Sorano's POV
The sun wakes me up from my deep sleep. 'Today's the day. The first boss fight.' I was not looking forward to this as much as I though I would be. I created the mobs and chose the themes of floors but I did nothing about the floor bosses. I only know this information from some coworkers and the beta. I reluctantly get up and change into my armor. I put my hair into the same pigtails I had when I was with Kirito. I clip the button on my cloak and check the time. It was 9:30. I walk out the door to the meeting spot. I stood by the fountain and saw Asuna already there.

"Hey, Asuna!" I yell and wave at her. She looked at me and waved back. "Hi, Selene!" I give her a piece of bread and a jar of cream, the same thing she had yesterday. She was wide eyed with surprise. "You had this too?" I shrugged, "I was going to share it with you yesterday, but someone gave it to you first." "Well, thank you." We finished it before the rest of the groups got here. No one knew us or what we looked like. Mostly because we were wearing cloaks. Kirito came over and greeted us.

"Yo."

"Hey."

Asuna didn't say anything. She went back to being her quiet self. Diavel called everyone and lead us to a path in the forest. Kirito began to explain the job of our team while we walk.

"As the left the leftover team, our target is the Ruin Kobold Sentinels, the boss's entourage."

"I know." Asuna said.

"I'll use a sword skill to knock the poleaxes up. The second I do, switch and jump in."

"Okay, so what do I do?" I asked.

"Ano... (Umm...) You can attack after her and I'll switch with you."

"Okay."

"Switch?"

We look at Asuna. I forgot she never played video games. But Kirito didn't know this. "Don't tell me... is this the first time you've ever been in a party?" Asuna answers, "Hai (Yes)." I sweat dropped and Kirito just went all pouty.

When he finished explaining the art of switching to Asuna we made it to the boss room. Diavel stopped us at the door to tell everyone something. "Listen up, minna (everyone). I only have one thing to say. Let's win!" They all quietly agree. "Let's go!" He opens the large double doors which open into a large, dark room. I sense the boss at the other end of the room. We all enter and the boos room was activated. A light flooded the room and the boss jumped to the middle of the room. He roared and the sentinels spawned in the room.

"Commence attack!"

We all charged. Diavel gave orders while everyone else fought. Kirito took on the first sentinel. When he switched with Asuna she striked with the speed of light and precision. I was so impressed. She never played games but she looks like a pro gamer. I attacked the approaching sentinel and switched with Kirito who delivered the final blow. We all destroyed the sentinels and I saw that the Kobold Lord's last HP bar was in the red zone. It threw away it's ax and shield. It reached behind its back to pull out the secondary weapon.
Diavel ran to the front and was activating a sword skill. 'I thought the plan was to surround the boss with everyone.' The boss pulled out its weapon. 'That's not a talwar! It's a no-dachi!' Knowing that he was going to get killed I ran up. I hear Kirito's voice yell through the crowd. "It's no good! Jump back as fast as you can!" Diavel just keeps running ahead. He stops when the boss jumps. I use my sprint skill to make it on time. I push Diavel out of the way and try to block the attack. But I was too slow. The boss used a sword skill and I flew across the room. Diavel wasn't hit, but the force of the boss's attack knock him back into a pillar.

"Diavel!"

"Selene!"

I try to look at Diavel's HP bar. Even though I pushed him away his HP bar was decreasing. And so was mine. My cloak was ripped by the attack and I could see a little more clearly. He was only a few feet away. I tried to move but I couldn't. Kirito and Asuna come running towards us. My HP was almost depleted. Kirito carefully lifts me up and gives me a health potion. I take it and my HP is back to green. "Arigatou (Thank you)." We now tend to Diavel. His HP bar was slowly decreasing and it was in the red zone. I tried to give him my extra potion but he stopped my hand. "You guys were... beta testers weren't you?" I realized what he was trying to do and so did Kirito. "You were after the last attack bonus weren't you?" Kirito asked. "You were a beta tester too?" I questioned. Diavel smiled. "Please... Defeat... Defeat the boss. For everyone." Then he burst into crystal shards.

