"Asuna!" - Regular Speech

'Kirito-kun!' - Thoughts

"Starburst Stream!" - Authority Chant

"Godslayer!" - Heretic God/Empowered Campione

Beta'd by BigCC

Chapter 3: Pandora, the All Giving Woman

That Night

Kazuto's Room, Kirigaya Residence

"Jeez, what a freaking day." Kazuto huffed out as he collapsed back onto his bed.

As one might expect, Kirigaya Suguha had been equal parts worried, confused and distressed when her elder brother had finally arrived home looking singed around the edges and smelling of smoke. It had taken him more than a bit of effort to calm her down and fob her off with a hastily created excuse of biking through a barbecue that was happening in the park and a series of unfortunate accidents that had led to a small fire he'd helped putting out.

'Still don't know where I managed to pull all that out of…maybe from some manga or anime?' he pondered blankly as he stared up at the ceiling, before shaking it off. 'Should probably just be glad it worked, at least Sugu doesn't look like she's a step away from bursting into tears over me again.'

Frowning, Kazuto's mind began to turn back to his encounter with the so-called mage, Kōzuki Sakura, and the Khalkotaurus. Having some concrete confirmation that his final meeting with Kayaba at the end of Aincrad (and particularly the inclusion of the 'god' Morpheus) hadn't been some weird hallucination caused by him nearly dying during his final duel was a bit of a shock.

Neither he nor Asuna had brought up that final encounter since they'd met IRL, and he'd honestly been starting to believe his own lie about his 'miraculous recovery' being the result of some final reward from that bastard Kayaba.

Now he was forced to come to grips with the fact that not only was magic truly real, but there was an entire secret society out there. And they had set some most unsubtle spies after him before sending that Sakura girl to loose a monstrous 'Divine Beast' on him.

'Girl? Since when did I start thinking like an old man?' the Black Swordsman scoffed to himself for a moment. 'She was probably older than me. She certainly looked like she was at least postgraduate age, maybe even college-age.'

For a so-called 'magician,' she'd seemed oddly…clumsy and panicky. Nothing about his encounter with her had given him even the slightest hint that she was any kind of threat to Kirito, and that honestly confused him. Even if he was a 'Campione' now, shouldn't a human magic-user be at least somewhat impressive or intriguing. But she'd simply felt…well like a girl who'd been thrown in far over her head.

A soft knock at his door drew Kazuto out of his musings. "Yeah?"

The door slid open and the worried face of his younger sister peeked in. "Onii-chan, are you sure you're OK?"

Sighing, the black-haired teen slid off his bed and padded over to gently pat Sugu on the head reassuringly. When they'd been younger, before he'd found out about his parents and (rather stupidly, he'd admit with the benefit of hindsight and a maturity gained from surviving two years in a waking nightmare) pulled away from her, it was how he'd always used to calm her down and reassure her when she was feeling nervous or scared.

Seeing her eyes widen slightly before she leaned into the familiar touch, Kazuto realized that she probably remembered it as well.

"I'm fine, Sugu. It was just a bit of trouble, nothing I couldn't handle." he offered firmly, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Believe me?"

Sugu instantly flushed bright red and nodded jerkily. "Y-Yes! Yes, of course I do, Onii-chan!"

After that she quickly pulled back and raced off toward her room, leaving a confused Kazuto scratching his head at his little sister's odd behaviour.

Moments Later

Kirigaya Suguha's Room

"Ohmygod, what is wrong with me?!" the kendoka squealed into her pillow as she lay on the bed. Though she already knew the answer.

She was hopelessly in love with her elder brother.

She had first admitted it to herself after that accursed madman Kayaba Akihiko had locked her brother into the death game known as Sword Art Online. Learning the truth, that she and Kazuto were actually cousins rather than actual siblings, had eased a lot of the guilt and self-loathing that had came with that realisation.

It had also answered so many questions. When her mother had finally explained everything to her after the SAO nightmare had started it had felt like all the pieces had fallen into place.

Why her brother had abruptly drawn away from her.

Why the loving and affectionate relationship they'd shared for as long as she could remember had almost completely collapsed abruptly when he was ten.

He'd found out the truth on his own, somehow, and had reacted poorly to the revelation.

