Chapter 27- Seiji's Secret
April 19th, 2057
By the time Kazuto, Frank, Kuroba, and Meg arrived at Dicey's, the other Nega Nebulus members (except Suguha) were already gathered around a table in the middle of the café. Andrew had even put a sign on the front door saying that the place was closed for a private party.
"Wow," Frank said, impressed as they all took their seats. "And here I thought we'd be the first ones here."
"Asuna and I were already in the area," Shino replied while adjusting her fake glasses. "She's been trying to track down Lisbeth over the last few weeks and we heard a rumor that someone matching Lisbeth's description was recently spotted around here. But we looked everywhere and couldn't find a trace of her."
Just hearing the name of the mace-wielder made Kazuto clench his jaws in frustration. He was still angry that Lisbeth would accuse Frank over her best friend and blacksmith partner Celina, whose real name was Victoria Blackburn. Naturally, it could just be that Lisbeth had simply chosen Frank as a target to release her anger and grief upon, but it was because of her that the Dark Swordsman ended up in this era in the first place.
Most of the Black Swordsman memories have returned to him over the last few months, but he still couldn't remember how he and the other Alfheim Warriors were able to follow Frank into the future, or if there was even a way to go back to their time. It's not that Kazuto hated living here, far from it, he was amazed to see how far technology has advanced over the course of thirty years.
The issue is…ever since he was founded by his foster parents eleven years ago, Kazuto has had a strange feeling that he doesn't belong here. It confused him at first and passed it off as an orphan struggling to adjust to his new family. However, after his memories started to return and consulting his former guildmates, who also had that same sensation, he began to wonder if it was because he didn't belong in this era.
Come to think of it, if this was the future, how come he hasn't run into any older versions of himself and his friends? His amnesia would've gotten in the way before but now that it was almost completely gone, he still hasn't seen a single trace of an adult Kazuto or any version future versions of his friends. Heck, he hasn't even been able to find Yui, his and Asuna's AI daughter, anywhere on the web.
Kazuto had tried to go to his old house in the suburbs because that was where he and Frank had kept all the backup copies of Yui's program, but for some reason he could never find it. It was as if some outside force was preventing him from locating his daughter. It frustrated him to no end, and it was heartbreaking to tell Asuna the news. The Argent Flash ended up bursting into tears while in her boyfriend's embrace.
Luckily, or unluckily depending on your viewpoint, Frank had confirmed that he could still connect with his Artifice, Siren, which was currently in orbit right above Japan. It has somehow managed to remain hidden from satellites even after thirty years, but if it was discovered, there wasn't anything humans could do about it. Apparently Frank's Siren has its own attack instinct, meaning it could analyze things in its vicinity and make its own judgement on whether to engage or not, so if humans tried to attack it, Siren would naturally defend itself even without the orders of its master. Obviously though, Frank's orders would be the Artifice's top priority.
However, Frank has always been very reluctant when it came to using Siren. It was arguably his most powerful weapon, but it was also his most destructive one. The Artifice nearly reduced Tokyo to rubble during the Demon War, granted Frank wasn't in full control of himself when it happened, but it still horrified the Blade Eater afterward. Since then, Frank had sworn to never use Siren again, but that decision probably almost cost him and Kazuto their lives back in Okinawa.
Had Kuroba not arrived when she did, the Darkness Duo would most likely be dead. However, Kazuto wondered if Siren would have been able to destroy the barrier that had trapped them in the Shadow Ruins with its particle cannon and kill Gandora. Even if the Artifice was in space, its particle lasers could easily reach the ground within seconds if the order to fire was given.
But Kazuto knew his best friend too well. Even if Siren could destroy the barrier and kill Gandora, Frank would never order it to do so. Not only did the Dark Swordsman not want to risk losing control of himself again, but also because he didn't want to risk hurting Kazuto. It would probably take a miracle to make Frank use his Artifice again.
"I see," Kazuto said slowly, his tone having no emotion in it.
Asuna let out a sigh. She probably figured that her boyfriend still hadn't forgiven Lisbeth. "I get that you're still angry at Liz for what she said to Marth, Kirito, but I'm worried about her," she replied. "There's no records of her after the Demon War. It's like she disappeared. Regardless of what she did, Liz is still our guildmate. Shouldn't we make sure she's alright?"
