|Sword Art Online, Floor 60, The Altar of The End|
|Feb. 19th 11:05|
"Never expected him to be the gentleman type to wait for the whole crowD," Was Argo's first response now that the rest of the raid party had caught up. Her hand then came to rest on his shoulder. "Ya holdin' up alrighT?"
The whole time, Nagi spent recovering from the strain and fatigue caused by wielding the darkness against itself. His sword skills were unbelievably powerful, now he understood why it was such a tempting force, he could clear the game with that kind of buff, if the game would allow it.
Taking a deep breath, he smiled a little. "More or less, Shirayuki and Velkhana kept me alive, that power is... very addicting,"
"If you end up turning into a boss, we're all dead," Artorias' eyes then trailed off to a select few recovering. "Well... most of us,"
"You handled yourself well, you resisted temptation and briefly usurped our enemy's strength," Shirayuki praised, fist to her heart. "I knew you and Klein were the right people for such a journey," At his name, Klein walked closer to hear her out, her back to the great ritual that cast an ominous light over the crater. "My path has been set in stone for so long, a part of me is troubled by what will come after, if this world will seek to anchor me to my quest. Regardless if I am to be trapped or maintain my independence, I will strive to help you make another crucial step to your own freedom; that is my vow to you, my friends,"
"Shirayuki..." Nagi paused, standing up to meet her gaze. "I'm glad we met you, for everything you've done for us, we'll do everything we can to end this quest, so you can walk your own path,"
"Well said!" Klein hooked an arm around Nagi's shoulders, prodding his chest with a thumb. "Doesn't matter what you are, you're Shirayuki, nothing's going to change that,"
"Someone's got a way with words latelY," Argo slipped up between the two boys, wiggling her brows. "Do I sense somethin' special in the aiR?"
"Ah, A-Argo, it's not like that! I'm just tryin' to have a tender moment here, come on!" Klein stepped back, but his face was a little warmer as a result, drawing a chuckle from the group, as well as from Shirayuki who covered her mouth, her features that much lighter.
"While I cannot reciprocate those feelings if they were true, I do appreciate the sentiment; you are a good man, Klein," That alone from the shinobi lit Klein's spirit ablaze, his embarrassment fading with a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head.
"Are you well rested for the battle ahead?" Entering their group, Heathcliff came to address them alongside Asuna.
Nagi stood at attention. "Yeah, the thing is, nothing's happened yet. Danuja effectively challenged me but since then, nothing's spawned or activated,"
"Could it be a form of trigger? Do we need to enter the arena proper before the fight begins?" Asuna questioned, arms crossed as she looked to Mito, her best friend shrugging.
"I and Yuuki went and did a whole sweep of the outer ring, nothing happened, there's not even a path down into the center itself," This only had her features crease. "There's something bothering me about all of this..."
"What is it?" Daora asked.
"Nagi said he spoke to him, the exact moment they made eye contact, so that implies his aggro range reaches the outer ring, right?" All of them nodded along to the reaper who began to pace out of habit. "If that's the case, maybe due to the fact this floor's quest and the Divine Sakura campaign are linked, it requires the people that started it to begin with to trigger the fight?"
Klein and Nagi looked to one another, then to the ritual below. If they stepped closer, would that set the battle into motion? Everyone was ready and waiting with tense anticipation for a battle like no other.
"Say, Klein?" Nagi drew his attention, turning in preparation to step forward and test Mito's theory. "Think we can kill a false God?"
It was a genuine question, but Nagi let slip a tiny, almost elated smirk at the ridiculous notion alone. Klein gave a curt laugh, hand coming to rest over Sol Moeta. "Don't think we'll have a choice, buddy,"
"Then it's best we not keep him waiting," Shirayuki stood between them, tugging her bandana over her nose, eyes sharpened like knives. "Together,"
One foot in front of the other, the trio marched to the very edge of the slanted, outer ring, the wind howled and swirled the maelstrom above, and the in the abyss below. Each of them doused themselves in potions to ramp up all their core stats, an All-In-One potion. They stood at the edge for a few seconds, only the rumbling in the clouds and the occasion crackle and snap of lightning to be heard accompanying this desolate land.
Their heads all shot up slightly, looking above the crater itself were large funnels of cursed flames spiralled from the pits below, gathering with mounds of floating rock and debris from the broken spikes of the crater. Gradually, they circled and compressed into large chunks that orbited a single, pulsing green core, almost like a heartbeat, sending out ripples of energy, igniting rows upon rows of runes and spell circles that magically lined the outer ring.
A column of flames erupted around Danuja, bursting with lingering embers in the air like confetti, his body licked with their cinders as he held his sword forward, gesturing for the warriors to take their stand as a blinding light enveloped their vision. Before they knew it, the trio stood on the center platform alongside Danuja, cut off entirely from the raid party.
