Hello guys, I am here for posting another chapter of Sword Art Online: Alicization Stories!
Disclaimer: Same things.
Chapter 1: Friends Reunited
TOKYO, JAPAN, JUNE 28, 2026
It was a summer of the seasons, in a large dojo, there was a young 18 years old man was wearing a traditional training armor while practicing with a shinai. He had short dark brown hair with a slate gray eyes. The young man is Seto Tenjo.
Gripping the hilt of shinai greatly, Seto closed his eyes and focuses his senses. Taking a few swings, the lessons of all those training circulated in his mind like a computer. He was savoring the moment. Like everyone else, he was a top student of swordsmanship. As he continued maneuver, he immediately noticed someone approaching him. Without a moment hesitation, he lunged at the persona and held the shinai by his throat.
"Woah! Woah! Woah! Easy, Seto! I come in peace! I come in peace!" Another young man with black hair and dark brown eyes, freaked out and held his arms up, frightened.
Seto smirked at his friend. "Zack. We've known each other since middle school and also VRMMO along with your brother Peko. You should realize by now that you do not interrupt me when I'm training.
Seto, Katsuya, and Kenji were students of a private high school in Tokyo. As Seto said, he was met Katsuya and his twin brother Kenji Sakamoto also known as Peko in the game of SAO, treating his friends like brothers and also watching each others.
"Training!?" Katsuya Sakamoto also known as Zack widened his eyes. "We just about graduated college and you're here training!? Where's your sense of fun?"
"Sorry, Zack. I don't have a sense of fun." Seto replied. "I had to come here and do a few swings."
Katsuya shook his head. "Oh, Seto Tenjo. I'm not going to get your openness. You are one of this college's best student and a graduate in the major of Social Studies, Political Science and Economics, yet here you are still swinging a stick."
"Everyone needs a hobby, Zack." Seto said. "Whew… Even when it's summer, it still gets hot wearing armor."
"Yeah~. No kidding. Your head is steaming." Katsuya said gleefully. "Anyway, do you have any moment. I got an unexpected massage for you."
"Go ahead."
"There's a guy who wants to meeting you." Katsuya explained. "And he said he was sent by a guy who worked for this person's name was Seijiro Kikuoka."
At hearing this name, Seto's expression changed into the mix of frown, serious and curious. He knew that man Seijiro Kikuoka who belonged to Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication Technology, Second Separated Advanced Network, or the Virtual Storage Management Sector of the Communication Network's Management Division; «Virtual Division».
In other words, this man monitored the state of chaos in the new VR world, as an agent of the State… or a potential scapegoat.
"Where is he?" Seto asked curiously with an expression of frown and serious.
"Uh… He was not at our school's outside but he was at the Anniversarie Cafe." Katsuya answered.
"Thanks. I better change my clothes. And tell your brother Peko said go on without me." Seto replied as he went to change room.
"Sure thing!" Katsuya answered with a grin on his face.
Later…
"Welcome, table for one?"
As the waiter bowed respectfully, Seto replied that he was looking for someone, and swept his eyes across the expense of that cafe.
However, a loud and unreversed voice immediately called him over.
"Yo Seto, over here!"
Elegent classical music circulated around the dining area, and the low chattering of pleasant conversation died down within a split-second as he entered, all eyes focused on him with criticism.
Seto was wearing a black t-shirt with a wine-colored cotton slim fit blazer on it, which was left unbuttoned. He was wearing a pair of dark blue khakis pants with a black leather belt and brown shoes.
Right now, he noticed a man in a suit with medium white hair and blue eyes and he was 20 years old, who was waving his hand happily. This man's name was Shinya Murayama.
He didn't bother to conceal his displeasure and sat into the chair.
A waiter emerged at his side to present him with a cool glass of water and a warm hand towel, along with the menu.
When Seto picked up the menu's cover, a sunny voice expressed across from the table.
"Today it's my treat, so order whatever you like."
