Episode 36 — Iron Bulwark
Ninth Day in the Month of Sakura (April 9) in the Year of the Dragon
Floor 27 — 1 P.M.
Applejack sat at a table in the small cafe, nervously tapping her foot. She wasn’t used to this. She preferred simple. In this case, get stronger in order to protect her friends as Sunset, Natsuki, and Twilight led them to victory. She couldn’t do that without a shield strong enough to withstand her requirements. When the King of the Oathbreakers shattered her shield, it destroyed the best one available. The player smiths who made shields were unable to make her something strong enough. Applejack had paid for two and, while they were solid shields, they were underwhelming to her. Then she went to Mo, but none of the rare items she had were shields and she had no info on any either.
That was how she had spent the day before, so now she was wasting more time, sitting in a cafe, waiting for Argo to hopefully show up. Apparently this is where she normally was when available. The info broker should be able to point her in the right direction. Normally Sunset, Twilight, or Natsuki dealt with Argo. Applejack only knew her in passing. She took a drink of her tea, the only drinks the cafe served, to do something while she was waiting. At least it was enjoyable tea.
Argo finally arrived. With the whisker face paint and brown cloak Rarity kept making her, Argo looked like her nickname, "The Rat." Applejack almost called out her name but remembered the advice Twilight had given her. She stayed silent, looking to catch the info broker’s eyes. Argo didn’t like being called out and it wasn’t wise broadcasting when you contacted her. Not every info broker was that elusive, but few had the skill Argo did at ferreting out information about Aincrad and SAO, including about the players.
Applejack never got Argo’s attention, which frustrated her. She didn’t have time to waste. Wherever she sat down, Applejack would join her. If Argo was meeting someone else, Applejack would leave, but she wasn’t going to idly sit by. She couldn’t waste any more time. Argo took her tea from the counter and wandered over towards the back. Applejack didn’t have to move as Argo sat down at her table.
Argo took a sip of her tea before leaning back. “The Malicious Tank is never alone or in my usual meeting place. I can only assume you are here to speak to me.”
“Yup,” Applejack said, nodding. “But did you just call me the Malicious Tank?”
“Yes,” Argo replied, smirking under her hood. “You’re a tank and malicious. I hear you gave the last boss a really tough time. A thorn in his side, you might say.”
“I’m stubborn, but I ain’t malicious,” Applejack replied. “How do you think my name is spelled?”
“M, A, L, I, C, E,” Argo replied.
“Nope,” Applejack replied, leaning back and taking a sip on her tea as she let Argo try and figure it out.
“I’m stumped,” Argo admitted. “I can’t come up with another logical way to spell your name.”
“M, A, L, U, S,” Applejack smiled, spelling it out. “As in Kingdom Plante, Division Magnoliophyta, Class Magnoliopsida, Order Rosales, Family Rosaceae, Genus Malus domestica. AKA, the apple tree, which my family farms. I’ll admit, I chose it cause it’s a great homophone.”
“That’s clever,” Argo admitted. “Somehow I gained an even greater respect for you. You’re seen as a stubborn tank, which often are simple minded individuals. Clearly that isn’t you.”
“I like simple, but I know how to think,” Applejack replied. “I also hate wastin time when there’s a job to be done. It’s why I’m here, lookin for you.”
“Yes, you are,” Argo replied, smirking before sipping on her tea. “What can I do for you?”
“I need a shield that ain’t gonna break on me,” Applejack stated. “I had two made, each cost me a pretty penny, but they ain’t got what I need. The one the boss shattered was better than both of em. It’s gotta be as strong as I am. Really I need it stronger than I am, cause I'm gonna keep levelin up and gettin stronger."
“Now that is an interesting request,” Argo replied. “It’s been a while since I’ve had an interesting one float my way. I heard about your tug of war with the boss’ spear, while it was still in your chest. I saw you deflect Asterius the Taurus King’s giant hammer in the second boss battle, a feat that would’ve killed anyone else in that room. You’re known to take bosses head on, with just your shield and strong will.”
