Chapter 2.4 Diabel and Shirou
"Everyone, get ready." Daibel said. Even after he said it, he suppressed a grimace. That had been a little too harsh, a little too much of an order when these people were still more like a pick-up group than his subordinates. It had been three weeks since Kayaba announced the [Death Game], so they were still strangers enough that he had to be careful to manage the relationships perfectly. Even if he was getting irritated because they still hadn't found the [Boss Tower], even if he was tired, he shouldn't take it out on his party.
Well, Hexadecimal simply nodded in that slow way of his, and then closed his eyes. One Snow gave a cheerful "Osu!" before he also fell inward, and Itagaki's smile was sincere, even if her expression was a little tight with apprehension.
So Diabel set his worries aside and imagined as he breathed in. Inside his mind, his circuits were dormant. He reached in to them, and focused his whole mind on the image of a valve, a simple mechanical lever that blocked a pipe shut. He clenched the lever in his thoughts and pushed it a quarter turn, so that the block was rotated 90 degrees and his circuits would open. Diabel expelled his breath deeply and slowly, and let his eyes open before taking another glance around them. Absently he noticed the second meter that slid out beneath his [HP Gage], the [Prana Gage] that was switched on during [Circuit Activation].
The [Magic System] in [Sword Art Online] was strange. Diabel had never played a game with anything quite like it. Because it took at least two spells before you could even do anything that could properly be called [Magecraft]. First, the [Prana Gage] had to be switched on by opening the [Magic Circuits]. But by default, when it was switched on, the [Prana Gage] was empty, it had zero [MP], although the NPCs always referred to it as [units of Prana] rather than [Magic Points]. And that led into the second step, that in order to fill up the [Prana Gage] a Player had to use either the [Gather Mana] or the [Generate Od] spell. Generally speaking, the [Gather Mana] spell drained magical energy that drifted in the atmosphere, and [Generate Od] squeezed magical energy out of your body. So [Generate Od] was faster and easier, but the amount of [Prana] it could create was limited. And the penalty was higher. The penalty for [Spell Failure] was always [HP Loss] corresponding to the scale of the failure. Whereas someone could use [Generate Mana] to suck up power until the area was depleted as the only limit to the spell, there was an upper limit to [Generate Od] from the body that greatly increased the failure penalty. Already it was called things like the [Lesser Source] among players, but since [Mana] only regenerated slowly, it was as scarce as good pops in the heavily farmed areas.
Frankly speaking it was too complex. Diabel had never played a game that had such a complicated mechanic for spellcasting. Compared to a normal game that could be summarized in just eight words, [Magic uses Magic Points from your Mana Bar], this system was full of caveats and addendums. It was messy. It was an unnecessary amount of complication for a game. Compared to the simple and intuitive way the rest of the game worked, the so-called [Thaumaturgy Patch] was stubbornly weird.
He was getting cranky again. He took a deep breath to calm down and looked around. Naturally he checked to make sure that they hadn't drawn the attention of the group of [Ruin Kobolds], but it wasn't just that. Sitting in the hollow of a ruined tower, a semicircular pile of rocks with complicated shadows because of the simulated sunset, he also checked his party.
All three of them were teenagers.
One Snow was tall and strongly built for a high-school senior, but his casual stories about his kendo club indicated that was his position in society. He would probably equip a [Katana] weapon as soon as they became available, but for right now he had a [Two-Handed Sword] as his primary weapon. He was, from Diabel's perspective, perfect. He was a casual gamer with Real Life skills that gave him an edge over other gamers at his theoretical skill. Outside of battle he was confident, easy-going, and amiable, but inside combat he had the aggressive drive to score points of a winning kendo fighter. By the time he was confident enough in the game system, he would have already fallen into Diabel's orbit as great DPS.
Itagaki was extremely similar; a high-school girl who played games casually, but was the captain of her school Naganata club. So she was also the type that was excellent at the actual fighting, but lacked the experience to confidently optimize her build. She was also someone that would become an excellent and grateful asset with just a little bit of leadership. Even better, she was already tending towards heavy equipment just like Diabel used, so he could lead her growth perfectly. With the right equipment for armor and a long polearm, her real-world distance judgment skills made her a genuinely excellent tank even this early in the game.
The problem was that she had already chosen another player as a mentor, Hexadecimal.
Hexadecimal was short, not even 150 cm tall, with an otherwise unremarkable body and a shock of hair that was too messy and too long. He played as a [Dual Wielder], a build that many people tried but usually abandoned as impractical. It was easy to set up; all that was required was to equip a [Weapon Skill] twice, two at the same time, and then equip an appropriate [Weapon] in each hand. Just like that, the option to [Dual Wield] was unlocked. Keeping track of two weapons was mentally difficult, so it was hard to use [Dual Wield] to its full potential; that's why most people used a more reliable build, but Hexadecimal made it work. His default equipment at this level was a [Bronze One-Handed Mace] for stun and knockback and a [Bronze One-Handed Axe] for follow-up. Compared to the orthodox, real-world skills of the other two, his character build was clearly more game-like. He wasn't an androgynous skeleton that had maxed out the [Height] and [Limb Length] parameters while setting the slider for [Muscle Mass] all the way to the bottom. But that strange math name, that ninja-like cloth mask covering the face below the eyes, and that eclectic selection of [Weapon Skills] made Diabel certain it was someone he knew from the beta, a solo player who specialized in PVP... the same as he had been. That made Diabel nervous.
But for right now it was most important that their morale was still high.
With his [Circuits] activated, he could tell that he was falling behind. The [Mana] that had been lapping against his skin was like the tide going out as it was pulled into One Snow and Hexadecimal, and he could also feel waves coming off Itagaki using [Generate Od] since her ability to use [Gather Mana] was too unreliable for a dungeon. Slightly chagrined at falling behind, Diabel set aside his thoughts and focused on the task at hand. He closed his eyes and imagined the spell in his mind. Just like the [Sword Skills], he visualized the effect building up behind a dam until it suddenly burst forth. No, that wasn't quite accurate. If the [Magic Circuits] were like pipes, then during the spell [Gather Mana] those pipes were like a hole gouged straight down into the clay of his human body, and the water that saturated everything, called [Mana], seeped into the well. Diabel clenched his hands. The reason he compared the [Circuits] to gouges was because of this pain. When there was no other pain in the game it was a unique and fearful sensation. Frankly speaking, he wouldn't drink such poisonous water if it wasn't for the [Death Game]. But for the sake of staying alive, he would even drink the Devil's wine. That was the kind of person he was.
But even if he would endure it, Diabel still hated it. It was infuriating in a completely different way compared to the complicated and confusing [Prana Gage]. Because if the complication was proof that Kayaba Akihiko was a troll, than the mandatory and unnecessary pain when there was [Prana] flowing through his [Circuits] was proof that Kayaba Akihiko was a sadist. Thinking about it that way made Diabel afraid and angry.
The [Prana Gage] slowly filled up, and when it was completely blue instead of transparent grey, he released the image. His [Circuits] were no longer gouges in the earth of his flesh, but instead, they were once again pipes. Just the flow of [Prana] was like being smashed on the inside by water hammers, the dull pulse of pain as blobs of [Prana] blasted through him irregularly. But the pain was decreasing. Slowly, slowly, each time he used [Circuit Activation], his skill was increasing, the flow was steadier, the irregularities were smoothed out and each time it was less painful.
It was for this reason he endured, however. To pour the [Prana] out of him. For all the pain of activating the [Circuits], for all the fear and apprehension of being forced into the [Death Game], the experience of pouring [Prana] out of his soul and into his imagination was almost worth all of it, even for simple things.
What he imagined was a Rune. It was a simple shape, two upright lines parallel to each other, hooked together with a slender [X] shape laid between their tops. It was [Mannaz], and he knew enough English to immediately see the shared root with the word "Man". He imagined that the [Prana] spilled through the Rune and took its shape, spilling out of the pipes into the clay of his flesh, making him stronger, making him tougher, making him faster, making him stronger, making him... more. Better.
Mechanically, his [STR] and [AGI] were boosted, but saying it that plainly didn't do it justice. His breath came easier, his body felt lighter, his blood felt warmer. He felt good.
Compared to the [Reinforcement] in the basic [Formalcraft] system every NPC provided, this obscure [Runic Magic] was more effective in terms of both performance and efficiency, at least for Diabel. He sighed, releasing the breath he always held when casting a [Spell]. He had exhausted his [Prana Gage] to zero, so he also switched off the [Magic Circuits]. Having them active during battle would be a risk; no one in the party had healing magic, so there was no benefit to keeping them open, and the pain was a distraction.
