Chapter 121: An Unexpected Rival

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“Regroup all parties!” Lanser ordered once more. As the Boss’s health fell, an unforeseen change occurred, and the assault force suffered further casualties. From the very first death to the monster’s sudden outburst, six more players had already fallen during the battle. Even if Lanser’s guess was correct, it still depended on successfully defeating the Boss. He had no desire for a hard-won victory at the very end; for the final battle of his SAO journey, that would be an intolerable blemish.

“Heathcliff, hold it back! Kirito, with me!”

The two strongest people present were the founder of the game and Kirito, who was protected by the will of the greater cosmos itself. Naturally, Lanser called upon both of them. Heathcliff, who had always fought with a shield in hand, instantly drew the longsword concealed within it and struck the Boss with all his strength.

“Roar!”

At the Boss’s cry, its attacks became even more concentrated.

As for Kirito, the other protagonist of this battle, he used his twin swords to block the bone blade sweeping toward him and Klein. After coordinating with Klein to launch an attack, he finally reached Lanser’s side.

“Charge!”

Lanser issued the order to attack without hesitation. The three of them had no need to fear the Boss, so there was no reason to hold back. What mattered most now was that, whenever its health fell to a certain level, the Boss would forcibly leave the battlefield and randomly attack several players. That was the most troublesome possibility. Normally, whenever something went wrong, the strongest players could cover for everyone else. But if the targets were chosen completely at random, the parties capable of resisting the Boss might not react in time.

“Asuna! Protect Silica!”

After giving one order, Lanser did not pause before issuing the next.

“Silica! Until the Boss enters its special mode, follow the usual healing rotation. The moment it begins attacking randomly, stop healing at once and keep your eyes on its movements.”

Although the Boss had just demonstrated its ability to kill players instantly, the players possessed one advantage that had not existed before—their equipment.

In addition to their normal gear, everyone had prepared a set of equipment specifically for situations like this: armor that sacrificed all mobility in exchange for tremendous defensive power. Once the Boss reached the roof, it would not attack immediately. Instead, it would give the players a brief window to prepare before launching its random attacks. That gave everyone time to change into defensive gear.

As for mobility, among those present, the skilled players who could withstand the Boss did not need to change equipment, while ordinary players who needed the defensive armor would be unable to evade anyway. The experts had no need to change, and those who did need to change had no need for mobility. In that sense, Lanser’s arrangement was perfectly suited to the situation.

In Lanser’s view, Kayaba was merely putting on a show. That meant the Boss’s attacks, however exaggerated they appeared, should still be blockable. Hence, he ordered Silica to focus on healing anyone who was struck.

To keep the Boss’s health under strict control and give everyone enough time to prepare, neither Lanser nor Kirito unleashed their full strength. Instead, they attacked slowly, one measured blow at a time. In this leisurely manner, they once again forced the Boss down to the danger threshold.

“Everyone, prepare yourselves!”

In truth, Lanser hardly needed to say it. Everyone had already changed into the appropriate equipment. But when Lanser’s sword struck the Boss in the head, something unexpected happened.

“Roar!”

With that cry, the Boss’s bone-formed body suddenly exploded apart. It had not been defeated. Rather, it had entered a second form that should never have appeared.

“Stay alert!”

Lanser had guessed the purpose of the scattered bones, but he had no good solution. All he could do was shout the warning.

As everyone changed back into their original gear, the scattered bones seemed to complete some kind of transformation. They began flying in all directions like weapons, attacking every player. A single bone did not deal much damage, but the sheer number of them was enough to make one’s skin crawl. The enormous skulls were especially unnerving as they bobbed and lurched through the air.

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Although the scene looked even more terrifying than before, none of those qualified to join the assault were ordinary players. Before long, many of the bones had been smashed apart one by one.

The stalemate was enough to drive nearly anyone mad, as though it might induce a phobia of clustered patterns. Yet just as half the bones in the air had been destroyed, the Boss reassembled once more, finally giving the players a brief moment to rest.

“Roar!”

With the Boss’s second bellow, the battle began again. Lanser had only just recovered when he saw the Boss and immediately blurted out a string of profanity.

“********** Use your imagination.”

“It’s a giant bug!”

Lanser felt as though he had just overturned a table inside his own mind. At the same time, he saw the look of astonishment on Heathcliff’s face.

“What is going on?”

Lanser flashed to his side and demanded an explanation.

“I don’t know either. According to the program specifications, after reassembling, the Boss should become a smaller version of its original form, with all its attributes increased. But I have no idea what this thing is.”

Kayaba was staring blankly as well. Then, remembering Lanser’s outburst, he asked, “Wait. Do you recognize it?”

“This creature comes from the same world as the one we encountered last time. We call it the Terror of the Void.”

As they spoke, the Boss let out another thunderous roar. This time, however, it was not merely trying to frighten them.

“What’s happening?”

“What happened to my sword skill?”

“...”

As the number of shouting players increased, Lanser finally understood what was happening. He raised his voice and shouted, “Don’t panic! This state should only be temporary. Increase your output!”

Although the Boss had transformed into a creature that left Lanser speechless, he now knew exactly how it should be defeated. He could not explain that openly, however; coming up with a convincing excuse would be far too troublesome.

“Boom!”

The Boss gave Lanser no time to think. It stomped one massive foot, and Lanser instantly sensed something wrong beneath him.

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“Scatter!”

That was all Lanser had time to say. The moment he leaped away, countless spikes erupted from the ground where he had stood.

But in Lanser’s eyes, those spikes were not the most frightening thing. The true terror of the Void was its devouring ability, which could ignore all defenses. Apart from the spikes in its mouth, it had only one final ultimate move remaining.

“Roar!”

Under Lanser’s repeated warnings, everyone proceeded with the assault in a calm and measured fashion. They possessed most of the Boss’s data, so defeating it was not especially difficult. Yet as its health continued to fall, Lanser began to sense an ominous premonition.

“Kayaba, is there a problem with the database?”

Although this was not the first time Lanser had asked, he could not stop himself from asking again.

“Mm. Although the Boss has escaped my control, the authority governing every player’s life is still under the main system’s control.”

Kayaba sounded faintly irritated by Lanser’s repeated questions, but he still answered carefully.

At the very instant Lanser relaxed—

“Roar!”

With another deafening cry, everyone lost control of their sword skills once more. But this was no longer the first time it had happened, so nobody panicked. They merely watched the ground beneath their feet.

Lanser’s ominous premonition, however, drew ever closer.

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