Published: 4/12/2016; Tuesday; 1:25pm; Unedited

#1 - Almost to the end of this story and will be publishing book two after the next chapter and the epilogue. Wow, this will be my first completed story. Would you look at that...

#2 - I had originally thought that I had published this yesterday but apparently it didn't and I didn't realize until two minutes ago. So here you go!

Chapter 13

Kirito had messaged me quite a few more times, telling me that Yui was an AI created to watch everyone in the game, escaped, and lost her memory. She regained it, and fought to protect both him and Asuna from Death-- or at least, that's what the monster he described to me seemed to be the manifestation of Death-- before the Admin found out and quickly got rid of her.

Of course Kirito would do something to save her before they could.

Apparently, they had been looking for a control panel of sorts, one that Death had been guarding, and manage to save Yui...by turning her into a stone instead of deleting her, or something.

I had no clue how that worked, really, or how to think about it because how the hell does that even work?

I sigh, finishing off the monsters I've been grinding with, glancing at my level and spun my sword and sheathing it on my back. Yawning, I use a stone and appear on the floor with Yuu's shop, and walk past everyone in the crowd, chatting and laughter filled the air, but my face was blank, lacking any cheer or happiness.

A little orange light started flashing to the right of my vision, making me pull up my menu and seeing the orange dot move to the messages. I frown, clicking on it. It was from Kirito.

Floor Boss tomorrow at noon, meet up on 75th floor at Corinea teleport gate plaza.

I stop in my tracks in surprise, he was coming back to the front lines? I hadn't seen Kirito since he brought me to help with Yui, and that was weeks ago, almost a month ago. But with Kirito came Asuna, someone I really don't want to see.

Actually, I don't want to see either of them, but this...a floor boss...it's been a while since I helped with that. After my suspension, I drifted away from the front lines, going to grind instead.

I continue walking, to prepare myself for tomorrow. Oh, and tell Yuu as well.

'...I have a really bad feeling about this next fight...'

~*~*~*~*~*~

In a flash of blue and white, I appear on the 75th floor at Corinea Teleport Gate Plaza. I was met with Kirito and Asuna look over at me, their eyes widening.

After a moment of hesitation, I walk over to their group and stop before them, I lift my hand up.

"Yo."

"Mue," Kirito greets me, a small smile on his lips, relief in his eyes, "I honestly thought you wouldn't show up since you haven't responded to any of my messages in a while." Asuna's eyes flash to him in confusion, as if asking 'you message her?', making me roll my eyes.

"Didn't know I had to reply to every update you gave me," I reply, then I gave him a smile. I had undoubtedly missed him more than I would ever admit.

We started walking, clearly aware of the stares (read: dirty looks) the other players were giving us-- well, Kirito, maybe me. I'm not sure what reputation I hold anymore.

"Hey!" I familiar voice called from behind us, we turn around.

Kirito gave a lazy smirk, immediately recognizing the two men, "Oh, you guys are coming too?"

"Why the surprise?" Agil asked, I knew Agil because his shop was once close to Yuu's when we were on the lower floors and still not a very known store. He was nice and made us weapons or fixed ours up and we would make him clothes and sometimes help with armor. "I'm abandoning my store to lend a hand here. I can't believe you failed to  recognize my self-sacrificing spirit."

Kirito put his hands on his hips, raising an eyebrow at the tallest male, "Then I guess you won't need a cut of the item drop."

Agil jerked back, worried, "No, that would be..." I couldn't help but start laughing, as did Kirito, Asuna, and Klein. I felt light, like a the weight on my shoulders had been lifted-- even if it was just a little bit. I haven't had a good laugh in a while.

So what was this sinking feeling that something was going to happen-- something was going to go horribly wrong?

Another flash of blue light made us stop our laughter and look over, the atmosphere becoming tense. The leader of the Knights of Blood Oath, Heathcliff, walks past everyone, throwing my a glance, eyes hardening and looking forward again. He raised a large teleport crystal and his voice sounded out, "Open Corridor." The crystal shattered and the a light shone before him, rippling as the portal opened. "Now," he turned back to look at everyone who was present, "let us go." He stepped through, disappearing to the other side.

We all followed suit, and appeared in a dark corridor. Asuna and Kirito were in front of me, looking around.

"It's sort of unsettling, isn't it?" Asuna asked.

As much as I was tempted to roll my eyes, she was right. But I've had this unsettling feeling since yesterday, so that made me right.

"Yeah," Kirito muttered. Everyone prepared themselves, as we had all the time in the world as we stood in front of the large door. I went through my inventory, making sure I had everything I needed in order.

