Chapter 422 - 418 ~ Public Duel

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Heathcliff briefing Yuuji and Asuna regarding the Knights of Blood’s plan to raid the 72nd floor’s boss.

The raid would naturally be a cooperation between the top clearing guilds of Sword Art Online. They would be working together with the Divine Dragon Alliance, Aincrad Liberation Force, Fuurinkazan, and a few small guilds and solo clearer players to create the raid party for the attempt.

And for this raid, they had taken the time to prepare more thoroughly.

The 72nd floor boss, Walad the Wormy Puppeteer, was a humanoid giant wielding a curved dagger in his right hand and a massive sickle in his left.

It moved with great speed, belying its giant stature, and was capable of counterattacking with uncanny speed after suffering from a number of attacks.

In addition, it also possessed a lethal, wide-area annihilation skill in which he’d throw both of his weapons in a giant, circular arc like a boomerang. An unstoppable, lethal attack that left players no choice but to evade it.

Moreover, there would also be two mid-bosses they’d have to deal with alongside Walad.

Meier the Marionette. A giant crystal automaton, which would also bring alongside it two Berserked Puppet Bladers, and wielded twin blades itself.

And Orchis the Thread of Death, a pure white puppet of marble with 2 sharp, bladed arms and four more long, slender arms that reached down to the ground, each wielded sharp, nigh-unbreakable steel threads controlled with its 20 fingers that could easily restrain even high level players.

Both mid-bosses were designed specifically to create chaos amongst the players and restrain them while Walad swept them with its wide-area AOE annihilation skill in one fell swoop.

To make things worse, from the information gathered—at great cost— by the scouts who managed to reach the floor boss’ room and "experienced" its terrifying abilities and hazardous environment, the raid area was set in an empty city.

Several mob monsters patrolled the otherwise empty city. They were not raid-ranked monsters and were only about the same level as the monsters outside the floor boss’ room. Eliminating them would be easy, but they would have to do it without alerting the floor boss and mid-bosses. Else, they would be caught off guard without being able to get into formation properly.

To fight against the bosses, the city had large buildings—ruined and in disrepair as they may be—that players could use as cover.

At least until the boss monsters destroyed it with their attacks.

But until then, they would only be able to face the boss monsters in the narrow, linear roads of the labyrinthian city, forcing them into a head-on fight against the calamitous monsters without any space for flanking maneuvers.

Heathcliff had immediately classified this floor boss raid to be of the highest difficulty. So,he would also be participating in this raid.

The raid party would consist of eight smaller parties of six. And the majority of the parties would focus on defense.

Four parties would act as tanks; two for tanking Walad the Wormy Puppeteer led by Heathcliff, and one for Meier the Marionette and Orchis the Thread of Death respectively.

Three parties would act as an auxiliary party to support the tanking parties. They would be attacking the boss monsters, but their primary role and objective was to support the tank parties and relieve them if they were to get overwhelmed.

Their focus would be to keep the tank parties alive as long as possible, and prevent the bosses from getting too close to each other. They don’t need to focus on dealing damage or killing the bosses.

That responsibility would fall on the final party, who would act as the tip of the spear and main DPS of the entire raid party.

Led by Yuuji, the party which would consist of Asuna, Kirito, and a few other elite DPS picked from the participating guilds would focus on killing the mid-bosses and floor boss as quickly as possible while the rest of the raid party hold them off.

"The killing order of the mid-bosses would be extremely important. What do you think?"

"We should kill Meier first, Orchis second, and Walad last."

There was no hesitation in his answer, and the reason for it was obvious.

Aside from Walad, Meier had the greatest damage potential that could quickly overwhelm the parties assigned to it. In addition to the mid-boss’s high attack power, the parties would also need to deal with two Berserked Puppet Bladers. Even if they would have an entire party made up of shield bearers, it would be extremely difficult to withstand such an onslaught for long.

