It didn't take long for Nobunaga to announce to the players of ALO what he had done. At first people laughed it off, thinking it was the December event that had been announced months ago. However, after twenty-four hours passed and they still could not log out, people began to suspect what the stranger had said was true. That was when it happened, players began breaking down and fear began to seep into their minds, just like Nobunaga had wanted.
Some players tried committing in-game suicide to try and escape the game but it was pointless. As Nobunaga had said, they were simply reverted to level one and all of their items were taken from them by the system.
Chrome had invited the others to stay at his place for now until they could each get their own to save inn costs. Chrome slid out of bed and walked into his lounge room where Kotetsu was asleep on the couch. Arcadia had claimed the house's spare room and Vakross already had his own house so he stayed there.
Kotetsu rubbed his eyes as he slowly sat up, watching Chrome head into the kitchen. "Morning," the dagger user groaned, swinging his legs off the couch so his feet touched the floor.
"Morning," Chrome replied, turning on the stove. "Did you sleep okay?" he asked.
"I think so, it still feels weird being in here all day every day, even when we sleep," Kotetsu replied, getting to his feet. He strode into the kitchen, examining what Chrome was cooking. The scent of bacon caught his nose and he couldn't help but drool a little. "Man that smells good."
"Hopefully it tastes better than yesterday's batch," Chrome said, remembering the blackened meat he had served to his friends the previous morning. As if drawn by the scent of the bacon, Arcadia's head popped around the corner, the rest of her body soon following.
"Bacon. Need it now. Feed me," she grumbled, sitting at the dining room table, staring blankly at the wall ahead of her.
"You really don't like mornings do you?" Kotetsu asked, putting a pot of coffee on the stove next to the bacon.
"No. Anyone who does is insane," Arcadia replied, not even blinking.
"Here, eat pig and wake up," Chrome said, placing a plate of utterly delicious looking bacon before his teacher. Arcadia's eyes flung open and within seconds her fork was impaling the meat. Kotetsu prepared and served three mugs of coffee just as Chrome gave him his breakfast.
"Thanks man," Kotetsu said with an appreciative nod. Chrome finished cooking his own breakfast and sat down at the table. "So, what's the plan for today?" Kotetsu asked, looking over at Chrome.
"I'm not sure. I was thinking of going to see Muko, I really need to talk to her about everything," Chrome replied. Kotetsu nodded his understanding.
"I'll probably drag this one and go do some Col grinding, we can't be freeloaders here forever after all," Kotetsu said. He glanced at Arcadia who was eagerly devouring her breakfast.
"I don't really mind, it's nice to have company."
"Yeah but it's not cool stealing your couch." Kotetsu shot Chrome a bit of a grin. Chrome smiled a little, he knew his friend meant well and just didn't want to impose.
"Well, take as long as you need," Chrome said. He finished his food and coffee and got to his feet, putting his dishes in the kitchen. "I'm gonna head off, I'll see you guys when I get back," he said, equipping his gear and heading for the door.
"Be careful out there," Arcadia said, looking at her student with a serious expression.
"I will be. I don't plan on fighting anything," Chrome said as he left the house. He headed for the plaza, opening up his friends list as he walked and scrolling down to the M section. He spotted her name and clicked on it, then his finger tapped the message icon. He then proceeded to write Muko a quick message.
Hey,
I was just wondering if we could meet up and chat for a bit. You can name the place.
Chrome.
He clicked send on the message and sat down in the plaza, awaiting a response. It took a few minutes but eventually he heard the chime indicating he had received a message. He opened it up and checked the response.
Okay. I'll be in Algade.
Muko.
Chrome quickly read the short response and raised his hand. "Teleport, Algade!" he called out. He was engulfed in light and seconds later he was in the much busier city that was home to many of Aincrad's player-run markets and stores. Chrome looked around, waiting for the familiar face to appear somewhere near him. It took a few moments, but eventually Muko appeared, her eyes to the ground and a distant expression on her young face. Chrome slowly approached her.
"Hey," he said quietly.
"Hi," she replied.
"Um, is there somewhere you'd like to go? It's kinda noisy here."
"Just outside town, there's a hill overlooking a lake."
"I know it, let's go."
The two walked for a few minutes until they reached the place Muko mentioned. It was a rather steep and tall hill with a single cherry blossom tree at the top. The whole thing was covered in lush grass that was still damp. At the summit, the two were given a breathtaking view of a huge lake, glistening in the morning sunlight. Chrome and Muko sat under the tree, staring out at the water in silence.
