|Jan. 21st, 12:00|
|Sword Art Online, Floor 10, Town of Brightburn|
The day had finally arrived, to the western gate out of Brightburn was an open theater, the rows of concrete benches taken up by the Frontline players of both the ALS and DKB guilds, all of which held lingering resentment for a particular group at the back consisting of Kirito, Asuna, Nagi, and his companions.
"Are these extras still salty about the flag? It's been nearly a month," Artorias scoffed, how any of them have survived this long was either a stroke of luck or Kayaba's way of 'humoring' himself.
Kirito sighed, closing his menu over the 'Flag of Valor', "It's a pain but unless there's a compromise, once the flag's gone to one side, the whole stability of the frontlines crumbles,"
"It's childish, honestly..." Asuna crossed her arms with a huff at their antics.
"Atleast they're still working together, right?" Nagi, ever the optimist, shined a light on that gloom.
Up on stage, Lind, alongside Kibaou standing looking as peachy as ever, addressed the guilds. "Alright, now that everyone's here, let's get this meeting underway!" Kirito blinked off to the side after that, spotting Argo with her arms crossed, leaning against a tree, the girl waved once. "With the latest intel on both the boss and map, we can now begin preparations in clearing Floor Ten!"
That got a round of applause but Lind raised his hand to settle them down with a confident smile. "This is an important step, once we clear this floor, all information regarding the Beta Test will become null and void, so while I don't want to dampen the mood, once we clear this floor, our efforts must be doubled if we're to prevent the loss of lives," Everyone seemed to nod or murmur in agreement. "Very well then, onto the boss itself,"
He flicked through the latest entry in the Guide with proofreading by Nagi himself. "Anzo, the Scorched King is a giant-class monster with fire attacks that cover a wide area, not to mention his health is abnormally high for a boss at this level; one golden ticket is that the boss's weak spot in at the back of the legs, particularly, the ankles," He shut the book. "Aside from that, nothing has changed from the Beta, not that the game is telling us that is, so we'll adopt the same tactics as those before us,"
"Our tanks will be needed at their best to tackle its massive clever and fire resist potions and gear will be mandatory, no exceptions," Lind put that down firmly. "And if anything new occurs, sound off, we can't afford to fail where even the Testers did," That got a few snarky remarks, the Testers in the back deadpanning at the clear jab. "Any questions?"
"I got one," Kibaou huffed, stepping forward to eye Kirito from afar. "What's the boss like? How'd it keep you from beating it?" He feigned ignorance to his own conversation with Argo and Nagi the day before. Surprising the pair.
"Honestly?" Kirito asked, cupping his hands as the memories washed over his steely expression. "We were wiped out dozens of times, the range of its fire attacks, not to mention three phases left us in the red almost constantly, it took everything we had to even come close to beating it and by then the Beta was closed."
None of them would sugarcoat the severity, if dozens of Testers couldn't beat it, then that left many variables that could end in disaster. Kibaou nodded, then shut his mouth. Lind tried to make it seem like the intel didn't bother him, especially from a Beater. "...At One PM, everyone gather at the entrance to the labyrinth, from there, we'll scale the dungeon and prepare at the doorstep of the boss room! Any other questions!?"
Not a peep, so with that, he swung his arm as Diavel would've. "Then the meeting is adjourned, get to work!"
As everyone got up to prep, Artorias tapped Nagi's haori. "Yo, boss? We'll grab some supplies, meet at the exit again?" Artorias threw her thumb back at Daora who had been spacing out the whole time.
"Sure, I'll pay once you're back," Nagi smiled and Artorias closed her mouth, it was useless to try and tell him it was okay and she'd pay for it all. Shaking her head, she dragged the bare-chested idiot away with her.
"Partner up once more?" Kirito held his fist out for Nagi to bump.
"Sure, only this time we're going to win," Nagi assured him as Asuna looked between the two with a conflicted expression. "Asuna?"
"Huh, oh, sorry," She waved her hand. "It's just. from what Kirito's told me, even you two couldn't defeat the boss, how are you so certain this time?"
The pair looked at one another, then Nagi smiled giddily and Kirito gave his partner a nervous smirk, scratching his head. "Well, the thing is, we're not," Kirito replied, drawing his sword to eye it in the orange-tinted sky. "But I'm not failing this time, I've memorized the boss down to every step, I had Argo put it in the Guide so everyone should know what I know."
"I've never seen you so prepared, I'm impressed," The brunette smiled politely as the black swordsman sweatdropped.
"Hearing you say that makes it sound like you never were impressed, to begin with." Kirito sighed, then passed by Nagi. "We'll do the same, meetcha in an hour, yeah?"
"Totally," With that, the two groups parted ways, leaving Nagi to join with his broker who was staring off into space. "Argo?" She jumped, passing him a small smile.
"What's up, need some juicy inteL?" She tried to peddle but Nagi shook his head.
"Not really, I thought we had all the info?" He stated simply, deflating her request. "What's wrong? You're not usually this distracted at meetings."
Argo didn't reply, looking around at the departing teams, some sticking near the stage. The thought of what she wanted to ask made her stomach feel weird, and she continued to fiddle with the strap connecting the cloak around her collarbone. "After we make it to Floor Eleven, how's about we relax for the daY?"
