|Feb. 2nd, 16:15|
|Sword Art Online, Floor 14, Curse-Rotten Stream|
Since floor ten was behind the players of SAO, all knowledge of Beta knowledge was now second-nature or downright unneeded. The next five floors were a challenge, that was a certainty. With floor eleven's massive hedge maze, twelve's large island surrounded by a dangerous sea filled with pirates thirteen's was a striking change of pace with a highland starting point leading toward a barren desert straight toward a volcanic landscape.
Floor Fourteen... wasn't one of those floors. "Oh... My... Gooood! Finally!" Artorias bellowed what everyone was thinking as she huffed. Nagi was hunched over, hands on his knees, and Daora had passed out on the ground, even his wolfhead looked pale.
This particular floor was known for its gargantuan trees that covered every basin of a rich, magical forest, the sunlight cast a faint emerald sheen onto the forest floor below the various basins connected together. However, that's where the fun ultimately stopped. The floor was beaten within a day, not because it was easier, or the info was solid. No, it was down to a single, important quality all gamers had.
The level design sucked. Beautiful set-piece, but the mobs, main quest, especially the main quest, and just the overall tediousness of the quest board made every frontline player want to hurl themselves off of Aincrad. In the end, the Frontrunners beat the centaur boss and called it a day.
Unfortunately, a quest had come upon Artorias' radar thanks to the notable Rat snooping about, though Argo was less-than-pleased about the effort it took to find it, even the redhead didn't care the Rat charged extra her normal fee. In the end, despite the pain, misery, and overall loss of higher brain functions, the end result was worth the price.
"It's there... finally..." Artorias sounded caught between relief and utter exasperation.
Nagi couldn't disagree, the steps of this questline were beyond ridiculous. First, they needed to collect nearly 300 brown rocks, then find a mysterious staff atop one of the large trees tainting the forest below, then it was off to defeat a mutant created from the fallout of an alchemist's experiments called the 'Lord of Swampvines', normal ones were bad enough to fight. Second to last was to do some stupid and embarrassing tribal dance to call a 'Dryad' to cleanse the forest.
Their final destination sat on the lip of a moat, a river turned purple and thick with a rotten stench wafting into the air by the breeze. Bushes, flowers, and any other plant life were old and decaying, turning the once vibrant green world into a brown, black, and dry ecosystem. It was an improvement if they were all honest.
The large house was only one story and from the outside, it appeared to be very rundown, almost as if no one had lived there for years. The windows were either boarded up or smashed. The white paint had peeled and cracked, the red-tiled roof in pieces with a black paneling beneath it beginning to fall apart. The blue door looked rotted, a horseshoe pointed left on the door rusted and hanging by one bolt.
"The quest says, 'Uncover the location and defeat the Alchemist before his poison spreads to the rest of the forest', that's it," Nagi closed his menu, kneeling behind a short cobblestone wall with the others. "It's safe to say he'll use a lot of debuffs to impair us, so be careful, Daora."
"Huh, why only me!?" He huffed, standing up tall, not even considering the idea of hiding.
"Boss' point exactly," Artorias deadpanned, hopping the wall. "It'll probably trigger once we're inside, I say we go talk to him," She said sweetly, drawing her weapon from the L.A bonus on this floor, the only 'good' thing to happen to their party. A white longsword with a faint, light-green pigment to the blade, the face decorated with a silvery pattern of thorns and vines, the guard a silver and green lotus. It was called, 'Grassblade', sad as the name is, the weapon was powerful and upgraded four times already. "With violence."
"Hehehe, I like that plan!" Daora chuckled, extending his ax with a malicious aura. Nagi just followed after them with a nervous smile.
"Lets just not bring the house down atop us," He eased their excitement, hands clasped to Evermore.
*Knock Knock Kn-Kn-Knock Kno-!*
Artorias' foot didn't just take the door off the hinges, it outright pierced the rotten wood, showering an old, moldy blue carpet in splinters. She shook her leg free, drawing her black grave shield to bear as she was shoved aside by Daora, his ax knocking a few items over.
The small hall led into a wide, square room that looked like a mix between a dining room and living room. Old furniture, several chairs, and a large, round table. Everything was falling apart, and the table itself was home to dozens of empty vials, test tube racks, and odd pieces of equipment. The redhead recognized it all immediately. "Definitely an alchemist hideout, and actual clean equipment, cute."
