A/N Ok so I lied. Yeah this is being released like ages after last chapter. Apparently my mind cannot comprehend release schedules. On the plus side, I have 4 more chapters that are about 90% done. On the negative side, who knows when i'll get that last 10% done. This chapter was sitting at 98% done for weeks before I finally just sat down to do it. So yeah. Also I wasn't able to find someone to proof-read this chapter for me, so apologies if anything is hard to read, misspelled, or has bad grammar. Also also formatting kinda screwed up my chat sections, since it doesn't allow for text in different sizes. I promise that it looked good in google docs!

TL;DR I can't do release schedules, some areas will look weird bc formatting, and enjoy the long-due chapter!

The second thread

Oh please, not this again..!

I could feel myself falling, falling through an endless darkness. A blackness so thick that I couldn't breathe, a darkness so dense that I couldn't move.

At some point, I couldn't tell you exactly when, I felt a tile floor under me. The cold tile burned my skin, but I hardly noticed the pain because of the hard object I clenched in my hands.

My heart jumped into my throat as the part that I most dreaded finally came.

"I DON'T-ow!"

There was a sharp crack as I accidentally smashed my hand against the wall next to me. It hurt like hell, but I guess it wasn't too bad, seeing as it pulled me so suddenly and completely out of my nightmare.

"Gaaaah ow ow ow ow ow… stupid wall." I irrationally blamed the wall for my bruised hand. To satisfy my anger, I kicked the wall.

Obviously my brain wasn't working properly at that moment.

"Owwwww…"

Great job, Shino. Now you have a bruised toe to match your hand.

I shook my head and stumbled out of bed, limping toward the bathroom. Well, at least I didn't have far to limp. One of the good things about living in such a small apartment was that everything was extremely close at hand. If you wanted something, the most you had to travel was a dozen or so steps to go get it.

I turned the faucet completely to cold and let it run for a few seconds before splashing a large amount on my face. The front of my shirt was half soaked, but I ignored that as I glanced at the clock on the wall.

Just past four am… no way I'm getting back to sleep after that.

I threw my partially wet shirt onto a hook to dry and shuffled over to my computer, too lazy to dig out a dry T-shirt to wear.

"I wonder if anyone is on."

Living by yourself for a few years, you tend to pick up a lot of habits that might seem weird to other people. Talking to yourself, singing loudly along with your music, walking around shirtless, you get the gist.

I simultaneously opened two games, EVE Online and Destiny 2. I'd decide which to play depending on who, if anyone, was online.

As the two games booted up, I pulled up a chat application called Discord and tabbed over to my friend's list. The list wasn't too long, but I hadn't been playing online games for years for nothing.

The list of people I'd recently chatted with wasn't miles long, like the lists of some people I know, but I had a pretty sizable list of people I knew from various games. I dabbled in a few MMOs like EVE Online and Eternal Conquest, but for the most part I played First Person Shooters.

FPS's were actually the first type of PC game I played. Up until last year, my gaming experience was pretty much limited to the pay-to-win mobile games that were a dime a dozen. Pick one up for a week, drop it, pick up another one, drop it after two weeks, rinse and repeat.

But last year, one of the doctors suggested that I might try to play shooters in an attempt to lower my sensitivity to guns in real life.

Strangely enough, I took to them like a fish to water.

Without being affected in the slightest by my PTSD, I managed to climb into the top 1,000 ranked players in Japan in many mainstream FPS's. Certainly not good enough to make me anywhere near famous, but it gave me a sense of accomplishment.

I finally found something I was good at.

This didn't have the slightest effect on real life, but to be honest, I didn't really care. I found a world that I could be successful in. Sure, you can say that it's not real as much as you want, but really that doesn't matter at all.

Maybe the worlds don't exist in reality. Maybe I can never become the archer that's destructive power is on the level with a nuclear warhead that I am in Eternal Conquest. Maybe I can never become the fireball throwing, gunslinging, cyberpunk mage that I am in Destiny 2. Maybe I can never be the immortal capsuleer with a small armada of ships that I am in EVE Online.

But the people I meet and the connections I make in games are just as real as they are in the real world.

I saw a few people that were currently playing games, so I shot them a few messages first. I glanced through my recent messages and saw a bizarre name that I didn't recognize.

I clicked it, wondering who had changed their name. I couldn't help a laugh slipping out as I realized who it was.

