"Switch!" Metal rang in my ears as the massive hand came crashing down, sending out a shockwave that shook the whole floor to its core.
"Switch!" Another called as a black blade threw the weight of the hand back, the massive beast unleashing a metallic roar under the rain of emerald sparks followed the blue streak of light.
"Switch!" A feminine voice chimed in, a woman in white and red flew backward through the air, allowing the pinpoint vertical slashes of crimson and aquamarine to leave twin gashes through the arm to the wrist, effectively throwing the arm and its body off-balance.
My eyes narrowed to the towering mass of metal before us as the skies turned to a starry night, streaks of comets flying through the false space as the boss let out an ear-piercing roar, finally drawn to its final health gauge-
[IRL, Tokyo,Nishitokyo]
[Kazuki's POV]
"-Kazuki~" Someone cut through my train of thought as I lowered my hand, noticing I was holding it in as if I wielded a sword. Right, not in SAO anymore, lately that's been a weird sensation.
I gave a wary smile to the girl that poked her head forward to look back at me, both hands behind her back in a cutesy manner. Short, raven-brown hair with a white headband, soft onyx eyes and a teasing smile that couldn't be mistaken anywhere else.
"Sorry, spacing out before this wonderful view," I chimed in, seeing Yuuki's eyes widen for a moment, her smirk widening as she stood upright again.
"Yep, still you," I feel like that was an insult but I didn't press Yuuki on it.
"We were going to ask you where it is Miss Hosaka wanted to meet us?" To my right was a new face as of late. She wore a pair of glasses over her coal-coloured eyes with shoulder-length, straight hair of a similar shade, though among our group we knew it was a wig. Si-eun An, AKA Siune.
"This is the Rat we're talking about, she tends to tell me where to goafterI've already been wandering for ten minutes in a circle," I replied dryly, then swiped my hand in front of me.
A screen came into view, along with many other small odds and ends around my vision as I enhanced the map and ensured our red route was correct. Pinching my fingers caused it to shrink as I pushed it to the top right of my vision. The Augma, probably the most popular thing since sliced bread.
It allowed for Augmented Reality, so I effectively had a HUD in the real world, which took a while to get used to and tone down all the notification prompts before I threw up again, yes, it made me motion sick, sue me. A perk of this lovely device to compete with Virtual Reality is I could host an avatar proxy.
What that translates to is someone from Full-Dive can connect and walk around in the real world, interact with other digital constructs and be seen by other users of the Augma. Of course, they're like a ghost so they pass through people and vice-versa. However, this meant Yuuki could finally walk around in the real world again from the comfort of her Medicuboid.
She wore the same casual outfit I helped pick out for her on our first date, so she looked like your typical teenager in high spirits which is the sole reason I've enjoyed using the Augma. I prefer VR. Siune, now that her chemotherapy was concluded and she was able to get her life on track, joined us today for a little afternoon break after school.
"Is that normal?" Yuuki blinked, raising a questioning brow at me.
"You wanna prod her for the answer?" I questioned back, seeing her quickly shake her head, arms crossed into an 'X' at the fear of losing more money. "Didn't think so, Cupcake-anyway, to answer you, Miss An, we're nearly there, cafe's not far now."
Si-eun smiled kindly at me. "That's good to hear, and I told you, call me Si-eun, Kazuki,"
"R-right, just... habit calling my seniors that," Scratching my nape sheepishly, I tried to keep that noted in my head. "Took me forever to call Kazuto and Asuna by their names without formalities,"
This prompted Yuuki to giggle next to me, rolling her eyes. "You really are so sweet, Kazuki."
"Wh-what's that implying?" I grimaced, feeling the heat run to my cheeks. "You know what? Don't wanna here it, let's hustle, people!" And like any good person, I swiftly marched on ahead of that conversation, ignoring their laughter behind me.
They caught up to me as I banked right, heading down a shopping street, seeing another digital poster for that A.I Idol, Yuna. "Say, what's up with you today?" I eyed Yuuki who shuffled in beside me again with her lips formed to a curious frown. "You've been spacing out a lot,"
"Uh, well, just worried I guess..." Reading their silence as the go-ahead, I elaborated. "It's Kazuto, he's... not a big fan of the Augma; rather, he feels everyone's abandoned VR entirely, he feels everyone's been too into AR instead lately,"
"No offence to Kirigaya but he's not the type I'd expect to say people are playing a game too much," Si-eun was right on the mark there, but his was different.
