//------------------------------// // Episode 68 - Geigi Clan // Story: EQG: Sword Art Online - Aincrad // by Mindrop //------------------------------// Floor 62 - Geigi Clan June 15 - Year 2 Bladescape was staying back, letting Astro and Backbreaker take the lead for the day. The Wondercolts were have a clearing day with Geigi Clan. They had unofficially teamed up with them the day before and Backbreaker had arranged for an official team up to clear the labyrinth with both guilds at full strength. It was a good arrangement. Bladescape was glad to not be on point. The day before with Laughing Coffin and, more importantly, Kurayaro, was beyond stressful. Despite being on break, Bladescape was running a party. They would require little guidance, but she had Doombunny, Joltron, Diemond, and AFCK to watch over. Joltron and AFCK were sticking together and Diemond and Doombunny were teamed up too. Bladescape was planning on floating between them, but she was not going to play Forward, instead leading them from a support position. The walk to the meeting point wasn’t far. Geigi Clan was already at the entrance, beneath the pillar of cloud that not only served as the pillars between floors, supporting Aincrand’s weight, but also as the 62nd Floor’s Boss Labyrinth. Geigi Clan was easy to spot because they were such a large guild. Bladescape counted 40 players, most likely organized into five full parties, and two smaller parties of four and five. Most of them were in white, Eastern Style armor. The entire guild bowed to the Wondercolts in greeting before Lobelia spoke. “Thank you for coming again today. We all look forward to clearing with you. Strong backup is appreciated.” “We always enjoy dungeon diving with others,” Bladescape replied with a smile and bow. “And I know your skill, Lobelia, personally. I know your guild isn’t here on a fluke either. You are all strong. It will be an honor to once again fight by your side.” “And this time, we can all fight,” Lobelia replied. “Please, let me make a few introductions. Kamishi is my battle commander. He is a strong warrior and he is okay being in a ‘girl guild.’ He is one of the seven males in Geigi Clan. Shikiku here has been with me from the start. The guild would not exist without her support. The two of them make it possible for me to run Geigi Clan.” “It is a pleasure to meet you both,” Bladescape replied, bowing to each of them. “And a pleasure to meet all of the rest of your members too.” “Let’s dive in,” Kamishi said. “I am sure you were warned, but these hobgoblins wield heavy maces. They have a strong knockback chance, even against our tanks.” “Duly noted,” Diemond replied. “Joltron and I are ready to face those maces.” Bladescape drew Harmonic Salvation, signaling them to move in, but it was Backbreaker who headed in first, the Floating Bulwark out and ready. The shield was quickly put to use. No one had entered the Labyrinth in hours, probably since they had left the day before. Almost all of the clearing guilds were still working to grind their levels and meet quotas. It didn’t matter how many were still trying to train at once, they needed to levels to move forward. The handful of guilds who were clearing the Labyrinth hadn’t even broken onto its fifth floor. The Wondercolts and Geigi Clan were soon back to their last stopping point and not long after they climbed the stairs to the fifth floor. Bladescape didn’t have to do much fighting. Diemond and Joltron had everything locked down well. AFCK was her usual, hopping self, and Doombunny was ruthlessly dispatching the monsters, even though she was using just her regular dagger, Mourning Protector. Colorra’s poison worked great against the hobgoblins and they were a monster that she loved to bite. Bladescape hopped back behind Diemond after striking to draw aggro away from Doombunny. They were doing fine in their group of five. Even without Bladescape, they were not having a problem. Yells came from behind them. Bladescape glanced back at the nearest Geigi Clan party. The nine teams had been split into smaller groups of at least two parties as they mapped the fifth floor of the Labyrinth. The Geigi Clan party was a full party of six, but the three hobgoblins they were dealing with had broken their line. The tank and four shield users were on the ground, and the last member, a katana user, was shaking. She was afraid and frozen, which usually spelled a death sentence. Bladescape didn’t think as she sprinted across the ground between them. Her sword glowed green as she targeted the mace of the closest hobgoblin. The mace swung at the frightened girl, but Harmonic Salvation collided with