Welcome to Alicization: Lycoris and Steel. I think this may be the longest story of all my SAO writings, or come close to it for one setting. But I am excited to get into this as I love the game for the most part.

Like previous stories that include the video games, this follows the main SAO canon, not the gameverse canon, so there are lots of changes except for one exception, and that's because Cardinal is very important. With that said...poor Eugeo.

Only the main story of Alicization Lycoris will be included, so the future DLCs are not going to appear. They may get their own side story, but I expect the ending of this tale to lead right into War of Underworld.

With all that said, enjoy the first chapter!


June 28th, 2026, Gun Gale Online

"These guys are well organized. Almost too well organized." I move my binoculars around, getting a view of the large group of enemy players down by a river below. I've honestly forgotten why we're here, but Sinon wanted to do this job but with another group of players, so here we are hunting what I believe to be PKers. As one of two people who have enough GGO experience to lead such an operation, but the only one with leadership experience on big tasks, I stick to the highlands with my bird's-eye view and my devoted Arfa-Sys, Rei. "Are there more than I'm seeing?"

She nods. "I detect more hostile deeper in the woods, Master. Are you sure I shouldn't message Kureha and Zeliska for help?"

I fold my arms as I lower the optic enhancers. "No, I don't want to spoil their 'girls night out'. It's bad enough I took you out of it, Kureha is gonna hit me where it hurts. Would have asked Itsuki, but he's still busy with his investigation. Pito and the others are doing God knows what. So we can't rely much on Crimson Squad. Besides, I got two great girls here. You, my adorable Arfa-Sys, and my pretty sniper down below."

"This 'pretty sniper' can hear you."

I smirk as I scan the forest beyond the clearing. Checking my map, she's being chased towards the designated rendezvous point by two hostiles. "Sinon, we shouldn't keep lying to ourselves, we're a match made in heaven."

"Oh, I agree. Ever since we first met here in GGO, we had a connection. And our time together in ALO, SA:O, and the real world solidified it. But what are we to do about it?"

Nodding to Rei. I leap off the cliff and slide down to the woods below. "Well, there's a few issues, one being that Rei's a big talker too… But we can handle that, right?"

"We've tackled a rogue Arfa-Sys, a traitor, a Frost Giant, a virtual drug addict, a goddess, and a professor trying to steal memories. We also came in second and third at the fourth Battle of Bullets. I think we can handle those problems. What do you think?"

Landing on flat ground, I surround myself in a red aura and sprint towards the clearing. I can hear the sound of a motor. Right on time. "Ah, well… I think you should shoot those guys first."

"Ah, that's a good idea." I hear the sound of gunfire a moment later, one belonging to a sniper. "Shit, I missed! No, he dodged!" Sinon's vulnerable now, but I arrive just in time, grabbing her and allowing my Hyper Awareness skill to protect us. We passively dodge the assailants' gunfire until they realize they can't hit me. However, they do keep their aim on me, thinking they'll wait until the skill deactivates. But at that moment, they're too late to realize they're in trouble.

VROOM! A car leaps over us, interrupting the bullet lines of the enemy. They fire at the car but eventually retreat as the occupants fire back.

"This is a fully-automatic Tanegashima!"

"You dirty PK jerks, how do you like this?"

"Yeahyeahyeahyeahyeah!"

I don't know what frightens me more, Lisbeth with a shotgun or Silica on the machine gun turret. As the trio attack from the car, a smoke grenade is thrown, covering the clearing with a thick cloud. Too bad I don't need to see them to track them. "Rei?"

"They're retreating into the forest, Master. Back to the east, your right."

"Then you three are up," Sinon says as she reloads. "I'll cover you." I nod and equip my twin pistols, running towards the woods. As I come out of the smoke, I'm joined by Kirito, still using his androgynous male avatar he used when he infiltrated the game last year while Asuna has a GGO-version of her SAO/SA:O avatar. They activate their photon swords and follow me in pursuit of the hostiles.

"Their tactics are good."

"Someone is directing them from afar. That's the only good explanation I have."

"Heads up, boys, we're coming to them!" As we come into the clearing, an explosive is thrown by a soldier, only to be prematurely detonated by our resident sniper. With another thirty seconds left on Hyper Awareness, I ditch the pair of swordsmen and begin shooting on my own. One down, two down, three down. I see Kirito fell a guy and Asuna deflect bullets as she approaches another, only for another smoke grenade to cover the area. Backing off, we joined together in the center of the cloud. With my buff wearing off, I reload my pistols and switch to my own photon sword. Red, purple, and blue blades await the next wave of attacks, but as the smoke clears…no one but the three of us are present.