Because he had started last, he also finished last. The other three were already standing, so he jumped up. He was always a little surprised at how easy it was to move right after he buffed up. "Everyone ready?" He asked with a smile, even though he knew that they were. When they nodded, he nodded back. "Good." He said. He was careful to keep his voice warm. "Then let's take it according to plan. There's no need to rush, so be careful."
There were eight kobolds.
Three were the [Lizard Berserkers] equipped with [Chipped Longswords] as a two-handed weapon and [Ragged Furs] as their defensive armament. There base stats weren't great, but they had the special property that attack power went up with their [Hate], so tanking them could be dangerous. Although they didn't look like much, the erratic, frantic natures of their movement once they tripped over into a [Berserk] state, and the distressing snarling of their voice animation, made them into something intimidating enough that you could easily lose your edge.
Four were [Armor Scavangers]. They were defensive-type mobs equipped with a mix of heavy armors that was generated randomly, so each one had different specific strong and weak points. As a rule they were a motley bunch in appearance, with an arbitrary mix of bronze armor, chainmail, and heavy leather equipment. Three had heavy [Two Handed Clubs], but the last had a [Rusty Cleaver] and an [Irregular Shield], a metal oval with a chipped edge.
The eighth character was the reason that they had carefully prepared, that they had scouted, that they had buffed their stats as high as they could.
Compared to the lean-but-wiry [Lizard Berserkers] and the muscular [Armor Scavangers], the eighth Kobold had the least impressive body. It was stooped over, leaning on a weathered and broken staff, barely able to stand upright. It was thin with an appearance closer to malnourishment than athleticism. A ragged cloak of rough material was pulled forward over his head, and hung on its frame like a drape thrown over furniture in an abandoned house.
But the floating name [Worm Disciple] and the two HP bars instead of the usual one was the proof that it was a field boss. Considering that, it was clearly a magic-using enemy. Considering that it was a Kobold, Diabel had hesitantly guessed that it would use some kind of fire elemental attack, or possibly it would be a summoner that would make more [Kobolds] pop.
Considering that it was completely unknown, they had talked, and the party had agreed to focus on the [Lizard Berserkers] first. Because their DPS went up over time, letting them get involved in a long fight was definitely a mistake. And since they didn't know how long it would take to handle the field boss or if it had any special events when it took enough damage, it was more reliable to handle the known threats and only then take the chance against the field boss.
"Attack!" Diabel shouted, pulling his sword out of his sheathe to point it at the enemy. There was no tactical need to say something so obvious, but he wasn't ignoring that it would be beneficial to the party's morale.
As expected, the [Lizard Berserkers] were the first to react, immediately charging as soon as the party tripped their response range. They were met nearly three meters away from the nominal group. Good; they had effectively split the kobold party.
Four players and three kobolds.
One Snow and Itagaki engaged the [Lizard Berserker] on the party's left flank. Itagaki parried the mob's sword attack with her spear, and then One Snow used a [Horizontal] on its open side, stepping forward across it. They already had good teamwork.
On the right flank, Hexadecimal was slower to respond than the Kobold, but he managed to step back so its [Rising Slash] was only a [Nick]. Then, he stepped forward, swinging his mace into a [Horizontal] to knock the Kobold off balance and following with a [Diagonal Chop] using his axe. Because of the damage bonus against a flat-footed opponent, just like that he already put it in the [Yellow Zone].
In the center, Diabel caught the [Linear] on his shield, forcing it aside, and then countered with his own [Vertical] right into the collarbone of the [Kobold Berserker]. It screamed in an eerie, guttural voice, but Diabel was slightly disappointed he hadn't managed to get it in the [Yellow Zone]. In that sense, he was losing.
When the Kobold reared back, he also stepped back into a defensive stance, and stole a glance at his party and the rest of the kobolds. The [Armor Scavengers] were only just now switching into combat mode, readying weapons and starting to jog over towards the players.
One Snow had his back to them. He had completely stepped past his target and had turned so that he was facing back towards it, towards the way he came. Diabel wanted to criticize him, but even as he watched, One Snow used another [Horizontal] to get a back attack bonus, and when the kobold staggered, Itagaki attacked herself, thrusting the spear into its center mass. They had already forced the Kobold into the [Red Zone]. So they were clearly winning, but Diabel was still worried. "Don't forget the rest!" He shouted, turning his attention back to his own opponent, blocking another attack with his shield.
Then the [Worm Disciple] acted. It was hunched over, muttering. Even though it wasn't speaking loudly, Diabel could hear its voice. Then, after what sounded like three verses based on the rhythm, even though the words themselves were unintelligible, it pointed.
Hexadecimal stopped. His guard was coming up, but it didn't perfectly block the attack because it stopped three-quarters of the way. He stopped stepping, he stopped moving his arms, he stopped moving his head, even his eyes couldn't move. He was motionless.
That was what the [Worm Disciple] could do. Some kind of [Curse Magic] that caused paralysis.
Diabel swore under his breath.
"Switch!" He shouted at the two party members that could still move. They looked up from finishing off their opponent, and Diabel trusted them to figure it out as he stopped engaging his enemy and moved to attack the one targeting Hexadecimal, who was now completely vulnerable. Because he interrupted its attack with a back attack, he was able to push it into the [Red Zone], and his mind relaxed when he saw it turn to focus on him, even as he heard the other two assault the Kobold that he'd necessarily turned his back towards. This was manageable.
Those foreign words, too soft to hear but still clearly heard, were spoken again.
But it wasn't on him, so Diabel just used a [Horizontal] and finished off his enemy, watching in satisfaction as it shattered into light. Only then did he sweep his gaze around.
One Snow was motionless.
The last [Lizard Berserker] was aiming at One Snow, but before he took more damage, Itagaki precisely thrust a spear [Sword Art] that Diabel didn't know the name of into the side of its neck, dealing enough damage that it, too, shattered into polygons and dissolved as its HP crossed zero.
Foreign words.
It was a sensation like earthworms with armored skulls drilling into his pipes. Even though the valve was closed, even though they were empty, even though those pipes should be turned off, there was a sensation like wriggling things digging into his body, eating their way into him, that horrible suffering lit up his brain. Diabel would have gasped in pain if his virtual diaphragm had been capable of operating his virtual lungs. But his muscles were locked. His neck was locked, his back was locked, his stomach was locked, his arms were locked, his legs were locked. The worms dug into the pipes and jammed them, they knotted up the joints from the inside, he couldn't move.
His confidence collapsed. The world became 20% darker. His locked-up body felt heavier. He was no longer sure he could move. But that was precisely what saved him. As the spell he used to [Reinforce] his body shattered, the left-over [Prana] that hadn't been consumed by the [Spell] yet had to go somewhere, so it leaked into his pipes. It drowned the worms and washed them away.
He could move again. But his buff was gone, and with its passing, he could see that his HP had gone done 30% as a result of the penalty for [Spell Failure]. He stumbled, clenching his teeth and wrapping his fingers back around the hilt of his sword.
Foreign words.
His head snapped up.
Itagaki was paralyzed. She was in a tight guard stance with her spear pointed towards that far-away caster, but it was meaningless if she couldn't move. An enemy could casually walk up to her side and cut her throat.
One Snow was paralyzed. He was in a deep stance with his sword in a side guard, but someone could just stand in front of him, reach over his guard, and stab him in the heart.
Hexadecimal was paralyzed. His weapons were crossed in front of his arms in an x-shaped guard, but it would be easy for someone to just disembowel him by going under those motionless arms.
Could he defeat the [Worm Disciple] alone with his party paralyzed?
No, before that, could he defeat all of those four [Armor Scavangers] that were still approaching?
Diabel gripped his sword and clenched his teeth. His eyes darted between his frozen party members. They relied on him as the party leader; even if it was a tentative bond, they still trusted him. His eyes darted to the four [Armor Scavangers] that were just approaching at a walking pace now that direct combat had paused. But they were definitely still closing. Four enemy mobs with a field boss supporting them were approaching. It was five on one, where the one had to protect three additional targets.
...The only stat he had that was higher than theirs was [Run Speed].
Diabel took a shaky step back. But hadn't he decided that he'd play a hero? No, rather than that, since he'd decided once Kayaba had told everyone that it wasn't really a game anymore, even if he was just faking it, what really was it that he had decided?
That shaky step back solidified into a fighting stance. He raised his shield and readied his sword.
But then-
A white blur with red highlights shot past him. A tall player with superlight equipment, a [White Jumpsuit] for armor and a [One-handed Curved Sword] as the weapon with the a red [Scarf] accessory. Without glancing around, he simply flew directly at the [Armor Scavangers] and smashed into them with a [Reaver] using the [Charging Attack] bonus.
