AN: Due to the nature of this chapter, I felt it was necessary to bump up the rating to M to be on the safe side. I apologize for this, and hope that this isn't an inconvenience.

Warning: This chapter involves humor that could possibly be offensive to female readers. It's not sexist in nature, but I apologize ahead of time to any who end up offended by girls getting stripped nude by coral. It should be noted that, the target of this is actually the main protagonist.

The Guild Leaders

The Eaters of Sin - Izumi

Costal Reef of Mernai

I sighed in relaxation as I floated on my back, looking up at the moonlit sky. It has been only two weeks since I've joined Evolation. From what I read from that invitation, I expected this to be a clone of Aincrad in everything outside of that adaptation deal. Boy was I wrong. The game has a shitload more mechanics to mimic real life than SAO had!

In the tutorial, it was stated that there were elements to choose from, but warned that all of them would behave just like in reality. For example, encasing your arm in ice as armor can give you frostbite, and trying to imbue a sword with lightning will lead to self-electrocution. However, these consequences are nullified should one have a manipulate type adaptation for the desired element.

It seemed that the players were divided on what to do. Some wanted to stop Laughing Coffin, a couple wanted answers, while others just wanted to do their own thing. This resulted in the formation of the Eaters of Sin, Rebels of Awara, and Hunters of Purgatorio guilds.

The Rebels of Awara were basically the Evo equivalent of the Knights of the Blood in how they functioned, although they weren't the largest. Their main objective was bringing Torakage and the members of Laughing Coffin to justice while getting answers for why the creator came up with this twisted idea. At the same time, they focused on keeping the peace amongst the guilds and players.

The Hunters of Purgatorio were driven by hatred towards Laughing Coffin. Most members apparently lost someone close to them in SAO, and many were wanting to take revenge on the killers. They were fewer in numbers compared to the other main guilds, but were more driven. They also had the most violent members outside of Laughing Coffin, as one actually tortured a captured LC scout, slowly dismembering parts of his body before biting his face off with his Daemon form's mouth.

Finally, there was the Eaters of Sin, the guild that I created. I formed it so that there was some form of order in place amongst those who desire beating the game for personal gain or just do whatever they wanted. I have members who want to become rich quick through Torakage, some that wish for someone they hate to "disappear", and others who simply wish to indulge on their darkest desires in this game, consequences be damned. It wasn't helpful that the ethnic codes didn't exist either. That in itself leads to a lot of problems for me to deal with. The Eaters were perhaps the most anarchic of the guilds, but we were also the largest and surprisingly least violent of the three.

We had only two rules to follow by in the Eaters of Sin: Don't kill players, and never target the innocent.

I took a deep breath and dove underneath the surface. The coral reef that awaited underneath was gigantic and beautiful. Even underneath the faint moonlight, the vibrant colors of the various coral pillars were present. While the reef appeared devoid of life, that's only because it was both night and part of the city boundary.

It was surprising to learn that the boundary of some towns was the entire territory itself. Then again, Liminals wouldn't have been able to enjoy such scenery if they were trapped within the walls of the towns themselves. In these types of spots, which some dubbed "Liminal Zones," there were no threatening monsters to fight, but rather a whole lot of resources that can be harvested safely. The territory of Mernai was such a place.

Liminals were given a few additional perks compared to their Rebel counterparts, besides their immortality. They were able to find and harvest more resources in these kinds of spots, including some only they can obtain, and were more successful in forging weapons and equipment than a Rebel could. Perhaps the biggest advantage was the fact that only they can make Spheres, including the coveted Blood Moon Spheres. Obviously this was to ensure that Rebels and Liminals interacted with one another in some manner.

I swam down towards the bottom, approaching a jagged coral that was giving off a ghostly white glow.

I looked around with my ruby red eyes to make sure that nobody was looking before I opened up my menu, and went to the equip screen. I smirked and unequipped what I was wearing, which was a simple blue tank top and teal shorts, leaving me clad in only my black undergarments. I was definitely a head turner, having a pretty large bust with a matching figure to go with it. I also had emerald green hair that I kept in a ponytail usually. I was someone who wasn't afraid to flaunt what she had either. Still, I was here for the glowing coral, and this was a precaution.

Ghost Coral was a tricky material to obtain. First off, while not lethal, it was bizarrely quite brutal on the durability of equipment when obtained, often leading to instant destruction. It was nicknamed "Strip Coral" for that very reason. It is however very valuable, as it's one of the ingredients needed to create Blood Moon Spheres, and it's a rare resource. I circled around the coral, looking for any loose chunks I could obtain. I went to the base and noticed that a decently sized protrusion was cracked in such a way that I could perhaps snap it off easily.

