Sword Art Online: Forgotten Edition

Fragment 55 - Exposed

Floor 1 — Hidden Dungeon Corridors

"The number of monsters in this dungeon is ridiculous! These stupid things have made me lose sight of Volt!" Musashi thrust her sword through the last of the frog monsters.

She had trailed Volt into this hidden dungeon after noticing her suspicious behavior in the Town of Beginnings.

"I should be pretty deep already...I wonder how much further I have to go—"

A scream echoed through the pathway, sending a shiver down her spine. Musashi quickened her pace, sheathing her weapon as she ventured deeper into the dungeon.

"Please don't do anything stupid, Volt!"

After a few minutes of running, she heard footsteps and whimpering, indicating a large group of people fleeing from something.

Musashi grabbed hold of someone. "Hey! What's going on?"

"Please! You have to save them, or else they'll die!" The person quickly broke free from her grasp, continuing to flee.

"Who..." Frowning, she continued moving, realizing something was amiss.

Her gaze fixed on Volt's health bar.

It's...going down...

Her eyes shoot wide open from the sudden decrease of Volt's HP into the red zone.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!"

Musashi dashed as if her life depended on it, but it wasn't hers she was worried about. As she neared the light at the tunnel's end, a sight awaited her that rendered her speechless for a moment.

...

A few seconds had elapsed since the monster's decisive swipe at Volt. Despite the expected outcome, her body remained intact. Slowly, she opened her eyes to take in her surroundings.

"Huh..."

The Fatal Scythe's attack had been deflected by a large flaming sword wielded by a petite figure floating in the air—not just any petite figure.

"Y-Yui?!"

A purple hexagon appeared near her head , "Immortal Object".

In an instant, Yui swept her blade horizontally, cleaving the monster in half and causing it to explode into digital fragments. It was obliterated with a single strike. Musashi and Volt were momentarily stunned by the display. Seizing the opportunity, the player named 'Justice' finally made his escape from the chaos he had caused.

Watching Volt drop her dagger and sink to her knees, Musashi hurried over and forcefully inserted an HP potion into her mouth.

"You idiot! What the hell are you doing out here?! How could you get your HP so low?!" The older player berated her teammate as she nearly waterboarded her.

"Pwuah! Are you trying to suffocate me?!" Volt snapped as she grabbed the potion and drank it on her own.

Descending toward the two, the weapon that materialized in Yui's hands had disappeared. As soon as her feet touch the ground both members of the Shadow Legion ran toward her, calling her name.

"Yuuui!"

The expression on the little girl's face was something they hadn't seen before during their time togther with her. Her eyes, once bright and full of life, now carried a heavy gloom. Before the duo could say anything, Yui began to talk almost like an entirely different person.