Reggie McKnight didn't like the idea of waiting just as much as the idea of defending. Sure, you had the advantage of sitting tight and not worrying about the shooting till it happened. Of course, you never knew when the other guy was picking their attack and what time to do it and whether you would react in time. Here?

He was waiting in front of a cold, almost cold stone, concrete front entrance of the Sword Art Online Survivor School. Apparently, as the name suggests, students involved were usually between early to late teens trapped in the death game for almost two years. They attend here to make up what they had missed. Reggie guessed it made sense with far less than the ten thousand player base stuck in that damn game to cover expenses. For both the living and the dead. This school was for the former.

14:55 Was the time it said over here in Japan. He had to change it to that time to better understand when was what. Technically it was close to three in the afternoon. So he had to wait for Kirgaya Kazuto, his partner on the Death Gun investigation, to hurry up out of class until then.

Sighing. Reggie leaned back on the tree he was under watching the front entrance of the school from afar. He had orders from his boss, Mr. Seijirou, to escort the Black Swordsman over to a hospital not too far from here called Toritsu Central Hospital.

Reggie didn't ask many questions when he called Seijirou shortly after he got up from bed when he relayed the message for Kazuto on their mission into GGO. He knew he had to go in with the Japanese player, but Reggie was confident he could go in on his own when the tournament began.

But the implicit contract he signed with his boss said otherwise. Grousing about it now was like asking for pigs to fly.

And if they could fly, we'd all have to carry umbrellas. Reggie pulled his collar up from the light breeze. Nearly sneezing on account of it.

He heard the school bell rang as smoothly as the Hero of Anicard's doorbell when the groups of students quick, but not too quick like the ones back home, to leave the encampment that held them since the beginning morning. The scanty groups of Japanese guys and girls wore various blue-stripe white collar shirts with a red tie and a blackish-blue blazer to match the identical colored pants (and skirts for the girls).

For the most part, Reggie was surprised at how coolly they acted as they passed by him. Several of the guys would give him a quick glance and, upon understanding he wasn't from around here -if standing out like a Christmas tree in the desert wasn't enough of attention- greet him or send a bow or two his way. Reggie, a bit surprised by this lack of solidarity on his part and initial hesitancy, would send one of his own. Back in Richmond, it was either you knew someone, or you didn't. And, for another part, it was more on the latter for Reggie on this one.

When one of the girls from the group that spoke to him noticed his Japanese was excellent for a foreigner -Reggie was trying to sense if there was some underlining text in there but couldn't find it. Someone lightly elbowed his shoulder to get his attention. And McKnight almost knocked him back in response. "Woah! Easy there, Reginald." Kirigaya Kazuto sounded off from the near-miss. "It's just me."

"About time, swordsman," Reggie McKnight sounded back in his partisan Japanese from when he was a kid. "I was beginning to reckon you wouldn't show?" He suggested with a grin, noticing the standard uniform the black haired teen wore. Though it seemed looser on the collar, and the jacket wasn't buttoned all the way.

His partner grunted. "I'm not going to entertain you on that, McKnight." Kazuto sighed and shrugged, just the same. "I'm assuming four-eyes wanted you to stick by me all the way to the hospital, Ee?"

"Wow," Reggie tried looking innocently surprised, "you already know what I'm going to say before I tell you? I'm impressed."

Kazuto sighed again. "Let's just get going. Did you have anything in mind when we dive today?" He asked as they trotted by the front garden. Some students were still passing by talking -some talking, others mentioning Kirigaya's name or "that guy." Reggie didn't need a picture drawn for him to understand why as they made their way near the parking lot.

He didn't want to give too much until they were actually in Gun Gale. Or, at the very least, in the hospital. That way, Kazuto didn't try to pull a fast one and go in there without him. Both for financial and specific reasons his boss instructed shouldn't be compromised.

He did reply back with, "Mr. Seijirou ordered me to not only escort you over there for your own safety but, more or less, to get you familiar with the game before tomorrow's tournament." Reggie gave another shrug. "The way I see it if you're going in there with me, swordsman." -He gave the other teen a reproachful stare and in a cold, flat voice- "Pull up your own weight. Because I'm not doing it for you, understand?"

