Sword Art Online-Encroaching Shadows

Chapter 45

"We need to get you out of here and fast." She slipped the claws onto her belt and reached around his back to help him walk.

"No, we have to find Jemza first." He argued, and Argo pulled him along beside her roughly.

"You won't make it that long without an antidote. I can get you help, but we need to get you out of here first. Then I will come back for Miss White." His health drained a very slow pace thanks to his potion countering the damage over time, but every few seconds it still would drop a percentage point. Unless he drank an antidote potion it would continue until it killed him.

"Thanks for the help." Jayce said while reaching up to pull his hood back too. The heat of the room was overbearing and more sections of wall and ceiling broke free crashing to the ground.

"I didn't see it coming. That blow was meant for me and would have hit if not for you. I guess you weren't just talk when I asked what you would do if a sword were to my throat." Argo forced a smile, her painted whiskers rising slightly with her cheeks.

"Yeah, well I'm your valuable employee right?" Jayce patted her shoulder as she helped him over a piece of burning wood. She shook her head and kept forcing him forward towards the front of the tavern.

"No...we're friends."

Rose turned as Kurt's sword cut into her side drawing another red line and making her fall to a knee. Jemza had managed to get to her hands and knees nearby. Her fingers clutched the dagger tightly and she turned the weapon, pushing the point into the wood below her. She leaned on the hilt trying to push her body further upward. Rose breathed heavily and coughed against the smoke still slashing her sword wildly through open air.

"You're all going to die here. You know that don't you? None of you really stood a chance. Deep down I'm sure you knew that Rose. Yet, you chose to involve these innocent people." Kurt's voice floated through the air while he still continued to hide within the smoke.

"No...we're not." Rose stood and readied herself again.

"Yes, you are." Jemza's mouth opened to scream, but no sound would come out. Rose's back arched and her saber fell from her grasp as Kurt pushed his sword through her back and out her chest. She looked at Jemza, tears welling up in her eyes and reached towards her. Jemza finally made it to her knees and tried to reach for her as well. With a cry of pain the blade retracted, and Kurt grabbed her and spun her around. He sneered and grabbed her by the throat before throwing her across the room where she landed motionless.

"You..." Jemza glared at Kurt who laughed and waved his sword menacingly.

"Like I said, you're all going to die here. It's a shame really to lost two beautiful women like you. I fear time is running out for this place so I must say goodnight and goodbye. It's been a pleasure." Kurt rolled the sword once as he approached. He raised the weapon high and slashed down at Jemza. The sound of metal on metal called out over the roaring fires as Jemza held her dagger high with both arms blocking his strike. The man's smile wavered as she slowly pushed his weapon higher and she rose to her feet. Her arms shook violently and with one final shove she pushed him back a step.

"We're not done." Jemza shook her head to try and clear the remaining effects of the bomb away and crouched low reversing her grip on the dagger.

"Ah, still some fight left eh? If you insist..." Kurt advanced suddenly slashing his sword in a large figure eight rotation. Jemza jumped letting the first pass of the weapon sail under her body and as it came back her dagger slapped the blade aside. The moment her feet hit the ground she kicked off once more tucking into a flip that brought her towards his flank. She sent the dagger out as she passed but he turned his body away and it only caught a small section of his shirt.

The momentum of the jump put Jemza behind him and she had to lower a hand to the ground for stability so she could spin back towards Kurt. He was ready for her and positioned his sword at an angle that caught her next stab high on the blade sending it skipping wide. The pommel of the sword raced up catching her under the chin. He let go of the handle so the blade rotated free in the air and caught it once more while Jemza reeled backwards cutting shallow cut across her arm.

"Just a reminder that I could kill you whenever I want." Again, he waved the sword sarcastically while Jemza reached up and touched her shoulder. It's true that he was too high a level for her to handle alone. At this rate it was only a matter of time before he whittled her down and ended it. That didn't mean she couldn't try.

"Jemza!" Her head turned towards Jayce's voice seeing him through the flames. Her fear increased as she saw Argo helping him walk which meant he was injured. At least they were alive and that helped to battle the fear down.

"Take Rose! Get her out of here!" Jemza pointed towards where Kurt had thrown her. She saw his face and knew what was coming next.

"We need to get out of here!" His shout was completely reasonable and the logical course of action, but the man who stood ahead of her smiling had to be stopped here and now.

"T...take Rose, and get out of here!" The flames separating them were too large now. Even jumping through them would be deadly. There was nothing left for her now, but to fight. Argo stared at her and even from this distance Jemza could tell that the girl understood.

"You heard the lady come on" Argo pulled Jayce as he fought against her.

"No! We're not leaving her! Let me go!" Jayce thrashed wildly, but as he suspected Argo was higher level and stronger than her frame showed. Her iron vice like grip kept him in place to the point where she was literally dragging him.

"Miss White can handle herself. You don't have the luxury of time on your side." Argo renewed her efforts forcing Jayce towards where Rose lay in a heap on the ground.

"Jemza! Don't! Get off me Argo!" The brown haired girl let his arm go and sent her palm across his face. The audible slapping noise temporarily made him stop and stare at her in shock.

"It's not always about you and what you want Alchemist! You are dying and she is trapped! She recognizes the situation and is giving us the time to escape. Don't insult her sacrifice by selfishly ignoring her request." They could see the door a few dozen feet away that would lead out into the tunnel. He looked back at Jemza who stared back at him.

"Promise me you'll go back for her." Jayce spun on Argo who matched his gaze.

"I promise, now help me get Rose." Argo helped Jayce towards the fallen woman and he slowly knelt down, picking her up in his arms. Argo kept him steady with her small arm around his back. Jemza watched and felt a sense of relief as they began moving towards the door.

"They won't make it fifty feet before I finish you and meet them out there. This is just delaying the inevitable." Kurt faked a yawn while speaking.

"We're surrounded by fire. We're not going anywhere." Jemza answered still keeping an eye on the trio that just reached the door. Jayce glanced back at her, pain etched on his face before throwing the door open and exiting. She had wanted to scream for them not to leave her, but it would have meant death for everyone. This was the only way and there was a sense of comfort in her head.

This last month trapped in SAO had been a nightmare for nearly everyone here. Jemza had felt differently from the moment she logged in. This had been the experience of a lifetime. In this world she managed to find everything she dreamed of. Become someone she only imagined. SAO made her strong and able to rise above her inadequacies in the real world. She had friends like Argo and Rose, and found love for the first time in her life. She wouldn't trade any of it for freedom.

"Shall we?" Kurt held the point of the sword towards her and she took a deep breath fighting not to cough against the smoke. Jemza lowered her stance, holding the dagger across her forearm and nodded.