"If you say so." Seto said sharply as he shrugged his shoulders. He looked down the menu and order what he wanted and then looked at man.
"Yah, Seto, sorry for calling you out on such short notice." Shinya apologized with an innocent look.
"If you feel any remorse then you should not have called me to Anniversarie." Seto said coldly with a neutral look.
"That's so cold… After you woke up in the hospital two years ago, I was the first person to visit you." Shinya reminded.
Seto closed his eyes and sighed heavily, before he lifted up his eyes. "So, what do you need? I'm already told you about the incident of SAO…"
"Nope, I'm here to discuss something else that our private company needs your help and support." Shinya stated with a serious look.
Seto raised one of his eyebrows in curious. "Which private company?"
"RATH. It created by Japanese government and JSDF." Shinya explained, before taking a sip of Espresso. "And also they think it's the name from a creature in 『Jabberwocky』 appears in 『Through The Looking Glass』. Not to mention, we also developed the FullDive machine called Soul Translator."
"Soul Translator?" Seto blinked in confuse, before taking a sip of Cappuccino that he ordered. "What does that work?"
"That machine invented by my dear friend Takeru Higa along with the workers. And also this machine connects to a human's consciousness or soul." Shinya answered. "And also this machine…"
Seto raised his right hand palm to stops, making Shinya silence. "Shinya, that's enough for that. So, what else do you want me to do?"
"Kikouka-san wishes you and your partner to find a girl named Alice."
Seto visibly shocked when Shinya tells that name, he then immediately had a mix of sorrow and frustration on his face. Before he regained his composure and stared at him.
"And also what do you mean me and my partner?" The dark brown haired boy questioned with a serious expression on his face. "Who is he?"
Shinya laughed softly, before giving him an answer. "Your best friend Kirito. Kazuto Kirigaya, during the incident of SAO."
At mentioning that name, Seto widened his eyes in surprise as he remembers Kirito was best friend in SAO. However, after they managed and cleared the death game of SAO, treating like they are brothers to each other. But, they decided to take the different paths on their own and never contact or seen each other.
"But, don't worry about it. Someday, you will met him when you're looking for him." Shinya assured with a smile on his face.
Seto finished drink a cup of Cappuccino, before looking at him directly. "I'm tired already… I'm out of here." As he stood up from his seat.
Seto was about to leaving the cafe but Shinya interrupted.
"Before you're leaving, Seto. Kikuoka-san send you a message."
Seto turned around his head, glancing at him. "What did he say?"
"The project was about to begin. And also we're tracking your heart rate."
"Hmph." Seto scoffed lightly. "It's funny that you know, Shinya. See you later."
With that, Seto left the cafe, leaving Shinya behind who was enjoying his lifestyle.
This rain was quite heavily. Seto walked down the street as he kept walking with his umbrella, along with cold and depression on his face as his head was down, that's because he mentioned his pervious best friends in the death game of SAO and also that until his phone start to ringing, causing him took out of his smartphone and answered it.
"Hello. Who's this?"
"Guess who he is, Seto?" A young man's voice said.
Seto widened his eyes in surprise, recognizing that who is that person. "Don't tell me, you're Kirito?"
"Yeah, of course I am! So, how's it going?"
"I'm going well. How did you know my phone number?"
Kazuto laughed nervously, before replying. "Asuna and I asked Yui-chan to search you. Do you remember?"
Seto twitched one of his eyebrows in annoyance. "Oh, I can see that…. It's Yui-chan." he muttered with a nervous smile on his lips, before regaining his attitude.
"So, why are you suddenly calling me?" He asked.
"Well, I wanted you to introduce a new friend. The others have met her already only you're the last one. So, do you have any moment?" Kazuto explained.
Seto was deep in thought for a moment, before replying. "Sure, why not. I don't have anything else to do. So, where are you?"
"Great, I was at Dicey Café. See you there." Kazuto hung up his phone.
