Mystic Knight Online
Outside: Six Times Beyond Aincrad's Walls
June 5, 2024 - Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office
"I'm surprised that you're back in England so soon, Sirius," Albus said.
Sirius shrugged. "I decided to help Dudley out a bit," he said. "I laid down my conditions to him, and he accepted them readily enough. If Smeltings is willing to keep him, and his grades remain good enough, I will handle ensuring he can continue attending. If not, I will help him make other arrangements for his schooling. Besides, I needed to make some arrangements in Japan, or more appropriately, talk with the Shibas about what arrangements need to be made."
"Preparing for a contingency in case you taking young Mr. Dursley to Japan becomes longer term then?" Albus asked.
Sirius nodded. "Potentially," he admitted. "I had to come back to talk to some people anyway, those who are keeping an eye on him in the legal sense. He wants to see Harry in Japan, due to being a relative. I needed to make sure that it would be allowed, with everything going on with Vernon and Petunia. Fortunately, they see no problem with it, so long as he returns before the next school year begins."
Albus nodded. Considering his experiences, Sirius would want to make sure that all the legal aspects were handled properly. A far cry from his more reckless youth, where he relied on Remus, James, and Lily to handle the details. "And the potentiality of it being longer term?"
Sirius shrugged. "We'll worry about that if it becomes the case, but I don't think it will right now. Still it's better to be prepared, just in case," he replied. He then looked out the window. "Harry's doing fine for now, both here in the real world and in there. As much as I hate to admit it, it's been good for him." He said finally. "Dangerous as all get out, but good for him."
"Indeed it has, Sirius." Albus agreed as he stood up and joined the younger man at the window. "Indeed it has."
June 14, 2024 - Setagaya, Yuuki Residence
Kouichirou looked across the table at his mother as she put down the tablet she was reading, sighing.
"So, no progress?" She asked her son.
Kouichirou nodded slowly. "Mr. Kunikida's idea has merit, so it was decided to allow him to see what he could do, so long as it was under strict oversight, but no, no progress so far," he said. "To his credit, he made no promises. But after he was able to do a real time recording of that wedding event from multiple perspectives, not just the players. Within the SAO network, and transmit it live into ALO, it's worth a shot. He's keeping his goals simple right now, seeing if we can get something into SAO, such as messages, first. If we can do that, then we will have cracked at least one part of the security on it and work from there."
Kyouko nodded at that. "It stands to reason," she said simply. "Even if it doesn't work out, that man had managed something, which is an avenue that is worth pursuing." She looked at the table again. "Of course, by the time we make any breakthroughs, the players may have rendered the problem moot."
"You think it will come to that?" Kouichirou asked.
"They've made it this far," Kyouko replied. "And Asuna's been at the forefront of those efforts. She won't give up. I know this, you know this, and Shouzou knows this. And regardless of what we wish, she will be there." She closed her eyes. "For better, or worse, she will be there." She sighed. "And given what you've said, we might not make enough of a breakthrough before that point."
Kouichirou nodded, knowing what she meant. Even without the high level of security that SAO boasted, it would have still taken a lot of time to hack it without triggering any defense mechanisms that Kayaba had made a part of it without having the key. They already learned a lot about it, RECT's work on ALO did a great deal to make sure of that, but Kerkchoff's Principle still applied. Without knowing the key, they were shooting in the dark. They might get lucky, but it was a slim chance.
The public can see it as a race between the players and those trying to break them out, but anyone familiar with how computer and network security worked knew that the players themselves had a far better chance than anyone in the outside world. Not that it would stop those outside SAO from trying until they either succeeded, or the players freed themselves.
June 15, 2024 - Setagaya, RECT Headquarters
Not for the first time, Shiro Kunikida cursed Noboyuki Sugou's very existence. Had the man drawn their attention to the same vulnerability he exploited, they could have used it. Maybe not to get the players out, but that didn't mean that they couldn't have done something. However, due to the man's selfishness and desire to get one on Kayaba, they had lost a golden opportunity.
Worse, the man had endangered close to seven thousand lives with his stunt. One of whom, was the CEO's daughter.
It wouldn't have mattered if the vulnerability was quickly closed, it would have been validation that they, for once, had beaten SAO's security. That it could be beaten. He knew full well that hacker groups, both white hat and black hat, had tried and failed to do so, but there was no system that was unbeatable.
But this system had excellent heuristics and seemed to learn from every attempt. It was as if it had an intelligence of its own, absurd as that should be. Artificial Intelligence research was carefully regulated, both as a precautionary measure, and because everyone with a gram of sense expected a successfully created AI to be… problematic.
It wouldn't even be because of actual malice on the AI's part. Fictional examples aside, the simple fact was, an AI, something that was brought into being via programming and mathematical logic, simply was unlikely to have the same thought processes and morality of humans. Both would be completely alien to the other. Or so the thinking went.
But, as he continued to try and see if it was possible to break into the system, even if only to open lines of communication, he was beginning to think that the absurd possibility was true. And if that was the case, then Kayaba truly had been insane. A genius, but an insane one.
Only a madman would think creating an AI, no matter what means were used to limit it, was a good idea.
June 24, 2024 - London, King's Cross Station
Hermione got off the Hogwarts Express and mused on the various things that had gone over the course of the school year. Aside from the Tri-Wizard Tournament, there was her continued observations of Harry's activities, her forging an unusual connection with the world class Quidditch player, Viktor Krum, who proved to be surprisingly intelligent and well read, and watching Fleur Delacour pull an upset victory in the tournament, her lackluster performance in the second task aside. From some of the ways the French champion performed in the final task, she had clearly taken a few examples from the things many had managed to observe in SAO.
It was surprising to her, in more ways than one, to see her fellow students take a look at a problem, whether it was a particularly stubborn task or assignment, or dealing with the inevitable conflicts which arose whenever more than a small number of people gathered in one place, but they had started to actually think before they acted. This change was all the more remarkable when she considered that magic tended to make things like conventional logic and critical thinking rare skills for witches and wizards in training. And often after.
She had once told Harry that a witch or wizard was often incapable of logic, which was unfair to them. They were capable of it, but magic made doing many things much easier, so looking at something critically often slipped their minds. It was understandable, when one could wave a wand and solve most issues right there, regardless of whether a better way existed or not.