As I swam towards the protrusion I saw a figure swim towards me from the left. Twisting my head to get a better look, I shook my head when I recognized who it was.

It was a slightly tanned girl with sapphire blue eyes and long magenta hair held up in twintails. She was wearing an outfit that could only be described as a white bikini. For the record, she is smaller than me in the chest, but just slightly. The two most defining features of her were a pair of cat ears and tail that matched her hair in coloration.

The catgirl picked up speed, heading straight for me. I swam up to evade her, causing her to crash into the Ghost Coral face first. I involuntarily cringed upon that sight. Liminals were immortal, but they could still feel pain. She recovered quicker than I expected, surprising me a little . She turned around and looked at me with a hurt look on her face.

Dammit… I can't say no to that face.

Relenting, I pointed upwards and saw the Liminal nod in understanding before we both surfaced.

"What do you want, Naru?" I asked with a glare once our heads were above the water.

"I have something to tell you, mistress!" the catgirl chirped before flinging herself onto me.

Naru was a Liminal that I met when I first came. She was lost in the Awara Crystal Fortress, trying to figure out where to go. With no ethnic codes in place, she was extremely vulnerable to certain people. I took pity on her and helped her out a bit. That turned out to been the second biggest mistake of my life. The first was playing SAO.

It turns out that Naru's a bit weird. She said she couldn't see herself as a human after spending so much time in Aincrad. She never explained why, but she saw herself more as a catgirl instead. Man, and I thought my mind was a piece of work. I don't recall what happened, but I was apparently one of those three hundred that were trapped within that one fairy game, being used as some kind of guinea pig.

Anyway, Naru decided to become my servant in order to repay her "debt" to me. For the record I didn't want a part of it, but she wouldn't take "no" for an answer. And to make things worse, she's completely shameless. Hell, if I haven't told her to wear something, she'd go completely nude in public without a second thought!

I groaned as I allowed us both to sink into the water. We both didn't need to fear drowning, as I had the Aquatic Lung Adaptation, allowing me to be amphibious. Liminals were basically immortal, so something like drowning wasn't an issue, just an inconvenience.

I pried the cat off me before reemerging at the surface with her following.

"Don't do that Naru!" I snapped while brushing a lock of green hair from my eyes. "I don't want to drag your waterlogged ass back to shore if you drown for the sixth time in two days!"

Naru only smiled sheepishly as she giggled.

"Sorry, Mistress Izumi." she apologized.

I sighed and shook my head.

"Anyway, what do you have that had you come all the way out here to say in person, and not through the mail like a regular person?" I asked.

"It's Balmung." the cat replied.

My eyes narrowed immediately upon hearing that name.

Balmung was the founder and leader of the Hunters of Purgatorio, and the very same man who bit off the face of that Laughing Coffin spy. That man was just as dangerous as Laughing Coffin, but the only thing that kept him from becoming a threat to everyone was his younger sister. She was his voice of reason and second in command.

"What is he up to?" I asked.

"He is trying to negotiate with the Rebels of Awara, or rather demanding, to relinquish a prisoner they have in custody. The prisoner is apparently a Laughing Coffin goon." Naru explained.

"Great… I guess that means I'm needed to act as a mediator. Again." I groaned.

The Eaters of Sin stood neutral in affairs regarding Laughing Coffin, preferring to leave those with the Rebels and Hunters. However, there were times where neither side would agree on something and need a third party to help resolve the issue. Usually it was me who intervened, since I was the only high ranking official in my guild who actually understood what could happen if a war broke out amongst the guilds.

"That's the thing, Minerva actually said that you weren't needed for this." Naru added.

Minerva, the leader of the Rebels of Arawa. The founder of the guild was a complete mystery, but Minerva was the one who lead it after the founder left without a trace. Some speculated it was Torakage, attempting to do what Akihiko Kayaba did in SAO as Heathcliff, but quickly abandoned that idea. All that's known is that Minerva knew the truth, and that she will always refuse to tell the true story.

"Then why did you tell me this then?" I asked the cat in annoyance.

"The Wolf's involved in this." the pink catgirl replied.

Now that got my attention.

The Wolf of Midnight. He already made a name to himself in a short amount of time by locating and defeating the first General, Bulvan of the Moon, single-handedly. Some say he might be the Black Swordsman, but I knew that wasn't true. I actually have fought alongside Kirito back in Aincrad once in the front lines, and I've also seen the Wolf herself in person.

