Chapter VIII: Forwards March

1st January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 4, Yofel Castle

Kizmel was a knight whose duty was to her queen. She had fought in many battles since she was taken in as a squire, climbing the ranks as a highly-respected knight amongst the order.

Perhaps one would say that she was talented, that she had been born into the role from the start; that it was her destiny. And to that, she would have to object.

Born into a common family household with a younger sister, one whom died quite young, she had bled and cried as she worked harder than her peers. She'd trained with the sword from day to night, she'd made sure she kept up with her studies, and she repetitively tested her limits to see just how far she could go—and how much further she could go, and even beyond.

Her peers saw her as a role model, a real knight. She hadn't allowed such compliments to cloud her mind, of course, for she knew that pride begot error for many—and so, she worked harder than anyone else, and always reminded herself to remember her lowly beginnings all the same.

In fact, her diligence and determination had won the attention of Her Majesty once, and she'd offered her a place by her side as her most trusted consort.

Kizmel couldn't believe it, she was stupefied! On one simple day of her training, when she'd bested her opponent who allowed himself to get cocky because of his superior height and reach, she hadn't expected Her Majesty to have been watching at the time. She'd been too focused on fighting her opponent, and then..! Well, she didn't think Her Majesty would reach out to her! It was unexpected!

And so she trained. Promised to the queen that she would not become her attendant simply by her favour, but that she would win her place in the proper manner. By climbing the ranks and earning said position by her. And to this day, the memories of her knighting ceremony would forever remain with her for as long as she breathed.

So really, there really was no reason for her to be anxious from anyone or anything. She'd fought countless monsters, did battle with the Forest Elves, survived the fall, escaped from the Shadows, presented herself before her Queen to be knighted and many more. What else could have possibly unnerved her?

The eyes of the elder noble, with one long scar running vertically upon his left eye, certainly did the trick.

Standing before the Leyshren Zed Yofilis was a trying task, if only because of how regal he carried himself and the aura of nobility that he exuded. It wasn't vanity, nor was it a means of intimidating them. He simply carried himself with such dignity and poise that it naturally made her feel small.

Truth be told, she'd only ever met her superior once, and that was during her earlier days training as a rookie knight. It was just her luck that the older elf had been their drill sergeant, and he'd been incredibly strict—she wouldn't dare forget those days of hardship under his guidance. He garnered everyone's respect and fear, enough to leave even the most disciplined of knights gulping in his presence. In fact, it made her wonder if her companions felt the same way… only to gape a moment later.

"You'd think they'd at least put aside their pride for the sake of working together, but nooo! They mess that up by getting into an argument throughout the fight, and they wouldn't even tell us that they found the dungeon! The ego, I tell you."

"Agreed. I suppose it's a small blessing that no one was sacrificed in the fight."

She'd seen Kirito do a lot of crazy things, from summoning a monstrous creature to fight by his side (just as she should be capable of doing the same) and fighting with a sort of viciousness that only a true fighter could truly make authentic. Yet here he is now, blowing her expectations out of proportions as he stared Lord Yofilis in the eyes and talked to him so casually.

And one thing she'd never have thought she'd live to see was witnessing someone converse with Lord Yofilis like one would talk with their friend.

He was a man of nobility, of honour and prestige! He tolerated no insubordination and demanded proper treatment from those above and below him. It was why he was such a respected individual amongst their group, his name being quite famous. In fact, he had been deemed the 'Lion Viscount' for his achievements and personality.

And here was Kirito! Completely unfazed as he blabbed and complained about the foolish humans, most notably Lind and Kibaou, really, to the elf! With such a lack of tact! And Yofilis didn't even look mad whatsoever!

'Makes sense,' she thought to herself, watching the boy as he recounted their failed battle against Wythege the Hippocampus with a bit of chagrin in his tone—understandable, considering that two different human parties had started arguing midway through the battle, botching the entire thing and forcing everyone to leave the dungeon. 'He'd fought much worse before this. It would stand with reason that he's developed a natural affinity for staying calm.'

Many would agree with her sentiment. Kirito would argue that he was a little too annoyed to really care at the moment, otherwise he would have stayed his tongue around the elf. And Yofilis enjoyed the rather unrestrained speech, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone.

After a while of explaining, the older Dark Elf took some time to digest the information before looking away from the group, speaking to one of his subordinates who had been on standby the entire time. She didn't really catch any part of the conversation before the soldier nodded and rushed off to who-knows-where.

"It will take time before the human army can replenish their strengths following their failed attempt," said Lord Yofilis, his expression tempered. "What are your plans?"

"No other choice but ta' take on the boss on our own," shrugged Argo. Even so, there was a small bead of sweat on her brow; a clear indication that she wasn't completely unperturbed by the thought. "We can't exactly just sit around and do nothin'. Might as well take the fight to em' on our own."

"A reasonably dangerous task, but we work well together. And we have a Persona user with us," Vabel gestured to the other ravenette. "I am certain we will be fine."