I was in shock. "I tried but I couldn't save him..." Kirito put a hand on my shoulder. We both stood up. I retrieved my sword and was ready to fight. Asuna came by our side. "I'll go too." "Thanks," Kirito replied. We all run towards the boss. He told us the plan. "We use the same sequence as we did for the sentinels." "Hai!" we answer in unison. Then the fight was on.

Kirito and the boss both activate sword skills. He blocks the attack and yells, "Switch!" Asuna and I attack with our own sword skills. "Asuna! Selene!" We see the weapon come down and duck. Asuna's cloak was ripped off in the process of dodging. Her chestnut hair fell down her back as she jumped away. She attacks again and I follow. We switch with Kirito every time the boss attacks and we counter.

One attack hit Kirito and he flew back into Asuna. I was furious and attacked using my high level sword skill. I was joined by Agil and the rest of the raid party. I fell back where Asuna and Kirito were. "Here. Some health potions." I hand them each one. "Arigatou." They recover quickly and were ready to fight. He jumps in and attacks the boss before it can hurt the other players. I run in to help.

"Guys! One last attack! Let's do it together!"

"Hai!"

We run in as fast as we can and attack with our skills. I run in for the LA and so does Kirito. He bosses HP reaches 0 and it shattered into pixels. The "Congratulations" banner appears and everyone cheers. I was tired and collapsed on the floor. I saw my rewards. I got the other half of the LA. I got the Celestial Dagger and Sword of Artemis.

"Good work."

"That was excellent swordsmanship. Congratulations. This victory belongs to both of you."

Asuna and Agil congratulated both of us. I stand up and hug Asuna. The crowd claps for us until someone ruins the happy moment.

"Why?" Everyone stops. Kibaou continues, "Why... Why did you let Diavel die?"

I was flabbergasted. "Let him die? I tried to save him!" "Of course! You both knew what technique the boss would use! If you'd given us the information up front, he wouldn't have died!" The crowd now wonders the same thing.

"They must be ex-beta testers! That's how they knew all about the boss's attack patterns, they knew, but they kept it from us! There's gotta be others here too, right? Those beta testers! Come out!" We all look around and no one comes up. Everyone was wary about the other and it left a bad atmosphere. 'This is bad...' Then, I hear Kirito laugh evilly.

"An ex-beta tester you say! I wish you wouldn't compare me to those newbies. Most of the 1000 people who were in the SAO beta were beginners who didn't even know how to level up. Even you guys are better than them. But I'm not like those guys. During the beta test, I made it to higher levels than anyone else was able to reach." I interrupt him. 'I don't want him to do this alone.' "Don't think you're the best Kirito. I made it higher than you did." He looked at me. He's expression didn't change but his eyes said that he didn't want me to help him. But I continued, "The reason we knew about the boss's sword skills was because we fought tons of monsters with those skills on floors far above us. I know lots of other things too. Way more than any info broker."

     "W-what? That's way worse than a beta tester! That's cheating! You're cheaters. That's what you are!"

     The crowd agrees.

     "Yeah a cheater!"

     "A beta tester and cheat... a beater!"

     "A beater... that's a good name." Kirito said. I agree, "That's right... We're beaters. From now on don't confuse us with the other testers." Kirito equips his LA bonus, Coat of Midnight, and I equip my new weapons. We walk towards the double doors that lead to the second floor.

     "Wait."

     We stop. Asuna was behind us. "You called my name when we were fighting." She said. I guess she was talking to Kirito. He apologizes, "Gomen (Sorry) for being rude. Or did I mess up the pronunciation?" "Where did you learn it? Did Selene tell you?" He shook his head. "You can she another HP gauge below yours around here right?"

I turned around. She was looking for his name. "Ki-ri-to. Kirito? Is that your name?" "Hai." She giggles, "Oh, so it was written there all this time!" He continues walking up the stairs. I walk towards Asuna. "You were great out there. With others, you can become powerful. So, if someone you trust ever invites you to join a guild, don't turn them down. Okay? Because there's an absolute limit to what you can do as a solo player."

    "Then what about you?" she asks. I hug her. "I can't. I helped with this. I'm an outcast." I let her go and continued to the second floor. I open my menu to disband the party. I clicked the "Okay" button and entered the door to the second floor.