The Red Player (A Sword Art Online story)

Chapter 17: The Hero Of SAO

Chapter 17: The Hero Of SAO

(This chapter should make up for chapter 16’s failure)

Piifalo

The girl pulls a sleek aqua blue katana out of it’s sheath and spins it in her hand. She slides her feet into an agile stance with a smile. “Savior huh?” She asks. “I don’t know where you got that idea, but I’ll show you just how wrong you are!” The girl charges incredibly quickly with her sword in hand.

The attack is quite fast, but still my body is able to roll to the side, and I deliver a merciless kick beneath her ribs, launching her into the air. Drops of blood fly out of her mouth, and she drops to the ground on her hands and knees gasping for air.

She raises her head to look at me with cold hateful eyes. “D-damn you!” She yells and rushes forward once again, slightly faster this time. I swing Devotion hoping to end the fight with a single upward slash, but she disappears just before she meets her end.

“Hmph,” I say, unimpressed. “If this is your greatest strength then you have no chance to defeat me.” I hear her feet slide to my left, but just as I turn my head she’s gone. “You know, you kind of remind me of how I used to be. Weak, hesitant, and afraid. I was too scared to kill anyone, so I hesitated. I slowed myself down.” Her sword hurtles toward me in a slash attack, but I deflect it easily and thrust in response, barely missing her. “That’s what you’re doing now, isn’t it? You could have kept attacking, but instead you chose to flee.”

“Shut up!” She throws a fast kick into my chest, pushing me back slightly before jumping back to a safe distance once again. “That doesn’t make me weak!” She yells, seemingly frustrated with something. “That makes me human!”

I cock my head to the side and raise an eyebrow. “I’m not sure I understand,” I say, genuinely confused. “I’m human too, but I’m just stronger than you are. I’m killing you so that more people will live. I’m the hero.”

“I don’t know what kind of psycho you are, but there’s definitely something wrong with you. You think that killing me is saving people? I’m just here for the sword, there’s no way I’m gonna let someone like you even touch it. Sword skill number 15: Rain of the Heavens!” Suddenly the girl’s eyes turn a vast, deep blue, and her stance incredibly agile yet stable.

Hmm, this is quite interesting. Her power suddenly changed drastically. I wander what happened? In an instant she disappears. It’s different from her earlier attack, however. Before I could still track her, but now the sound of her footsteps, her ragged and heavy breathing are all gone. It’s like she’s really gone.

Just then, she reappears. Combat reflexes kicks in barely in time for me to raise Devotion. It doesn’t stop there. A relentless string of attacks from all direction so fast its like a hurricane hitting all at once. She’s so different now. I wonder if I hit a nerve…

I see her katana sliding down; a straightforward slash. In combat reflexes her attacks no longer seemed so fast. The attack was so slow I could see the reflection of her face in the blade. Her eyes slanted, so focused and determined. It’s like she hates me, but she won’t kill me, she can’t kill me. She’s so determined not to take my life. Every shining bead of sweat that rolls down her face is not exhaustion from our fight, but from restraining her own power.

She would show such mercy to me, who would not hesitate to tear her apart given the chance? It’s unbelievable… I stare into her eyes, seeing powerful ferocity, but yet an incomprehensible compassion as well. “How pathetic,” I say, turning my head from her for a moment.

As my head turned ever so slightly I could see a trace of a smile in the corner of my eyes. My head snaps back forward, but she’s gone. What the h-  A sharp pain runs through my back, sliding through my stomach until I can see the gleaming blue blade beneath my chest. The tip of the blade holds the faintest sparkle as the sword is driven even farther, until I can feel the hilt pressed against my back. My head rolls back, and I can feel myself lose control of my body for a moment. At the top of my screen the green health bar slides down agonizingly slowly. “Damn… it…” Blood fills up my lungs, and I cough out a small stream.

My body begins to fall forward against the hilt of her katana, and I fade out of combat reflexes. I land on my hands and knees on the hard stone ground. My health dips down to ¼. The girl stands before me with a cocky smile, mocking my failure. “I’m… gonna… kill you…” My words come out as little more than a whisper. The blood filling my lungs prevents speech.

