[PP-F2] First Blood (Setsuko)

[Natalia 0]

Heavy breathing and the sound of leaves crumpling beneath feet brought life to the dense woodland of Aincrad's second floor. "Just give up, girl!" A voice shouted, a mix of anger and desperation filling his words with passion. "We just want to have a nice little chat!" Laughter followed those words, but the crushing of greenery continued.

Dashing through the forest, Mitsuki did her best to maneuver her way through the trees and other growth. Two other players chased swiftly after her. She glanced over her shoulder; they were catching up relatively quickly. Their weapons were already drawn, with one of them wielding a two-handed sword and the other wielding a spear, as they sprinted towards her at an alarming rate. "He's lying, ya know! We're going to kill ya, ya moon-eyed freak!" Those were the words of the second player.

I'm not dying today.

While she glanced over once more to judge their positioning, Mitsuki looked back once more. During this brief period of time, her foot was caught on a log, and she tripped over. Tumbling forward, she eventually managed to stop herself, but before she could return to her feet, she felt a sharp pain pierce through her back, and then pull out in a swift motion. "Gah!" Mitsuki cried in pain as her face returned to the ground.

"Gotcha now." The first man said, hovering over her, his spear in hand.

Is this the end?

PLAYERS

Mitsuki: 10/11

ENEMIES

Maverick #1: 9/9

Maverick #2: 9/9

[Natalia 0]

Doing a bit of late night hunting, Setsuko found herself traveling through the woodland on the second floor. For the most part, her hunt hand been relatively unsuccessful; there was no shortage of creatures, but none of them had dropped any of the materials she had been searching for. Well, at this rate I'm going to be out of smithing materials in a day or two. She shook her head at the thought; she had two orders left and a single ingot. It was pathetic.

The teenager was just about to leave the forest when she heard what sounded like a cry. Her head immediately turned towards the source of the noise; it had to have been nearby. She drew her rapier before entering a dash towards the sound. How could a player be having trouble on such a low-level floor?

As she had initially thought, the noise was relatively close. She was met by the sight of three players, one of which had driven his spear through a girl who had tripped over while fleeing. How cliche. Setsuko thought as she drew her blade before approaching the group of people. In a burst of speed, Setsuko found herself running towards the spear-wielder. Using the momentum her dash had built up, she leapt into the air and kicked the player, the tip of her rapier stabbing through his neck as he hit the ground.

"It's so cold!" The man screamed, apparently reacting to her blade's passive.

Setsuko smoothly ripped the blade back out from his neck and raised her guard towards the second player. "Get up." Setsuko said to the ambushed girl, while her focus remained on her two attackers. "Now."

PLAYERS

Setsuko: 17/17

Mitsuki: 10/11

BD: 8 + 2 (Swift Vambraces) = 10

DMG: 1 (Hit) + 2 (Frostbite) + 2 (OHR: R2) = 5

ENEMIES

Maverick #1: 4/9

Maverick #2: 9/9

[Natalia 0]

Mitsuki had rolled onto her back shortly after being wounded to find that the two attackers both stood over her. In fear, she closed her eyes, accepting her fate. That was when she heard a crash upon the ground. Opening her eyes, she sat up to find that another player was among them; more importantly, that another player had just saved her life. Why.. did you help me? She couldn't help but watch as her savior pulled her blade out from the spear-wielder and raised her guard to the second; her movements were so graceful, so fluid. Who is she?

Commands from the other girl brought Mitsuki back to the situation at hand, in which she lowered her back to the ground once again before leaping to her feet. She raised her palms at the enemies as her feet found themselves pointed forward towards her enemies. Despite the game not requiring such a stance for martial arts, Mitsuki found that it aided quite a bit. Regardless, she simply stood at the ready, unsure of what to do.

"Um.. who should I go for?" Mitsuki asked, not wanting to distract her hero's focus from the enemy.