For starters, the Wolf has heterochromatic eyes, one silver, one amber. She also had cherry red hair and fought with a scimitar. In fact, she actually does frequent business with the Eaters, mainly exchanging some of the rarer ingredients needed for spheres that only Rebels could obtain, all in exchange for three Blood Moons each time, despite her goods usually being worth more than that.

"Tell me how she is a part of this." I demanded.

Naru nodded as she spoke up.

"She was the one who sent the prisoner to Arawa, via Blood Moon Sphere while inflicted with paralysis."

Yep, that's her calling card. She has sent three Laughing Coffin members before to the Rebels of Awara through the same method, as they were the only ones who would keep them alive, opposed to the Hunters of Purgatorio.

"Any clue about her whereabouts?"

Naru shook her head in disappointment.

"Sorry, but no." she replied.

"It's alright, thanks for telling me this." I said before sighing in relief.

Naru smiled and nodded before smirking.

"So, why is my mistress in her underwear?" she asked mischievously.

I immediately blushed upon realizing that I was in fact, undressed still.

"You always gripe about me having to wear something, but yet look at you!" she pressed.

I hate when she does thi- OH GOD SHE'S STRIPPING ME!

"NNNNNAAAAAARRRRRRRUUUUUU!" I screamed as I fell prey to the perverted catgirl.

Hunters of Purgatorio- Balmung

Wasteland of Eruo - Overground

I swung my war hammer as my opponent took to the sky to evade it. I roared in anger as I stomped the ground, causing two jagged pillars of stone to erupt from the ground towards their target. However, they were sliced by the spear Minerva was wielding.

The bitch refused to hand over that murderer over to me so that I can bring him to justice, but Minerva believed that they should let the authorities in the real world deal with them. Please, like they can link what happened in SAO to their victims. It was impossible to pin them for murder in a game that deleted itself completely. I highly doubt that Torakage bastard would have such proof. The only way we can bring them to justice is to kill every last one of those bastards. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. I don't care if I am branded a criminal by society afterwards for eradicating Laughing Coffin, but it would've been a necessary evil. Those who've joined my guild have similar feelings as myself. We want to bring down those murderous shits and make them pay. We will prevail, no matter what we have to do. At least that's what I preach openly.

Laughing Coffin had killed hundreds of victims, leaving many in despair and agony. I almost lost my little sister to them once. I killed the prick by smashing the back of his head in with my hammer when he didn't expect it. I never regretted killing him or anyone who was part of that murder guild. As a matter of fact, I ENJOYED it. I was actually the one who exterminated most of those bastards amongst the group that decimated Laughing Coffin. I didn't admit this openly, not even to my sister, but I couldn't readjust into society again after I was freed from SAO. I didn't want to leave that paradise! I love the fact that every fight could've been my very last. I could only feel alive in combat. In the real world, I couldn't do that at all. I simply created the Hunters of Purgatorio as an excuse to do what I love most.

I was currently in a duel with Minerva over who would have that Laughing Coffin bastard she has imprisoned right now. Duels were done a little differently in Evolation compared to SAO. First off, only those with Daemons can partake in them. That's because duels take place in a special world called the Overground, the world of Daemons. Ironically, the Overground was something anyone could see. They just need to look into something solid that's very reflective, like a mirror. These also served as portals to this world.

This was done to ensure the safety of players, as well as the towns. That's because a fight to the death between Daemons is very destructive. The Overground simply allows us to fight all out without collateral damage happening. Also, if someone dies in the Overground, they're simply ejected from it, completely alive and unharmed.

I was in my human form right now, as my Cliffstalker form would've been helpless in this place, a flat barren wasteland. My silver hair was cut short, unaffected by the gust of wind that blew into my face. I narrowed my brown eyes as I stepped forward. I felt the breeze go through my chain mail top as I picked up speed, the iron boots with connecting greaves amplified the sound of my footsteps as the metal connected with the ground made of bedrock.

Minerva circled above me. She was currently in her Daemon form, which was surprisingly not that much different from her human form. Her platinum blonde hair reflected off the moonlight as her ruby red eyes glowed. She had deathly pale skin and a lithe, nubile body. Her outfit was a sleeveless top with a miniskirt, both with blue highlights in various places. The only things that distinguished her as a Daemon were the hawk like feet with white talons and snow white wings that protruded from her back.

Her Daemon was what was called a Harpina. They could only be obtained if one chose the two adaptations in relation to generating and manipulating the wind element, in addition to having Flight, Grasping Foot, and Charming Serenade. Basically, it's the easiest Daemon one could obtain as all but Charming Serenade were very common adaptations.