"Chrome, do you hate me?" Muko asked, looking down at her legs.
"Why would I hate you? You're my friend," Chrome replied, his eyes were on the water still.
"Because I'm a Death Gamer, and I lied to you about it all this time."
"You didn't lie to me though. You never said you were just a normal player. It was something you chose not to mention and that was your choice. I'm sure you would have told me if I'd asked."
"But you hate the Death Gamers right? That's why you're the D Hunter."
"I don't hate DGamers at all, I just killed a few who picked fights with me, they gave me that title themselves. Sure I don't really see the point in what they do but everyone is entitled to their own choices right? I'm sure you have a good reason for being one of them."
"I only played as one because some people from my school wanted me to. It's such a stupid reason. I tried to leave so many times but they wouldn't let me, they said they'd hunt me down every time I was online if I quit."
"But you eventually stopped hanging around them after a while right?"
"Yes. When I started playing the game with you I stopped playing with them. I still played as a DGamer because I was afraid of them, but I didn't want anything to do with them. I know, it doesn't make any sense."
Chrome placed his hand on Muko shoulder and smiled at her. The girl looked back at him, blinking her tear-filled eyes several times. There were a few moments of silence before Chrome gently pulled Muko against him, holding her tight. The girl's eyes fluttered a few times before she began to cry into Chrome's chest.
"I was so worried that you'd hate me when you found out, that's why I ran. I'm so sorry," Muko sobbed quietly. Chrome shushed her quietly as he stroked her blue hair softly.
"It's okay. I would never hate you for something like that. You're my friend," he whispered. Muko continued to sob into Chrome's chest as he held her, leaning against the tree. Chrome waited a few minutes before smiling a little. "Geez, keep crying like that and you'll turn this hill into a lake too," he said with a quiet laugh.
"You're mean," Muko said, looking up at him and pouting. Chrome couldn't help but admit that it was possibly one of the cutest things he had ever seen. Of course, he was smart enough not to voice that opinion out loud.
"Hey, it made the tears stop though, right?" Chrome said, running his finger along the bottom of her eyes gently, wiping away her remaining tears.
"Still mean," Muko said, burying her face in his chest again. "Hey, can I show you something?" Muko said quietly, looking up at Chrome.
"Sure," Chrome replied. Muko got to her feet and slowly lifted up her tunic. Chrome noticed straight away that the DGamer tattoo was no longer present on her hip. Chrome was a little shocked however to see that the tattoo had been replaced with another, the new one being RH written in a cursive font. "That's…," Chrome began, looking at the letters.
"Ren Hikari, the first boy I fell in love with," Muko said with a nervous smile, her cheeks bright red. Chrome's cheeks soon matched and he rose to his feet.
"Geez, how am I supposed to respond to that you dork," Chrome said, closing his eyes and hugging Muko tightly. "I'm curious though, didn't you think I hated you?" he asked as he held the girl.
"Yeah. But I still felt that way about you, even if you did hate me. I'm glad you don't," Muko said quietly, a smile on her face.
"What am I gonna do with you?"
"Hugs are good, you can keep doing that."
Chrome shook his head slowly with a laugh and continued to hold Muko.
The two eventually returned to Chrome's house to find Arcadia laying on the floor and Kotetsu in the kitchen. Chrome raised an eyebrow at his sprawled teacher but figured it better not too ask as he sat down on his usual armchair. Muko however decided to ask the question.
"Um, Miss Arcadia, why are you on the floor?" the blue haired girl asked. Arcadia blew the purple hair from her eyes and groaned.
"The floor called to me, I couldn't ignore it," she groaned.
"She just didn't want to gather Col," Kotetsu said, preparing coffee once again. "Welcome back by the way," he said, smiling at Muko.
"Thank you, sorry for running off like I did," she replied.
"It's all good, you came back so just forget about it," Kotetsu said.
"You really like making this stuff don't you?" Chrome asked as Kotetsu handed him a full coffee mug.
"It's about the only useful thing I can do in the kitchen. Besides, you're letting us stay here so I have to help out somehow."
"Well thanks, it's a nice gesture." Kotetsu handed Muko a mug as well and the girl thanked him with a smile before sipping the warm beverage. "So have you thought of a place to get a house yet?" Chrome asked, looking at Kotetsu.
