EXTRA CHAPTER 1
For those who died in vain
-:-
May 13, 2025
"*huff* *huff*"
Raphael controls his breathing as he makes another lap around the large exercise field. His pace is just above a standard jog, but below a full blown sprint, thus soaking his clothes with sweat.
"Just how many laps did I do already?" The thought crossed his mind.
After a second in thought, he realizes that he doesn't know. And truth be told, he doesn't really care anymore. For now, he focuses on putting one foot in front of the other and powers his way for another lap around the field.
His father has always emphasized the importance of a healthy body to an otaku.
"One cannot enjoy his anime if that person is having a heart attack." This is his father's personal motto
As such, Raphael has acquired a habit of setting up a training rotation for himself and stick with it. Depending on his body's condition, he may increase or decrease the intensity of his work out. Because of his extensive gym know-how, a lot of adults often ask for his advice concerning their training regiment…. Which happens to be a very peculiar sight.
Imagine a bunch of adults seriously listening to the words of a kid….. a very peculiar sight indeed.
Anyways, it is important to have a schedule on which body part train per day in order to prevent a state called a PLATEAUING. At this state, the body becomes used to the stress of the work out and stops improving. As such, rotation of many different training regiments are important to keep the body from getting used to one particular program, and allows the body to keep improving.
In today's work out rotation, he focuses purely on cardio to increase his stamina. Jogging is the most appropriate form of cardiovascular activity for those who don't want to spend a dime in gym equipment.
Suddenly, a whistle is blown.
While still jogging, Raphael spots Mr. Kurasawa from the other side of the chain linked fence. Mr. Kurasawa is a slightly overweight man, sporting black combat boots, black military pants, light brown uniform and his signature 12 gauge shotgun loaded with rubber buckshot bullets.
'How does Raphael know that it's loaded with rubber bullets?' You ask?
Thru experience….. let's leave it at that.
"Just let me finish one last lap" He yells as he passes near Mr. Kurasawa.
With Mr. Kurasawa's thumbs up, Raphael quickens his pace. At the last 300 meters of the track, Raphael increases his pace to a mad dash. Though 12 seconds per 100 meters isn't a world record, Raphael is fairly proud of it.
Raphael slows his pace after crossing the finish line and heads for Mr. Kurasawa. "One hour already? That's pretty quick…."
" ONE HOUR ALREADY?! Oh how it does my heart good to hear you say that!" Mr. Kurasawa replies in an exaggerated manner. "It was just 5 ½ months ago that you could barely walk for 10 minutes. How far have you improved my young Padawan!"
Raphael bows low. "Thank you for your guidance Jedi Master Kurasawa"
Maki Kurasawa, or Mr. Kurasawa for short, is one of those rare prison guards who actually gives a damn about the inmates…. Or atleast the decent inmates. He is also an avid fan of a classic masterpiece, STAR WARS. It's not Raphael's cup of tea, but the he understands what Mr. Kurasawa feels.
Be it like, love, addiction or obsession, it matters not. A fan's passionate flame is not something reality, peer pressure or work can put out.
… Anyways, while talking about meaningless Star Wars trivia, Mr. Kurasawa escorts Raphael back to the place that he has called home for more than 5 months, the newly refurbished NORTHERN KANAGAWA CORRECTIONAL FACILITY…. AKA, An old, abandon, and newly refurbished prison somewhere between Tokyo and Kanagawa.
Yes…. Ever since the end of the SAO incident, those players who have craved blood has been sent to prison. Based on the story circulated through the media, they are suppose to receive counseling before they are released back to the public.
While it is true that he has received a lot of counseling for the past 5 months, Raphael cant help but feel that it is a waste of time and money.
To him, a counselor is similar to a psychologist. Both are expensive and both are worthless. If Raphael wanted counseling, his father is the perfect source of wisdom…. And more importantly, asking his father is ABSOLUTELY FREE.
"First world problems… retards… retards everywhere…."
A person who is incapable of solving his own metal issues deserves to waste money on someone who does nothing but listens and pretends to understand.
Raphael knows that he is greatly underrating the importance of Psychology to the human race, but hours and hours of I understand that it's painful, it's not your fault does strain his sanity.
"Its not my fault? Get real. The PKs may have started it, but killing 61 people was MY decision alone. I am just as guilty as anyone else"
-:-
Life in Northern Kanagawa is fairly lonely and very tough on Raph.
For some reason, visitors are not allowed ever since he was locked up here. It's not only him though, as all of the inmates have not seen their families in over 5 months.
The reason actually was simple and very logical.
Technically speaking, all of them have committed murder. However, the law can't punish them since PKing is a common occurrence in online games. As such, all players with a kill count of 3 or more must undergo Intensive Psychological Evaluation before they are judged either fit to rejoin society, or criminally insane and must be locked up. Just like everyone else, his Psychological Evaluation is about 6 months long and his sentencing is in 2 days.
However, isolation was never his problem. He didn't spent majority of his SAO life in hiding for nothing. The main reason his life is so hard right now is because amongst the 50 inmates from all over Tokyo, he is the only PKK.
In short…. For PKK FAUX, the entire Northern Kanagawa Correction Facility is a death trap.
This is the main reason why Raph works out daily. If he wants to survive until tomorrow, he needs all the physical strength he can get.
"Well… I just hope they'll be reluctant to do anything to me… considering what happened to the LAST that crossed me."
Raph heads for the cafeteria for a late lunch. Surprisingly, the prison sports a wide selection of food is available to the inmates. It even puts his previous school to shame. But more importantly…. ITS ALL FREE!
"Man… I kinda feel sorry for all the law abiding tax payers…" Raph thought as he takes another bite of his blueberry cheese cake
After eating, Raph takes a bath, burrows a book (Hunt for Red October) from the prison library (yes… surprisingly, they have their own library here), then heads for his cell on the 3rd floor of the 5 story building.
The moment he steps out the stairs, his spider senses tingled.
The hall leading to his cell is devoid of any people. He looks at the other floors and observes the other inmates. Despite their best attempt to look natural, it is clear that they are excited about something.
"You have got to be kidding me…." Raph sighs. " I guess I'll be sending another one to the ICU."
The instincts that kept him alive since SAO kicks into high gear. He slowly walks forward while keeping an eye on the audience's reaction.
3 cells pass when he suddenly notices that he has the audience's full attention, a clear sign that the ambush is just ahead. The moment he goes past the 4th cell, he faces his attacker and ducks down…. And not a second to soon, a sharp pain seers through his right cheek.
Raphael immediately counters.
He charges at his assailant and pins him on the wall. With his right arm on the attacker's neck and his left arm restraining the opponent's weapon, Raph thwarts the ambush. With that, he finally gets a good look at his attacker.