Kirigaya didn't respond right away. When he got around to it, the look on his fair face said he was thinking of a comeback. But slightly shook his head against it, muttering: "Sure, boss."

"Good," Reggie answered with prim as they hurried out of the entrance of the school and towards the edge of the sidewalk exit. "We'll take Kichijoji bus a block or two down the street and arrive with plenty of-"

"We don't have to." Kazuto shook his head. "I brought my bike, right over there." The black-haired teen gestured to the direction of said bike.

Sure enough, about twenty feet further in the student parking lot stood the same black Bianchi motorcycle in the near-empty lot passed the trees. The funny thing is...Reggie already knew it was there. "So?" The swordsman gestured again -this time forward, "Let's get going!"

Reggie gave him another reproachful stare. "You're serious?" Kazuto nodded and climbed aboard. Patting on the back seat behind him. Tapping his shoe against the gravel below uncertainty -along with looking around in the same pattern- Reggie firmly shook his head. "I've seen how you drive, and I'm not having it, Kirigaya." Remembering how his hat was almost gone with the wind from the teen zooming by his first day over here. "Besides, I don't even have a helmet, so forget it."

Maybe Reggie McKnight would have a case there. A car, or preferably, a bus, was big, and you could genuinely survive a sudden accident from another vehicle or vehicles. A motorcycle? The only thing between you and the Almighty was how fast you were going -and even then, a small tap! was enough to do you in.

The only problem with that idea was: Kirigaya Kazuto had a spare helmet.

"There you go," Kazuto seemingly pulled it out from thin air when Reggie wasn't looking and tossed it to him. "Now, come on, let's get moving! My friends are probably finishing up cleaning the homeroom at the center of the school and could be back any minute now." He didn't wait a heartbeat explaining all in one go, so Reggie still needed a fixed second to understand.

Glancing down at the baby-blue helmet he held -it looked and smelled like a girl had been using it; Reggie ruefully wondered why. Swearing under his breath something not too "lady-like."

After giving the address, Reggie begrudgingly stuck the helmet on over his head and, after stuffing his hat inside his jacket, he cautiously climbed aboard. He held onto the sides of the back seat. He was damn if he was going to hold onto anything else.

Whether he liked it or not, didn't mean gravity and friction gave him the option when the tiny vehicle swung out of the parking lot and right into Tokyo traffic with ease.

The next twenty minutes or so, it could have been much shorter from how fast the images of cars and people on the sidewalk zoomed by, made him brace for impact around Kazuto's chest. He wasn't sure if he was screaming too. It was his first ride on a motorcycle, too, after all.

Plainly enough, they made it to Toritsu Central Hospital in one piece. After parking the motorcycle near the staff parking lot and checking in with the nurse upfront inside the lobby, the two boys continued climbing stairs to the seventh floor in eery silence. After that fiasco of a ride, Reggie wasn't in the mood even if he forced one. His ears were still ringing.

Walking down the corridor on floor seven and nearing their purpose, Kirigaya finally got around asking, "You okay?"

Reggie's wandering eyes silently shifted to him. "I don't know, you tell me." For some reason, Kazuto hastily looked away and seemed like he was coughing inside his hand. If Reggie didn't know any better, he heard a small chuckle accompanying it. Bastard probably planned it, too. But he couldn't prove it.

They got to room 7025, and Kazuto made an effort to open the door before Reggie did it himself. A kind gesture, but the previous one left a bad taste in his mouth already. The nurse inside, a young Japanese woman named Aki Natsuki, greeted them. Or, more notably, his plus one instead. "Kawatta koto aru, Kirigaya-kun? It's very nice to see you again." She gave him an amused smile.

"Oh-ah, mochiron!" Kazuto awkwardly muttered out after his formal bow to her. "It's good to see you, too, Natsuki-san- eh?!"