And that didn't count that they now had proof that muggles could come up with things that the magical world wasn't capable of. At least not yet. She wouldn't be surprised if seeing what went on in SAO didn't give some enterprising witches and wizards ideas.
Her musings were cut short as she heard her name called and looked in the direction it came from to see her parents next to the Weasley family waving her over. She shelved those thoughts and headed over to them. The school year was done, and while she could probably get more up to date information on Harry now, she wanted to spend some time with her parents. Harry would prefer that, and she had a feeling that he would tell her off if she didn't.
Malfoy Manor
Draco sat down in the sitting room with his parents and began to tell them of his school year. While he had sent letters, there was something to be said about talking things through, with their questions occasionally drawing something that seemed unimportant at the time to his attention. Besides, after he had watched Potter's actions against that one group, he had a feeling that his father, at least, would be able to shed some light on some things.
Lucius listened to Draco's report and nodded. "What you have seen, Draco, is something that I saw in him at the end of your second year," he said. "Because of his youth, I underestimated things, but I remember last June, and the events that took place then well. And you took the opportunity to observe him doing something similar." He looked at his son with a piercing gaze. "The only question I have is this. Why?"
Draco shifted in his seat as he tried to think of a response. He could tell that his father was disapproving of it, though not angry, but he couldn't tell what the disapproval was about. Was it willingly going to watch violence? Or was it something else?
Better to be honest and up front. "Back in April, Lord Black brought back a recording of Potter marrying that muggle girl, Silica, I believe she calls herself. And when Granger had gotten to the recorded events that everyone essentially agreed gave him the impetus to make his decision, I was curious. Why would he decide to marry a muggle girl of all things? Why did that event spur him to make that decision?" He sighed. "I didn't get any answers from it, and even if I had, they would only lead to more questions." He closed his eyes. "Dumbledore was also there, but it wasn't the slightly batty professor who was standing there. It… it was the Slayer of Grindelwald. It was the man who had fought through multiple wars, and you could see it." He shuddered. "I remember Professor Snape often saying that he was often being merciful when he was handling discipline. I now understand what he means. And Potter… he was different, hardened. This wasn't…" He struggled to find the words.
"What you saw wasn't the boy you were convinced was your rival," Lucius concluded, nodding.
"Yes." Draco agreed. "We were told that back in First Year, he... killed a man in self-defense. Professor Quirrell was… possessed by the Dark Lord, and Potter was forced to kill him." He took in a breath. "Granger… she wasn't even shocked when she learned that. As if she already knew, or suspected."
"Since she is Potter's friend, that is no surprise. Even if he never mentioned it, I would not be surprised if she was able to draw that conclusion." Lucius said with a nod. "Especially since the rumors about her intelligence seem to be true."
"Oh, they are," Draco confirmed. "She's at the top of the class when it comes to theory. She just has some problems with the practical side of things, but even then, she's still one of the best in the year. She puts in an effort that Helga Hufflepuff would respect."
"Intelligence doesn't equal talent," Narcissa said, nodding. "So, she understands it, but has to work harder at doing it. Rather common among muggleborns, actually. Their education prior to Hogwarts helps them in some ways, harms them in others. Most get over it, but it's not uncommon for them to have problems at first. Potter's mother had had similar problems early on, if I recall." She mused before turning her attention back to her son. "Now, back onto Potter. You had hoped that seeing the incident would give you insights into his decision to marry the girl?'
Draco nodded.
"Perhaps you should have been watching it all since the start," Narcissa chided gently. "If you had, you would have had proper context for it." She smiled. "While few among proper society have bothered, there were still a few who have, even if they had to go to a muggle pub or a place that had ready access to this… internet I think the term is, to do so. I have heard that Mr. Potter's adventures have become quite popular, and word spreads. In many respects, all those who were watching saw it coming from what I can tell."
Draco nodded and considered his mother's words. From what he had heard from those in Granger's circle, and she had a few Slytherins there for a more traditional perspective, none of them were surprised by the fact that he had done what he did. Perhaps considered it a bit hasty on account for their ages, not to mention the fact that the wedding meant nothing outside of Sword Art Online, but they were not surprised in the least.
He was sure that they were placing bets as to whether he made it a more... permanent arrangement when he could.
"And do not forget, Draco, that those who would take the most issue with his decision, are likely to do nothing anyway," Lucius added. "Not for something as minor as this. He killed the Dark Lord over the New Year and, outside of those who are residing in Azkaban, many who followed him see that as a good thing." He rubbed the arm where the Dark Mark once was before he stood up and walked over to a small table. Picking up a small stack of parchment, he then walked back to his seat.
"I had expected you to comment on the marriage," he said and then handed Draco the stack of parchment. "Before you say anything else, I wish you to peruse this."
Taking the stack of parchment, and easily untying the cord that kept it together, Draco began to read.
##
Lucius watched as his son read the stack of parchment and hoped that he would realize what he, himself, had with minimal prompting. Whether Potter chose to continue his relationship with the muggle girl after he was released from Sword Art Online, provided he survived, was immaterial in the long run.
It was the connections he was forging, provided he took advantage of the opportunities they could present. The boy just might, as Lucius highly doubted that the boy would be unlikely to rest on his laurels for long.
He would look for a new battlefield. Be it one similar to that illusory world, even if he had to make it with his own hands, or through some other outlet.
The Burrow
Ron finished unpacking his trunk and looked out his room's window. The school year had been eventful, He was glad that, for once, the events not only didn't directly involve him or his family in any way whatsoever, and he got to meet some interesting people. From the occasional friendly pickup game with the visiting students, and the chance to fly with, and occasionally against, Viktor Krum, to watching the Triwizard Tournament's events, to a much more regular open viewing of Harry's activities inside SAO, to showing off his own abilities in chess, it had been eventful for him.
And of course, his friendship with Hermione had been somewhat repaired, though he knew that it would never be as close as it had been during their first two years. They were too different, the person who was the catalyst for them becoming friends was not with them, and Hermione seemed to have gained a larger social circle. Much as it hurt him to realize it, half their friendship had been founded on being among the few people they could get on with. And that was with Harry to act as a shield spell from each other's more grating traits.