The attacker is a tall, bald, geeky looking kid using a shiv made from a toothbrush with a sharpened butt. He looked like one of those creepy otaku kids that gets isolated from the rest of the class. Raph has nothing against that type of person….. On the contrary, prior to the SAO incident, majority of his friends are otakus and alike. On a personal level, they might have been good friends.
Unfortunately for his assailant, this is the REAL WORLD. The gaining a single stat point here takes a lot of effort and dedication. And ofcourse…. The REAL WORLD has one annoying function that SAO doesn't have….. PAIN
The effects of Raph's 5 month training regiment instantly shows. He repeatedly smashes his knee into the attacker's nuts, all the while, tightening his grip on the arm holding the weapon until the attacker drops it.
The moment the shiv hits the floor, Raph drives his left hand into his right arm, which in turn drives into the attacker's windpipe.
FUN FACT: The windpipe is one of the most fragile parts of the human body. Even a light press from a finger causes a bit of discomfort.
Now… image how much pain a full force blow would cause?
Mr. Attacker finds out the hard way as he crumbles to the floor in agony.
Raph begins to leave but a thought crosses his mind.
"Hm…. The guy must have mustered a lot of courage to face me. It would be rude if I didn't respond with equal ferocity, right?"
Raph goes back to Mr. Attacker and carries him on his shoulders. He then carries him near the edge of the floor.
"Woo… that's a long way down.." Raph thought.
Much to the horror of the audience, Raph lifts Mr. Attacker over his head and prepares to do the unthinkable. However, before he could do that….
"Hold it right there, Raph!" a familiar voice shouts from behind along with the sound of a shotgun being primed and ready to fire.
Mr. Kurasawa stands right by the stairs with his 12 gauge aimed at Raph. "Raph, theres no need to do that. You're better than them"
Raph ponders for a second, then changes Mr. Attacker's position to make sure that his legs go down first.
"RAPH! DROP HIM! NOW!" Mr. Kurasawa yells in desperation.
After a second of silence, Raphael laughs manically. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Interesting choice of words Mr. Kurasawa!"
Indeed, Raph drops Mr. Attacker… 3 floors down.
Without delay, Raph feels a sharp and familiar pain on his side, knocking the living daylights out of him.
"That's gonna hurt in the morning"
His consciousness fades as he hits the floor. However, before he completely blacks out, he hears a distant scream of agony somewhere on the lower floors. This is a clear sign that Raphael has accomplished his objective.
"Alive yet in agony…. perfect"
-:-
May 14, 2025
AKB48 THEATER, AKIHABARA
"Finally…. This 1 week nightmare is over…."
Angelica Shiro Norton leans her tired body on a nearby wall. She takes a sip from her energy drink, while taking great care not to dirty her overly fashionable clothes. Indeed, they are cute, but she wouldn't be caught dead wearing it in public… though more importantly, its not hers.
It takes 2 certain breeds of people who can endure the shame of being seen in such clothes. The common breed is called COSPLAYERS…. while the more special, more famous, and much more overrated breed is called IDOLS.
Despite her great dislike for the over sexed up loli troop of Akihabara, Ange has just finished her 7th day as one of team K's Idols. Of course, there is a short story behind all of this fiasco.
1 year into the SAO incident, the GYM RAT's receptionist, Karami Yokasia was discovered for her amazing talent as a dance choreographer. With a little push from Thomas Norton, Karami left the gym and became an authority in the dance scene. Since then, she worked on many projects with big time dance groups until AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, tracked her down and made her an offered she couldn't refuse.
Despite all of Karami's success, she makes tons of excuse to return to the gym. She even went as far as using it as her student's practice venue. There has been a lot of theories to Karami's somewhat questionable attachment to the GYM RAT, but Ange can see right through it all.
Karami Yokasia has a one sided love for her long time employer/father figure, Thomas Norton. Most people dismiss it as a daughter looking up to her father, but Ange can see herself in Karami. Like Ange, Karami is in love with someone forbidden to her. However, Ange was lucky enough that her beloved Ani-sama accepted her feelings.
She can only pray for Karami's happiness…. and safety. If Ange's mother finds out….. lets just say something VERY BAD will happen to Karami.
Anyways, back to the topic.
After the SAO incident, Karami volunteered herself to take charge of Ange's and Raph's rehabilitation. Unfortunately, Raph was imprisoned just 12 hours after SAO, thus leaving Ange as her only student.
As expected, Karami's rehab training comprised mostly of dance routines that she taught to the AKB48. In 6 months time, Ange's dancing skills is par to any member of the AKB idols. For that reason, Ange became a substitute for those unexpected emergencies, such as what has happened 7 days ago.
4 regulars of the K group was food poisoned after eating something created by a certain member of the AKB48 who cant cook even if her life depended on it. Their names were not disclosed to Ange for some reason….
Whatever the case maybe, Karami begged Ange to sub in for the less known members of the group, which in turn, position her at the very back of the dance group. Unfortunately, even with the least notable position, she gained instant fame amongst the pedophilic audience….. much to her disdain
"Well, I guess it cant be helped…. I AM a beauty and a genius. No matter how famous these girls are, I am bound to stand out."
Yes… as a natural born Albino and a very pretty girl, she easily stands out.
While Ange gloats in her mind, a towel is offered to her by someone.
"Splendid work Angelica Norton." Said a beautiful, very well endowed, blond twin tailed girl.
"Thanks, Remi" Ange accepts the towel.
From what limited knowledge Ange has on idols, Remirura Hiiro (Remi for short) is probably considered as a monster by many. With her looks and overly formal mannerisms, she was able to take the top 2 spot in the popularity polls….. all within a record breaking 2 months after her debut.
Despites all of Remi's success, she remains the well mannered, high class lady that she always been, which further catapults her fame into new heights.
"So… what do you want?" Ange has an idea on what Remi wants, but she asks anyways.
"What I desire…. Hmmm… if anything, I would prefer if my bust size was smaller. Constantly carrying this E cup tends to take a toll on my shoulder" Remi massages her shoulder
Ange is SLIGHTLY pissed. Her breast size is a modest B cup, and she is not ashamed of it. However, there was once a saying A maiden's worth is measured by her bust size, thus it feels like she lost something when bigger breasts are in the vicinity.
"Just tell me what you want from me cow tits!" Ange replies with a voice filled with killing intent.
"Ho ho ho ho. That is why I appreciate your company so much. You are one of the very few people who would speak to me in such an uncouth manner." Remi replies in delight. " To the topic at hand….. I know this might sound presumptuous, but may I request that you take up the mantle as an Idol of AKB48?"
Ange double takes. "HUH?! Are you expecting ME to be a fap material for those pedophiles?! 7 days already pushing it! There is no way I'm doing that ever again! Got it?!"
To Ange's surprise, Remi chuckles heartly. "…. I see. That is too bad. A worthy rival such as yourself would make my idol career less torturous."