This was that famous and notorious player. He appeared out of nowhere and stole your kills and departed without saying anything. Without asking any permission he inserted himself into the party as a dodge-type tank and upstaged everyone. That jumped into combat to save a party that challenged a monster too strong for them. Diabel had made it a point to find out as much as he could about all the strong players in [SAO], but even the player named [Argo] didn't charge much for the rumors on this player, because they were all contradictory. Even she wasn't confident in what she knew about him.
This was the player that was called, half-sarcastically and half-reverently, [Sixth Ranger].
And right now he was surrounded by four level nine [Armor Scavangers] with a level ten [field boss] right next to the melee. Even if he was an excellent player, there was no way he'd be able to survive. Even if he somehow, impossibly, was able to dodge all the blows of the four enemies around him, there was still that ridiculous trump card that the [Worm Disciple] could play that would pierce and entangle him.
A dry voice appropriate for a lizard that was speaking too soft to be heard but was yet still heard.
"Look out!" Diabel shouted. "The [Field Boss] has a [Curse Spell] effect!"
A cadence of three lines, and an ominous gesture.
But the [Sixth Ranger] did not even flinch, he didn't break the impossibly tight rhythm of continuously dodging the attacks of four [Armor Scavangers] as he slowly trained them back towards the [Worm Disciple]. He didn't even have to make a saving throw action like Diabel had; it was as if he had a spell resistance statistic that completely negated the curse before it could even affect him.
"Use your [Circuit Activation] and then circulate prana through your [Circuits]," with a calm voice like someone giving directions to someone else in the street, the [Sixth Ranger] spoke loudly so Diabel's who party could hear them. "The circulation will erode away the [Curse] and prevent it from taking root in your [Circuits]."
Diabel frowned, and took a hesitant step, but then paused to do as the stranger suggested. He imagined the clay, the pipes, and the valve. He reached into himself mentally and grasped the valve firmly, and then turned it.
He could feel the [Mana] brushing past him as it was lapped up by One Snow and Hexadecimal. They were also gathering [Mana] to circulate so they could create the effect. Even as Diabel started doing the same, slight waves radiated off of Itagaki as she started up the [Generate Od] spell.
Hexadecimal took a stumbling step forward, rolling his shoulders and neck. Even if it was a virtual body, he probably had a sensation like stiffness from being frozen in place like that.
One Snow eased up, stepping forward in a few shuffling moves as he swung the sword with tentative practice motions, an expression of relief and amazement on his face as he watched himself freely move again.
Itagaki was smiling with a watery expression, but it turned hard as her gaze shifted from her party members towards the Kobold party.
This time, there was no need to say anything.
The party charged. They fell upon the [Armor Scavangers] from behind. Itagaki speared one in lower back. When it turned, One Snow perfectly stepped forward and sliced its throat even as Itagaki smoothly switched out. Together, they managed to force it into the [Yellow Zone]. The [Armor Scavanger] swung its [Two-Handed Club] in a downwards diagonal blow towards One Snow, but he stepped back and parried it so that it slammed into the ground rather than his shoulder, and then followed the parry to pin its club with its sword. It would break free as soon as it tried because it had a higher [STR] than he did even with his stats buffed with [Reinforcement], but before it had the chance Itagaki stepped forward and smoothly launched a [Skill]. It wasn't a gamble to aim at the head in that instant it was pinned, so that [Critical Hit] was enough to completely empty its HP bar.
Hexadecimal jumped. He leapt up into the air with his legs tucked up and his arms extended, bring them down to brutally smash his mace and then his axe into the shoulder of the leftmost [Armor Scavanger] in quick succession. The cooldown for his [Skills] wore off before the kobold's [Stun] or [Knockdown] status did, so Hexadecimal coldly stepped over the prone kobold and launched simultaneous [Diagonal Strikes] with both mace and axe, plunging them into the collarbone on each side of the neck. Just like that, he finished off his opponent.
And Diabel used a [Shield Bash] followed with a [Horizontal] to finish off the one that had engaged the guy nicknamed Sixth Ranger the most closely. The one-two hit combo against an enemy that had just been pushed into the yellow was enough to kill it, forcing its HP down past zero, and it broke into polygons and disappeared.
Diabel looked up. The last [Armor Scavanger] with the sword-and-shield equip had backed up to stand in a guard position in front of the field boss, who was chanting again. It was already past three lines, so it wasn't the same spell. Diabel tensed, circulating his [Prana] again, the sweat animation starting on his forehead from either the stress of the warmth that always poured out of his [Circuits].
The [Worm Disciple] raised its hand, and laid it against the last [Armor Scavanger], which raised its shield in front of it and swung the sword back to a back guard as it shifted into an offensive stance. It tensed, and Diabel felt a nauseating [Prana] like foul water splashing against him as the field boss cast some kind of buff effect on the last party member. Judging by the cadence of its speech, it only had half a line to go to complete the [Spell].
And the Sixth Ranger stepped forward with the same blinding speed, ignoring the [Armor Scavanger] and its sword as he brushed past it by centimeters, and shot a [Reaver] into the face of the casting field boss.
The effect was immediate and obvious. The [Armor Scavanger] stumbled and roared as half its HP was carved away by the [Spell Failure] penalty. Equally, the [Worm Disciple] lost a third of one of its HP bars as the [Spell] was disrupted and the prepared [Prana] burned its way free like heat loss.
Hexadecimal was the first to act, knocking the shield out of the way and following up with an axe attack. One Snow was only a step behind him, and they switched as he swung his sword in a perfect [Horizontal], accelerated past the natural limits of the [Sword Skill] by his IRL kendo training.
Sixth Ranger stood casually, with his sword resting on his shoulder, leaving his entire right flank exposed. The [Worm Disciple] struck with unexpected speed and power, but with just half a step, his target was suddenly out of range. And then [Sixth Ranger] swung his sword. It wasn't a [Skill], it was just a cut at an awkward angle of about 30 degrees as the sword came off his right shoulder and swung out. It perfectly passed through where the jugular and windpipe just below the trachea would have been if the [Worm Disciple] had anatomy instead of being a hollow shell. Just like that, Diabel was amazed that someone could score a [Critical Hit] so easily. Just like that, the second [HP bar] was emptied out and the first sliver was chipped away from the one bar that remained.
Itagaki stepped forward, spinning the spear in her hands and using a slashing-type skill on the field boss from behind as she stepped past it.
One Snow used a [Diagonal] on such a severe angle it was practically vertical, putting the edge of his sword four centimeters from the tip directly into the middle of the field boss' head and pulling down in a beautiful stroke.
Hexadecimal and Diabel made eye contact, and Diabel smirked at the slightly narrow expression.
Like he expected, he got there first. While two party members were in cooldown and the last was chasing his back, he launched his strongest [Skill], and was rewarded by being the one to make the [Last Attack].
[Congratulations!]
It was a simple dialogue box with a single English word that floated in the air. Compared to the trumpet fanfare that had accompanied winning a fight against a Floor Boss, this simple popup was nothing special. But even so, the relief and happiness at winning this battle was a dozen times sweeter than any [Floor Boss Battle] that Diabel had participated in. For now Diabel ignored the popup box with the XP, col, and bonus item that announced his personal gains.
"I leveled!" Itagaki shouted, with the particular voice halfway between a cheer and a shriek of an excited girl. She turned and smiled so broadly her eyes were nearly shut, making eye contact with Hexadecimal. "I leveled up!" She repeated.
"Congratulations." One Snow said to the girl, sheathing his sword with a solemn motion. Although his body language and motions were perfect, the goofy smile he had ruined the image of the stoic samurai that he was trying to invoke.
Hexadecimal was smiling, too, although that face mask made it difficult to tell. Diabel noticed that he had clenched his fists even with his hands hanging casually at his sides; certainly, Diabel had problems with the shakes sometimes too, so he didn't say anything but resolved to carefully speak to him later.
The party leader turned and made eye contact with the unknown factor called [Sixth Ranger]. And Diabel paused.
It was a pure smile. It was not so broad it used up the maximum amount of mouth like Itagaki's delighted grin. It lacked the goofy and relieved cheer that One Snow had. No, it was an utterly relaxed expression hinted at by the sides of the eyes and the slightest, most placid motion of the mouth curving up. It was a pure smile without any expectation, an expression like a Buddha statue.
Diabel found his voice. "Thank you for helping us." He said. He paused. There were a hundred questions competing in his mind. Where had he learned to play like that? Where had he learned to fight like that? Where had he learned that detail about the [Magic System]? What were his goals? What was his level? Was he stronger than Diabel? He paused, unsure for a moment of what he wanted to say. He didn't even know. "What..." Diabel said.