PLAYERS

Mitsuki: 10/11

Setsuko: 17/17

ENEMIES

Maverick #1: 4/9

Maverick #2: 9/9

[Natalia 0]

From her peripheral vision, Setsuko could see the girl jump to her feet, something that she had trouble doing herself. Yet, despite displaying such an acrobatic feat, the girl she had saved simply stood there. What the hell are you doing? Her thought was immediately followed by the girl asking for who she should attack. "The one on the ground." Setsuko coldly replied, her eyes still watching the two-handed swordsman, who had also not taken her eyes off of her.

"I'm gonna slice you up, bi-!" The man remaining on the ground had begun to curse at her, but found himself cut off. While he spoke, Setsuko had taken advantage of his arrogance and blitzed him like she had her first target. Her rapier met his chest with a powerful thrust. He screamed in pain as she withdrew her blade from his body, and sent him falling to the ground.

PLAYERS

Setsuko: 17/17

Mitsuki: 10/11

BD: 8 + 2 (Swift Vambraces) = 10 (Not a Crit)

DMG: 1 (Hit) + 2 (Frostbite) + 2 (OHR: R2) = 5

ENEMIES

Maverick #1: 4/9

Maverick #2: 4/9

[Natalia 0]

Mitsuki's focus shifted from the other girl to the spear-wielder, who had returned to his feet. The arrogance that had once occupied his face was now replaced with a panic. "You're not going to kill me!" He screamed at the rapier-wielder. While she was distracted by his friend, the spear-wielder ran towards her. Mitsuki ran between the two. "Idiot girl, get the hell out of my way!" He drew his spear back and thrust it at her, still running.

With relative ease, Mitsuki side-stepped the pointed tip and shoved her right-palm towards his chest. Her strike connected, and the man was knocked back, his balance shaken by the move. From that point, Mitsuki withdrew her extended arm and returned to her prior position, prepared to for his next attack.

PLAYERS

Mitsuki: 10/11

Setsuko: 17/17

BD: 7

DMG: 1 (Hit) + 1 (MA: R1) = 2

ENEMIES

Maverick #1: 2/9

Maverick #2: 4/9

[Natalia 0]

Before the swordsman could even lift himself from the ground, Setsuko slashed across his chest multiple times with the sharper edge of her blade. "Stop, please! I give up! I give up!" He screamed for his life, beginning to curl into a ball. Red, glowing damage marks covered his body, revealing the location of every one of Setsuko's blows. Had their been blood in the game, he would almost be unrecognizable.

For a moment, Setsuko's attacks paused. Her arm halted in its path towards him. The man began to leave his defensive little ball. Tears of terror stopped flowing for a moment as he looked up at her, as if confused by her sudden mercy. Setsuko shook her head, remaining in her attack stance. "Pathetic coward." She said. With that, she pointed the blade towards the man's skull and thrust it right through him. A final scream left the man's mouth before he exploded into pixels, as everything did upon dying in Sword Art Online.

PLAYERS

Mitsuki: 10/11

Setsuko: 17/17

BD: 5 + 2 (Swift Vambraces) = 7 (Hit)

DMG: 1 (Hit) + 2 (Frostbite) + 2 (OHR: R2) = 5

ENEMIES

Maverick #1: 2/9

Maverick #2: -1/9 (DEAD)

[Natalia 0]

Instead of facing his attacker, the spear-wielder simply looked past Mitsuki towards the rapier-wielder. "She killed him!" He cried, dropping his weapon. Mitsuki couldn't help but turn to look. Not too far behind her, the girl stood, pixels falling around her. Is she.. enjoying this? A chill ran up Mitsuki's spine. "I'm getting the f*** out of here!" The man screamed as he took off, leaving his weapon on the ground.

PLAYERS

Mitsuki: 10/11

Setsuko: 17/17

ENEMIES

Maverick #1: 2/7

Maverick #2: -1/7 (DEAD)

[Natalia 0]

As soon as she turned her head, Setsuko caught sight of the spear-wielder beginning to flee. Another coward. She shook her head, and made a mad dash towards him. She ran on an intercept-course towards the front of his path; she wanted to face him before she finished him. Past trees and over logs she ran, eventually sliding to a sideways stop directly in front of the terrified man. "You're.. you're insane!" The man exclaimed as Setsuko stood before him, in utter shock by her gaining on him.

