[IRL, Tokyo Setagaya Ward, Yuuki Residence]
[Malzeno's POV]
I had a bunch on my mind today, once Kirito got the intel from the Toto Institute, we'll work from there. I already have a few people to call when we decide on a plan of action. Before then, I had someone I wanted to talk with in person.
Stopping just outside Asuna's house, it was decently sized, well-off given her family's jobs and the like. She really was like a Princess; thanks to Yuuki, she told me why I called her that. Just outside in a purple hoodie with a charcoal skirt, black leggings and white sneakers was the monotone-looking Mitsumi Tozawa.
"Lookin' like a ray of sunshine today, Tozawa," I called to, her teal eyes flashing to my emerald gaze in recognition.
"Asami... you said you wanted to talk, why not over the phone?" Mitsumi questioned my motives, no surprise, she had this weird look around me since the airport.
"I thought that was obvious," I waved my arms but lowered my chipper voice with a relaxed expression. "I just... wanted to check up on you in person, I know you probably feel guilty over what happened to Asuna like Yuuki has for me,"
Misumi shook her head, lowering her eyes to the road. "No, I... I just thought back to the worst day of my life in that moment, and I froze up afterward,"
SAO? I decided to press on that notion. "Was this back in the death game?"
Nodding, she looked more open to speak, holding her head up as she leaned against the wall. "It was before we even cleared floor one, we were fighting a bunch of Little Nepenthes, but when I went for a monster that would drop a rare item, especially rare for the 1st floor, Asuna... her sword skill caused her to strike a variant of the plant mob, causing it to summon a near-endless horde, a gank trap meant to kill an entire party,"
I didn't say a word, because I couldn't picture what she was fighting but also to let her know she had my full attention. Misumi sighed, rubbing her temples for a moment to clear her brain fog. "...I-I got sent flying off a cliff, a-and when I looked around, they just kept coming from every angle, a-and our HP was so low, I..." She bit her lip at the horrid memory.
"You were terrified and ran," I answered for her, seeing her head nod bitterly with a sharp huff and forced smile.
"I spent weeks thinking I killed her, I only ever saw her again during the 1st floor boss, and I... she had already forgiven me, where I had only myself to blame for cowardly abandoning her like some scumbag," She kicked the pavement, exhaling heavily, her eyes filled with pain. "After that, I just... kept to myself, I couldn't be like her or Kirito, not if it meant I could get her killed, so... I focused my skills in making accessories that would boost a player's resistances and stats to their highest, by any means necessary. I wouldn't shut down, I could still do something, even if it meant never setting foot near a floor boss again,"
A small smile pulled at my lips. "That's amazing, I mean, you could've shut away like others, but you found a new way to help the frontlines. I think Asuna would've been happy to see that," For once, a lighter laugh escaped Misumi's lips.
"She sure wore a shocked face when I gave her what I created at the time, man, it was worth the trouble," Now, her eyes fell to me. "After the 5th floor boss, I knew I had forgiven myself for what I had done, but I still wasn't ready to be one of the best, that was okay for me... or, until you came along," Huh, me?
I pointed at myself, bewildered. "Uh, help a brother out, I'm... lost here,"
[SAO, Floor 25, Rottenburg]
[Mito's POV]
This place was as the name implied, 'rotten'. The poisonous swamps, even though they were in the lower levels of this acrid floor still found a way to make even the main town smell like a bog. If not for the rare materials, and the difficulty it is to get them, I'd have stayed on the lower floors.
But that's before Asuna sent me a message to meet with one of two of her info brokers. They were reliable, especially Argo the Rat, but a new one? This was at least enough to draw me to the least smelling tavern in the town resting atop a plateau above the dangers below, most of the sections of town linked by large rope bridges.
Inside, however, I was met with someone I wasn't expecting. That Beater, Kirito, was present, leaning back in his chair next to Asuna. But the 'unexpected' third person was sat beside Asuna, a kid who looked no older than thirteen.
He had strawberry-blonde hair, deep emerald eyes, and was wrapped up in gear more fitting a thief or rogue than the others, then again, info brokers for ya. "Sup, Asuna, so... who's the kid?" I pointed to after I sat down. "He's the broker?"
"'He' has a name, thank you," He raised his hand a little from under his cloak. Great, he has Argo's wit. "Meru Zena, at your wonderful services," The boy gave a little bow of his head.