Nagi blinked, following her golden eyes, he shuffled a bit on the spot. "Sure... yeah, I'd like that," Then he pursed his lips with a hum. "But what about gathering new information? Wouldn't you need to prioritize that first?"
"Nyahaha, don't underestimate my gatherin' prowesS?" She grinned, running her finger to land on his breastplate. "Let's make it official! A so and so date with yours trulY?" She fluttered her eyelids teasingly, seeing his cheeks turning a little pink.
"W-well, if that's what y-you want to c-call it - I-I mean it is, technically, s-so I don't mind," He stuttered as the girl cackled to herself, passing by with a pat to his chest. "I-I look forward to it!"
"Noted, HerO~" She sang, leaving him behind to sigh heavily, wiping his brow.
"What was that about?" He didn't mind spending the day with Argo in a more casual sense, but it was out of the blue, catching him off guard. He smiled, taking a few steps toward the western gatehouse to wait for his party.
*Thump*
He paused, feeling a pair of arms wrap around his stomach gingerly. Standing stiff, Nagi glanced back to feel Argo's forehead rest against the middle of his back. Her eyes were downcast beneath her hood, and her frown was firm as her grip tightened. Argo said nothing, holding him close for a few precious seconds more.
Then she flinched, a hand resting back on her head, pressing her hood against her hair, but she could feel the warmth through it. Exhaling a breath she had been holding in, Argo unraveled her arms from Nagi and took off without even a wave. Nagi turned to see the tail-end of her cloak disappear behind a building, leaving him to question why she did that.
His hand rested where the lingering warmth of her arms were, the ravenette smiled lightly, she may not have said a word, but he felt much lighter now than when the meeting first began. Anzo would fall, and he'd thank Argo with a great day out later.
|Jan. 21st, 14:48|
|Sword Art Online, Floor 10, Boss Room|
The entrance was as former Beta Testers recalled. The doors were thinner than the previous Boss doorways, the hallways narrow, enough to fit three people through shoulder to shoulder with black pillars flanking either wall. Brass goblets hung above, lighting the way as various piles of riches filled every corner between the pillars, of course, all decoration, they wouldn't even net you a single Col. But there were thousands of them, cups, armor, weapons, coins, the whole trove that would make a dragon green with envy.
The ground was now black tiles, all uneven and curved toward the middle of the path from constant oppression. The various parties filled the passage and toward the half-circle space between the hallway and entrance to the Floor Boss. Kibaou and Lind stood with a buzz of electricity between their eyes, both were still squabbling for rep.
"So, stick to that plan, right?" Kibaou said it with scorn in his grin, Lind's face was a picture of contempt.
"Only if you keep your act together too, clear?" He shot back as Kirito facepalmed, exhaling as Asuna smiled slightly at their constant banter with Nagi. Daora was just tapping his foot impatiently, while Artorias clapped her hands.
"If you two are down measuring sizes, can we get this over with, I want lunch!" Her comment did get a few snickers from the Frontrunners as their leaders turned a little red since it was a 'cute girl' making fun of them.
Clearing his throat first, Lind placed his hand in the middle of the black iron doors. "Remember the plan, do not engage when the boss attempts any big combos, our tanks can take a few hits but no more, understood!?"
Kibaou didn't listen, instead, he approached Kirito and Nagi's team with his typical fowl glare, but it lessened as he stared at Nagi. "Ya remember what I asked? Ain't gonna repeat myself."
"Sure, I won't go back on what I said, neither should you," None of the others knew what the two were talking about, but it made Kibaou's shoulders ease up, and to their surprise, he gave Nagi a light pat on the bicep, turning swiftly to stand at point before anyone noticed. "He's trying, that's what matters,"
He knew the two guild leaders had run-ins with Kirito and Asuna before, so the constant venom was far less potent now. It was the final boss the Beta Testers knew about, well, if you didn't believe Kirito's bluff from Floor One. Most of the animosity within players remained, but they couldn't deny the aid the three Beta Testers currently in the group had provided.
"Then let's go, and conquer the tenth floor, together!" With a rally of support, Lind pushed the burnt hinges wide, the groan and snap of time evident in the doorway that made an audible 'thunk' once the dark chamber was revealed, cavernous and with an audible echo through its dry air.
Once everyone was inside, the doors behind them slammed shut once more. This triggered the bonfire-sized pitches to explode with color along the walls, and the once obscured pillars became visible, making a straight line of ten pillars in total toward the titanic throne blocking the stairwell toward the Eleventh Floor.
The massive horde rustled and clattered from the slightest adjustment of the one atop the throne. As amber light filled in from the ceiling above, glowing ash fell from the dark abyss obscuring the face behind a massive chainmail helmet. It was time. Grasping its giant-arm-length machete, it slammed it once, releasing a burst of embers as it towered above the Frontrunners.
The armored giant released its ancient howl, the fires clung to its clothing coming to life slightly as it stepped down from its throne. For some odd reason, Nagi felt it, those two, crimson eyes locked on to himself and Kirito in particular.
/-\Anzo, the Scorched King - Lv. 30/-\
"Okay, Squads A, B, F, move - h-hey!" Lind's own words fell apart as one player ran forward with reckless abandon, laughing hysterically.
"It's so freakin' huge!" Daora huffed and puffed, extending his ax into both hands. "My name is Kushla Daora, the powerhouse leader who's about to bring you down, big tall, and ashy!"
