Episode 27 - Flag of Valor
Episode 27 — Flag Of Valor
Thirty-First Day in the Month of Holly (December 31) in the Year of the Hawk
Floor 5 — 5 p.m.
The fourth floor had its challenges, but ultimately posed little problem and it was quickly cleared. The fifth floor was medieval fantasy themed and fun, because it included relic hunting, which usually gave trinkets and stuff only worth selling to an NPC shop, however, Knightstar had gotten a necklace boosting agility, which she swapped with Thunderborne when she found a ring boosting strength. Doombunny and Soryuto had each found a ring that gave a candlelight effect, lighting up the dark catacombs they had to hunt the relics in. The rings were better than the torches which only burned for so long and could only be bought from certain NPC shops.
Currently, Bladescape was with Argo, Kirito, and Asuna in a quiet cafe. Argo had gotten the invite from Kirito while buying statistics info from the Wondercolts and had invited Bladescape to the meeting. Argo clearly knew something special was happening when she extended the invite and Kirito had just confirmed that fact. The Aincrad Liberation Squad was planning on raiding the boss alone and they were diverting the attention of the Dragon Knights Brigade by helping to set up celebrations for the New Year to cover their plans. They had even invited the Wondercolts to the party and the Wondercolts were going to politely attend. The party was scheduled to start at 8 pm.
The ALS was only interested in soloing the boss because it dropped the “Flag of Valor,” which boosted the stats of members of the guild of the player who held it so long as they were within a certain radius. If either the ALS or the DKB got the flag, the balance between them would be upset. It could only help one guild and it would inevitably bring conflict. It would also make recruiting new members a lot easier. Few players would want to join the guild that lacked the flag when the other had it.
From Argo’s quest work, the boss was confirmed to be the same in the beta, with no obvious changes. It was sensitive to sunlight and there was a way to weaken it. Argo also knew of a way to skip the first fifth of the labyrinth. Kirito had just finished pitching a plan to secure the flag on their own, ahead of the ALS, so the power balance wasn't disrupted.
“I know you fought it in the beta,” Asuna prefaced. “But even if it is the same with no changes, we need more players. We need a real team, but not a boss raid party.”
“I can bring eight, maybe eleven,” Bladescape said.
“Worst case, your three clearers but not boss fighters stay outside the room or exit it during the fight,” Asuna said. “They all have sufficient levels, I assume.”
“More than sufficient,” Bladescape said with a nod.
“Agil’s Bro Squad is strong enough to join us,” Kirito said. “That would give us fifteen, maybe eighteen. We could bring in Shivata and Liten, make this as open as possible so that the clearing guilds have some representation.”
“I’ll get the other three psyched up to do it,” Bladescape said. “The Wondercolts are not after the flag.”
“Keeping it in house with just the Wondercolts is wisest,” Asuna said. “Then neither Shivata or Liten have the opportunity to get it. If they did, they might not hand it over, but I am more concerned about what would happen if they do. Both Lind and Kibaou would view that as treason.”
“Good point,” Kirito said with a nod.
Kirito gave them a location where they would meet up. He had something he needed to do. Asuna was tasked with getting Agil and his Bro Squad. Bladescape went to get the Wondercolts ready.
The Wondercolts were all at an inn, waiting to hear what was going on. Knightstar didn’t have any info to pass on, but it was enough to halt all crafting, cooking, and any other pursuits and get together as they waited. Besides, it wouldn’t be long before they were supposed to show up for the New Year’s Eve party.
Bladescape got them upstairs to a private room before she opened up. “Here’s the deal. You all have been doing amazing. Our levels are top tier and you all are strong fighters. However, the ALS is planning on hitting the boss, alone, tonight.”
“Didn’t they plan the party?” Konpeito asked.
“Yes,” Bladescape said with a nod. “It is a distraction. By the time we realized what they were doing, it would be too late. The reason they want to make this solo run at the boss is because the boss will drop an item that boosts guild member's stats, but only one guild can have it.”