"Ho… not a fan at waving your cow tits in front of the perverts huh?" Ange replies."Why not quit?"
Remi sighs. "Tis unfortunate, but such a thing is not in my nature. When I commit, I see it through….. Though this time, I deeply regret such a mindset."
Ange ponders for a bit. "Well… how about getting yourself fired?"
"Oh…. Do tell" Remi replies with great interest.
"Well…. There is that NO BOYFRIEND rule. Just grab some random guy pretended to be a couple. Simple and effective"
"Excellent plan if I say so myself… however…" Remi twiddles with her thumbs like a love struck maiden. In a small voice, she replies."…. I… already have …. someone I promised my heart to… so…."
"Ho! Ho Ho ho ho! Remi has a crush on someone?! That's new!" Ange replies in glee. "So? Who is it? Spill the dirt!"
Remi laughs weakly. "It shames me to say this but… I don't know his name. Tis but a love at first sight sort of affair. I've only met him a couple of times and had dated him only once. However, those events where enough to make me heart flutter like never before."
"Wow…. How romantic! An unrequited love has always been the butt of every shoujo anime." Ange stands and offers Remi a handshake. "As much as I want to cheer you on, I have to go before that producer guy catches me. I hate dealing with that pig"
"Tis was a short time, but you have become a very dear friend to me." Remi shakes Ange's hand. "May our paths cross again Angelica Shiro Norton"
"I doubt that, Remirura Hiiro. I highly doubt that."
-:-
May 15, 2025
OUTSIDE THE NORTHERN KANAGAWA CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
The last 2 years has been a very trying time for Thomas Norton. He may not voice it out much, but he deeply loves his family, and he would do anything to keep them together. However, when the SAO incident came to pass, it was like his entire spine was ripped out. There wasn't a day that he would just sit in his children's room and cry his heart out. The only reason why he was able to pull through it all was because of his wife's support.
When SAO ended and both of his kids came out alive, Thomas was so happy that he could (and would) run naked through Tokyo and not give a damn.
Ofcourse, his happiness was short live as Raph was imprisoned. Never the less, Thomas is confident that his family will be back together in no time.
"Hm… I haven't been near a prison in a while now…" Thomas Norton said to himself.
His family and their next door neighbors, the Karasuba couple, are currently at the prison where his son is about to undergo his sentencing. Before they went in, Angelica insisted that they wait for a friend of her's to arrive. This actually comes as a surprise for Thomas, seeing how most girls despise Ange out of jealousy and insecurity, thus isolating her from any girl group. The fact that she has someone she calls a FRIEND fills Thomas with so much joy.
"Atleast SAO was good for something"
A few minutes later, a taxi stops in front of them and drops of a petite 14 or 15 year old, black haired girl. Sporting a Black Sabbath shirt, baggy brown shorts and red chuck taylor shoes. She would have pulled off the punk rocker look if it wasn't for the large, white cat hairpin on her head . She cannot hide her petite, loli goodness from Thomas Norton's well trained moe detector.
"You're late!" Angelica approaches the petite girl. "Explain yourself, Kaori Kurashima!"
"Nyahahaha. Sorry about that." The girl named Kaori replied. "There was this traffic jam at-"
"On second thought, I don't want to hear your worthless excuses." Angelica rudely interrupts. She grabs Kaori by the hand and pulls her towards Thomas and Ayime. "You wanted to meet my and Ani-sama's parents right? Well, here they are."
Kaori panics. "W-wait! Already?! Hold on! I-I'm not mentally prepared yet!"
"Shut it! I have no patience for cowards." Ange pushes Kaori in front of Thomas. "This is what you wanted. Stop belly aching and get on with it!"
Kaori stiffens at the sight of Thomas Norton. She attempts to speak a couple of times, but only small squeaks manages to escape from her mouth
"LOLI MOE! LOLI FREAKING MOE! " Thomas rages in his mind while keeping a straight face.
"Who are you?" Ayime asks in a cold manner, causing Kaori to shrink back
"Now now honey. No need to say it like that. You're scarring the poor kid" Thomas says to Ayime.
"T-that wasn't my intention…." Ayime sighs. "Dear, can you talk to her for me? I'm not really good at this sort of thing"
"Sure thing." Thomas turns his attention to Kaori. "Anyways, how about you tell me your name and what is your relation to our family. Let's start with that."
"I-I-I'm K-Kaori Kurashima! I'm Raphael's L-lover! Nice to meet you!" Kaori bows low.
"Nice to meet you too. I am Thomas Nort-WHAAAAAAAAT?!" Thomas roars, much to everyone's surprise.
He turns his attention to Angelica. "Ange! What's the meaning of this?! I thought you were his lover?"
"I am. I'm just allowing Kaori to share. Nothing more" Angelica replies arrogantly.
A couple of weeks after the SAO incident, Ange confessed to her parents that she loved Raph as a man, not as a brother. Thomas wasn't really surprised about that. There have been so many instances that hinted Ange's forbidden affection for her brother.
Thanks to watching innumerable amounts of incest themed anime, Thomas has already developed a resistance to such a thing. He even secretly cheered Ange on.
However, the problem lies with Ayime Norton. After Ange's confession, Ayime exploded in shock and anger. There was a lot of screaming and an agonizing 1 week silent treatment followed. Just when all hope seemed lost, Ayime Norton breaks the silent war and asked Ange a simple question.
"Do you love Raphael?"
"More than you'll ever know." Ange replied with such determination that Ayime was instantly convinced.
That's all in the past…. because right now, a new problem has arisen.
"Ange… are you seriously okay with that?!" Thomas grabs Ange by the shoulders and shakes her exaggeratedly.
Much to his surprise, Ange replies in a small and embarrassed voice. "Papa…. Kaori is my first best friend…. So…."
It finally hits Thomas.
For most of her life, Ange has been isolated from the rest of the crowd due to her beauty and arogance. It would be understandable if Ange would take great care of the first person that she considered a BEST FRIEND…. even if it means sharing what she holds dear.
"Well…. I guess it cant be helped" Thomas sighs. He turns his attention to Kaori " Anyways, nice to meet you Kaori. I'm sure that you guys don't want to delay your reunion with Raph, so let's head in, shall we?"
With that said, everyone heads in.
.
.
.
However…. There is ONE minor detail that pisses off Thomas
"Raphael…. My own flesh and blood…. HAS A HAREM?! &*#&^$! IM SO JEALOUS!"
-:-
The guards led the group to where the sentencing is to be held….. the cafeteria. It isnt really surprising though, seeing how the fairly ancient prison was hastily refurbished.
As they enter the fairly empty hall, Thomas spots a few faces that he didn't expect to see.
