I actually wasn't confident about last chapter … man, thanks you all.

Nomad-117: but is Suguha just a magician? *enigmatic silence*

Blinded in a bolthole: Light Novel version as far as appearances go. I don't mind how the anime adapted the series (season 3 does not exist) but increasing the already high amount of fanservice … literally why. Suguha didn't say anything to Kirito because, well, it's a lot to swallow isn't it? She didn't want to overwhelm him after he's only spent three-four months back in the real world. And she's underestimating his ability to get in way over his head. She likely thought that he wouldn't get into any supernatural shit even if he ended up there.

MWkillkenny84: uh, you mixed up Argo and Silica there, dude. It was Silica's parents who talked about her being marked. Argo was still in some unknown hospital. And as for the Fallen Angels: well I have ideas for all four of them. I really like utilizing side characters. The mutual revelations between Suguha and the Devils is gonna be … fun.

ringlhach: her 'seeing' those weaknesses was due to her Sacred Gear. It was implying that 'Takeda' was a Devil.

reality deviant: I wanted to play with the idea that Kuou has a reputation of being a supernaturally active place with a bunch of bad omens – technically this is canon due to past events that were mentioned in volume 18. Issei's old friends aren't necessarily those two – just an offhand mention I threw out. As for the rest of your questions, wow, I can't answer a single one without giving away stuff. I just have to request that you keep reading.

UCCMaster: not sure where you got the Asia-Silica connection from. A typo?

Lens: would be fun, right? It might happen, might not.

Dragon Rider 66: the number of ironic things Suguha said or thought. I was planning to add more but it was already a very dialogue heavy chapter. I have ideas that I wanted to do with that Fallen Angel group – they're basically carried over repurposed ideas from this other fanfic idea that I had. I thought, hey, I could make that work here, and voila.

RizomataNyan: maybe, maybe not.

Greatazuredragon: I really enjoy writing character interactions. I'm a Slice of Life fan – character interactions are my favorite thing. I guess it shows, even when I'm not personally confident, so thanks for the vote of confidence.

KissMyFeet: well, it's not like they necessarily need motivations to become Devils… *ominous silence* Also saying that he had perverted eyes was an indirect way of warning, was it not? Lastly, it's funny you mention the DIO thing … well, you'll see eventually.

Brawler883: using real names with variations depending on the person talking to them was unavoidable, really. As for the titling, I wanted to keep it accurate to the source. Princess and Club President just don't feel like they flow as smoothly.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I may be sounding like a broken record, but I really appreciate it.

March 21st: well. Guess I can never meet self-imposed deadlines (or any deadlines for that matter). I've been stuck on the very last segment of this chapter for over a week, and by stuck I mean damn you Hunter X Hunter for being so good it's forcing me to binge non-stop. Here goes again.

Anyways. Here we are. The other big turning point in this series. The butterfly that set DxD canon in motion.

… I realize I'm calling Raynare a butterfly. Well, metaphorically… ah whatever. Here we go.

Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not own SAO or DxD

*~B~*

Chapter Thirty-Three: Normalcy's End

[Kuou Academy. April 2025]

Toujou Koneko was very good at sneaking. Maybe it was due to her small stature. Maybe it was her subconsciously drawing on her Nekomata heritage to mask her presence – not an option she preferred to consider. Maybe it was the 'walking like a cat' thing.

Regardless, Koneko was adept at moving about soundlessly. When combined with her tendency to speak very little, her presence generally went unnoticed.

… That was all thrown out the window when she came to Kuou, where existed a plentitude of people who fawned over her 'moe' appearance – they didn't realize she had very sharp ears. Rias had laughed and affectionately rubbed her head when she asked what it meant. Anyways, she couldn't skulk around as effectively anymore because certain people who were odd in the head, at least by Koneko's judgment, always managed to spot her. Bizarrely, subconscious semi-supernatural stealth had no effect on such people. One of the mysteries of the world.

Of course, when such people were engrossed in something of importance…

"Do you have it, Comrade Motoharu?"

"Indeed I do, Comrade Matsuda. How about you, Comrade Hyoudou?"

"… You guys call this being subtle?"

'Importance' being relative.

Koneko watched from her seat by the flower bed as two of the second years under the shade of a tree exchanged brown bags 'inconspicuously'. The third boy, with mildly spiky brown hair, sat there looking exasperated.

"That won't do, Comrade Hyoudou!" the one named Matsuda said. "When carrying out a trade of holy artifacts, one must have the proper attitude!"

"Indeed! Now, let us inspect your goods!"

"Why are you guys making this sound like some hammed up drug trade?" Hyoudou Issei, the Sacred Gear wielder that Rias was interested in, grumbled. "Here. You can have these, I've either got them memorized or haven't used them in forever." He handed them his bag.

"Shouldn't you keep them, then?" Matsuda said, dropping the obnoxious persona. "I mean, you have been away from their luster for two years."

"At this point, I'm amazed you know that word, and are using it like that. And I don't need em, my dad bought me a new bunch as a coming home present."

"Hyoudou, your dad is the best. If only I could convince mine to let my collection be," Motoharu complained.

"That's mostly cause your sister gets annoyed at you for having way too loud speakers," Matsuda chimed in.

"I need the ambience, man!"

"It's like looking into a two-year-old mirror," Hyoudou muttered.

"Don't talk like you aren't a like-minded connoisseur, Comrade Hyoudou! We share an innate sixth sense! Our worldly desires connect us!"

"Seriously, if you guys actually do know language that well, how come you got less than me in that last test?"

Koneko had both seen and heard about how the survivors of Sword Art Online that had enrolled in their school were generally given a wide berth. There were all kinds of unsavory rumors about them.

As a result, most of them, including Hyoudou Issei, were left unable to make many new connections. Hyoudou had however somehow gotten the attention of Kuou's infamous Pervert Duo and they had become friends. This actually damaged his reputation further but he didn't seem to care.

There was a SAO survivor in Koneko's class, too – Nimura, if she recalled the name right. Besides Yuuto and a girl in his class, the other four were generally seen together, or so Koneko had heard. She didn't really leave the Occult Research Club room too often outside classes.

Koneko suspected there were others, too, but they weren't as open about their circumstances, or rather, seeing how the others were tentatively shunned, tried to hide it.

"Hmm…? Ah!" the sudden loud exclamation made Koneko jump. "Isn't that Toujou Koneko-chan?"

"It's rare to actually see her around! Let's go talk to her!"

… Why are they treating me like an elusive creature? Koneko wasn't very keen on talking to them. She made to stand up and strike a quick retreat.

The two idiots were held in place by Hyoudou grabbing both their collars. "Sorry, Toujou-san!" he called. "These guys don't know manners!"

"Don't act like you don't want to get to know one of the Occult Research Club beauties!"

"No, no, Motoharu, that's the wrong word to use here. The perfect word for Toujou-chan would be cute."

That tone they're talking in doesn't make that sound flattering at all. "…Idiots," she said simply.

