Chapter XXV

Three hours later, Real World, Amano's house, Guest Room, 10:00 PM:

Natsumi finally opened her eyes and took out her AmuSphere from off her head. She looked toward the ceiling for a moment, but she stood up from the Guest Room's bed and got to the door. She slowly walked downstairs and sat on the living room's couch on which she sadly sighed. Now, she was back into the Real World…where all the bad things she had suffered on this day were coming back. However, strangely, no tears were appearing in her eyes, even though she wanted to cry a little.

''Natsu-chan?''

Natsumi slowly turned her look toward the kitchen and saw Haruna who was looking at her.

''Oh, hey, Haruna-san.''

Haruna walked toward the living room and sat on the side of Natsumi. That's when Natsumi noticed that her aunt was not here.

''Where is Aunt Amano?''

''She's….. (sigh) Maybe I shouldn't tell you.''

''Tell me anyway.''

Haruna gave a sad look to her but she knew that her sister wouldn't give up on something like that very fast, so she finally let it out.

''While you were playing on the AmuSphere, Mom got…..a bit out of hand, apparently. If I remember correctly, Amano got to our house and he called me on the phone to tell me that she had to bring her to the emergencies. I don't know why she even thought of that…..but I think it's because her psychological problem is rising up again.''

''So you're telling me that we also lost our mother somehow?''

Haruna felt a bit shocked to see Natsumi talk like that, but it was almost clearly that. She didn't know what happened to their house, but it must be very important if she had to go to the hospital.

''Well….maybe not, Natsu-chan. Maybe there's something that can bring Mom back.''

''Are you sure?''

No, she was not. In fact, she already knew there was no such thing as a cure for this type of disease. Normally, the only thing that can cure these things is the person's will, nothing else. She did not responded and the two girls looked toward the fireplace in a depressing silent mood until Natsumi asked a question to Haruna.

''What if…..we can have this thing? I mean, since we were born by her, wouldn't something like that be caught by her children?''

''No, don't worry about that. When we were born, we passed a medical test to verify if we had any problem like that and the doctor said we were okay.''

''But…..aren't we having different personalities in games somehow?''

''That's only roleplaying, Natsu-chan. It's not really the same thing.''

Haruna decided to change the subject before it gets more depressing as it is at the moment.

''So….what were you doing upstairs in the Guest Room?''

''I was playing with the AmuSphere.''

''On ALO?''

''No, on another game called Gun Gale Online or GGO to be put shorter.''

''GGO? What's it about?''

Natsumi explained to Haruna what GGO was mostly about and her sister got a little bit interested.

''Hm…..looks fun to play. I got to admit that it's been some time since I actually fired a gun virtually. Maybe I could join in someday.''

''But…..aren't you an Undine General on ALO?''

''Yeah…..but maybe I could take a little break on it.''

Actually, just after the new opening of ALO, Kristin, Haruna's avatar on ALfheim, was promoted to General of the Undine Army by the Undine Lord, Korua. However, even though she had an important grade in the Undine Army, not much tasks were asked to her since the Undines were mostly pacifists, so it was getting quickly boring for her and she continued her usual ALO experience with her friends. And to put the little icing on the cake, a peace treaty was made among all races of ALO, so no wars could be done until the New Year, even though the Salamanders got a little bit against it at the beginning but accepted it even though they were still a bit sad to not fight until the end of December. Natsumi got surprised a little to see her said that.

''You would really want to sacrifice your sword for a gun?''

''That wouldn't really bother me. It just has to be fast and I'm all right.''

For the first time in the Real World, Natsumi smiled a little and Haruna smiled in return. She was happy to see that her sister was able to forget her parents' situation so quickly.

''Well, maybe you could join in someday.''

''Maybe at the beginning of December. I need to make sure the others at the Undine council are not thinking that I'm abandoning them, so it's gonna take some time.''

Natsumi nodded and stood up from the couch.

''Okay. Well, I'm gonna go sleep. It's getting a little bit late.''

''Good night, Natsu-chan.''

''Good night.''

Then, Natsumi got upstairs and got to sleep while Haruna was on the couch, smiling a little. At least, she was able to make her sister happy for a while.

Meanwhile, Shinkawa family house:

Himeko got out of the AmuSphere network and he woke up in the bed of Shoichi of which he was looking at him with his brother, Kyouji.

''Ah, he's finally awake. So, what do you got?''

