Sword Art Online: The Crystal Swordsman

Arsenic Sadness

I rushed down the halls of the centre spire, taking care to have my G36C at the ready as I ran. I calmed my breathing and closed my heart to the darkness, preparing to unleash a bombardment of bullets. I kicked open the next door and entered only to find Kitara standing amongst other dead players bodies.

"Feisty ones these were. Must be a pretty good high ground." Kitara scoffed.

From the door I entered thru came Arsen, May and Hayden behind me.

"Well, what're ya waitin' for? Quit dilly dallying and get up there!" Arsen pointed to the next door.

"Yes, Ma'am!" May and Kitara responded immediately, rushing thru the next door hastily.

I smirked at the scene of their unity, seeing parallels to our team in Vestige.

"Woah... what is that?" Kitara looked up at something.

"I don't know, it seems to be some kind of... lift?" May tilted her head at it.

Arsen, Hayden and I all entered behind them to bare witness to the same thing they were. A opaque beam of light lifted particles upward to a hole at the very top of the spire. I stepped ahead of everyone and put my fist on my hips as I looked up at it.

"It's a Grav Lift." I smiled wide.

"What's a Grav Lift?" Arsen tilted her head at me.

"It's an area of effect technology designed to alter gravitational pull in the games code. Thus, attributing lift to things that must go up to a particular place. In this case, the top floor." I adjusted my goggles with a finger.

"Wow! That's so cool! So you mean if we step inside, we'll float up and up and up until we reach the top?" Kitara hopped with excitement.

"Precisely. Observe." I walked up and reached out to what looked like a visible heatwave.

I stuck my hand in at first and waved my fingers around to feel the gravity differential. I smirked and stepped completely inside, looking up to the ceiling hole above. I lightly rose to the tips of my toes and I suddenly left the ground. In a second, I looked down at my allies as I ascended just above their heads.

"Ooo! I wanna try!" Kitara suddenly rushed within the beam and jumped with all of her might, allowing her to speed past me to the top.

"Slow down, Kitara!" I yelled up at her as she made it thru the ceiling hole.

"Don't worry, I got her." Arsen tipped her cowgirl hat to me as she also rose past me.

She got up and I followed close behind. I peeked back down to see Hayden and May trailing just behind, rising up in the gravity lift. Arsen and I followed the hallways until we found Kitara trying to open a locked door. The hallway she was in continued onward but I suppose she wanted to check every single room. She jiggled the door handle and pushed the door with her whole body but it hardly even budged.

"Need a hand?" Arsen spoke up from down the hall.

"I dunno. There's something... behind it." Kitara grunted and tried again with all of her strength but alas, there were still no results.

"Stand back, Sugarcube. Arsen's got this one." Arsen cracked her knuckles as she walked ahead of me.

Kitara grunted loudly as she reeled back and kicked the door open with her boot. Arsen's curiosity seemed to be peaked as she stormed over hastily. A loud beep suddenly echoed throughout the spires upper halls. I think Arsen and I came to the same conclusion.

"Kitara!" Arsen turned and pushed her friend forward to the ground.

"Wha- Hey-!" Kitara was on the floor as she saw her friend nod with a smile.

Before both of our eyes, Arsen was consumed by a blazing inferno that blew up and engulfed the entire room. Fire spewed out of the doorway but it didn't get anywhere near either of us. From each side, we saw as the fire wall faded and became smoke emitting from the detonated room.

"NOOOO!!!!" Kitara cried.

"Oh no... this can't be happening." May rushed to my side with Hayden, baring witness to Kitara who was extremely saddened on the ground.

"Woah!! I just saw part of the spire explode, are you guys okay??" Fukaziroh yelled concerned over comms.

"We're fine. Arsen's gone." I responded solemnly.

"Oh..." Fuka faintly replied.

I watched Kitara on her knees as she cried for her fallen friend. I felt her very same pain, knowing all of the emotions going thru her head as I examined her face. No words were exchanged. Only her tears filled the silence.

"...Why? Why didn't you just let me die? Why sacrifice your own true life just to let me play this horrible death game a little bit longer? Your selflessness brought you only prosperity and now it has robbed you of your life. If I wasn't so stupid as to carelessly rush into every encounter, you would still be with us right now. I let you down again like I always do. Only this time you are really dead and gone forever. All because of my arrogance, your life had to end so that my useless existence could continue... I can't live with that. I can't go on..." Kitara shook her head.

"Don't you talk like that." I growled and walked up to her.

I slowed my actions and knelt upon the ground in front of her. Kitara's eyes met mine and they locked in place for awhile as I spoke.

"You're not useless Kitara. Not at all. You're a valuable asset to the team and you shouldn't count yourself out of the fight just yet. Arsen wanted you to keep going. She saw in you what I see in you, and it's unbelievable drive. Anything you set your mind to, you accomplish with flying colours and I know you see it too. I have felt the same pain of loss as you have before, and I know how lost you can get in it. It is an unyielding force of torment and sadness, but that does not mean you can't bounce back. Let Arsen fuel you like a flame. Let the life that she led mean something. Let her smile down at you from her place among the clouds. Her noble sacrifice was to ensure that you keep doing what you love to do, so don't let that sacrifice be in vain. Make Arsen proud of you and show these other players that it isn't just you fighting, but also her fighting within you." I comforted her.

Kitara's eyes were lit up with hope. She sniffled and rubbed the tears out of her eyes with a different demeanour.

"Yeah. You're right! I can't let her death mean nothing! She would have wanted to me to keep fighting till the bitter end! I'll show all these noobs who's boss and make it out of this nightmare for her sake!" Kitara hopped up with determination and excitement.

"Ooh-rah! Let's do our best!" May also overheard my pep talk and was feeling energized like Kitara.

"For Arsen!" May held up her gun.

"For Arsen!" Kitara clinked her barrel with May's as they sprinted back to the grav lift.

"You sure have a way with words, K." Hayden implied.

"I thought it was with girls, but okay." I chuckled.

"We heading back?" Hayden turned slightly to follow the others.

"Yes, But not that way." I sprinted straight into the burning scorched room and jumped up out of the broken window.

"K, you dumb idiot!" Hayden yelled as I plummeted towards the ground below.