She'd spent the next two year at his bedside, forced to slowly watch him wither and waste away into a frail caricature of his former self. Watching the strong and brave boy that had been her constant protector as a child (and she had still thought of him as such even although she had been fitter and stronger than him) slowly be reduced to a withered shell had been an agony unlike anything Sugu could have imagined, but it had only reaffirmed her feelings for him. For better or worse, she was in love with her Onii-chan.

She'd silently vowed that when he woke up (because she never allowed herself to believe otherwise) she would be there to help him recover and she would admit her feelings to him.

His 'miraculous recovery' had shattered those plans. Not that she was in anyway unhappy that her brother had been spared the pain and hardship of a long recovery, but the other revelations that had come with it had been most unfavourable.

And because she was so head-over-heels in love with him, just having Kazuto pat her head, just like he used to, and smile at her so softly and gently had sent her poor heart into overdrive. That expression on his face, like she was something truly precious and dear to him, had been more than her delicate maiden's heart could take.

Thus, the extremely girly squeal she'd just muffled with her pillow.

Letting go of her pillow, Sugu rolled over onto her back and just stared sightlessly at the ceiling.

'Precious…he already has someone that is precious to him.' the kendoka thought morosely.

She'd heard of her ever since Onii-chan had returned. Yuuki Asuna, the daughter of the CEO of RECT, the girl who had been engaged to that disgusting man, Sugou. The girl who had fallen in love with Sugu's beloved brother during the death game.

And the one who her brother was in love with in return.

To say that she was jealous was something of an understatement, but she couldn't bear to say or do anything to him that might drive them apart again. She had endured four years of being almost ignored by her brother, and Sugu had no plans to allow such a separation to occur again.

'Even if he doesn't see me like a man looks at a woman...even then, my feelings won't change.' Sugu thought, her eyes hardening in determination.

Sugu was well aware that in the last couple of years, she had undergone one heck of a growth spurt...especially in the breast department. She was now needing to buy large C-Cup bras, and her boobs still hadn't stopped growing. According to her mother, she was taking after her Aunt, Narusaka Aoi; her brother's birth-mother. She had ended up being a mid-D-Cup by the time her growth had stopped.

She knew that there were at least a dozen boys in just her own school that would love nothing more than to date her if she showed the slightest interest. Several had been...persistent, with love letters constantly finding themselves into her shoe locker at school.

Once, she'd had so many inside the locker that they fallen out of it like a waterfall, something she'd only ever seen before in anime. Eesh...

Her avatar in Alfheim Online, the Sylph Leafa, was also very physically attractive, even bustier than she was IRL too, and it had earned her plenty of admirers online, even among those of the other Races in-game. She even had one that was an admirer in both real life and in-game. Recon the Sylph, or Nagata Shinichi, had been her in-game mentor until she had surpassed him in both power and skill, and was also her classmate. Sugu was also very aware that he was probably her most determined pursuer.

But…it didn't matter. No matter who approached her, or even if she tried to move on, her heart just wouldn't be swayed. She was in love with Kazuto, wholeheartedly and painfully, and no one else could seem to spark anything close to the flame in her heart that burned for him.

'Yuuki Asuna...my brother's girlfriend...and my rival.' Suguha thought as she stood to get ready for bed. 'I don't care if it makes me weird, or if people sneer at me because of it. I'll wait for my brother to see me as a woman. It will happen. I'm sure of it.'

Satisfied with her mental declaration, the kendoka slipped into bed and started to sleep peacefully mere minutes later, dreaming of flying as she usually did.

Later

The Boundary of Life and Immortality

Kazuto blinked as he suddenly found himself standing...somewhere. The last thing he remembered was collapsing back onto his bed to try and get some sleep...so where was he now?

"Ah!" a female voice exclaimed from behind him. "Finally! I thought you'd never make it here!"

The former Black Swordsman turned around slowly, ready for almost anything...except being bodily tackled by a girl who couldn't be taller than his chin.

"Guh!" he grunted as he managed to brace himself and catch her without falling on his rear. He still had the air driven from his lungs though.

"Oops." the girl drew back abashedly after Kazuto set her back on her feet. "Sorry about that. I suppose I am a bit overly excited to finally see you; it has been over a decade since anyone has been able to make their way here, after all."

"Um..." Kazuto asked once he got his breath back. "Where exactly is 'here', and who are you?"