On the other hand, while Orchis’ restraint would be difficult to maneuver and deal with, its damage potential was the lowest. With clever positioning and use of cover, they’d be able to buy a lot more time.

"Agreed. That is what I believe as well."

Heathcliff nodded with a smile.

"Then, we’ll be counting on you. We’ll have a full briefing with the other guilds in a few days’ time. Then, we’ll head out the following day. Go ahead and make your preparations for it."

"Yes."

Yuuji and Asuna lowered their heads in a slight bow, and left the guild master’s office.

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Yuuji and Asuna exited the Knights of Blood’s guild base and made their way towards the 55th floor’s Teleportation Plaza.

But just as they were about to teleport back to their home on the 22nd floor to prepare for their day of grinding tomorrow in preparation for the raid, a familiar voice they didn’t want to hear resounded from behind them.

"Asuna-sama! Please wait!"

The two turned to see a lanky man jogging over, dressed in the Knights of Blood’s armor and cloak.

There wasn’t a flicker of emotion beneath Yuuji’s cloak. Just a cold indifference. But Asuna, unconcealed by her cloak, showed an obvious frown to the man’s appearance.

"What is it? We are busy. Please do not bother us. We have no time to waste."

"Please wait, Asuna-sama! Please allow me to accompany and assist you for your raid preparations! You have been absent without any escorts these past few days. We can’t risk any danger to befall upon you!"

Asuna clenched her fists. A roiling rage threatened to overflow from every single pore on her skin.

Kuradeel’s words were a clear disregard and disrespect towards Yuuji, who was technically her superior.

Yuuji was one of the sub-leaders of the Knights of Blood, and one who had been granted special privileges within the guild that no other sub-leaders had. And she was a part of his team. If anything, she should be the one escorting and guarding Yuuji.

Moreover, Kuradeel wasn’t even a part of their team. He was a part of Godfree’s. In other words, he had no responsibility nor rights to escort another team’s member unless he was tasked by the guild master, his own leader, or Asuna’s leader.

Asuna could not believe the audacity of the man to approach them in such a manner and disrespect Yuuji, who held command second only to the guild master himself.

Even now, he was acting as if Yuuji didn’t exist and was only acknowledging Asuna.

"You should remember your place! You have no responsibility nor rights to accompany me! Moreover, I am always with Yuuji. I have no need for your measly protection!"

"Asuna-sama, please understand! You are an extremely important member of the Knights of Blood. You are one of the brightest strategists and strongest players in our guild! With the increase in activity of many red guilds, we can not afford any danger to befall upon you! What if you were to be ambushed!"

Kuradeel pressed his hand against his chest from above his cuirass. He wore an expression of sincerity, but knowing his true colors, Asuna could only look at the mask in disgust.

"Oh? And you think you’d have the strength to protect her against the threat you mentioned?"

The mask he had constructed for Asuna broke in an instant as his face twisted in undisguised detest and hatred towards the cloaked man by Asuna’s side.

And Yuuji’s words... The detestful words spoken by the man who thought he was above all struck his ego perfectly.

"I have leveled up and gained a new, powerful weapon that would put me on par with even the strongest players in the Knights of Blood! I am more than capable and qualified to protect her!"

Kuradeel had not been wasting his time since the last time Yuuji had humiliated him. He had been grinding diligently and obtaining rare items and weapons through his secret channels that had propelled his strength greatly, enough to allow him to be on par with players several levels above himself!

He had sworn to himself to not be humiliated a second time by this detestable man. And he won’t let Yuuji run his mouth in front of the crowd of players and NPCs that had gathered around them upon hearing their quarrel.

"Oh? Then how about this?"

Yuuji stepped forward, and Kuradeel felt the air change around him instantly.

A primal fear... An instinctive urge to step back.

And when he looked down, his eyes widened in shock to see him already taken it instinctively.

’Impossible...! How could I fear someone like him?!’

He clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes into a glare, looking defiantly at Yuuji.

