A/N: Caught the flu last week hence my delayed upload, all good now, that's all, enjoy.
|March. 28th, 17:05|
|Sword Art Online, Floor 25, Sunsinger Village|
To say the whole village was in an uproar would be putting it mildly, as the players followed Shirayuki someplace else, shinobi of all brands ran to the walls facing the ravine entrance across the water, all manning the towers, sharpening blades, lighting fires for the coming night. It was a total twist on the sacred serenity they had come to know since they arrived. Danuja was sending his House of Darkness to wipe them out, had it not been for Shirayuki's scouting and Fynch's sudden message to Argo, they'd have far less time to prepare for the worst. If Sunsinger village fell, the campaign, the 'Path of Divine Sakura' could end.
Eventually, she had led to the the last place they'd expect, a tailors, surprisingly not closed considering the event about to take place. Typically, when a large event affected a nearby Safe Haven all shops accessible to the player would close, if a few popping up fixed to the event for unquie items or supplies. So to be brought to your standard shop both bewildered and fascinated Kirito and Argo.
"Strange, wonder if there are any deals then...?" The beater pondered.
"Hey, this is a serious situation, pay attention!" Asuna slapped his wrist to keep him from snooping around, then glared at Argo. "Same for you, Argo,"
"Hey, just lookin', ya know how it goes for lil ol' mE," Argo grinned, turning around sharply from the warrior princess' gaze.
"Why did you bring us here, Shirayuki?" Nagi asked, bringing the conversation back to the shinobi in question.
She turned to them with a confident smile. "My fellow allies felt the need to accommodate yourself and your friends, as a token of appreciation in purifying the shrines with me, a monumental task that will only grow tougher. Nevertheless, they were compelled to reward your valour and our victories with these gifts," She snapped her fingers, and a gust of wind shot past the group, now, several of the same item appeared in their hands. She chuckled. "As you can quite tell, they are very excited."
"N-no kiddiN'..." Argo gulped, hugging Nagi's side at the swift actions of the ninjas.
"Huh, we didn't get one?" Klein blinked, looking between Ran and Nagi. But the unphased look on Shirayuki's face told them their was an ulterior motive as to why.
"Feeling a transformation sequence coming on...~" Artorias sang under her breath.
"Please, try it on, as for you, Young Ran, Samurai Klein, Young Shinobi, please wait a moment," Nagi nodded to her before a flash of light wrapped around everyone else, forcing them to recoil and shield their eyes. The glare lasted but a moment before that confusion was replaced with shock and awe. "Concealment Charms, very effective for combat - for what is strength without feeling great doing so?"
Kirito wore a black kimono with dark purple down the coat's neck and shoulders, the coat undone. A pair of black hakama pants and his boots. Asuna wore a contrasting red miko outfit with a white flora pattern across the sleeves and hem of the outfit, her hair tied with a red ribbon into a ponytail.
"Woah, this is pretty cool!" Kirito grinned ear to ear like a child, giving himself a once over.
"I love it~!" Asuna was no different, twirling around in her temporary outfit with a giggle, although Kirito tore his eyes away from her before she noticed to avoid being berated again.
Argo had a significant makeover too, her brown hood and green accents changed for a traditional ninja gi, leaving her shoulders and the sides of her thighs exposed under the black cloth with a brass coloration around the fishnets underneath her new black sleeves, crop shirt, and trousers, a gold shuriken imprinted on the gloves. She even sported a white and red rat mask atop her head and a red piece of bamboo covering her mouth that she pulled off.
The way the gi hugged her body, especially with the white ribbon tied around her lower back, the exotic look once more forced Nagi to try and look anywhere else but at the magnified beauty ahead of him. "Gotta say, while not the biggest fan of ninja, they got great tastE," Argo quipped, nodding in agreement to her new threads. But her leer only sharpened over at Nagi who was stealing glances. "Definitely keepin' this onE,"
Daora didn't change much, his rough wolf pelt now reinforced with pads lined with silver scales, his hands bearing silver scale knuckle dusters, his shins the same. Most impressive of all, his back was draped in a white wolf pelt, the symbol of a wolf head on each crest attached to his shoulders with a silver chain. "Hmm..." Not much on words, but the 'Lord of Wolves' found it to be likable.
Yuuki's outfit did a one-eighty too. Her dark colours were replaced with a white kimono with a short skirt instead and a red undershirt, a violet sash tied with a white ribbon around her waist with a magenta crisscross pattern down the left side. A white coat was over this with the sleeves bunched up, red squares forming a diamond on the shoulders with black skin-tight bracers tied with white bows. A magenta thread is woven through the zipper hanging out the bottom. Last, black thigh-high socks and white shoes.
Artorias' equipment hadn't changed much either, applying samurai-style armor padding to her shoulders, bracers, thighs, and shins. She sported a new red ribbon tied around her head like Nagi and his cousins only with a twin tail akin to his boss' fluttering near her back. Last, a scarlet diamond pattern haori.
"And I thought I couldn't love this set anymore..." Artorias whistled to herself, only to be pulled by the hands as Yuuki giggled. "Oh, wow..." She looked really good in that. Was he staring? Probably staring.
"We look so much cooler than before, is it permanent?"
"Not at all, with that charm, you simply remove it, and your equipment returns to normal, as I said, it provides you with a significant resistance to corruption, so wear it when it's most needed." Shirayuki gave an air of caution but a smile snaked its way onto her face. "But you do look the part, and dashing might I say."
"What about us?" Ran shrugged, a little anxious for why she, Nagi, and Klein stood as basic as ever. Shirayuki nodded, and a notification appeared for them all. It was a unique equipment set? Unlike the others, they were given real armor with better stat rolls than a simple charm. Immediately, the three synced up their movements, and hit 'equip'.