"Oh yes, Morpheus didn't have time to give you more than a bare-bones explanation, did he?" the girl, who had violet-coloured hair tied up in a pair of longish twintails by a set of pure white ribbons and forest green eyes, offered with a slightly annoyed sigh. "Well then, I suppose I should start with just where we are. The Gods call this place the Boundary between Life and Immortality, but I believe mortals more commonly refer to it simply as the Netherworld, or the Interstice. All of my new children arrive here in spirit at least once after they first become a Campione, and return every time they slay another Heretic God to gain their spoils."

"Children!?" the dark-haired teen responded, eyes widening slightly in shock. The girl in front of him certainly didn't look old enough to be talking about kids.

"Mmhmm." the girl nodded, putting on a more mature mien as she smiled coquettishly at him. "I am Pandora. Wife of Epimetheus, the Titan-God of Afterthought. Adoptive Mother of all who earn the title Campione, controller of the [Circle of Usurpation], the All Giving and All Knowing Woman. I am the one who gave you new life as a Campione, thereby marking you as my child. Welcome to the family, son!"

Kazuto could only stare at the purple-haired…woman (girl? Goddess?) in front of him in bewilderment. "So…why am I just meeting you now and not right after I killed Morpheus?" he asked, deciding it would be best to play along for the moment. His life was just going to keep getting weirder, wasn't it? "Is it because I killed that…Khalkotaurus thing earlier?"

"Not precisely, you should have been brought here as soon as Morpheus was returned to the Domain of Immortality. The fault for the delay is owed entirely to that blasted machine you were using." Pandora stated with a pout before she began to explain. "Ordinarily, one slays a Heretic God in the physical world, where one's mind, body and soul are as one. Instead, you slew Morpheus within that 'video game' of yours, with that infernal machine separating your mind from your body, with your soul acting as a tether to keep them connected. The Ritual of Epimetheus normally revives the body, mind and soul of my new children in a single instance, but that separation interfered with the process. Your body and soul were affected first, thus causing your rejuvenation, but since your mind was still within the game and wasn't drawn back until a few moments later, it was largely left unaffected. That really confused my [Circle of Usurpation], let me tell you."

"Alright, so…since I killed a Heretic God while in an atypical situation that has never happened before, and will hopefully never happen again, it caused an error in whatever process revives people as Campione and caused a lag in me being called here?" Kazuto offered.

"Precisely" the All Giving Woman gave him a large nod. "With the Ritual interrupted as it was, it was causing an imbalance because your mind was out of sync with your soul and body. That is why you have felt uneasy, or perhaps incomplete would be a better term, since your return to the material world and why you have been having so much trouble grasping at the power you wield as a Campione. Thankfully, with the activation of one of your fairly won Authorities, you have completed the process in full. Thus, with the slaying of one of Hephaestus' dratted bulls, I was able to finally draw you here and speak with you as I should have."

"This...is a lot to take in." the new Campione offered with feeling.

"I understand, it's just a shame that me explaining this to you is all but pointless." Pandora offered with a tired sigh, before explaining herself. "Although my children are drawn to visit me here, they rarely ever remember anything more than fragments of our time spent together due to the nature of the Netherworld itself. I bloody hate it since it makes having any form of relationship with my children quite awkward, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"Yeah." Kazuto offered with a frown, that did seem a bit unfair for the…woman in front of him. "It'd be really useful to remember this stuff as well, because once I wake up I need to deal with the idiots who actually summoned that oversized beefsteak in the first place."

"Hmm, the first child of my newest generation craves a boon? Well, I suppose being such a good mother, I should acquiesce…" Pandora offered with a pleased hum before she leaned forward and gently tapped him in the centre of his forehead before he could hope to react. There was a sudden flash of light and he felt a momentary rush of dizziness rush over him.

"Wha-?" he managed to groan out.

"There we go. That should reinforce your memory enough that you'll be able to remember our little chat well enough." the violet-haired goddess offered with a smile. "We're quite fortunate that you're only here in spirit, otherwise I'd have needed to be far more affectionate than I'm comfortable with for one of my children."

