5

Ari

Tokyo: 6 hours before Operation start

This world can be hell—with kids so young having to battle demons. I turn over in bed to Jules. Her belly lifts and eases in her sleep. Her cheek sinks into the pillow. So peaceful before sunrise. I wonder what dreams she's having—maybe discovering our daughter's name.

Our daughter.

What kind of world will she be born into? One with less darkness? Eiji, Mylo, Yuna, they've all faced it.

Funny. I never shared with Mylo why I was fighting, but maybe the idea of removing injustice from this world for my daughter sounds too naïve. I just hate to imagine men like Kayaba could hurt her by the time she's born. All those parents—the visits to the hospitals—to the funeral homes—

Jules rolls on her back under the sheets. I lean over and kiss her cheek—no reason, just feels like home. She doesn't wake up, still breathing, softly.

Mylo

Tokyo: 4 hours before operation start

The war path huh? The sun breaches through the window. Birds sing.

I look down in my grip—my old NerveGear, what dad bought and shipped—before anyone knew. Time's left its mark in the wear and tear splotches of its rough texture.

My hands grip tighter. If we could go back to before everything changed—so the present can just stay a nightmare—Well, I'm still waiting to wake up.

Mom.

I wish we could both wake up from this. I feel tears running—dropping—on the surface of the NerveGear I could never put on, not when I saw how alone she was, struggling, and hoping for the day he might come out. I should have stayed by her after everything that came after.

"I'm sure your mother's missing her boys right about now."

I won't stop, not until the nightmare's over.

Eiji

Tokyo: 3 hours before Operation start

Arimoto should be here soon. What time is it? 15:00. I wish I could stop time for this. How else do I prepare for—

Yuna.

She still hasn't come out from the Augma, not after last night. Did I make a mistake? Not telling her how afraid the past makes me for right now? And how much I'm still holding on. I can still see her dyed milk-tea-brown hair and amber eyes—that silly white feathered hat as she sings in front of the teleport gate plazas.

It's imposed in the reflection of those red eyes—the white braids—a smile that's familiar and distant, but that's only what I can see on the surface. Behind those eyes-

The memories.

How do I fight against the memories of losing her while fighting to keep the present Yuna safe? Will the past repeat itself?

An unmarked van pulls over and parks down the street. That looks like Arimoto behind the wheel.

"Yuna—are you still with me?"

Nothing for a moment. The van's engine rumbles in silence. Maybe she's mentally preparing to—A cloud of blue pixels appears before me. Yuna's red eyes solemnly reflect my own. She wears the black and red one-piece dress, faithful to her default A.I. appearance.

"Always." She takes my hand and leads.

Eiji

Tokyo: Operation start

Cramped—there's barely enough space in here for three men and an A.I.

In the van, Mylo climbs into the back and lounges—so relaxed for a mission. He grips my augma in his lap, which means he's holding onto Yuna too.

"Eiji." Mylo's voice.

"What?" I accidentally gruff.

"Please take care of Arimoto-sensei while I'm under." Mylo doesn't look up. I guess being even a little sincere can't overtake all his pride. I look up to the front seat. Arimoto hovers over the steering wheel and stares out the windshield. Across the street from us is the café. Customers cycle in and out: teen groups out of school, couples, and families. Somewhere inside, there's a group sympathetic to Kayaba, to the man that got Yuna and countless others killed. I turn back to Mylo. Through his own augma, I see Yuna sitting beside him and lightly smiling at me, trying to be reassuring.

"You've seen me in action now. I'll watch her back. You have my word on that." Mylo leans back again.

"You're more talkative again." It's a little late to act buddy-buddy.

"I'm trying to stay grounded this time." Mylo sighs. "And maybe show a little faith—try not to make the same mistakes as last time."

His demeanor changed. Does he mean Sanji?

"We're on!" Arimoto calls from the front. He's spotted someone diving inside. I look at Yuna—my heart races—I'm not ready to see her leave, not again. What if—

"I'll come back to you." Yuna smiles back at me. I believe her—I want to. This can't go like the last time. "Trust me." She finishes before pixilating and disappearing.

"If anything happens to Yuna—"

"I won't let it come to that." Mylo slides the augma over his ear and temple. He reclines further. "Link, start!"

They're both under now. Please, come back safe.

I rush to the front of the van and sit beside Arimoto.

"Look alive, kid," He says. "This might be a long stake-out."

Through the glass, I see a hazy outline of a group sitting in a booth—one of them leaning on the shoulder of another, seemingly asleep. Yuna was right. They're full-diving from there.

