Klein(SAO)x Reader

Chapter Nine

I notice the spiky hair of the energy: Klein. He is sprawled out as the boss leaps over him, a large shadow making the dim aura seem faint. I sense rage, anxiety, and desperation replace the shock, and I consider time slowing down, the heat signatures move much more slowly. Dashing over to where Klein is laying at full speed, I growl, swiping my sword against the boss's as it crashes down on mine, and the ground around me thunders, then shatters like glass, throwing me off balance for a moment. The boss takes this moment as an opening, and I see the indistinct sword cutting through the air as it swings next to me, but surprisingly, my own saber deflects it with a single flick, and I hear a loud clatter as the blade is hacked to a stump. The boss howls in pure fury, storming towards me. Standing with my eyes narrowed, I hear Klein dragging himself to his feet behind me. 

"Stay down, Klein. Let me handle this." I grumble over my shoulder, not taking my eyes off the boss. I hear an indecisive gasp, but then, hurried steps as he moves from me. Taking my rapier in front of my face, I swing it to my side, dragging it along the disintegrating debris to sharpen the blade. When the boss is nearly on top of me, I dart to the side, slicing accurate cuts along its heart and essential organs, and a loud, yet soon fading cry splits my ears. Then, I hear a powerful shattering sound vibrate through the chamber, and after a minute of startled stillness, loud applause rises from the players gathered behind me.

"Woo! Go, Skylar!" I hear Klein hoot from behind me, and I turn to a hand on my shoulder. "That was awesome!" I can tell he's beaming imprudently, and before I can reply, I hear a meager ding chime in front of me, and Klein sighs in awe.

"Whoa, there's a last hit bonus? Open it!" I let him take my hand and unlock the box, and he reads it out loud. "It looks like it's a 'familiar'. What's a familiar?" 

"Maybe like a witch, or a summoner in Dungeons and Dragons?" I infer, tapping where the blue button should be. I then click the other tab that opens up with the same jingle.

"It says customize familiar. Maybe you should do that when we get to floor two." Klein pats my head, making me feel little. I rub my hair back into place and push where the red button should be. 

"Good idea. We should get outta he--"

 I hear Kibauo shout from a few feet away, and twirling around and narrowing my eyes again, I examine the man's aura. Kibauo's spirit flashes a very intense red, the others surrounding him seeming to be experiencing the same sentiments.

"But wait! Skylar knew about the new attack pattern! We should be questioning her!" I welcome a weird serenity that befalls over me at the criticism of Kibaou and his followers. I watch as all the heat forms turn in my area, and I grimace when their gazes burn into me. 

"Yeah! She should've shared her knowledge with us! Then Diavel wouldn't have died!"

"But guys! She jumped in front of the boss to save Diavel! It was unfortunate that Diavel couldn't move anywhere after Skylar saved him!" Klein steps in. I raise a hand, needing him to quit. "B-but Skylar! You can't be serious? They can't treat you like that when you killed the boss!"

"So? How does that prove she didn't just want the last hit for herself? After all, she did kill the boss, that could've been her goal this whole time! She doesn't care about any of us, just about money and items!"

"You're right. I knew the boss tactics, and I kept it from you, all for the fun of it." At first, I use cold sarcasm, but then rage burns within the serenity, which pushes me on. "I knew which sword the boss would switch to, and kept it from you. I kept the best strategies from you, too. All for the pleasure of it. Hell, I could've beaten this boss in my sleep!" While I shout at the other players, I notice Klein wince, but I ignore him as the commotion subsides.

"Y-you were a beta tester, weren't you? That's why you knew! You're not a savior like they thought! You're a monster! No, you cheated! Y-you're a beater!" Kibauo roars, advancing towards me. I clutch a fist-full of his shirt yanking him closer to me until my face is right up in his.

"You call me what you like, just as long as you don't confuse me with those yellow-bellied beta testers. I look forward to seeing you still on floor two when I'm floor ten, but if you'll excuse me, I've got some floors to clear." I snarl, releasing him when the wrath in his aura turns to dread, and then I whip around and storm out of the boss chamber.

"Wait, Skylar!" Klein calls from a while behind me, so I pause to speak to him.

"Hey, Klein," I sigh, rubbing my temples, already knowing what he's going to say, "what's up?"

"'What's up?' What do you mean 'what's up?' You just took all that blame for nothing! They were being idiots!" Klein spits out each word bitterly.

"Glad you're okay. You seemed pretty beat in the boss roo---" 

"Don't avoid this, Skylar! Now players are going to go and think you're a new enemy they need to either compete with or even kill! That's not good! To clear this game, we need to work together!" Klein rests a hand on my shoulder.

"No, we need motivation. That's what we really need Klein. Motivation to get out of this game, and then comes the working together. I motivated them to level up to be as strong as I am, or as strong as I seem, so they can pass me up. If it comes to it, I might die in this world because they want to get me off the scoreboard." I resolve, leaning back to walk away. "Anything to get these people back home. That's the priority of this game. It's either beat the game or die. Anyway, am I going to keep sticking with you? Or do you need time to cool off?"

"I don't need time to cool off. I'm not mad at you, just them. But, you're right. We should get going." I monitor the esoteric sensation under the irritation in his voice and hear a small hint of his usual, pleasant nature. Slightly smiling, I wander ahead, and soon, Klein's group meets us. I feel a few of their gazes boring into my back as I walk along the winding path, but I dismiss them, keeping my focus on the track.

How did I manage to see the blade of the boss's sword? It's useful yet surprising. At the time I needed it most, it came out and did that. Will I be able to see my enemies' weapons, or is it only a one-time thing?

Strolling ahead, I feel a hand on my shoulder, preparing me to stop. "Hey, there's the door to floor two," Klein murmurs, taking a hand, which pauses in mid-air. I note he's pushing the door because of the pebbles dropping onto the weird path. Soon, a large rumble stretches into the hushed reticence among Klein's group, and I hear gasps of astonishment. 

"What does it look like?" I anxiously poke Klein's shoulder.

"It's a desert! There are bulls and cows everywhere!" He exclaims, much to my wonder. It wasn't a wastelands floor in the beta, but a demolished palace. "Ooh! Maybe there's steak here!" He runs ahead, leaving me to watch in bewilderment at how he could think about food at this time when his whole group rushes after him. Slapping my forehead, I hike along a path within two cow-shaped auras, bustling when one puffs in my direction and blows my bangs around. 

A/N: Sorry for lack of creativity. Skylar kind of took on Kirito's role as 'beater' because I thought it would make her look like a better 'solo player'.  Also, I'm terribly sorry for how short this chapter is. Please comment on how you think about this, and hopefully, I'll get to you as fast as I can. :)