The term "quarter point" circulated among Raiders. The twenty-fifth floor's boss was notoriously brutal, leading to speculation that the fiftieth and seventy-fifth floors would host equally fearsome foes. Now, with the frontline at the fiftieth floor, the Raiders prepared under this assumption. Their guess was correct, but their preparations fell short—or rather, the boss was simply too powerful.
"I'll hold it off! Asuna, work with Hachiman to regroup!" Heathcliff shouted.
The fiftieth floor boss raid comprised a full forty-eight players: eighteen from the Knights of the Blood Oath, eighteen from the Holy Dragon Alliance, and twelve led by Hachiman and Egil. But now, only half remained. The boss's ferocious mid-battle onslaught claimed twelve lives. Despite stubborn resistance, recovery items dwindled, and survivors were running dry. Heathcliff single-handedly tanked the boss's attacks, buying time to evacuate those without recovery means via teleport crystals while the rest reorganized. The boss's HP was down to one bar—the critical moment.
"Asuna, I've evacuated everyone in danger," Hachiman said.
"Got it," Asuna replied.
"How many KoB left?" Hachiman asked.
"About twelve," Asuna said.
"Lind, your side?" Hachiman asked.
"Sorry, six at most," Lind said.
"My party's merging with the rest—five of us. That's twenty-three total," Hachiman said.
The KoB, honed by Heathcliff and Asuna's training, retained over half their numbers. The Holy Dragon Alliance had lost more than half, but key members—Lind, Shivata, vice-leader Hafner, and tank Schmidt—held strong, maintaining combat strength. Hachiman's team included himself, Kirito, Nezha, Klein (a recent raid regular), and Egil.
"Can we do this?" Lind asked.
"With Heathcliff's monstrous tanking and the boss's remaining HP, it's tight, but this crew can win," Hachiman said.
"If you say so, I trust you," Lind said.
"Hachiman's reads are damn accurate," Kirito added.
Hachiman had earned the Raiders' trust.
"Heathcliff won't falter. It's unfair to lean on him, but we'll focus on chipping the boss down," Hachiman said.
"Any suggestions, Hachiman?" Asuna asked.
"Tanks line up on both sides, block the AoE attacks, then attackers hit and pull back," Hachiman said.
"Solid plan," Asuna said.
"Thanks to Heathcliff, the big hits aren't reaching us. Other tanks can handle the AoE," Hachiman said.
Asuna relayed the strategy, and the elite Raiders scattered, resuming the assault.
"AoE incoming! Tanks, brace! Others, get behind and prep to charge!" Hachiman shouted.
"Got it!" the group roared.
Tanks blocked the AoE, attackers struck hard, then retreated behind the tanks. Recovery crystals were prioritized for tanks, who calculated damage and used them efficiently.
"Boss's HP is red! Pull back a bit!" Hachiman called.
Astonishingly, Heathcliff didn't budge. His HP hadn't even hit yellow. He held firm against the boss's enraged state, and Kirito's final strike shattered it into fragments.
Cheers erupted as the Raiders praised each other's valor. Exhaustion set in, and they slumped, the atmosphere turning restful. The battle lasted only an hour, but the heavy losses meant a slower raid pace ahead.
"Kirito, what'd the boss drop?" Hachiman asked.
"A one-handed sword, Elucidator. Check the stats," Kirito said.
"Damn, that's strong. You're set for a while," Hachiman said.
"Yeah, no need to spend on weapons, just upgrades," Kirito said.
"That's your focus?" Hachiman teased.
They sat by a wall, away from the group, chatting. They rarely discussed drops with others, but alone, they'd share. Asuna glanced their way but was busy with deputy leader duties.
"Looks like raids will pause for a bit," Kirito said.
"You sound thrilled, Hachiman," Kirito smirked.
"I'll leave the fifty-first floor's gate activation to someone else. I'm out," Hachiman said.
"Later," Kirito said.
Hachiman told Asuna he was leaving and teleported to Coral Village, collapsing into sleep.
With losses demanding reorganization, raids halted, as Hachiman predicted. Players restocked crystals and upgraded gear. Days later, things settled, and Asuna invited Hachiman to a fiftieth-floor victory celebration in Algade. He gave his usual "I'll go if I can" but knew Asuna would chew him out if he skipped, so he adjusted his schedule to arrive late.
On the day, as the event neared, Asuna messaged, asking when he'd arrive. Hachiman replied he was on his way, but her next message surprised him—she wanted him to wear Ashley's custom outfit. Only time I'd wear it anyway, he thought, complying without overthinking.
"Sorry, I'm late," Hachiman said.
The group was small and familiar: Hachiman, Asuna, Kirito, Klein, Egil, and Argo.
"Argo at a party? And it's just us insiders," Hachiman noted.
Asuna just smiled, saying nothing. Hachiman sensed something off. Scanning the group, he caught their odd vibe. Egil, the most sociable, broke the silence.
"Hey, I'm Egil. You know Asuna?" he asked.
The others followed, as if meeting Hachiman for the first time.
"I'm Klein! Nice to meet ya!" Klein said.
"I'm Kirito," Kirito said.
"Argo, the info broker. Seen you before?" Argo asked.
Not this again, Hachiman thought, glaring at Asuna, who trembled, stifling laughter.
"You're not a KoB member, right?" Argo asked.
"Nope," Hachiman said.
"Asuna's friend, then?" Argo pressed.
"Y-Yeah, a friend," Asuna said, shaking with suppressed giggles.
Hachiman sighed. "Asuna, you're in for it later."
Asuna looked up, exclaiming, "What? No way, Hachiman!"
It took a moment for the group to process.
"Hachiman…?" Egil said.
"Actually Hachiman?" Klein asked.
"Hachiman!? For real!?" Klein repeated.
"No intel on this," Argo said.
"Are you all idiots?" Hachiman groaned.
"That's Hachiman alright," Kirito said.
"That snark's him," Egil said.
"Hachiman!? Seriously!?" Klein said again.
"Sounds like Haa-bo," Argo said.
Klein was stuck in a loop, but the group finally accepted it was Hachiman. He shrugged and sat beside Asuna.
"Sorry again for being late," Hachiman said.
"Whoa, that outfit…" Kirito said.
"Likely Ashley's custom work," Argo said.
"The legendary seamstress?" Klein asked.
"Who here has a connection to Ashley…?" Egil said.
All eyes turned to Asuna.
"Yeah, I asked Ashley to make it a while back. I really wanted everyone to see Hachiman like this," Asuna said.
"So it was your doing," Kirito said.
"Like I'd pick this myself," Hachiman said.
"No way you'd care about fashion!" Klein laughed.
"Klein, it's true, but ease up," Hachiman said.
"Almost went full salesman mode," Egil admitted.
"You're good at that, Egil," Hachiman said.
"How much for this info?" Argo teased.
"Argo, drop the pricing," Hachiman said.
"That's definitely Hachiman," Asuna said.
"Don't act like you've confirmed it," Hachiman shot back.
The group laughed, fully convinced.
"I thought this was a big victory bash, but it's just this weird crew," Hachiman said.
"You're the weirdest one," Kirito said.
"I just wore what Asuna told me," Hachiman said.
"I'd pass you on the street and not notice!" Klein said.
The conversation revolved around Hachiman, then branched out, the group lively with various topics. The losses weighed on them, but this gathering was the Raiders' way of tending to their hearts, ensuring grief didn't dim their resolve. They'd only just passed the halfway mark of their fight.
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