“That will heavily tip the balance to the ALS,” Natora said. “Not good. Almost as bad as if Lind gets it."
“That’s why Kirito is mobilizing a small force to take it first,” Bladescape said. “All eleven of us are going to hit the boss with him. It won’t be easy, but we all have the levels to do it and the boss has a weakness. Agil’s Bro Squad will be there too. We have a good team that will allow us to succeed. We can’t allow either of the other guilds to get the flag. We won’t be claiming it either. Kirito will have more info on the boss when we assemble, but he beat it in the beta solo. Any questions?”
“All of us?” Doombunny squeaked.
“Yes,” Bladescape nodded. “All of us. To go fight as hard and well as we can. I wouldn’t ask you if you couldn’t do it. It’s a single boss without minions. You, Doom, have your throwing knives to your advantage. Knightstar, Soryuto, you both are capable of at least being a shield, but your swords are sharp and strong. You can do this. I’m not sure what some of the tactics will be, but there will be roles for everyone.”
“You can do it,” Natora encouraged. “I back Blade’s statement. You can do it and think of the bigger picture. We cannot let the other guilds get that flag. It will halt the front as one takes the lead. Make no mistake, we will get pushed out. They will stop us from clearing the game. Overnight, they will be able to expand two, three, or maybe four times their current size and they won’t have to have these semi-open strategy meetings. They already want to push us out."
“Alright,” Knightstar said. “I’m in. It will give me good insight into the boss battles for my calculations, but I don’t plan to take any during the battle. I'll stay focused on the fight and write what I remember after."
“Same,” Soryuto said. “Well, for being in. It’s time for the green dragon to prove her name, that she can fight with the fury of a dragon.”
“I guess I will have to bring the doom in my name,” Doombunny added, clearly unsure about the plan.
“You can earn it in this fight,” Malus encouraged. “And then when everyone hears who took out the boss, your name will be on that list. No one will discount you and no one should discount you. We know what you have done since the start, now it is time to let the rest of Aincrad know!”
“Alright!” Doombunny exclaimed, jumping up and flicking out her knife. She let out a growl. “Let’s make sure we stay on the front, clearing this game. I want to go home to Angel and hug my bunny!”
“That’s the spirit!” Bladescape exclaimed. “Let’s go meet the others.”
The meeting point was in a forest outside Mananarena, the closest city to the labyrinth. Argo was already there. It wasn’t long until Asuna arrived with Agil and the Bro Squad. The Bro Squad wasn't an official guild, they were just four men in their late twenties and early thirties, who, like Agil, were all veteran gamers and ran a business inside the game while helping clear on the side.
“Glad we get to fight besides each other again,” Agil said.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Bladescape replied as they bumped fists. “The last one wasn’t bad. It was mostly all us against that tree. This time it will be all us.”
“Have the Wondercolts even entered the Labyrinth?” Agil asked.
“I don’t believe anyone has,” Bladescape said. “The plan was to hit the labyrinth starting on January First. The Wondercolts have focused on levels and relics, and a quest or two. The ALS and DKB have been doing the same. Well, less of the relic hunting for them. They are still trying to strengthen their levels."
“Has relic hunting been worth it?” Agil asked. "I've also had to work on leveling."
“Mixed results, but overall I think so,” Bladescape replied. "It's fun, even if the trinkets are worth very little. Some good treasure can be found though."
Kirito arrived with a bag in his hand. “Good, everyone is here. I don’t know if any of you have had the opportunity to acquire any of these and I only have a few.” Kirito pulled out a red, glass cuboid. “This is a healing crystal. They are rare, especially this early in the game. Using it on a player by pointing it at them and saying ‘heal’ will cause it to break and instantly restore all of their health.” Kirito pulled out another crystal of the same shape and design, except it was blue. “This is a teleport crystal. Raising it up high and saying ‘teleport’ and then calling out a city that has a teleport plaza will instantly take you there. If you need to bail, this is how. There are green antidote crystals to cure poison and yellow ones to clear physical paralysis effects, but we don’t need any of them. Any questions?”
