Chapter 24: The Hanged Coffin
Akihiko Kayaba
A pile of snow amidst the sea of white stirs, giving rise to a darkly clad figure. The person holds his head sharply and shakes in the cold. I watch him from my warm office, waiting to see what he would do next.
"Come on, Piifalo," I say to myself. "You'd better get moving. Don't give up yet!" The battered and severely weakened Piifalo opens up his menu, hoping to find a way to remember what had happened. All he sees is a set of numbers – coordinates and the words "Floor 19." Unsurprisingly, that was all he needed. His head snaps up in an instant, and he takes off straight for the centre of the town. A small smile emerges with new hope.
It doesn't take long before he's reached the teleported, which he flies into without hesitation. My camera can scarcely keep up with his spectacular speed. His teleportation leaves him on the 19th floor of Aincrad, the jungle floor. He mutters something under his breath, too low and fast for me to have a chance to catch. Before I know it he's gone yet again.
My camera rushes to stay with him, barely managing to keep him in frame, but for one short moment, hardly visible, I could swear I saw a small glimmer just below his eye.
In what seemed like less than a second, he's there. In the heart of the forest there lies a single towering tree, reaching high into the heavens. The coordinates fall directly upon it's core.
Piifalo whispers something under his breath yet gain, but too low to hear. He stares the tree up and down, as if taking note of it's size. Then he jumps – or runs – or climbs. He scales the tree at a more than impressive speed, past the lower branches, through the thickest of leaves, and soon he's at the top. Without realizing it, he had shattered Hajime's record for reaching the top.
At the top of the tree is a small roof, with a diameter spanning 4 meters. In the center lies a door leading downward into the dark unknown. For the first time since he had awoken, Piifalo exercises some degree of caution, slowly and carefully opening the wooden door. He peers down, only to find a dark abyss. Seeming to have no other option, he plunges downward, hoping to find a light through this darkness.
His long plummet ends abruptly on the hard ground, though he takes no fall damage. He looks around blindly through the darkness until a large light hanging high over his head snaps on with a booming crack. "Good luck," I say to the player Piifalo, Hero of SAO. "Don't give up..."
A second light, just beyond the first, lights up, followed by a third, and fourth until a long and wide hallway was fully illuminated. The hall leads to and expansive staircase made of plain flattened stone. The stairs climb several times higher than his own height.
Slowly and cautiously he makes his way through the vacant corridor until he had reached the towering stairs, where he hesitates, if only for a second to speak in his same softened voice before making his way up. Only now as he climbs these stairs does sweat begin to trickle down the side of his face, and his breathing accelerate. Finally he reaches the last, hardened step.
Standing at the top of the landing his draws his Fireheart, his burning passion and devotion.
Before the Hero of SAO lies yet another long stretch of land, although shorter than the previous. At the end of this hall, facing Piifalo is an army. An army of Coffins led by Miki, Hajime, and Ryuga, scattered across the hall, wearing smiles all around.
"So you've finally made it!" Miki exclaims happily. "Welcome, Hero of Sword Art Online!" His arms are stretched wide with his longbow in hand. "Welcome indeed..." The swarm of Coffins seem to close in around him, an intimidating team of 30 or more red players each brandishing weapons tempered with blood.
Miki continues, but with a tongue more harsh than any blade "And also welcome to out most gracious guest..." The Coffins clear a path straight down the hall to the very end. Against the wall is the weakened, beaten figure of a girl. A noose lays around her neck, as she struggles to breathe standing on her toes. "...Ashas..."
End of chapter 24. Damn the song doesn't fit the ending... I hope you enjoyed regardless!