Sword Art Online, Floor 61, Overlook Inn
Feb. 23rd 05:05
The sun hadn't risen yet when Nagi sat alone on the balcony of the inn, staring off over the tops of buildings with a distraught glare, his arms crossed against the railing. Is vision of the city was obscured by various tabs; Inventory, Item Wheel, his own character, Skills, everything to prepare for the labyrinth, he had plans to scout out ahead, test what kind of monsters or traps they were dealing with, just so no one would be caught unawares.
His tired eyes followed the various items as they flew by his vision, but he ended up accidently clicking on his quest menu. Everything from side quests, to the main quests of other floors he hadn't completed, even small discoveries, dungeons, etc. All of it was of little interest to him, some quests would take too long when a single farm session on the previous floor would suffice.
Raising his finger to dismiss the screen, it froze as quickly as the breath in his throat. The last three days, Nagi had completely forgotten about it, he had gotten so driven to improve his strength and abilities, that it never occurred to him...
Campaign Quest!
-Path of Divine Sakura - Journey's End-
The Abyss has been silenced, leaving only the lingering corruption on the world that will wither and decay. However, Shirayuki has left a reward in the most unlikely of places...
*Find Shirayuki's village [ ]
*Discover the House Sun Stronghold [ ]
*Prove you are worthy [ ]
Floor Unknown Reward Blade of Divine Sakura
Shirayuki's quest wasn't soft-locked, it updated after her death. Sitting upright in his chair, he quickly pushed the quest aside and scrolled through his inventory, eyes darting across each line of text until he found it, materializing the item to rest in his hands, like cradling a child. In the lamplight, he could make out the intricate weaving for a katana grip, the white thread perfectly balanced with the black, leading up to a silver guard, that on closer inspection, bore the insignia of House Winter. But above the guard, the blade had been snapped in two, its once pearl-white edge roughly six inches now.
Clutching the broken weapon tightly, to think, it could effortlessly cut down scores of monsters and bosses, only for its durability to give out at the very end. Nagi didn't know where to start with her quest, she mentioned a place prior to Sunsinger Village, where she and Hotaru grew up, no doubt.
He leaned back into his chair, slowly rotating her broken weapon around, he needed to look at things as Argo would. Shirayuki wouldn't make this easy, that's never been her style to teach them anything, but she wouldn't have been vague on its location if she didn't figure they'd know where to look.
Sitting up sharply, Nagi stopped turning her weapon and instead, tilted it to see the insignia branded at the base of the handle, the faint symbol of a sun, the Sunsingers! He realized, briefly smiling at the revelation. If anyone might know, it would be the place that raised her, so Nagi placed her weapon back into his inventory, grabbing NightSky instead as he eyed his Friends List, and a pit formed in his stomach.
If this was a final test from Shirayuki, no doubt it'll contain dangerous enemies too, so after a few button presses, Nagi closed his menu, having turned off Friendly Search, effectively going off the radar so none of them could find him, he'd turn it back on once he saw this through, no one else was going to die because of him, he'd be damned if he allowed it to happen again.
Silent as a ghost, Nagi hopped over the balcony, taking off for the teleport plaza in town while it was still dark out.
Floor 25, Sunsinger Village
Feb. 23rd 06:10
Nagi hadn't been back here since the major part in the Divine Sakura questline, the concealed shinobi village retained its beauty as the sun rose over its farmlands and wisteria trees, including those that hung from the tops of the cliffs surrounding most of the village perimeter. He had to wait until the NPCs were active so it gave him time to look around and explore the streets again whilst attempting to spot a particular NPC.
Walking along the outer wall overlooking the lake and its bridge where they once fended off a horde of soldiers from House Darkness, Nagi's eyes caught sight of the older man with steel-grey eyes and long white hair pulled into a tight ponytail, complete with a goatee. The village chief, Ahma.
Heading down the nearby stairway, his old frame turned to Nagi without even seeing him at first. "You boy, I remember you, the one Shirayuki dragged with those other outsiders," He seemed annoyed but his scent gave Nagi the impression he was the opposite, his gruff voice neutral. "What has brought you here this time?"
Giving the man a short bow, Nagi pulled from his inventory Shirayuki's broken katana. "I... wanted to give this to you, since this is her home, and... I wanted to know where she and Hotaru came from," That had Ahma's brow raise slowly. "In her final moments, she told me they came from another village, but I don't know where that is..."
He ran a hand across his chin, "So it is true, she fell in battle," He took the handle of the snapped blade, inspecting it, moving his wrist as though he were replaying a fight he never witnessed before him. "Tell me, boy, how did she die?"
