9
The devil you think you know (Part 1)
Ari
Kōhoku General: August 1st 2026, 12:25
"How?" Actively getting in our way—hurting kids—killing one—"Why?"
Kikuoka adjusts his clear frames. He scans over my shoulder as hospital staff pass between the halls. I check over him. No one's watching us; this must be why he chose to talk here. Public spaces are best for these kinds of conversations anyway—or if you think you're being tailed.
"Wait. Have you been burned?"
"As always, your deductions are eerily close." Kikuoka smirks.
"That's why you didn't make contact when we wrapped up the mission," I realize.
"I'd been wondering. Not only did Sanji's killer carry a firearm, they also had resources to make his body disappear without a fuss in the news, just a missing person's report." Kikuoka ponders. "Since you and your team went the Kayaba route, I went to my next hunch: someone with resources."
"Who?"
"My best bet was on the same person who started us down this path. The Vice Minister of defense, or someone close to that circle."
A head of state.
"He was already involved with the Americans trying to steal Alice," Kikuoka recalls. "He'd be the most likely candidate to keep interfering, especially if it means he can still find a way to control the future of Artificial Fluctlights or find a profit."
"How do we know for sure?" I question. We're talking about state-sanctioned killings against minors.
"The reason you couldn't find me was because I was monitoring his movements. He may be gone now, but his former department recently confiscated the SAO server from the Argus basement." Kikuoka frowns. "I wanted to know why—but then it became clear to me—"
"They're chasing after Kayaba," I finish for him. He's the pioneer for this kind of technology. If everyone was aware about him resurfacing, of course the ministry of defense would want in. And if they could make a profit, or even get him to recreate what Project Alicization already accomplished—
"We went public about Alice today," Kikuoka murmurs. "We wanted to get heat off RATH, create political confusion about the Ocean Turtle by bringing it into public view, and make it impossible to steal the technology with all those eyes watching."
Kikuoka bites his lip—draws blood even. This isn't like him. He's usually the type to stay cool under pressure, plan the next move or counter-move. This situation with the Fluctlights, his deceased status, maybe this line of work is becoming too much for him. Maybe for me too.
Killing kids.
"Kikuoka-dono?"
"Hmm?" He snaps out of it.
"Why would the ministry kill Sanji? Kill other kids, even?"
Kikuoka removes his glasses and sighs. He turns and faces the windows lining the hospital hallway. He leans and stares out over the campus and our thin reflections against the pane.
"I don't know," He admits. "If they're looking for Kayaba too—it seems counterproductive to kill those who might have a line to him."
My thoughts exactly.
"Knowing that the Ministry's involved helps. Thank you for the intel."
Kikuoka nods.
"What's the next move though?" I ask.
"Arimoto-san—" Kikuoka hesitates—there's some bad news coming in his tone. "I'm going to go dark for a little while."
"What?"
"If the ministry is watching, and I get found, people would know: the story surrounding the Ocean Turtle and Alicization has holes and half-truths. I know things. Things the government can't be allowed to access. I also need to be able to stay on guard with Kirito for a bit, at least until he's good to move again."
"You're leaving this on us?" Is he backing down from the fight? "We only just now figured out what Kayaba might be after!"
"Arimoto-san." Kikuoka sighs. He sets a palm on my shoulder, but it feels late in the game to be reassuring me or tagging out. "I have confidence in your ability to shepherd this new team. You already have been."
"That's not the point. They're just kids, Kikuoka!" I lower my voice to a whisper. I get in his space—get personal. He needs to hear this. "We're talking about the Ministry of Defense here. And on top of that, a potential threat that could kill thousands with high-output scans. Did you forget those days on the SAO task force already?" Parents mourning their children, families torn apart, Mylo's too.
"I know it all still haunts you." Kikuoka shies away. He's trying to stay collected. He moves to put his glasses back on, but I grab his wrist. Look me in the eye. Look me in the eye and tell me they don't haunt you too, and that the nightmare's stopped.
