SAO:BTFL Chapter 9 – Operation Classification Tango Uniform Tango

Over the Skies of Funabashi
Camp Narashino
Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
January 13th, 2025 12:34 pm JST
Day +64 of SAO

The inner cabin of the Lockheed C-130H bounced around as it glided over Camp Narashino, home to the JGSDF 1st Airborne Brigade, a Special Forces Airborne Assault Regiment. The cabin was filled to the brim with Members of the 1st Airborne, I, however, was not. The man beside me, Leading Private Yoshioka Iwao turned to me and asked the obvious question.

"You ever jumped before sir?" he said in his native language.

"A few times Corporal" I responded... in his native language.

"You worked VR Research, right? Why would you have to go HALO jumping for that sir?"

"Research Corporal"

A red light turned on, dipping the dark cabin in red, the man at the back by the cargo ramp stood up.

"Alright men, hook up, we jump in five"

We all stood up, helping those who couldn't and hooked onto to the Parachute wire. The Master Sergeant pulled the latch and opened the cabin door causing the red of the light and the sunlight to clash within the cabin. The wind must have been deafening to those not using ear plugs and it ripped away the pressure of the Cabin. I turned to look back the Leading Private.

"You ever jump before Corporal?" I yelled above the wind.

He nodded "Twice sir"

"Was it nerve racking?"

"Yes sir"

"Are you nervous now?"

"Yes sir"

I laughed "Good, it's good to be nervous. You'll do fine Corporal"

The red light turned green.

"We are green, go, go, go"

One by one we all hopped out of the C-130 and fell into the wind. I hopped off the plane as if I had done it a million times because, to be honest, how do you think Ghost Squadron inserted into AO's? My parachute opened instantly, and I slowly guided myself down into the training ground, doing a roll as soon as I touched the ground. I was pulling the Parachute equipment off my back and removing everything when a private who was on the ground ran up to me.

"First Lieutenant Sean Michalek?"

I looked up at the Private.

"Yeah?"

"You have a call for you"

He handed me a black flip phone.

"Who is it?"

"He says his name is Kirito"

I put the phone to my ear "First Lieutenant SeanCityNavy, go"

"Thought you were a Master Sergeant Minister" The Japanese teen responded.

"Got a Promotion to First Lieutenant and a transfer out of my last job as soon as I came back from America. What's up?"

I stood up from my crouching position and started to walk towards the flatbed of a transport truck.

"I need your help in finding someone"

"Asuna right?"

"How did you know"

I took the water bottle from my pack and chugged it "I'm the Minister of Intelligence, you answer your own question"

"So, you can help me?"

"No, not with this matter, I'm not allowed anywhere near the Incident Response Corps, JGSDF Command will have a field day. However, I know a guy who I used to work with that was transferred over there"

"What's his name?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Kikuoka Seijirou, he works in the MIAC, VR Crimes Division. Actually, I'm one hundred percent sure you've already met him."

"I do remember him, he visited me a few days after I woke up, asked me a bunch of questions about SAO and Aincrad"

I gave Kirito his work number and hung up. I handed the Private his flip phone back and hopped into the Transport Truck.

Colonel Fumio Kuwahara's Office
117th Training Battalion Command Headquarters
Camp Takeyama
Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
January 16th, 2025 8:30 am JST
Day +67 of SAO

"First Lieutenant Sean Michalek transferring from Military Defense Command, VR Training Research Team to the 117th Training Battalion sir" I saluted the Colonel who was sitting at his desk.

"Oh, your Captain Tobiichi's kid" He responded.

"Yes sir"

"At Ease, First Lieutenant, take a seat" He pointed to the seat in front of his desk.

I took a seat.

"So, your file before you joined the VR Training Research Team is classified at the highest level, want to explain that to me?"

"You not trying to get me tried for High Treason now are you sir?" I asked skeptically.