"Er…what?" Kazuto asked

"…right, you've had no contact with mages just yet." Pandora muttered, slapping her forehead in self-recrimination. "My child, why do you think that Campione are the only ones who can stand against Heretic Gods when there are already magic users among mortals? It is because the Divinity of a Heretic God protects them from most forms of mortal magic. Only the greatest of mortal spellcasters stand even a chance of so much as wounding a Heretic God, and even then with only much preparation and even greater luck. While Campione do not possess a God's Divinity, the Ritual of Epimetheus does bestow upon them a level of magical resistance that can rival it on nearly every level. Mortal magics, even those cast with good intentions like healing magic, will simply wash off my children like water, and even the Authorities of other Campione and Heretic Gods are weakened and can be fought through. The only workaround to this is through injecting magic into the body through an orifice, particularly the mouth, such as through eating food with magic imbued into it or if someone kisses you and uses that to directly inject their spells into your body. It is one of the few vulnerabilities that a Campione possesses."

The black-haired swordsman suddenly realized exactly why the flames of the massive bronze bull hadn't done more than singe his clothes. His newfound magic resistance had been strong enough that those obviously magical flames couldn't do more than snap at him.

Processing this new information, Kazuto decided to try and get a bit more information on his newfound abilities. "Can you tell me more about the Authority I used earlier?"

"Ah, that was the second form of the Authority you received from Morpheus." Pandora answered happily. "And there is no need for me to explain; now that the Ritual has truly been completed, you should be able to learn more of it by simply reaching out and sensing it. Go ahead and try."

Blinking once in surprise, Kazuto closed his eyes and did as instructed. Reaching out for the purple sensation glowing in the back of his mind, he was shocked as it suddenly came into sharp focus and knowledge seemed to flood his mind.

His Authority was indeed divided into two parts, now feeling like two large, connected sparks of purple light humming just at the edge of his reach. The part he'd used to face the Khalkotaurus was called [Avatar of Dreams]. It allowed him to bring forth a strong mental image of himself (a dream) into reality and wear it like a suit of armour. Thus Kirito the Black Swordsman had risen again to face his foes with all his strengths, powers and skills amplified, and his weaknesses wiped away with the power of a dreaming mind. And it wasn't just limited to his SAO Avatar either; so long as he could strongly imagine it, he could manifest whatever form he wanted...including avatars from other games.

The other part wasn't combat-oriented, but it certainly looked like it could be useful. [Dream a Dream of the Future] allowed him to fall asleep at night and receive visions of what was to happen to up to a week in advance. It could also be used to create a dreamscape where he could talk to a dream-facsimile of someone which was perfectly accurate. However, it did have a slight downside. Whenever he activated it, he would sleep for exactly eight hours, no more or less. Once he fell asleep there was nothing that would be able to wake him until eight hours had passed.

So yeah, a very useful ability, but one that would leave him utterly vulnerable for a set amount of time afterwards. Definitely not something he could use haphazardly.

"Huh...interesting" Kazuto muttered, before closing his eyes and trying again with his two unused Authorities, only for both to pull away before he could reach them. "I can't seem to reach the other two." he stated aloud, looking to Pandora in confusion.

"Those would be the ones you earned from Phobetor and Phantasos, Morpheus' brothers who he absorbed as he broke away from his legend to descend to the mortal realm." Pandora stated with a nod. "Yes, some Authorities can be like that. You will need to fully call upon them in the mortal realm before their power fully submits to you as their new master. It is not an uncommon thing; Gods are prideful beings, and even the shards of their power that a Campione inherits can be quite wilful until their new master brings them to heel. Your closest brother, Kusanagi Godō, had to earn the right to use every part of the [Ten Incarnations] Authority he'd usurped from Verethragna, the Victorious Warlord."

"I…see." the new Campione offered with a thoughtful frown. "And just what am I supposed to do with all this power? Aside from stopping any new Heretic Gods that emerge, I mean?"

"Why, whatever you wish." the All-Giving Woman responded simply. "I do not seek to control or issue orders to my children, Kirigaya Kazuto. Many were already men and women fully grown; not needing, and most certainly not wanting, a mother's attention when they slew a Heretic God for the first time. I call them my children because it is through my blessing that they live again, but I have no means of controlling or punishing them. At most, my [Circle of Usurpation] can only stop a Campione from receiving an Authority, and even then I can only do so if I truly believe they did not earn it fairly. I cannot do so to simply punish them."

"That doesn't really help me." Kazuto responded with a sigh. While it was nice to know that the woman couldn't do anything to force him to act against his own will, it still left him adrift.