"I think—before all of this, maybe I was callous to the true scale of carnage Kayaba caused," Kikuoka starts. "Thinking on it during the workday was too much. Maybe that was just my way of coping, focusing on results as well as the moves I could make. But I can't pretend it never kept me up at night."
I let go of Kikuoka's wrist. I want to respect what he's trying to tell me.
"I had to find my way—anyway to still feel a sense of control in a world that's gone mad ever since Kayaba started us down this path." Kikuoka puts on his glasses. "Alicization taught me how silly it is to try and wrestle that control sometimes, at least without leaning on others."
"Kikuoka-dono—"
"That's why I'm letting you and your team take point on this and see things through. I know the memories of those days still haunt you, old friend. I know the memories haunt Mylo and Eiji too. That's why I trust you. I trust in your resolve that says: 'never again.'"
"I don't know if relying on our grief is enough."
"Maybe not, but it's a start to putting more good in the world. That's always been your mission anyway, right?"
A ringing. Kikuoka doesn't react, so it's just me hearing it. My augma—there's a letter icon in my peripheral. It's a message from Yuna.
"Looks like you've got work to do." Kikuoka smiles. "Be safe, old friend."
"You too," I say sincerely. He walks back for the patient room. I sincerely hope you're right.
Now, what'd Yuna find-?
…
Shit.
Eiji
Seed Nexus Cyber Space-GGO: August 1st 2026, 13:00
I always imaged what might be behind the curtain of VRMMO worlds—like, how the data would move, how it would flow, but this is Incredible. Oceans of code. Golden cardinal numbers floating through empty black space. It's everywhere. Can Yuna see it this way all the time?
The code settles. Numbers morph into structural outlines: spires and city streets in grit; she's transitioning us into GGO.
The lounge where we first met with Kikuoka—it's filling around us, pixelating into the walls and interior. The Round couch fills under my weight as it spawns. It's weird. Usually, the VR worlds fill objects into your reality before you catch on, but Yuna's ability to summon everyone simultaneously gave us a peak into the trick.
"Let's compare notes." Arimoto clears his throat. He spawns in with a trench coat and a camo body armor chest-plate. He takes a stand at the head of the table where Kikuoka first assembled us. "First, I want to start with my update from Kikuoka. There's been a lot of new developments, and I know everyone has a personal stake in this now, but—based on what I have to say, no one will blame you if you choose to walk away from this."
He looks at Umbra in particular, spawned and sitting beside Mylo. Her GGO fit looks default: black combat boots laced up to baggy brown cargos, a loose flak vest, and her short hair tied up.
If the conversation with Sanji's parents emotionally drained her, it isn't showing—not with that glare—the deadlock on Arimoto's words. There's been an air of obsession circulating around her, or maybe it's Mylo's. Actually, now that I notice, he looks disengaged, like his mind is somewhere else. Weird again. Sure, he's let his guard down around us a bit, but isn't he still the type to obsess over the mission?
"The people opposing us—the third party—is more than likely insiders from the Ministry of Defense," Arimoto says.
What?
Yuna covers a gasp. Mylo looks unmoved. But Umbra—her hands wring her crossed arms tightly.
"The government had Sanji killed?" She murmurs.
Arimoto only nods. He isn't trying to find consoling words for Umbra. There aren't any.
I know we're putting SAO in the past. I know we keep each other safe, but the government? Yuna and I make eye contact.
"What else?" Umbra continues.
"Kikuoka believes its more than likely the Vice Minister of Defense," Arimoto answers.
"The one who assisted the Americans at the Ocean Turtle," Mylo adds.
"Precisely." Arimoto nods. "Kikuoka kept tabs on him after that assault. The Vice Minister is facing pressure to step down from his position after his involvement came to light. He may be making one final power grab before he's forced to leave."
Arimoto takes a deep breath.
