Two years ago
The dungeons of Black Iron Palace, the prison of Sword Art Online.
To come here means you broke one of the system's rules, such as harassment, or you were revived after death. However, no one revives in SAO since it became a death game almost two years ago. There is a third reason you can come here, which is the method we players started using the prison for: breaking the law of murder.
Murder is not recognized as a serious crime by SAO's control system, Cardinal, as it once was a normal part of the game. There's a consequence, sure, but it wouldn't imprison you here in the giant castle in the Town of Beginnings. But death in the game means death in real life, and while it was reasonable to argue that those who killed in our circumstances might deserve equal punishment. After much deliberation, the Assault Team decided to handle this as we would in the real world. We have a dungeon with plenty of space.
We recently filled some spaces too, and I'm here to visit one of those cells.
"You sure you want to see her? Though we had to isolate her, I don't think she was that high-ranked. Not like Black or XaXa." As we walk in the dark, dank corridors of the palace's dungeon, I glance at a young man dressed in a green officer's uniform as he unlocks a door made of steel bars. The scattered torches illuminate his head, so I can see his wavy brown hair and tired brown eyes. I know him as Thinker, leader of the Aincrad Liberation Army.
"Yes. We have a history stemming back to the sixth floor."
"Is she...the one?"
"No, he's...dead. She was his partner. She's also one of the original members, so she's much higher in rank than you'd believe."
"I see. Well, here we are. She's being held in this block." Thinker inserts a key and opens the barred door to a small cell block. "When you're done, lock up. But try not to stay too long, Jaymes. Doing that...might be unpleasant for you, given your history with her." Nodding my thanks and understanding to him, I walk inside the door and nearly close it behind me. Thinker has a point, I might get angry in this situation. With that in mind, I take my sword and its sheath off my back, giving it to a third person and my companion for the day - Sanya.
"Best you hold onto this."
The grey-haired Russian girl takes my sword, then glances back at me. "Have fun."
"You sure you don't want to come?"
"No. I know how you feel about this, but if I see that witch..." She grasps the edge of her miniature top hand on her head, lowering her gaze. Her light blue eyes emit a rageful blaze. "I'd definitely make her regret not slicing my neck back then."
"Okay." Fully closing the door, I turn and walk down the dimly lit corridor of the dungeon towards the single set of bars on the left wall at the end. I grab a wooden stepstool near the right wall and set it down halfway between the cell and the wall, glaring intensely at the lone figure crouched in the corner of the cell chamber while taking my seat.
She wears the dark robe characteristic of Laughing Coffin, complete with a black leotard and lengthy black hose and boots. Though I can't see it well, parts of her thigh and upper chest are usually exposed. Her hood is down, and in the dim light, I can make out a beautiful face that's somewhere in my age range. She bears long, red hair in a ponytail hanging over her left shoulder. Her ruby eyes flicker in the darkness burning with simmered fury as she looks up at me.
Devesta, a high-ranking lieutenant of Laughing Coffin.
"Are you happy?"
A simple question, one I'm aware of the true intent behind, but it still shocks me that she asks it. Then again, she can easily find the truth: when someone logs out of SAO - or, in our case, when they die - their name goes dark. It takes one look at the friends list to make that deduction.
"I don't feel bad, if you're looking for that. But I'm far from happy."
"Then I'll take solace in the fact Annihilator accomplished his mission to make a killer out of you. Five times over." I narrow my eyes at that but offer no rebuttal. I take a deep breath and lean forward, holding in my emotions while she continues. "I guess we're equal now. You lost your Koharu, and I lost Annihilator. I killed that scythe-wielding chick and almost your witch friend out there, and now I pay the price with imprisonment. It seems like we should bury the hatchet. You'll go off and save the day while I rot in this cell."
"How could you stand beside a person as vile as him? He assaulted women before killing them like he was racing against the clock, and you speak of love?"
"And was you any better, Crimson Warrior Jaymes?" Devesta stands up and walks to the bars, holding onto them. "Tell me, what brought you to kill those other four? Was there a reason, or did all you see was crimson? What would Koharu or any of your friends say if they knew you didn't kill in defense but in intent? How are you and we any different? What makes you a hero and me a villain? Why are you free, and I'm in this cell? Tell me, Jaymes, then kill me like you want to!"
I stand up and pick up the stool. I promised Thinker I wouldn't give in to my resentment for Devesta, and the urge to hurt her is making me lose focus. With a sigh, I turn to her one last time before walking away to the door and Sanya. "It's over, Devesta. We've both lost...and may we never cross paths again."
"This isn't over! You and I, we're intertwined by the red strings of fate! Not as fabled lovers, but eternal enemies! When your lot end SAO, mark my words... I will find you. I will expose you for the evil you are to a world that sees you as a hero. Do you hear me, Jaymes? I will find you!"