First was Klein, the man appeared more like a true samurai in his deep red, black, and gold attire. His red armor with a gold hem shaped like flames covered his shoulders, forearms, chest, waist, and shins down to his boots. A lighter red shirt that transitions to black at his unarmored stomach down to his black trousers. Lastly, a light-red tailcoat wrapped underneath the thigh plates.
Black belts were wrapped around his thighs, biceps, and across the breastplate to the collar. His headband now bore a red and gold metal plate. Klein's reaction was a mixture of manly pride and a kid at the amusement park. He giddily jumped around, punching the air as his sword appeared on his hip. "This is... so freakin' badass!" He cried, rubbing his eyes. "I really look the part now, the stats are near twice the numbers on my old gear...!"
"Seriously!?" Kirito gawked, pointing shakily at him. "H-hey, come on now, show us your stats then?"
"Spill the deets, I'm all earS," Argo grinned devilishly with Yen signs in her eyes.
Ran was next, face flustered when she checked herself in the mirror. The same miko outfit in dark grey appeared only now with a gold fabric tied around her waist into two loops on her hips. Her white socks and sandals were much like Daora's. A black corset with a white shirt underneath, with a navy crop jacket atop them with a white hem. Her forearms were covered by black bracers and fingerless gloves, and a new black headband with a silver plate.
"I-I wasn't expecting this...!" She was shell-shocked as Yuuki wrapped her arms around her shoulders, hugging her like nuzzling her elder sister's cheek.
"You look amazing, Ran, just like your old avatar, huh?!"
"Y-you think so?" She smiled bashfully, brushing her shortsword across her hip.
Last of the bunch, Nagi appeared with his water haori and Crest of Renewal but now his clothing consisted of a white belt and hakama pants, also wearing a white long-sleeved collared shirt under the black jacket, similar to a Gakuran uniform. His Kyahan was a light blue that extended into tabi socks under dark blue and white sandals. Atop his head, other than the white headband with a blue-tinted twin tail was a familiar raven amigasa hat decorated with a water effect around the edge.
"Mmhm, our tailors were most creative with you three!" Shirayuki clapped happily. "Now, you are all accepted truly by my home, though you earned that right long ago, Nagi, Daora, Artorias, Argo - with these, you not only gain the benefit of the charms but it will now take far more than a mere sword to pierce your bodies."
"Thank you so much!" Everyone bowed to the shinobi who couldn't be happier with the results, judging by their faces as they complimented everyone's styles, especially the three that had their new looks become a permanent part of their equipment. If not for the looming battle ahead, they'd have celebrated on just the principle alone.
"Now that we look the part," Nagi began, turning away from Argo and his cousins to clasp Nevermore with his left, sharing Shirayuki's stern gaze. "How do we defend this village?"
She smirked. "With a little bit of chaos of our own."
Outside, nightfall was upon them, and despite being probably a second away from wanting to smash their skulls in for bringing a literal army to their doorstep, the elder, Ahma, laid out the groundwork of the invasion. "Ignoring the foolish efforts of this one-" He jabbed his finger at Shirayuki who winced a little. "-and you outsiders... tonight, the enemy has one single point of entry, the bridge connecting to our home. Your job is to hold this bridge until every last soldier is dead, understood?"
"Yes sir!" Everyone exclaimed.
Ahma then pinched the bridge of his nose, eyeing Nagi. "Young man, you say you've aided this child in her ludicrous quest?"
Nagi was quite surprised to be put on the spot but nodded firmly. "I-I have, but... with all do respect, it isn't ludicrous, her efforts have meant something, and, if not for her, I've have never gotten this far on my own," Shirayuki looked surprised by his words, and although it was hidden, Nagi was sure she was smiling, her scent sweeter.
"I dispelled any notion of chasing after our past mistakes," Ahma shook his head. "Now that very omen comes for us, I suppose this is our hubris," Opening his eyes to meet Nagi's, he gave the young man a look like a worried parent, if only briefly. "Do be sure to mind how deep the pit you wish to jump into goes, not every heart can endure that weight of darkness,"
"...I will," Nagi smiled, looking to his party and friends. "I swear, your home won't fall tonight, we'll make sure of that."
"Kyaa!" He yelled, turning to walk away from the table set up before the large gate. "Yes, yes, just try not to burn the houses! They take an awful long time to rebuild!"
"He's really strange for an old man," Yuuki murmured.
"I heard that, brat!" He yelled back, causing the purplette to yelp and hide behind Ran who sighed, shaking her head in her hand.
"Honestly, Yuuki..." A few chuckled at this before Asuna stood forward with her back to the main gate.
"We'll divide into three groups. Our tanks should situated themselves on the frontlines while others wait above to switch in and allow them to recover, a third team will stand within the village itself to catch any leaks," She instructed, pointing to Kirito. "Kirito, can you allocate teams?"
"Uh, sure, lemme think..." He held his chin, looking over the others. "Klein, Yuuki, myself, and Daora on the frontlines. I'd say their back-up will be Nagi, Ran, Asuna, and Artorias. As for any leaks, we'll leave that to Shirayuki and Argo, mainly Shirayuki since she knows the village better than anyone, and Argo due to her low level but high mobility, she can navigate the village via the rooftops,"
"Sure thing, Kii-boU," Argo shrugged, standing with Shirayuki.
"I will do my best," Shirayuki nodded, hand on her sword.
