[SP-F6] Jet Force <<Gemini>>

[Ashrah 0]

Blades clashed, clanged, and clattered away from each other.

Arc watched as his opponent started to gain ground, then lost it again when he faltered. The Gemini pressed in every way it could manage, but no openings presented themselves to either combatant. The mercenary slammed his weapon into its look-alike, then growled viciously as his opponent was pushed back by brute strength. "Yes," the Gemini chuckled. "That's it. That rage... feed it, use it, exploit it."

Tobias snorted loudly and spat in his opponent's face. The Gemini backed off with a howl of disgust. "I'm trying to concentrate," he sneered. "Shut up."

He fought off the urge to give in to that anger, instead channeling it to give himself further focus. His eyes never left the man before him, even when he fell to the floor. "Don't think you can start acting like this is a game, boy," the Gemini roared at him. "I will not be defeated by someone so weak as to-"

Arc threw another punch. The Gemini squealed in surprise as the impact took it in the face. It backed away slightly. Arc felt the hatred in its gaze.

Arc: 124/140 HP 3/14 Energy

Gemini: 101/140 HP

ID# 67531 results:

Battle: 3

Craft: 7

Loot: 12

MOB: 6

[Ashrah 0]

"I said shut up."

Arc gripped the Gemini by its collar and pulled it closer to his face. The creature glared back at him through its green eyes. "Are you sure that this is your answer?" the mimic asked. "I thought you decided not to let the anger control you? I thought your friend told you-"

It stopped talking when his fist hit its face. He punched again. "You think that will work..." his fist impacted the imposter's face. "...on me?" It continued to speak, even as he ravaged it with brutal blows. "I know what you're thinking. I can see that the rage controls you just as much now as it did when you first came to Aincrad. Did you think an adventurer so commanded by his feelings would make it past the first few challenges that stood in his way? You've been deluding yourself for so long-"

Arc screamed as he threw the Gemini onto the floor. It shook violently for a moment. When he looked down at it, he could see that it was from laughter. "You can't hope to defeat me like this," it bellowed. "As you are now, you cannot imagine a world where you move forward from this. You can't fathom victory so consumed as you are by the defeat in your heart. You've been swallowed up whole by the looming specter of death, and of failure, and loneliness. How does someone move on from that?"

His fists were stayed, for the moment. The Gemini smiled darkly. Arc shook from the rage that threatened to take command of him.

"How can a pathetic fool like you hope to conquer the darkness in yourself?" it asked him. "Isn't that your goal? To defeat the darkness within you, and use the strength you gain from doing so to protect others? You cannot even protect yourself."

Arc gnashed his teeth. "Shut up."

Arc:124/140 HP 2/14 Energy

Gemini: 101/140 HP

ID# 67532 results:

Battle: 4

Craft: 4

Loot: 4

MOB: 1

[Ashrah 0]

His blade slammed into the Gemini's throat.

It gave a weak, squelching sound as it tried to gloat more, but Arc held his blade firmly in place. He did not speak as he held the blade in place, kneeling to look his foe dead in the eye. The creature felt terror in that instant, as the emotionless gaze of its attacker came deathly close. His hand grasped the pommel of Levantine as he knelt low, one arm draped across his leg. Arc tilted his head slightly, inspected the state of his prey, then reached down.

He ran a finger across the point where his blade protruded from his victim, slick with the blood that flowed from a body just like his own. The sight was enough to chill most men to the bone. Arc brought the bloodied finger to his nostrils, sniffed, then tasted it. It was foreign.

"This... this is... unsightly..." the Gemini rasped as Arc withdrew his blade with a vicious jerk. He glanced down at the creature as it spoke, its body trembling. "This is... not something an adventurer should be capable of..."

"Creatures like you push people to their limits," the mercenary replied. "And beyond them. You should be wary of what a man becomes when he isn't himself anymore. That's how monsters are made."

The Gemini stared at Arc in horror for a long moment.

Arc:124/140 HP 2/14 Energy

Gemini: 99/140 HP

ID# 67533 results:

Battle: 6

Craft: 11

Loot: 1

MOB: 1

[Ashrah 0]

Arc took a stride backward as the Gemini found its way back to standing, then watched impassively as the creature lifted its blade. "I can't stand for this," it uttered. "I can't allow an abomination like you to continue forward. This battle was designed to test you, to find your limits and help you transcend them. It was crafted to seek the strength buried deep within you and drag it to the forefront. What you've done is- it's intolerable. It's incorrigible. It's-"

"My darkness?" he asked quietly. "You say that the things that are wrong with me are evil," Arc spoke quietly as he took a few steps toward the wavering Gemini. It backed away. "You tell me that my humanity is unacceptable. Don't you understand? You're wearing my skin, but you can't see through my eyes? This darkness- it's what we are. All of us. We can't run away from that."