"I'm sure that you'll find something to do with yourself soon enough." Pandora offered with an impish grin. "One trait that all my children shares is that they are stubborn and will not allow themselves to be used or walked over. One needs such resilience to stand before a God and win. Still, you are quite unique even among my children, my dear little Swordsman, so I shall offer you a hint."

"A hint?" Kazuto blinked.

"To whom did you turn to while you were trapped in that flying castle when you needed information?" the Goddess asked, her grin turning into a smirk. "Who would to ferret out all the secrets of the world for you? Who could you depend on to give you honest, unbiased information, albeit at a price?"

"Wait...you can't be serious...?" Kazuto gaped at his 'adopted mother' in disbelief. "You can't mean...Argo?!"

"Unfortunately, that's all the time we have together." Pandora said, indicating Kirito's body, which was starting to fade out of existence. "I'll see you the next time you slay a Heretic God, my son!"

Before he could say anything else, Kirigaya Kazuto vanished from the Netherworld, leaving the All-Knowing Woman alone once more.

"A new child of mine once again walks the world...things are looking up." Pandora said with a smile as she looked up, peering into the Domain of Immortality. "Ah, so more of you are preparing to break free of your legends. The birth of a Campione always unsettles things. Chaos follows in the wake of my children. But then, chaos also makes things interesting, both for we true gods and for the mortals in the world below. I wonder who you shall face next...Kirito."

The Next Day

Streets of Tokyo

Kazuto was, once again, biking home after finishing helping Asuna with her physical therapy at the hospital. This time though, he was keeping a weather eye on just what was happening around him.

'I made sure to bike past the park this morning, and it looked as if my fight with that bronze-plated side of beef never happened.' the SAO survivor thought with a frown. When he'd left the park yesterday it had been an utter disaster area. Dozens of trees had been knocked over or simply shattered by the Khalkotaurus' rampage, the ground torn and cratered in dozens of places, and any plant life that had managed to survive the rampage had been burnt black by the Divine Beast's flames. Honestly, the only reason that Kazuto hadn't been more worried about a fire spreading was because there simply wasn't anything left in the park to burn! It had been an utter disaster zone.

'And now its all back to normal, with not a twig out of place. If that doesn't prove that there's magic involved, nothing will. It shouldn't have been impossible to fix that kind of damage in a single night, particularly without anyone noticing.' Kazuto concluded.

That was the final nail in the coffin; this 'Historical Compilation Committee' that Kōzuki Sakura had mentioned yesterday in her panic had to have been involved. The fact that the girl had been so easily duped into believing that she wasn't supposed to summon a monster on the level of the Khalkotaurus likely meant that she'd been little more than a disposable pawn in whatever had happened. Someone far higher up was pulling the strings yesterday, someone who was willing and able to quickly call in enough forces to cover-up the aftermath of a clash between a Campione and a Divine Beast in a single night.

'So, the question now is just who's to blame for that mess, and how much do they actually know about what is happening?' Kazuto pondered darkly. Looking back on the entire thing, he could admit that the entire attack had gone off almost perfectly. He'd been diverted to the park without even realizing it, with the entire place having already been completely cleared of witnesses or bystanders, before the monster had been summoned. Had it not been for Kōzuki Sakura stumbling and getting caught, he'd have likely been forced to fight for his life against that bronze beast just to survive with no clue about where it had come from or why it had attacked him. And then the damages had been repaired before anyone had even had a chance to notice what had occurred.

The whole situation stank of a well-planned, well-practised ambush. He wasn't sure if the Historical Compilation Committee (and what a stupid name that was) itself had been behind the attack or if it had simply been someone in their ranks acting on their own ambitions.

'I'm honestly hoping that it's the second option. The last thing I need is to declare war on an entire IRL guild-equivalent on my own, not when I don't even know how my own level stacks with everything else now.' Kazuto thought to himself with a scowl. 'There's also the small fact that I have no clue where this HCC is even based. They've likely at least got some kind of base here in Tokyo, but that doesn't really help me given just how big Tokyo is. Given their name, it's likely somewhere that has a lot of history attached, probably some place with shrines, temples and the like all dating back hundreds of years, but again that doesn't narrow things down by much.'

Putting such thoughts to the side as he got within sight of his house, the SAO Survivor dismounted and rolled his bike through the open gate before locking it into the storage shed by the main building.

