Secret of SAO

Fateful Encounter

The parties that survived, gazed at the desolation before them. Alice had come to, after about an hour, so they chose to continue on to the next floor.

"The fires already consumed this floor... We were too late..." Eugeo cringed.

"All these people that died, I will not let it be in vain." Alice stepped forward. She looked to the others. "Listen up! Hades will continue to bring devastation to our towns and villages. He will not stop, even if we do! We cannot allow him to rule this world! This is our world, so let's take it back!" She announced to the people gathered in the town square.

"That's right, we will! YEAH!" The people roared in amusement, surprisingly stoked about it and not really worried too much. At least not what would be expected, when one's fate is bound to the results of their actions.

Kirito looked over to Eugeo. "They aren't taking this seriously. Don't they understand what is really at stake. It's no wonder, why they have never past the first gate. They aren't even trying." Kirito narrowed his eyes towards the other parties.

"Thanks Kirito! If you didn't come in, we would have been goners! Give it up for Kirito!" The people shouted in a relaxed cheer. They didn't acknowledge the others in Kirito's party, because they were unfamiliar. Kirito had become very popular on the forums, after his many adventures in other games. Not to mention how he could really go ballistic in a fight.

Kirito turned to more aggressive means. "YOU ARE ALL MORONS! DON'T YOU GET IT! MANY HAD DIED BACK THERE! THIS ISN'T ANY TIME FOR CELEBRATION!"

"Sheesh! Relax! It sucks for them sure, but we can still move on and beat this thing! We don't need them, to do it, either." The people continued, in a way that only came off as an insult to Kirito and his friends.

Kirito grabbed the man by the shirt, with fierceness in his eyes. "You want to die?! Go ahead! But don't take others down with you!" Kirito threatened, before throwing the guy backwards.

The man staggered in response, trying to regain his balance. "What the heck, man?!"

Eugeo stepped forward and slapped the man across the face. "Do something like that again, we won't come and save your ass, the next time!"

"You know this is only a game. Chill out."

"You think this is just some game to you?!" Eugeo mirror Kirito's reaction to a fault.

A big, muscular man with orange spiked hair and red eyes, stepped in between them. "Hold on. Save your energy for the real enemy! Let's stop wasting our time, fighting each other. The clock is ticking against us. We better keep moving."

"Sure man." The others settled down.

Kirito and his friends were still pretty upset, but eventually agreed to drop it.

Alice got her friends' attention. "We need to help the others level up, like it or not. After that last boss, I know there is no way, we can do this ourselves."

"Yeah... I know. But they are hardly worth the effort, with attitudes like that." Eugeo headed towards an inn and the others followed close behind. "I'm beat."

"Me too. Hey Alice?" Kirito rested his head against his arms behind him, "You wouldn't mind making some dessert too? After that last battle, I could use a good distraction."

"If good food was a last attack bonus, I would never get to land an attack." She smiled.

"What are you talking about?" Kirito responded sheepishly.

Eugeo burst out laughing.

They gazed out over a fire stricken wasteland, finding a ghost town of destruction in their midst.