Sword Art Online: Integral Factor

Disaster Strikes

A/N Hello everyone and welcome back to another chapter of Sword Art Online: Integral Factor! I hope you all have been enjoying the story thus far! I know you all are probably wondering why I'm not making more chapters about the floors between 4-55 but that would make the story last way too long. People question my reasoning for making long stories, most stories out there last for years! Just look at MHA, DBZ/DBS, Bleach, One Piece, etc. I also feel like it.

It's been about a little over a year since Izuku found himself stuck in the game of Sword Art Online. He had been fighting tooth and nail in order to escape, and after a string of failures for raids on some Floor Bosses, everyone got a break and managed to clear floors 4 through 55. Floor 50 however was probably the worst boss that everyone had to deal with, and Kirito was barely able to get the final strike against the boss. 

For Izuku, he had been getting better with his Chains of Heaven. They were golden colored chained blades that allowed him a great amount of range as well as swift strikes. He had used them in great amounts during the last year and he couldn't help but smirk when he pulled them out into his hand once again. He and Koharu had just defeated the Floor 55 Boss and were checking out Floor 56 as they did a small check on the monsters of this floor. 

Their bond over the last year had been upgraded to a brother/sister like relationship. They'd have a spat or two because of certain things they'd disagree with, but overall, their relationship was more... co-operative than that of most. They checked out the area as they looked up certain areas on the floor for where they could take down monsters and farm. Their levels weren't that big enough to take on the harder monsters, unless they teamed up but even then, it would be very hard.

Over the last year and a half, leveling themselves had been very hard to do with how much experience was needed for each level increasing by a wide margin. But they'd managed to get themselves around level 92 for the last Boss fight and barely made it out by a hair. Although they had won, they were low on supplies and wanted to see if they could create a new weapon or upgrade their current weapons and armor. 

They got around the corner of a small zone when they heard the voices of two of their closest friends in the game. Agil and Klein. The two were a boon for their mental health considering the fact that the two were some of the youngest people playing the game as a whole, aside from the literal children playing. Running over to see what the two were up to, they found the duo surrounded by monsters and rushed into the fray.

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One short fight later, the small squad of players had caught their breath as they talked to one another about the time that had passed. They walked down the path as they began to talk about their time in the game and how Agil brought up a topic that the two were unaware of up until this point.

"I think you two should take a break from the front lines at some point. There's no telling how much trauma you two have taken on without going through the motions." Agil mentioned through suggestive speech. "I'm fine Agil, we have you two to help us through it!" Izuku said, as Koharu looked at him in worry. "Are you sure Enkidu? I thought that the last time we experienced a life-or-death situation you weren't going to go crazy?" Koharu asked, as she stared into his emerald eyes. "We'll be fine, we have each other's backs. So long as we continue to do that we will be invincible." Izuku said with a smile. "I hope you're right, but just think about taking a break at some point. You both have been on the front lines battling Floor Bosses for over a year now." Agil said, before they found a path.

Moving down the path the small group had let out sighs of relief as they reached the first town of Floor 56. Walking through the small town, they gathered their supplies as well as healing items in the event they might need them at some point. They even met a familiar face along the way, a girl with silver-gray hair and wearing red clothing with black shorts. She had blue eyes as she smiled at Izuku and Koharu before rushing over to the two and bringing the two into a hug.