(1900 hours)
"Watch the spear!"
"I need another shot, Asuna! I'm at 50 percent HP!"
Kato picked up his weapon from the ground and noticed the red cracks on the Minimi. He ditched the Light Machine Gun and took out the M1911 from its chest holster. He reloaded the weapon and shouted:
"I lost my gun! Rei, cover me!"
Kato took out an AR-15/50 and loaded the first magazine into the gun. He noticed the spear being pointed towards him and the spheres were glowing. The boss raised the spear and brought it to the ground. Kato rolled out of the way and pushed on the bolt release to chamber the first bullet. Kato aimed at the two spheres and shot them until they disappeared. On the boss's status bar, a red broken shield appeared.
"Hit the head!" Kato ordered.
The orange tracers landed on the boss's head and the boss tried to wave its head to avoid them. After it experienced enough damage, the boss became stunned and rested itself on the platform. Kato ordered the group to target the gem on its chest. The health bar of the boss diminished to zero. The boss collapsed onto the arena and exploded into crystals. Kato laid down on the floor and panted. His exhaustion was starting to catch up to him. He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes for a moment.
"The path is opened..." a voice echoed in Kato's ear.
He saw a boss monster float past him and head towards a miniature area. There were mountains and a carved pathway leading to a floating platform. On top, the boss stood there with its eyes gazing at five small lights. On the other side of the small boss, a single light was flickering.
"Master!" a voice shouted.
Kato's vision was replaced by the woods outside of the ruins. He took a deep breath only for him to realize that he'd passed out after the boss battle.
"You okay?" Kirito asked.
Kato nodded and Kirito pulled him onto his feet. Eiji told Kato what he missed which was Sachi gaining her memory and the teleportation to the woods. Kato looked into the distance and saw a ship floating above the mountains. It looked similar to SBC Flügel but the lights were dimmed to keep stealth. Above the ship, aurora lights danced across the twilight sky. It painted the landscape in different colors. To Kato, this is the start of the end.
"That floating thing is the Queen of the Night," Zeliska informed, "We're close to a new stage."
"And my Master has received the quest reward! The Night Crystal!" Rei cheered.
Kato opened his inventory and saw the item. He took it out and read the information window that appeared alongside it. Kirito asked what the item's function was. Kato replied:
"It saves player data. Player data? But doesn't the system do that automatically?"
"It records player data the exact moment a player decides to use it," Zeliska said, "You could use it on important events, anniversaries, whatever your heart wants."
"No player or afasys benefits?" Kato asked.
Zeliska shook her head. Rei complained how it couldn't help her become the strongest afasys the world would ever see. Kato was slightly disappointed about how all of this work and hype seemed to lead to a semi-useless object.
"I guess it's time for...Sachi?" Kirito trailed.
The group turned their attention to Sachi who was starting to fade away. Kato could see the environment through her translucent body. The clock had struck midnight and Sachi's time in this world was up.