June 28th, 2026
"Hey, thanks for going shopping with me, Joshua."
If I were a cool fool, I would respond with "No problem." If I were a flirtatious fool, my reply would be, "It's my pleasure as long as I get to spend time with you." But right now, I, Joshua Hardin, am not feeling super cool, and I've never been good at being purposely flirty. It would be a shame right now, as a cute high school girl two years younger than me is seated across from me. But you'd never know it by the way I've been getting strung around since we met almost a year ago, especially in the last couple of days.
Her name is Shino Asada. She has short, dark hair, pair of glasses, and a bright, analytical face that gives her a nerdy look. She wears a green shirt that opens up at her shoulders, exposing the black strap of whatever article she wears underneath, and black jeans. She has done well to look cute and girly, but I know her proper side. Since we first met in real life last December, this is probably the third time she hasn't looked like an effeminate boy wearing girl clothes.
If she realized that, it would explain why she took me shopping with her - excuse me, forced me to go shopping with her.
"Are you going to be unhappy this entire time? It was a bet, you lost, so you could at least pretend this is a normal outing for the two of us."
Last weekend was a special event in our game, Gun Gale Online. The two-day event known as Battle of Bullets first started with preliminaries to find 30 players worthy of taking part in the main event. On day two, those who passed competed in a battle royale to crown a champion. Shino and I both took part with a bet: whoever ranks higher, regardless if one of us wins or not, can make the lower-ranked person do whatever they want for a day.
Neither Sinon nor I won, but we placed second and third. I spent the last week at my summer job dreading what she could do, and yesterday evening, she asked me to go shopping with her. I don't mind spending time with Shino online or offline, but...I have a love/hate relationship with shopping with girls.
I've been subject to many spontaneous beauty contests with my friend group (there's only one other guy in a group of eight girls), especially when they find swimsuits on sale in both worlds, which have positives and negatives. The positives...are apparent, but the negatives are that they want us boys to judge them, and they're never happy with the results. My buddy Kazuto and I always choose Yui, his AI daughter, and my niece, while in real life, he goes for his girlfriend Asuna. I go for whoever looks cutest, not sexiest, which automatically falls to Keiko, the youngest girl in the group...which backfires every time into being called a "lolicon" or "having a little sister complex."
And that's just swimsuits... Shino was looking at normal clothing, and approving or denying her choices was a chore.
We currently sit in a cafe within the mall. I moodily sip on a glass of lemonade while Shino stares at me with a prideful smile. She knows I'm unhappy, more so that I'm at her mercy than the actual outing itself. I bet she's waiting for me to bite back at her with words. I'm not going to give her the satisfaction. "What? I don't need a bet like this to hang out with you."
"Heh. If you say so." She bites down on her veggie-filled sandwich, making a face of pure bliss. Oh, she's enjoying this. I take hold of my sandwich, packed with ham, turkey, roast beef, and bacon, and chow down on it to calm myself. While I chomp down with an unjustified grudge against pigs, turkeys, and cows, I hear Shino giggle across the table. "You should eat something sweet while putting meat on those bones if you're gonna be pissed."
"I'm not even skinny. Sorry if I don't have your ideal physique. Not like you have mine."
"So, which girls do?" She cups her chin as she stares into my soul. "Let's see, based on previous knowledge, you have a thing for anything red or some form of the color...but you like women who make you feel inferior-"
"Huh?"
"-so the best choices...are either Karen, Miyu, or Elza."
"Huuuh?" All three choices, while one is...factually in my preferences to some degree, are entirely wrong. Karen Kohirumaki, one of our friends in GGO, wears pink gear with her Llenn avatar, which fits the "anything red or some form of the color" but that's it. Her, Miyu Shinohara, and Elza Kanzaki are all short women. Like short short. Well... Llenn and Miyu's GGO avatar, Fukaziroh, are short short. Karen is around my height in real life. Elza is the opposite, as her avatar Pitohui is about the height of my avatar. Karen and Miyu are months older than me, while Elza is in her mid-twenties.
Another reason why that's out of pocket is that the girl who has my interest is somewhere in my house. Pretty soon, it'll be two months since my last relationship ended with a girl who once fit my preference, and I'm done moping about. Spending most of my time in GGO since last month's Ordinal Scale incident has helped. It served two unintended consequences, one bringing Shino and me closer, and another rejuvenating my old feelings for my childhood friend, Momiji Takamine. Since I've gotten over my breakup to hang out, most of the time, it's been with Momiji online and offline if we're alone. Most of the online outings were training and material gathering for the past BoB, while offline hangouts have either been out in the streets of Tokyo like now or in my-well, now our house.
I didn't think it was right to make a move on her while everything else was still fresh, but she did so a month ago with a bet of our own for BoB IV. I made my move the night before, but the results went as expected. She backed down, saying that recent events made a relationship between us not suitable for the moment.
