Chapter 7: Moonlit Black Cats
Diabel and Kirito were stunned. Their eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.
"H-He really sent the Boss flying…"
"His attack power… So he really can solo a Floor Boss…" Asuna muttered, gripping her rapier tighter as she stared at Kamikawa Hikaru, completely distracted.
The massive Floor Boss had just barely recovered from the previous blow when the one responsible—Hikaru—stepped forward once again. A furious roar shook the chamber, but it didn't even make Hikaru flinch.
He charged in with his sword raised. No hesitation. No fear.
"Stick to the original formation! Keep up the attack!" Diabel snapped back to his senses and gave the order.
But before the others could even move, Hikaru struck again—another powerful slash that knocked the Boss several meters back. Everyone froze.
It was clear now—this fight no longer needed them.
Hikaru's blade danced through the air. Each strike was clean, deliberate, overwhelming. The Boss's massive health bar was dropping, but Hikaru's remained firmly in the green.
That shouldn't have been possible.
The Boss's attacks and stats were leagues above average players. And yet, Hikaru handled it like a routine training session—dodging, countering, slashing. His movements were precise, almost robotic.
He was keeping pace with the Boss stat for stat.
Every time he took damage, he popped a recovery potion with lightning-fast reflexes. His HP never dipped below the safe zone.
As the intense battle raged on, the Boss's HP finally dipped into the red zone—the final phase.
And that's when it happened.
With a guttural roar, the Boss threw aside its massive axe and shield, and drew a gleaming nodachi from its back.
"A nodachi? Not the axe?!" Kirito gasped, sweat forming on his palms.
Asuna's eyes widened. "This isn't in the Beta...!"
It was true. This wasn't the same Boss pattern Beta testers knew. The devs had changed it. Without warning.
"This is... perfect," Hikaru said calmly, his eyes locked onto the Boss. His sword began to glow with a sharper red hue. He leapt into action once more.
As Bloodlust shimmered, it began to leave behind afterimages. Multiple slashes rained down on the Boss—blindingly fast, almost invisible.
The health bar plummeted.
"Die!" Hikaru shouted.
With a final, decisive slash, the Boss's armor cracked, then shattered. Hikaru tightened his grip and unleashed one final blow.
The Boss let out a last desperate howl—before its massive frame exploded into a storm of glowing fragments.
The Floor 1 Boss had fallen.
Cleared—by Kamikawa Hikaru alone.
The system notification rang out loud and clear for everyone to see. The first floor of Aincrad had finally been conquered.
Standing tall in the aftermath, Hikaru let out a slow breath, his blade still humming with energy. That final technique—Flash Sword Slash—was his own adaptation of a dual-wield combo system. It mimicked the dual-wield sword flow, but compressed into a rapid 30-strike single-sword sequence.
It wasn't perfect. But for Floor 1, it was more than enough.
"We… we actually did it…" Asuna whispered behind her hood, covering her mouth in disbelief.
"We did it!"
"We finally beat it!!"
Cheers erupted all around as reality sank in. The impossible had just been achieved.
Diabel, who had been silently watching, looked overwhelmed. When the Boss's HP had hit red, he had thought about jumping in himself to land the finishing blow and claim the rare loot.
But Hikaru's strength... it made him hesitate. No—it saved him.
Had he acted on impulse, he might've been the one lying dead on the ground.
And now, thanks to Hikaru, the story had a different ending.
For a full month, no one had made it past Floor 1. Now that it had been cleared, hope began to flicker in everyone's hearts.
Maybe—just maybe—this game could really be beaten.
As the rare loot dropped, Hikaru walked up and quietly swapped out his old cloak for the new black-and-silver one. In SAO, gear could be upgraded further with the help of Life Skill players, and he was already planning his next move.
He turned to glance at the others—then paused when he saw Asuna.
"Asuna... I hope we meet again."
With those words, he sheathed Bloodlust and walked toward the gate leading to Floor 2.
But just before he stepped through, a voice called out.
"Wait! How do you know my name?!"
Hikaru looked back with a smile. "Isn't it shown right under the HP bar?"
Asuna stared blankly at the display, then softly muttered his name. "Kamikawa Hikaru…"
"If fate allows it, we'll meet again," he said. "Oh—and if one day a trustworthy guild invites you to join them, don't turn them down. No matter how strong someone is... there's always a limit."
And just like that, he left the party and vanished through the gateway.
Kirito clenched his fists, eyes fixed on where Hikaru had disappeared. He had been trying to figure Hikaru out this whole time—wondering if he was one of the mysterious Beta testers.
But now, he was sure.
Hikaru wasn't a Beta player.
He was something else entirely.
And if he could grow that strong... then maybe Kirito could too.
— — —
The city on Floor 2 wasn't all that different from Floor 1—European-style buildings, cobblestone streets, open plazas.
After everything that had happened, Hikaru's body felt heavier than usual. He opened his map and headed straight for an inn.
Meanwhile, the other players had returned to Floor 1's town. None had yet followed him up.
But what Hikaru didn't expect… was just how fast his name would spread.
Word of his solo victory against the Floor Boss swept through Aincrad like wildfire. The players who had witnessed it firsthand were eager to tell the tale.
And soon, everyone knew the name—Kamikawa Hikaru.
To those who had lost hope, he became a symbol of something they thought impossible: a future.
A player they started calling the Black and Crimson Blade.
Lying on a soft bed inside the inn, Hikaru finally let himself rest.
He knew it wouldn't be quiet for long. Sooner or later, others would reach this floor too.
After nearly a day of rest, Hikaru finally left the inn. He nodded at some newcomers arriving from below, then restocked his gear and headed straight for the Wilderness.
The grind never stops.
— — —
Days passed.
That evening, while walking through the forest near the Labyrinth Zone, Hikaru heard something unusual—battle cries.
He froze.
"Someone's fighting?"
He immediately followed the sound.
Five players were surrounded by monsters—barely holding on.
And one of them… was a girl.
Without hesitation, Hikaru drew his sword and jumped in.
A crimson arc tore through the trees.
In just a few strikes, the monsters were gone.
The group of five looked at him, stunned.
"Thank you so much!"
"You really saved us! We're in your debt!"
Hikaru gave a small nod. "You're welcome. But if your level's still low, I suggest you stay away from this forest. The monsters here hit hard."
"We understand. But really… thank you for saving us, Moonlit Black Cats," said the guy holding a dual staff.
He stepped forward with a smile.
"My name's Keita. I'm the leader of this small five-man guild. If it's not too much trouble… would you join us for dinner back at the inn?"
"...Moonlit Black Cats?"
Hikaru blinked.
He hadn't expected that.
The guild he just saved… was that guild?
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