He could feel a cold drop of sweat traveling down his forehead to his cheeks, then dropped down to the ground below him.

He could feel every second of it. But he refused reality and clenched his teeth.

"I will test your capabilities myself."

A duel request window appeared in front of Kuradeel’s eyes.

A first strike mode duel, where the winner would be decided by whoever landed the first clean hit that dealt at least ten percent damage or whittled the opponent’s HP to 50%.

Shock colored his face.

Despite his opinions towards Yuuji, as a member of the same guild, he knew more or less about Yuuji’s capabilities.

He was a strong player. Stronger than he’d like to admit. But...

’No... This is a chance...!’

With this duel mode, he’d just have to land the first blow and deal damage to him to win.

And he knew that Yuuji didn’t invest heavily into his constitution. His build was focused more on speed and damage.

If he could land just one devastating hit on him, he’d win over Yuuji in front of all this people and Asuna.

He’d be able to repay all the suffering and humiliation he felt all this time...!

And he had a way to do it... Courtesy of his "friends".

"Ah, don’t worry. Since I’m much higher leveled than you, I won’t use any weapons. You’re free to use anything."

Something snapped in Kuradeel.

Did Yuuji just mistake his silence as fear...? Did Yuuji think he was afraid of facing him and gave him a handicap?

Just how much was he looking down at him!

"Very well..."

His body began to tremble. This time, not in fear. But in pure, unadulterated rage.

"I accept this duel!"

A countdown immediately appeared in between them as Kuradeel brandished his new sword, taking a stance.

On the other hand, Yuuji hadn’t moved an inch. He stood there unmoving, as if he wasn’t a participant of the duel and was simply a spectator.

Yuuji offered not even a modicum of courtesy and respect one would towards an opponent.

He didn’t even seem to consider it a fight.

’You... I’ll kill you!"

A horn resounded as the countdown reached zero, and Kuradeel immediately launched into a charge with his gleaming sword raised high into the blue skies.

"Die!"

His sword shined and Kuradeel let the system control his body into his strongest sword skill’s pre-motion aimed towards Yuuji, faster and more accurately than he could ever manage in reality.

The sword whistled through the air in a crescent arc and fell down with a heavy swing. The ground trembled as it impacted the dirt ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Then... silence.

Kuradeel felt the strength of his strike. He felt in in his veins, in his arms, and in the catharsis flowing every part of his body.

This was it! This was how powerful he had become!

This kind of attack... It would be impossible for even those a few levels higher than him could avoid in time!

’That’s what you get for looking down at me!’

He grinned, his smile almost splitting his face.

But then, a strange feeling washed over him. A realization.

He had won... But why hadn’t he heard the winner notification chime?

’What...? Is it bugged...?’

Of course, for bugs to not exist in any application would be impossible. But such a bug in the duel system that affected the winner’s notification should be impossible.

Then... A voice entered his ears.

"Do you really fight monsters like that? By charging in like a mindless bull? I’m surprised you’re still alive."

Kuradeel snapped his head up to look into the fading cloud of dust, and his face twisted in shock.

Yuuji was standing right before him, as if nothing had happened. His cloak fluttered in the bit of wind that blew through them. His hood, still on his head and hiding his visage.

Then, Kuradeel looked back down to his sword on the ground.

The tip of it had just barely missed Yuuji’s feet. No... He evaded it enough to be just out of range of his slash.

"You...!"

A terrible realization. And one enough to drive him mad.

Kuradeel could feel his veins pulsing on his forehead as his teeth grinded against each other.

Yuuji hadn’t just managed to avoid his sword skill. He had deliberately evaded it just enough to show how easy it was for him to do it.

"So this is your new sword hm... Looks like an antique. Should I give you a service and test its durability as well? It won’t be good for it to snap while fighting against a monster."

"I’ll kill you!"

Kuradeel swung his sword towards Yuuji.

But this time, he did not dodge.

Instead, Yuuji’s cloak fluttered open as his hands shot out from beneath it.