"Hm, I see someone's gotten more muscle the last time around?" The nurse grinned after giving his posterior a tap -along with inspecting his shoulders for while, which the other teen tried in vain to resist.

Serves him right. Reggie thought in awkward silence during the struggle.

That's when the spectacles on the nurse's nose glimmered when she shot them over to Reggie's side. "Oh?" She gave him the same look she sent his partner. But with much more...curiosity. "I see. You're the assistant the glasses bureaucrat mention?"

Reggie suddenly got flashbacks from yesterday. He gulped. "Uh-Hai?" He stuttered out in Japanese, "Yes, I am?"

He nearly yelped when the attendant gave him the same treatment she had given Kazuto just moments before. Luckily this time, she didn't meet his six o'clock with a squeeze of her palm.

Natsuki foxily simpered. "You're much shorter for an American than I expected, and it looks like you have a bit more meat on your bones than Kirigaya-kun over there. But, I still would recommend 500 more calories in your diet to even the pace. Okkee?"

"Y-Yes ma'am?" He strumbled, not knowing what to say next. How could he?

Reggie and Kazuto exchanged quick glances. Then, somberly, sighed.

. . .

Finally, the end of the week. Asada Shino relatively thought with a cold sweat. Just outside the school gates, there were several groups of students still about. But, not much. She was picked during her homeroom class for cleaning duty this week and luckily had the comfort of working mostly alone.

Two other girls were helping out, too. But, they essentially kept their distance as she had swept the back of the classroom. "Did you hear what happened last week in class with Asada-san?" "Yeah, I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself." The other girl giggled. "I told you she would throw up seeing a-"

Shino didn't hear what they finished after she was done with her part of the job. She justly finished putting on her overcoat and her mother's black scarf, grabbed her bag, and left upon shutting the wooden sliding door after her.

That didn't mean she didn't know what they were going to finish saying. Not even close.

She sighed and lifted her muffler up over her mouth to tolerate the breeze outside. It couldn't have been a little over an hour. There were still some issues regarding math after her last homework came back only a bit more above average. She knew it was an improvement over a two weeks ago test where she barely passed -partly because she got to school late after complications. But that issue still needed to be expanded on if she wanted to survive the Final exam and she knew it.

"I just need to keep trying, is all," Asada mumbled under her breath after starting her journey a bit southwest in the direction of her apartment. She didn't think Endou, her tormentor, was prowling around a corner or alley today since it was way past the time.

Nevertheless, with the sports field, Asada used to go around back to take a long way back home under strict use by the track team, and one of the coaches telling her to just use the front entrance, she didn't have the chance to make sure. Her old friend, Shinkawa Kyouji, had mentioned from the library yesterday that he could walk her home every day if she needed him to.

At the time, it was a nice gesture, and she thanked him very much but declined. He insisted that he wouldn't mind the least bit. Again she considered but, in the end, couldn't.

If she was going to become a better person on the surface: she knew it meant going at the obstacle alone and with resolve. If Sinon could stare down the barrel of a gun and not only fight back but win? Shino knew she could too.

And tomorrow will prove it. She thought with stride. All she needed to do was shake off some rust after that little misshapen last week against that mercenary, McKnight. She still hadn't forgotten his username, and she aimed to pay some of that back by blowing his head off when she finds him. Watch if I don't. She glowered as she walked forward down the busy sidewalk.

For the next twenty minutes, nothing unusual happened on her way out of the central hub of Tokyo. To its quieter, less active, outskirts with a trace on whos-who.

It was a pain as much as worry that every business corner, every street pole, or just the feeling of being watched -even mingling within the diminishing crowds the further west she went- increased.

There were even several times she would look over her shoulder and see three blurry silhouettes. Or thought she did amongst the crowd. Similar coats and uniforms as hers. Was that them? Or just her eyes creating images from fear? Freely, Shino didn't care to stick around to find out by asking questions. She just increased her pace, the more the crowds of people trickle away to a few walking here and there around her.

