Chapter XXXV
GGO, ISL Ragnarok, not very far from the City Ruin Area, 8:57 PM:
''Could I ask you one more question, Saku-nii-san?''
While Sinon said that, Sakumi turned her look to her with a curious expression on it as she walking beside Kirito.
''Hm? What is it?''
''Death Gun...How can you be so sure that he can be Sterben or Jyuushi X?''
''Well, for Jyuushi X, his name has a cross in it, so it can maybe suppose a reference to his cross sign. For Sterben...I heard that word before. I know it's supposed to be in German, but I can't seem to remember what it means.''
''Jyuushi would be the best choice then. If you spell his name backwards, it means Death Gun.''
''Really? I never thought about it that way.''
Kirito turned his look back to the girls and responded.
''Yeah, but most of the character names in VRMMO were randomly created. Someone like me merely modified my own real name...what about you two?''
''...Me too.''
As the two girls said that at the same time, the three players looked at themselves with strange expressions and Kirito changed the subject quickly.
''If that guy called ''Sterben'' was really a foreigner like his name was indicated. Are there players from overseas in the BoB?''
Sakumi took a interested look and nodded.
''I actually fought versus one. He was my second PvP encounter and he had some sort of American accent in his voice.''
''Um, okay. What was his name?''
''I don't think it's that, but he mentioned the name ''Satrizer'' while he was talking to himself if I remember correctly.''
''Y-You fought versus Satrizer?!''
After Sinon said that in a shocked voice, Sakumi gave her a strange look and continued.
''Um, yeah. Maka-san even killed him before he was about to finish me. Is he...popular?''
''He was the winner of the first BoB! He won with only a pistol and a knife that he had with him!''
''W-Whaaaa?''
After Sakumi said that in a surprised look, she realised how much she had fell on strange events since SAO and how incredible most of them were so suddenly. Encounter with A.I.s, killing bosses by her own, winning the fight versus Heathcliff with Kirito...all of those things she had done were really amazing and, now, even the appearance of Jesus in person or a sudden alien invasion wouldn't even surprise her...
''Oh...so that's why you were stuck in the forest back then, right? He had ambushed you with two other players?''
The sentence of Sinon snapped of Sakumi from her sudden absence of mind and she quickly shook her head.
''Y-Yeah.''
While the two girls were discussing like that and Kirito was giving them a ''what am I supposed to say?'' look to them, he finally took the speech as they could finally began to see some street paving in the distance as it was directing itself toward the city. Finally, walking wouldn't had been so useless after all.
''Anywaaaaaay...was that guy supposed to be Japanese?''
Sinon turned her look toward him and responded as she took a thoughtful look.
''Well, when I started playing, the Japanese server only allowed those in Japan to connect to it, so the players from the second and the third round this time are all Japanese...or at least, living in Japan. Though that ''Sterben'' was written alphabetically, he should be Japanese.''
''...I see. I was also thinking that he was maybe german, but let's put him out for now. If both of them are at the dump, we'll head to Jyuushi X. You two don't have to panic when I get stunned by the stun bullet like Pale Rider, so, Sinon-san, just get ready to snipe. Death Gun will definitely use that black handgun for the final hit, so use that chance to hit him. Saku-nii-san, I will need you to prepare for an ambush attack in case there's something wrong.''
Sakumi gave him a worried look.
''B-But what about you?''
''I'll serve as a bait for Sinon. Her sniper can blow someone away in a single shot, so...''
''A bait?!''
Just after Sakumi said that in a nervous voice, Kirito suddenly looked nervous as well, guessing that she was maybe thinking that he was risking his life doing this.
''W-Wait, no, no, no. That's not what I meant!''
''Then why did you said it like that?!''
''I am just going to prepare myself for a fight versus him, that's all! It's not like I am going to wait in a wide open street and let myself getting killed!''
''Promise me that you're not gonna do it, then!''
As Sakumi gave him, this time, a serious look, Kirito took the same one and nodded.
''I promise.''
Sinon coughed a little as the three finally reached the opening of the city.
''Come on, prepare yourself to fight. The Scan will soon be off in ten seconds.''