Kazuto let out a groan as he leaned back in his chair. "You're right. I guess we should try to find Liz, but that's gonna have to wait until after we deal with Seiji."
The Lightning Flash gave her boyfriend a warm smile and said, "Thanks, Kirito."
Meg then cleared her throat. "Speaking of Seiji," the Emerald Fencer spoke up as she tossed a glance at her brother, "What exactly is this Incarnate System? How do you use it?"
Klein raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Incarnate System? What the hell is that?"
"I've never heard of it either," Shino added. "What does this have to do with Seiji?"
The Darkness Duo turned their gaze to the Black King. While either of them could explain what the Incarnate System is to the others, it would be better if it was from someone who had more knowledge of it. Kuroba must have realized this as she nodded her head.
"The Incarnate System is a hidden feature of Brain Burst," the female Driver explained. "It allows a Burst Linker to turn a mental image into an attack, or in Frank and Kazuto's case, change into their SAO personas within the game. Seiji has somehow managed to learn about this system and how to use it. That's his trump card."
The other Nega Nebulus members, except Kazuto and Frank, were shocked at what they heard.
"Are you serious, Kuroba?" Ayano questioned, her eyes full of disbelief. "This doesn't sound possible."
Kuroba didn't scold the youngest member, it was only natural for the others to be skeptical about this.
"I understand your suspicions, Ayano," the Black King replied. "Even I was suspicious of the Incarnate System's existence when I first heard about it. But it is very real. In fact, Meg, Asuna and Sinon have seen it being used before, with both experiences involving Marth."
Asuna let out a gasp in realization. "She's right. Sinon and I saw Marth change into his Dark Swordsman persona when he battled Chrome Disaster." She then remembered one other thing about the battle. "Um, Kuroba, does the Incarnate System also change a person's eye color?"
"Eye color?" Frank asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
The leader of Nega Nebulus simply chuckled. "I knew you'd notice that little detail, Asuna," Kuroba said. "Yes, the Incarnate System can change a person's eye color, but only for a select few people. First, let me explain how the Incarnate System works. Basically, you use your willpower or imagination to overwrite the reality of Brain Burst and turn it into an attack. As for the eye color," she tossed a glance at her two partners, "it's a sign of an intense usage of the Incarnate System. For Marth and Kirito, it temporarily turns their eyes yellow."
Kazuto found himself at a loss for words, as was Frank. He had no idea that his eye color would change because of the Incarnate System. Then again, he couldn't have known unless someone had pointed it out to him or looked at himself in a mirror.
"Does it change your eye color too, Kuroba?" Andrew questioned.
Kuroba cracked a smirk and said, "Sorry, but that's a secret. Although, there's something else I need to mention. Frank, Kazuto, you need to swear that you'll never use an Incarnate attack unless you're attacked with an Incarnate attack. Swear on your pride as a Burst Linker."
"Uh, why should we?" Kazuto said skeptically. "Is it because it's cowardly?"
"No. It's because in Brain Burst, the real enemy is yourself. Ultimately, Incarnation exists not for defeating enemies but for confronting your own weakness. If you use the Incarnate System for personal gain, it'll corrupt your soul, no exceptions."
Frank let out a sigh as he looked up at the ceiling. "Now I know why you didn't tell me about Incarnation." He let out a chuckle. "You don't have to worry. I promise to only use my Incarnate attacks when it's necessary."
"Me too," Kazuto added. "We kind of have to anyway since using Incarnation seems to turn us into our SAO forms. If we used it in a regular duel, we'd end up revealing our true identities."
"Good," Kuroba replied.
"By the way, those Overdrive abilities of yours, are they created through the Incarnate System too?"
"No, Overdrive is similar to Incarnation but it's not the same. It's more like a positive autosuggestion that allows black avatars to adopt the properties of different colors. However, what colors you are able to use depends on the limits of your Duel Avatar. Me, for example, I only have three color modes, Red, Blue, and Green."
"I see," Kazuto said with interest. "Is there anything else we need to know?"
The Black King nodded her head. "Yes. Because of these restrictions, you might think that the Incarnate System must be incredibly powerful and if you master it, you'll be able to do anything. But that's a mistake."
Everyone else looked surprised.
"Really?" Frank asked. "Why is that?"
