|Sword Art Online, Floor 60, Labyrinth Boss Chamber|
|Feb. 20th 15:34|
The interior of the labyrinth followed the same, monolithic structure as all other remnants of the Abyss, taking a minimalistic approach, with sharp angels and sweeping arcs for hallways. The surfaces stark and monochrome, with large, unadorned surfaces, only shades of black and grey. Shadow-laden paths lit with eerie, luminescent accents of pale white. Most unnerving were how staggeringly tall the ceilings were, almost distorting the Frontrunners' perception on how tall and vast the labyrinth truly was, tight corridors appearing abruptly into wide chambers.
But it was the ambient sounds that put players on their toes, when combat was few and far between, low drones, mechanical hums, and even faint choruses of whispers resonated down the corridors, as if the very labyrinth was watching them, observing every action taken within its halls.
This was further emphasized in the lead-up to the boss chamber, the darkness was far more prevalent here, a stairway led up to a staggeringly tall gate, bright, white light emanating from vents located at the base of the corridor's structural supports, and a creeping mist lingered in the air above, the whispers calling.
"Everyone's standing by, what's our plan?" Lind returned to speak with both the guild and party leaders to discuss a strategy.
"We are on the eve of battle against one of the old world's greatest foes, it will employ every method you've seen thus far, no?" Isshi hummed, leaning forward a little curiously.
"All the information we've gathered leads us to believe it'll have the same obelisks and symbols as before, so we should share those callouts with everyone, have them get familiar with them," Ran suggested, arms crossed. "It can use both black ice and cursed flames, inflicting their corresponding debuffs,"
"We don't know how the symbols appear either, so we need people scanning every inch of the arena for those given the Resonance buff," Nagi pointed out. "If I had to guess, there's likely a wipe mechanic for something this powerful,"
"Hmm... none of you can damage it, not as you are," All eyes and ears were drawn to Isshi who played with a few snowflakes between her hands, the wind making them dance and twirl. "This plague has devoured many worlds, even in its weakened state, it will be incapable of suffering lasting damage,"
"Then how do we get around that?" Kirito asked. "There's nothing we found on its weaknesses, unless we missed something and need to double back,"
"You mean we came up here and it was all a waste of time? And we used up a Corridor Crystal to boot," Klein scoffed though jumped when Isshi's hand glided down his cheek for a moment, the spirit giggling.
"Your worries may be at ease, Black Swordsman, the method to circumventing the Abyss's hide is already within our grasp; much like with the dark artefacts you procured to bestow Sir Nagi with darkness, I can do the same with the light," Isshi revealed with her hands wide. "It will require time but I can perform a ritual that a certain House had used to combat the Abyss in the past,"
"House Sun!" Shirayuki realized, then frowned, cupping her chin. "However, won't we require relics of light too?"
Nodding, Isshi raised her hands to Klein and Nagi, surprising them. "But you two have already acquired those very items, have you not?"
"They have?" Yuuki cocked her head, unsure herself.
As for the boys, they instantly turned to one another, then to Shirayuki. "The Lotuses!"
Nagi continued. "All this time, we've been purifying shrines since the 4th floor, converting that corruption into light,"
"Correct, I shall require you both to stand with me as I conduct the ritual, in that time, all of you must prevent the Abyss from interfering, it is smart, it will know why I'm here the moment it sees me, I have been around since the Great Separation, after all," Isshi smiled without a care in the world, but her words and tone were firm and strict. There would be no going back once they stepped inside the arena.
"It's a gimmick fight," Artorias pointed out as he flicked through his menu to sort through his potions, knowing he had their attention. "We hold the line, they get a shiny, over-the-top power boost and save the day with some flashy lights and cinematic flair, bish-bash-boom, no more Abyss playing Doctor Strange with our heads,"
"You sure have a way of making it sound so easy... for you," Mito deadpanned with a light roll of her eyes.
"It's a gift, I know," Artorias winked. "My amazing skills aside, it'll be a battle of attrition, especially since we don't know how mechanics are gonna follow," His light blue gaze slowly drawled towards the towering man in red armour. "Be very insightful to hear what the pristine leader of the Blood Knights has to say,"
Having kept his silence for the debriefing, Heathcliff raised his head a little to acknowledge them. "Our collective information on prior battles will be the basis for our strategy, once all parties are familiar with both the symbols, buffs and debuffs, then we'll proceed. We'll have our best tanks act as the rear guard for this counter-ritual; how much time is required?"