"But where's the alchemist?" Nagi wondered, sniffing the damp air. There was a lot he could pick up. The mold nearly made him toss his lunch but there was a strange, peppermint scent lingering around the room, a faint whiff of blueberry through the doorway to the left of them, and the scent of overcooked steak straight through to what appeared to be a kitchen. "Lots of smells, but nothing copper, there's too much," His nose crinkled, covering it with his haori.
"Found him!" Daora bellowed, slamming his ax between two countertops, appearing from thin air, shrouded by a dark veil was their target, his cursor's yellow texture indicating it was indeed an NPC. The alchemist yelled, scampering out to stand in the doorframe to the kitchen, the three teens glowering at the NPC. "He thought he could be sneaky hiding in the dark but I'm wearing the hide of the Apex Dire Wolf on my head! Nothing gets past me!"
The older man had the distinct appearance of an alchemist, one that Artorias took full appreciation of. He wore dark leathers, knee-high boots with charcoal pants with bandages wrapped around the left thigh, a belt around the waist supporting two belts looped at the thighs lined with colorful thin vial potions. A leather jacket zipped up with belts around the upper biceps and bandages on the forearms underneath leather gauntlets connected to the fingerless gloves.
"Ooooh, Papa wants!" Artorias licked her lips, and in the gloomy cabin, Nagi swore her pink eyes were glowing with envy. "Y'know what, hand over the recipe and that equipment of yours, and I'll be willin' to let ya rot this whole floor! No extra fee!"
The man, who wore a bandana over his mouth and goggles, leaving his waxy green hair visible scoffed, shaking a yellow vial at the woman. "The devil is wrong with you? To not only barge into my abode but demand I strip myself of my research and dignity! Have you no shame, young lady!?"
"Nah, you get hit on as much as me, then come back to me," She raised her sword after a curt shrug, rolling her eyes. "I'll need your clothes, your boots, and your potion recipes."
"I say nay you shameless girl!" He grunted, raising a vial.
"You really want his armor?" Nagi's brow quirked, ready for the attack.
"So I'm feelin' a little greedy today, can ya blame me?" She rolled her shoulders, slapping Daora's back. "Go get Papa his new threads, I'll pay for your next enhancement."
"Hahahaha!" Daora's head swung upright, stars dancing around his wolf eyes. "I'll skin you with my bare hands!" He lunged for the Alchemist whose title finally appeared, cursor turning red after the threats of being stripped and murdered for his belongings. Nagi had to admit, it was a little overkill, but he also really didn't like this floor so he wasn't going to stop his party.
/NM Alchemist - Lv. 35\
He was on the short-end of levels, only two above the trio that charged forward. Daora leapt onto the table, bringing his ax high as it began to cast a bright sheen over the cabin. "Grand Destruction!" That was probably the worst one to start the battle with, even for a boss with one health bar.
"Ohoho? You foolish children believe I am ill-equipped?" He tossed the yellow vial, and a blue one straight after. Both struck the unguarded wolfboy's chest. The first causing his skill to fizzle out, electrical sparks pinging off his muscles as the blue liquid dripped down his head, making Daora shiver in place.
A lightning bolt symbol and the light blue icon with a snowflake appeared, indicating Paralysis and Chillness had been applied. What followed as Artorias bent her arm backward, and Nagi dove to the right-hand side of the table, was the Alchemist producing one last vial, a dark red, and from the stench of copper Nagi felt pierce his nose, it was a bad omen.
"Artorias, use Ward!" He yelled, grabbing a chair to shield himself as the vial was cast on the falling Daora.
*BOOM!*
A red cloud of smoke blew apart much of the furniture nearest the Alchemist, who was now nowhere to be seen. Daora had been sent flying through the old table, laying in a pile of splinters and wood with black soot over his stomach. He groaned, unable to move a muscle as his health fell only by around eight percent. Not dangerous but certainly annoying.
"Okay-" Artorias lowered her skill around her shield, coughing from the soot clung to her face. "-that's overkill."
"Bahahaha, foolish children!" The Alchemist's voice boomed from somewhere in the large cabin. Artorias and Nagi pressed their backs together, leaving Daora to recover eventually. "You came into my domain, once I'm rid of you, the whole forest will wither and decay!"
"Good!" The pair acknowledged, and Daora just gargled on his own spit.