"The Incarnate System is just another logic executed in the Brain Burst program," Kuroba explained. "The main idea of it is the 'overwrite'. Which is something the player does with image power. To put it in another way, powerful thought causes the system—the god of this world—to mistake it for fact. But to make something like that happen, you need an image that's so strong that it tricks you before it tricks the system. An image that goes way past the level of imagination and all the way to conviction."
"I don't think Marth and Kirito have to worry about that," Asuna voiced. "They've been the Darkness Duo for years and have fought countless battles for survival. If that doesn't grant them conviction for mental images, I don't know what will."
"I agree. It takes an overwhelming amount of time to build up the experience for that conviction. Desires also play a part in Incarnation, and is usually sourced from a missing necessity. If you don't have either of these, your mental image will not become real."
Klein leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "Geez, this Incarnate System sure is complicated. I don't think I have the criteria to use it either."
"That's understandable," Kuroba replied. "Anyway, let's discuss what we'll do about Seiji. Kazuto, have you remembered the spell to retake Emerald Fairy's wings?"
The Black Swordsman nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. I was thinking it over last night and I finally remembered how to use it. The timing and execution are a little tricky, but I think I can pull it off."
"Good. Naturally you'll be the one to fight Seiji next, but Frank and I should go too just in case he brings some allies."
"I'm fine with that," Frank added. "In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Seiji doesn't come alone. If he brings anyone, I'll make sure they don't interfere."
"Kuroba," Shino spoke up. "Would it be alright if the rest of us come too? If we're all there, it'll make it harder for Seiji to pull any tricks."
The veteran Burst Linker held her chin in her palm as she pondered the idea. "Yes, that should be fine," she said after a few moments. "Besides, it'll be easier to return Suguha's wings to her if she's there as well."
"Alright!" Klein said in excitement as he slammed a fist into his other palm. "I'm getting pumped up just thinking about this. Dusk Taker's about to meet his end!"
Later- Late Afternoon
Kazuto was standing outside of his apartment, thinking about his upcoming battle with the mysterious dusk avatar.
"What is this group that Seiji is a part of?" he questioned to himself. "Is it connected to Sulfur Pot's meddling in Okinawa and Arcanos?" He let out a groan. "There's too many questions and not enough answers. Guess I'll just have to beat them out of Seiji."
Suddenly a voice said, "Hello, Kazuto. It's been a while."
The Graphite Edge player snapped out of his thoughts and in a panic, realized that Rias had approached him. She was in her business uniform, so she must have just gotten off from work.
"Uh, hey Mrs. Hagino," Kazuto said nervously. "Fancy seeing you here."
Rias simply chuckled. "Well, I do live here after all. Anyway, how have you been?"
"I'm…good," Kazuto said slowly, finding it difficult to come up with a response.
For some reason, Frank's adopted mother always made Kazuto feel uneasy whenever he was around her. Sure, she was very kind and seemed to care deeply for her son, but Kazuto always felt that she was hiding something about herself. Unbeknownst to any of his friends, Kazuto had actually hacked into the government database to find out more about Rias Hagino and learned that the earliest records of her only dated back to after the Demon War ended. One of the only things he could find was her maiden name, which was Morningstar, a very unusual name especially in Japan.
There were also no files of her coming to Japan from other countries either. That alone was suspicious. So where did Rias come from? That was a question that Kazuto desperately wanted to answer, not for his own curiosity, but for the safety of his best friend/partner. None of his friends would probably approve of his investigation, especially Frank, but he didn't care. He won't let anything threaten his friends.
The Black Swordsman had managed to come up with a theory about how Rias Morningstar ended up in Tokyo. She must have been one of the monsters that were summoned by Zarc during the Demon War and has lived in hiding for the last thirty years. But if that was the case, why would she take in Frank, who should be her greatest enemy? Rias had plenty of opportunities to kill the Blade Eater, yet she hasn't made a single move against him. In fact, she always seemed to put the safety of her adopted son above all else. But why?
"Mrs. Hagino, can I ask you something?" Kazuto spoke up.
"Sure. What is it?"
Kazuto had to pause for a moment to come up with the right words to say. "Why did you take Frank in ten years ago?" he asked. "Why not hand him over to the government? There are quite a few people who would love to get their hands on him and exploit his powers."
The red-haired woman didn't look mad at all, instead she let out a light chuckle. "I could never allow such selfish people to experiment on a child. Frank needed a family, not some laboratory," she answered sincerely. "Besides," Rias's mind briefly flashed to a memory where she cradled a gravely injured black-haired woman in her arms, "I made a promise to an old friend that I'd protect her son."