Asuna seemed to take it in stride, rolling her eyes lightly. "You said you needed help in locating new materials for your crafting, so I asked Argo, but she let Meru handle this job,"
"Not like her to just send someone else to do her job," I pointed out.
"She's got her hands tied with this floor's guidebook, seeing how deadly it is. So! I am her next best as her apprentice!" Meru stated proudly.
I nodded slowly, only before I could ask further, Asuna stood up and ushered me to follow her off to the side. I silently did so, leaving Kirito and Meru to chat about something. Now at the furthest point, I crossed my arms, watching them out the corner of my eye.
"I don't get it, when did Argo get an apprentice? And someone so young too?" I knew children were abundant in this game, no surprises there, but it's very rare to see them on the frontlines, let alone as an info broker.
Asuna wore a sad smile, clearly, I knew much less. "Meru's been through a lot... just, promise me not to jump to conclusions," She put her hands together to beg me, and my brow furrowed.
"Asuna..." I hated when she did this, it meant I wasn't going to like it for a second.
"Please, Misumi, trust me," Using my real name too? Crap, this has to be really stupid.
Reluctantly, I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "I hate that look of yours... fine, fine, I promise," I crossed my heart and everything.
"Meru is... used to be an... orange player," Asuna winced, closing one eye as I- wait, hold on. The gears turned in my head, and my whole head turned towards the little brat doing some rapid gestures with his hands towards Kirito who shook his head.
"Asuna," My voice was low, cutting through the silence as she 'eeped' at my harsh tone. "What in the hell are you doing with an orange player-hell, what's Argo doing with one!?"
"I-It's complicated, I swear, he's-"
"He's an orange player, Asuna, he's harmed other people, for all we know, he's killed them too, just like those PKers like Johnny Black, are you freakin' kidding me!"
But before I could march over and drag that brat away from this place, Asuna pushed herself in front of me, arms wide with a firm look to match mine. "Please, listen to me, this isn't as bad as it sounds,"
"Move, Asuna," I was already reaching for my scythe. No way in hell I was trusting some PKer. "Just cause he's a kid, doesn't excuse shit,"
"I know that, believe me, I know what PKers are capable of," I paused, hearing her voice tremble for a moment. "Meru, he's been through so much, this is the liveliest he's been in weeks, please Mito, I know you're worried, I would be to if the roles were reversed, but I need you to trust me and Kirito,"
"Asuna..." I couldn't stand it, if she got hurt because I didn't act this time, I... no, I know she wouldn't blame me, but still, this was... At war with myself, I bit my cheek and tried to settle my emotions, looking back into her worried eyes. "...one chance... he gets 'one' chance,"
Her smile quickly appeared, lowering her arms and letting me past to glower down at Meru. He looked as tense as me, tugging at his collar. "Soooo... I am I gonna die when I leave the safe zone? I think I'm gonna die, fitting, she has a scythe like the Grim Reaper,"
He wasn't helping me like him, "You know where to find rare materials for crafting?"
"Uh, ye-yeah? Kinda my job when Argo's busy, I do the odd scouting and s-stuff," Meru stuttered under my glare.
A hand held my shoulder, and I turned to Asuna who smiled at the kid like he could do no wrong. "Don't worry, Mito's very reliable, she can get you both out of a tight spot, I just hope it doesn't come to that,"
I bit my tongue, nodding along. This was going to be a long day...
[Present Day]
[Malzeno's POV]
"Man, you really hated my guts," No surprise there, my witty personality and general refusal to listen to anyone's plans aside those closest to me tends to spiritually tax everyone else.
"That was by far the most stressful day of my life, I didn't trust you, everything you did, I was ready to act out of protecting Asuna," Misumi gave me a soft frown, looking apologetic. "You ended up nearly dying because of me, and I realized, I was about to do exactly what I did to Asuna back then. Only after that did you tell me what happened to you,"
"It's not your fault, I mean, orange players are dangerous, if I used to be one, who would trust me?" I shrugged, but the purplette shook her head.
"Ever since then, I've kept you at arm's length because I didn't want to admit to myself I had been harsh towards you, someone just trying to do better like I had. Even now, I've been instinctively on edge, but... then you saved me, giving up all your memories of SAO for someone who disliked you," She pressed a hand to her heart, guilt evident in her eyes.
"I'm not blind, you know?" Her eyes rose up again to mine, my hands tucked into my pockets. "I'm hated by so many people, and I really mean hated. Sometimes I wonder why I did that to myself, I think, whatever I did back in SAO, I've been inflicting this hatred on me to atone? Or maybe because I just like annoying the crap out of people. I'll have to get back to ya on that answer," I chuckled.