"Hm, many thanks," Isshi hummed. "I'd say at the very least, I'll need twenty minutes, thirty at the most,"
"Guess we've got our work cut out for us," Yuuki sighed a bit, but was nevertheless ready. "Guess I'll go give the breakdown my team,"
"Agreed," Nagi nodded, everyone soon breaking up to discuss and relay their plans, though it was mostly to be played by ear. Nagi couldn't help but feel a little anxious given his role, he and Klein would be effectively unable to aid them, if the spell was disrupted, that could cost them precious time. "No different than the 50th floor, we'll just have to endure,"
While everyone split into groups and conversed with their party leaders, Nagi spotted a lone player leaned against a column, staring up at the sinister doorway ahead. Approaching from the side, Shirayuki's eye caught his movements quickly. "The meeting has concluded, has it?"
"Yeah, Isshi's plan with the lotuses is our way forward, I hope," Nagi answered, watching her nod solemnly. He knew she could hear them, but something else seemed to trouble her. "Are you okay?"
"A valid question, my friend, I... am unsure myself," Her hand came to rest by her chest. "I can feel it, the end of my destined journey lies beyond those doors, it is troubling not to grow anxious of what comes next, or thereafter," She held out her hand to stare down at her palm. "I share in Hotaru's fears, but I am grateful that I am not alone to confront them,"
Smiling, she turned to Nagi fully with acceptance written on her face. "Right now is proof of your honest heart; there is no reason to attempt to comfort me, you gain nothing from the questline for expending energy to bond with me, this is all the reason I require to know I have made the right choice."
"You've gone above and beyond for us, so its natural to return the favour," Shrugging, Nagi held out his hand for her. "Let's wrap this up, then we can drink until the sun comes up tomorrow, hahaha,"
"Hahaha, well said, my friend! Let us rise above this darkness together," Clasping each other's forearm tightly, they exchanged all that was needed in a firm hold and silent stare, just as many began to form into groups and ready themselves. "It is time, you have my sword, I shall protect you throughout the duration of Miss Isshi's incantation,"
"Right, thank you," They soon re-joined with Klein and Isshi, their own separate party established for the battle.
Taking center-stage at the top of the stairs, every party gathered and waiting below, was Heathcliff. He placed his blade-shaped shield in front of him, addressing the raid with the stature and tone of a committed leader, it did always make Nagi wonder what Heathcliff was outside of the Death Game, but with how infrequent their talks are, the man remained a mystery.
"We're about to proceed with the 60th floor boss raid, not only is it a tenth boss, but it marks the end of a significantly long campaign, meaning what we're about to experience is an abnormal fight that requires all parties to constantly draw aggro away from Isshi, Nagi, and Klein until their ritual is complete, we will be unable to sufficiently damage the boss until that time," He debriefed in full, eyes scanning the many gathered teams. "This will be no different than the 50th floor boss, focus on a battle of attrition, and keep your eyes peeled for the various buffs and debuffs listed,"
He raised his shield slightly to slam it down, a clang bouncing off the walls. "Then let the 60th floor boss raid commence!" Turning, he brought his hand to the seam of the doors, the metal humming to life as they split in half diagonally, sliding away into the framework.
In an instant, players poured into the chamber, fanning out to assess their surroundings and gather in their respective positions. The arena was oddly rectangular and elongated with a bright, milky white light pouring in from a triangular ceiling, a gap in the middle. Four large 'ribs' of black steel supported the arena, only the far left had collapsed, the stump having erupted with a vibrant sprawl of bioluminescent spores and vines that reached up to the ceiling.
The floor was flat say for the outer edge which remained elevated with stairs reaching the highest points at each corner. Down the center path towards the back of the chamber were smaller metal stumps with glistening blue crystals cut into trapeziums, the glint of the stone akin to staring into a galaxy.
Once everyone was inside, Isshi clasped her hands together. "Both of you, present your lotuses and I shall begin," At her request, they withdrew from their menus the same items used to purify many corrupted shrines, the petals practically glowing with light, a faint, golden shimmer traversing each petal. Within moments, another of Isshi's magic circles formed underfoot, cast in a similar hue to the lotuses, it was warm, pressing against their clothes.
"Woah..." Klein gasped, looking around at their feet.
"This... will require my full attention... but be wary... the infection is coming," Isshi warned, her brow knitted tightly to weave the last branches of her spell together.
"You heard the questionably suggestive lady," Artorias raised his voice, himself and several of the raid's strongest tanks acting at Klein and Nagi's rear defence.
