The plaza was tense when we teleported in. We'd come as soon as we heard about the scout party and, like most of the the other players, we were pretty grim too. It hit too close to home... If we hadn't been able to defeat the 50th or 74th floor bosses, would a raid party still have been formed regardless of the lack of information?
Heathcliff was playing a dangerous game here but I understood. This was an all or nothing fight. Even we won the right to continue trying to get free or all of the clearers are wiped out in one fell swoop. With out... it could be a full year before anyone levelled enough to replace us. I doubted that anyone would be even willing to try, if that happened.
I didn't have my staff with me for this battle. Instead, I carried Brightroar and my old barunum sword. While only Kirito had the dual wielding skill, I was sure I could use the second blade to block or parry a blow much easier than a shield. It worked in theory and it had worked in the labyrinth but there was only one way to know how it would work in the boss room and I wasn't looking forward to it.
"Hey! I didn't think you'd show up this late." I turned around to see the Fuurinkazan and Agil standing behind us, both grinning. I shrugged.
"Better late than never, right? We had some last minute wardrobe changes. I had to upgrade equipment on the double thanks to Heathcliff's trigger happy decision."
"Man, I feel you. I had to close down my shop in a hurry to make it!" Agil commented with a laugh. "I'm just a philanthropist like that."
"Oh yeah? Bet you won't mind if we take your name off the drop list, huh?" I looked over my shoulder and grinned to see Kirito and Asuna standing there. Kirito, as per usual, had a black coat on top of his Hunter gear while Asuna was still in her red and white Knights armor.
"Woah, that's a little hasty, don't you think? Come on, let's be reasonable!"
A flash of blue light entered my peripheral vision and I glanced over to see Heathcliff and four of his men in full regalia. They approached the arc in the plaza and Heathcliff activated the corridor teleport crystal he had brought to take us all to the boss room. With a single command, we all started moving into the portal, coming out into a dark and dangerous feeling dungeon. Like the dungeon that disguised Laughing Coffin's hideout, I had a strong feeling that outsiders were not welcome here.
"The Knights of the Blood Oath will hold off the boss attack in the vanguard. At the same time, you all must stay on your guard. It is your job to analyze the boss and try to find any weaknesses or attack patterns. We must be flexible in our counterattacks; you must not overextend yourselves. This will be a difficult battle, but I have faith that we can and will prevail. For our day of liberation!"
Like everything he said, Heathcliff's warcry was a mouthful but it got the job done. I looked at my flanks. The Hunters- Asuna included- were fanned out on either side of me. The Fuurinkazan and Agil weren't far away.
"Do me a favor, guys... Don't die," I ordered.
"Back at you!"
The doors opened and Heathcliff gave the order to move in. Everyone rushed in, only to find an empty room.
"Where is it?" I heard someone ask. I looked to Nymer and the other wolves who were all growling lowly as they sniffed the room. Nymer's head quirked up and I heard Asuna shout. We all looked up and my heart skipped a beat.
It was the most terrifying thing I'd ever seen. It was like a praying mantis crossed a centipede, but made entirely out of bare bones. It's four red eyes glowed, even from this distance, and I could feel this being's hate permeating the room. It's name and five whole health bars appeared as it released a bone chilling roar.
"Spread out! Stay away from it!" Heathcliff ordered. The Skull Reaper was already moving, though, and it was fast. It hit the ground with a crash and sent out a red concussive wave. Two men, who had been running away from it, were knocked down by the wave and the boss used one of its massive scythes to strike right through them. The men went flying and, just as Kirito and Asuna moved to catch them, they shattered into light.
One hit? What the hell is this thing?!
It slithered like a snake away from its latest victims and targeted someone new. Heathcliff jumped in front of the player and, with his shield alone, he stopped one of the scythes. The Skull Reaper wasn't going to let its target escape, though, and reached out with its other scythe to kill the player.