He had been surprised to learn that Krum, professional Quidditch star that he was, was not only well read, but also able to match wits with Hogwarts' best and brightest.
The more you learn about someone, the more surprised you get, he mused, reflecting on that knowledge. He had been brought into some of the viewings, by request, rather than him wandering in, as had been usual. To add his own perspective, or so he was told. Not just on Harry, but on the tactics and strategies that were being used in combat. It was interesting to hear the perspectives from the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. While the French students had largely been more concerned with the human interactions, more than a few had chimed in with their opinions on how the combat was.
It might have taken some pushing and prodding on Hermione's part for him to do so, but she managed it. Despite his more serious attitude towards his studies, he was still the same lazy slacker he had fallen into being back in his first year. One had to get his interest in something worked up, which was easier said than done, though Hermione knew all the buttons to push, and how many stinging hexes it might take.
If he'd tried that at home, it'd be a lecture from his mum or his dad's highly expressive looks, the latter of which got any of the Weasley sons to straighten up their act. After all, those looks from his father were the only warning that he was about to get involved in whatever disciplinary matter brought it out.
None of the Weasley children wanted that, their father got creative with punishments after tanning their hides.
"Ronald!" He heard his mother call from downstairs. "Dinner!"
"Coming," he called as he began to head his way downstairs.
##
Molly stepped out of her kitchen, dinner floating behind her as she made ready to set the table. Her children were back for the summer, barring her three eldest, who were occupied with their jobs, though at least Percy could come by more often. He didn't have the excuse of working in another country like Bill and Charlie, but he was enjoying his independence. Or, he was simply overworking himself, Arthur wasn't overly clear on it, and with Percy it could easily be both.
He reminded her of her brother Gideon that way.
Still, a look at the table showed someone who was almost a seventh son in her eyes, not there. Ever since Harry had been trapped in that muggle illusion, she had worried. A worry that had increased as the time went on. True, someone had managed to make contact with him, but the fact that it was Voldemort had only served to increase her worry.
It didn't matter if he had gotten out of that meeting fine and, most importantly, alive, which Voldemort couldn't claim. Then again, he couldn't claim anything now- considering he was dead. That actually galled her even more. That was a battle Harry shouldn't have needed to fight in the first place, had her generation done its damned job properly.
But that was Harry. He would fight battles he didn't have to. It was not just because he was unable to simply stand by and let it be someone else's problem (though Molly had no doubts that it played a role in things), but because fighting them was the right thing to do. Both his parents had been that way, and it was why they had distanced themselves from Arthur's squib cousin during the war- had he been in the loop, Dawkin would have gotten into it, lack of magic be damned.
The accountant still hadn't completely forgiven them.
It was not a mindset she shared. She had only stepped in during the war when she had to, and Albus had respected that.
Molly was sure she believed that some of the choices Harry had made were not the wisest ones.
Honestly, getting married like he did, what was he thinking? Probably very little, and not with his brain at that. He was fourteen, after all. Boys were not the best at thinking things through to begin with, and at his age, it was worse. But making decisions in haste was part and parcel for a teenage boy, and even girls weren't above that. The fact that the girl he married was all for it…
From what she learned from her children, no one who knew what went on in there in any detail was surprised. That meant that if it was a mistake, it was one both were intent on making. Hopefully no one got hurt by it.
Harry might not be family in the strictest sense, the ties by blood were generations ago, but he's done enough for her family to be considered an honorary member. Her brothers, had they still been alive, would have adopted him for saving Ginny if they could have managed it. And Fabian and Gideon would certainly have tried.
As she placed the food on the table, she looked at her children.
"So, while we eat, how about you all tell me about the year you had." She said.
Fishing for information about Harry could wait, she had children to reconnect with and ensure that they were fine. All of them had a tendency to say little in their letters, after all.
Not that she was much better herself outside of a howler.
July 1, 2024 - Narita International Airport
Dudley wearily exited the plane into the terminal, stretching muscles made stiff from the prolonged periods spent sitting. The flight taken from England to Japan had been long, and despite having gotten some rest on the flight, he wanted nothing more than to get some sleep.
To his right, he spotted Sirius restraining a yawn and almost made his way to a nearby concession stand before shaking his head, as if to clear it.
"Tea and a snack later," he heard the man mumble. "Better clear customs first and get it over with. Besides, they'll have better and cheaper stuff in the main airport."
Dudley almost perked up at that, the idea of having a cuppa and a snack was very appealing at that moment. The food on the flight wasn't too bad, but the portions were fairly small. Still, they took the edge of his hunger off at the time, but his larger size, even if he was slimmer now, meant that he needed more food than an average sized person. Muscle still needed fuel.
Still a glance at the prices made him wince. He might not be used to making the conversions from Pounds to Yen, but he knew enough to know that the prices were more than he wanted to pay. The cost of convenience.
"Mr. Black, you sure that we have someone coming to pick us up?" He asked.
Sirius nodded. "I made sure to make some calls ahead of time, so they know when we were supposed to arrive." He pulled out a cellphone from a pocket and turned it on. "If we don't meet them after we clear customs, I'll ring them up."
##
Sirius was more than glad to get done with customs. He knew it would take longer since he took a plane. Muggles travelled in far larger numbers than witches and wizards, and it wasn't like they could wave a wand and process several hundred people at once, but he had underestimated how long it would take. Then there was the half dozen subtle checks only a few people in muggle customs knew due to him being a wizard. Their flight was third in the queue, so they had to wait close to an hour just to get in line, and another hour just to go through the process on its own.
Considering that it would take close to two hours to get to Tokyo from the airport via non-magical travel, any concerns about being able to sleep off the jet lag when he finally had time to rest would be moot, Damn it, he was tired. Travelling by plane was an exhausting experience, considering he wasn't able to sleep very much, or well, on the flight.
Still better than taking multiple portkeys, he mused. I just feel tired, not like I got worked over by a beater's bat. I am not looking forward to the return trip, but I won't let the kid go back alone.
"Well," he said. "Welcome to Japan, Dudley."