There was a brief pause, then Nagi pulled Artorias by her ponytail, throwing himself atop her as a red blast struck his back, followed by three vibrant items tossed through the cloud from the right-hand doorway. Artorias threw herself to sit atop Nagi, backhanding the first yellow vial with her shield, then slashing the remaining two, a blue and grey potion each, with Vertical Arc. "Hit and running rat!"
"Thanks," Nagi huffed with the weight of his companion against his stomach. Artorias leaned down with a nod, then pulled the ravenette by his haori, throwing him aside as she kicked a bookshelf over, blocking the explosive vials flung from the kitchen, the wood burnt at the edges as she braced the furniture.
There were several holes in the ceiling, and in the walls, meaning they could be assaulted from any angle, and the furniture wouldn't last forever. Nagi knelt down, evading a round potion as it struck the entrance, leaving a lingering haze of swirling grey liquid, Weakness or Slowness, he wasn't sure of which. From the ceiling above, an arm extended through, a dark red and dark grey vial between the fingers.
"There!" Thinking quickly to save Artorias who was busy shoving a level-two antidote potion down Daora's wolf throat, Nagi gathered a whiplash of water at his blade, propelled by the sword skill to slash at the potions leaving the fingers as they flexed and flung the vials. His thrust pierced the glass, then the water traveled upright in a vertical chop, leaving a deep red glare across the retracting arm. "Striking Wave!"
"You rude little - grah, that's my writing hand!" A voice shrieked, and the Alchemist's footsteps could be heard echoing throughout the rafters unseen. His movements were erratic, and with all the potions exploding, Nagi could feel his sense of smell was completely gone.
"If I can't see him smell him, or touch him, then..." Nagi gave it some thought while behind a desk, his eyes lighting up with a small gasp. "Why go through all the trouble of poisoning a forest?" He asked, seeing Artorias stare at him with a questioning face. "You're killing innocent creatures and ruining lives!"
Artorias mouthed 'what', so Nagi tapped his ear. Within seconds, Artorias's smile stretched, and she lowered her body, creeping across the broken furniture, Daora still on the ground, motionless.
"My reasons? It's elementary, this entire floor is infested with parasites! Every day I must watch as the horrid beasts of this place ravage my home, ruing my experiments, well no more!" The Alchemist barked with venom in every word. "I shall taint the rivers, rot the grass, and wither the trees until not a single monster remains - if it costs the ecosystem, so be it!"
"Daora, right side!" Nagi threshed his hand wide, and planks of wood and glass shards flew into the air, a silver skill erupting from his battle-ax. He clasped it in both hands, twisting his torso right.
"I'm all charged up now, die, and become a stepping stone toward my victory!" He cried, smashing the right wall doorway with Whirlwind, the AOE's impressive kinetic force would've bounced if the surface had been an immortal object, fortunately, proof of the boss' attacks and their own displayed one clear indication of this old cabin. Everything was destructible.
The suffocating blast tore down the wall where the disheveled Alchemist was hiding, losing his grip on another red blast potion. The old man scampered away from Daora, the wolfman's foot crushing the old plaster and wood under his sandals as he dragged his ax through the carnage he left. "Found you..." A jet of air left his nostrils.
"You brute!" He howled, tossing four more vials of various colors. In a flash, Daora simply cocked his head, hands on his hips as a rosy blade grazed over his shoulder.
Artorias slashed in a vertical slant, then mirrored it toward the floor, twirling on her left heel to strike the third before doubling back on the fourth, the knockback from Horizontal Square slamming the Alchemist against the nearest wall, dazed by the counterattack as a flood of water stripped across his chest, leaving behind two wide slashes as Nagi slid off to the side, Whirlwind Slash had gotten stronger.
The Alchemist's health plummeted toward the dark orange, he was a crafty boss, one that would've been a tough fight if the trio hadn't already leveled on floor fifteen before returning to the previous floor. Despite the two-level gap, this boss' mechanic was easily solved with careful analysis and the fact they were a small party. On top of that, Artorias had the Mixing skill high enough to craft level two ailments, almost level three once she reached 300 proficiency.
"Should've taken up my offer, chief," Two pink eyes glowered down at the frightened boss, blade humming in the dust like a dark omen. "I'd sooner tear this whole building apart to beat you," She leaned down, passing the Alchemist a smug grin. "Toodles."
"Wait-!"
Her sword came down in a flash.
