"Hey, catch this!" Kirito suddenly tossed a paddle toward Ren.
Ren caught it on instinct, freezing for a second. "Huh…?"
"No time! Hurry, row!" Kirito had already sat down, arms straining as he pulled, driving the boat forward as if even the current itself was trying to drag them back.
Ren hesitated for only a few seconds before sitting opposite him, dropping the paddle into the water.
The moment the blade touched the surface, it felt as though it was caught in something thick and unyielding. Ren gritted his teeth, gripping the shaft with all his strength, every muscle tense so he wouldn't be pulled under by the whirlpool.
Both rowed frantically, the gondola lurching violently, inching closer to the massive vortex the turtle was creating.
Screams echoed across the water. Some players, already exhausted, were choking, their faces pale blue as armor cracked apart into fragments.
The whirlpool wasn't just a pulling effect, it shredded their HP bars, tearing them down second by second.
"Asuna! You focus on aiming!" Kirito shouted, his voice cutting through the roar of water. He held the paddle tight, forcing the boat to resist the pull.
Then Kirito stomped hard on a wooden joint built into the gondola's floor. A sharp clack rang out, and with a snap, a massive crossbow sprang up from within the frame of the boat, its metallic gears screeching like something long dormant awakening.
Ren's eyes widened. At first, he thought those planks were just decorations, but hidden inside was a true war crossbow, gleaming, menacing, no less dangerous than a heavy weapon.
"But… but how do you even use this!?" Asuna stammered, her hands trembling slightly as she touched the taut bowstring stretched before her.
"Just aim and fire! Hurry, or we're all dead!" Kirito yelled, his voice hoarse from the strain of rowing.
Right after his words, the gondola shook violently, dragged deeper into the terrible vortex. The entire hull tilted, freezing water spilling over the edge, nearly swallowing them whole.
Ren drove his paddle deep into the surface, veins bulging on his arm. "Hold tight! If it swallows us, we're finished!"
Asuna bit down on her lip, drawing in a sharp breath. She gripped the trigger, aiming straight at the massive turtle spinning at the center of the whirlpool. Through the trembling sight, its figure blurred and flickered amid the frothing spray.
A metallic click rang out as Asuna pulled back the locking lever. A massive arrow, its head tipped with the fangs and claws of the Bear King, emerged slowly, glowing faintly like smoldering embers.
Everyone on board held their breath. Amid the howling wind and raging waves, the moment stretched thin, like a fragile boundary between life and death.
Asuna pulled the bowstring, her fingers shaking as wind and spray whipped against her face. She clenched her jaw, then released.
The flaming arrow screamed through the air, leaving a blazing red trail as it slammed into the turtle's shell.
"It hit…!"
But in the blink of an eye, the flame was snuffed out, like a dying ember on water. The shell remained cold, unyielding without a scratch.
"No… it didn't work…!" Asuna gasped, heart pounding furiously.
At that moment, the whirlpool roared louder, more savage. The gondola rocked violently, water lashing their faces like whips.
In the distance, a few players who couldn't hold onto their boats were pulled under, their desperate cries for help fading quickly beneath the current.
"Keep firing, don't stop!" Kirito roared, his hands gripping the paddle so hard they turned purple, joints popping as the boat creaked and groaned under the crushing force.
Asuna clenched her teeth, vision blurred by spray. She pulled out a second arrow, loading it into the crossbow, aiming for the turtle's exposed neck where flesh peeked through.
"This time… it has to hit…"
Thwip!
The second arrow cut through the raging vortex like a red comet. It struck the exposed flesh...only to bounce off, leaving nothing but a faint scorch mark.
Its HP bar didn't budge.
"No…!" Asuna cried, breath caught in her throat. Two precious arrows, wasted.
Ren slammed his hand against the side of the gondola, his growl louder than the crashing waves. "Damn it, it's not breaking! That's not its weak spot…!"
The waters churned violently. Nearby gondolas collided, shattered, splintering apart as screams merged into the nightmare of crashing wood and drowning cries.
Kirito's teeth ground together, arms shaking as he fought to hold the paddle, forcing the boat away from the vortex's core. "If we're too slow… everyone out here will be crushed!"
Asuna panted, her shoulders trembling, breath quick and ragged with the storm. She bit her lip until it bled, eyes wavering between panic and resolve.
Ren's sapphire gaze swept across the scene, tracing the turtle's movement, the crashing spray, the spinning currents.
For a moment, his eyes narrowed, hand gripping the sword hilt at his side.
"The weak point… it can't be hopeless. It's hiding something… under that shell."
Asuna lifted her gaze, her voice trembling. "The weak point… where is it? Where's the real weak point!?"
The massive turtle spun on, its two heads crossing, crimson eyes blazing as each revolution made the lake shudder as if ready to explode.
Ren narrowed his eyes, breath heavy. If he was wrong… they would all die. But if he was right…
He snapped his head toward Asuna, his voice stern yet unwavering. "Asuna! Don't aim for the shell or the neck anymore. Aim straight at the chest, right under where the two heads meet. That's where it's hiding something!"
Asuna's eyes widened, her hands tightening on the crossbow. Her whole body trembled, but her gaze slowly lit up, as if she had found hope within despair.
Kirito tilted his head, briefly surprised. But then he gave a firm nod, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Trust Ren, Asuna! This is our only chance!"