"But... you're not a bad person, Tozawa, you made a mistake and have spent four years trying to make up for it, even now, you're still looking out for Asuna, because she means the world to you, just as I have people that mean as much to me; no spiteful person would do that," Her eyes widened as I rubbed the back of my head shyly. "I know words alone aren't enough, but that's how I feel, so don't worry about trying to atone, you did that long ago,"
"Mitsumi," After a pregnant pause, she said her name with a tiny, friendly smile. Likely the first she's ever given me. She looked a little flustered, scratching her cheek. "Just, since you call Asuna and the others by their first names, would feel weird not hearing mine is all,"
Couldn't argue there, so, I did what Yuuki would, I held up my fist. "Kazuki then, pleasure, Miss Reaper," I winked, causing her to snort a laugh.
"Man, I hate that name," She bumped her knuckle to mine. "What're you up to after this?"
"Some errands until Kazuto is done with whatever he's up to, trying to figure out the mystery behind SAO survivors losing their memories," I gave it some pause, tapping my chin. "If there's a chance we need help, I'll call you, if... you want to help more personally, even if it means risking your memories,"
Misumi looked at me, surprised by the request, but again, it was a risk for her if she decided to come along. "I'll think about it, but thanks for the offer, really,"
"If there's one thing I'm still good at its dragging people into my problems," With a wave, I grabbed my longboard sticking out of my backpack. "Hope Asuna's doing okay,"
"She's managing, but I'll keep ya posted," Misumi nodded back, waving as I took off for the nearest station. I still had to train, if we're going to be tackling Ordinal Scale again, which felt likely, I needed to work on some finishing touches.
[Meiji Shrine]
I was just sitting in my house about to login to join Yuuki and the others after dinner when I got a strange message that sent me to my maps, leading to a specified location. It was very ominous, and totally didn't feel like a trap. Any self-respecting person would dismiss this or report the strange message.
Hence why I am currently standing outside of the park that housed the shrine. I wasn't dumb, I brought my bamboo training sword that totally wasn't for cosplay whatsoever.
The first words out of my mouth were as followed. "Okay, if you're here, this is definitely where we get kidnapped," I stared at Kirito who crossed the street, looking as confused as I was when I held up my phone with the same location dotted on the map.
"Then we'll be sure to watch each others backs, alright?" He didn't seem deterred either, so I nodded, tucking my phone away as I slipped my Augma on.
"Let's go take a lovely romantic stroll through the park, shall we?" I snickered, and he lightly shoved my arm. "Hah,"
No one else was here, so only the ambient noises of nature, and our own footsteps could be heard. Following the dark path, Kirito spared me a glance, his onyx eyes flicking sharply to indicate something was behind us. I felt it too, but neither of us made a sound, continuing to play dumb. Since there were no footsteps, it might've been that girl again.
That was the last thing I thought of before something shifted in my vision, motes of light drifting by us as the scenery changed with a thin layer of fog. Spotlights beside rose bushes either end of the now smooth stone pathway.
"We're in AR..." I murmured, looking down at my generic outfit for Ordinal Scale.
Finally, light glared upon the scene, the sunset basking the whole area in ray of light. Only, the park was gone, and in its place was a beautiful, quiet garden with bushes, gazebos of various sizes made from white marble with yellow rooftops. Trees lining the farthest edges too.
But what stood before us was a titanic sight. A red building that towered over the serene gardens, massive, white structures like waves formed on either side of the building in various layers, the complex itself had a staggering amount of floors and layers to its exterior.
"Kirito... i-is this..." I couldn't believe where we were standing. I knew this place...
"The top of Aincrad, the Ruby Palace," He answered for me, continuing to walk towards the mammoth castle. I quickly jogged after him.
It was so quiet up here, the final floor of Aincrad, I expected to see monsters, the likes of which we had never seen before, but instead, the gardens were tranquil, tame. It was actually more unsettling.
Upon approaching another bridge, we paused, someone in white stood on the bridge, looking down at the river below. Immediately we realized who it was, Yuuna. And from what Kirito told me, was the creator of Ordinal Scale's deceased daughter. She looked so sad...
"Yuuna, right?" Kirito asked, but yielded no response. "Where is this place? Is it a dream, or..."
"Dreams and virtual worlds are more or less the same thing. Once you wake up, everything becomes an ephemeral memory," Yuuna finally spoke, never taking her eyes off the water.