"Call your guy back!" Lind growled at Nagi's team, to his slack-jawed expression, Nagi bowed his head apologetically, Artorias was picking wax out her ear, Asuna let out an exasperated breath, and Kirito just made a breathy laugh awkwardly.
"Love to burst your bubble, Diavel-wannabe, but the only thing that'll stop Numbnuts is either the boss or someone stronger than the boss," She gave a flat stare with all the smugness she could squeeze onto her face. "By all means, your heroic sacrifice will not be forgotten."
"Nagi, the boss-" Asuna flinched as Nagi stood in position, watching the vanguard.
"I know, come on, this is our chance, get your guys into position - Kirito, Asuna, let's go!" Nagi rallied, tailing the crazy wolf-headed player who was only inches from the boss' feet.
Anzo bellowed, drawing his machete behind its lower back for a horizontal sweep that Daora braced for with his own ax. This was the plan all along, they knew the boss' attack patterns better than anyone else, all they needed was to confirm if anything had changed. So far, the first phase was the same, giving them ample opportunity to put Shirayuki's advice to good use early on.
Two weapons collided with a flurry of sparks and the blast of dust and wind behind Daora's back. Yet, his muscles only seemed to lock up, his pants flexing from the same intense bulk as he held back the massive weapon with his toothpick-sized weapon.
"It's what makes Daora so recklessly strong, his Direwolf attire isn't common equipment, it's probably the rarest set you could find in Aincrad right now," Nagi admitted simply, seeing Kirito and Asuna's faces light up as he smiled back at them briefly. "The Apex Dire Wolf set provides one buff to the wearer,"
"I am the Lord of Wolves, a walking suit of armor... is Nothing compared to the likes of me!" Daora pivoted, his right foot splitting the ground underneath as his veins bulged, the snout of his mask creased as he growled angrily, pulling the machete with his ax. "Watch me! Shower me with praise as your savior! Lord Kushla Daora is comin' through!"
"No matter the attack, they can completely negate a single, physical strike and counter but the buff can only activate every three minutes, it seems like a stretch, but..." Nagi couldn't help but smile, drawing Yozora. "Daora mastered it."
Anzo, despite its giant stature, was displayed to all players present, lost in awe as the beast was thrown over Daora's head, seeing the single, insignificant player hurdle the Floor Boss many times his size through one of the right-hand side pillars with a colossal crash as the pillar slammed into the earth, forcing the boss to grunt as its head smacked off the floor.
Daora released a jet of air from his nostrils, leaving the path clear for Nagi's group as Artorias dove into a baseball slide under the bent arm probing Anzo upright. She dug her toes against the cobblestone, leaping toward the bent legs with her blade cast in pink. "Vorpal Strike!" Her wind-up carved a deep gash through both ankles, splitting the tendons wide as the beast's helmet vomited another cloud of orange embers.
Kirito and Nagi were first toward Anzo's scalp, drawing their blades together into a flash of deep blue and ocean currents. Kirito slashed in a series of straight lines, connecting a solid square through the scalp as he bowed, allowing Nagi over his head with a helix spin. Nagi threshed his blade from the sheath, slashing into a downward slant that quickly followed with a roaring blast of water from a dragon's maw, leaving a sizable dent in the first health bar.
"Switch!" The boys leapt away as Asuna and Daora took center stage once more. Daora slammed his ax side-to-side with Lumberjack, leaving a massive gaping wound in the helmet as Anzo started to rise from its earlier toss, just as Asuna struck with several thrusts no one could visibly track, only the red streaks between her hilt and the boss' head.
By now, Anzo was standing tall once more, a few players landing a fair few hits before the sweep of the machete forced them back, or cleaved their health bars in half. Despite its slow attack wind-ups, too many hits would immediately be the end for any player. The Beta hadn't toned the boss's strength down, but with its first of four health bars already in the deep yellow, it was a good sign its HP was lowered drastically.
"Its health is lower, that's our chance!" Kirito relayed to the others as Lind and Kibaou organized their teams. No one argued, not even a fuss that Nagi's team jumped the gun, it was all precious time, too long and a battle of attrition would wear them out. This had to end fast, reducing all probability of death to zero.
"Tanks out in front, draw aggro!" Lind bellowed as the armored platoon marched in front of two wide swings, metal reverberating across the arena with a hollow thunk. "Squads C, D, and E, flank around the pillars, watch for perilous attacks!"
Unlike the Beta, the whole team had more than just a strategy, real lives were on the line against an insurmountable opponent. Kirito held the most first-hand experience with that failure, the times one party could've reacted faster, someone not managing their Hate or HP. Some were just victims to bad RNG. Various problems led to immediate death. Not here, he swore to keep that tragedy from happening again.
Kirito and Asuna tried to take out the ankles again but were forced back with a frightened yelp as molten blood splashed against their clothes, inflicting the Burn debuff as the boss' aggro swiveled on its left heel, drawing its machete under the same armpit, threshing a vertical cut through the burnt ground.
"Ward!" Artorias took the brunt of the damage alongside a group of tanks in her party, glowering through the rosy barrier. "Makes sense the weak spot had a cooldown, keep that in mind!"
"Got it!" Asuna waved, diving back from another wide slash as Anzo raised its weapon over their heads. The brunette waved her arm in a panic, gasping, "Dodge it!"
