[F6-SP] <Calming the Soul> Ryo's Inner Workings

[Ryo 0]

Ryo's body faded into existence as he teleported into the sixth floor. He wasn't feeling himself all that well. Teion had all but ignored his message, his recent conversation with Jomei revealed more about himself then he wanted, and training on the side was starting to take its toll on his mind. All of it was so stressful, balancing his side hobbies with his job and with his training. He let out a sigh as he made his way through the crowd to his destination. Shoulders checked into his, but Ryo paid no mind to them. He had much better things to do today, he couldn't falter in them either.

He made his way past the crowd and into the wilderness, hoping no one was currently using it. After a few moments of cutting through jungle and forest, he finally laid eyes on his prize. A large waterfall stood before him, depositing into a small lake. Stepping stones were laid out in front of him from the water's edge to the base of the waterfall. As he got closer, the algae and moss made the rock more slippery than the last. Making it to the final rock in the chain, and the base of the waterfall Ryo sat down, his pants absorbing the water left by the waterfalls powerful torrents. And Ryo closed his eyes...

[Ryo 0]

Ryo sat for what felt like hours, and with each one he didn't feel any better. What good was this place, if it didn't work. Ryo opened eyes, expecting the world to be as he left it but it was different. He took in an audible gasp and stood from his rock. Fog covered his sight, for as far as the eye can see, fog so thick that it cut his vision to barely. Ryo squinted, noticing something move in the distance. Ryo took the plunge, stepping on the rocks as each one appeared back into his sight as he jumped. Making his way back to shore, he saw the figure move again. Ryo equipped his katana and chased after the movement expecting to find some sort of creature.

Ryo got what he wanted, but not what he expected. As he entered a small clearing the small figure perched up against a door. There were four doors by his count, and if he turned around a fifth. 'What is all of this? Some sort of, a hallucination?' Ryo's thought to himself. He gripped his katana's handle when he heard the dark shadow creature speak.

'Hallucination? No, this is very much reality. Well, as real as your mind makes it be.' The voice came from the creature, but there were no moving parts to indicate it's speech, or what it was speaking with.

'The doors hold the answers you want, just step through them and face yourself.' And the shadow creature disappeared. If the four doors in front of him were to be his challenge, then the door behind him was the exit.

Ryo checked his supplies and went through the first door...

Ryo's Stats

Spoiler

Level 21
HP: 420
EN: 42
Dmg: 9
Acc: 0
Eva: 2
Mit: 7
~Passive Effects~
Battle Healing(Rank 2): heals 8HP at the start of each turn
~Battle Inventory~
5 x Healing Potions (+50HP)

1

 

[Ryo 0]

The first door was almost new in quality, but the damage it sustained made it almost beyond repair. If this wasn't mystical by some nature, Ryo assumed that he could kick down the door with ease. The handle was cool to the touch, and the smell of mildew hung in the air as he opened the door.

Stepping through, his eyesight darkened as he tried to get his eyes to adjust. There were two players in front of him, a blue-haired man shirtless with blue tattoos and another woman, female holding a child it seemed. Perhaps it was a younger Calrex or someone different entirely? Ryo rubbed his eyes, trying to figure out what this all meant. Soon enough, a skeleton arrived, giving the two players a handful. It seemed like a close fight until the blue-haired player tossed aside his greatsword and dove in front of the skeletons attack, sacrificing himself in the process. The man erupted into pixels, and the woman finished the skeleton with her next blow. She left the cave, leaving Ryo in a confused stupor.

"Yeah, she was a good woman. A bit misplaced thou." A voice said next to him. Ryo nearly lept from his skin, grabbing his katana. "Whoa, buddy. Take it easy, will ya'? We don't have to fight just yet." The voice said. As it approached, the shape became more clear. It was the man who had died from the scene before, but how? Why? "Look, I know you're confused and I wish I could explain." The man said, his yellow eyes glowing eerily in the dark. "But I can't just yet, so instead I'll tell you who I was."

"My name is Aramail. Or Chris in the real world. I joined SAO because I thought it was going to be a fun experience. Then, I ended up sacrificing myself to save a woman and her daughter. Funny how that works, huh?" The man said with a chuckle.