Seto stared at the rainy sky for a moment. 'Why so suddenly I have a weird omen about this…'
After a few hours, Seto arrived at the entrance door of Dicey Cafe as he shakes his umbrella, before closing it.
'Well, here I am…' Seto thought to himself as he looked toward the front door.
"Alright, time to face the music."
He opened the door and entered the cafe. Inside the cafe were four people, one of them were people Seto didn't recognize, but he recognize three of them anywhere.
"Long time no see, Kirito, Agil, Asuna." Seto greeted.
"Good to see you again, eh buddy!" Kazuto said with cheeky grin.
"Sup, Seto!" A bulky man greeted as he waved his right hand. He is a massive and bulky African-American man with a brown goatee, bald, and wore two earings on his left ear. He was wearing a white shirt and dark gray apron over pants of the same color. This man is Andrew Gilbert Mills also known as Agil.
And lastly, it was a girl with long, orange-brownish chestnut and hazel eyes as she approached the dark brown haired boy, and then giving a hug. That girl's name is Asuna Yuuki, Kazuto's girlfriend.
"It's been a while, Seto." Asuna asked happily, before stop hugging him. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay, Asuna." Seto answered with a small smile. "And thanks for your kindness."
"Are you sure?" Asuna asked.
"Yes. I'm sure." Seto said. "Anyway, Kirito said I would like to meet her? So, who is she?"
"Oh right, her name is Shino Asada. During the game called Gun Gale Online or we called GGO, she helps Kirito to defeat Death Gun." Asuna explained, before turning to her boyfirend. "Kirito-kun, can you introduce her to Seto?"
"Sure." Kazuto answered, before clearing his throat. He motioned to the dark haired girl. "This is Shino Asada and her character name is Sinon. She is the one who helped me in GGO-"
"I already told him about that~" Asuna interrupted while smiling, causing her boyfriend shivered in fear.
"O-oh I see it, well Sinon." Kazuto replied, motioning to his longtime best friend. "This is Seto Tenjo. He is also trapped in SAO back there and he is our best friend."
The new girl has dark hair tied in small ribbons by the side of her face, with the back cut short. Her eyes were black and her skin was pale. She also wore a pair of half-rimmed glasses with oval-shaped lenses.
"It was nice to meet you." Shino greeted respectfully.
"Likewise, Shino," Seto said. "Kirito, Asuna… you two probably not only to call me here for meeting Shino. There must be something else."
Kazuto gulped his saliva nervously, knowing that Seto can able to see their truth. "Oh, busted… you are always never changed back there. We knew you are already know it sooner or later." he said.
Asuna stood next to Kazuto. "Actually we have a request to join us." she explained.
Seto narrowed his eyes. "And what is that request might be?" he questioned in curious.
"We invited you to play Alfheim Online and Gun Gale Online with us." Asuna and Kazuto answered at the same time, but Seto answer is…
"The answer is no."
His voice becomes cold, making Kazuto, Asuna, and Shino surprised at his attitude changes expect Andrew who minding his own business while he was listening. They never seem him like this.
"Seto, can you tell us why don't you want join in VRMMO?" Shino asked.
"I have history. I don't play those worthless game anymore and it was waste of money and time. So, I decided to stay away from it." Seto explained with a disinterested expression on his face.
"Come on, Seto. It's just one quest only. I'm sure that you can afford to spend your time to have some fun with us." Kazuto convinced, before turning to Asuna. "Am I right, Asuna?"
"Yeah, you should get to know us and everyone wants to see you. And Shinonon sent us an email about 5th BoB, and also this quest is difficult. So, we decided to call you and help us to do an quest. I won't force you to invite." Asuna added in disappointing tone.
"It's just one last favor. But, don't worry we will stay by your side from now on." Kazuto asked.
"Please." Asuna begged, giving him a sad puppy dog-eyes.
Seto stared at Kazuto and Asuna, before letting out of his breath heavily. "Fine, I guess having a day to relax and join you guys…" he accepted.