While there was no explosion, the ear-piercing shockwave threw many of the tanks off their feet, some thrown onto their stomachs as they attempted to flee the slam, a yellow bolt of lightning appearing next to their HP gauges, Stun. The squads moved in to aid the tanks with Nagi drawing his katana high with a red aura courtesy of the Kyodo buff as a wave of water crashed against the chipped machete with a halo expanding from the impact, parrying the follow-up strike.
Flinched, Nagi dove back as Daora rushed by, slapping Nagi's outstretched hand. "Switch!"
Daora let out a chortle, silvery-grey light erupting from the right foot of Anzo in a fountain of light, Grand Destruction tearing the last of the first health bar into pieces with the aid of the Frontrunners chipping away at the backs of the legs. Stumbling, Anzo slammed its machete down, heaving with a subtle tremble.
"Here it comes, squads, to the pillars now!" Everyone followed Lind's command, not leaving a single man out as the Stun debuff wore off from the tanks in time to evade the rising temperature surrounding the Scorched King. A great waft of flames encircling its frame.
The giant's towering visage suddenly erupted like a volcano, staining the cracks in the earth with molten stee, leaving behind burning scars and embers across its armour and blade once more. Some were nicked by the blast, coated in a strane, orange particle effect akin to fireflies.
"What the hell's this?" "Says it's... Blastblight?"
The odd murmur suddenly made it painfully aware what this new effect was as everyone either ran away or were thrown back as two members of the ALS exploded, the knockback throwing them onto their backsides, alive, but in the dark yellow. A single explosion left them gasping for air as Anzo slammed its blade against the pillar the explosion originated from.
"Crap!" Kibaou huffed, waving his buckler wide. "Oi, get 'em out of sight! Get yer asses in gear and draw the freak off 'em!" Listening to his orders, the remaining members of Squad A gathered with B, and F to form their phalanx wall against Anzo who immediately swept his machete over the stretch of the chamber in lower-bearing slashes.
"'Blastblight', so if we're hit by its fire attacks we could take serious secondary damage compared to a Burn effect," Nagi surmised, crouched behind a pillar with Kirito and Asuna, Daora just did his own thing and kept trying to strike at the backs of its heels. "Come on, the best we can do is keep it from using those fire moves!"
"Right behind you," Kirito gave a thumbs up with Asuna nodding hastily, and the trio spun out into the open.
Nagi quickly curved his sprint to the right-hand side pillars while Kirito rushed left with Asuna. Anzo slashed at the tanks, Artorias leading them back from its clasping its machete above its crown again. A flash of orange followed, bathing them in a harsh blast that was evaded swiftly, stomping down on the firepit, Anzo shook the earth, throwing Daora backward and many players beside him. It was now targeting them with the tanks no longer affected by Threatening Roar.
"Liten!" Nagi cried across the arena where Kibaou waved and barked orders, impatiently wanting to get a few hits on the boss. The armored girl's head perked up, cocked slightly at Nagi's intimidating sprint toward her. "Throw me with your shield, as hard as you can!"
"R-right!" Her metallic voice perked up, crouching as Kibaou and his squad flinched from the gust of wind slammed against Liten's round shield. She had improved as both a DPS and tank since Floor Five, filling in the role of the former today. Despite her guild and DKB still at odds with Beta Testers and the Beater, she was more than willing to help the same guy who gave her the courage to stand on her own two feet again. "Hold on, Nagi!" Her shield turned a light purple, and an air blast from Shield Bash rocketed the shinobi across the cavernous arena.
Thrown above the boss' biceps, Nagi angled his body to glide close to the shoulder, seeing the two piercing eyes glower back at his fiery gaze, blade overflowing with aqua. Anzo raised its left hand to attempt to pluck the ravenette from the sky, only to feel the fabric of the haori slip through its fingers. Nagi, with Kick-Step, evaded and now had a perfect sightline on those blood-red pupils upsidedown, his hair swept back in the hot wind.
"Rising Sun!" The flash of bright blue with a sawblade of water carved a deep impression through the burning retinas as Anzo recoiled with an agonizing roar. Below, Daora and a few others applied enough damage to the cracked flesh along the ankles to toppled the King, leaving it wide open to a full-throttle assault, Kirito and Asuna proving to be the fastest at applying a steady stream of damage, knocking out the second health bar in mere seconds.
The plan had worked flawlessly, the teams didn't bicker or even moan about their constant back and forth. In a poetic sense, they were a rushing tide against the edges of an active volcano, quelling the flames with each passing crash along the shoreline. Bit by bit, their combined might chipped away at the third health bar until only one remained, leaving the beast with only a single move in its arsenal, one the Frontrunners could predict.
"Asuna, Switch!" Kirito's blade cast a blinding blue flash through Anzo's right calf, twirling around on the ball of his foot to strike again in rapid succession, leaping once to avoid the foot's stomp for two consecutive slants, leaving a thin square contrail behind. "Switch!"
Over his head, Nagi slammed the length of the charred armor and leather from the back of the knee down to the heel of the boot with Ichimonji, a fountain of water cascading around him. He exhaled, rolling away, "Switch!"
Two intercepted as the tanks withstood another two horizontal slashes, only for Anzo to jerk sharply, its skill motion cut thin by the interruption of a black battle-ax swung down on its wrist, leaving it reeling from the silvery whirlwind. "Hahaha, you're supposed to be faster, but I can tell you can't even keep up with me!" Daora taunted, ducking and weaving away from various rising slants that Anzo failed to connect, even producing a wide wall of flames that barely phased the mad wolfman. "That tickles!"