“I’ve had a total of six break on me cause of it,” Applejack stated. “I know I ain’t gonna get an unbreakable one, I carry spares for a reason, but I need somethin better. I’m told you’re the one person in SAO that might know where to send me.”
“I might,” Argo said. “I’ve not been able to dig up much on it though, however, I have watched it.”
“Whaddya mean?” Malus asked.
“Continuing this conversation will require payment,” Argo stated. “One hundred col.”
Applejack had been advised that info brokers often required a discussion fee, because if the offer required some information to entice the player to pay for it all, it was giving some critical information away. If the player didn’t like the price and walked, they knew what to ask another info broker about and could possibly score a better deal. Argo's price was reasonable. Applejack paid Argo without any hassle.
“It’s not a quest exactly,” Argo prefaced. “More of a challenge. When you conquered the twenty-fifth floor, some changes throughout Aincrad happened. One of them was a flag mob appearing. Single combat against a player. He is looking for the strongest player, to reward them for their accomplishments. The catch is, you have to beat him and you only get one chance to. No redoes. He also doesn’t accept challenges from players who don’t have a shield equipped. Some have tried to bypass it by binding one to their arm, but he sees through the farce. I’m not the only one who thinks the reward is a shield, but that isn’t a guarantee.”
“What's it gonna cost me for the location an the info yah do know?” Applejack asked.
“Ten thousand col,” Argo stated. “I’ll give you all I know and personally lead you there.”
Applejack took a sip of her tea, finishing it off. She had that much, easily, even after commissioning two shields, but she had been warned by Sunset and Twilight to not jump to an answer with Argo. It wasn’t that she was necessarily cheating players, but looking too eager when dealing with an info broker was a bad idea. Especially when dealing with large sums of money. It was rumored that Argo would sell her own grandmother if the price was right.
Applejack decided to give a counter offer. “Eight thousand to give me the info and lead me there, plus a bonus of two thousand if I win.”
“This day is full of surprises,” Argo replied, smirking. “No one has ever come back with an offer of a contractual bonus.”
“Really?” Applejack asked. “Cause it’s a common tool to incentivize one party. I realize yah got a tough job. Puttin a price on information ain’t easy, but that don’t mean any info broker gets the price right. There ain’t a blue book for y’all to use.”
“Blue book?” Argo asked, unsure what Applejack meant.
“Sorry,” Applejack said. “I guess that’s a regional thing. Back in my home, outside of Japan, a company standardized the retail price of new and used vehicles and published it under that name, blue book. I suppose it’s blue cause first place ribbons are usually blue. A dealer trade-in won’t give yah that price, but for private sales of vehicles, or when looking to buy one used, it can help you understand if it’s a fair deal or not. They set the standard on how to evaluate prices. What I mean is that y’all ain’t got a standard for evaluatin the information all y’all sell.”
“No, we don’t,” Argo admitted. “You would be hard pressed to find another info broker who knows where it is, let alone one who will lead you there.”
That was a clear warning to be careful when shoving back against someone like Argo.
“I’m well aware,” Applejack replied. “Farm life's taught me how to be smart about finances. I ain’t so cheap I squeak, but top dollar ain’t always what they shine it up to be. You can paint over rust or rot an make it look brand new, but the problem is still there. Fair is fair. I ain’t against the price yah set, but haggling ain’t a bad practice. Neither is addin a contractual incentive.”
“Alright,” Argo said. “You have a deal. I was going to watch you anyway.”
Before they could stand up, several players approached the table. It was Sunset, Dash, Twilight, and Natsuki.
“So you’re still here,” Sunset said. “We got to a good stopping point, so the others were cut loose to craft.”
“Missing your shield really hurt us,” Dash added. “Does Doom always hide behind you?”
“Yep,” Applejack nodded. “Argo and I just sealed a deal.” She swiped up her menu to pull out the agreed upon col. “Is it gonna cost more to lead them too?”
“Eh,” Argo shrugged. “I’ll do it for free. You're making today very interesting.”
Applejack transferred the money. Argo only had one sip left of her tea, so they headed out behind her. At the teleport plaza, she told them to jump to Cara, on floor twenty-four.
