SAO: I replaced him?

In any other MMO, realizing mid-fight that a boss's skills and attributes didn't match what you expected might just mean an embarrassing wipe and a trip back to respawn. But in Sword Art Online, a mistake like that didn't just cost a raid—it cost lives.

The moment the Goblin Lord drew a nodachi instead of the scimitar he had wielded during the beta test, a collective chill ran down the spines of the front-line players. Shields tightened in their grips. Feet shifted instinctively backward. It wasn't just fear—it was strategy. Morin had drilled them well: if a boss did something unexpected, do not rush in blindly.

"Attention, all teams! Do NOT engage one-on-one!" Morin's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

But before the besieging players could fully reposition—

"RAAAAAARGH!!!"

The Goblin Lord leaped.

The sheer absurdity of the sight—this hulking, overweight goblin warlord soaring through the air—might've been comical in any other situation. But when that massive nodachi came slicing down in a red streak of light, there was nothing funny about it.

"Shit! Incoming!!"

The impact sent players flying. Those who managed to raise their shields in time were still thrown back, their health bars plummeting. One poor guy who had only half health left got bodied so hard, his HP dipped straight into critical red before he even hit the ground.

The Goblin Lord wasn't just faster now—he was brutal. His sluggish, tanky movements from before were gone. He flowed between attacks, slashing and parrying with inhuman precision. Any attempt to counter was shut down instantly. The damage he was dealing spiked, and worse—his AI had adapted.

"Crap! He's reading our attacks!" one player shouted, staggering back.

The situation was spiraling—until a familiar black-clad figure shot forward.

Kirito.

With a burst of insane speed, he closed the gap, intercepting the Goblin Lord's strike. Their blades clashed, sparks flying as metal ground against metal.

"DING!!!"

Kirito barely had time to recover from the recoil before he twisted his wrist, his sword flickering like a silver arc as he went for a counter. It was fast—fast enough that most players wouldn't have seen it coming. But the Goblin Lord...

It kept up.

The massive nodachi swung around, intercepting Kirito's strike just in time.

Kirito's eyes widened. "Tch—seriously?!"

He adjusted, rolling with the momentum to avoid a follow-up. His sword traced a glancing cut across the Goblin Lord's side—barely a dent on its still-massive health bar.

But that was enough.

It forced the boss into a cooldown window. And in a raid fight, even a fraction of a second of vulnerability was enough for the entire army to pounce.

"NOW! Everyone attack!"

Morin's command snapped through the air like a whip, and chaos erupted.

The once-organized battle turned into a frantic, all-out assault. Players surged forward, sword skills flashing in waves of red, blue, and gold light, slamming into the boss from all directions. The Goblin Lord whirled, trying to counter, but there were too many of them. Too much damage.

Morin exhaled, gripping his sword and shield. "Alright, Asuna. Our turn."

"Got it!"

Asuna's amber eyes burned with focus as she dashed forward.

She was fast—faster than almost anyone else in the raid. A white blur streaking across the battlefield, her rapier a lightning bolt as she wove through the chaos. Each strike precise, deadly, aimed at the Goblin Lord's weak points.

But then—

"RAAAAAGH!!!"

The Goblin Lord's health dipped into the final bar.

His body shuddered, a deep red glow pulsing from within.

And then, in a blur of berserker fury, he broke free from the onslaught—leaping out of the swarm of players, landing in a crouch just outside the fray.

Right in front of—

"...Oh, crap."

Kibaou.

SAO's self-proclaimed loudmouth leader had spent most of the fight on the sidelines, avoiding danger. But now, standing alone, face-to-face with a raging, bloodthirsty, nearly-dead Goblin Lord… he suddenly saw an opportunity.

His eyes flicked to the boss's tiny sliver of remaining HP.

If he landed the final blow…

He'd get the last attack bonus. The glory. The loot. Maybe even a legendary drop.

Kibaou hesitated—

Then lunged forward, sword raised.

"HAAA—!!!"

But just before his blade connected—

The Goblin Lord spun.

The nodachi whipped through the air, glowing blood red.

A critical hit.

The blade sliced cleanly through Kibaou's defense. His HP bar instantly plummeted—

Then, in a shower of red shards, Kibaou vanished.

"...Huh."

Morin blinked.

. ...

....

....

. ....

. ....

. ...

"Well. That happened."

There was a moment of silence as Kibaou's death settled over the battlefield.

Then—

"THE BOSS IS DOWN!!!"

A roar of pure victory erupted as the Goblin Lord, too, collapsed, finally overwhelmed by the barrage of attacks. Its massive frame shuddered before shattering into countless blue polygons.

Silence.

Then—

"WE DID IT!!!"

The entire raid party exploded into cheers, some players literally collapsing from exhaustion, others crying with joy.

For the first time since being trapped in SAO, they had proof—proof that this game could be beaten.

Morin let out a breath, watching the scene.

Then, his gaze flicked toward Asuna.

She was standing at the front of the group, her rapier glowing faintly, victorious.

And that's when he saw it—

She got the last hit.

Morin smirked. "Well, well… I guess 'Lightning Flash' doesn't suit you anymore."

Asuna blinked, looking at him in confusion.

"With that dark coat… and how you finished off the Goblin Lord…" Morin shrugged. "Maybe we should start calling you the 'Black Sword Princess.'"

Asuna stared at him.

Then—

She flushed furiously, turning away. "S-Shut up!"

Morin just laughed.

Victory never tasted sweeter.

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