"Thanks," Dudley replied. "So, we need to find the people who are picking us up?"
Sirius was about to say something when he spotted some familiar faces. "Looks like we won't have to," he said. "Selene! Kotoha! Over here!" He shouted, waving to them.
Several passersby looked at him in askance before turning back to their own concerns, shaking their heads. Just another idiot Westerner who had no manners, probably an American.
"And here I thought you knew how to act in Japan," Dudley quietly snarked.
Sirius shrugged unrepentantly. "It worked," he replied.
Both women came up to them, one, a Westerner like them, with a sour expression on her face. The other one simply looked amused.
"And here I thought we broke you of that habit," The Western woman said to Sirius. "What am I saying? Unless we break out the newspaper, you're worse than an old dog trying to learn a new trick." She then looked at Dudley. "You've slimmed down a bit, kid. Still pretty big, but you're putting muscle on now." At Dudley's questioning look, she waved it off. "Later, here is not the place."
"And you do realize that he's likely to figure it out now, right?" The Japanese woman asked in accented English before turning to Sirius. "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Black."
"Ms. Hanaori, Ms. Carlisle," Sirius replied, nodding to each woman in turn. "Well, why don't we leave here and get settled in." His stomach growled, as did Dudley's. "Though I can use something to eat first."
"It'll take a couple of hours to get where we need to," Ms. Hanaori said. "With you bringing a guest, we can't put you up in the same apartment. Anyway, our ride is waiting outside, so let's get you to your new accommodations. We can stop at a nice ramen place I know on the way."
July 2, 2024 - Nerima, Saotome-Tendo Dojo
Ranma sat seiza on the dojo floor and watched his students go through their katas and routines for the advanced class with a critical eye. It was nothing entirely special- just having them go through what they had been taught for the day, working the memory of the movements into their muscles, after having strenuously working them on their own physical conditioning. It not only served to cool them down, but the practice when they were already tired helped to imprint the movements into them.
It was a method of teaching that had been used for centuries, worked, and worked well. He would not make his father's mistakes, nor would he put them through Happosai's version of training. Instead, he would gradually weed them out as the demands increased. When they were weeded out, he would take each of them aside, tell them why, give his praises for making it this far, and leave them something to mark the achievement of each one making it to the advanced level.
Especially in his school and style, it was an achievement to make it to this level.
By this point the half dozen students that he still had were well used to it, having been thinned out over the last few months as his demands on their fitness, minds, and discipline rose. He didn't allow students to rise to the advanced class who weren't at least of college age (and he was rather blunt about his preference they be in college or some other vocational training) without good reason. The fact his own children had not been exempted from that requirement just reinforced it. Him being Ranma-sensei usually sufficed as a reason, though.
He would not make the same mistakes as his father. The man had turned him into one of the world's best martial artists, but it had left him woefully unprepared for the modern world. It had taken him a lot of time and effort to address his deficient education, and he would admit that he was the weakest in that realm compared to his wife and kids.
Taking another look over his class, he could tell that his students were well aware that his heart wasn't quite in it. None were annoyed, they wouldn't have made it here if they expressed annoyance so easily. He taught them methods to rain pain and possible death from above, he wasn't going to give that sort of training to just any undisciplined thug.
He would still train and teach them, that was his responsibility, but his passion wasn't there, and hadn't since his granddaughter had been trapped in SAO. And it likely wouldn't return until she got out of it.
It wasn't a question of if. Not to him, not to his wife, and certainly not to the rest of the family. She would make it out, and have plenty of stories to share about her adventures there.
Suginami, Nakano General Hospital
Dudley stared at the gaunt form of his cousin. He had forgotten that while Harry appeared perfectly fine in SAO that didn't necessarily apply in the real world. The year and more he spent in SAO had definitely done a number on him.
Harry didn't look like a corpse, but it was still a shock. From what he had been told, Harry was still better off than many stuck in SAO. Modern medicine had kept the worst at bay, and Dudley would not be surprised in the least if Harry's being a wizard also played a role.
"Yeah," Sirius said from behind. "It's a shock to see him like this if you don't know what to expect." He turned to Selene and Kotoha. "How has he been while I was in England?" He asked.
"Out here, there hasn't been any real change," Selene said. "Some new treatments have staved off the atrophy further and he hasn't lost any weight. In fact, all the patients are benefitting from this. He'll still need to put on about fifteen or twenty kilos after this, though. Inside? Well, you can watch and… what just happened?" She suddenly asked.
"What is it?" Dudley asked, wondering if he should be concerned for his cousin.
"I don't know," Selene replied. "Two girls just teleported in and landed in the water Harry and Kirito were walking near. It's odd though."
"Odd?" Sirius asked. "How?"
"The color was wrong, too white, and I don't know of any cases of a teleport, either through a gate, or using a teleport crystal, going that far astray," she said. "It could be a first, but…"
"Too far outside what we've seen, got it," Sirius said as he then looked at the monitor. "He seems to have it well in hand, though. And damn, that girl he's fishing out looks good."
"Mister Black, don't make me swat you with a newspaper again." Kotoha said, causing Dudley to blink as Sirius sputtered.
"Um, what?" He asked.
"Later, kid," Selene said as she paid attention to what was happening. "And, what the-? What did she mean with that?"
"What did she say?" Dudley asked. "Unlike you guys, I don't understand Japanese."
Selene didn't seem to hear him as she watched the monitor intently. Dudley was about to ask again, when Kotoha put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, she gets like that," the woman said in English. "She just noticed something odd and is keeping an eye on it." She looked at the monitor and saw Harry and Kirito walking with the two girls. "And it seems that both Harry and Kirito noticed it as well. They're headed back to the place that they bought with both girls."
"And that means…?"
Kotoha smiled. "I think we'll find out soon enough."
##
Selene boggled at what she had heard and looked to see Sirius and Dudley's confusion. She wasn't surprised by the latter, given that the boy didn't know Japanese. She would talk with the boss and even the Shibas to find out if a solution was available. On the other hand, his lack of understanding was probably for the best. She had no doubt that he was familiar with the more common media portrayals of AIs.
