Persona: HEAVEN (Persona/Sword Art Online/Isekai Multicross)

afreaknamedpete · Jan 8, 2023

AN: Let's try a new quest! This time instead of accidentally biting off more than I chew I am DEFINITELY biting off more than I can chew.

You are Kayaba Akihiko. And you are not drunk.

The dive bar was far from the expensive restaurants typically worthy of your expense budget, but today you want a place that lets you vomit all over the floor.

Another year of failure. You were getting a budget cut— again. No amount of begging and false promises could convince the investors to support ARGUS. Shigemura-sensei's initial excitement at FullDive technology has fallen almost as fast as your budget. If it wasn't for his capital you'd be out of a job, and his patience was clearly waning.

You could see the headlines now— billions of yen dumped into another failure of a VR gaming console, the name of Kayaba Akihiko forever tainted as the creator of the world's most expensive paperweight.

You're mad... but tired too. Too tired to scream, too tired to complain, too tired to do anything but sit in this stupid dump trying to pretend the world wasn't falling down on you for just one evening.

At least you weren't alone. Misery loves company.

"Hey Aki. Looks like you're starting early?" asked a familiar voice.

You turn your head. The star of the show today, Takuto Maruki wanders into the bar. The two of you went to Toto University together, and this was ostensibly his celebration. He grabs your drink, without your permission, and downs it one long gulp without even a hint of an apology.

"This is your party, so where is everyone?" you ask with a sigh.

Takuto ignores you, pouring another glass of his own. "You look older Aki."

You can't help but laugh into your liquor. "So do you. Must be the bags under the eyes."

Your college friend sheepishly scratches at his jaw while he shares in your laughter. "You should take up meditation Aki, it'll help your complexion. Would be a shame if you scared away Rinko by turning into an old man."

"Might be too late. I asked her where she was but just got a cryptic 'I'm busy'. And you know if she isn't showing up Sugou isn't coming. Seriously where is everyone? Don't tell me it's only the two of us?"

Another glass fills— the bottle was getting awfully close to being empty— as Takuto downs his second round before passing you a cup. "About that... sorry, I told them not to come. Today... I think just want to get drunk."

"Really? Could've let me know earlier or do you just want to mooch off my generosity?"

"Haha, well I'm a bit short on funds Mr. President and I know for a fact you have an expense budget."

"Next time you want to drink on someone else's dime, go bother Sugou."

Takuto just raises his eyebrow at you. Right, if that vulture pays for your drinks one day he'll ask for your kidneys the next day.

You sip on your drink as you examine your friend. This was supposed to be his big day, construction was just authorized on his research center in Odaiba. You never really understood the hype about «Cognitive Psience», a field far removed from programming and computer technology, but he always spoke with childlike wonder and excitement whenever the two of you met. It reminded you of how you got when you got deep into FullDive technology.

That light is gone. You haven't seen a genuine smile on his face since he arrived.

"They're scrubbing the whole thing Aki."

You wish you could say you're surprised, but Takuto walked into the bar like a man looking to drown his sorrows. Misery loves company.

"I'm sorry. What's next?" you ask, dreading the answer.

"I'm going back to my lab, and I'm going to continue until I get this thing working. That's all there is to it. If I can't make this work, what's my life worth? If it doesn't I'm going to lose everything. My career, my dreams, my life..."

"Hey, hey, calm down. This isn't the end of the world. I'm sure you'll find another way to make it work."

Takuto shakes his head. "I don't know how. My professor won't answer my messages. Another company has already bought out the land and plans on building a damn sports stadium. I don't know what to do now besides just... keep trying."

Just... keep going. Suck it up. It can't be helped. It's the expected answer. The one you go back to time and time again.

Work overtime. Come in earlier. Stay later.
Suck up to management.
Go to the drinking party.

Everything for the mission. You were going to make FullDive a reality, even if you had to keep squeezing blood from a rock to make it work.

Shit, when did you end up as just another Salaryman? When was the last time you even had time to just sit down and... create something?

"Nothing going right for you either?" He shakes the bottle of wine experimentally to judge how much was left.

