A/N: And we're back with a... unique choice for how this arc goes, you'll see in this chapter what I mean. It's time to dive into the fall of House Dusk. Big Review coming up!
To Preussisch Error: I... wow, that was really well put together, you honestly got every point perfectly; I've been doing it a lot more in my work to withhold information instead of just dumping the answer to the reader at the start, I like to at least believe the people reading my work have the ability to think for themselves; that's not an insult, just I want to tease people's thoughts here and there. Artorias remains my most complex character in Misfits, Nagi and Daora have their problems too but I furrowly enjoy writing Artorias' strife.
[Nagi]: You're right, I failed to recognize Artorias' true feelings, next time, I'll do better
[Artorias]: Right, I get it, I'm a asshole, thank you for summing that up... I'll get the beer...
[Yuuki]: Eh? Pfft, 'course I like 'em, he's, uh... m-my friend, heh... s-shut up!
[Asuna]: I think that's good to have more strong players alongside us on the Frontlines. Right, Kirito?
[Kirito]: I-It's not really a big deal with me, more the merrier, y'know?
But in all seriousness, thanks for leaving this review, I feel in this arc I really succeeded in what I wanted to convey. Oh, and, ahem; Frohes neues Jahr! (I'm hoping that's right XD)
Enjoy.
|Sword Art Online, Floor 30, Castle Lumina|
|April. 26th, 11:02|
Castle Lumina, the main settlement of the 30th Floor stood above the dark swamps atop a large hill. A white wall at the base of the hill cut the encroaching swamp from the rest of the town, a mighty old keep situated above the rural town's makeshift tents and huts. Following a main road from the gatehouse wrapped around up toward the keep where two of the better inns and cafes were located, as well as the teleport gate plaza and the main quest, 'The Foreboding Mire' could begin.
The quest was about investigating the growing population of 'Drowned' in the area, but as the group sat down for breakfast with Argo, she closed her menu, leaning back on her chair. "That's about all we got so faR,"
"Even after we all took a break?" Nagi inquired, glancing over the large table set outside for his team and the Sleeping Knights who all munched away while listening to the Rat's intel.
"Pretty much, quest's a tough one, I'd ask for yer help but ya said that Campaign updateD?" Argo prodded a finger at Nagi who turned his menu to 'public' for all to see the updated logs curiously.
Quest Updated!
-Path of Divine Sakura: House Dusk-
The dark swamps conceal many secrets. Shirayuki plans to uncover the truth behind the corruption of the Abyss at its source.
*Meet with Shirayuki [ ]
Floor 30 Castle Lumina | Reward ?
"Seems we've got a heading already, sorry," Nagi smiled back at her apologetically, but felt her foot tap his shin beneath the hardwood table.
"Nyehehe, ya worry too much, got people on it, myself includeD," Argo had a good idea how to proceed, then Siune raised her hand.
"If you would like, we could accompany you on your investigation," The ravenette suggested with Ran nodding in agreement.
"We need to level up ourselves if we're to one day add our names to the Monument entirely," The eldest Konno sibling chimed in with Yuuki nodding eagerly.
"It's a whole new floor with tons of places to explore and quests to discover, count us in!" Then she passed Daora and Nagi an innocent grin. "Guess we'll be splitting up for a while,"
"You better get stronger, I still want to fight you to prove I'm the best!" Daora slammed the table, causing half the plates and drinks to jump slightly.
Argo leaned onto her palm propped up on the table with an eye roll. "Wolfy never learns... can't be healthY,"
"His passion is a good quality," Nagi said the opposite, scratching his cheek a bit. "I'm sure you'll do your best when the time comes, Daora, and Yuuki, everyone, don't worry too much, get stronger and we'll meet up again afterward,"
"Hah, you bet!" Daora chuckled, gulping down his whole drink of juice in one go with Yuuki.
"I'll fight ya later then, promise!" Yuuki offered a challenging glare. "And we'll seeya then, Nagi!"
"Guess everything's set - hold up," Nori put her cup down, looking around. "Where the hell'd that egotist run off to?"
That caused Nagi to smile sheepishly, alongside Argo who smirked, her whiskers twitching. The raven-brunette was the one to answer that with a small laugh. "Ever since we took the day off to recover, Artorias ran off somewhere, he never said where he was going, only that he needed to 'stretch his muscles', what I'm assuming is he's gone to get a better grip of his actual body again, shifting between a female avatar to male after so many months took a toll on his fighting capabilities,"
"Didn't seem like he needed any help during the boss fight..." Jun muttered with a slight hitch of annoyance in his tone, the fallout of what Artorias had done still bit a few harder than most, Jun was still suspicious of him.