Sinon Today at 4:13 AM

lol kazuto, shouldn't you be asleep rn? School in the morning

Sam please stop, you need to get help Today at 4:13 AM

I should be asking you the same thing right now XD

1 sec

Kirito Today at 4:14 AM

Oops

don't question my name

Sinon Today at 4:14 AM

XD too late, sorry man

Kirito Today at 4:14 AM

*sigh* rip

Sinon Today at 4:14 AM

i want to hear the story behind that at some point lol

Kirito Today at 4:15 AM

At some point maybe

Anyway, what's up? Not exactly normal for you to msg me at 4 in the morning

Sinon Today at 4:15 AM

nothing much really, just couldn't sleep so i hopped on

was going to play a match or two of D2

Kirito Today at 4:16 AM

Ah man, was just going to head off. Haven't touched my bed since I fell out of it yesterday morning

Sinon Today at 4:16 AM

dude! Go get some sleep lol you don't want to be a zombie at school tomorrow

Kirito Today at 4:16 AM

Oh? Is that a challenge i hear?

Sinon Today at 4:16 AM

no, no it's not

Kirito Today at 4:16 AM

Hm, i could have sworn I heard a challenge somewhere in there

Sinon Today at 4:16 AM

come on kazuto, just go to sleep XD

Kirito Today at 4:17 AM

Nty

i'm up for a couple rounds of D2 pvp if you are

I hit my head against my desk. This guy… I've known him for a few months now, and this is what he's always like. By now I should have known not to say something that sounds remotely like a challenge or like I'm doubting his abilities.

I guess the cold water and the pain didn't do a good enough job of waking my brain up.

Still, the boy's insistence on accepting an imaginary challenge cheered me up a good deal.

Kazuto was probably the only person I ever met that I just couldn't get a handle on his personality. Generally I'm good at judging people, my mom said that it was just a skill I was born with.

Never before had I met someone with such a conflicting personality. Sometimes it seemed like he was kind, sometimes it seemed like he was cruel, sometimes it seemed like he was generous, other times like he was greedy. But the majority of the time, strangely enough, I couldn't feel any kind of intent from him at all.

The only thing I knew was that he had no ill intentions.

Sinon Today at 4:18 AM

eh whatever, i'll bite

it's like you're going to go to bed even if I say no, right?

Kirito Today at 4:18 AM

Damn right XD

It'd just be sad if I went to bed after accepting your challenge

"Guuuuuuuuhh…"

I let out a noise that was disturbingly reminiscent of a dying zombie as I collapsed on the ground next to my black haired and hearted friend.

I felt a finger lightly jab into my side.

"Oi, Shino. What's up? Didn't get enough sleep last night?"

I blearily glared at the cheerful boy next to me.

"Totally unfair." I mumbled.

I slapped his hand away as he patted my head patronizingly. I shook my head violently, trying to clear some of the blur away.

"Here, catch."

Reflexively I reached up and grabbed the object that had just been thrown at my head. Kazuto popped open the top of his own can of coffee and took a big swig of it before motioning toward me with the can.

"Drink some of that, get some caffeine into your system. You're not a true gamer unless your blood is at least 34% caffeine."

I smiled and popped open the top of the can of coffee that he had just thrown me.

"Thanks."

"No problemo."

"So ho-"

I had barely opened my mouth to ask a question before I was cut off by Kazuto's phone ringing.

"Sorry, one sec."

He pulled out his phone, and for the first time since I've known him, I saw a look of surprise cross his features.

"Give me a mo, I have to take this."

I wordlessly nodded and stood up to give him some space. I walked over to the edge of the roof and looked over the school grounds. For the past couple months, Kazuto and I had been coming up here to eat lunch and chat about various things.

Various things meaning games.

The two of us were the only ones we knew at school that were into gaming at all, so naturally we hung out together most of the time. Well, the fact that both of us were extremely introverted and antisocial really didn't help much.

I suddenly felt a chill in the air and turned around. I recoiled slightly as I saw a terrifying expression on Kazuto's face. An expression that was halfway between hatred and fear.

"What do you mean, 'Special'? If you have any connec..."

I shivered as I heard the words he quietly spoke to whoever was on the phone. I could feel pure venom in them, a hatred I had never seen him come close to showing before.

