Ghost In the Machine
Chapter 2: A Stranger I Remain
"I realized that everyone on this game, including me are alive for the sake of living." - Kirito
November 6th, 2022
Tatsumi Memorial Hospital
"I want him EXECUTED now!"
"We can't Kirijo-san!" a scientist exclaimed while panicking. "We don't know where he is, and we don't know what will happen to the players of «Sword Art Online» if we do anything rash."
"...Damn it... He had to trap Minato's subconscious too... Why!?" Mitsuru shrieked.
Along with Mitsuru, Aigis was near Minato's cryogenic pod, his head now sporting a NerveGear.
"Minato..." Aigis whispered with tears in her eyes.
2022-2024
Two years. Almost two years had passed since the launch of «Sword Art Online». Kayaba Akihiko, the Game Master of «SAO», had successfully trapped nearly 10,000 players in the game. They couldn't log out of it. They were trapped.
But what was really depressing was that if a player's HP bar hit zero, you die not only in «SAO», but you also die in real life. When one dies in the game, the microwave transceivers in their NerveGear receives signals that then fry one's brain, effectively killing them.
Unfortunately, 213 players were killed when their friends and family attempted to free them by taking off the NerveGear. The first in-game death in «SAO» was a player claiming that they would regain consciousness after being disconnected by the server by jumping off of Aincrad. Well, that player was wrong. In only the first month of being snared, 2000 players had died and 1st Floor of Aincrad had yet to be cleared. The numbers only got worse from there. After two years, around 4000 players had died in the game.
However, all has not been lost in this death game. There are players that continue to work together in order to clear all 100 floors to free everyone. Kayaba Akihiko had challenged them to clear those floors. Everyone hoped that he would honor his word.
After some players banded together to defeat the 1st boss, «Illfang the Kobold Lord», people had gained some hope and ventured further into «SAO».
However, after some time had passed since the 1st Floor's clearing, the next floors began to be cleared at an alarming rate. Players had assumed that the «Beaters» finally joined forces to defeat the bosses of each floor.
It wasn't the truth though.
Players, parties, and guilds that were part of the front line had no idea who was wiping out the bosses. There were rumors floating around that people saw a lone person entering the boss areas. What was really perplexing was that the person was supposedly a ghost. When people went to check out the areas, the bosses were already eliminated. As more floors were cleared, it only increased their confusion. A few later claimed to have seen someone with dark blue hair near the areas. No one knew who this individual was, except that they were clearing floors. And fast. Because of their reputation for not being seen, this individual had effectively earned the nickname, "Ghost In the Machine."
October 25th, 2024
Aincrad: 22nd Floor
The 22nd Floor of Aincrad. A floor that flourished with nature despite it just being virtual. It consisted of many grassy plains, clear lakes, and lush forests. The terrain was mountainous and hilly with various areas of the floor connected via wooden walkways that were raised. In the middle of the floor was a spacious lake that was one kilometer in diameter. It was a very popular spot for fishing among players.
Around the southwestern edge of the floor was a lone log cabin. The log cabin had been vacant up until the previous day. Players of «SAO» could buy homes at the expense of in-game money. The prices of purchasable homes ranged depending mainly on quality. Some couldn't be purchased until one had to finish a specific quest that would unlock the option to buy a home. This log cabin was an example. To purchase the home, a player would have to complete the «Witch of the West and the Three Treasures» quest. Said quest had been completed by two players who now occupy the log cabin.
It was early in the morning. The sun shined brightly as it rose in the sky. The log cabin in the southwest housed two players who were now permanent residents of it. One of the players was already awake, while the continued to sleep peacefully with his mouth slightly open. The awakened player stared at her bedmate sleeping with a loving smile on her face.
"Kirito-kun~"
"Zzzzzzz..."
"Kirito~"
"...Hmm?" a rather feminine-looking boy with black hair muttered.