"I wanted to go with him, he owes me big for buying lunch yesterday!" Yuuki pouted, her guildmates laughing at her expense.
"Aw, I didn't know you cared so much, Cupcake-" The purplette yelped from the sudden voice behind her, causing Ran to cough on her own drink a bit as the laughter grew, with the exception of Jun who tried to hide a tiny smirk forming. "-I feel loved,"
Standing before them with a sharp grin was the ever-so-charismatic Artorias, now back to his old self. From his status in the party, he had grown another level in his hunts. And with a flick of his wrist, Argo saw a message with a boatload of intel dropped in her face, much to her amusement. "Still payin' off yer debts, ArtY?"
"I doubt I'll ever repay you, especially as of late," He coughed, pointing to her hidden menu. "Got the latest intel for sub-quests you missed out on due to the main questline taking up precious time, should cover the mid-level players, your welcome,"
"You feel better now?" Tecchi asked politely.
"Like a million bucks!" Artorias laughed once, fists to his hips. "You wouldn't believe the kind of liberation this is! Months of being hit on, awkward showers and baths, and the fact my voice, while cool, was feminine when it went beyond a gruff tone, I couldn't be happier!"
Finishing up breakfast, with Artorias grabbing a bowl of vegetable soup to warm up, the two groups said their goodbyes. Argo doing her handshake with Nagi, leaning quickly forward to hug his side. "Seeya lateR,"
"Yeah, can't wait," He murmured back, squeezing her side under her cloak as the two parted.
Off to the side, Artorias was punched in the gut by Yuuki, "Okay, deserved that one," He mused, rubbing his nape. "I'd stick with you guys to return my mountain of debt too but I've got my own contractual obligations to - eh?"
He was caught by surprise when Yuuki wrapped her arms around him tightly, bringing his head toward her shoulder. It felt warm again, much warmer than his soup could provide as her hands rubbed his back softly. Yuuki herself had been meaning to do this since yesterday, she wanted to make it clear her feelings on the matter during Artorias' lowest point. "It's okay... really, I was more upset that I felt I couldn't understand you, and I was scared you would've died in the process, so I'm more relieved you're okay, that's all,"
Artorias stared at her shoulder, that faint scent of lavender in his nose as his hands hesitantly pressed to her back too, closing his eyes briefly with a sigh of relief. "...you really shouldn't be so forgiving, especially to me,"
"Maybe, but I don't like mincing words or how I feel about people," That made her a hypocrite but that wasn't important now. She leaned back, giving him a bright, toothy grin with her eyes closed for a moment to try and hide from her own embarrassment as her heart raced. "Keep Daora and Nagi safe, that's how I know you're still the amazing fighter I've met!"
That actually made him a little flustered, letting her go to scratch his head. "Man... you're really making it hard to appear aloof here... hah, f-fine, you have my word, Yuuki," She opened her eyes again, humming happily in agreement. He felt a bit of heat crawl up his neck, causing him to sharply pivot, marching forward. "A-alright then! Ahem, boss, ready to get this show on the road!?"
Despite Argo's snicker, Nagi smiled, hiding his own laugh at Artorias' flustered state. "Sure, let's not keep Shirayuki waiting - good luck everyone, do your best!"
"RIGHT!" The Sleeping Knights roared, and in passing, Nagi was briefly hugged by his cousins as the trio separated, both parties off on their own quests. Now, it was back to Nagi, Artorias, and Daora for a bit, the mysterious swamps beyond the polished white walls of Lumina stretching into a dark mist.
|April. 26th, 11:10|
Heading to the tents against the walls of Lumina, thanks to Argo, Nagi knew where to go. Leading his friends to a distinct white tent with the banners of a sun over a horizon, the symbol of the Sunsingers, the clan of shinobi Shirayuki belonged to. Getting a nod from Artorias, Nagi parted the drapes to find a cosy tent with weaponry and supplies on tables either side of the entrance, and a large table at the back with three shinobi standing around it and a map of the current floor. One stood out as their head rose, white irises widened with delight and a smile under a black hood.