They wouldn't be. And she wasn't the only one that understood that, but simply saying that they would be fine was a way to trick themselves into being brave. An admittedly smart way of motivation, if a little roundabout.

"Is that so..?" The look on his face signified concern, a quiet displeasure that amounted to something that she couldn't exactly understood. "Sir Kirito. The truth is, I've called you here because we have a request. One that bothers me somewhat…"

"A request, eh? What about?" His question was just in time as the soldier from earlier to come into the room, a letter in his hand that he passes to the boy. "Huh. It's a letter."

"From the Forest Elves," that was enough to draw Kizmel's eyes to the noble, her teammates sporting their own looks of shock. Lord Yofilis's expression was hard as stood in his place with a worried frown on his face. "In truth, we received a messenger from Castle Galey, controlled by Lord Galeliah. The young lad passed a few moments later, the wounds he received being too much that treating him was out of the option."

There was no joy. No satisfaction. Even though he was an enemy, Lord Yofilis took no pleasure in seeing a Forest Elf die. He'd come to accept his duty as simply that; duty, and not a means of gloating.

Death on the battlefield was an honour in itself, and he wouldn't dare mock any man who've breathed their last. She admired that about him.

"On his person was a letter, one that he instructed us to read immediately in his dying breaths. It was a distress signal, a call for help from the castle," his fist tightened immediately. "Grim news. Their castle was besieged by other Shadows, and that was three days ago…"

Three days ago, Castle Galey was assaulted by Shadows..? Kizmel felt her heart grow cold. That should have been downright impossible. Sir Galeliah a powerful Forest Elf who'd fought in countless wars, and the strategic location of his castle should have made it impossible to siege. She'd studied the few tactics used by the Forest Elves to assault their fort, and none had been successful. And yet, the Shadows had succeeded?

Just how dangerous are these things? Why are they attacking all their settlements and defenses? What did they hope to achieve?

A minor part of her feared of what've become of her queen and the castle, but she pushed it aside in favour of focusing on the present, just as Kirito began speaking again.

"So you intend to respond to it?" His question was met with a nod. "And let me guess, you want us to come along."

"Indeed. Your group has the most experience with these creatures, even if only a brief encounter. From what I've heard of my sources, Lady Vabel," the girl in question perked up. "Seems to be an expert in the field. Her assistance would be of much use."

"That's true. If anyone here's got the knowin's on Shadows and Personas, it's her," nodded Argo. "So what, you want us to go to Castle Galey for ya'? We'll do it, but it won't be free."

"Argo!" Gasped Asuna beside her, a mortified look on her face. "Their people are in danger. You can't be expecting payment for everything!"

"We're not running low on funds and our equipment ain't bad, I'll give you that, but if I'm expected to stick my neck out without any form of compensation, sorry to break it to ya', but that ain't happenin'," she shook her head. It was blunt, rude, but necessary. "We've got a lot of problems of our own to deal with, after all."

"But in this case, our objectives align," their leader interjected. Onyx eyes watched the elven noble with what one might assume to be a hostile glance, but really was a look of understanding. "We're still planning to move on to the next floor, after all, and we can't do that unless we take Wythege out. Unfortunately, our armies are… well, out of commission at the moment because of Lind's and Kibaou's idiocy. We could wait for them, but it would take too long. Wouldn't you agree?"

His tone was suggestive, something that Kizmel caught on and found herself surprised by, realization dawning on her. Wait, he wasn't actually suggesting—

"True. Which is why I intend to join you, for the time being," his words drew gasps from the girls, Vabel simply going wide-eyed while Kirito nodded. "My men and I will participate in the battle against the guardian Wythege. Afterwards, we will march for Castle Galey first. I can prepare the troops in two days. Is that acceptable?"

His words got the black-haired boy to grin, looking pleased. "Heh, what I'd kill for our people to learn a bit more discipline from you," and Kizmel gaped at the sight of Lord Yofilis smiling at the compliment. "Well, alright. If you're offering, it would be wrong of us to reject, huh? Thank you, Lord Yofilis," Kirito bowed, his friends and herself replicating the gesture. How curious. It was a means of showing gratitude and respect, and she felt humble just doing it. "We'll update you in case anything comes up. Until then, Lord Yofilis."

Some last words were exchanged before all of them eventually returned to their rooms, then choosing to hang out in Kirito's room simply because—and he didn't look any bothered by it, having surrendered to such.

She spared a look at her teammates, who looked tired. Understandable. They'd had to explain the entire ordeal to Lord Yofilis, after all, and they'd really looked forward to just getting a break for today.

"Well, that's over with," groaned Kirito as he fell back onto his bed, the mattress creaking beneath his weight. "So we've successfully roped Yofilis into joining us for the upcoming battle. That's good. We can't afford to waste any more time than we already have."

"No kiddin'. We could already be on floor five had those idiots called for us," scoffed Argo. "Urgh. I'll never understand those blockheads."

