Sword Art Online: Another Reality

Chapter 21: Second-Floor Boss Raid I

-Shortly before the raid -

"It's time. Let's begin."

Diabel had shouted that. Standing in front of the remaining forty-seven players as he began with his speech.

"I'm Diabel. Like before. I'll also be your leader for this raid."

Everybody, at least most, nodded their heads while the rest, as this was their first time, watched in silence.

"...The fact that we're already here, just eight days after opening this floor, is a testament to your skill and dedication!" 

"With everybody in this together, there's no way we can fail to beat this boss! Let's finish the day on the third floor!"

As Diabel said that most had raised their hands and roared in approval.

"Now let's form the raid! Of the eight parties, the Dragon Knights will form teams A, B, and C. Kibaou's Squad will make up teams D, E, and F, and team G will be Orlando's Braves. And team H…"

"...will be the rest of you. Teams A through F will concentrate on the boss, while G and H handle the mobs..."

The tactics hadn't really changed from during the first-floor boss raid; however, unlike before, he was more careful.

"According to our prior intelligence, the boss only has one accompanying mob that does not respawn."

"However, we need to prepare for the unexpected."

While it may be called a mob, make no mistake. That mob in question is as strong as a field boss on its own.

In other words, even a mob of a floor boss is as strong or stronger than that bull that both Sharia and Kirito had beaten a few days prior.

Naturally, most had already studied the second-floor boss edition of Argo's strategy guide, which appeared just yesterday in Taran. 

It held the attack patterns and weak points of the boss and its attendant mob, but as the disclaimer on the cover said, all information was based on the beta test.

The first-floor boss used katana skills that hadn't been there in the beta, and if it weren't for Sharia, there would have been causality.

They now had to assume that there were alterations since the beta here, as well. 

In a worst-case scenario, there might be two or more of "Nato the Colonel Taurus" accompanying «Baran» instead of just one.

"And that's why, if anyone spots any difference in the patterns listed, then we are to immediately retreat and rethink our plan."

Next came a review of the boss's attack patterns and a final check of each team's individual strategy, leaving just two minutes until the scheduled fight time of two o'clock. 

That was only a general guideline, so nothing was stopping them from beginning the fight slightly before or after the hour.

After that, Diabel raised his hand and said, "All right, it's a bit early, but… let's win."

Like before. He did the honours again. With his blue hair waving, he pushed open the door.

-Boss Raid-

Monster attacks against players fell under two general categories. 

One was direct attacks that dealt HP damage.

The other was indirect attacks that did not cause direct damage but occasionally posed a significant threat, in other words, debuffs.

Akihiko Kayaba, the designer of this game of death, at least had a minimum of sympathy for new players, for he did not grant any of the kobolds in the first-floor labyrinth debuff attacks. 

Which meant that the tauruses that dwelt in the second-floor labyrinth were the player's first real experience with serious, regular debuffs.

"Here it comes!"

At the left side. Kirito, Asuna, and Agil's party were battling one of the Tauruses that appeared.

The double-handed hammer was lifted straight aloft.

Then, as Kirito shouted. In sync, every member of Agil's party jumped back.

Simultaneously as they did. The hammer stopped high overhead for an instant, its wide surface glowing with brilliant yellow sparks.

"Vrrroooooo!!"

With a roar so fierce, it might as well have been a long-range attack of its own, the beast brought down the hammer. 

The mass of metal, rippling with lightning, slammed against the dark stone floor. 

It was the Taurus face's special debuffing skill, Numbing Impact.

No one was standing within the direct damage range of the blow, of course, but there were also narrow sparking tendrils that extended out from the impact point.

It shot towards Kirito. But the swordsman had dodged it in the nick of time.

Next—

"Full power attack!"

As they regrouped. Kirito shouted that as he pointed his «Anneal Blade» at the Taurus.

While that was all said and good.

-On the other side of the Boss Room-

"Evade! Evaaaade!" came a somewhat panicked scream from the other side of the vast boss chamber. 

Dozens of players were panicking around under a frightfully large shadow.

A bristly, crimson red pelt enveloped rippling muscles. His waist was covered with a luxurious golden cloth, but in keeping with Taurus tradition, his upper half was bare. 

The chain dangling over his shoulders was also made of gold. To top it off, the golden battle hammer in his hands shone with a dazzling brilliance.

Colouring aside, Colonel «Nato» might as well have been a body double of «Baran», but there was one other major difference: size. 

General «Baran», the boss of the second floor, was at least twice the size of «Nato».

Because of the physical height limit of the ceilings in the labyrinths of Aincrad, «Baran» was not as tall as the mammoth Bulbous Bow that prowled the landscape, but there was no escaping the primal fear inspired by a sixteen foot beast man. 