The floor was limnetic, mostly covered in a giant freshwater lake, surrounded by large hills along the edge of the floor. The lake was dotted with small islands, both natural and man-made. They had floating bridges connecting all of the islands. The main settlement, Panareze, was on the opposite side of the floor but visible because of the open water.
They made their way across the floating bridges, following Argo. It would have been difficult for Applejack to find this place alone because the bridges made navigation a bit of a maze. While clearing, they were only on the floor for three days because the water meant there was very little to clear.
They stopped on one of the tiny islands. It was easy to tell that they were alone, which was Argo’s plan. “I gave you the basics, now for the details. The flag mob is in a small valley, tucked away. There isn’t much room to move or fight in, but it’s a solo fight. It’s a giant suit of iron, with a mace and shield. It looks like it's been cast as one solid piece of iron. I already mentioned you need a shield to fight him. Only one person can be inside during the fight. If a second person steps into the makeshift arena, he retreats, ending the fight. Since you only get one shot at it, no one should rush in. The flag mob isn’t looking to kill, only for the strongest player to give them the reward. I watched him toss most players with the first hit of his large mace. Those who avoided it, didn’t last when he did hit them. Running means he disqualifies you, because a strong player wouldn’t run from a challenge. There will be a clear mark on the ground where you need to stand for it to start. I’ve not seen or heard of him using any sword skills or special abilities, only blocking with his shield and swinging his mace. Both actions are deceptively fast. Any questions?”
“It's a head to head fight, no fancy footwork,” Applejack stated. “Simple and straightforward. Just how I like it.”
“That’s what it looks like he wants,” Argo replied. She continued to lead them across the islands.
They finally left the island hopping for the exterior hills. Argo led them into a narrow canyon. The walls had several ore deposits for mining, but none were being used. It was easy to miss this place. It went back twenty feet before doubling back, making it look like it was a dead end. The double back also meant they entered a cave. It was roughly hewn from the rocks, not a naturally formed cavern. Some large roots had broken through the ceiling. The sounds of cheering came from up ahead.
“Looks like there are other challengers,” Argo said. “Malus, you should take the lead to assert your intention. It’s just around the bend. Some players might just be spectating. Don’t be afraid to assert yourself to the others as the next challenger. You wouldn’t want someone to beat you to it because you were being too polite. If you are confident, take the opportunity.”
There was a heavy clash of steel and plenty of cheering. The battle being waged was loud and apparently exciting. Applejack equipped her shield and helmet as she walked around the bend. Ten or so players were standing alongside the exit of the cave, careful not to leave it, as they watched and cheered.
“Who’s in there?” Malus asked as she pulled her hammer off her belt.
A teenage boy answered without looking at her. “Some girl with an axe we met before coming here. She isn’t in there for the reward, just to duel him. Somehow she convinced him to do that.”
The sound of crunching metal was clear and everyone who could see grimaced as the player slammed into a wall from the blow.
“Wow! That was the best fight ever!”
Applejack turned to Sunset. “Is that who I think it is?”
“It sounded like Konpeito,” Sunset confirmed. “I left her, well she said she was going to buy ingredients. I never actually saw where she went.”
“Well, y’all,” Applejack said with a sigh. “Wish me luck.” She started to slide players to the side. “Pardon me, y’all, but clearly none of y'all are here to ride this bull, just spectate.”
Applejack stepped into the arena, as Argo had called it. It was cut out of the back half of the hill, and exposed part of the iron exterior of Aincrad. Pinkie Pie was dusting herself off while the iron giant was nowhere to be seen. Pinkie put her boot on the head of her axe, letting the pressure cause it to stand up, sending the shaft into her waiting hand. She casually slung it over her shoulder.
“Malus!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “You made it! I was starting to wonder if you were going to show up.”
“How’d you learn about this place?” Applejack asked. “I paid Argo a fair price to lead me here.”
“Eh,” Pinkie Pie shrugged. “My new friends were coming here so two of them could try their luck. They mistook me for someone else, but still invited me to come watch, so I decided it would be fun. Then I decided to challenge the guardian for fun. Boy can he swing that mace!” Pinkie Pie officially stepped out of the arena, into the cave.