Arimoto breaks away from the windshield and brings a box to my periphery. "Kikuoka said you'd know what to do with this."

The latches on the side click as I lift it open. The exo-suit. Red circuit lines trace inside the box.

"Go ahead and try it on, you'll match colors with your little girlfriend." Arimoto smiles.

"She's—Yea, ok, I'll put it on."

Yuna

ALO: Operation Start

Initializing Augma Full-Dive: Loading avatar…navigation pixie? [Yes].

Acknowledged. Current spawn: New Aincrad, Floor 1: Town of Beginnings. Loading…connect with party member, Username: Mylo? [Yes].

Acknowledged. Loading…

Pixels. Code. Darkness. Floating again, light and adrift in the digital sea. My body isn't my own, just another piece of the code. It's cold.

Cardinal numbers illuminate the dark, forming the ground, silhouettes of mountains, trees…Loading…

A flash. The vibrant town of beginnings appears in large stone-paved roads and in the clock tower of the central circular plaza. Colorful player avatars cross through. It's all so—familiar.

"Yuna?"

Mylo. I look down below. He watches me with his indigo hood pulled over. He's dressed in the same gear he used to fight Eiji. "You're not hiding your regular gear?"

He shakes his head. "No. Last time I was in just a ragged cloak and hood. Someone might recognize me if I go with the incognito fit. Besides, I'd prefer to be comfortable for combat. Can you start searching for any of Sanji's friends in-game?"

Contacting GM services…WARNING: Unrecognized external system entry. Please ente—[*********] Loading…passcode confirmed.

Initializing player search…Loading…Complete! "I've got it! One's located on this floor, and heading towards Tolbana."

"The amphitheater—a place for a crowd." Mylo murmurs and starts on the brick path. I'll hover over his shoulder for now. We blend into the crowd of other avatars.

"How are you in a fight by the way?" Mylo asks.

"Are you planning to make me prove it for you too?"

The game simulates a still air—those words slipped.

Mylo pauses. "Listen," He sighs. His deflated shoulders and evasive gazes signal remorse. "If you're upset about what happened with Eiji, I'm sorry."

"I forgive you—but you should apologize to Naut, not me."

"You do realize that sometimes you call him Naut, and sometimes you call him Eiji, right?" Mylo says. We cross by town houses and avatars. Bright faces. Smiles. So different from that day in a past life-

"Yuna?" Mylo asks. A crowd of avatars flow around us.

"Huh? Oh sorry, I was just thinking—"

Mylo stops in the crowd. A few hooded avatars nearly bump Mylo's shoulders but keep moving. Strange, they didn't bother to turn around. Usually body language from the ego dictates they'd at least turn to see the face of the person who almost caused an accident—a way to connect their frustration—no, maybe they're just focused.

"Listen," Mylo says. "Are you sure you're all right for this?"

Comfort: nodding head.

"Does this place remind you of—"

"Yes." It's all so—jumbled. Players trapped—kneeling—begging to be free—hysterics. These are my memories. Why are they so distant?

"I'm sorry." Mylo's voice draws me back as he tilts his eyes down. A sincere apology. Naut's right. He does have some kind of history to SAO.

Subject change: "If something does happen, my hybrid A.I. allows me to take on qualities similar to a player avatar. We remember some of my skills from SAO—even Ordinal Scale. I change between that and my navigation pixie often when I'm with Naut."

"The two of you have been fighting together a long time, huh?" Mylo asks.

Analyzing: Empathy attempt? "That's right! That's why I'm sure you and Eiji would get along if you tried!"

"Easy there," Mylo chuckles. "You're turning beat red. I believe your passion about it."

"Hey! You smiled!"

Mylo tries flattening his cheeks. "Is Tolbana close?"

Recalculating...

"Yes! 5 minutes with flight!" I point to the labyrinth, the tunnel spiring through the sky. Another memory—something much darker—weighted and inside us. Tolbana is settled near it.

"All right then." Mylo leaps off the stone path, soaring until he reaches the red tile rooftop of a stone townhouse. He grips the eaves. Below: a rainbow sea of avatars processing between street corridors as far as the town reaches under the horizon. Everything feels so familiar. I remember singing.

Mylo activates black wings behind his sleeveless tunic and launches toward the labyrinth. I may be small, but I can keep up with his flight speed. Eiji might actually be faster. It's a straight flight from here.

"Yuna?" Mylo asks.

"Hmm?"

"If I didwant to apologize to Eiji after this is over, how would I?" Mylo keeps his eyes to the sky. "If this isn't our last operation, we might have to work together for a while. Can't always be at each other's throats—or—it'll get in the way of things."

Analyzing…Regret?