"Is everyone ready?" Heathcliff called, "Broadly speaking, the Kights of the Blood will stay up front and keep the boss in check, so in the meantime discern its attack patterns and conter-attack as appropriate. It'll likely be a difficult battle, but I believe that your strength will allow us to pull through. For our freedom!" Many let out roars, agreeing, getting pumped to win this battle.

I close my eyes.

'Breathe in...and let it all out. Eyes open. I'm ready.'

"It'll be fine," I hear Asuna whisper, my eyes flickered to the side. Asuna was holding Kirito's hand, whispering in his ear,  giving him an assured smile. "Kirito-kun, I'll protect you. So you protect me too, okay?"

Kirito relaxed, smiling, "Yeah. You can count on it."

I want him to assure me.

I want to hold his hand.

I want him to look at me that way.

I could care less if Asuna dies.

The creaking of a door brought me out of my stupor, my eyes widening as I realize what I had just thought, and looked away from them. 'Now was not the time to be jealous,' I unsheathed my sword, readying to run in the boss room, 'This is a serious battle, I can handle myself, I am strong, I am--'

"Don't die."

I jump, startled by Kirito's words, looking at him.

"Heh! Right back at you!" Klein smirked.

"I'm going to make a killing off today's drops, do I don't intend to die," Agil attempted to lighten the mood, but the air was tense. Kirito glanced at me, waiting for my reply.

"..." I gulped, huffing and looking ahead once again, "We've come so far, I can't die now, idiot."

The door rumbled the ground as it finished opening, "Attack!" Heathcliff yelled, rushing in, everyone following in with yells. I remained quiet as we entered the completely empty room, all spreading out into our positions.

We looked, but there was nothing.

I heard something, as if crawling...like...a bug. But the way the crawling sounded...it was as if they were...

"Above us!" Asuna shouted, making everyone look up, and there, stuck to the ceiling, was one of the most terrifying creature I had seen in the game. Like a millipede of sorts, but it was completely skeletal, four eyes, and more than one jaw. I grip my sword tighter, others around my shaking, quivering, terrified.

I was frozen, because I had seen that monster before. I would recognize the disturbing thing anywhere.

"The Skull..." Klein gasped out.

"Reaper?" Kirito finished, horror and determination on his face.

'The Skull Reaper...even the name is the same.'

"Don't panic!" Heathcliff ordered as Skull Reaper came flying down to us. "Distance yourselves!"

"This way!" They moved away, still terrified beyond sanity.

"Run!" Kirito yelled, waving them over. I was across the platform from where they were, seeing as I had took off as soon as Heathcliff gave the order.

The others started to run, but Skull Reaper hand reached the ground, the force making them fall over, the platform turned red. Skull Reaper lashed out, hitting both of them, sending them flying. Asuna and Kirito attempted to catch them, but they turned into pixels before reaching them.

They were dead.

"One...hit..." I began shaking, my confidence leaving me. How could-- how is it here? Why is it here? I...the lives that will be lost...are they all my fault...?

Heathcliff blocked an attack, so it went to the next person, killing him immediately, and began crawling on the walls to reach other targets.

It suddenly jumped and landed in front of me, my eyes widened, as I stared it down. It raised it's arm, and swung down.

"MUE!" Kirito's voice brought me out of my daze and I jumped out of the way just in time, running under it, it's other tendrils attack me just the same, aiming for me, and I skid out from the end, spinning around and hitting it three times before it began moving to its next victims.

Just as it was going to hit another person, Kirito sprinted and blocked with both his swords.

"KIRITO, NO! YOU CAN'T DEFLECT IT ON YOUR OWN!" I shouted, but it was too late, and Kirito was clearly unable to as I had said. Asuna and Heathcliff appeared, the former attack and the latter assisting in deflecting, successfully pushing Skull back.

"If we intercept it together, we can stop it." Asuna grunted, helping Kirito up, "It's no problem for us!"

"We'll attack it's scythes! Everyone else, attack its flanks!" Kirito ordered, and we did just as he said.

But as much as I attacked, my blows were weak, my legs felt like they would give out at any second, it was still running through my mind that The Skull Reaper existed. It was here. I stopped attacking , backing away, giving myself the leisure to process the boss before us.

Why was I terrified of his creature? Not because of it's scythe hands, no, I've seen those. It's long flanks that could jab at anything that got under it? No, that wasn't it either. What bother me-- what made me want to freeze in my spot and wish I hadn't come to this boss battle...

I had designed this creature four years ago.