Sword Art Online: Vengeance

Interlude

October 15th, 2027

In that total darkness, he couldn’t be sure if his eyes were open or not. He blinked and squinted furiously, but there wasn’t a bit of light to be found. He was sitting, but his attempts to stand ended in failure as he found his wrists tied to the arms of the chair. Here, in this dark room in this unknown location, he was bound. From an indiscriminate location, he could faintly hear-

“Music…?” he whispered. There was no mistaking that familiar tune; it was Chopin’s Funeral March. Hypnotized by the beautiful melody played by an unseen pianist, for a moment all his worries fled his mind. His entrancement did not last long, however; a sudden wrong note and slam of the fall board brought him back to reality.

Directly behind him, there was the loud crash of a door being flung open and colliding with the wall. Light flooded the darkened room, momentarily blinding the bound man. The sound of deliberate footsteps grew nearer with each passing moment. They became louder, and louder, until, suddenly, there was a deathly silence. The man could have sworn he heard his own heart beating, but that, of course, was an impossibility; the virtual body his mind inhabited bore no such organ.

As if appearing from thin air, that terrifying face suddenly revealed itself. It was someone the man knew well, and the sight of him was enough to recall to him how he’d come to be imprisoned in this dank cellar in the first place. That twisted smile…it was the stuff of nightmares. With a hand, the tyrant brushed his ragged black hair from his eyes only for it to fall back into place once again. “Nice of you to join me,” he murmured. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Eru?”

Eru quivered where he sat. The man before him was none other than Rilaw himself, the psychopathic criminal overlord. He began to pace in circles around the chair that confined his prisoner. “You know…some people say I’m evil,” said Rilaw in a sort of mock-sadness. “They say I’m a monster because of the things I’ve done. “ From behind his back, he retrieved a small dagger and paused briefly to admire its glistening blade.

“They call me a bandit,” he laughed. “Or a murderer.” He took a false swipe at Eru with the blade he now held, causing him to flinch violently. “To be honest, I don’t think I’m any of those things. Do you?” He looked into Eru’s eyes with a stare that could pierce stone. Too terrified to speak, Eru could only shake his head rapidly.

“I think there’s something that sets me apart from those types – the common criminals. And do you know what that is?” He tossed the dagger between his hands, twirling it with each catch. After a few exchanges, his grip froze with the long knife held firmly in reverse-grip.

“I’m a man of class,” Rilaw smiled. “Just because I’m not afraid to spill a little blood doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the finer things in life. Fine music, delicately crafted cuisines…and, of course, all the gold I could ever spend in luxury's pursuit.” With a sudden movement, Rilaw’s face stopped mere inches from Eru, whose heart was no doubt beating at an inhuman rate.

"So I ask you,” growled Rilaw, “knowing me and who…what…I am…why did you think it wise to stand between me and what I desire most?” After a few moments, he broke his murderous glare and shook his head. “You know what, I’m sorry. I think I might have confused you. I wasn’t very clear before, was I?” Once again, he began to pace around the room.

“In truth, there’s one thing I value most of all: justice. I’m not talking about police or law, here. Those things are fickle constructs of mankind set in place as appeasement measures for those who do abide by the system’s arbitrary rules. No, I’m talking about something very different…true retribution. One who is wronged has the right – no, duty – to be the arbiter of their enemy’s fate.

“You did a very foolish thing in helping Aidan escape the city, Eru. But that was hardly your greatest mistake. You were naïve to think you could cross me without repercussion, yes, but to willingly fling yourself back into the lion’s den is practically a plea for death. A plea I intend to oblige.”

Eru gasped as the dagger slid between his ribs from behind. He struggled violently to reach for the blade whose wound had already begun to rapidly deplete his HP but it was no use. He was as confined as ever, strapped down to prevent resistance. “The bleeding from the wound will have no problem finishing the job,” Rilaw said as he turned and began to walk out of the room. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…I must return to my practice.”

 The cowardly merchant continued to writhe - in vain. This would be his final resting place. From the next room, he once again heard the Funeral March’s haunting melody. It seemed this requiem played by the king of thieves was his own.