"Say, I know this is like, a real serious event and all, and if we fail then we could lose Shirayuki and a bunch more," Yuuki began, keeping the whole 'its a game' thing on the downlow around said NPC. Then she smiled, drawing her sword. "But I can't help but feel really excited about this! Like, we've got a single route for the enemy to flow into and its totally like an epic last stand sorta vibe!"
"Y'know, if the threat of death wasn't looming over our heads, this would be fun as hell," Klein smirked, sitting on a barrel as he waited anxiously.
"I mean, there's nothing wrong in feeling that way," Kirito replied, staring up at the sky. "There are times in Aincrad I've had these rushes that drown out my sense of awareness of our situation, so... to put that level of excitement into your combat abilities actually can be beneficial,"
"Leave it to Kii-bou to make a gut feeling all around combaT," Argo giggled behind her hand.
"That's true, it's really his positive quality to always consider combat for any given situation," Nagi nodded in agreement as the ravenette gave them a flat stare.
"You both are dissing me, aren't you?"
"Hahaha! Even in our darkest hour you three continue to bring such optimism with you!" Shirayuki laughed boisterously, the others smiling alongside her. Kirito, Argo, and Nagi all stared for a moment at one another, then fist bumped. "Yes, even in the heat of battle, our emotions are what drives us toward our goals and our triumph, young Yuuki, for that reason, let us show these sinister warriors how we fight!"
"Yeah, now we're talking!" Daora roared, throwing his fists high. "Let's tear them apart and carve our way to that gloomy bastard that stole from us!"
"Heh, for once, I'd agree with Numbnuts," Artorias smirked, drawing her blade. "Who's ready to tear these assholes a new one?"
Soon, everyone drew their weapons, raising the tips together. "LET'S DO THIS!"
As the night descended in a dark veil decorated by a nebula of stars, Artorias tapped Nagi's shoulder, not taking her eyes off the bridge below, their allies and the shinobi of the village standing by, waiting with bated breath. The ethereal light cast down over them illuminating the redhead's pink gaze as the lake glowed slightly. "Say, boss, where'd you think the Seraphic Drops are in this place?" Her question came out of the blue, but then again, another piece to her puzzle was in hiding someplace on this floor.
"I don't know, so far my only guesses are Forever Fall or the Floor Boss," Nagi shook his head, honestly lost in where to go. Artorias didn't withhold her sigh of annoyance, more so at the whole idea than at her friend.
"Right, yeah, figures..." She was growing more anxious by the day, they had some of the ingredients but she was so close to ending her insufferable time trapped in a female avatar that it was starting to eat away at her thoughts more often.
"After this floor we'll work through every other floor until we find this 'Ruinous Gaze' to trigger the criteria needed to mix the potion," Nagi assured with a simple smile, earning a breathy laugh from the redhead.
"Sure, whatever it takes," He knuckled Nagi's shoulder. "...and, uh, thanks, for... putting up with this, and all," She scratched her cheek, unable to say more.
"Anytime!" Nagi's smile was bright enough to make Artorias wince, walking off to the right side of the wall.
"Geez, so bright...!" She winced, rubbing her eyes.
But as soon as their small talk concluded, a loud horn blared from beyond the canyon, and the heavy march of boots and steel in tow. Artorias stopped to glare forward alongside Nagi, their hands to their weapons as everyone shuffled about below, getting into position behind barriers. Kirito and his team drawing their weapons at the frontlines while archers notched arrows above by Nagi's team. Shirayuki stood with Argo behind Nagi at the stairway running flush to the wall.
"This is it, they've come to wipe us out, be sharp, Young Shinobi," Shirayuki warned, tucking her hood up.
"Be safe, ya heaR?" Argo warned softly to Nagi, their eyes meeting under starlight as she frown hid behind the bamboo mouthpiece as she inched closer to wrap her knuckle to the back of his shin, himself smiling softly to her before turning back to the view beyond the lake. He'd keep them safe, no one would die here!
The banners of black and purple were raised on large pikes, and torches carried with them a mass of moving darkness, like a black tongue from the mouth of the canyon as it expanded into the open space at the end of the wide bridge. That was when Nagi and a few others saw the recognizable figure from the suspended temple. A large man atop his steed, the horse decorated in sturdy gold scale armor. As for the man himself, he wore red and black samurai armor with a thick bloodstained white cloak over his shoulders and a decorative helmet that covered his mouth with two brass horns curved backward. The name appeared as Nagi squinted, showing up a deep red.
/Yama the Rider - Lv. 52\
"Shit, he's four levels higher than me..." Artorias grumbled, and she had the highest level of everyone else in their party, everyone still lingering on 47.
Yama slammed his naginata into the earth, causing his men to halt, all wearing blacks with hints of purple, and eerie red, blue, white, or a mixture of the three colours of Oni masks. The rider swung his polearm, pointing toward the gate of Sunsinger village with a loud voice as his steed paced slowly. "I've come for that which you've stolen from us, swordsmen! You dare trespass on our lands, and you, a fractured order of guardians dare to house them!? You stoop so low with every generation, where is your honour!? I, Yama of House Darkness will impale you upon my ragged blade!"
"The only ones who dare trespass are yourselves, where is your honour, Yama!?" To bark back was the equally loud village Elder. Ahma stood at the center of the gatehouse, looking across the bridge with disdain. "A noble warrior who saved many lives, reduced to a walking corpse for a master who deserves no such name for his treachery!"
"Silence, you old coward!" Yama thundered, slamming his blade against the cobblestone road. "You abandoned you masters, you forced your kin to flee and leave the houses to burn! I did not die, I was given a life free from fear and dread, a true, kindred purpose to set our ways to how they were! Discarded relics like you and the disgraced House Light deserve nothing short of extinction!"