it in time; the blow shattering the mace. The Hobgoblin was still dangerous without his mace, but Bladescape continued her forward momentum. She rammed Harmonic Salvation to the hilt in the chest of the second hobgoblin. She ripped it out, twisting into a crouch and targeting the third. His mace was glowing as he targeted a different girl who was struggling to get up. The second hobgoblin shattered as she jumped at the third, in a desperate attempt to get her sword in between the mace and the player. Harmonic Salvation pinged as it was hit. The blade was forced into the ground, burying its tip into the floor just on the other side of the girl. The mace was heavy, still locked against the blade and trying to crush both the sword and the girl. Bladescape wasn’t going to let that happen. Bladescape grunted as she kept the mace from finishing its task. She risked it and stepped over the girl. The move pushed her low, practically forcing her to sit on top of the girl. Bladescape found her center, halting her descent. With Harmonic Salvation stuck, she had few options available to counter. Without thinking, Bladescape slammed her forehead into the sturdy chin of the hobgoblin. It hurt, making her go cross-eyed, but it worked. He released the pressure on the mace as he took a step back. Bladescape kept Harmonic Salvation low, triggering a Sword Skill that slashed the hobgoblin’s leg off and then stabbed him in the gut before he fell. That was the end of him. The first hobgoblin had drawn a dagger and was standing over another member of Geigi. He raised it high and it glowed red. Bladescape was too far away to jump the distance. She flicked a pick, throwing it without taking aim. All her time spent practicing quick draws paid off as it hit him in the knee. The paralysis effect landed and he crumpled. The Geigi Clan member shrieked as he fell right on top of her. Although he was paralyzed, Bladescape didn’t hesitate in her follow up. She leaped across to him, stretching out as far as possible, and getting the forward section of the blade into him. The beast shattered as the sword once again earned its worth. It didn’t stop the shrieks of the girl. Bladescape sighed, falling onto her knees, unstable from the stab. She scrambled up and over the girl. She was probably older than Bladescape was, but she didn’t seem it while she screamed. Bladescape grabbed her arm and pulled her up, breaking her out of the position of fear she had been stuck in. Bladescape embraced her, tightly. It did the trick as she relaxed and went limp, sobbing. Bladescape countered the weight transfer with a slight step and held her up. The party was getting to their feet. One of the other girls grabbed the one in Bladescape’s arms. Bladescape was able to take a step back and survey the area. The Wondercolts had finished the last hobgoblin in front of them. They were doing fine without her. This Geigi Clan party was stronger than they looked. They were stronger than they thought they were. Bladescape had no idea how to teach them that strength. She looked at her party. Diemond nodded, knowing what Bladescape was thinking. Joltron saluted with his axe, also in agreement. The two parties were working closely together as they continued along their chosen path, but Bladescape stayed with the Geigi Clan party. With her direction, they began to stand stronger. She jumped in when she needed to, but most of the time Bladescape was their backbone, helping them stand strong and do what they already knew they could. The Geigi Clan party consisted of Tariq - one of the seven men in Geigi Clan - the party’s axe wielding Tank. Kate used a hammer and a small, metal, round shield, embossed with a red cherry blossom. Aka wielded a double headed battle axe with her white painted targe shield. Babs, who was decked out in a darker orange metal armor that was backed by amaranth cloth, used a gladius with a larger white heater shield . Suiko was a lancer, although she didn’t seem like it with such a short spear and her smaller shield. The last member was Ithilien, the baby blue clad katana user who had frozen when the hobgoblins had knocked the other five to the ground. Lunch was late, happening when they finally found a safezone. There was a difference in what Geigi Clan could pack for lunch and what AFCK had been able to throw together with little notice. AFCK hadn’t been able to make more than 10 meals. However, the difference wasn’t that noticeable. Geigi Clan obviously had a few cooks in their ranks. Bladescape sat next to Backbreaker and Astro. She wasn’t trying to hide anything, but she wanted to chat, quietly. “How are things?” “In what