She was caught off guard by this. To the best of her knowledge, it should have been a few decades, two at the least, before the first one was actually made. If only because of the memory requirements. Though, she wouldn't put it past Kayaba to have managed it. Accidentally, in all probability.
And he had created two of them, with probably a third as well, if what the two had divulged was true. How had he managed that? She asked herself. AI research is restricted and carefully regulated. Nothing in our dossiers even hinted that he was actively involved in any such research.
What she did know, was that this knowledge was dangerous. She would have to talk to the boss later, to see if this information went out on the feeds. It wasn't likely, Kayaba had ensured that the secret of magic didn't, after all. But it was possible.
Though, from the looks of things, Harry was taking this latest curveball thrown his way in stride. His commentary about that little one, and her resemblance to what a child between Kirito and Asuna would possibly look like, was very like him.
"Can someone explain this to me?" Sirius suddenly asked.
She pulled out her wand and cast several spells she knew to ensure privacy. "AIs." She said in English. "Those two girls are AIs. He managed to create AIs."
"Wait, what?" Dudley asked. "AIs? How did he… is he crazy?"
"It's Kayaba," Selene replied drily. "Enough said, don't you think kid?"
"Okay," Sirius interjected. "Can one of you explain what an AI is?"
July 6, 2024 - Alfheim, Swilvane
Leafa got up from the bed she had used as a logout spot and began to check for any messages while she was logged out. The way ALO worked meant that the avatars stayed behind for anywhere up to a few hours when logged out, meaning that they had better find a comfortable and safe place to log out. Comfortable, as waking up with the avatar's body in some odd angle always left the muscles stiff for a time. Safe, as being logged out meant that they were vulnerable if they were doing so outside a safe zone.
In a game where PvP was a core aspect of gameplay, the latter was especially true. More than one player had found themselves logging in to find themselves in their faction capital with a stat and growth penalty due to logging out in a place they only thought was safe, and dying in the process. You either waited until you were somewhere safe, you had friends watch your back, or you were willing to take the penalty for dying.
The former was far safer than the latter, of course.
There weren't any messages, so she closed her menu and stretched. She hadn't been expecting anything, but it never hurt to check. A glance at the time in her HUD showed her that she still had time before Lady Sakuya wanted to meet with her, so she might as well grab a drink while she waited. Since it was late afternoon, she would hold off on eating until she had to log off for dinner.
She exited the room she had taken for the night and walked down into the dining area of the inn she preferred to frequent. It had decent food, a good selection of drinks, excellent desserts, and the rates for a night or week were surprisingly cheap. She didn't need to worry about other luxuries, like baths, the system took care of those issues. It wasn't as if she was trapped in here, unlike her brother's situation with SAO, so what was the point? What she settled on in ALO worked fine for her. Let others waste their yrd on luxuries that they really had no need of with real life alternatives just a logout away.
Taking a seat, she flagged down a waitress and ordered a moonberry wine. The mix of sweet and tart was just what she wanted right now, and she had the time to simply enjoy it for a change. No going out to fight mobs, and no risk of having to deal with Salamanders trying to encroach on Sylph territory. She could sit back, and relax.
She idly wondered what her brother would think of this game, had he not been caught up in SAO. She figured that he would enjoy it, though with SAO, she wondered if he would want to be in VR ever again.
Knowing him, I wouldn't be surprised if he jumped into this with both feet within a few weeks, she thought. Months at most. Well, once he got cleared for such things after getting out of that death game.
Finishing her drink, she checked the time again, and got to her feet. She had fifteen minutes to head to the palace complex which housed Lady Sakuya's quarters and office, as well as the offices of the various NPCs and players who handled the administration for all Sylphs. If she was relegated to going by foot, she would be cutting it close if she ran, but flight made that a minor obstacle.
Time to go meet her and find out what she wanted.
July 13, 2024 - Kyoto, Undisclosed Location
Sachiko put the phone back in its cradle when the call ended and reflected on the knowledge that had just been passed onto her by the Shibas. It was… less than surprising, really. She knew that Kayaba wasn't dead in the literal sense, she had talked with his virtual ghost months ago, when she had finally tracked down his location.
She had been quite firmly chastised by the current Lord Shiba for her haste in incinerating the man's corpse, and she would admit, he was right to do so. At the same time, her anger had been far too great to restrain, she could finally do something to the human who had trapped her daughter in his vile game. That he was still alive in the sense that his mind lingered on a computer was immaterial, she had a body to do something to.
She felt a flash of anger build up and quickly suppressed it. She would admit, having a reminder that he was still alive, for a given definition of "alive," was infuriating, and if she could, she would find a way into that virtual world and kill him herself. However, to the best of her knowledge, there was no way to do so, and she had to put her faith in those human youths who seemed to figure it out on their own.
That was the only thing she could do at this time, but she was patient. She would not have survived long enough to have nine tails otherwise. She took a glance at Mizore, and the computer monitor that allowed her to see what she was doing.
She had nothing scheduled for an hour or so, so she could easily take the time to watch her daughter in action. She idly wondered if Mizore even suspected that Akihiko Kayaba had been identified by those young humans she regularly interacted with. It was certainly possible.
She did not raise her daughter to be a fool, no matter how she sometimes acted in SAO.
Shiba Compound, Unplottable Location
Takeru hung up and went back to the papers on the table in front of him. He was surprised that Lady Yasaka was as composed as she was during the conversation, but felt reassured by it. For all that it was a thin veneer of composure, the kitsune who had been the inspiration behind the fabled Tamamo no Mae knew how to restrain her more passionate outbursts most of the time. She could be as courtly, dignified, and restrained, as she could be vicious when she decided to engage in violence.
Many would think that talking to her and advising restraint would be difficult, but he often found humans to be harder to reign in. All he had to do was remember the difficulties his adoptive mother had when she came out of hiding and officially took over the Shiba clan, though she had solved that problem by adopting him, and making him the one in charge.
It was a shift from the life he expected. He had been raised to be a target, Kaoru's kagemusha. He had been raised knowing his honor was in deception, a false lord to distract the world. Most especially to catch the eye of the demonic creatures the Shibas and their retainers stood against. He was there to hold a place, so that the next true leader could be born and grow to take her place.