She was too busy wondering what was behind her that she didn't realize the double pony-tail girl in uniform in front of her. Worse still, it was one of Endou's so-called friends. "That was quicker than we thought, Asada Shino." The puffy girl stopped and singled someone behind Shino.

Since the street was practically dead, Asada faintly heard one or two shoes creeping up behind her. Instinctively, she whirled around and saw Endou and her other tall slender friend beside her. "I have to admit, Asada-san," Endou sounded off, adjusting the lollipop in her mouth. "I didn't think we would catch you until some time next week. Hell, we had to go through the trouble of proactively walking you to your apartment to check if you have the money this time. So, do you?"

Shino grimace. "No." She muttered out.

"What was that?" Endou stepped closer to her -almost enough to cause some unfortunate collision between them. Not that Shino was dumb enough to try. There were three of them and practically no one around this side of her neighborhood to help her or witness.

Gaping in anger and -mostly- fear. Asada Shino slowly unslung her school bag and held it tight in front of her. Almost expecting a confrontation like last week. She repeated again, "I don't have your money! And I never will!" She shouted at them. Feeling her eyes getting watery behind their lenses. "Please, just leave me alone! That's all I ask."

"If that's all you asked, we wouldn't be asking money in the first place now, would we?" Endou fired back. Her friends bobbed their heads in agreement like drones to their queen bee. She went on, "Besides, this is all your fault, remember? If you hadn't got some uppity about us hanging out in your place and calling the cops, we would still be friends." She said matter-of-factly.

Asada already knew that was already bullcrap. And if Endou had any sense, she knew it was too. She had met Endou when she first arrived from the countryside to Tokyo some months back. At first, when the stiff-lipped brunette invited her over to become friends, Shino mistakenly assumed they were when they hanged out almost every lunch break and after school.

It was made so much worse whenever she and her friends regularly showed up uninvited. Leaving their stuff inside her room and, one day, bringing over older guys that she knew were trouble. Trouble enough that she called the cops.

Now, all that happened was the pain. She caught it in her voice when she shook her head: "No." She said repeatedly. "You used me. And that's not what friends do."

Shino started turning around and telling the puffy girl before to move out of her way and let her through. Briefly, she heard Endou sigh behind in frustration. "Well, if you're not going to cooperate-" The other girl grabbed the white stick of her candy and snapped it off. "-we'll do things another way." Flicking the handle to the side. Endou slowly raised her palm out a foot or two from Shino's face when she turned back around.

Shino felt a jerk inside her chest as her eyes grew. Then, all at once, Endou's pinkie all the way up to middle finger closed. With her index and thumb pointing perpetually from one another...Forming a distinct gun shape at her. Just saying the word almost made Asada's stomach want to hurtle her breakfast.

And she would have too. All until she heard someone call out her name. "Asada? What are you doing here?"

Abruptly, the four girls stirred their attention to a boy closing the dark yellow taxi car beside him on the quiet street. As it went by, Asada's eyes adjusted from their dreaded focus and on the guy who just got off. Her jaw nearly dropped when she recognized it was Reggie.

He went on with a small sniff, "Come on, I thought you said you needed help with your studies? God only knows we both need it." He joked with a light chuckle.

As incognito as possible -mostly since he cupped a black-gloved fist over his red-nose. The American calmly strolled over to Asada and gently took her hand like they were leaving a crime scene. The surprised expressions on Endou and her lackeys sent were ones Asada seldom saw as they discreetly. If ever.

They managed to return to their apartments without incident -just a five to ten minute walk away in relative silence as Reggie led the way. When they got near the stairs, Reggie finally let go of her hand. Shino looked back at it and then, mostly, back at him. "A-Arigatō."

"Nan'notameni?" Reggie asked conspicuously. "They seemed pretty nice from afar."

"You know what I mean." Shino amusingly shook her head. "I thought you'd be inside your room after I left school?" She asked.

Reggie, even with a gloved hand encompassing his red-nose, admitted with some level of authenticity: "Honestly, I was thinking the same thing about you." If the sun was playing tricks on her as it peeked through one of the many clouds above and bouncing off her oval-lenses -Shino would be a liar if she didn't notice the slight disappointment off Reggie's pale innocent features.