"That's why, with this new information, I want to have an honest conversation with everyone here. Getting involved further means we're going up against a state-power. And, as we saw at the café-" Arimoto looks back to Umbra again. "They're clearly getting bolder. Moving forward on Kayaba and this fake Sanji means moving closer and closer into the Ministry's crosshairs too. We'll be fighting a war on two fronts."
It's silent now—both from what this means to Umbra, and what it means for our chances moving forward. Do we even have a chance? Fighting against the odds in the Underworld was one thing but this-
-I may have mistaken it, but did Umbra and Mylo both just smirk?
"Well, I've never been afraid of tough odds." Umbra says. Despite her grin, darkness radiates deeply past her pupils. It's killing intent—a hunter spotting prey. She buries it with a sigh.
"We've come this far already. If the ministry didn't know about us yet, they do now." Mylo jibes. "Especially after having to save her hide."
"BAKA." Umbra snaps. "Are you seriously trying to hold my rescue over me? Were you even there? That was Eiji and Arimoto; you were diving!"
Mylo just shrugs with a smile. The tension's cleared up a bit.
"I'm not backing down. Lives are at risk now with the possibility of the output scan going public," Mylo says. "And besides, Kayaba's at the end of this road too. I can feel it."
"I meant to say the same too," Umbra stammers.
Arimoto eyes Yuna and I. I automatically turn to her, our eyes already meeting. I hesitated for a moment—old habit. I know we feel the same. We're stronger together now than before, and now lives are at stake. This isn't just about keeping Yuna safe anymore.
"We're not backing down either." Yuna speaks for both of us.
Arimoto nods to that. I think his posture relaxes a bit. He must've been holding onto serious emotional weight there—a lot of that going around today.
"For the next part, I'll turn it over to Yuna," Arimoto says. He and Yuna trade spots. Her black military helmet tilts on her head as she takes stock of her position at the head of the table.
"Right." She clears her throat. "So, I was able to trace the location of the imposter. His last logged location is in the SAO server, and he hasn't moved anywhere else across the SEED Nexus since. The only problem is that—I'm the only one that can really move freely there—part of my programming is composed from SAO's engine, but to log anyone else in—that would require access permission. Something I could do on-site with the server, but not remotely."
"That's not good," Arimoto ruminates. "That server was recently acquired by the Ministry of Defense."
Wait, there's one more crucial piece of information.
"We have to find a way inside then." We don't have the luxury of time anymore. "When Umbra and I went to her guild, they showed me something."
I scroll my menu for everyone to see: the webpage with the countdown. 71 hours and counting now.
"What is this?" Mylo asks first.
"It appeared in place of where the image board used to be," I explain. "I think what its counting down might be the release of the high-output scan." But even still, the augma can't output that much energy—unless— "Or the schematics for how to perform one."
"Why wait?" Umbra asks the obvious question. "If I were a psychopathic A.I. who wanted to set game and match, I'd press the button now and call it a day."
"It's important to remember that we may not have all the information here. We've been doing a lot of speculating up to this point." Arimoto rubs his chin. "After all, we were even wrong about Umbra's guild and their involvement before."
"The only way to know is to catch the imposter." I agree.
"Catch him before time runs out," Mylo finishes. "less than 3 days to get into the Ministry, and that's on top of apprehending the imposter. We'd have to do another synchronized dive."
"A what?" Umbra butts in.
Oh, right. I was the same situation—learning their terminology.
"One team would go in and get Yuna to the server; the other would be on standby to log in once she gave us access," I clarify. Mylo grins in approval—there's a little pride in that smile—not like it was a hard term to learn; don't act so proud.
"Leave the Ministry of Defense to me." Arimoto rubs his stubble. "Jules and I have previous employment with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. We also know people that have worked in other Ministries as well. We'll use our connections."
"I want in with the dive team then." Umbra volunteers.
"Obviously." Mylo smiles. "We're all going this time. Isn't that right, Arimoto-sensei?"
Wait, all of us this time, really? Arimoto smiles.