The mercenary let his weapon dip low as the creature took a step forward to attack him. "You can't fight the darkness when you're trapped inside of it," the Gemini said softly. "I'll remove the stain of blackness from this castle of Aincrad, and I will make sure no other player suffers from this taint that you've inflicted upon their numbers. I'll help them-"

"How can you help them?" Arc asked. "You can't even understand them. Not even something this basic. We're all born in darkness. We writhe in it, and when we die, we return to it." He held up a hand and took the Gemini by the arm as its slash went harmlessly past. It looked at him with true fear in both its green eyes. "That's what makes the light we can generate so bright." Arc tossed the clone past, and it staggered to right itself. "We're defying our nature when we do the right thing. We're railing against the sickness that we were born into. We're performing a miracle with every single breath."

Arc shook his head, shut his eyes, then sighed. "You can't help anyone, creature," he said in resignation. "We have to help ourselves, or we're lost."

Arc: 124/140 HP 0/14 Energy

Gemini: 99/140 HP

ID# 67557 results:

Battle: 1

Craft: 4

Loot: 17

MOB: 6

[Ashrah 0]

Arc exploded into motion. The Gemini brought its blade up to block, but it did so far too slowly. The attack shredded its defense like paper and sent it sprawling to the dirt once more, head over heels as it rolled away from its assailant. "Gah!" it cried out in pain as it scrambled to its feet and searched desperately for its weapon. "You're a monster!" It said again. "You're not fit to fight your way to the top, let alone fight alongside others! You can't possibly-"

"Don't define what people can do based on what you see," Arc whispered calmly. "Judge based on their performance. I think I'll teach you that lesson before we part ways, imposter."

The Gemini faltered. It could not speak, would not. Its eyes were frozen on the player that dared to come at it with every bit of contempt that drove them in this world. Arc did what others before him would not- instead of seeking the moral high ground, to rise above its taunting and its vicious attacks, he accepted everything about himself and fought with it as his weapon. It did not understand what drove this madman to such heights. It could not possibly understand the pain Arc felt, or the desires that beat so strongly in his chest.

That was why it would fail to fell him.

Arc: 124/140 HP 0/14 Energy

Gemini: 97/140 HP

ID# 67559 results:

Battle: 6

Craft: 1

Loot: 6

MOB: 5

[Ashrah 0]

It managed to get a stab through, but the mercenary's expression did not change. "Feel fear," the Gemini rasped. "Feel your pain, feel your anger- understand your weakness, boy!" Saliva flecked Arc's face as the body double screamed at him, but he paid it no heed. He did not so much as attack when the strike took him. He pulled the enemy closer, so close that he could feel the hot breath against his nostrils.

"You're nothing to me," Arc replied coldly. "You're a shadow of my insecurities, and I've long since embraced them. Tell me my worth, and I'll still always look for my own measurements. I'm not interested in being told what I can or can't do." Arc growled as he shoved the Gemini out of his face and ripped the blade loose. "I'll show you that myself. Now are you going to stop talking, or am I going to have to make it so you can't talk before I kill you? Because I will, you sorry psychotic computer program."

The clone roared its hatred to the heavens.

Arc:121/140 HP 0/14 Energy

Gemini: 97/140 HP

ID# 67567 results:

Battle: 3

Craft: 10

Loot: 16

MOB: 9

[Ashrah 0]

Another mighty, one handed swing from Arc sent the Gemini tumbling backward. "T-this is impossible," it cried. "You shouldn't be this much stronger than me," it whined pitifully. "You should be weak, seeking strength, seeking to become the greatest-"

"When did I give you the idea I was doing anything else?" Arc took a few more daunting steps in its direction. The Gemini collapsed to its knees. "If I struggle with something so insignificant as a cheap reflection of my own weaknesses, I have no right to ever call myself the best, the strongest, or any derivative thereof. You're just a weak creature, spawned to teach players who have lost their way which way to go to get back on the path."

Arc stopped moving, and the Gemini stood trembling. "I don't need that," he snorted, spat. "I don't need you. You're just a step for weak players to walk on. Your back is meant to be broken under their weight," the mercenary lifted his blade, readied it, and sighed. "I will crush you unlike you have ever been broken before, because you seek to drag me back into the depths of my despair. You are not equal to the task. I will never allow anything in this world to become its equal again."