"Ah! She graced us with her famed sharp tongue!"

"Matsuda! This is truly a blessed day!"

That wasn't even worth gracing with any kind of response. Hyoudou sighed. "Seeing myself in you guys is really causing me to rethink my life here." He glanced at his watch. "Shit, we're running late! Come on, we can't miss this!" he exclaimed, pulling them away.

She felt it as he passed her.

Koneko hated her Youkai blood. It had caused her too much grief and pain. But there were things that it granted her that she couldn't turn off, enhanced spiritual senses being one. Actually training and deliberately using her locked abilities could probably make those senses far sharper, but that wasn't necessary to feel that something within Hyoudou Issei.

Koneko got up and made a beeline for the old school building.

Several minutes later, she entered the clubroom to hear a smug "Checkmate."

She saw Rias slump onto the table in defeat. "Losing three times in a row is seriously demoralizing," she moaned.

"Eleven moves is a new record, even for me," Sona Sitri, Kuou's Student Council President under the name Shitori Souna, said in a tone that only barely masked her satisfaction. "And the way you say that, you make it sound like you've ever won against me in any of the 400 matches we've played throughout our lives."

"I so have!" Rias protested. "I've won once!"

"Excuse me, I'm only counting the matches where I was actually capable of playing. Beating me while I was under the Devil's flu isn't a win."

Rias pouted angrily. She glanced at the doorway. "Ah, Koneko, welcome back."

Koneko nodded silently, then went straight to the sofa and made herself comfortable. "…Buchou," she began.

"What is it, Koneko?"

"… It isn't Twice Critical. It felt a lot more powerful."

Rias paused. "If you sensed that much even when it's dormant…" she thought out loud. Comprehension dawned and her eyes widened. "He's mine."

"… It might not be fully dormant either," Koneko said.

"A Longinus, here of all places. Not to mention a SAO survivor as well. Kuou really does attract too much trouble," Sona mused.

Rias narrowed her eyes at her. "Why do you sound so unimpressed?"

"Wh – I do?"

"It's a Longinus! A real, genuine, Longinus with a huge and powerful history! This is amazing luck! Don't you even think about going after him, Sona. I called dibs."

"Calling 'dibs' like that makes it seem like you're the one taking this too casually."

"Shut up. You're just jealous."

Sona's eye twitched. "I've learned a long time ago not to be jealous of your bouts of greediness."

Rias pretended not to hear her. "Trust me, I'm taking this very seriously," she said, opening a drawer. She summoned a small familiar. "Sneak this into his pocket," she told it. "Oh, wait, find Akeno first. She'll know how to camouflage you."

The tiny bat grabbed the small red object and flew out. Sona raised an eyebrow. "I'm being careful," Rias said. "Just in case he attracts trouble, like Boosted Gear is basically confirmed to do."

"Oh, look at that. You're actually thinking ahead."

"Do you want to have another match, Sona?"

"Brute force without planning ahead won't win you anything, as my 400 or so wins have proven."

"It's 389! Don't exaggerate!"

Koneko heard footsteps. She glanced at the door and did a double take. "Yuuto-senpai?" she said, surprised.

"Oh, welcome back – Yuuto?!" Rias exclaimed, eyes wide.

Yuuto's blond hair was disheveled, and his uniform dusty. He was rubbing the back of his neck. There was a bruise on the right side of his uniform, as if he'd been struck there with a lot of force. "Oh, this?" he said offhandedly. "It isn't much. Just another kendo duel."

"A sword fight resulted in my Knight looking like that?"

"It was a draw. I had trouble holding back to keep up appearances," he said.

"A – A draw?!" Rias said, flabbergasted. "Who were you even fighting against?"

*~B~*

[Kendo dojo. Fifteen minutes earlier]

"I feel suffocated," Ruruko complained. "This is what, the third time they're doing this?"

"Yeah, so no wonder it's turned into a bit of an event," Gen commented.

The dojo was packed. Any space outside the mat was filled with students eagerly awaiting to see the showdown between two students.

And by students, Ruruko meant that half the people there was an obnoxious fan club.

"Unfairness, I tell you, unfairness," Ise complained. "How come he gets to have a fan club?"

His two lackeys – Ruruko knew it was rude, but it was a bit hard not to think of them like that – vigorously nodded their assent. "Yeah! What's so special about him anyway?"

Ruruko sighed as a large portion of the female students in the room glared in their direction. "Ise-senpai, Matsuda-senpai, Motoharu-senpai, could you not attract unnecessary attention?" she scolded.

"They do have a point, you know," Gen muttered under his breath.

Ruruko smirked. "Oh? Are you jealous, Genshirou-senpai?"

"I told you, just call me Gen, it feels awkward otherwise."

"Is that so, Genshirou-senpai?"

"I know where to tickle you for maximum effect, so don't push it."

"Flirt some other time, you two," Ise said, making Ruruko blush crimson.

"It's just cause he looks European but has a Japanese name that he's so popular, isn't it?" Motoharu said.

"You forget that he also acts like a lady-killer. Sorry, 'prince'."

"Quiet, it's about to start," Ruruko interrupted their oncoming spiel.

Starting last week, just after Kirito had found an old acquaintance from SAO again, he'd challenged him to a duel. To Ruruko's surprise, the blond boy had readily agreed. It seemed as though they had shared some sort of rivalry from back during the days of the game.

The first two matches, Kirito had lasted ten and thirty seconds respectively before being soundly beaten, which had surprised all four of them. How did the reputedly strongest player of Aincrad lose so easily to another? Still, Kirito took the losses in stride, and kept coming back for more. And here they were again, for the third round.

Kirito and Kiba Yuuto had taken their positions opposite each other on the mat. "Kiba-senpai, you can do this!" came his fan club's cheers.

Ruruko saw Kirito raise an eyebrow. "Popular, aren't you?" he said.

Kiba shrugged lightly. "How long do you suppose you'll last this time, Kirito-kun?"

"Well, I'm aiming for at least a minute before I win." Kirito flat out laughed at the booing. "Great, now I'm going to have to try and keep my word."

"Two guys swinging their swords at each other," Ruruko heard someone nearby say in a … questionable tone. "How exciting!"

"Ebina, your nose is bleeding."

"Aren't they going to wear protectors?"

"The other guy won't last even 30 seconds, so why bother? He's just going to lose in a flash like the last two times he dared challenge Kiba-kun."

"What were the rules again?"

"First one to fall to the ground loses. Conversely, the last to land a solid attack wins."

Kiba took a basic stance. Kirito did his odd-looking lowered-body stance. The dojo went quiet in anticipation.

Kirito made the first move, rising and leaping forwards from that position into a one-handed jab. Kiba sidestepped, but Kirito predicted that and, stomping his right foot down, slashed sideways to his left. Kiba spun on his heel, swerving around the attack and went for Kirito's unprotected back.