"Not sure yet. I was thinking Algade since it has all the markets but it is a bit pricey being a higher floor," he explained as he sat down. "Not sure where this one is going though," he said, motioning to Arcadia.
"I'll find somewhere," Arcadia said, getting off the floor and climbing up onto the couch.
"Yeah but you need money first," Kotetsu said.
"Don't worry, I'll go get some tomorrow," the older woman said with a casual wave of her hand. Kotetsu sighed and shook his head. There was a knock at the door and a familiar voice called out to the group.
"Yo! Anyone home?"
Chrome got to his feet and opened the door to find Hakuya on the other side. The tall spearman gave a small wave and Chrome let him in. "Morning all. Hello my Princess," Hakuya said, bowing before Arcadia.
"Keep moving," the purple haired woman said, sipping her coffee. Hakuya clutched at his chest with a pained expression before grabbing a chair from the dining room and bringing it into the living room.
"What brings you around here?" Chrome asked, looking at Hakuya.
"I was just in the neighbourhood and thought I should stop by, haven't seen you guys in a while. That, and not seeing the beautiful axe-wielding Princess made my heart ache each and every day," Hakuya declared rather dramatically.
"Keep dreaming Hakuya, never gonna happen," Arcadia said.
"Ha, you called me by my name! This means your love for me is beginning to blossom. Do not hide it, embrace it!" Hakuya said, flicking his fringe.
"Wow… this guy is really a glass-half-full kind of guy huh?" Kotetsu asked, looking at Chrome. The swordsman silently nodded in reply.
"Did you just come here to hit on Miss Arcadia?" Muko asked, raising an eyebrow at Hakuya.
"Well, perhaps. Yes, probably. No! I have a perfectly legitimate reason for this visit!" Hakuya said. Chrome tilted his head a little as he watched Hakuya, he reminded him somewhat of one of those dramatic theatre actors. "I found out what part the Death Gamers are playing in Nobunaga's plan," Hakuya said, his voice turning serious.
"Really, what is it?" Chrome asked, rising to his feet.
"It would seem he has them attacking players in the fields, trying to kill them. It would appear he has all of the Death Gamers under his command except for two of their guilds. The Gilded Templars and the Death Blade Alliance," Hakuya explained.
"The Death Blade Alliance… they're the ones led by that Kurogane guy right?" Chrome asked. Hakuya nodded in response.
"The Gilded Templars are a strong guild led by a martial artist named Veille. He's a nice guy, it's no surprise he didn't join Nobunaga," Muko explained. "They're a small guild who still play for fun despite being DGamers."
"Well I just thought I'd give you that little bit of information. With that I'll be off. Care to join me Princess?" Hakuya asked, rising to his feet and turning to Arcadia. The purple haired woman raised an eyebrow and Hakuya smiled. "You can't fight it forever," he said, leaving the house.
"I seriously do not like that guy," Arcadia scowled.
"Of course you don't, cause you love him," Kotetsu said with a huge grin. The grin soon disappeared once Arcadia's axe was drawn and aimed at the dagger user's throat. He swallowed and laughed in a degree of fear, slinking back slightly.
"I've been thinking," Chrome said, rubbing his chin.
"Don't do that, it's dangerous," Arcadia remarked. Chrome ignored the comment and continued.
"Why don't we form a small guild? We're usually all in a party anyway and at least this way we'll all have a shared storage that we can access and put items into. Not to mention we get a cool name that everyone can call us by when we go and kick Nobunaga's ass," Chrome said with a slight smile.
"I don't see why not, got a name in mind for us?" Kotetsu asked.
"A few, I'll need to decide on one," Chrome replied.
"Well heck, I'm in, sounds like fun!" Kotetsu said with an eager grin.
"Count me in too," Arcadia said.
"I'll join too," Muko said with a smile.
"If we can get Vakross and Hakuya to join, that'll make us a pretty strong group," Chrome said. "Now for a name," Chrome muttered, thinking to himself.
"Don't rush it. Arcadia and I are gonna go get some Col so think about it overnight and let us know in the morning," Kotetsu said, getting to his feet.
"Darn it, I don't wanna go," Arcadia grumbled, getting up and following Kotetsu out of the house. Chrome leant back in his chair, rubbing his chin as he played with several names in his head. One kept making its way to the top of the list. Azure Storm.