That Kaoru Shiba had decided her father's plans needed revision, or to just be abandoned entirely, shocked many. She had seen how taking over from him had been divisive amongst the others, and had to work hard to earn more than the bare minimum of respect from them.
Chiaki had almost angrily walked out on his duties. That he had fallen in line for the battle at hand had done much to keep them united.
Kaoru proved to have a certain wisdom. It saved the clan.
Despite her being far more talented in magic than Takeru ever would be, she had known that she couldn't lead them all as effectively as he had. She did earn the team's respect, but there had been a reason she listened to his advice back then. He had the leadership experience, and was far better with a sword and raw combat.
Therefore, she had decided to adopt him into the Clan, name him her successor, and stepped down as soon as they had the time to do so. It helped that the two were distantly related even before that, ensuring that some of the more traditional members of Japan's magical society didn't try to contest the adoption. Not that they were likely to. Adopting a successor into a family had a long history in Japan. The fact that they had a familial relation, however many generations back, simply helped matters out.
"Ah, Takeru."
Takeru turned and smiled. Hikoma Kusakabe, the head of the Shiba household's servants, had practically raised him after his father died. Between him and Toshizo Tanba- Kaoru's personal retainer- the Shiba estate and the Shinkenger, and he allowed himself a mental snort at the portmanteau, were well supported.
Takeru made to get his old sensei a stool, but the man waved him off and knelt beside him. With a tch Takeru shook his head. "Jii... your hip."
"When has that little ailment ever stopped him?" a teasing voice asked.
"Disrespectful sushi-ya," Hikoma groused, even as he smiled and shuffled aside to let Takeru's oldest friend sit with them.
"Stick in the mud Jii-sensei," the newest edition to the Shinkenger said just as fondly. Genta Umemori was many things- theatrical to an extent that near eclipsed Ryunosuke, cheerful to a fault, and brilliant with creating magic. He'd brought new things and tools to the Shinkenger, and earned the right to fly his family crest and crayfish emblem over the gate to the compound with the other retainers. And his insouciant attitude could be a breath of fresh air in the formality of the lord/retainer relationship.
Not that Chiaki couldn't fill that need admirably.
"How'd it go?" Genta asked, face growing serious. "I have some suppression seals ready, and Ryuu, Chiaki, and I can be out to... assist the Moon Queen if needed."
"Not at this time," Takeru said, and he could feel Genta and Jii relax. "She is not pleased, understand, but Lady Yasaka is by no means a fool. She was even willing to admit her actions towards the equipment Kayaba was communicating with were quite rash." He didn't mention the man's physical body, they all knew that she had incinerated it and left not even ashes behind.
Jii nodded. "It is good. That was one additional problem we did not need at this time. Lady Sachiko is a fine being, and I would not want to see that stress added to what is happening to her daughter." Jii smirked. "Oh, and your hunch was rather correct, my lord."
"Which one? Take-chan has so many!" Genta said. And wasn't he the only one who could get away with addressing Takeru with that particular nickname?
Jii shot a look at Genta and rolled his eyes. "That older player outside of Mr. Potter's immediate circle? Klein?" Takeru nodded. "You may have seen him at one of the commencements you attend. He is Ryoutaro Tsuboi, age twenty-four, and he is magical. I am not sure if his entire guild is as well, or just his immediate companions, but I'd say it is a good guess. My lord, what gave you the idea?"
"We actually chewed him out once, Mother and I," Takeru admitted with a smirk. "With Lady Yasaka accompanying us, no less. Out of hand bachelor party, and some yuuki-onna that weren't sure whether to be more offended or amused by it. He attended school with Lady Yasaka's daughter when she first started there, I believe."
Jii nodded. "I see. So is his influence good... or worrisome?"
"I'd wager both," Takeru replied drily.
"Ah, so a younger Genta," Jii returned as drily.
"Ah, Jii, so wise- what exactly are you implying?" Genta said, going from amicable to annoyed in less than a second.
"Oh, would you rather I outright state it? I thought my opinion on you was rather clear."
Takeru smirked as his best friend and sensei started another playful round of banter. At least some things were still right in the world.
He turned his attention to the papers on his desk and wondered how he should note down the events of the last week. He did promise Albus to provide regular updates about what was going on in SAO, another perspective, in other words. Fawkes had flamed by earlier, apparently finding enjoyment in visiting. The phoenix was probably playing with August Blake's little girl, as he seemed to find it fun to stay just out of reach of her tiny hands as she tried grab him.
Or he was giving Raye's familiars grief. Well, he still had a day before he requested Fawkes to take this correspondence back to England. He wondered what the Supreme Mugwump would think of what Mister Potter ran into this time.
He also had to see if it was possible to get those two AIs recognized as something besides computer programs to be used and discarded. He would see if Mister Shumway had any ideas when he next came by.
Perhaps a quick missive to the Americans who were his primary points of contact was in order, though a polite request to Grandmaster Saotome and his friends might also work.
##
July 14, 2024 - Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office
Albus had been discussing the most recent brouhaha in the Wizengamot with William and Alastor, and the possible consequences had steps not been taken to stop it. That one of their own had taken the step of trying to pass a motion to disconnect every player in SAO, forcefully, and kill those trapped in there, had not resulted in anything positive.
"Albus," Alastor began. "How did that idiot even rise to leading that sorry lot in the Wizengamot? Did he bother to think of the consequences of what would happen if his motion had passed? Is he even capable of thinking?"
"Unfortunately Alastor, I think he is," Albus replied. "Sadly, with Lucius moderating his stance and distancing himself from many of those who were sympathetic to Tom's ideals, it means that his influence with them is not ideal."
"Get rid of Fudge, and this happens," William grumbled. "Should have seen it coming. As hard as it is for many of the more progressive members to believe, given his beliefs, Lucius was a moderating influence on that group. He was definitely in their camp, but he was never stupid about it."
"Indeed, he is no fool," Albus noted. "Rash and opportunistic at times, but no fool. I dare say, had it not been because of how his wounded pride could have affected his judgment, I wouldn't have him as my prime suspect in how the Wainwrights had gotten ahold of Harry."
"No proof of that?" William asked.
