SAO: FEARFUL RELOAD (2022) (Cancelled)

How the Story Was Meant to Go

Part 4 of 5 – "Sorrow of the Scarlet Shooter"

I thought I'd spend the afternoon on this, seeing as how I didn't have much else to do. It's not a long arc either, possibly the shortest of the bunch and one of the most important. This is where everything starts to fall into place and the full context of Kureha's character is revealed. Not much else needs to be said. The beginning of this arc was a last-minute cut from the previous arc. See… the ending of the last arc, was supposed to be bittersweet as Kureha goes to have dinner with her family – a chapter in reality from her perspective, or at least the last segment of the arc's final chapter.

CHAPTER 35 – "KUREHA"

A scene where Kureha already having felt insecure about her place within the squadron, continues to feel inferior around her own family when nothing is out of the ordinary for them. Kureha finds difficulty sleeping. With almost no rest, she goes about her usual day and returns to GGO night after night. One week later, she snaps and can't handle these overwhelming feelings of inferiority. That instead would have been the beginning of this arc.

CHAPTER 36 – HOLLOW VICTORY

Kureha logs into GGO the following weekend to find Kunai and the others inside a new apartment. After a week together, Kunai remains with Rei, Joe, Itsuki, and Zeliska and Daisy for a while. Together they helped him purchase a pricey apartment large enough for all of them to establish a base of operations. Kureha is upset and ready to burst. With fiery eyes and unwavering determination, she requests Kunai fight her in a duel.

This action takes Kunai by surprise. It's something he would be uncomfortable with considering everything he dealt with in SAO, but it was her attitude upon approach to the subject that made him feel uneasy. He asked Kureha if everything was okay. She responded by saying no and challenged him once more. They would go to a training arena hub inside the Glocken to battle each other in a 1v1 match. The first to kill the other wins.

Kunai would have debated furiously with Kureha about this, refusing to take her up on a battle. No matter the insult she hurled at him, he did not budge on this matter. So instead she tried being more diplomatic by stating this was something she needed to do, to make her feel better regardless of the outcome. Kunai wasn't sure if he believed that. His instincts told him not to challenge her. But he accepted anyway, not taking the duel personally, and for a good reason. Everyone else tried to calm Kureha down but she did not back away from the battle she picked. All of them were convinced that Kunai would defeat her – something Kureha figured out from the moment she posed a challenge. What she didn't understand was Kunai's mindset: he didn't know if he could defeat her. It really was anyone's game but he didn't think too highly of the challenge factor.

They assembled in a battle simulator: a training facility inside of a combat hub for players to hone their skills before entering the field. Kunai remembered this was his first taste of action before leaving the Glocken. It was where Kureha seemed at her happiest, but now they were to be enemies and she was bitter. The fight started…

The location was inside of a single area, a warehouse, with containers and crates stacked everywhere. Kureha began thinking about sightlines and positions where Kunai could strike her from. She darted around the arena with great speed and silence. Still she had difficulty spotting Kunai. After a couple of tense minutes, she spotted him wandering slowly with his assault rifle slightly lowered to the ground. He then stopped and gave a light smirk. Kureha ducked away, afraid that he somehow noticed her. It wouldn't be a shock to her if he did. But then she relocated to get another fixed angle on the same last known location he was in. Kunai was still in the same position. From her current distance, she wouldn't likely get a clean kill if his reflexes were as sharp as she knew they were. She moved closer towards his position and began sneaking up to him. Kureha noticed a faint trace under the warehouse lights, of his shadow leaning against a stack of crates around the corner in front of her.

She took a massive gamble and utilised all her available skills to dart forth with incredible speed. As she rounded the corner, she raised her submachine gun and fired off a couple of rounds. As her head passed around the corner, she saw that both bullets had landed against the side of Kunai's head. A moment of shock and dread at the idea she did such a thing, only held her back for a moment, as she skidded downward and stopped in her tracks to continually fire upon her friend. Kunai did react but his HP was already incredibly drained from the initial attack. Kureha unloaded the entire magazine of her weapon into Kunai all across his body before he could fire a single shot. He vanished into blue polygons before Kureha was denied in her rapid fire by an empty clip.