But with only the slightest nod to acknowledge his thanks, a recognition that he had been spoken to rather than accepting the praise, that guy just turned and walked away. He glanced around, sliding the [One-Handed Curve Sword] into the sheath at the small of his back, already turned away from them. Simply put, the [Sixth Ranger] had no interest in participating in their happiness.
With just a casual glance at his own menu and the slightest pause before he jabbed at a button only he could see, the enigmatic player that everyone just called [Sixth Ranger] took off at a run, sprinting away at a top speed none of them could hope to match.
Diabel's question died on his lips, and he just turned back to his party. He shared a confused shrug with One Snow.
"He didn't even give his name." Itagaki murmured to herself.
"Shirou." Hexadecimal quietly answered, as if she had asked him a question. He was glancing down and in front of him where his menu would be, although it was invisible to everyone else. "That player's name is [SHIROU] spelled in all capitol letters."
"Huh." One Snow said, and more questions came to Daibel's head. Hexadecimal had been a soloer who mostly played PvP in the beta; had this [SHIROU] been the same? Diabel had never seen him before, and didn't recognize him at all. But on the other hand, maybe he played differently during the [Death Game] than he did during the beta, just like Diabel was. Or maybe his play style was unrecognizable because his [Real Body Simulation] was vastly different than his [Avatar] had been. Certainly the beta-player called [Berserkah] had been bragging on various message boards before the official launch, and this [SHIROU] person was someone inscrutable and weird enough to just be [Berserkah] with a different player name.
"How do you know that?" Itagaki asked. Diabel was thankful; she asked it with honest curiosity, whereas there was no way that Diabel would have been able to keep accusation out of his voice.
"He just accepted my friend request." Hexadecimal said with a vague gesture towards the menu the rest of them couldn't see.
"What a good idea." One Snow muttered.
Diabel wasn't so sure.
Chapter 2.4
End
I I I
Kibaou shouted with triumph as his sword cut into the [Lesser Dark Wolf] and it died, shattering into blue-green light.
"Yeah!" He crowed, pumping his fist, "How do you like that!" He glanced at his [HP Bar] and saw that it went back up. He was somebody that played DPS, so he was always glad when someone else played a Healer. He didn't allow himself to think about what would happen if there wasn't one in the party during this game.
"Thanks Bones!" He turned, shouting at the Healer, sweeping his gaze back to the Wolves.
His eyes snapped back to his party member though. Because the Healer's [HP bar] was red even though he hadn't gotten hit even once. And worse, the HP bar was sliding down.
"Bones!" He shouted, reaching out.
The bar went empty. The last sliver of red disappeared. With an expression of denial still on his face, Bones burst into light and evaporated.
"Bones!" Kibaou shouted, tears coming to his eyes.
Distantly he heard a party member shout a warning. He turned, and snapped back as one of the remaining Lesser Dark Wolves bit him. He stared down at it in horror. "It's your fault...." he said.
"It's your fault!" He snarled. Savagely, he used [Reaver] at point blank range, slashing the enemy mob deeply, forcing the sword to go faster, to hit harder, simply with the force of his rage and sorrow. "I'll kill you all!" He swore, using the attack again.
The other wolf bit him. He swung at it.
His mind was a haze. He didn't worry about anything except slashing these enemies in front of him.
Just like that, his HP bar decremented. He didn't stumble or fall back. Simply, as he pulled back to use another skill, the world abruptly disappeared. No, it was that he abruptly disappeared from the world.
In the sudden, absolute darkness and cold, two words floated like the specter of death.
[Game Over].
...
"Dammit", Kibaou cursed the world with his last thought.
...
"Welcome..." But a rich, smooth, heavy voice spoke. But there was something ominous underneath that magnificent sound. "...to Kotomine's Church. For Bad Guys."
It was definitely the voice of someone that sincerely laughed at other people.
Kibaou sat up, snapping up from where he had been laying on the floor, on the carpet that led up between the pews. In the simple white arch of a Church, standing before the altar adorned with simple candles, there was a priest. He had a kind smile without kindness, black robes with a simple crucifix, and a mullet.
"But I'm not a bad guy." Kibaou's first words in that place were a protest.
"Oh?" The priest said it with an honest tone, but the way he raised his eyebrow definitely showed it was not a question. "That is simply a matter of perspective. It's true that everyone thinks they are the hero of their own life, but if we add up everyone's perspective, then sometimes your one vote of [hero] is outweighed by a hundred votes of [villain]." The priest spread his arms in a benediction.
"But I'm not a bad guy!" Kibaou shouted.
That kind smile like a shark became just the tiniest bit wider. "Imagine," the priest began a cool speech, "a potato--"
"There's no time for that garbage." From the front corner of the Church a voice of absolute command spoke. A blond man was slouching on the furthest left side of the left pew in the front of the church with his arm thrown over the back. He stood, and the easy uncoiling motion he made instantly forced Kibaou to pay attention to him. His clothes were simple and casual, but definitely of immense quality. He turned, and that absolute arrogance in his red eyes crushed Kibaou.
Somehow Kibaou knew [that garbage] was referring to him specifically, not to the conversation generally.
"Hey," he began to protest, but a single gaze with the barest sneer from that guy was enough to shut him down instantly.
"Oh?" The priest spoke that same honest tone saying that same word, but this time it was truly a perfectly neutral question.
"Yes!" That totally arrogant man shouted, even though they could hear him just fine. "How is it possible that a pathetic Faker received one of my treasures in a special edition packaging instead of the great me!?"
Kibaou definitely had no idea what he was talking about.
The priest stood quietly, obviously thinking. "If it's the bloomers..." muttering something that ominous, he turned to glance at Kibaou.
Kibaou quickly searched for a less terrifying conversational subject. "So I died?" He asked.
"Hm hm hm." With a hearty chuckle, the priest agreed. "You foolishly let your arrogance blind you, allowed your party member to sacrifice himself, and then died while choking on rage and guilt."
"So..." Kibaou licked his dry lips, hesitating. "What should I do differently?"
"Swallow the rage and guilt, and then retreat." Kotomine said with a serious nod. "Then, allow it to slowly fester inside of you, growing with each failure and oversight, knowing that it is all a result of the skills you lack. Bury the guilt under anger, forcing everyone to follow as you run blindly from your own failures, never looking back as they stumble and fall into the abyss of death, until finally you wake up one morning and realize you are alone, because everyone you love has abandoned you or died." The smile became warm and lovely. His eyes twinkled. "Only then, in a moment of perfect despair, should you commit suicide."
Kibaou glanced at the other guy.
"Impudent mongrel!" The man sneered. "To even imply that the great King should lower himself to give advice to garbage like you!" He swung his arm dramatically. "However, you shall still receive my boundless magnanimousness."
Even though he talked like that, Kibaou found himself leaning forward, actually looking forward to the advice somewhat.
"In your next life," that golden guy began, "be born as a great King!" He swung his other arm dramatically.
"But not as great as me!" He added as an afterthought.
Kibaou sighed.
"Yes," The priest urged, "Fall into despair, just... like... that."
Kibaou thought he would be better off just gambling on a superhero showing up out of nowhere to save him.
Chapter Two
End
I I I
1) Welcome to Five Thousand Seven Hundred Words of What is Going on Inside Diabel's Head! I liked the tension between his purported moral goodness and his ambition, so I will be exploring that by making him relatively important. Also he's going to become Ilya's rival for the title "Leader of The Strongest Guild" so he's important from that angle too.
2) In chapter 3 Diabel is going to be self-announce his class as [Rune Knight], so I figured I'd start working towards that. Well, Fate is long on having Rune users and short on concretely saying how they do whatever they do, so tell me if this works! Also if you want to provide ideas or anything please start a discussion in the Idea thread!
3) I needed some people for Diabel to think about, and I thought about sticking someone like Silica in his party or something, but then I started thinking about how I also needed some people to sacrifice on the altar of Serious Business (25th Floor Boss Edition), so I added some OCs! Anyway let me know what you think about them, but if you want to discuss them in any depth take it to the Idea thread plz; I am trying to preserve the Preview thread as Spoiler-Free and the Idea thread as Crazy Spoilers.
4) It's not that I've changed my mind on writing 2.3.1 The Deal (v2), it's just that the tentative starts all felt a little flat, so I wrote this instead! I will post a rewrite of Kayaba and Ilya's Special Discussion Time probably sometime Sunday.
5) After like a thousand words, I didn't even get to the [Original Game System], the [Golden Famicom]. Maybe next time~.
EDIT: Fixed typographical stuff.