"Better not stereotype every man with them as their stand-ins. I'm certain not all men are like them," sighed the boy. "I guess Lind is the better of the two, but they need to put aside their egos in a fight. Cooperation and coordination matters if you want to win a fight and live, after all."

Wise words. He'd quipped them in a moment of chagrin, yet she felt enlightened to know that their leader was such a wise person, despite his youth.

"A new year…" Muttered Vabel in the moment of silence. Her eyes were focused on the window, which greeted them with the sight of blue skies and bright light. Green danced in the wind, the trunk of trees like little towers.

The mention of such was enough to erase the earlier joyous mood, everyone frowning as they thought of today. The first day of the first month of an entirely new year.

And Kizmel had actually just remembered as well. Today really was the first day of the year, something that she hadn't actually took notice of, given the unpleasant circumstances and whatnot—the peace ceremony being interrupted, her almost dying, the inability to communicate with the castle…

She dispelled the thought, instead thinking back to what Kirito had told her. Since joining his party, they'd gotten to learn of one another and their customs, and she was equally perplexed by his as he was with hers.

In his world, they would usually spend their time with family and making the trip to local shrines to make prayers for a bountiful year. Food will be served, well wishes would be exchanged and the day would typically be a comfortable one. And of course, there would be festivities to celebrate the new beginning, as there ever is.

It sounded so simple, nothing as extravagant as their own elven customs. She remembered the days from when she was but a child, watching alongside her now-deceased sister with unbridled excitement as talented folks would perform within the Forest of Wavering Mists. Bright lanterns that left behind beautiful trails of bright orange and red as they swung them around in the mist, dancing. They would sing loud enough to reach even the farthest of the castle's lands. And there would be a momentary ceasefire for the duration of the festivities, enjoying the day together.

And yet, all the same, humans enjoyed celebrating in their own ways. With family, with friends, with loved ones—all those a constant with her own way of celebration.

And the more Kizmel thought about it, the more she sympathized for the humans. They could be home now, enjoying the festivities together, yet here they are forced to fight for their lives simply because some madman thought it would be entertaining. It most certainly was infuriating, more than anything else, and she knew they agreed as well.

And how dearly she wished to be back with her queen, to celebrate the new day with her… it was a shame, but there was nothing that could be done, not until they march to the ninth floor and banish the invaders.

"Nghaa! I don't like this moody air!" Cried out Argo as she threw her arms into the air, an annoyed look on her face. "It's a new year! We shouldn't be spending it moping around in our room! I refuse to let it go to waste!"

"Heh… Yeah, I guess you're right about that," her fellow Beta Tester looked more at ease now, his smile easily carrying through to the others as they beamed with him. "Ya' know what? I agree. We should be having fun! Or at the very least, relaxing and not doing anything too stressful. So… any suggestions?"

"Perhaps we take a dip in the Great Bath," Vabel looked particularly interested in that, if the way her smile widened by the smallest fraction said anything. "A servant here once told me that they use herbal water here. I'd like to experience it for myself, and it would be nice to go together."

The two other girls 'Ooh!'-ed at the suggestion. The sole boy in the room sweat-dropped, muttering something about 'dangerous'. She didn't see what the problem was with the bath. Was he, perhaps, averse to water or something?

The mention of the bath does make her curious, if a little excited herself. Herbal baths, as her mother once told her, would be a good way to relieve tension, make the skin shine and warm their bodies. In fact, it would be a good way to get even closer to her teammates. Perhaps a bit of skinship should be in order.

"Tonight then!" Cheered Argo. "And Kii-bou—"

"Is not joining you, got'cha," he seemed a little glad to say it himself, getting up with a good smile on his face. "In fact, I could probably go fishing with Klein! I heard about a pretty good spot, so we should—"

"Nuh-uh! You're joining us!" She pulled him down to the bed by the arm, indignant of Asuna's stuttering and blushing. "Seriously! We should bathe together!"

"No we shouldn't!" He cried back, red in the face by the suggestion. "It should be a one-sex thing! I'm a boy!"

"Actually, the baths here don't have any gender specificities. It's an open bath for everyone to join," the other ravenette explained, which widened the smirk, worsened the stammering and earned a squawk from her three friends. Easy to figure out which was which. "Besides, it would be fun to bathe together, would it not?"

"This should be illegal… I'm going to get arrested the moment I return to our world for sexual harassment, and possibly castrated by any protective parents and or siblings that you have," Kizmel had to stifle a chuckle at the sheer despair with which he'd said his words. Argo just waved him off and told him that he'd be fine, and that he could join Klein another time.

But they were right about one thing. A bath together at night did sound nice…

4th January 2023—Aincrad. Floor 4, Dungeons

Planning a raid was no easy feat. It required the cooperation between every participating player, careful planning and a massive amount of manpower. After all, they were to fight against a boss monster; the strongest of monsters on that floor in particular, which meant that they'd have to go all out if they wanted to win.

Then again, someone better put that under 'Criteria Specifically for Humans', because—

"Shift back! Archers, ready your aim!" The lancers immediately parted, the incoming wolves unprepared for the incoming volley. "Fire!"