"Ah, my friends! You've arrived on this floor as well," Shirayuki greeted. "Truly, your arrival, like many other days, is a fortuitous occasion, and who might this new face be next to you?"
"Pleasure as always, Shirayuki," Artorias flicked an informal wave her way. "It's Artorias, I've uh... gotten rid of my curse,"
Her expression brightened further, "You have lifted your curse? Truly a feat to be praised, and I must say, your true form is certainly fitting of your disposition as a warrior, I am thrilled to hear this," Then her boisterously laughter fell. "I would offer you a toast, however, as you are no doubt aware, this floor is home to that of the origin of this insidious corruption,"
The quest updated, a brief exclamation mark over her head. "Yeah, House Dusk is located in this swamp, isn't it?" Nagi began as it disappeared, and the quest step had begun.
Her eyes fell to the map. "Yes, the darkness that seeps through the swamps, giving rise to these Drowned is a troublesome fallout of what was unleashed from below the swamps; House Dusk is north-west of Lumina, we are to venture deep into the worst the corruption has tainted,"
"I saw it from a vantage point early today," Artorias tapped the marked out location on the map. "This whole area is bathed in this constant stream of black miasma over the trees, my guess is, the real ugly boys gather there,"
"Sounds like fun," Daora murmured. "Let's go then!"
"While I share your eagerness-" One of the shinobi spoke, simply titled as 'Shinobi Scout', he motioned to another marked locale outside of the circled area to travel to. "-what used to be another keep like this one, now sinking into the swamps, has seen a rise in Drowned activity, we just about escaped with our lives, it appears the closer we got, the more organized they became, despite their feral nature,"
"Probably to protect what made them," Nagi guessed, crossing his arms with a furrowed brow like Argo. In thinking like his girlfriend, he studied the map. "Any reason to go through this old keep?"
Shirayuki, unfortunately, nodded, placing what appeared to be a tablet akin to the relic of House Sun they assembled on Floor 25, only it's markings were... just like the Crest of Flame! Only the intricate design formed a picture of a wolf surrounded by arcs of wind or perhaps ice. "Yes; do you recall what I spoke of when Sir Artorias requested the original Crest of Flame?" They nodded slowly to follow her words. "Well, this keep is exactly where we must go to acquire the sibling tablet before us. To access the deepest ruins that House Dusk breeched, we will need these keys to unseal the doorway once more in order to uncover the truth,"
"It was sealed? But you said this all happened because it was unsealed," Daora raised a valid point, one the shinobi to the left of Shirayuki agreed with, eyeing her commanding officer as the silverette nodded for her subordinate to speak.
"When this outbreak first began, several higher-ups of both Winter and Flame were present to discuss what laid beneath House Dusk's excavation site; despite perishing those present sealed what they could in the deepest layer of the site with the help of someone from House Dusk, now, that place remains locked up until we could one day destroy a core source of the corruption," She explained for them.
"So we find the crest, go knock-knock knocking on Dusk's abode, and have a little treasure hunt for some eldritch power beyond our mortal comprehension?" Artorias surmised, drumming the table. "Alright-Alright, sounds like we're gonna die, or at least one of us-" He side-eyed Daora. "-I'm in,"
Shirayuki hummed in acknowledgement of this, "Your pride remains unshaken, I expect nothing less," She then turned to the female scout. "Please, remain here and send our report back to our village, they should be made aware of what we intend to do,"
"Ma'am, with all due respect, and to our home's protectors," The male scout interjected, looking conflicted behind his bandana. "Is it wise to unseal this omen? It wiped out all the lingering houses of our time, if left unchecked, it could spell disaster for all of Aincrad,"
Placing a hand on her scout's shoulder, Shirayuki smiled confidently. "Your worry is not misplaced, I for one, am glad I have brothers and sisters willing to speak their minds, despite my rank, I wish to hear all your plights so I may avoid ever losing any of you - to other warriors, our battle with this ancient evil may appear trivial in clearing the guardians of these floors, but I seek no praise, only yours and every innocent life's survival from our ancestors' mistakes,"
"O-of course, thank you, Ma'am!" He bowed his head, earning a pat on the shoulder as the silverette turned to her friends.
"We'll do whatever we can to finally put the Lotuses you gave me and Klein to good use," Nagi assured her.
"Hm, speaking of the Samurai, I am quite surprised he is not with you?" Shirayuki inquired.