Himeko sat on the bed and gave Shoichi a serious look.

''While I found some players in the forest training, I saw a player that looked exactly like the White Swordgirl from afar with the goggles I was able to buy in the store. I also found the guy you wanted Kyouji to eliminate, Zekushiido. He was in the city and I could see him prepare himself for an interview with other players around him.''

''Perfect.''

Shoichi turned his look toward his brother and smiled.

''So….are you ready, Kyouji-san?''

Kyouji had not moved his look that he was strangely giving to the computer, but he answered with a small voice.

''Actually, Onee-chan…..there's someone else I want to be put down.''

''Hm?''

Shoichi and Himeko gave him a strange look and Himeko changed his face toward a serious one.

''Kyouji-san, we cannot waste our substance for another person just like that. Who is he?''

''He's called Dyne. He's a leader of the squadron I'm in with our next targets.''

''Ah, yes, I think I know who you're talking about. Muscular, Galil assault rifle and green clothes, right?''

''Yeah. That's him.''

As Himeko was about to respond with a negative opinion, Shoichi quickly got in the conversation.

''You know…..it's maybe something right to do. If I remember correctly, that guy was at the 18th place in the third ''Bullet of Bullets'' tournament in GGO.''

''18th place, huh?''

Himeko looked toward the ground for a second and he sighed.

''All right, I'll think about it. Shoichi-san, do you still have contact with Atsushi-san?''

''Yeah….but why?''

'''Because we'll need more men.''

November 9th 2025, streets of Tokyo, Yokohama shopping district, 4:00 PM:

Natsumi had decided the next morning to take a little break of her AmuSphere experience and go visit her mother at the Yokohama North General Hospital in the afternoon to visit her after she heard what Amano said about what happened yesterday at her house.

Actually, after the medical team arrived in Mizuki's room, she was on her bed looking toward the front wall where she had written the word ''AFRAID'' in katakana writing with a red color pencil on the floor. When the team had tried to talk to her, she would suddenly shift between two personalities: her own personality and another one in which she was acting a lot like a little afraid girl. After Amano tried to talk to her with the psychologist of the medical team, the lady who was with her confirmed that her schizophrenia had gravely got up and changed into a ''DID'', a ''Dissociative Identity Disorder''.

After Amano explained, Natsumi quickly wanted to visit her at the hospital even though her aunt and Haruna quickly did not want to, since it will only maybe do things much worse. However, at the end, the two women accepted her request with sad looks and let her go, which made Natsumi feel relieved.

Since she did not wanted to cry in the streets, she had took her IPod with her and had put some ''T.M. Revolution'' music up to forget the pain. As she could see the hospital from not too far and that a little hesitation feeling suddenly got up, she four girls on the other side of the street, right before a alley between two buildings. One of the girls who looked like their ''lead'' took the arm of the fourth girl who looked like she was intimidated by the others and she took her in the alley. Natsumi did not know what was going on at all, but she decided to sneakily tail them. As soon as the girls stopped, she hid behind a container which was on the wall of the right building to hide. To not make any noise, she closed her IPod and put it in her jacket's pocket.

The lead girl finally began to spoke to the afraid one as she was smiling.

''Sorry, Asada. We just sang so much karaoke, and now we have no money to ride the train home. We'll pay you back tomorrow, so lend us some just now.''

The lead girl put a finger in the air as Natsumi quickly got shocked to see her do that stance as she understood what she meant.

''What the hell?! Ten thousand yen? How can someone have that on them in the streets? Are these girls extorting her?''

The girl called Asada got a little bit nervous. She was a short girl who had thin hair tied with ribbons on the side of her face with the back of her hair cut short and black eyes under a pair of glasses. She was wearing a black winter coat along with black pants.

''There's no way I would have so much.''

The lead girl looked exasperated for second, but soon regained her smile.

''Then, go withdraw some more.''

Asada did not responded and started to walk toward the streets of the shopping district in the other direction, making Natsumi silently sigh in relief as she was thinking she would had probably noticed her if she got in the opposite one, but the lead girl let out a loud voice.

''The bag, leave it here. Your purse, too. As long as you have your card it's okay, right?''

Natsumi got shocked again as she thought this was beginning to get a little bit too far. This wasn't an extort, it was downright thievery. As Asada stopped walking, the lead girl lost a bit of her patience and replied.

''What? Hurry up and go already.''

''I don't want to.''

''Huh?''