"Amen, sister. But really, all of us spent nearly the same amount of time as you have, Yuuki, in the virtual world. To me, I'm not too bothered by the Augma, but Kazuto is... different, I think he likes to keep the two realities separate," I tried to explain as best I could, but I wasn't a mind reader.
"Like people are investing too much of their lives into a game than their actual lives?" At Yuuki's guesswork, I clicked my fingers.
"That's it. He loves Full-Dive, I certainly do, but we also lost so much time to it also. Ever since SAO, I've done what I can to balance my life as me and as Malzeno, and I like that balance," Smiling, I shook my head. "Man, I'm not good at reading people as Hosaka, but that's my take,"
"While I can understand his worries, I doubt this will mean the decline of VR as a whole," Si-eun chimed in, our heads titled towards her as she adjusted the strap of her handbag. "Video games always have their highs and lows of popularity. Currently, AR is like nothing people have seen before, so everyone wants a taste, but gradually, the numbers on both sides will even out,"
"Yeah, I mean, there's still a ton of people flying around Alfheim!" Yuuki spoke up hopefully. I know she's been worried about the decline too, stalling the progression in New Aincrad. "Besides, I like this AR only cause I get to move around with you guys, I can't wait for the others to try this out!" She squealed in delight, making us unable to resist smiling.
"Ever the optimist, ain'tcha, ZekkeN?"
I hadn't realized we reached the small little coffee shop during out chat. It had a small outside seating area, and under a parasol past a small black fence was a winning grin on a whiskerless face. Hosaka Tomo the Rat.
"Good evening, Miss Tomo," Si-eun bowed her head politely.
"Yo, Boss," I waved curtly to her.
"Don't I know it, nice to see ya, Tomo!" Yuuki bubbly waved.
Hosaka leaned forward on her elbows, giving Yuuki a once-over. "I see the Augma's workin' nicely, how's the freedom been the last two weeks, haven't askeD,"
Yuuki hummed, opening and closing her hands as we took the spare seats around the table as I checked the menu with Si-eun. "Uh... it's a little annoying my sense of touch isn't all there, same for people that feel me touch them too, like a fuzzy sensation. But being able to express myself outside of Kazuto's probe is more than enough for me!"
"Good to know Mal's treatin' you right; right, KazU?" Hosaka cooed as I felt my brow furrow at the annoying nickname, but why else would the Rat use it if not to annoy me?
"If you're implying I'd do anything to Yuuki without her consent, I'd likely have been buried in a shallow grave by half the people we know," I wagged a finger beyond the menu, slapping it down. "Seriously, have you seen Si-eun when she's mad? I'd take Princess being angry any day,"
"I really don't like it when people point that out..." The ravenette slumped at my comment, whining a little.
Once we all got ourselves tea and even a few traybakes, with Yuuki having her own digital version within her own world, it had come time to learn why Hosaka asked to meet with me on short notice. "Other than my pleasant company, I'm sure, what's there to share, Hosaka?"
Setting her cup down, the blonde looked at us evenly with a small smile itching with secrets. "Ya know the game that's come alongside the Augma, Ordinal ScalE?"
We nodded silently; Ordinal Scale was the one-two combo of AR, battles and boss events could be found anywhere across the country, powered by drones operated above it all, creating a network for a game unlike any other of its kind. Allowing for a whole experience that blended the real world with Full-Dive.
"What about it?" I asked, chewing on a piece of shortbread.
"Not heard the news? Bunch of players from SAO been pointin' out a few sightings of old SAO floor bosses croppin' up within special, late-night eventS," That alone almost made me choke on my shortbread, coughing a little as Si-eun patted my back.
"Wh-what?" I rasped, taking a quick sip of tea to relieve my throat
"How is this possible? Is it intentional?" Yuuki asked for me, looking between me and Hosaka with some subtle worry etched in her gaze.
Hosaka could only shake her head, hands up for a moment. "Got me hooped, I'm afraiD. So far it's been good ol Illfang, Taurus King, Nerius, Wythege, and Fuscus, just to name a feW,"
"That's all in order... are they rising based on that?" Rubbing my chin at my own speculation. That would mean gradually, we'd see all the old SAO bosses... including the quarter floor bosses. My eyes widened, feeling an unpleasant chill run down my back.
Sensing my revelation, Hosaka smacked her lips, finishing her tea. "Ya got the right mind, means we ought to see floor bosses after the 75th, ain't a Frontrunner alive that doesn't want to see thaT," Understatement of the century.