"Samurai's about, boss sent a message for him to meet us wherever we're heading," Artorias answered to clear up any confusion.
"In any case, we're ready to leave when you are, Shirayuki, lead the way," Nagi added with a smile, gazing down at the map as his own map data updated at the touch. "I'll need to just send this map to Argo if that's okay?"
"Yes; while I agree with the elves that your strange magic is something I could never perform myself, it is a skill in which I will admire your ability to use," The shinobi gestured for Nagi to do so. "Now, allow me to prepare, and we shall set off to confront what will no doubt be a pivotal moment in our battle against the Abyss,"
"Like there was any other choice," Artorias shrugged nonchalantly.
"Finally, something worthy of fighting in this swamp! Wonder if I'll get a new ax too?" Daora chuckled to himself, rubbing his hand over his shortened weapon.
"Okay-" Closing his menu, Nagi clasped NightSky at his hip. "-I'm ready!"
|Floor 30, The Quagmire|
|April. 26th, 11:38|
Most of the terrain was labelled as the 'Quagmire', an endless swamp with dead, black trees with twisting roots and branches. The land split up into tiny islands where grass bloomed, leaving sudden drops into rivers of mucky water that had pitfalls that a player wouldn't see until they fell deep below the dark surface. So far, four have died to mobs after falling in and getting stuck in a panic. Luckily for Nagi's group, they had Shirayuki taking a distinct path to avoid these hidden traps, though they had their fair share of run-ins with the Drowned, old warriors now drenched in dark miasma and dirt, their attacks dealing Corruption to them, thankfully, they wore their charms to better their resistances, though they didn't need to trigger the cosmetic change this time.
The world smelt damp and rotten in places, even so, Shirayuki spoke. "I should explain to you more of our Houses, to know what it is we face," Wading through the water, she led them slowly. "For my house, Winter, we were honourable warriors, we conquers the coldest climates Aincrad offered us. House Flame were renowned for combating monsters and warding off sinister threats. And as for Dusk? They were inventors, historians, they were more advanced than us, and as one might say, 'they dug too deep', their commitment to discovery led to the awakening of House Sun's greatest foe from before the Great Separation; The Abyss,"
"Ultimately, if we destroy the source of the Abyss here, it'll cease it's spread across Aincrad?" Nagi asked, maybe this was the final step in the campaign? It had been going on since floor four, technically, floor one itself with Klein. And yet, something about the setting and build-up made Nagi feel there was more to this than House Dusk, but he'd likely find out soon enough.
"That is my hope, but it is wise to not grow too confident in a single solution," Shirayuki pointed out, "A shinobi must always be on their guard, though you've certainly accomplished that, I do feel this discovery will yield results we've fought for,"
"There's always more..." Daora replied, hacking through any long-hanging branches in their way. "Stuff like this always has a catch to them, that's why I'm always itching to fight!"
"And we finally have an answer to his stupidity," Artorias waved his arms, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Haha, yes, I do suppose one mystery has been solved," Shirayuki giggled to herself, then raised a hand, forcing them against the side of an island wall.
Something disturbed the water ahead, they couldn't see it, only that the water rippled. It stopped, and the group held their breaths. The cursor wasn't visible either as Shirayuki slowly drew her white katana, the others doing the same for their weapons. That's when over the pungent stench of the bog did another scent flow into Nagi's nostrils. "Artorias!" He pushed a space between them as something hissed and slammed into the island, and that's when the sloshing water revealed a red cursor between them. 'Stalking Serpent - Lv. 60'. "Waterfall!"
Drawing his blade down, the water expanded outward, revealing more of the dark shades of green scales in an arrow-pattern down the serpent's body as two pairs of eyes on either side of its horned head glowered up at him, its health falling by 15%. "Holy shit!" Artorias yelled, stumbling back to channel a sword skill, swinging down in a Vertical arc. The Serpent hissed, curling back into the water as its tail swept out and crashed into the brunette's shield, his back pressed against the island while Daora braced with his now extended ax.
"Move for the land ahead!" Shirayuki commanded, pointing through a wide pond to the larger landmass ahead. "Take to the right, avoid the deeper waters!"
"Let's move it, Numbnuts!" Artorias yelled, blocking the Serpent's snapping bite with his new black grave shield, striking forward with Shield Bash to throw the snake off.
