Chapter 11: Level 3 Pt. 1
It was a peaceful night once more. Cars strolled down the road. People were hustling about their business.
On top of a building though, Pallad was playing the next level of his mobile game. The man who seemed to be with him all the time appeared before him; only this time, he was there physically.
"I cannot wait any longer." He said. "I'm eliminating them. NOW."
"Do what you want, man." Pallad laughed. "I ain't stoppin' ya."
The man scoffed, and walked away. Pallad smiled some more, and then looked out to the city.
"Now…" He bellowed. "Welcome to the world of Level 3!"
I've gotta believe!
(A circle camera shot of Kirito and Asuna, back to back, looking around, as the world pixelates and revealing the title)
I don't wanna know heta na shinjitsu nara I don't wanna know shiranai kurai ga ii noni
(The SAO gang talking together)
Why? Why? Why? Why? Kizukeba I came too far
(The floor suddenly crash and all of them fall, their bodies pixelating into their SAO avatars. They slowly get up, looking around the pitch blackness)
Tomaranai kanjiru kono yokan wa
(The world shatters into color and the Riders walk up to them)
The new beginning
(Each Rider show their Gashats)
Michi no ryuoiki ima wo kirihirakunda
(The SAO gang prepare to fight as the Riders go into Level 1)
I've gotta believe!
(The Riders go Level 2)
(Turn it on!) soutou
(The Gamer Driver lever turns)
EXCITE! EXCITE! Takanaru
(Ex-Aid VS Kirito and Asuna)
EXCITE! EXCITE! Kokoro ga
(Brave VS Silica and Lisbeth, Snipe VS Sinon and Leafa)
Michibiku ano basho e kakenukete ikudake
(In an explosion, Lazer tears by with Ex-Aid riding)
(Hey!) I'm on a mission right now
(Ex-Aid (on top of Lazer in Bike mode), Brave, Snipe, prepare for battle with Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon respectively, and the SAO gang take back seat, despite posing for them too.)
(Hey!) I'm on a mission right now
(Graphite and Genmu also get into a battle stance)
EXCITE! EXCITE! Kotae wa
(Graphite VS the SAO gang)
EXCITE! EXCITE! Kotae wa
(Ex-Aid & other Riders VS Genmu)
(One!) kono te no naka
(Sinon (GGO) and Snipe raising their guns to their faces)
(Two!) susumubeki Life
(Asuna and Brave clashing swords)
(Three!) ikitekudake
(Kirito & Ex-Aid run towards each other as the title appears once more)
Kazuto and Suguha are both on a bus headed towards somewhere. While they weren't in a rush or anything, they were still tense about the current situation right now.
"Hey, Kazuto." Suguha called. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Kazuto replied. "It's just… meeting with someone important kind of puts me on edge."
"Really? You've never been on edge before." Suguha commented.
"Well, first time for everything, right?" Kazuto chuckled.
They both had a good chuckle, and after that, Suguha began to text one of her friends. Kazuto still had other thoughts though.
SHAKARIKI CRITICAL STIRKE!
The attack that followed that phrase left something on him.
"I know it's just a video game…" He said to himself. "But that attack meant to be a kill. What was that about?"
Just then, the bus stopped. Kazuto and Suguha got off. Then, they had to walk down a few more blocks down the street to see a building. It was sleek, silver, and on its side, stood the word GENM.
"Well, we're here." Suguha admitted.
"Come on." Kazuto said. "The others should be waiting inside."
Going through the automatic doors, they entered the main lobby. It was bustling with people. It is still in the morning, and some people are now beginning to trickle in. There was a TV nearby with a controller or two, and there were even some tables with a water dispenser next to it. In front of them sat the main desk, where a woman was busily checking in employees.
"Kirito!" shouted a delightful voice.
Kazuto turned around and was hugged by a very energetic Asuna. Behind her, sat Rika and Keiko, chatting together. Ryotaro and Shino was also there, but were pre-occupied by a convention-exclusive console on display.
"Well, looks like you beat us." Kazuto chuckled.
Asuna chuckled. She then motioned the others to come. It took them a while, since Rika had to pry Ryotaro off of the display stand, but they were able to get to the front desk.
"May I help you?" said the woman sitting at the front desk.
"We have an appointment." Kazuto explained. "With the CEO."
"Names, please." The woman replied.
"Kazuto Kirigaya." Kazuto replied.
The woman typed in something in her computer. Then, after a brief look, she responded.