Arrows rained upon them without mercy, piercing hide, mandible and eye. Thank Kayaba that this wasn't so realistic as to put gory blood and all. Rather, it was pixelated violence, and they immediately burst into polygons rather than stay a corpse on the ground.

Rated T for Teenagers. Wait, 14+ counts, right?

Kirito was wholly uncertain of what to say, let alone feel about this entire situation. He'd worked with the raid parties before this and they'd been pretty good, not gonna' lie. The first official raid back with Diavel had to have been the smoothest one, only for things to go bad with Kibaou and Lind constantly at each other's throats. Poor Diavel got struck with depression after the first battle.

…Actually, you know what? Screw that. He won't pity him. He tried to kill himself!

All of that aside, he and his teammates were woefully unprepared for how incredibly different things were with the elven army. Even now, he couldn't believe it.

They were so much more prepared, working so efficiently like an algorithm. Each command that Yofilis gave, they executed perfectly. None of them got in his or his teammates' way when they fought.

Sure, they weren't at the boss battles yet, but you'd think that there would be some form of chaos considering that there were eighty elves in this corridor! But nope, they knew where to move, when to attack, how to assist one another, and even more.

'Note to self. Do not piss off Yofilis,' he knew his stuff. Made sense, since he's a veteran in this world with plenty of experience. "So, where to next?"

"Says here that we'll need to head west, go down the corridor to the right, and we'll reach the boss room," Argo's voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, the soldiers nodding their assent as they resumed marching. He took the opportunity to approach his friend, who was watching the army.

"Thoughts?" He asked.

"They're impressive," Asuna answered in her stead, stepping beside him with a wide grin. "I suppose it makes sense. Their levels are already much higher than us, and they've had drills and training. It was a good idea to have them come with us."

The levels part made sense. Kizmel was Lvl 15 back when they first met, which was pretty darn high, all things considered. "Yeah, no kidding. This battle may be a cinch with them around, though we can't let our guards down. Who knows? Maybe Wythege has a secret power that we don't know about until his health hits red."

"Prepare for the unexpected. Makes sense," the elf nodded. "Shall we go?"

Joining the Dark Elf's army once more, they'd made quick work of the remaining monsters that stood in their paths. The sound of boots marching across the hall bounced off the walls, providing a rhythmic pattern of thuf, thuf, thuf. They hastened to reach the fore of the army, walking in step with Yofilis, who kept his gaze steady and forwards.

Man… Kizmel's a knight, right? So does that mean she's done this before? Doing the marchy-marchy with other soldiers before fighting some monsters? It was an insane thought, though, she'd told him she directly served the queen as her consort, so perhaps she was more of a bodyguard than anything else.

He may not be a knight or a part of a guild or whatever, but he knew that responsibility was a huge thing when you're a leader, or even a member of such an organization. He couldn't really understand how it must be for Yofilis, but he seemed fine. He doubted he'd be able to do the same.

"Sir Kirito," the boy perked up, looking to the elven noble. "I intend to ask you for your opinion on something, if you don't mind lending an ear to this old man."

"Old? Hah, the way I see it, old doesn't really fit you at all," someone might have scolded him for being disrespectful, but seeing the way the corner of his lips seemed to quirk a little, it was clear he didn't mind it. "Anyways, sure. What's on your mind?"

"It's about your powers," he began, which certainly piqued his interest. "I find it hard to believe d you seem capable of wielding an otherworldly power related to the very things that have plagued our world and killed our kind. Just what are they?"

"Beats me. I literally got this power during the battle against Illfang back on the first floor. Literally came out of nowhere," he shook his head with a little sigh. "Seriously… Ever since then, I seriously think I'm some sort of bad luck magnet. Things just go bad with me around."

"Haha, you don't actually believe that, do you?" Chuckled the man. He heard a few gasps from the army behind them. "Well, even if that were the case, you're already handling everything quite well, so I suppose there's nothing for us to fear."

"Don't jinx it…" He pleaded, making him laugh a little louder. "Seriously… I don't want the battle with Wythege to go completely wrong because we all expect it to go fine, and then it doesn't. I've already gone half-insane since the start of all this madness, but I don't want Wythege to suddenly turn into a, what? A dragon? A horse? God forbid, an angel?!"

A sight it would be, indeed. From some hippopotamus to a freaking being of light. Where would the lines of normalcy be drawn? Or would they just have to get used to nothing making sense?

Uurgh. Even Arsene is laughing at his worry. It's not funny! It could theoretically happen!

His mind brought up the image of Wythege, though he wasn't truly certain how it'd look like, since he hadn't been part of the first raid battle. Back during the Beta Test, Kirito had never fought Wythege. Rather, they'd put some sort of cool-ass samurai as the boss. Kagachi the Samurai Lord. He'd been such a blast to fight, though here, Kirito dreaded the thought of clashing blades with the powerful foe.

