Chapter 21: The Battle Begins

Charge!

There are few sights more terrifying on a battlefield of cold steel than the thunderous advance of mounted warriors.

Dozens of undead knights surged forward, their skeletal warhorses thundering like a stampede of runaway trucks on a dark highway. Their black lances gleamed under the eerie light, angled forward like the scythe of the Grim Reaper himself. At the same time, a hail of arrows rained down from skeletal archers, their accuracy proving that, even in death, some soldiers never lost their deadly touch.

The [Star Flame] elite group had fought through countless batttles, battled monstrous bosses, and cleared floors that should've been impossible. But watching this nightmarish charge—undead knights leading the charge with hundreds of black skeleton warriors lumbering in behind them—more than a few players swallowed hard.

Morin was the first to snap back to reality. His voice rang through the battlefield like a war drum.

"Defensive formation, now!"

Without hesitation, the well-trained players fell into position. Heavily armored tankers braced their shields at the front, agile swordsmen stood ready just behind them, and support players gathered in the center. They weren't some ragtag group of amateurs; they were SAO's elite. If this horde thought they could break through with brute force alone, they had another thing coming.

The cavalry was nearly upon them now. Morin could see the glint of their dark lances, the soulless hollows of their eye sockets. Then—

"Here they come!"

With expert timing, Morin activated [Shield Strike]. His crimson shield glowed as he stepped forward and bashed it into the charging knight, sending the undead warrior flying from its mount. The skeletal horse reared up, riderless, before vanishing into digital fragments.

For a brief second, there was silence. Then—

"Boom!"

The rest of the undead cavalry slammed into their formation. The impact was like a truck hitting a brick wall. Shields scraped against spears, swords clashed with bone, and battle cries mixed with the chilling howls of the undead.

Morin gritted his teeth and swung his black longsword, carving deep gouges into the knight closest to him. A swift follow-up stroke decapitated it entirely, its head rolling away before bursting into data shards. He barely had time to enjoy his victory before another knight lunged at him—only to be cut down mid-charge by a barrage of sword skills from his allies.

"Hold the line!"

"Ignore the archers! Focus on the knights!"

The players shouted over the chaos, their voices laced with determination.

Unlike a real medieval battlefield, where a cavalry charge would have shattered most formations, this was a game. And in SAO, mechanics ruled over reality. That meant that with the right coordination, even a group of undead knights couldn't just bulldoze through them. Instead, they were being repelled, forced back step by step.

And then, Asuna entered the fray.

With a blur of motion, she darted between enemy lines, her [Lambent Light] flashing like a streak of lightning. Each strike found its mark, and with every elegant thrust, an undead knight collapsed into pixels.

"Did you have to make it look that easy?" Argo huffed as she cut down a skeleton warrior nearby.

"It's not my fault they're slow," Asuna replied, effortlessly dodging a spear thrust.

The skeleton warriors, having taken their sweet time getting to the fight, finally joined the battle. But compared to the undead knights, they were like a bunch of slow-moving extras in a low-budget horror film. Players quickly cut them down, their swords glowing as they unleashed powerful skills.

Victory seemed imminent—until the boss finally made its move.

From atop its towering bone dragon, the Undead Wizard raised its bony hands.

"Weakness!"

A grayish mist spread across the battlefield, sapping the strength of the players.

"Dim Vision!"

A dark haze settled over them, making it harder to see.

"Death Aura!!!"

Suddenly, the remaining undead knights and warriors burst into shadowy flames. Their speed and power surged, turning what had been a controlled fight into a desperate struggle.

"Okay, this is starting to feel a bit unfair," one player groaned, barely blocking an enhanced attack.

Morin didn't disagree. He scanned the battlefield, watching as even the strongest fighters were beginning to struggle. If they didn't take out that undead wizard soon, things were going to get ugly.

"Asuna!" he called out, slicing through another skeleton. "We need to take out that boss—now!"

"Agreed!" she shouted back, deflecting an attack before delivering a lethal counter.

The wizard wasn't just buffing its minions; it was actively summoning more undead, including another knight.

"Oh, come on!" Argo groaned. "This guy's got a whole army in his pocket!"

Morin made his decision. "Argo, hold the line! Strategy group, with me and Asuna—we're taking down that bone dragon and its master!"

"Got it!" Argo and the others quickly adjusted, focusing on defense as Morin, Asuna, and a select few charged forward toward the towering undead boss.

The wizard turned its hollow eyes toward them, as if sensing the danger. The bone dragon beneath it let out a haunting screech, flaring its skeletal wings.

Morin gripped his sword tighter.

"Let's end this."

With that, they rushed forward, straight into the heart of the storm.

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