Asuna drew in a deep breath, cocking the crossbow once more. Her eyes locked onto the spot Ren had pointed out, where the turtle crossed its two heads, as though guarding a hidden secret.
Normally, hitting a moving target was already difficult, but aiming at something spinning like a wheel was near impossible for a beginner.
Asuna closed one eye, the other fixed on the rotating turtle. Several times she almost loosed the string, only to stop again, seconds slipping away.
Her heart pounded, breath caught in her throat. With every moment wasted, more players were being dragged into the whirlpool, their HP draining, their screams swallowed by foaming water.
The gondola shook violently, waves crashing over the deck, but Asuna no longer noticed. Wet hair slapped against her cheek, her trembling hands clinging tightly to the crossbow.
Kirito clenched his teeth, muscles burning as he forced the paddle down, his eyes fixed on Asuna as if trying to pour all his trust into her.
Ren stayed silent, black steel gauntlets gripping his paddle so hard it felt like it might snap. His sapphire eyes were locked tensely on every movement of the turtle.
For a fleeting moment, all the chaos faded into the background.
There was only Asuna, the crossbow, and the target.
She bit her lip hard, whispering so softly only she could hear: "Please… don't let me fail again…"
Her fingers slowly released the string.
Thwip!
The blazing arrow ignited, shrieking as it cut through the howling gale, soaring straight for the joint between the massive twin heads.
It struck deep into the spot where the neck met the shell, flames bursting forth like a streak of crimson fire against the black whirlpool.
The colossal turtle roared, both heads jerking violently apart, the vortex faltering for a moment.
"It hit!" Kirito shouted, his hands burning red as they gripped the paddle, their gondola swaying wildly as the current shifted, wooden planks groaning as though about to snap apart.
Ren nodded, eyes flashing. "It reacted! That's the weak point!"
But before anyone could celebrate, the whirlpool surged back stronger than ever. The turtle thrashed its shell, a towering wall of water crashing down upon them.
The last attack had stripped away half of its remaining HP, driving it into a frenzy.
"Asuna, one more shot! Just one more!" Ren roared, pointing straight at the smoldering crack glowing red.
Asuna gasped, her trembling hands pulling the crossbow string again. Freezing water lashed against her face, dripping down her lips, but she did not blink.
The gondola rocked violently, players' screams fading beneath the monster's bellow.
She aimed again.
Once more, her world narrowed to herself, the crossbow, and the target spinning madly.
Water surged higher, waves rising as if to drown everything.
Ren gritted his teeth, arms straining on the paddle, muscles swelling as though they might rip apart.
He turned his body with each wave, fighting to keep the gondola's bow aligned with the vortex, every stroke feeling like lifting a boulder.
Beside him, Kirito bent low against the edge of the boat, body trembling under the strain.
His arms had gone numb, joints cracking from the effort of resisting the current. Each time the gondola lurched, the paddle nearly slipped from his hands.
"Hold steady… don't let it swing!" Kirito roared, voice ragged.
"Trying… damn it, it's too strong!" Ren snarled back, sweat mixing with icy spray that stung his eyes.
The gondola tilted dangerously, nearly flipping, forcing the two of them to throw their weight to the other side to keep balance.
Ren's biceps trembled violently, but he clenched his teeth, refusing to let the bow be dragged off course.
Asuna, behind them, barely heard anything anymore. Her entire world had shrunk to the monstrous whirlpool and the spinning target within.
But for her to have this moment, Ren and Kirito were dragging the gondola back from the edge of hell itself.
Time seemed to freeze for an instant. Asuna held her breath, gripping the crossbow tight. Her eyes, bloodshot from spray, remained locked on the tiny gap between two plates spinning like saw blades.
Release!
The string snapped, sending the arrow whistling through the veil of water.
A deafening roar shook the river as the arrow drove straight into the turtle's weak point.
Its massive shell cracked apart like a shattering boulder, fragments of crimson pixels exploding outward.
But the instant the arrow struck true, the whirlpool peaked. The gondola bucked violently, then...crash! the boat flipped like a toy.
Ren, Kirito, and Asuna were hurled into the icy current. Their screams were swallowed by white foam as their bodies spun helplessly in the black waters.
Ren thrashed, arm outstretched toward his companions, but the whirlpool's pull dragged harder, as though determined to tear everything down into the abyss.
Amid the chaos, a system chime rang in their ears.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT: Field Boss «Biceps Archelon» has been defeated.]
Through the roaring water, golden text blazed into their vision.
Far off, aboard the surviving gondolas, the players who had watched the battle stood in stunned silence. Then, a cheer erupted, spreading across the crowd.
"It hit!"
"It's dead! They did it!"
"Someone, hurry...pull them out of the water!"
"Quickly, they don't have much time!"
"Give this one an HP potion! I'm out of healing items!"
Though joy filled the air, no one forgot their duty. Gondolas rushed straight into the weakening vortex to haul the others up.
Many gazes burned with awe and fear. Some gaped in disbelief, others clenched their fists as if they themselves had just been saved from a nightmare.
Meanwhile, the three at the heart of the whirlpool, tossed in the foaming water, had no time to savor victory.
There was only exhaustion, pounding hearts, and the faint, desperate hope that they could still surface in time…