*CLANG!*

"Eh...?"

Kuradeel took a few steps back... His entire arm and sword trembling uncontrollably.

’What just happened...?’

It felt as if he had just hit a steel beam straight with his sword.

While before him, Yuuji stood there in silence with his hand raised.

"Did you..."

An impossible thought crossed his mind... But that was the only thing he could think of.

Yuuji... had just parried his sword with his bare hand.

"It’s amazing what you can do with high levels in the extra skill, Martial Arts."

"...You monster!"

*CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*

Kuradeel felt his arms burn. Then soon, he began to lose sensations of it as well as every single strike he did only served to send shockwaves back through his sword and arms and to his body.

He swung from every angle, but Yuuji easily deflected all of it with a simple slap.

"What’s wrong? Have you been waiting to ambush us all day that you missed your lunch?"

"Shut up!"

At this point, only the sheer desire to cut off Yuuji’s hands and feel his flesh carved by his sword pushed hilton keep swinging.

"Eat this!"

Kuradeel took one step back and activated a sword skill.

No matter how ridiculous his constitution was, Kuradeel was sure that Yuuji wouldn’t be left unharmed after receiving a sword skill head on.

He took his stance as his sword glowed. Yuuji didn’t react.

Then, his skill’s pre-motion began, and Yuuji still didn’t move.

Such arrogance...

’You’ll die because of it!’

His body flashed forward towards Yuuji and swung, slashing clean through his target.

Then, there was silence.

’...I did it-’

*CLANG!*

A clean, metallic sound rang in the silence.

Then, a heavy thud.

Kuradeel looked down and towards his sword... The best sword he ever had, obtained through hard work and a great amount of Cols.

There it was, in his hand, with nothing but the handle he was holding, guard, and a third of the blade still pointing towards Yuuji, but unable to reach it.

Then, he looked down to the ground. There, he found the remaining two-thirds of his blade.

’Eh...?’

Then, in the next moment... he could no longer feel the ground under his feet.

The sensation of excruciating pain came next, surging throughout his entire body. He could feel everything within his torso begging to exit forcefully out of his own mouth.

Then came the weightlessness that came with being thrown 10 meters away only to be stopped by a stone wall.

*CRASH!*

A flicker of notification that read "Immortal Object" appeared on the stone wall. As if declaring its refusal to absorb the impact of his crash.

"Ugh..."

There was white. Then, in a few moments, he could see bits of the world that seemed to swirl around him.

"Fuck... Kahhk!"

A sharp pain on his torso snapped him out of his daze. And his subsequent cursing simply made it worse, enough to make his entire body convulse in pain.

’That bastard...!’

He couldn’t lose now. He couldn’t let this end so easily. He needed to kill that man now!

’Move...!’

His body, that had previously refused to listen, began to twitch and move.

But just as he was about to plant his feet to the ground, a chime bell resounded.

[Duel Winner: Yuuji]

"Eh?"

He looked up at the holographic sign above.

The winner was decided by a single strike that took off more than 10% of his HP.

He then looked at his own HP bar... and saw it already on the yellow.

’One punch... Through my armor... and it did that much damage?’

He had never seen such a thing before. How could a single punch do so much damage? More than a sword skill?

’He must be cheating!’

Kuradeel wanted to hurl his accusations and insults at the cheating bastard, but no sound came out of his open mouth. Only hoarse coughs the painful grinding of his tightened throat and lungs that had yet to recover from the blow.

Then, he saw Yuuji walking towards him. Now, not even a groan managed to escape his gaping mouth.

"Return to the base. Take a rest. That is an order."

Yuuji spoke with finality. An order decreed as one of the Knights of Blood’s sub-leader, who possessed authority second only to the guild master himself.

And without waiting for his reply, Yuuji simply turned around and headed back towards Asuna, and the two disappeared in a burst of light, leaving Kuradeel on the ground.

Lost, humiliated, seething, and with half a sword in hand.

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