"Well, you and Eiji are a lot alike actually. You try harder to brood though, and he's a lot more calmed down than bef—" Error…Inconsistent Data.

"What is it?" Mylo asks.

"Actually—I'm not sure I know the answer to that anymore." I shy away.

"What do you mean? I thought you and Eiji were—ya know?" Mylo prods.

"Were what?"

"Uuuuuuuuh, ya know, labels aren't always what's most important these days."

"Hmph." Rude. "Are you sure you have time to think about this?"

"It'll be about 5 minutes before we get to Tolbana." Mylo sighs as he watches our flight path. He grimaces. "Arimoto-sensei said something to me the other night—I can't shake it out of my head. So, I guess I wanted to know more about you guys, besides just the files."

How do I feel about these memories? What do they mean to Naut? "You probably know about how Naut and Kirito repaired my A.I. by bonding it with the memories of—myself, right?"

Mylo nods.

"Well, now, sometimes it feels like I'm two different people, or maybe it's two souls in one body, two souls in one memory? One moment I'm clear, and the next-"

"You're a shadow of yourself?" Mylo finishes. The wind howls louder in the jet stream.

"Yes." Does he get it?

Jagged castle walls appear over the horizon. White windmill towers peak behind. Tolbana up ahead.

"I'm sorry. My mother's going through something similar right now." Mylo murmurs.

Empathy command: "I'm sorry to hear that. That must be hard."

Maybe we should ask—"This might be rude but—do you look at her as less than who she used to be?" How long has that insecurity lingered in me?

Mylo frowns. Did the question strike him? Is that how Eiji feels too?

"I'm ashamed to admit that in the beginning I used to." Mylo murmurs. "It was scary—seeing someone you once knew and loved change into someone almost unrecognizable, and all because of memory, something in the mind."

"Is that how he sees me, then?"

"No." Mylo interrupts.

"Huh?"

"Some feelings, if they're strong enough, just transcend memory. That's all there is to it." Mylo says with a straight gaze. "It took me awhile after her condition to realize that."

"You really think so?"

"You don't have anything to prove, and if you care so much for him, give him time. Maybe even take some for yourself if he still needs to sort things out." Mylo keeps his eyes on Tolbana's walls. "I know I still do somedays."

I wipe away the tears. "Weird."

"What?" Mylo side glances.

"I just never figured you'd be good at relationship advice, Mylo." Does he have experience? "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, too busy." He blushes immediately. He even turns away. So cute! Suits him better than the rough exterior he puts on.

Teasing function: "I don't know—I think it might have something a little more to do with—you."

"You're ruthless." Mylo's flight speed bursts forward as the wind gusts. How fun! Now who's evading the topic? More player avatars collect in the sky, flying for the same destination. If I could process it, I wonder how many might be heading for the same place as us? How many SAO survivors? How many stuck in the past, like the rest of us?

"We'll be landing near the amphitheater soon." Mylo slows down our flight speed.

We fly over the green patched plaza as avatars converse around the fountain in the center. It's so peaceful. Will there really be fighting here? Further ahead—that looks unfamiliar—a maroon tarmac covering where the amphitheater should be—it's set up like a tent. Analyzing…like a tabernacle?

"That's weird. The amphitheater should be open-air." Mylo says. "Did the game admins make any announcements about updating floor appearances? Any celebratory themes?"

Analyzing…[0 results returned]. "No, none that I can find—"

Analyzing…[Error]. Comparing the code around town: the tent over the amphitheater looks red, frenzied, and shifting—It looks corrupted.

Mylo frowns and descends to Tolbana's fountain in the plaza center. "We're going in."

Mylo

ALO: Operation Start

We're on to something.

Up ahead, avatars wait in a long line, leading into the shadows under the blood-red tent. A separate crowd stands off to the side. Some players might just think it's an easter egg if Yuna's right and this isn't a planned change by the game admins.

But still.

I thought the Kayaba cult liked to stay under-wraps? "How could it be possible that a structural change took place within the game, without administrative or GM approval?"

"I don't know, but something looks wrong with the code starting in the amphitheater." Yuna says over my shoulder.

The code? "What do you mean?" I ask.

"I don't know how else to explain it besides calling it code that's been forcefully altered from within the game."

When Arimoto and I first approached Yuna and Eiji in GGO—the way she touched one of the signs and changed it—"Like how you glitch in-game objects?"

"You know about that?" Yuna gasps. Her personality switches to her childlike A.I. as her hands cover her mouth and surprise.

"I saw you do it before in GGO." I step in line behind other avatars and the uproar of voices chatting. I wonder if any of Sanji's friends are here. Would they recognize me in my regular gear? None of them really got a good look at my face.