The Black Swordsman's eyes widened in confusion. "What? What friend?"
"Sorry," Rias said with a small smirk, "but that's all I'm gonna say for now. Maybe one day I'll tell you the full story."
She then walked off to her apartment, leaving Kazuto alone.
"Well that didn't give me a lot of answers," he thought to himself. "Just who is Rias?"
He entered his apartment before going into his room and crashing onto his bed. Kazuto pondered on what to do next. He had to tell Frank what he knew about Rias, but also knew the Blade Eater would most likely react negatively to this.
"Link Start," Kazuto said before diving into his personal virtual world that his foster parents had given him for his fourteenth birthday.
The virtual world was about fifty feet wide and was covered by a grassy field with a few trees scattered here and there. There were several small hills as well and the sky was a brilliant blue with multiple white clouds trailing about. It reminded him so much of the grassy plains of Aincrad where he and his partner would spend their free days napping.
Kirito then looked himself over and saw that he was in his Spriggan avatar, his dual swords strapped to his back. He opened his menu and sent a virtual call request to Frank. While they could talk in the real world via the same method, but Kirito wanted this to be private.
Soon the sounds of someone logging in filled the air and Marth appeared from a burst of blue light. He wasn't alone, however, as Kuroba in her customized avatar was right beside him.
"Kuroba?" Kirito said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
The Black King set the tip of her umbrella on the grass and held the handle with her gloved hands. "I was with Marth when you requested a virtual call as we arrived at his apartment," she answered. "I hope my presence won't be an inconvenience."
Kirito simply shook his head. "No, this is something you should know too." He turned his eyes to his best friend, who had his arms folded across his chest. "Marth, you might not like to hear this, but please listen to what I have to say."
Marth raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Well, that doesn't sound ominous," he said sarcastically. "What is it?"
The Black Swordsman hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry, but I did an investigation on your mother, Rias Hagino."
"What?!" Marth exclaimed in surprise. "Why would you do that?"
Guilt filled Kirito's eyes as he began explaining his reasoning and what he had found out. When he was done, both Marth and Kuroba were left silent.
"So Rias might be a monster, just like Arcanos and Zarc?" Marth finally said after several long minutes.
"It's possible," Kirito replied grimly. "I'm sorry, Marth, but your mother might not be who you think she is."
Marth didn't respond as he fought conflicting emotions that spiraled in his mind. Could it really be true? Could the woman who raised him and protected his secret really be an enemy?
"Even if she is a monster, then why hasn't she killed Marth yet?" Kuroba voiced. "She would have had plenty of opportunities to end his life, especially when he was a kid. There has to be more to this."
"I don't know," Kirito said slowly. "When I talked to her earlier, she mentioned something about protecting her friend's son, which I'm guessing is Marth. But I don't know who this friend is."
The Dark Swordsman let out a deep breath before saying, "It couldn't be my birth mother, Serena. She never mentioned someone like Rias to me nor have I seen her back when I lived in America." A thought suddenly came to mind. "Hold on, Blados mentioned that I'm the reincarnation of Zane, an ancient warrior from a forgotten era. Could Rias's friend be Zane's mother?"
"That can't be true!" Kuroba refuted. "We don't know how long-ago Zane had lived, and even then, how could Rias still be alive after all that time?"
"Monsters don't follow the same rules as humans, Kuroba," Kirito spoke up. "They probably have very different life spans than we do, depending on their species. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them have found a way to live all the way to the present day. But I think Marth is right. Rias must have been friends with Zane's mother, but that raises the question. Why would Zane's mother be friends with a monster?"
Kuroba pursed her lips as she pondered the question in her head. "Maybe humans and monsters got along back then, but I doubt it since there aren't any historical records about Zane or his era." An eerie idea suddenly popped in her mind, frightening the female Driver. "Hold on, what if Zane's mother was a monster too?"
The boys gasped in realization.
"Yeah, I can see that," Kirito said inquisitively. "But that would mean that Zane was a monster too. So what does that say about Marth?"
The two Drivers turned to their other partner, who simply shrugged. "Don't look at me," Marth replied while raising his hands in defense. "I don't have any answers. Besides, my origins are complicated already. Let's not add this to the table until we get some actual proof. Also we don't even know what kind of monster Rias and, potentially, her friend are."