Daora shifted with Nagi, following Shirayuki's instructions while she ran to aid Artorias, her blade rising in a white arc to cut along the Serpent's face as it snapped its head back to avoid Artorias' Slant, arching right to try and bite down on Shirayuki who guarded with her katana, now pinned and dragged up the dirt wall behind them. Artorias grabbed a root sticking out, prying himself from the water to suddenly dive over the snake, a rose-tinted blade swept down in two vertical arcs, waves of dark water splashed wide while the reptile released Shirayuki to dive below, smacking Artorias' shield again as his foot slipped at the edge of a pitfall, now suddenly submerged in water.
"Sir Artorias - grk!" The shinobi hopped back, evading two side bites from the large serpent that dove down for Artorias, ignoring the woman's strikes to its slithering body.
Beneath the waves, Artorias couldn't see much but shifty shadows, realizing why several players have died to these pitfalls now. Holding his breath, he aimed his sword upward, drawing back as a burning crimson-pink glare illuminated the brown haze around him, including the large fangs of the snake inches from his torso. Hissing through his teeth, he plunged his sword deep into its throat, feeling the fangs pierce his arm as the force and momentum of Vorpal Strike suddenly threw his body to the surface, skewering the large reptile into the side of a tree.
"And shove one too!" He snarled, twisting his arm to sever the head in one sweep, Shirayuki having pierced the body to keep it from diving further for Artorias. The boy splashed down into the water next to her, both panting a bit as the body burst into shards. "Okay... I now hate snakes, pitfalls, and drowning all in one,"
"Yes, I find myself agreeing with your assessment," Shirayuki spat some water out with disgust, helping him stand. "Come, before more arrive at the commotion."
"Don't need to convince me," Artorias quickly took off, Shirayuki close behind.
Before long, the two made it to wet but solid land, seeing the water behind them shifting as more Stalking Serpents traversed the waters due to the battle, but they refused to acknowledge them on the shore, a mechanic they were thankful for. Nagi knelt beside Artorias, handing him an antidote potion but he pushed it aside, taking out his own. "Thanks, but I got it - maxed out my mixing for a reason," Sipping it, the Lv. 3 Poison vanished, followed by a health potion to pull his health to pull, Shirayuki doing the same. "Right, serpents, didn't know about that gimmick."
"We should be fine now, seems like we've made it back to a large patch of land, or string of islands, that is," Nagi noted, turning to scan the islands around shallow waters between the groves of dark trees. "Are we close?"
"Almost, over there," The shinobi pointed to a distant rise in the ground through the smog. "That is where the Sunken Keep lies,"
"Then let's not wait around for more of those things to come for us, I want a real fight head-to-head, not some ambush I can't see!" Daora complained, snorting sharply at the serpents below the water, lifting a large rock slowly, or until Artorias smacked it out of his hand.
"You dare, and I'm throwing you in next," He warned, leaving briskly from the shore. "If he dies, I get his gear for upgrade materials,"
"I'd rather that not happen at all," Nagi sighed, but knew Artorias wouldn't let it happen as he looked back. "Let's keep moving, like you said, Daora,"
"I know that, but I'd rather they know not to mess with me," He huffed but didn't throw a rock, leaving with the group quickly.
What none of them saw were the sharp pivots the serpents below made, as several large bumps in the water became visible, a faint outline of a head that spanned the length of two gondolas, its cursor red, and a name pitch black. Then it slowly sank again with a loud hissing snarl.
|April. 26th, 11:45|
The atmosphere shifted slightly. The land rose from the swamp as the group pulled their feet out of the murky depths, one of the downsides to the senses provided by the Nervegear was the unpleasant feeling of wetness from shifting through the swamp, coupled with the damp air and foul smell of the bogs. The 'island' was larger than the ones scattered around with large trees taking up most available land. The name slowly appeared, 'Sunken Twilight Keep'.
"We've arrived... a place I have not seen in years... now reduced to dark ruins of history, truly a spectacle," Shirayuki was in awe, taking in the surrounding lands with a melancholy face.
The keep was a simple square fort that seemed to have slumped and collapsed from where part of the plateau crumbled into the swamp. Leaving the left wall wide open with several walls sitting at slants, sinking into the dark waters. The keep itself was lopsided, aging away as the once white walls were clung with dirt and foliage, the base of the structures turned black. But approaching from the south, seeing a V-Shaped fissure through the wall, they heard the distinct sign of combat beyond.
