[SP|F6] <<Calming the Soul>> Nightmares

[ChaseR 0]

Entering the main room with the four doors leading to each one of the demons, it became easy to see that he'd already entered three and but a single one was left. Although he wasn't planning on going in right away, he slowly walked towards it, not bothering to look at the shadow that was now, unexpectedly enough, pointing at the fourth and final door. On it, there was carved a flower, rather than a figure or a set of them. That flower was a lily, quite detailed and emanating what looked like some fog or steam around it.

"A flower..?", he muttered, looking at it in confusion and pondering as he swiftly searched through his menu to find nothing even remotely resembling an item like that. He was quite unfamiliar with flowers himself, so the meaning of it or whether it even had one in the first place was all confusing to him. Not that it mattered anyways...

[ChaseR 0]

Bracing himself to face what he knew would be the final, fourth boss fight for the quest, and just a step before unlocking the skill he'd come here to get, he took a deep breath and pushed the door open with all his might, needing to try especially hard for this one. When he had opened it sufficiently, the room in front of him was completely dark. This time it was truly impossible to see anything inside of it without stepping in to trigger some lighting or any other mechanic that had worked on the previous three.

Knowing this fully well and having completely rested from the previous battles, Chase began to move into the room. The door didn't disappear behind him, but rather closed as the room quickly lit up to look like... It seemed like his room. Not in the crappy inn in Aincrad's first floor, but instead, his real room. The final thing he saw before getting locked from the real world and into this one. A shadow began to form once more, this time its figure more petite and even feminine. "What the..."

[ChaseR 0]

As the shadow took shape clearer and eventually was done in full, what stood in front of him was a lightly armored woman, wielding a single handed sword and holding it in front of herself silently. She wasn't tense, but rather perfectly calm with an almost defenseless gaze. It didn't take long to notice that even in full black, that hairstyle it had taken on, the soft green eyes on her featureless face... "You can't... You're not here. You're waiting in the real world, aren't you?", he asked in a shaky voice, beginning to worry much more than he showed.

"If she's here, then I have to find her... But she can't be, there's no way. She couldn't afford to buy another set before the game got restricted, no way...". Worries started to go through his head, as his mind completely drifted away. He, however, was still preparing to attack all the same, his body acting out of impulse. He knew that this wasn't Lily, and chances of her being in the game were slim... But the small percentage she was actually there, was what got to him the most.

Chase: HP: 320/320 | EN: 32/32 | DMG: 10 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 3 | REC: 2
Final Inner Demon: HP: 240/240 | DMG: 60 | MIT: 7

[ChaseR 0]

With a deep breath and a loud exhale, the boy ran at the shadow that had taken on his best friend's figure, shouting as cold sweat flew alongside his blade, its flat side attempting to hit the demon. He was scared, and livid. Maybe it was his survival instinct, or the fact that the system took on his friend's form and exploited this fear of his, taking it to an irrational extent. But he hadn't even seen the worst of it quite yet.

Thankfully, his attack landed and the girl seemed to waver, stumbling to the side and giving a somewhat pained look at Chase. "S-Stop it! Quit staring like that! That's not Lily, don't get tensed up more, damn it!", he began to panic as his heartrate increased, breathing faster and faster as his eyes widened, the cold sweat continuing to stream down his temples while the two stared one another.

 

Chase: HP: 320/320 | EN: 24/32 (-10, +2) | DMG: 10 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 3 | REC: 2
Final Inner Demon: HP: 167/240 (-73) | DMG: 60 | MIT: 7 (STUNNED)
Final Inner Demon Cooldowns; Stun: 3 posts

Edited July 13, 2020 by ChaseR

[ChaseR 0]

The bluehead quickly attempted to lunge forwards and follow it up with another repeat of his newly learned Astral Hell, wanting to give it his all. Just as he began to launch his attack though, the shadow's form began to shift, taking on that of Shay's, all the way from the look to the stance and gaze, as well as the eye color. Much more aggressive and closer to a glare, the imitation of his partner was as on point as possible, much more so than he could ever imagine. "Lily isn't Shay, Lily is back in the real world... I know that damn it!"

Just as he finished his sword art, the shadow's form shifted to a battle ready stance, gripping its weapon that had changed into a katana to fit the form it'd taken much better, slashing at his way just as Shay would if he were a monster they were facing. Thankfully, he managed to jump back in time, but it was hard to say he wasn't drenched in sweat by now. His anxiety, the irrational fear of not knowing if Lily is here and who she is, the tension...