Ahma shook his head slowly, his voice loud but filled with disappointment. "Then you truly are no longer the passionate warrior I recall from my youth, you have become this... Thing's pawn," He shook his hand as if to flick a fly out of his sight. "If you wish to do battle, then allow us to reintroduce you to your unattended graves, the soil has been left disturbed long enough." The elder tapped on the wall with a small knock, and suddenly, all archers drew back their arrows, and swordsman below withdrew their blades in fine lines behind Kirito's team.
"Thank you, Elder," Nagi murmured, the old man huffing but did not insult the boy.
"Hmph, you dare to insult our house!? Ride, crush them beneath your boots, rend their flesh with your blades, have the Darkness embrace and drag them down into its crushing abyss!" Yama pointed his blade forward, and a chorus of battle cries rang out over the mountains. There was no dialogue that could avoid this confrontation, no, this was as simple as they come. They either lived to see the dawn, or the questline and themselves would join these undead forever.
"Do you have any idea who you're in the presence of!?" The first of the Dark Samurai on the frontlines slowed their charge as one stepped forward, Daora grasping his ax in both hands, extending it as the sharp ringing made a few flinch at the sudden growth as the dark blade caught the starlight. "I am the Lord of Wolves, the leader of the most powerful swordsmen in Aincrad! My name is Kushla Daora! Come, let your deaths shower me in glory! Hahahaha! YAAAAAH!"
Like a maniac, he charged the high-level mobs head on, swinging his ax wildly as it was cast a dark grey, pulling the wind with it, causing the water to crash against the edges of the bridge in large waves. "Grand Destruction!" He twisted the battle-ax over his head, bringing its full weight down before the sword skills ahead of him could make contact, the blast causing water to fountain around them as the shockwave threw many of the Dark Samurai into the dark waters below, some stunned by the shockwave as through the smoke, Kirito's, Yuuki's, and Klein's blades gleamed in the moonlight. Exactly as planned. "Go my minions! Leave them begging for mercy!"
Nagi smiled warily at this. "Well, can't say he doesn't rally the troops," He spared Artorias a glance, the redhead shaking her head, then she stepped back as several arrows punctured the stone at her feet. "Archers?"
"Yeeep, aw, they created ziplines-" She held up her sword as the wires became taut at the ends as bodies flew from atop the canyon walls toward the wall. "-cute," Charging her blade a deep rose, she swung wide with Horizontal, severing the wires. "I've got up here down pat with Princess to the east, you watch the west case they flank,"
"Got it, be safe!" Nagi waved as Artorias did the same, saluting with two fingers as she blocked another volley of arrows with her shield.
More arrows, some alight flew overhead as shouts and the banging of metal overtook the night air. Nagi dove and rolled onto the ground as some of the rooftops became alight. Like shadows, Argo and Shirayuki dashed from building to building, tossing water to douse the flames while many villagers gathered more water for them to snatch up and pour. Nagi would do the same, but then came the awful pungent smell of blood.
"Uchikesu!" His body twisted sharply, bringing his heel down on a dark grey katana inches from his waist, then, hands on Nevermore as water rushed forward in two sudden strikes, Serpent Slash severing the arm of the Dark Assassin as his health fell to half before Nagi rolled to avoid his lunging fist. Nagi kicked up into a spin, sweeping the air with Whirlwind Slash as the blades of water severed the enemy's head, shattering into pieces. "How did they get through? The only way is over the wall but Artorias and Asuna are up there."
"Nagi!" Just then, another Dark Assassin howled in pain as they were split down the middle by several wide red gashes, the red pigment leaving Ran's blade as she joined his side, back against his as more assassins appear from the shadows, drawing their ninjatos toward them, slowly circling the pair. "They've found a new way inside from the back, they're trying to sneak up on our interior defence!"
"Crap... Argo!" Nagi yelled up as he blocked and parried the first assassin, kicking him with Water Moon as the splash forced the others back so that Ran could drawing her sword from her toes, cleaving the air with Horizontal Square, sending one of the Assassins flying into a nearby stall. Nagi heard the creak of wood to his left, glancing to spot the blonde. "Head for the hidden entrance, we need to know if they've found that way inside!"
"On it," She nodded, leaping away like a black and yellow blur as two Assassins missed with their throwing picks. Nagi could smell the poison, the same kind he could detect lingering on Kirito's team from the poison swamp.
"Okay, let's clear them out, then I'll follow Argo," Nagi quickly explained as both cousins rolled, evading several picks and a thrust skill.
"Block and I'll land the blows!" Ran hardened her glare, blowing a few strands of hair from her face.
Nagi stood tall, taking a deep breath as two Assassins pincered him. The water rippled and swept at his feet, converging around him as the maw of a dragon formed. In total, there were six Dark Assassins, that meant he could strike consistently with the underrated katana skill, Dance of the Water Dragon, with better results. "Here we go... hyrah!"
With a single pivot, the skill motion drew with it the weight of the shinobi, a wail of metal striking the Assassins' blades in one streak only for Nagi's left foot to slam into the left man's head, twisting himself into a corkscrew to slash their backs, knocking them off balance and into the girl's path, Ran sliding onto her back to strike in three successive blows, Sharp Nail exploding with a fountain of red particles through the dark clothes.
Nagi's momentum refused to cease, twisting and turning to use his skill's water effect as a smokescreen, blinding the Assassins as their throwing picks were flung aimlessly and their sword skills struck through the waves of decorative water, being struck at their sides of across the back with the white froth sharper than steel. Ran took this chance to charge straight through their defences, slashing with various two hit skills in her arsenal, the post motion lasting only a second or two, but by then, the would-be Assassins fell like domino, leaving one with violet accents.