"I've been anticipating this day for a long time... you cannot abate annihilation," Danuja taunted, snapping his fingers as several more forced teleports occurred, and on each of the various, large platforms, other randomized parties from the raid appeared, confused and shuffled with other guilds and their respective leaders. "Arise... your work is not yet over, Disciples,"
"What?" Nagi breathed harrowingly as the skies tore open, splitting the seams of reality for three, distinct creatures to emerge with a cacophony of roars more machine than flesh and bone.
From the stars that formed a serpentine constellation, Astrum Deus emerged, its luminous body crackling with the same cinders as Danuja as it loomed over one group to the far left. To the right, bursting from the miasma below, the crab-like armoured unit, Astrum Aureus stomped towards its prey. And to the back, a monster Nagi and his party had never seen, and likely what Kirito and his party contended with.
It was a four-armed knight in worn, faded silver armour and tattered, a cyan cape and waistcloth torn and burned. From the backs of his elbows and shoulders sprouted astral flames from vents, wounds in the air pulsing with the same vibrant energy as it withdrew two massive swords, a single, orange core for an eye in the center of his helmet, overtaking most of its features. Its name in bold, 'Astrum Eques'.
"No freakin' fair, that's all three field bosses at once!?" Klein gawked, but quickly turned his attention to Danuja's steady approach. "Grah, fine, we'll just have to leave it to them, we take him down, they'll likely go down too!"
"Confident you can slay me? Yet you've failed and again," Danuja warned, his bloodlust foul and stale, forcing Nagi's nose to crinkle in disgust.
"Maybe so, but you've got nowhere to run!" Nagi declared, drawing NightSky, its gleaming edge returned to normal, bathing a vibrant current. "The three of us, together, we'll take you down for good!"
High above, Astrum Deus was suddenly brought crashing into the side of the cliffsides, one of its joints impaled upon the hardened ice belonging to Velkhana's tail as its screeched in tandem with the elder dragon. Already, the tides were turning in their favour. Nagi spared a glance over his shoulder, and up where they initially stood, he could spot the winter spirit herself, Isshi, her naginata risen high to conjure her own counter spell.
Beneath Nagi's, Klein's, and Shirayuki's feet, a baby blue rune appeared, granting them a buff, its icon that of a blue flame.
|Buff - Winter's Flame|
Highly resistant to the Corruption Debuff, damage taken from debuff reduced by 25%
Above, Isshi exhaled, using her weapon to keep her balance, a cold sweat running down her face, wearing a weak smile. "This is the best I can offer, do not disappoint a lady after she gave you so much, mortal,"
She had given them the power to usurp the very cursed flames etched into Danuja's body. "Thank you, Isshi!" Nagi praised, and instantly broke formation to lunge at Danuja directly, this was it, there was no turning back now! "Hraaaaaaah!"
Whirlwind Slash was met by its own, corrupt counter, each of Nagi's and Danuja's blows ringing off each other, blasting the arena in small bursts of flames and water. Nagi instantly pulled back, evading two more omnidirectional slashes, inflicted with a small build-up of Corruption as Danuja closed the gap to slam his boot into the boy's stomach, sending him sliding past Klein and Shirayuki, each taking strikes at the Disciple.
Pushing back onto his feet, Nagi watched Klein's blade carve into Danuja's hip, only for his blade to bounce off the cursed flames, straight into two parallel slashes down his back. Danuja vaulting over Shirayuki with the tip of his blade, stretching out his hand to conjure a polearm of dark rime to puncture her right shoulder, shattering it to send her tumbling forwards.
"Our attacks don't affect him?" No, Nagi wouldn't be deterred by this, instantly remembering something from the 10th floor. Flicking his inventory open, he ran around the arena, Klein drawing the boss' ire, their weapons locked. With a gasp, Nagi found them. "There! Klein, catch!"
The older man forced their weapons apart, narrowly ducking under a horizontal cleave, rolling right to avoid a wave of ice in the process to reach up and catch the item thrown his way against his chest. Looking down briefly, his own eyes flashed in recognition, quickly fiddling with the item.
"Employ every trick you desire... your deaths will be for naught-ngh!?" Now, it was Danuja's turn to look confused and shocked, clutching his stomach when Klein's, teal-tinged blade cut through his armour, clipping the torso. "But... h-how...?"
"You're just another corrupted like the rest," Klein brandished Sol Moeta, its blade saturated in cherry blossoms while he tossed the empty, decorative box aside. "So the Sakura Confetti ought to work, right?"
Before Danuja knew it, Shirayuki and Nagi had copied this, their weapons blessed by the divine confetti. His momentarily lapse of surprise fell to apathy, conjuring a new frozen polearm alongside his nodachi, instantly closing in on Klein. Instead of advancing, Klein hopped away from a winding slash with both weapons rotating clockwise, sheathing his katana to draw around and slash the air, unleashing a powerful impact of several, invisible blades crashing into Danuja's own.