"I'm home!" he called out as he entered the genkan, more out of habit than anything else since he wasn't expecting a reply. Sugu had kendo practice today, his mother/aunt was busy at work and his father/uncle was abroad on a business trip.

So he was understandably surprised when a familiar-sounding female voice called back as he was removing his shoes.

"Welcome home, Kii-bou!"

Kazuto panicked momentarily, mind instinctively reaching for his newfound power when recognition suddenly struck. 'Wait…that voice…' he briefly thought in disbelief before quickly pulling on his indoor slippers and racing toward the kitchen where the call had originated from. There, sitting at the dinner table and casually sipping at a glass of water, was a short girl with curly, golden brown hair and inquisitive brown eyes that he immediately recognized.

The only thing she was missing were the whiskers that had constantly graced her cheeks for as long as he'd known her.

"Argo…" Kazuto muttered in surprise before he shook his head slightly. He softly brought up one hand to rub at the side of his head, a grin slowly spreading onto his lips. "I really should have expected you to just let yourself in when you finally decided to visit."

"Nya-hahahaha. Ya know me too well Kii-bou." Argo the Rat responded, her familiar vulpine grin spreading across her lips. "Gotta say, breakin' in ta a house is a fair sight easier without those pesky system lockouts gettin' in th' way. So, what should I call ya now that we're meeting in the flesh?"

"Kirigaya Kazuto." the Gamer replied, though he was half-sure she already knew. "And you?"

"Hosaka Tomo, nice ta finally meetcha.'" Argo...no, Hosaka replied. "Gotta say Kii-bou, yer lookin' much better than most everyone else after getting out of SAO. Mind sharing yer secret?"

Ordinarily, this would be the point where Kazuto would either bring up the same excuse he'd been using from the start or simply demur and redirect the conversation, but the fact that Pandora herself had pointed him towards Argo made Kirito willing to take a bit of a risk.

"Yeah, I guess becoming a Campione has some nice perks." he offered casually, causing the usually unflappable girl to almost choke on her water. After having to deal with Argo the Rat's constant word games and teasing for over two years, the sight of her utterly taken off guard was well worth the risk.

"Wha…" the girl coughed out. "Kii-bou! Ya can't just go and spit that out at everyone ya meet!"

"I don't normally." Kazuto offered with a smirk. "However, a certain All-Knowing Woman purposefully pointed me in your direction after I went to sleep last night, so I figured it'd be safe to play it straight. So Argo, any secrets of your own that you wanted to share?"

"L-Lady Pandora knows me?!" Tomo squeaked out, somewhere between terrified and mystified at the knowledge, before shaking her head. "Dangit, Kii-bou! I fell right into that one, didn't I? Since when could ya lay a word-trap like that?"

"I've been sitting at the feet of a master for the past two years and change." the former Black Swordsman shot back with a grin. "I picked up a few things watching you tease and torment me and everyone else."

"Heh, fair point." the former Information Broker acquiesced, her smirk coming back in full strength. "So then, oh First Campione of the New Generation…how're ya doin'?"

"Surprisingly, I happen to have a serious need for some reliable information." Kazuto replied as he smirked right back at her. "You wouldn't happen to know someone willing to tell me all I need to know about a certain 'History Compilation Committee,' Hosaka-san?"

"Considerin' how well we know each other; I think you can get away with just callin' me 'Tomo-chan' if ya like, Kii-bou." Hosaka Tomo replied, placing her glass down on the table. "Though before I start serving you up all the intel, I'd like ta hear about everything that's been happenin' with ya, starting from the Boss Battle on the 75th Floor."

"So, start from the beginning of the end?" the young Campione pulled out his own seat at the table and dropped into it before checking the time. "We've got a couple of hours before my sister is due back, and my Kaa-san won't be back until far later tonight, so we should have enough time to cover everything."

And so, Kazuto told his oldest friend (the truth; he knew her better than most of his RL friends these days, thanks to the SAO Beta Test) everything. From discovering who Heathcliff really was, to the duel, to Kayaba's transformation into [Morpheus, the Oneiroi Amalgam], to the final exchange of blows and the meeting that had occurred as Aincrad had finally come to an end.

From there, he told her about the increasingly unsubtle surveillance he had been under, to the events of just the previous day, to his talk with Pandora last night. Throughout it all, Tomo was silent, only a small frown on her face that grew as she heard how the HCC had been acting around him. She outright facepalmed at the mention of the unsubtle surveillance attempts, and looked downright incensed when he told her about the Khalkotaurus.