Mod Edit: Text encoding cleanups due to forum migration -chronodekar
"Everyone, get ready." Daibel said. Even after he said it, he suppressed a grimace. That had been a little too harsh, a little too much of an order when these people were still more like a pick-up group than his subordinates. It had been three weeks since Kayaba announced the [Death Game], so they were still strangers enough that he had to be careful to manage the relationships perfectly. Even if he was getting irritated because they still hadn't found the [Boss Tower], even if he was tired, he shouldn't take it out on his party.
Well, Hexadecimal simply nodded in that slow way of his, and then closed his eyes. One Snow gave a cheerful "Osu!" before he also fell inward, and Itagaki's smile was sincere, even if her expression was a little tight with apprehension.
So Diabel set his worries aside and imagined as he breathed in. Inside his mind, his circuits were dormant. He reached in to them, and focused his whole mind on the image of a valve, a simple mechanical lever that blocked a pipe shut. He clenched the lever in his thoughts and pushed it a quarter turn, so that the block was rotated 90 degrees and his circuits would open. Diabel expelled his breath deeply and slowly, and let his eyes open before taking another glance around them. Absently he noticed the second meter that slid out beneath his [HP Gage], the [Prana Gage] that was switched on during [Circuit Activation].
The [Magic System] in [Sword Art Online] was strange. Diabel had never played a game with anything quite like it. Because it took at least two spells before you could even do anything that could properly be called [Magecraft]. First, the [Prana Gage] had to be switched on by opening the [Magic Circuits]. But by default, when it was switched on, the [Prana Gage] was empty, it had zero [MP], although the NPCs always referred to it as [units of Prana] rather than [Magic Points]. And that led into the second step, that in order to fill up the [Prana Gage] a Player had to use either the [Gather Mana] or the [Generate Od] spell. Generally speaking, the [Gather Mana] spell drained magical energy that drifted in the atmosphere, and [Generate Od] squeezed magical energy out of your body. So [Generate Od] was faster and easier, but the amount of [Prana] it could create was limited. And the penalty was higher. The penalty for [Spell Failure] was always [HP Loss] corresponding to the scale of the failure. Whereas someone could use [Generate Mana] to suck up power until the area was depleted as the only limit to the spell, there was an upper limit to [Generate Od] from the body that greatly increased the failure penalty. Already it was called things like the [Lesser Source] among players, but since [Mana] only regenerated slowly, it was as scarce as good pops in the heavily farmed areas.
Frankly speaking it was too complex. Diabel had never played a game that had such a complicated mechanic for spellcasting. Compared to a normal game that could be summarized in just eight words, [Magic uses Magic Points from your Mana Bar], this system was full of caveats and addendums. It was messy. It was an unnecessary amount of complication for a game. Compared to the simple and intuitive way the rest of the game worked, the so-called [Thaumaturgy Patch] was stubbornly weird.
He was getting cranky again. He took a deep breath to calm down and looked around. Naturally he checked to make sure that they hadn't drawn the attention of the group of [Ruin Kobolds], but it wasn't just that. Sitting in the hollow of a ruined tower, a semicircular pile of rocks with complicated shadows because of the simulated sunset, he also checked his party.
All three of them were teenagers.
One Snow was tall and strongly built for a high-school senior, but his casual stories about his kendo club indicated that was his position in society. He would probably equip a [Katana] weapon as soon as they became available, but for right now he had a [Two-Handed Sword] as his primary weapon. He was, from Diabel's perspective, perfect. He was a casual gamer with Real Life skills that gave him an edge over other gamers at his theoretical skill. Outside of battle he was confident, easy-going, and amiable, but inside combat he had the aggressive drive to score points of a winning kendo fighter. By the time he was confident enough in the game system, he would have already fallen into Diabel's orbit as great DPS.
Itagaki was extremely similar; a high-school girl who played games casually, but was the captain of her school Naganata club. So she was also the type that was excellent at the actual fighting, but lacked the experience to confidently optimize her build. She was also someone that would become an excellent and grateful asset with just a little bit of leadership. Even better, she was already tending towards heavy equipment just like Diabel used, so he could lead her growth perfectly. With the right equipment for armor and a long polearm, her real-world distance judgment skills made her a genuinely excellent tank even this early in the game.
The problem was that she had already chosen another player as a mentor, Hexadecimal.
Hexadecimal was short, not even 150 cm tall, with an otherwise unremarkable body and a shock of hair that was too messy and too long. He played as a [Dual Wielder], a build that many people tried but usually abandoned as impractical. It was easy to set up; all that was required was to equip a [Weapon Skill] twice, two at the same time, and then equip an appropriate [Weapon] in each hand. Just like that, the option to [Dual Wield] was unlocked. Keeping track of two weapons was mentally difficult, so it was hard to use [Dual Wield] to its full potential; that's why most people used a more reliable build, but Hexadecimal made it work. His default equipment at this level was a [Bronze One-Handed Mace] for stun and knockback and a [Bronze One-Handed Axe] for follow-up. Compared to the orthodox, real-world skills of the other two, his character build was clearly more game-like. He wasn't an androgynous skeleton that had maxed out the [Height] and [Limb Length] parameters while setting the slider for [Muscle Mass] all the way to the bottom. But that strange math name, that ninja-like cloth mask covering the face below the eyes, and that eclectic selection of [Weapon Skills] made Diabel certain it was someone he knew from the beta, a solo player who specialized in PVP... the same as he had been. That made Diabel nervous.
But for right now it was most important that their morale was still high.
With his [Circuits] activated, he could tell that he was falling behind. The [Mana] that had been lapping against his skin was like the tide going out as it was pulled into One Snow and Hexadecimal, and he could also feel waves coming off Itagaki using [Generate Od] since her ability to use [Gather Mana] was too unreliable for a dungeon. Slightly chagrined at falling behind, Diabel set aside his thoughts and focused on the task at hand. He closed his eyes and imagined the spell in his mind. Just like the [Sword Skills], he visualized the effect building up behind a dam until it suddenly burst forth. No, that wasn't quite accurate. If the [Magic Circuits] were like pipes, then during the spell [Gather Mana] those pipes were like a hole gouged straight down into the clay of his human body, and the water that saturated everything, called [Mana], seeped into the well. Diabel clenched his hands. The reason he compared the [Circuits] to gouges was because of this pain. When there was no other pain in the game it was a unique and fearful sensation. Frankly speaking, he wouldn't drink such poisonous water if it wasn't for the [Death Game]. But for the sake of staying alive, he would even drink the Devil's wine. That was the kind of person he was.
But even if he would endure it, Diabel still hated it. It was infuriating in a completely different way compared to the complicated and confusing [Prana Gage]. Because if the complication was proof that Kayaba Akihiko was a troll, than the mandatory and unnecessary pain when there was [Prana] flowing through his [Circuits] was proof that Kayaba Akihiko was a sadist. Thinking about it that way made Diabel afraid and angry.
The [Prana Gage] slowly filled up, and when it was completely blue instead of transparent grey, he released the image. His [Circuits] were no longer gouges in the earth of his flesh, but instead, they were once again pipes. Just the flow of [Prana] was like being smashed on the inside by water hammers, the dull pulse of pain as blobs of [Prana] blasted through him irregularly. But the pain was decreasing. Slowly, slowly, each time he used [Circuit Activation], his skill was increasing, the flow was steadier, the irregularities were smoothed out and each time it was less painful.
It was for this reason he endured, however. To pour the [Prana] out of him. For all the pain of activating the [Circuits], for all the fear and apprehension of being forced into the [Death Game], the experience of pouring [Prana] out of his soul and into his imagination was almost worth all of it, even for simple things.
What he imagined was a Rune. It was a simple shape, two upright lines parallel to each other, hooked together with a slender [X] shape laid between their tops. It was [Mannaz], and he knew enough English to immediately see the shared root with the word "Man". He imagined that the [Prana] spilled through the Rune and took its shape, spilling out of the pipes into the clay of his flesh, making him stronger, making him tougher, making him faster, making him stronger, making him... more. Better.
Mechanically, his [STR] and [AGI] were boosted, but saying it that plainly didn't do it justice. His breath came easier, his body felt lighter, his blood felt warmer. He felt good.
Compared to the [Reinforcement] in the basic [Formalcraft] system every NPC provided, this obscure [Runic Magic] was more effective in terms of both performance and efficiency, at least for Diabel. He sighed, releasing the breath he always held when casting a [Spell]. He had exhausted his [Prana Gage] to zero, so he also switched off the [Magic Circuits]. Having them active during battle would be a risk; no one in the party had healing magic, so there was no benefit to keeping them open, and the pain was a distraction.