"Like I said, Jules and I will use our connections." Arimoto agrees. "We'll leave apprehending the imposter to you 4 from there."
The four of us—Mylo smugly grins. Umbra clutches a fist—the most thrilled—I know ending this will mean a lot for her personally. Yuna and I make eye contact again. She smiles first. With all of us going in together, we might stand a chance, but—
"How are we actually going to 'catch' him?" I can't wrap my head around it.
Mylo tsks.
"Seriously?" Umbra asks.
"What?" Am I missing something?
"Have a little faith in your girlfriend, eh?" Mylo teases.
I turn back to Yuna. Did she figure something out? She shyly nods back to me. I really love our silent communication.
"I've been—experimenting with my abilities, especially after the skirmish with Grimlock and the fake Sanji." Her ruby eyes shine. She puts on a face of resolve. "I think, soon, I'll have perfected what I've been wanting to try out—altering Cardinal code."
"Like how the ALO landscape was altered in our last dive." Mylo acknowledges.
"Mhm." Yuna impishly grins. "If I can learn how, I think I might be able to craft an environment—a cage—to keep this fake Sanji in—a place in the game world that constantly alters code and privileges, so the imposter can't access them and escape. But that's another reason why I need local access to the SAO server. It'll take time, and local access would give me the best chance of succeeding."
Umbra whistles. Color her impressed I guess, but honestly, me too. Yuna really is amazing.
"See?" Mylo smug grins again. "What'd I tell ya Eiji? You're a lucky guy."
Arimoto claps us back to attention. Sometimes I wonder if to him this all feels like chaperoning.
"Ok," Arimoto reels us back. "With all that being said, we can talk more details when Mylo and I get back to the house." He relaxes with a smile, finally. "Honestly, you guys put me at ease. We'll meet again soon." He logs out in a haze of blue pixels. Umbra next.
Mylo?
He hasn't left yet—and what happened to all the bravado earlier? No smile, no smug, just an empty gaze to the floor. Maybe he expected Yuna and I to leave already?
"Mylo?" Yuna asks first.
Mylo shakes his head—he was distant again. He looks up and darts gaze between Yuna and I.
"Sorry, Arimoto-sensei's probably waiting for me to log-out too." He lounges back against the sofa and stares up at the ceiling.
"We'll see you when you get back." I nod to Yuna—let's give him a moment alone. She nods back. I scroll across my menu and hover over the logout. Yuna leaves first, but for some reason I can't follow her just yet. Seeing him sitting there and a lone—he takes a deep sigh and rests his eyes. He lingers forward. Should I say something before I go? Is giving him space the right call?
"Don't worry," Mylo cuts in. "You don't owe a guy like me anything. Not after the crappy first impression I gave you."
Yeah, Mylo sucks and he's prideful as shit but-
"When you get home—" I start. "You can talk to us."
Mylo laughs under his breath.
What? "What's so funny?" I hope I didn't sound too offended.
"Nothing," Mylo lowly smiles, more to himself, I think. "Just didn't think you of all people would offer me sympathy."
"Don't get too ahead of yourself." I smile back, as sincerely as I can muster. "Catch you."
"Yeah," Mylo agrees.
Log out.
Mylo
Kōhoku General: August 1st 2026, 13:25
I can feel the seat cushion filling the weight on my back. The sunlight is hazy through the windshield; my eyes haven't adjusted yet from the full-dive, but—
"Kid?" Arimoto's voice. "Took you a minute."
He always calls me back to reality. My vision is shaping back now. The campus of Kōhoku General shrinks in the rearview as the highway blurs ahead.
"Sorry." I lean back, cranking the chair all the way into lounging position—until there's only the car roof, and the highway is peripheral. My thoughts won't stop. I'm running out of time and it won't stop. We don't even know if catching this fake Sanji will really get us close to Kayaba.
The Ministry of Defense? What the hell's up with that?
Why is it all so complicated?
Mom.
I'm tired.
The car hits a bump.