Nonetheless, from what Argo managed to get from the players who were part of the first raid battle, Wythege was particularly slow. Slower than even Nerius, which sounded like a good thing… if only because they didn't have to worry about getting hit.

Thing is, though, games tend to input certain stereotypes into their characters, monsters and bosses. 'Glass cannons' referred to the units that could deal overwhelming damage, yet were fragile and could easily be crushed with but a few blows. Tanks were slow, but they could take as many hits as you could believe. Saboteurs are more of the debuffers who worked to thin out the enemy's stats. And so on and so on.

Considering how slow Wythege was reported to be, it most certainly fulfilled the tank type. He'd have a good feeling that it was going to be one hell of a wall to break, and its attacks, though slow, would pack enough punch to deplete one's health into the red zone if they got hit.

Fragile players like Argo and Vabel would be destroyed if they took even one hit. He and Kizmel would fare well enough, himself more so if he drew forth his 'Regalia'—he'd discovered a unique resistance to physical damage sometime ago, which made him even more confident to be the shield of his team if the situation called for it. Asuna was in-between, but he wouldn't risk it either way.

That's why, for all purposes, he'd have to rely on his Persona. Arsene was a powerhouse in his own right, capable of tearing apart waves of enemies with magic and his own claws—both raw and strengthened. Hence, he'd play the role of the saboteur, focusing more on toppling the boss and staggering it. He could work on weakening Wythege's defense to give the others the opportunity they'd need to deal damage as well.

All in all, a pretty solid plan! Yofilis and his men would charge in with their impressive strategies, he and his teammates will do what they do best, and everything would be settled.

Everyone ran through the plans that Yofilis and Asuna had devised during the few strategy meetings they had back in his castle. The strategizing was over soon enough and, as countless hands pushed the doors in, the stone scraping against the concrete floor with a grating noise, Kirito had already summoned his 'Regalia', body already tense. This wouldn't be the hardest fight yet, but he wasn't willing to risk it. Gotta' give it his all, no matter what!

Although…

He looked behind, past his shoulder. Beyond the soldiers, beyond the faces and all the armour… the corridor was empty. Devoid of any other life save for themselves. Huh. Weird.

It could've been just his paranoia, but was something watching them from behind..?

The battle between the army of elves and the Persona user's party against Wythege the Hippocampus was initiated the moment they charged into the room, weapons brandished and voices in the form of loud roars that reverberated throughout the room.

The room lit up, finally putting Wythege into view as clay-coloured skin and googly blue eyes that glowed red finally spotted them. It wasn't a roar of a bestial animal, but a rumbling engine that he knew hippos could really produce in real life.

Kirito, despite already having summoned his 'Regalia', didn't rush straight in because there was one thing to recognize here, in this battle; Wythege is their first quadruped foe.

Floor one introduced them to Illfang, which was a bipedal enemy. Asterius and his two lackeys were of the same, so it wasn't too hard to fight them. Nerius was a different foe entirely; an unmoving tree that focused more on area-of-effect attacks. Wythege was an entirely new group of enemy.

Sure, they'd fought Frenzy Boars and Dire Wolves, but this was a boss. And bosses just can't be compared to typical mobs.

The info checked out. Wythege was certainly a foe to watch out for. It had little legs, sure, but he could tell that the thick plates covering its body would make inflicting any form of damage on it close to impossible. It was gigantic, with fat and muscles that weighed it down a bunch. It would be slow, but it would be one hell of a tank.

"Vanguards, form a line! Archers, take point and aim! Fighters, ready yourselves!" Immediately, elves with large shields formed a row, their bow-wielding brethren right behind them as they drew their bows. "Sir Kirito, if you would!"

"Hah! You don't need to tell me twice!" Elucidator shattered, Arsene right behind him. "Let's go!"

He was the only one with enough power to handle Wythege, making him the most suitable person to fight it in close combat and effectively topple him. Doing so would probably expose a weak spot, usually the ventral, for the elves to abuse.

"Asuna, Vabel, try and poke some holes into him! Find any gaps in his defense! Argo, I'll leave you to draw his attention! Kizmel, with me!"

"Right!"

For as great as Yofilis and his army were, he wouldn't dare count his own team out. They moved in sync with one another, Kirito meeting his enemy head-on as the two charged at one another. The beast grunted as it smashed its skull into his fist, his «Senda» and Arsene's burning claw more than enough to knock it back.

The fencers took the opportunity to close in, stabbing their rapiers in the flesh in-between the hard plates. Some attacks bounced right off while a few managed to make clean hits, but Kirito knew it would be hard trying to focus on the body.

Wythege recovered faster than he thought, spinning its body like a top to ward off any more attacks. Were the boss room designed in a muddy sort, it could have easily splashed mud onto them and slowed them down—that wasn't the case here.

The only special room they've come across thus far had been Nerius, and even then, it was annoying with all the plants and—

"Crap!" He quickly sidestepped a charging hippo, shattering Elucidator as he gave his next command. "Take him out!"