"Geez, you can't be that tired from yesterday my husband," a girl with orange-brownish chestnut hair claimed.
"Sorry Asuna," Kirito apologized. "I just had a really good dream."
"What was it about?" Asuna questioned.
"The two of us," Kirito said with a smile. Asuna blushed deeply after hearing the statement.
"K-Kirito!" Asuna exclaimed while playfully slapping Kirito's arm.
"Haha. It's the truth, my loving wife."
Asuna smiled when she heard that. It warmed her heart hearing Kirito say that. All the time they spent together in «SAO» was really special between them. The happiest moment of their lives was achieved yesterday when Kirito proposed to Asuna for her hand in marriage, to which she gladly accepted. The two of them were such lovebirds it could make any guy or girl jealous because of how attractive the two were. Their friend, Klein, was a player that could see the connection between them.
"Ah!" Asuna suddenly shouted.
"What is it?" Kirito asked. "Is there something wrong?"
"We haven't gone on our honeymoon yet!" she exclaimed.
"...Haha! That's it?" Kirito laughed, making Asuna glare at him. Kirito then quickly clammed up. "Wh-what I mean to say is that we can have it tonight! I mean, we were pretty tired last night after finishing that quest."
"Yeah, I suppose that's true," Asuna said, forgetting Kirito's inappropriate reaction. "All we did last night was buy our house and then we went to sleep. How about spending it here, in our new home?"
"That sounds great Asuna," Kirito said.
"What would you like for dinner tonight?" Asuna asked. Kirito then gave a cute smile, thinking about Asuna's incredibly good cooking due to her high cooking skills. Kirito started to drool just thinking about it, but he quickly came back to his senses.
"Hmm... How about some fish? I could go to the lake in the middle of this floor and fish for something."
"Fish? Ok. But is your fishing skill good, Kirito?" Asuna asked.
Kirito sweat dropped. "Ehh... I'll improve it today."
"Alright, I'm off!"
"Good luck Kirito! I'll be waiting," Asuna said while waving happily to Kirito.
Kirito nodded while holding a fishing rod over his shoulder and opened his home's door, looking out at blue sky of Aincrad with a smile on his face. Taking a deep breath of the air around him, Kirito then began walking to the lake to get some fis-
"Ahhh!"
Kirito then fell over only after taking a few steps. "What the heck?"
Kirito's eyes widened. From where he tripped, he saw a body. It was someone with long, dark blue hair that nearly stretched to their chin. He was wearing clothes that looked too foreign to be any armor Kirito had seen in «SAO». It seemed like clothes from the real world if Kirito had to guess. The person was lying face down on the ground and didn't seem to be moving at all.
"Hey!" Kirito said while closing the distance between him and this person. "Are you alright!?"
Kirito was shaking the person to get a response from them. Kirito began to wonder if this person was just sleeping and decided to sleep in front of his house. He searched for the person's HP bar to see how many hit points was remaining and to see who this person's name was. However...
There was no HP bar. No name even.
Kirito began to become very confused by this revelation. 'Why don't they have an HP bar? Or a player icon?' he thought. 'Is this person an NPC?'
"Kirito!" a voice shouted from inside Kirito's home, presumably Asuna's. "Is everything ok? I thought I heard-"
Asuna arrived at the doorstep and saw Kirito with his hands on a person lying down on their face. She covered her mouth and gasped. "Who is this?"
"I... I don't know," Kirito answered with doubt. "I don't see an HP bar nor name on this person. No player icon too. I'm not sure if this person is an NPC either."
".ig.."
An almost inaudible sound was muttered. Kirito and Asuna looked at each other with questionable glances and then at the person in front of them.
"Whoever this person is, I think they need help," Kirito said. "Asuna, help me get this person into the house!"
"O-OK!"
Kirito lifted up the person's left arm and carried it over his neck while Asuna did the same thing with the right arm. They finally got a glimpse at the person's face and saw a notably pretty face, but it also had some shades of masculine facial features. He was taller than the two of them as well. This person seemed very exhausted and not conscious.