"None that I can confirm," Albus replied. "The Wainwrights pride themselves on their confidentiality in that regard, and they won't break it. However, Lucius has changed since then, supporting Harry in his own way, and giving us the impetus to start cleaning up things in the Wizengamot."
"Distancing himself and running damage control, no doubt," Alastor noted. "He cocked up, even if it was because of something no one saw coming, and he knows it. If he was the one responsible, that is."
"More than likely, he was." Albus said. "The Malfoys are one of the few families with the resources, contacts, and likely favors owed, to pull something like that off. More complex than what his father would have done, but he is the one I primarily suspect at the catalyst for this. As I said, he can be rash, especially when his pride is wounded, and Harry had wounded it."
"So, if he was responsible for Mister Potter being there, then trapping him in it wasn't his intention," William mused. "Good thing for him that it's gone so well, so far. Still, it doesn't address what almost happened."
"To think that Selwyn would be so stupid as to propose something like this when Her Majesty has a representative there," Alastor said. "I know he's not the brightest lumos, but even for him, that was stupid."
"Trust me, Moody, that particular trouser stain is enjoying a nice stay in some remote and uncomfortable location while others decide what to do with him," William interjected. "Not that any such proposal would have gotten anywhere. The SAO victims, all of them, are under the care of the Japanese, and within their jurisdiction. And how did he think it would go without consequences?" He sneered.
"He risked breaking the damn thing he said he wanted to protect," Alastor grumbled. "If it was someone like the Carrows and their ilk, I wouldn't have been surprised, they are that dim and blind to the consequences, but Selwyn? Has age rotted his mind?"
Albus was about to respond to that, when a flash of flame in the office got his attention and Fawkes appeared. He dropped a parcel onto the desk and then alighted on his perch. For some odd reason, he was wearing a mask, and it took Albus a moment to recognize what it was supposed to signify.
Albus gave him a look. "The Kamen Rider mask is a bit much," he said. Some of the Shiba retainers were fond of that franchise, and decorating Fawkes with various memorabilia was something the phoenix was willing to put up with.
"What's with the black feathers?" Gravel murmured.
"He must have won a bet with Ms. Mendez's familiars again," Albus decided, and sighed as the statement made Fawkes preen. Shaking his head, he opened the parcel and took out the sheets of paper. "If you gentlemen will give me a moment?"
"Go on," Alastor replied.
"Of course, Albus." William said.
Quickly perusing the papers, Albus looked over what had happened since the last update. The recordings would be sent by the Wainwrights later, but a written report at least kept him current on Harry's activities. Quickly looking it over, he reached the last two items that were covered and paused. The first one, he would need more clarification on, though the term Artificial Intelligence said much to him, but the last item was concerning. Giving both a more thorough look, he put the papers down and looked at William and Alastor.
"Gentlemen, I think I could use your input on something," he said.
"The constellation robes got Sagittarius and Aries wrong," Alastor said, without missing a beat.
"They look so fab otherwise," William opined.
"Not that, you two," Albus said, shaking his head. Twitting him about his robes was something both inevitably did. "Something that was in these papers." Tapping his wand on the relevant pages, he duplicated them and handed them over. "Please, read these."
William and Alastor quickly did so, putting them down with wide eyes.
"I know that kid gets himself into weird situations there. Well, both him and his girl, not to mention the rest of their friends, but… What. The. Fuck." Alastor said flatly.
"Agreed," William concurred.
"It is as you gentlemen read," Albus said. "Harry and his friends have identified Kayaba. Harry even took the time to have a little talk with him about it. In a public place, with his friends there to serve as backup, of course. It was quite civil, from what the message said, even with the veiled threats."
"Bloody Gryffindors," William said. "Did Minerva transfigure his balls into giant brass ones?"
"How would he hear himself over the clanging?" Alastor quipped, knowing the old joke.
"We Gryffindors learn how to put our pants on to keep that from happening," Albus replied, finishing it as only a Gryffindor would. "In any case, gentlemen, outside of Kayaba, they also seemed to have some… Artificial Intelligences drop in on them."
"I read that," Alastor said with a forced calm. "Don't know what that means, outside of what they're called, but I have a feeling that it's something major."
"Major is an understatement," William said. "AIs are something that the muggles have been attempting, carefully, for decades. To create something that can think for itself, using computers. There are a lot out there who think it's a bad idea, they have a lot of stories where one went bad, but when has that stopped scientists?"
"When has that stopped wizards and witches?" Alastor countered. "If anything, we can be worse."
"Any advice?" Albus asked.
"I would say to get rid of them if we could, but that's my overly cautious to the point of paranoia side talking," Alastor said. "I doubt they would take kindly to that anyway. I wouldn't if I was in their position. They apparently seem to be friendly from the report, but they could quickly become hostile if they saw us as a threat. Turn what is a potentially dangerous situation, into one."
William nodded. "Makes sense." He said. "If they're fully self-aware, and thus 'alive' in that sense, then they wouldn't want to die. It's a common enough cause for an AI to become malicious in fiction." He looked at Albus. "Have they said anything about others knowing?"
Albus shook his head. "No," he replied. "Apparently, Harry and his guild's conversations through the… streams? I think that's the right term anyway. Well anyway, no indication has come out that such has been aired. Apparently, Akihiko Kayaba is ensuring that many secrets are not divulged that way."
"Censor what you can," William said. "Makes sense. He controls what goes out through them. He doesn't control the hard line feeds to the Nerve Gears though."
"And we can be thankful that more of Harry's associates don't have these... hard line feeds," Albus said, his unfamiliarity with the modern term apparent. "That would have been problematic. On more than one front." He shook his head. "Still, this is quite fascinating. To create a thinking being, alive in its' own way… it is simply remarkable."
"You would say that," Alastor said drily. "Let's just hope that Potter, his girl, and their friends can keep them on the right path. For their own sakes."
"Indeed," Albus said. "All life is precious, no matter its origins. We will have to put faith in Harry and his companions to guide them."
July 31, 2024 - Suginami, Nakano General Hospital
Dudley sat in an available chair, watching the small party that was happening on the monitor. Harry's fifteenth birthday was here, and his guild naturally threw a party for him, much to his cousin's bemusement. That Harry didn't think his birthday was something important on a personal level, was, sadly, no surprise for him.