Because he had started last, he also finished last. The other three were already standing, so he jumped up. He was always a little surprised at how easy it was to move right after he buffed up. "Everyone ready?" He asked with a smile, even though he knew that they were. When they nodded, he nodded back. "Good." He said. He was careful to keep his voice warm. "Then let's take it according to plan. There's no need to rush, so be careful."
There were eight kobolds.
Three were the [Lizard Berserkers] equipped with [Chipped Longswords] as a two-handed weapon and [Ragged Furs] as their defensive armament. There base stats weren't great, but they had the special property that attack power went up with their [Hate], so tanking them could be dangerous. Although they didn't look like much, the erratic, frantic natures of their movement once they tripped over into a [Berserk] state, and the distressing snarling of their voice animation, made them into something intimidating enough that you could easily lose your edge.
Four were [Armor Scavangers]. They were defensive-type mobs equipped with a mix of heavy armors that was generated randomly, so each one had different specific strong and weak points. As a rule they were a motley bunch in appearance, with an arbitrary mix of bronze armor, chainmail, and heavy leather equipment. Three had heavy [Two Handed Clubs], but the last had a [Rusty Cleaver] and an [Irregular Shield], a metal oval with a chipped edge.
The eighth character was the reason that they had carefully prepared, that they had scouted, that they had buffed their stats as high as they could.
Compared to the lean-but-wiry [Lizard Berserkers] and the muscular [Armor Scavangers], the eighth Kobold had the least impressive body. It was stooped over, leaning on a weathered and broken staff, barely able to stand upright. It was thin with an appearance closer to malnourishment than athleticism. A ragged cloak of rough material was pulled forward over his head, and hung on its frame like a drape thrown over furniture in an abandoned house.
But the floating name [Worm Disciple] and the two HP bars instead of the usual one was the proof that it was a field boss. Considering that, it was clearly a magic-using enemy. Considering that it was a Kobold, Diabel had hesitantly guessed that it would use some kind of fire elemental attack, or possibly it would be a summoner that would make more [Kobolds] pop.
Considering that it was completely unknown, they had talked, and the party had agreed to focus on the [Lizard Berserkers] first. Because their DPS went up over time, letting them get involved in a long fight was definitely a mistake. And since they didn't know how long it would take to handle the field boss or if it had any special events when it took enough damage, it was more reliable to handle the known threats and only then take the chance against the field boss.
"Attack!" Diabel shouted, pulling his sword out of his sheathe to point it at the enemy. There was no tactical need to say something so obvious, but he wasn't ignoring that it would be beneficial to the party's morale.
As expected, the [Lizard Berserkers] were the first to react, immediately charging as soon as the party tripped their response range. They were met nearly three meters away from the nominal group. Good; they had effectively split the kobold party.
Four players and three kobolds.
One Snow and Itagaki engaged the [Lizard Berserker] on the party's left flank. Itagaki parried the mob's sword attack with her spear, and then One Snow used a [Horizontal] on its open side, stepping forward across it. They already had good teamwork.
On the right flank, Hexadecimal was slower to respond than the Kobold, but he managed to step back so its [Rising Slash] was only a [Nick]. Then, he stepped forward, swinging his mace into a [Horizontal] to knock the Kobold off balance and following with a [Diagonal Chop] using his axe. Because of the damage bonus against a flat-footed opponent, just like that he already put it in the [Yellow Zone].
In the center, Diabel caught the [Linear] on his shield, forcing it aside, and then countered with his own [Vertical] right into the collarbone of the [Kobold Berserker]. It screamed in an eerie, guttural voice, but Diabel was slightly disappointed he hadn't managed to get it in the [Yellow Zone]. In that sense, he was losing.
When the Kobold reared back, he also stepped back into a defensive stance, and stole a glance at his party and the rest of the kobolds. The [Armor Scavengers] were only just now switching into combat mode, readying weapons and starting to jog over towards the players.
One Snow had his back to them. He had completely stepped past his target and had turned so that he was facing back towards it, towards the way he came. Diabel wanted to criticize him, but even as he watched, One Snow used another [Horizontal] to get a back attack bonus, and when the kobold staggered, Itagaki attacked herself, thrusting the spear into its center mass. They had already forced the Kobold into the [Red Zone]. So they were clearly winning, but Diabel was still worried. "Don't forget the rest!" He shouted, turning his attention back to his own opponent, blocking another attack with his shield.
Then the [Worm Disciple] acted. It was hunched over, muttering. Even though it wasn't speaking loudly, Diabel could hear its voice. Then, after what sounded like three verses based on the rhythm, even though the words themselves were unintelligible, it pointed.
Hexadecimal stopped. His guard was coming up, but it didn't perfectly block the attack because it stopped three-quarters of the way. He stopped stepping, he stopped moving his arms, he stopped moving his head, even his eyes couldn't move. He was motionless.
That was what the [Worm Disciple] could do. Some kind of [Curse Magic] that caused paralysis.
Diabel swore under his breath.
"Switch!" He shouted at the two party members that could still move. They looked up from finishing off their opponent, and Diabel trusted them to figure it out as he stopped engaging his enemy and moved to attack the one targeting Hexadecimal, who was now completely vulnerable. Because he interrupted its attack with a back attack, he was able to push it into the [Red Zone], and his mind relaxed when he saw it turn to focus on him, even as he heard the other two assault the Kobold that he'd necessarily turned his back towards. This was manageable.
Those foreign words, too soft to hear but still clearly heard, were spoken again.
But it wasn't on him, so Diabel just used a [Horizontal] and finished off his enemy, watching in satisfaction as it shattered into light. Only then did he sweep his gaze around.
One Snow was motionless.
The last [Lizard Berserker] was aiming at One Snow, but before he took more damage, Itagaki precisely thrust a spear [Sword Art] that Diabel didn't know the name of into the side of its neck, dealing enough damage that it, too, shattered into polygons and dissolved as its HP crossed zero.
Foreign words.
It was a sensation like earthworms with armored skulls drilling into his pipes. Even though the valve was closed, even though they were empty, even though those pipes should be turned off, there was a sensation like wriggling things digging into his body, eating their way into him, that horrible suffering lit up his brain. Diabel would have gasped in pain if his virtual diaphragm had been capable of operating his virtual lungs. But his muscles were locked. His neck was locked, his back was locked, his stomach was locked, his arms were locked, his legs were locked. The worms dug into the pipes and jammed them, they knotted up the joints from the inside, he couldn't move.
His confidence collapsed. The world became 20% darker. His locked-up body felt heavier. He was no longer sure he could move. But that was precisely what saved him. As the spell he used to [Reinforce] his body shattered, the left-over [Prana] that hadn't been consumed by the [Spell] yet had to go somewhere, so it leaked into his pipes. It drowned the worms and washed them away.
He could move again. But his buff was gone, and with its passing, he could see that his HP had gone done 30% as a result of the penalty for [Spell Failure]. He stumbled, clenching his teeth and wrapping his fingers back around the hilt of his sword.
Foreign words.
His head snapped up.
Itagaki was paralyzed. She was in a tight guard stance with her spear pointed towards that far-away caster, but it was meaningless if she couldn't move. An enemy could casually walk up to her side and cut her throat.
One Snow was paralyzed. He was in a deep stance with his sword in a side guard, but someone could just stand in front of him, reach over his guard, and stab him in the heart.
Hexadecimal was paralyzed. His weapons were crossed in front of his arms in an x-shaped guard, but it would be easy for someone to just disembowel him by going under those motionless arms.
Could he defeat the [Worm Disciple] alone with his party paralyzed?
No, before that, could he defeat all of those four [Armor Scavangers] that were still approaching?
Diabel gripped his sword and clenched his teeth. His eyes darted between his frozen party members. They relied on him as the party leader; even if it was a tentative bond, they still trusted him. His eyes darted to the four [Armor Scavangers] that were just approaching at a walking pace now that direct combat had paused. But they were definitely still closing. Four enemy mobs with a field boss supporting them were approaching. It was five on one, where the one had to protect three additional targets.
...The only stat he had that was higher than theirs was [Run Speed].
Diabel took a shaky step back. But hadn't he decided that he'd play a hero? No, rather than that, since he'd decided once Kayaba had told everyone that it wasn't really a game anymore, even if he was just faking it, what really was it that he had decided?
That shaky step back solidified into a fighting stance. He raised his shield and readied his sword.
But then-
A white blur with red highlights shot past him. A tall player with superlight equipment, a [White Jumpsuit] for armor and a [One-handed Curved Sword] as the weapon with the a red [Scarf] accessory. Without glancing around, he simply flew directly at the [Armor Scavangers] and smashed into them with a [Reaver] using the [Charging Attack] bonus.