Arc: 121/140 HP 0/14 Energy

Gemini: 95/140 HP

 

 

ID# 67568 results:

Battle: 8

Craft: 9

Loot: 13

MOB: 4

 

Edited September 12, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

The Gemini thrust its blade deep into his shoulder, but Arc did not waver. His own weapon continued on its downward path, rending through flesh and biting deep into tissue. His foe wailed again and ripped its weapon free as it stumbled backward. Arc held his ground with vicious tenacity. His knees were bent, his back straight, and his blade parallel to his body- the immaculate stance of a two handed swordsman, already polished at such a low level. Arc took his training seriously, and with every rank he put into one of his skills, he honed his movements to reflect them. It was almost like growing as a proper warrior. It made him feel pride.

Tobias snorted loudly as his opponent skittered to a halt, and its gaze tore into him balefully. He reflected the sentiment with every subtle motion, each breath and every shift was filled with traces of enmity. The mercenary was unforgiving. Every word exchanged here bore down on him with a massive weight, such that he could never forget them. He knew what it meant to become the best, and he would inevitably find his way there.

This creature could not hope to stop him.

He lowered his blade and dipped his body low, ready to strike.

Arc: 119/140 HP 0/14 Energy

Gemini: 91/140 HP

ID# 67574 results:

Battle: 10

Craft: 4

Loot: 20

MOB: 7

[Ashrah 0]

The Gemini ran at him again. Arc stepped aside. It shifted mid-run to swing at him, and Arc brought his blade around. The weapons clashed loudly.

There were so many words that the creature had to say, but the mercenary had no time or patience for any of them. They could fight forever and he would never be satisfied with the singular death that this foe would ultimately yield. His rage burned, a low and black fire in the depths of his soul that got hotter with each moment that passed. This was his darkest, best kept secret. It was the brutality that pushed him to his limits and beyond, and the callous venom that he feared most about himself.

In the throes of that battle, Arc channeled it and faced it in a way that gave him pause. Was this strength really so dangerous? Was it something beyond his control? It felt like when he wrapped his hand around it, it seemed cool to the touch.

In facing the Gemini, he had begun to realize that he was in complete control of himself. Even with the rage that threatened to take command, he knew his limitations. He could push past them and fight further.

Arc was becoming a swordsman in truth.

Arc: 119/140 HP 0/14 Energy

91/140 HP

ID# 67675 results:

Battle: 1

Craft: 1

Loot: 14

MOB: 1

[Ashrah 0]

"What do you think of that?" the Gemini taunted weakly as it slashed thinly across his chest. Arc watched the weapon strike with mild interest. The damage was incurred, but he was unfazed by it. This creature couldn't kill him. It lacked the conviction to take his life, even if it had the means. It might push him to this level of apathy, this brazen disregard for his own well being, but it lacked the means to follow through. "Why aren't you afraid!?"

The Mercenary tugged on his cloak for a moment and glanced down at the fabric. "I remember when I earned this," he said quietly.

"Eh?"

"A blacksmith asked me to go fetch his goods in exchange for labor," he explained. "I had to fight off a Dark Elf. It wasn't the most challenging fight, but it helped me get stronger." Arc glanced up at the Gemini. "Just like you," he explained. "Not that much of a challenge, but you're helping me to become strong."

The beast let out a vigor-infused scream. Arc sighed. "You can howl all you want, til your lungs give out," he said. "It won't save you."

Arc: 109/140 HP 0/14 Energy

Gemini: 91/140 HP

 

 

ID# 67676 results:

Battle: 3

Craft: 10

Loot: 17

MOB: 8

 

Edited September 13, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

Arc stalked from side to side as the Gemini match his pace. He could see discontent in the beast, abject anger brought on by the inability to twist another player to its whims. Absently, Tobias wondered whether this had happened before, or if his was the first instance that Aincrad had seen. It might not even be the last. None of that mattered, really. He slapped away a paltry attempt at a hit, a sneer pulling his expression sideways.

The Gemini growled again, the feral sort of growl an angered cat might give. It brandished its weapon and hurried toward him, but Arc shunted the blade away with a quick movement. There would come an opening, and he would exploit it. Until that time came, Arc had to be patient. He had to wait for the creature to wear down, and then he could kill it more easily. That meant not overdoing it on his own end.

Tobias let out a sigh and watched the Gemini with a calculated gaze.

Arc: 109/140 HP 0/14 Energy

Gemini: 91/140 HP

 

 

ID# 67677 results:

Battle: 1

Craft: 4

Loot: 19

MOB: 6 (-1) =5

 

Edited September 13, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

Arc shredded the distance between them as though it were nothing.