"If that's the case, I don't see the harm in it, right?" Si-eun raised a hand slightly. "We've been fighting New Aincrad's floor bosses gradually with minor changes,"
"Yeah, but there's a number of players from SAO that never want to see them again, or anything to do with Aincrad. So if they started playing through these events, they'd be thrust back into their worst nightmares front and center, even if only for a moment," That level of trauma in some people might be too much. "Not a lot we can do about though,"
"All harmless end of the day, I just wanted to share since Klein's got his guildmates together to take on one at 9 tonighT," Hosaka graciously waved that notion in front of me like a carrot on a stick, a matching, toothy grin inching up her cheeks. "Wanna check it out, KazU~?"
I felt all their eyes on me, ultimately, I hadn't competed in a boss battle event in Ordinal Scale yet, though that didn't make me a sloppy fighter. The idea of facing a floor boss in the real world, in AR... what would that feel like? Maybe that's why I've been having these twitches lately? Am I itching to really thrust myself back into that kinda fire again?
"Kazuki?" I glanced at Yuuki, seeing her hand hover against my own, feeling that slight pressure the Augma allowed. Though it was more than enough for me to feel her warmth. She didn't smile or try to persuade me, she was waiting for my call.
"Dammit, Rat, ya drive a hard bargain..." Rubbing the back of my neck, I opened up a prompt, sending the real Yen through to her with a simple transaction, making her give a genuine look of surprise. "Thanks for the tea and the tip. I know you're busy tonight, so Yuuki?" I smirked devilishly. "You up for a little raid?"
Nightfall descended over Tokyo by the time myself and Yuuki arrived on the scene of the event boss, Si-eun had plans early tomorrow so she couldn't come, leaving me and Yuuki with an alternative tagalong. After getting off the train, we rushed over to meet with the other players joining the cornered off street for the boss battle, finding Klein's group, and surprisingly, Kirito and Asuna present also.
"My-my, Blackie-" The ravenette jumped when I spoke up, smirking at him. "-to think you'd be here to contend with an old rival of the past,"
"Ah haha, well, Asuna dragged me along," Kirito admitted, earning a joking slap to the shoulder from the brunette. Kirito then turned his head a little to my right, seeing the other arrival aside from Yuuki. "Is this...?"
"Hey," The second eldest sibling in my family, Riku, had been itching to join me for an event in Ordinal Scale for a while, and I promised I'd take her when one popped up. Despite her aloof attitude and love for music, she had some skill with video games thanks to myself and Merida. "Hope you don't mind if I join this one? I heard it's actually a boss from SAO, so..."
"The more the merrier, right?" Klein smiled politely, his guild all nodding and giving a hearty greeting to Riku who smiled bashfully at the welcome. "Be sure to stick by us and we'll show you the ropes!"
"I'm in good hands then," Riku nodded, adjusting her Augma a little.
"Oooh, I'm so excited! This is gonna be totally different from our usual raids!" Yuuki had been pumped since we left, hopping off one foot to the other beside Asuna, the girl giggling at my girlfriend's antics.
"You never seem to lose energy, Yuuki," Asuna mentioned, bringing the leader of the Sleeping Knights to a halt, smiling brightly.
"It's a new game and new challenge ahead of us, who wouldn't be pumped!?" She punched the air, preparing herself whilst I limbered up.
"Best you two do this, AR battles really take it out of ya," I explained to Riku and Kirito, the duo of newbies nodding and copying my movements. "Pace yourself too, Riku, you'll be fighting up front with Klein's group so try to follow his instructions and keep a handle on your breathing,"
"Okay, gotcha," She was a good listener, so I had no doubts Klein would be a great teacher for her.
Getting into position, everyone stood together, chanting the same phrase as one. "Ordinal Scale, Activate!"
Upon activation, our clothes were instantly coated by a layer of code, taking on the design that many new players of Ordinal Scale possessed. For guys, it was a white coat with black sleeves and a strip of colour across the collarbone to the shoulders and along the stomach attached with a golden buckle and buttons down the black zipper. Black pants formed into the white boots with dark grey soles.
The colour pallet for mine was completely black say for the now white zipper line and the gold buttons and buckles turned silver with red for the accents.
For the girls, the colour scheme and design were the same say for the coat transitioning into a skirt halfway down the thighs, thigh-high black socks tucked into high-neck boots. Riku's was the standard colours with red accents like Asuna's, whilst Yuuki had customized her own, replacing the white of her jacket and boots with a dark violet, the zipper line black. I had to admit, she looked real good in the outfit.
I'm not biased.
Done admiring Yuuki before she noticed I was staring again at how form-fitting her outfit was in places, ahem, the environment took a drastic shift in appearance. The second a digital clock struck 9PM, everything changed. Gone was the modern city streets and vehicles, the sky and even smaller objects laying around all vanished and were replaced by a twisted realm like pulling back a veil.