In a flash of blue shards, the boss shattered, leaving the trio with little EXP but loot in the form of various tier-two potions to refill their pockets. Daora and Nagi high-fived at their success, just as the remains of the wall behind them collapsed with an audible crash, making them wince. Artorias stood with her menus open, lips parted as she pushed the rare drop aside for her prize, the quest's reward.
Quest Complete!
Brewing Disaster: Results
Main Objective
*Defeat the Alchemist
Curse-Rotted Stream of Floor Fourteen | Reward 2500 Col | Recipe of Transmutation
Artorias couldn't believe her eyes, after all her stress searching, shoveling down her resentment for this horrid game's interpretation of a joke. Argo had finally kept her word to her, and she'd be sure to thank the Rat's reliance with all her might, pride be damned. "Finally..." It almost sound like she was about to cry, but she shook her head, hitting the option to materialize the item to absorb its information for her Mixing skill.
That bubbling feeling of ecstasy was rendered dry and hollow in her throat. Her lips pressed into a thin line, even with his nose out of commission for a bit, Nagi sensed his partner's distress, frowning. "Is everything okay? It's what you needed, right?" He ensured to triple check with Argo before presenting the quest to Artorias, they didn't want to get her hopes up.
"Aye..." She heaved with a faint Irish twang to her usual, tomboyish tone. The scroll was visible for them to read its contents, they soon realized what made her clam up.
|Recipe - Potion of Transmutation|
The ability to permanently transform a person's gender, a power very few can possess. To complete this potion, one must come into contact with a dark spell, a Ruinous Gaze, to invoke the proper reaction. A balance of light and dark to change fate.
Requirements;
-Devourer Fang (Found on Floor 24)
-Mourning Wood (Found on Floor 16)
-Seraphic Drop x2 (Pure Water found only in a place lost to time on Floor 25)
Embers of the First Flame (Item: Crest of Flame)
With a single line of text written on some old parchment, the temperature of the cabin drew itself in with a chill. The list was taxing, to say the least, but that final ingredient left them unable to speak. To free Artorias, a guy trapped in his player model, forced to endure awkward and embarrassing situations, harassed by players, looked upon as a pervert. They had to give up a key item of Shirayuki's campaign, 'Path of Divine Sakura'.
"Artorias..." Nagi reached out but stopped as her fingers creased the page. It must've torn into her, choosing between herself and her friends' quest, something they invested a lot of time to uncover the mysterious quest and the even stranger NPC part of the story.
"You know I can't give this up..." She finally spoke, head lowered to hide her eyes with her bangs, her fist creased the paper as the knowledge was absorbed, and the parchment shattered. "...I.. I can't force you, Nagi," She moved her hand, much to their surprise, to the handle of her sword. "Just... dammit!" She swung the blade down and through the wall, recoiling as it said 'Immortal Object' on a purple hexagon. "Fuck, this isn't fair!"
She was furious, at herself for even considering stealing the crest from them, furious at the quest's form of irony, furious at Kayaba and SAO. It was all a sick joke and she was at the end of her rope. Grabbing the sides of her head, she thumped her head against the wall, sighing.
"Would you stop sulking already?" Daora grunted, arms crossed as he mouthed off, ignoring Artorias's sharp stare that could freeze anyone. "Snoweyes probably has another crest anyway! She knows about all the other houses, so why wouldn't she!? Seems pretty obvious to be!"
"That... might work," Nagi lowered his hand from his chin. He didn't want to drag Artorias along in false hope, but Daora's logic had a slither of reason to it. "This quest never existed in the Beta, and a lot of events have been flexible, like that hidden tip on floor four's boss changing entirely, or the hidden katana skill Shirayuki gave me and Klein."
"Boss... I appreciate what you're tryin' to do but..." Artorias slumped into a sturdy wood chair, ghosting a hand through her hair. "This is a key item, we lose this, then... your quest ends, but..." She bit her lip, hanging her head. "I just... want this to end..."
A hand found itself on her right shoulder, another slapping her back. Lifting her head, the pair had approached her, Nagi giving her a supportive smile while Daora stared at her, probably grinning under that stupid mask of his. "We'll find a way, so let's ask her, and we'll go from there."
"It's not the end of the world," Daora rolled his head, actually speaking logically for once.
This caused Artorias' brow to raise, a tiny smirk of humor at her allies. "When'd you get all smart-ass, Numbnuts? Kinda creeps me out."
"Huh!? Are you doubting your leader!?"