"Is this a guy?" Asuna asked. "He's cute..."
"Let's go!" Kirito said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"R-right!"
March 5th, 2010
Gekkoukan High School
Memories of the School
'...'
"The wind feels so nice... This is my first time experiencing spring."
'...'
"But this season will eventually pass..."
"After fighting alongside you, and facing the world's end... I finally began to understand... what it means to live..."
'I'm... glad.'
"Thinking for yourself... Not running away... Accepting the inevitable... All things eventually come to an end... Every living thing will one day disappear... Only by accepting this can one discover what they truly want... What the meaning of their life will be..."
'...?'
"I understand now why I was so tormented by my lack of strength. Protecting others became more than just an order I had to obey. I wanted to do it for my own reasons... I realized this once I decided to try and prevent the Fall. When I thought I might never see you again, something else became clear to me-what I wanted most."
'...'
"And so, I made up my mind. I decided that I would continue to protect you. I want to be your strength. I know I'm not the only one who can do this... but that's okay. My life will be worth living if it's for this reason..."
'Aigis...'
"Thank you..."
"Don't cry."
"You're right. What am I doing? I understand now, so I should be happy..."
"Heyyy!"
'Junpei...?'
"Everyone..."
'Everyone...'
"...I realize now that I have friends as well."
'Yes... we're all friends...'
"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life... Sometimes, all you need is something simple, like someone to care of. I'll keep on living no matter what, so that I can protect you..."
'Aigis... I...'
"Thank you for everything..."
'...'
"You must be tired... Please get some rest... I'll stay right here with you..."
'...'
"Soon, all your friends will be here by your side..."
'My friends... Aigis...'
'I'm so sorry...'
October 25th, 2022
Aincrad: 22nd Floor
The blue-haired stranger was placed on a couch in Kirito's and Asuna's home. They were sitting across from him and they watched over him to see if he would wake up.
"Hmm..." Asuna muttered while watching the stranger.
"What is it Asuna?" Kirito asked.
"He seems different..." Asuna answered.
"Different? He doesn't have an HP bar or name around him."
"I know that, but the way he sleeps is unlike other «SAO» players. When we sleep, it's like our minds are disconnected from our bodies. We don't talk in our sleep. We're practically dead until we wake up."
"Huh... That is strange..."
Kirito and Asuna then returned to watching the blue-haired stranger. He seemed to be sleeping like a normal person in real life. They're eyes widened when they saw a tear dropping from the boy's right eye.
"A tear? This guy is different..." Kirito said. "Perhaps he's a player that wanted to play «SAO» after the launch date, but something went wrong with his NerveGear. Or a malfunctioning NPC. I'm not sure what to make of this..."
...
"Hey Kirito?"
"Yes Asuna?"
"Doesn't this guy look familiar?"
"No. I've never seen him in «SAO» before."
"I guess not familiar, but haven't you heard of some rumors the past two years?"
"What rumors?" Kirito asked. "I hardly pay attention to gossip in «SAO». Lately it's just random stuff that happens in «SAO»."
Asuna sighed. "I guess that's what I would expect from you. But you must remember what happened after the first boss was cleared, right?"
"Hmm..." Kirito contemplated. "Oh! Bosses we're getting cleared very quickly after that. Nobody knew what people could have done that. That kind of bothered me."
"Yeah that sounds right, but there's more Kirito," Asuna said. "The other floor bosses we're cleared before the members of the front line or us could reach them. Some people near the boss areas claimed to have seen a transparent person entering them. The next thing they know, the next floor was available. This person, they say, had blue hair. They called that person the "Ghost In the Machine."
"Do you think it's this guy?" Kirito asked. "But, he looks and feels tangible to me because we carried him."
"I know, but something about him feels different..."