A burst of dark energy detonates beneath Wythege's feet, though the effect wasn't enough to throw it off its momentum. It was getting closer to the elves, though was quickly caught off-guard by a shield tackle. Purple hair is thrown back as Kizmel quickly backpedals, gaining distance.

Arsene has taken her spot next as he throws a swift slash, cutting into its flesh that leaves bright red marks. Wythege spins about to slam its body into the demon, but he'd already dematerialized.

"We'll need to hit hard!" Shouted the boy. In the distance, she gives a nod. "Asuna, Vabel, keep it still for us!"

A simple tactic of running circles around the slower entity worked with many, and it seemed that Wythege was becoming increasingly burdened by the presence of two different enemies attempting to distract it from its two other attackers.

Elucidator gleamed in bright light, its wielder charging at the beast with a «Sonic Leap», striking right against it side. Metal struck hard skin, another blade cutting into it with a strong «Vertical».

"Chaaarge!" Yofilis's voice was a roar as he and twenty other swordsmen rushed in, all screaming in sync as they unleashed their own «Sword Skills». The beast trembled from their combined attacks, more arrows into its body as the archers shot from a relatively safe distance.

They immediately disengaged as it spun its body once more, aggro drawn onto them. Elves dispersed as they attempt to dodge the beast.

Its attention on them didn't last very long as black energy exploded in its face.

"Hey ugly! You wanna' fight someone, pick someone your own size! Which is kind of untrue because you're a whole heck of a lot larger than I aaAAk!"

"Kii-bou! Heal up!"

Tackled by the thing, he oriented himself to land on his two feet before rolling out of its incoming charge. He caught a potion and chugged it down his throat, seeing his health slowly fill back up. He watched as everyone struck and got away, relying on hit-and-run tactics to whittle its defenses down.

Summoning Arsene, he sends a burst of dark energy that trips the beast, exposing its flank for the archers and knights to take advantage. The moment it got back up on its feet, it proceeded to rush right at him.

"Yeah, come at me," he muttered under his breath, readying both swords. "I was just careless earlier. I can handle you, no sweat! Hhhyaa!"

His shout was joined with Wythege's as it made a small upwards leap, forelegs raised down before falling upon him like a pair of anvils. Kirito moved to catch them with his swords, and cursed—shit, they were heavy..! The bones in his real-life body would surely be fractured if he had to take a huge weight like this!

And yet, stubborn will won out as he screamed, pushing back the beast with Elucidator and Annealed Blade—the blade shattered, and in its place, Arsene struck with a firm blow.

"It is defenseless!" Just as he said, the creature had been toppled onto its side, the damage it's already sustained making it more likely to getting disrupted. "Hero!"

"Here I go!" The sword in his right glowed a bloody red as it swung for the kill. Three fast blows from every direction that could only belong to «Sharp Nail», accompanied by enhanced claws that shredded at its defense and tore its health even more. Arrows rained down upon its exposed underbelly, the precision behind each shot more intimidating than the monster they fought.

Gone was a bar and a half. Another full and a half to go!

He leapt back as the creature fully oriented itself to stand on four legs once more, a high-pitched grumble as it began beating its feet onto the floor. A drum-like rhythm shook across the floor, a few elves rattled and thrown off-balance. The humans all cried out in surprise and forced themselves to stand strong.

Kirito quickly lowered his stance, keeping his centre of gravity low and raised both swords once more, ready to fight.

Wythege did not disappoint. The moment it stopped, it immediately charged at him, catching the boy off-guard with how much faster it seemed to move. Were Kibaou and Lind forced to retreat around this time? It would make sense.

Even so, he was faster, and with the power of the Persona, the danger was limited. He wasn't planning to take his chances, though.

Ka-boom! An explosion of dark energy in its pathway that drains his SP bar. It regenerated slowly, much slower than his HP, though he supposed it was a fair trade-off. He quickly moved out of its trajectory, watching as it turned around to charge at him once more.

'This fight is easy,' and that wasn't his ego talking. 'How'd Lind and Kibaou seriously lose to this? All Wythege does is run around!'

"Ready the spearmen!" His head shot back to the source of the voice. Asuna's command was loud across the room, enough so that every person stopped to look at her—he quickly moved, though, not willing to turn into pancake beneath Wythege's feet or get slapped away like earlier. "Kirito-kun!"

He nodded back. "Yeah, I hear you! Arsene!"

A shattering sound. Blue fire that engulfed his being as the demonic thief materialized behind him once more. His cackling was deep in tone, menacing… and yet, it made him smile all the same.

Hey, he was on their side, yeah? So nothing to worry about!

"Allow me! Hrah!" A give-and-take. He provided the powerful blows, and in return, Kirito sacrificed his health. A worthwhile payment as he watched Arsene, with claws that were bursting with malicious energy, slashed upwards and seemingly ripped into the flesh of its head.

It wasn't enough, of course. A follow-up explosion from the impact of the blow sent it snapping backwards, toppling onto its side. The floor shook with it, and so too did Asuna's voice that carried through.