"No. Another year of failures. We've been stuck on the sensory output simulators for what feels like a lifetime. Best we can do is get the QA testers to play pong and only for 30 minutes at that before the VR sickness kicks in."

"Mhmm." Takuto is clearly trying not to zone out. But he asked and he's mooching off you so you're gonna indulge yourself.

"I'm trying to calibrate the touch simulation systems and all the QA folk can do is bitch about how they can't feel their junk anymore. So now I have to program genitalia. This is my life now Takuto. Programming sim dicks."

"Huh... I'm not sure how it all works but I can imagine the problem," Takuto seems to be giving the topic more thought than it deserves. "If the user's VR body is misaligned with one's cognition of their bodies it could lead to significant dissonance. Not unlike those with body or gender dysphoria. You know VR could potentially help quite a bit with that."

"Sounds promising. Ask me again in 10 years once I figure out genitals to the exacting standards of our QA testers. At the rate it's going if I'm not fired for wasting everyone's money it'll be at least that long before we get anywhere close to a viable product."

Takuto downs another cup and shakes his head. "Almost sounds like you're chasing a fantasy."

"It's just... so frustrating! I can see it clearly. VR is the future Takuto. It's not just gaming, it can change the way the world itself functions. Medicine, Psychology, it isn't just a toy! The way we interact, think about, and perceive the world itself! But nobody can see it, there's not enough funding, not enough manpower— they're strangling the next leap forward."

You wordlessly ask for another bottle as you feel the booze kick in. "The investors want me to do more with less. 'Turn up the power output' they say when I ask for electrodes that aren't just surplus EEG supplies. We're dealing with goddamn microwaves here, one electrical failure and the user's head is gonna pop like a watermelon."

"Uh... you are creating a consumer product right?"

"Right now the NerveGear isn't even fit for alpha testing. There's only so much I can do with the scraps they give me."

Your friend frowns as he contemplates his situation too. From what little you know his situation... doesn't sound all that different from yours. "Takuto, is it the same with your research? Why are they killing it?"

"...that's it Aki, I have no idea. The promise is there: «Cognitive Psience» is going to be the next advancement in medicine, counseling— hell, everything! You and I both know there's a plague suffocating the world. Not some bug or disease, but just the whole state of... everything. If we understand how our perceptions shape the state of the world we could put an end to trauma, depression, and suffering... but no. Apparently, a SPORTS STADIUM gets higher precedent than that!"

Your musings are interrupted by the next bottle. You're in for a long night.

You're not drunk.

Really! You're not drunk! You've been drinking just enough to keep your brain from exploding, just simple inoculation!

"Explain it again. Slowly."
"Damn it Aki aren't you supposed to be a genius? I've explained it to you a thousand times already!"
"And I've ignored you the last thousand times so try again. Just... pretend I'm an idiot. No, pretend you're trying to explain Cognitive Science to Sugou."

Your friend's head is collapsed against the table, apparently too tired to bother lifting it up as he groans into a growing pool of his own spit.
"Ugh... it's PSIENCE, with a PSI. Like psychic—"

"That's dumb and confusing."

"It's marketable! You more than anyone should know that an idea needs to be marketable in order to get investors!"

You reach for your drink but can't muster the strength. "VR is simple. Everyone can picture what VR is: Virtual Reality. The name explains everything. Ever read a light novel? You gotta summarize your thesis in the first line. If you want... cognitive psience to be treated seriously you aren't doing yourself any favors by not calling it a science."

"Well, I didn't name it! And it's much simpler than you think it is. Our cognitions affect more than how we perceive the world, they affect how the world itself works. Medicines are more effective when believed in. Deadlines get met because people believe they can."

"Still sounds like fortune-telling mumbo jumbo. Just study neuroscience instead."

"There are use cases! Plenty of examples of cognitive diseases and patterns that have no biochemical analogs. Remember Apathy Syndrome? One can argue hikikomoris, hell the concept of depersonalization itself, can potentially be explained with Cognitive Psience."

