Her Mission To Save Them All || Sword Art Online Fanfic

Chapter 62

POV: Kayoko

The fight is a whirlwind of caught breath, flashes of steel and the scuffing of well worn boots against the hard floor. It's hard to fall into the rhythm of switching back and forth once again but soon it's coming back to me, like picking up a pen for the first time in months and still perfectly knowing how to shape the letters.

"Switch," Asuna calls, pulling the thin blade of her rapier across the skin of the beast before jumping back as quickly as she ran forward, hair whipping past in a strawberry blonde stream. "Kira, it's all yours."

My hand smooths down the length of my blade and in one sharp movement, I jerk it upwards like pulling a bow string, almost feeling the energy of the sword skill sing against my cheek as I hold it up close to my face. The energy builds, so bright as to be almost blinding. My eyes flick to Kyo's and he nods, raising his shield.

I let the skill - my unique skill - loose.

My arm shoots out, dragging the rest of my body with it. Ahead of me, the beast pulls its axe across its chest, as though simple metal will be able to deflect my blade. My sword is a sharp pin. It pierces, shatters through the axe, stabbing through metal and into the flesh beyond.

Falling into the crystals it leaves behind, I dig my heels into the floor, trying to stop the momentum of the sword skill before I fall into the arms of the beast's awaiting friend, unable to defend myself until the cooldown period ticks back down to zero. I slide to a stop just in time and Kyo heaves his shield to block the incoming skill, his body close to mine.

"Yuha?" I call.

"Got it," she replies, several arrows carved from ice shooting over our heads, spidering into frost upon impact. It's movements slowed, Kirito, one sword ink black darkness of the night and the other the shining blue of crystal, slashes across the torso, a shatter of pixels accompanying the tip of the blade as he rests one on his shoulder.

"I think that's all of them," He says, looking up towards the last thin path of the dungeon widening out to familiar towering doors that cause my stomach to swim with anticipation.

"You think?" I reply, kind of in awe at the sheer size of it all, at how small we really are when compared with what stands before us and what really lies beyond.

Kyo indicates towards the door. "Do we have a look?"

"We should. It's the only way to know whether the rumours were correct. That way, if it's true, we have time for us to prepare for Kira to make her move." Sheathing her rapier back to her side in one smooth motion, Asuna turns her head towards the group and seeing that no one objects, steps towards the boss room door.

I keep my sword loose at my side as I join her - despite the fact that it is now practically useless in my hand, due to the restriction now placed upon the blade. Still, the feeling of the weight, as always, is a comfort and a reminder. My mission is a duty, Shi has reminded me of that. Death at my own hands will be a mercy to my Uncle, not a curse. A blood debt must be settled with blood - that is the only way for this to end.

Together, Asuna and I raise our hands to the door. I feel the ornate swirls of stone under my palm as I dig into it, trying to find leverage to pry it open while my toes remain away from the almost invisible thin line etched on the floor, dividing the safety from the dark unknowns of the other side. With enough force, the doors swing inwards.

The room beyond is concealed in darkness apart from one colour, shinning like beacons. My breath snags in my chest. Red eyes blink back at us hungrily as whatever is hiding behind them locks onto us, marking its prey.