Kirito ran in front of the boss's next target, his swords crossed as a defense. The Skull Reaper's scythe sunk into his shoulder, unable to kill him, but I was in terrified awe at the fact that it could even penetrate through Kirito's defense and strength parameter. Heathcliff protected his flank from the other scythe and Asuna ran up and added her rapier to the defense, pushing the boss back.
"If we block together, we have a chance," she told him. I nodded, looking to the Hunters.
"They'll hold! Everyone, flank it and attack!"
The battle was furious. Despite everyone's caution, I'd seen too many players die at the hands of the boss. I hadn't seen any Hunters die, but my wolves... All but Nymer and Remus were gone. I didn't know if I could revive multiple familiars at the Hill of Memories. I didn't even know if the game was supposed to recognize my pack, as the only other beast tamers I'd seen all had just one companion.
When the Congratulations! banner finally went up, no one was in a mood to celebrate. Everyone was collapse on the floor. If a guild had survived, they were together, clinging to each other. The Hunters were no exception.
I hated myself more than anything for putting Silica in this fight. She may have not gotten hurt or killed, but her eyes looked hollow. More than ever, I knew we needed to end this game. This wasn't a place for a fourteen year old. She should be at a mall with her friends, gossiping about boys and clothes, not fighting for her life because of a madman's desire to control a world.
"How many did we lose?" I heard Agil ask quietly. Kirito opened his map, counting.
"Fourteen."
"Oh god..."
"We still have twenty five floors to go," Klein said, his voice shaking.
"Twenty five floors? How the hell are we even going to make that?" Agil wondered to himself. He was one of the lucky ones; he managed to only get scraped up by the boss. The two he had been fighting alongside had taken the brunt of the hit and died next to him.
I was so focused on my other Hunters, I barely realized that Kirito was gone until I heard a sword skill activate. I turned to see Kirito's sword stopped by a purple shield around Heathcliff's face. A system message appeared above him: Immortal Object.
"Commander Heathcliff, what's going on?" Asuna was the first one to recover and I saw in her eyes that she was thinking of Yui. Was the man an AI? A program designed to help or hinder the players?
"I think I've got the answer to that. The reason his HP never drops into the yellow is because he's protected by the system. Something's always bugged me since day one. I was always wondering, 'Where is he hiding while he watches us and regulates the world?'"
Kirito had asked that question a few times to the guild but, when we had no answers, he only grew frustrated and quiet. It didn't make sense to me. Even for a madman, I wouldn't sit around and watch an RPG get played out. It'd get boring just... watching...
"No," I breathed, looking at Heathcliff. For a split second, I was glad that I had made it my personal goal to go against the man on principle. With the puzzle pieces coming together, I knew that my gut instinct, my first thought regarding him, was right: this man is dangerous.
"I forgot a simple piece of psychology," Kirito continued. "It's something even a kid knows: there is nothing more boring than watching someone else play an RPG. Isn't that right, Akihiko Kayaba?"
"Just for my curiosity's sake, would you mind telling me how you figured it out?" he asked, his voice light and untroubled.
"The first time I knew something was up was during our duel."
I was shocked. Kirito had duelled this man? I had specifically ordered all of the Hunters not to! After what happened to Asuna, I didn't want to lose anyone else to him.
"In that last instance where you turned the tables on me, that move was way too fast."
"Yes, I thought that was it. It was a mistake on my part to think that would have gone unnoticed by you," Kayaba admitted. "You had overpowered me to the point that I needed to engage the system's over-assist mode... Yes, I am Akihiko Kayaba. Now that my identity's been revealed, it should come as no surprise that I am the game's final boss, who would have waited for you at the top floor."
"So the strongest player in the whole game ends up being the final boss. Kind of cliche, isn't it?" Kirito asked. Kayaba shrugged.