A black overlay with green gridwork turned the world into a clash of gothic architecture and Gun Gale's futuristic apocalyptic vibe. A massive building stood as a cornerstone of the T-shaped street, a neon sign displaying the words, 'RM014 UDX'.
Players of all kinds were present. Swordsmen, Gunners, as well as those like me wielding bow and arrows. Beside me, I saw Yuuki take a step back, mouth open wide as her eyes. "Woah... Tokyo's completely gone, it's... like we're really in VR!"
"I've never seen Ordinal Scale like this before..." Riku shared her sense of wonder, it sure was a breath-taking sight for me as well. I gripped the black and white longbow in my hand, feeling the string as I pulled it back, surprised as I held a glowing red arrow made of hardlight.
"So that's how it works..." Again, I was no slouch IRL, but this was an interesting feeling. The bow felt heavy despite it just being a handle in reality, even holding back the string, testing its tension was strong. "You girls ready for this? Kirito?"
"We're ready!" I watched Yuuki brandish her white and black blade, Riku clutching twin daggers close with a tight stance. Kirito did the same, adjusting the posture of his blade as well as his body.
Across from all the players, my eyes hardened to the glowing archway that soon became engulfed in a pyre of flames, from it, a shadow took form, rising from the cinders with piercing red eyes.
A monster standing double in size to the players wore thick black armour with baggy tan pants with blue patterns along the sides. Large plated pauldron covered the biceps that had ripped through their clothing, revealing black skin and sharp claws. The feet much the same, the armour breaking away at the shins for reptilian-like feet. A white scarf hung around its neck, trailing down to the backs of its shins. The head wasn't even human anymore, a red Oni mask under a long black samurai helmet fixed with two elongated horns. It's piercing eyes locked to the players, and it hissed with a long, forked tongue, drawing its nodachi.
"That's..." Asuna gaped as I felt my throat clench just witnessing the boss stand tall.
"The tenth floor boss of Aincrad, Kagachi, the Samurai Lord!" Kirito announced, a boss I have never fought, not even in New Aincrad, but I knew what to expect given Argo's advice and intel.
"He looks exactly like the SAO boss!" Asuna added, I could hear the tension in her voice beside me.
"We can't use our sword skills now. But if his attack patterns are the same as before..." Kirito trailed off.
"Then this'll be a piece of cake, right!?" We eyed Yuuki who threw back a peace sign at us as the harsh glows stuck to her back. "We've got the best clearers with us after all, so let's show it what you're made of!"
Her encouragement put our minds at ease, smiling a little as the crowd suddenly got rowdy. Far behind the boss atop a bridge overlooking the battlegrounds. A drone flew down, spraying a veil of purple light with motes of pixelated code, revealing a person that even a hermit would recognize in a heartbeat.
The girl had a slender body and legs, making her similar to a fairy. Her face was gentle with long, straight, pure white hair and ruby-red eyes. She wore a futuristic, black and purple one-piece dress and thigh-high socks. Clutching a hand microphone with a purple chord trailing out the bottom.
"Y-Yuna!?" I deadpanned at Klein's blushing smile, the guy was utterly obsessed with her that it was best never to say the girl's name around him to spare your ears. Though, even Riku was blushing a little, she was a fan too due to how good Yuna's music was, so to an aspiring musician like my sister, this was a dream come true.
"Are you guys ready!?" Yuna waved to us. "Alright, let the battle begin! Music, Start!" With a snap of her fingers, music steadily filled the air in all directions.
"Ah, gotta love a boss battle with some good tunes," I shrugged, drawing back a light arrow.
"Alright, Yuna's started singing! It's a special stage with a bonus!" One character with an RPG of all weapons, and with the appearance of a bipedal big cat pumped his fist happily.
Yuna's little companion then flew around the players, spraying us with a green dust that dramatically boosted our Attack power, so I wasn't gonna complain.
"-te ni ireru yo kitto..." Yuna sang with the voice of an angel, to put it lightly, and this prompted the countdown to begin. Providing us with 10 minutes to defeat the floor boss as it suddenly stalked toward us.
"Here we go!" Yuuki grinned ear-to-ear as I stood behind her, bow at the ready.
"You lead and I'll follow, leader!" I chanted after. Time to finally see what this floor boss is made of.
[To Be Continued...]
[Author's Notes]
The first of many battles has begun, and with not only Malzeno, but Yuuki and Riku along for the battle against one really cool boss. Time to see how their skills perform in the real world. I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always, see ya in the next chapter, Players!