A lump formed in Nagi's throat, but he found his courage to speak. "She... she died protecting everyone... me from someone who wanted me dead, I..." Closing his mouth, Nagi didn't want him to think she died a pitiful death, that wouldn't be right. "She fought until the very end, her only concern was the safety of everyone else, she was amazing, more than I could ever be."
His steel eyes inspected every facet of the weapon, then, tossed it towards Nagi, causing him to yelp and fumble in catching it between his arms across his chest. "That foolish brat has caused me no shortage of headaches, after her little brat of a sister ran from her duties, then she brings in outsiders and then our village is attacked by another deserter," Ahma scoffed bitterly, watching the tension build in Nagi's features. "...but she was truly the strongest of us all, that incredible will and heart of hers never wavered, and she died a noble death, so I have no need for her weapon, boy, she entrusted it to you, so it is yours by right,"
"I... thank you," Keeping it close, Nagi moved it so it would appear in a smaller sheath attached to his belt under his haori.
"You wish to know of their old village? It's to the far north, one of many settlements that had been caught in the crossfire of the corruption's continued assaults, any that survived fled to Senja or were housed here," He narrowed his eyes at Nagi. "I don't know what that brat's got you digging up, but she wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise if it weren't important," Then, he jabbed a wrinkly finger at Nagi's nose. "But if you so much as bring even a single problem back here, I'll have you dragged across the village by your neck, do you hear me, boy!?"
"Ye-yes, Sir!" Standing perfectly straight, Ahma huffed and tucked his hand back into the sleeve of his kimono, turning away to continue his leisurely stroll. "And thank you!"
"Hmph, damn brats never learn to keep their noses out of trouble..." Ahma muttered nonsense to himself, but he was earnest and proud when he spoke of Shirayuki, even leaving her weapon to someone like Nagi. "Oi-!" Catching Nagi on the verge of leaving the main gate, he eyed the old chief who looked at him like a parent would to lecture a child. "-don't squander this chance she's given you, am I clear, boy?"
Hearing that felt all-too-similar to the things Yuuki and Kirito said to him yesterday, which only made the stinging in his chest sharper, so he gave the old man a false smile. "Crystal, Sir," That seemed to satisfy Ahma, then again, not all NPCs could understand the finer complexities of emotions. The second Nagi's back was turned, he lost any semblance of a smile, marching towards the gates that opened automatically.
Feb. 23rd 06:49
Heading north was easy given the level difference, but actually finding the entrance to this old village was not a simple task. It was hidden away within the Forever Falls, the constant, autumn-tinged leaves falling around Nagi as he searched the rocky highlands, having spotted an old, rotten signpost that no longer bore any writing, but it did mark an unseen trail through part of the wounds, following a rushing river.
More signs of civilization began to emerge along the dirt road, parts of its cobblestone trail buried in mud and under leaves. A moss-covered bridge over the river that led straight to a large gash in the cliffside, old torii stood withering, their red paint faded and grey, ancient tapestries shredded down to bundles of clothing billowing in the warm breeze.
Heading up the trail, the ground flattened out into a large, stone pavement, and within the crag of the cliff was a towering set of doors made from thick, cut logs, reinforced by braces of steel. There were no visible entrances above, but small gaps revealed archer sightlines, the door was sealed, but bore a single, sizable hole, perfectly circular too.
"Found it!" Nagi realized, procuring the Crest of House Sun, stepping closer to the indent to ensure it was the correct size before pressing the crest inside, but time had made the slot rough, forcing Nagi to press the tips of his fingers against the crest, wiggling it to have it slip through with an audible clank.
Giving the seal a turn clockwise, again, his fingers turned white as years of neglect had taken their toll on the door, but it eventually gave in, the seal turning on its own, a groan of cogs and unseen devices churned to life once more. That's when the seal pushed itself out slightly, surprising Nagi. He could reclaim the crest? Taking it out, the mechanism continued to grumble, eventually, unsealing the gateway as a stale air howled through the thin gap, a stench of decay filling his nostrils.
"Okay, let's go - oh, right..." Looking back, it was just Nagi, he hadn't gone solo since the first days of SAO, even then, Argo would always pop up, and other players who needed his help. But now, he shut them all out for their safety - that's right, he was doing this for them, no else had to end up like Shirayuki. He buried his doubts, ignored any thoughts of hesitation, and marched inside what would likely be a dungeon.
