Sword Art Online - Legends of Aincrad

Chapter 11 - The Blue Eyed Demon

Hello and welcome back! I hope you're all ready for a good fight scene, some Kirisuna moments, and another cliffhanger, because that's what is being served! Enjoy!

(Opening theme)

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Shoto, Kirito and Asuna were now standing in front a door that lead to the boss room. "Let's take a look, eh?" Shoto suggested.

"Good idea," Kirito nodded. "Maybe we can see what we'll be up against. Just keep your teleport crystals ready." Shoto and Asuna both did as they were told before they shoved the massive doors open. To their surprise, only darkness and silence greeted them.

"Where is it?" Asuna asked with a slight frown.

"I don't know," Shoto replied, also frowning. Looking back for a second, he said, "Hey, Asuna. Stay here. Kirito and I are going in for a look."

"What?" Asuna hissed.

"Don't worry, we won't go in far," Kirito said as he grasped Asuna's shoulder reassuringly. "We'll be fine." With reluctance, the girl let them go in first, deciding to content herself with remembering that this was a standard boss scouting procedure. Asuna stayed behind with her crystal ready in case of an emergency while Shoto and Kirito went in to look at the boss to study its weapons and anything else that might help them counter it.

For a few steps, nothing happened. But about ten feet in, a blue fire was lit atop a torch. Then another. And another. They kept lighting until the round room was lit entirely, and the boss was illuminated.

Shoto and Kirito both gaped in shock at the sheer size of the monster before them. It stood easily three or four times their height. The blue fur that covered its body was all rippling underneath with finely chiseled muscles. In it right hand rested a sword big enough to cleave a horse in two with one swipe. On its powerful neck rested a goat's head while it had a tail in the likeness of a snake. The thing was a Minotaur, Shoto realized.

It suddenly raised its sword and roared, its red eyes blazing with blue light. The name appeared simultaneously: The Gleam Eyes. Seeing the whole thing, the trio did what any sane human being would in their situation- they ran for the dungeon's nearest safe zone, all the while yelling, not looking back once.

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"W-Well..." Shoto gasped as the three friends all sank to the ground. After a good ten minutes of running, they had managed to reach the safe zone without antagonizing any mobs. "I think that's got to be the fastest I've run in the two years I've been here. Talk about a great work-out."

"Yeah," Kirito agreed. "That one's gonna be a real pain to beat. It's probably got all kinds of crazy two-handed sword skills."

"Right," Shoto nodded. "We're gonna need at least two separate teams just to wear it down by switching in and out. And at least ten of them should be shield-users."

"Shield users, huh?" Asuna said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, Shoto's right," Kirito nodded. "What's with the funny look?"

"You guys," she said as she made a vague gesture towards the duo. "How come you're so eager to send other people with shields in? You both have one-handed swords, and the biggest advantage to that is that you can use a shield."

"Do I need to remind the kettle that it's still calling the pot black?" Shoto quipped. "You're the same way as us."

"I don't use one because it slows down my rapier, and you overuse that expression," Asuna shot back. "What's your reason? You're basically the wildcard out of the three of us"