Kirito pressed a hand to one of the pillars, his eyes squinting slightly as Sachi took notice. "Kirito?" He raised his hand for her to be quiet a moment.
"It's coming from below," Kirito answered, drawing Elucidator to stand beside her. "Everyone scatter from the center of the room!"
Like a flock of birds, the parties instantly fled the area, just as a deep rumbling threatened to uproot the labyrinth, a large fissure splitting the center of the room as a festering, black energy crackled with orange lightning, drawing up from the corridor floor a colossal, serpentine body, stretching a tremendous length as it coiled around the central column. Its body was predominantly dark, muddied browns interlaced with patches of bone-white and grey for each of its segments, giving it an ancient, weathered look. Its covered in tough, thick layers of chitin, the texture rugged with ridges and scales.
Debris crumbled from its body, as if it had been in a cocoon-like state for centuries, releasing a hissing snarl between its massive jaws, which split wide open like a flower head, revealing the single, glowing orange 'eye' in the back of its mouth. Up to five health bars appeared alongside its name in crimson, one that stood out over its God-like visage as four obelisks appeared with a burst of orange light at each of the support beams.
/-\Abyss, The Black Edge - Lv. 100/-\
"You have served... your purpose. All... that awaits you... is the gift of Death... Drown in the deep."
It was the first boss to ever reach the 100th level, truly emphasizing its might in every aspect, and neither Nagi nor Klein could do a thing to step in, only stand and watch.
"That's not what I was expecting at all!" Yuuki gawked, staring up at its maw that began to glow a dark blue. "Evaaaaade!"
With a retch, it spewed a concentrated beam of dark rime, creating a massive wall that shattered in a wide arc off to the left. Some attempted to attack its chitin only for their weapons to bounce off. Slithering towards the back of the arena, Abyss began to glow in certain spots a dark orange, from its maw came a torrent of formless, black matter and orange light, striking several players at once, eating away at their HP.
"H-hey, I got that buff!" "Same here, that blast gave me it!"
Those hit by the beam called to, and Asuna instantly whipped her head around. "Find the symbols for the obelisks!"
One of those struck, that being Daora, watched them run around like headless chickens, inspecting the walkways looping the perimeter of the chamber as he glowered at the beast's titanic body as it slammed the ground, releasing a wave of ice he was far enough away from to avoid. Instead, he watched the serpent climb, revealing its underbelly, and the single, glowing symbol on its stomach.
"First one is Spiral!" Daora hollered, drawing a few eyes as he waved Destroyer at the boss. "Idiots, its on its body, they glow, obviously!"
"I-I found a Star!" Another managed after evading another darkness blast, leaving a build-up of a debuff called 'Supressing Darkness', no one willing to stick around in the blast's fallout to find out what it'll do.
"I got a Crescent!"
Running to each obelisk, Jun waved his arm. "It's this one, back right!" In quick succession, he swung his greatsword down in a vertical cleave, clipping the first symbol just as Nori stuck another with a hammer, and Siune the third. The obelisk chimed and let out a bright burst of particles, causing the obelisk to lock as the orange light drained from the base, the other three obelisks steadily rising in colour.
"That's one, three to go!" Lind reminded them all just as black clouds formed at certain points of the arena, spewing out Corrupted Golems, Mantises, Slimes, and Wyrms. "Adds are in, parties C-through-F keep them off the obelisk runners and away from the ritual!"
"Move it and quit gawking at the damn thing!" Kibaou hollered, even shoving one of his men out from hiding behind a support beam, swinging his curved blade to get them moving.
"The obelisks have the same wipe mechanic as the 29th, not to be a nag but better kick it into high gear people!" Artorias warned, his blade skewering a Wyrm from below with Sachi, leaving its nape exposed to Kirito's winding Horizontal Arc, cleaving through the head.
"We have seen you... offered opportunity... and you squander it!"
With a rumbling hiss, Abyss' maw began to glow a harsh violet, aiming at the ground as the whole base layer began to fester with spell circles made from cursed flames, with a pulse of light, purple flames spiked from the circles, deadly significant damage to a few caught in the radius, sending them flying into the air, all landing with a hard and heavy crash as a result.
"Stand clear of those violet circles!" Heathcliff warned, guarding against a golem's sucker punch, his shield ringing in his fist, leaving it momentarily stunned with a thrust of his shield's point, allowing Asuna and Nautilus to cleave it in two.
Winding back, a loud, whirring noise rumbled deep within the serpent's body, something Nautilus caught on to quickly. "The buff attack, get ready!"