"The trace on the member of Sanji's guild ends around here. The crowd makes it hard to pinpoint, but they could already be inside." Yuna eases that thought. My cover can stay safe as we go in.

"Thanks, Yuna." I sigh—wearing emotions so clear an A.I. can catch them.

I look ahead of the line. At the tent's entrance, a few meters away, two guards stand at attention, heavily armored in maroon and bearing war axes. What exactly are they checking? What's everyone else saying:

"Who knows? They've only let some people go in."

"So is it some kind of exclusive event or a quest?"

"I've heard rumors that there's some sort of key-phrase—"

Key phrase. Not good. I watch the armored guards again. They look like regular player avatars—could I take them? No, that'd cause a lot of noise out here, then the followers might bail. We need to get inside. "Yuna?"

"Yes!"

"You're a pixie, so I need you to stay low and see if there's any other ways insi—"

"Trying to sneak in?" A voice cuts through the crowd clamor. It almost sounds like laughing. Someone eavesdropping?

I twist around—a girl creeps from behind in a draping black half skirt and body suit. She pulls back the black hood from her top robe, cut above her waist. Her shoulder-length, half-clipped black hair shines so brightly under the sun that it sheens in violet hues. Her blue eyes smile. No weapons equipped.

"Eavesdropping?" I say candidly.

"Geeze, geeze, sorry. Everyone in this line's so uptight." The girl shrugs and steps back. "Did someone shove a stick up your butt too?"

"What?" Who even—whatever, "I'm busy."

"But don't you want to get inside?" She goads.

"Doesn't everyone?" I ask. Why approach me first? Checking her again, she looks lightly equipped, and I don't recognize her avatar, so why does her demeanor feel familiar? Is it her body-language? An air of cockiness—persistence?

"Do you know how?" She prods and wraps an arm around mine, acting awfully familiar.

"What if I did?" Let go.

"How could you?" She clings on. Any more struggle would look bad in the line and attract attention. Maybe I can use her—

Something pricks under my gut.

I look down. A knuckle-guarded purple knife digs in. The quality looks almost corporeal. A conjured weapon?

I look up at the girl, blue eyes glaring back as she pierces the blade closer. If it's made of magic, it's indistinguishable from the real thing.

"This how you usually introduce yourself?" Find a way to buy time. Think. If I get killed here, can I still sneak in?

"Umbra." She scowls.

"Mylo," I say plainly, trying not to trigger a stabbing. Conjured blades—so most of her skills are magic based, and that name-she must prefer using dark magic. A mage. This is the second time one's had me on the ropes. "How can I help you, Umbra?"

"You can start by answering a question."

"What is it?"

Umbra leans her blade in closer.

"Where's Sanji?"

The hellfire mage. Switched accounts?

"You're not the only one here I don't recognize, but you're the first I've stopped." Umbra grits her teeth. "And you just reacted when I said his name."

"Wouldn't you react with a blade in your gut?" I deflect. What was her calculus here? A total bet on random luck?

"The average player probably wouldn't care all that much over a respawn." Umbra smiles. "Maybe I should just go ahead and move on to the next person in line after—"

Her blade drains health now, fast. I could have Yuna buff me, but starting a fight in line—what if whoever's inside that tent spooks? "Start a fight out here, and you'll never find him."

"So you do know something." Umbra seethes while the knife drains health.

"Pull the knife back, or I'll start a scene, and your chances of figuring out what happened will end right here." I bluff.

"Why should I believe a word you say? Especially if you have something to do with him disappearing." Umbra asks. "That's my friend, you hear? If you've done anything to hurt him, I'll fu-"

Throw her off.

"What are your views on Akahiko Kayaba?" I ask.

"What the hell?"

"I need an answer."

"Are you dense? Who cares about a mass-murderer?"

What?

That can't be right. "Then why are you here?" Does she not know?

"Idiot, I just told you—"

"Did you know Sanji felt differently?" I interrupt. Keep her guessing on her toes. Maybe we have this wrong. Maybe I can get information.

"What are you talking about?" Umbra asks. I feel it. The conjured knife recedes, just a bit. I check the upper right corner of my peripheral. The health bar stays still and green. Good.

"Sanji threw in with the wrong crowd, got caught up in something bad." I say. "Four nights ago, he was offering to take you and your guild somewhere. Where was it?" I ask.

"How could you possibly know that?" Umbra asks.

I can't tell her I attacked their group. She won't trust me. I have to keep pushing. "Where did he say he was taking you in ALO?"