"Ah, here you are." She said. "The CEO has been expecting you. Second elevator on the right hall way."
"Thank you." Kazuto said.
With that, everyone began to walk towards the said elevator. They got on, and the elevator took them up to the floor where the CEO office is housed on: Floor number 55.
Once the elevator arrived at its destination, the doors opened. Kazuto stepped off first, followed by Asuna, then the others. They walked down on hallway, passing a couch with a coffee table. They now stood before a door. Kazuto walked in and carefully knocked.
"Come in." said a gentle voice.
Kazuto slowly opened the door and allowed his friends to see the inside.
The office was big. Big enough to house a family. In one corner, stood a table with three desktop computers aligned side by side. A few feet from them, was a ping-pong table. Along with two paddles and a couple of balls, there also several tablecloths on it. On the farther side, stood large windows that overlooked the city from below. Just in front of the windows, was a desk with a computer and a phone. Some folders were strewn across the table in front of it.
"I've been expecting you." The gentle voice greeted.
That voice belonged to gentleman. He stood up from his desk. He was dressed in black dress shoes, black dress pants, and over a black dress jacket, he wore a pale blue shirt with a deep blue tie.
"You are Kazuto Kirigaya?" The man said. "I'm the CEO of GENM Corporation, Dan Kuroto. Please to meet you."
Kazuto shook his hand.
'At least he seems nice…' He thought.
Dan looked to the rest of the gang.
"I believe these are your friends?" Dan asked.
"Yes." Asuna said politely. "I'm Asuna Yuuki. Please to meet you!"
"No need to be so formal, Ms. Yuuki." Dan smiled. "I already know who you are."
"Wait, you do?" Ryotaro said.
"Yep." Replied a familiar voice. Everyone turned and saw Emu walk in.
"Hiya." He smiled.
"Emu!" Suguha greeted. "You're here too?"
"Of course he is!" said another voice. That voice belonged to Kiriya, who walked in and sat on the ping-pong table. "I mean, we're called for this too, y'know!"
"Guess we forgot to think about that." Ryotaro said.
"You never think about anything." Said another voice. In walks Hiro, in contrast to Emu and Kiriya's liberal dress code, dressed in a suit similar to Dan.
"What was that, punk?" He scowled.
"Try me, kid." Hiro growled.
The two glared at each other for a bit.
"Now, now." Asuna reminded. "We're all friends here, right?"
That was enough to separate the two. Hiro scoffed, while Ryotaro pouted and grabbed a chair.
"Now, we only need one more person…" Dan muttered.
"Well, well, well." Said a voice. "Ain't this a full house?"
Everyone looked over to the door and saw a man. He was wearing military camouflage pants with black boots and black shirt with a yellow sash tied around his torso.
"Taiga. So glad you could join us." Dan greeted.
Shino was shaken by the name. She took cover behind Kazuto.
"Sinon, what's wrong...?" Kazuto asked.
Taiga heard this and silently approached Shino.
"Shino…" He whispered. "Never thought you'd be glasses girl."
Shino sighed quietly. She wanted to go at him, but she can't do it here. Taiga smirked, then backed off. He then grabbed a chair.
"So, prez, what's up?" Kiriya asked.
Dan smiled warmly.
"First of all." He began. "I would like to thank the children here."
"For what?" Rika asked.
"We never asked you to help us with the Bugster." Dan explained. "I'm thankful for the assistance. Thank you."
"We're just helping out wherever we can, sir." Keiko replied.
"Now, I realize that you would like to know about the Bugster, yes?" Dan asked.
"Yes. Yes, we do." Kazuto said immediately.
Dan cleared his throat, and began to tell the story of the Bugster.
A few years ago, a terrible computer virus had spread all over the console gaming community. Fortunately, we were able to suppress the issue before it spread to other gaming types. However, we were too late in doing so. The virus was able to find its way to VR games. Ordinarilly, the virus should've stopped at the consoles. But the virus evolved. How it has done that still eludes us. The least we could do right now, is just eliminating the Bugster as quickly as we could. The Health Ministry even reached out to me in order to purge it.
"Why didn't we hear about this?" Suguha asked.
"It is for the benefit of the public." Dan explained. "If word that a technological virus was able to infect human minds that are entranced, there would be chaos. People would be all over the place."
"That makes sense." Shino commented. "Public awareness is a big factor in something like this."