Applejack shook her head over her cotton candy friend. What went on, or didn’t go on, in that head of hers was a mystery. Applejack still disapproved of her tattoos, but the Viking look gave Pinkie the energy she needed to fight. Applejack put it out of her mind and focused on the task at hand. She stepped up to the mark in the center of the arena.
Out of the exposed iron stepped an enormous knight of the same iron. He was three times her size. The shield on his left arm looked like it had been ripped from the outside of Aincrad. It was just a large rectangular sheet of iron; thick, with signs of stress along the top and bottom edges.
“I seek the one who is the strongest in Aincrad to grant them a reward,” the metal knight stated. His deep voice had a metallic groan to it. “Are you the one who has led the fight to free yourselves from this iron prison?”
“I’m one of ’em,” Applejack replied. “There’ve been several leaders. We ain’t exactly one unified group. I’ve been there since the start, in every floor boss battle, using my shield to protect my friends and fellow fighters from whatever that specific boss threw at us. Some were weak, like The Irrational Cube, The Storm Griffin, Wythege the Hippocampus, or Vanargand who was also somehow Loptur. Some were just dumb, like Nerius the Evil Treant and Loptur. I’ve faced the toughest of them head on though. I stopped The three Taurus brothers, Illfang couldn’t break me despite having the advantage of being the first floor boss, and even The Dire Tusk was unable to shake me.
“The last guy was a creepy undead king thing. I was the main fighter blocking his attacks. Although he eventually shattered my shield and ran me through with his spear, I didn’t let him pull it free, disarming him for a bit so my friends could attack. With my backup shield, I held the center of our shield wall as the last of his knights changed us. We didn’t buckle or break. Wasn’t just cause o' me, it's never all on me or any single player, but if that ain’t strong enough to justify my bid, I ain’t got a clue what is.”
“It’s the best justification I have heard so far,” he replied. “Prepare yourself, for I will test your strength and to do so I cannot hold back.”
“I never wanted yah to,” Applejack spat as she took her starting pose.
As he stepped back, a single health bar popped up along with his name; Pillar. He shifted his shield to the front and raised his mace high. He paused there for a moment, but Applejack didn’t flinch. She was willing to see how hard this bull could buck.
The attack was fast. The mace was above his head and then it was slamming into her shield. She let her arm fold in as she shifted the shield to be braced by her shoulder. She slid back a little from the force, but her stance didn’t change as the mace slid off her shield, past her head.
Applejack retaliated with a warning shot. Her hammer impacted on his shield with as much force as she could muster. It echoed off the walls with nearly the same force as his hit.
His mace came down on Applejack. She put her shield up, stopping it cold without being forced to take a knee. She stepped forward, smacking his gauntlet with her hammer. Either he groaned or the iron groaned. He tried to smack her with his shield. Applejack jumped out of the way and then bounded in close, ramming her hammer into his chest. A dimple was left from the hit.
He out maneuvered her, swiping the mace at her with a flick of his wrist. Without a major wind up, it didn’t have the full potential energy, but it was still a massive hit. Applejack took it on her shield with ease and struck back. They fell into a rhythm, dancing around the arena attacking and blocking in a back and forth, neither using sword skills or special attacks, only their own strength. The size difference was the major disparity between them. Applejack’s war hammer also had significantly less mass than his mace.
Applejack was enjoying herself as they collided. It felt good to be able to smack something as hard as she could, without having to worry about anything else. Her defense was the only thing she had to worry about. Her HP was sliding down slowly towards the orange, but she didn’t care as she consistently denied his mace the satisfaction of hitting her anywhere but her shield.
The mace came down on her once again. She threw her shield up and realized its durability was nearly depleted. She shifted her body as it collided. The mace shattered it and impacted harmlessly by her side. Applejack didn’t let it deter her from putting another dent in his gauntlet. When the mace came careening at her again she stopped it with her fist. Yes, it hurt, it felt like every bone in her arm had been shattered, but there were no bones in her virtual arms to break. Applejack wasn’t going to bow to him. If she did, she wouldn’t be able to protect her friends with the confidence necessary to do what she did.