"How's your mom?" Arimoto-sensei obligatorily brings it up.
I don't have an answer; I can't. Why did it have to be now? Why isn't she getting better? Here come the tears.
"Kid?"
It's Kayaba's fault—SAO—or is it my fault? Maybe I could've done something—maybe I should've dived in after him after all—no, if I went back even further, without Kayaba we'd be a family again—without him Mom wouldn't have gotten hurt.
It hurts so bad—my head—I'm crying so hard I'm dizzy. There's no air anymore. The road blurs. The sound blurs—the engine is muffled and then—
Black.
Eiji
Arimoto residence: August 1st 2026, 21:00
"He's still sleeping." Umbra nudges me—she's right, I've lost count of how many times I've peeked at the shadows leading upstairs. I keep thinking I'll hear a footstep, a rumbling, something. This isn't like him. Today even—he just seemed so—locked in with himself. I thought he was getting better.
"I'm surprised you're so concerned." Umbra again. She's shuffles cards on a table. Go-fish. "You two don't really peg me as being close."
"We're not." In fact, I still barely know anything about him, just about his dad. "I just figured he'd be elated about getting back on the trail. He seemed to believe Kayaba might be at the end of this."
"I still don't really see how Kayaba factors into any of this." Umbra sighs. She deals me a hand, and then one to Yuna—I know she's been uneasy too. It must've scared her seeing Arimoto carry Mylo in like that. He'd looked sleep-deprived or drunk—all I know is, there was barely any of him left to utter a word, let alone make it up the stairs.
I take Yuna's hand. "You ok?"
"Just hoping he's all right." Yuna sighs. "He has a bad habit of trying to keep up a cool front, like some other swordsman I know."
"As if." I look away. I can feel the blush in my cheeks.
"Eijiiiii." Yuna prods, but this time I ignore her.
"Eijiiiiiiiiiiii." Yuna pokes my cheeks—still won't look her way, nope.
"Guuuuuuys," Umbra pouts. Her eyes peek above her raised card hand. "Can you save the couple-blegh for when I'm not in the room?"
"Couple-blegh?" Yuna and I snicker. Her vocabulary—what's up with it?
"The lovey-dovey-mumbo-jumbo." Umbra sighs.
Wait, now's my chance.
I scoot out from the table as dramatically as I can. I stand, slowly, and slam my fists on the table. Intense eye contact—focus on Umbra. Our eyes meet, or the one eye I can see that isn't hidden behind her longer bang. She's confused as hell. Even better.
"Sorry! Umbra-senpai!" I slam into my bow of respect. My head smacks the table, aaand I fall—that part wasn't planned.
"BAKA!" Umbra shouts back, but I still hear her dip to my side. She moves my hair out of the way to feel my forehead, no bruise-yet. Yuna floats beside me, holding my hand.
Suddenly a door slams upstairs. A pair of footsteps pound into the living room. I look up. Arimoto and Jules are standing over me—I interrupted their brainstorming.
"Is everything all right?" Jules asks first. She kneels beside me.
"Look-y there, Eiji's got all the ladies." Arimoto laughs.
"Huh?" No, it's not like that, I was just trying to—
Fainter steps echo upstairs. They're gentle but I can hear them thumping, and then there's a groan. Mylo appears under the shadows in pajamas.
"Hey," He yawns and rubs his eyes awake. "Could you all keep it down?"
"MYLO!" Everyone shouts this time. Sounds like we were all worried—even Umbra.
"No, see, that's—" He just chuckles, I think finally accepting people's compassion for once.
Eiji
Arimoto residence: August 1st 2026, 21:30
Another porch night—but I prefer the tea over liquor this time. Getting drunk might be overrated.
"Are you sure it's all right to be staying up late at night?" Mylo asks. "What if we can't sleep? What about the mission?"
"Geeze, when did you become such a worry-wart?" Umbra sips comfortably from the only lawn chair.
"Worry-wart?" Mylo repeats.