Stunned for a mere second, Shirayuki, swept his feet, leaving him wide open to Nagi's Rising Sun, the blazing water imbued by the confetti, tearing into Danuja's health, the corrupt shinobi hurdling through the air, only to spear the ground with his polearm, causing it to release a halo of ice that nearly caught them with the Black Iceblight. Upon landing, he swept his nodachi wide, sending waves of cursed flames and ice.
Diving over each wave, Nagi spun himself with the Water Dragon dance, their weapons crackling together, Danuja forced to step back after each sweep, straight into Shirayuki's rampant slashes at his back. Quickly summoning a staff, he threw himself high and behind Klein who narrowly avoided impalement, swivelling back on his knees to clip Danuja's side with two horizontal cleaves, the dark shinobi stumbling backward only to right himself, entering another spinning whirlwind with two weapons in-hand.
Each struck Klein's guarded stance with enough force to rattle his bones, chipping away at his health whilst the corruption debuff climbed steadily. The final swing sent Klein back on his heels by two meters, a metallic wail in the air. "S-switch!" The pair lunged from his sides, closing in on Danuja's sides.
Their weapons crossed, blocked by the polearm and katana, only for Danuja to watch their skills linger, both twirling once to cleave across his stomach, pushing him back an inch, his head snapped back in time for the tip of Klein's blade to nick his throat with a straight, amber thrust. Carving his staff through the earth, Danuja twisted it and flicked upward, dispersing a vertical line of ice, his sword cast in flames to cleave in a crescent twice, both of which, Shirayuki cut through, braving the cursed flames to bear down on the fallen shinobi, her white blade cast in ice blue.
"3rd Art-!" Four rapid thrusts cleaved against the vicious strokes of Danuja's sword, only for her winding horizontal to cut through both staff and blade, cutting both in half. "Solar Brilliance!"
Slowly falling sideways, Danuja left Shirayuki shocked as her right shoulder was punctured with the rejuvenating nodachi, a glistening, frozen edge coating its broken form. "Power and speed... is all you have,"
"M-maybe so, but if power and speed is what it takes," She twisted her shoulder, wrenching herself free from the icy chill of the katana, the very darkness seeping across Danuja's form, even lacerated by wounds, he barely seemed phased at all, like he was an empty husk. "Then I will draw out all those strengths tenfold!" Lunging, their weapons came to cross into a dome of whites and blues, strips of ice and flames swatted narrowly by Shirayuki's counters, her own stance barely keeping up with the inhuman movements and angles Danuja's body twisted and turned, like a puppet contorted on strings. "Where is your resolve!? Your spirit! Your will to live! Has this darkness truly taken all that made you human!?"
"Do not lecture me!" His voice rose in temperature, slamming the ground with his left fist, itself cracked and split with fissures of sickly cinders and biting, dark blue crystals. The first blow sent forth a ripple of ice, then a second of flames, each blow to the ground cracked the earth, drawing out a rumbling from the plateau as his fury ignited half the ground, all three of them engulfed in a brief, mighty blaze, the Corruption tearing over a quarter of their HP in a second as they leapt from the radius of the blast.
Nagi shook his head, coughing from how the cold air sunk into his lungs, forcing him to grip his chest as if it might explode any second. Using NightSky to stand, the area was smothered in a layer of frost, fissures in the earth ejecting small plumes of emerald flames. Looking around, his eyes widened with a strained gasp. Shirayuki was dangling over an edge, using her own weapon as an anchor point. Klein had caught her free hand... but had three shards of ice ran through his back as he fell to a knee, heath trickling down into the dark amber with a shivering rasp.
"Klein! Shirayuki!" It was slippery, making it difficult for Nagi to find his footing, especially when Danuja's attention was drawn away from him.
"Farewell, the last of the Winter Shinobi," With a flick of his blade through the ground, another wave of dark rime burrowed towards the pair unable to evade, their pupils dilating.
Or, that's what Danuja anticipated, had a single rush of water not cleaved through the ice, tossing shards through the air as he traced the arc of the sword skill to Nagi's position, unleashing two slants of flames, each dispersed by a pair of parallel, vertical lines, crashing through the ember like an ocean tide.
"His movements have grown faster... was he not a full strength before?" Danuja questioned, his eyes narrowed and jaded.
Nagi winced, feeling a tightness in his limbs. "Pushing this skill a few seconds earlier... feels like my body's being crushed from the inside! But I can move! It'll only last 10 seconds, good, that's all I need!" Steeling himself, Nagi clasped NightSky in both hands, moving them in a slow circle in front of him, gathering a current of decorative waves. "Iron Code!" Nagi hissed between his teeth.
This pressure surrounding Nagi put Danuja on edge, yet, despite this growth of strength, he remained unphased. "You're no different than the shinobi and samurai, your power may have grown, but that will only lead to your demise,"
"I won't let that happen! The future isn't set in stone, and if it is..." Nagi charged straight, almost with reckless abandon. "Then I'll cut through fate!"
"How pointless!" With another cleave into the earth, Danuja blocked the way with a row of jagged ice that splintered and fragmented like shrapnel, tearing through Nagi's barding. Through the cracks, however, Danuja saw that the boy was unarmed, his sword nowhere to be seen.