There was a moment of silence before any of them spoke up again.
"Hey. Kirito..."
"Yes Asuna?"
"Why don't we hold off you going to fish? I'll just make something else. You always love what I cook anyway, right?" Asuna asked with a frightening smile.
Kirito cringed. "Y-yes!" He then sighed. "I guess I'll look after this guy then."
"Ok!" Asuna said. "I'll be in the kitchen then."
Kirito waved to Asuna before she left for the kitchen. He focused his eyes on the blue-haired stranger with a contemplative look in his eyes.
'Who or what are you?'
"Good morning! Please wake up!"
"...Aigis?"
"Oh. You're awake now?"
"Huh?"
The blue-haired person had awoken. His eyes opened, revealing their grey color. One was obscured by his bangs. He looked around and saw that he was in a log cabin with some modern furniture. In a chair in front of him was a young black haired boy. It hadn't been too long since he was brought into Kirito's and Asuna's home. Although, Kirito was starting to doze off.
"Are you alright?" Kirito asked.
"Where... where am I?" the blue-haired stranger asked while looking around.
"You're on the 22nd Floor in my home. My wife and I found you out front." Kirito answered.
"The 22nd Floor?" Kirito nodded. 'How did I end up here?'
"Is something wrong?" Kirito asked.
"Oh nothing," the stranger answered.
Kirito shrugged it off. "May I ask for your name?"
"My name is Arisato Minato," the stranger said, finally having a name.
"You use your full name as a username?" Kirito asked, ignoring the stranger's lack of a name or HP bar in order to get some answers.
Minato shrugged. "I don't mind sharing my name with others."
'He doesn't seem to be an NPC,' Kirito thought
"So, what's your name?"
"You can call me Kirito, Minato."
"Alright then, Kirito," Minato said while stretching out his hand. Kirito extended his hand in kind and shook Minato's.
"Hey Asuna!" Kirito suddenly shouted. "He's awake now!"
"Coming!" a voice from another room was heard.
A little bit later, Minato then saw a pretty young girl enter the room. She took a seat next Kirito and had a happy look on her face.
"Hello," Asuna greeted with a smile.
"Hello," Minato replied with a smile of his own.
"This is Arisato Minato, Asuna," Kirito explained.
"Nice to meet you Minato-kun. I'm Asuna," Asuna said introducing herself. She wasn't too curious as to why someone would use their real name. After all, her username was her first name.
"Likewise Asuna-san."
"So," Asuna began. "How come you were in front of our home Minato-kun?"
"I..." Minato trailed off. "I got tired and fell asleep."
Kirito's eyes narrowed at the statement.
Asuna blinked. "You just fell asleep in front of our home? It's pretty dangerous falling asleep outside of a safe zone. In Aincrad, monsters or players can kill you easily if you left yourself vulnerable."
"Well," Minato began. "I figured that the chances of that happening were slim."
"You're lying," Kirito spoke up. Minato raised an eyebrow. "After two years of being in Aincrad, nobody can be that ignorant. What were you really doing, Minato?"
Minato was slightly taken aback by the accusation, but then he sighed. 'Maybe I can trust these two. They seem very friendly. But for now, I'll play it safe.'
"Kirito!" Asuna shouted. "You can't just accuse people like tha-"
"No," Minato interrupted, "It's alright. I feel I can trust you two."
Asuna gave a worrying glance while Kirito relaxed his body and waited to hear Minato's answer.
"I... I think I was fighting the 75th Floor's boss."
Kirito's and Asuna's eyes widened. "WHAT!?"
"I kind of underestimated it and I escaped," Minato explained. "When I came to, I wound up here."
"Wait," Kirito interrupted. "How exactly did you escape, Minato? «Teleport Crystals» have started to become useless on Floors 74 and 75 in dungeons and presumably, the boss areas. Anti-crystal fields have become far more common lately."