"Well there's only one way to find out," Kuroba said. "You're going to have to confront Rias."
Marth let out a groan in reluctance while glancing over his shoulder, away from his partners. Kirito didn't blame him for it. He wouldn't like the idea of asking the person who raised him if they were human or not.
"If you want to, Marth," the Black Swordsman offered, "you could ask her after we deal with Seiji."
The Blade Eater let out a sigh before returning his gaze to his male Driver. "Thanks, Kirito," he said with a light smile. "I think I'll do that."
Kuroba didn't voice any complaints, likely because her boyfriend was already in a difficult position and pressuring him would do more harm than good. Besides, Rias hasn't given them a reason to make learning her true identity a top priority. Right now, they need to focus stopping Seiji once and for all.
"Just one more day," Kirito thought to himself. "One more day until I make Seiji pay for stealing Sugu's wings. Tomorrow he's gonna learn what happens when you threaten the wrong people."
The trio then agreed on going to school together, mainly so they can discuss any potential strategies to use against Dusk Taker.
"Speaking of which," Marth spoke up. "That Incarnate attack of his… It was like a void trying to delete anything it touched. How do you plan to stop it, Kirito?"
The Black Swordsman simply smirked. "Oh I've got one idea, and it involves a certain Holy Sword."
Marth quickly caught on to what he was implying and cracked a mischievous smile. "So you're finally bringing out that sword," he said eagerly. "Seiji is so screwed now."
Kuroba's eyes widened in disbelief as she caught on to what her partners were implying. "Holy Sword? You don't mean…"
Unfortunately, neither boy chose to answer her, instead saying that she'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out if her hunch is correct. Kirito then ended the virtual call so they could log out.
Kuroba found herself sitting beside her boyfriend on his bed. She felt a little awkward being this close to him, probably because they were now in a relationship. She had wanted this for months, ever since she confessed her feelings to Frank when Araya tried to ram them with a car, but now that it's finally happened, Kuroba keeps finding herself worrying that she'll screw up and ruin the bond she has with the boy she loves.
"You're not gonna screw up," Frank suddenly said, catching the female Burst Linker off-guard.
"How did you know?"
Frank gave her a warm smile as he reminisced his first relationship. "Yuuki was the same way," he explained. "Although, it's not like I was much better. We tended to go with the flow, figuring things out as we go. Needless to say, it was an interesting experience."
"I see," Kuroba said with interest. "Then I guess I've got a lot to live up to. But just to be clear, I don't want to be a replacement for Yuuki. I'm not her and she isn't me."
"Don't worry, I've never thought of you like that, Kuroba," Frank replied. "It would be disrespectful of me to think otherwise, to both you and Yuuki."
Kuroba smiled before leaning her head into his shoulder. "That's good to hear. I love you, Frank."
"I love you too, Kuroba."
Frank then got the feeling that someone was watching them and quickly scanned the room with a skeptical eye. He soon found that his bedroom door was partially open and saw a red-haired figure walking away. The figure didn't have a malicious presence and before it disappeared, Frank thought he saw the briefest glimpse of a loving smile.
Rias felt a little guilty spying on her son and his girlfriend, but she couldn't help it. They reminded her of Zane and Celine, which was no surprise since Frank and Kuroba are their reincarnations. Heck, Kazuto was the reincarnation of Zane's best friend, who was also named Kirito.
Come to think of it, Rias had noticed that Kazuto was being more observant on her recently. One would first think that the teen had a crush on her, but the red-haired demon lord knew better. Kazuto must be beginning to suspect that she isn't really human. However, Rias actually expected this. It would be foolish of her to think that her façade as a human would last forever, especially since she decided to be more proactive when it comes to the safety of her son.
"It seems that I'll have to reveal my true identity soon," the demon thought to herself. "I don't know how Frank will react but even if he'll hate me for what I am, I'll still protect him. I owe it not only for Altena, but as a mother's duty to protect her child."
The Next Day- April 20th, 2057
Kuroba woke up from a dreamless sleep and found herself alone on Frank's bed. She had chosen to spend the night at her protégé's apartment partially so she could walk to school with him and Kazuto, but largely just in case Rias was indeed an enemy and make an attempt on Frank's life.