The name 'Dark Acolyte' appeared, his level two higher than the others. It stepped back, charging a sheathed skill, his stance familiar to Nagi who angled his form, falling to kneel as two feet stomped and vaulted off his shoulders, Ran holding back her arm with a vibrant red blade as the dark purple crescent cleaved the air between them twice. The Acolyte's Snake Bite missed entirely, and Ran plunged her blade down as his met hers to parry Rage Spike, sparks of silver and red dispelled between them.
Ran stumbled back, catching her balance on her right foot as the left rose to strike the mob across the abdomen, while she hadn't done the Martial Arts quest, she certainly remembered how those that did moved, the sudden strike caused the Acolyte to flinch as the roar of a dragon's maw closed in around his head, eyes wide as the jaws snapped shut, tearing the head off in a single sweep of Nevermore. The headless Assassin crumbled and shattered with ease.
"Hah... nice work," Nagi smiled a little, knuckling Ran's own fist.
"Good luck," She winked, patting his shoulder before racing to warn the others.
Soon after, Nagi ran off through the dark village, far from the commotion stirring on the bridge. If he had stayed a little longer, he'd have heard Asuna's gasp of shock, and if he waited a second more, Artorias' call for his name might've reached Nagi's ears. For the siege was an even strife, one dreadful thought ran through the minds of everyone that witnessed Daora's and Yuuki's weapons tear down the horseback warrior with a single blow each.
The Boss was nowhere to be found, his form turning to dust before the pairs' wide eyes.
If Argo could describe her day, it was stressful. Juggling information gathering on the most deadly floor to date while aiding in the mystery that was the Path of Divine Sakura questline put a strain on the young info broker's expertise, and she had a good handle on her job. Even before SAO, she prodded every top-of-the-line game for the little nuggets of info that would sell big, the accuracy no other broker had, the honesty that came with it too was a rare substance among forums and social media. Say for a few mystery golden eggs like Silent Night.
But tonight struck as one of those times her forward thinking landed her once more neck-deep in trouble, and in a world like SAO, that was a costly risk she undertook everyday. The whine of metal came crashing down, literally severing a building into two halves, creating a blockade of debris and flames at her back as she panted heavily, brandishing her claws in some pathetic excuse for a defence.
/Yama the Rider - Lv. 52\
"Hmph, that old man sends a child to face me?" The horseback huffed, pulling on the reins of his horse to charge in a wide circle in the courtyard they battled within, swinging his naginata in low strikes, the air pressure conjured by the sinister blade tearing cyclones of rubble from the ground to nearly obliterate Argo as she ran and kept low, flinging several paralysis picks at the man only for them to bounce off his armour. She couldn't properly aim like this. "Is that all!? I expected more from a child!"
"Oi, haven't ya any respect for a ladY!?" Argo hissed, moving back as the naginata piercing the ground, giving her the chance to use its length to hop and sprint up the weapon to Yama's arm, claws cast a deep amber, striking with Cutter, leaving several thin gashed over his helmet as he grunted, twisting his arm back to swing up and over his head in a wide arc, clipping Argo's hip as she tumbled across the ground, her heart pounding in her ears as her health took a nose-dive by a quarter. Even her armour wasn't built with defence in mind, she was agile, but where was there to jump too? "I can't run through the fire either, only way out is by leavin' the villagE..." It would be the better choice, she wasn't much help in an event like this, but if she didn't get back and warn them the big brute was inside, they'd be screwed too. "Shit, not much choice, huH...?"
"I'm impressed you can keep smiling so innocently, perhaps you are mad," Yama remarked, the flames at Argo's back made her face darker as she held up her glowing claws, eyes burning gold as her lips curled into a fanged smile as she sweated a little. "I will make your death the first in this dead legacy's ruin." He raised his polearm, the wind swirling around the moonlit blade as it glowed bright white.
The naginata collided with the earth, unleashing a blast of wind in the process that Argo narrowly dodged only to gasp as her eyes locked to the blade dug into the earth. Yama swung upward sharply, conjuring a shockwave of air pressure and debris to skim Argo's left, she kept on her toes, tossing a smoke bomb while drawing several picks to aim for the soft spots of his armour. Flinging them through the haze, she heard them connect, and above the plume of smoke she saw the Poison icon appear.
"Hmph, speed and agility, that's all you got," Then he repeated the action from before to her left while she tried to pivot her body away, only to gasp as the full force of the impact struck her torso, and her body smacked off a burning building, sputtering a cough as she watched her health plummet to a dark orange. Nearly one half of her health was stripped away. It felt like she was hit by a thruster!
Panting, she shakily pulled herself up to her feet again, guarding with her right claw while fishing out a health potion, she needed a way out, but how? "Think, there's gotta be a delay to those wind-up skills of his, that'll be my chance, but at this rate one more attack like that and I;m screweD," She bit her cheek, struggling to find her exit plan.
Yama charged closer, swinging his polearm high above his head like a rotor blade, the light shimmering over its surface. The blade came crashing down while Argo sucked on a health pot, her legs tensed up to dodge at the last second and make a break for it - if she mistimed her dodge a light gust of wind could kill her.
Intense pressure swept through the flames, streaking across the ground to dive upward, slashing across the naginata's blade before it had the chance to come close to the broker, causing it to ring out against a large wave of vibrant water, the splash forcing Yama backward to glower at the shinobi in the water haori that landed in front of Argo, drawing his sword toward him. "You again..." Yama hissed, his horse snorting with uneasiness.