Shino smiles and raises her cup. "Momiji can't be your type. She's smart, capable, and too perfect of a match for you. In other words, you don't deserve her."
No wonder I'm peeved. I take another bite of my sandwich and look out the window, trying to think about other things that interest us. As if God is watching me specifically, a text message from a certain up-and-coming singer-songwriter appears on my phone. Last I looked, she should be in the middle of a tour. Knowing her...servant slash lover slash whatever adjective I can think of, Goushi Asougi, she must be free right now. Reading the contents from the notification bar, I look up at Shino drinking her cup of coffee. "I've decided to participate in next week's Squad Jam."
"Squad Jam? Can they still make modifications to the team?"
"Yeah, as long as they're fully registered before prelims start. I told Elza to hold off on signing me up until after BoB but close to the end of SJ's registration for...logistical reasons."
She shakes her head. "You're throwing the rest of the game into a last-minute frenzy?" She knows me well, but it's part of the strategy.
Squad Jam is the team-based version of Battle of Bullets, in which squads between two to six members fight it out to be the last team standing. A team survives as long as one member remains on the special-made map, and the battle doesn't end until a champion is crowned. So far, Llenn is undefeated in Squad Jams: She participated in the first one in February, teaming up with M (Goushi) and the two won. In April, since M and Pitohui (Elza) were on another team to duel Llenn in a literal one-side death match between the ladies, Llenn recruited Fukaziroh, me, and three other members of our squadron, Zeliska, Kureha, and Rei, to assist her. Llenn defeated Pitohui in the end, and my team barely came out on top in the end as Kureha and I routed a team in the end.
Earlier this month, the next one was announced for early July. Looking to take the crown this time as a team, Elza asked Karen, Miyu, and myself to join her and Goushi this time. I accepted on the basis that I'm a last-minute addition, given that my focus was on the upcoming BoB at the time. Midoroki "Zeliska" Hosihyama was invited to be the final member but declined for reasons she cannot say except it's work-related as a member of GGO's developer, Zaskar. That led me to ask for Shino's support since I didn't want to use Rei again, and the other males in the squadron, Itsuki and Bazalt Joe, are not online as often nowadays. Shino declined, stating that M is the sniper, and doesn't want to take that from him, but she'll help strategize after the BoB. I guess Elza got Momiji to join up, though it got me yelled at because I went to Midoroki and Shino first, not my partner.
This is the first time in a month that Crimson Squad, not counting the BoB, will have an activity together. Considering that we're undefeated at Squad Jam, continuing that streak would be nice.
"But why are you guys entering this time? For fun, or is Pito doing something insane again?"
"Nothing of the sort. Purely for fun and bragging rights, in my case. Karen has a promise to fulfill to one of the other teams."
"Hmm... Well, on that note, you might as well tell me about the teams you know about. Whatever intel you have, I want to hear about it; see what I can suggest."
"Best I show you the film of the last round too with that, but you may remember some of them."
xxxxxxxxxx
A couple of hours later, Sinon and I are in my GGO-based apartment. With us is my Artificial Financial Advisor System - Arfa-Sys for short - companion named Rei, and Kureha, a pink-haired avatar in a pink and white uniform. The black and red-haired AI sits with us on the furniture surrounding a medium-sized TV, bringing up a holoprojection of the map data from the last Squad Jam. At the same time, the television replays the previous match, though I'm only showing Sinon the various teams.
The first one is SHINC, a group of high school gymnastics girls in real life, a badass gang in the game. According to Llenn, she met them in the first SJ, and I believe SHINC narrowly came in second place to Llenn and M. They swore to battle it out in SJ2, but Pitohui putting her life on the line took precedence. Their teamwork is second to none, honed by real-life and virtual experiences. As a person who has teamed up with many people, I can only compare them to the teamwork Sinon and I have with Kirito, Asuna, and the others, being we hit those same parameters and, in the case of Kirito, Asuna, Klein, Agil, and myself, have worked together for much longer in much deadlier situations.
In my opinion, SHINC is our biggest threat, but not the only one.
There's MMTM, which stands for Memento Mori, and also vets from the previous two SJs. M and Llenn put them down in the first one, Pitohui by herself the second time. One of them got his head severed by Pitohui with a photon sword last time, which made my performance earlier in the match seem tame. They're an all-male team that I've heard are pretty good, so for once I'd like to see their prowess. We briefly encountered them during SJ2, but it was short, so a proper meeting is necessary.
There's ZEMAL, a team of machine-gun-crazed fellows, but I don't know much about them besides they're vets of the tournaments.
KKHC, the acronym for the Kita no Kuni Hunters Club, is a predominantly male group with one female in their midst. They're a group of real-life hunters, so what better way to practice that than a game that simulates gunplay? The woman on the screen is someone we in Crimson Squad are familiar with, even though she's not a full member. Her name is Shirley, and if I remember correctly, while Pitohui took out her team brutally after refusing to ally with their teams, Shirley was shot in the head by Llenn. I'm sure she's holding a grudge.