Stepping back slightly, Danuja thrust his sword forward, clipping Nagi's cheek before the full weight of the teen's shoulder slammed against his chest, knocking the corrupted shinobi off-balance. Using him as a foothold, Nagi vaulted above Danuja, catching the grip of NightSky, its form cloaked in a cascade of waves.
"I only need one blow to the head!" Nagi felt the rush of energy course through from the tip of his blade, dragging it down through the cold air. "Meteor... FALL!"
The sheer impact sent a geyser of water mixed with Sakura petals into the air, shattering the ground underfoot, a rumbling only muffled by the several other ongoing battles around Nagi. His eyes glowered through the dissipating effects of the composite skill, seeing the first of two health bars disappear, the over barely scratched. Time crawled, his body locked by the unforgiving post motion.
Despite the massive tears through his body, pulsing, vibrant wounds that slowly froze over, turning the black rime a deep crimson, Danuja placed his mangled, left hand to the floor. "In every confrontation of ours, you continue to surpass expectations... however, your sword style is painfully predictable now,"
The surface cracked and webbed, and in a sharp hiss and crackle, Nagi's breath caught in his throat, sent flying onto his side when his right shoulder, stomach, and left shin were pierced by long spikes of ice, costing him another chunk of HP from the Black Iceblight had he not quickly grabbed and shattered an Antidote Crystal, "Heal," He coughed, shakily downing a Health pot soon after.
"It's almost time," Looking to Danuja sharply, the man looked to the other, fragmented parties struggling against the bosses that refused to die, their HP never fell, they were simply obstacles that were meant to be distracted from the main unit, but only three of them were warped to the center island, the others couldn't make that jump themselves.
Without a word, Nagi brought his weapon forward, preparing for whatever Danuja intended to do next. He functioned in a very human-like manner, his attack patterns were far more natural, they didn't follow a set motion or rule, it was as if Nagi was facing another player. Even so, he couldn't waste time, if Danuja had more unseen moves, then Nagi would learn and memorize them to counter, take in every fault and use it as his own.
Grabbing the second-to-last box of Sakura Confetti he had, the vibrant petals were whisked across NightSky, dashing through the winds circling them. "I won't let that happen,"
Eyeing Nagi critically, Danuja manifested a new polearm, dragging both weapons across each other, ultramarine and shamrock sparks spat onto the ground. "You continue to fight against the inevitable... your spirit is strong, worthy of death... join your comrades in desolation,"
*Ting*
Both Nagi's tense features, and Danuja's stoic expression wavered. It was such a minor inconvenience that it almost didn't register with either of them, just the sight of a single, small kunai lodged in the corrupted shinobi's neck. A bright light sparked at its edge, and a small explosion knocked the wind from Danuja's sails, his body nearly toppling over.
Craning his head, Nagi spotted, hidden by some of the lingering clusters of ice, Shirayuki lowering her hand, smiling weakly. "Switch," She whispered, masked by the battles, but her lips were read loud and clear, a single word reinvigorating Nagi's spirit.
"This... is our strength...!" Nagi exhaled, drawing Danuja's gaze a moment too late, bringing the corrupted shinobi to his knees, the tip of NightSky plunged at the man's back, attempting to impale him entirely with one, firm Ripple Thrust, the river flowing around Nagi's shoulders. "Grrraaaaaah!" Screaming with all his might, Nagi wouldn't let this one-in-a-million chance slip by. "Shirayuki paved the way, I won't let her down! I won't let you win! Cut through, cut through!"
Digging his fingers, which appeared akin to claws, Danuja growled between his teeth, attempting to force Nagi back as he struggled against the blade digging into his spine, if he didn't remove it soon, Nagi would easily put him down. More and more, Danuja began to rise, the cold air pressure building around his ragged body, eyes twitching with unrelenting fury.
Nagi's features twisted with pain, his knuckles felt like they'd freeze any second now. "The wound's too shallow, I can't cut deeper than this! I barely had a moment to use any other skill that could pierce, is this one not strong enough!?" No, he had to keep trying, just one last push and he'd anchor Danuja to the ground.
"Get your hands... off ME!" Danuja roared, unleashing a storm of ice crystals to cut and nip at Nagi's body, his blade beginning to slip from the wound in the shinobi's back.
"His wind pressure's... engulfing me!" With a sharp ring, NightSky was thrown backward alongside its master. "Dammit, I couldn't do it!"
Before long, Danuja rose to his full height, his eyes bleeding with malice and contempt, drawing his broken nodachi to bare down on Nagi in a split second, blades of black ice bouncing off Nagi's weapon as he countered the overwhelming strikes. "Your death will not be painless, boy!"
Now, Danuja's sword combined with the swirling cyclone, each blow becoming increasingly difficult for Nagi to parry and deflect. "His attacks are getting faster!? I can't keep up with them!" His own reaction time wasn't nearly as fast as Yuuki's or Kirito's. And every strike felt like a hammer, his bones shivering from each vibration, and the animalistic bloodlust that made him want to vomit.