"Goddammit." she muttered once he finished. "Looks like those HCC ass-hats have been giving you a bit of a rough time, huh Kii-bou?"

"A bit, yeah." he said with a wan smile. "So, what can you tell me about the History Compilation Committee?"

"Hmm...well, for as long as anyone can even remember the Sayanomiya Clan's been the big dogs among the Magic Users of Japan." Tomo started. "Propaganda has it that their clan was founded by a Campione back during the end of the Jōmon Period (about 1000-500 BC), though if ya believe it wholesale I have some land to sell ya under Fiji, and they've been lording it over Japan ever since. They formed a loose alliance with three other big-name Clans at the start of Sengoku Period; the Renjō Clan, the Kuhōtsuka Clan and the Seishūin Clan, that pretty much acted as a magical zaibatsu for centuries. They've also had a whole slew of branch families with different specialities, some that still exist. There's one that gathers up anyone born without magic from the rest of the Clan and specializes in dealing with the 'mundane' world. Another acts as caretakers for all the artefacts and relics that the they've managed to collect over the centuries. Then there was one family that specialized in infiltration, information gathering and the like…any real spy work in other words. That would be the Hosaka Family, my family."

Kazuto blinked once in surprise before he nodded. "Well, that makes too much sense. No wonder you became SAO's lead information broker so easily; you were literally practising your family's ancestral trade." he honestly sounded impressed.

The honey-haired girl blushed at the honest compliment, but quickly got herself back under control. "Hehehe...ahem, yeah, well... Anyway, we're all Mages, though not the kind most consider when they think of the word. All those things ya hear about 'ninja' magic? Well, most of those are based off of my family's work. Granted, we don't have any of the super-flash things ya see in some ninja anime, but it's good, effective techniques designed for my family's line of work."

"That honestly sounds pretty cool." the teenaged Campione responded honestly. "I'd be really interested in seeing it at some point."

"Er…maybe. Anyway, ya know how the Battle of Sekigahara ended, and so, in 1603, the Edo Period began, and my family's services were no longer necessary." Tomo said, starting to bristle with long-held anger. "We were snubbed, looked down on, and the head'a the Sayanomiya banished us from appearing before them fer a hundred years!"

"Why?" Kazuto asked, puzzled.

"The Hosaka Family is traditionally matriarchal and matrilineal; the head of the Sayanomiya Clan at th' time, Sayanomiya Eisuke, was a bastard who was jealous of the fact that women get a better deal with magic and longevity than men." Tomo explained. "To put it briefly, longevity magics tend to be far more effective when cast by and on women rather than by and on men. No one knows why, but the mere fact was enough to make the petty narcissist that was Sayanomiya Eisuke despise all female magic users. And for the last four-hundred years, the Sayanomiya have been ignoring and slowly tearing down the Hosaka Family. I...I'm the only one left, Kii-bou. The last of the Hosaka."

"Ar-...Tomo." her friend said with wide-eyes.

"But...that's something we can talk 'bout that later, 'kay?" the Info Broker said with a sigh. "Returning to the HCC, it was in the early years of the Meiji Era that the Sayanomiya and their allies formally declared their formation of what would eventually be called the History Compilation Committee, a Mage Association. Almost every magic user in Japan, from common mages, to Hime-Miko to the rare Witches that show up here, owe some level of loyalty to the HCC. Things got...dicey...back during the aftermath of World War Two though; a lot of American soldiers didn't care for the rules that the Japanese Government had obeyed previously and a lot of people got hurt. The Hosaka were left out in the cold by the Sayanomiya, and we lost over seventy percent of our wealth, land and properties.

"In more recent years, the HCC's lost a lot of their power and resources." Tomo smirked slightly as she spoke, honestly warmed by the bit of schadenfreude fate had delivered onto her 'parent clan.' "The previous generation's Seventh Campione, Kusanagi Godō, recruited the two premier Hime-Miko, Mariya Yuri and Seishūin Ena, as well as the Miko of Disaster Purification, Mariya Hikari. Add inta that the fact that their pet Heretic God, Sun Wukong, broke free and was put down by King Kusanagi, as well as the fact that their King basically moved to Italy not long afterwards, and you'll see why the HCC's desperate to have you, the first new Campione born since the Seven Campione were either banished, put inta a coma or left the planet, as their new ruler."