Approaching quietly, the group took a peek inside to see what became of the interior, as well as who. or what, was fight. A cobblestone staircase remained intact against the north wall, leading up to the collapsing keep above, old underground basement hallways exposed in the earth, suspending the keep like a skeleton. The western wall, collapsed as said, overlooked a large lake too, a few walls marking out where the wall once stood, an old gateway sunk halfway into the mud, the doors long-since rotted away. The ground was solid, however, slowly sinking towards the west wall where several red cursors emerged at the edge of the walls.
'Drowned Stalkers' and 'Drowned Lurkers', all level 60. The Stalkers were once knights now in blackened, muddy armour, bearing old, tattered capes of purple with the insignia of predatory bird in faded white. They brandished from the waters a rusted longsword and metal shield, a pair of red glowing eyes through their European-styled helmets. The Lurkers wore cloth and leader armour, clutching wooden round shields that were rotten, and a short sword equally as mistreated. Their faces were exposed below their cap helmets, a blackened face, almost skeletal with glowing eyes, and gnarled teeth that growled at who drew their aggro.
"Is that...?" Artorias stood up straighter in disbelief.
"Huh...!?" Daora was equally surprised.
A deep purple glare flashed over the swamp, lopping the heads off two Lurkers as more stomped over their bodies that burst into polygons. A large scythe spun around to rest against the player's back, the blade passing behind their legs with both hands clutching it tightly, its crescent blade obsidian in pigment, curving twice upward with the blade's joint shaped like a slanted 'Z'.
The player was female. She was slim with long purple hair braided the exact same way Asuna's was, though she had a distinct lock falling over her forehead with white thread forming an 'X'. She wore a black one-piece outfit with the middle purple under a silver breastplate, thigh high boots with matching colours, and a dark grey cape. A red belt wrapped around her stomach, matching the cuff of her boots and the lines up the sides of her torso.
Her eyes were red too, clouded with anger and signs of fatigue as she stumbled a bit but channelled another sword skill as two Stalkers shambled toward her onto solid land.
Despite her health dropping into the red by now, she charged them, vaulting forward using her scythe to evade their own skills, twisting her body through the air, spinning to delver a horizontal arc, followed by yanking her scythe through their torsos, tearing out red particles before finishing them with a roll and slash across both their breastplates, shattering them.
More Lurkers approached, one hacking down her back as her leg sprang out to slam its stomach, followed by the vertical scythe skill, 'Rend'. She stumbled back, bending her scythe behind her to block the thrust of a sword, twisting the staff into a spin, disarming the Lurker while burying the tip of her scythe into another's skull as it hummed, splitting its head in two with the first vertical, another Stalker tanking the follow-up slash with a shield. The girl spun on her heel, scythe ringing against its shield until it broke under the final parallel line, the four-hit skill, Harvest.
Another sword clipped her hip, Slant throwing her backward into a roll, planting her scythe into the dirt to hold herself as she stood up, trembling slightly. She was far too weak to fight for much longer, but the mobs kept rising from the swamp, their eyes glowing in the dark haze, several skills burning to life like ominous rays of light. Panting, she raised her scythe but saw her visibly shake. "Hah... hah..." One Stalker charged her, blade cast gold. She panicked, trying to raise her scythe to attack but only succeeded in falling backward, watching the blade swing down.
*Tiing!*
Her eyes shot wide again, staring up at the single-handed ax that held back the sword skill so effortlessly. Daora twisted his ax down, his armour set's skill triggering as he reached for the blade's edge. "Graaaaaah!" With a howl, he pulled the Stalker off its feet, twisting to the side to throw the knight across the keep, smashing it into the nearest wall. "Look who's being the idiot now, huh!?"
"Da...ora?" She croaked, still in a state of shock as more glaring blades rushed the wolfman. "L-look out!"
He craned his head back, only for the several sword skills to be swept by a wave of water crashed through the keep, blowing the Lurkers aside. "Switch!" Nagi called.
A burning rose skill skewered one Lurker into a Stalker, impaling them to the ground. A set of feet hopped off Artorias' back, Shirayuki twisting her form as she unsheathed her katana, blasting three more Stalkers back into the water, two bursting into fragments due to the force of Dragon's Breath. Shirayuki landed, smiling back to Daora. "Excellent timing, my friend,"
"Hahaha, yeah, it was!" He beamed, looking down at the purple-haired player. "Stay put, and watch me and my fearsome minions clear this keep!"
