Sword Art Online: Integral Factor

Floor 61

A/N Hello everyone and welcome back to another chapter of Sword Art Online: Integral Factor! I hope you all don't hate me for skipping a lot of floors to just get to this point in the story. We are already at part 16 of this story and I want to get a little further in the story since the anime had Kirito and friends escape from SAO within 14 episodes. So the story of SAO itself is coming to an end and Izuku will be escaping the game very soon and re-entering the world of MHA.

Clearing the last few floors had been a struggle, but Izuku and Koharu had finally made it to floor 61. After hearing about how the floor will be story driven for the quests, the two wanted to get in on the whole questline. They remembered the problem with Floor 47, and really hoped that Laughing Coffin wouldn't be as... centered around in this story as a whole. They walked over to the nearest vendor and upgraded their equipment so that they could take on the monsters on this floor.

Looking over the beach, the two smiled as they looked at everything that moved across the floor itself with both awe and happiness. The last few floors were very stress inducing, and Izuku really though that Floor 61 might provide a small amount of relaxation for the two of them. Although they wanted to get some rest for this floor as a whole, they decided to rest during their questline to find the Floor boss room. 

And as they moved across the beach, they eventually found a quest that centered around the mainline quest of the Floor itself. Defeating some monsters that put the NPC in danger, the two managed to get the NPC to safety before activating their little quest. As it would turn out, this questline had a certain gimmick towards the Final Boss of the floor that couldn't be completed so long as the person with a weird sigil on their body was killed.

They were eventually brought over to the one person/NPC who had this sigil on their body, and Izuku was feeling kind of sick about it. He looked at Koharu with a weird expression on his face, and she met his own with one of hers as she didn't feel like that was okay. Just because they're NPCs doesn't mean that they should live a life to bring an end to the Floor boss.

"Are you sure that you should be the one to die ma'am?" Izuku asked, as the NPC looked at him. "It was my family lineage's main goal to give our lives to free our people from the tyranny of the Monster in the Labyrinth." The NPC said, as Izuku sat down on the chair nearby. "Hey I don't think that is how someone should live! You shouldn't have to live with the fact that you need to save your people alone! Isn't there another way you can save them that doesn't involve them losing you?" Koharu asked worriedly. "I'm sorry but that is how it must be. There is a way to transfer the sigil from one person to another however." The NPC said, as Izuku immediately stood up. "Transfer it to me." Izuku said, as Koharu stared at him in shock. "Why are you so adamant to save my life?" The NPC asked, curious. 

"Because nobody should have to live their entire life for only one goal, you should have the ability to choose what your heart desires. NPC or not." Izuku said, clenching his fist.

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A few hours later, Izuku and Koharu were seen walking through the town of Floor 61 as they were preparing for their run with the NPC to have the sigil transferred from her to him. Koharu however wasn't having it as she got in his face as she caught up to him. 

"What is wrong with you!? D-Don't you want to return back to your home!?" Koharu asked, incredulous. "Koharu, all I have left in the outside world is my mother. If she found out I died protecting others... she would be fine with it." Izuku said, a very solemn expression on his face. "I don't think so." Koharu said, as she blocked his way. "Koharu, this isn't up for discussion. I am giving my life so everyone can move onto the next floor." Izuku said, finality in his tone. "I won't let you! T-There has to be another way for us to pass the floor!" Koharu said, as Izuku looked into her eyes. "I'm sure that there isn't. The boss can't be killed unless the person who has the sigil dies with it... we need to prepare for the Boss fight." Izuku said, as Koharu shook her head. "I can't live my life without you! You're the first friend I've ever made in this place! If... if you do this, then I will kill myself to be with you!" Koharu said, as Izuku immediately changed his tone. "You will do no such thing!" Izuku growled at her. "Or what?" She asked glaring into his eyes. "Koharu, you can't throw your life away like that! I'm quirkless, nobody cares about the quirkless person dying!" Izuku yelled as Koharu looked into his eyes. "I do." She said.