Thrown back again, Nagi barely register the tip of Danuja's blade inches from his heart, feeling it press his breastplate down, the metal bending from the force-
*Tink-boosh!*
Only for the broken blade to snag between two metal claws burning with violet flames. At a loss for words, neither expected the counter to arrive, let alone from the short, blonde informant, her golden-brown eyes shaken with concentration, swiping high with Acute Vault, leaving a shallow row of cuts across Danuja's chest, but it was enough to force the shinobi into retreating when several small explosions followed the lacerations. Argo had stuck him with kunai in the process.
"A-Argo!?" Nagi rasped, barely believing it to be her. "But you're...-"
"WhaT? I may not be a frontrunner, but it ain't like I can't hold my own when it countS," Argo returned a smug grin, flicking him a wave. "And just sittin' by while ya put yer life on the line time and again just rubs me the wrong way; the two of us, we're both gonna survivE,"
Right, that was the unspoken promise between them. Argo was always putting her life on the line, gathering every inch of valuable information for everyone, and Nagi would fight head on in her stead. So, what would happen if by chance they fought together as well as they gathered intel? In a way, that had never been truly tested.
And besides, seeing her come swooping in to save him dismissed every worry left on his mind, picking himself up to stand beside her. "Alright; you and me, we're going for the win!"
"Nyahahaha, that's more like ya, HerO!" She hunched over, taking off faster than Nagi could even dream of catching up to.
"The broker too? Very well... both of you shall die here!" Fury riddled Danuja's tone, unleashing a torrent of ice blades to converge on the nimble girl who brandished her now golden claws. The frozen strikes closed in, and with a single backhand swipe, Argo left Danuja speechless, her claws shattering the blade, the girl dancing through the torrent, carving through each blow.
On closer inspection, Nagi realized that she wasn't destroying the attacks, she was redirecting them. His own speed kicked up a notch, closing in on her back as she lunged through the chilling mist, carving three deep lines down Danuja's torso, the girl kneeling to avoid his ragged blade sweeping overhead, a moment later, Nagi's boot sprang off Argo's back, intersecting all three gashes with his own slant, sending Danuja skidding towards the nearest edge, blade ground through the earth.
"How... your power is feeble... so how do I have injuries?" His eyes were the size of pins, the veins under his cold, grey skin bulging. "There's no way this is possible!"
"Yer in for a pretty ugly lesson theN," Argo quipped, keeping herself down low, hearing Nagi shift his weight to move beside her.
Danuja closed in immediately, blade drawn down as Nagi's connected in a fountain of water and ice that almost blew them away. Argo caught Nagi by his haori, whipping him forward to counter several follow-up strikes against her. Danuja then slammed into Nagi, throwing him sideways to plunge his blade at Argo who effortlessly dove over it, slashing at his shoulders as Nagi dove from under her to blindside the shinobi with Flash Blow to the chest.
Falling with Danuja's horizontal cleave, Argo slipped by Nagi, gouging out the boss's chest, using her rooted claws to twist and tear out the sides, red polygons sprayed through the air, keeping her head low for Nagi to leap over, Waterfall cascading atop Danuja's risen blade, but the force alone threw the corrupted man backward into a stumble.
Retreating slightly, Danuja unleashed a flowing dance of scorching cinders and frost, converging on them both. Again, Argo cut through the attacks, each splashing off to either side of them before throwing herself backward for Nagi's soles to slap against hers, the girl performing a handstand to thrust him forward with greater momentum, allowing him to brace the flames, NightSky ringing against Danuja's chest only to grind it against his own katana as the momentum tossed them both through clusters of ice and flaming pits, the pair tumbling in their separation.
Closing in, Danuja's blade caught between a pair of long, silver claws, a blur of brown and green lacerating his torso and across his back, the rugged, frozen sword clipping Argo's hip as she dived, the edge of his katana sent skyward by Nagi's with an ear-raking ringing in the air. Swivelling past a wave of ice, Nagi aimed for the monster's throat only for a black, ink substance to form in the air with a tiger-orange hue, dragging Danuja through as he attempted to retreat.
"You're not getting away!" He and Argo gave chase, the portal spitting them out in the air, flung over the massive, luminous body of Astrum Deus as it fired down a volley of silver lasers in every direction.
Argo slid down the boss's back, springing like a panther to cross blades with Danuja only for his boot to slam into her gut, tossing the blonde straight into Nagi's arms as he helped to right her, just as Deus's head reeled down to block their path, another portal appearing for Danuja to flee.
"Get the hell outta of the waaaay!" From the side-lines, Daora's bare hands grappled with Deus's massive head, forcing the boss down into the mud as several other punctured and impaled the beast to hold it down. "Get going, dammit!"