"...Really?" Minato lied. "I guess the one I used was just a glitch then." He wasn't sure how he came to the 22nd Floor, but he was sure it wasn't because of those «Teleport Crystals».
"Who else was with you Minato-kun?" Asuna asked.
"No one."
"A solo player?! Fighting a boss on a higher Floor alone?!" Asuna yelled.
"Yes." Asuna's jaw dropped.
Kirito kept eyeing Minato carefully, feeling that Minato was only telling part of the truth. Solo players nowadays have become obsolete when it comes to combat. Monsters have become ridiculously harder as 75% of Aincrad had been cleared. Many players, even those who were highly skilled complained that the monsters, and Kayaba, were cheating bastards. Players couldn't imagine what the bosses of the past several Floors were like. They were already cleared when the «Clearers» arrived. Some boss rooms had items in them that seemed to have been items that one would get if they got the last attack on a boss. Few thought that it was a blessing that they didn't have to face the bosses and suffer possible death. Some wondered if it was the "Ghost In the Machine" that killed the bosses.
"What do you even fight with Minato-kun?" Asuna asked, curious to know what this solo player fights with.
"I mainly use one-handed swords to fight, Asuna-san," Minato answered. "But, I can use any weapon if I wanted to."
Kirito raised an eyebrow. "Would you mind showing us?"
"Sure," Minato said. Instead of opening up a player's menu, Minato summoned a one-handed sword that materialized in his right hand. The couple's eyes bucked. "This is a sword I got a long time ago. I kind of forgot how I got it too."
"That's..." Kirito trailed off. "That's the «Anneal Blade». You could only get it from a quest on one of the lower floors."
"Forget about the sword Kirito!" Asuna exclaimed. "How did you do that?"
Minato raised an eyebrow. "What? This is how I always summon my weapons." His «Anneal Blade» suddenly vanished, and then a knife came to replace it.
Asuna stared in shock. "Hey Kirito," Asuna whispered. "How is he doing this? Is this some new shortcut to summoning weapons that we don't know about?"
"I don't know," Kirito whispered back. "For now, let's just ignore it and treat him like a normal player, alright?"
"Ok."
"You two seem really comfortable together," Minato stated. "I guess you two aren't married for nothing. Young love. How beautiful." Kirito and Asuna blushed.
"Well," Kirito started, "I think that's enough questions for Minato. You seem to be confused and tired still, why don't you stay with us for now?"
"Are you sure?" Minato asked with a surprised look on his face. "I don't want to be a burden on you guys."
Asuna giggled. "You sound just like Kirito, Minato-kun."
Kirito awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "It's no problem Minato. You're welcome to stay with us. Asuna's cooking is to die for!" Kirito's face beamed.
Minato cringed a little at the last words. 'Hmph. Alice.' "Thank you Kirito, Asuna-san."
"No problem!" Asuna said. "I'm going to go prepare some food now. You two boys have fun! No rough housing!" She left for presumably the kitchen.
Now it was just Minato and Kirito in the room.
"So, how strong are you Minato?" Kirito asked. "You must be really strong if you thought you could face the 75th Floor's boss."
"I don't mean to boast," Minato said. "I consider myself incredibly strong."
"Oh?" Kirito raised an eyebrow. Then, a smirk came across his face. "Want to spar then?"
"I don't know..."
"Are you scared Minato?" Kirito almost sounded like Sanada Akihiko, one of Minato's friends.
Minato let out a small laugh. "Alright, Kirito, let's go!"
A/N: The second chapter is out! I felt bad posting the first chapter without having a lot of stuff happen. I spent only a day writing this (I had the day off). Well, Minato has now met Kirito and Asuna. What will happen now?
Huge thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited!
As always, reviews are always nice!
Question: What song would you choose for a credits sequence for this story?
To those wondering what song I would choose for an opening, I chose Jibun Rock. Check it out! I think it sounds a bit too epic, but it's still a good song to check out!