SAO:BTFL Book #2 IRL Arc Prologue
Room #679
Building 85T, Floor 2
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, USA
January 3rd, 2025 5:45 pm Eastern Standard Time
Day +54 of SAO
"And that's it"
My Psychologist Dr. Emily Reed sighs "Alright, I guess we're done here. Yes, you do have Severe PTSD as your Medical Records show, I was also told that you used SAO's Closed BETA as a way to help your PTSD if that's correct?"
"Yes, that's correct"
"And once you moved over to the live servers it didn't help as, for several months, you continued getting flashbacks to operations you are apparently not allowed to tell me about"
"That's Correct"
She removed her glasses and stared at me "Alright then, I guess I don't need to see you anymore as you have told me everything"
"Can I go back to Japan?" I asked.
"The State Department has approved for your continued existence with the JGSDF…" She trailed off.
"There's a catch isn't there?"
"There is, only if you go into Yokota for Checkups every 2 months"
"Your fucking- You know what fine, just get me out of here and back to my job" I got up and left.
A pair of tickets on a flight out of Baltimore-Washington International Airport back to Tokyo showed up at my Hotel room two days later and I was out of the country the next day.
Terminal 3 (International Terminal)
Haneda International Airport
Ōta, Tokyo, Japan
January 7th, 2025 3:00 pm Japan Standard Time (JST)
Day +58 of SAO
"Finally, back in Japan!" I yelled, causing some of the tourists to look at me.
I stretched my arms out way above my head and groaned "Ow ow ow"
I walked out into Customs and handed my US Passport over.
"Business or Pleasure?" the Border guard asked.
"Oh, I live here, work for the JGSDF"
"If you work for the JGSDF then why are you American?" He asked skeptically.
"Joint Citizenship, do you want to see my Japanese Passport?"
"I do yes"
I hand the border guard my Japanese Government Issued Passport and he scanned it over.
"Everything seems to be in order" He stamped both passports and handed it back to me.
I walked through customs after thanking him and was the assaulted by Yua and Sachi who hugged the hell out of me.
"Master Sergeant!"
"Minister!"
"Corporal, your choking me" I say in an attempt to get her off "You as well Sachi, off you come, come on"
Sachi and Yua backed off.
"I didn't even say anything how did you know I was here?"
"The Captain told us that she'd like to speak to you, so we were sent to pick you up"
"You mean, you were sent, Sachi just wanted to come along because she heard my name"
"Yes" Sachi responded.
'Where's Sayori?" I asked absentmindedly before quickly receding my question "right, never figured out who she was"
"Anyway, let's go, come on!" Sachi and Yua started dragging me out of the Terminal.
"Hey, don't just grab me"
The two just giggled and continued to drag me to a MoD Car.
Thirty Minutes Later
I sat down in front of Captain Tobiichi's desk, kinda scared that she was going to yell at me.
"Master Sergeant Michalek"
"Y-yes ma'am?"
She smiled "Welcome back"
"Glad to be back ma'am, when do I get back to work?"
She sighed and pulled out a folder, placed on the desk and opened it up, I looked over at it and it seemed to be some type of unit transfer form, I've only seen one once in my life, when I was transferring out of SAD and into the VR Research.
"Captain?"
"The Japanese Government want's you and Yua discharged from the JGSDF, To much of a risk they said, luckily for the both of you the Minister of Defense wasn't having any of it"
"The Min-"
"There's no need to bullshit me Sean, I know what you did before you joined my unit, Black Ops, its fine, I was interested with this info from the Minister the day you were transferred. Now the Minister was able to get you a deal, you'd be transferred out of this unit and into another one, the 117th Training Battalion headquartered out of Camp Takeyama in Yokosuka"
"So, I'm moving to Camp Takeyama?"
"No, not exactly, you see, the Japanese Government is planning on starting a Specialized School for SAO Survivors and the deal was, you'd teach English there and stay in the JGSDF"
"So why I can't I stay here? At Intelligence Headquarters?"
"The Government doesn't want me looking over you as I know you and may be bias in my reporting of your mental condition, so they want you with a new unit"
I nodded "so where is Yua going?"
"Yua is transferring to Eastern Army Intelligence Analysis at Camp Asaka"
"Have you told her yet?"
"No, I haven't"
"Well good luck telling her, she doesn't seem to want to get away from me or her friend"
I sign the transfer papers and close the folder.
"Oh, by the way" The Captain stops me on the way out "Your being promoted to First Lieutenant with this new Position"
"Wait I'm being promoted?"
"Yes, of course you are, you'll also be getting the new Sword Art Online Military Survivor Ribbon"
"A promotion and a 'Well done on getting yourself trapped in a game ya idiot' ribbon, man do I feel proud"
The captain just laughed, and I left the room.