way?” Astro asked, in between bites. “I mean…” Bladescape paused, trying to choose the right words. “Well I am now working with them, not my party. They are strong, but acting weak.” Backbreaker sighed. “Astro is already helpin' another party. Kiefer and Lessa are with another one, Thunder is with yet a different party, an' I am with Lobelia, who is leading one of their short parties. Kamishi is leading the other short party. This is what we noticed the other day, and what I wanted you to see. Strong warriors, true at heart, but they have been beaten and bruised by Aincrad. This game has struck fear deep into their hearts. They are tired.” “Yet they don’t want to give up,” Astro said. “We see their strength and we can bring it out. They are faltering, but they are not out of the fight yet.” “40,” Bladescape sighed. “40 players. If we lose them off the front line…” “It’s like losing an entire boss raiding party,” Astro finished. “I’m following your two’s lead,” Bladescape said, leaving it there and taking a bite of her sandwich. “I’m followin' Astro,” Backbreaker added. “Great,” Astro groaned. “I am not even on the Council 24 hours and I am already being thrown into the thick of things.” The three of them laughed together and then continued to eat in silence. They had to be ready to go. As the leaders of the Wondercolts, it was not a good idea for the others to be waiting on them to finish their food. Once they got going again, Bladescape’s party didn’t last long. Diemond and Doombunny split off to work with another Geigi Party and Joltron and AFCK joined Kamishi, who led the other short Geigi Clan party. The Wondercolts were spread out, but they were turning the 7 Geigi Clan parties into forces twice as strong as they had been acting. Bladescape was leading three parties: Tariq’s party, Vay’s party which had picked up Diemond and Doombunny, and Kamishi’s party who had Joltron and AFCK. They were mapping a wide corridor which was filled with multiple enemies. The three parties were spread out, making a solid battle line against the multiple hobgoblins attacking them, and the ones waiting for an opening to attack. Diemond was leading Vay’s party to victory on the right flank. Kamishi and Joltron were holding the center. Tariq had two hobgoblins banging on his tower shield. Each time their mace hit his shield, he was rocked back. They were holding though. Bladescape looked away for half a second, to double check the right flank. Diemond was the only Tank on that side. It sounded like glass shattered on the left flank. The unmistakable sound of the virtual being broken down into its polygons. Bladescape turned as fear pierced her heart. Everything had been fine as she turned to check on the others. Tariq was standing firm, but that didn’t last as he took two maces in quick succession on his shield, knocking him onto his back, spread eagle and exposed. Bladescape acted, trying to push the shattering glass sound from her mind. It didn’t work, but she was focused as she leaped the distance. Harmonic Salvation glowing blue. The defense of the left flank was what mattered and she could worry about the shattered pieces after they were safe. The first hobgoblin was sliced clean through, and the shattering of its polygons reverberated through her head, compounding the sound and her fear. She blocked the mace of the second hobgoblin and then rammed Harmonic Salvation up into his skull. He shattered into polygons, once again making the breaking glass sound, but this time it stopped her heart. There were two more hobgoblins on the left flank. Heart stopped or not, Bladescape sliced them apart. Bladescape glanced to the right, looking to the others. Kamishi, Joltron, and AFCK were charging to the left flank, ahead of them to stabilize the entire line. Diemond was leading the charge forward of the other two parties to establish a new forward line. They had heard the sound as well. Bladescape turned back to the party. Tariq was being pulled to his feet. All six of the party members were there, safe and sound. “What happened?” Bladescape asked, panic still in her voice. “I turned, something shattered, and then I looked back, and Tariq was knocked off his feet.” “My shield broke,” Suiko explained. “Sorry.” Bladescape let out a relieved sigh. Her heart was beating out of control, but it was at least beating. “Breaking gear sounds so similar to a player. Do you have a spare?” “No,” Suiko replied. “But I started the day with the shield in perfect condition.” Bladescape let out a troubled sigh. “Does anyone have a spare?” None of them did. “Alright, hang back and play as a damage dealer. Don’t take any