At hearing this, Kazuto and Asuna were smiling in joy.
"The Unmatched Swordsman has returned~" Asuna said happily with her eyes closed.
"I told you don't call me that nickname." Seto annoyed.
"Now back on the topic. So, Shino can you tell me about what is that quest in GGO?" He asked, glancing the spectacled girl.
"Well, it's about…" Shino wore a serious face and then she started to discussion.
Shino wanted all of us, including Seto to participate in the next BoB to beat a player named Subtilizer. He was a winner who won in the first BoB.
"In that case, I will help you out there." Seto decided.
Shino blushed lightly. "Thank you Tenjo-san." she appreciated.
"There's no need to thank me. And please just call me Seto."
"Okay then, Seto."
After Seto accepting their invitation, he decided take a seat with them while began to conversation.
However, Seto looked at Kirito as he examined his body from head to toe, seeing him was skinny a bit.
"Kirito."
Kazuto glanced at the dark brown haired boy. "What's up?"
"Did you've lost weight, haven't you?"
"Probably because I've slept past 3 days, without eating or drinking."
Shino stared at the Black Swordsman. "Did you take up some dangerous job again?"
"Now, that you are mention it?"
Asuna mentioned as she brought out her smartphone from the bag hung on the back of the chair, before forwarding it in its standby screen to Shino and Seto. As they received it and took a look, the monitor was set up with a cute animated wallpaper.
At the center of the screen of the pink heart tied in a red ribbon, which was throbbing at an interval about one second long. Beneath the heart were two lines of several figures, whose meaning Shino and Seto didn't understand. A [63] figure on the left side was displayed in a big font, and a smaller [36.2] was on the right side. As they tilted their head, the left figure ascended to 64.
"What is…" Shino was about to ask which made Kazuto embarrassed and saying 'Don't stare like that.' At that point, Seto realized meaning of this standby screen.
"Don't tell me that is the heart rate and temperature of Kirito." Seto answered.
"That's correct. As expected from Seto, you've good intuition." Asuna said as she clapped her hands.
"So…. what kind of mechanism?" Shino asked the first question, floating in her mind.
"It's here under my skin…" Kazuto explained as he poked at almost the middle of his chest with his right thumb.
"So, that means it was a miniature sensor." Seto pointed out before drinking apple and spice soda that he ordered it.
"Yeah. This thing monitors my data and sends information to Asuna's phone in near-real time. And she also tracks your location and GPS coordinates using that? Why…?" Kazuto agreed.
Shino became speechless for about two seconds before beginning to speak,
"Ah, could it possibly be an anti-cheating system?"
"N-No, of course not!" Kazuto and Asuna exclaimed as they shook their heads repeatedly.
"But, I'm very surprised when did you wore that sensor on your body?" Seto questioned with a neutral expression on his face.
"It was when I started this part-time job, they recommended me to implant it, as it was terrible needing to sticking electrodes in every day." Kazuto explained as he put down his drink on the table. "After I told Asuna about it, she urged me to get the vital data. She then forced me to set up an application, and installed it on her smartphone."
"That's because I don't want some unknown company to monopolize Kirito-kun's health data. I was against embedding something strange into his body in the first place." Asuna added.
"Now, then… let's hear about your shady part-time job? But if we ask, knowing Kirito, it would probably testing some new VRMMO game or something like that." Seto said as he stared at Kirito in curious.
"I'm testing the Brain Machine Interface of the FullDive system. It developed by… RATH." Kazuto responded with a neutral look.
"Heh!" Shino surprised, while her eyes remained on Kazuto.
Seto suddenly widened his eyes in surprise, knowing Kirito worked at 'that' company.
"It may sound ordinary, but I also never heard about it before. Hmm, is there an English word for that…?" Shino confused.
Asuna drank her ginger ale before nodding and answered.