The Black King rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before climbing out of the covers and the bed. She then found herself exploring Frank's room, seeing what all he had. He had a large selection of video games, both cartridge and disk. It was amusing that despite living in a digital age, the Dark Swordsman preferred having physical copies of his games.
On one of his bookshelves were a few figurines of video game characters. One was a blue-haired swordsman named Marth, who is viewed as the mascot of the Fire Emblem series and is the namesake of Frank's other persona. Another was none other than Princess Zelda in her A Link Between Worlds appearance. Apparently, Rias and Shiro had gotten them for Frank as welcoming gifts after they successfully adopted him.
On Frank's desk was not only a computer he had built himself, but a few pictures of him in his youth. Most of them contained him, Kazuto and Asuna playing with each other as children but there were two that had Frank with his adopted family. The first seemed to have been taken on a train with Frank in-between his parents, all of whom were smiling. The second was a twelve-year-old Frank and Rias sitting in the shade of a tree in a park. Frank was fast asleep and had his head resting on his mother's lap, who had such a gentle smile that Kuroba momentarily forgot that the red-head could potentially be a monster.
"That might be my favorite picture of all."
Kuroba let out a startled gasp before turning around to see none other than Rias looking over her shoulder. While she didn't have the Hypersense that Frank and Kazuto had developed, the Black King had some semblance of being able to sense when others draw near, but she hadn't detected Rias approaching at all. Kazuto's theory was looking more factual more than ever.
"I'm sorry," Rias said sincerely. "I didn't mean to scare you. You seemed so focused that I didn't want to disturb you."
The leader of Nega Nebulus took a deep breath to calm her nerves before saying, "It's fine. Just give me a little more of a warning next time. Anyway, where's Frank?"
"He's in the kitchen eating breakfast. I just came to return your school uniform after washing it. I've got no problem with you sleeping here, but you should at least bring a change of clothes with you."
Kuroba couldn't help but scratch her cheek sheepishly as she fought off a blush. "S-sorry. I'll be more considerate next time."
Rias cracked a light smile before holding out the Burst Linker's uniform. "That's all I ask." As Kuroba reached for her clothes, her bracelet caught Rias's attention. "That's an interesting charm. Where did you get it?"
Kuroba felt a little uneasy telling a potential enemy about her charm but she said, "I found it several years ago. What about it?"
The older woman gently grabbed her right wrist and fixed her gaze on the purple charm. "This is no ordinary charm," Rias said firmly. "There's…a power dwelling inside it, slumbering. It's waiting for the right moment to awaken. That much I can say."
"What?" Kuroba said in shock. It didn't seem possible, but given how the charm had glowed without warning back in Okinawa, there must be some truth to what Rias was saying.
The red-haired woman let go of the teen and looked her in the eye with a serious expression. "I'd keep it close to you if I were you. There may come a day where that power may mean life or death."
"Huh?"
Rias didn't answer and instead turned and left the room, leaving a confused Kuroba behind. The Black King stared at her charm bracelet, as if hoping that it would provide an answer, but it just gleamed in the light. Kuroba then pushed those thoughts aside before changing into her school uniform and hurried to the kitchen to eat. Surprisingly, Kazuto was here too and was sitting next to Frank.
"Kazuto?" Kuroba said slowly. "What are you doing here?"
The Black Swordsman gave his female partner a mischievous smirk. "I could ask you the same thing, but if you want to know, I came to have breakfast with Frank so we discuss a few strategies to use against Seiji. You're more than welcome to join."
"Uh, thanks." Truthfully, this was a welcome distraction after her weird talk with Rias. Kuroba hurried to make herself a quick bowl of cereal before joining her friends at the table, sitting right across from them. "Hold on. Now that Frank and Kazuto have their memories back, maybe they can help me understand this charm."
"Frank, Kazuto," she said suddenly. "Can I ask you guys something?"
The boys eyed her curiously. "Sure," Frank replied. "What is it?"
Kuroba removed her bracelet and handed it to her boyfriend, who gingerly accepted it. "Since your memories are back, I was wondering if you might know more about my charm."
Kazuto looked a little puzzled while Frank just stared at the tiny purple sword. "I'm not so sure we can help," Kazuto said slowly. "Even if we've got our memories back, it's not very likely we'd know about some accessory."
"It's not just an accessory!" Kuroba exclaimed, catching the Graphite Edge player off-guard. "That 'accessory' was glowing the night you and Frank were fighting Blados in Okinawa. That wasn't normal. Plus Mrs. Hagino herself just admitted that there's a mysterious power sleeping inside it."