"NOW!"

"Hroaaah!"

Elves with polearms had already been close enough to hit, and as they lowered their stances and willed power into their spears, he knew this was going to be something. Quickly, he put some distance between himself and the downed monster, watching with awe as they shot forwards and stabbed into its flank. Arrows followed suit.

Half a bar left! Jeez, did it really go down that quickly because of its one painful weakness? Either way, the better!

"One final blow!" He yelled, reading Annealed Blade for a «Sword Skill». Wythege got back onto its feet, though showed a little weariness than earlier. "Keep it still!"

Argo was upon it almost instantly, ridden upon the creature and stabbing into any spot she could logically stab at. Asuna and Vabel circled it like fast hawks, and Kizmel repeatedly smashed her shield into the side of its face, redirecting it from side to side.

One final blow. He let that sink in as he breathed in air through his nose, spread his feet apart and raised Elucidator upon his left shoulder. The weapon glowed a steady blue.

The game, as far as he could tell, did not support dual-wielding, and could only recognize one weapon that the user possesses. But even so, there was never a tight restriction on how to use the weapons, so in a way, the system recognized him as a user of two separate one-hand swords.

Sounds weird, but hey? It's a videogame. Get with the program or something.

"Hiyah!" A firm stab into its eye drew forth a shrill moan from the hippopotamus as it thrashed in place, kicking around like a donkey that just had its tail pulled taut. Its feet stamped everywhere in its fit of fury. The girls broke away from it.

That was just the cue he needed!

Still flailing in its spot, it was unable to do anything as people continuously disrupted its momentum with their individual attacks. Even with the final push, they kept everything uniform and calculated, never going too far.

There was nothing but beauty in this fight, and it touched him so.

"Hero," whispered the demon behind him, a flicker of flame in his hand. "Be ready to finish this in one single blow!"

"You got it!" He charged up «Sonic Leap», feeling heat wash over him as his Annealed Blade is bathed in black energy. «Curse» magic wrapped around the metal like a viper, a silent hiss as it danced around his weapon. 'Magic-enhanced attack? Hell yeah!'

The game was strictly designed around an Atk and Def mechanic, considering how there wasn't any access to magic. It wasn't like there was an actual Resistance stat in the game, though he has a feeling that the game probably has one now, what with all the craziness that's gone about. He wouldn't even be surprised if even the ordinary players suddenly gain access to spells, completely flipping the game on its head.

There goes 'Sword Art Online's' simple, medieval theme. God damn. How'd this happen again?

Ah, yes. A random encounter with a mysterious yet beautiful girl who insisted he meets her master, who turns out to be a long-nosed dude with the power to distort reality in ways that his brain couldn't understand (and probably doesn't really want to understand in the first place). Oh yeah, and maybe his world was somehow colliding with another world, thus granting him this power in the first place. Arsene did belong to someone else, after all.

…How did playing a game turn into something as nonsensical as this?

"Alright then!" He pushed back the thoughts into the deepest part of his mind, allowing the power to wash over him as he roared. "Let's take em' out in one blow!"

A deafening roar from his sword, Arsene's laughter right behind him. «Sonic Leap» was charged up to its absolute limit, and he'd launched himself forwards right after, aided by the beat of the wings that propelled him forwards at a speed that muted the sounds around him for the briefest of moments.

A black blade, swirling with dark energy that seemed to magnify its size into that of a bastard sword, tore right into the beast's undefended nape. So sudden had been the attack, and just as quick as it slashed through, a clean blow as he passed through the gap, polygons of red sparking into the air. Head detached and body stiff for just a second before it eventually fell to the ground with a loud thump, the elves roared as its body exploded.

With the battle over, Yofilis wished them well on their travels and promised to join back with them once they fully recuperated. He bade them a safe return to Yofel Castle, and as he knew it, they were well on their way.

"Such an easy fight. How the hell did Kibaou and Lind fail this one?" He'd have to agree with Argo on that one. "Like, seriously! Sure, we got Kii-bou on our side, but it's not any more difficult than Illfang. Illfang can use «Sword Skills», for crying out loud!"

"Again, their inability to cooperate," he rolled his eyes at the thought. Sure said a lot when their own kind couldn't work together when he and his friends just worked alongside the Dark Elves. Very nice. "Well, that's behind us now. Argo, share the news with everyone. We should start searching for the next floor's teleport gate, too."

As the group talked on and on about this and that, Kirito tuned them out for a moment to focus on that nagging sensation in the back of his head. A sort of itch that he just couldn't get rid of.

He pretended looking at the wall to his left, as if something caught his interest, though he'd been sure to give furtive glances past his shoulder. Nothing, yet he could sense something there. It could just be his imagination, but he knew someone was there.

Argh, whatever! If he's wrong, he's crazy! But if he's right, then that's that!

"Okay! Whoever it is that's following us, stop!"

"Eep!"