For the life of her, she didn't notice her mouth forming a smile until it did it. Or his...almost piercing brown eyes. And his-

Wh-What the-?! Asada shook her head in a daze as if shaking off a bright flash off a smartphone too close for comfort. Where the world did that come from?! She thought in embarrassed fluster.

Luckily for her, she didn't notice Reggie had excused himself and let off a hurtful sneeze back into the desolate street by their apartments. For that, she was glad -and, disappointed herself- he didn't catch on. The sudden rise to a temperature around her face and her chest picking up in random rhyme did nothing to help her anxiety.

Her body, or maybe her brain's instruction to her mouth, suddenly cut to the chase. "D-Did you mean what you said earlier, Reggie-san? About the...the tutoring session?" She added the last part when he turned back. Momentarily confused, what she was referring to exactly.

"Oh." He understood what she meant when it registered. He rubbed the back of his neck with ambiguity. "Well, um.." His other hand was busy making sure he didn't blow another salvo of mucus. Even after he looked hesitant what to say.

With the cold winds of winter blowing by, and Reggie looking as if him cupping a hand over his nose wasn't an option anymore, they both agreed to head to their respective rooms. Even so, up the walk up the stairs, Shino felt dishearten that he couldn't agree to her request. She hadn't expected to say yes, but still, she hoped anyhow.

However, when they got on top of the steps, Reggie, his ears were red -either the cold or something else- did tell her, "If...you're available tomorrow. I think I can work something out with you, Asada. Is...that fine by you?"

Shino blinked. "Hai," She moved a lock of hair behind herself, almost automatically. "I'd… I'd like that, Reggie-san. Th-Thank you."

Shortly after Reggie hurriedly departed, he gave her a stiff bow she was surprised to see, after they exchanged numbers. Discussing the date and time later today. The fact this whole exchange happened right after Endou and her friends tried mugging her was the last thing she expected. Let alone, seeing the other boy so soon.

But why is my heart still beating? She asked, placing her hand over her chest. Still, unsure. For a split-second, Asada Shino thought she saw someone by the lower end of the street corner. Yet, she was too far away to pay it any mind. For now, she nodded to herself and entered her room.

Sending one last look three doors down before shutting the door and finally getting ready to play GGO.

. . .

Shortly after, Kirigaya Kazuto and his partner, Reggie McKnight, arrived at Toritsu Central Hospital near Tokyo's outskirts, but not far away from the SAO Survivor School for a big trip -there were a few problems off the bat.

Originally, they were earnest. When the American hamstrung him to room 7025 for his first dive into Gun Gale Online, the nurse taking care of his body, Aki Natsuki, made the long-time-no-see feeling more...hard with her carefree nature. Moreover, when her advances shifted from him to Reginald. Kazuo wished he could have warned the American, but what could you do when it was too late?

Next thing he knew it, he was having electrodes being strapped onto his chest to checks his pulse and measure his heart rate. All prerequisite measures for any off chance that he were to be "shot" in-game and die in real life.

If players didn't have their brains practically burnt out like in Sword Art Online, why did these three ex-GGO players practically suffer a similar fate? At least for now?

That idea he conjured up Wednesday still made rainclouds in his thoughts. Kazuto wasn't sure what the correct answer to it all was. That's not even mentioning the four-eyed bureaucrat, Kikuka Seijirou, real reasoning for bringing Reginald all the way out from America. Along with why the other teen had a small vendetta against him. Again did they meet before? And if so, when was that?

That thought went out the window once he got settled and, upon placing the hospital's AmuSphere over his eyes and Natuski giving him the green-light -McKnight ran by him to not stay out in the open too much. Kazuto asked him how he could find him.

His counterpart, slyly, said, "You'll stand out, believe me. I'll find you." Which didn't help him besides running the basics?