Kirito sighs. "Again?"

"Rei, tell me you see them."

"Sorry, Master. They retreated outside of my radar's range."

Frustrated that the enemy has escaped me again, I deactivate my blade and turn to the pair. "Well...let's head to the Glocken."


Kureha chuckles as she hears me recount the mission to her and Zeliska in the bar. "Of course you failed, Jaymes. You didn't have us with you. No offense to them, but...fantasy games and shooters are different."

Zeliska bends over at the end of the pool table, lining the pool stick up with the cue ball as she prepares to break. "Let him be, Kureha. At least he got his friends to convert over. Ever since that incident with that Ordinal Scale game, he's been here with us. Even got Itsuki to rejoin us."

Kureha grumbles under her breath as she looks back up at me. "Anyway, Rei is to be with me, correct?"

Rei nods. "While Master goes on vacation, Rei is at Kureha's service again."

"I wouldn't call it a vacation," I say as Zeliska breaks the shot. "It still works with RoboTelligence and Rath. The big part of my involvement is completed, so now I'll just oversee the simulation from outside the virtual world."

"Sounds interesting, but when you explained it, my head hurt." Zeliska moves over to my side as Kureha takes her turn. "But what is the virtual world there like? Is it like Sword Art?"

I nod. "Yes, but that's a shallow explanation for it. The best way to explain it is...well, the world itself is nearly indistinguishable from the real one. Not like VR at all."

Kureha sighs. "Yeah, complicated. But you know what isn't? Losing to a squadron with a perfect win rate. Fuka would be jealous."

"We're nearly perfect, though." I fold my arms, looking in the direction of my friends sitting together nearby. Most likely the six of them are discussing the fight like I am. Well, most of them. Kirito just fell asleep, freaking Lisbeth out. Way we've been working him, he deserves it. "Sinon and I drew the plan, even added some irregularities to it, but they got away all the same. Nevermind I don't know who is leading them. But it does remind me of Lievre's attack and that gang from a few months back. It's just as organized.

"Think the leader of that gang, her master, and today's enemy are the same?"

"Could be, but Lievre is a loyal Arfa-Sys. She hasn't spilled now, she may never. But that'll be crazy, the same guy who attacked the Glocken from behind the scenes is actually leading a PK squad… But in either case, what is he after?"

Kureha shrugs. "Who knows. Oh, Jaymes, can you talk to me afterward? If you're not going straight to bed, that is."

I nod as I step away from the pool table. "I can spare a few minutes. See you later, girls."


"You guys, thank you so much for helping us out."

"Hey, no biggie! Later!"

"I had fun!"

"See you!" As Klein, Silica, and Lisbeth log-off, it leaves Sinon, Asuna, and Sleeping Beauty with me. I stare at Kirito in concern. I know he's tired, who wouldn't be, but...well, he has been working extensively for the last three days. It is my fault, I brought him on board so I could do my part from the outside.

"All right," Asuna says, "I'm off, too."

"Um... Asuna," Sinon calls.

"What is it?"

"There's actually something I need your help with."

"You mean with the PK squadron?"

"Actually, it's something else." Sinon looks over to our right, where the top ten results of the fourth Battle of Bullets are displayed. Sinon came in second, myself in third. In tenth falls Kureha, in sixth Itsuki. I'm surprised I made it that far, but I'm not called "Lucky Red" here in GGO for nothing. However, I'm more proud of Kureha, she's finally gotten to where she wanted to be, a top player in the game.

But we can become stronger. The fifth tournament happens later in the year, and I will trade bronze for gold.

"Could you and Kirito meet with me on the other side tomorrow? Jaymes, you might as well come along too, it is for us."

"Is that so?"

"Let's see...the evening should be okay. Is Agil's shop all right with you?"

"Of course. Oh, I'll email you the gist of what I'm going to ask you. Read it over, okay?"

Asuna nods. "Roger… Uh, Jaymes?"

I sigh. "Yeah yeah, go call Suguha. I'll watch over him until then."

As Asuna and Sinon log-off, I turn to Kirito, still sleeping soundly. Patient as I am, I don't feel like waiting long for Asuna to call Suguha, then for Suguha to log off Kirito from the outside. And what if Suguha is unavailable? While GGO doesn't automatically log off inactive players, as I have spent many nights sleeping while logged on, I'm not dragging Kirito to my apartment.