"Precisely." Hiro added. "We've been doing what we can, just like Mr. Kuroto said, the Bugsters are evolving. We can't keep up with them."
"As such is the case." Dan replied.
He typed in something onto his computer, and then he projected it onto a screen. It showed four more Gashats. Each were in different colors of red, neon yellow, orange, and black.
"These Gashats are finished in the testing phase." Dan said. "We'll be able to input them into every VR games' base code."
"What games will they be based on?" Rika asked.
"You'll have to find that out for yourself." Dan chuckled.
"Four more Gashats, huh…" Taiga whispered.
"Looks like the game's getting intense!" Emu said optimistically.
"Don't jump the gun yet, man." Kiriya assured.
"Thank you for your time, gentlemen. I have meeting at 2, so you must be off." Dan said.
One by one, everyone began to trickle out of the office. Kazuto stayed though.
"Kirito? You coming?" Asuna asked.
"I'll catch up." Kazuto replied.
Asuna then hurried to the elevator before it closed. Kazuto was now in Dan's office, alone.
"I assume you have more questions?" Dan asked. "Grab a seat."
Kazuto grabbed a seat at one of the tables while Dan grabbed another.
"I'll do my best to answer." Dan assured.
"First things first." Kazuto began. "How are you creating these Gashats? The belts too?"
"If you want the truth, we are able to create Gashats from the leftover residue from defeated Bugsters." Dan answered.
"Are the Bugsters data?" Kazuto asked.
"In a manner of speaking, yes." Dan replied. "Data can be destroyed, but what good is data if you can't collect it?"
"And for your information, the belts are called Gamer Drivers." Dan added. "They do have a name, you know."
"Fine." Kazuto said. "Also, Poppy mentioned something about dying. What's that about?"
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to answer that…" Dan sighed. "Very well."
"All four of the Kamen Riders have gone through a surgery." Dan explained. "They'll be in a similar situation you were years ago in Sword Art Online; pardon me for bringing it up. Anyways, the reason for this is so that they can eliminate the Bugsters."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kazuto asked.
"Your Avatars are only blank slates for your mind to inhabit." Dan continued. "They can't do damage physically. The Kamen Riders are different. Remember, the Bugsters are A.I. with an intent to kill."
"How does that have to do with dying?" Kazuto asked again.
"Their nerves, brainwaves, and thought processes have been operated on." Dan replied. "This allows them to feel the pain they experience in-game to real life. So basically, it is how Poppy said: If you die in-game, you die in real life."
"Why would you let them do that?" Kazuto asked again.
"This is the only way of destroying the Bugsters once and for all. They know what they've signed up for." Dan said.
"But Poppy recoded our weapons, didn't she?" Kirito asked.
"Well, she did." Dan replied. "But her coding is only effective against the lower leveled ones. Any advanced Bugsters you will face would prove to be a challenge. Even for you, Kazuto."
Kazuto grunted, gently smooshing his fist on the surface of the table. Those four people are basically putting their lives on the line, and he can't do anything about it.
'This is with Sachi all over again…' He thought, thinking back to how he just let his friend die.
"If it is any consolation." Dan suggested. "I could let you and your friends help."
Kazuto perked up.
"'Help'?" Kazuto asked.
"You can go into the surgery as well." Dan said. "That way, you will able to help the others in defeating the Bugsters. This doesn't mean that you have to do it. You can walk away from this, and just sit on the sidelines."
Kazuto thought for a short moment. This would mean being in Sword Art Online all over again, but this time, they are now fighting for a cause.
"Let me think about it." Kazuto replied shortly.
"Of course." Dan replied, handing him his business card. "Call me if you have made your decision."
Kazuto took the card. He put it in his pocket, stood up and left. Dan looked at Kazuto as he walked out.
"Such bravery inside a young man…" He admitted.
"That's quite something, I'll tell ya!" yelled a cheery vioce.
That's when Pallad burst into the room, spinning onto the ping-pong table.
"You like the kid, don't you?" He asked with a smile.
"Of course I do." Dan replied. "Once I've accomplished what Akihiko Kayaba couldn't, that is."
That's when a screen turned on as well. The man from before appeared on the screen.
"Kuroto!" He shouted. "How much longer must I wait!"
"Don't worry." Dan assured. "You'll have your moment soon."
Pallad smiled away, picking up a ping-pong ball and bouncing it.
"You're really something, aren't ya?" He chuckled.
Dan didn't reply. He only sat down on his desk and went back to work.