki of House Winter,"
"I'm Nagi," He pointed back at his companions. "The samurai is the leader of a guild, Klein, and the girl behind me is my... well, I guess you could say I'm her Shinobi," He missed Argo perking up at that.
"Ah, so your master has come with you? I commend that bravery, and a leader of a samurai guild siding with a Shinobi?" Shirayuki chuckled a bit at that. "Yes, you three are quite peculiar - very well, if would are here then perhaps you may aid me in exercising this insidious presence?"
"Sure, you saved me the other day!" Klein held his fist forward with a fire in his eyes.
"You were fortunate that day, I am glad you have come to return the favor," Shirayuki's marker disappeared, and their quest triggered.
Quest Added!
-Path of Divine Sakura-
A shinobi on a quest to purify the 'dark' requests aid from like-minded souls. There is an ancient force lurking in Aincrad, but what will the end of this journey be?
*Aid Shirayuki in their quest
Bear Forest of Floor 4 | Reward 1250 Col
Shirayuki hopped down, taking their weapon. "Come this way, I shall reveal to you this alarming threat," With that, their mysterious quest began anew.
"Intrestin' chain of events, best follow 'eM," Argo instructed, the boys following after the shinobi with Argo reading the quest log with a firm brow. "Mm..." "Nothin' close to this appeared in the Beta, except for that boss on Floor FivE..." Something about this quest made the Rat's chest swell with uncertainty, but she reluctantly followed.
The shrine wasn't massive, in fact, it was an open structure through a black-tiled gateway. A flatland stretched out the size of a tennis court with a large Japanese shrine in the back with a statue of a dragon clutching a sun. Lining the edges were hundreds of lit candles and flowers placed in ceremony. However, none prayed for blood stained the pathway, a large, grotesque creature hunched by the shrine.
It had sickly pale skin, wearing bear hides for dirty clothing, and was a humanoid. Most notable were the various purple crystals jutting out from its body, elongating the fingers into a set of long, sharp talons that clanked against the concrete. Constantly, the beast growled.
Led by the shinobi, they ushered the group down in the shadows cast by the torches outside the shrine entrance, "Now, do you see that? That vicious beast?" They nodded along. "I'm no coward, and I have a steady hand but that thing makes my skin crawl,"
"Argo?" Nagi whispered back, "Look, those crystals..."
"Same ones a floor up, I noticeD," She concurred, thereby confirming this was the quest tied to that field boss. The Rat's face crinkled into a grin, slapping his back. "Go get 'em, HerO,"
"Ye-yes ma'am," He jokingly saluted, shuffling back to Klein and Shirayuki. "So then, how about a pincer attack?"
"Hm, that could be efficient, however," The shinobi pointed at the claws. "It will strike with a frenzy of attacks, one of us will need to divert its rage for a swift strike from behind,"
"Uh, how fast we talking?" Klein gulped, and the ninja did a fast swipe with both hands like a pair of pincers making Klein pale. "Um, heh heh, I don't think I can react that fast, how can anyone other than 'you know who'?"
"It's true, Kirito would be great at this..." Nagi rubbed his nape, standing up, "Well, no use complaining now, I'll draw it so you guys can move in,"
"Wait-" Shirayuki attempted to persuade but Argo nudged the ninja, offering a winning grin.
"Trust in my shinobi, he's not some slouch with a sworD," Argo whistled. "Rooting for yA!"
Nagi stepped forward, drawing Yozora as the ring of his blade made the beast's head snap upright, grunting until two beady red eyes left a contrail in the shadows, claws clattering against the ground. "Let's dance," He taunted the monster that stood on all fours, growling back in anger. "That scent is acrid, like a bog." Nagi's nose crinkled a bit.