The crooked jaws split and bellowed a cascade of dark light to sweep the room, several people intentionally diving through the attack as it swung by, causing several symbols to crackle and form over its chitinous body. Players rotated around the room, drawing Abyss' ire away from Nagi and Klein who witnessed this with baited breaths as others were caught up dealing with the Corrupt swarm threatening to interrupt Isshi's ritual.
"Ring!" "Octagon!" "H-Helix - ah!"
"Switch out and recover, Obelisk team, find the match!" Ran ordered, splitting an icy breath from a Wyrm in two, crouching for her sister to vault and split the beast down the middle with a scarlet skill, rolling into her landing.
"Front left!" Shivata screamed over the cacophony of battle.
Kicking off the back of a golem, Artorias flung two throwing knives at the obelisk as Mito silently clipped the third Artorias couldn't hit with her own kunai. The projectiles registered, and the same, resonating metal travelled down the structure with a burst of orange light. "Got it!" Mito relayed, or until she felt her world spin, thrown underneath Tecchi's shield as he was thrown sideways when the Abyss's body swung right over them, scraping across both pillars whilst spewing another beam of scorching flames.
A bit shaken, Mito sighed with relief, "Hah... t-thanks," Tecchi gave her a firm nod and helped her to her feet again.
"No more death, no more life. Witness a darkness... beyond your final days!"
"Do you ever stop talking, you freaky worm thing!" Daora growled, his axe digging across the underside of the Abyss, even if it didn't damage it, the impact drew its snarling head towards him, slamming its massive head into the ground behind the dragon-headed teen who cackled, leaping to avoid the slam as it slithered after him. "Ahahahaha, you can't even catch me, and you call yourself a final boss!"
Coiling upward, the beast unleashed another Resonate Spike, the energy dispersing in the air as the raid team repeated the same sequence two more times, the forth obelisk lighting up at the verge of being completely filled with light, a collective sigh from many at the close call, but they had the sequence down, all they had to do was continue this pattern until Isshi's spell was complete.
However, now that all four obelisks were complete, what would that mean for the interlude between phases?
"Embrace The End!"
It visibly shivered, causing large sections of its chitin to crack and shed, revealing festering, green sores that stood out in the monochrome chamber as it unleashed another barrage of laser beams, slithering lower in an attempt to bite any nearby players. Noticing this sudden change in behaviour, Kirito broke away from his side, blade cast a harsh scarlet, allowing Vorpal Strike to carry his weight through the air, skewering one of the wounds on its titanic body.
A splash of colour mingled with red particles, and above them all, his onyx eyes widened upon seeing the top health bar decrease. If no one else had seen it, the Black Swordsman ensured they heard it. "It's vulnerable, ATTACK NOW!"
"So completing those obelisks offers a DPS phase!?" Klein gaped but quickly grinned. "Alright, take that big guy down!"
"Go, all of you too!" Nagi requested off the tanks defending them, a few looking back at his determined features. "It'll only last for a short time, help them while you can!"
"Alright! You heard him, while the mobs haven't spawned in!" One rallied the team to charge headlong toward the enraged boss as every player available descended upon it as it swung itself around, firing off small bursts of emerald flames and navy rime.
For as brief as the damage phase was, the room lit up with an aurora of lights converging on the sickly darkness that made up the Abyss' form, it recoiled sharply under every heavy thrust, causing it to bend straight into lumbering sweeps from tanks and other strength-orientated skills, flinging its head backward, allowing the most nimble of players to scale its ragged body like ants, slicing across its wounds, splitting chitinous hide and flesh buried deep within its ancient body.
At the peak of their climb, Kirito, Asuna, Nautilus and Ran tore through and hooked the jaws, forcing the maws apart for Artorias and Yuuki to bring down a combined Meteor Fall straight through its mouth. The blast shook them off whilst the towering beast howled in pain, spewing smoke as it summoned another array of purple spell circles at their feet, flinging many players to the farthest corners of the room, its wounds closing up with a tremor of deep orange energy, all four obelisks rekindling as the boss lost roughly a quarter of its first HP gauge, even with the combined might of over 40 players, it was almost completely impervious to damage.
"All that and we barely scratched it!?" Sachi couldn't believe it, no boss they've fought was this resilient to all damage types.
"Makes sense, we're holding out for the true damage Klein and Nagi are banking on, this is just sinking in bonus damage on our end," Kirito deduced, it was a battle of attrition at its core. Eyeing his old partner, he smirked a bit. "Just like the 50th, Asuna?"