For some time the entire dungeon is silent. The girl stands before me, boasting a sarcastic smile. Even in silence I can feel myself grow deaf with hatred. My finger nails dig into my palms, tightening my rage.

Finally the girl breaks the silence. “Sorry, care to repeat that? What are you going to do? It was hard to hear you over the hole in your back.” She must have caught a glimpse of the look in my eyes because for a moment her derisive smile wavered.

“I’m… going to…” The heat in my body rises as my hatred boils from the humiliation and failure. I, the hero of SAO was nearly overtaken by a simple trick? Unacceptable. I make my way to my feet, swaying side to side. Devotion slides across the ground until I’m able to stand, leaning on the edge of my Devotion. The girl steps back slightly, her smile completely gone, replaced only by fear and anxiety. At this point I don’t know what my expression is anymore. “I’m. Going. To. Kill. You.” The girl raises her katana. Her eyes are filled with the terror of a mouse faced by a serpent. “Bloodrush.”

The world is painted by the blood of my enemies. Time slows nearly to a stop. My body’s limits are lifted, and my strength is beyond compare. I step closer to her, and I can feel a small smile spread across my lips as Devotion glides along the burning floor.

My right foot hits the ground, and I see his face. The face of Daisuke, his lips spread in a sadistic smile as he readies the next NPC for me to kill. The image disappears, and I shake my head, continuing on my way.

It happens again. A few steps later I see her face. Minako. Her dying breath as she lies before me, telling me to protect them, all of them. I shut my eyes tightly and roll my neck, ripping the memory from my mind. “D… damn it.” The picture is gone, and I keep going.

Ten steps away from the girl, I see her face. The moment as she charged at me, and before she put the sword through my stomach. The look of concentration, mercifulness, and confidence. My knees buckle beneath me, and I grab my heart. I try to breathe, but I’m panting. I see her face now, so fearful and pained. Her confidence is gone, stared down by monster infinitely larger than her. I am that monster. This is what I’ve become. This what I’ll do, to save everyone in this game. I’ll kill her, and anyone else that stands in my way…

Finally, she’s less than 5 steps away, and it happens again. I didn’t expect to see her, nor did I want to. Ashas’ face flashes through my mind paralyzing me. Her eyes are so full of joy and hope, so happy that we could just be together at all. The image changes in an instant. She’s covered by the wave of lizards, overwhelming her as the last of her life is drained. “No…” I whisper. “Hold on just a little longer…” I stop and fall to my knees. Wait? Wait for me? That’s exactly it… So much fear, and hesitation. “Not anymore. I’m stronger now. I’m the hero of SAO, and I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way."

I push myself back up to my feet on my Devotion. I stand before the girl, cowering against the wall. I take a final look into her desperate eyes. “Hogosuru.” I pull Devotion back, and thrust it forward. The large two-sided claymore rips through her chest. I watch her health bar slowly drain. Fear and desperation are joined by pain, and sadness as her health finally drops to zero.

Bloodrush ends, throwing me back into the proper flow of time. I stagger backwards, grabbing my head. I’m about to sit on the ground to finally breathe when I hear hurried footsteps behind me, at the door to the room. I turn my head slowly, but my heart breaks instantly.

Ashas stands in the doorway, her soft black hair hung loosely over her shoulder. Her eyes are wide, with tears building up inside. A broken, weak whimper escapes her lips, and she rushes forward. The moment her foot hits the ground the sound of glass shattering fills the dungeon behind me. Ashas falls to the floor where she stands. Her arm reaches out painfully in space.

“K… Kirino?” Ashas’ tortured voice shakes hopelessly as she utters the name of her best friend. She crawls forward, only to fall again.

My eyes widen in shock as I realize what I’ve done. I whip my head back around. All that’s left is the empty dungeon. I sink to the ground as well. “Oh god… what have I done?”

End of chapter 17. This chapter definitely picked up the slack. I hope you enjoyed.