Serenade Of The Silver Witch

The Silver Witch

Welcome to Serenade of the Silver Witch. Finally, I get to share this story. It's only been almost a year and a half since I started on it. I'd also like to thank a follower, dndkeg, who I know has waited a long time for me to write something Sanya-specific, and now I can finally make do on that hope.

This story is different from most of what I've written. For the first time since Steel and Lycoris (exempting Alice), the main cast is entirely characters from the SAO gameverse or original characters. Kirito, Asuna, and some of the others main SAO group do make appearances in lesser roles, which also hasn't happened since that same story. But most importantly, I get to focus on Jaymes and Koharu when they're on Aincrad (or anywhere) without the main SAO cast involved for the first time in a multi-chapter format.

This story is the first of a three-part series. Serenade of the Silver Witch takes place on the 14th Floor, while its follow-up goes to the 20th and the final on the 35th. I always wanted to write the 14th and 20th floors from Integral Factor because of Sanya and what happens on the 20th with Jaymes and the girls, so now presents the opportunity to nail two birds with one stone. The 35th floor, which has been on the back burner for years, was one of my favorite SAOIF floors, too, as to how it ended.

Anyway, the story truly begins in the next chapter, so enjoy the prologue. Thanks for reading!

xxxxxxx

They called her the Red Devil or the Silver Witch.

A legend that began sweeping across Aincrad's lower floors due to a young woman who's "cold, cruel, and wields a demonic sword coated in blood." Said sword fed like a vampire sucking blood out of its victim to increase its power, so anyone who comes across her is slaughtered mercilessly. A wild rumor to be sure for a game as unorthodox as Sword Art Online, but as with all rumors, they have roots in some degree of truth.

The truth was that the Red Devil or the Silver Witch is indeed a player. She wouldn't say she's cold or cruel, but she did prefer to avoid any engagements with other people if she can. She's considered herself to be a strong player, tougher than a mid-level player but not as powerful as the frontier warriors.

Her sword is, to a degree, demonic and vampiric. Finsternis is its name, and it is a single-hand longsword that is as crimson as being "coated in blood" can describe it. As for its uncanny ability, it stole the health points of those struck with it and gained more attack power. An expert swordsman would use this ability to continuously chain attacks to do increasing amounts of damage for ever increasing power. A broken blade, some may call it, for a broken game.

That's the legend of the Silver Witch. But to her, it's just an annoyance that served its purpose of keeping danger away from her.

Her name is Sanya, a girl of fifteen years with silver hair topped by a top hat that's more of an accessory than headgear. Her armor consisted of black and red shirt, black shorts, long black tights leading down the length of her legs to a pair of black boots. Over all of it is her red jacket.

Right now, Sanya is tapping her Finsternis against a wall. The dungeon she's exploring today has long been scavenged by other players, but rumor has it that the real prize has yet to be found. The story behind the dungeon is that there's a monster of a wrongfully accused nobleman who died without his name being cleared. His soul became corrupted by malice and terrorized anyone it met with curses. A hero eventually came and sealed the monster in a room, never to be opened again.