There she goes with her weird vocabulary again.
"Arimoto and Julia-sensei are making a plan for the Ministry. They said there's not much we can do in that area, and to leave it to them," Yuna explains. She's sitting on the edge of the porch deck, and always captivated by looking up at the moon.
"Then why aren't we-"
"Would you give it a rest already?" Umbra interrupts. "Seriously, you just woke up from a stress nap and you're already raring to go again?"
"There's a lot at stake," Mylo dryly states. There he goes again.
"Dude…" Umbra facepalms.
"We already accepted that none of us can sleep; we're just on standby for now." Hopefully, that's more in Mylo's language.
He grumbles, but finally takes a sip of tea and sighs. Now everyone's staring up at the moon. The usual nighttime ambiance stirs—the echoes of cars crossing streets, streetlights buzzing, a warm air, and no one speaking—just taking in the quiet. Everyone's probably ruminating—their past and how to seize a different future.
I wanted to redeem myself—feel stronger—that's why I jumped into the Underworld with Yuna. But now, I think I want to reconcile with my past. Relying on my own strength was never enough.
I turn to Mylo. I don't know him well, but I do know that look—the facial features wrestling between deep pain and showing none of it—a gaze in stasis, because to show any emotional crack would mean accepting the source of pain is real. That's what lured me to Professor Shigemura—what lead me to hurt others—a false promise: the pain didn't have to be real. That there's a way out from reality. Mylo can't make the same mistake.
I didn't have support; he can.
"Hey Mylo?" Yuna hums.
"Hm?" Mylo's leaning on the deck. He turns to her.
"Why do you want to catch Kayaba?" Yuna asks.
Hey, hey, hey, I didn't think she'd just dive right into it.
"Yuna," I whisper.
She turns to me and innocently smiles. "What? You wanted to ask him too, right?"
Not exactly, I already know why.
The lawn chair squeaks behind me—Umbra sitting upright. She wants to hear this too.
Mylo stays silent, peering at the moon. His facial expression stays blank, but I spot his hand gripping the balustrade.
"Kayaba's death game killed my dad," Mylo faintly speaks.
"Your father was in SAO?" Umbra surges to her feet.
What's up with her?
"Yeah." Mylo's voice trails off. When was the last time he even talked about this with someone? "Scouted for clearing parties and info-brokers, so I'm told."
"That's a risky business," Umbra relates, a little too familiar to the topic.
"Wait, Umbra, were you—"
"A survivor." She confirms it. "Did some scouting and info-brokering on the side, but mostly stayed in the safe zone after we cleared floor 34." She studies Mylo, maybe she's looking at him with fresh perspective—she's not berating him like usual. "Who was your dad?"
"Laboue, Miles Laboue." Mylo's words linger on the tongue; they hang off his breath, more than likely in the same way his mind holds onto that name. "He, uh, was old school—used his real name with his player account."
Wait, Miles-Laboue—My-Lo—
"That's where your name comes from!" Yuna exclaims, beating me to it.
"Well, you figured it out." Mylo sips tea. "My dad and I share the same name. I'm a Jr. Although, I did still have to tell you."
"Well of course you did!" Yuna grumbles. "People can't know what's going on with you unless you tell them."
"Even between you and Eiji?" Mylo jokes.
"Especially." I jibe.
"You and your dad share the same name. It's like always having a part of him with you." Yuna says.
Mylo smiles for the first time tonight. He swirls his teacup. "I guess you're right."
"So—what else do you know about him?" Yuna encourages Mylo to continue. She could be just genuinely curious. Her ruby eyes have been transfixed on the conversation since it started, but I also think—
Mylo stammers. "Well, uh, his name isn't in the Survivor accounts so—there's not really much to know I guess, but that's just like him too. He wasn't much for limelight. He would've preferred to keep a low profile and probably let his work do the talking for him." There's admiration reflecting in Mylo's eyes as he stares up at the moon, remembering. A glimmer in his eyes too, a gloss of tears. "That's the type of guy he was." His voice shaking.