Chase: HP: 320/320 | EN: 20/32 (-7, +3) | DMG: 10 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 3 | REC: 2
Final Inner Demon: HP: 104/240 (-63) | DMG: 60 | MIT: 7
Final Inner Demon Cooldowns; Stun: 2 posts

Edited July 13, 2020 by ChaseR

[ChaseR 0]

All of it, every single one of these factors was making Chase begin to worry more and more, giving him all the more tougher of a time overcoming this challenge and understanding this fear of his. What was it? Was it his intent to get back in the real world that made him feel guilty about having possibly met Lily in here unknowingly? Or was it that he wanted to keep her out of harm? Paranoid thoughts kept running through his head, distracting him from the task at hand. 

Due to all the momentum from dodging Shay's attack, he ended up making a full turn, but that worked to his advantage. At least, he wanted to spin around and strike back using his Back Rush, attempting to do so and managing to land his hit in successfully, slashing at the shadow. Once the slash had landed, it began to change shape again, this time coming out quite similar to Ariel. "S-Stop it...", the bluehead commanded, panting weakly from the exhaustion and jumping back to avoid being slammed by the shadow's shield, looking at the katana in its other hand and groaning weakly.

Chase: HP: 320/320 | EN: 18/32 (-5, +3) | DMG: 10 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 3 | REC: 2
Final Inner Demon: HP: 61/240 (-43) | DMG: 60 | MIT: 7
Final Inner Demon Cooldowns; Stun: 1 post

Edited July 14, 2020 by ChaseR

[ChaseR 0]

"Just... Just stop it damn it!", he shouted even louder at it, quickly rushing in despite his weak footing and body, attempting to use Astral Hell one more time, to finish the job and do the damn system in. It was making him truly livid, much more than he let on. A savage look was on his face, his teeth showing like a growling dog while he slashed mercilessly, sweat flying around with every swing of his blade and every shift of his body's weight. 

The attacks landed one after the other, but the shadow seemed completely unfazed. It was almost like its job was done, it had already planted the seed of worry in Chase's head, but it could no longer continue to do so as its HP kept getting lower and lower. Eventually, it hit zero and its HP bar disappeared before the monster did too. As the shadows dissipated, a window appeared in front of it. Chase was too far to read it, trying to catch up to his breath weakly as he dropped his blade on the floor.

Chase: HP: 320/320 | EN: 14/32 (-7, +3) | DMG: 10 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 3 | REC: 2
Final Inner Demon: HP: 0/240 (-61) | DMG: 60 | MIT: 7

Loot: 4 T1 Materials, 720 Col

[ChaseR 0]

Stepping closer to the shadow's previous position once he'd recovered, the boy left his blade behind stuck in the floor as he approached the window to see the loot he'd gotten from killing the enemy. He couldn't care any less, however. He silently pressed the confirmation button, sliding the window away and moving back to his blade, silently gripping the hilt with both hands and leaning on it for but a moment. He closed his eyes, feeling them heavy and took a deep breath, as he mumbled lowly. "That was... T-Tch..."

By the time he'd opened his eyes once more, he was back in front of the waterfall, cross legged. An empty look quickly crossed his face, as he leaned back on the rocky wall behind him and looked down at the stream of water. The more he stared, the more he felt at ease again, but what he'd just gone through felt like an eternity. All these thoughts, inside of his own head yet unknown to him... It was a real eye opener, this quest. But most of all, it didn't make him understand himself better than ever before- it made him want to complete the game that much more. "Just you wait, Kayaba... This is unforgivable."

The disgruntled boy simply lifted his palm, watching it with a small frown on his face overtaking its previously blank expression. "How you're reading into all of us and using us for your entertainment... You won't get out of this unharmed.", he growled and almost got fully angry. If it weren't for the waterfall, he'd be growling by now and clenching his hand tight enough for it to bleed, were this the real world. But thankfully, it wasn't. He silently waited there, deciding he'd take off back to the first floor... Once he was fully rested and he'd taken everything in, that is.

 

Thread Rewards: 

• 4 T1 Materials, 1120 Col
• Unlocked Extra Skill <<Meditation>>
• 4 SP (2 Quest, 1 Page, 1 Event)