So I kick him in the goods, and as he helps himself awake, I log off.


Taking my Amusphere, I walk out of my room down to Kureha's. I wonder what's important to talk to me about right now so late at night. Maybe it's an important chat, we are friends and housemates (close enough for us to have that joking conversation earlier) and I guess I'm easy to talk to. Maybe it's about my "trip" soon, maybe it is about something that she couldn't talk about around Zeliska In any case, I knock twice on the slightly open door before entering.

"Hey, Joshua."

"Hey, Mom… Momiji." I look away from the girl to my...hands. Yeah, the lines on the palms of my hand, a much safer sight than Momiji's black bra. Why are the girls ready to berate Kazuto in indecent situations but they're comfortable with me? Do I project a different vibe than him? Asuna and Strea being the exceptions (Strea isn't a human girl with human girl sense), Lis, Silica, Sinon, Philia, Rain, and even Leafa have been around me in either world in manners they would not be with Kirito, or to my knowledge at least. That doesn't include Kureha and the girls of GGO, but that's another story.

Then again, Momiji and I don't have the same relationship anymore ever since she moved in. We're not dating, we decided the time isn't right some time ago. Despite that, it hasn't been awkward at all. This is just more (or technically less) than I'm used to seeing at night. Anyway, Momiji doesn't take heed of my discomfort and continues talking anyway as I walk in the room. "Hey, sorry to keep you up, but I want to ask you a private question. But if you're tired, we can talk tomorrow over if you're not busy."

"It's fine," I say once I'm able to look at her. It's not like she's totally modest in her avatars anyway, though that doesn't mean it's okay to ogle her there in any world. "I have no commitments before tomorrow evening, so I plan on sleeping in. So shoot me your question, Takamine."

As I say that, her cheerfulness vanishes. She looks down at her covers, looking quite frightened. "This might be an odd question, but since I never saw it… How… How did Subtilizer catch you?"

I frown. So this is about the last BoB. Kureha, Sinon, and I were eliminated by the winner, Subtilizer, earning him his second victory (he won the first BoB too, long before my time in GGO). "He challenged me to a sword fight. We engaged in close quarters combat, but I decided not to use my Hyper Awareness. I was saving it for Sinon. In the end, he won. Caught me off guard and knife to the stomach… What about you?"

"Choked me out and broke my neck, same as Sinon. I can barely sleep without thinking about it."

"I guess that would keep you up."

"Yeah, so… When you killed in Sword Art Online, did it haunt you like that?"

I shake my head. "No, it didn't. I guess I had a different reason than you did. I intended it, for one, and two, I wanted to avenge those that were killed before. But beforehand, yeah, I had many terrible dreams. If it wasn't Koharu dying, it was Lisbeth. If not her, Silica, Asuna, Philia, Rain, Strea, heck even Kirito. But until GGO, I was fine, then came Itsuki's threat. I worried about everyone Death Gun could hurt. You, Rei, Zeliska, everyone in the squad, though I didn't know anything about that."

Momiji blushes and bears a smile. "I guess everyone is unaware of this."

"They wouldn't understand it. Most of the girls wouldn't. We were in SAO, but not all of us lost someone we cared about dearly to another player or the game itself. And while we were together most of that time… Ever since the Ordinal Scale incident, I've felt some resentment towards Kazuto and Asuna. Aside from Rika and I breaking up… They fought and came out of SAO together...but I left alone. Then I put the NerveGear on, risking my life again… Thanks Momiji, guess we both won't be sleeping tonight."

That makes her smile. "You're welcome."


The following evening

"Hello!" Asuna walks inside the bar first, waving to Agil who cleans up at the bar. She turns to our left, waving at the pair of Shino and Kazuto who are already seated. "Hey there, Shino-non!"

"A-Asuna and Joshua?"

"Hello Asuna, you too, Joshua."

I lower the umbrella and place it in the barrel. "Good, Kazuto, you're on time for once. Shino bring you up to speed on BoB V?"

He nods as Asuna takes her seat beside Kazuto and I walk over to Shino's side of the table. "Now that you mention it, it's crazy to think Subtilizer got on you too. The fight was quite entertaining."

I sigh. "And to think I almost did not use the photon sword the entire time. Still, he was tough."

"About BoB V," Asuna says, "it's okay with me!"

"You asked Asuna too?"

"Yes. I was a little nervous that you'd spin out of control on your own, so partly to serve as your limiter."