The raw emotion he's putting on takes everyone off-guard.
"And now—now—" Mylo hiccups on his words. He huddles over the balustrade, trembling. "Mom might be gone too."
And that one—takes everyone by surprise. His mom? Arimoto didn't mention Mylo's mom.
"What's going on with her?" I speak up. My body moves on its own—crosses the porch and leans beside him, his head hanging low, but unable to hide the tension under his eyes, the swelling from crying.
"After SAO, she got low, we all did," Mylo chokes on his own words. His shoulders hunch from holding all the tension—all that weight. "She had to find her own way to cope—but, she got herself hurt—and—I don't know if she's coming back anymore—I don't know if I'm strong enough to bring her back. I left her. I left her to cope with it all on her own. Dad said she was missing us—I should've listened; I should've stayed behind instead of coming here to chase Kayaba's ghost. But now—if I don't catch him, then it really will be all my fault."
I can feel us all gathering around. We've all been there with our regrets—things SAO stole from us that we tried to steal back. Relationships, bonds, memories—I'm not sure if anyone can definitively say that we ever really move on, or if we even should, just that it changes you, and when that change comes, hopefully, you're not alone.
"Mylo," Umbra speaks up. She uncharacteristically places a sympathetic hand on his trembling shoulder. "I can't speak on your mother's behalf, but you've clearly come a long way to get to now. Maybe it started for revenge, or out of duty to protect her, but you're here now, and this time it's for more than just you, it's for all the kids and families counting on us now to stop Kayaba's plans, so no one ever has to go through what Sanji's parents went through, what Eiji and Yuna went through, what Arimoto went through, or what you and your family went through. You're making do with what you can. And you should never be ashamed of that." Umbra wipes away empathic tears. "Ugh, look, you've got me rambling now."
Mylo laughs between sobs. "Tears for me?"
"As if," Umbra sniffles. She hasn't let go of his shoulder. This time Mylo turns and faces all of us. He's a mess, between his puffy cheeks, bloodshot eyes full of tears and his rising chest still gasping for air. We're all circled around him. I can still feel the heat under my eyes from tears welling; everyone has them, but for the first time, it's something to share. Mylo takes a deep breath, his shoulders slowly rising, and then relaxing—the fever of tears slowly dwindling.
He then says something, in such a genuine sense, that even I do a double-take:
"Thank you."
Ari
Arimoto residence: August 1st 2026, 22:45
He finally let it out. It's something uplifting about hearing the kids being themselves on our porch. Having everyone here really makes the house feel alive.
"Are you done eavesdropping?" Jules asks.
I flip back to her radiant smile as she sips tea at the dinner table. I didn't mean to cut our meeting off; I was just worried about him.
"I told you, they'll be fine." Jules sets her teacup down. "We'll be fine."
On instinct: "Are you sure there's no other way in?" I don't like the idea of Jules going in alone. Once again, I'm just the driver. She playfully inches her finger for me to come over and have a seat. I oblige.
"You worry too much. It's sweat, but delightfully annoying at the same time." She kisses me on the cheek. "Besides, I'll have Yuna with me."
A 'tour' inside the Ministry of Defense, under the pretense of Jules considering a transfer between departments. Our connections really came through.
"Yuna should be especially careful. If they're going to dive into SAO, the other three won't die, but there's no telling what could happen to Yuna in there." I want her to reassure me one more time. "You two just take care of each other, all right?"
"You know we will." Jules takes another sip. "Now, keep me company the rest of the night, would you? We have an entire day before we're set to go."
"Sorry." I don't usually trail-off when a mission is concerned, but I just can't shake this feeling—like we're still missing something crucial. "I'll make a fresh brew. See if the kids want some too?"
Jules nods, glowing as always.
For now, I think I'll just concentrate on this visual: my wife glowing in our living room, and the kids making a ruckus outside on the porch; the liveliest this home's ever been.