"...so, boss, where's the ninja?" Artorias turned her head to Nagi as steam ejected from Daora's head, the wolf eyes glaring bitterly.
"Graaaaaaah!" His punch missed, not like it would do anything since they were in the same party. He tried again, only for Artorias to put her foot out, tripping him up and through another small table behind her.
"Yeah, there's the Numbnuts I know," She smiled sweetly, filled with mischief. Nagi relaxed, glad that she was looking a little better.
|Feb. 2nd, 17:10|
|Floor 10, Hiro Estate|
Returning to the ruins of the Estate of Misdirection quest, it had become a small safe zone out in the dangerous burnt forests on the floor, with Shirayuki surprising everyone once more by turning into a vendor NPC for other players. She would stand by the shrine, now lit with candles, a tarp to ward off the glaring sun.
It was worrying at first, knowing she was out in the field in the middle of nowhere, but that was because the trio was in the same party and now tagalongs to Nagi and Klein's quest. That being said, it meant everyone could see her actual name color. Depending on the level of enemies in SAO, their name will go from white, the gradient shifting into red, darker, and darker.
Shirayuki's was pitch black, just like Kizmel's. Both their levels were unreadable.
The shinobi was a kind, extroverted soul, but while her soothing aura, akin to a winter breeze, was inviting, if you peered closer, saw her anger, then that breeze became a vicious blizzard in a tundra. Her aura withheld a sinister darkness that would lead to any player's death if overstepped.
"-and so, Artorias needs the Fire Crest as an ingredient," Nagi finished explaining for the silverette. Bowing his head while Artorias stood off to the side, trying to distract herself from the awkwardness. "I'm sorry it's come to this, but we wanted to ask you before doing anything."
Shirayuki appeared to be considering it thoughtfully, hand on her chin as her hidden lips pursed, but her eyes were glancing between Nagi and Artorias. "...to believe such an evil curse could befall one of your own, and I was so blind not to see it," She almost sounded disappointed in herself. "And the young warrior has found no alternatives in his travels?"
"None," Artorias muttered dryly, leaning against a thick beam. "Everything, quests, hidden areas, I thought this was my punishment for..." She seemed to catch herself, eyes wide for a moment. "Ah, well, I'm kinda an asshole, so this seems rather poetic, eh?"
Surprisingly, Shirayuki let out a chuckle. "Hahaha, do not look so troubled, your efforts have born fruit, have they not?" She asked.
"Yeah, with that," Artorias pointed at the item in Nagi's hand. It was a rounded stone with the insignia of House Flame, the golden flame held between a dragon's claws by its heart faded but visible. It was heavy too, though if that was due to the circumstances, or its in-game weight, Nagi wasn't certain.
To answer the obvious, Shirayuki took the crest for herself. "While it is true this clever device will aid us in the coming battle against the corruption, it is just a key, do not feel it is worth ruining your companionship," She tugged her mask down, revealing her smile. "But I am forever grateful for your trust in me, for that, I shall present a compromise to you, young Artorias!"
A question mark appeared above her head, prompting Artorias to stand upright with a curious look. "What kinda compromise?" It turned to an exclamation mark, and the quest tab appeared for her only.
Side-Quest Added!
-Fellowship-
A choice presents itself, duel the proud shinobi.
*Defeat Shirayuki of House Winter
Hiro Estate | N/A | Crest of Flame
"If you can best me in a duel, I shall happily part with the crest," Her expression was sour a moment, staring down at the crest. "It will be troublesome to acquire another... pah, no matter, a good challenge is something I've come to see comes naturally to you three, what say you, young swordsman?"
Artorias didn't even look at his friends, a sly grin crossing her lips as she brushed the quest aside. "Bring it on," She wasn't an idiot, Shirayuki's level exceeded her own, which meant a single cut could prove to be all it takes to end the duel. And with Shirayuki's high level, it meant Artorias had to pull off a tricky number of combos to deal significant damage. "Sorry, guys, but this means too much to me. For losing out on a stupid quest? It's worth it."
Shirayuki motioned with her head, soon, the two stood on the grounds of the estate, watching from Shirayuki's 'shop', Nagi looked on pensively, Daora was chuckling under his breath, murmuring about himself wanting to fight the insanely powerful Shirayuki. Then again, he might not have known what the colored names meant.