"Ugh," Kirito groans as he leans back, but I have to agree with Shino. Kirito might go off rails, so Asuna's presence should keep him in line.

"Hey, Kirito," Asuna says in concern. "You've lost weight, haven't you?"

"You think so?"

"You see? Even Asuna thinks so!"

"It's because of your part-time job with Joshua, isn't it? Really. Overdoing it again." Asuna pulls out her phone and quickly taps the screen. "It doesn't seem to be affecting you physically, but…"

"What are you looking at," Shino asks. She shows us. It's some kind of fitness app of sorts. "What's this?"

"Don't stare at it like that," Kazuto says crossly.

"Wait a minute…"

"Hold on, is this Kirito's…"

Asuna smiles brightly. "You guessed right!"

"B-But how does that work?"

"I have a miniature sensor implanted right here," Kazuto explains as he touches his upper left torso. "It sends information more or less in real-time over the internet to Asuna's smartphone."

Shino's surprise grows. "Wh-wh-why would you… Ah, it wouldn't be an anti-cheating system, would it?"

I chuckle at Shino's conclusion and the couple's embarrassment. "No, even I have one, but I don't have anyone stalking my heart."

"Joshua recommended it to me when I started at my current part-time job because it would be a hassle to stick electrodes on me every time. And when I told Asuna about it, she started using it for this."

"Yeah. Well, looking at it really sets my mind at ease. To see that Kirito's heart is beating. It makes me trip at little, you know!"

I grimace. "Shino, shoot me, please. My best gal pal doesn't trust me with her boyfriend's life and both of them are being icky again."

"I'm sure if I told Momiji about this, she'd feel the same." I shut up before Asuna makes that true. I know she can, I know she will… I slightly fear her.

"That doesn't sound very good, Asuna. Anyway, having you on my side gives me an edge. It equalizes me with Jaymes on the battlefield if Kureha and Itsuki join again. It's like having a heavy machine gun in a pillbox!"

Asuna takes Shino's hand. "You won't be sorry you picked me! Joshua, you're welcome too."

I scoff. "I have Kureha, that's enough as is. You two are just pawns on my chessboard. So yes, thank you. And Shino...I'll hand you another silver personally."

Shino chuckles. "If I don't hand it to you first. Now then… Let's hear about your sketchy new job. Though I'm sure it's as an alpha tester for some new VRMMO game."

Kazuto looks at me. Eventually, we knew this question would come up. Only Kureha and Zeliska are privy to the project, but they still got somewhat vague details on the project's purpose. But for our friend group, no one knows anything and I had avoided questions the last few weeks. Kirito became somewhat knowledgeable once I asked him for his help last week, but I don't even know how much he even knows. So, for the moment, I'll let him dictate what they can know and not know, and I'll fill in wherever I can. So once he sees me nod, he begins. "What we're testing isn't a game app. It's a brain-machine interface for a new full-dive system. It's being developed by Rath, with some assistance from RoboTelligence."

"I've never heard of that other company."

"That's the name of an imaginary creature that appears in Through the Looking Glass. Some say it's a pig, while others say it's a turtle."

"So they're going to release a next-generation full-dive machine?"

Kazuto shrugs. "I don't know about that. In the first place, it's completely different from the current full-dive tech."

"Different? What's the in-game world like?"

He stares at his cup of coffee. "I don't actually know."

"Huh?"

"Not that I believe he'd blab secrets," I speak, "but for confidentiality's sake, Kazuto doesn't remember anything that happens in the virtual world. Before you ask, I do have my memories, but I also work on the system. But for Kazuto, every last detail while under is forgotten."

"Forgotten every last detail? Don't tell me it's the same as the Augma?"

I quickly dispelled the thought, now that the girls are staring me down. "Oh, no no no! While they both affect memory similarly, our brains aren't put under any stress like that. Kirito doesn't remember because he doesn't make memories. The Fluctlight is blocking the hippocampus from doing that."

"Fluct…"

Kazuto looks at me. "Should I explain the general concept of the machine? The Soul Translator?"

"Yeah. I might take it too far."

He faces the girls. "Where do you think the human soul is located?"

"Soul?"

"In your head...the brain, right?"

"The brain is more or less a clump of brain cells, right? So where among the brain cells does the soul exist? All cells, including the brain cells, are supported by a structural network. Apparently, they're called microtubules. Tubes. In other words, hollow pipes. And there's something sealed inside those hollow pipes."