But not even a second later, his expression reverted to his usual slight smile, making me wonder if it had just been my imagination.

Seemingly unconsciously, he gestured with his free hand in the air as he continued the conversation with the person on the phone. Finally he nodded a few times and gave a small laugh before hanging up and slipping his phone back into his pocket.

I raised my half-empty coffee can in greeting as he walked over to me. He picked up the can of coffee he had set down earlier, leaned against the railing next to me, and took a big gulp of it.

Randomly, the phrase 'Drowning his sorrows' popped into my head, but I dispelled the thought almost instantly. Where the heck would that phrase come from in this situation anyway?

"So what was that about?"

He tilted his head at my question, pondering for a moment before answering.

"A job offer, I guess."

"A job offer you guess?"

"Haha, yeah. Got an offer to help… develop some software."

I was slightly puzzled at his odd pause and hesitance at telling me anything, but I didn't have much time to dwell on it before the bell rang.

*brrrrrrng*

There was a crunch as Kazuto smashed his empty coffee can under his foot, and threw it into a trash can that was maybe 4 meters away.

"Yeah baby!"

I laughed as he fist pumped after barely managing to get it in the can.

"Well, I'll see you after class, Kazuto."

"Yep, see ya, Shino. Don't fall asleep!"

I shook the half-empty can of coffee in response to his comment.

"Now maybe 0.1% of my blood is caffeine. Should be good at least until we leave school."

"Yep!"

I couldn't see his face as he walked toward the stairway, but I could tell that he was smiling from his tone of voice.

"Now we just gotta work on the other 33.9%."

I shook my head, unusually depressing thoughts filling my head.

Maybe someday. I mean, sleeping isn't necessarily a very fun pastime for me.

The two of us reached the intersection where we part ways to go to our own houses, so I waved farewell to the boy next to me.

"See you tomorrow, Kazuto."

"Mmm"

I tilted my head at his noncommittal response. "What's up?"

He stood for a moment, thinking, but then to my surprise, he turned and started walking in the direction of my apartment.

"C'mon, Shino, I'll walk you home. I have some business up there anyway."

I could feel a slight blush rising to my cheeks as I nodded my head. "Sure, thanks."

"So, does this business have anything to do with the 'job offer' you got during lunch?"

Kazuto snorted at me putting air quotes around "job offer".

"Hey, it's a totally normal job offer! I'm just helping to develop some software for a company."

I glared at him in mock suspicion.

"I don't know, seems pretty sketchy to me. Who on earth would want a teenager barely in highschool to help them develop software?"

He attempted to flick my forehead in response, but I simply danced ahead of him, fleeing out of his range.

"Sorryyy~"

I drug out the last sound of the word, continuing to walk around 10 steps in front of him.

"I guess it's true when they say one of the most fragile things on this earth is a man's ego."

I grinned as I heard a sigh come from the boy behind me. Even though I couldn't see him, I was positive that he was currently rolling his eyes at me.

"Anyway, you never answered my question earlier. Does the reason you're so chivalrously walking me home have anything to do with the job offer you got earlier?"

"Nah, not really. I told a friend I'd come to visit her today. Had some stuff to take care of with her."

I smirked evilly at his words.

"Going over to a girl's house? Do I smell the coming of spring? Ahhhh, the beautiful smell of romance budding in the air!"

I glanced sidelong at the boy following a few steps behind me and had a terrible sense of foreboding. A premonition that I would regret this move sometime soon. Very soon.

Kazuto's phone started ringing again, so he pulled it out with a grumble. "Geez, seems like I'm the most popular person in the world today."

"Sorry." He nodded at me with an apologetic look on his face.

"No big deal." I waved my hand, showing that it didn't bother me at all.

"Yo, what's up?"

He answered the phone, but had barely gotten a greeting out of his mouth before both of us winced and Kazuto almost dropped his phone. A painfully exuberant voice yelled through the speaker.

"YOO KAZZIE WASSUP!"

I was too stunned to do much other than stand there in a daze and try to gather my wits, but even still, I started laughing at Kazuto's quiet exclamation of "Oh god please send help."

He held the phone a good 20 centimeters away from his face before he responded.

"I'm on my way over. What did you want?"

The girl on the other end had quieted down, so I could only hear a single side of the conversation. Which I was totally fine with. I mean, I'm not some kind of busybody, I have absolutely no interest in what Kazuto would be talking to some girl about.