Somehow, Kirito retracted his arm in time to block the attack with the hilt of the shinai. He twisted his wrist ninety degrees and aimed a stab straight at Kiba's face. Kiba stepped back to avoid the attack and Kirito pressed his chance, performing a series of fast stabs.

"He's trying to keep Kiba from attacking at all," Gen commented.

No sooner had he said that … Ruruko wasn't exactly sure what had happened. It was too fast and too sudden to keep up with. Kiba had somehow found a tiny opening and nailed Kirito in the sternum, making him stumble back. Kiba tried to finish him off but Kirito swept wide and then hopped back.

"Asuna-san's tactic doesn't quite suit you," Kiba said.

Kirito smirked. "Hey, Kiba. What if I said I could finish this in one more attack?" Further boos of outrage came from Kiba's fan(atic) club.

Kiba smiled. "I'd like to see you try."

In response, Kirito took up a position as if he was drawing the shinai from an invisible sheath at his left. He put his right foot forward, and charged, reaching Kiba in two steps.

Ruruko very nearly didn't catch what happened next. One second Kirito was about to attack Kiba, the next they were both on the floor.

Kirito had slashed upwards with his right hand. Kiba had gone to parry it – except the shinai wasn't in that hand. He'd switched it to his left just as he swung his right arm up. He didn't waste the split second opening and swiped his left arm upwards, the shinai colliding hard with Kiba's ribcage. Kiba went back one step, but Kirito was already stabbing forward again. Kiba leaned out of the way – but just as Kirito went past Kiba, he swung the bamboo sword down again, striking Kiba's slightly unbalanced leg, tripping him.

And yet Kiba had, as he was falling, switched hands for his own shinai and swiped Kirito's legs out from underneath him. That was crazy fast! Ruruko marveled.

The result: both of them were on the ground. Kirito was panting, but Kiba didn't seem the slightest bit out of breath. "If I saw that coming, I could have stopped it," Kiba said.

"Cut the trash talk, you won, damn it. And somehow I don't doubt that."

"We're both lying on the ground so we should call this a draw."

"A draw, says the guy who dropped to the ground first," Kirito grumbled. "But I can't see this as a win either, damn it."

Evidently the rest of the audience didn't either, as they cheered Kiba for countering Kirito's 'underhanded tactics'.

"So suffocating," Ruruko repeated, sighing.

*~Ise~*

"I'll win next time," Kirito promised. "You better keep up your kendo training or you're gonna lose as quickly as I did."

"I'm not in the kendo club," Kiba said, giving Kirito pause. He glanced back at the first years trying to subtly stare at Kiba, and then at the second years resuming practice inside.

"… regular Casanova, aren't you?" Kirito accused, smirking.

His ears actually reddened faintly. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Kiba replied.

"Sure, sure. See ya around, Casanova." Kiba nodded back faintly and walked off. "If he's not in the kendo club," Kirito thought out loud, "what club is he in, if any?"

"Apparently he's in the Occult Research Club," Gen said.

Kirito and I both turned to him. "Seriously?" I blurted out. "Huh. He doesn't look the type at all."

"None of them do," Ruruko muttered. "All the 'school idols' belong to that club. They all look crazy attractive."

Gen glanced at her, smirking. "Hmm? Are you jealous, Ruruko-kouhai?"

"I'm not gonna bother tickling you, I'm just going to hit you."

"I call double standards," Gen laughed, patting her head.

"G-get off!"

"Seriously, get a room, you two," I said. I've been saying that a lot since we got out of the game. Maybe it was just that they could finally completely relax that they could be like that.

Kuou Academy was a bizarre place straight out of a high school anime. Fan clubs formed around individuals, textbook perverts tried to sneak peeks into changing rooms, certain specific people (in this case, SAO survivors) were generally given a wide berth, the whole damn package. There was a new school building and an old school building, and the only thing in the old school building was the Occult Research Club's clubroom, as far as I knew. 'The perfect high school fantasy anime setting,' Kirito had called it.

"Either way," Kirito said, "it's about time us Going Home Club members leave, isn't it? I'm gonna check around the nearby game stores. Need something to do in my free time. What about you guys?"

"I think I'm just going to go lie down at home for hours," Gen said. "This place full of … frankly, weirdoes, is exhausting."

"Bet that's what they think of us," Kirito said. "Ise, what about you?"

I shrugged. "I got nothing to do, so … I dunno, I felt like going for a walk."

"I'll give you a holler if I see you around then," he said, hoisting his bag over his shoulder and walking off.

"See you tomorrow, Ise-senpai," Ruruko said.

I waved a hand and watched them leave. "Well," I sighed. "Time to screw around."

*~B~*

[Midday, nearing evening.]

I actually did go walking after I dropped my stuff at home and showered so that I could think. It wasn't something I could see myself doing two years ago – I would have just said "screw it" and popped in the next DVD in the pile. But after SAO, and all the shit that happened there, I felt like I needed to take some time out of my day to just think. And I wasn't a particularly smart guy, so this would take a while.

Even after like, five months, it still didn't feel like my life was back to normal. It still felt like I'd returned to this whole other place, not the same real world that I'd left. I mean, I couldn't particularly explain it – Kirito probably would do it better than me – but things just felt off.

Lately I'd been having weird dreams, interspersed with the usual crap. I was floating in a red void, and at the very edge of my hearing, something was trying to call me. Even weirder, it felt like every time the dream happened, that something was just a bit closer. And when it ended, I always woke up with my left arm oddly warm, sometimes sweating.

Other weird things were seeming to happen too. Every day when I walked in through the school gates, I got this strange feeling that I'd walked through some sort of bubble. I'd brought it up with Kirito and he'd smiled strangely and said, "You too, huh?"

He theorized that maybe subconsciously we were feeling like the school was some sort of Inner Area and everything around it was the Outer Area. A phantom effect from our time in the game. I don't think even he believed that ridiculous theory.

Still, it felt like the reality we'd known before we got trapped in the game was somehow different. Some of it was definitely due to the game. I would unconsciously put myself on alert whenever I went out, as if I'd get attacked any second and had to be prepared for that. Gen apparently no longer felt comfortable walking around unless he had a Swiss army knife in his pocket.

That paranoia did come in helpful sometimes. Ruruko told us the other day about how she was about to get mugged, and she'd reacted instantly, kicking the bastard in the face and hightailing it. Although, she did tell us that she was a bit worried about herself – that there was a momentary instinct to 'finish the 'monster' off.' Rehabilitation was harder than I thought, for all of us.

Add to the fact that I felt like I'd recovered surprisingly fast and actually generally felt full of energy and a tad restless. Kirito said that that was part of the reason he kept wanting to fight Kiba – he needed a vent for that restlessness. I guess a walk is how I felt like wasting energy.

But, whatever. That feeling would pass. I had other things to worry about.

Back in February, at long damn last, I got an email from one of the officials we were told to contact if we wanted to know anything. He'd said that Argo – Gokou Arisa – was, along with several others, missing. Apparently she'd escaped from the hospital where she'd been kept and hadn't been seen since. It was now April and there was still nothing.