/NM Gyakujo - Lv. 20\
The two health bars appeared and the beast shuffled toward Nagi while Klein, Argo, and Shirayuki crouched near the gate, waiting for their moment to move around the boss. Once close, it brought itself up onto its legs, right claw rose first to Nagi's guard as it swung down left to right with both arms, striking relentlessly four times, stalling for another set of five.
Each strike nudged Nagi back as it went for a final, large downward thrust, Gyakujo leapt back, craning both arms backward, claws splayed. Nagi saw this and used 'Kick-Step' to stomp on its head, evading the cross-slash. "Serpent Slash!" The quickdraw from his sheath left two gashes across its shoulders before resuming the same, frenzied swipes at his posture.
It unleashed a flurry of four swipes, slowing down for a moment, and then continued with another set of five swipes, the final hit on the second set broke Nagi's posture, the right claw carving through his stomach as he rolled to avoid the stronger left hook. "Now!"
Gyakujo didn't realize it until a set of smaller claws tore through its shoulder blades in a crossing motion from Argo, an improved form of 'Embracer' with her weapons; her right heel collided with its nape soon after, leaving an amber indent while flipping backward with 'Crescent Moon'. Diving over Klein and Shirayuki, the two swordsmen crossed each other's paths, one sword tiger orange, the other snow white.
Together, they spun twice, slicing through the waist as Gyakujo reeled back, their weapons spun once more through the thighs, diving away when the beast swept the area with two sets of flaming projectiles from its pants, burning the pair in passing. "My apologizes, I was unaware of such a tactic!"
"No worries! Look!" Klein declared, and to their surprise, its health was already in the yellow, and it appeared dazed. "Go for it, Nagi!"
"You got it!" Taking the frontline, Nagi leapt over another cross swipe with a handstand, sword cast in blue. "Waterfall!" The vertical lunge brought a compressive wave of force down on the boss's head, caving into the skull as it lurched down, Yozora lodged in the bone as Nagi grunted, twisting his blade to carve through the right temple, flinging the boss backward, eliminating the first health bar.
Gyakujo growled, and in a twisted, freakish animation, crystals stained in glassy blood sprung from the wound in its head, the 'blood' turning the crystals a deep red coloration. With a howl and both claws raised, it pounced for Nagi with greater velocity than before. That was fine, he just had to wear it down for the others to land another string of skills.
Quickly, Nagi put his sword in the dirt, using 'Haganeri' to buff his defense, at the last second he raised his sword to block the first oncoming chain of swipes. The constant flurry's attack pattern changed, now it doubled the set of four, and once the fifth left Nagi's ears ringing with the constant shatter of crystal, it dove away from his attempt to attack.
The beast, midair, launched another volley of fireballs, disorientating the group as it landed, striking like a vicious bolt of lightning that skimmed the soles of Nagi's boots, himself avoiding to land another 'Serpent Slash'. Landing, Nagi quickly drew his sword back, evading the first claw swipe. "Striking Wave!" Thrusting his blade through its head, he quickly flicked the blade vertically, piercing the forehead.
*Shiing!*
"Nagi!" The group cried out.
The attack didn't cause the boss to flinch, impaling his left side as the right shredded his chest, tossing him against the right wall of the courtyard. When his body jittered in pain, his health slowly decreased, the 'Bleed' status inflicted in place as his vision blurred, collapsing onto his stomach.
"Bleed? Crap... I-I don't have... a p-potion...!" Nagi squirmed on the ground, ignoring Argo's and Klein's strikes say for tossing firebombs back at the pair to keep them away, its left arm scratching across the ground toward Nagi's bleeding form. "Lift your weapon, quickly!" His arm trembled, fingers barely able to form a grip as his eyes began to panic. "You need to move!"
Gyakujo raised its claw above his head, "I'm going to lose...!" His elbows just about pushed themselves up. "I'm... going to die!" His health slowly slipped into the red under the constant loss of red shards from his body.