Contrary to what many expected, we couldn't upgrade or refine any adaptations we obtain, especially with elemental based ones. The only way we can "strengthen" them is to acquire a sister adaptation for it. For example, someone with the Fire Birther ability is only able to create a flame, but can't control it, while those with only the Mind of Flame ability can only use it if fire's already present. However, if one had both, he could do whatever he wanted with the flames. From creating swords of fire and safely wield them, to controlling a fireball's direction at will. It was Minerva who discovered this hidden catch, and shared it with everyone.

I looked up as she ascended higher into the sky. I growled upon realizing what she was planning to do. As expected, the Harpina twisted in the air and started plummeting towards me with her weapon poised to strike. She then started to spin, generating a cyclone around her as she closed in towards me.

I slammed my hammer down towards the ground, erecting a large stone barrier in front of me. I grinned as I knew she couldn't get me now. She usually preferred to finish things with a kick, akin to those Sunday Riders. As soon as I thought that, I felt the spear impale me, easily going through my barrier and into my torso where my heart was.

Damn… That was not what I expected Minerva to do. I looked down at where I was struck and noticed that my body was starting to crack. It was a kill shot.

She won again…

I closed my eyes as I felt my body shatter like glass before being sent flying out of the mirror I used to enter the Overground. I landed hard on my back while groaning weakly.

"BALMUNG!" I heard my little sister cry out in concern.

"I'm alright." I said while raising a hand up to wave at her. "I just lost the duel."

"But… what about the spy?" she asked.

"We aren't going to press any further for him. I am a man of my word, after all." I said bitterly.

There were two things that separated me from those in Laughing Coffin. The first one was that I don't attack the innocent, and the other was I always respected my opponent if they weren't with those murderous bastards. No matter how much I hated it, I've lost, so the Rebels will keep the bastard.

I raised my head while opening my eyes, catching Minerva emerging from the mirror, still in her Daemon form.

"As we agreed upon beforehand, the Rebels of Awara shall retain custody of the prisoner." she declared in a firm tone.

"Whatever, Minerva." I said with a sigh before getting up. I turned around to look at my sister.

Hikari was petite compared to most players, leading some to think she's a child at first glance. It didn't help much that she had a childish face either. She had deep blue eyes and matching silver hair that hung loose, reaching the base of her neck. Her outfit was of a pair of black short shorts that left little to the imagination and a blood red bustier-like top that was open in the front, held together with black string looped in a crisscrossing way while exposing her cleavage to the entire world. The choice of clothes was to show that she was much older than she looked. She wore long black leather boots that reached her knees with a pair of gloves that matched in color.

Resting against her shoulder with a single hand on the handle was her weapon, an iron buster sword that was twice as large as herself. She was only capable of carrying something that heavy in one hand thanks to one of her adaptations, Gigant Strength. I don't have the adaptation, and I am incapable of even lifting that damn thing. She was looking at me with a concerned look on her face.

I recalled how we were brought into the game.

It was late at night, and I was sleeping when they came. They were quite courteous, ringing the doorbell instead of just breaking in. My sister was the one who answered first and woke me up upon learning they were here for me. When I came to meet them, I was surprised to see that it was a group of men that weren't very strong physically. I expected them to be strong looking Yakuza in suits and sunglasses.

They were people associated with Torakage, specifically, the ones responsible for ensuring that the player's bodies were kept healthy.

Originally, it was only supposed to be myself who was to go, but my sister was too stubborn to let me go alone. She explained to the men that she too was a SAO survivor and that she saw the invitation. Either she came along with, or they had to kill her. The men were obviously weren't wanting to do something that drastic, eventually relenting and allowing her to come along. Afterwards, we were blindfolded and led to some kind of vehicle.

After being helped inside, the men drove us for what felt like hours before telling us to get out. We were led somewhere before being guided before our blindfolds were removed.

We were inside some kind of sterile room with a pair of beds with an all too familiar headgear system resting on the pillows. Of course they had to use Nervegear. The men who brought us here asked both of us one last time if this is what we wanted to do. We both said "Yes" without any hesitation. After that, we were instructed to sign some forms saying we couldn't hold those guys responsible for anything that happens to us. Sounded stupid, but I guess Torakage wanted to cover as many things as possible.

Afterwards, the two of us got into a bed and put on our respective Nervegear after looking at them. It reminded me of what happened to me in Aincrad, and I presumed that my sister was doing the same thing. We initiated the full dive and then awoke in Evolation.

I came to my senses when Hikari jumped up and slapped me hard. I was sent flying from the force before rolling across the ground a little bit.

"Oww…" I groaned before sitting up. "Dammit Hikari! How many times do I need to remind you that you can possibly slap my head off with that strength of yours!"

My sister chuckled before skipping towards me with sword in hand.

