Treading through the pitch-black dungeon corridor, Asuna and Mito's footsteps halted abruptly as an odd sound echoed from the distance. A faint but unsettling hum disrupted the silence.
"I hear something." Asuna whispered, her ears sharpening.
"…"
Mito decided to investigate the source, with Asuna following behind.
"Could someone be fighting?" Asuna asked in a hushed voice.
"Possibly." Mito replied without turning.
"GUAAAHHH—!"
A pained wail shattered the dungeon's stillness. The two girls exchanged glances and quickened their pace.
At the corridor's end, Mito didn't rush out. She hid behind a dark stone wall, observing the situation.
What Asuna and Mito witnessed was a tragic scene.
A group of players—perhaps five or six—were overwhelmed, surrounded by ferocious monsters. One had even lost his weapon, a longsword lying on the ground far out of reach.
"Why are there so many monsters?" Asuna asked, confused.
"Look over there."
Following Mito's gaze, Asuna spotted an opened, empty treasure chest.
"They triggered a trap."
"We have to help them!"
Asuna moved to charge forward, but Mito swiftly blocked her.
"There's nothing we can do."
"But…!"
Asuna stared in disbelief, turning to see the bright red HP bars above the players' heads dwindling rapidly.
Virtual blood splattered, their bodies covered in wounds, hope fading fast.
Then, the worst happened.
*CRUSH-BANG!*
One player—a black-haired man in leather armor—died as his HP bar hit zero.
His body shattered into beautiful yet painful blue light particles, vanishing forever.
"…!!!"
Though Asuna knew SAO was a cruel death game, this was her first time witnessing a player die right before her eyes.
Looking at the others, she saw the same fate awaiting them. One by one, their HP bars dwindled to nearly nothing.
"Once those monsters spot us, we're done too. Let's go back now."
Unlike Asuna, frozen in shock, Mito kept her composure. Forcibly, she pulled Asuna's arm, dragging her away from the massacre.
As Mito tugged her along, Asuna kept glancing back. The desperate screams and agonized wails of the dying players echoed in her ears, haunting every step.
'Not key characters.'
Meanwhile, Charlie, observing, had no intention of intervening.
Committed to protecting Asuna from the shadows while awaiting the Abyssal Devourer Type Assassin, Charlie wouldn't disrupt the balance for players who didn't even appear in the anime.
'Sorry, everyone. For the world's safety, the protagonist and heroine must survive at all costs.'
Feeling slight guilt for not helping despite his ability, Charlie quickly followed Asuna and Mito, lounging invisibly on his floating cushion.
As a Savior protecting the world, his principle mirrored Emiya Kiritsugu's: sacrifice the few for the many. Pragmatic, but painful.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Asuna and Mito climbed a steep, rocky hill, the scenery shifting to a dense forest.
They fought unique monsters found only there—predatory plant creatures about one and a half meters tall, resembling pitcher plants with thick lips and human-like teeth: Little Nepenthes.
Charlie watched, bored. He thought today would pass uneventfully like the others. He was wrong.
It had been too long since he last watched Sword Art Online. Beyond the main plot, he'd forgotten many details, including a dangerous incident about to unfold.
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
Mid-battle against a swarm of Little Nepenthes, Mito, circling the monsters, suddenly spotted one passing by.
"Asuna! Can I leave this to you for a bit?"
"What's up?"
"I saw a rare monster that hardly spawns on Floor 1. It drops a rare item, so I want to take it down."
"Alright! Leave this to me!"
With Asuna's go-ahead, Mito turned and chased a small, robed, rat-like monster.
*SWISH!*
Stealthily, Mito attacked from behind. But the monster reacted swiftly, dodging her deadly swipe by leaping sideways.
Noticing Mito, it stood still. Whenever she attacked, it evaded with frustrating precision.
"Ugh…"
Feeling toyed with, Mito pursued and attacked at an increasing pace.
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
No matter how Mito struck, the monster dodged nimbly.
After a while, it finally made a fatal mistake. Its foot caught on a tree root, disrupting its jump.
Seeing this, Mito smirked, swinging her scythe with full force.
*PU-CHI!*
The monster took a direct hit and died instantly, its body shattering into light particles.
A system notification popped up, displaying the rare item Mito coveted. A triumphant smile spread across her face.
"Nice! Finally got it!"
But as the euphoria faded, Mito realized she'd chased the monster far from Asuna's location. She hurried back.
Fortunately, when she returned, Asuna was still holding her own against the Little Nepenthes swarm, though visibly struggling.
"I got the item!"
"Great."
"Huh?"
Mito's expression shifted dramatically as she spotted a monster resembling a Little Nepenthes—but it wasn't.
"Asuna! Don't!"
"Eh?"
Mito's warning came too late. Asuna had already charged her Sword Skill. SAO's system didn't allow mid-action cancellations, and her rapier moved automatically toward the chosen target.
"Waaah…"
*PU-CHI!*
Asuna pierced not just a regular Little Nepenthes but another plant monster hiding behind it.
*BOOM!*
The plant monster burst its red sac, releasing thick, greenish-purple smoke that spread rapidly.
Fearing poison, Asuna covered her mouth.
"RAAAWWWWWRRRR—"
From within the smoke, Asuna watched in horror as dozens of Little Nepenthes appeared around her. She was now surrounded, with no escape.
"Asuna!"
Seeing this, Mito rushed to save her friend but was blocked by other Little Nepenthes.
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
A fierce battle ensued. Asuna and Mito fought desperately against the growing horde.
"Asuna!"
"Mito!"
A Little Nepenthes ensnared Mito's neck, but she swiftly cut it, leaping into the air and landing on a nearby cliff edge.
But misfortune struck again. She stepped on a trap. The ground beneath her collapsed, and Mito plummeted off the cliff.
"AHHHHHHH!"
Mito's scream echoed as she fell.
"Mito!"
Asuna watched her friend plunge from the cliff.
Now truly alone, she was surrounded by dozens of bloodthirsty Little Nepenthes.