"What's inside them?"

"Light. Light. A fluctuating light photon. And that's what comprises the human soul, according to Rath."

"You mean that cluster of light is the human soul?"

I nod. "Righty-o, Asuna. Rath calls this thing that might be the soul is known as the Fluctlight."

"So the machine that reads Fluctlights is called the Soul Translator? But you could do the opposite as well, right? The Amusphere allows us to experience the virtual world by sending visual and auditory information to the brain, right? So couldn't the Soul Translator send information to the soul in the same way?"

"Yeah, that's right. The Soul Translator, or STL, writes short-term memories onto the Fluctlight to insert information of the sights and sounds it wants us to experience. Apparently, it's called mnemonic visual data. I have memories of my test drives at the very beginning, but it was different. It was completely different. Nothing like the VR world created by the Amusphere. At first, I couldn't even tell it was a virtual world."

"But is it really safe? It scares me. It was Mr. Kikuoka of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who offered you that job, wasn't it? You're working with him too, aren't you Joshua?"

"Asuna," I say gently while holding her shoulder. "You know I wouldn't put Kazuto in danger, especially if I was affected by it. I spent hours within the machine, and while my memories weren't blocked, my brain was still tested for irregularities and the same goes for him. As for Kikuoka…"

"It's true that I have to be on my guard around that guy… But I want to know where full-dive technology is headed. I have a feeling there's something about the STL. I mean, sure, terms like 'Fluctlight' and 'mnemonic visual' sound complicated. But the world created by the STL is like a realistic dream."

"A dream?"

"For example, you have long dreams sometimes, right? And when you wake up, it feels like you've been dreaming for two or three hours. But chances are, you've actually been only dreaming for a few minutes. The STL creates the same kind of phenomenon."

"Um…"

"The same way that humans see dreams spanning several hours in a matter of minutes, you can also experience the virtual world several times longer than the actual dive time."

"That's the best part of STL," I say. "Imagine playing a hundred-hour RPG in a manner of a tenth of the time or less. Or binging a season of anime in a manner of minutes. That's how it is to experience the world within the STL. It's called Fluctlight Acceleration."

"FLA for short."

The girls look at each other. I can see the confusion on their faces, but I don't blame them. I didn't get it until my first dive, same as Kazuto. "So during the three days you were driving, how much time did you spend inside?"

"I don't know. I don't remember whether it was ten days or a month. When I asked Joshua, he said he didn't know."

"And I don't know, truthfully. I just know that between days to years might've passed between dives."

"The only thing they told me was the code name of the experimental virtual world."

"Underworld."

"Under...an underground world?"

"You know, that could be from Alice too. See, that was the manuscript version of Alice in Wonderland was called. The original title was Alice's Adventures Under Ground."

I shake my head. "I thought Shino and I were bookworms."

"Weird," Kazuto frowns. "When I heard the name Alice, it felt like a memory was about to surface."

"Does that mean…"

"It's like… It's like there's something I need to do right away." While Kazuto looks away in some sort of despair, I lower my brow. As I expected, he has some residual memories from his dive, but not enough to draw a connection. From the time I oversaw his dive, I know there's someone called Alice in the Underworld, and that's the extent of my knowledge.


"Okay, I'll be in touch about BoB. Thanks for coming today."

Asuna nods. "Sure! See you, Sinon-non! And Joshua, drive safely. Pretend Shino's fragile."

I roll my eyes. "You could just get in the car… Fine, just get home safely in this rain. See ya." Walking away from Kazuto and Asuna, I walk with Shino down the alley to my vehicle.

As we head off, I suddenly begin to think about the girls' caution and worry, especially Asuna's. True, Kikuoka is someone I keep my guard up around, but after nearly a month of working with him, I don't distrust him. If my family believes in this project, then I have nothing to worry about my safety...yet I'm not diving in anymore, Kazuto has taken my place. What if...something happens to him? How can I look at Asuna, someone who has trusted me for an entire death game with her life and Kazuto's, and tell her he's hurt?

"You're too quiet. I'm almost home and we haven't said a word to each other. What's on your mind?"

"Asuna's words just got to me, that's all."

"Oh, her concern for Kirito? Understandable, you three are thick as thieves."

"It's not just that, it's… Well, you trust me, right?"

"Without question."

