On the other side, Kazuto Kirigaya grabbed Asuna and said with a serious expression, "You probably know what's going on."
Asuna looked ready to cry. "It's over..."
Kazuto gave the girl a heavy tap on the forehead and said sternly, "Pull yourself together. Right now, we need to defeat Akihiko Kayaba and foil his plot."
Asuna's eyes suddenly lit up. She looked at Kazuto expectantly and asked, "Do you have a plan?"
Kazuto gave a dry laugh. He could barely protect himself—what plan could he possibly have?
He said with a perfectly serious expression, "Why don't we just make our way to the hundredth floor?"
The light in Asuna's eyes faded. "It's over..."
Kazuto was speechless. "Since it's already happened, we should look for a way to change things. What good does it do to sit here feeling sorry for yourself? Besides, things have come this far. There's no point worrying about your mother anymore."
With that, he started pushing Asuna forward. "Life moves forward. You can't keep standing still."
"Alright, alright, let go. I can walk." Asuna pushed the boy's hand away and strode ahead in a huff.
"Asuna, what level are you?" Kazuto asked, catching up to her.
"Level three." Asuna frowned. "Why?"
Kazuto thought for a moment, then said to her, "Let's go fight some Man-eating Flowers."
Asuna froze, her steps halting. "I'm only level three."
What she meant was: Why are you sending me to my death?
"We can fight them by pulling them one at a time. If we do that, we'll be fine."
Asuna narrowed her eyes at Kazuto. "Are you sure?"
Kazuto patted his chest, looking utterly righteous. "Absolutely."
Only after the boy had coaxed her for quite a while did Asuna reluctantly agree. He sent her a party invitation, and once they were in a party, they would share a portion of the experience based on their damage contribution.
They dealt with a few wolf-like creatures along the way, then Kazuto led Asuna on a winding route to the entrance of the woods.
After exchanging a glance with Asuna, the boy strode forward first. He gripped his Steel Sword in his right hand and headed deeper into the forest.
Dappled shadows swayed beneath the trees. A gust of wind swept through, stirring the withered yellow leaves on the ground.
Kazuto surveyed their surroundings, occasionally striking down a small monster in one blow. Asuna had no chance to attack at all.
Watching the boy mow down their enemies, Asuna fell silent.
Was she... completely useless?
After clearing out the weaker monsters, they followed a narrow path back to the center of the valley.
The valley's center wasn't as densely wooded as the forest entrance. Sunlight streamed down, falling on the two of them.
Kazuto climbed the slope and peeked over the top.
This was indeed where the Man-eating Flowers gathered.
The Man-eating Flowers stood in small groups, wandering about slowly and aimlessly.
Kazuto whispered to Asuna, "I'll draw two or three of them over in a moment. Once I finish my attack, you strike and keep them staggered."
Asuna nodded.
Seeing that she understood, the boy took a deep breath. He casually picked up a stone from the ground with his right hand and began to put force into his throw.
A deep blue glow shimmered on the stone. Kazuto looked around and picked out a nearby Man-eating Flower. After checking that there were no Man-eating Flowers with those alluring fruits nearby, he hurled the stone.
The stone flew fast, cutting through the air with a whistle. It traced an arc through the sky and struck the Man-eating Flower on the forehead, reducing its HP by a tiny amount.
In an instant, it and the two Man-eating Flowers beside it sprang into motion.
Their Targeting mechanism activated, and they swiftly moved toward Kazuto.
The Man-eating Flowers truly lived up to their name as Abnormal Species. Not only were they frightening to look at, but they also moved in a very peculiar way.
Kazuto whispered, "I'm going in. Wait for my signal."
Asuna nodded. Kazuto rose and walked forward a short distance, then lowered his center of gravity and gripped the Steel Sword tightly in his right hand. He used the Sword God Style's Sword Draw Style.
He exhaled, and the blade began to shimmer with a deep blue glow.
The muscles in his right arm tensed. He lowered the sword to his waist.
As the Man-eating Flowers drew closer, he suddenly swung.
The blade flashed with a cold gleam, its movement as swift as thunder. It was so fast it seemed impossible.
In the blink of an eye, a savage wound appeared across the chest of the Man-eating Flower at the front. Its HP plummeted until it stopped in the red.
Green sap slowly dripped from the wound, falling to the ground.
The other two Man-eating Flowers rushed forward. A blue glow rose around Kazuto as magic enveloped his body. An immense power surged through him like a tide, coursing through every limb.
Kazuto kicked out, sending the nearest Man-eating Flower flying three meters. It crashed to the ground. Kazuto reversed his grip on the hilt with his left hand, switching from a one-handed grip to a two-handed one, then slashed across the Man-eating Flower's bloated body.
The Man-eating Flower, already low on health, ran out of HP completely.
"Asuna, switch!" Kazuto shouted.
Asuna rushed forward, her slender one-handed sword becoming a swift thrust aimed at the Man-eating Flower. The vines reaching for Kazuto were pierced by her blade.
A slender one-handed sword was designed for speed. Asuna's attack didn't deal much damage, but it did stagger the Man-eating Flower.
Stagger meant being unable to move after taking a hit.
It was a form of restraint that SAO inflicted on small monsters and bosses. Once players hit them, they couldn't react at all.
Of course, the requirements for an attack to count were specific. Only sword skills and attacks that dealt effective damage could trigger a stagger.
Kazuto quickly caught his breath. Although that last strike had been powerful, he needed a moment to steady his breathing.
His heart pounded. Asuna—
Kazuto shouted, "Switch!" He stepped forward, gripped the hilt with his right hand, and thrust swiftly.
It wasn't a sword skill, just a simple thrust. Even so, it was only a fraction slower than Asuna's single-strike sword skill.
Asuna pulled back, waiting for her skill to cool down.
The blade sank into its chest. Kazuto suddenly kicked it, knocking it to the ground.
The Man-eating Flower on the other side got back up and charged toward Kazuto.
Asuna stepped forward to intercept the last Man-eating Flower.
The Man-eating Flower was knocked down by the tremendous force. Its grotesque mouthparts hit the ground, its sharp teeth wobbling in every direction.
Kazuto shuddered at the sight.
Without hesitation, he finished it off.
He thrust three times, each strike piercing straight through. The Man-eating Flower's HP was depleted.
"Naoki, hurry!" Asuna's voice rang out.
Well, the trial promotion and the smart recommendation overlapped, so I'll save up some chapters for now. I'll resume posting two chapters a day once I've reached 88,000 words.