Everyone practically stopped to turn around when he'd shouted that, surprised then to see a girl with cropped black hair and green eyes to fall backwards, landing on her butt. He'd apologize for spooking her if it wasn't for the fact that she'd been following and watching them this entire time.

Wow. He didn't think that worked. If he had done that as a kid, he might have prided himself with having been some sort of prophet, or magician. Now, he wasn't sure.

'Huh. I feel like I've met her before…' He couldn't put a finger on that, but he certainly knew this girl. She must be a Beta Tester, for certain.

And if she was, then why the hell was she watching their fight the entire time and didn't join in? In fact, she'd been using the «Hide» skill; that no one, not even Kizmel with the enhanced senses, couldn't detect her was impressive. It must mean that she'd levelled up her skill to a respectable level, enough to fool even an elf.

Yet she didn't manage to evade him. Wonder why that was so.

'Maybe something to do with my 'Regalia'?' He thought back to the sword strapped to his waist, deciding that he'll shelf that question to ask of Vabel for later.

"Someone was following us? How'd I not notice that..?" He'd heard Argo whisper that quietly to herself, and though he would have enjoyed teasing her about it, it wasn't even a fault on her part. Not even Kizmel the elf noticed her.

Well, he'd already repeated that in his mind already earlier, so he'll focus on the girl averting her gaze away from them. "So, any reason you were following us?"

"That's… umm, w-well…" Having been exposed, she was practically a wreck. She'd lost her calm and seemed to struggle with finding her words. "I-I just… wanted to… and… mmg…"

"Please speak up. We can't hear you," Kizmel said with a soft voice. "We apologize if we may seem a little aggressive. We didn't expect someone to be tailing us. Perhaps we could begin with introductions? I am Kizmel, and these are my companions."

"No introductions needed since we're pretty popular," shrugged the information broker, her fencer friend giving her a look that shouted 'Hey!', which she promptly ignored. "And ya', girl?"

"K-Koharu," stuttered the girl in a weak attempt of self-introduction, waving her hand with a little smile. "Nice to meet—"

"Koharu?" He felt a brow quirk, realization hitting him. This girl… he knew it! Just like in the Beta Tester, she looked the same as she did back then! "I met you. You're a Beta Tester too, weren't you? From back in the beginning town."

"Oh! Y-You still remember me?" She looked surprised, and honestly, so was he. He didn't expect to still remember a girl from months back, yet here they are. Guess the world of gaming really is a small place. "But it was months ago."

"I guess I've got good memory?" And bad luck. Do either of those two things help? Ehh. That's up for debate. "Not sure. I guess I tend to remember stuff. Anyways, why were you following us? Or watching us, for that matter. Extra help would have been nice, not gonna' lie."

"A-Ah. Well, that's…" She seemed a little disappointed, frowning as she kicked a stone on the floor. "I'm just no good when it comes to fighting. Sorry that I couldn't help…"

"A shame, but nothin' to worry 'bout," shrugged the other Beta Tester. Huh. Three in the same spot. How about that? He'd thought he'd only seen two this entire time; Diavel and Argo. Now adding another to the list. "I mean, I'm not good at fighting either, but I can do other things."

Not wrong on that part. She wasn't a fighter, nor does she intend to be one. She prioritizes most of her experience points into speed, which was… good?

Honestly, being the cynical player that he is who has nothing better to do than to analyse literally everything because it was fun, the disadvantages were plentiful. The Str stat really translated to bodily strength, which encapsulated damage output and taking hits. Argo was literally keeping herself so weak and frail on purpose.

But with her lithe figure, she was able to make herself a tricky target. One who could weave and dodge between each attack. And though she couldn't hit hard, but she could go for repetitive damage, and that was annoying for almost anyone.

So really, Argo was a mixed bag.

"Kii-bouuu…" He felt a shiver down his spine as amber eyes pierced into his soul behind half-lidded eyes. "You're not thinking something bad about me, are ya'?"

"N-No, of course I'm not! I was thinking about… Koharu," lying through his teeth was not his good suit, and they probably knew as well. Well, except Koharu, that is. "A-Anyways, I guess it's fine since you didn't help out. Still, it wouldn't have killed you to at least try and do something?"

"Kirito-kun, stop being mean to her!" Chastised her friend.

He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Yeah, he supposed he was being a bit of a dick there, but really! Argo was literally the weakest fighter in their group and she'd still participated in the fight. Everyone just has to find their own ways to contribute.

"Well, enough of that then. Since you're here, we might as well go together then," he nodded to the massive doors before them. "That is, if you want to, of course."

"O-Oh!" She visibly beamed at the offer, smiling a little more confidently now. "S-Sure! I'm in your care!"

Well, how about that. Perhaps she was just going to be hanging out with them temporarily, or she may end up a part of their little circle. Welp, not like he was going to complain. It's always nice to meet a new face every now and then.

Even if most of them tend to be girls… Hmm…

Kirito shook that silly thought aside—really, it's not like he's only ever going to meet girls in this game—and walked on. With a press of a button, the doors opened up, and light bathed them.