"Well, take that and intensify it. I think that's how it is with me and them. Kazuto is like a brother to me, but with Asuna, it's like the highest relationship a guy can have with a girl in a friendship. But if…"

Shino reaches over and grabs my hand. Thank the heavens we're parked in front of her house. "Back in Sword Art Origins, when we were waiting on some progress to be made in Premiere's quest, you came with me to the park to watch the sunset. During that time, I told you my story for the first time. I thought you'd feel shocked and didn't want to be around me, but then you told me yours. How you took on the same guild as Kirito and Asuna but somehow, you never felt guilt. Then you recalled holding that pistol at Itsuki, wondering if you could do it again. As similar as you and Kirito are, I learned something different about you. If it means losing your morals, if it means being the bad guy, in the end, you'll protect those you care for. You looked at me straight in the eye and told me you'd never let someone harm me again with all your power. I believed you then, I believe you know, but furthermore, Asuna and Kirito have believed in you for nearly four years. What you have with them...is a trust that so many treasures but don't obtain. I like to think we have it at times, but with them, it's apparent anywhere, anytime, any day. I don't think Asuna forgot that when she lost her memories of SAO. You defied Lis's wishes just because of that."

I make a half-smile. "Alright. Maybe you're right."

"Good. That's the tough guy I know." She gets out of the car, walking alongside me as we head to her apartment door. Once we are there, I lean on the rail as she unlocks the door. Once she does, she turns to me, a little nervous. "Do… Do you want to come inside?" I almost say yes automatically, but I hold my tongue as I look to the side. Shino realizes what she did and quickly apologizes. "I'm sorry, I… If you got to be home-"

"Momiji will be fine, she's probably shooting shit up. But I should tell her I'll be late."

"Uh-huh. And speaking of such, how is that going with you?"

"We're good. Business as usual." I say, looking up to her. "You know Rika and I talked, we're fine with each other seeing other people. The two months since we broke up have been fine between us. It's just… Even though I am free to mingle, whenever I hang alone with Momiji, I feel like I'm betraying Rika, that's all. I agreed to put aside an interest in pursuing a relationship with her right now. I just don't want to make the same mistake I did in SAO."

Shino nods, steps up close, and takes hold of a shoulder. "Joshua… I think you should think about it while you're away from us all. If… If you choose to not do anything, or go back to Rika, I think we all will be okay with that. But...if you choose to fully move on with Momiji, or anyone, then…well, she'll be happy. But it needs to be your choice, most of all."

"I know… Wait, thanks for the advice, Hecate."

Sinon then raises her toes and flicks me on the forehead. Enjoying my surprise, she turns around and opens her door. "Well, I'll leave the door unlocked for you. Don't keep this girl waiting."

"You can't just…not tease me for once?" Smiling, I watch her close the door and lean back against the railing, phone in hand. She's right. I do need to choose. Most of me wants to move on. I have Rika's blessing, and even if I didn't, she ended the relationship back in early May. But...there's still part of me that doesn't want to move on, and it is the stronger force. I don't know what to do, but maybe my research will allow me to sort my thoughts without any external factors.

Deciding I can text Momiji later, I start to walk inside Sinon's place just as my phone starts to vibrate. It's Asuna, she must be home now. "Hey Asuna, how… What?"


When I arrive, I see Asuna, Suguha, and Suguha's mother sitting outside the operating room. Once she sees me, Suguha leaps up and runs into my grasp. I hold her immediately, letting my hand flow through her hair as I look at the approaching Asuna. Immediately I start to feel guilt. "You should have come with me, I should've suggested it instead of…"

"Joshua," she says as she leans on my shoulder. "Tell me he'll be okay."

"...He better be." Time passes, and eventually, the emergency operation is over. Kazuto comes out alive but comatose. His heart was stopped for a long amount of time, possibly damaging his brain. Whether the damage is physical, mental, or both is unknown. The doctor advises Kazuto to be transferred to a place better equipped for his situation before taking Mrs. Kirigaya away for paperwork. Meanwhile, the girls look through the observation window, staring hopelessly at Kazuto.

I know a place that's better equipped, but...if I do this, it'll have to be in secret. Stepping away out of earshot, I dial a number and wait for the other end to pick up. "Kikuoka. I'm sure you've heard what happened to Kirito."

"Yes, I have, unfortunately as it is. But I'm assuming you're calling to help him. I'm ahead of you on that, but be warned: Your friends cannot know of this."

I nod. "Eventually, they'll find out. But this is not for them, but him. We'll bring him to the Ocean Turtle."

"Very well. We leave tonight as scheduled. Leave Kirito to me…"