His speed was amplified by strength he'd gained over time, and dexterity he did not know he had. The in game avatar moved with inherent swiftness that Arc now knew would only grow with time. His attacks would grow more vicious. His skill would become more lethal. As a Frontliner, he would join the ranks of those associated with dealing damage, and he needed to become a true master of his craft.

That would take time, and it would require effort. All of these things and more, the mercenary found that he would have ample of them all in the coming months. He raised his weapon as the Gemini opened its mouth to scream, and his blade rent the creature with another wicked blow. He did not give a battle cry this time, his gaze focused and intent. There would be a time for that, but not with this enemy.

This creature was beneath him, an obstacle to be overcome. Nothing more.

Arc: 109/140 HP 0/14 Energy

Gemini: 89/140 HP

ID# 67678 results:

Battle: 5 (+1) =6

Craft: 8

Loot: 13

MOB: 3

[Ashrah 0]

He battered the beast with blows. It gave ground, but did not waver beneath his tenacity. Arc locked eyes with the Gemini as it growled, and he continued to trade blocks and shunts. The battle dragged on now far longer than a standard duel, and it wore on him. Sweat beaded on them both as they continued against their better judgment. Both Arcs breathed deeply and fought for their air while they fought against each other.

"You look tired," the Gemini smirked.

"You look like you're ready to lie down and take death like a man," Arc replied with a grim smile.

"Not quite there yet," the creature rasped. "But if you keep this up, I might be convinced. You're insane, you know."

Arc gave a slight shrug. "Tell me something I don't know," he answered. "I'm one of the Black Brothers. Sanity isn't in the job description. Just getting the job done."

"Black Brothers," it murmured. "I hope I never have to meet any of the others," it shook its head. Arc laughed aloud.

"I hope you don't, either," the mercenary snickered. "Some of them are worse than I am. You have a weak disposition."

"I don't know whether I should be offended or agree with you."

Arc: 109/140 HP 0/14 Energy

Gemini: 87/140 HP

ID# 67771 results:

Battle: 6

Craft: 12

Loot: 10

MOB: 1

[Ashrah 0]

Arc brought his blade up, then down once more. The effort was exhausting. His blows were not what they could be and he knew it, but that did not stop him from pressing onward through the effort. He could feel his digitized musculature whining in protest, and his energy pool sizzled as he burned through it just as fast as he could regain it. None of that mattered. For the sake of victory in this quest, and for the experience he would accrue once it was finished, the mercenary soldiered on.

The Gemini wore the same exhaustion on its weary visage, still stolen from Arc despite all their toils. Soaked in sweat, both combatants grasped at straws for a chance to rip chunks out of the other's health. It seemed only Arc could be successful in the effort.

His blade ripped into his opponent again, but by now both men were tired of pretending to feel anything. The duel had numbed them to the world, and pain did not exist here anyway. Arc fought in spite of all that for the ending he could see but couldn't reach. The best swordsman in all of Aincrad- it wasn't as far beyond him as he thought. This quest was evidence of that.

He let out a long breath.

Arc: 109/140 HP 0/14 Energy

Gemini: 85/140 HP

 

 

ID# 67924 results:

Battle: 5

Craft: 1

Loot: 14

MOB: 4

 

Edited September 16, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

Beyond their gasps for air, there was naught but silence. Both combatants used the next few seconds to breathe, seeking to recover some of the precious stamina that afforded them their ability to fight inside SAO. It was different from real life, since conditioning had no real effect on a body. Everything was digital, controlled by skills, points, and algorithms. Even that was something that couldn't be changed by the NerveGear and the stimuli that created the players inside the game.

Arc still moved slowly, and with all the feral grace of a murderous lupine. He sought a chance to pounce, finding that his opponent kept its guard intact. The Gemini smiled knowingly. They had the same idea.

Their eyes locked, and they laughed heartily at their situation. It was one of the few times where all pretense of seriousness was set aside, and the combatants realized that mortal combat was an everyday thing. Why with a serious face? Even if Arc were to lose here- which he outright refused to do- he would want to do it smiling. That must have been how Thom went.

Tobias believed it was.

Arc: 109/140 HP

Gemini: 85/140 HP

ID# 68093 results:

Battle: 4

Craft: 4

Loot: 14

MOB: 1

[Ashrah 0]

Arc took another deep breath as the Gemini came at him. The blow glanced off his leather padded cloak, but bit into his health no less. He watched the faded red line appear as his own body acted entirely on instinct. The blow came up from beneath, which caused the creature to let out of surprised sound as it scampered back and away. The mercenary fought for position over his adversary with quickened movements, amplified by both his desire to be victorious and not die.