I didn't get it. Why would she run? She definitely had a reason for it. But what was that reason? What the hell was she running from?

Kirito, Gen, Ruruko and I all wanted to go on a search for her – how we'd do that, we had no idea, we just felt like we had to do something. Asuna-san had talked us out of it, saying to let the officials handle it. Kirito and I were both suspicious of the situation. Something was too fishy about the whole thing, but Asuna-san assured us that she'd try and use her connections, and for the meantime we had our own lives to piece back together.

I … I just didn't know what the hell to do. I couldn't not worry about whatever shit Argo was in. But at the same time, was there literally nothing I could do?

While I was deep in thought like that, and just absently making my way past people on the sidewalk, I heard a surprised "Ah!" The voice sounded familiar. I glanced up. A girl with long black hair and violet eyes was standing a bit ahead of me, and looking straight at me. She was wearing a black dress and a light purple jacket. I recognized her, didn't I?

"Um … Amano-san, was it?" I tried.

"Ah, y-yeah. It's nice to meet you again, Hyoudou-kun!" she replied.

*~B~*

[Yesterday]

Raynare found the idea just a bit too mean-spirited. She wasn't sure who came up with the idea first – Dohnaseek or Mittelt. Given that she was going along with it anyway without any complaints, she couldn't really say anything. They were planning to kill someone to begin with – there were no legitimate complaints about what would be a 'nicer' or 'crueler' way to do it.

If Raynare was to be honest, she doubted any idiot with even half a brain would buy that she, Amano Yuuma, had fallen in love at first sight with someone who'd literally never seen her in his life. Mittelt swore up and down that the guy was a hormonal wreck with a towering collection of porn, and it would work instantly.

Sure, maybe if Kalawarner was the one doing it, Raynare thought, sighing as she stood around a corner. "Mittelt, I hope you're doing your job right," she muttered. A tiny magic circle floated near her left ear, invisible to normal people.

[Yeah, yeah, don't need to remind me, Raye. He and his pal with the emo fashion sense are nearing the corner.]

[Waiting behind a corner? Really, Raynare? Confessing in public like that is a terrible idea, you know,] taunted Kalawarner.

"Excuse me, why are you making it sound like I'm actually confessing?" That comment got a few side glances from passersby.

[Well, I didn't think you'd take the idea this seriously. You're evil, you know that?]

Raynare counted to three. "I'm ripping your wings out when I get back," she promised.

[Great, you got the moody idiot mad again,] a male voice grumbled.

"Just for that, you're getting killed too, Dohnaseek. Why are all of your on the line in the first place?"

[Alright, enough fooling around. He's getting close, Raye. Get into character and act nice for once, kay?]

"Zip it."

[Ara, that's not how a demure high school lady acts, Yuuma-chan,] chimed in Kalawarner.

"I will disembowel you," she growled, before instantly schooling her expression and turning the corner.

Immediately she bumped into someone and stumbled back. "Ah, sorry!" the person said.

"N-no, it's fine," she said, holding back her irritation. She looked up and promptly froze up. There was a second or so of shocked silence before Raynare's mind rebooted and her first coherent thought was, Shit.

"Look at you, stunning a girl silent," the other boy teased.

"Shut it. You alright, um…"

"A-ah, it's Amano. Amano Yuuma. And yes, I'm fine. Sorry for bumping into you."

"Nah, it's my fault. Sorry for that," he said. The two of them walked away.

Raynare stood there for a moment, staring after them. She then stomped off at a controlled pace. The magic circle reappeared beside her ear.

[Uh, Raye? What the hell was that? Did you actually end up falling for him at first sight? Boosted Gear is reputed to be a harem magnet anyway, but –]

"Say, Mittelt," she started in an all-too casual tone, as she walked away into the park, heading for where there were no people around.

[… Crap, I know that tone. I did nothing, I swear!]

"I wonder how you failed to mention that his Boosted Gear is already awake!" A few startled crows flew away due to her exclamation.

[Wait, wh-what?!]

[Are you sure?] Kalawarner asked urgently.

"Oh, definitely. It's impossible not to feel that kind of power from close up."

[Wait, hold on, there's no way it can be active! I've been watching him even when he's freaking asleep and…] she trailed off.

A vein popped on Raynare's forehead. "'And'?" she growled.

[… and maybe his aura pulsed a bit during that time, but that doesn't have to mean anything!]

[Ddraig was likely trying to reach out to the human in his dreams,] Dohnaseek said. [So somehow Boosted Gear is active, but the human himself is unaware.]

[That's not good,] Kalawarner succinctly pointed out.

"Oh, you think?" Raynare exclaimed.

[What do we do, then?] Mittelt asked. [If we've noticed, then those Devils have noticed too.]

Raynare racked her brain for half a minute. There's too many risks right now. Way too many. Is it even possible to kill him now? He's got some sort of experience from that game world or whatever, and if he activates Boosted Gear properly then I'm screwed. But … I can't. I can't go back empty-handed now.

"We stick to the plan," Raynare said finally. "We just speed it up. He dies tomorrow, before either Gremory or Sitri can get their hands on him."

*~Ise~*

[Present time]

"It's quite a coincidence to run into you again, Hyoudou-kun," Amano-san said. "Or perhaps it's fate?"

I could hear a snarky voice in my head that sounded quite like a whiskered girl I knew saying, Wow, that's such a cliché line.

"Eh, well, I do live around here, so it's not that surprising, right?" I said.

Amano-san laughed. "Of course. Silly me, right?"

She seemed pretty nice. "Am I interrupting anything, Hyoudou-kun?" Amano-san asked.

"Eh? Oh, no, I was just walking around. Getting some fresh air, or whatever the phrase was."

"Then, would you mind if I accompanied you?"

"Really? I'm sure you've got better things to do than hang out with a total stranger, Amano-san."

"Hmm, not particularly. I was just wandering about because I had nothing to do, and you seem like an interesting person, Hyoudou-kun. Also, Yuuma is fine. I prefer being called by my first name," she said, smiling.

Are you for real here? Was I just about to get on first name basis with a girl I'd never met until yesterday?

… Technically, didn't the names on Aincrad count as first names? So if that was the case then – that was a pointless train of thought. "Th-then, Yuuma-san, if you want to."

And just like that the two of us started walking together. And boy, it was awkward! Seriously! How do you start a conversation with a random person? She's not an NPC who has a fixed set of response patterns, she's an actual human being.

But why was this so difficult then anyway?! I talk with Kirito and Gen and Ruruko fine, right? I've even managed a few conversations with Asuna-san, and Shinozaki-san, and even Kirito's irritating sister although that qualifies more as arguing but that's not the point.

Was I this bad at socializing? I can't pick on Kirito about this anymore then!