When the match was over and Kureha declared the winner. She appeared both sick and happy. The squadron didn't appear impressed or happy. Kunai was already standing with them with a weak smile on his face. He held out his hand and congratulated her. She didn't take his hand. She spoke to him with a claim that he didn't take the fight seriously. Kunai confirmed it instantly: he lost on purpose without trying. He assured Kureha that if he took that fight more seriously, there was a chance he would win but the odds were never in his favour to begin with – he just thought her having an assured victory would make her feel better than losing. But now, Kureha still felt like she had lost.

Kureha then goes explosive on Kunai accusing him of thinking that he is better than her. All these statements that she was playing GGO long before him, that she brought him here and trained him, and throughout her rant… Kunai tuned out and finally confirmed what he had long suspected. Kureha was jealous of him. She might have known that Emiko had died, if not how, she still tried to help him and it worked. Or did it? It was everything and everyone else that helped him. Kureha has been little else other than resentful and bitter. Kunai quickly simulated the events of the past two weeks in his head and understood… Kureha had helped him tremendously but she really didn't change his life unlike the others had. Not like Rei who had nobody, not like Joe who knew what it was like to lose friends forever, not like Itsuki who lost a brother, and not even like Zeliska who had become cold until Daisy came into her life. Deep down, Kureha longed to finally be good at something and then better than someone she cared about. She wanted to be superior to him and lord that over him in absolute toxicity. But then he met Rei and through all of their struggles, Kureha felt she had nothing, and that Kunai had taken everything that should have been hers.

Kureha broke Kunai out of his trance with a slap and it stunned him a little. It might have been deserved but it hurt more on the inside than it ever could even in reality. She backstepped, hurt by her own actions and tears began to form. She said she was sorry and logged out in a panic. Kunai tried to message her back in many different ways but couldn't get hold of her. Kunai returned to GGO to inform everyone of his failings in communicating with her. They all suddenly felt drained, awkward. Kunai told them he wanted to be alone for a moment, but he knew Rei would follow and that was okay with him. The two talk about what just happened and what he is going to do… if Kureha was ever going to come back? Kunai tells Rei that he will try to resolve this problem, the way it should have been done already two weeks ago. Kunai returns to his apartment with Rei and logs out. And for the next few days he stays gone, informing his trusty companion beforehand that he will not be back for some time.

CHAPTER 37 – REVELATIONS

It's snowing and the night is understandably freezing. Kureha is walking back home in a slump, eyes to the ground and without cheer. She lifts her head to see a few familiar sights. Firstly, the playground that she used to visit with Kunai when they were little kids. And secondly and thirdly, a motorcycle she didn't recognise with the rider leaning beside it against a concrete wall: Kunai.

He greeted her, asking if they had time to talk. She was shocked that he came all the way from wherever he was to see her. She asked how he knew where to find her and said he talked to her older sister about what was happening. This angers Kureha but Kunai was not distracted by her outburst. He just looked sad. His stoic manner made her feel small and childish. She agreed to talk with him. So they finally get to have that talk to each other after all of these years, in real life, but both of wished it were in a happier manner.

After a while things seemed like they were getting back to normal. Like all animosity had dissolved and now they were friends again. They continue talking, occasionally joking and then flirting. As they always did, but now it appears much more obvious. Kunai then wishes to tell her about what he endured before seeing her in GGO. He tells her about SAO, about his friends and everything that happened. But he stops at the part where they all died and he was left alone. More about that will be explained in the last arc but Kunai comes clean and Kureha now fully understands.

Kureha then begins to cry and apologises for being insensitive all this time. But Kunai is the one that apologises completely as he should not have let his own insecurities and trauma keep him from the truth of his past. He should have shared it with her, but was always afraid to do so, in case she felt the burden was too much for her to want to deal with given her own problems. He thought that in GGO, both of them were running from something, but they could do it together. Now might be time for a change, for both of them to grow up and deal with their issues together. Kureha agrees and the two of them hug. Before Kunai departs, he is given a peck on the cheek by Kureha which threatens to turn into a kiss but Kunai turns his head slightly to avoid it. He had no interest in anything seriously romantic, at least not yet with everything happening.