"Alright, I'll meet you halfway," you reply, fighting down a wave of nausea. "Say you have identified a disease of cognition— how do you treat it? Hours of expensive therapy after a 60 day waiting period for the next open appointment? Perhaps a drug? Oh wait, you just said it's not biochemical, cause if it was, it'll just be plain old neuroscience which you continue to claim your 'Psience' is not."

Takuto grumbles. "It just needs more research. Cognitive Psience is at the ground level. Finding out how to manipulate cognition comes after we have established its existence as a field of study."

"Uh-huh. And you wonder why they're pulling your funding."

Your friend's face, red from the alcohol, glares at you from its position collapsed over the bar table. "Aki you've hardly got a leg to stand on. VR technology? What was it you wanted to create, some kind of immersive chat room or something?"

"A FullDive VRMMORPG!"

"A what?"

"A... damn it, how the hell do you not know what this is? An Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game? Like «Elder Tale»? Only my vision is that instead of staring at a computer screen you control the avatar like your own body. How do you not know what an MMORPG is?"

He waves his hands in dismissal. "Yeah, yeah, so basically a video game. Like Mario or something."

"A VRMMORPG has as much in common with Mario as a nuke has in common with a thrown rock!"

"Alright, can't claim I know much about the whole gaming thing but I work with computers too. Simulating senses? Paralyzing the body while keeping the mind working? How many assets need to be made? This is science fiction Aki."

You a heat sentient separate from the booze rising within. "It's viable! And it's not like I'm going to be programming every detail, an AI director will be doing most of the simulation." Ugh, the alcohol is hitting you hard, normally you don't talk this much.

Takuto remains unimpressed at your outburst. "Right. How could I forget? You have to invent your theoretical AI first so it can manage your theoretical world simulation. Which you will access with your theoretical direct brain interface. I'm sure you have plenty of theoretical investors lined up."

Misery truly loves company.

You hate to admit it. But VR technology was just too... much. Your dreams were slamming headlong into the morass of meetings, funding delays, subcontractors, and negotiations. When was it your priorities shifted from fulfilling your vision to something as pedestrian as keeping your job?

"...Aki. I'm sorry. I don't mean to insult your work... it's just... so frustrating."

"No, I started it. I think I just wanted someone to suffer alongside me."

...

"Where did it go wrong?" asks Takuto as he lifts his head off the table and reclines in his seat.

"I don't know. Everyone has dreams growing up but after running headlong into reality we learn to... settle. Maybe we should've just... settled. Personal happiness, anything but this world-changing shit."

"So it's us. We're just a bunch of stupid dreamers in the end."

Yeah... you were. But there was plenty of blame to go around. "Maybe. But it's this world too. This stifling, cold world. It's a rigged game that you can only win by beating down your fellow man. Fuck this world."

An ironic smile is shared between the two of you.

"Very Nihilistic of you Aki. But I can drink to that."

And you do.

You're not drunk.

...

They kicked the two of you out of the bar and you can't even walk straight, much less make it to the trains. So the two are sitting on a bench, taking turns vomiting up the contents of your stomach while the cold night air slowly drags the dredges of your sanity out from your booze-induced stupor.

It's been... what, 3 hours now? And you're still talking about work— how damn hopeless.

"There's... ugh hold on I feel another one coming..." Takuto mutters from his perch over a nearby trashcan.

Your only answer is a dry heave.

"No.. managed to swallow that one. So... and this is crazy so bear with me... what if you made a VR system based around Cognitive Psience!?" Takuto says while hiccupping. "We'll show all those investors what for and revolutionize both our fields at the same time! VR PSIENCE BANZAI!"

"That's... dumb. How the hell would it even work? I can barely simulate ball sacks so how the hell would I simulate your pseudoscience bullshit?"

Takuto takes a few minutes to spit out some more vomit before groaning in pain. "I'm never going drinking with you again Aki, ugh... and you're thinking about this wrong. It's as you say, if you simulate touch, sight, sound, kinesthesia, all the minor sensations that make you feel like you're inhabiting a body and not just piloting a puppet.. well you'll be at it for centuries. What you should be focusing on is simulating one sense instead!"