"Take it down!" Kibaou bellowed, rallying his guild with various warcries across the chamber.
"Don't let that damn Beater steal it this time!" Lind practically spewed with envy, his men enraged all the more. Kirito just deadpanned with Asuna.
"They really are pety..." Asuna huffed, then her eye flinched from a reflective source of light. "Kirito?"
"Hm?" He followed her gaze to Anzo; Nagi, and Daora continuing to whittle down the final health bar, though it remained a bold green, with the added effort of the two guilds it would vanish quickly if they kept up the constant skill cancelations. Then his own pupils slowly contracted, his lungs squeezed so tight they could pop. "Ah-!"
"Scarlet Fang!" The two-point strike rippled with a connected thrust to complete the chain, just as Nagi backed away to heal quickly, the King slapping its machete off the earth with an enraged tempo that shook off the attacking players, slashing at the ground to whip up a flurrying of scorching arcs.
Nagi could see it, the skin around the ankles had cauterized once more, the weakness was exploitable. His heart thumped against his chest, the adrenaline, the sheer uproar of overcoming this foe, it made his senses sharper, enduring the fatigue that settled over his muscles, "One more strike, that's all we need!" Water flowed around him, sprinting toward the opening with careful precision. "Iai-"
"Nagi, get them outta there!" His ears perked sharply to the left of him, over by the columns, Kirito was waving them down with a frightening expression. His veins bulged with how hard he was yelling over the chaos and music that Nagi almost missed it. "It's not over, Ruuuuun!"
Flames, the entire body of the boss was engulfed by flames that expanded into a dome around its still form, a blinding, almost suffocating heat forcing everyone to a standstill from the sheer pressure. The boiling embers across Anzo's frame were bigger, pulsating with bright orange magma as it craned its large head back, releasing a thunderous howl that tore down the pillars left standing.
Nagi could only brace as his muscles locked up, teeth grit as the flames gathered into over a dozen human-sized orbs of smoldering flames, rotating around Anzo's body in a clockwise fashion that snaked outward from the shoulders down toward the ground, leaving no room to evade. Nagi was swept by one of them. "Grah!" Someone grunted, hooking their fingers around Nagi's haori. "Get back!" Daora yelled.
Daora threshed his arm backward, relating Nagi as the flames expanded around the wolfman's arms and chest, "W-wai-!" He couldn't croak up the words, his mouth felt drier than sawdust as Daora threw his partner far from the orb's circumference, tanking the exploding object headfirst.
"No, leave me, Daora, save yourself!" But it was far beyond that point, Nagi hesitated, and Daora paid the price. The heat blast still left Nagi taking a quarter of his health but he watched in horror as Daora and Artorias' health bars plummeted nearly by half from a single chain reaction of blasts that set off a chorus of screams and clattering objects.
When the ringing died down around Nagi, smoke hung in a low haze to the ground, the rumbling from debris sent flying by the blasts leaving most of the sounds people made muffled. He raised his head, his friends were all in various stages of yellow, with Daora now lingering in the red, that blast, followed by the debuff nearly wiped him out. All to save Nagi from the brunt of the detonation.
Shaking his head, Nagi pushed his elbows under his chest, heaving himself to a kneeling position as he found his hand around his katana once more. It was awful, HP gauges far and wide were either yellow or red, say for the rare few that managed to hide behind the fallen pillars and their bases.
Kibaou was running around, feeding anyone nearby with health pots while Lind pulled whoever could still stand aggro on Anzo, the boss continuing to swing wildly, its speed having never diminished, even after such a powerful attack. "This is awful, how could this have happened?" The flames lingered over the chamber, Anzo's stomps like distant thunder in Nagi's ear as his shaken eyes loomed over the players, all suffering to a degree.
Nagi felt like his whole body was on fire, his haori was burnt pretty badly around the edges, the durability could crumble any moment now, his sword was nicked along the blade, the wrap for the handle was worn and hanging by his wrist too. But worst of all, he felt so frustrated, he swore he'd protect them with all the knowledge he and Kirito had of this boss, and now look at them? One blow away from death, and still, he sat there trembling like a child!
"After we make it to Floor Eleven, how's about we relax for the daY?"
Nagi blinked, following her golden eyes, he shuffled a bit on the spot. "Sure... yeah, I'd like that," Then he pursed his lips with a hum. "But what about gathering new information? Wouldn't you need to prioritize that first?"
"Nyahaha, don't underestimate my gatherin' prowesS?" She grinned, running her finger to land on his breastplate. "Let's make it official! A so and so date with yours trulY?" She fluttered her eyelids teasingly, seeing his cheeks turning a little pink.
He bore his teeth with guilt. Argo, she was so worried about this fight, her scent was like a pungent, sour odor that Nagi had to stomach asking her to keep the broker from losing her cool. What if she saw him now? She and many more probably hung around the Blackiron Palace to see who would be crossed off the list next. Was she watching theirs? How would she feel if he failed now?
His brow creased but he gripped his right arm, holding the blade steady, "Calm down, don't get emotional!" Nagi regulated his breathing, ignoring the metal colliding with concrete and steel, the stomps, the cries, it all became muffled. "There's no other way forward, if we lose our ground here we'll be playing into Kayaba's hands! Don't let up, don't let up!"