Since I definitely had no intention of hearing their conversation, naturally I concentrated and did my best to hear the voice coming from the other side of the phone.

"Just wond… ...ing so…"

"This is pretty average speed by a normal person's standards, you know."

"...mean you're not…"

"Tell me one good reason I'd run at top speed to get to your house."

"Becau-"

"Anyway I'm walking a friend home. I'll be there when I get there."

Kazuto and I both winced again as there was a painfully loud sound of sobbing from the other side of the phone. I had no idea what was going on, but the girl crying on the other end still made me feel guilty.

Again, Kazuto pulled the phone about 20 centimeters away from his face as the girl spoke loud enough for even me to clearly hear. For reference, I was standing about half a meter away from the phone.

*sniff* "The day has finally come. The day that Kazuto gets a girlfriend and leaves behind poor little me, his only friend in life!"

I could feel my face turning red when the girl on the phone referred to me as Kazuto's girlfriend, and I unconsciously rubbed my cheeks in a vain attempt to force the blush down.

"How do you know I'm walking with a girl?"

"Oh come on Kaz, you know me."

"Anyway she's not my girlfriend."

"Oh good, that means I'm still-"

"You aren't my girlfriend, and you never were."

"So cold… Does that mean-"

"Don't even think about mentioning your brother."

"Guuh… Ah! So does this mean you want a harem?"

"No it doesn't!"

"Such a shame, I don't know how I'm going to break the news to Damon that he can't join your harem."

There was a loud smack as the boy's palm heavily struck his forehead. He closed his eyes and tilted his head up toward the sky, I could actually hear him mentally counting to 10.

He just let out a loud sigh and spoke in a tired voice into the phone.

"Alright, you win this one. Just hang tight, I'll be on my way as soon as I drop Shino at her house. See ya soon."

"Wait a minute, Kaz. Why don't you bring her over here? Introduce me to your girlfriend-slash-fellow harem member."

Kazuto glanced hesitantly at me, but I just shrugged.

"Why not? She seems like an interesting person." I said with a small laugh.

After walking for something like 10 minutes past my apartment, we found ourselves in front of a small house that seemed like it'd barely fit a person and their cat. Kazuto walked up to the door before turning to me with a serious look on his face.

"This is your last chance to turn back. I'm not sure if you can handle what lies beyond here."

His overly serious expression and words made me smile, so I responded with exaggerated solemnity of my own.

"I have prepared myself to face whatever horrors may lie within. Lead the way."

With an unexplained feeling of apprehension, I watched as Kazuto walked up to the door and opened it without even knocking.

"Oi, Aya, we're here!"

A miniscule girl, barely 150 cm, came flying out of god only knows where, catching Kazuto in a flying tackle. At least, that's what looked like was going to happen.

In reality, the girl charged at Kazuto, but he sidestepped at the last moment and gave her a light push on her back, sending her stumbling past me.

She turned around with a very obvious pout on her face. It didn't take much, but now I thought I had a pretty good grasp on what kind of person she was.

"C'mon, Kaz! You're no fun."

I saw a small smirk cross his face for a moment, but almost instantly he resumed his former stony expression.

"Sorry, was just reflex. If you see an exceptionally short monkey barreling at you, you'd dodge it, right?"

She gave him no response other than a very guilt-inducing pout, and walked over to me with an enraptured expression on her face.

"Hi, I'm Shino, Kazuto's friend. Nice to meet you."

I gave a small, awkward wave, trying my best at a friendly greeting, but she just ignored it and stared up into my eyes.

"Ummm?" I glanced at Kazuto out of the corner of my eye, but he just shrugged.

After a few long moments, she finally grabbed my hands and turned to Kazuto.

"She's mine now, Kaz, you can't have her. She's too cute."

Her straightforwardness and the unexpectedness of the situation threw my mind into complete chaos. I blankly looked at Kazuto, silently begging him for help, but he just stroked his chin, glancing between me and Aya with an appraising look on his face.

"Hmmm…"

"Kazuto..?" I shot him a pleading look, trying to figure out what to do in a situation like this.

He smacked his fist into his palm, and I knew I was doomed when I could practically see the lightbulb light up over his head.

"So you swing that way, Shino?"