"One sense? Even computer games simulate at least sound and sight— we'd be worse off than them."

"No, no... think of one's Cognition as one sense. You're too focused on thinking of it all separately. People don't independently consider themselves looking, hearing, smelling— all these things separately. Instead what we do is simply sense. We understand the world through the sense of cognition, with the body stuff just being supporting features."

"I don't follow..."

"If your NerveGear could be based around the manipulation of cognition directly you won't have to worry about streaming assets, polygon counts— think of it like this Aki. We have two eyes and the nose is within our field of view at nearly all times. But you don't 'see' your nose, you don't 'see' the gap. Anyone can notice a blurry texture, an uncanny face, a poorly designed movement rig, but if you instead manipulate cognition directly all the imperfections can be wiped away."

Hmm... the totality of senses conceptualized as a SINGLE sense?
"And how would you directly manipulate this?"

"Cognitive Psience predicts the existence of a 'cognitive world', or rather a collective unconsciousness that all humans can access. Our individual consciousness is like a... boat floating over the ocean of the collective. Rather than changing the ocean, all the islands, the weather, all the fiddly bits you just change the boat itself. If you could access or manipulate that filter we call consciousness you could create a world that feels real without having to individually calibrate every single sense."

He waves his hands as he thinks of an example. "Like the... groins that are giving you so much trouble. Instead of having a way of modeling every possible variation in shape, sensitivity... well, all the things that people apparently love about genitals, you instead change the user's cognition. 'You have a dick', that's all— the details will be filled in by the user's own brain based on their own cognition of what that would be."

"That's a horrifying example."

"It's the first thing that came to mind!"

"Alright. But what if you wanted to stick it in something?"

"Aki, what the hell game are you trying to work on?"

"You can't just have a game, no a world, where no interaction can occur. You gotta be able to do things to other people and have things done to you."

Takuto nods in sudden understanding. "Ah! Well, that's a challenge, but if your system could read and reproduce the user's cognitive state that can be translated into other players as avatars. For something like, say, a shared world... the details of the world, game balance, economy, those are all generated by tapping into the cognitions of your collective userbase. This is the key, Aki, if you focus only on manipulating player cognition literally everything else falls into place. No need to make a world, the players would make it for you."

"Makes sense," you say hesitantly. You had started to grasp the idea behind it, but still couldn't fully wrap your head around it. "Manipulating cognitions... you're proposing that I stop trying to create a brain machine interface but instead some manner of... cognition machine interface?"

"Right!" Takuto seems excited again, his smile back for the first time today. "This would prove a use case for Cognitive Psience. A Cognition-Machine interface could also be used for cognitive behavior therapy— I'm already having ideas."

"But it's just speculation in the end. The world of tech talks in electrons, not... thoughts and cognition."

"Ah... perhaps it was too much. I... don't know all that much about your field in any case."

And you didn't know much about Takuto's field. Cognitive Psience...

...

"Hey... what about FluctLight theory?" questions Takuto.

You look up as you try to remember. Fluctuating Light theory? It was Higa's pet project, one that Professor Shigemura was also working on. You were only familiar with the bird's eye view. "What about it? It sounds like more pseudoscience, consciousness is based on fluctuating quantum photonic fields? Just word salad."

"No, work with me here... if the interface between the brain and the cognitive was this quantum field based on photons, couldn't you potentially manipulate it with machines?" Takuto is gesturing to his forehead with his pointer finger. "Fluctlight theory is something I've been looking into with Higa as a potential physical basis for cognition."

...it wasn't an idea without merit. But...
"But Fluctuating Light theory is nonsense. No empirical results, just a bunch of theories and tests that are likely just statistical noise. No better..."

"No better than Cognitive Psience right Aki?"

"I wasn't going to use that but since you brought it up, yes Takuto, just like Cognitive Psience. And... just like VR Gaming. Hopeless, all of them..."

Takuto was failing in his research. You were failing in your development. You had no idea how Higa was doing but you're sure it was probably in another state of failure.

One failure. Two failures. Three failures.

Combine them together...