Umbra's knife shakes, just for a moment. "To someone who had information on a quest for legendary gear."

"I need you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say." This is risky. Telling the truth here could set her off, and if she's lying about being involved with Kayaba—I'll start a fight, cut losses, and let Arimoto-sensei and Eiji handle the rest from outside, and if she tries to stab me, well—I'll start a fight. The result's the same. "Can you say with 100-percent certainty that Sanji doesn't have a reason to discard his true reality and substitute it for this virtual one?"

At that, Umbra sheathes the knife by dissipating it into purple dust, umbral motes drifting away. "Seriously? You expect me to believe Sanji threw in with Kayaba fanatics, is that it?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" I counter.

"Look, I'm the last person to be a big fan of the real world. It sucks, especially for Sanji, but he wouldn't—"

"You and your friends are diving inside of a café right now, aren't you? Trying to figure out what's really going on, any clues to where he might be."

"Wha—what the hell?" Umbra takes up a fighting stance, but I leap forward and grab her by the waist, holding her close to make it look like public affection, not fighting. Our faces lean close together.

"Come inside the tent with me." I say.

"That's by far the creepiest thing a guy has ever asked me to do. Hell no."

"This is why you're single, Mylo." Yuna breaks in. Honestly, the moment was getting so heated, I forgot she was here.

"This isn't a date." I sigh. "I want her to see the truth for herself, so I want to be transparent—like how Arimoto-sensei would."

"Keep trying!" Yuna encourages me at the wrong time.

"You deserve to know the truth, about what happened to Sanji. This tent is run by Kayaba fanatics as you call them. Help me get inside, and we can both figure out the truth, together." I say.

"Who the hell are you?" Umbra asks.

"I'm part of a covert team assigned to track down and apprehend Akahiko Kayaba. We thought your friends were a part of it. That's why I know where you are." I admit.

"Kayaba's dead. And you expect me to believe that you work for the government? You can't be any older than 25." Umbra pushes me away.

"No, I don't. I work for my employer."

"That's not what I meant, stupid—gah." Umbra huffs then sighs. "We get inside, and you'll tell me what happened? Help me find Sanji?"

"We get inside, and I'll get the truth for both of us about what's really going on."

"That didn't directly answer my question."

"Yuna?" I ask.

"On deck!" Yuna's pixie form takes flight over my shoulder again. Her long white dress flaps in dance with her wings, still carrying child-like air.

"Same deal as before." I report to Yuna.

"Wait!" Umbra grips my shoulder. "I might have a plan."

"What is it?" I ask as I pull my shoulder back.

Umbra bloats her cheeks, probably settling her pride. I've spent enough time here. I need to get inside—to whatever Kayaba has planned.

"Fine!" Umbra sighs. "Ok, the guards, when we get to the front, just leave it up to me."

Hell no. "What exactly are you going to do?"

"You want me to trust you? Trust me." Umbra and I move closer to the entrance.

I don't know how Arimoto-sensei shows good will to strangers. This is too much.

"Yuna, right?" Umbra asks her. Yuna nods, her A.I. side cheerfully smiling. "The same as the AR super star, right?"

Yuna nods again. "Mhm. I do love a good performance!"

"How about a concert then?" Umbra smirks.

"Get serious." I spill the thoughts on my tongue.

"I don't mean a ticket for later, weirdo. I mean right now." Umbra pouts.

"That might make too much noise. They'll know something's up." I object. First randomly targeting me in line, now this. How often does she bet everything on a roll of the die?

"You got a better idea?" Umbra asks. "High risk, high reward, secret spy."

My heart pounds.

I look up ahead. We're closer in line to the darkness past the crimson threshold. At first, I thought the clamor out here was drowning out anything inside, but the closer we get, the more it reminds me of the void sitting in Arimoto's living room last night. Something feels-wrong. "Yuna, do it."

"All right!" Yuna shouts as her pixie form flies high above us in a trail of fairy dust. The player avatars ignore it, but then her body expands with a pop—she's our size now. A rain of sparks wash over her as she morphs into her black and red dress and stockings—a public form everyone should know her by. One of the avatars in line looks directly up.

"Hey, is that—"

"That kind of looks like Yuna!"

"No way!"

"What kind of event is this?"

A mic on a translucent red wire appears on her belt. With a cheeky smile and a wink, she snaps her fingers: "Start the music!"

The atmosphere changes as guitar riffs wash through the air. Symbol and percussion beats drum as Yuna descends just above the crowd and gracefully sings.

Break Beat Bark, right? Her Ordinal Scale performance—

"C'mon." Umbra grips my shoulder. She weaves through the line as the player avatars turn their heads towards Yuna.