Digitized sweat cooled his body as his legs pumped and arms swung. The vicious blow struck deep into the abdomen of his adversary. Arc let out a powerful war cry as he continued, though his better judgment tried and failed to reason with him. He was beyond any of that now. Just the battle remained in his mind. If ever he found a fight like this again, it would surprise him and be welcome all at once. These were the challenges he lusted after.

To be the very best, what better enemy than oneself?

Arc: 107/140 HP

Gemini: 82/140 HP

 

ID# 68285 results:

Battle: 9

Craft: 2

Loot: 9

Mob: 8

 

Edited September 22, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

The blade came too close, this time.

But he could see it.

Arc threw himself out of the way as the Gemini brought a brutish riposte in his direction, and rolled along the ground away from the blow. The mimic watched in dismay as his opponent not only avoided his attack, but also managed to create distance between them. The obvious cost of endurance bore on the mercenary, but he had plenty of life left in him. He huffed and gasped as he found his feet, but he persevered.

At first, he hobbled. The young man straightened and his body tensed, but relaxed quickly. He swayed in the breeze, like a tree caught helplessly in a hurricane. His gaze intensified. For all of that, Arc smiled.

He smiled. The muscles in his face and all over the rest of his body were tired, but he managed that expression as though it were the obvious thing to do. The mercenary took another deep breath, let it out, and sighed.

The Gemini let out another laugh.

Arc: 107/140 HP

Gemini: 82/140 HP

 

 

ID# 68287 results:

Battle: 3

Craft: 5

Loot: 15

MOB: 6 (-1) =5

 

Edited September 22, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

Both of them stood in place, fighting against themselves for air. It was as though the struggle would not end, and their bodies had long since decided to give up. Their minds, however, were not in agreement. They strode forward at the slowest imaginable pace, ragged, bloodied, but not beaten. Both brought up their blades. Neither managed to strike true. Arc let out a bestial roar, and the Gemini replied in kind. Their eyes were jade fire, and their bodies hellish heat.

Their blades clashed at one point, and both Arcs fell away and clattered uselessly to the dirt. They were limp, and it was almost an insurmountable task to rise again. Against all odds, they both managed the feat. Each of them came to a knee, one hand on the ground to steady them, and sucked in more air. "Done yet?" the Gemini asked.

Arc snorted. He shook his head, took one more breath, then stood tall. He was proud, he was strong, and he was not at all deterred by his momentary lapse of ability. This too would pass.

Arc: 107/140 HP

Gemini: 82/140 HP

ID# 68290 results:

Battle: 2

Craft: 2

Loot: 10

MOB: 3

[Ashrah 0]

Another hard slash took Arc in the shoulder, and he grunted. That had been a decent hit, though not enough to deal any sort of debilitating damage. He had assumed that the thing couldn't manage any new attack patterns, but apparently that was not the case. Arc was learning quickly that Cardinal had it out for him, just as much if not more than he did for it. His lips thinned a bit.

He pulled back and away from the attack, a swift shrug enough to dislodge the blade and prevent further damage. He needed another avenue of attack, and quickly. He was running low on ideas as they edged closer to the brink of destruction, harsh breath still harrowing his thoughts as he circled and stalked just outside his opponent's reach. The Gemini took several quick strides into his defense to probe, but the Mercenary danced backward expertly. He was getting used to the speed his armor afforded him. Arc was glad that he'd chosen light armor over the burden of heavier plates.

Arc: 105/140 HP

Gemini: 82/140 HP

ID# 68404 results:

Battle: 3

Craft: 2

Loot: 1

MOB: 8

[Ashrah 0]

Arc rushed forward in between breaths. The Gemini widened its eyes as he came forward, and it recoiled but could not manage to slip the blow. Levantine ripped deep into its chest and scattered some of its data. It quickly backed off and batted at him, and Arc fell away with a hint of satisfaction in his gaze. It was a monstrous effort that brought him to bloody his blade again, and all of the smallest instances of victory were something to be delighted in.

He staggered backward as one might in a state of near exhaustion, but the mercenary continued to stand upright. He drove his blade into the dirt and let out a long, uneven breath. "You're still going?" he asked quietly.

"I'm practically you," the image answered. "I took everything about you. Would you be dead after that many hits? I think not. You would already have been dead."

Arc shrugged. He might have agreed, but he'd never admit it.

Arc: 105/140 HP

Gemini: 80/140 HP

ID# 68405 results:

Battle: 6

Craft: 2

Loot: 17

MOB: 3