Shirayuki withdrew her white saber, the katana gleamed in the light. Artorias did the same, the green tint catching the sun too with her black grave buckler raised. There was no countdown, the only indication the match would end is once one of them dropped to yellow, that was how most NPC 'duels' ended. It would take Artorias a considerable amount of skill, and for Shirayuki? She needed One cut.
It was a blur, Nagi blinked once, and Shirayuki's blade was descending toward the redhead's glare. With a sharp grind of steel, the shinobi was forced aside by Artorias' shield, her own blade gliding across Shirayuki's side, slashing twice with a rose Horizontal Arc. She doubled back as the ninja spun around and pressed the attack, barely flinching from the blade's assault.
Artorias kept her shield raised, dragging it to where Shirayuki's weapon was going to be, but those minor deflections were already chipping away at her health one percent at a time. "Her reaction speed is incredible, and not a single sword skill either," This didn't discourage Artorias, in fact, the veins in her face only seemed to bulge. "I'm not giving up, not when I'm so close!"
Once two vertical slants scarred her shield, Artorias curved the barrier, throwing Shirayuki off to the right while casting a sword skill. A brilliant pink glare swung forward in two parallel arcs, connected with a zig-zag across Shirayuki's now guarding sword. The outline of a square forced a gap between them, one Artorias pushed through, diving over the horizontal stroke of the shinobi.
The post motion only held for a few seconds, but with Artorias' proficiency already at 250, she had invested three points into Shortened Skill Cooldown to tier three, and the last two points toward Reduced Post-Motion tier two. The latter could only go to tier three but those extra seconds mattered in a fight against a boss with an insane reaction time or wide-ranging skills.
Performing a handstand before hitting the dirt, Artorias leapt over two more strokes from below, twirling to land on her toes, the blade glowing violently as she drew it down in a slant and back rapidly, Snake Bite ringing against Shirayuki's blade with the contrails shattering. The woman held firm, not once phased by the constant barrage of skills, in fact, her eyes had never been more alight.
That's when Artorias did the unexpected, disarming herself as the weapon flung itself high, of course, even with a sharp A.I like Shirayuki's, she hadn't seen this move in action. The distance between them was cut short, and a fist rang against Shirayuki's blade, a red gash appearing across Artorias' knuckle, carving fifteen percent of her HP completely, but it didn't drop into the yellow.
Using this sudden retaliation, she pressed her boots against Shirayuki's stomach before vaulting over the shinobi, clasping her radiant rose sword above her head, blinding flames surrounding the edges. Nagi's wide eyes caught on immediately, "A Composition Skill!?"
"Meteor Fall!" The redhead cried out, and a massive eruption of light-red fire expanded with orange embers across the battleground. There was a distinct 'Zumm' followed by a 'Boosh' that shook the ground the onlookers stood on.
Bits of stone and dirt pelted the ground, and a hot cloud of dust was immediately banished as two swords remained interlocked. Artorias' face was scrunched up with bitter concentration, same for Shirayuki, a large, red gash bled down from her right shoulder to her left hip, a good portion of her health cleaved from the impressive skill, but she was still far from dropping into the yellow herself.
"Even after that... - no, that's expected, her level's freakin' near 45 after all," Since they had partied with her before, Artorias saw her level, even with the progress they made in leveling, this NPC would still skyrocket. Was there even a limit to her potential? Artorias' grip shook between her fingers, she wasn't going to win in outright strength, one more nick of that katana, and it was over. "I can't..."
Shirayuki's eyes narrowed slightly, something changed in the young swordswoman's eyes, it was unlike her usual self, a persona that craned its neck in the shinobi's direction, a dark entity behind those rose-colored eyes. "...afford to lose," Artorias whispered, her tone hollow, calculating, lifeless.
Without so much as a glaring hint, Shirayuki's legs were forced out from under her, at least her right leg by Artorias'. Holding firm, she slashed at the warrior only to meet air, the red ponytail whipped by her forehead, and two slashes buried themselves in her back. Grunting, Shirayuki rolled, twirling her blade in both hands to raise it parallel with her temple.
There wasn't even a moment to breathe, Shirayuki did it on instinct, drawing forth her hidden skill, Rising Sun, to cleave the whole surface area horizontally, a rush of white light blanketing the dry ground like snowfall. The rush of adrenaline flooded her bones, but no contact was made with the red warrior, instead, all she received was a shower of blue particles on her face.