Near the middle of the hall, 6 very dangerous looking people sat nonchalantly. The aura they radiated was so intense, that the 10 armed guards cant help but be extra cautious around them. In the middle of the group of muscular men stands a woman with long, bleach blonde hair and a beautiful face covered in scars. With a pure black business suit and light brown long coat, it is clearly implied that she is Russian in nationality.
"Catherine Yvoska?! What the nine hells are you doing here?!" Thomas yells out as he approaches them.
" *Sigh*… Is that any way to greet a friend?" Catherine cooly replies.
"I cant help it. The only time you and prison goes together, is when you are locked in it"
"Hahahaha! I doubt there's any prison that's crazy enough to lock me in!"
Thomas ponders for a bit. "*sigh*…. It scares me how much that makes sense…"
"It's scary because its true." Catherine violently pats Thomas on the shoulder. She turns her attention to Angelica. "Ho…. You've grown a lot since I last saw you, Ange."
"Its been a while Aunt Catherine. I'm glad to see you again." Ange replies with a curtsy.
"Such manners. You've grown into a fine young woman when I wasn't looking. I'm glad to see that I had no influence on you whatsoever." Catherine says.
Catherine turns her attention to Ayime….and the room temperature suddenly plummets as the two throw death glares at each other.
"Its been a long time Cathy. How are you?" Ayime says with an overly polite voice.
"I'm fine, thank you for asking." Catherine replies in kind.
Based on their voice alone, it was crystal clear that the 2 women despise each other, much to Thomas' displeasure.
Because the USA's policy of sticking its hands on everyone's business, Catherine Yvoska and Thomas Norton have gotten to know each other through the USA's more questionable agendas. Despite being in different sides of the law, they always had a MORE THAN FRIENDS, LESS THAN LOVERS type of relationship. And more importantly, Thomas knew Catherine way before he met Ayime.
Due to the nature of Thomas' work, no further information can be divulged about the 2's activities. However, just to give some perspective, Catherine's organization provided information of a certain terrorist group in a certain country in the middle east. Using that information, Captain Thomas of a certain destroyer class ship launches a certain cruise missile into a certain heavily populated city and kills several high ranking members of that terrorist group. As a reward, Catherine's organization monopolizes the drug trade in that region.
Unfortunately, the rest of the details are highly classified. Those who are interested will just have to use their imagination.
Anyways, back to the topic. Thomas has repeatedly stated to Ayime that there is absolutely NOTHING between him and Catherine. Yet despite that, Ayime has been hostile to Catherine since they met.
"By the way Catherine, why are you here? This is MY son's trial. You have nothing to do with it" Ayime says, clearly emphasizing the word MY, pissing off Catherine in the process.
"I am his godmother. I have every right to be worried for him as you do." Catherine replies with a bit of force in her voice. "Besides, the kiddo helped out Andre during SAO and we people from the ORGANIZATSIYA pay our debts 3 folds"
As the two continue their…. conversation (?), the prison warden/judge/ head psychologist enters the hall. Much to everyone's surprise, a straitjacketed Raphael surrounded by 4 armed guards follows right behind the warden.
"Oh! Everyone's here? And here I was expecting to be a forever alone guy. I'm touched!" Raphael says nonchalantly as he approaches the stand.
After a few seconds of silence, Thomas Norton recovers from shock.
"O-oi… Kid… whats with the get up?" He asks.
"Ah this? It's just for show. Don't worry about it dad." Raph replies as he undoes the arm binds, which further confuses everyone.
"Err… why?" Catherine asks
"Well, technically speaking, this place is considered a nut house. Its only natural to restrain the most dangerous inmates when they meet anyone." Raphael shrugs. "The straitjacket is mostly for formalities sake."
Before they could asks any more questions, the warden interferes.
"Ahem… Good day to everyone, please sit where ever you like. My name is Hotoko Nasu, and I will be the one that will be evaluating Raphael for today."
Everyone takes a seat.
With all eyes on Hotoko Nasu, the trial begins in earnest.
-:-
"We are gathered here today for the trial of Raphael Norton on the grounds of murder. I assume everyone understands that Player Killing in SAO is murder, correct?" Hotoko asks.
Everyone nods in affirmation.
"I see. Then here is another question….." Hotoko pauses for a second. "Does anyone of you know how severe his crimes are?"
"Not really. Andrei here will not talk at all." Catherine replies cooly. "He insists that all will be revealed in court."
An uneasy silence fills the hall.
"Actually….. Ange said the same thing" Thomas says.
Thomas looks at the Ange and Kaori for answers, however, the 2 girls avoids his gaze as they shift uncomfortably.
"I do not understand. So what if he killed a couple of people? A lot of people in my organization have done the same." Catherine says.
As much as Thomas wants to disagree, he has to agree with Catherine. Though he never personally killed anyone, many of the cruise missiles that his ship fired has resulted in casualties. Based on the reports, his missiles have killed at least 42 people.
"No one knows huh…" Hotoko sighs. He turns to Raph and asks. "Can I tell them?"
"Sure. Its not a secret anyway." Raph replies.
"I see…. Very well." Hotoko sighs once again. He turns back to the audience and says. "Raphael Norton, AKA FAUX in SAO, holds the highest PK count of 61."
The news shocks the non SAO players.
"Does everyone understand?" Hotoko continues. "This means that Raphael Norton has killed 61 people in the span of 2 years. For killing large numbers of people over a large span of time, Raphael Norton is labeled a SERIAL KILLER."
The hall is silent. Even the guards were in shock. And ofcourse, Thomas Norton was especially shocked.
"Can a 16 year old kid really kill so many?" is the thought crosses everyone's mind.
Once again, Hotoko clears his throat. "Ahem… as for the motive, I ask Raphael to state his side of the story"
All eyes focuses on Raphael, causing the boy to shift on his chair a bit. He takes a deep breath and begins to speak.
"Mr. and Mrs. Karasuba, do you know how Gino died?" Raphael asks with a voice devoid of emotions.
"No… We assumed he was killed by a monster." Mr. Karasuba replies.
Mr. Karasuba might not look like it, but he used to be a diehard net gamer prior to his marriage, which explains his knowledge of the RPG realm.
"Wrong. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but he was killed by other players, right before my eyes."
Shock spreads on the Karasuba couple's face as the news is hammered to them like a lead hammer. What shocks them even more is how relaxed Raphael is delivering the horrible news.
"The anger that I felt at that moment, literally, drove me insane" Raphael continues. "By the time I came back to my senses, 4 people died in my hands. And that's how it started."
Raphael pauses for a second, as if he was on a trip to memory lane, the he continues.
"My motive is plain and simple. For the murder of my best friend, I swore to kill the murderer and everyone else that stands in my way. I ,and many others, swore that we will get our revenge."
An uneasy silence fills the hall. A few seconds later, Thomas speaks up.