Ten seconds later, the Satellite Scan passed on their map and they quickly pressed on the dots that appeared on it. As soon as they stopped pushing the map, Kirito finally pointed his finger on a dot and shouted.
''Alright, I got it! Up north, in the stadium!''
He was right. On the holographic map of Sakumi, she could see a dot with the name ''Jyuushi X'' looking like he was chasing another player called ''Hi-Dem'' in the stadium. Problem is...Sterben was not marked anywhere.
''Where is Sterben? I can't see him in the city.''
As soon as Sakumi said that, Sinon noticed that ''Hi-Dem'' was directing himself out of the stadium with ''Jyuushi X'' following him quickly. She immediately noticed that the street could be a perfect hit for Death Gun's sniper rifle and that there was also five or six players apparently roaming around the city. As soon as she noticed those things, Kirito returned himself toward the two girls and gave them a serious look.
''Please cover me.''
Sinon nodded and took her Hecate up.
''Understood.''
Sakumi gave Kirito a last nervous look, but she quickly took a serious one and nodded as well as she took her SG550 up too. Although she was a bit bothered by the sudden absence of Yui, she understood the situation.
''Alright. Be careful, Kirito-kun. Let's move up.''
Meanwhile...:
Maka quickly got to cover behind a metal crate, she suddenly heard bullets hit the metal with a loud ''BING'' while Soul was calculating an attack strategy.
''Why did you three had to split up?! You were perfectly safe together!''
Just after Soul said that in a angered voice, Maka shouted in return.
''I thought it was a good idea, okay?!''
Actually, this idea was not really her own. After she had paired up with Asuna and Stone and that they returned to the City since they had noticed the Forest was now empty, Stone had wanted to split up in order to get a sufficient advantage on the hostile players. Of course, Maka quickly had thought it was a bad idea...and a really stupid one at that. Why would they split up when they were actually pretty much safe together? And, to put the ice on the cake, she entered a warehouse where three enemies were fighting together just before the Satellite Scan, forcing her to fight.
Soul sighed in a frustrated tone.
''Alright, alright. ...Ah crap.''
''What? What is it?''
''Apparently, the strategic briefing cannot form a strategy correctly without involving yourself getting killed!''
'' (sigh) Fine, if this is what they really want, I'll give them hell.''
''Maybe we should...wait, WHAT?!''
Then, quickly, Maka jumped over the metal crate and started shooting toward the player who was hiding a broken truck-like machine, wounding him in the leg and arm as he was shooting at point blank to cover himself from the two other players, leaving a hole in his defence on his right.
Right when the bullet hit his leg and fell on the ground, he quickly saw Maka and began to shoot toward her with HMG. However, she had already predicted that he would do such a thing and kicked the ground to the right, screwing up his aim since the machine gun was too heavy to move quickly. Then, as she got close to him, she quickly sprayed her M1911s toward him and he fell on the ground, dead after being blasted by so much firepower.
Surprisingly, the two other players who were fighting in hand-to-hand right now had noticed her kill, making them stop with shock for a second but quickly resetting the combat as one of them prepared a missed uppercut. Problem is...those two are giving away a clear shot for her since they were fighting in an open area.
''Hm...what should I do? Kill them while they are fighting...or wait?''
Right after Maka said that out loud, one of the players broke his guard by giving her an angered look and he was punched in the stomach, stunning him for a second. As soon as he tried to recover after he fell on his knees, the other player quickly took a revolver from his waist and shot him in the head, making a little smile appear on Maka's face as she got up with her two pistols aiming at the ground.
''Hm...interesting. Another fellow pistol user, I presume?''
The player turned her look to her from under his cowboy-like hat and smiled.
''Yes, girl. And a certified one at that.''
''Certified? So...you're a soldier?''
''Policeman, actually. I'm just playing this game on my boy's character since he wanted me to try it.''
''Really? Heh...I wonder what's it like to fight versus a policeman.''
''You look pretty skilled too. I saw you killed that Heavy Machine Gun user right there with those pistols. It was...astonishing for such a young girl.''
''I'm...not that young, you know.''
No, actually, she was rather young. If she refers herself to her personal human life files, she died at the age of 14 because of the NerveGear, so she would assume that she is now 16 years old if she calculates it correctly, even though her Soul Eater-like appearance was saying the contrary with the character she was based on normally being 15 years old.