"Great, so it's Guild Politics done on a large scale." Kazuto groaned aloud. "This is going to turn into a colossal pain in my rear, isn't it?"

While a rhetorical question, the last of the Hosaka Family answered him nonetheless, a teasing smirk on her face the whole time.

"You betcha. Being the only Mage Association to have an active Campione would bring the HCC an immense amount of prestige. And that's not even counting the amount of power you'd represent for them to threaten nearly anyone else with." Tomo agreed with a nod. "I know yer not the type to like bein' put on a pedestal like that, but it's kinda a big tradition fer Campione to claim the title of 'King' of the country they live in. The problem is you don't have a clue about politics, magic, the culture of magic users, or even what types of magic users there are out. I can help ya out with all of that, buuuutttt..."

"...what's it going to cost me?" Kazuto asked, very much familiar with the girl's cut-throat and mercenary attitude.

"Why Kii-bou! I am shocked, simply, utterly shocked, that you would think I would do something so banal as ta ask a Campione for payment!" the Info Broker said, affecting hurt. Then she grinned. "But I do want you to do something, an' it's non-negotiable."

"What?" the gamer asked warily.

"Why, make me your subordinate!" Tomo said with a smirk.

"...huh?" Kazuto blinked, uncomprehendingly at her.

"Alright, so…Campione are tyrants." the Info Broker explained with a frown, doing her best to sort her words to put this as delicately as she could for her friend. "It's part of the nature of the transformation, not a single one can resist taking control when push comes to shove. They tend to grab up the most powerful, puissant, competent and beautiful of mages, Witches, and Hime-Miko as their own personal subordinates. Your predecessor as King of Japan not only 'requisitioned' the Hime-Miko with Glass Eyes, the Hime-Miko of the Sword and the Miko of Disaster Purification from the HCC, but he also took the Diavolo Rosso from the Copper-Black Cross, and the Fairy Knight from the Bronze-Black Cross, two Mage Associations in Italy. All of 'em are powerful and beautiful women, and all of 'em were gathered by King Kusanagi's sheer charisma."

"Sounds more like a harem than anything else." the newly-minted Campione stated bluntly.

"That's 'cause it was." Tomo returned, equally blunt. "A Campione is above human laws and strength; they can do pretty much as they like to whoever they like, and we humans can't do anythin' ta stop 'em. Somethin' like a harem's pretty mild by that scale. I'm the last inheritor of an entire family's magic tradition, I'm connected by blood to the ruling clan of the Mage Association of your home country, and I'm very good at what I do. Three reasons why you should recruit me, Kii-bou."

After pausing for a moment, she then added, "Oh, and I ain't exactly ugly either, about average really, so that's something."

'What? She's a lot more than just 'average'!'

"You're a lot more than just 'average', Tomo."

Blinking, Kazuto stared at Tomo's reddening face and realized that he'd just spoken his thoughts aloud. "...er..."

"Ahem..." Tomo coughed, and tried masterfully to return the blood currently pooling in her cheeks to the rest of her body. She'd never expected Kii-bou to say that to her! Yeah, she'd understated her looks, but not by much! Compared to the elegant ojō-sama Aa-chan, the adorable Silica, or the slightly-more-mature Liz, she wasn't even a contender...or so she'd thought!

"W-Well, th-that's certainly a compliment." she said, stuttering slightly. Being told by the boy she'd had a crush on for the better part of two years (damn her teenage hormones, and damn Kii-bou for being so attractive!) that he thought she was very much above average didn't sound like a compliment, but the flicker of outrage on her behalf in his eyes when she'd mentioned that she thought she wasn't pretty told her that he wasn't just saying that; he was being honest, which...which was honestly the best compliment she'd ever received in her life.

"J-just being honest, Tomo." Kazuto said with a flush. "So...you've given me a lot of reasons why a Campione would accept you as a subordinate, but...why do you want to become my subordinate?"

"That...that involves a lot of family history, Kii-bou." Tomo offered with a tired sigh. "Still willin' ta listen to me?"

"Always." Kazuto said instantly.

"M'kay then." Hosaka Tomo said with a nod. "Then I'll tell you why I wanna be your subordinate...and why it's been four hundred years in the makin'."

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Next Chapter: Background Chess Moves

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