"I... uh..." She was completely speechless before yelping as a health potion was tossed by Daora, causing her to fumble with it, going a little red in the face from her predicament. "..."
"Boss, switch!" Artorias drew his red blade over a Stalker's, knocking it high with a rising kick, Nagi stepped in, slashing out from the sheath in two parallel lines of water, blowing the mob back under the swamp. Twisting his hips, Nagi struck down with Waterfall, shattering a Lurker's shield for Shirayuki to switch in, plunging the tip of her blade through its jaw and out the scalp, snapping the neck as it began to glow, breaking away and through the mud in a gleaming haze of thrusts that chained into a powerful spinning horizontal, cleaving apart three more Lurkers and tossing one Stalker into Daora's descending ax.
"Grand Destruction!" The blasting silvery-grey light pulverized the rotting knight, and as the water settled, more cursors surfaced from beyond the west wall. "Tch, how many of these freaks this place got!?"
"Enough to wear us out, there's gotta be something luring them!" Artorias grunted, slamming his shield into another Lurker's, vaulting backward into a spin, his foot cast in pink for a striking Water Moon to the Lurker's neck.
Nagi took a few steps back, Daora taking the vanguard to scatter the clustered mobs with Whirlwind as more shattered from Shirayuki's and Artorias' sheer damage output and ferocity. This gave him a moment to speak with his back to the girl. "Hey, did you notice anything strange when you came here?"
The girl rubbed her head, now back into the yellow as she grabbed her scythe but still wobbled a little, forcing herself to lean against one of the walls of the basement level. "I'm not sure, I... wait," She narrowed her eyes, viewing past the endless horde to the lake. It was hard to tell, but something was off about the dark horizon. "Out there-" Her hand pointed forward. "-there's something glowing, like a crystal or torch,"
Following her hand, Nagi squinted, peering through the haze to make out the faint hue of a light source right in the middle of the lake. He didn't see anything when they approached the keep, so it must've not have been visible due to the dark smog, but from this angle, it was clearly out there. Then and there, Nagi made the call, eyeing the girl, then his allies who's health was slowly dropping into the yellow as well.
"We'll head to the village nearby on the map!" His announcement drew their eyes briefly. "We'll regroup and try again, we need more information; Artorias, clear a path to the gate, we need to get out of here! Daora, help me protect her! Shirayuki, cover our backs!"
None objected, quickly moving as the horde of Drowned closed in. Daora then did something... very unexpected, he grabbed the girl who yelped a bit, and threw her over his shoulder. "H-hey, I can walk!" She struck the back of his head, appearing flustered as he laughed once.
"You can barely stand, quit complaining!"
"You're one to talk about complaints!" She snapped back
"Well, they certainly are well acquainted," Artorias snorted a laugh, drawing back Red Death with a dark smile as it's crimson-pink hue flourished. "Ten Hut! Forward... March!" Releasing the skill, Artorias stripped a devastating line through the horde, his sword impaled through the face of a Lurker as its health plummeted. Digging his heels into the mud, he swung its corpse wide, bringing it across the shield of a Stalker blocking the gate, throwing off its guard. Stuck in post motion, the Stalker struck with its own Vorpal Strike, but its red thrust slid across a grave shield risen before the post-motion affected Artorias, driving the edge into another Stalker.
Artorias finally moved, raising his right leg, the heel drawing down a crescent through its shoulder, Luna Arc breaking the shoulder, reducing the knight to shards. "After you," Artorias did a curt bow, waving the gate clear for Daora to hull his 'luggage' out with a cackling laugh while a slender water dragon carved through the line of Lurkers surrounding them, followed by a 'Renewal' from Nagi who swung three more halos through the crowd before drawing his last slash through a Stalker that Artorias side-stepped to avoid, showering them all in polygons.
Shirayuki severed another head of a Lurker, striking a second with the butt of her blade, following Artorias out of the Twilight Keep, the group sprinting along the bank to escape the aggro range of the undead horde of Drowned. Nagi then noticed it more clearer this time, something darker loomed in the smog, he couldn't quite tell what it was, but a glowing flame lingered at the center. Whatever it was, it made his whole body shiver more than the swamp's water ever could.
|Floor 30, The Quagmire, Town of Eventide|
|April. 26th, 12:05|
Eventide wasn't big by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a Safe Haven once you stepped through an old, wooden archway. Decks and bridges kept you away from the waters below. Two paths, one led left, leading to another archway outside the town to the swamps, and the straight path led to the town itself. It was tightly bunched set of buildings, about six in total. The three visible doors were a shop, the only inn, and an NPC house in order.