She exhaled after replenishing her HP with a health pot, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "At least we're all together this time; reposition and prepare for the second rotation!"
"Nagi," Looking up from his lotus still shimmering in his palms, his eyes met with Shirayuki's outside of the ritual's borders, her mouth was covered, but her eyes burned with a hope he had never seen before, a finality that permeated from her soul. "Do not worry, today, we shall shoulder this burden for you both, I swear to you, not a soul will die under my watch,"
"You cannot help but feel empathy for those fighting in your stead," Isshi added between breaths, maintaining her focus but not without giving him and Klein a firm smile. "Your feelings are not lost on them, they fight for they believe in you both, so believe in their will to survive,"
"...I do, but, thank you, I needed that," Taking a deep breath, Nagi kept a still posture, he didn't want to be inactive, and it likely tore Klein apart being grounded to their roles, but all of the Frontrunners have gotten this far, they were all equally as strong as each other, that alone was enough to temper their resolves. "We can do this!"
"Amen to that!" Klein laughed, both keeping their heads in the game, tuning out the roars of the great tyrant at their backs.
For roughly half-an-hour, the raid against the Black Edge raged, for the fourth time, the parties combined their efforts to disable the obelisks, disrupting Abyss' wipe mechanic from going through, leaving it exposed to a brief counterattack, resulting in the loss of its first of five health bars, while minimal in the grand scheme of things, it was a monumentous achievement given their efforts. However, as with the Last Number, a battle of attrition against a boss with no requirement for rest nor items meant their own were starting to thin.
"Wh-what... What is this!?"
"Y'know, my job would be much smoother without the back-chatter!" Artorias, who resigned himself behind one of the pillars, tossed out another batch of vials containing a thick, green liquid, adding to a dwindling pile he had. "Last batch of pots coming up! Spread them out, and write down how many are used, I lost track after fifty!"
Running by, Jun helped Nori scoop them up to distribute them among the frontlines. "Thanks a bunch, Arty!" Nori replied as the brunette waved a free hand, eyes darting down his various crafting menus, pointing at her nose.
"I'm also expecting payment for all this, these materials aren't cheap! Hah, I'm gonna make a killin' after this raid!"
"And there it is," Jun rolled his eyes, or until an agility potion was smashed across his head, making him recoil. "Ack!"
"You want to mass-produce dozens of stat potions in the middle of a raid against Mr Alaskan Bull Worm? Be my guest, Red Rover," Artorias remarked as Daora was seen flying through the air, using the boss' gravity slam to dive and swat it across the side of the head with Destroyer.
"Nah, I'm good/Fair point," Jun and Nori replied and quickly split up, leaving Artorias to his work.
Over by Isshi, Klein noticed something was off. "Say, your lotus isn't glowing anymore, man,"
"Huh?" Having been focused on the boss' attack patterns and the various rotations, Nagi hadn't paid much attention to the ritual. Looking down, his lotus had lost all its lustre, it looked like a plain, pale flower now. Then he realized the same had become of Klein's. "Hey, so's yours,"
"Yeah, is it..." Both turned to Isshi who looked a little tired, her complexion pale despite the ambient hue coming from the ground beneath them. "Hey, you doing okay? You look faint,"
"I've... never performed such a complex spell for so long... hah, not since the Great Separation; I'm not the young spirit of winter I once was, a shame, truly, I fear I may start showing wrinkles," She quipped teasingly, straightening herself with both hands raised towards the duo. Even as a bead of sweat rolled down her face, her brow was furrowed, fixed with concentration. "But it is done..." Soon, her body began to turn transparent, much to their horror.
"Isshi!" Nagi gasped, stepping forward but she shook her head, wearing a brave smile, her eyes relaxed yet again.
"No need to worry, I am simply unable to maintain a physical form, I have used much of my magic, but I shall return to my home, where Velk shall watch over the mountains in my stead until I have recovered, so, this will be a farewell between us; humanity has no need for a winter spirit's strength anymore, not when you have each other," Isshi gave them a final bow of her head. "Use this gift well, my guardians."
A cold wind blew through the chamber, specks of crystal-blue dust was all that remained of Isshi, her spirit leaving them as the spell began to fade, yet, its glow lingered, those specks of light attaching themselves to Klein and Nagi as both hastily looked at one another, inspecting their bodies to find the golden sheen that had been lost to the lotuses now gathered over their bodies, transforming into a rushing aura of radiant light, as if they had become living sunlight.
|Buff - Boundless Light|
Damage is dramatically increased, bonus against Corrupted foes. Skill Cooldown removed.