"In 「Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There」there is a verse in 「Jabberwocky」mentioning the creature that comes out in the dream. It seemed to be explained as a pig or a turtle."
"So, they are going to release a next generation FullDive machine?" Shino asked.
"No, I don't think so…" Kazuto muttered in an unchanged, uncertain tone.
"Huh?" Shino confused, while Seto still remained in silent and listening their conversation as he clutched his fists in somewhat regret and anger.
"Probably in order to protect highly classified information, all of my memories that are created inside that VR world inside that machine can't be brought out to the real world. Everything I saw or did during the test, I currently have no memory about any of it." Kazuto said in a casual tone.
"Hah!?" Shino yelled loudly, then lowered her voice before asking. "Can't bring out… memories? Something like that… How is it possible?"
"No, no, it uses a purely electronic mechanism. No….. it could be called quantum….."
Kazuto who cut off his words as he glanced at the smartphone placed on the table.
"Half past four, huh. Sinon, Asuna, and Seto, do you guys still have time?" Kazuto asked.
"Yes." Shino answered.
"No problem for me too." Asuna agreed.
"Hmph. Anytime from you, Kazuto." Seto scoffed slightly, earning a playful punch from Shino.
"C'mon Seto, be nice to you friend." Shino scolded lightly.
Kazuto leaned his back against the back of the wooden chair.
"Well then, let's start explaining from the foundation. The question of… Soul Translation technology." Kazuto said another unfamiliar slowly words.
'Somehow, it sounds like the name of an in-game spell.' Shino thought to herself.
"Soul…" Asuna muttered as she tilted her head slightly.
"The first time I heard it, I had thought it was a somewhat exaggerated name too." Kazuto shrugged slightly.
"Soul Translation Technology…? He means Soul Translator." Seto whispered quietly, didn't want everyone to hear before throwing an odd question.
"The human mind, where do you think it is?"
"Mind?" Shino was about to touch the middle of her chest by reflex, she then cleared her throat as she answered. "In the head….. the brain, right?"
"Then, let's magnify the brain, where should the mind be now?" Seto questioned.
"Where…" Shino confused, tilting her head.
"The brain. In other words, the lump of brain cells." Seto explained, pointing at Shino. He then poked the middle of her palm with his right index finger, before tracing it around the entire palm. "At the center is the nucleus, and wrapped around it is the cell's body…"
After hitting each of the five fingers, he drew the line from his wrist to his elbow.
"These are dendrites, which meet the axons, connecting this cell to the next. Where does the mind exist within this structure of a brain cell? The nucleus? The mitochondria?" Shino questioned.
"Hmm…" Asuna mumbled, before glancing at her boyfriend.
"Kirito-kun, the name of the new machine is… Soul Translation Technology, right? Soul… in other words, the collection of those lights is a human's soul."
"RATH engineers call it «Quantum Field». But, by giving the machine such a name, they must have thought about it already…. That quantum field, and the human's soul?"
"But then, what does it mean? Soul Translator is the machine that doesn't access the human brain, but the soul itself….?"
"When said like that, it doesn't sound like a machine anymore, but a magic item in a game instead, huh."
What he said had softened the atmosphere slightly, and Kazuto continued speaking as he grinned.
"But, it isn't an act of magic or god's miracle. Let's plunge into the explanation of its structure for a bit…. What it does is recording the spin and vector of each photon inside the microtubule, the «Qubit» unit data. In other words, the brain cell isn't just a single gate switch to let electrical signals passing through, but it could be said that the cell itself is a unit of a quantum computer….. well, this part is already at the limit of my understanding though….."
"It's alright, I have already passed that limit a long time ago."
"Me too."
Shino and Asuna surrendered together before Kazuto glanced at Seto, who was hearing from their conversation.
"What about you, Seto?"
"I don't have any questions to ask you, Kirito." Seto replied casually, shaking his head slightly.
Kazuto exhaled his breath in relief. "Alright. The collection of photons which is the memory of that computer, perhaps, it might be the human's soul… RATH has given it an original name…. «Fluctauting Light», which they abbreviated to—"
He paused slightly.
"«Fluctlight»"
"……Fluct….. light….." Shino repeated softly.
"So, the machine that reads Fluctlight is called the Soul Translator? But, you could do the opposite as well, right?" Asuna said, staring at Kazuto.
"Opposite?" Shino titled her head in confuse.
"The Amusphere or NerveGear allows us to experience the virtual world by sending visuals and audio signals to the brain, right. So, couldn't the Soul Translator send the information to the soul in the same way?" Seto answered simply, before taking a sip from his drink.
"Yeah….. Soul Translator, it's too long, so RATH shortened it to «STL», that translation machine is bidirectional. In the hundreds billion qubit data holding a human's Fluctlight, it translates and reads the words we understand, and at the same time, it translates and writes the information into a form we can read too. If it's not the case, it won't be impossible to dive into virtual world. In short, it maintains and dispose the Fluctlight's five sensory information, and fills in the information about about what being seen, or the sound being heard." Kazuto agreed.
Then, Asuna leaned forward and asked what seemed to be her main question.
"Could it possibly be that…. could affect memory in the soul? Kirito-kun, you said just now that you don't retain any memories during the dive. This means Soul Translator…. STL could erase or overwrite your memory, doesn't it?"
"No……"
Kazuto touched Asuna's left hand briefly to relieve her as he shook his head.
"But, I'm scared, Kirito-kun. Something like manipulating on memories…" Asuna worried with an anxious expression on her face.
"It was Kikuoka who offered you this job, right?" Seto said somewhat suspicious and curious.
"It's true that he never shows what he's thinking. And also I don't know his real social status nor professional duty, along with various things. But….."
As he cut off his words, Kazuto's pupils seemed not to focus at any place in the shop as he spoke.
"….I need to know where FullDive technology is heading… I have a feeling… there's something about the STL. I mean, sure, terms like «Fluctlight» and «Mnemonic Visual Data» sound complicated. But the world created by the STL is like a realistic dream."
"A dream?" Shino blinked.
"Yes. Creating the world by gathering the objects maintained in the memories together, that action… isn't it almost like how dreams work? Actually, the brain waves of a human diving in STL is fairly close to the pattern which occurs during sleep." Kazuto explained.
"Then, it means you're doing the part-time job within the dream? Earning just by sleeping through the period of three days?" Seto said, glancing at the black haired male.
"I'm not sure… I don't remember, whether it was ten days or a month. The only thing I remember they told me was the code name of the experimental virtual world." Kazuto answered.
"Heh… what is it?" Shino asked.
"«Underworld»"
"Under….. the underground world? I wonder if it's how that VR world was designed."
"Its design is unknown whether from reality, fantasy, or SF settings. But, based on the name, I have a feeling that it'd be a gloomy underground…."
"Hmmm. So we can't pinpoint it."
Shino and Kazuto shook their head together as Asuna touched her delicate chin with her finger as she muttered in a low voice.
"Perhaps…. that came from Alice too."
"Alice…?" Kazuto said as Seto widened his eyes a bit, catching his attention.
"It makes sense since RATH's name is also taken from «Alice in Wonderland». The first private edition of that book is «Alice's Adventures Under Ground»." Asuna explained.
"Heh… this is the first time I heard that. If this is true, it's somehow… like a fairy tale company." Shino gave a small smile as she continued. "Speaking of which, about the Alice book, there are two books with stories about the long dreams…. Perhaps Kirito's dive, it could be possible that he had a tea party with the rabbit or played chess with the queen."
Asuna who heard that giggling in an amused manner. But there are two persons in question, Kazuto, who stared at a single spot on the table while making a difficult face. And lastly, Seto, who clutched his clapped hands subtlety in emotional agony.
"…. What's wrong, Kirito-kun?" Asuna asked.
"Seto…?" Shino asked as well, seeing Seto's expression in the first time.
"Just now, when I heard Alice… I felt like I could remember something…. Like, there are times, when you feel something funny or disturbing such as just now, but no matter how you think about it, you can't recall what it was, it's that kind of anxious feeling." Kirito answered bitterly.
"Something… Just now I felt that I had forgotten something bad…. It's make me felt sad and painful in my heart." Seto added with the mix of sad and anger expression on his face, seeing the image of blonde haired girl who smiled lovely at him.
Asuna and Shino looked at Kazuto and Seto worriedly. And after they had finished talking, they all exited the shop, had come down and stood on the street, and opened their umbrella.
"See you Sinon, Seto, the next meeting we'll talking about converting to GGO." Kazuto said.
"Understood. It's fine to meet in ALO next time. Thanks for coming out today." Shino replied.
"Yeah… See you soon, Kirito, Asuna." Seto nodded.
"See you, Sinonon, Seto."
"See you, Asuna."
Kazuto and Asuna, who were going back with JR waved their hands, Shino and Seto then started walking to the subway station in the opposite direction.
However, Seto secretly looked over his surroundings from under his umbrella, but the eerie feeling of the glance from earlier had disappeared without a trace like the first time.
Shino noticed Seto, who was narrowed his eyes at the direction.
"What's wrong?" Shino asked.
"It must be my imagination." Seto lied slightly. "Let's go."
The rain had already stopped, and under that dark blue sky, with a part of the clouds dyed in orange, the two of them walked slowly. Beside Shino, Seto, who had a sullen expression ever since he had started thinking about something several minutes ago, dropped his gaze to the ground without saying anything.
Seto then suddenly stopped, prompting Shino to halt her moving feet. Her eyes widened, Is it already seven? As the antique cast iron street lamp radiated an orange light overhead.
In this evening after the rain, no one was to be seen in the walkway aside from the two of them. Seto slowly turned his head, his slate gray eyes stared at Shino.
"Shino…" He called out.
"Yes." Shino responded as her eyes fixed on Seto.
"Once I helped your request, I have move to Nagoya in the next five months." Seto said.
"Nagoya?" Shino asked.
"Yes. I was the previous CEO of Tenjo Corporation so I have to settle my problem." Seto explained.
"Tenjo Corporation? Is that your company name and what kind of your business?"
"Well, my corporation is focus on gaming industry and also FullDive Technology. I have to seak it, where the next future is created… And I want to make sure my family's legacy will continue to go on the right direction." Seto explained.
"I guess it wasn't all fun and games for you in SAO that Kirito told me. There was so much painful and sadness too wasn't it. Of course you want to find out and where it leads. So, I will be with you." Shino smiled purely.
"Thank you, Shino… I appreciate it." Seto gave her a smile, prompting Shino smile as well.
After Seto had talked with Shino each other, Seto continued to walk with Shino and she spoke up.
"So, won't you have to research to FullDive Technology and even Soul Translator?" She asked, earning a sigh from Seto.
"Well, I know all about FullDive Technology but Soul Translator it makes me no sense. I have a feeling that machine can enables people to FullDive into the virtual worlds." Seto responded, but his expression changed into serious, making Shino looked in surprise as she felt reluctant before turning around.
The gap between them then lessened to fifteen centimeters. Suddenly, heavy footsteps could be heard from behind, and Shino reflexively steeped back.
They saw a human figure appeared jogging from the T-shaped road. It was a short man dressed in black. His gaze stopped at Shino and Seto before saying.
"Excuse me, do you know where the station is?" The young man asked in high-pitched voice, lowering his head.
"Follow this road for a while, and turn right at the first traffic light… then…" Shino pointed to the east with her left hand.
Suddenly, Seto forcefully pulled back Shino's shoulder. Then he stepped forward while shielding Shino behind his back.
"W-What's…."
"You were stalking us from Dicey Café weren't you?"
With a sharp tone, Seto said something that Shino didn't even notice. She held her breath as she looked at the man's face again.
He had an uneven tangle of long hair, thin cheeks covered by a stubby beard, and sliver earrings on his ears. He was wearing a thick sliver necklace on his neck, discolored black T-shirt with the same colored leather pants. A metal chain hanging on his waist made a jingling sound. His feet were wrapped in high laced boots, giving him off a shabby overall impression.
"… So surprise attacks don't work, huh." The man said with a sigh, staring at Seto.
Shino didn't know if he was smiling or irritated.
"Who the hell are you?" Seto repeated in a demand tone. The man shurrged, shook his head two, three times, before he deliberately heaved a big sigh.
"Hey, hey, don't be like that, Seto. Are you some kind of amnesia… oh, over there I wore a mask, didn't I? But… I never forget about your best friend Kirito-san and even you."
Seto widened his eyes in surprise and he immediately knew who he was.
"Johnny Black!"
With his low shout, Seto moved his right hand like lighting and grabbed the air over his waist. It was once where the infamous Unmatched Swordsman's sword was.
"Bu… Ku… Kuhahahahaha! There's no sword in your hand!!"
The man was called Johnny Black twisted the upper part of his body as he spewed out a high-pitched laugh. Seto gritted his teeth in anger and frustration as he lowered his right hand and his entire body remained tense.
"You… what the hell are you doing here?" Seto growled angrily, as he knew Johnny Black was the red player or PK guild known as Laughing Coffin, who killed ten more players, including Seto's old friends.
"Since XaXa was caught by your friend Kirito-san, I ought to show you our spirit, as the last remaining member of Laughing Coffin…" Johnny Black spoke as he inclined his head left to right.
"But, Seto… no Revenger-san, without your sword…. you're just a weakling, aren't you? Even though the face is the same, it's hard to think you're the same Unmatched Swordsman or should I say Hero of Chaos who defeat me and Laughing Coffin's members so badly, including you wish to challenge your best friend Kirito-san."
Seto gritted his teeth in annoyance as he knew Johnny Black was already read his mind and desire, but he kept his guard up.
"Hmph… What can you do without your poisoned weapon? You're nothing but a treacherous rat!" Seto scoffed.
Johnny Black moved his right hand behind his back with a snake-like a speed, and pulled something off his shirt.
It was a strange object. From the cylinder made of smooth plastic, there was a toy-like grip protruding out. Seto thought it was a water gun for a moment.
"That's…. the Death Gun…!!!" Shino exclaimed fearfully.
"Oh, I do have it… I already have my poisoned weapon right here!" Johnny Black exclaimed manically.
Seto grabbed the umbrella with both his hands while directing it cautiously towards Johnny Black, then called in a low voice.
"Shino, run now! Call someone for help!"
After a moment of hesitation, Shino nodded, then turned around and started running. From the behind, the voice of Johnny Black could be heard.
"Oi, little girl! Make sure to let everyone know…. that the one who took out the Hero of Chaos's head, is me Johnny Black!"
The doorbell of the nearest house was about thirty meters away.
"Someone…. help!!"
She passed the halfway point as she thought so, at that time, a sound reached her ears.
Like when the cap of a carbonated drink was opened, or a con of hair spary was used; a short, sharp compression sound.
Shino slowly turned and looked over her shoulder.
A gruesome scene entered her vision.
Seto stabbed into the stomach of Johnny Black with a umbrella on his hand.
And Johnny Black pushed against Seto's left shoulder with his syringe.
Together, their bodies separated from each other, before collapsing violently onto the road.
Shino widened her eyes in horror, like she was watching a black and white movie.
She ran up to the side of unmoving body of Seto. She pulled Seto off Johnny Black, who was holding his stomach in agony.
"Hang in there, Seto! You aren't going to give up my request, right? And your future? You said you want my help…. didn't you say that to me?" Shino called out, but Seto didn't response as everything went to silent.