All the houses were made of wood with faded painted rooftops, the trees hanging over them with overhangs for most of the exterior walls. Tight paths led behind the buildings to the three in the back, all of them had second stories but the inn's was the largest. Lanterns swayed on wooden posts, NPCs either roamed the town or sat fishing at the edge of the docks. It had a strangely peaceful atmosphere despite its location.
Now safe, the purple-haired girl dusted off her clothes with a bemused expression at being carried to the town. She let out a sharp sigh, "...I suppose I should thank you for saving me back there, not so much for the carrying part, but thank you, I appreciate it," Giving a nod to them, she added. "We've met, or well, one of you has; I'm Mito, solo player,"
"I figured you wouldn't recognize me," Artorias felt that would become a trend for a while. Mito gave him a strange look so he dumbly answered with some dramatic flair. "I am the legendary Red Warrior, also known as Artorias, sup,"
"W-wait, you... your avatar's fixed now?" Mito blinked, the last she met him, he was a redhead with a mean streak with anyone that didn't pay her. And that was back on floor 20. "I... wow, yeah, you don't look anything like your other avatar,"
"I dunno if that was a compliment, but I'm going to take it as one," Artorias smirked, then pointed at her. "That aside, level with me; how in the hell do you know this idiot?" His finger snapped to Daora.
"Huh!?" He squawked back but Artorias ignored him.
"It was some time back on Floor One, we cleared a dungeon on one of the floating islands," Mito replied, looking a little more relaxed than before. "I... I'm glad you're all still alive," That sounded so relieved too, Nagi could smell it since they arrived, she was beyond exhausted, and she spoke with such a reserved tone. "I should get back to questing, I ran into that keep and then those monsters started spawning endlessly, but I should be safe now that I know to avoid it,"
"Hm, it wouldn't be wise to venture out alone in this place," Shirayuki commented, placing a hand to her chest. "Forgive me, I do not mean to discredit your abilities, but these dark swamps are rooted with corruption, I fear there are worse fates than that of Twilight Keep that may attempt to claim your life,"
"What are lovely ninja friend it saying - you need to rest, idiot," Artorias stated bluntly. "Take a look at yourself, you're barely standing as is,"
"I'll be fine, but I appreciate the concern," Mito deflected.
"It's okay," Nagi spoke up with a gentle smile. "Just for one day, then you can go back to questing, we just want to make sure another skilled player doesn't die because her body gave out on her - o-oh, and I'm Nagi, sorry," He put his hand out for her, but Mito didn't reciprocate it, but nodded her head in acknowledgement.
"Right... the Water Shinobi, I remember you helped the Black Swordsman and... Asuna... during the 1st Floor Boss," She kept herself to the side-lines then, so no one would notice her. Exhaling rather irritably, she slumped in defeat. "Okay... I'll rest here for one night, only because I owe you for saving me," That got a small smile out of her.
That brightened up the mood, "Of course, let's go get rooms booked for the inn, then we can take a look around town," Nagi suggested as Artorias patted his chest with the back of his palm.
"I'll go proddin' for intel on the Keep, sooner we figure out the puzzle, sooner we grab that last tablet," With a flick of his wrist in a wave, he left down the walkway for the furthest building.
"Well, let's get moving," Nagi declared, leading them along but did glance over to Mito clutching her scythe as she walked, looking with a thousand-yard-stare. She seemed nice, but whoever she was before had become buried by something eating away at her, enough to drive the girl into fighting constantly without rest. For now, Nagi would stick to his guts and wait to ask her, and hopefully convince her not to leave this town alone.
To Be Continued...
Well, I'm gonna get torn apart for this one. Yep, Mito is in Misfits; this is where continuity hits me on the back of the head. Can't promise my explanation will be stellar but it should hold up to excuse why she's never made an appearance until now. Ultimately, I've made my choice, some people don't like her, but some people don't like Asuna, and I... don't really care, my story, my rules.
Putting that possible live grenade aside, I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Players!
048 - Conflict and Compassion
Having arrived safely to the small swamp town of Eventide, the group rests up for the day as Mito comes to confess to her past mistakes...