"Woah!" Nagi was in awe, a hopeful smile tugging at his lips. "Thank you, Isshi!"
"Now we're in business, bud!" Drawing Sol Moeta, Klein's weapon had taken on the same, roaring glare as his body. "Let's put an end to this questline, once and for all!"
Withdrawing NightSky, Nagi clasped it both hands, the oceanic effect of his charging sword skill now a blazing gold stream. "Right beside you!"
"So... you have become true wielders of the light... the only thing left... is to break you!"
Ignoring every other player, the Abyss focused solely on the radiant pair that broke away from the entrance to the chamber, each moving to pincer the boss as it howled loudly, releasing two strafing beams, a wave of flames and ice overlapping in a cascade toward them. Nagi dug his heels in, breaching both waves with a single, golden Ripple Thrust that tore a massive line across the left side of Abyss, his body moving faster than ever before, using every stat enhancement skill he had, even Iron Code had no cooldown before its buff took effect.
Twisting around, Nagi's radiant form how shimmered with a full spectrum of colours that billowed through his clothes; all core stats were increased, attack, speed, evasion, and other enhancements taking on an unbelievable, iridescent effect over his whole body, a state no player could reach without the limitations the Cardinal System had in place, say for now.
Another burst of light ripped through the Abyss, Klein's own fiery appearance matching Nagi's, reflecting every shade of a rainbow as he brought the full weight of his blade down its body with a spin, completing Dance of the Water Dragon as it sent tremors through the ground. "Hah, not so tough now that we're on an even playing field!" Klein smirked, clenching his free fist. "For the sake of the beautiful woman that gave us this gift, and for everyone who's given us this chance, we'll bring you crashing down!"
"If all that awaits us is darkness, then we'll just burn brighter than you!" Nagi hopped on Klein's method acting, smiling as he leapt and spun through the air, evading the hailstorm of ice from above, Abyss turning sharply to barrel towards him, tearing through the ground in the process. Pressing his toes against the lip of the walkway behind him, Nagi leapt between two of the jaws, clipping between them with NightSky as the Abyss' charge wedge his katana through its chitin.
Gripping with both hands, Nagi dragged the full length of his sword down its back as it rose vertically, sending Nagi into freefall, splashes of golden light spewing from the wound left by NightSky. Kicking off the boss' back, he spun around, sweeping side to side, carving through its back and rolling across its rugged body.
Down below, Klein dove forward into the middle of a gravity attack, using it to propel himself like a bullet, weapon sheathed during a slow spin. The boss opened its glowing maw wide, preparing to obliterate the samurai who sliced the open air, a single, massive crescent of light carving through its head, causing the whole serpent to throw its head back in agony, annihilating the second health bar, bleeding down into the third.
"More... MORE, we return the favour!"
Coiling around towards the ceiling, Abyss spread its mouth wide, turning the ceiling into a fiery, emerald hue as it unleashed a bombardment of flaming projectiles, forcing everyone behind a tank for cover, but flames lingered on the ground, making it harder to steer clear of any burning effects. Closing in, Nagi spun right as Klein mirrored to the left, both swept through either side of Abyss' body, then cleaved horizontally into a rising diagonal, spinning once as they climbed its sides into an upward slash, gouging out more of its armour, both performing a handstand into a descending slash, a combined San Ge drawing a downpour of light through its body, erupting in several points, leaving more weaknesses throughout its once impenetrable hide.
Interrupting its attack, Klein raised his guard as he was sent flying by a head charge, his back pressed to one of the pillars. "That all... you got!" He winced, arms buckling under the unbelievable weight, he alone couldn't push it back forever, even with the continuous application of buffs, his health was steadily falling.
"Klein, hold on!" Racing across the serpent's back, Nagi was quickly overtaken by a blur of red and grey, from below, a single grave shield struck the underside of the beast's jaw. Artorias flipped upright, shield clasped in both hands to spike the jaw holding Klein in place, providing enough wiggle room for a chained scythe to wrap around his ankle, prying him free.
"Got him! Thanks, Artorias!" Mito called as Klein's guildmates caught him.
"Hah, you guys are crazy!" He chuckled, raising a thumb to their grinning faces. "Drinks on me later,"
Nagi sighed with relief, balancing himself atop Abyss' back as he was joined by Kirito. "Like we'd sit back and let you two have all the fun," He threw Nagi a light jab to the side.