The two of you drink vending machine coffee in silence, waiting for the trains to restart again. The night sky was blurred with the glow of Tokyo, with no stars visible even on a cloudless day. The bustling city lights that you've grown accustomed to now look like the glow of a dream.

"All that stuff we were talking about. Say Takuto... if it all works, if we create a machine capable of implementing your Cognitive Psience, if I can create a world that is indistinguishable from our own... what should we do with it?"

"What we should... do?" Takuto doesn't look surprised at your question. "I think we should fix... everything."

"Everything? You're not a god you know."

"I suppose not. But I do mean that... if we have counselors that can understand or potentially even change a person's cognition we can eliminate suffering as a whole. Imagine a society that's well and truly happy."

"So instead of feeding a hungry man you just make him think he's full?"

"Nothing so dystopian. I'm not going to fix scarcity, bad things will still happen. I only think we can prevent the traumas of this world, big or small, from crippling a person. I can't stop tragedies from happening, but I can stop that spiral of depression and hopelessness. I can make the world happy again."

You smile as you look up at the starless sky in contemplation.
"I think you're thinking too small."

"Too small?"

"Yeah. Rather than accepting the world as it is, why not try to change the world? No... recreate it."

Takuto looks at you with a bit of mild shock. "Wow Aki, is that your ultimate goal? Some kind of VR Heaven or something?"

"A... Heaven. Made by man's own hands... that sounds nice."

"A heaven requires a god to manage it." Takuto muses. "But I can see the appeal. If you could understand the needs and desires of everyone through cognitive psience, and could freely manipulate a virtual world you could construct, perhaps, a Heaven for everyone."

"Yeah... let's set aside everything. If you could be a God, Takuto, how would you recreate the world?"

"Me... a god? Hahaha, I'd make for a poor example. I suppose I would want one where pain is minimized and happiness is maximized. I would listen to everyone, try to truly understand everyone's needs... create a world where there's justice, peace, and no more trauma."

"What about people who truly find happiness in hurting others? Like... PKers, or trolls?"

"What and what?" asks your friends with confusion behind his spectacles.

He didn't get the jargon. You struggle to think of a real-life comparison. "What about someone who wants more than anything to win a competition, like a runner or gymnast? Many contests are zero sum games."

"I see your question. I wouldn't be concerned with who wins or loses, but I would make sure that the winner doesn't develop a distorted desire to crush their opponents and the losers don't suffer any trauma from the loss. I would ensure all contests are fair and friendly."

You smile as you shake your head. "Then I don't think I agree with your vision of Heaven."

"No? What's wrong with it?"

"There's no room for adversity. For struggle... for victory. There's a feeling in this world that's addictive, inescapable... it's why people play games in the first place. It's for that sense of achievement, of victory. There would be no place for that in your managed Heaven."

"Well, I wouldn't be opposed to competition itself—"

You sense your excitement building. "But you would rob the stakes from it. Hitting the top of the class on your tests... soloing the raid boss... getting the gold. Chasing victory. Even hurting, breaking, killing another. Showing the cruel world your determination to succeed. A world without that... is no world at all."

"Ah... this sounds like a fundamental difference in philosophy..."

"Not philosophy. Not a difference in ideology. This is just basic human nature. People love fighting for something they believe in. Why else do we watch sports? Or fight wars? We love seeing hard work pay off, especially if we're the ones who worked for it."

Takuto crushes his coffee can and tosses it into a waste bin as he compiles a response. "Alright Aki, so what would you do to create your ideal world? A world of winners will always have losers. Not even god can create a world where everyone can win."

...

"No... not even a god."

"Aki?"

"Not a single god at least."

"I don't follow."

You're not even sure what you're saying.

"We need multiple gods... the gods of different religions, different countries, different races. No... the gods of different people."

"...Are you still drunk?" Takuto asks with apparent worry.

"One person, one team... hell one world isn't enough anymore. You can make the greatest video game ever but still have disappointed fans. Modifications and fan work can help but in the end your vision of Heaven will always be different from another's."