Kureha goes back home as Kunai does the same. She offers to let him stay with them, but he rides out into the night to go back home. It was a long ride for him after all but with the problem resolved, he felt he could ride forever. Kureha is greeted by her older sister and she starts to reconcile with her. The two have had their struggles but Kureha promises to try and let go of how things used to be, and worry about what she can do for herself.

CHAPTER 38 – REVENGE

Kunai returns home early in the morning after a long journey spanning the three days that he said he would be gone for. Not all in one night and not a very practical journey but he enjoyed the time he had out there. He'd like to do it more often. Kunai was tempted to log into GGO to let Rei know he is okay but he is exhausted and wishes only for rest.

He wakes up several hours later in the late afternoon. When he does, he grabs something to eat from his kitchen and finishes up. Before he can get back to his room, he hears his phone go off and quickly hobbles back to answer it. On the other end, he hears a distorted voice. It called to him and began listing several details about who he is, where he lives, what he has done over the course of the last two weeks and that he was an SAO survivor. Kunai panicked and wondered who this was. The caller did not answer to that. Instead he pointed out that there was a package arriving outside his home in a moment and he should retrieve it and follow the instructions inside. If he did not, he would begin targeting the homes of his friends in reality and began listing off their details. Kunai did not threaten to inform the authorities but had every intention of doing so. That was… until the caller asked him not to do this, because if anything was out of place and the police were onto him… he would begin killing his friends. A notification came through his phone along with several images of his friends in their real life personas and homes. The package would arrive soon and he would have one hour to make his choice about whatever was coming.

The call ended. Then a minute later, his doorbell rang and a courier delivering a parcel for him arrived at the door. Kunai was furious but the deliveryman didn't appear hostile and wondered if perhaps the package was unknown to him. Kunai returned to his room and opened up the box and almost had a panic attack: it was a NerveGear.

He didn't know if it was his but it was old and worn, and had several old scorch marks across it as if it had been burned… or once belonged to an unfortunate player who perished within the death game. It was non-functioning. But there was a note inside:

"Inside this package is a program code. Activate your AmuSphere and use the code. Upload the program. Begin within one hour of my last call to you or your loved ones suffer."

Kunai reached inside the box and pulled out an incredibly small portable device that was compatible with the AmuSphere. Kunai followed through with all of the instructions, terrified of what might happen. The program identified itself as "The Last Nightmare". Kunai did not trigger it… yet.

CHAPTER 39 - NO REGRETS

Instead he dove back into GGO to tell Rei, at least then, nothing go wrong by informing her of this predicament. Rei heard his story as the time counted down. She was able to analyse the program for him and deduced that she could be dragged into this "Last Nightmare" with him and confirmed what he was afraid of. He moved to kick her from his party so he would not bring her into this affair. But whatever this was, it clearly threatened his life and Rei was not happy with letting him go alone. He tried to kick her out, but with some meddling of her own, she reversed the choice. He had no choice but to allow her to go with him. Kunai told her to be careful and stay with him. But before they go, while he still had some time, there was something he needed to do.

Kunai wrote out a message to everyone in his squadron, who weren't logged in at the time, not telling them every detail but letting them know that he was in serious danger and he is sorry for dragging all of them into this affair. He then quickly logs out to call his mother and father who were both out at this time. He thanked them for everything and told them he loved them. Kunai logged back in with the AmuSphere but instead booted up the Last Nightmare program. Everything turned black and then he was transported away. Now he was standing on a platform reminiscent of the platform they fought the Hierophant on inside the Flugel, but the colours and the background mimicked the nightmare scenarios he had experienced in days before. The times he suddenly saw his old friends and relived terrible memories. Rei was there beside him and they gazed on ahead at a bridge that took them into a swirling black storm. They heard a booming voice overhead to proceed and face judgement. Kunai didn't know what to expect and was terrified mainly for Rei. But they held each other's hands and marched on ahead to whatever fate awaited them.

ARC 7 FINISHED…

ARC 8 FINALE COVERAGE – "END OF THE LAST NIGHTMARE"