''I don't want to. I have no intention of lending you any money, Endou-san.''

As Asada replied in a strong voice, the girl called Endou quickly got to her with the two other girls and said in an intimidating voice.

''You bitch. Don't you dare look down on me.''

''I think you are misunderstanding who's the ''bitch'' here.''

''What?''

As Endou returned herself to the voice in her back with anger, she could see Natsumi who was standing up with her cellphone in her hand. For a girl like her, Natsumi would have thought she was a kind girl with good grades at school at first look. Endou was a long auburn-haired girl with green eyes in a black uniform with a little tie on the top of it along with a black dress and red thigh boots of which Natsumi was wondering how the hell she could survive in this type of clothing at the edge of winter.

Endou replied to Natsumi's sudden reply with a little smile.

''Oh? And who are you? One of her new friends?''

''Nope. I'm just the one who's gonna get you arrested if you are going any further.''

''You don't have the guts to do it, right?''

Natsumi opened her cellphone, wrote the number 110 and showed the screen of her cellphone to Endou without pressing on the call button, which made Endou a bit angry as Natsumi continued.

''I know I have more courage than someone like you. Who would have thought that a girl with surely good grades would be arrested someday? How sad….''

''Give me that phone! Now!''

''And why would I do that?''

Endou did not anticipate those words, but she quickly rushed toward Natsumi to try to attack her. Problem is that Natsumi was much better in fights than her and she evaded the punches of Endou easily without even riposting, which making Endou even more furious as the other girls just watched in silence. Suddenly, as Natsumi was still evading Endou's attacks pretty easily, a loud male voice could be heard from the end of the alley.

''This way, M. Patrolman, hurry!''

As Endou and the others heard the voice, Endou stopped trying to fight and whispered.

''One day, I'll get you.''

Natsumi only replied with a little smile as Endou and her friends ran away from the alley. Just as she reached the girl called Asada, Endou mimicked a little pistol with her hand and let out all a small ''Bang!'' with a small voice. When she heard it, Natsumi was actually thinking that that girl was much crazier than she thought, but she soon noticed that Asada suddenly froze, screamed and began to get on the ground, worrying Natsumi who got a little bit closer.

''H-Hey, are you all right?''

''Y- (cough) Yeah, I'm…..fine. Thank you for the help.''

As soon as she bend down to verify if Asada was clearly all right, the young man who let out the previous warning got to the two. The guy had short brown hair and had a yellow vest along with blue jeans, a dark green backpack on his shoulder and a black baseball cap. He looked a bit skinny and he was small, but Natsumi knew that she could trust him. The two girls got up and the guy nodded to Natsumi.

''Thank you for helping Asada-san. I was thinking for a moment that these girls were really going to attack her.''

Natsumi smiled to this compliment.

''It's all right, I was lucky to even see her got here with these girls in the crowd anyway.''

Suddenly, as Natsumi noticed that Asada looked a bit healthier than before, she looked toward her with a little curious face.

''Hey…..do we know each other somehow? You look…..familiar.''

Natsumi gave her a weird look and shook her head.

''I don't think so. It's the first time I am seeing someone like you right now. Ah, yeah, I just wanted to ask….''

She turned her look from Asada toward the young man.

''Did you really called the police? I thought they would be here already.''

The guy smiled, embarrassed.

''Nah, it was only a bluff. They do it a lot in movies and mangas, so I thought ''Why not?''. I'm glad it worked though.''

Natsumi gave him a slight bothered look and she turned herself toward Asada.

''Okay, then. I'll be going now; I have something to do before getting back home. Stay safe.''

Just as she was about to go, Asada called her back.

''Hey, couldn't we….share our phone numbers? It's actually the first time someone actually done something like that for me apart of that guy over here.''

''Oh, really? Well….I guess that wouldn't hurt.''

The two girls shared their phone numbers along them and Natsumi said the two goodbye before going out of the alley and getting back in the direction of the hospital. As she walked forward, she was looking at the name of the girl on her cellphone by her phone number. Her entire name was ''Asada Shino''.

''Shino? I look familiar to her, but her name looks familiar to me…..Heh, whatever.''

15 minutes later, Yokohama North General Hospital:

Natsumi slowly entered the hospital and got to the counter with a kind of timid look.

''I'm here for a visit for Sakura Mizuki. I'm her daughter.''

The old man behind the counter smiled to her, pressed on a button on his computer and turned his look back to Natsumi.

