Timeless [Yuuki Konno X OC]

Chp. 62 - Asura the Executioner

[Sword Art Online, Floor 25, Floor Boss Chamber]

[Argo's POV]

I had expected the results to be bad, when the news reached my ears, I had to take a second just to process everything. Would that second have mattered in the long run? Not really, but rationality could only work so much when your heart's on the verge of bursting from your chest.

Only it wasn't anything like I imagined.

The Aincrad Liberation Squad, one of two guilds that splintered from the original raid team that conquered the 1st Floor Boss. ALS led by the loud and proud Kibaou, and the Dragon Knights Brigade, who followed Lind, a man who stuck closely to the original leader's ideals.

By the time I got there, just shy of half of ALS' members had been wiped out.

Even with Kirito's and Asuna's help, it... it was already too late. The battle turned in our favour, but so many died on false intel, intel that even I would tell was fake. And somehow, somehow it... slipped past me...

I could've prevented this. I knew it wasn't my fault, this information didn't come through me. But that didn't make this awful feeling go away, that I somehow got them killed.

I could see the look of anguish at war with anger in Meru's eyes. Klein kept him from lashing out at Kibaou, who... just gave up. Whatever wind there was to his sails this whole time, I couldn't see it, even as he thanked Kirito for saving them, he just looked defeated.

I had to make it right next time. Come the 50th, 75th, and even the 100th boss, no matter what, I'm going to dig up every last crumb I could find.

So no one has to die pointlessly again.

---{------->※<-------}---

[IRL, Tokyo, Ordinal Scale Event]

[Argo's POV]

This had to be a kinda long-overdue karma. Asura the Executioner, the very first Quarter Floor Boss that nearly put an end to the frontrunners. While The Last Number and Skull Reaper weren't pushovers either, compared to how wilfully unprepared we were for this boss, this kinda dread you really felt once.

And it was gunning for me. 

I rolled and heard both flails crash through the concrete behind me, the wind pulling my hood down with just an upswing as I kept light on my feet. I ain't as physically strong as I am in Full-Dive, but cardio is my ace, staying on the move is just built into my muscles, and the only reason that I'm not a ragdoll on the ground right now. 

"Say, givin' how much yer wantin' to crush me, wouldn't happen to be cause I'm the only survivor herE?" It was a waste of breath talking to a boss, but it stood with its full attention on me, howling angrily as the whole prison shook. "Yeah, figured as much, big guY..."

Taking a better stance, I kept my dagger close, I ain't the strongest, but I can still dish out a good few hits where I can. Otherwise, I may as well roll over and die.

"Alright then, try to keep uP," I smirked, my bangs billowing from the wind as it charged with thunderous steps.