The Rogue Reaper (Sword Art Online)

Part 13: Prison Break

They raced up the stairs and down a deserted hallway. It had been a while since Noct had visited the City of New Beginnings' enormous castle, where the Army had turned the dungeon into a prison and the rest of the castle into their headquarters. The sudden appearance of plush carpets, wall-hung landscape paintings and the sound of the trumpets and strings of the castle background music threw him for a loop.

He stopped at the end of the hallway and carefully peeked around the corner. The main floor of the castle was grand and open. Red carpets were rolled out over the marble tiled floor. White pillars the size of trees supported the overlooking upper floors. In the centre of the lobby, a soldier sat at the reception desk with his feet propped up on the table. Behind the desk, two carpeted, curving staircases led up to the second floor. Another guard who wielded a halberd stood at the towering double front doors, swaying her head gently back and forth, perhaps listening to the symphonic ambient music.

Noct looked over his shoulder to Lovino. Visual on two guards, he motioned with one hand. He counted down with his fingers. Sneak around them. Go on three, two, one-

Lovino dashed out in front of him and shadowstepped out of sight. The sound of her teleportation skill caused the guards to look over to where Noct was hiding. The guard at the desk swung his legs down off the desk when he saw the thick cloud of black smoke Lovino left behind.

"Hey, where did that smoke come from?" he asked the other guard. "And did you just hear a noise?"

The soldier with the halberd slowly shook her head, obviously just as confused as he was.

The guard drew his shortsword and cautiously approached the gradually dissipating cloud of smoke. He poked at the smoke, jumped back, then prodded at it again as if something was going to jump out at him. Noct's heart started pumping harder as he sensed the guard inching closer and closer.

"Huh. Guess it's not a big deal. That was kind of weird, though." Noct heard the guard sheath his sword.

Judging from the sound of his voice, he was facing away from him. He ran out and was met by the guard's back. Noct grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him around the corner, out of sight. He slammed the guard against the wall, knocking the wind out of him. The guard grabbed the hilt of his shortsword instinctively as Noct brought his fist back. His hand glowed with power. He twisted, and the «Breaker Fist» smashed into the guard's face. The guard crumpled, stunned, to the floor. He groaned as he lay face-down and unmoving.

A crash and a yelp came from around the front door of the castle. Noct looked over and saw Lovino had jumped down from the high ledge of one of the pillars and onto the halberd wielding guard, knocking her over with a falling kick. They were on the floor struggling, but without her katana Lovino was gradually being overtaken.

The guard kicked Lovino in the gut, throwing the assassin off her. Sprinting to them, Noct kicked the guard over in the side as she was getting to her feet, and incapacitated her with a stomp to the stomach. She rolled over, unable to move or fight further.

Lovino got up and brushed herself off. "Excellently done. I believe if this were a combat zone, you likely would have killed them both."

"Let's go find the Captain's office before these guys wake up," Noct said, already starting up one of the great staircases. "Go scout the main floor. I'll check up here."

The Captain's office was in a side room on the second floor. Kathrall's name was etched on a plate on the door. Noct tried the door, but when he touched the handle a lock screen and a number pad appeared, requiring a numerical code to unlock it. He entered the same code that unlocked his cell from earlier, and a green "OK" message greeted him with a chime. The door swung open into a modestly sized, but very orderly and tidy room. In front of windows looking out over the City of New Beginnings, a high-backed leather chair sat behind a wooden desk that had a few low stacks of papers and notes on it. On one wall was a rack of spare azure blue spears, all identical, and on the other wall was a corkboard plastered with photos and names.