“The Wondercolts have a few of those crystals,” Bladescape said, swiping up her menu. “Four teleports and five health crystals. We have been saving them. I hope that fills in the gaps.”
“It does,” Kirito said with a nod.
They distributed the crystals. Everyone got one of each. As a group, they had two extra healing crystals.
Argo led them out to the shortcut. It was a wall that was alongside the labyrinth. Argo started leading them up the wall, climbing it.
“I was ready to fight the boss, not climb a giant wall,” Doombunny squeaked.
“Sugarcube, I’ll be right behind you,” Malus said. “I’ll catch yah if yah fall, but you won’t. You have a lot better agility, dexterity, and strength than IRL. Just another obstacle for you to beat and you can do it.”
“I am not thrilled about this either, darling,” Diemond said. “Do you remember Camp Everfree? I barely made it off the ground at the climbing wall and I was in a harness. I don’t like heights, unless it means I’m on the runway.”
“We can do this,” Thunderborne said. “I mean, I know you can do it. We all know I can do it.”
“You have this,” Agil said as he grabbed onto the climbing spot. “The handholds are easy to spot and grip. You won’t have a problem. It’s safe.”
Bladescape made sure she was the last one heading up. The stones stuck out enough that they could easily grab and step on them. It made finding the only route easy, however, finding this on your own would be very difficult. Argo had to have learned about it from a quest.
The top of the wall had a walkway. It lacked a railing, but it was wide enough that no one would easily fall. When it connected to the tower, there was an observation deck. This was their last chance to take a break before they plunged into the uncharted labyrinth. Asuna had brought a cake to share and distributed pieces to everyone.
After a little bit, Kirito addressed them. “I’ve been thinking about the strategy with the players we have. Fuscus the Vacant Colossus is a stone golem. It moves slow, hits hard, and has thick skin. Our advantages are agility and our tanks will be able to withstand a few hits without topping off their HP. There will be plenty of time to fall back and refill HP with potions, plus we have the healing crystals for emergencies.
“We have three devoted tanks and four shield users. The rest of us are basically damage dealers. Natora will head up Group A, our defense force, and direct Malus, Reisenki, Diemond, Lowbacca, and Wolfgang. Natora, your primary goal is battle awareness to direct them how to fight. You are Group A’s eyes. Group B will be our primary damage dealers. It's a stone golem, so I’ll lead Asuna, Agil, Bladescape, Konpeito, and Kiefer. Group C will be Argo, Knightstar, Soryuto, Thunderborne, Doombunny, and Naijan. Group C will be our second damage dealing team. I know some of you have your reservations, I can see it in your eyes. I am fairly certain that you not only have the higher levels, but are better skilled as fighters than anyone in the ALS or DKB. Especially when you are working as a team.”
“They have the levels and the skills,” Bladescape said with a nod. Kirito had not dictated a leader of Group C so Bladescape did. “Thunderborne, this is your moment to step up and shine. Put the pressure on the boss, but make sure when you hit, you land them all quickly and get clear. Let Group B follow Kirito as fast as he directs us, we need you to be powerful and precise when you hit, but you can't let anyone get caught in a long delay. None of us can afford that in this fight.”
“Let you hit the singles and doubles, while I’ll hit home runs,” Thunderborne replied, using a softball analogy.
“Exactly,” Bladescape replied.
“One last thing,” Kirito said. “There will be times where we can open up windows. That will be Group C’s job. Above the boss chamber on Floor Six, is a ruined temple. You will see six sliding doors in the ceiling, connected to chains. When a set of chains rattles, you can break the chains, opening the corresponding window. It will weaken the boss and deal damage. It is a golem, so it will try to not go into the light.”
“You can count on us," Thunderborne said, flashing a V for victory with her fingers.
"Then we have a labyrinth to clear," Kirito said.
"One last thing," Bladescape said, stopping everyone. "Konpeito, do it."
Konpeito twirled her axe before thrusting it above her head. "MO GHILE MEAR!"