As she noticed the man slowly taking his revolver up, he suddenly took another one from his left waist and also took it up, surprising Maka even more as she realised he was also a dual-pistol user like her. She put her M1911s up and the man smiled.
''Any more questions before we fight, young girl?''
''Yeah. What's your name?''
''Heh...it's Brock. You see, my son's a Pokemon fan, so, yeah...''
Maka smiled a little as he said Pokemon, but she did not really knew why. Maybe her once human life is hiding much more things than she thought it would be. She put her hand on her headphones and talked in a low voice.
''Ready, Onii-chan?''
''I guess, then. I'm already surprised that you surpassed my A.I. abilities with such an easy feeling, so I guess that you're gonna be all right for that guy to. Good luck.''
She nodded and the man smiled.
''A.I. user?''
''Yup. Alright, Ikou se!''
''Show me what youth can give to an old man like me now, then!''
Then, Maka quickly rushed toward the man and the battle began. As soon as she got close, the girl shot a warning shot on the ground, not surprising Brock like she would had thought, and prepared a upper kick to the right. But, even if her move was fast, the man quickly parried the hit, took her leg and aimed at her face with his revolver, forcing her to shoot toward the left to launch her on the side and kick him in the head with her left leg.
Brock quickly let off her leg, but he did not shiver from the kick and tried to do a series of punch to her stomach as she was still in the air. Right after she actually felt one hit her, she was launched back and was forced to land on the floor with a back flip. She grinned and pointed her pistols on the ground toward the left and the right.
''All right, no more chances left, old man!''
She quickly rose up, let out a war cry and prepared a uppercut to the left, but, just as she knew that Brock was about to parry the punch, she fainted the punch and tried to kick him in the stomach with her knee, but she suddenly got hit on the right by a punch.
''Too slow!''
Right after he said that, she quickly anticipated the move, punched him in the face to knock him off. Just as he was shaking his head, she quickly rushed in, punched him four times in a row in the face, did an upper kick to the ground on his head, hit him in the head with her right knee to make him a look to the roof. Then, just as he was about to look back toward the frenzied girl, Brock felt two cold feelings on his stomach as he felt something push his stomach and he suddenly knew what was going to happen as Maka smiled.
''Rest. IN. PEACE!''
Then, she shot three bullets in Brock's stomach as the pistols roared with bright shining yellow flames, launching back the surprised old man on the floor. Right when he tried to get up, he noticed that his HP bar was slowly going down and he sighed after seeing the two bright red bullet holes on his coat.
''You...got...me.''
Then, his avatar's head fell on the ground as a little smile appeared on his face. Soon, the usual ''DEAD'' marking appeared over his body and Maka sheathed her pistols while giving the man a confused look.
''I...thought he would had been harder to fight then like this.''
She didn't really understand. Was she that strong in fighting? Was that why Kayaba Akihiko putted her in the anti-virus section? She quickly chased off those questions as she heard Soul talking again.
''...ka. Hello?''
''Y-Yeah, what is it?''
''Ah, I thought I lost you right there. Anyway, great fight. I think those years as a warrior of Saku-nii-san's guild made you stronger somehow.''
''Maybe so...Anyway, let's go. We have to get out of here before somebody notices us.''
''Right on, then.''
She quickly directed herself out of the warehouse and left the three dead avatars behind her. Right when she got outside and got in the street, she heard gunfires coming out of the city's stadium and she took a serious face.
''Let's go check that way.''
She started to run toward the stadium and she put her hand back on her headphones as she began to feel something weird...like a strange bad feeling like something horrible would happen shortly.
''Soul...Is there something major going on in the map?''
''Uh, why are you asking?''
''Well, I don't know, I am sort of feeling something weird suddenly.''
''...Riiiiiiight. Well, no, there's nothing extreme going on right now...Huh?''
''What? What's going on?''
''You know that guy, Sterben? When you said that he wasn't in the city when the previous Satellite Scan passed?''
''Yeah?''
''Well...he just appeared not far from Sinon-san and Saku-nii-san.''