My mind stopped for a moment, unable to register what he said because he looked so perfectly serious.

"NO I REALLY DON'T!"

Aya and Kazuto made eye contact and shrugged.

"Well I'm pretty sure that owning people is illegal nowadays, Aya. Anyway, I think you're traumatizing the poor girl."

Kazuto finally couldn't stop a grin from spreading across his face as the short girl looked up at me seriously for a few more moments before bursting into laughter. She wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and lightly waved her hand at me.

"Sorry about that, you just looked so fun to tease. And you're Kazuto's friend, so I figured I didn't need to hold back."

She stuck out her hand, and I shook it lightly, albeit with some feelings of caution.

Kazuto sighed and shook his head at her ridiculous behavior.

"You know, if that's how you treat my friends, you're never going to get any friends of your own."

The girl ignored him and shook my hand a few times before dropping it.

"Anyway I'm Aya, pleased to meet you, Shino. I'm Kaz's childhood friend, so just come to me if you need any dirt on him."

I glanced at Kazuto with an appraising look as Aya winked at me. Unexpectedly, Kazuto just waved his hand at us dismissively.

"Just wait until you find out how much she'll charge you for that information."

I glanced at Aya, wondering what he meant. She grinned at me and made a V with her right hand.

"Information on Kazzy starts at 100,000 yen. But since you're a fellow harem member, I'll give you a special deal of only 99,500 yen! One time offer!"

I glanced at Kazuto for a hint of what was happening, but he just turned away at her vigorous sale's pitch, badly concealing a smile. It was obviously one he'd heard plenty of times.

"Umm, no thanks. That's just a little outside of my budget. I'd love to get some nice blackmail material for Kazuto though, so just let me know if you have any other discounts."

"But that's one of my best deals!" Aya said with a pout, looking hurt.

"Give it up, Shino." Kazuto said with a laugh. "Getting Aya to give you a discount is like trying to squeeze blood from a rock. I'm amazed that she actually was willing to give you a 0.5% discount."

Aya nodded with a satisfied look on her face.

"Oh! I entirely forgot about what you came over here for, Kaz. Let me go grab it."

I looked at Kazuto curiously as the petite girl rushed off into the interior of the small house.

He just waved his hand dismissively at me. "I asked her to pick me up a couple of things. You see, she has a knack for picking up on good deals. Even with the 'tax' she charges, stuff usually ends up quite a bit cheaper."

Shino jumped in surprise as a faint crash and a yell of "i'm ok!" came from below us.

"Umm, should we go help her or something?"

Kazuto just shook his head at my worries.

"Nah, she'd be insulted if you went to help her. She doesn't like getting help from others. 'Professional pride' she calls it." he said with a chuckle.

"Here you go!"

Aya came out carrying a box that was at least half as tall as she was. With a grunt she passed it to Kazuto, but he just hefted it as if it were nothing.

"Geez, you could at least act like it's heavy out of courtesy." She shot Kazuto a scathing look and turned to me. "Geez, guys these days have no sense of delicacy."

I smiled and nodded. Something about this girl made you want to simultaneously smile and bash your head against the nearest wall.

I looked curiously at Kazuto. "So how much does that box actually weigh?"

"Hmm." he hefted the box lightly. "Maybe 50 kilos? Not too bad."

Aya and I exchanged glances, and we could clearly tell that we were both thinking the exact same thing.

He's crazy.

Kazuto's PoV

After I walked Shino home, I somehow managed to haul the massive box up to my room without being questioned by my "parents".

"Now let's see this 'software' I need to help develop."

I started tossing stuff out of the box, digging down to the bottom of it. Soon there was a small pile of computer parts, tools, snack food, and some other things in the middle of my floor.

"Aha, here we go."

From inside the huge box, I pulled out a smaller box that was maybe 40 cm long on each side. I pulled a strange looking helmet out of the box and set it on my bed before diving back into the larger box.

"This, this, also need this… oh probably need this too… definitely need a power cord, and I think I'm ready to go."

I plugged in the various cords and lay down on my bed with the helmet on my head. A semi-transparent visor covered my eyes. I glanced at the clock in the corner.

22:00? Guess I'm not sleeping for a while.

I closed my eyes and let out the breath I didn't know I had been holding.

"Link Start."

A/N I PROMISE WE'LL GET INTO SAO SOON!