"I keep forgetting that, Mungo." she replied in an innocent tone.

My eye involuntarily twitched as I heard her call me that name.

"It's BALMUNG!" I snapped in irritation.

Hikari giggled before opening her menu to unequip her weapon just as she was close to me.

"Calm down, we should get going." She said calmly while patting my arm. "We have other stuff to attend to, right?"

I only shrugged before looking over my shoulder towards Minerva.

"One of these days, I'll defeat you." I promised her.

The leader of the Rebels of Awara only gave me a small smirk in response before Hikari pulled out a Blood Moon Sphere.

"Ready to go?" she asked me.

I nodded before she grabbed my hand while raising the scarlet sphere up above her head in the palm of her hand.

"Teleport: Quzo Ona Ruins!"

With that, the two of us vanished in a flash of light, our destination being our territory.

Eaters of Sin - Izumi

God, What the hell did I do to deserve this?

Thanks to a certain pink furball, my reputation as leader of the Eaters of Sin is going to take a nosedive. No, it's spiraling down out of control and in a blaze of glory into a burning pool full of crocodiles and piranhas.

Naru just happened to DESTROY my underwear while undressing me back at the reef. Worst of all, the idiot then caused my outfit, and her own, to be destroyed after she brought out some Ghost Coral she collected for me. It's harmless once in the inventory, but once brought out again, that damned stuff can once again wreck equipment like no tomorrow. Just what the hell was the creator thinking?! It didn't help that I had nothing else to wear in my inventory. The same was true with Naru.

So that meant we had to sneak back into the town without being notice. The stupid cat, however, thought it was a smart idea to start humming as we sneaked around. We were noticed right away as soon as she started. And load and behold, it just had to have been a group of men that had a thing for me…

There was one thing about this game that I've grown to despise, it's the photo option… I had no ability to bar my guild members from taking pictures, even as the guild leader.

Now there's pictures of me naked circulating amongst my guild, and people are now think I'm a perverted exhibitionist! NARU was the perv, not me! If she wasn't immortal, I'd skin her alive! Thanks to her, I can't get a boyfriend thanks to her. One that won't be after my body that is.

I was now walking out in public, knowing that it was completely futile to hide now that everyone knew what was going on. My face must've been redder than a tomato at this point. I know from real life experience that once something like this happens, your reputation is beyond salvage.

But you know what? Who cares? The Eaters of Sin are those who indulge on their desires, and my desire would not be crushed by something like being labeled a perverted freak. I'm already am seen as an anarchist in the eyes of the Rebels of Awara and various solo players anyway. Besides, the guild has a few exhibitionists already.

I finally reached my home. It was a simple beach house, nothing extravagant at all. I opened the door and went inside. The interior was just plain and bare. All that was present inside was a wardrobe, chest, and a plain bed with white sheets.

"Sorry about everything." Naru apologized as she entered behind me. She closed the door behind her before gulping.

"You should've known better about the coral, Naru." I said while going to the wardrobe. I accessed the menu and withdrew two new outfits. I quickly equipped mine, a yellow sundress while opening a trade menu so that I could give Naru her replacement outfit. After she accepted it, she too was wearing a similar sundress, only this one being white.

I had to admit, the cat actually looked pretty cute in that outfit. I honestly didn't look as cute in comparison, since I was more sexy than cute.

"Naru, I should let you know that you've done irreversible damage to my rep." I explained in a calm tone. "However, I'm not going to freak out and chew you out."

Naru looked at me in confusion as I crossed my arms.

"Oh, you're still going to pay dearly for this , My little Naru." I said. "I'm not going to torture you."

The catgirl began to tremble as I smiled warmly.

"I'm going to have you work with the Revon bros on their experiments with the Blue Sun Sphere." I said.

Naru's eyes widened in horror as she realized where I was going.

"DON'T LEAVE ME WITH THOSE TWO!" she wailed. "I DON'T WANT TO BE CHARMED!"

Blue Sun Spheres were a type of sphere used to tame some types of monsters to use as mounts. However, it can also affect Liminals as well, but in a different manner. They'd be induced into a temporary trance, in which it grants the user of the sphere to tell the affected Liminal one command. And once completed the victim will have absolutely no recollection about what they've done. While taking a life, even their own, is impossible for them, they're vulnerable to just about anything else you could think of. I've banned the possession of Blue Suns in order to protect the Liminal members of the guild, as I've seen what could happen to them.

Players are capable of having children in Evolation, though they're AI's, and it doesn't matter if the parents were Liminals or Rebels.

There were some former members who realized they could get laid easily through using the Blue Suns on Liminals. Both parties usually had to consent before engaging in such activities, and those spheres acted as a loophole with Liminals.