The claw swept down through stone, a gust of wind and shredded fabric caught in its talons, the straw hat shattering as Nagi was set before Argo's genuine worried expression. Nagi forced his eyes up to where a potion was carefully tipped down his throat by Shirayuki, mouth hidden but their hat and hood torn, causing damage to their own health. "Here, you've done well for us, young shinobi,"
He was a 'She', her hair was kept tucked under her hood, now her short, wavy white locks were free, a visible scar across her left ear to her left nostril. Cured of the bleeding debuff, Argo took out a health pot and jammed it in his mouth quickly before he could thank Shirayuki, the shinobi facing the beast trying to shred Klein. "I have a duty to fulfill!"
A swirl of white wind encircled her, raising her agility while an ominous red coaxed the boss to sway in her direction, providing Klein time to see the stunning woman draw her milky-white blade into its sheath, twirling once to gather the wind into her scabbard, holding them both above her left shoulder.
"That's... Dragon's Breath," Nagi murmured hoarsely in Argo's arms, pushing himself upright.
"Hey, sit still, you're still recoveriN'," Argo protested, seeing his hand close around his katana.
"No, that skill..."
Shirayuki swung in a downward slant, a sudden explosion of air pressure cleaving a massive gash through Gyakujo as it roared, flinging itself high from Klein's own thrust attack, firebombs in both hands, aimed for the shinobi who fell to one knee, inflicted with a five-second 'Stun'.
The firebombs rained down around Shirayuki, the woman staring up at her attacker as Klein swept in front of her, taking the hits directly as the burning effect took a sizable chunk out of his health. "Samurai...!" Shirayuki gasped.
"Heh, not nice to hit a beautiful girl, ya bastard!" Klein grinned, taking out a health pot. "Take the lead, buddy!"
"Right," Behind the boss, Nagi's Stealth dissipated, blade rising against Gyakujo back. "Scarlet Fang!" The crescents of hardlight swept through the boss's spine twice, followed up with a striking thrust toward Klein and the recovered Shirayuki.
"Don't count me ouT!" Argo grinned madly. "This is for makin' me worrY!" She tossed two throwing picks into the beast's eyes, blinding it temporarily.
"Ready?" Klein smirked at Shirayuki, her sword held high while the redhead's was by his feet.
"Together," She concurred.
With the boss's health in the red, the two swung into the skill motion, the combined slash from 'Ichimonji' with the ascending 'Rising Tide' tore into the monster's neck, catching its howl in its throat as the head was cleaved off in two wide arcs, sending the head spinning through the air.
Gyakujo's body stumbled on one arm, swinging the left weakly as it tripped itself up, collapsing to the concrete in a heap of shattered glass, the group leveling up together aside from the NPC of their party.
"Hah, hah, that was quite the performance," Shirayuki commended, turning to Nagi in particular. "But you mustn't get in over your heads, as shinobi, it is our duty to protect our masters, but, for the moment, we have a toast to make," She quickly procured several small glasses with a white container of sorts. "Come, it is only right to take joy in our labor,"
The players stood with their shot glasses as she poured them all Sake from the bottle, pulling her bandana down to show them her proud smile. "To your courage, our swords, and our victory as one - may the suns of a hundred worlds shine!" She raised her shot glass.
"Cheers!" The trio joined in, relieved their harrowing battle could end with more praise than criticism, downing their shots in one go. Klein hummed in delight at the taste, Argo had an odd look but smacked her lips, and Nagi's brow rose at the unfamiliar taste.
"So that's what alcohol tastes like?" That surprised the group.
"Hold on, you've never drunk even a bit before?" Klein gaped at Nagi, flinging the boy's shoulder back and forth. "Not even a drop!?"
"Ne~ve~r~!" His voice swayed.
"Well, I do hope you enjoyed," Shirayuki smiled, hiding it again behind the fabric. "Now, we should see to this shrine, while the beast is vanquished, darkness forever broods in this land."