"At what cost kiddo… at what cost?" He says
"….Anything that I can allow myself to sacrifice." Raph replies, pissing of Thomas in the process
"EVEN YOUR LIFE?!" Thomas roars in anger.
How can he not be angry? His own son, whom he also considers as one of his best friends, just said that he doesn't value his own life. Thomas didn't just invested 16 years of love and care just so Raph can throw it away.
"Then tell me something dad… what if mom or Ange was murdered and you know exactly who the murderer was. Will you not put all of your efforts to get revenge?" Raphael calmly replies.
Unfortunately for Thomas, Raphael has always had a knack for reading others. Raphael's statement hit Thomas at the point where he could not retort. Indeed, if he was in Raphael's shoes, he would have done the same.
Raphael notices this and continues on.
"Mr. and Mrs. Karasuba. If I told you that I know what the killer looks like, would you allow me to hunt down and kill her?" Raphael asks.
The couple makes a difficult face. After a couple of seconds of consulting each other, Mrs. Karasuba speaks up.
"No. We wont allow you. We understand more than anyone how you feel after Gino's death, however we cannot allow that you destroy your life any further." Mrs. Karasuba bows low." Im sure Gino wouldn't want you to go down that horrible path. Please…. let it go"
Raphael stares at the couple emotionlessly. A couple of seconds later, he shrugs exaggeratedly.
"Suite yourself." He replies as if it was not a big deal.
This action confuses everyone. Even the psychologist, Hotoko Nasu, didn't expect Raphael to give up so quickly.
"Raphael…. Do you not feel any anger towards the PK's" Hotoko asks.
Raphael shrugs in reply. "Not really. Not anymore atleast."
"Why?"
"Hmm…. I guess I'm just tired of all of this."
"That doesn't make any sense. Please elaborate."
Raphael thinks for a bit. "They once said that killing become easier the more you do it. I guess that's whats happening to me right now. I've grown tired of killing, that's all."
"And this is coming from someone who sent 4 people to the ICU in the past 5 months?" Hotoko replies, much to Thomas' surprise.
"Wait… What?! What's this 4 people all about?" Thomas asks, dreading the answer that he will receive.
"Oh…. I forgot about that." Hotoko says. " Well… since it was self defense, I figured it wasn't necessary to include it here. But seeing how you are family, I guess you have the right to know."
Hotoko clear his throat. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, Raphael, a PKK, was assigned to this prison which houses mostly PKs. As a well known PKK, there have been multiple attempts at Raphael's life…. However, all of those would-be-killers were met by violent resistance, thus the would-be-killers ended up with severe injuries."
"Ho…. What type of injuries?" Catherine asks with great interest.
Hotoko Nasu then enumerates Raphael's victims. However, he refrains using any of their names for privacy purposes.
:-: Victim 1 attacked Raphael while he was on kitchen duty. Victim 1 was thrown into a large pot chicken curry. Victim 1 suffered 3rd degree burns in many parts of his upper body. Victim 1 also suffered permanent blindness.
:-: Victim 2, a large man, attempted to bully Raphael in the dining hall. Victim 2's face was horribly disfigured after being smashed into the table repeatedly. Victim 2 may need to undergo surgery due to catastrophic damage to the facial muscles and bones.
:-: Victim 3 attacked Raphael in the showers. Victim 3 received a badly bruised throat, punctured eardrums, multiple rib fractures and a horribly beaten pair of testicles. Victim 3 is already undergone an operation to stop the hemorrhaging within his testicles
:-: Victim 4 ambushed Raphael in the 3rd floor using a makeshift knife. After a short fist fight, Victim 4 was thrown off the 3rd floor. Victim 4's legs were shattered in 532 places and may never walk again, unless he undergoes multiple operations and years of rehabilitation.
"Good lord…. Where you trying to kill them?!" Thomas asks in disbelief. Much to his surprise, Raphael laughs in reply.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Ofcourse not! I have absolutely no intentions of killing any of them!" Raphael replies with an evil smile. "Killing them is the easy way out. I want them to suffer for as long as possible."
"But why?" Hotoko Nasu calmly asks. "If you have no hate for them, why make them suffer?"
Raphael stares at Hotoko Nasu for a bit, then replies. "This is my duty to the ones who didn't make it. At the very least, I want to avenge those nameless people who died senselessly."
Once again, the hall is silent.
Raphael's words is full of dedication to his cause…. Yet despite that…. Why can Thomas spot a hint of sadness in his son's eyes?
Was it regret?
Was it guilt?
Was it sorrow?
Whatever it was, it has just made Thomas Norton realize something….
"Raph….. you're not happy that you survived?"
After a couple of seconds in silence, Hotoko Nasu speaks up.
"I see… Very well. Let me ask you something…. How do you plea?"
"Guilty in all charges" Raphael replies immediately
"I see…. Then let us end this evaluation." Hotoko Nasu stands up and faces everyone. "Well then…. Based on my observations over the course of 5 months, I announce to all that is present that Raphael Norton is fit to return to society and is to be released immediately….. that is all"
Everyone was stunned. Thomas is sure that if it was physically possible, Raphael's jaws would have hit the floor.
"H-Hold on! I just killed 61 people in cold blood and you're just gonna let me go?! Are you insane?!" Raphael protests.
"I'm a psychiatrist and my job is to find out who has officially lost his marbles." Hotoko replies. " You, on the other hand, is as sane as anyone can get. In short, I have no business with you. You may leave now."
"I may be sane, but I'm also a criminal. There's no way you can just let me off like this!"
"Listen Raphael, technically speaking, Player Killing cannot be punished by the court of law." Hotoko replies. "You can't simply convict someone with no proof, even if that someone surrenders himself."
"Even so…."
Hotoko approaches Raphael and places his hands over the young man's shoulders
"Raphael, there are many people waiting for you in this world. Now imagine how they would feel if they never saw you again …..Are you sure you want them to experience the same agony as you did?"
Raphael grits his teeth at the thought.
Thomas doesn't know what happened to his son during the SAO incident, but based on Raphaels reaction, it was no doubt something no one should experience.
-:-
1 MONTH LATER
Somewhere in Tohaku
Raphael stares at the peaceful plains of Tohaku from a porch. The short time alone came at a good time, seeing how Raph has short list of issues he needs to set straight.
Raphael's first month back in the real world has been….. mind boggling to say the least. However, after 2 years within a death game and 6 months within a prison that wants him dead, no one can really blame him.
The sudden loss of danger in the atmosphere is what shocked Raphael the most. He no longer had to watch his back every few seconds, nor did he have to constantly observe his surroundings for possible ambushes.
In short, Raphael is at a loss. He no longer understand the ways of the world he lives in, and more importantly, he cant find his place in this peaceful world.
"I guess this is what those WW2 soldiers felt after the war."