Maka took a worried look and began to run a little bit faster.
''Okay, then. I'll go help.''
''Even if it is a deathmatch type of event?''
''They are my friends, that's the only reason I need to go help them.''
Then, just as she arrived in the street just in front of the stadium, she suddenly saw Sinon...who was lying on the ground while Sakumi had took her knife and her pistol, looking around her with...stress?
Just as she finally arrived at the side of Sakumi, she stopped to catch her breath and Sakumi gave her a surprised look.
''Eh, Maka-san?''
''Yo...what's...up?''
''Y-You need to get out of here, now.''
''W-Why?''
''Incoming projectile coming from the right!''
Just as Yui shouted that in Sakumi's ears, she quickly took her knife and slashed the air, hitting something in return.
'' (sigh) Whew, I thought I would had been stunned again after mo much time. Alright, Maka-san, follow...''
Just as Sakumi returned herself toward her and saw her avatar lying on the ground with her eyes forming a bothered expression while looking at her, she took an embarrassed expression as she noticed that the same needle that had hit her chest at the Metal Bridge was now in Maka's leg. She must had badly deviated the needle and it must had hit Maka at the place of her.
''Ah...Damn.''
She quickly returned herself back toward the right and saw, at around 20m away from them, some weird floating sparks floating in the air. As soon as the sparks had started, a person directly came out of it like it came from a portal and the sparks, leaving her and the person was in front of her.
And that person was in a dark black mantle.
Sakumi grinned and prepared herself for a possible fight as Death Gun came in front of her and looked to her with bright red eyes. Then, just as she was about to speak, he shouted with the same voice he had before.
''Kirito! Now I can tell if you're the real one or a fake.''
''Um, hello, I'm ri-''
Then, Death Gun aimed at her head with his pistol and she suddenly froze. What the hell was that guy doing right now? She tried to move, but it looked like she was strangely too frightened to do it for the first time of her life. The lifeless voice suddenly continued again like he had never heard her.
"I remember when you went berserk. Once I kill this woman... who is your friend, once you go berserk like that again, you'll be the real Kirito. Come... let me see it, let me witness that blade of yours, full of anger, killing intent and madness."
''Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit...''
As she heard his voice say that, the fear had suddenly rose up for a reason she didn't know. She never really feared anything...but that guy...that guy...this was different. Directly facing a member of the Laughing Coffin was much more scary than she was thinking. That guy had the power to kill someone...and that weapon was just pointing at her head. But why can't she move? Why can't she try to avenge her father's death by killing his possible murderer?
Then, as she closed her eyes knowing that she would die soon...
BANG.
''Hnh.''
''W-What?''
Sakumi quickly opened her eyes back and soon saw a black figure right in front of her, completely blocking the path between her and Death Gun.
''S-Stone-san?!''
Right after she gasped in surprise, a little smile appeared on his face and he aimed at Death Gun with his two SMGs, surprising Death Gun, but not too much.
''Hm? Who are you?''
''I knew it wasn't going to work.''
''Huh? What are you talking about, you peasant?''
Stone's face suddenly became severe and he slowly took his hood down to reveal a black long-haired player and a sudden name whispered out of Sakumi's mouth.
''Y...Yukishi-san?''
''Took you some time.''
''B-But, how?! You just got shot by this crazy Laughing Coffin dude and-''
''I know how he's killing people.''
''What?''
Sakumi froze in surprise as Stone, which could be called Yukishi as of now, said that while not taking off his attention from Death Gun.
''He's sending men to inject people with some kind of poison that is able to stop your muscles to work...until it reaches the heart. You surely know the rest, Saku-nii-san.''
Then, suddenly, Death Gun started to laugh slowly and soon was laughing with a loud laugh.
''HA HA HA! How delightful! You just seemed to resolve the plan! But, M. Holmes, there's still one last piece of the puzzle missing!''
''Shut up, Red-Eyed XaXa.''
''...So...one of us has decided to betray his own family.''
''You son of a bitch. You will pay for what you did to Haruhime-san.''
''Something happened to Haru-san?''
As Sakumi said that quickly, Yukishi sighed in anger.
''He...he's gone. He did it...''