"Funny how when your kind is outmatched, your first instinct is to run." Setsuko coldly replied, her rapier pointed towards the unarmed man.

PLAYERS

Setsuko: 17/17

Mitsuki: 10/11

ENEMIES

Maverick #1: 2/7

Maverick #2: -1/7 (DEAD)

[Natalia 0]

Mitsuki did all she could to keep her moon-like eyes on the girl that had chased after the man, who was no longer within her own sight. What does she intend on doing? There was no doubt in her mind that this woman intended on finishing the job, despite the man's fleeing. "Wait! He's given up, there's no need for this!" She shouted at the woman, still chasing after them. No response was received. Damn it, I need to hurry!

It took about thirty seconds, but eventually, Mitsuki slid to a halt. About twenty meters in front of her was the back of the spear-wielder. Past him, she could see her savior's face; it was cold as ice. Mitsuki saw her mouth move, but she was speaking too quietly for Mitsuki to make out the words. "Stop!' She cried.

PLAYERS

Setsuko: 17/17

Mitsuki: 10/11

ENEMIES

Maverick #1: 2/7

Maverick #2: -1/7 (DEAD)

[Natalia 0]

Setsuko's eyes glanced past the now unarmed man; the girl stood nearby, watching, apparently begging her to stop. What's wrong with you? Don't you understand? She shook her head, her eyes closed for a moment, before reopening them and glaring into the man's eyes. "You can't cower out of everything." She said, her words almost emotionless, before slowly stepping forward towards him.

"Please.. don't." The man said, dropping to his knees. "I beg of you, please, don't." His pitiful, desperate eyes stared the approaching Setsuko down.

Stopping in front of him, Setsuko stopped for a moment. "Begging 'til the end." She muttered before slashing across his chest. Without another cry, the man burst into the pixels following the slash. In reality, his NerveGear would be frying his brain relatively soon. You made me do this. She lowered her eyes to the ground. There was a certain straining on her heart, one she hadn't felt for a long time.

PLAYERS

Setsuko: 17/17

Mitsuki: 10/11

BD: 6 + 2 (Swift Vambraces) = 8

DMG: 1 (Hit) + 2 (Frostbite) + 2 (OHR: R2) = 5

ENEMIES

Maverick #1: -3/7 (DEAD)

Maverick #2: -1/7 (DEAD)

[Natalia 0]

Mitsuki watched on in desperation as the girl ended the man's life with one, final slash. A look of horror overtook her face. "You monster!" Mitsuki shouted, unable to hold herself back any longer. "He had given up; he was going to run away! How could you just kill him right there without even hesitating!" She stepped closer and closer towards the dark-haired girl, until she was only an arm's length away. Her eyes were beginning to water. "They had given up." Mitsuki's head fell, her hair dropping in front of her face.

She could feel her fists begin to clench. "You could have teleported them to prison. They wouldn't be able to escape. You didn't have to do this."

[Natalia 0]

Upon the girl's screaming at her, Setsuko turned her head just enough to look make eye contact with her. She silently gasped at the sight of two, slightly lavender, but almost white orbs glaring at her. Does the game even have colored lenses? Setsuko had never heard of such an item in Sword Art Online. The NerveGear's replication of real-life appearances was nearly flawless for her. Could her eyes be like that in real life as well?

Throughout her thoughts, Setsuko remained quiet as she listened to the words leaving the other girl's mouth. For whatever reason, this girl felt pity for her attackers. Setsuko shook her head at the girl's ignorance. "Don't be an idiot." Setsuko said, interrupting the girl. "They would have killed you without another thought." With those words, Setsuko turned her entire body towards the crying girl; her composed face grew red as she felt fury growing within her. "I saved you. Had I not finished the job, they would have found another target."

Setsuko noticed that the girl's hands had tightened into fists, before she then claimed Setsuko could have sent them to the prison. A forced chuckle escaped Setsuko's mouth. "Why waste a crystal on scum?"