"No, I'm not" The Colonel laughed "I just wish to know why your entire Military History up to that point is classified"

"You can ask the Captain, I'm sure she'll be happy to fill you in" I responded "I'm not legally allowed to tell you or a Court Martial will chase me all the way back to the States sir"

The Colonel nodded "Alright, I'll talk to Tobiichi about over drinks. On another note, you know why you're in this Battalion correct?"

"As far as I'm aware sir, I'm here so that you can keep an eye on me instead of the captain because JGSDF Command and the Japanese Diet doesn't want me in the Military anymore" I answer.

"Unofficially, that is correct" The Colonel responds "Officially, your battalion command staff, you'll watch over the instructors were sending over to the SAO Survivors School"

I nodded "We're sending some young drill instructors, you'll need to keep an eye on them, I think that they'll yell at the students on impulse"

"I understand sir"

"You'll meet your team on March twelfth, any questions?"

"No sir"

"Welcome to the 117th First Lieutenant"

I got up and shook the Colonel's hand. As I was leaving the room, he stopped me.

"One more thing, I'm pretty sure Tobiichi scolded you on the use of Ma'am so I'm going to do the same for sir, either Colonel or Boss"

I nodded before smiling "Alright Colonel"

3rd Floor Show floor
Yodobashi Akihabara Electronics Store
Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan
January 19th, 2025 1:47 pm JST
Day +71 of SAO

I picked up a Video Camera. Why was I looking at these you ask? Well Sachi and Yua dragged me out of my humble abode…ohh a few hours ago. However, they weren't with me currently. I placed the camera down as my LG Stylo 4 buzzed in my back pocket. I took it out, the flashing back light blinding me as I flipped it over. The Caller ID read Captain Tobiichi.

"You miss me Capt'n?" I asked smugly.

"Not really First Lieutenant"

"Damn" I said dejectedly "anyway, what can I help you with?"

"Where are you right now?"

I looked around my area as a bit of a joke before answering "I believe I'm at Yodobashi-Akiba"

"How long do you think it'll take to get to MOD?" She asked.

"I think twenty-nine by rail" I responded.

"Can you get here then?" she asked.

"I'd have to make Yua aware that I'm dissing on her"

"She'll be fine"

"Alright Captain I'll be there in twenty-nine"

I hung up and called Yua.

"Hello Master Sergeant!" She cheerfully answered.

"First Lieutenant" I corrected "I need to leave; I've been called for a meeting with the Captain"

"But you don't work for the Captain anymore Master Sergeant" She responded; I could hear the puzzling in her voice.

"First Lieutenant" I corrected again "I'm just letting you know that I won't be here when you come back"

I hung up and walked toward the Elevator and took it down to the first floor.

31 minutes later

I opened the door to the Captain's office and entered.

"Captain"

"First Lieutenant"

I sat down and the Captain threw down a file.

"What's this?" I asked as I moved to pick up the file.

"This is what you asked for a few months ago" she replied.

I flipped open the file to see the words "Citizen Profile"

"I have an old friend who works in Citizenship at the Ministry of Justice who owed me a favor, I had her dig up the person you were looking for by using the SAO Survivors Database"

Under the words was the picture of a girl I'd seen before, long brown hair and ocean blue eyes. Behind her was a blank wall, the Japanese Flag and the Flag of the Hokkaido flanked her on each side.

"Sayori?" I asked.

"Mayden "May" Dutton Maple, former resident of Hokkaido, currently resides in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area" The Captain said.

I flipped through the small file. She had no Criminal Record; she renounced her American Citizenship… Wait American Citizenship? Another file collided onto the desk; this folder had the symbol for the American State Department.

"I'm going to assume you strong armed the Embassy for this?"

Tobiichi smiled "The deal to get you back was you and this folder for a list of every American SAO Survivor that wasn't under watch at an American Military Base"

I visibly cringed "MOD actually made a deal to get me back?"

"The Minister himself actually"

"Oh god, I owe him something, now don't I?"