"Nagi!" Mito swung with her throwing skill, Hook Line, allowing the raven-brunette to grab the blade of Soul Fang for Mito to swing himself and Argo over Deus and straight through the new portal, both of them colliding with Danuja, slashing down his back before a halo of cursed flames erupted from his body to toss them back, and coincidentally, away from Astrum Aureus slam attack, the shockwave nearly swiping them both had a familiar, crimson shield not tanked the blow, the sheer force nearly throwing Artorias onto his backside.
"Come on boss, take it down!" Artorias hollered, Shield Bash crackling against the massive golem's right foreleg in tandem with Yuuki's Vertical Arc, the pair thrown back as Aureus reeled, leaving it underside wide open for Nori and Jun's rising sword skills to collide and send the towering beast tumbling in a dazzling burst of colour.
Without a second to lose, Argo took the lead, sliding between the boss's legs to close the distance between her and the portal, diving in after Danuja first, plunging both her claws through the man's stomach, gritting her teeth as his frostbitten blade split down the left side of her face, gouging out her eye and nearly splitting her head in two had she not been so close.
"Argo!" Nagi cried out, the portal shutting behind him.
"Don't ya dare stop now, NagI!" With her downward momentum, she had taken Danuja off his feet, leaving a vast majority of his movements limited.
Seizing her opening, Nagi closed in with a burst of speed, channelling all his focus and strength into Ripple Thrust to close the gap. However, Danuja wasn't about to go down without a fight, swinging his blade in one hand to sever Nagi's left arm, watching the teen tumble from the severing.
"Your efforts... are all... for Nothing!" He readied his two-handed strike, only for a single, snow-white sword to amputate his left, leaving his swing weak and off-balance, Shirayuki sailing by Argo with a smile.
"You should know better... then to let your guard down," She exhaled, falling face-first into the dirt, her eyes lingering on Nagi who stumbled forward, NightSky flickering blue in an attempt to draw out the most basic of sword skills. "Go, end his suffering,"
Finding his footing again, Danuja held firm against Argo's claws dug through his abdomen, aiming to lop off both her arms had his whole chest not jerked with a strained cry, a single, fiery blade bursting from his chest. "Don't got leaving me out of all the action, ya hear!?" Klein grinned, but his eyes were shaken with nerves and determination, locking Danuja in place for only a few, precious seconds.
Even with only one arm, Nagi swung back his right side, putting as much swing and leverage into his remaining arm, hearing the whirr of his skill masked by the flow of water splashing against his back. With a single, emotional cry, he brought his whole body forward over Argo's head, hearing the edge of NightSky ring against Danuja's neck, feeling the blade groove and split through flesh and bone.
Whirlwind Slash's first strike was shallow, clipping through Danuja's throat, but thanks to Argo's firm pose, Nagi's foot bounced off her back, completing his spin to slash with a single, ultramarine cut that faded in the air, severing Danuja's head in a single blow, the look of panic, bewilderment and pain etched into his features as all three collapsed atop one another, the man's headless body bursting into thousands of pieces.
Breathing heavily from exerting so much to pull off the narrowest of victories, Nagi laid there, Argo laying against his chest in the same boat, beside them, Klein was barely able to prop himself up on his elbows. All of them had health in the red, during Danuja's last 10%, he was emitting a constant, damaging field that if they hadn't pushed for DPS when they did, would've likely killed all four of them, even Shirayuki's health had fallen below the yellow.
"You okay, Argo?" Nagi murmured just as she began to move, propping herself up a little to hover over his face, the sweat trickling down her cheek.
"Been better if I'm honesT," She panted, the left side of her face pulsing with the bright wound running down her skin. "Dunno how Arty can see with just one eye visible, gotta be a skill or exploit I don't know oF,"
That had him chuckle, "I don't that's how that works," Craning his head right, he eyed Klein. "Klein, you good?"
"Y-yeah, man, just... phew, cutting it a little close this time?" He smirked a bit, watching Nagi shrug.
"I heard its more heroic if you snatch victory at the last second," Not that Nagi ever wanted to do that again, but SAO wasn't so forgiving.
Sitting upright, Argo sat in his lap, the two looked to see the other field bosses... had stopped. All of them had gone rigid before toppling over, even the one Velkhana held back alone slumped under her claws. Gradually, all three turned a bright, pearlescent white and shattered as they should've previously, their polygons drifting off towards the teeth of the crater.
Beneath them, each of the intricate spell circles extinguished and faded away, the sight of which brought out a collection of cheers and applause from across the crater from the surviving players, some sat along the edges to clap and wave. Yet, the faint scent of blood lingered in the air, and Nagi's eyes met with a pair of dull, grey eyes not far away.
"Tell me... are they... the ones who will... see it through?" Danuja's voice was faint, whatever warmth left in his voice had died long ago, the corruption had taken almost all that he was, even at the very end.
Shirayuki stepped forward, using her sheathed blade as a walking stick to face him solemnly, tugging her bandana down to her neck to speak clearly. "They are." She answered with utmost certainty.