"...Nagi..." Argo murmured, blinking up at him as he swung his blade to his right, the tip poised forwards.
"No more..." He raised his head, his eyes burning with fury. "No one else is dying on this floor!"
The samurai studied him carefully, "You survived the temple's collapse, that child that yells, and the red samurai, as well as the shrine maiden, but it was you I should've focused on from the start, you're crafty, my master warned me of you, and the one behind you," That caused their gazes to flicker to one another before Yama adjusted his position, pulling their glares back. "He does not know why he has visions of you both defeating him, so he sent me to stamp out these distractions, your presence causes him discomfort, for that reason alone I will take off your heads as trophy for him."
"Well ain't that just the sweetest thinG," Argo remarked dryly, staring at Nagi's back. "His attacks are mostly AOEs, can send two shockwaves of debris in a line, and a slam attack too," Her voice was hushed for him alone. She saw him nod slowly, then, water erupted from the tip of Nevermore.
"Striking Wave!" Nagi closed the distance stabbing the samurai's shin before slicing vertically. He then drew his sword over his head, blocking the vertical slant from Yama, followed by a two-handed thrust that forced the raven-brunette back as the naginata swept over his head, drawn into another wide thrust toward Nagi's right, again, parried at the last second. "Thanks to faster opponents, I can counter perfectly, that's how this boss was designed, use the posture mechanic to my advantage!"
The horse galloped around Nagi, drawing out Yama's attacks into wide but powerful swings that kept Nagi on his toes, he parried them but every blow felt like a bus had struck his arms. He moved back to gain some room, but that proved to be a fatal mistake as the horse reared back on its hind legs, and in doing so, Yama tossed his naginata wide on a thick wire, swinging it to cover the distance as Nagi was struck by the first slash across the stomach, but managed to roll under the second and out of range of the third before Yama pulled it back in time to slam the polearm down, blocking Nagi's Ripple Thrust.
Each hit by Yama left a small gauge of 'Corruption', thankfully, with the resistant benefits of the custom armour he wore it didn't build nearly as fast. If the gauge filled, the debuff would trigger, decreasing defence, healing effectiveness from both passive skills and items, but giving a boon to attack damage. And the only way to remove it was to attack consistently enough to dispel it. On a floor this deadly, it could be seen as either a blessing or curse.
"Scarlet Fang," Nagi dove over a low-bearing swing, rolling forward and evading the slam before the waves crashed against the horse's flank, slashing in two vertical strokes before the thrust dug into Yama's right shoulder, vaulting over the boss using Kick-Step, his polearm shaving by Nagi's haori before he landed into a squat, the post motion fading for another burst of aqua from Nevermore's sheath. "Iai!" In a blink, a long crash of waves either side of Nagi splashed, carving a deep red line across the horse and Yama's legs.
The Rider's first bar was now entering the yellow, while Nagi's was a pale green. In a battle of attrition, Nagi couldn't win. Taking this opportunity, he quickly performed both the Kyodo stance and the Haganeri stance, his attack and defence rising while releasing a burst of red energy atop this, furthering his attack strength. "I have to use every skill I can muster, no matter what!" Then his nose twitched, the naginata's blade vibrating a pearl white under the orange flames.
"I will crush your head, foolish shinobi!" Yama bellowed, and in burying the blade into the earth did Nagi realize what was coming. He rolled sharply to his right, a torrent of wind pressure and debris shooting forward and through a building like a speeding bullet. Then another to his left, keeping Nagi rooted between the two passing shockwaves, thankfully unharmed, "Not everyone is as lucky as you!" That roar of mockery forced Nagi's gaze back to Argo, she was already moving away but then the stance of the boss changed. It could do that!?
"Argo!" Nagi yelled, diving in the way of the naginata that swept in front of the horse, scattering a crescent wave of wind and sharp rocks that forced Nagi to guard against, but it wasn't a skill he could parry! The blast shook the air, and knocked Argo off her feet, though her health's regen helped to soften the blow, however, her eyes widened at the state of Nagi's. A droplet of blood below his health bar next to the Corruption debuff gauge now a quarter full. "Hah... hah..."
"You still took to the defence despite the determent to your own life, all to protect this rodent?" Yama derided the boy's actions.
"Of course I did... why is that so hard for you to understand, you're a samurai, aren't you?" Nagi rasped, pushing off Nevermore to stand in front of Argo, clutching a still rather rare pair of items in his left palm. A beautiful, tall, glimmering blue trapezium crystal, and a smaller square green one, "Heal," He whispered, and his health was instantly recovered, dispelling the two debuffs in the process. "Like I said, if you really were a samurai in your past life, didn't you have someone to protect, wasn't that why you fight, well, isn't it?"
Yama held his naginata high, but offered the boy's question some thought. "I am the advancing vanguard of House Dusk, I, and I alone, have brought glory to my house's name, and in the end they drugged themselves of power and greed brought by my victories, the old ways were tarnished and ran through the mud, I will not allow anyone to do so again! You shinobi are the worst, in times of need, your kind fled as the Houses were broken down into nothing but remnants, but with our new House, the sins brought by the past and your failures will be washed away!"
Now, his staff was pointed straight at Nagi. "I ask you again, why is it you stand and fight a fleeting battle? You are no army, you are a single child attempting to carry the weight of the world, a foolish goal and a pipe-dream that has no place on the battlefield!" Yama berated. "You are not special, boy."