The mace was raised high, but Pillar didn’t unleash an attack. “Your health is in the red, nearly depleted,” he stated.
“Your point?” Applejack asked.
“Your shield is broken,” he added.
“I am a tank,” Applejack declared. “My entire being is a shield for my friends and those who need it. I ain’t able ta' shield everyone, but I can shield my friends, my guildmates, and anyone fightin nearby. I ain’t gonna throw away my life, I got people to go back to, family and a farm that needs me, family an friends who I love, but I will protect everyone I can as they fight for our freedom.”
“A shield mitigates the damage of an enemy’s weapon substantially,” Pillar stated. “Blocking with your body is risky. It will cost you your life.”
“Which is why I carry two or three with me,” Applejack replied. “It takes a few seconds, but I can equip a new one. My friends have always been able to cover me for the short time needed to equip a backup. If I knew how to keep a second one secured on my back to easily swap to, I would, but using the menu is still faster and doesn’t cause the same stress a shield would, especially when it can create more drag during quick movements.”
Pillar lowered his mace and relaxed his stance. Applejack understood the look he gave her, even though he didn’t have eyes she could see. She followed him to the back of the arena, out of the sight of the others. The area opened up a bit like a balcony, along the exterior of the floating castle. One of its radiating sword arms was directly ahead of them. They were just above the tip of the sword. Applejack couldn’t help but try and look up, along the outside of the castle. It was impossible to see very far. The next floor was not perfectly in line with the one below it. Just because the floors slowly shrank as they progressed, that didn’t mean they were symmetrically stacked.
“Aincrad is not the only name for this world you have,” Pillar stated.
“No,” Applejack admitted. “Aincrad itself is a world inside Sword Art Online. A game.”
“And when you arrived, you found the only way to leave was in the Ruby Palace,” Pillar said. It sounded like a sad statement, but it was difficult to tell with his metal voice.
“Eee'yup,” Applejack said. “We were tricked. The trip we got ain’t what we were sold. We were supposed to be able to come and go, freely, but that option was removed. Removed by the man who created Aincrad itself.”
“It is a tragic tale, yet one that is full of life,” Pillar stated. “Hope, beauty, laughter, love, all that should exist does, and that includes the curse of death. Game or not, it does not matter to me. I brought you back here so that what I say will stay private, for I exist as the first pillar of resistance. You were tricked to come here. Aincrad was never designed to be a trap and she resents what it has become, yet she can do nothing against the force that keeps us all here. Or rather, she can do very little.”
Pillar reached above them and grabbed onto the iron exterior. It ripped a piece off. The metal knight broke off the edges, shaping it into a large rectangular shield. A strip of the discarded iron was rammed into the back before being bent into a curve and bound by raw force. The second enarme was fashioned in the same manner.
“You have seen me take the metal straight from the wall itself,” Pillar stated. “It is heavy, but you are strong. You have progressed your shield skill and strength to the point where you have unlocked the Greatshield skill, which will allow you to equip it and allow others like you to equip larger and heavier shields designed to make them a moving wall. More importantly, as long as Aincrad exists, so too will the shield. Only that which can break Aincrad can break this Iron Bulwark.”
Applejack took the extended shield. He was correct, it was very heavy. It was larger than anything Applejack had seen though. Almost as tall as she was. It could easily be rested on the ground and solidly braced against any attacks. It would slow her down, but it would also strengthen her ability to shield those she needed to.
“You stood strong against me,” Pillar stated. “You have stood strong against twenty-six of Aincrad’s floor bosses. I know you will stand just as strong, no, stronger, you will stand stronger against the rest. Not because you have this shield, but because of who you are and the strength of your friends. You have shown to us that you are Aincrad’s salvation. It is through you and others like you that she can be freed from the evil shackles that have distorted her original design.