"Wouldn't expect anything less," Now, he narrowed his eyes. "We've left weaknesses across its body, but it still has two and half bars and is enraged,"
"So focus on stopping big attacks and let you two bring it down," Kirito deduced quickly, nodding. "Alright, I'll let them know, we'll clear the way,"
"Great, thank you!" Both passed by, delivering a fist bump.
Closing in from the back, Nagi unleashed Solar Brilliance, tenfold, piercing along its back with radiant thrusts into a single, devastating cleave split into five like a cyclone surrounding him. From the front, Klein did the same, both skills crossing like a shooting star, the boss reeling back only to be cornered by dozens of players sinking all their skills into its grotesque form. It split the air with another scorching beam, bouncing off the wall of tanks that held their ground against the cursed flames followed by a wall of crashing ice.
"Mid lane move!" Asuna ordered in time for them to avoid being crushed under the slithering mass of chitin.
Sprinting head-on, Nagi and Klein kicked off one foot, twisting like a helix to carve deep through its sides, a pearlescent dragon following Nagi's blade, completing Conflagration with a flick of their wrists, the massive wounds bleeding with digital viscera. "Nagi, one more, straight for the head!" Klein called over the other side.
"On it! Everyone, bring its head down!" Nagi demanded.
"Drown in the deep!"
Abyss' tone shifted angrily, a mass of voices crying out collectively, almost distorting the phrase entirely as more of its body broke apart, whittling it down to a meagre, single gauge. Daora slammed his axe into the lowest jaw, swinging himself in the air as Mito's chain wrapped around his waist, several players pulling with all their might to drag the beast down.
"I'm not about to be bested by some overgrown garden worm! Who the hell do you think I AM!?" Daora howled, digging his nails into the serpent's jaw to pull and twist its head sideways, even as his arms began to burn from the flames produced from its furnace-like throat.
"Heads, Numbnuts!" Two blades pierced down atop Abyss' scalp, Yuuki and Artorias twisting their blade down to the hilt within its body. "Even you can't bring it down alone!"
"Besides, why should you get all the fun!?" Yuuki smirked, listening to Daora grunt but say nothing back as the three were shaken side-to-side by the beast's thrashing. "We need more hits!"
If by some answer from God, a bright green flare struck the back of the boss's head, causing it to lurch when Sachi's spear dug deep through a gap in the chitin alongside Asuna's rapier, both pulling back to widen the gap for Kirito's descending Meteor Fall to erupt in a fountain of bright orange lightning. Either side of the Abyss' head, Heathcliff and the rest of KoB threw their heaviest attacks to draw the head of the massive creature towards the ground. Lind and Kibaou's guilds collectively attacking various wounds across its writhing body.
At the other end of the crevasse the boss had crawled out of, Nagi and Klein leaned forward, tracing a contrail at their backs with their katanas. Diving over the gorge, both landed atop the wriggling boss, sweeping as they moved, their attacks weaving star-like patterns from the visible base of the body towards the crooked head that fought against the constant abrasions, bucking its head akin to a bull.
Yet, it finally shook off Daora, Mito's chain falling with him as their one good tether point was severed. Abyss fired along the ground, ripping through the tanks' defences like they were nothing, thrashing and flinging all other players off the back of its head as its maw began to glow a harsh orange.
"All will be returned to nothing. You cannot abate The End!"
Now, amongst the many buffs the duo had, a new one emerged. a single, black icon labelled as 'Umbral Suffocation', and it was rising fast.
They knew without a word that if they didn't end this fast, everyone here would be wiped out, over 40 players killed in an instant, and what might be the end for every other player hoping and praying for their victory. So neither hesitated, but from how high the boss's head remained, its jaws splayed like a putrid flower, neither could reach it with their Esoteric Skill in time, each at the 15th hit.
"My friends, to me!" Lowering herself to a knee, Shirayuki bowed at the face of her greatest foe, offering her back to their comrades one last time. "Switch!"
Their boots dug against her shoulders, taking that precious push from her body to close the distance, each wrapping around the other, their blades drawn high above their heads. "HhhhaaaaaaAAH!" A deafening scream left their lips, the peak of Boundless Light etched from the top of their heads to their tips of their toes.
Sol Moeta and NightSky sunk through flesh and bone like a hot knife, bending chitin and muscle with a sickening slice of molten metal, neither relenting for a moment, carving from the top-most jaw to the underside of its throat, splitting the head into two massive chunks with a thin slither in between, each smacking against its body with a satisfying ringing of steel.
"W-w-w-we are... Th-th-the En-en-end..."