….Anyways, the Norton family is currently at the 3rd day of their family 1 week vacation in a small classical hotel managed by Ayime Norton's younger brother. It only has about 30 rooms, but each one of them has a classical Japanese feel to it.
Rin Yuuhi, Ayime's younger brother, is Raphael's type of guy. He is bald, slightly overweight, and his hobby is making his own classical weapons. Most of the otaku weapons that Raphael owns were ordered from Rin Yuuhi. Among these weapons are Excaliborg from Beating Angel Doruko-chan, Kanshou and Byakuya Fate Stay night, the claymore of Teresa of the Faint Smile, and many more.
This is the main reason why Raph is such a penny pincher. A single weapon normally costs him an arm, a leg and about 3 months of weight loss, however, such a thing is a small price to pay.
Normally, Raphael and Rin would be able to talk leisurely about their hobbies, however for some reason, the inn is abnormally busy. Every employee is practically rushing their job despite only having 4 groups of customer.
While Raphael was considering to ask an employee, Rin approaches him.
"Yo Raph! Sorry for not being able to talk to you. Things suddenly got hectic" Rin takes a sit beside Raph.
"What's up?" Raph asks.
"An idol was suppose to come here in 2 days….. then suddenly, BAM, her manager calls and says that they will be here in 30 minutes!" Rin sighs." As much as I appreciate Ange's advertisement to the rich and famous, I would really prefer if they don't do this last minute changes. Its bad for the heart"
"Oh yeah, she did tell me about that 1 week AKB thing." Raphael replies. " But in my opinion, this is a good thing. She's finally making friends."
Rin nods in agreement. "True…. That sharp tongue of hers has kept potential friends at bay. Its good to know there are people who can see through her tsundere personality."
"By the way, are you sure you have the time to rest? They'll be here in a few minutes."
"Don't worry about it. We've done what we can do. The rest is up to fate."
They relax and talk about their usual topic….. weapons in anime. This time around, they debated if Gilgamesh's GATE OF BABYLON is considered a weapon or not. Raph considers it as a weapon because it is similar to a machine gun that fires the strongest bullets. To Rin, the gate is a teleporting device, not a weapon.
And as expected of 2 otaku's, their debate became so intense that it was about to turn into a fist fight. Luckily, one of the employees rushed in to report to Rin.
"Sir! They're here!" The employee said.
"Got it. Get everyone ready. I'm guessing we have 10- 20 hours before the paparazzi's hound the inn" Rin replied. He then turns to Raph. "Come on kid. Meeting a real live idol is a once in a life time experience."
"Yeah sure… I'll finally get to see whats so special about these so called idols" Raphael replies.
Rin gives Raph some info about the VIP while they head for the main entrance.
Remirura Hiiro is a friend of Ange's during her 1 week as a temporary member of the AKB48 and the youngest child of Takamura Hiiro, the owner of the SCARLET SHIPPING INDUSTRIES, 3rd largest cargo ship fleet in the world. They ship pretty much everything, from minerals used for making cement to the latest brand of Prada shoes. And though it is not publicized, they own a bunch of smaller shipping companies which ships narcotics, and to a lesser extent, weapons for war. All in all, she's one of the most powerful 16 year old girls in the world.
Surprisingly, it seems that Thomas Norton is also an unsavory connection with the Hiiro's. Prior to the secret collaboration between the USA and the Russian Mafia against a certain terrorist group, the Scarlet Shipping Industries had the monopoly of the narcotics and weapon shipping in that area.
NOTE: The Scarlet Shipping Industries only TRANSPORTS the illegal materials. They don't SELL them.
After the fall of that certain terrorist group, they lost the territory to the Russian, which in turn, losing millions of dollars in shipping fees. Ofcourse, they tried to take it back, however, a couple of tomahawk cruise missiles was all it took to bury their hired guns 6 feet into the ground.
Somehow, Takamura Hiiro found out that Thomas Norton was at the center of all of this, and attempted to take revenge. Unfortunately for Takamura, good old Uncle Sam takes care of his people. As such, he wasn't able to Thomas Norton out of fear of being at the receiving end of a tomahawk. Yet despite that, Angelica Norton has made friends Remirura Hiiro.
"It seems that the sins of the fathers are not the sins of the sons…. Or daughters in this occasion."
As they approaches the main entrance, a suspicious sight causes Raph to stick to the wall.
15 business men, each with the body similar to Thomas Norton, entered the hotel. In the middle of that wall of muscle, a horribly familiar girl stands.
"Blond twin tails, big breasts and a goth loli dress…..so…. Remirura Hiiro is Flandre… Ironic"
Raph's main target whom he thought was out of his reach, suddenly walks into his territory. From the looks of things, Ange doesn't know that she has befriended Gino's killer. It cant be helped though, seeing how Flandre isn't among the famous PKs.
What surprise Raph the most, is his lack of emotion. He didn't feel any of the rage that had driven him in SAO. He probably could just let Flandre walk away and not be bothered with it.
"Now its official….. I really did get tired of killing" Raphael turns around and begins walking away.
"Oy Raph! Where the hell are you going?" Rin asks. "We're meeting a REAL LIVE IDOL. That's not something that happens every day."
"Nah… I'm not into those over sexed up hump dolls." Raph replies. "By the way, do you still keep those weapons of yours in the same place?"
"Ofcourse and all of them are in mint condition!" Rin puffs his chest in pride. "Why? You'd rather be surround with swords than babes?"
"Something like that. I'll be back in a few hours"
"Okay! But I promise you my friend, you're missing out"
"I doubt it."Raph turns and leaves.
His mind instantly begins drafting up plans. How to lure Flandre from her bodyguards. What terrain should he fight her on. What weapon should he use. How will he dispose of the body once he's done. How will he be able to get away with it. What are the after effects of this operation.
Yes…. Even if he no longer has any hate for the PKs, he will not let this opportunity pass. He must kill Flandre before she moves out of his reach.
'Why?' Do you ask?
The answer is simple.
"This is for those who died in vain"
-:-
12:00 Midnight
Remirura Hiiro, or Remi for short, watches the miniature garden in silence. Today was one of the most pleasurable days she had since exiting SAO. Angelica Norton, her new found friend, has never ceased to entertain Remi ever since they met.
This time around, Ange wanted to show off her older brother who also happens to be her lover. As a girl, the thought of incest aroused her curiosity much more than her disgust.
"What type of person could make his own sister fall in love with him?" The thought plagued Remi's mind since Ange revealed it to her.
Unfortunately, Ange's brother seems to have left the premises and has yet to return.
"Most unfortunate. I am sure that our meeting would result in an interesting conversation"
Despite that, Ange and Remi still had a good time. They played ping pong (Remi lost horribly), watched TV, took a dip in the hot spring, and gossiped until Ange fell asleep. It was a typical event when 2 girls meet, and it is without question, a very pleasant experience….. but never the less….. something was missing.