risks, but hit hard when the timing is right.” “Understood,” Suiko nodded. Bladescape looked at the forward line. “Let’s move. They are holding, but they are spread thin. They are strong, you are strong, but we need everyone at their battle stations. Follow me!” Bladescape finished by holding Harmonic Salvation up high. She swiped the blade down towards their friends and then she charged, yelling her own war cry as she bolted towards the line. The distance wasn't that great. The other six yelled and charged after her. Bladescape didn’t stop at the line. She had played back all day, striking a few times in desperate attempts to save a member or distract enemies. She had planned on reinforcing the line, but it changed as she charged. She was done playing in the rear. She rushed past the others, keying up a Sword Skill, and cutting down the nearest hobgoblin. She went to the next, ducking under his mace and ran him through. Bladescape went on a rampage out in front of them all. The line didn’t move as she sliced the two dozen hobgoblins to pieces with speed and precision. Bladescape sheathed Harmonic Salvation as she walked back to the line. She couldn’t help but grin. She breathed a sigh of relief. “I needed that. After yesterday’s debacles, that was...pleasant. However, the rest of the day can’t ride on my shoulders. I am still not at my best." “That was,” Kamishi said, finding himself at a loss for words. “It was…” “Inspiring,” Kate finished. “You know how to do battle and you are strong enough to be clearing these hobgoblins on your own.” Bladescape shrugged. “I’ve worked hard to be the best I can be, for my friends and for the other players. The stronger I am, the safer my friends are as we fight our way to freedom. The smarter I am in leading them, the safer we are. "But I don’t just rely on myself. I listen to my friends and my council to make sure we do things smartly. The Wondercolts are here, in the Labyrinth, because we have been smart, and it means we are on the top of the Level curve for the clearers. We worked hard to get here, and to stay at the top. It’s saving us from needing to be fighting for grinding spots right now, but it hasn’t been easy.” “It’s meant a lot of sleepless nights,” Diemond added. “But it is worth it.” "It shows," Kamishi said. "We could use some advice on that. To stay relevant." "You are more relevant than you are giving yourself credit for," Joltron said. "I see it, we all see it, you just need to see and believe it. We have Doombunny with us. She uses daggers on the front line! And we also have AFCK, whose focus is fun, friends, and a candy make believe land that resides in her head." "Hey!" AFCK exclaimed. "Don't knock it until you have stopped and smelled the lollipop's. Or tasted the taffy. Or drank, drunk, drinked? the cola fresh from a spring through a sugarcane straw!" "Point taken," Tariq said. "But how do I get better, so that I am solid on my feet? You two can withstand the pounding of two hobgoblins with ease. I am a Tank, but I can’t hold anymore." "Darling, it takes time," Diemond said. "These guys are making me shutter, and that is okay. Hold until relieved, but that is why your party should be right there, to be that relief." "Stairs are ahead," Doombunny reported. "And with the space in front of them, I doubt our ascent will go unchallenged." "No sign of monsters?" Bladescape asked. "Reveal did not show any," Doombunny stated. "But we have done this enough times to know that doesn't always mean anything. I am certain something will appear." "We... there is nowhere to go but forward," Bladescape replied. “Let's go." There was hesitation in at least half of the Geigi Clan members. Kamishi and Tariq were ready to go. Most gamers were male and SAO was no exception for that bias. Female games were usually tough and strong. But it did seem like many of the female gamers in SAO were not capable of fighting on the front lines. There was a disproportionate percentage for each sex when it came to the Clearers and Assault Team. The majority of women that were Clearers were members of Geigi Clan, which was 33. The area ahead wasn't much bigger than the wide hallway they had been fighting in. They had entered from the bottom left corner. There was another entrance on the top right corner. The stairs were on the left wall, three quarters of the way to the top left corner. The only other special feature was two statues, each one being a troll sitting down. A deep groan sounded as the last in their party crossed the threshold from the hallway into the room. It sounded like a drawn out "huh?" and then an angry growl. The status cracked and shattered, or