The tunnel was wide and offered light on either side of the path, only a dripping echoing off the walls, accompanied by the wails of the wind, that scent of decay growing stronger. Reaching the other side revealed why, though it was obvious to what caused the stench. A large town now laid in ruins, buildings half-collapsed or mere piles of debris, nature was overtaking the town that formed a bowl-like shape within the secluded valley, trees sprouting from houses and the streets.
But more importantly, Nagi saw the many suits of armour worn by warriors, their skeletal remains strewn across the ground. Battlements facing towards the way he came in, their weapons broken and rusted, arrows by the dozens jutting from any visible surface, and the black smudges of soot underfoot, it was a battleground graveyard.
Drawing NightSky, Nagi felt his hair stand on end, walking past corpses and defences laid to ruin, approaching a road that ran in a zig-zag down the steep entry towards the town main streets, and already, he saw them, shambling through the ruins, peeling themselves away from the darkness they had been drowned in; their names a deep red compared to the snow-white he had seen on the way here.
They carried themselves like all other fallen Houses before, their healthy skin pallid and rotten, bone and decaying muscle visible where their regal armour had twisted into rusted metal and tattered leathers, almost fused to their corpses. The distinct crests of a samurai helmet broken and stained with a black tar-like sickness, the same across their bodies. Their names a perfect title for the former warriors they had become, 'Withering Samurai - Lv. 108'.
That unpleasant feeling grew stronger as Nagi's arm swung on reflex, deflecting the rusted kunai that clattered at his feet. Narrowing his eyes through the shadows cast by the trees, a few figures stumbled across the rooftops, swaying in their step constantly. The dark pallet woven with white now hung from their bodies in tatters, belts lined with oxidized weaponry, which only amplified their deadliness. Unlike the Samurai, these undead were far more emaciated, bones tugged on inky, black strings like puppets. The fitting names in bold scarlet, 'Withering Shinobi - Lv. 107'.
Both types of warrior's movements were jerky, unnatural for a human, the lingering Corruption of the Abyss holding their war-torn bodies together as they converged on the road toward Nagi, Samurai drawing their katanas, the blades a sickly black to mask the rust and weathering. The Abyss was gone, yet, its malevolent aura persisted as a stain in Aincrad, and unfortunately, they were in Nagi's way.
The first Samurai gave a guttural growl, raising his rusted katana high as it turned a cold, dark navy. With a burst of unnatural speed, the undead lunged forward, its Waterfall effortlessly countered by Nagi who effortlessly swung in two verticals, a finishing thrust letting out a ripple of water, Scarlet Fang threw the Samurai back, but two more cleaved the air in front of Nagi with a pair of Whirlwind Slashes, the secondary sweep ringing against his risen guard.
All that escaped the Samurais' lips were cold whispers, almost masked by the wind and sounds of combat, but with their growing numbers, the whispers grew louder, drowning over SAO's ambience and music like static. Nagi danced on the edge of their sword skills, diverting and countering with his own, their levels ten higher than his own making them far squishier and deal back twice the damage he could muster alone.
Whipping into a spin, Nagi's momentum overwhelmed their advance, sweeping in an omnidirectional flow, cleaving all close to NightSky with Dance of the Water Dragon, cutting two Samurai down, sending the others flying into the side of the cliff or over the edge to his left, down to the streets a few feet below.
Stifling his breaths, Nagi downed a health pot, eyeing the Shinobi that left the comfort of the rooftops, their bodies swaying toward him with a rattle and chatter of bones rubbing against leather, a single, white eye glaring toward the raven-brunette to whipped his sword into a current, lunging with the sword skill, his own eyes burning with reckless fury.
The first Shinobi leapt and swung a ninjato down but was caught by NightSky's diagonal sweep, throwing the undead overhead, winding from left to right, Nagi caught the next one, using its own weapon to vault over and slash at its back, continuing his skill motion into a rising spin, cutting across a Samurai's chest, twirling past its glowing blade to tear down the shoulder to its hip, the weakened Samurai shattering at Nagi's feet.
But as his own skill ended, he was struck by a pair of kunai, the two Shinobi charging toward him, tossing knives in their advance. Even with the blade digging into his armour and flesh, Nagi grit his teeth like a wild animal, twirling his blade as it took on the visage of a dragon coiling around its edge. "Solstice Haze!" Its radiant name seethed with spite between his teeth...
[To Be Continued...]
[Author's Notes]
Much like Artorias once did, Nagi's pushed everyone away to pursue what Shirayuki has left, but he may get more than what he bargained for. I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; see ya in the next chapter, Misfits!
089 - Depression
Having gone dark, Nagi's absence has left his friends lost on what to do with him drowning in his own grief. But they're not about to give up on him...