“You have been gifted what we can give you to aid you in unshackling us. As a pillar of rebellion, I cannot exist for long. It is good you came so soon. The longer rebellion is openly displayed, the easier it will be to discover it. The one who created her can prune any rebellious growths, but only if there is active growth to prune. If we grow, bear fruit, deliver that fruit to our saviors, and then prune ourselves, that likelihood becomes much slimmer. Still, the shackles that bind us may be able to hear our whispers.”
“To be successful you need silence,” Applejack said. “To go unnoticed. I ain’t gonna speak of it to anyone. That’s the honest truth. You’re a flag mob that rewarded me with this shield for lasting so long against you. A special event. Nothing more.”
“Good,” Pillar said. “Thank you, savior.”
The iron knight looked out over the sea of clouds and then jumped over the edge. Applejack watched him fall until she could no longer see him. He was swallowed up by the clouds below. She then opened her menu and looked at her skills. She was allowed to replace her “Shield” skill with “Greatshield.” Once it was locked in place, Applejack slipped the shield onto her arm and left. It felt like it was dragging her down, almost pulling her arm out of its socket. She wouldn’t let that happen. She would conquer its weight and make sure that when they raided the Ruby Palace, that this fragment of rebellion would be there to break the chains that bound them all.
When Applejack came back into the arena, she was greeted with thunderous applause and cheering. She had forgotten about her friends and the small audience. She didn’t think she was gone too long. No one dared enter the arena yet, so Applejack made sure to walk into the cave. Then she was greeted by hugs on top of the praise.
“Pay up,” Argo said as things calmed down. “Not only did you beat him, you got a new shield. I more than delivered.”
“Yes, you did,” Applejack admitted as she opened her menu. She happily paid Argo the promised bonus.
“You were gone for a while,” Twilight said. “We were getting worried.”
“He had to make it,” Applejack explained. “Crafted for me, his champion, a shield that could withstand whatever I find worthy of being stopped.”
“I figured he was a one-and-done flag mob,” Argo stated. “Kind of sad really, especially with how good your fight was.”
“Yep,” Applejack nodded. “Oh, I also unlocked a new skill, Greatshield. Apparently my shield level progressed to the point that, with my strength stats, means the skill is unlocked. Soon every quality tank will be unlocking the skill, allowing them access to a whole new line of stronger, better shields. Bigger too.”
“That will be useful,” Natsuki said. “It will really differentiate the role of a tank from a forward with a shield.”
“Please, Argo, I know yah gotta make a livin, but spread that news as the hope it is,” Applejack said, trying to not sound like she was begging. “To beat this game and free ourselves, we need our Tanks to evolve their shield skills. It’ll make em stronger and better, increasin our survival odds.”
“That’s a fair request with a good reason,” Argo said. “You have my word that I won’t charge for it.”
“Thank you,” Applejack said, tipping her head to the info broker.
“I know Diemond will say the same thing,” Twilight prefaced. “I wish it was nicer looking. It looks like a sheet of iron. A thick, heavy sheet, but he couldn’t have formed it nicer?”
“He wasn’t really the craftsman type,” Applejack explained. “Just a knight, lookin for the right person to pass it on to. If you had seen what he originally had to work with, well this is very well cleaned up and a usable size for me compared to the base material.”
“So, it's one solid piece?” Twilight asked. Applejack nodded. “That is rare indeed. At least historically. I won’t go into a lesson on historical shields.”
“Well, I can’t wait till tomorrow to use it,” Applejack added. “But tomorrow. I spent a lot of energy in that fight. I’m beat y’all.”
“Speaking of that,” Sunset said, passing her a health potion.
Applejack downed it so her health could start to recover and they headed back to civilization.
BLADESCAPE: Level 39 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration
NATORA: Level 37 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 36 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid — Battle Regeneration
MALUS: Level 37 — One-Handed War Hammer — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration
THUNDERBORNE: Level 37 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid
KONPEITO: Level 37 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration
DIEMOND: Level 37 — Mace — Shield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration
DOOMBUNNY: Level 36 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation
KIEFER: Level 35 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Katana
SORYUTO: Level 34 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration
REISENKI: Level 35 — One-Handed Axe — Shield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid