It had been close to three days since Reggie McKnight took a flight from his hometown of Richmond, Virginia to the land of the rising sun. In that timespan, he didn't have too much trouble adjusting his tongue to the language spoken on this side of the equator to have real difficulty. Unless he was being spoken to too fast to catch up with.
Again, other than that, it hadn't been too bad.
Now he stood with his hands behind his back and standing stiff with the best about-face he could muster. His boss, a Japanese government worker, named Kikuka Seijirou, sat across from him. Examining his couple page (literally only two-pages) report on his finding at Gun Gale for some time now. It was nerve-racking, to say the least.
There was only so much to put down, other than '12/8/2025: Streets and bars still remain mostly empty,' or 'It's Tuesday, 12/9/2025,...yup, the place still looks about the same.' Of course, Reggie didn't write exactly that. But it was about the most he could jot down from Sunday's misfit with that PvP squadron.
He stood at attention when Mr. Seijirou found a smile spread across his calculating face. "My, My, My?" He conversed with sufficient English. "This is good stuff, Reggie-Kun." He admitted with some amusement. "I'm impressed."
"Re-Really, sir?" Reggie eased his posture a bit. "It's not like nothing inspiring happened after the weekend?" Which was only half right.
Being hired to protect that PvE group from its opposites that knocked them flat a week prior was enough for McKnight to keep his finger on the trigger when the shooting started. He was the only one alive after that skirmish -especially his personal fight with their sniper (a blue-haired girl)- was about all the action he received thus far. Other jobs in Gun Gale's Bounty Bar here in Japan didn't have any more similar ventures afterward, which was disappointing. But that wasn't in the reports.
"Yes," Mr. Seijirou continued. Opening the drawer to his poolish wooden desk, he slid the papers inside. After he closed it, he added, "The reason I find this stuff good, was because I didn't expect this kind of reaction from the player-base this early."
"Oh." Reggie pondered on that. He wasn't sure how to respond but felt worried. "Moushi….wakenai," He bowed his head to add some sort of weight to the apologies.
"No need to be so formal." His boss smiled. Maybe McKnight was overdoing it. "But, I'm afraid you're right -for the wrong reasons, that is."
Reggie quirked an eyebrow up. He asked, curiously, "What kind of damage are we looking at, sir?"
"Well, that is the issue," Mr. Seijirou asked -perhaps more himself than his colleague. "That being is how my superiors wouldn't take this kind of surge of players leaving a VR game. Especially one as popular as GGO -without sparking trouble in the real world, of course." He spoke with conviction, "If these 'rumors'" -he made the gesture with his middle and index finger by bending them on the word- "become factual to more people...well," He let that stay in the air.
Reggie didn't need a picture to understand. He filled the blanks out himself. "Because if it turns out that way, then the panic afterward will make our job worse and...Death Gun, even harder to find?"
He forced out the killer's name with resentment. There wasn't enough evidence to point to the contrary yet. But that kind of thing fit the bill with how the victims were left behind.
"Correct!" Seijirou's smile grew. "I knew there was a reason I snatched you from the East to the Far East!" He laughed at his own joke. McKnight gave a thin smile and nodded to that.
Exactly, almost a week ago, Reggie McKnight saw the government worker in his parents' living room speaking to them when they noticed him enter the house. From there, Mr. Seijirou mentioned to Reginald that he was representing a famous game-sponsor to have him travel to Japan -Tokyo, actually- and participate in Gun Gale's Bullet of Bullets tournament due to Reggie being extremely good at the game.
Now, the fact Reggie never participated in battle royales beforehand, let alone been highly qualified in those game modes for people to know who he is, didn't make much sense, at first. When the spectacle man told him really why he came all this way to the States...
Let's just say, it didn't take much effort for Reggie's parents to be on board. Finals were over with, and Reggie didn't ask for anything for his birthday close to two months ago. The icing on the cake? McKnight making an effort to looking as nonchalantly as possible went a long way. Even fooling himself.
Reggie's parents hadn't seen him like that..well, for a while now. And his family used to live in Tokyo off and on when he was a little kid. So, why not?
Why not, indeed? The teen thought, still not exactly proud of himself for doing it. Seijirou went on, "Well, I am happy you brought this to the attention under me, Reggie-Kun." -Reggie still wasn't sure what 'Kun' meant- "But, I'll make sure to forward this to an associate back at a hospital I know to run a few strings for me. I'm still not sure if this will make Mr. Death Gun's picking and choosing harder if a big name or upcoming player -like XeXeeD and that Pale Rider fellow from the reports I showed you- don't show up. So far, it looks that way, but who knows?" He then changed the subject, "How are you and Kirito-Kun getting along?"
Caught off guard. Reggie McKnight folded his arms and let out a long sigh. "Kirigaya isn't an idiot. I'll tell you that much," He let out. "Er, sir."
"I figured." His boss nodded, quietly studying him. "I did tell you about him over the flight, didn't I?"
"No doubt about it," Reggie replied back, crisply. "Doesn't mean I trust him, though."
"Yes, he tends to have that kind of effect on most people," Seijirou got up from his chair. He looked out in the large glass-window displaying Tokyo's busy streets below and the morning sun high above. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" He remarked in reverence, "When was the last time you saw something like this?"
"I'm not sure," McKnight recognized. A bit surprised, his boss keeps flip-flopping the conversation. He walked over, "It's...been a while."
"Sōdesu ka," Mr. Seijirou muttered. Reggie looked back at him in alarm. "I'm going to arrange a possibility for Kirigaya to enter the game earlier with you than I intended. I was hoping to have you two enter the game the day of its qualifiers, three days from now." -He pushed his bifocals up against his nose- "However...I believe what you showed me is enough to speed up the pace."
"I hear you," McKnight clicked his tongue between his teeth. Not exactly enjoying the idea to dive into Gun Gale with him, any more than he had to. Sunday night proved that I can handle this myself, anyways. Why do I still need him? Biting his tongue, he nodded soberly. "I'll...try to play nice, sir."
"Good!" His boss exclaimed with a slap on the back; if he hadn't done that for the twelfth time since he got here, Reggie figured he would've asked for a trip to the hospital himself. Rubbing his back in wounded pain, Seijirou went on, "You're dismissed, my friend. Ah! And, don't worry about having to show up in-person after each dive into GGO -I'll let you know. For now, email me the rest of what you and -whenever you interact with Kirito-Kun- in the reports. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" Reggie made a half-salute, still biting his tongue from the stingray on his upper back. His boss returned his own.
Walking for the door. Reggie McKnight had his hand on the latch. Then his supervisor said, "We'll find who did this, McKnight," Seijirou returned sternly. Reggie's hand froze on the door's handle. "If my findings are accurate, we will." His boss swore. "You have my word."
Reggie felt his upper lip start to quiver. Promptly, he looked over his shoulder and, more slowly, dipped his head. "Thank you kindly, sir..."
He pulled the refined wooden sliding door open and closed it behind him to depart. Leaving his employer's office and outside the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Quicker than he intended, too.
The crisp, cold air outside he was forced to suck into his lungs would make him sneeze and rub his gloved hands since the day he got here. Not that it did him any good.
The fact he wasn't succumbing to it again after he left was even rarer.
. . .
Leaving the school gates, Asada Shino exhaled the hot air from her lungs in relief. Another day closer, it looks like. She told as much to herself than the rest of the world. Today was Wednesday with the month ever so closer moving to the middle and, soon, the end of its cycle of this year. Not that much really changed with Shino personally to be too different than the months -and years- before this one.
The only issue with that statement -aside from moving all the way out here in Tokyo from her hometown more inland- was something, or rather an activity, she was pretty thankful for being included. The Virtual Reality game called Gun Gale Online (GGO she and others like her called it) was indeed something too different than other years this year was able to introduce to her.
Or, instead, Shinkawa Kyouji, one of the few friends she could call that, introduced the game to her.
She spotted him waving and calling for her from across the street when he waited for traffic to give him a big enough gap. Luckily, traffic lights went red, and the street light with the green stick-figure allowed him to pass on through.
Shinkawa was a skinny, high-school boy in a plain green jacket and a black cap with lighter brown hair and only a bit taller than the average Japanese girl (aka her). It was because of this, he often was subjected to bullying just as much as her. He'd mentioned that fists would end up flying -mostly against him than dishing his own out. He wasn't much a fighter, same as her even when she tried here in the real world. This familiar troubled road they both happened to be traveling on, since Shino met him during a visit to the local library during the summer, formed a pretty staple friendship.
Asada bowed her head a bit when he was close enough, "Shinkawa-Kun, Konnichiwa!" She greeted him. "I didn't expect to see you out of cram school this early?"
Gasping, Shinkawa bowed too -more profound. "Hai, I manage to get out early," He explained. Wiping some sweat off under his hat, he cut to the chase. "It's a good thing I caught you when I did...I uh, heard what happened a few days ago, in GGO." He said, wearily of what she was feeling.
"Oh. That," Shino tried pretty hard not to remember, let alone remind herself of what happened that day in the Wastelands against the monster-hunting squadron. More specifically, their mercenary. "How much did you hear, and from where?" She asked, hearing the slight irritation in her voice; there wasn't much time during school days to FullDive into Gun Gale to check.
Walking past busy residential houses. With several convenient stores amidst their upright Japanese characters ramming home, they were as they said they were. The slender boy answered, "Around Glocken's tournament bar by the governor's office, two guys brought up a rumor of grueling firefight near the outskirts of the Wastelands." He explained. Shino, begrudgingly, nodded while listening. Looking worried, Shinkawa went on, "They...brought up your name a couple of times. Saying that you killed several key players from their team, but-"
"Was kicked in the guts by some low dog, mercenary?" She finished for him. Already knowing how this tune went.
Her friend looked embarrassed. "...I'm sorry for going into details, Asada-san. I was just worried about how'd you take it, that's all." He sounded genuine about it, too. Not like she was particularly mad at him.
Shino sighed softly, "I know," She told him without rancor, "A-Arigatou. For now, I just don't really want to go over the details of what happened. There wouldn't be much point, I'm afraid." There wouldn't be much point in talking about how bad our ambush turned against us -endless you enjoy getting pissed off? Was what Sinon would've had on the manner. Not that she was wrong.
Stopping at a crossing. Shinkawa rubbed the back of his in trouble. Like, he was contemplating something but didn't know how to form the words. Asada was just about to ask if she made him feel uneasy earlier, and somehow her bitterness was more transparent than she thought it was.
Fortunately, she found a small grin appear on his face. "You know, back when I was at Glocken," He perked up, "I heard you also took down a guy named Behemoth, right?"
"Mmhm," Shino raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
The light went green. And again showing the small green stickman signaling so. When they finished crossing, Shinkawa replied back with: "If it makes you feel better, he was a pretty big hotshot recently in particular firefights. And a lot of people talking about what happened, still put your name in high regard for getting him while his back was distracted. That has to be pretty good, right?"
Asada Shino tried seeing how that sounded in her head. It was nice. But, after another moment dwelling on it: she shook her head. "Behemoth was strong, no doubt about it." She admitted somberly. "When the shooting first started, actually, he was too busy smiling and shooting at us crazy like nothing was going to happen to him."
He killed a quarter of her team, after all. And fired like a manic to prove as much. It was one of the reasons why Asada wanted to put a bullet in his head, to begin with. And she did. But, that mercenary?
Shino felt her nostrils flare. "That other guy was strong, too. And I wasn't strong enough to shoot him dead. Even when I took off his arm!" She grimaced. "I can't do much about it now. But, I'll find him...that McKnight," -She caught his Gamertag moments before being shot by him (Though she was also still trying to kill him while down and reaching for a grenade -but she didn't tell her friend that)- "I have to."
Realizing she was talking about her events a little too much for comfort. Asada was quick to apologize for her personal problems. Luckily, Shinkawa was ready to understand. She thanked him, as they entered a local café; always pretty quiet since most of the people that went there were still in school clubs and wouldn't be out until five o'clock. Asada chose to change the subject and ask him how he was doing in cram school.
When it was time for her to head out, Shinkawa offered to walk her home. She thanked him but declined. Her apartment complex was only ten to fifteen minutes away. Going through the food market to get home faster, Asada decided she could pick up a few vegetables and seasonings for dinner tonight. That was one thing she was able to work on since leaving her old home. And, for the most part, she was pretty okay at it.
Shino was halfway placing a tomato in her shopping basket when a low, sly voice called behind her. "Asadaaa?" Her back stiffened. The female wearily continued: "Asada Shino?" She whirled around.
Two of Endou's "friends." Still in their school uniforms and, based on the looks on their faces, didn't just come around just to say hi. "Endou-san has been looking for you everywhere." The two girls grinned maliciously. "I hope you understand why."
Shino did, sure enough. The bruises on her left arm painted a pretty picture of why that was.
Asada, calmly, grabbed the fruit she planned on using, and placed it into the cart she grabbed it from. "Okay," She returned. Actually throwing them off for a second. Good. She flung the now-empty basket at their feet -not in an attempt to really hurt them, but more so to slow them down. She fled.
Running past several people still shopping -some trying to move out of the way from Shino nearly knocking them over. She heard the swears and threats the two girls on her rear were spouting as they tried their most damn to catch up to her. Panting enough to maintain her pace. That, when she spotted an alleyway up ahead, she bolted down there. Swinging past a corner to lose them. She was two steps in before she saw a foot stretch out down her path, too little too late to hop over.
Tripping and feeling the surface of the ground collapse with her arm, Shino yelped in pain. Nearly losing her glasses still on her nozzle.
"Oh, Asada-san," A feminine voice walking over to her mocked out. "You should really watch where you're going. You never know when you might bump into someone, you owe." Shino was clutching onto her arm in pain to stop the older girl leaning down, getting her schoolbag and pulling out several billed yen from it. "Just 500 yen?" Endou looked disappointed.
Just then, several more footsteps passed the alleyway. Only to stop midway and return. The girls who had chased Shino appearing -and panting heavily. "That's all she has?" They beamed at her. "Should we take her bag for compensation?"
"N-No!" Asada shouted as she weakly turned over to face the girls. Fighting the urge to not cry. "just leave me alone...that's all I have!"
"I guess, we'll cut you some slack from last week," Endou tossed the bag in front of Shino and ordered her friends to get moving. Grumbling, they obeyed. She then continued over her shoulder, "But, you better have more than that later this week." And left. Leaving Shino there.
The trip home wasn't as bad. This kind of thing happened, usually, every once in a while. Ever since that day, five years ago, it's been a struggle. And she knew better than anyone why that was that.
It was a good thing her neighbor, Reggie, wasn't there to see her like this. "Stronger," Asada repeated, wiping a tear off her cheek. "I have to become stronger!"
. . .
"Onii-chan!" Kirigaya Kazuto's younger sister, Sughuha, shouted for him on the other side of his bedroom door. "This is the third-day straight you've been in your room! Come on, it's time for dinner!"
"Just a few more minutes!" Kazuto tried his best to keep his mind focused on the task on hand. There wasn't much to lose -besides his train of thought.
About everything of current value displayed on his computer monitor. A little reminder to what he had been doing if someone like Sugu decided to derail it. Not that he had a problem with her.
When he realized his answer hadn't been useful -Sugu's shadow beneath the door still remained. The Kirigaya sighed and swiveled out of his chair. He opened his door to the pouting face of his sister -all but in name.
Kirigaya Suguha was a young teenage girl, with short black hair and only slightly darker eyes and had on her dark blue short shorts with a burgundy track blazer to go with it. Due to her kendo training, Kazuto sometimes commented that her muscles made her heavier than she looks -even though he just did that to tease her. Which she understood; sometimes.
Although they often still referred to each other as siblings, they were actually cousins. After Kazuto's parents were killed in a car accident when he was far too little to understand, he moved in with his mother's sister and has been Suguha's adoptive brother ever since.
Those types of memories often showed up, among other things, but Kazuto knew not to dwell on it too much, now that he was older. Was that even a good thing? He thought into it with a finger under his chin.
The thought slipped his mind when Suguha's childish, and a bit of her embarrassed expression, scowled through her and aiming at him. "What took you so long?" She asked as if he was her kid.
Kazuto lightly chuckled at the comparison since it matched perfectly. His sister placed her hands on her hips, scowling further. "Sumimasen.." He apologized, somewhat clumsily. "There...was something that I needed to do before the end of this week. I guess I figured to finish as much now for more time for ALO, right?"
The two of them, along with several of their friends, would often go on quests or raids in and around the new floating city of New Aincard in ALfheim Online. ALO for short. Though there were several differences from how Kazuto played it to Sword Art Online (other than you can fly) and the game operated about the same in combat prowess. So, it wouldn't be too far fetched to cover up what he was actually doing inside his room the past three days...right?
Fortunately, it worked just about fine here. "Okkē." Sugu sighed and shook her head just the same. "I still don't think you should be pushing yourself, so hard. It's only the middle of the week." She admitted, earnestly.
And every day the clock went forward, was another day Kazuto had had to make up for to break even. Time wasn't about to wait for him to properly look over and review the logs and notes the four-eyed bureaucratic worker left for him. Life tended to do that when responsibilities came knocking on your front door, and there was no exception.
He gave her a small smile and nodded appreciably. "Don't worry about me." He ensured. "I can handle it."
"Yeah, well-" Her face went red with embarrassment. "You have five minutes!" She shifted and commenced walking down their house's hallway. Adding over her shoulder, "Try to get whatever you're doing done, okay? Dinner will get cold if you do." His smile grew, and he gave her a thumbs up. However, by then, she had already turned the corner and towards the living room. Presumably, right by the kitchen.
Closing the door behind him. Kirigaya Kazuto blew a wind of air out with relief. Just another lie I had to spread. He shook his head in bemusement. And just like Asuna, I have to keep my mouth shut before I worry them more. And like his girlfriend: the last thing he wanted was her and, now, his sister to be involved. This was his job. And he aimed to see it through when he agreed. Even if it didn't seem that way overhead.
Kazuto made the effort of modestly locking his door, in case his younger sister decided to catch him flatfooted while he was finishing listening to the Death Gun's audio on his computer. He knew he could always delete the tab before she rushed in and demanded to know what was that? But, he doubted his ability to keep a poker face on wouldn't suffice her long enough until she pried it out of him. Women had that hidden-ability sometimes. More than he'd like to know.
Speaking of audio logs. Kazuto was actually listening to the audio one of the players captured beforehand. Right at the part after he shot and, at the moment, killed GGO's best player, XeXeeD. "...This is true power! True strength." The low, almost metallic voice from, presuming Death Gun, proclaimed to all the spectators around that just witnessed what happened. "Fools….Remember this name, and fear! The name this gun and I share! Death Gun!"
The Black Swordsman had to give him one thing: he sounded serious. No matter how much it might seem unlikely, all these deaths that occurred afterward fit the description.
Listening to the same audio to pick up something more out of it was worse. The other notes Kikuka Seijirou didn't have the same audio pickup like this one did with XeXeeD's death. The second death regarding Lightly Salted Tarako was on SBC Glocken (GGO's version of a guild space), where he had been surprised attacked while meeting up with his team members and disconnected seconds later when Death Gun shot him. That right there was what struck Kazuto as odd. Death Gun performed (again, no visual to confirm so) the same self-crossing ritual before he fired just a shot at Tarako -but not killing him right then and there. The course between his death and the moment he was shot and still logged in was short enough Lightly Salted Tarako could've shot Death Gun right back. That gap was strange, and so far, nothing came to mind yet. Not to mention Pale Rider and how he was killed in the middle of a desert. Aside from the time and a few rumors, Seijirou bestowed on him a day after they met in Ginza: nothing.
Still, Kazuto leaned back into his gaming chair. Fiddling a pen he used to jot any notes in class regarding the investigation. Nothing came to mind. And doubted something useful would spring to understanding just because he asked nicely for it.
He did think about messaging his partner, Reginald, as early as a few hours after he met him at Shiseido Parlour Salon De Café back in Ginza with Kikuka. But decided to hold off on the idea, thinking the American needed at least a day or two to adjust to things here in Japan. Being to a brand new place, especially one an ocean away from his home in the United States, must've been somewhat of a challenge for him.
Kirigaya Kazuto, however, was still surprised the paler teen knew enough Japanese to refer to his name like a red-player back in SAO. Or acting reluctant when interacting with him even if they'd never met before.
Or...had they?
Kazuto contemplated that idea for a bit longer than he had, mostly since it hadn't really occurred to him since now. He shook his head and got up from his chair. Too many questions to worry about right now. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand by his computer monitor and turned it on.
Tapping and scrolling through his contacts. He pressed on the screen with the name: 'Reginald McKnight' on it and went on MESSAGE. And began typing away at record speed.
He left his room with just a little more than a few seconds to spare. When he entered the living room, he was glad to see Suguha was still putting the finishing touches on their meals. Their parents (Well, technically hers, they were just his Aunt and Uncle-in-Law, or just his adoptive parents) were away running errands around town. For the most part, this was always his foster parents' schedule -especially this week. Kazuto hoped he could use this time for the better.
A few minutes passed after they both began eating leftover curry with several cat-shaped onigiris Suguha had bought from a local convenience store near their home in Kawagoe, Saitama. With the icy cold weather outside, it was no wonder leftovers were what they were having. Not that he was complaining, Suguha knew what she was doing from the start when she cooked it yesterday.
The phone in his pocket decided to buzz to life. Promptly, he drew it out and commenced to read the text message he got. 'Tomorrow?' The first message displayed. A second one followed right after the first. 'Fine, Swordsman.'
"Who texted you, Onii-chan?" Suguha asked, chewing on the small ear she took off the rice ball cat.
"Oh! Uh...It was from Asuna," He told her. "Hai," That sounds about right, "just a text from her." Then he returned his phone.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, please consider favoriting/following and reviewing for more updates. And have a good one!