Even the kobold lord from the first floor felt huge, and he was only seven feet tall and changed.

Naturally, General «Baran»'s golden hammer was massive as well, its powerful head, the size of a barrel. 

When he lifted it, the surface shot golden sparks. The «Tanks» and «Attackers» pulled back as one, in accordance with Lind's order.

"Vrruuuuvraaaaa!!"

«Baran»'s roar was appropriately twice as fierce as «Nato»'s, and he smashed the floor. 

Even other parties at the distance could feel the shockwave, which was followed by a burst of sparks.

Again, the effective range was twice that of his subordinate. It was «Baran»'s unique skill, Numbing Detonation.

"Regroup! Group D, E, F, cover!"

Though they couldn't avoid it in time, some other teams that had fallen back for a situation like this were to then switch and cover up for the paralysed team.

But while that was happening.

Diabel and Sharia were at the back. Which naturally earned even more annoyance from people who didn't know about Sharia.

For the person who was being hyped so much, Sharia was looking much like a coward to them.

However, the Swordsman had a pretty different expression on his face.

His expression right now was nothing short of eerie. "That's not it." Sharia muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"No. Nothing. Something just feels fishy with this raid." 

As Sharia had said that—

-In front-

«Baran», after executing his first attack, had once again hoisted his hammer up again, preparing for the second hit.

"Here it comes. Those that can move, fall back!"

The hammer struck the same spot as the last one, and more yellow lightning shot forth.

Unfortunately, a Spearman that was attempting to pick up his weapon was paralysed in the process.

Unlike a stun, paralysis did not disappear after a few seconds. 

It wasn't indefinite either, but even the weakest effect would last ten minutes...a full 600 seconds.

Obviously, no one could survive a battle while prone for that length of time, so healing items were necessary.

The main methods of recovery were healing potions or purification crystals. 

The latter were impossible to find until later in the game, so potions were the only choice.

However, paralysis left only the dominant hand of the player able to move–and slowly, at that–so even pulling a bottle out of a pouch was a trial. 

Crawling out of the boss's attack range was completely out of the question.

«Baran» callously targeted the paralyzed spearman and prepared to stomp him with a massive foot, however–

SWISH!

Dashing past the hordes of players. Even using some holding shields as a foothold, Sharia had dragged the Spearman our of the way.

Naturally, as Sharia did that, he had drawn the aggro again.

[Baran, the Taurus General]

○ [45%] 

○ [100%] 

○ [100%]

"Vrruuuuvraaaaa!!!"

"Tch." Sharia clicked his tongue, but this was the perfect moment for those who are paralysed.

"Support. Get the paralysed away from here. They're in the way."

As Sharia said that, he finally drew forth his «Centennial Longsword [+6 4S1D1Q]»

Thanks to the RNGesus and screw Kayaba Akihiko while at it, he was fortunate to have one more enchantment on the darn blade.

"Come on. Let's get started..."

-On the other side-

Kirito and gang—

Knowing that the frontline was being held by Sharia now focused on «Nato».

"Kuh! How tough!"

His party members had managed to block an attack from the Colonel, then Kirito and Asuna had launched a «Crescent Upper» with their «Martial Arts» skill.

"Yeah."

That attack had brought the Colonel down to its final HP bar.

The blue skinned minotaur bellowed up at the wielding. It then stamped the ground with its hooves, munching over to expose its horns.

"C-Crap! It's gonna charge! Watch the tail, not the head! He'll go along that diagonal."

Kirito had said that when he and Asuna who had just landed on the ground.

Immediately both jumped in opposite directions.

«Nato» turned to his left and charged right for Agil. But the axe-warrior, poised and prepared, easily dodged out of the way and unloaded his double-handed combo.

"Switch!"

Besides Sharia…. The other two that could be said to be the fastest in this entire raid, were these two.

As Agil had said that, both had just passed by him, crossing each other as Kirito went for the left while Asuna went for the right.

"Asuna, let's do this in one go!"

"Roger."

Having learned the «martial art» skill, both had extra sword skill in their bag, and one of this was such—

Both had their blades pointed at the Colonel, suspended mid air as their blade gleamed with a bright white light.

«Sonic Leap»

SHIEEN!

They seemed to suspend in the air for a moment before both had flown in a straight line at the Colonel.

The damage they had dealt was so great that the HP bar was close to yellow, which would have meant the Colonel would enter its third phase.

But because of how strong both Kirito and Asuna's attacks were—they had stunned «Nato» instead.

"Now's our chance! Jump that cow!"