More cracks formed across its body, causing everyone to flee from the center of the room as it writhed and threw its weight around in defiant pain, chunks of its brittle armor crumbling and shattering against the floor as the glow from Boundless Light infested it, growing brighter and uncontrollable within its monstrous form.
Trembling, its head climbed towards the ceiling, releasing an anguished cry in a thousand voices, the light suffocating as the last slither of health vanished, its whole body spasming before it came crashing down to the labyrinth floor in a massive heap of flesh and bone, wisps of darkness and light trickling from its multitude of injuries.
As the last remnants of Boundless Light left Klein and Nagi, both feeling a massive wave of fatigue wash over them, they stood alongside Shirayuki who bore witness to her quest's greatest foe turning a shimmering blue, its once mighty body shattered like glass, raining down on the raid party who stood in collective silence at the edges of the arena.
/-\CONGRATULATIONS!/-\
To break the silence first was the woman that set it all in motion, Shirayuki stared at the wonderful sight of the boss, shattered into millions of pieces in complete awe, her heart raced, not with adrenaline, but a feeling of liberation, of a peace she had no idea how to express. "It is... finally over." She acknowledged, hearing the first string of applause and cheers fill the air, a sympathy that accompanied the fall of every floor boss, but to Shirayuki, someone who had their whole life built around the fall of this final boss, this meant more to her than any other.
"Yeah, it's over, Shirayuki," Nagi offered a hand to her shoulder, feeling it tremble as she wiped something from her eye. Nagi and Klein shared a brief glance, both patting her back as the shinobi wore a tender smile, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, but she laughed boisterously and proud.
"Yes, my friends, and I could not be any prouder of this victory together!" She didn't feel herself becoming bewitched by this world's design, she didn't feel her sense of purpose fade or being rewritten. This monster has fallen, and she was free to bask in all that came after. With both her arms wide, she pulled them both into a tight embrace, squeezing her eyes shut happily. "I could never have imagined this day without either of you beside me, I thank you... all of you from the bottom of my heart."
"H-hey, no need for waterworks," Klein stuttered out with a cheeky grin.
"We all swore we'd see this through together," Nagi assured her, sparing a glance over everyone else who celebrated and levelled up as a result. "You never needed to thank us for anything,"
"Ye-yes, you are correct," Drying her eyes, Shirayuki collected herself, keeping a firm hold on both their shoulders. "Now, everyone is safe, so you needn't push yourselves, to have your bodies go beyond their limits, even if only briefly, has taken its toll, so rest, we have plenty of time to recover our strength to press onward to the floor above,"
"Ah, good call, my legs are killing me!" Klein dropped to the edge of the walkway like a sack of bricks. "I thought the pain inhibitor would prevent this? Feels like I ran up a mountain all day!"
Nagi slowly lowered himself to his knees, his digital muscles felt sore and stiff. "I guess not everything can be numbed, I don't think I could move even if I wanted to, hehe,"
"Hahaha, a rookie mistake, young shinobi!" Shirayuki laughed, patting their heads comfortingly. "Rest for now,"
Relaxing under her hand, Nagi nodded once. "We will, thanks,"
"Anytime," She smiled.
Or, until something heavy landed behind them. Everyone else had been caught up celebrating and discussing drops they received from the boss and adds alike, that only a select few felt their Detection skills go off. Shirayuki spun around, hand clasped to her weapon's hilt in an instant, not allowing an inch of hesitation to cloud her instincts.
Shakily, Nagi turned his head, catching the pungent scent... of bloodlust. When his left eye peeked, all he could see was the reflective blade-tip of a katana inching towards his face, moving as silently as Death between his allies.
A single, mint green tinge overtook Shirayuki's blade, cleaving upward to parry the weapon as its wielder flew by their faces, coming to land on the arena floor, their dark garbs fluttering in the wind they created. Shirayuki turned and quickly stood between Nagi and this would-be assassin. Now, all attention was drawn towards the man wielding a nodachi, his piercing blue eyes full of tempered contempt.
"...what is he doing here...?" Nagi wondered, his eyes widened with delayed fright at his near-death experience. "...Evet...?"
[To Be Continued...]
[Author's Notes]
The big battle is finally over, the final boss of the Divine Sakura questline brought to a spectacular finish from our leading shinobi and samurai, with help from everyone else on-board to boot! But alas, as sweet as their victory is, Evet has arrived to bring that curtain down. I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; see ya in the next chapter, Misfits!
086 - Solaris
Evet's attempt to take Nagi's life is thwarted by Shirayuki, and he has no intention of fleeing, neither does Shirayuki...