Tobiichi laughed "No, you don't"

I opened the US State Department folder and flipped through it.

"Used to live in…Aberdeen!?"

She has two failed Suicide attempts on record, graduated Aberdeen High School the same year I did… What the fuck? How come I never met her? I packed the two folders under my arm and nodded at the Captain.

"Thank you very much Captain"

She waved it off and shooed me out of her office.

Administration Building
Tokyo University of Technology
Tokyo, Japan
January 19th, 2025 4:15 pm JST
Day +71 of SAO

After my meeting with the Captain I joined Sachi and Yua at the Akiba Train Station and we traveled to the Main Campus of the Tokyo University of Technology. I was a student here before being trapped in Sword Art Online. After me and the Corporal were considered AWOL a few days after being trapped, the School expelled me, assuming that, since I had abandoned my post, I won't be paying tuition there anymore. Of course, the day after this I was found inside SAO so a few days before I was set to be transferred to Bethesda Naval Hospital the offered to put me back in school, full ride. I denied, I didn't need it, I was perfectly fine without it. Now, why am I back here you ask? Two reasons. One reason was Sachi, she's dropping out of TUT and living with Yua since she has to move to Camp Asaka due to her transfer. Second reason was Sayori Maple, or Mayden. Her file indicated that she was a student of TUT. Studying Communications & Public Relations which struck me as odd. Communications & Public Relations was my major and from the years I spent with her in SAO, she wasn't a people person. Technically she only hung out with Myself, Yua, Sachi, Itou and her AMI5 Bodyguard Command.

I walked up to the front desk of the Administration Building. The Secretary looked up at the three of us.

"Hello, can I help you?" she asked nicely.

I pulled out my wallet and flashed my Military ID at her as if I was a US Federal Agent at a crime scene.

"First Lieutenant Sean Michalek, Ministry of Defense Police. We're looking for a Mayden Dutton Maple" I said with as much authority as I could.

The Secretary looked me over skeptically before saying "Please, give me a moment"

I turned to look at Sachi who flanked my left, her face in her palm. I then looked at Yua who flanked my right and she gave me a small smile.

"She is in Female Dorm building number three, room three four nine on the fourth floor"

"Thank you, ma'am"

I took the note from her hands and signaled to Yua and Sachi who walked out of the office with me. We walked across the campus to the 3rd Female dorms building and took the elevator up to the 4th floor. I walked up to the door of May's dorm room, Sachi and Yua flanking me on both sides and gave it a firm knock.

"Aincrad Military Intelligence Sector Five Military Police! Open up!" I yelled as loud and with as much authority as I could.

I heard scrambling "What the fuck! Sean!?" she had yelled back through the door.

"Director open up!" Yua screamed through the door.

"Corporal!?" her voice was closer to the door now.

"Come on Deputy Minister! Open up!" Sachi joined in.

The door sung open "Sachi!?" she now screamed in our faces.

Her long brown hair flowed in the blowing wind, her ocean blue eyes, though clouded, pierced into my soul, the slight smile she currently held melting my heart. It was her alright. The Aincrad Deputy Minister of Intelligence Sayori_Maple.

What's good, SeanCityNavy, your local Washington State Department of Health Quarantine Director here to tell you that, I'm going to be putting the IRL Arc on hold while I try to figure out where to go with this. I'm expecting it to be short as this is just a segway into the ALfheim Arc which will take place in this book and takes place at the same time as the Fairy Dance Arc as Sean & Co meet Leafa, ect, ect. So thank you for bearing with me. However as I figure that out, i'm going to privately challenge myself to rewrite "High School Prodigies have it easy even in another world" with an entire new cast of Characters from different backgrounds and from various age and grade groups (Adult to Middle School) so if you want to see that actually published let me know and i'll publish the rewite under it's Fanfiction section.

Thank You
SeanCityNavy
Quarantine Director
Washington State Department Of Health