To his shame, he had been one of the ones responsible for that outlook. He was the spoiled favorite, and Harry had been the unfavorite who had to fight for everything he did get. It had felt nice at the time, but learning just how wrong he had been had forced him to take a hard look at himself, with his eyes open to the reality of what he had been a part of.
He did not like what he saw.
Oh, he could say it was because the wrong examples had been set for him, that he didn't know any better, or a thousand other excuses, but that's what they would be. Excuses. They didn't excuse his actions back then, even if they gave perspective on why he had been such an ass. Without the protection of Piers' dad keeping them from getting into trouble, and without his father molding him, Smeltings' staff had been quick to start setting him straight.
He had started to watch the feeds, seeing what Harry was doing. Watching his cousin turn into a different person, fighting to stay alive, and keep his growing circle of friends alive, had been an eye opener. There, Harry didn't have to worry about being "normal", didn't have to mask his feelings on something, and showed very little fear in the face of the dangers he faced almost every day.
"It's funny, but for all he's faced and had to do, SAO has been good for him," came a voice. Dudley turned to see Selene Carlisle, the woman who was part of the team that kidnapped Harry, had been the reason he was trapped in there in the first place, and now one of those who was constantly watching and guarding him.
"Good for him?" Dudley asked. "How could being trapped in a game that can kill him, be good for him?"
Selene gave Harry's physical body a look and then turned back to Dudley. "He's more open," she said. "Happier even. It's something I noticed about him before this, even before he came along with us. He wasn't a happy kid."
"And I was partly responsible for that," Dudley said, acknowledging the unspoken point. "I went along with mum and dad, taking how they treated him, and followed their lead. I was spoiled brat and a bully, and not just to him, either."
Selene nodded. "You were, and it's nice to see that he was right about you."
He gave her a confused look. "Right about me?"
"That you can change for the better. I think he will be glad to see that when he gets out." She turned back to the monitor. "And where did that mangy mutt wander off to this time?" She asked with some exasperation as she noticed that Sirius wasn't present.
Dudley wondered that as well, but Ms. Hanaori not being in the room meant that Sirius hopefully had a minder with him to keep him in line.
August 1, 2024 - Setagaya, Wainwright Safehouse
Richard looked over the papers as he worked on summarizing what had happened since the last update was sent to Dumbledore. He knew that he wasn't the only source of information the man had, not since the Shibas involved themselves, at any rate. Adding in Mister Black also gave him another source as well. On the other hand, they were Dumbledore's only source of live and unfiltered recordings.
The Shibas at least allowed him that much.
Ever since this job started, it's been going wrong since SAO went live, he thought to himself for what seemed like the thousandth time. Mister Potter gets trapped in there, he constantly risks his life, and now we have the recent bombshell of two AIs adding themselves to the mix, and his figuring out that Kayaba was not only masking himself as a player, but which player that man is masking himself as.
That Kayaba has interacted with the players as a fellow player wasn't surprising in the least. If anything, the man would have done so as a way to stave off boredom. That it took this long for them to figure it out was only mildly concerning, but again, not surprising. It was obvious now, they all knew what to look for, but that was the benefit of hindsight. A hindsight, which Steel Phoenix used to figure him out.
His attempt to ensure that Yui and Strea didn't blab had proven to be quite revealing.
The addition of two AIs to the mix was only mildly concerning right now. Neither had shown any hostile tendencies so far. If anything, they were friendly to the various players they encountered.
That was a plus.
August 12, 2024 - Suginami, Nakano General Hospital
Sirius stared at the monitor, listening to the discussion that was going on amongst the members of Harry's guild, keeping his expression calm. He had been expecting something like this for some time now, to be honest.
"Why would he even think about staying in there?" He heard Dudley ask. He wore an earpiece that did an adequate job translating the Japanese into English. He couldn't speak it past the basics, but he could at least understand it.
"Because of what he might lose when it ends," Sirius replied. "I know you've been told that SAO has been good for him, and it has. He has a group of friends who are basically a family to him, a 'wife' in the sense that they're married in there, and more." He gave a sad smile. "For him, clearing SAO and getting out means he might lose all of that." He smiled sadly. "Even when he gets out, I think he will want to stay close to them."
It was a slow change. Dudley went from puzzled to thoughtful to determined in the space of a few moments.
"So I just have to figure out how to help him do that," the young man muttered.
Sirius held himself to a smirk. That look was one Dudley shared with Harry. He was pretty sure it came from Lily's mother. It was one the Marauders had come to fear.
'Tell me this is impossible,' it said. 'I dare you. I love proving people totally wrong.'
And Sirius Black somehow knew Harry would have fewer worries when SAO ended than he thought. He looked around the room to see Kotoha on her cell phone, quietly talking on it. From what he could hear, she was informing either Takeru, or Kaoru, about the conversation which took place, and Harry coming clean to his guild.
He wondered what they would do about that... considering that many of them had placed bets on whether he would reveal magic's existence himself, or if the others would figure it out. He had thought they would figure it out, personally. None of those kids were stupid.
He knew they had something in mind for that happening, though.
Kotoha finished her call, and put her phone away. "Well Mister Black, I think you will be pleased to note that Mister Potter won't be in too much trouble from this. He will be reprimanded for this, but considering that this was already considered a likely possibility, plans are in place."
"Plans?" Dudley asked. "What plans?"
Kotoha smiled. "Well, we are going to have to debrief all of them, including the AIs, if possible, brief them on the Statute of Secrecy, and then Mister Potter is going to be responsible for them," she said. "In other words, he won't be punished for breaking the statute, but he will have the responsibility of ensuring his friends don't."
Sirius nodded at that. "Creative," he complimented. "Make him responsible for them violating it if they do, but so long as they don't there is nothing to worry about. How long would he have to bear that responsibility?"
Kotoha shrugged. "Probably until they're all adults, in which case the responsibility will individually fall on them," she said. "As I said, I don't see this as being a problem for him, considering just how close all of them are."
Sirius shook his head, smiling and chuckling. "Like so much in his life right now, it's one thing after another."