''Room 115. Take the elevator on your right, go to the third floor and immediately turn right. You'll be just in front of it.''

''Thank you, mister.''

''Your welcome.''

Natsumi got to elevator, pressed on the third floor button and quickly walked to the 115th room after the iron doors opened on the third floor. Right when she was in front of it, she sighed to calm herself and knocked on the door. The door opened on a nurse who was accompanied with a tall short blonde hair and blue-eyed man in a medical coat. The man looked surprised to see her here, but he quickly took back a serious face.

''Ah, you must be Natsumi-san, Mizuki-san's daughter. Your mother is actually not here at the moment. She was transferred in another section of the hospital, but I can bring you there if you must.''

''All right, mister….?''

''I'm Dr. Kurahashi. Nice to meet you.''

''Nice to meet you too.''

''Onward, then.''

The man began to walk in the corridor while Natsumi was on his side. As she followed him in the elevator, she noticed that he pressed on the 12th floor button, which was weird since it was normally not permitted for normal visitors to get over there. As she noticed that and the elevator began to go up, Natsumi gave a slight curious look toward Kurahashi.

''Um, mister Kurahashi, where are we exactly going? Is there something really wrong with my mother?''

The doctor looked hesitated but he replied.

''We….decided to put her in the ''Medicuboid'' section of the hospital since her disease, as you surely know it, had gone to terrible effects on her brain. When we got the results of a psychological test on her, her brain was constantly forming multiple personalities. You surely know what schizophrenia is, right?''

''Yes.''

''Well…..this one is the worse version of it if I must say. The disease has evolved and changed itself into a DID.''

''DID?''

''It means ''Dissociative Identity Disorder''. In short, the brain of your mother constantly forms multiple personalities until her brain literally snaps off because of the amount of ''her'' she has. Just right now, she already has two personalities and it's only been a day since the disease developed.''

''Are you serious? Then….why are you keeping her over there?''

''Are you a FullDive device user?''

''I played some games in it, yes.''

The iron doors of the elevator opened and a large gate with a sensor appeared in front of them. Kurahashi took his card from his pocket, put it in front of the sensor and the gate opened with a little electronic sound. The gate opened on a strange pure white corridor with absolutely no windows at all unlike the other floors. As he began to walk forward and that he made sure that Natsumi was following him, he continued.

''Well, that's what the Medicuboid is. It was the first FullDive machine to be created under the government laws and it was, at the beginning, only having the purpose of keeping heavily injured or sick person alive for a short period of time. It's basically an entertainment system for the last period of the lives of sick children.''

''Oh…..So…..Does it mean that…..''

''What? No, I didn't mean that. I was just getting to that part. Actually, when a person who has psychological disorder enters the Medicuboid, medical studies proved that most of those people were able to…..be cured after some time.''

''Cured?''

''Yes, cured. After a period of time in the Medicuboid, the electronic waves sent to the brain when it gets disconnected from reality makes the brain delete the personalities slowly and slowly get back to her old one.''

Natsumi followed Kurahashi for some time until they finally arrived in front of a door with a little iron bar on the side of it where the words ''First Unique Design Machine Room'' were written on it along with a card panel under it. Kurahashi took his card, slid it in the panel and the door opened.

''Let me show you where your mother's at right now.''

''Okay.''

The two got in front of a wall in which, at the side of another door, there was a large glass window dyed in black in which it was so dark Natsumi couldn't see anything in it. Kurahashi got to the electronic panel that was below the window and started operating on it. Soon after, the window got a little bit clearer until it became completely transparent, showing the room that was on the other side.

As Natsumi looked through the window with more attention, she noticed that it was a large room in which the walls were white and they were some machines lying around a bed on the center of the room.

On the bed was the body of a woman with her body covered by the bed's blanket up to her shoulder and many tubes were linked toward her shoulders and neck by a little white patch. The woman's face was completely covered by a white cubic object, but Natsumi could see the mouth and the chin of the woman. She turned her look toward Kurahashi as she looked toward the body in the room.

''So….this is where my mother was placed?''

''Yes, Natsumi-san.''

''You said that the Medicuboid was a FullDive machine. Can't I join her in the network to see her?''

''Well…..are you sure?''

Natsumi nodded with a confident face and the doctor sighed.

''….All right. There's an AmuSphere in the other room. If you want to join her directly, you will have to get into the ''Crossing Field'' program.''

''Crossing Field?''