Kazuto sighed and layed himself down on the comfort of the rest bed he was in. The last thing he saw below the VR's dark visor was Natuski and Reginald, giving him soft salutes (the other teen was more irresolute). He sighed again and, feeling the hums of the VR set inside his ears, effectively shouted out, "Link Start!" And was beamed in.

That was over an hour ago -maybe less. Now?

Now, upon entering the cyberpunk supercity of GGO -officially called SBC Glocken, with the strong smell of smoke and metal in the air- Kirito's jaw nearly fell off from the glass surface of a building he stared at. Not what was inside, since there was nothing to see, but his fair appearance.

What the hell!? He thought with a mixture of horror and embarrassed shock. He had a bad feeling the moderator, upon converting his account way before entering GGO's spawn pad. He couldn't imagine it was going to be like this!

His avatar was a bit shorter and paler than his real-life body. Far shorter and, on appearance, more fragile-looking than his opposite account in ALO.

Which wouldn't have been a problem...If he didn't have long black hair to match his feminine new-look.

He groaned for perhaps the third time. Or was it the fourth? He couldn't remember since one of the few players he saw wearing a pilot's helmet and goggles exultingly offered to purchase his account while calling me "miss." after spotting him laminating his reflection.

The fact Kirito checked his chest to make sure it was as flat as it was in real life was a start. It seemed like his privates were in good order too. Any more embarrassment, and I'll have to rethink this whole operation. Not that he could anyway. No matter how much he didn't want to admit it.

"Gomennasai." He told the slightly older player and scooting away since the other guy practically pinned him to the wall when finding out apparently Kirito's female avatar -for males at least- was super rare and doubled the price to buy it from him. Since it was his converted account and was still linked to his account from Alfheim, Kirito relayed the information back and gently shook his head. Adding, "Have a good day."

Walking further down the grease smoke bridged away from the spawn platform, Kirito heard the man over his shoulder, "I-If you change your mind, can I be the first one at the bid?" The player shouted in hopeless hope. Kirito, begrudgingly, continued forward on the foggy bridge ahead of him.

The next half hour (or maybe even two, since he got a lost a few times) was some of the most unpleasant he discovered in a long time. It was an iota towards the middle or end of SAO's cycle when other players mistook him for a girl. He hated to admit it, especially now, since his hair was fairly long -for a guy at least- and his face wasn't exactly "manly" in every sense of the word. None of that mattered whenever he happened to run into the few groups he ran by the mostly empty streets in Glocken.

Several jeering remarks of: "Hey, how are you cutie?" or "Want to get a drink? I bar around back." The further inland he went inside the city was widespread. The only bright side was mostly open and ghostly roads like his partner had run by him yesterday. It made him think how much larger these remarks would increase if it was normal. Let alone for the tournament.

God, where the hell is Reginald when I need him? Was the thought that popped up every moment it happened to occur the more he trotted by.

To escape the scene and -not draw too much notice for right now, he passed through an alleyway between one or two empty shops. Somewhat reminding him of how the Dicey Cafe was positioned- before turning the corner. He noticed a small crowd forming up ahead. One of those flying advertisements -this one being incredibility large, almost like a movie theater screen- that wandered around the city was displayed out in front of them to do just that.

Unable to see what was on the screen -and why all the commotion. Kirito started walking over there. "Sumimasen," He asked, realizing his voice had a slight pitch in it, "what's going on?"

"Shh!" One of the players -surprisingly enough was a girl gamer- gestured with her eyes on the screen. Only stating, "It just started, be quiet!"

"What is-?" Kirito's question was answered when the advisement cut to a white room with a quick flash text of MMO Stream on-screen.

A player who looked to be in his twenties, wearing a dark-gray cloak with goggles and had a distinct red short mohawk, sat in an equally as white chair inside the room. Across from him was a cheerful girl with cat ears and somewhat loose yellow clothing. They both had their Gamertags displayed over there heads as they got ready -mostly the girl.

The user ID over the guy player, Yamikaze, who won 2nd place from the 2nd BoB tournament, was enough for Kirito to move through the preoccupied crowd in a hurry. Not because he knew him before this week. But because Kirito recognized his name. And how he was there in the same MMO stream from the reports, with the supposedly killed in-game player called XeXeeD.