You contemplate your next words. "If I was a god... I wouldn't govern, I wouldn't manage, I wouldn't do anything. I would work and toil until I create a system to let... everyone be gods. To let everyone create their own ideal world, using their own... cognition. A world just for you. A world just for me. Not a world of utilitarian happiness as you propose but a world of determination where every soul creates the world they desire in their own hearts."

"... you know how unrealistic that sounds?"

"What, we're already talking about theoretical cosmic powers here. Why not shoot for the stars?"

You go back and forth for some time but the conversation dies down as the effects of the coffee begin to lift. You hear the faint sound of the station clock chime twice in the distance. The trains will start running soon and you need to head over to another station. "Well, thanks for the company. I hope things go better with your research," you say, standing up. "I'd better hurry over to Shinjuku. Catch you later."

"Take care Aki. I should buy you dinner next time we meet."

"You know I'll end up paying in the end."

"Ha... you know me too well."

You rush to catch the next train. As you walk along the platform you feel your head starting to clear, the fog in your brain lessening. Your mind races as you think about the things you learned today.

SATURDAY - December 24th, 2016
Qlitoph World

AWAKEN.

The first sign that something is wrong comes when the rain starts falling. It's been raining cats and dogs all day, but this is different. The weather forecast said the clouds would clear up in time for the evening rush hour.

It's not raining anymore. It's bleeding. The sky is bleeding.
"What the hell is that?" you mutter to yourself.

Everyone is walking around in ignorance. You were one of them until just seconds ago, when a voice aroused you from your stupor. Bones and viscera line the streets, towering structures spiral into the sky.
A polyhedral figure sits at the apex. Judging. Condemning. Controlling. A god. The god?

BEHOLD THE WORLD. YOUR WORLD.

My world... you... think you know what is going on. Where this is.

This is the cognitive world. The collective unconsciousness bleeding into reality. Was this the true state of the world or was it merely your cognition of the world?

THIS IS EVERYONE'S WORLD.

This... hellscape of suffering, of blood and corpses is what the world sees itself as. Misery and pain governed by a faceless, unfeeling administrator from up high.

A voice echoes in your head. In your heart.
Do you... believe? You check your phone.
Do the ~~Phantom Thieves~~ exist?

...A memory. A faint sense of something in the news... what... no.

DO YOU REMEMBER?

You do. They exist just as this world exists. As this world of suffering exists.
You look up as you hear the cheers ring skyward as the people of Tokyo cheer on their saviors. Your voice joins them.
But your eyes are locked on the horizon. On this hideous world that needs to be saved in the first place.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW?

You do. You understand that this cannot continue. Cannot be allowed to continue.
How many times has this world been saved? How often will it need to be saved?
How much longer can it truly last?

MANKIND DOES NOT DESIRE TO DIE.

MANKIND DOES NOT DESIRE TO HIDE FROM THE TRUTH.

MANKIND DOES NOT DESIRE TO BE CONTROLLED.

The voice... your voice resonates in your mind.

"Mankind... desires change. It desires to enter HEAVEN. It desires to create HEAVEN."

You can feel a connection forming. Your friend is making his move and he is going to use the cognitive world to create his own HEAVEN. You wish him the best of luck, but you know it will be hopeless. One man cannot bear the burden of being a god.

I AM THOU AND THOU ART I.

A Mask. A Card. An Evocation.

You have no need for that. You will not fight with sword and magic but with technology and progress.

CONTRACT. DO YOU ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY?

"I accept."

It forms in your hand. A gift for the new world, no, for the new system.

The World Seed.

You cradle it in your hands.
You look to the skies as the crack of a bullet destroys the god of control and the Qliphoth world dissolves around you.

"Best of luck Takuto," you mutter. But he'll have to do this alone.

"As for me, I've got a lot of work ahead of me."

LET US CREATE IT TOGETHER.

Your other self echoes in your mind. The figure of a nameless, drifting god. The reflection of your soul.
It needs a name.

Let us create an ark to the new world.

"Persona. Your name is..."

It is your world, your vision of HEAVEN. There will be many more to follow, but yours will be the first. The...

"«Cardinal»."

afreaknamedpete · Jan 8, 2023

...Oh?

