Hello again. You see, this chapter comes earlier than I expect.

Special thanks to zecross to send me PM to write faster. Also, many thanks for the reviewers from the previous chapter: Penc0405, Gunbladez19, Shatoyarn-chan, Sightbent, and everyone who put this story to story alert and add it to favorites. Here's the next chapter.

DECISION

Kite's POV

"You're not joking, right?" My best friend, Orca, asked me, surprised. "Finding Zefie's daddy? Are you out of your mind?"

"Well, I know it sounds ridiculous. But a promise is a promise." I walked fast, leaving Orca so he wouldn't say anything again about my silly decision.

"Kite, wait for me." He ran behind me.

I stopped walking as I saw a group of players surrounding something. "Hey Orca, what's going on?"

"Wanna see?"

While we were approaching, I heard a male roared furiously, "WHERE IS THAT DAMN HACKER?"

My eyes narrowed.

… hacker?

"I hope he didn't talk about you, Kite," Orca spoke uneasily, thinking I would feel irritated with that term. "Maybe it's not a good idea to go there. Let's go to another place."

I refused Orca's suggestion as curiosity filled my brain.

It was a hard effort to reach the center. Luckily, people didn't realize that I was here. If they did, they would charge me. In fact, I hated to be the public center. Despite of being the legendary player in the World, I preferred modesty. It made me the real me, both as Kite and Shidou Kaito.

My eyes widened as I saw a giant Blade Brandier. With the height was almost three meters and his dark face, he succeeded to make himself like a humanoid monster. His red eyes were roaming his surroundings wildly, then they stopped with me as their target.

"You! I know you!" He shouted.

I know you too, my mind said, annoyed. Though he hid his name from his character, I realized this was Ibara's.

I was about to greet him, but when I saw his hair after he took his hat off, I looked dumbfounded.

What. The. Hell!

"WHERE DO YOU HIDE THAT LITTLE BRAT?" He demanded wrathfully.

If he was talking about Zefie, that would mean she wasn't with him and it was a good thing, but obviously at this moment, she had done something awful to him. I never knew there was a hair style of pink afro in the World until I saw this one.

"Pink cotton candy," Orca said between his laughs.

Actually, I was still able to hold my laugh. But I couldn't help as the inside of myself, Shidou Kaito, grinned in the reality while watching the screen.

"What happened to you?" I questioned.

"She hacked my character! These things can't be changed! Look!" Ibara's character spat, swallowing his pride and bashfulness as he pointed at his legs. Then my eyes turned to his direction. It was a what-a-shame view. His legs weren't human legs. In fact, they were animal's, like pig's. How come?

He looked at me, full with revenge. "THAT KID! WHERE IS SHE?"

I was about to say something, but he yelled at me again, "YOU KNOW HER! SO YOU SHOULD TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY TOO!"

I just stared at him blankly without saying anything. Since I was Zefie's friend, Ibara thought it would be same if he could blame whoever dealing with the kid, including me. In fact, I shouldn't be confused to face this. I could tell him that I was looking for her too and this argument would be over. However, it led to something I didn't wish. His last sentence gave me another feeling.

I felt my face paled. Of course I knew this might be Zefie's fault, and I was still innocent in this case. Yet, why ….

… why do I have a blameworthy sense from the consequences of her wrong doings?

Orca's POV

"Hey, are you still here?" I asked my friend uneasily as his character was staring at the pink-cotton-candy-haired-player emptily.

"Huh?" It looked like his consciousness was back to him again.

"Kite, are you okay?"

I didn't realize there was a bad outcome for calling his name among other players until another player eyeing him attentively started, "Kite? Your name sounds familiar. Do we know you?"

Now almost of them were staring at my Twin Blade friend silently, waiting for an answer.

Soon a player beamed, "Hey! You're Kite the Legendary Hero from four years ago!"

"Yeah, he looked like him!" His friend continued.

Then they started whispering each other. I couldn't put their words together fully, but I heard the Infinity Eight and Morganna's name being thrown in their conversations at times.

"Lets get out from here," I spoke. But before my best friend reacted, the pink-cotton-candy-haired fighter coldly mumbled, "So you're a hacker too."

Kite decided to remain silent so I helped, "Now buddy, it's not good to accuse people like that."

"Shut up!" He cut me while glaring at Kite. "I demand you to get my original character back!"

I thought Kite would get upset and complain. But I saw he was still quite. I couldn't believe he was able to keep his rage in this situation since he was blameless, I guessed.

"Kite, say something before he loses his sanity," I whispered to him as the Blade Brandier raised his blade. The tip of his blade was so closed to Kite's face, intimidating him.

Usually, when a fighter faced this circumstance, he would be prepared for a sudden battle. However, that idea was inapplicable for Kite. His face didn't change at all. No alertness. No worry. No fear.

Seeing his futile effort to make Kite frightened, the angry fighter growled, "This is my favorite character in the World, and as a hacker, you should know how to restore it since you're a friend of the kid. Better you do it now, or else. I will force you."