Artorias whipped her body around from the air just above Shirayuki's right shoulder, the broken glass of her grave shield distracting the sharp ninja long enough for her to dive down, cleaving the silverette with four arcing strokes of her blade. Horizontal Square wasn't as strong as its vertical counterpart, but it was enough to trickle the intense boss' health just beneath the solid green tint.
There was a sharp howl of the wind, and neither competitor budged say for Artorias. She let out a breath, closing her eyes. "What the hell am I doing? I'm not that person anymore," Scolding herself, she sheathed her blade. "...guess I won, Sekiro."
"Hm, indeed," Shirayuki didn't say much but blinked at the hand offered to her by the conflicted Artorias. Taking it, she rose back to her full height, a head taller than the redhead. She shook the girl's hand furrowly. "A fantastic bought, your strikes certainly have grown sharper, haha!"
"Yeah," She murmured, letting go of the NPC's hand. "I... I just can't lose this chance," Her fists balled up tightly. "I can't wait."
"Mm, I understand, but you mustn't get in over your head," Shirayuki proclaimed, placing a hand on her chest. "After all, there are people who rely on us, and our duties must come first."
As Artorias nodded slightly, acknowledging she heard the woman, the quest updated with the completion status. With that, Shirayuki procured the Crest of Flame from her waist pouch, offering it to Artorias' wandering eyes. "As per our agreement, you have earned this crest, but do not fret, there is another, and in time I will lead you all to its location," Her eyes steadied themselves as if a memory struck her at that moment. "House Dusk draws closer every day, we must be at our best, of body and of mind." She ruffled Artorias' hair.
"Grah, I get it, I get it," She whined, not liking her hair being tousled as Nagi chuckled, Daora doing much the same for the flustered swordswoman. "Why do you trust me?" Artorias prodded, forgetting momentarily she was speaking with an NPC. "What's the say I don't just high-tail it outta this group when that happens?"
Nagi felt the air around the two change, Artorias said he would stick by Nagi's party until he obtained his actual avatar again, but other than that, nothing much was said on why he stuck close to all of his misadventures in uncovering the mysterious 'Path of Divine Sakura' campaign. At that moment, Daora and himself shared a look, then stared back at Shirayuki analyzing Artorias head-to-toe, eyes squinted as if to look for something that stood out.
"Now, I may be a mere guardswoman, and perhaps my knowledge of others' intentions may brush off as immature, but I have a distinct feeling that will not be the case," She answered. Then, with both hands, she placed them atop Artorias' shoulders. "You have a talent very few swordsmen have, and your heart is an entanglement of emotions," There was a glimpse of edginess in the redhead's eyes. "Your place is not alone, with your comrades, I know you will become the warrior you are meant to be, even if you may not see it just yet."
"I..." Her words crumbled, logic and reason battled to argue otherwise, what the hell did an NPC know about her life? The words were there, still, Artorias' lips remained sealed, refusing to utter a single comment.
"Thanks for understanding, Shirayuki," Nagi spoke up, the older woman nodding once as she let go of Artorias' shoulders, the red warrior's rose eyes meeting Nagi's kind smile. "Two piece down, we've still got a lot of work to do."
"And even more powerful foes, what a perfect combination!" Daora cackled, hands on his hips.
For the first time since uncovering the recipe, Artorias let out a breathy laugh, raising her head. "Sure thing, Boss," Her head then craned toward the bottom of floor eleven above. Then she flicked her wrist down, dashing through her blurred menu as a white flash overtook her equipment, changing drastically when the light faded.
Gone was her red attire for something very familiar to the party. Artorias wore dark leathers, knee-high boots with charcoal pants with bandages wrapped around the left thigh, a belt around the waist supporting two belts looped at the thighs. A leather jacket zipped up with belts around the upper biceps and bandages on the forearms underneath leather gauntlets connected to the fingerless gloves. Her distinct apple-red hair and harsh pink eyes stood out even greater.
She flashed them her teeth, the stats of her 'Timeworn Set' filling her with overwhelming confidence, "Lead the way."
To Be Continued...
Arc Three begins! Artorias has the list she needs to undo her glitched avatar, hopefully. With this small lull before the plot and Artorias' new threads, we'll now delve toward a darker side of this story. I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Players!
027 - The Hunted
In the midst of clearing Floor Sixteen, a floor bathed in eternal night, a troublesome threat arises, the likes of which a few players have seen before...