Sakumi froze in shock. No...he did not suicide himself, did he? Himeko couldn't had done that, right? Right? Suddenly, she began to grin and the grip on her weapons suddenly became harder as she suddenly got by Yukishi's side, surprising him.
''W-What are you doing?''
''Get out of the way.''
''B-But-''
''I said get out of the way, please.''
Right after she said that in a serious voice, Yukishi could only sigh and nod.
''Alright, then. If you're so confident, then fight him.''
''Take care of Maka-san and Sinon-san. the two are stunned and I don't know for how much time they will be.''
''What about you?''
''Heh, I guess I'll fight that bastard. After all, if there's really a murderer in my house, then I have no choice but to fight.''
''...Saku-nii-san...''
After Yukishi said that in a low voice, Sakumi returned her look to him and smiled.
''Don't worry. It's not like I will be gone anyway. Who knows how many times I defied the Grim Reaper on his own in situations like this?''
He hesitated for a second, but he soon lowered his UMP45s.
''All right...(sigh) I'll take care of the girls while you're fighting.''
He quickly approached her and whispered in her ear.
''Asuna-san is covering you if something goes wrong, alright?''
''Got it.''
Yukishi got back toward Sinon and Maka and took them on his shoulders thanks to his high STR stat. He was surprised how much Sakumi could change on only a matter of seconds into a leader and take full responsibility of the situation.
''Good luck, then. I'll see when it's over.''
Then, he began to ran toward the north following the street of the city with the two stunned girls on his shoulders, leaving his once SAO guild leader behind him and trusting her. For the first time, he was very worried for one of her fights. He also wondered why he would follow that girl so much...was he in love with her secretly? No...that would be horrible. He now has Asuna of which he loves very much since he met her on GGO while he was depressing about his cousin's death...but, somehow, this girl was the first he met and became true friends with along with Link and...Haruhime, of which he felt a little bit about not telling Sakumi that he was part of the Laughing Coffin. But, she has Kirito, and he accepts that fate, as long as she is happy. Like he would often say toward his friends: ''Don't wait for too long, or else you lose.''
As he got away, XaXa smiled from under his mask and talked in a loud voice.
''Oooooh. How military and overly dramatic. Would be a perfect scenario for an action movie, right? Oh, how about a book about it? Nah, that would be too bad, really.''
Sakumi gave him an angered look and she grinned.
''Now...how do you want to die? With guns...or with swords?''
Just as she said that, XaXa took out some sort of blade from his mantle and Sakumi gave her a cruel smile.
''An Estoc, hey? So you want to cross swords? Fair enough.''
She threw her Desert Eagle on the ground and she took an attack position with her knife. She laughed a little about this pose, actually. It was the exact same pose she would take in SAO while she still had her ''Angel's Eagle'' which had now completely disappeared, unfortunately. Maybe, one day, she could ask Lizbeth to re-create it back.
However, that pose suddenly took XaXa off guard as he noticed something pretty weird on her. Her eyes had suddenly changed color from yellow to pure white and he could swear that her knife's white blade was slowly getting bigger. Even Yui who had not talked to Sakumi since her conversation with Yukishi had noticed it and was surprisingly discovering odd data appearing in her mother's player net code.
''What in the world...Unknown data detected! Scanning data properties!''
''What...the...fuck?''
After Death Gun said that in a low voice, a sudden black-clothed figure appeared alongside Sakumi and a confident smile appeared on her face.
''Ready to rock, Kirito-kun?''
Kirito took out his Kagemitsu G4 photon sword and made the blade appear as he smiled and took a serious face afterwards.
''You don't know how much I want to kill this guy right now. Are you sure you will be alright for the murderer chasing you in the Real World?''
''Don't worry about him, my aunt's going to kick his ass.''
''Hm...Then, let's do it.''
Just as he said that, Sakumi nodded, pointed her knife toward XaXa and it suddenly became a white photon sword, surprising the two other players. Right when XaXa thought it was maybe not a good idea to directly assault someone with such strange white-colored powers, she shouted.
''FOR MY FATHER!''
And she directly rushed toward XaXa with Kirito on her side as the two let out a war cry with Kirito not knowing how much this strange virtual angelic power could rival that of an entire army.