"This makes no sense," Ryo said, shaking his head. "I was told I had to face myself, but who are you to me?" Ryo asked the shadow in front of him. And for a brief moment, he thought as to how he knew that.

"It'll all make sense soon, I promise. But first..." Aramail said, drawing out a greatsword. "We gotta do this!" He said, rushing at Ryo.

'Aramail' The First Demon's Stats
HP: 105 (420/4)
Damage per Attack: 13 (54/4)
Mitigation: 2 (9/4)

[Ryo 0]

Ryo had just enough time to roll out of the way as Aramails greatsword slapped against the ground, creating sparks that lit the cave that they were in. The cave made Ryo feel uneasy, he didn't like them not at all. He never really did, but then again only the odd people really enjoyed caves and spelunking. But now wasn't the time for that. He drew his katana and went to the blue haired swordsmen, his attack more than ready. Aramile saw Ryo's attack coming and stepped aside with unreal ease, bringing his two-handed down on him. Ryo skipped a bit, trying to regain his lost balance as Aramil made a face at him. Gritting his teeth Ryo prepared another attack. "C'Mon, I know you've got more than that in ya'!" Aramail taunted. Taunt all he wants, Ryo thought. he was nothing more than an apparition that was faster then he looked.

ID: 93720 BD: 2(miss) MD: 10 (crit, ignore evasion)

Ryo
Health: 414/420 -6 (13-7=6)
Energy: 42/42 -2 (from missing)
Eva: 2
Mit: 7

'Aramail' The First Demon
Health: 105/105
Dmg: 13
MIT: 2

[Ryo 0]

Ryo tried the same tactic as before, with the same result. Aramil dodging, making a quip, but this time Ryo anticipated the hit and moved out of the way. "Well hey, we learned to dodge. Nice!" Aramail said, giving Ryo a casual thumbs up. Ryo gritted his teeth. "Shut up! This doesn't make sense. I've run this through my head, so many times and it refuses to make sense!" Ryo shouted, his voice reverberating off the walls. "I was supposed to be relaxing, and instead I'm in this world fighting a shadow. A term that I have no idea how I know, and of someone whom I never met before!" Ryo said, pointing his blade at Aramail. Aramail gave a sigh. "Look, man, nothing is that simple in the end. I mean, look at what happened to me. I died, but that woman and her girl lived on and retired from adventuring. I'm sure they're still somewhere on the first floor." Aramail said, scratching his neck. "Wouldn't you have done the same?" The shadow asked, with a bit more serious tone in his voice as he attacked again.

Ryo
Health: 420/420 +8 (from battle healing)
Energy: 439/42 +1 (natural regen) -2 (from missing)
Eva: 2
Mit: 7

'Aramail' The First Demon
Health: 105/105
Dmg: 13
MIT: 2

[Ryo 0]

Ryo gritted his teeth as he blindly swung at Aramail, his attacks not connecting in the slightest. Aramail sighed again and struck Ryo in the back. "Look, if you can't even beat me, how are you supposed to beat the other three?" Aramail said, slightly taunting Ryo. "Now, answer the question. Would you have done the same?" Aramail asked. Ryo gritted his teeth again as he picked himself off the floor. "No, I wouldn't have." He admitted. "I would've saved them, and I would've lived. Because I'm strong!" He said, his final words reverberating against the cave again. Ryo readied his weapon again and rushed at Aramail. "And what gives you strength?" Aramail pondered at Ryo. "Is it the selfish desire for power and fame, or is it actual selflessness?" He asked Ryo, ready to take any attack that he may have had. Ryo watched as his health dipped slightly, but his regeneration kept it topped off. There was no way that Aramail could kill him, not in this way at least.