Ever since the end of SAO, Remi suddenly felt very empty, as if her life has lost all meaning.
In desperate attempt to fill the void, she pursued her former dream of being an Idol. However, even as she quickly rose to the top, it was not able to fill the void. Aside from her time with Ange, her entire life became an agonizing existence with no purpose what so ever.
The only comfort that she has was her memories of the hooded warrior that once haunted her like the grim reaper himself. At first, Remi ran and hid in fear. But as time passed, that fear turned into curiosity.
"Who was this person? What is he like? Why does he hate me so?"
Those were the questions that plagued her during her days in solitude. Eventually, her curiosity overwhelmed her caution, which resulted in her quest to find her would-be-killer.
In SAO, the names of the players are not displayed to other players for security reasons. Because of that, simply changing clothes is enough to make anyone disappear.
Eventually she found him and began stalking him in order to find his weaknesses. As her days of stalking came to pass, she discovered that her would-be-killer was nothing like her initial image of him. Despite his terrifying aura in battle, Remi soon discovered that he was a cheerful and eccentric person. Despite his manly appearance, he has a strange obsession with sweets, which is very weird for a guy.
Before she knew it, she had already spent days just watching the person just for the fun of it. She pondered for days why would she do such a senseless thing. The thought then dawned on her…. Maybe… just maybe, Remi has fallen in love for the very first time?
The moment she accepted that fact was the moment she started to look forward to their violent rendezvous.
But that is now all in the past.
Now she lives in this peaceful world…. where she has absolutely nothing to live for.
As she laments over her past, she spots a figure in the middle of the miniature garden. The white hooded figure wields a spear on the left hand and a dagger on the right. And though Remi cant see his face from this distance, she can feel his intense gaze upon her.
Her body freezes up, as if someone grabbed her by the neck. All of her thoughts freeze as a familiar fear seeps into her soul. However, it only took her a couple of seconds to snap back to her senses. She changes from her nightgown into a fashionable black goth loli outfit.
She sneaks out her room by climbing down the window and heads for the garden.
Even if her instincts and common sense pleads her to turn back and run for her life, she completely ignores them and heads to her love and her death.
-:-
"…. That worked?... really?"
Raph is very surprised how well his current plan is proceeding. It is a plan so stupid that no one in their right mind would try it.
….Yet here comes Flandre….
"I guess I underestimated just how nuts she is..."
At the beginning of the hunt, Raphael's preparations and plans were perfect and ready….. except for minor one detail… How in gods name was he suppose to get to Flandre?!
Between him and his target were 15 highly trained professional bodyguards, each with a physic that can snap Raphael like a twig. Thus, forcing his way to Flandre is out of the question.
He has considered using stealth to sneak into her room, and he actually believes that it has a fairly high rate of success.
Why?
Because aside from the boss battles and story driven encounters, he has finished DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION, all METAL GEAR SOLID games, All HITMAN games and All SPLINTER CELL games without firing a single shot at non important enemies.
However, he was forced to abandon it when he suddenly realized that there was no mini map in real life…. Sad…
With his main plans down the drain, Raph used himself as bait in hopes to lure Flandre out in the open. He had absolutely no confidence that it would work….. yet she stands only 10 feet away from him.
"Not the most elaborate plan I have ever thought of, but beggars cant be choosers."
The two stared silently at each other for a second.
"F-Faux-sama?... Is that really you?" Flandre asks with a voice filled with excitement.
Raphael remains silent for a second.
"My name is Raphael Shirou Norton." He replies with an emotionless voice.
"Oh my… how polite. Then allow me to introduce myself. My name is Remirura Hiiro. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Raphael-sama" Remi replies with a curtsy.
Remi giggles like a love struck maiden, much to Raph's annoyance.
"Fu fu fu. We truly are tied by the red string of fate, are we not?" Flandre twirls like a ballerina in joy. "To think that you were Ange's beloved older brother! Tis as if the gods of love has forced fate to bring us together!"
As Remi rambles on like the yandere that she is, Raph ignores her and began scanning the surroundings. He clears his thoughts and listens for any sounds in the immediate vicinity.
Aside from Remi and the wind, the nearest source of sound is a bunch of footsteps from the second floor where Remi's room is located. It is a clear sign that they didn't know that Remi was here.
"3 minutes tops…. If I cant end it within that time span, I'm screwed"
Raphael throws the spear near Remi's feet, signifying the end of her rambling.
"Oh my…. What is this?" Remi asks innocently.
In response, Raph draws his dagger and points it at Remi.
"Oh?... Oh! I see! We have yet to dance together, have we?" Remi takes the spear and twirled it with the skill of an experienced practitioner.
"…Crap… She's THAT good?!"
Due to their lack of any direct combat with each other, Raph has greatly underestimated Remi's fighting abilities. Based on visual confirmation alone, Remi's aptitude with a spear greatly exceeds Raph's ability with a dagger.
"Le fuk…. I am screwed!"
Remi readies her spear and says " Let us dance, my love!"
The final battle begins.
-:-
The serene night is disturbed by unholy sound of weapons vibrate through the air. Two figures danced a ballet of death within the moonlight garden as if they were the only beings in the world.
Raph's dagger meets the incoming spear head on, knocking it away in the process. Without any delay, the butt end of the spear comes from the other side, which Raph has already anticipated. He dodges the incoming blow and quickly rushes forward to close the gap between them, which pressures Remi to go on the defensive.
4 minutes into the battle, Raph has slowly gained ground against Remi. Initially, the difference in skill forced Raph to go on a defensive. But as each second pass, both realized that though Remi has skill, she has nothing more. She lacked the combat logic that can only be gained from large amounts of life and death battles.
And that experience is Raph has in abundance.
Raph continues his aggressive defense. He blocks, parries and dodges all the strikes that come at him while inching closer to force Remi into knife range.
Remi moves back to create some distance between them, but Raph sticks to her like glue and keeps on the pressure.
In a desperation, Remi swings the spear like a bat which catches Raph by surprise.
He instinctively shields himself with his right arm which took the full blunt of the blow. The agonizing pain he receives forces him to let go of his weapon. To add to his agonized arm, the spear's head was able to put a large gash on his right cheek.
Dispite this, Raph wears a twisted smile on his face.
It wasn't the way he planned it, but Remi is now within his range.
"EAT THIS!"
Raph throws a left straight which lands on one of Remi's arms. It is quickly followed by a right uppercut which connects with Remi's jaw, causing her to stumble and fall. In an added benefit, Remi's spear was launched into the air and landed somewhere on a nearby porch.
Remi makes a mad scramble for the porch, showing her back to Raph in the process.
"Big mistake!"
Raph goes on the attack, but a sharp pain shoots up his arm, bringing him down to his knees.