And speaking of pseudo-Crimson Squad members, the next team to appear is the time I made my spectacular offensive against. In the last round, three teams of six, totaling eighteen players, surrounded us by a giant dome filled with grass and trees. But thanks to Fukaziroh firing smokescreen and Rei's infrared vision, I ignited my photon sword and cut most of them down, leaving one alive but not on purpose. That survivor was Clarence, a woman with...tendencies that rival Pitohui. Before Memento Mori eliminated Clarence, she gave Llenn her ammunition that only fits their rifles, and as payment, Llenn unknowingly kissed a girl on the cheek.
I could have stopped it, I knew Clarence's androgynous look was a girl, but I wanted to see Llenn embarrassed. Yes, that distraction allowed MMTM to get on top of us momentarily, but it was worth it.
After spending a fun hour recounting the previous SJ and the teams I heard were returning, Rei explains the rules for Sinon. Like SJ2, there's a preliminary round, though Crimson Squad did not participate in it because Llenn, being the leader, was given a pass due to placing in the top four in SJ1. SHINC and MMTM were granted automatic qualification as well. Since LF (the previous team name) won, we're seeded out again, and so is SHINC. MMTM placed fifth, behind SHINC, so they'll have to compete in the prelims. Pitohui and M would have got a free pass too if they made a different team, as PM4 placed third. I haven't heard if second-place T-S, the guys Kureha and I eliminated to win the game, are joining in this time, but I expect them to be there next weekend if for no other reason than to prove they're not the cowards everyone claimed them to be.
The rules for Squad Jam are similar to Battle of Bullets, with few exceptions. Like SJ2, thirty teams will compete on a six-mile-wide special map with random starting positions. Every ten minutes, a Satellite Scan will show the location of each team leader, a difference from the fifteen minutes in BoB. Also unlike the single-player battle royale, bodies remain on the field for ten minutes instead of until the tourney ends.
The other rules for Squad Jam are exclusive to it. Only the team leader can surrender his or her team, and a surrender eliminates the entire team from play. Should the team leader be eliminated but the team survives, the next ranking member becomes leader.
But there's the new rule that felt weird when explained to me. "By the sponsor's suggestion, at the point that only six to eight teams remain, a new rule will be announced and put into place. It is designed to be enjoyable for both participants and viewers. Please look forward to it."
When Rei finishes, I turn to Sinon. "So, Shino, look where you got us. All because of you and Kirito's stunt in BoB III, some guy was inspired to ask Zaskar to initiate a team tournament they'll sponsor, and they've thrown in a new rule. Zeliska has been tight-lipped over it."
"Maybe that's why she isn't joining," Sinon says. "Though I wonder what it'll be. What has the response been to it?"
Kureha shrugs. "Oh, you know how gung-ho these nutcases are. As for me, I don't particularly like surprises, but I have the same mindset as Pito. It may spice things up."
I cross my arms and look at my childhood friend. "Whatever happens, we'll treat this as competing in BoB. Crimson Squad put all four competitors in the top ten. We'll prove that we're good on our own and as a team once more."
Kureha raises her fist to bump mine and grins. "Right with you. Wish us luck in advance, Sinon."
"I shouldn't...but good luck, right Rei?"
Rei holds her fists up excitedly. "Right! Oh, Master, you've received a message from Kirito. Is it about that time?"
I almost forgot Kirito and the others were coming to help Sinon and me with some PKer-busting. "Right. Sinon, Rei, let's get a move on. You sure you don't want to join, Kureha?"
She shakes her head as she stands with us. "Girls' night with Zeliska takes priority over being a meathead, plus you got all the reinforcements needed. Have fun."
Welcome to Squad Jam 2: Game of Betrayers. This is a sequel to the first Squad Jam story, and this is something a little different. For one, it starts a different timeline than the one I've established in writing SAO stories the last three years. In the original timeline, I make little mention of the third Squad Jam (mostly because I didn't know when it took place) and the story continues from Steel and Lycoris onward. This story, which starts shortly before first chapter of that story, will start a storyline that deviates from the establsihed series in some ways. More like a parallel timeline than a completely different one.
The second reason this is different is because I get to focus on Crimson Squad, even if it is a subset of the squadron. With the "main series" it's always about Jaymes with Kirito, Asuna, Koharu and the other girls, but here, I get to focus on Kureha, Sinon, Llenn, and the GGO peeps. It also allows me to introduce a new storyline for Jaymes while adding in ideas I had possible back when i wrote Squad Jam and Steel and Lycoris three years ago.
Final reason is that this is the first new writing I'm uploading this year, so there's that.
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, the game begins in the next one!