Anzo swatted the tanks backward, quickly drawing its machete high for an exploding vertical chop that leveled the ground in front of it. Kibaou and two others attempted to go for the weak point only to have a foot slam into the ginger's chestplate, splitting it in several places as the man was smacked against his allies, the two catching their leader as the three stared up at the boss shadowing their sweaty forms.
To their horror, it craned its neck back, and an invisible wave of heat surrounded its aura. It channeled its embers into a harsh inferno that began to bloat and take shape, a ring of fire coiled tenderly around the ruined giant's frame. If it used that attack again, almost half of the raid team would be wiped out, they were going to die here, they... would fail.
Nagi's eyes couldn't focus, staring back into the flames as they blanketed his own fearful eyes. His throat was sore from a lack of moisture, but he gagged, forgetting the breathe. "Is this it? We can't evade this entirely, we're going to lose!"
...
...
...
"Kaito,"
He kept his head bowed, sobbing quietly as a gentle hand combed through his hair, causing him to tremble as tears stained his cheeks. A middle-aged man laid in a hospital bed, sickly pale, and appeared as though he was malnourished. His gentle onyx eyes never once left the little boy's figure above all others.
"Soon, I'll be gone," He didn't sugarcoat this, seeing Kaito curl up further, sniffing sharply to control his tears. "Before that happens, I want you to listen to me... your sisters, you need to look out for them, especially young Kaida and Kayda, they will look to you a lot, and they will be a handful, but please bear with them," His hand ruffled Kaito's hair. "And tell your mother, I want her to look after herself,"
"Lastly, about yourself," That finally made Kaito look back at his dying father directly, his smile never looked brighter, clear of despair and sickness. "I know this is confusing, that you feel terrified and angry, it's okay, you can feel that way," He dried away some of Kaito's tears. "But don't let it consume your life, I did the same long ago, and I still regret that I can never bring myself to apologize for the things I said,"
He brought his free hand to tap against his son's chest. "Don't be sad that I'm going to die, I'll be right here, you know I'd never lie to you." Kaito nodded his head slightly, arousing a dry laugh from his father who looked to his son with caring eyes. "You are so talented, never I have ever been more proud of you," He brought Kaito's head to rest against his chest, that distant heartbeat growing fainter. "I'm truly blessed, God knows I believe that..." His own tears formed, but he could never have smiled stronger. "...to have such a strong, gentle child... I believe in you..."
Kaito's eyes widened as fresh tears fell from his eyes, embraced in his father's arms for his final seconds under a warm, golden sun.
Nagi's eyes focused again as his feet pressed off the charred earth, grinding his teeth together as the water from his katana's cracks exploded into a tidal wave around him, stretching wider, curling all around his body as the head of the current took form with a deafening roar. "Dance of the...!"
The first ball of fire was immediately caved in half, saving Kibaou and two of his companions as a dragon's head snaked through the embers, dispelling the blow as Nagi spun around. "...Water Dragon!" He swung downward, carving the next in half. "This skill is considered ineffective, it requires a constant source of SP, and while the damage stacks with each consecutive blow it can only use a single target for each three strikes, making the payoff extremely situational,"
He stared straight ahead, a long, winding path of objects stood in his way. "But here, right here and now, I can do it! I can make use of that small percentage!" Every step he made had his SP gauge fall, the dragon's head following the path of Yozora, a scorching line straight toward the head of the Floor Boss. "I will not let anyone die in front of me again!" "Hyrrrraaaaah!"
Nagi tore through another ball of fire, leaving a wave of clear blue water in his wake as he traveled at blinding speed across the arena, slashing every attack, defending the players while increasing the strength of his sword skill with a constant stream of attacks. He swung right to left, twirling his blade forward through three more orbs as a corkscrew of embers.
He dove under one of the collapsed pillars, slicing along the concrete and through another sphere of flames, feeling his lungs fill with acrid ash and smoke while his eyes burned from the haze. Yet with the illusion of water sloshing around his form, it masked that discomfort, his health depleting into the deep yellow while twirling into an aquatic spearhead through two more, propelled by the face of a tank's shield.
Using one of the fallen pillars he launched himself across the arena, slashing the other orbs of fire that weren't quite at ground level, using them as steppingstones for his skill motion, the remains of the pillar bases drawing him closer to Anzo. The beast was unable to move as his AOE had yet to end, leaving him wide open. Nagi continued forward, carving a whirlpool through the sky, surrounding the boss as he dove forward in a straight line.
Anzo's skill ended as the last sphere of flames exploded, coating Nagi and his katana in smoldering flames as he reached out for the boss's head. The giant lumbered back, swinging his machete down toward Nagi's tiny body. "Even if I get slashed, I can still reach him!" He stretched his arm back as far as it could go, preparing to thrust his blade through the burning beast's nape.
Below, Asuna, Kirito, Artorias, and Daora charged through the flames, enduring the Burn effect as their swords lit up against the orange haze with their various colored skills. "Whirlwind!" "Vorpal Strike!" "Linear!" "Horizontal!" The series of slashes caused a yellow ripple of lightning to spread, followed by a series of invisible slashes from the combined effect of multiple skills.
Their skills intersected, carving two large gashes through Anzo's ankles as the molten cracks widened, spewing lava as it buckled, the towering beast falling forward into Nagi's glare, the machete just barely grazing Nagi's cheek as he yelled, slamming the full weight of his katana against the boss's neck, causing a halo of water to splash through the other side.