For a moment, his eyes widened slightly, coming to settle in the same breath, "...they will... avenge us..."
In that final breath, Danuja's head turned to shards of glass, flickering away in the air. It was over, the last of the Abyss' disciples had been slain, they had succeeded in preventing a complete power balance destabilization from occurring across Aincrad.
But then, the sky around bled into darkness, a dust storm rumbling through the air, drawing all eyes and ears above. Nagi instantly felt it down in his bones, this was the voice again, the Abyss. In the crackling miasma, a shadow of something truly enormous slithered, coiling through the haze, but along its shadowed body were distinct cracks in its hide, splintering its own power.
"Did disrupting the ritual wound it?" Klein questioned, and he might've been right on that front as the voices punctuated the thick air.
"We had... such hope for you... But you chose... to revel in chaos...!"
Its deeper voice grew into a chorus of hateful screams, a deep, gluttonous roar leaving its unseen maw as it encompassed the stars.
"And in your wake... there will be only suffering! YOU ARE UNWORTHY OF SALVATION!"
Aincrad shook under its voice, the miasma dissipating as quickly as it arrived, the overwhelming presence began to fade, the ritual unable to maintain its astral form as the skies cleared again. They had won, but their biggest threat stood in the way of their progress, and it wasn't going to let them pass so easily.
|Floor 60, Town of Solaris|
|Feb. 19th 12:00|
The whole town was wrapped up in a celebration amongst the Frontrunners, with any welcomed to enjoy the brief respite after several long, stressful days. With the threat of a time-gated quest no longer hung over their heads, everyone could be at ease and focus solely on scaling the Labyrinth for the Floor Boss, and the final boss to the Divine Sakura campaign.
Yet, Nagi sat alone with Klein on a short wall, watching their guilds and other allies mingle. "Guess we've finally reached the end, kinda hard to imagine since Floor 4,"
"Yeah... it feels nerve-wracking, but... I also never would've imagined Shirayuki would become so self-aware by the end of it," Nagi smiled a bit at that, looking up at the sky that had turned bright with stars despite the sinister nature of the floor, the sickening glow of the ritual no longer affecting it. Nagi then smirked at his older friend. "I also never expected you to have a crush on her either,"
"H-hey now, keep that between brothers!" He hissed with a finger up to his lips. "And its just admiration, plus... come on, she's pretty good looking too,"
Nagi could understand the attraction, nodding with a hum. "I get it, I just value something more..." No offence to Shirayuki, but Argo ranked higher in his eyes. Is that biased? Nah. "Speaking of the two lovely ladies..."
"Ah, we have found you both at last!" Shirayuki hollered, holding up a bottle likely filled with that prized Saki of hers. "Come, we have yet to toast, I had extended the offer to the others, as I see no harm in young ones having a small sip, it is only fair to share in this occasion."
"Gotta be responsible adults after alL," Argo nodded, her arms crossed.
"What age are you anyway?" Klein questioned the Rat who cracked one eye open, turning away slightly with a disappointed frown.
"Never ask a lady her age, you should know betteR," Argo tisked, rubbing her index and thumb together. "Fortunately, that intel goes for the modest price of 1,000,000 Col if ya got cash to sparE,"
"O-One Million!?" Klein's voice cracked as he lost his balance and tumbled off the back of the wall, the three laughing at his expense, though Nagi extended a hand down to help him up, but the man shakily waved his hand. "Nah, I-I'm good, probably deserved that round of karma,"
"You'd really put a price on your age, Miss Argo?" Shirayuki was curious, eyeing the short girl who hid beneath her hood.
"It's all about incentive, if there's a demand then there's a sale to be haD, that's my mottO," Argo explained with pride.
"It changes every other week," Nagi whispered to Klein, then noticed the rest coming up the hillside.
"Gathered as you asked, Rat," Artorias jabbed a thumb to Mito, Daora, and even Isshi. Yuuki and Ran being the last to show up. "Not bringing the whole crew?"
"Nah, they're busy with their own little events, so just us," Yuuki waved, hopping forward to throw her arms over his shoulders, resting her head on his right. "You guys kept saying Shira's Saki is pretty good, no way I'm missing out,"
Ran cleared her throat. "Only one drink, Yuuki,"
"It'll be fine, SAO has effects like intoxication set higher to avoid underage drinking, so you'd likely need to down half a bottle's worth," Mito gave her insight to put the eldest of the sisters at ease.
"Yes, I would never offer such a thing to minors if I wasn't careful, you have my word, Miss Ran," Shirayuki offered her confidence, helping Ran to ease up a little.
"Those of House Winter took great pride in sharing a drink after a significant event or accomplishment, I have shared a drink or two with them in the past, such lovely company," Isshi hummed, sniffing the Saki in the air. "I recall one offered some to Velk, if you had seen her face after just a taste, hehehe, I don't believe I've ever seen a mighty dragon nearly brought to their knees in disgust before!"