This was that famous and notorious player. He appeared out of nowhere and stole your kills and departed without saying anything. Without asking any permission he inserted himself into the party as a dodge-type tank and upstaged everyone. That jumped into combat to save a party that challenged a monster too strong for them. Diabel had made it a point to find out as much as he could about all the strong players in [SAO], but even the player named [Argo] didn't charge much for the rumors on this player, because they were all contradictory. Even she wasn't confident in what she knew about him.
This was the player that was called, half-sarcastically and half-reverently, [Sixth Ranger].
And right now he was surrounded by four level nine [Armor Scavangers] with a level ten [field boss] right next to the melee. Even if he was an excellent player, there was no way he'd be able to survive. Even if he somehow, impossibly, was able to dodge all the blows of the four enemies around him, there was still that ridiculous trump card that the [Worm Disciple] could play that would pierce and entangle him.
A dry voice appropriate for a lizard that was speaking too soft to be heard but was yet still heard.
"Look out!" Diabel shouted. "The [Field Boss] has a [Curse Spell] effect!"
A cadence of three lines, and an ominous gesture.
But the [Sixth Ranger] did not even flinch, he didn't break the impossibly tight rhythm of continuously dodging the attacks of four [Armor Scavangers] as he slowly trained them back towards the [Worm Disciple]. He didn't even have to make a saving throw action like Diabel had; it was as if he had a spell resistance statistic that completely negated the curse before it could even affect him.
"Use your [Circuit Activation] and then circulate prana through your [Circuits]," with a calm voice like someone giving directions to someone else in the street, the [Sixth Ranger] spoke loudly so Diabel's who party could hear them. "The circulation will erode away the [Curse] and prevent it from taking root in your [Circuits]."
Diabel frowned, and took a hesitant step, but then paused to do as the stranger suggested. He imagined the clay, the pipes, and the valve. He reached into himself mentally and grasped the valve firmly, and then turned it.
He could feel the [Mana] brushing past him as it was lapped up by One Snow and Hexadecimal. They were also gathering [Mana] to circulate so they could create the effect. Even as Diabel started doing the same, slight waves radiated off of Itagaki as she started up the [Generate Od] spell.
Hexadecimal took a stumbling step forward, rolling his shoulders and neck. Even if it was a virtual body, he probably had a sensation like stiffness from being frozen in place like that.
One Snow eased up, stepping forward in a few shuffling moves as he swung the sword with tentative practice motions, an expression of relief and amazement on his face as he watched himself freely move again.
Itagaki was smiling with a watery expression, but it turned hard as her gaze shifted from her party members towards the Kobold party.
This time, there was no need to say anything.
The party charged. They fell upon the [Armor Scavangers] from behind. Itagaki speared one in lower back. When it turned, One Snow perfectly stepped forward and sliced its throat even as Itagaki smoothly switched out. Together, they managed to force it into the [Yellow Zone]. The [Armor Scavanger] swung its [Two-Handed Club] in a downwards diagonal blow towards One Snow, but he stepped back and parried it so that it slammed into the ground rather than his shoulder, and then followed the parry to pin its club with its sword. It would break free as soon as it tried because it had a higher [STR] than he did even with his stats buffed with [Reinforcement], but before it had the chance Itagaki stepped forward and smoothly launched a [Skill]. It wasn't a gamble to aim at the head in that instant it was pinned, so that [Critical Hit] was enough to completely empty its HP bar.
Hexadecimal jumped. He leapt up into the air with his legs tucked up and his arms extended, bring them down to brutally smash his mace and then his axe into the shoulder of the leftmost [Armor Scavanger] in quick succession. The cooldown for his [Skills] wore off before the kobold's [Stun] or [Knockdown] status did, so Hexadecimal coldly stepped over the prone kobold and launched simultaneous [Diagonal Strikes] with both mace and axe, plunging them into the collarbone on each side of the neck. Just like that, he finished off his opponent.
And Diabel used a [Shield Bash] followed with a [Horizontal] to finish off the one that had engaged the guy nicknamed Sixth Ranger the most closely. The one-two hit combo against an enemy that had just been pushed into the yellow was enough to kill it, forcing its HP down past zero, and it broke into polygons and disappeared.
Diabel looked up. The last [Armor Scavanger] with the sword-and-shield equip had backed up to stand in a guard position in front of the field boss, who was chanting again. It was already past three lines, so it wasn't the same spell. Diabel tensed, circulating his [Prana] again, the sweat animation starting on his forehead from either the stress of the warmth that always poured out of his [Circuits].
The [Worm Disciple] raised its hand, and laid it against the last [Armor Scavanger], which raised its shield in front of it and swung the sword back to a back guard as it shifted into an offensive stance. It tensed, and Diabel felt a nauseating [Prana] like foul water splashing against him as the field boss cast some kind of buff effect on the last party member. Judging by the cadence of its speech, it only had half a line to go to complete the [Spell].
And the Sixth Ranger stepped forward with the same blinding speed, ignoring the [Armor Scavanger] and its sword as he brushed past it by centimeters, and shot a [Reaver] into the face of the casting field boss.
The effect was immediate and obvious. The [Armor Scavanger] stumbled and roared as half its HP was carved away by the [Spell Failure] penalty. Equally, the [Worm Disciple] lost a third of one of its HP bars as the [Spell] was disrupted and the prepared [Prana] burned its way free like heat loss.
Hexadecimal was the first to act, knocking the shield out of the way and following up with an axe attack. One Snow was only a step behind him, and they switched as he swung his sword in a perfect [Horizontal], accelerated past the natural limits of the [Sword Skill] by his IRL kendo training.
Sixth Ranger stood casually, with his sword resting on his shoulder, leaving his entire right flank exposed. The [Worm Disciple] struck with unexpected speed and power, but with just half a step, his target was suddenly out of range. And then [Sixth Ranger] swung his sword. It wasn't a [Skill], it was just a cut at an awkward angle of about 30 degrees as the sword came off his right shoulder and swung out. It perfectly passed through where the jugular and windpipe just below the trachea would have been if the [Worm Disciple] had anatomy instead of being a hollow shell. Just like that, Diabel was amazed that someone could score a [Critical Hit] so easily. Just like that, the second [HP bar] was emptied out and the first sliver was chipped away from the one bar that remained.
Itagaki stepped forward, spinning the spear in her hands and using a slashing-type skill on the field boss from behind as she stepped past it.
One Snow used a [Diagonal] on such a severe angle it was practically vertical, putting the edge of his sword four centimeters from the tip directly into the middle of the field boss' head and pulling down in a beautiful stroke.
Hexadecimal and Diabel made eye contact, and Diabel smirked at the slightly narrow expression.
Like he expected, he got there first. While two party members were in cooldown and the last was chasing his back, he launched his strongest [Skill], and was rewarded by being the one to make the [Last Attack].
[Congratulations!]
It was a simple dialogue box with a single English word that floated in the air. Compared to the trumpet fanfare that had accompanied winning a fight against a Floor Boss, this simple popup was nothing special. But even so, the relief and happiness at winning this battle was a dozen times sweeter than any [Floor Boss Battle] that Diabel had participated in. For now Diabel ignored the popup box with the XP, col, and bonus item that announced his personal gains.
"I leveled!" Itagaki shouted, with the particular voice halfway between a cheer and a shriek of an excited girl. She turned and smiled so broadly her eyes were nearly shut, making eye contact with Hexadecimal. "I leveled up!" She repeated.
"Congratulations." One Snow said to the girl, sheathing his sword with a solemn motion. Although his body language and motions were perfect, the goofy smile he had ruined the image of the stoic samurai that he was trying to invoke.
Hexadecimal was smiling, too, although that face mask made it difficult to tell. Diabel noticed that he had clenched his fists even with his hands hanging casually at his sides; certainly, Diabel had problems with the shakes sometimes too, so he didn't say anything but resolved to carefully speak to him later.
The party leader turned and made eye contact with the unknown factor called [Sixth Ranger]. And Diabel paused.
It was a pure smile. It was not so broad it used up the maximum amount of mouth like Itagaki's delighted grin. It lacked the goofy and relieved cheer that One Snow had. No, it was an utterly relaxed expression hinted at by the sides of the eyes and the slightest, most placid motion of the mouth curving up. It was a pure smile without any expectation, an expression like a Buddha statue.
Diabel found his voice. "Thank you for helping us." He said. He paused. There were a hundred questions competing in his mind. Where had he learned to play like that? Where had he learned to fight like that? Where had he learned that detail about the [Magic System]? What were his goals? What was his level? Was he stronger than Diabel? He paused, unsure for a moment of what he wanted to say. He didn't even know. "What..." Diabel said.
