The Survival Logs || Sword Art Online Fanfic

PK Pandemonia Arc: Chapter 53 - Wandering Witch of the Frontline

10 February 2024

Granrind Canyon, 55th Floor

"We're here...the far east."

The player who had just gotten out of the towering gap stood panting, as she slid her katana back into its sheathe. She touched her pointed hat slightly, pulling it down to cover her face from the bright blue that took up her vision.

"Indeed! It's the sky beyond the edge! Guys, this is the place!"

The clopping of hooves rang through the canyon's walls, as another player announced the news. She rode out on her horse, stopping just beside the first player as she pulled the reins alongside another horse rider.

Behind them, a pair of players followed suit, just getting the view of the wide, barren land that greeted them. The rows of the tall granite structures stretched out on both sides, bending towards the circular boundary of the Floor itself.

It was the very same circular boundary that made up the main part of the view that they were looking at.

"As expected of the Witch! Your navigation of the 55th Floor was superb!" The riding player chuckled as she dismounted.

"Well, I did start to explore it when it first opened." The katana user replied. "It's my habit."

"Is it really fine for us to refer to you as the Witch?" Another player asked as she sheathed her weapon after dismounting as well. "Or maybe just 'Rakuno' is good enough..."

"It's fine! I'm already used to it, Isabella." Rakuno smiled cheerfully, as her hand rested on her katana.

No enemy mobs awaited them in such an open area. There wasn't even a random boulder which might have appeared in field dungeons that featured rocky terrain. Emptiness was the only way to describe this part of the Granrind Canyon, which took up most of the eastern area of the 55th Floor.

Rakuno looked at her clients, which were just 4 of them for the moment, anyway: Isabella and Alexis, who wield curved swords, a sabre and katana respectively, at least from what Rakuno could see them hold. The former also had a horse, but her steed had unique traits in comparison to the other horse present.

Next was Meghan, a very loyal and empathetic player, but also quite a leader as a Commanding Officer in the US Army Special Forces, holding the rank of Major at the moment, her right-hand woman was present as well, and Alexis was a First Lieutenant as well.

However, Meghan also wielded a curved sword, though hers was way more curved than the others, as it was an Egyptian khopesh; then there was Jacqueline, one of the two horse riders, who easily seemed to have an outspoken demeanour that valued honor and gave her word with strength and solidarity like it was steel.

They were just a few of Rakuno's regular clients from the guild Swords of Harmony (SoH), a medium-sized guild which recently gained some reputation among the player population, with more of the members being clients as well, as well as being affiliates of her current ones.

While the top guilds Knights of the Blood Oath and Dragon Knights Brigade continued to stay in the centre of attention due to their affiliation with the Floor-clearing Assault Team, a few other guilds which were obscure in the past have started to share the limelight, allowing them to make a name for themselves in the public eye.

"To think that you guys would have wanted to come here on such short notice..." She said as she strolled towards the boundary. "I mean, it's only been 4 days since we heard rumours of PKs around....."

"And in those 4 days," Jacqueline walked beside Rakuno, pulling her horse along with her. "Someone has already perished on this Floor."

"...Wait, what?" Rakuno turned to her almost instantly, halting in her tracks.