The Survival Logs || Sword Art Online Fanfic

PK Pandemonia Arc: Chapter 72 - Crimson Meeting

20 February 2024 (Evening)

Canyon outside Katalysis, 43rd Floor

POV: Rakuno

There was one thing about Zena that was becoming more and more annoying by the minute.

His extremely stubborn refusal on wielding his spear, at any situation.

As trivial as this issue might seem to be, I hated the fact that I seemed to be the one who was more bothered about it than him.

If it ever came and bit him in the ass, I wouldn't do a thing to save him, even as a party member.

Yes, really. I wasn't kidding.

Especially when all he did against those Piston Golems was to simply wield a one-handed sword when he clearly knew that it wouldn't work well on them.

Not that a spear would have any excellent results either, but it does give a better edge over these mobs with its pierce type damage. Slash type damage from a one-handed sword does nothing more than a tickle on such naturally armoured creatures.

Whatever reasons Zena might have for not using his spear, I wouldn't ever fathom them. Not while he's stubbornly keeping his spear on his back.

I swung my katana at the last Piston Golem we found, expecting the monster to be depleted of its remaining HP. As it shattered into crystals, I turned and gave a stare of frustration at Zena.

I had landed the finishing hit on a Piston Golem yet again. It was almost as if Zena wasn't ever helping to defeat the mobs at all, considering his 'lack of capability' in dealing more damage against them.

"We could've finished them off earlier!" I strided over to him.

"But we finished up in time. I guess that's what matters." Zena sheathed his sword, as he relaxed a little.

"Why don't you just use your spear?"

"It doesn't seem like I need to, though."

"Wrong! Wrong excuse! Do you even know how swords fare against Piston Golems?"

"I do."

"Then why do you not at least switch to anything but a sword?!"

He couldn't blame me for being angry about this. He just couldn't. I was fussing over established logic that anyone would have understood. It wasn't like Zena didn't know that too.

I wondered if they was a saying about this, like stubbornness defies the most fundamental logic, or something of that sort. Maybe I would be the first one to create a saying like that.

Zena sighed, as he turned away from me, towards the path back into Katalysis. I caught up to him, determined to make my point heard.

"I'm being damn serious about this! Anyone who gives you a first glance would instantly know that you're a spear user! If you're going to hide the fact that you're a spear user, what's the point of carrying it on your back like it's dead weight?"

"But I'm not hiding it."

He stopped, and with another sigh, turned towards me.

"However, would you believe me if that reason is a secret that I really want to keep?"

What the hell. Whatever he said seemed to have made me lose a few brain cells.

"What the hell?"

"I'm not budging on this. Whether I choose to use my spear or not is my choice, not yours. I do want to experience wielding a sword for a while, though, so I thought now's the perfect time to practice on it."