Kirito pushed open the hidden door, letting them into the labyrinth. Being able to bypass the first fifth of the tower was incredibly helpful. As they went inside, Bladescape explained their motto to Argo and the others in the Bro Squad who didn't know the meaning.
They rotated who was on point, usually keeping it to a shield and two damage dealers. That combination worked well, not tiring anyone out too much as they carved their way through the labyrinth. Everyone got their fair shot at showing off their skills. Doombunny was quick with her dagger and throwing knives, impressing everyone.
Outside the boss chamber they took a short break to make sure everyone was ready. They mostly wanted to make sure their HP was fully topped off and that everyone had caught their breath before heading in. They had forced their way to the chamber in an hour. They couldn't wait too long or they would lose their edge. Plus the ALS wasn't going to be far behind and they had just cleared the way, at least for a short while until the respawns started. The respawns never had the same numbers as the first clear did.
They entered the dark chamber and saw the boss, kneeling head down in the center of the chamber. As they formed up into their parties and advanced in, the dark stone moved until it stood up. Its eyes lit up maroon, along with other facial features. Lines across its body lit up too, connecting all of them to its torso and head. It had four health bars.
“That’s a stone golem alright,” Natora said. “Honestly, I was expecting bigger.”
In challenge to the comment, it stamped its foot, shaking the ground.
“So that is the kind of golem we are dealing with,” Natora retorted. “Still smaller than I expected.” Natora thrust her spear above her head. “Group A, with me. Let’s start this battle!” Natora charged forward, yelling. The rest of her team followed after her. Natora stopped, and directed the tanks to pair off and take locations, except for Malus who was going solo.
Her actions covered Group B’s initial movement. Bladescape followed Kirito as they ran a wide flank. He stopped them, waiting for the boss to commit to an attack against the yelling tanks. When it did, he dashed forward. She followed after the Beater who made a charging slash at its legs, but not stopping. Bladescape made her own cut and kept running with the rest of their group following suit. The attack took a fifth of the boss’ first health bar.
They were all clear by the time it turned to address them. The tanks struck, forcing it to address them. It kicked two, Diemond and Wolfgang, knocking them back. They were immediately on their feet, backing up before they drank potions to restore their health.
It stomped on the ground, forcing Reisenki and Lowbacca to pull back, out of the way. Rattling chains could be heard, briefly, over the roar of the golem. Group C headed for the chains that were loose. They were in an alcove. Thunderborne tried, but her rapier wasn’t strong enough to break the links. She pulled the chain out of the alcove and Knightstar broke them with a single hit.
From the ceiling a stone window slid open. Light streamed in on a focused point. The beam hit the golem in the shoulder and it roared. A clear half of the HP Bar was depleted.
Kirito took them in to attack again. They struck hard and well, getting clear. Reisenki and Lowbacca hit the boss, drawing its attention. It tried to smack them but they got clear.
It gave Group C the clearance to run an attack. Everyone followed Thunderborne, doing exactly what Group B did, except for Doombunny. They all landed good hits. Doombunny threw two knives and rushed to rejoin the group where they ended up in the room. She threw a third on the way.
Doombunny was the target from the third knife and she was alone as she ran. Fuscus the Vacant Colossus punched at her. It was blocked by Malus. She couldn’t stop it. She was shoved back, but stayed on her feet as she fought to grind the stone fist to a halt. When it was stopped, her hammer smacked the fist of the golem in warning.
They kept it up, running the same attack pattern. Attack after attack, they struck, dodged, blocked, and at times got punched, kicked, and nearly stomped. The stomping attacks could break up their charging strikes and knock players off their feet. Every so often there was the rattle of chains and Group C rushed to cut it and open another window. The light didn’t always hit the boss. It only hurt the boss when it first streamed in. It avoided the light when it could, but it would go through it when it needed too. It was slow work, despite their levels and cohesiveness, because of the stone skin of the golem.
When Group C opened the last window, the beam hit the boss and dropped it into the red. It began to glow brighter, the bone lines and eyes turned from maroon to full red. It rushed towards the nearest group, B, and forced them back against the wall, trapping them.