Getting to the edge of the railings where the ad was stationary a few feet away for a better view. The cat-girl began stating, "-with the unfortunate and unknown disappearances of a few of our veteran GGO players," -The Cait Sith-modeled host didn't mention the rumors and reality to her statement. Kirito wasn't sure if she had to watch what she reveled to calm things down- "the runner-up to last month's BoB tournament, Yamikaze, is here again today to share his thoughts on things!" She turned her eager head over to him.

"Not necessary on the affairs on the state Gun Gale Online is now," Yamikaze seemed as uneager but didn't bother masking it. "But to be short on the manner, the fact that all three of them, XeXeeD included, seemingly went offline in a week or two in between could be another ploy or tactic to throw off the competition." He shrugged. "Knowing him, it's likely to be all too true."

"Are you suggesting XeXeeD's unexpected absence from the game could be a hidden strategy for tomorrow's tournament? And the two players: Pale Rider and Lightly Salted Tarako, are in on it?" The female broadcaster practically inquired with deep wonder.

Yamikaze was quick to shake his head. "I'm not saying that in particular, it's just a hunch. But something could arise because of it. I don't know what it could be, but at this point, wouldn't the American company, Zaskar, would reveal the truth by now?" He spoke with conviction as if it was the only option to make sense at things.

Someone from Kirito's right found his way through the crowd and, from it looks like, paused before standing by him. "Hell of a show, isn't it?" The player inquired.

"Yeah, I guess so," Kirito sent the other guy a skeptical glance. Believing this was the start of a lewd conversation from his avatar's appearance.

Surprisingly enough, the other player instead casually leaned on the railing, too. Almost too adequately to test gravity's patience. He nodded his head, saying, "Yup, stir up the hornet's nest long enough and the guy who did it would turn tail and run. But, give the hornets enough time, they'll eventually go back home and forget it ever happened." The player sent a guileful look at Kirito's way. "Then, when the guy comes back with a torch, you think they'll be any left to get all hot -no pun intend- and bother about? I don't think so." He pulled out a pack of gum and stuck a stick inside his mouth. Not bothering much to ask if Kirito wanted one, too.

As the two players inside the floating ad eventually diverted to the topic of BoB and how it will remain on schedule tomorrow and to find the local hub or pub to watch it, Kirito looked over to the other player and winced.

The other guy -who looked to be a teen around his age in a brownish soldier's uniform- had the look of someone who was obviously joking, but, for some urgent feelings, was hiding the truth between the lines -just like the broadcasters on screen. Since Kirito only practiced, for the moment, at lying to protect his loved ones he could tell by now if someone else was doing it too.

He asked, with a bad feeling inside his virtual feminine avatar's stomach, "Who are you?"

The other teen gave him a sly grin that would invoke suspicion as if to say, You really don't know, do you? But Kirito had more than enough suspicion towards the other player to know almost why. He looked too familiar.

When he got a better look at him -now that he wasn't leaning against the railing that separated him from falling face-first down the asphalt below. Kirito notice the player not only wore a light formal Khaki uniform with trousers and a field cap to match with clear pale skin, short black hair underneath, and crimson-red eyes. When he focused on the other player's red eyes and shrewd expression long enough: it hit him.

"Re-Reginald?"

The other teen's grin grew with an amused snort. "McKnight, while we're in here, Kirito." He scanned the white long-sleeve, gray pants, and..feminine appearance on his partner. "I see you're fitting right in?" He lightly laughed at the sight.

"Don't remind, please," Kirito told him. "It's bad enough I was being hit on when I got here..."

"At least it's a rare avatar, right?" Regg-McKnight uncannily pointed out. Which didn't make Kirito feel better. "Well," He shrugged. "Welcome to Gun Gale, swordsman."

Author's Note: Thank you for reading the newest addition today! If you enjoyed it, please leave your thoughts and favorite/follow for more updates! Have yourself a good one.