"We still have the guards." What now?

"Improvising." Umbra smirks, and I don't like it. Golden enchantment glyphs encircle her as we step through the line. "Come here." Umbra grabs my arm. "Don't get any ideas." The glyphs spread over my periphery. It's a shared spell?

Suddenly a puff of light smoke wraps around us and dissipates. What did she? I lift my hands up—these gauntlets—maroon? Armor too. An illusion spell to match the guards, and with the stampede and focus on Yuna, no one caught the spell being cast.

"Follow my lead." Umbra whispers as we move up. The tent guards now stand right in front of us. Their avatars tower 6 feet, easily. Their helmets hide their eyes and humanity. The deathly stillness in their stance—are they really players? If Umbra's planning to grift her way through, I'm not sure how—

"Sorry we're late. Did anyone tell you guys about Yuna showing up?" Umbra engages them like she's just finding out the information herself.

The guards don't budge as Yuna sings and players cheer in the back. One of the guards twitches, probably side glancing his partner. What silent communication are they having? The guards shift their helmets, snatching looks at Umbra then me.

"Hellooo, guys? It's all right, we can drop character for a bit, everyone's watching the Yuna concert anyway." Umbra keeps pushing her luck. That's it—If they turn us down, I'm sure with Umbra's magic and my sword skills we can—

One of the guards hunches their shoulders over like they're exhausted.

"Right." One of them sighs with a higher-than-expected pitch. "No one ever tells us what's going on."

"We drew the short straw doing outside guard duty." The other one murmurs deeply.

"But at least now we get to listen to Yuna." The other responds.

"Yea, but we can't really join the crowd." The guard complains. "And we're going to miss the whole reveal inside."

Wait, is this actually working?

"I'm sorry guys." Umbra slaps her hands on her waist. She pauses for a bit—thinking of what to say next? She snaps her fingers. "Oh! I know. How about we take over your outside duty next time?"

"Seriously?" A guard bears down over us with his deep voice. "You'd really do that?"

"S—sure," Umbra stammers with her hands up, no objections.

"But we're so low on the ladder; we're small fry." A guard asks. "We don't want to cause any trouble."

"So what? We're all here for the same reasons, right?" Umbra shrugs.

"You guys are the best." The guard with the shriller voice huddles and pumps his fists.

"And don't worry about the event," Umbra adds. "We'll keep an eye out inside and see if we can find a way to relieve you guys, so you don't miss it."

"You don't have to take it that far." The guards object. "Don't worry about us, just enjoy." They lift the tent flap for us to enter.

Holy shit. That worked.

"Thanks boys." Umbra pats their crimson armored shoulders. She must be grinning wide under the helmet as we step inside.

Light casts over the amphitheater as simulated sun rays split through the tent cover. It's dim and washed in crimson. Along the amphitheater's rows of seats, player avatars murmur-most of them probably anticipating Kayaba.

Disgusting.

Chills run between my shoulders and down my back. All of this—this sight—it's all wrong.

"Mylo." Umbra whispers.

Shake it off. I look around again. There's not much room to sit anymore. Most of the players are just standing in nosebleeds. "Yuna?" I whisper. She should still be able to hear me; she's connected to my avatar through the Augma, right?

Static. "We're here! Well, actually, Yuna's still on stage, but I can still hear you."

How far does her split go? "Are you ok?"

"Great actually! I'm having so much fun!"

Of course she is. "We're inside the tent now. Can I call you back if I get a visual?"

"Yep!" Yuna's voice statics in my ear. "Just call me back and I'll port beside you!"

"So, what exactly are we doing here?" Umbra taps her clanging crimson boots.

"We're here to get a visual and gather information." I say.

"You said you'd tell me what you knew about Sanji after we got inside." Umbra says.

Is the timing to tell her too dangerous? She deserves to know the truth; she really does, but if she—

"Please." Umbra's spell begins dissipating. I grab her arm and guide her behind crowd members standing at the top row of the theater to stay hidden. We crouch as our regular gear and appearances return. Tears well under Umbra's eyes despite her firm gaze on me. I pull back my hood—she deserves to meet me eye to eye when she hears this. How he died. My hand in it.

"Sanji—"

"WELCOME, BELIEVERS IN THE FUTURE."

We hop up from behind the onlookers and watch the stage flared in spotlights. Out of the shadows a figure steps into the light: A crimson cassock, a faceless white mask with glowing red sigils snaking across its surface, a blood red hilt at their waist. They stand alone on stage and fill the room in a vacuum. Audience murmurs die.