"I swear to you... we will survive... TO THE ENDS OF THIS WORLD!" Defying expectations, Nagi caved a deep wound through the base of the giant's neck, his sword cleaving through the other side as it snapped in two, leaving behind two water rings that mingled with the flames, burning away the last of Anzo's health bar as it faded away.
Nagi collapsed to the floor, the body of the great giant slamming its machete into the ground before it fell to its knees, collapsing beside Nagi as it turned a bright blue, exploding outward as a snowfall of glass shards, putting out the fires across the arena.
Everything was a blur and muffled to Nagi as he tried to stand up only to fail miserably. Shouting could be heard but his eyes tunneled toward his health bar, but his eyes couldn't focus on it, everything was spacing out. Despite cutting down the spheres of fire, the damage instead doubled back on Nagi, his body was burned badly.
Was the Burn debuff still in effect? He couldn't move his muscles, fatigue coiled around him that it was almost too much to fight. Some yelled in his direction but their voices were muffled and echoey. Did he not manage to kill the boss after all? Was there something he and Argo missed?
"I can't even move a finger..." Seconds later, he passed out, and that awful feeling of being overcooked faded away. "Sorry... Tomo..."
|Jan. 21st, 15:50|
|Sword Art Online, Floor 10, Town of Brightburn|
The time was the first thing Nagi saw as he cracked his eyes open, feeling far less restless now that his fatigue and burns were gone. Judging by his green health bar, and the fact he was level 29 now meant he was still alive and kicking in SAO. So the worst had again swept by his neck by a hair.
Sitting upright, he was immediately assaulted, verbally, by what could be assumed was a human-like honk from Daora, the eyes of his wold mask bulging. "You're not dead!?" He slapped his chest. "Well, of course not! All thanks to my quick thinking of using a healing crystal on you, you gave everyone a serious shiver with that stunt you pulled!"
"Ah, thanks, you really saved me, Daora," Nagi smiled kindly with his eyes closed briefly, opening them to see him stand at the rectangular window of the room, arms crossed tightly with a proud stature, stars sparkling around him. Looking around, Nagi cocked his head. "We're still in Brightburn?"
"Hmph, those chumps took off without us, so we yelled for Blackie and Rapier-Woman to kill them!" Translation; they said for Kirito and Asuna to keep progressing to see how the new frontier would be for those still catching up. Daora then jabbed his fingers at Nagi. "Just sit tight, leader's orders!"
Nagi gave a small salute. "Sir." He joked, then the door to the room nearly came off the hinges by how hard and fast a bunch of bodies collided with the door.
"NAGI!" "YOU'RE OKAY!" "WE THOUGHT YOU DIED!"
Philia, Yuna, Nautilus, Klein, and the Fuurinkazan members all piled into the square room with Artorias standing behind them, her expression was less than pleased as a red tick bulged above her fringe. "Dude, everyone heard, you took on the final stretch of the floor boss and nearly died!" Klein approached first, frantically shaking Nagi. "What the hell, you tryin' to give us all heart attacks!?"
"It~was~all~I~could~think~of~" He groaned out as Klein stopped shaking him as the ravenette's eyes spun in their sockets. "I had to clear the area before anyone died to the boss's new attack, I didn't really account for the Burn debuff though." Again, he realized that might've been important at the time.
"Seriously? You really ought to think these things through, Nagi." Dynamm shook his head but was no less impressed and relieved their young friend was okay.
"I was waiting to hear the news before I got to work on Floor Five, then Argo sent me a message saying you nearly died," Philia waved her hand down, her frown steady but eyes gentle with relief.
"We all came over when we heard, sorry for barging in," Nautilus scratched the small of his neck with Yuna bowing beside him.
Nagi never realized how risky his play was. Sure, his instincts told him to attack, to not let a single person die like the Beta. The cost? His own life, one that clearly many cared for, he was ignorant to their feelings, he cherished them but for that split instance, he only moved forward, his life forfeit.
Lowering his head, Nagi stared at the light yellow sheet over his legs. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused, I promise to do better to avoid making that mistake again," He didn't lift his head, brow furrowed at his ignorance. "We all know the risks of fighting on the frontlines, but back then, I just couldn't stop, not for a second, and I completely fine with throwing my life away, but then... that would've hurt all of you just as much."
"Hey, come on now, we didn't come up here to harp on you, bud," Klein ruffled his hair to gauge the boy's eyes around the room, everyone looking no less relieved than when they entered, but not a trace of animosity in the air. Klein stepped back, flashing a grin. "You're alive and kickin' what else is there to be worried about?" He whispered next. "Besides, you got quite a few good lookin' girls askin' about you now, waydago,"
"Um, hehehe..." Nagi blushed a little from the implications, he wasn't great with that sort of attention.
"Alright, your time's up," Artorias barked, eyes closed with her arms crossed before sharpening a glare to her left, freezing the room over. "I let ya see the boss, now out, guy needs to rest, that fatigue isn't going anywhere, beat it before I throw you off Aincrad with the business end of my sword."
Everyone complained and tried to make excuses but Artorias used her shield to shove them all out the door, slamming it shut with her boot. "You really didn't need to do that..." Nagi sweatdropped, anxious about being left in the room with the tempered redhead who dusted her hands off with a sigh. "So, um..."