"What?" Kazuto said in disbelief.
Suddenly Frank, who had been silent this whole time, let out a gasp as his eyes widened in realization. "It can't be," he said slowly. "Kazuto, does this sword look familiar to you?"
The male Driver lowered his eyes and examined the charm more closely. It was a skinny sword, almost like a rapier and had sharp edges near the handle, which had a peculiar pattern. It all looked very familiar to the dual wielder, but why?
Then, as if a switch had been flipped in his head, Kazuto realized why the charm looked so familiar. But it was impossible. There's no way that sword could still be around, especially since its owner had died thirty years ago.
"There's no way," Kazuto said in shock. "It's Yuuki's sword, Macuahuitl!"
Now Kuroba was in shock. "Are you serious?!" she questioned fiercely. "But why would Macuahuitl still be around after all this time? And how did it turn into a charm piece?"
"I don't know," Frank said firmly. "But my mom is right. This charm does have some power in it. I couldn't sense it before because of my amnesia but know I can feel it."
Kazuto placed his left hand on top of the charm and closed his eyes. "I sense it too. But that's not the only thing I sense. It's hard to make out, but I think I sense a presence inside it. A presence I haven't felt in years."
Kuroba's eyes flashed in realization as she recalled the voice she had heard when the charm had glowed. "Could it be Yuuki?" she asked quickly.
"Possibly," Kazuto replied as he retracted his hand. "Macuahuitl was her sword after all. Somehow Yuuki must have left an imprint of her soul in her sword and it maintained a physical appearance long after the last Fenrir Effect of the Demon War had worn off."
What Kazuto said must have been true. The Fenrir Effect allowed the people of this world to change into their avatars from VRMMOs, including their weapons. However, the Fenrir Effect isn't permanent and unless it is renewed, eventually its power will deplete and anything that came from it, like weapons and equipment, will disappear. Spells were a little different as any damage or repairs they do will not go away.
"But how can that be?" Kuroba questioned.
"Beats me," Kazuto said. "Any ideas, Frank?"
Frank simply shrugged. "I'm just as clueless as you guys," he answered. "But I can say one thing for sure though." A few tears leaked from his eyes. "Holding this charm in my hand, makes me feel like Yuuki's watching over us."
For the briefest of moments, Kuroba saw the translucent image of the Absolute Sword standing behind Frank with her hands on his shoulders. She had a loving smile on her face and her eyes were full of affection before she disappeared.
Kuroba couldn't help but smile at the sight. "I'm sure she is, Frank," she said honestly. "I don't know much about Yuuki, but I know that she loved you with all her heart."
"Her heart?" Frank repeated before an idea popped in his head. "Hey, maybe we should name this charm Yuuki's Heart?"
Kazuto smiled as the suggestion made him think about the time when he and his partner turned Yui into a small gem to keep the Cardinal System of Sword Art Online from deleting her. They had christened that gem as Yui's Heart. To call Kuroba's charm "Yuuki's Heart" really seemed to fit.
"I've got no problem with that," Kazuto said. "What about you, Kuroba?"
"I like it," the Black King replied. "I can't think of a more deserving name."
Frank handed the bracelet back to its owner, who put it back on, before taking on a more serious expression. "Last night I kept thinking about how Seiji avoids being on the matching list. What if we've been looking at it all wrong?"
That got the other Burst Linkers' interest. "What are you talking about?" Kuroba asked.
"As you both know, the Neurolinker isn't the first VR device. That honor goes to the NerveGear, a headgear that was released by Argus in 2020, which was then used to turn Sword Art Online into a death game in 2022. However, both the NerveGear and its successor, the Amusphere, were made only for full dives."
"True," Kazuto added. "And Neurolinkers were the first to implement AR where you could operate a virtual desktop in the real world—"
"Actually, that's wrong," Frank said suddenly. "This thought kept bugging me last night so I did some research on VR machines and found out some pretty shocking stuff. You see, the first generation of Neurolinkers were released in April of 2034, but there was a VR device that predates it after the Amusphere was released."
Kuroba found herself nervously swallowing. "What is it?"