My breath trembles under my pulse. They're the only one coming out. Someone important?

A black gloved hand appears under the draping sleeves of the cassock. The figure reaches for their faceless mask.

"I apologize for the anonymity, and the inconvenient barriers to make it here today. But, as many of you know, there are forces at work, fighting against us." Their voice booms, deep, masculine, and completely unfamiliar—impossible to ID without them removing their mask. They step further out onto the stage and reach their arms out towards the audience, to the sympathizers. Whoever it is has a flair for the dramatics.

"What do I mean by this?" They retract their hands, tightly gripping the air. "I mean the fight against our natural evolution into the next stage of human consciousness—being untethered to what the outside world considers reality-traversing entire worlds. And transcending the limits of human biology to do so."

Murmurs return in the crowd.

I always knew the Kayaba cult was disillusioned—but this? What the hell is he going on about? It all sounds like selling dreams to the desperate.

"I'm talking about following in the footsteps of a great pioneer: Akahiko Kayaba." The figure paces across the stage, but suddenly stops—like he's just considered a revelation he's about to share with the entire world. The murmurs die again. I'm back to the feeling in Arimoto's living room. Gravity shifting. "If you're sitting here today, you've seen it. You've seen the video the media and the government doesn't want you to see: That he lives, and that he is now unbounded digital consciousness. Well, my faithful, from our pioneer, we have received a great gift: the secret to a life of digital consciousness." The figure says. They lift their head high, and the next words boom throughout the amphitheater. "And—it has been replicated. With enough devotion to Kayaba's ideals, it can also be shared with all of you!"

"Impossible." Umbra whispers.

She's right. Kayaba's attempt was a 1 in 1 thousand chance. Replicating it would take mass deaths on an unprecedented scale—people would notice that body-count—

"After the operation last night, I did some digging. Sanji's body wasn't reported to police, nor were there any reports of a disturbance on campus, and Sanji's school records say he's recently withdrawn from the university."

"Additionally," Kikuoka continues. "There's others around his age range and situation with the same status, all suspiciously within two weeks of Kayaba's appearance at the Ocean Turtle. Although, no missing person's reports have been filed as of yet."

Chatter fills the amphitheater—private conversations. Skeptics, even in this crowd?

"I understand many of you may be skeptical." The figure reads the audience. "So, may I introduce the first into our ranks beside myself-"

The figure steps aside, making way. Footsteps clatter across the stage and echo throughout the amphitheater. A lanky frame of a body steps into the light wearing an olive-green cloak, and a white mask matching that of the announcer.

The crimson figure shifts to the olive one.

"You may reveal yourself to the world once more, faithful one." The crimson figure reverently declares.

The olive figure reaches a hand over their faceless mask, and, as they peel it back, spotlight illuminating their features, Sanji's black eyes shine.

That's—not possible.

"May I reintroduce one of our faithful," The crimson figure announces. "Seijirou Sanji!"

Uproarious cheers explode across the shadows of the amphitheater.

"As many of you may have been aware, four nights ago, Sanji faced down attackers of our faith, but he has been reborn!" The crimson figure cheers while reaching out to the crowd. "He has cast aside his physical body and found true freedom, but don't take my word for it. Hear it from him."

Sanji steps closer to the dark edge of the stage, to the audience. The closer he gets, the more I can confirm it: his facial features match; he's not runt size anymore though, and that lanky frame looks more like a well-toned build. He's idealized.

Umbra.

I turn to her as her eyes obsess over the stage. She's processing it too. Sanji clears his throat on stage. My eyes dart back there. Sanji's walk, his confidence, it's completely different from that frightened college-kid huddled in his dorm.

"Four nights ago, I was left for dead," Sanji starts. "But this community saved me. When I had no hope, when I was left bleeding out after assailants attacked me for my faith, I was rescued." Sanji paces the stage. "It's true. I no longer have a physical body. But I'm here to tell you that the body is only a shell—and now, thanks to the innovations of Akahiko Kayaba, we can't be forced into one. We can travel to as many worlds as we can create. We can appear however we please, do whatever we please, without true suffering—something the 'real' world can't offer." Sanji smiles. The crowd hasn't uttered a sound. The world is holding its breath.

"He's told us himself: Tomorrow, something new will be unveiled upon the world. It will shake the very foundation of what it means to be human," The crimson figure says as he steps back to the forefront. "And, when that revolutionary day comes, I offer you this counsel: join us; be free. We will offer freedom to those devout to Kayaba's example and escape the shackles of reality!"

The audience erupts again.

"Who are you?" Umbra murmurs to herself. I turn to Umbra. She's tearing up, her face in shock.