"You worried Argo sick," Four words cut sharper than a blade, dampening the mood instantly as Nagi's onyx gaze met rose over a shoulder. "She didn't show it, hell, the Rat's got a freakin' master poker face, but I can tell when someone's worried, like, for example, not moving an inch from your side until the teleport gate on Floor Eleven was active."
Argo really did that? Nagi knew it was true, but for her to risk losing out on the first slither of intel from a floor no one has seen all because he got in over his head that he skipped sleeping up to the boss fight. This day had been the worst Nagi could recall since SAO began, he got reckless, a nagging chill he couldn't shake.
Fear; fear of everything turning out like the Beta, of the whole frontline being torn to pieces by a boss that couldn't be beaten. Shirayuki saved them, that single weakness, and the Dance of the Water Dragon, those two things saved their lives.
"I really worried her?" Nagi asked but it was more at himself than to Artorias who sat at the edge of the bed, looking down at her hands.
"Look, I know it ain't my place and all that, but..." The girl's fidgeting drew Nagi's ashamed eye. Seeing her lips curl into a confused frown, pink dusting her cheeks. "...she cares about you, a lot it seems, same for you I bet," She saw Nagi part his lips so she jabbed a finger at his nose. "Not like a friend, dumbass! I mean she has real feelings for you!"
There were many things Nagi considered when talking about the infamous Argo the Rat. Smart, business-like, reliable, a person who honored her debts to any player worth trusting. She was an indispensable asset to the Frontrunners in their efforts to clear the Death Game. Without Argo, how many floors would be clear by now?
She was a girl who didn't show her inner thoughts like Nagi, she may as well be a mirror to himself, so for someone to suggest she liked him. As in, non-platonically liked him left the boy without a word to grasp, the faintest pink rising to his cheeks at the implication. Sensing his complete bewilderment, Artorias ruffled her hair.
"The fact I'm doing this... God, this body sucks," Adjusting her seating, Artorias gave Nagi the best look of comfort she could muster with her bored gaze. "Nagi, when you're with Argo, how do you feel? Truthfully, and I swear, I'll not say a word to another, Gamer's honor," She put a hand to her heart, the other raised to lighten the mood.
"She's... Argo," He answered plainly, fiddling with the sheet at his lap, crossing his legs under the cover. "My best friend... erm, only best friend. Through her I met Kirito, you, and... here I am," He rubbed his nape, trying to piece together why his chest felt so stuffy and warm. "Do you know...?"
"What, how you feel? Dude, I'm a gamer, not a miracle worker, though I'd be gracious for the compliment, like hell I know what you think of her romantically," She rolled her eyes, staring up at the ceiling. "I've had quite the following long before SAO, I've been there with many... adoring fans, so I've seen the signs a whole bunch, you and Argo are probably the most perplexing pair I've come across,"
She looked to Nagi again, their eyes met evenly. "You have to find out on your own, boss, I can try to point you in the right direction, but this is your roll of the dice, a gamble," Her lips curled into a slight smile. "But I'm bettin' it'll work out."
"You think so?" Nagi wanted to know what this was, what Argo really meant to him. She was an amazing friend, and he was completely content to keep things that way, so why... did he want to know more? The idea of her being closer to him made his whole body buzz.
Artorias stood up, waving her arms with swagger. "'Course I think so, I'm me, how more certain can you get?" She brushed her ponytail to the left. Offering her hand on Nagi's shoulder, she gave a tight squeeze. "Mull it over, get some rest, then we'll conquer Floor Eleven, just as we've always planned."
Concluding her business, Artorias turned and left, nodding to herself with a smile. "Maybe therapist is a good career choice, I rock at advice, gotta right that stuff down..." Mulling over her own words, her hand stopped on the handle, hearing something behind her. "You say something?"
"I know you have a lot on your mind, but," Nagi repeated, looking less burdened by his thoughts with a tired smile. "Thank you for trusting me."
Artorias stared at Nagi for the longest time, eyes wide with her lips pulled into a tight frown. "Say, between us?" The words that left her mouth to him and him alone left Nagi speechless, almost to the point he thought he was still asleep as Artorias' face softened into a child-like smile, "May not look it, but I am, how's that for weird?"
"That... explains some things," Nagi nodded dumbly as Artorias cackled to herself, rapping on the doorframe.
"Consider that my trust stamp of approval," With a wink, Artorias left Nagi alone with his thoughts. Of what Artorias said, of what they spoke on, of his friends. And... of a girl with golden hair and soft golden-brown eyes, topped with unmistakable red whiskers.
When Nagi thought of Argo, of Tomo, his chest felt tight and warm, even as he fell back to sleep.
To Be Continued...
This was quite the chapter, between Nagi and Argo, then the rematch with Anzo that I didn't want to drag on since it was pretty linear what happens up 'till the big kaboom, then the reveal of an underrated but highly situational Katana Skill that I totally didn't get the idea from a certain anime I love, ahem!
We've got one last chapter for this arc, and it's gonna be tricky since it's me writing Argo beyond her usual antics, but hey, it's the Rat so who knows how it'll go. With that, I hope you enjoyed it, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Players!
025 - At Our Pace
With Floor Eleven unlocked, many flood to be the first to uncover the unknown floor's mysteries. For a Rat and her Shinobi? It was just a nice day to relax...