Sword Art Online: Forgotten Edition

Fragment 20 - "We won't die!"

After the whole incident, Hero stayed in the same spot waiting for something to spawn, but nothing did. His eyes were nearly devoid of light as he stared at nothing with his knees brought to his face.

(Nothing...matters...) He thought, (I should just...go back.)

Hero used a teleport crystal to return to the teleport gate on the 18th floor.

18th Floor - Teleport Gate of Gildrur

Back to the place where he came from, Hero walked out while dragging his feet with terrible posture. In any case, Hero wasn't the same.

"That's him! He's the one!" whispered a female player.

"The one who left his party mates to die?" asked another.

"We saw the whole thing happen!"

Hero's ears perked right up, at what a female player said. He walked towards her with a menacing aura.

"You saw it?" his voice was deep and didn't sound too happy.

The girl whimpered and couldn't utter a sentence, instead, she cowered in fear alongside her friends.

"I'll ask you once more time...did you see what happened in the dungeon?"

"Y-Y-Yes..."

She gave a response that he wasn't satisfied with at all. At that moment, he grabbed her by the collar then began to yell at the top of his lungs, attracting the attention of players in the vicinity.

"WHY--WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE THEM?! THEY COULD'VE HAD A CHANCE--THEY WERE OUTNUMBERED! AND ALL YOU DID WAS WATCH?! I--" a group of players took him off the girl and threw him onto the ground.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" someone yelled at him, "I have no idea what's going on, but you were definitely in the wrong--"

"Tch...whatever. This place is full of idiots..that's why we're still stuck in this stupid game," Hero muttered as he got up and left without saying another word.

The death of an entire party was once again being spread among the players, as well as the name "Shinigami" that was now associated with a player cloaked in black and has an eyepatch over one eye.

18th Floor - Field

Hero was aimlessly walking down the pathways of the non-safe zone until he reached an area that was full of monsters.

(...)

He took off his cloak, revealing his blonde hair and fine physique then drew his ax and shield. The group of Lizardmen focused their attention on him then attacked. Hero fought the horde on his own, slashing and dangerously depleting his HP.

(Die...Die...Die...Die...) That was the only thing running in his mind. His HP was in the red zone.

He swung his ax and killed an enemy, however, he carelessly left his right side exposed to an attack, and it would be too late to move his shield in time to defend himself.

"Heh...serves me right--" he smiled wickedly but it quickly went away when he saw the enemy that was attacking him, explode. "Wha--...."

"Phew~ that was pretty close!" a young player came running towards him as he picked up his weapon from the ground, but as soon as he retrieved it, he was pulled up by his collar and dangled in the air.

"Mind your own business kid..." Hero told him then threw him to the ground.

"Ow...ow...oh wait--no pain," the young player rubbed his bottom.