"Will this help?" Nagi asked, taking the lotus flower from his inventory. She stopped to inspect the plant carefully. "We were given them by another shinobi on the bottom floor of Aincrad, he mentioned vaguely about this 'darkness' you mentioned,"
"Oh, yeah, that's why he gave us that really annoying quest!" Klein grunted off to the side, "Not to mention the ass-kicking after."
"Hm, lotuses, and pure too," Her eyes slit for a moment before sighing, shoulders slumped. "I see now why you are here; indeed, these would help tremendously with our quest, however, they are not purified, if used now, they would wither before dawn."
That made them deflate, "So, what now?" Klein frowned, looking around the shrine. "Maybe there's a clue somewhere?"
"Anything before, Argo?" Nagi inquired but the broker threw her hands up with a shake of her head.
"Nothin' stuck out, this place's just an old prayin' shrinE," If the Rat had no answer, this left them at another dead end.
"Not necessarily," Shirayuki gave it some thought, "...there is one other way, though this is a mindful amount of skepticism on my part as my master only spoke of it a handful of times,"
"What'll that bE?" Argo questioned, seeing the NPC point toward the direction of the lakes.
"Sunk at the bottom of Caldera Lake lies an old settlement that once held the source of water that has brought life to this once barren land," Shirayuki disclosed, humming worryingly. "However, there is the guardian of the lake to contend with, and while our victory today was assured, this threat is beyond a mere group such as ours, I'm afraid."
"Isn't the Field Boss being tackled tomorrow?" Nagi piped up, turning with a hopeful expression. "Maybe we don't have to fight it, if the others are busy trying to get the L.A bonus we can explore the ruins!"
"So there are others facing this beast?" That news made the shinobi chuckle once more, patting the boys on the back. "Tonight is most fortuitous! Very well then, shall we see to this myth ourselves?"
Argo grinned, poking Nagi's arm. "Look at that, yer a naturaL," She teased as the quest updated for the boys.
Quest Updated!
-Path of Divine Sakura: Purified-
In order to cure the darkness on Floor Four, join Shirayuki in uncovering a lost settlement sunken beneath the lake. But what else lurks in the dark below...?
*Find a way to purify the Lotus
Caldera Lake Floor 4 | Reward 1000 Col | Purified White Lotus
"Then we'll meet at the edge of Rovia at two-thirty in the afternoon, by the time we locate the settlement above water the battle should begin," Nagi agreed as the shinobi bowed her head.
"Brilliant, I shall meet you three there," With that, she waved them goodbye, "I have my own preparations to attend to, safe travels," No more than a second later, she vanished like a shadow in the wind, leaving only white sakura petals in her wake.
"Woah, that was faster than you, Argo," Nagi slammed a comedic arrow through her pride with that. "But, tell me, did Kizmel appear this..." He struggled with the word.
"Genuine? YeaH," Argo sighed, arms crossed with a calculative look. "First that elf girl, now a ninja's gone and reacted human-like, almost too humaN,"
"I honestly thought it was a player that saved me yesterday but then she just walked right past me without saying a word," Klein blinked, memorized by the way the woman left, smiling stupidly. "She was beautiful..."
"Uh-oh, someone's gone and fallen for ones and zeroS," Argo snickered as Klein blushed, throwing his hand down at the giggling Rat behind Nagi.
"I am not! I'm just admiring the beauty of the game, that's all!" Nagi smiled, patting Klein on the shoulder. "WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?"
"Klein and Shira sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-" Argo gave her authentic cackle, dodging Klein's attempts to shut her up as she ran around Nagi who casually looked through his equipment.
"We should go back to town soon and tell Kirito and Asuna about the news," No one was listening but he smiled nonetheless.
To Be Continued...
And the quest continues with a new NPC, Shirayuki of House Winter! Time for some underwater fun, and more excitement. I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Players!
014 - Under Tides
Using the Field Boss battle as a distraction, the quest under Shirayuki continues deep below...