As soon as I learned about this, I brought those bastards responsible to the Rebels of Awara to be prosecuted. They were also expelled from the guild for breaking the rule of not targeting the innocent. Despite the chaotic activities the Eaters are known for, I make sure that everyone is in line and safe. However, I failed the three Liminals who were affected by this. Thankfully, they weren't able to remember what happened to them exactly, sparing them of the mental scarring. They were, however, flat out confused about why they had daughters a few days later. I hate to lie usually, but I told them they gotten too drunk and fooled around with some men. They believed me, as they were indeed at a party when this happened, and they've ultimately decided to raise the children. I made sure to never let the truth be revealed for their sakes. If they learned what really happen, they'll fall into despair, if not something worse. Plus the children would've become constant reminders of what happened to them.

Ever since the ban was put in place, I only allowed three people to use the Blue Suns. One was entrusted with most of them for acquiring mounts for future use. We needed to prepare some form of transportation to reach new territories that were further away from Mernai. Besides, we can't really rely on Blood Moons all the time, due to their scarcity. The other two were the Rensons, Liminals who were experimenting with the Spheres, trying to see if they could create any new types and learn what their effects are. They were also mad scientists and perverts. Few wanted to be even near them for that alone. They wouldn't cross any lines, but they would obviously would have someone like Naru strip for them at least.

And I know Naru doesn't like those two to begin with. She was actually terrified of them after meeting them once. I've only known her for a little while, but I already figured out how that cat ticks for the most part.

I just needed to push the cat just a little further so that she truly learns her lesson.

Laughing Coffin - Saguro of the Pride

I sighed as I sat in my throne within the cavern that I've established as my lair. I was amazed by how many players joined Evolation. I was told that a lot of them had history with Laughing Coffin, mainly being related to various targets. Ever since we were forced to scatter after being crushed in Aincrad, many of us remained in the shadows. Apparently one of us actually grew weary of just hiding and was making his presence known to the world by killing elite players on Gun Gale Online. I had to admit, Death Gun was an interesting name to go by, and the rumors involving him were worthy of the Laughing Coffin name. I simply just blended into society after being freed from Aincrad, but to be honest, ever since I returned, my old life was just boring and repetitive. I had seriously thought on many occasions just to kill myself so that I could escape the boredom!

I missed the hunts, being able to hear the pleading of my victims before I finished them off. I tried being a PKer in a few VRMMO's, but none of them had that same thrill that SAO offered that I loved. The thrill of knowing that someone was truly dead. I would've killed in real life if I was capable of getting away with it. But nope, technology was too advanced for that. Then came that fateful phone call.

Torakage, my savior and hero. He's given me a second chance to enjoy what I wanted for so long. I was the first member of Laughing Coffin that Torakage recruited. After that, he tracked down more members of my old guild, and each one agreed almost immediately.

Seven of us were assigned as these Generals of Inferno in the world of Evolation. Unlike our future opposition, the seven of us were given the luxury of choosing what Adaptations to use and what Daemon we could obtain. For amusement, the seven of us actually adopted identities and one of the seven deadly sins. I took on the identity of Saguro of the Pride. I also acted as the leader of the Generals, even though most of them were dumb AI incapable of listening to me.

I only had one gripe about Torakage. He was being too merciful by allowing players to become those damn Liminals. They can live without fearing death! They're not worth hunting if we couldn't kill them! Where's the fun in that?! Still, I did like the few loopholes he's given us, Like those Blue Sun Spheres and the "Tame" adaptation. Hell, if we can't kill them, we can make use of them as pets or slaves.

I've spent most of my time figuring out what Adaptations to choose, but I just couldn't find the ones that felt right for me. So far, the only one I liked was Gigant Strength. I had to find the ones that would make me the strongest of the Generals, and hopefully, the strongest Daemon of all. Torakage made it impossible that any Supreme tier Adaptations obtain would grant a Daemon. Sucks that having something as nice as Tychokinesis bars you from getting a Daemon. I guess it's fair though. Couldn't have overpowered Daemons running amok, crushing us Generals like ants.

There was however a couple of Daemons that I hoped never are unlocked. The Pyrona, Aquia, Venzas, Terrakis, Solgoras, Noira, Metek, Levina, Beheros, and Sonusia. The Sonusia was perhaps the most threatening of all, as it can use sound to locate where everyone is, on top of using noise as an unblockable weapon. Pyrona, Aquia, Venzas, and Terrikis are those who are fully specialized in a certain element, which would be an annoyance if one of us were unprepared for one of them. Solgoras and Noira are embodiments of light and darkness respectively. While they're not threatening offensively, their supportive abilities would make them a problem should they be in a large group. The Metek is the most defensive of all Daemons period. Only a Sonusia would be able to stand up to that one. Then there were the Levina and Beheros. Both are the largest, and strongest of all offensive Daemons. The catch with those two is that only one of each can exist, and that's because of one of a kind abilities. They were two of the handful of Adaptations we were forbidden to choose from.