"Why...?" Nagi echoed, staring at his bare hand, he was shaking again, just like with Floor 10, when confronting Arawn for the first time, PoH, he was afraid. Bringing his hand under his right, he clasped his katana tightly, and a riptide began to form in a slow halo in front of him, sketching the outlines of a deep sea dragon. "I won't let anyone else die in front of me, I don't care what happens, I'll not let it stand any longer!" His veins bulged, his chestplate shimmering. "My name is Nagi the Water Shinobi! And as her shinobi, I will not allow a single blade to touch her again!"
"Then come and accept you fate you foolish boy!" His polearm burned bright, twisting it in both arms to bring it down towards the earth while Nagi's body was wrapped in a veil of waves.
"Dance of the Water Dragon!" Nagi screamed back, the polearm striking the earth, flinging large chunks of debris in his and Argo's path. He dove into his turns, rotating with the skill motion to slash the first rock in half, followed by two rapid slants to shatter the other two, bringing him face-to-face with the Rider's naginata honing in to impale him.
"Hmph, your luck runs - ah!?" Yama froze up, the water wasn't dissipating, in fact, it only seemed to multiply under Nagi's vibrant blade.
"Renewal!" He chanted, and dove forward, slashing a 'V' along the horse's neck, the third blow swept over Yama's forearm while the momentum carried Nagi to eye level with the Rider. "Renewal!" The water pooled and sloshed again, the jaws of the dragon swept in a winding path through the boss, leaving behind three wide streaks down his sides and back, Nagi gripping the ground with his nails to launch forward, avoiding the backswing of the naginata. "Renewal!"
"Each use of 'Renewal', the bonus skill that comes with the Crest of Renewal allows for a single skill's cooldown to be set to zero again after use, but it progressively takes more health. First 5%, then 10%, another 15%, so on so forth, meaning-" Nagi concentration bled from his eyes, his breathing whistling as he evaded the increased ferocity of Yama's swings and slams. "-I can do this two more times!"
Nagi spun forward, slicing vertically before climbing up the samurai's leg, sweeping his blade across his hip to the shoulder, diving over his decorative helmet to sweep the opposite side, vaulting into a backflip, seeing the naginata sweep by his stomach, the waters of the Dance becoming darker with every stack of damage that was applied. With a bonus skill like this, it made the sword skill viable in any situation. "Renewal!" His final cry and the blade swept down in three vicious strokes across Yama and his horse.
"You pest!" He thundered, thrusting his polearm to dig against Nagi's side. Cutting his already low health further by another 15%, but that only made the raven-brunette's determination harder to sway. "What are you trying to accomplish!? Your body is beaten and ragged with that cursed armour you wear, one more hit from me and you will be nothing short of corpse at our feet, so why... why won't you yield!?" He watched it all in slow motion, the deep marine tint across Nevermore as it closed in on his neck, ignoring the fact the naginata was digging across his side. "Why are you so determined... to defeat me!?"
"HYRAAAAAH!" A scream like no other ripped through Nagi's throat, burying the edge of his katana into the samurai's neck, pressing his feet down against the horse's head as he pushed harder, trying to cut through with the eighteen time multiplier atop his attack buffs. "Cut through, one more swing and it's over!" But only the first bar was gone, and half of the second remained compared to Nagi's crimson health bar. "No matter what, I'll end this!"
Yama wasn't about to let up, using his free hand, he grabbed Nagi's haori, then, with a single twist, he threw him away with a yell, but the attack went through, leaving the boss in the red but not quite dead. "Die you little brat!" He snarled, pulling the reins of his horse to charge Nagi down, pointing his naginata forward.
"Not yet, not yet. not yet!" He repeated, narrowly defecting the harrowing thrusts and slashes that pushed Nagi backward toward the lip of the risen ground, he couldn't find any opening as Yama wailed on him with shorter delays and increased strength behind his swings, his horse bucking to further its rider's momentum. Each strike was like an iron bat, the fatigue was starting to eat away at Nagi, if he let even one attack slip through he was dead, his health was maybe less than 10% now.
Yama positioned himself back, carving out the earth to pincer Nagi between two wind blasts, leaving him at the edge of the battleground to the lower level of the village at his heels while charging him down with the intension to impale him. He couldn't time it right, if he mistimed with Uchikesu he was done for!
The naginata drew near, and Nagi's form wavered, he couldn't stand straight with his sword any longer. "Rah!" That's when a burst of silvery-grey light shattered against the Rider's wrist, severing it with a single, powerful slam of a battle-ax. "Don't underestimate my sharp senses! The second something was up I tracked you down you coward!" Daora bellowed, pinning the polearm to the earth. "Take him down!" He roared to Nagi.
"Ah, hah... graaaah!" With the last of his strength, Nagi plunged Nevermore forward, piercing the wounded samurai's chest with a single thrust, another, rose-tinted blade breaking through from the right side of the boss' chest, Artorias seething with fury as she dug her sword in through the man's back, and the last of Yama's health disappeared, hand inches from Nagi's face.
"Danuja... forgive... me..." They swung his body off his horse, as said stallion shoved Artorias aside to be with his rider, both turning bright blue before shattering between the three.
Quest Completed!
-Path of Divine Sakura: Dusk to Dawn-
Yama the Rider, the right-hand of Danuja, Head of House Darkness, has taken up arms against the hidden Sunsinger village. Defend it and defeat the Rider before a keystone of history is wiped out.
*Ward of Yama the Rider's attack [X]
*Defeat Yama the Rider [X]
Floor 25 | Reward 3500 Col | Calcified Fragment X5
"That was... far too close, idiot," Artorias sighed heavily as he, Argo, and the others all levelled up. He looked to Nagi who started to sway, his health having dropped to a mere few pixels across his health bar. "Crap, Nagi!"