A few seconds passed, nothing happened. Everyone was waiting for someone breaking the quietness. No one could predict that someone would be Kite.

"Save your blade. I don't want to fight for this reason," he sternly asked.

I was relieved when I heard his voice again. I thought he would be mute for the longer time, but now I realized I was wrong.

Surely he didn't want to. When he was roaming in the World four years ago, his opponents were monsters, Morganna, and Infinity Eight. It was not that he was afraid to beat other players. In fact, it was an illegal action. (A/N: in the World R:1, PK is forbidden). Not to mention that he could put the players into comma with his bracelet.

This is Kite that I recognized. He would not fight for getting the amusement or showing his extraordinary skill. He was not a type of guy fighting for harmful purpose or worst, without any purpose. He fought to help and to protect.

I heard Kite started making a deal with him, "The kid you're talking about is not with me. Actually, I'm searching for her too. Give me more time to find her, and I promise to ask her to restore your character soon."

The Blade Brandier eyed him piercingly while lowering his sword. "Can I trust you?"

"Yes." Kite nodded determinedly. "Just give me more time."

"Fine." After he gave his member address to Kite, he logged out.

"Orca, let's go to that place," Kite whispered as other players were still admiringly and wordlessly looking at him as the Legendary Hero. Moreover, at this moment they also could see how he made his decision to solve the earlier problem.

No childlike shout. No whining protest. No flee. No hide from view. No give up. No battle with mere purpose. Who knew this previous happy-go-lucky boy could act so manly in the certain circumstances?

"Where?" I didn't understand what place he said. But when I saw his serious eyes, I finally caught his meaning.

Soon Kite and I arrived Hulle Grantz Cathedral.

I believed he wanted to tell something to me in private. That was why he asked me to go to a quite place.

"I'm waiting." I said while standing and leaning my back against the wall with my hands being folded. "But mainly, why do you wanna help him?"

"He's Ibara," Kite answered, sitting on the floor while leaning his back against one of the pillar.

"Ibara? Your brother-to-be?" I was surprised.

"You don't know he plays this game too?"

I shook my head. "Dunno he likes this game too. But I'm absolutely sure his real identity is not the main reason you wanna help him."

Kite scratched on his head. "I'm glad you know me well, Yasuhiko."

"It's Orca." I felt annoyed. "And you haven't told me your main reason."

"Well, he said it's his favorite character in the World."

Now I knew where that sentence led to. I eyed Kite who was staring at the window. His character was a hacked one too with the exceptional addition: the Daybreak Bracelet. Surely, he didn't want any other character in this World. Why would he want it if he had the extraordinary one? Kite could be Shidou Kaito's favorite character in the World.

"I … I don't think I would log in again if … if Kite was gone," he said bitterly. Now he was talking not as Kite, but as Shidou Kaito. "Too many memories with him."

Of course. Kite was Shidou Kaito's first character who learnt about the World. Not to mention I taught him. He also met Aura with that character too. I was still amused, remembering how his face was when he saw the mysterious A.I girl. His deep blue eyes never blinked, not even once. It seemed he had become so drawn to her immediately although what she cared for at that moment was only me to take her book. Talking about the soft spot in his heart at the first sight ….

I chuckled.

Well, let's not get too detailed or Kite would be upset. But then again, could he read my mind?

Actually, I didn't know what happened next since I was in comma, but Balmung told me. Kite installed the book in his character, making him possess the Twilight Bracelet. Soon he met and befriend with many people. He then battled against Infinity Eight and Morganna and won. In short, Kaito always used Kite to finish his adventure in the World.

He was right. Too many memories in the World he had for using Kite's character. Good and bad. Focus and confused. Shocking and soothing. Happy and sad. Also, courage and anxiety. Hope and despair. Friendship and hostility. The beginning and the ending of his adventure. Not to mention about what he felt toward the A.I girl.

Yes, he definitely understood what Ibara felt, and that was his main reason to help him.

For the players, the ruined characters could be deleted easily and they could make other characters. On the other hand, there were some players bound and obsessed with their own characters in the game. They were like their own 'bodies' and had represented their identities in the game. Surely, it was hard for them to have other characters.

And as for Ibara, that character was his favorite character.

"Orca, I didn't get any information about Zefie in Twilight Area," Kite finally told me what happened when he went there. "Helba said Aura didn't want to meet anyone and she didn't tell me where Zefie is."

"That's … disappointing."

"Yeah. But I have my way. I should find Zefie, not just for fulfilling my promise to her, but also for fulfilling my promise to him."

"Kite, we don't have any clue to find her."

"But we know who the last person whom she met, at least."

I swallowed hard. "You mean … you want to ask Ibara about Zefie?"

He just gazed at me wordlessly.

Talking about the common sign that I knew, somehow silence could be meant as 'yes'.

to be continued ….