No, no, however I look at it, it's the situation that's out of the norm. This is a chance second meeting with someone I basically just bumped into a day ago and somehow she's accompanying me on a walk. Isn't that the strange part here? No, wait, hang on, isn't this how people meet and make friends normally? You come across random strangers wherever, keep in contact and then eventually become friends, that's how it normally works right?

Alright, I've got this! No way am I gonna end up as bad as Kirito. Awkwardness be damned. I glanced a look at Amano, err, Yuuma-san, and –

She was just curiously gazing around, paying absolutely no mind to my inner turmoil. So I'm the only one who feels awkward right now?!

While I tried to think of something to say, Yuuma-san broke the silence. "Hyoudou-kun, have you lived in Kuou your whole life?"

"Eh? Ah, y-yeah, I have. Except for two years I spent … well, somewhere else," I said, evading the topic. As textbook nice as Yuuma-san seemed to be, I wasn't quite ready to talk about SAO to complete strangers.

"Is that so? So you know the roads and streets here by heart, then?" she asked.

I hesitated. "Well, you know, I didn't really go out that much, but more or less I guess," I said, laughing nervously.

"Hmm? I'm quite envious anyways," she said, stopping to look across the road. "I'm just visiting for a while, and I've only been here a week. It's surprisingly easy to get lost here, you know?"

"You should be careful going out alone here," I said automatically. "W-well, I don't mean this town specifically, but anywhere really, and – you get what I mean, right? Sorry, I'll just shut up now."

Yuuma-san laughed. "You're a suspiciously nice person, aren't you, Hyoudou-kun? Maybe you're who I should be looking out for when alone on the streets?" she accused, narrowing her eyes and taking a step back.

"Hey!" Just cause I have likely the largest porn stash in town doesn't mean I'm a sex offender!

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! And don't worry, despite how I look, I'm perfectly capable of defending myself!" she proclaimed, pumping a fist.

"That so?" I said. Man, I didn't think people like her actually existed. Isn't that kind of character basically fictional?

Eventually we ended up walking into the park. Having collected myself a bit more, I ventured, "Yuuma-san, if I may ask, you said you were visiting Kuou right? What for?"

"I came here because I really wanted to see this town personally!" she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "That's surprising. Is Kuou really that interesting?"

"Oh, it is!" she said enthusiastically. "Kuou has such a fascinating and extensive history! I just had to come and see the place with my own eyes! I've also been meaning to go to the library here and see what more I can learn about this town, but I always end up getting lost on the way."

I wonder, if we put Ruruko and Yuuma-san together to navigate through a place, would their respective lack of sense of direction cancel out to easily take them where they wanted to go? … Nah, Ruruko's was too strong. She sometimes made Isumi look bad [1]. Maybe that was a slight exaggeration.

"To me, it's just the same old, same old," I said.

"Oh, but there's so much to unearth in Kuou's past. So many unexplained phenomena, so many UFO or ghost sightings. And that's just looking at the seemingly supernatural side. Kuou feels like … how should I put it? Like the stage of a long, extensive play. Did you know, three hundred and eighty years ago, this was a ghost town? All the residents that used to live here had suddenly for some reason moved away to neighboring towns, and then suddenly slowly began to return home a few years after. There's so much more that I've yet to learn, too."

She really liked history, huh? Hey, wait, do supernatural sightings count as history…?

I realized it was suddenly really quiet. Somehow I didn't notice that it had gotten a bit dark. That was another weird thing: it felt like I suddenly had some good night vision since returning to the real world.

We were also the only people in sight within the park. "Say, Hyoudou-kun," Yuuma suddenly said. "Could you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

There were a few seconds for which she didn't answer, only walking ahead and increasing the distance between us. It was around then that I finally realized just what had been bugging me since running into her again today.

I didn't recall ever telling her my name.

She turned back towards me. I saw bizarre shadows at her back that seemed to be spreading. Was there something in the trees behind her…?

"I truly am sorry for this, but…"

No. Those weren't shadows.

"Would you die for me?"

Feathered black wings had sprouted from her back. A bright glow formed in her right hand which morphed into an elongated shape. A spear.

A spear of light that eradicated my stomach.

There was one moment during which I felt nothing. And then, pain.

It felt like there was a sun burning away at my no longer existent stomach. I couldn't even draw a breath to scream – there was a hole at the bottom of my lungs. I felt blood pouring down from the gaping wound as I stumbled backwards.

My vision was blurring away. This couldn't be it. This was some really crazy dream, right? I – I shouldn't be here about to get killed by some sort of black winged demon! That doesn't happen in real life!

I don't want to die. I don't want to die! I can't die here!

I'm not…

GONNA DIE HERE!

[Boost!]

Something pulsed in my left arm. It glowed a vivid red, and when the light faded, a red metallic gauntlet had formed around it.

[Use it! Survive!]

"Shit – you managed to activate it…?!" I heard Yuuma say. "However, it's too late! You can barely stand!" Another light spear formed and zoomed at me.

My left arm moved automatically. A familiar electric blue glow shrouded it and I moved. Faster than humanly possible, I punched. The spear shattered upon contact.

That was … that was a Sword Skill, right? Well that proved it. I was just still in the game, wasn't I? There was just some sort of update that removed the pain negation.

Yuuma looked panicked. A third spear rushed at me. Somehow, I caught it and squeezed – it broke.

I could do this! I could get past the pain and survive! I could –

My legs collapsed out from under me. I was left supporting myself with my weak arms. The gauntlet on my left arm flickered like a mirage and vanished.

I'd lost practically all my blood, hadn't I…? I had to get up. At the very least, I needed to run!

My body was completely unresponsive, like a flimsy scarecrow barely supporting itself up. My vision was blurry. I forced my head upwards.

The last thing I saw was several light spears speeding at me, and at the corner of my vision, an ashen-faced person staring in horror.

[1] – Hayate no Gotoku reference.

*~B~*

[Kuou Academy]

"So," Genshirou spoke up, as he and Ruruko walked through the school gates, "has your uncanny ability to get lost also extended to the things you own?"

"That's the fifth variation of that joke that you've said on the way here," Ruruko deadpanned. "And none of them were funny, so please stop."

"You sure? Cause I've got, like, six more right now."

Ruruko sighed. "You didn't have to come with me you know? I'm just getting a notebook from school."

"Someone had to make sure you even reached the school, right?" As much as she didn't want to believe it, Genshirou believed he had a point. Ruruko shook her head exasperatedly.

As they walked into the building, Genshirou frowned slightly. "This place feels a bit empty," he said. "Did everyone already leave?"

"Now that you mention it…" Ruruko trailed off.

There was an eerie silence. "This is giving me the creeps," Ruruko muttered, rubbing her arms. "Let's get my notepad and leave."

They quickly changed into the indoor shoes and walked into the hallway towards Ruruko's classroom at a brisk pace. Genshirou could neither see nor hear the presence of any one around. Hell, even the strange instinct of sensing people around him that he'd found himself able to do since returning to the real world was yielding nothing. Yeah, sure, it's pretty late and the sun is setting, but should it really be this empty? Aren't there at least teachers around even at this time? And is it just me, or does the air feel a bit cold in here?