“I’ll block and you all strike before rushing over to the tanks!” Kirito ordered. He was ignoring his own safety for their own sake.
Kirito rushed forward and then halted, jumping back to avoid its stomping attack. His baiting tactic allowed Bladescape to time Konpeito, Agil, Asuna, and Kiefer into a streamline attack. As she started to go, the Golem punched. Kirito blocked it with his sword, shoving it to the side with impressive strength. The other fist was thrown at Kirito. He wouldn’t survive if Bladescape abandoned him. She had seen death before and been unable to stop it. This time she wouldn’t let the game win. Bladescape got there in time, throwing her shoulder into the stone fist, pushing it out of the way enough to squeak past Kirito.
The giant stone golem tried to stomp Kirito and Bladescape before the last of its HP was gone. Everyone else was on the other side of the room. It threw a punch, which Kirito blocked, shoving the fist to the side.
“Go!” Kirito ordered.
Bladescape stepped into the golem and unleashed two sword skills that left the boss with only a tiny bit of HP.
“Switch, Kirito!” Bladescape called.
Kirito switched in and unleashed his strongest sword skill, dealing the final blow on Fuscus the Vacant Colossus. His swordsmanship skills were amazing, lightning quick with expert reaction timing. In his black clothes and jacket, black hair, and just the longsword, no shield, he was best described as a black swordsman, not a Beater.
It hurt to let him take the Last Attack Bonus, especially since Kirito had given her the order, expecting her to finish the boss, but Bladescape didn't want the flag to even touch Wondercolts hands. She refused to let either Lind or Kibaou have the opportunity to use it against her and force the Wondercolts out of clearing. It would be a weak argument, but it could be all they needed to justify their actions, so it was safer if the Wondercolts never touched it. None of the clearing guilds ever would have the Flag of Valor to their advantage at any moment.
Everyone began to cheer. They were tired, but had done it. They all started to come over to Bladescape and Kirito.
“Did you get it, Kirito?” Argo asked.
“Yeah,” Kirito nodded. “The Flag of Valor was dropped as the Last Attack Bonus. It is safely in my hands. Bladescape made sure of it.”
Bladescape gave a slow nod. “Good job, Kirito. Good strategy, good plan. This worked because of you and the balance between the clearing guilds is upheld.”
“The Wondercolts were the backbone of this operation,” Kirito said. “The Bro Squad can’t be discounted either. We all played our roles, we all dealt great damage, protected each other, and fought well. We all made sure that the balance between the ALS and DKB is maintained.”
“And without a death or anyone teleporting out,” Agil added. “Outside of floor one, a boss battle hasn’t been this smooth. Most of the field boss battles were not as smooth as our fight.”
“This was smoother than the first floor battle,” Bladescape said. “Teams were getting tossed back in that fight, that didn’t happen this time.”
“The Wondercolts were just as good as ever,” Agil said. “If not better than I recall. All of you proved you deserve the reputation you hold, specifically to the people not in Lind’s or Kibaou’s guilds, but also to specific members in their guilds. This was a tough fight, particularly for throwing knives and daggers, but you did well, Doombunny.”
“I have a bunny rabbit, Angel, to get to IRL,” Doombunny replied. “This so-called game is stopping me and will face my wrath. Whenever I can summon it that is.”
“You earned your name and so did Soryuto,” Natora said.
“Absolutely,” Malus said with a nod. “Absolutely.”
“And I got some great pictures!” Konpeito said, showing everyone an octahedron device.
“You have a recording crystal?” Argo asked, surprised. “Since when?”
Konpeito shrugged. “I bought it a while ago in Tolbana, shortly after we got there, and have been documenting our adventures since. Most of the time no one notices me using it.”
“Kibaou should have the ALS in the labyrinth by now,” Kirito said, while messing with his menu. “It will take time for them to clear it. They may not have the same levels, but they have numbers and energy.”
