Sword Art Online: The Crystal Swordsman

Second Wind

K led the way out to the main road and pointed ahead at a large warehouse type building. It was a lot more colourful and inviting however.

"That's the SuperStore. We could move there for supplies and a high ground. Assuming it's not inhabited." K cracked his neck.

"We going in quiet this time?" I asked.

"No. It's a Warehouse. We're going in loud. Move tactically until you have a clear shot, then all hells gonna break loose. You ready?" K looked back at us all.

We all nodded and readied our weapons. K pulled his skull scarf over his mouth, then pressed his earpiece. With the press of a button, matter fabricated the front of a skull over his face. It's eyes activated and turned red and K tilted his head.

"Let's Get Evil." K's mask seemed to double as a voice changer.

Unlike DeathGun's, K's mask looked like it was made of actual bone. Almost as if it were taken, ripped right from a human skull. K turned back to the SuperStore and doubled timed it across the road quickly. We all followed as K vaulted over a short wall. We repeated his movement and chased him into the SuperStores entrance. K nodded and opened the door slowly, being sure to peek and scan everywhere as we entered. Tills for ringing up items were lined up but there was enough space to still get thru. It was a wholesale warehouse just like K said, but it was in complete disarray. Papers and boxes were scattered around the floor as K moved up tactically. We followed along the tills until K slowed up and peeked a corner. He looked around more then slowly moved up and encouraged us to do the same. K put his back to a till and we stacked up next to him.

"Sinon and I are gonna flank around back. The rest of you push hard to the middle." K ordered.

"On it." Kirito nodded and led the rest of the team forward to more cover.

I watched them peek around the corner slowly then proceed to the more open area of the warehouse.

"This way." K beckoned and turned left instead of going straight to the middle.

The two of us walked and checked our corners with each move. We moved around a shelf and upon advancing, we saw a player walking forward with his back turned to us. K activated his Dead Silence and pounced on the player, stabbing him in the neck and killing him. In that moment, gunfire broke loose in the middle of the warehouse.

"They know you're there and they're coming for you! Run!!" Kirito shouted as he unloaded his rifle.

I heard him on comms and ran for the next room just beside us, hoping that would be a better alternative to standing in the open. K hesitated at first but followed me quickly and led the way to an exit. We ended up in the back parking lot of the building next to another main road. Across the street was a pizzeria and that was where we were meant to go next. K moved up and we knelt behind a small wall before attempting to cross the road. K mounted his gun on the top of the wall and scanned around.

"You can mount now?" I asked, realizing that wasn't a thing before.

"Yes, my Lynx. It's a great way to reduce recoil." K called me by my callsign, something he hasn't done in a long time.

"You see anything?" I asked him.

"It seems awfully quiet. I notice a few broken windows on the- Contacts! Pizzeria!" K adjusted his aim and opened fire with his AR.

I heard K's bullet spray break some windows on the building as bullets began to fly back at us. K stayed up until a bullet grazed his shoulder.

"Agh!" He winced and ducked, reloading his rifle with another magazine.