''It's an environment made by the medical team. It acts like a natural hub for the people using the Medicuboid here in this medical center.''

''Okay, then. I'll see you soon.''

The doctor smiled and pointed the AmuSphere's room as Natsumi quickly got to it, opened the door to find herself in a little room, which was half the size of the room where she was with Kurahashi. Inside the room, there were two black chairs with a headrest containing the AmuSphere on it. She got to the nearest, sit in it and put the AmuSphere on her head as quickly as she could.

''Don't worry, mom, I'm coming. Link Start!''

Then, her consciousness in the Real World was lost as she was transported in the virtual world.

5 minutes later, Crossing Field program:

Sakumi appeared in front of a large wooden manor which was placed in the middle of what looked like a giant field completely covered with glass. The sky was completely clear and it looked like a calm warm sunny day. As she looked at herself, she realised that her avatar was strangely the same as the one in ALO, which made her wonder if her mother would really recognise her in this state.

She approached the front door of the house and opened it. As she entered, she let out a small ''Hello?'' to verify if someone was in the manor. The manor was beautiful with many luxury furniture lying around, but it was completely empty…..except for a single person who was looking at the window in the large living room. Sakumi noticed it and verified if it was really her mother.

''M-Mom?''

The woman who was sitting on a wooden chair turned her look toward her and smiled a little. She did not look very different from the real Mizuki. She was wearing a green mage-like robe with gold underlines and weirdly shared similarities with the Sylph Lord Sakuya for a second, even though Sakumi could clearly recognise that her mother was wearing clothes from the Puca race.

''Who are you? Someone else who wants to pity the poor woman I am?''

Sakumi approached her and sat on the second wooden chair that was on the side of Mizuki.

''You probably can't recognise me like that, but it's me, Mom. It's Natsu-chan.''

''Natsu-chan? Are you here to hurt me?''

Sakumi felt a little bit shocked to hear her sat this in a little girl's voice. She supposed that was her second personality and she decided to take another solution.

''Can you tell me what is your name?''

''My name is…Mikoto. Sakura Mikoto.''

''Mikoto?''

That name wasn't ringing any bells in her mind but it strangely had the same family name as her.

''Do you know where we are at the moment?''

Mizuki, who was actually Mikoto at the moment, shook her head having at the same time a sad look.

''No…..I don't know. I only woke up here.''

Suddenly, the woman shook her head and soon saw Sakumi like it was the first time she saw her.

''H-Hey! Who are you! Where am I? What's going on?''

''Mom…..is that really you?''

''…..Did you…..said ''Mom''?''

Mizuki looked at Sakumi but, soon, a smile and tears appeared on her face as she rushed to Sakumi to hug her.

''Natsu-chan! You can't believe how happy I am to see you here! (sob) I'm so sorry for what happened yesterday. It was not my fault.''

''It's all right, Mom. It's all right…''

After that Mizuki had stopped crying after five minutes, she looked around her and she returned herself back to Sakumi who was still sitting on the chair.

''Where are we? And I also should ask why do you look so different? Are we…..''

''We are in the online world, yes. You were placed into it soon after you were transported in the hospital.''

''…..Now I remember. The Medicuboid and that Mikoto girl who just keeps taking over my body at the worst moments. I still don't know how long I can keep myself like that, so I'm sorry if she comes back and screw us up.''

Suddenly, Mizuki felt like something was drilling her head and she put her hand on her head as she pointed the door of the manor.

''Argh! G-Get away, Natsu-chan! Get away from me, now!''

''W-Why? What's going on, Mom?''

''He's coming back. I can feel it. Just get out of here; I know he's gonna do something bad to you.''

''Who is ''he''? Who are you talking about?''

Suddenly, Mizuki stopped moving and her face showed no expression at all. She looked toward Sakumi for a second and a voice came out of her mouth.

''Little, little flower…''

''What in the actual…..''

As Sakumi suddenly got the reflex to open her menu and go to the ''Logout'' submenu, she quickly dashed to the ''agree'' button and pressed it. As she was logging out, she could still see her mother looking at her with that look.

After she logged out, the personality who took over Mizuki suddenly began to maniacally laugh, resonating her voice from all over the manor.

''HA, HA, HA, HA! SHE WILL BE MINE! ONE DAY, SHE WILL BE, YOU'LL SEE, NATSUMI-CHAN!''

As she was still laughing, the clock on the wall arrived on 6:00 PM and rang.