“Their levels are going to catch up to them soon,” Knightstar warned. “We are at the top of the curve, but even so, we are having trouble keeping up with this pace. The second floor was cleared in ten days, the third in six, the fourth in six, and the fifth in just four days. They are rushing forward blindly and without any breaks. At some point, they will hit a wall they can’t crash through because they haven’t taken the time to level up. The early levels are easy, but it is getting harder and harder to get the XP needed for the next level. I know we need to get free as quickly as possible, but we need to appropriately allot time so we can get more HP, skill slots, and ultimately improve our survival odds."
“They will want to push through the next floor in five or so days,” Agil said.
“It’s hard for me to keep up,” Argo admitted. “I barely got the boss info on this floor in time.”
“Me too,” Kirito said. “I can’t get my levels up like I want. They need to slow down.”
“They won’t,” Asuna said with a tired sigh. “Not until they hit that wall. Kibaou is rash and Lind won’t let him gain even a perceived advantage. It will not be good when they do. It probably will mean the death of players.”
“Well, we all will have to just do our best,” Bladescape said. “We will do what they can’t. We will compensate for them. Hopefully their fall will be more of a slip that hits them with reality, not a bad fall, and this mad rush can be slowed to a sustainable pace.”
“Maybe Kibaou’s backstabbing attempt and us beating him will be what they need,” Natora said.
“I hope so,” Bladescape said. “Part of that is because they need to slow down, the other part is because I want them to feel the burn of us having the levels to quickly band together and beat the boss. The Wondercolts couldn’t have done this alone.”
“What we did was impressive,” Wolfgang said. “We should be proud of it. Even if the others won’t see us as heroes, we still are.”
“Mo Ghile Mear!” Konpeito exclaimed. “To us all.”
They all smiled. They were tired, but it felt good.
“Let’s go trigger the gate and bring in the new year,” Kirito said.
BLADESCAPE: Level 21 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid
NATORA: Level 20 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 20 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid
MALUS: Level 20 — One-Handed War Hammer — Shield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry
THUNDERBORNE: Level 20 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor
KONPEITO: Level 20 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid
DIEMOND: Level 20 — Mace — Shield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid
DOOMBUNNY: Level 20 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid
KIEFER: Level 17 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense
SORYUTO: Level 16 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music
REISENKI: Level 17 — One-Handed Axe — Shield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair
KIRITO: Level 19 — One Handed Sword — Search — Hide — Martial Arts
ASUNA: Level 18 — Rapier — Sprint — Parry — Sewing
AGIL: Level 15 — Two Handed Axe — Leather Equipment — Parry — Equipment Appraisal
Stats
Page generated in 0.02 seconds
Total duration
1,096 users online
1,930,721 hits today, 2,205,040 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Thus went well. Asuna got sewing?
11712858
I just copied her canon list. She does so sewing. She doesn't really raise it far.
11712869
Yeah, I think she ditches it for cooking
I know Sunset is upset over losing another LAB, especially to Kirito, but I'm glad she saw the bigger picture and knew the flag was better on his hands than any guild.
Love ya Fluttershy.
11712968
She never fully ditches it. It's a set skill at the end of SAO.
11712983
Yes. Sunset does a good job of thinking of the bigger picture! Her big weakness in a MMORPG like SAO. Also. Yes, fun Fluttershy moment.
Idk if this happened in the novel but I do know it happened in the second progressive film.
I don't like being high up in general, I have a fear of heights!
Direct hit!
Gulp!
Another thing to be proud off.
It's a shame that the main clearers are basically just a bunch of kids who can't get along. An item like that sounds like it would be incredibly useful for, ya know, actually beating the game. Which is kind of the point. We're all in the fun murder death game together guys, remember that!
11713063
Yes, this was in the novel. Great comments as always!
11713112
Yes, kids who can't get along describes them well. Lol.
11713112
11713420
KIDS???!!! They're not mature enough to be called kids.
11713529
Yea, they are somting even more moronic... TEENAGERS!!
11715044
lovely update! Ioll wager a certain other guild will be pissed they didnt get the flag XD