That didn't bother me one bit. In fact, having such brutal abilities at our disposal would only spoil the fun.

I chuckled at that thought. It's going to be fun in itself seeing just how many of those dumbass Rebels actually get Daemons. I don't think a lot will, considering the appeal of those god like abilities that are more flawed than they'll realize. Eternal Life? I can end you with a knife to the throat. Losing your head not an issue because of Hyper Regen? I'd simply drown you in lava. Immune to lava? I'll turn you into a popsicle before smashing you into countless pieces. Oh, so you can control the four main elements? Increase gravity, bitch! Oh, the countless unique ways we can now kill these people!

I'm getting pumped for what's ahead. I just can't wait now!

Laughing Coffin - Matoi, Temptress of Lust

I walked silently in mostly empty market place of Mernai, dressed in only a plain robe to conceal my body from below the neck. All of the players already have turned in for the night, leaving only NPC vendors standing out.

I actually hated this… Having to be played a game that was so much like SAO. I may have been part of Laughing Coffin in the past acting as bait for them, but I didn't want to be a part of that life again. I was tricked by Torakage into joining Evolation, who said that I could redeem myself if I joined. Instead, he had me be part of that damn murder guild again. It didn't help either that I now had that damn tattoo on my chest, just above my left breast. Having that alone basically was a death sentence right there if I ever encountered those Hunters of Purgatorio. I only killed one person, and it was in self-defense!

The one I killed was a member of that murder guild, ironically. In Aincrad, he threatened me into helping out before he decided to target me next because he just grew bored! I was faster than him, so I was able to fend him off before killing him as he lunged with his knife. I might have been selected as one of those Generals of Inferno, but I am flat out rebelling against Laughing Coffin in any way I can.

When I came out of SAO, I was immediately greeted by a lawyer. I learned that a year into my imprisonment in SAO, I lost all my family in an automobile accident. My mother, father, and two little brothers… Everyone was taken from me. I had no extended relatives, and my grandparents all passed away when I was younger. I was absolutely alone in the world. Also, the fucking lawyer in charge of managing my inheritance managed to convince a judge that I was invalid for any of it while I was basically a vegetable because I was trapped in a game, taking everything for himself!

I was alone and without anything to my name. I honestly fell into despair and almost committed suicide if I wasn't stopped by a girl who just happened to walk by me on the bridge I was about to jump off of. She was an eccentric girl named Haruna Setsuna, though she wanted to be called "Naru" instead .

She naturally convinced me to keep living, which I still am amazed happened. (She did so while claiming that all the rice balls of the world will mourn for me if I did.) After bringing me to her place, she asked why I was about to jump. I explained to her what happened to me, having lost my family and any money I could have gotten to help pay off the medical bills I was given. I then went on to tell her about being in SAO. Naru listened to me without speaking up even once until I was finished. I spilled everything to her, including my interactions with Laughing Coffin. When I finished, I was a complete wreck, crying while curled up in a ball.

Naru actually comforted me, even revealing that she herself was a survivor as well. She admitted that she was a little nervous about the fact that I killed someone, but she could tell that I wasn't anything like those in Laughing Coffin. I didn't enjoy killing anyone one bit, it downright sickened me.

Since then, I lived with Naru, and learned that she was actually a lot richer than I first thought. She managed to pay off my bills, and helped me get into that special school that was created to help survivors like us catch up on the two years we've missed. She helped me rebuild my life, becoming my new family in the process.

Things were starting to look up for me, untill I got that phone call that condemned me.

I missed Naru so much… She was the only one I could truly rely on. I wanted to go back home. I wanted to be with my family…

Tears were starting to stream down my face as I stopped and sniffled.

I acted strong in front of Laughing Coffin, but I was truly scared… I don't want to die… I just want to be back home with Naru…

Why must I suffer like this? I just can't take much more of this cruelty…

I originally planned on introducing the OC's that have been submitted in this but there was an unforeseen incident that I needed to deal with before I started the story.

I gotten a lot more submissions than I expected. I honestly expected only like three or four tops with the first chapter, but I gotten ten on the first day alone! Thanks and keep them coming! And don't worry, if you got more than one character, send them all my way.

