Chapter 21

There was a group of obviously high-level players waiting in the 75 th level's teleport gate plaza in Collinia, so I figured they must be the boss party. As Asuna and I stepped out of the gate and headed towards them, they all closed their mouths and sent a tense glance our way. Some of them even gave us a guild salute.

I stopped walking as surprise overwhelmed me. But Asuna saluted in reply and then jabbed me on the side.

“Come on, Kirito-kun, you're a leader now, so you have to greet them properly!”

“What...?”

I saluted them awkwardly. I had taken part in numerous boss parties up until now, but this was the first time I had received so much attention.

“Hey!”

Someone thumped me on the shoulder, and I turned around and saw the katana-wielder, Klein, smiling under his bandana. Surprisingly, Agil's huge build also stood beside him, fully equipped with a two-handed axe in his hands.

“What......? You guys are taking part as well?”

“Why are you surprised!? Aren't you taking us a bit too lightly!?”

Agil shouted indignantly.

“I even left my shop because I heard that you guys were having a hard time. To think that you don't appreciate my selfless sacrifice....”

I hit Agil's arm as he declared with overstated body motions.

“I understand your sentiments very well. So we can count you out when we share the goods right?”

When I said that, the giant shook his bald head and gathered his eyebrows into an eight ( 八 ) sign.

“Well. Tha-That's a bit....”

As his faltering voice trailed off, Asuna and Klein simultaneously burst into laughter. It quickly spread to the other players and seemingly washed away everyone's anxiety.

At exactly one o'clock, several new players arrived at the gate. It was Heathcliff, dressed in his red overcoat with his huge cross-shaped shield in hand, and the elites of the KoB. A tense atmosphere overcame the players once again as they saw the newcomers.

If we were to compare only levels and stats, the only person who would be higher than Asuna and I would probably be Heathcliff himself. But their coordination projected the strength of their teamwork. Other than the red and white guild colors, their armor and weapons were all completely different; yet the strength of the bonds between them was far superior to that of «The Army» unit we had seen.

The paladin and his four subordinates walked straight towards us, which split the group of assembled players into two. Klein and Agil were both forced to take a few steps back, while Asuna calmly exchanged a salute with them.

After coming to a stop, Heathcliff nodded towards us before he spoke to the entire group:

“It seems that everybody is here. Thank you all for that. I think that everybody understands our current situation. This will be a hard battle, but I believe that with your strength we will prevail. We shall fight for our freedom from this game—!”

As Heathcliff shouted in a powerful voice, the other players joined in with an inspiring roar of their own. I was surprised at the charisma which drew others to him like a magnet. It was surprising to see a person with such leadership qualities amongst the hardcore gamers that usually lack social coordination, or maybe it was this world that nurtured his talents? I wondered what he did in the real world...

Heathcliff turned my way as if he had felt my gaze, and then said with a smile:

“Kirito-kun, I look forward to your efforts. I hope you'll use your «Dual Blades» to its fullest.”

Neither pressure nor fear could be heard from his low and soft voice. One couldn't help but be amazed at the fact that Heathcliff maintained such a laid back attitude despite facing a difficult battle ahead of us.

After I nodded silently, Heathcliff turned back towards the players and raised his hand up into the air.

“Then we start. I will open a corridor that leads directly to the area in front of the boss room.”

He took out a navy blue crystal from his pouch as he said this, sending murmurs and awe through the other players.

Normal teleport crystals can only transport the user to a chosen city's teleport gate, but the item Heathcliff had taken out was a «Corridor Crystal», which could open a teleport gate to any location that the player marked. Needless to say, it was an exceptionally useful item.

But since it was so handy, it was also extremely rare and wasn't sold in NPC shops. It could only be acquired from labyrinth treasure chests or as a drop from monsters, so few players were willing to use it even if they had one. The reason that the players voiced their surprise was not because they had seen a rare item, but because Heathcliff was willing to use it.

Heathcliff raised the crystal, oblivious to the stares of the other players, and yelled:

“Corridor open.”

The exceedingly expensive crystal shattered and a blue whirlpool of light appeared.

“Then, everyone, follow me.”

After he swept his gaze across the whole group, Heathcliff leapt into the blue light with his red clothes fluttering behind him. His body was immediately engulfed by the light and disappeared in an instant. His four KoB subordinates then followed him without delay.

At some point, many people began gathering around the plaza. They must have heard about the boss battle and had come out to see us off. The warriors walked into the light one after another amidst cries of encouragement.

Asuna and I were soon the only ones left. We looked at each other and exchanged a slight nod before we held our hands and jumped into the whirlpool of light together.

 

After the dizzying sensation of teleportation had passed, I opened my eyes and saw that we were already in the labyrinth. It was a remarkably wide corridor, with two rows of thick pillars and a huge gate at the end.

The labyrinth of the 75 th   floor was built from some type of faintly transparent obsidian. Unlike the crude and rough labyrinths of the lower floors, the stones here were smoothly polished and stacked together with no gaps in between. The air was cold and damp, and a thin layer of mist covered the floor.