at least the shell did. Two trolls stood up from their seated position. They were the mid bosses guarding the room and stairs. They quickly noticed the party members. Each had 2 health bars, and both were identified as a generic “Cave Troll.” Bladescape issued orders. "Tariq, Joltron, and Diemond, you tanks are my blockers. Keep the pressure up on Lefty. Diemond, you will be the middle tank. Joltron, take the right side. I need your agility to be available for adjustments. Ithilien, Doombunny, and Suiko, you are with the Tanks as their damage dealers. I'll take Kate, Aka, and AFCK and go after Righty. Kamishi, you take the others and go with the Tanks to whittle down Lefty. Let the Tanks do their jobs and then switch in. Even with two trolls, we can do this." They reorganized the new structure. Kamishi took command of the other two parties. Bladescape's party of four was going to have to be fast and efficient. They had two shields and two power Forwards. "AFCK," Bladescape said as they walked forward. "Unleash everything you have. We need a speed takedown." “Okee-dokee-lokee!” AFCK replied with a hop. That hop started her "charge." AFCK was skipping, the strides being long but fast. Bladescape set up behind her. The troll picked up a giant maul of steel and stone and swung it overhead. AFCK calmly sidestepped it and swung Geode Splitter up, slicing the arm, as she continued forward. She let loose a chop which buried itself deep in the troll's hip. It howled in pain. Bladescape used that moment to leap onto the oversized maul and jump. She kicked off the arm of the troll, changing direction a bit. Harmonic Salvation glowed as she reversed her grip and stabbed down. The sword split the virtual flesh and sunk all the way into its shoulder. She had missed the neck as planned, but with her weight and gravity in her favor, the sword was hilted. Bladescape leveraged her way up onto the shoulder of the moving troll. She ripped out Harmonic Salvation, planning on going for the neck, but she was thrown as the beast thrashed beneath her. AFCK had struck again. Bladescape landed hard, getting the wind knocked out of her. Tariq was knocked over but Diemond held as Lefty swung his maul at them. Doombunny struck hard as he was stopped by Diemond and Suiko also scored a strong hit. She was grabbed by the troll and lifted up into the air. It bellowed in her face. He howled in pain and dropped her as Kamishi unleashed the full extent of his Katana Skill. Righty swung at Kate and Aka. Kate jumped back to avoid the massive maul. Aka instinctively raised her shield. Bladescape saw her eyes go wide in terror as she realized her mistake. It was too late and the maul pounded her, tossing her back. Joltron blocked a severely delayed Kamishi from Lefty and then sprinted to Righty. He made several cuts at the leg of the troll, drawing the aggro. In retaliation, it raised its maul overhead and brought it straight down to squash him. Joltron skipped back, narrowly avoiding it. The troll punched at him. He stopped the fist on his shield. The maul was swung at him and Joltron ducked low, under its path. He braced himself down behind his shield for the next attack. It didn't come as AFCK and Bladescape let loose a fury of Sword Skills on the back of the troll. Kate charged in as well, swinging her hammer. The three of them knocked the troll around, confusing the AI’s targeting program. It was like a shoving match, where the jocks pushed the nerd around between them, except with weapons and their lives on the line. Joltron sprinted over to Aka. Her health was almost gone as she laid there, breathing heavily. He pulled out a red crystal and healed her. He grabbed her right arm, and pulled her up onto her feet. The best thing she could do was walk the hit off. Joltron picked up her gladius and put it in her hand. He nodded to her with a reassuring smile and then charged off to help against Righty. Doombunny had secretly slipped over to Righty, judging Bladescape’s initial strategy to be too weak in numbers. She slid behind an unaware Kate and then jumped out from behind Kate as the troll stumbled backwards towards them. She unleashed Viper, a seven hit combo, all stabs. It was almost as fast as Lightning Flash Asuna was. The troll dropped onto a knee, taking the paralysis effect Doombunny had been unable to inflict on Lefty. Kate scrambled out of the way as it dropped onto the ground. It would have flattened her if she hadn’t moved. Bladescape leaped up onto the troll’s back and then moved to his head. She drove Harmonic Salvation down, through his skull. The blade stopped when the tip hit the floor. The troll