"Memory..." Kirito murmured.
"It could be that it was all just a dream. You clearing that death game and coming back to the real world. When you open your eyes, you may still be trapped inside Aincrad. Hasn't that thought crossed your mind?" Yuuna asked.
To me, if I could still recall those days, I'm certain it would've crossed my mind, I'm sure others would've felt the same. "Sure it has, but it's not something I've ever wanted. I see, so you were in SAO, after all,"
"Considering where we are, that's a given," I added quietly.
"Are you Prof. Shigemura's daughter? So you're alive?" Again, she provided no answers, so Kirito started to grow annoyed, approaching her as I followed. "Why did you send me to see the professor, and what did you want me to do? Why did the professor steal Asuna's and Kazuki's memories of SAO? What exactly is the Augma?"
"Hey," I pressed my hand to his arm, easing him up. "Give her a second, no broker got all the answers in one go..."
In saying this, the girl passed us, closing her eyes to take in the whole world, and she spoke... "O, stars that illuminate the sky... Soft breeze drifting o'er the hills... Please grant thine blessings to those travellers who are passing through the ancient city~"
This song... my head stung a bit with a fuzzy image of a... courtyard? There was a tree... and fountain too... people were walking around... this music filled the air... was it part of SAO's soundtrack? Kirito seemed to recognize it too.
Yuuna looked to us, her crimson eyes filled with sorrow and remorse. "All I want is to go on singing. That's what I wished for,"
"So your father created Yuna, an idol to do that..." I added, but, I feel there's more to it than that.
"What am I supposed to do? How can I save Asuna?" Kirito needed to know, we all did or we could kiss all our memories goodbye.
"If you want to get Asuna's and Kazuki's memories back, your current ranking number isn't nearly high enough," Yuuna provided, and as I feared, we'd need to go through Ordinal Scale to fix this.
"Oh great, a boss rush..." I tisked, but at least it was something we could do.
"Now then, it's almost time. Wake up," She snapped her fingers, and everything disappeared in a jarring manner.
I jolted upright, nearly falling face forward into the pavement as myself and Kirito were laying on the grass a moment ago. Wait... so we weren't moving at all? But, AR overlays the real world and virtual, right?
While I hated speculating, were we... in Full-Dive? I raised my hand to my Augma, but, it didn't have the ability to do that, right?
A officer had been present when we woke up, likely confused why two boys were out cold in the middle of a park.
"Were you two playing that Augma game? I hear it's all the rage these days, but you better be careful," He seemed just worried for our safety, that's a relief.
"S-sorry sir, we'll do that, thanks," I bowed my head quickly. That seemed to be enough for him to continue his patrol.
"Good, try not to fall on your faces, okay?" He asked, leaving us be.
Left alone in silence, the intense look on Kirito's face was more than enough of an answer. If becoming a higher rank is required, no one's better at power-levelling than this guy in ALO.
"So then, ready to ruin everyone's fun?" I quipped, smirking at him.
He turned to me, nodding once with his Augma clutched tightly. "Yeah, let's go,"
Hopping to our feet, I moved ahead of him. "First things first, we gotta plan this out. If bosses are popping up across Tokyo, others are gonna flood to them, and we can't be in multiple places at once to prevent other survivors from having their memories sapped,"
Reluctance wrote across his face, but Kirito relented and crossed his arms to hear me out. "What's your plan then?"
"Reinforcements, and today, someone told me about what I used to be in SAO, so..." I now wore a sinister grin. "Time I stepped back into those shoes, no? Call up your darling daughter, I've got a few calls to make myself; we got one night before that concert, so we're up against the clock,"
"Why's the concert important?" Kirito inquired.
"Every SAO player at school was given a free ticket to the concert alongside these Augma. If you want to snag all the remaining memories you can, what better place than in a confined space you can trap 'em in?" I pointed out, and that horrified glare on his face returned. "Yeah, like a player-triggered trap, all of us will be forced to face our worst nightmares at once,"
"Then we'll need to maximize our performance, shorten the route between each event location..." Now the gears shifted in his head as to why I suggested Yui. If only to get Kirito to a higher rank, we'll need all the help we can afford.
So, if they wanna take our memories, then fine, we'll play...
[To Be Continued...]
[Author's Notes]
Some more of Mito and her first meeting with Malzeno, as well as both he and Kirito confronting Yuuna. We've got a boss rush incoming, and it's time to work my magic, hehe. I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; see ya in the next chapter, Players!