"That is Sanji, right?" I say. After all of this, I'd understand the confusion—seeing different sides to a person, their darker natures and their pain coming to the surface. I saw a glimpse of this side to Sanji on the night we found him—the way he talked about Kayaba and the future, but this—

"No." Umbra responds. Her voice doesn't waiver as she grits her teeth. She scowls at Sanji's performance. Purple aura whisps behind her like she's discharging MP with pure willpower, no spellcasting. Her eyes bead on the stage, between the crimson figure and Sanji bowing to his audience. Umbra's next words, with certainty, hiss with rage: "That's not him."

"And those who try to shackle us, to tie us down to only one world: You will realize the futility of your efforts, very soon." Sanji smiles. "But first, to test the devotion of our followers here-" Sanji looks upon the crowd. "I believe we have pretenders among us, here, right now."

Oh no.

Just as I'm about to move, I catch motion among the shadows. It's hard to distinguish, but they look like players in black cloaks—three—no, five of them, moving closer to the stage.

"Faithful, remove those here that would hinder our progress." The crimson figure waves their hand.

Players around the amphitheater scan around, confused—until a blue flame, flickering and waiting for respawn, sparks new light under the dim tent. A PK.

A scream among the player avatars echoes in the darkness. I check there. The black cloaks cut through players towards the stage as rainbow flames ignite behind them. They move like a well-trained kill-squad, packed in circular formation, covering each other's blind spots.

Who are they?

A mob of avatars in the audience rush in to subdue them. Sounds of mayhem in clashing blades and battle cries reverberate through the tent. Not good. This is going to turn into a full-on melee. "Umb—"

I turn my head as Umbra leaps past me. She jumps across heads in the crowd, straight down for the stage—for Sanji. Damnit!

"Yuna!" I relay.

Her pixie immediately sparks and appears over my shoulder with a glowing smile. She salutes.

"With me, follow Umbra!" I rush into the crowd as Yuna flies beside me. Everyone's focused on the commotion making its way towards them. I check our rear. One of the black cloaked players perishes in purple flame. The squad tightens their formation, still pushing through the player mob drawing arms to fight. Up ahead, I see Umbra land in a clearing among the players just below the stage. The crimson figure and Sanji turn their backs to the audience. They're just going to walk away. Some devotion.

"SANJI!" Umbra shouts.

Sanji's avatar freezes, only peering over his shoulder for a moment.

"Look at me, liar!" Umbra shouts as golden glyphs dance around her. Her corporeal daggers appear around her knuckles. A purple aura hisses in smoke behind her.

"You have more important things to worry about." Sanji replies.

"Why you—"

Draw!

I summon the Sonic Buster to my hand and dash to Umbra's back as a player's blade swings for her. I block and push back the assailant as Umbra positions herself to defend from the mob coming between her and Sanji now. We're surrounded. The sound of clashing blades and yells echoes on the other side of the amphitheater as the kill squad gets closer. We could be looking at a three-way fight soon.

"Thanks for the assist." Umbra glances over her shoulder as we stand back-to-back. It feels good to have help in here. Yuna too.

"Wait—" Umbra murmurs. I feel her back further away. I glance back at her, eyeing me and my blade, her hands trembling. Of course. My sword gives it away now.

"That sword—you—" Umbra's speech cuts off. Suddenly, a blue field of pixels washes over her as her avatar dematerializes. A grey notification appears over where she stood: DISCONNECTED.

What?

The mob draws in. Sanji and the Crimson figure walk towards the back of the stage, into shadows. We can't lose them here.

"Yuna!" I shout. "You can switch between pixie and player, right?"

"Yes!" She responds.

"Tail those two! Don't let them get away!" I shout. The crowd can't catch Yuna in her smaller pixie form. She can slip through. Until then, I'll have to hold out on my own.

"Will you be ok?" Yuna lowly asks.

"Don't worry, I excel at crowd control." I grin, nerves burning. "I'll be right behind you in a sec."

Yuna nods. Pixie wings veer over the heads of the crowd and dash for the darkness. Eiji's gonna kill me.

I turn back to the surrounding mob of players. I wonder if I've got enough rage for so many sympathizers of Kayaba. I rotate the Sonic Buster to intimidate the crowd inching closer—they back away, just before reclaiming their ground.

Then there's the squad in black—I'm starting to think they're the 3rd party infiltrating in VR.

A sword's jab reaches for my cheek as I swat it away with my top blade. Reverb: Repulse! The group flies back, stumbling on top of each other, but they slowly climb back to their feet, and a new section of the surrounding mob fills their gap.

This might take a while.