But with only the slightest nod to acknowledge his thanks, a recognition that he had been spoken to rather than accepting the praise, that guy just turned and walked away. He glanced around, sliding the [One-Handed Curve Sword] into the sheath at the small of his back, already turned away from them. Simply put, the [Sixth Ranger] had no interest in participating in their happiness.
With just a casual glance at his own menu and the slightest pause before he jabbed at a button only he could see, the enigmatic player that everyone just called [Sixth Ranger] took off at a run, sprinting away at a top speed none of them could hope to match.
Diabel's question died on his lips, and he just turned back to his party. He shared a confused shrug with One Snow.
"He didn't even give his name." Itagaki murmured to herself.
"Shirou." Hexadecimal quietly answered, as if she had asked him a question. He was glancing down and in front of him where his menu would be, although it was invisible to everyone else. "That player's name is [SHIROU] spelled in all capitol letters."
"Huh." One Snow said, and more questions came to Daibel's head. Hexadecimal had been a soloer who mostly played PvP in the beta; had this [SHIROU] been the same? Diabel had never seen him before, and didn't recognize him at all. But on the other hand, maybe he played differently during the [Death Game] than he did during the beta, just like Diabel was. Or maybe his play style was unrecognizable because his [Real Body Simulation] was vastly different than his [Avatar] had been. Certainly the beta-player called [Berserkah] had been bragging on various message boards before the official launch, and this [SHIROU] person was someone inscrutable and weird enough to just be [Berserkah] with a different player name.
"How do you know that?" Itagaki asked. Diabel was thankful; she asked it with honest curiosity, whereas there was no way that Diabel would have been able to keep accusation out of his voice.
"He just accepted my friend request." Hexadecimal said with a vague gesture towards the menu the rest of them couldn't see.
"What a good idea." One Snow muttered.
Diabel wasn't so sure.
Chapter 2.4
End
I I I
Kibaou shouted with triumph as his sword cut into the [Lesser Dark Wolf] and it died, shattering into blue-green light.
"Yeah!" He crowed, pumping his fist, "How do you like that!" He glanced at his [HP Bar] and saw that it went back up. He was somebody that played DPS, so he was always glad when someone else played a Healer. He didn't allow himself to think about what would happen if there wasn't one in the party during this game.
"Thanks Bones!" He turned, shouting at the Healer, sweeping his gaze back to the Wolves.
His eyes snapped back to his party member though. Because the Healer's [HP bar] was red even though he hadn't gotten hit even once. And worse, the HP bar was sliding down.
"Bones!" He shouted, reaching out.
The bar went empty. The last sliver of red disappeared. With an expression of denial still on his face, Bones burst into light and evaporated.
"Bones!" Kibaou shouted, tears coming to his eyes.
Distantly he heard a party member shout a warning. He turned, and snapped back as one of the remaining Lesser Dark Wolves bit him. He stared down at it in horror. "It's your fault...." he said.
"It's your fault!" He snarled. Savagely, he used [Reaver] at point blank range, slashing the enemy mob deeply, forcing the sword to go faster, to hit harder, simply with the force of his rage and sorrow. "I'll kill you all!" He swore, using the attack again.
The other wolf bit him. He swung at it.
His mind was a haze. He didn't worry about anything except slashing these enemies in front of him.
Just like that, his HP bar decremented. He didn't stumble or fall back. Simply, as he pulled back to use another skill, the world abruptly disappeared. No, it was that he abruptly disappeared from the world.
In the sudden, absolute darkness and cold, two words floated like the specter of death.
[Game Over].
...
"Dammit", Kibaou cursed the world with his last thought.
...
"Welcome..." But a rich, smooth, heavy voice spoke. But there was something ominous underneath that magnificent sound. "...to Kotomine's Church. For Bad Guys."
It was definitely the voice of someone that sincerely laughed at other people.
Kibaou sat up, snapping up from where he had been laying on the floor, on the carpet that led up between the pews. In the simple white arch of a Church, standing before the altar adorned with simple candles, there was a priest. He had a kind smile without kindness, black robes with a simple crucifix, and a mullet.
"But I'm not a bad guy." Kibaou's first words in that place were a protest.
"Oh?" The priest said it with an honest tone, but the way he raised his eyebrow definitely showed it was not a question. "That is simply a matter of perspective. It's true that everyone thinks they are the hero of their own life, but if we add up everyone's perspective, then sometimes your one vote of [hero] is outweighed by a hundred votes of [villain]." The priest spread his arms in a benediction.
"But I'm not a bad guy!" Kibaou shouted.
That kind smile like a shark became just the tiniest bit wider. "Imagine," the priest began a cool speech, "a potato--"
"There's no time for that garbage." From the front corner of the Church a voice of absolute command spoke. A blond man was slouching on the furthest left side of the left pew in the front of the church with his arm thrown over the back. He stood, and the easy uncoiling motion he made instantly forced Kibaou to pay attention to him. His clothes were simple and casual, but definitely of immense quality. He turned, and that absolute arrogance in his red eyes crushed Kibaou.
Somehow Kibaou knew [that garbage] was referring to him specifically, not to the conversation generally.
"Hey," he began to protest, but a single gaze with the barest sneer from that guy was enough to shut him down instantly.
"Oh?" The priest spoke that same honest tone saying that same word, but this time it was truly a perfectly neutral question.
"Yes!" That totally arrogant man shouted, even though they could hear him just fine. "How is it possible that a pathetic Faker received one of my treasures in a special edition packaging instead of the great me!?"
Kibaou definitely had no idea what he was talking about.
The priest stood quietly, obviously thinking. "If it's the bloomers..." muttering something that ominous, he turned to glance at Kibaou.
Kibaou quickly searched for a less terrifying conversational subject. "So I died?" He asked.
"Hm hm hm." With a hearty chuckle, the priest agreed. "You foolishly let your arrogance blind you, allowed your party member to sacrifice himself, and then died while choking on rage and guilt."
"So..." Kibaou licked his dry lips, hesitating. "What should I do differently?"
"Swallow the rage and guilt, and then retreat." Kotomine said with a serious nod. "Then, allow it to slowly fester inside of you, growing with each failure and oversight, knowing that it is all a result of the skills you lack. Bury the guilt under anger, forcing everyone to follow as you run blindly from your own failures, never looking back as they stumble and fall into the abyss of death, until finally you wake up one morning and realize you are alone, because everyone you love has abandoned you or died." The smile became warm and lovely. His eyes twinkled. "Only then, in a moment of perfect despair, should you commit suicide."
Kibaou glanced at the other guy.
"Impudent mongrel!" The man sneered. "To even imply that the great King should lower himself to give advice to garbage like you!" He swung his arm dramatically. "However, you shall still receive my boundless magnanimousness."
Even though he talked like that, Kibaou found himself leaning forward, actually looking forward to the advice somewhat.
"In your next life," that golden guy began, "be born as a great King!" He swung his other arm dramatically.
"But not as great as me!" He added as an afterthought.
Kibaou sighed.
"Yes," The priest urged, "Fall into despair, just... like... that."
Kibaou thought he would be better off just gambling on a superhero showing up out of nowhere to save him.
Chapter Two
End
I I I
1) Welcome to Five Thousand Seven Hundred Words of What is Going on Inside Diabel's Head! I liked the tension between his purported moral goodness and his ambition, so I will be exploring that by making him relatively important. Also he's going to become Ilya's rival for the title "Leader of The Strongest Guild" so he's important from that angle too.
2) In chapter 3 Diabel is going to be self-announce his class as [Rune Knight], so I figured I'd start working towards that. Well, Fate is long on having Rune users and short on concretely saying how they do whatever they do, so tell me if this works! Also if you want to provide ideas or anything please start a discussion in the Idea thread!
3) I needed some people for Diabel to think about, and I thought about sticking someone like Silica in his party or something, but then I started thinking about how I also needed some people to sacrifice on the altar of Serious Business (25th Floor Boss Edition), so I added some OCs! Anyway let me know what you think about them, but if you want to discuss them in any depth take it to the Idea thread plz; I am trying to preserve the Preview thread as Spoiler-Free and the Idea thread as Crazy Spoilers.
4) It's not that I've changed my mind on writing 2.3.1 The Deal (v2), it's just that the tentative starts all felt a little flat, so I wrote this instead! I will post a rewrite of Kayaba and Ilya's Special Discussion Time probably sometime Sunday.
5) After like a thousand words, I didn't even get to the [Original Game System], the [Golden Famicom]. Maybe next time~.
EDIT: Fixed typographical stuff.
Mod Edit: Text encoding cleanups due to forum migration -chronodekar
