Sword Art Online: A New Beginning

[Mega90]

The young girl looked at Hiroku for a moment before shaking her head.

“Investigate? I know what’s causing them.” Her voice was young and soft. There was a gentleness to it, but it was also absent of any discernable emotion or feeling.  

[Mega90]

She raised her sword and magic symbols began to spin around her in a perfect circle. They levitated, traveling around her in a counter clockwise rotation, only stopping when she held the tip of the blade towards the ground.

“Me.” Driving the blade downward, the tip sliced easily into the rocky bridge. On the other side of the overpass, opposite Hiroku, rocks shot out of the ground and ceiling, slicing into another group of monsters that were making their way towards her. The action resulted in a cataclysmic shaking, and the massive crashing sound that he had heard before echoed throughout the stony chamber.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku folded his arms, nodding approvingly.

"That's quite the skill. It isn't often I find a player that has the ability to cause an entire area of a floor to shake. I can only imagine how high you elemental magic skill must be to have such a devastating effect on the area. Quite impressive."  

[Mega90]

She turned away from him paying no mind to what he had said. A cold wind blew through the air between them, and Hiroku couldn’t help but find it strange, considering that they were in a cave surrounded by walls. There were hollows in the stone, to be sure, but the wind was uninterrupted, as though it had been a very strong gust that had filtered down to them from somewhere far distant.

The air was silent. She stood her eyes were turned to the ground, staring off the narrow bridge into the abyss below. Her body was positioned so that she was looking towards this very same drop, though she was far enough back that a chance wind wouldn’t tip her off. The wind subsided, and there was nothing.

Suddenly, it came again, stronger this time. Then again, and again. It seemed to grow in intensity with each second, and the interval between the gusts grew shorter and shorter. They were measured, even, like the beating of a wing.

Had Hiroku’s detection skill not been so high, it’s possible that he would not have seen it until it was too late. Emerald fire rained from the sky in such a massive cloud that it looked as though it would completely consume the small stone structure where they were standing. The young girl was on the opposite side of the bridge to him, seemingly unaware of the danger that was approaching them.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku's eyes widened as he realized the source of the wind. His body reacted on instinct, leaning forward for a fraction of a second before seeming to vanish as he shot forward. He crossed the large distance between them within one breath and the next, his arms shooting out and grabbing the mysterious girl, scooping her up in one smooth motion and continuing on without ever breaking his dash.

Within two seconds they both stood at the opposite end of the bridge. Hiroku gently set the girl down, taking a few steps back, placing himself between the entrance to the stone bridge and her. The teen turned back to look out over the bridge, glancing up. An instant later the massive fire ball slammed into the bridge where they had been only seconds before.  

[Mega90]

The fire engulfed the inside of the cavern, filling the space with flames and creating an immense heat. The emerald flames burned on the stones as though they were dry grass, continuing to burn long after they should have been extinguished. From where he stood, Hiroku could see out the top of one of the holes in the ceiling, and it was there that the source of the wind could be seen.

Roughly thirty feet above them floated a massive dragon. It appeared too reanimated after having long been dead, as patches of skin hung loosely from deep gouges, patches of weathered bone could be seen, and its eyes glowed with a strange yellow light.

Its scales were a dark green, and it had long, unkempt talons that stretched down far below it. Its wings were massive and tattered with parts of the flesh pierced, and the bones of one of the wings was exposed to the open air. The mouth of the creature was contorted into a snarling growl, and its expression was one of pure rage. Opening its mouth once more, it sprayed another blast of jade fire at the cave. This one was at more of an angle, apparently aimed to fill the tunnels that stood opposite the stone bridge.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku's eyes narrowed slightly, taking a step back the tall teen drew his blade, holding it loosely at his side for a fraction of a second before looking up and drawing the blade back. The pitch black blade began to glow an eerie black purple as he triggered a sword skill the girl at his back never recalled seeing. Hiroku waited until the flames were almost to the caverns entrance before slashing outward, carving wide arcs in the air before him. As he did arc's of shadows flew of his blade, slamming into the top of the caves entrance, causing massive boulders to fall and obscure the entrance to the bridge. A small wisp of flames seeped through the stones, causing them to glow brightly and providing one final moment of light before the cavern was plunged into complete isolated darkness.

