Sword Art Online: Forgotten Edition

Fragment 69 - Ruby Palace

The moment the <<Knight of Blaze>> materialized before the Shadow Legion, the air crackled with an ominous energy. A familiar teleportation sound resonated behind them, and before they could react, the four players were slammed to the ground, pinned by the armored players of the Knights of the Blood Oath.

"What the fuck?!" Volt snapped, her voice a mix of outrage and disbelief as three players restrained her, immobilizing her wild thrashing.

"H-Hey! What's going on?!" Hero's voice was strained, his head pressed into the ground by the weight of two players, panic rising in his throat.

Musashi and Haru grunted as they hit the floor, but their eyes remained locked on the imposing figure of the monster looming over them, a hulking mass of flame and fury.

"Keep them restrained. I'll handle this," a deep voice commanded, cutting through the chaos like a knife. The flutter of white and red garments caught their attention, and Haru's heart dropped.

"HEEEEATHCLIIIIF!" Haru yelled, fury erupting within him. The sight of the man they had come to distrust ignited a fire in his chest, a whirlwind of anger and disbelief swirling in his mind.

Heathcliff didn't even glance at Haru. Instead, he unsheathed his sword with a smooth, practiced motion, pointing it at the boss that stood before them—an abomination with five HP bars.

Five HP bars. Usually, this would require a coordinated effort from 25 to 35 players to even begin to whittle down its health. But what Haru witnessed next was beyond comprehension, an act that felt like a mockery of their struggle.

With a single, powerful swing, Heathcliff's sword glowed crimson, cleaving through the air with terrifying speed. In an instant, an entire green HP bar vanished, the <<Knight of Blaze>> losing its left arm as if it were a mere branch snipped from a tree. Haru's breath caught in his throat, disbelief washing over him.

It barely had time to react before Heathcliff struck again. Four more slashes followed, each executed with brutal precision, systematically dismantling the beast as it crumbled to the ground in mere seconds. It was a massacre.

The Shadow Legion could only stare in stunned silence, their voices caught in their throats, minds racing to process the impossibility of what they had just witnessed. Heathcliff, with a few effortless movements, had reduced a formidable boss to nothing, making it seem like a child's play.

As the last remnants of the floor boss disintegrated into pixels, Heathcliff sauntered over to where Haru lay, the glint of his blade catching the dim light of the chamber. One of the players restraining Haru released him, stepping back to allow Heathcliff to approach. The moment felt charged with an electric tension as Heathcliff pointed his sword directly at the boy's neck.

Before he could react, a sudden strike echoed through the chamber, breaking the tension that had settled like a heavy fog.

...

"Final stand?" Kirito scanned the room, noting the familiar faces of his guildmates aligned with Heathcliff. "Squad Leaders, what do you think you're doing?"

Many flinched under the weight of his glare, feeling as if his presence alone bore down on them with lethal intensity.

"V-Vice Commander H-Heathcliff told us they were the enemy!" one stammered, eyes wide with fear.

"Enemy?" Kirito echoed incredulously.

Volt, Musashi, and Hero continued to struggle against their captors.

"He said they'd interfere with the last boss!" shouted the player holding Volt, who snarled and tried to bite him.

"Like hell we would! Why would we come this far just to sabotage this?! Are you seriously listening to that guy?!" Her anger burned bright, her resolve to fight palpable.

The three players around her hesitated, sensing her aura as a red player. Fear glimmered in their eyes, but they held their ground.

"That's right," Heathcliff interjected smoothly. "They're a thorn in my side. There's absolutely no way I can carry out my plan with their mere existence threatening everything I've worked for."

All eyes turned toward Heathcliff, the tension in the air thickening.

Musashi raised an eyebrow, swallowing hard as she listened intently.

Heathcliff looked up at the cavernous ceiling, then stretched out his arm. "Squad Leaders. Unsheathe your weapons. On my count, sever their heads."

Gasps echoed in the room at his sudden command.

"B-But Vice Commander! T-They're still players! If we cut their heads they'll—"

"Die? That's right. I want you to kill them." His voice rang clear and unwavering, sending a chill through the room.

The players restraining Volt, Hero, and Musashi wore expressions of reluctance.

"Apprehending us is one thing, but killing? I'm sure you don't want to get your hands dirty," Hero attempted to reason.

"B-But you'll get in our way—"

"What makes you think his words can be trusted?" Musashi countered, her calm demeanor in stark contrast to the chaos.

"S-Shut up!" One of the players sneeringly punched her, but she remained unfazed. "How dare you insult our Vice Commander!"

Asuna's grip on her sword tightened, her eyes narrowing at the scene.

"Asuna," Haru whispered, slowly pushing himself up. "I need an opening. Anything will do, just don't kill anyone."

She nodded, scanning for an opportunity. One presented itself, and she seized it.

"HAPH!" Asuna lunged at Heathcliff without hesitation, her shimmering pink sword poised to strike.

"You still dare to defy me?" Heathcliff caught her blade with his shield, brushing it aside effortlessly.

"Vice Commander!" his loyal followers gasped, alarm flashing in their eyes, which caused them to loosen their grips on Volt, Hero, and Musashi.

"NOW!" Haru shouted.

At that moment, a faint glow emerged behind Musashi. Suddenly, a loud screech shattered the air as a black-winged beast swooped in, launching an attack on their assailants. Musashi cried out its name, "Ark!"

In a synchronized movement, Volt, Hero, and Musashi broke free from their captors, instantly grabbing their weapons.

"Thanks for the help, buddy, but things are about to get tougher from here. Do you think you can handle it?" she asked. Without hesitation, it chirped gleefully in response.

Their resolve solidified as they charged toward Heathcliff.

"How foolish," he scoffed.

Before they could reach him, an explosion erupted, throwing everyone back into the air. A cloud of white smoke billowed around them, obscuring their view.

Haru instinctively pressed his arm to his face to avoid inhaling the smoke, worried it might have status effects. What now?

"Musashi! Hero! Volt!" he called, desperation creeping into his voice. "Asuna! Kirito!" He stumbled through the smoke until he tripped over something solid.

"W-What the?" As his vision cleared, he focused on what he had fallen over. "A red stone?"

He shifted his attention, noticing the surroundings had transformed drastically.

As the rest of the players came into view, he realized they had all been teleported as well. But where?

"Welcome! To the Ruby Palace."