shattered, unable to withstand the fatal hit, the head also being a critical attack point. Bladescape dropped a good two feet to the floor, almost falling. She stabilized herself and looked at Lefty. She saw Kamishi and Diemond charge in from two different sides. They both had high level Sword Skills triggered with multiple combination attacks. The troll had three quarters of this second health bar left. It was gone as the two of them struck. It shattered and Bladescape breathed a sigh of relief. The menu popped up, showing the drop list. It wasn’t bad XP, pitiful Col since trolls were too dumb to save any money, and Bladescape had gotten a Last Attack Bonus. It appeared that each troll was a separate mid boss, even though they both guarded the stairs. They might have been designed to be triggered by two different teams. If that was true, the two different guild tags had drawn both out. The LAB was useless to her. It was a shield. Bladescape opted to materialize it rather than put it in her storage. She caught it. It was a mid level heater shield, but it was better than nothing. Bladescape presented it to Suiko. “I have no use for a shield, and the Wondercolts carry better than this. You need it, so take it.” “Really?” Suiko asked. “Really,” Bladescape nodded with a smile. “We need all members on deck and as strong as possible for the day.” “This is actually a bit better than what I had,” Suiko said as she read the info. She equipped it and bowed in thanks. They heard footsteps coming from the other hall, distracting Bladescape from responding. “The others are approaching,” Doombunny informed them. “All four parties.” Bladescape checked the time. It was a lot later than she had thought it was. It had taken them all day to clear the fifth floor of the Labyrinth. The Wondercolts, solo, couldn’t have done much better, if at all. The first five floors of the boss labyrinth were completely mapped, and that was what mattered. They would get that info to the Clearers as soon as they got back home. Everyone needed a boost for this Floor. It would help offset the training time the others were forced to do. With both Wondercolts and Geigi Clan gathered together, they decided to ascend the stairs to the sixth floor and then call it a day. That ascent would give them the perfect starting foothold for the next day. They were not that deep in the Labyrinth, so they decided to walk rather than waste teleport crystals. They knew the fastest path to take. There was some fighting of respawns that had to be done on the way out. Astro, Thunderborne, Diemond, Joltron, and AFCK were out front, clearing the way, along with six of the seven guys in Geigi Clan. Bladescape (SS): Lvl 83 – Two-Handed Sword – Search – Weapon Defense – Leather Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Sprint – Acrobatics – Blade Throwing – Extended Weight Carry - Greatsword Thunderborne (RBD): Lvl 75 – Rapier – Sprint – Acrobatics – Armor Pierce – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Leather Armor – Weapon Defense – Extended Weight Carry – Search Backbreaker (AJ): Lvl 78 – Heavy Shield – One-Handed War Hammer – Extended Weight Carry – Heavy Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Fishing – Search – Martial Arts – Acrobatics AFCK(PP): Lvl 75 – Two-Handed Axe – Parry – Cooking – Weapon Defense – Martial Arts – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Light Metal Armor – Thrown Weapon – Musical Instrument Diemond (R): Lvl 75 – Heavy Shield – Mace – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Heavy Metal Armor – Tailoring – Light Metal Armor Forging – Heavy Metal Armor Forging – Jewelry Making – Extended Weight Carry Doombunny (FS): Lvl 78 – One-Handed Dagger – First Aid – Hide – Search – Listening – Battle Regeneration – Fighting Spirit – Familiar Communication (Colorra) – Drug Mixing – Reveal -- Fencing Astro (PS): Lvl 75 – Two-Handed Spear - Purchase Negotiation – Armor Pierce – Acrobatics – First Aid – Light Metal Armor – Battle Regeneration – Weapon Defense – Parry – Extended Wight Carry Kiefer: Lvl 73 – One-Handed Curved Blade – Parry – Weapon Defense – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Light Metal Armor – Slash Weapon Forging – Katana – Martial Arts - Search - Armor Pierce Lessa: Lvl 72 – One-Handed Sword – Shield – Light Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Equipment Repair – Metal Equipment Repairing – Armor Pierce – Search - Acrobatics Joltron: Lvl 75 – One handed Axe – Heavy Shield – Heavy Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Metal Refining – Cooking – One Handed Weapon Creation – Two Handed Weapon Creation – Extended Weight Carry