The Rogue Reaper (Sword Art Online)

Part 15: Battle for the Soul

Noct clutched his injuries as he slowly made his way through Nebel Woods, wincing with every step he took. The ghost town of Nebel and its surrounding fields were covered in an eternal, impenetrable white fog that made it impossible to see farther than a metre ahead of you. On this floor the sun had already set, making it even harder to see. «Night Vision» helped some, but not a lot, thanks to the white blanket that reached every corner of the floor. The fog was slightly lighter inside the town, but Noct didn't encounter any other players.

Floor 57 was one of the only floors where the Army didn't have a presence. People found the silence and emptiness of the deserted town to be disquieting. Even when the frontline was clearing the underground catacombs labyrinth on this floor, they chose to rest and resupply on the floor below, rather than in Nebel itself. There were rumours that the spirits and souls of slain players haunted this floor, leading to the nickname «The Forest of Ghosts». Now, only the unsavoury types came here. According to Lovino, the Blood Marauders created a hideout somewhere in the far depths of these woods.

"Guh... Ngh..." Noct threw out a hand to steady himself against a tree. His shoulder felt like it was on fire, and the other cuts and wounds on his body stung and ached. He inhaled deeply and exhaled hard. Why... does it hurt so much...?!

A low groan escaped his lips as he slumped down along the tree, exhausted. He couldn't go any further like this. He fumbled with his belt pouch, digging out his strongest healing potion. He popped the lid off with his thumb and poured as much of the «Elixir» down his throat as he could handle. Within moments the potion began to relieve his pain, and the red damage marks on his body began to close up and fade. Noct sighed as he found respite at last.

Noct allowed himself a few minutes to collect himself. It was absolutely silent in the dead of the night except for Noct's heavy breathing and the soft whistling of the wind. His «Detection» skill didn't pick up anything through the fog. There was nobody around for leagues, not even any monsters. He was alone.

There's supposed to be a pain limiter built into this game. Is it bugging out or is this another trick from that curse? He checked his HP bar and his body for lingering injuries as he decided to get back on his feet. His HP was fully restored and everything seemed to be well. More stupid 'features'. This condition's been nothing but trouble since I got stuck with it.

'Nothing but trouble'? Oh, come on, you have to give me some credit. I did lead you to unlock your new Hidden Skill, didn't I? Did you not also notice your power and speed increase? That was also me. Admit it, this is a good arrangement for us. You get stronger, and your appetite for carnage is also satisfied like never before, said the voice of Madness in Noct's mind. His voice was just like Noct's, but with a distinct gravelly edge to his words.

You again! Shut the hell up, Noct retorted. I wanted power, but not if it costs innocent lives. Especially not my friends'. Speak for yourself.

I am you. You are me. I am simply your desires and emotions in their purest form. You wanted power, you got it, thanks to me. Good job.

Tch. Like hell you're me. You're a parasite. How many times do I have to tell you to get out of my head?

Let's see, what else do you want? Freedom from the Army? Revenge on Hitoshi? To be with Akari again? Madness snorted. Well, I suppose the easiest way to get all of these would simply be to kill everyone. That isn't so hard, is it? See, I make things easy for you. You should be thankful.

With his eyes closed Noct could see his other self standing opposite him with his arms arrogantly folded. He was his doppelganger; he looked exactly like Noct's character did, with identical spiked black armour and a «Midnight» sheathed at his side. His hood was down, revealing the only difference in appearance between the two: His unnatural red irises that sharply contrasted Noct's dark blue.