"Hey, are you alright!?" Daora was the one to catch him as he collapsed, staring up at their panicked faces screaming something but he couldn't hear them before his world faded to black.
|March. 29th, 10:25|
|Floor 25, Sunsinger Village|
Sunlight trickled into the cozy room Nagi stirred in, he blinked, staring up at the ceiling as he could hear the distant pounding of hammers and other construction work. So they did survive the attack, that was good. He shifted under the covers, sitting up as his gaze landed on the sleeping brown and green hood that shifted slightly.
"How long was she sitting here?" He pondered, spotting her sleeping face to the left as she snored softly. He didn't smile, however, looking toward the window again, then to his health bar now completely filled. He came so close, a few percent more and his life in two worlds would've ended. He barely noticed it until the others came through for him. "I owe all of you so much..."
"...hrm..." Argo shifted again, this time, her eyelid fluttered open as she raised her head from the bed, yawning before her golden eyes locked to his onyx. It was only a flicker, but surprise and relief flooded her orbs. "K-kaito?"
He tried to smile, but hung his head at her expression beginning to warp with anger. "I-I know, I really suck at keeping my word, I was angry and upset, but-" Nagi held up his hand, forcing a tiny smile. "-that is no excuse for what I did, i-if Artorias and Daora didn't show up then... I would've been killed,"
Just then, her hands grabbed his shoulders, pulling him to face her with her hood down, her stern expression fully visible. "Ya have a funny way of not makin' me worry, do ya know how hard that was to watcH? How... frustrating it was to know that I couldn't do a thing to prevent iT?" She demanded, forcibly supressing the shakiness in her tone. "...I can't fight as a Frontrunner, that ain't my place, and I know its where you're needed, but I won't let you go less you stop blamin' yerself for deaths outta your controL," His body flinched a bit, and her firm grip softened, moving her hands to cup his cheeks, the firmness of her face relaxing, Argo the Rat dropped her poker face, now, Tomo was staring back at him with relief and worry. "Ya can't save everyone out there, KaitO. But when you do, I strangely feel very happy about it, just... remember you have to live toO,"
"...sorry," His voice was quiet. "I'm sorry,"
Argo smiled again, rubbing his cheek with her thumb. "I know, yer a pain in the ass when you get all riled up, but I really like that about yoU,"
Her face was so close now that his cheeks were dusted pink, her hands were tender, holding his face as if he'd break in her hands, he almost did. Holding her waist softly, neither pulled away and instead did something less expected between them. They didn't know what was the right answer all the time, their relationship was 'more than friends, less than lovers', or it had been until now.
"You make it so hard to resist yA..." Her words brushed against his lips, making Nagi's throat dry.
"...you're no better..." He whispered back as the gap closed entirely, pressing their lips together as their eyes shut.
It wasn't something extreme or overly lewd, just them pressing their lips together in even strides to one another. There wasn't some explosion of emotions or 'fireworks' as some described it as. It was fire, kindling and spread throughout their body in a blaze. Soon, their lips parted, both visibly blushing from the intimate moment. Argo was the first to smirk as she nuzzled her head against chest.
"Ya never cease to surprise me, HerO," She hummed, feeling his arms tie themselves around her waist, his head against hers now.
"I... just kissed a girl," He marvelled, staring off into space as her giggle vibrated against his chest.
"That ya did, and pretty well if I'm honesT," Not that she had any grounds to stand on, but what he didn't know won't hurt.
"I just kissed the most amazing girl in the world... and I really liked it," He whispered almost in shock.
"I'd say you're ruining the moment but I'd be surprised myself if ya didn't geek out over thiS," Argo rolled her eyes playfully, hugging him tighter. "Hey, promise me ya won't do what ya did with that item agaiN?"
"Already thought of that when I woke up," Nagi replied.
"Nyehehe, good answeR," She laughed, enjoying their moment together. When Argo leaned back, she eyed his face, specifically, his lips as her hand subconsciously tapped her own, feeling her heartbeat race at the mere idea. "Maybe he wouldn't mind anotheR-?"
*Knock-Knock*
"Hey, Argo, is the main man of the hour awake - huh?" Klein, as kind as he was, shattered the peace as Argo thought of the only strategy possible, and that was to shove Nagi so hard and fast he fell off the other side of the bed, feet dangling up to the ceiling. "Woah, what just happened?"
"J-just fell, all good..." Nagi winced, eyes spinning in their sockets while Argo tucked her hood up, zipping toward the doorway in a flash, startling Klein into moving aside.
"Welp, gotta run a few messages and deets by some others, be back for the big counter attacK!" And without another word, the scarlet faced broker disappeared down the short hallway.
Klein scratched his head, blinking with visible confusion. "Uh, what the heck was that about?"
"Just Argo being... Argo," Nagi waved, staring at the ceiling with a stupid smile. "I really wanted to try that again..."
To Be Continued...
Over 1500 words alone for the armor descriptions, I want to shoot myself, hence why it's only a temp look for the majority for this floor alone, lord knows I hate this. Nagi, Ran, and Klein get to stay permanent with this look since it's their whole vibe. That new ability for Nagi's chest piece is quite something but he won't be using it to the same extent as he just displayed, more so to cut down on skill activation cooldowns maybe once or twice in a fight when needed.
To refresh, every 'Renewal' takes 5%, then an additional 10%, and so on, so in total, without killing the user at max health it would allow for Five skill refreshes. But now it's time for the rematch since Beta. I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Players!
041 - Warrior of Light
Determined to unlock the secrets behind the Tablet of Sunrise, the group gathers for an all-out attack on the mountain fortress commanded by Danuja. A fated rematch lies between them and the final fragment...