ID: 93722 BD: 4 (miss) MD: 10 (ignore EVA)

Ryo
Health: 414/420 +8 (from battle healing) -6 (13-7=6)
Energy: 38/42 +1 (natural regen) -2 (from missing)
Eva: 2
Mit: 7

'Aramail' The First Demon
Health: 105/105
Dmg: 13
MIT: 2

[Ryo 0]

Rather than attacking again, Ryo would let Aramail come at him and when he did Ryo would be ready. Aramail came at Ryo swinging his greatsword down heavily onto the ground where Ryo was. Ryo opened his attack by spinning at Aramail, slicing him in every which way. Aramail cried out and was pushed back from Ryo's attack. "There we go." Aramail panted. "That's the kind of guy who'll save people." He said again through his deep breaths. He readied himself again ready for the real flight. "Now show me whom I've left this world to!" He said, running at Ryo again. Ryo rolled out of the way, just now realizing that this was going to be a test of attrition. He'd have to watch his energy consumption otherwise he'd risk running low in the future fights. "The world you left to me? What does even mean?" Ryo asked, unsure as to what the shadow meant.

ID: 93723 BD: 8 (hit) MD: 1(3-2) (miss)

Ryo
Health: 420/420 +8 (from battle healing) -0
Energy: 33/42 +1 (natural regen) -6 from Gen Getsu
Eva: 2
Mit: 7

'Aramail' The First Demon
Health: 51/105 -54 dmg from Gen Gestu (9*6)
Dmg: 13
MIT: 2

[Ryo 0]

Ryo swung his katana wide causing himself to get off balance. he hadn't had to fight like this in a long while, and it was showing as the shadow took another hard swipe at Ryo. The shadow was trying as hard it could to dmg Ryo, but it was all for naught. Ryo's battle healing regenerate faster than the shadow could harm him. It was funny in a way, get your numbers high enough and you were basically untouchable. Ryo chuckled at his thought, he could calm down now without having to fear for his life. "So, what do you mean?" Ryo asked, cockier now.

ID: 93724 BD: 2 (miss) MD: 10 (ignores evasion)

Ryo
Health: 414/420 +8 (from battle healing) -6
Energy: 34/42 +1 (natural regen) 
Eva: 2
Mit: 7

'Aramail' The First Demon
Health: 51/105 
Dmg: 13
MIT: 2

[Ryo 0]

Ryo attack again, his attacking coming close but Aramails speed outmatched it. The blue haired shadow did another overhead slash, only to have it bounce against the ground. "If you keep missing, you're never going to kill me." Ryo said, taunting the demon. "Kill you? No, I know I can't. I'm simply meant to wear you down. Soften you up for the bigger things goin' on inside your head." He said, smirking pointing to his own temple. Ryo grinned, having already realized this. "Oh, im fully aware. And Im sure that the rest of you are just a walk in the park." Ryo said, taunting again.

Spoiler

 

ID: 93807 BD: 4 (miss) MD: 1 (critical fail)

Ryo
Health: 420/420 +8 (from battle healing) -0
Energy: 33/42 +1 (natural regen) (-2 from missing)
Eva: 2
Mit: 7

'Aramail' The First Demon
Health: 51/105 
Dmg: 13
MIT: 2

 

 

[Ryo 0]

The golden eyes Aramail shook his head. "That's not the point! Have you learned nothing from this? If you're going to be a hero, how can you if you're not willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of others!" The shadow shouted, causing Ryo to stop in his tracks. But he would, wouldn't he? Ryo's hands trembled slightly as the question floated about in his mind. He, he definitely would. He wouldn't back away, not like a coward would. A hero's life was self-sacrifice, facing up to any challenge even if it meant certain death. "If that's the case, why not fight Death Adder now? Stand up to him, maybe you'll beat him and restore peace?" The shadow said again, rushing Ryo. Ryo's eyes darted at the shadow. Ryo raised his katana, deflecting the greatsword aside causing it to clash against the cave wall. Ryo spun, his sword art slicing through the shadow person.

ID: 93808 BD:7 (hit) MD: 4 (6-20)(miss)

Ryo
Health: 420/420 +8 (from battle healing) -0
Energy: 35/42 +1 (natural regen) -6 (From Gen Getsu)
Eva: 2
Mit: 7

'Aramail' The First Demon
Health: 0/105 -54 from Ryo's Attack(Gen Getsu)
Dmg: 13
MIT: 2