Asuna covered herself with both arms as if she felt cold and then spoke:

“......Somehow...... I have a really bad feeling...”

“Yeah...”

I agreed.

In the two years up until now, we have cleared 74 labyrinths and defeated an equal number of boss monsters. After gaining so much experience, we can roughly guess the strength of the boss just by looking at its lair.

The thirty players around us were all opening their windows and checking their equipped items; their expressions were all very serious.

I led Asuna behind a pillar and put my arm around her thin body. The anxiety that I had been holding back burst forth now that the fight was near. My body had even started shaking.

“...Don't worry.”

Asuna whispered into my ear.

“I'll protect you.”

“No... It's not that I'm afraid of fighting...”

“Fufu.”

Asuna gave a small laugh and continued:

“So... You have to protect me as well, Kirito-kun.”

“Yeah... Definitely.”

I squeezed my arm around her once more before breaking apart. Heathcliff, who had now gotten his cross-shaped shield out, spoke with his equipment clanking.

“Is everyone ready? We have no information about the boss' behavioral patterns. The KoB will be in charge of holding back the enemy's attacks; everyone should take this chance to analyze the enemy's attack patterns and counterattack accordingly.”

Everybody nodded silently.

“Then— let's go.”

Heathcliff said softly. Then he walked confidently over to the obsidian door and placed his hand in the middle of it. This caused everyone to become extra tense.

I tapped the shoulders of Klein and Agil, who were both beside me, and told them as they turned around:

“Don't die.”

“Heh, worry about yourself instead.”

“I have no intention of dying before I make a fortune with the rare items I'll get from today's fight.”

As they gave their arrogantly-humored responses, the door began to open with a heavy sound. The players all readied their weapons, so I drew both my swords from my back as well. I glanced at Asuna, who had her rapier in hand, and then nodded to her.

Heathcliff drew his sword from his shield last. He then raised his hand up into the air and shouted,

“—Begin battle!”

Then he walked past the wide-open gates and into the room, with everyone else following right behind him.

The room's inside was shaped like a huge dome. It seemed about as wide as the arena Heathcliff and I dueled in. The dark walls soared into the air and curved high above our heads. Right after the thirty-two players entered the room and got into formation— the doors behind us closed with a boom. Now it was impossible to open unless either the boss died or we got wiped out.

The entire group fell into silence for a long moment. Although we kept our watch on the surrounding floor, the boss still hadn't appeared. Time held our nerves tight as one second slowly passed after another.

“Hey—”

Just as someone couldn't endure the tense silence any longer...

“Above us!!”

Asuna shouted next to me. I looked upwards in surprise.

On the ceiling of the dome— It was there.

It was exceptionally huge and long.

A centipede—!?

That thought passed through my mind the moment I saw it. It was about ten meters long. But the body that was divided into numerous parts reminded me more of a human spine than an insect. Sharp legs made of bare bones could be seen protruding from every joint. As I shifted my glance down the body, it became thicker until the hideous skull came to sight. It wasn't the skull of a human. At the end of the smooth skull, there were two pairs of sharply upturned eye sockets with blue flames smoldering inside. The jaws jutted outward and were filled with a row of sharp teeth, while two massive arms in the shape of scythes were attached on either side of the skull.

When I focused my gaze on it, the monster's name appeared along with a yellow cursor: «The Skullreaper» — the skeletal hunter-killer.

As the shocked players watched the skeletal centipede crawl along the ceiling on its numerous legs, it suddenly spread its legs wide — and then dove straight into us.

“Don't just stand there! Scatter!!”

Heathcliff's sharp voice cut through the frozen air. The players finally came to their senses and began to move. We hurried to get away from the estimated landing area as well.

But the three people who were positioned directly under the skeletal centipede's dive were a little slow. They simply stood there and looked up as if unsure of which direction to move in.

“This way!”

I shouted in a hurry. The three players then became unfrozen and started running towards me—

But in that moment, the centipede landed behind them and the whole floor shook violently. The three lost their balance as a result, just as the centipede swung its right arm —which was shaped like a huge bone scythe that was as long as a person— and cleaved directly into them.

The three players were sliced once in their backs and sent flying simultaneously. Their HP decreased quickly as they flew through the air— straight past the yellow area and into the red danger area—

“—!?”

Then they all reached zero, and the three bodies that were still in the air shattered into countless shards and scattered. The sound effects of death overlapped one another.

“——!!”

I heard Asuna hold her breath beside me. I could feel my body becoming rigid with shock.

They died— in one hit—?!

In the SAO system, which used both levels and skills, one's maximum HP rose with level, so a higher level meant it was harder to kill regardless of one's fighting skills. The party here today was composed of only high-level players, so even if it was a boss, everyone should still be able to withstand at least a short combo attack— that's what everyone had thought. Yet in just one hit—

“This... is impossible....”

Asuna muttered in a forced voice.

The skeletal centipede that had taken the lives of three people in an instant raised its upper body and charged at another group of players with a thunderous roar.

“Ahhhh—!!”