I bet a fair amount of you were surprised with how the guilds were, and I bet it was probably a bitter pill for some of you who've aligned their OC with the Hunters of Purgatorio *cough*almosteveryone*cough* after learning about who was to be the leader.

Before you guys start going for my head, I already had things set up this way, so it's not my fault for this. I couldn't change that guild either because if I did, I'd have to practically rework 75% of this story that I have already planned out. Because of this, I've moved the OC debuts to next chapter so that I can allow those who've submitted their OC already to change their allegiance if they're not comfortable with their character being led by someone like Balmung.

For those who are still confused about the Eaters of Sin and how they work. Allow me to hopefully help clarify. The Eaters of Sin is basically a guild oriented for the more casual type players, and those who want to do things their own way but still have support. Yeah, it's pretty much ruled by anarchy, but the chaos is harmless and controlled, due to Izumi keeping a close eye on things. Usually. There's also members who are out for revenge like the Hunters are, but they don't want to eliminate them.

I admit I didn't expect to bump the rating up so early, but as you've read, in addition to Naru and Izumi's misadventure, this chapter did get pretty dark in various parts. This was to show that nobody, especially Liminals, was truly safe from harm. Also it was to reveal that there were more realistic consequences for one's actions than in Aincrad.

For those worried about there being a lot of scenes like what I've did with Izumi, don't worry, I don't plan on doing that kind of thing again anytime soon. Plus I won't have your OC's be targeted, unless you personally give me the okay beforehand.

The Overground was something that I realized that needed to be put in place, mainly by how destructive duels would be amongst players, especially those with Daemons. I got the idea of the Overground being a mirror world after listening to the song "Dive into the Mirror" by defspiral.

Oh, and about the Wolf of Midnight being a girl. When I said "he's" last time, it was an honest mistake there that I decided to leave unchanged in order to surprise you guys.

Now onto Daemons themselves.

I'm not being harsh or mean here, but only three of the submissions actually were given a Daemon form. Many of you simply had just ONE Adaptation that clashed with the synergy I was looking for. If I haven't contacted you through PM by this chapter's posting about your character having a Daemon form, then that means you're unfortunately not getting one for that character, aside from the Cliffstalker. You're free to try again with another character.

There have also been those who have submitted with powers that can be considered Mary Sue level powerful. I'm not going to decline your character because they have some powerful ability, but I WILL try to downgrade them in a way that it's not broken. For example, let's say someone has Tychokinesis, which is the ability to manipulate outcomes at will. I'm going to have this be applied to only regular monsters and using it halves experience gain. Players and Generals of Inferno will have flat out immunity to this ability to avoid it being too powerful. If I can't make it fair in some way, I'll ask that it'll be changed. Also, keep in mind that having just one adaptation like that, it will bar you from getting a Daemon (minus the Cliffstalker), even if that synergy I'm looking for is present. Gotta keep things balanced you know. If you try to create a character with five such powerful abilities, I'll not accept them.

Due to how many didn't get a Daemon, I actually decided to help out those who really wanted one by revealing the existence of the Pyrona, Aquia, Venzas, Terrakis, Solgoras, Noira, Metek, Harpina, and Sonusia. There are really four primary elements in Evolation, which are the classic Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water, but with no rock-paper-scissors mechanic, opting for the more real life characteristics for each element. The reason why will be explained later in the story. Light and Darkness are actually going to be classed as the type of support elements that grant abilities of that nature even if they've haven't invested in such skills in Aincrad. Light for healing and assisting allies, and Darkness for hindering enemies. As such, those that have submitted with something like Light and Darkness Energy Manipulation, I apologize, but they won't work how you've imagined them to. For those wondering, lightning is simply classed as a sub-element of wind, just like ice is for water, wood with earth, etc.. That means potential Daemon variations if you're careful with the Adaptation layout.

You're welcome to choose one of those Daemons instead of gambling for one. The Levina and Beheros aren't allowed however due to plot reasons. If you opt for this, the abilities will be selected by me for you, however, they will guarantee you a Daemon. To do this, just put the name of the desired Daemon in the first slot of the Adaptation list and keep the rest blank when you're submitting an OC.

Here's how each of these Daemons work best in battle.

Melee : Metek

Ranged: Sonusia, Venzas

Variable: Aquia, Pyrona, Harpina, Terrakis.

Support: Solgoras, Noira

I think that's pretty much it for now. If there's something you want to ask, feel free to let me know. Otherwise, I would like to hear your thoughts on how I'm doing so far in a review and keep the OC's coming, please. I really do hope to get at least a few Liminals and members for Laughing Coffin and Eaters of Sin.

Thanks for reading this far, and I hope to see you all next chapter.