When they entered Ruruko's classroom, she immediately jogged over to her desk and retrieved the notebook. "Got it," she called. "Let's go."

The sound of shattering glass stopped them in their tracks. There was a crash, and then the faint sound of … ice crackling? "Three rooms down," Genshirou noted, suddenly tense and on alert.

"That sounded like–"

"We're imagining it," Genshirou interrupted. "Mistaking it for something else." What else could it be? For what reason would they hear the sound of ice crackling unless someone was watching some TV show on high volume?

"We should check it out," Ruruko whispered.

Genshirou stared at her. "Are you crazy?!" he shot back in a low but fierce voice.

"It's probably just some vandal. And don't worry, we're very capable of defending ourselves, aren't we? We can't just let some idiots do whatever they want to our school."

Against all better judgment, Genshirou listened. His hand went to his pocket and grasped the Swiss army knife. They quietly walked out of the classroom and made their way further down the hallway.

It was strange that after the momentary noise there was barely anything else at all. Genshirou also felt like the further they walked down the hallway, the colder it was getting. Standing outside the door, the two of them could still hear nothing. They shared an apprehensive look and Genshirou reached out to open the door.

It was like a loud movie had suddenly been unmuted. The moment he touched the door, the sounds of wood breaking, bone-chilling roars and a defiant yell reached his ears. Genshirou recoiled, but this time the sounds didn't disappear.

"Gen?!"

"Run. I don't know what the hell it is behind that door, but we need to run!"

Just as he said that, something blasted through the door and broke it inwards. Ruruko shrieked and jumped back. The broken door flew out of their sight almost instantly, something having thrown it further into the classroom. They heard the crash of impact, along with a sound that was undoubtedly ice being smashed.

Genshirou wasn't sure what kind of terrible instinct it was that made him and Ruruko do the exact opposite of what they should have – perhaps they weren't quite as repelled by danger anymore after SAO – but against all better judgment, they looked into the room.

Genshirou felt like laughing hysterically because what he saw couldn't possibly be something that happened in reality.

Ice covered half the room. It encompassed the desks, the teacher's podium, everything. Some of it was splattered with smoking blood that diminished even as Genshirou looked at it. Sharp looking icicles extended from the wall where the blackboard was, some of them broken. Broken pieces of wood that he recognized as the door that had been flung across the room lay at the ground near them.

And right there, standing among the broken desks and chairs and pieces of the door, a blonde ten year old girl with feathery black wings, dressed in a gothic Lolita outfit, faced off a large grey six-armed humanoid with black bat-like wings. Four of the arms – the sets below and above the normal, yet bulky human arms – ended in giant, stony pincers. The top left arm looked as if it had been shattered from frostbite. Minor wounds across its body steamed as if they were burning.

And both of them had noticed him and Ruruko. The little girl took advantage of the thing's momentary distraction, forming a small knife of light in her hands and throwing it at its stomach, making it roar again. Her other hand touched the iced blackboard behind her. The ice on the walls spread rapidly in narrow streams, reaching around the doorway and forming a spiked cage around the two of them from behind. The spikes extended rapidly, forcing Genshirou to pull himself and Ruruko into the room to avoid being impaled. He tripped on a broken chair leg and fell, hastily trying to get up.

"Sorry!" the girl shouted, waving a light spear at the monster that made it bend back. "But better you than me!"

The icicles on her left shot outwards. The six armed thing moved its upper and lower arms at a speed Genshirou could not follow, smashing them as they rushed at it. The girl flapped her wings and then flew out the broken window.

"Fallen angel bitch," the monster said. "Heh, whatever. The brat's gone now … and I've finally found some food."

To his horror, Genshirou realized it was talking about them.

"G-Gen," Ruruko stammered. "What's going on? What do we do?!"

"What do you do?" the creature said, turning towards them. Genshirou finally saw its face. "All you need to do is sit still and wait. This'll be over before you know it!"

It rushed, stone-edged pincers extended.

Genshirou could see it. In less than a second, he would be no more. He'd have been killed meaninglessly in a crazy, nightmarish situation that didn't seem real at all. He was paralyzed from fear and disbelief. Dodge it! his inner voice screamed, but his body wouldn't obey.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ruruko move.

It seemed like time had slowed down. He saw Ruruko jump at an angle, towards the monster. At the back of his mind, he recognized the motion as for a Sword Skill. Somehow, her legs glowed with light. Ruruko landed a flying kick onto the other upper pincer, breaking it clean off. It flew across the room and smashed the spiked cage of ice that blocked the doorway.

Neither of them had time to marvel over what Ruruko had just done as the thing swiped its arm at her, sending her flying at the small closet. She collided with it hard enough that it dented. Ruruko coughed up blood.

"Oi, oi, what was that just now, huh?" the thing said, seeming not to care about having lost yet another limb. "Come on, you should tell a connoisseur such as myself things like this earlier. Did you know? Humans with special abilities taste much better."

To Genshirou's horror, it ignored him and walked towards Ruruko. "Stop," he said. "Stop right there!"

It moved its left leg backwards, slamming its heel into Genshirou's face. He felt his nose break as he was flipped backwards. The pain exploded like an electric shock through his head. "Wait your turn, boy," the thing chided. "I'll get to you soon enough."

Suddenly he paused, staring at Ruruko. "No, actually, wait a second. Shouldn't I leave the better meal for last? In which case, I should kill you first, boy. No, I have to deal with girlie first, or else she'll be a nuisance."

Genshirou got to his feet just as the thing grabbed and lifted Ruruko by the neck. She gasped for breath, clawing at the arm that held her. "If you wanna struggle, feel free," it said. "Food always tastes better after a workout, right?"

"Shut … up!" Ruruko screamed. Her right fist glowed. Martial Arts skill Uppercut cracked the thing's forearm. Blood spurted from a wound that burst open on the other side of it. The monster dropped Ruruko, who fell to the ground, coughing.

I need to do something! Genshirou thought furiously. He brought out the Swiss army knife and flicked a blade open.

It was too late. "Annoying bitch!" the monster roared. "If you want to be first, then so be it!" Genshirou wouldn't reach him in time.

"Don't you DARE!" he yelled.

Two things happened.

Genshirou instinctively threw the Swiss army knife. It glowed red with the effect of Blade Throwing and zoomed at incredible speed, embedding itself in the back of the monster's head. It yelled and turned around.

Genshirou felt something click into place inside him, like the floodgates of a dam opening. There was an odd feeling in his right arm. He acted on raw instinct, feeling a familiar shape in the hand.

A black rope – or rather, a whip – snapped around the monster's abdomen and Genshirou twisted with all his strength, throwing it across the room into the icicle wall.

"Ruruko! Are you alright?!"

"Y-yeah – wait, Gen, your arm!"

He looked down and yelped. A scaly black rope was extending from his palm. The 'whip' he was holding was some sort of extension of his own body, like a serpent living inside him. Formless, hazy black energy writhed around the arm.