"Take notes, Numbnuts, next time we fight a dragon, douse yourself in alcohol," Artorias offered with a snicker.
"Huh... that could be useful; Shibayuri, I need more of this stuff!" Daora demanded.
"Unfortunately, acquiring such a distilled Saki is not within my power to obtain regularly, it is why I save it for special occasions, my apologizes, Lord of Dragons," She answered sweetly without missing a beat, and Daora slumped in defeat. "Now come, while the day is young and we have work ahead, let us cherish this moment,"
Collectively agreeing, Shirayuki handed out small dishes and carefully poured the crystal clear Saki, each waiting for the other to be ready. Once all drinks were presented, Shirayuki raised her glass, the others keeping theirs up close.
"In the time we've fought at each others sides, I have never seen greater valour and spirit in the face of adversity; though my quest will soon come to an end, I am truly honoured to have fought alongside you; so, let this be a toast, not only to the end of this journey, but to the many to follow," She raised her glass a little higher. "So, to your courage, our swords, and our victory as one - may the sun of a hundred worlds shine!"
"Cheers!" All of them raised theirs, quickly bringing the shot glasses down to down the sweet Saki, a few surprised and buzzed by the strong taste reaching the back of their throats.
"Woah, t-that's strong!" Yuuki coughed but laughed a bit, wiping her lips.
"If this is the part I find out you're a lightweight, Cupcake, we're gonna have a problem," Artorias teased, making her pout and shove his side.
"I could handle my liquor better than you, I bet,"
"Ooooh? Someone's feeling all confident after a big girl drink, cute," He patted her on the head.
"This coming from the biggest girl I know," Yuuki fired back, equally smug, her fists against her hips.
"Both of you can test that when you're older, understood?" Ran cut in with a sharp look at the young couple who turned their heads away from her.
"Ye-yes, ma'am..." Neither felt brave enough to argue that further.
"You know, while I have the chance..." Isshi appeared behind Klein with an impish smile. "If I recall, we have an unresolved bet, Mortal, you haven't forgotten, have you?"
"Eh? Wait, you were serious about that?" He leaned to the side as the beautiful winter spirit leaned closer to tap a finger to his chest.
"Mmhm, we spirits take such dares seriously, you know? I wonder what my prize should be, it has been a while since we last spoke, no?" Isshi cooed, making Klein both flustered and extremely anxious. "You needn't look so worried, just a simple deal, nothing too... scandalous,"
"Things are starting to get heated, and not cause of the Saki," Artorias deadpanned, whistling a bit. "Welp, have fun, Klein, I'm starving; what say you, fair maiden?"
Yuuki giggled, rolling her eyes as she hooked an arm around his. "Yes, quite," She made a terrible, posh accent to boot as they left.
"H-hey, come on, guys?" Klein gulped, Mito and Daora heading down the hillside.
"Good luck, Klein," Mito waved.
"You've got this, Red Samurai!" Daora waved a thumb in his general direction.
"Nagi? Argo? Come on, don't leave me," Klein paled.
"Not my fault ya gone and made a bet with a gal who's got a way to wrap men around her fingeR, ain't my fortE," Argo shrugged, she already had one anyway, giving him a big smile. "Lemme know the deets lateR!"
"Isshi?" The spirit looked to Nagi and his lax smile. "You coming too?"
In that moment, Isshi blinked and instantly erupted into a fit of laughter, clutching her stomach as Klein fell backward off the wall again. "You saw through that, huh? I shouldn't be surprised, you're a sharp one, Nagi," She giggled behind her hand. "Ah, if only you were a little older... you may rest easy, Sir Klein, I simply couldn't help myself, your friends are too much fun not to tease a little,"
"R-right..." Klein laid there, defeated, exhausted, and maybe even a little disappointed.
"Yes, I couldn't agree more," Shirayuki smiled, offering Klein a hand. "On your feet, we can't have you falling so often,"
During their stroll back into the town's courtyard-turned-venue, Nagi brought up his menu to stare at a significant change aside from his Col, level, and items. Argo, who was whitelisted as to view his menu whenever it appeared, leaned into his side to stare at it curiously. "Guess this really is the endgame, eh, HerO?"
"Yeah, best we get our fill and get to work," A wary smile tugged at his lips. "What's the saying? 'No rest for the wicked'?"
"Nyahaha, AmeN," His broker smirked, quickly joining their friends to find a place for a good meal.
Quest Updated!
-Path of Divine Sakura - The End-
No more disciples remain. Its armies undone. Face oblivion in the Labyrinth, or rise beyond it.
*Confront the Abyss [ ]
Floor 60 | Reward Unknown
[To Be Continued...]
[Author's Notes]
The End is near. After an action-packed battle, Danuja finally falls for the last time, leaving only a single foe in their way. This next battle is probably my most in-depth one to date, so I'm looking forward to writing it out. I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; see ya in the next chapter, Misfits!
085 - The Black Edge
So you've arrived... we have seen you fight in the light... now... drown in the dark...