"Brain implant chips, or BIC for short," Frank said sternly. "A small neuroelectronic chip that is implanted between the surface of the cerebrum and the dura mater. It has self-growing terminals placed on the sensory area of the brain's surface, allowing the owner to use AR displays like the virtual desktop and even do full dives without any extra equipment. In a sense, it was the ultimate VR machine, even more than the Neurolinker."
Kazuto's eyes widened in shock. "You're right, Frank. I remember reading about those after our memories started to come back. I was curious to see how technology has progressed over the thirty years, aside from the Neurolinker. The BIC was put on the market back 2029, but after a few years, it was banned in Japan."
"Interesting," Kuroba mused. "Why would they ban something so advantageous?"
"It was because of those advantages that the BIC was banned," Frank explained. "Think about it. Unlike the Neurolinker, you can't turn off the chip, much less take it off. If a hacker got into your system, it would be very difficult to fight back. On the other hand, you could also use it to get around rules in a variety of ways, like say on school tests."
All this sounded way too familiar to the Black King. In fact, the pieces were quickly coming together in her mind. "I get it," Kuroba said. "Because the Neurolinker wasn't released then, VR machines weren't allowed for high school or university entrance exams, or any kind of certification test really, but if you had a BIC implant, you could easily get full marks in all memorization-type subjects. It would be like you having access to every dictionary and reference book that was ever printed."
Frank nodded in confirmation. "Exactly. Cases of desperate parents implanting BICs in their children so they could pass certification tests spread across the country until the government was forced to take action. They regulated the production and use of BICs before eventually banning it. They're still in production, but they are incredibly hard to get and only have specific purposes. However, there are rumors that some hospitals allow BIC implants from the black market."
Kuroba clenched her teeth in anger and balled her fists tightly. "If anyone could get their hands on such a device, it would be Seiji," she said bitterly. "That's why his name won't appear on the matching list. He never connected a Neurolinker with Brain Burst in it to the net, he did it with a BIC. But if that's the case, how did you manage to make your back-door program work?"
Kazuto scratched the back of his neck. "I guess now would be a good time to mention I found something odd when I hacked into Seiji's Neurolinker," he said slowly. "I meant to tell you guys yesterday but I never had a chance to bring it up. Seiji's Neurolinker only has the most basic of programs on it, something that won't draw suspicion. However, as I was searching for the Brain Burst program, I found something else, another back-door program."
"What?!" the other teens exclaimed in disbelief.
"It was nowhere near as complex as the one Frank and I made, but it was enough to nearly slip past my notice," Kazuto continued. "When I accessed the program, that's when I found the Brain Burst program and several data files on various subjects, one of which was about us. That program must serve as a link between Seiji's BIC and Neurolinker so that he can switch between them whenever he wants. Just to be safe, I had installed our back-door program onto his BIC."
"Creepy," Frank said in disgust. "So basically, Seiji uses his Neurolinker as a standalone device, which allows him to avoid duels as he could connect to the network through his BIC. Take the kendo match with Suguha; Seiji used the BIC in his head to connect to the local net, but he used his unconnected Neurolinker to physically accelerate and dodge Suguha's shinai."
Kazuto suddenly smirked. "Now we have our own lethal information," he said eagerly. "You can check for BIC with an X-ray scanner. If a chip is found in Seiji's brain, then his acceptance at Umesato will definitely be rescinded."
Kuroba smirked too. "Yes. We've got the perfect hand now," she said coldly, the tone of the Black King, Black Lotus. "All that's left to do is play it."
To be continued
With current events, like COVID-19, updates will probably be pretty slow since now I have to do the rest of my college semester online. I'm really sorry about this. Anyway, this was not how I intended the chapter to go, but I'll take it, especially since this chapter in particular gave me quite a bit of trouble to write. So Marth and his partners are aware that Rias isn't a human and how Seiji has been avoiding the matching list. If I'm right, this arc should end in about one or two chapters, although this depends on how the first one will go. I'll see you guys next time!
Second Update: A while back I was asked whether or not I'll update Lament of the Sword, and I've got some bad news. Unlike Black Wolf, I have no set plans of how that story's going to go. Lament of the Sword is basically any random ideas I have at the moment, which isn't great from a narrative perspective, at least in my opinion. I'm sorry to say that I'll be putting Lament of the Sword on hiatus until further notice. When it comes to writing, I want to prioritize Black Wolf so I can get it finished and move onto other stories that I've been planning to write for years. Again, I'm really sorry about this and hope you understand.