Genshirou felt awake. His senses felt sharper than he'd ever felt before. He could even feel himself getting slightly stronger, bit by bit. Something was flowing into him through his right arm. Am I absorbing that guy's power or something? No, wait, this is already too crazy! What the hell's happening to me?! "Those were Sword Skills, too," he said. "We just used Sword Skills!"

"We were logged out, right?" Ruruko asked, panicky. "We did leave the game, right?!"

Genshirou made to answer but shook his head. "Forget that! We need to run!"

"THAT HURT, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" the monster bellowed, prying itself off the broken icicles. Its wounds steamed and widened gradually. Genshirou realized he could actually see that much clearly. He could see some sort of energy encased in the ice that surrounded the room.

Apparently Ruruko could see it too. "Gen, I think it's weak to whatever's in the ice," she said urgently.

Genshirou nodded. Suddenly he felt a sharp jolt of pain in his right arm. "Gah!" He saw the monster rip the scaly whip apart with its remaining pincers. The length still connected to his arm retracted into it, fading into a lizard-like face imprinted in his palm.

"I see. You'd be the better second course. A Sacred Gear wielder, are you? In that case, let me show you mine –!"

A dented closet flying into its face interrupted it, forcing it back into the ice. The monster yelled in pain again.

Genshirou turned to Ruruko incredulously. "Did you just throw that?!"

"Never mind that, run!" she shouted, pulling him as she dashed out of the room.

They had barely run five seconds when the hairs on the back of Genshirou's neck stood up. He threw himself to the ground, pulling Ruruko with him. The previous closet flew through where their heads would have been and crashed loudly onto the ground ahead.

Genshirou looked back and froze. The thing was right there, only a few steps away. But – I didn't even hear it approaching!

"You can't hide from me," it laughed. "My Sacred Gear lets me completely hide any trace of my presence. Any sighting of me, any sound I make, if you're not close by, you won't ever notice me coming. It's how I'm even hiding here with those Devil bitches totally unaware. And at the same time, I can track others' presences like they're fireflies in the dark. You can't evade me!"

Something flew from the staircase. A bottle filled with green liquid shattered against the demon's head. It blinked. "Another pest…?" Suddenly, it stumbled, arms going limp. "What?!"

"Run!" a female voice said. "I don't think it'll last long!" The person ran down the staircase and past them as they got up to follow.

Genshirou recognized the person. "K-Kusaka-san?! What are you doing here?"

Kusaka Reya shook her head, her long brown hair waving around. "I don't think this is the time for questions! If you must know, I lost track of time in the library, and then on my way down, I – I ran across you guys. What's going on?!"

"That's what we'd like to know!" Ruruko cried. "What did you throw at that thing?"

Kusaka frowned. "I – I don't know how, but I felt like I needed to do something, and then that bottle was in my hand. It's like I'm back in SAO, and somehow opened the inventory."

"We can figure that out later!" Genshirou urged. "We left the main exit behind, so we need to find some other way to get out of here!"

"The old school building," Kusaka said. "That's where we should go."

"How does that help us?!" Ruruko asked.

"There's a map in my head, and for some reason it's considering that a safe area."

After everything else that had happened, it wasn't even hard to swallow that. "Fine. Let's–"

"You're not going anywhere."

They all froze in place and hastily turned around. Once again, the thing had caught up without them noticing.

Kusaka stepped in front on them. "Kusaka-san, what are you doing?!" Genshirou shouted.

"The two of you should run," she said.

"What?!"

"It's fine. I'll hold this thing back here," she said, trying to smile reassuringly. "Even if I die, I'll just be able to meet–"

BOOM!

There was a crater in the wall to their right. Kusaka's unmoving body was embedded in it.

"Kusaka-senpai!" Ruruko cried.

"Yeah, yeah, very heroic. Now you just wait there, if you're still alive. I'll deal with you next," the thing said uncaringly. "I'll deal with you soon."

Ruruko screamed in fury and charged. "No, don't!" Genshirou yelled.

A purple glow enveloped her right leg as she kicked with all her might. She never reached. The monster slammed his hand at her throat, crushing her windpipe. The glow abruptly faded and she tried to grab the arm.

The pincer below the monster's right arm burrowed through her stomach and out the other side. Her body went limp like a marionette with its strings cut.

"RURUKO!"

"That's two," the demon said. "Whew, but really, this wasn't at all worth losing two arms for. You all better be the best meal I've ever tasted."

Genshirou saw red. "YOU BASTARD!" he screamed. The snake in his arm extended into a whip, glowing blood-red.

Eight-hit Whip Skill, Frenzy Flail. Genshirou roared in rage as he lashed at the murderer again and again. Long wounds were carved open on its body.

It caught the last attack and jerked its arm back, pulling Genshirou towards it – straight into the path of the other pincer. He was run through, and then immediately tossed to the ground.

For a few moments there was pain stronger than anything he'd felt in his life combined. It then faded and so did his consciousness, bit by bit. "Give … Ruruko … back …" he strained to whisper. The monster laughed.

"Go join her, but leave your bodies in my care."

Genshirou's vision began to fade. He saw the monster raise a pincer, for once opening it wide. He saw, with the last of his fading vision, the monster hesitate, look at something above him, exclaim "Shit!" and flinch backwards.

The sound of a roaring river filled his ears as his vision turned to black.

Ah … so that's what the Sanzu River sounds like … [1]

[1] – The Japanese Buddhist equivalent of the Greek River Styx. Crossing the Sanzu = passing on.

*~B~*

[Kuou Park]

The plan had worked without a hitch.

Raynare had approached Boosted Gear's wielder under the persona of Amano Yuuma, a cheerful and peppy girl and successfully maneuvered him just as she needed.

She'd successfully gotten Hyoudou Issei to lower his guard by playing her part to perfection. She's lied that she was terrible at navigating so that there was now zero chance of him suspecting anything. And then, while continuing to talk to him, she had inconspicuously led him right where she needed him to be, and then struck like lightning.

There was one terrifying moment when he'd successfully called upon Boosted Gear and knocked several of her subsequent attacks away. Raynare had panicked, but luckily for her he'd lost too much blood by then, and he went down soon after.

Raynare sighed, gazing down at the boy's corpse. "Doesn't feel as satisfactory as I thought," she muttered. "It's a shame, really. You were still yet a nice guy. You were just unlucky to be born with that ability," she said out loud.

Why am I even telling him this, he's dead, he can't hear jack shit.

She shook her head – and, her sense of danger going off, immediately raised a hand.

She reacted too late. A glowing red projectile smashed into her face. She stumbled back. Was that – a pebble?!

She looked in the direction it had struck her from, and her eyebrows rose upon seeing a person. "You're…"

"What the hell?" the black haired boy growled. "What the hell did you do?!"