"Actually, I kind of like it. I always thought you'd be the one standing before me at the very end. Dual wielding is a rare skill, after all. The system grants it to the player with the fast reaction time. It was that player that was destined to become the hero of the story that rises up to challenge the demon king. You and the power you wield, however, exceeded all of my expectations. I suppose it's these unexpected twists and turns that make MMORPGs so thrilling."
"Our loyalty... our hope..." One of the Knights of the Blood Oath, who for 49 floors had followed Kayaba into battle, was shaking with rage. "How dare you... How dare you?!"
He launched himself at Kayaba but the creator merely opened his menu. The player fell to the side, paralysed. One by one, all players in the boss room fell and I reached for my crystals, hoping to get an anti-paralysis crystal out in time, but I was too slow. The yellow crystal clattered on the floor, just out of my reach.
"So what's the plan now? Are you going to kill us and cover it up?" Kirito, who was the only player left unaffected by Kayaba's trick, growled. Kayaba laughed, shaking his head.
"Of course not. I am not that unreasonable. I would have preferred to wait, but I suppose I have no choice now. I will await all of you at the final floor, where I shall be at the Ruby Palace. It's a shame. I've spent much of my time developing the Knights of the Blood Oath and other clearing players. I would have liked to see you fight through the rest of the floors... Oh well. With your power, you should reach me. Eventually."
He slammed his shield into the floor.
"Before I go, however, Kirito. I would like to offer you a reward for discerning my identity. I will give you the opportunity to fight me here, one on one. I will disable my immortal status, of course. Defeat me here and the game will be cleared. All remaining players will be logged out of SAO immediately. What do you say?"
"You're on," he decided after a brief pause. He laid Asuna down gently on the ground. She must have said something but, being paralysed, it couldn't have been more than a whisper. "I'm sorry. I can't run away if it means ending this."
He got to his feet, drawing his swords. On the way to Kayaba, he looked around and his eyes met mine.
"Don't forget what I told you, okay?" he asked. I bit my lip but I couldn't nod.
"Okay," I whispered. Player name: Kirito. Actual name: Kirigaya Kazuto. Home address...
That was part of the Hunters' arrangement. We knew who the others were so, if one of us died in battle, we'd be able to find the family and tell them what happened. I didn't want to die anonymously to them and neither did my pack.
Kirito reminding me of this right now forced tears to my eyes. He was planning on winning this, even if he lost in the process.
"I have a last request. I don't plan on going down easily but, if I die here, I want you to fix it so Asuna can't kill herself."
"Very well."
The battle was started in an instant and I couldn't watch. I reached and reached for the yellow crystal that had fallen beside me but all I could do was brush my fingers against it. I couldn't grip it, I just couldn't reach.
Another hand twitched towards the crystal and I gasped as I saw Blake, her face twisted with strain, reach out and touch the crystal. She didn't grasp it but flicked it further away from her. The crystal skidded into my waiting hand and Blake smiled softly.
"You got this, sis," she murmured. I gripped the crystal, aiming it at me.
"Heal: Paralysis," I said as softly as I could. Immediately, my limbs were released. I looked up to see Kirito shatter into light around Kayaba's sword. My heart skipped a beat and I saw red. I ran forward and Kayaba, not expecting me, was unable to counterattack or block. Brightroar sliced right through him and he laughed just once, as if he expected this to happen.
Kayaba vanished into light, just as Kirito had. His sword, and the sword Kirito had been wielding, fell to the floor and a weight settled in my stomach as I recognized the second sword as Asuna's. I glanced back to where she had been, but there was no trace of her.
I fell to my knees, crying shamelessly as a female voice declared that the game was cleared.
I opened my eyes to fluorescent lights. I stared at them blankly for what felt like hours before a spark of recognition flooded my system.
SAO doesn't have fluorescent lights!
We were back, we were safe... Not all of us, though. I needed to find them. I needed to find my Hunters. I needed to find Kirigaya Kazuto's family and tell them. They needed to know that our Kirito was a hero.
(A/N: Merry Christmas, Rach)