Sword Art Online-Encroaching Shadows

Chapter 45

"Hey! Come on Alchemist, snap out of it!" Jayce blinked a few times as Argo's whiskered face finally came into focus.

"Argo? What happened?" He took the girl's hand and slowly sat up. The two toppled over to avoid a burning support beam from crushing them. They both climbed to their feet slowly looking around at the inferno still growing around them. Jayce found his sword nearby and retrieved it while Argo looked towards him.

"Dunno, never seen something like this before." As she spoke Jayce could see her cloak already torn in multiple places as well as a few bright red glowing lines along her body. Her hood had fallen away long ago and she showed no intention of fixing it now.

"You're..." Argo waved her hand and clicked her tongue to interrupt him.

"I'm fine. I can't see Miss White or the others." A quick glance at her health indicated she wasn't being completely honest. She was already down to fifty percent from the blast alone. Jayce and Jemza's were both below fifty, but the most concerning thing was that Rose, Luna, and Roland's had all disappeared from the list.

"Where are they?" Jayce scanned the room in fear while Argo pulled a vial from his belt.

"Drink this now. I'll be taking one as too." She pushed the vial towards his face while slipping another from his belt and lifting it to her own lips. Another section of ceiling collapsed a few feet away making the pair flinch reflexively.

"Jemza was closer to the front of the room. We find her and we'll find Rose. What happened to..." He trailed off seeing the body of the assassin he had been fighting slumped against the wall.

"The first one I killed was like that too. Didn't shatter and disappear like normal. His health was completely empty, but the body stayed. Not something we have time to ponder over right now." Argo grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the wreckage of the bar. He had been blasted clear over the top when the explosion went off. The fact that Argo found him was miraculous.

"Look out!" Jayce shoved Argo to the side and brought the blade of his <<Silence>> high intercepting a <<Blackhood Assassin's>> sword. The man weaved the blade in a series of slashes pushing Jayce's arm out and away. With one last movement Jayce lost his balance and stumbled to the side. The assassin's sword shifted and pierced through Jayce's stomach.

"Jayce!" Argo sprinted and dove at the man forcing the sword to slide free from Jayce's body. The assassin tried to raise his sword to keep the girl at bay, but Argo caught the blade of his sword in her palm pulling it harshly to bring him in close. Her health depleted a bit more from the blade cutting into her palm. The man's eyes widened in terror as Argo impaled him on her claw. She tore the weapon upward through his body, spinning as she did so and dropped down to her knee next to Jayce. She didn't need to look back to know he was dead before he even hit the ground.

"I'm alright, help me up." Argo looked at him and then the health bar in her group indicator. His health blinked rapidly and continued to drain slowly even though he had taken a potion.

"Poison..." Argo 's face turned to concern as she pulled his cloak open and began looking through the vials on his belt.

"Not high enough yet." The poison coursing through his body made it hard to speak and move, but not quite as difficult as if he had been inflicted with a <<Stun>> effect.

"Not high enough?" Argo dropped the hem of his cloak and he nodded once.

"I haven't unlocked the ability to make antidotes yet. Can't be helped." The brown haired girl tightened her mouth and grabbed his arm helping him back to his feet.