*~Kirito~*

There is this movie I remember seeing once upon a time, back when I was still a kid living with my birth parents. An American film called Inception. It was a pretty cool movie, with really great visuals. But it had given me this dumb fear for a couple of weeks – that the life I'd been living till then was just another layer. That I didn't actually go to sleep and dream – those were just dreams within dreams.

Of course, that was like the only thing that I actually understood. Not to brag – or anti-brag, however you put it – but even as smart as I was or thought I was as a kid, most of that movie flew over my head. All it left was general confusion and a stupid phobia. I'd completely forgotten about that two weeks later, and paid no mind to it afterwards.

And then here I am right now, praying to whoever was listening that that was actually the case. I didn't expect this to happen – who the bloody hell would?!

Some time back, having finished my inspection of the local game stores, I saw Ise walking with some unfamiliar girl. Naturally, my first instinct was to follow him and prank him at some point.

They walked into the park, with me skulking around just out of sight. I'd gotten very good at hiding and sneaking around from my experience in SAO – even Suguha said I still instinctively walked around as quiet as a cat. Whatever the case, they didn't notice me even after I circled around and crouched behind a nearby bush.

And then the girl sprouted wings and shot a giant energy spear that pierced through Ise's stomach and out the other end.

I was frozen in denial. That could not have just happened. Stuff like that didn't happen outside a VR game. And that's how I found myself wondering and hoping that we'd only woken up from SAO into a far more detailed and close approximation of realty, because the alternative could not be right.

I saw Ise somehow summon a red gauntlet on his left arm. I saw him execute a Martial Arts sword skill. He'd survive it. He would definitely survive it. There, see? He broke that last one with just one hand –

The next instant he was filled with more holes than Swiss cheese.

This wasn't the game. As batshit crazy as what was happening was, as little sense as it made, it had to be reality.

A VR game would have saved the players their dignity, turning off the pain receptors and placed damage marks over their 'injuries'.

This wasn't some second stage of SAO. This was reality, in all its bloody and gory mess. And my friend had just gotten brutally murdered in front of my eyes by some sort of demon. And I'd done absolutely nothing to try and stop it.

No! There was still a chance!

The winged girl began spouting some bullshit about regretting killing him due to what he was born with – that gauntlet? Whatever, it wasn't important right now. I grabbed the closest thing in my reach – a large pebble. If Ise could pull it off, then …!

I took position, aimed and threw. The murderous bitch noticed it coming too late and it slammed into her jaw.

No doubt about it. That was definitely Blade Throwing. She noticed me as I came out of hiding. "You're…" she started.

"What the hell?" I growled. "What the hell did you do?!" I reached behind me to draw my sword –

– and realized too late that I'd fallen prey to muscle memory. The demon didn't hesitate to use that opening to try and kill me and even though I jumped aside to avoid the light spear flying at my face, it still tore through my ear and the right side of my face, splashing blood into my right eye.

Two years of no use of my real life senses had killed my already low pain tolerance. It burned. I saw sparks in my vision. It felt like the right side of my head had been doused in flaming gasoline and then put out with liquid nitrogen. "Gaah!" I yelled. "God damn it, this is actually happening…!"

"It might be better if I wipe your memories instead of kill you," the she-thing thought out loud.

I glared at her with as much hatred as I could muster. "Screw you!" I shouted. "You're gonna pay!"

The moment I saw light even start to coalesce around her I took off, leaping at her with everything I had. She took a step back, startled, as I drew back my fist. I felt 'something' unlock inside me, and felt something flow into my arm. My senses suddenly grew thrice as sharp, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the yellow glow coming from my fist.

The woman folder her wings in front of her to block the blow. Martial Arts skill Embracer caused the wings to snap at the point of impact. I saw her face contort in surprise and pain as my attack went through her flimsy shield and crushed into her nose. She stumbled back as I tried to press my minuscule advantage, but one of her wings moved and hit me with the force of a truck, sending me flying back. I felt a couple of ribs crumble from the impact, colliding with the ground hard several feet back.

I had to get up. As much as my entire body was about to go numb from pain, I had to get up.

I was too slow. A spear tore through the right side of my torso. My right arm went limp, hanging from a shoulder that was half there, half not. I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood, and even then a wheezing scream escaped.

There was something in my left hand. A couple of feathers from a wing that I had grabbed just as I had been blown back.

My legs buckled out from under me as I puked up whatever blood was left inside me. My sight was fading to black.

I heard wings flapping. She escaped…? Damn it…!

I don't want to die here. I only just got my life back! I'm not … going to die here…!

Asuna … I want to see Asuna again …

… Asuna …

*~B~*

Oh boy do I suck at writing death scenes. They're particularly paradoxical when from first person, aren't they? How do I even begin to make those sound right?

Well, either way. There we go. The supernatural side of the story has begun. Now then. Things to say. Uhm… let's just recap everything that happened.

This chapter started with Koneko coming across the Pervert Trio – or in this case, the Pervert Duo and their resident straight man – and finding out that it's really Boosted Gear that Ise has. She reports to Rias, which causes her to slip 'something' into his pocket.

In the meantime, Kirito is left thinking he's managed to catch up to Kiba in fighting. If only he knew.

And then we come to a small divergence, and a personal telling of events.

Raynare in this story knew from the start that it was Boosted Gear he had. Her plan would have gone the same as canon had she not noticed that it was also somewhat active, causing her to panic and speed up. As a result, he gets killed ASAP – before a day comes when he had a chance to grab an Occult Research Club flyer as he left the school that day. As a result, Rias didn't arrive in time to prevent Kirito being killed too.

On the other side, Gen and Ruruko came across a Stray Devil with stealth abilities fighting Mittelt, who was using … ice? I'll come back to that in a while, but anyway, they too, are RIP.

So the last note: one-dimensional villains aren't fun to write (speaking as someone who's written several including the man-eater this chapter). There were some ideas I had for the Fallen Angel quartet and I went 'sure, why not?' I just really like using side characters, okay?

… It seems like 'sure, why not?' has become my motto for this fanfic. Let's see where this takes me then.

So here we are, with another chapter done. If any of you are still reading this AN, you can stop now, because I'm just gonna rant (in a good way) for a while. I just need to get this out, ya know?

Ahem.

2017 is such a bloody amazing year for anime. Like seriously, guys. All the sequels. All the great adaptations. Index's editor went on record saying 'please wait just a bit longer for Index III'. Kino no Tabi got a sequel. The Ancient Magus' Bride got a (24 episode!) anime coming in fall. And all that is just the tip of the iceberg, holy shit. The brakes are just coming the hell off starting next month. I can't even bring myself to care that much about the (currently 2) rejections I'm gonna get from universities. I've got options locally anyway.

I'm planning to watch 16 shows next season, and only one of them (Gintama) is a carryover from Winter. Seriously. Crazy year. And I love it. It's gonna kill my exams, but I love it.

/rant

Anyways. Next time: resurrections and explanations, plus stuff on the fallen angel side of things because why not.

Punitor567 out. El Psy Congroo.