Hiroku stood, staring at pile of stones that now blocked their exit. He remained silent for a few moments before asking softly.

"You alright?"  

[Mega90]

The young girl took a moment to catch her footing, looking up when Hiroku spoke to her.

“Yeah, I’m… above us!” She gave Hiroku a hard push, knocking him back as she herself leaped backwards. Hiroku was pinned against the rocks that now closed the opening of the cave. Only seconds after she had moved him back, the left front leg of the dragon came crashing through the roof. It grasped feverishly for anything that it could get a hold of before withdrawing the arm and lifting its massive head over the hole. Fire began to glow in its mouth, and in only few moments after it had withdrawn its leg, it released a massive blast of emerald fire into the cave.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku leapt up, his blade glowing a bright blue this time as the sword skill lifted him through his jump. The glowing blade slammed into the fire, cutting through it as Hiroku imbedded the still glowing sword into the dragons upper jaw, bracing his feet against the holes rim to keep from flying straight into the monsters mouth.  

[Mega90]

The dragon seemed unphased by this attack and instead began to shake its head, attempting to throw Hiroku off. To his surprise, there seemed to be no health bar on the creature. The attack, while it served to annoy the dragon, did little to dissuade it from attacking. Using its forelegs, the monster began to claw at Hiroku, carelessly raking into its own flesh in the process.

Below him, the young girl held her own sword to the ready, preparing to attack as soon as an opening presented itself.

The dragon shook its head left and right, desperately trying to rid itself of Hiroku who still hung from its lower jaw. The thick walls of the cave prevented it from getting its claws close enough to actually touch Hiroku, though the repeated impact on the cave top caused the stones to shift and small amounts of dirt and rubble rained down.

The young girl watched impatiently as Hiroku was shifted back and forth with the swaying of the dragon. Each time an opening would appear, she would begin to charge her blade, the thick magenta steel beginning to glow with a light red aura. However, in another instant, he would move into her line of sight again, and she would be forced to cancel the attack. After several times of this happening, her eye twitched and she charged the attack again, regardless of his position.

“Reaper, move!” She allowed another two seconds for him to react before sending an arc of bright red energy flying up at the dragon’s head. As it neared, it sliced easily through the thick stone of the cave, carving a path of destruction on the way to its target.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku tried desperately to gain a footing on something to free himself from the dragons jaw. As he was flung back and forth repeatedly he barely registered the girls warning before the attack seemed to reach the pair.

Hiroku twisted, managing to clear the majority of the energy arc, catching only the outer edge of the girls attack. The impact of the attack flung him back against the dragon s jaw, breaking his footing as it did. The teen ripped his blade free of the monster and let himself fall back into the hole, landing hard and all but tackling the girl as he nocked them both farther down the tunnel.

"We have to go, now!" He said as he stood and effortlessly pulled her to her feet.  

[Mega90]

She nodded, brushing herself off and following him quickly down the tunnel. Behind them, they could hear the roaring of the dragon, and it wasn’t long before the dark tunnel that they now rushed through began to grow warmer and brighter as an all-consuming cloud of green fire rushed quickly towards them.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku whirled around, extending his hand out toward the fire. Moments later black runes began to swirl in front of him as he quickly recanted a strange sounding chant. Les then a second later black flames burst forth, impacting the dragons flames and exploding, flooding the tunnel with smoke. The black cloaked teen hesitated only a moment before turning and racing back down the tunnel toward freedom, he hoped.

"Don't stop." Hiroku said, as he caught up with the strange girl once more.