"Oh crap…. That doesn't feel like a bruise… A bruise doesn't hurt this much."
Raph has felt this pain once before, and that was when he got his leg broken after he was pushed over a flight of stairs.
"Bone fracture…. Well… that's what happens when a retard tries to stop a spear with his bare hands."
By the time Raph has recovered, Remi was the spear was almost within her grasp.
"Like hell I'd let you!"
Raph grabs the dagger by his feet and hurls it at Remi's out stretched hand. The dagger impales Remi's sleeve into the wall, leaving Remi completely free of injuries. The two cant help but stare at the dagger in awe.
"Holy crap…. That was unexpected" Raph thought.
On the other hand, Remi laughs like a lunatic. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Superb! To throw a dagger with such accuracy in the real world! Raphael-sama, you truly are amazing"
"I hate to break it to you Remi, but I missed. "
Raph had every intention to skewer Remi's arm when he threw the dagger.
Putting his dagger throwing skill aside, Raph grabs a random rock on the ground and slowly makes his way to Remi. It wasn't an ideal weapon by any standards, but it should be enough to squash Remi's head like a tomato.
"HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" A manly voice yells.
It was one of Remi's bodyguards. From the looks of things, they finally realized that Remi was not in her room. But more importantly, the bodyguard is holding something undesirable in his hand.
"A Gun?! Damn it!"
Raphael's mind abandons all notion of thinking and focuses on one thought alone.
KILL!
With adrenaline coursing through his veins, he bites the bullet and launches himself at Remi. But before he could get to Remi, 2 small darts sinks into his side, followed by a massive influx electrical induced pain. Raph's muscle locks and he falls to his knees in agony.
"A taser? Thank Go-"
Before he could express his relief, a large fist sinks into his face and the world fades to back.
-:-
A familiar ceiling greets Raph's awakening.
"Oh right… We're at Rin's inn right now."
He attempts to sit up straight but massive waves of pain shoots through his body.
"ARGH! What the hell?!"
He forces himself to sit up while trying to remember the plate number of the truck that ran him over. Before he could rise from the bed, a gentle pair of hands pushes him back down.
"Raphael-sama, tis not the time for you to leave bed. Your body has yet to recover from our recent incursion" said an overly formal voice.
"Flandre?!"
Raphael stands up and adopts a defensive stance, but his injuries instantly takes its toll and forces him on his knees.
"Tis as I said Raphael-sama, you are too injured to move. Please rest your body for the moment" Flandre said as she helps Raph back into the bed. "And please call me Remi."
An uneasy silence follows.
Raph's mind is currently in overdrive right now. His eyes scans the room in search of weapons and possible escape routes.
"Oh… I see. Please wait a moment Raphael-sama" Remi stands up and heads for a nearby closet.
A few seconds later, she finds what she's looking for. She returns to Raph's side and hands it to him.
"This should put your mind at ease."
In Raph's hand lies a large tactical combat knife, much to his surprise and confusion. She gave him a weapon and placed herself well within his attack range. Not to mention that she's unarmed.
"Is she crazy?!... oh wait….. This is Flandre we're talking about…. Ofcourse she's crazy."
He analyzes his situation. From the looks of it, Remi has no intention of harming him. If she wanted him dead, she had plenty of chances while he was asleep. For now, he can trust her.
"So… what happened after that? " Raph asks
Remi smiles softly. "Well…. After our rendezvous, I instructed my guards to bring you to my room for treatment. By morning, I informed your parents that you where you were and how bad your injuries were"
Raph sighs. "I bet my dad went ballistic"
Remi giggles. "hi hi hi. Indeed, he did speak a few incomprehensible words."
"Well then…. I guess I have some explaining to do."
Once again, Raphattempts to stand, but Remi gently pushes him back down
"Please be at ease. I have already told them a suitable story for your injuries"
Raph stares at her in disbelief. "I'm not gonna like this, am I."
"Fret not, for my story is perfectly reasonable and sound." Remi replies.
Apparently, Remi and Raph have met each other through the net (This is true, but at the time, Raph wanted Remi dead), and eventually they met offline (this is true, though they only met yesterday). Due to Remi's hidden aspiration of becoming an action star (this is a lie), she pestered Raph to fight her like they truly want to kill each other. Raph was very reluctant about the idea (this is a big fat lie), but after weeks of pestering, he finally agreed to fight Remi the next time they met.
Yesterday, the two met in secret and fought with all of their might, yet they were mindful not to cause each other any lasting damage (this is false… they wanted nothing more than to cripple each other). Because Remi didn't tell anyone about their meeting, the bodyguards overreacted and beat the living day lights out of Raph.
"And they believed that?" Raph asks.
"Naturally. Tis not my intention to brag, but my acting skills are second to none" Remi puffs her chest in pride
Raph facepalms in disbelief.
"*sigh*…. Killing you just got much harder"
Remi's reaction to his statement was nothing he ever expected. Remi laughs heartily, as if she heard a good joke.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! You seem to misunderstand something Raphael-sama. The moment you failed to kill me yesterday was the moment that killing me became impossible!"
This makes Raph very uneasy. "W-what are you talking about? I can easily kill you right now"
"True. You can make short work of me right now. However, have you ever thought of the consequences if you do succeed?"
"I'll get thrown to prison or be executed. What about it?"
"Is that the best your insight can reveal to you? " Remi giggles, much to Raph's annoyance "Fu fu fu. Very well. I shall reveal to you what you have not considered."
"I have a baaaaaaaaad feeling about this…"
"Now that I know your real name, so does my father." Remi smiles like an angel… with horns and a pitchfork. "Not only does he knows your name, it would not be hard for him to find the names of your cousins, uncles, friends, acquaintances, and so on and so forth. I assume you know where this is heading, correct?"
Indeed…. Raph can tell where the conversation is heading….. and it pisses off Raphael to no end.
"In short…. You're taking everyone I care about as hostage…. Correct?" Raph replies as he grits his teeth
"Fu fu fu. Correct." Remi mounts Raph and puts her face about an inch away from his." But please don't misunderstand. I prefer if it doesn't come to such an undesirable event. I especially want nothing to happen to Ange. She is one of the few people that I consider as a true friend. Do you understand Raphael-sama?"
Raph runs simulation after simulation in his head, yet no matter what trickery he uses, his family will greatly suffer if he kills Remi. His main target is barely an inch away, yet he has no means to destroy her.
It's frustrating!
"Damn it!" Raph spits it out in vexation.
"fu fu fu. It seems you finally understand." Remi sinks her lips into his. "I do not mind if I have to share you. Powerful men always has a concubine or two. All I desire is you."
Raph doesn't resist as Remi passionately kisses him repeatedly.
.
.
.
.
"Remirura Hiiro….. you truly are THE DEVIL"
-:-