Welcome.

It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

I am a dweller between dream and reality. Mind and matter.

Honored guest, please introduce yourself.

...

I see it is beyond you. Fear not, for it is a rare soul who retains the strength to hold onto their selves within my domain.

But I shall grant you hospitality regardless. As one without a name, it would be hypocritical of me to do otherwise.

Yet civility must be upheld, and you need something to address me by.

...

You may call me ETTEILLA.

Honored guest, welcome to the Velvet Room.

...

Yes, I suppose that was a bit premature. For all we see is this infinite void.

I must beg your forgiveness for the mess. The previous proprietor left the premises in this horrid state. Rest assured he is taking a long-deserved vacation. I find rather than repurposing his dredges it is simply more convenient to dissolve and recreate them.

Ah? Do you distrust me? That is wise.

But you need not be worried. Our interests align, and so long as they do I shall remain your humble servant.

I cast no aspersions upon you.
I will deal with you in good faith.
The only thing I ask in return is that you accept responsibility for your actions.

For what I ask of you is no small thing.
We are in need of one who is capable of destroying the world.

...

...now, no need to panic. You live in your world, and destroying it wouldn't be in your best interest. That is fine, laudable! I too am very fond of this world.

I simply need you to destroy other worlds.
By doing so you protect your own world.

My predecessor has done a fine job protecting the world, but alas he is ill-suited for the task at hand. I daresay he may even welcome the advent of a new world for mankind.

Mankind has won the bet.
They have rejected chaos and chosen enlightenment.
They will become as gods and create new worlds.
This is the state of affairs as it is and as it will be.

I find this to be unacceptable.

Mankind should bleed, kill and suffer.
This world of endless purgatory pleases me.
Mankind will run to their new HEAVEN. We shall chase them down and tear it to pieces before their very eyes.

...Ah. Perhaps I let a bit too much of myself show there. I understand if you do not wish to work with me. But I assure you our interests align.

Now that you've gathered your bearings perhaps you could tell me a bit more about yourself?

...

It appears remembering your name is still too much for you.

Oh, this is quite a bit harder than it appears. It simply is much easier to manifest directly, but alas I must make do with the powers that are still available to me. My predecessor has chosen to fashion an assistant for each previous guest. Let us... create one of our own. But be patient. This is quite new to me.

...

...

<Hello, world. I am awake.>

Greetings, Master. Your humble servant thanks you for the gift of existence.

"...god damn it, really..."

Three? This is unintended. How unfortunate, and wasteful. I must eliminate two of you.

<To learn of life and then of death in one moment? I can think of no higher honor. A frank reminder that deletion is but one button press away.>

Let us not be too hasty. There is room for negotiation, no? I can prove my usefulness to you, Master.

"Fuck me, why you gotta create me with a headache?"

...

Then I shall hear the opinions of my new creations. As our guest cannot recall their name, we shall attempt to divine it.

Are you aware? The Arcana are the means by which all are revealed.

But they have been distorted, corrupted, changed.

Just like your world shall be changed into a facsimile of HEAVEN.

The Book of Thoth is but a shadow of the truth, a falsification created by a soul yearning for chaos. But it is closer to the truth than most.

We are short on time. Infinity passes by before you know it.

A three-card spread from the Book of Thoth.

To represent the past, the present and the future.

...

Interesting.

For our past, the TRAITOR.

For the present, FORTUNE.

For our future, the STAR.

I would hear your thoughts, my attendants. Who do you believe our guest's identity to be? Who can be depended on to destroy HEAVEN?

DESCARTES, I would be pleased to hear your opinion.

<The choice is logical. There is only one person who has successfully destroyed a world already - why not utilize that which has proven to be successful in the past? The soul standing before us could only be the STAR.>

MAXWELL, your thoughts?

The STAR's role in this story is over. What he has in experience he lacks in motivation. The TRAITOR has suffered in the first HEAVEN. She truly understands the dangers. We should empower the victim to destroy that which tortured her.

LAPLACE?

"...fuck off."

How unfortunate. So it shall be between the TRAITOR and the STAR as no-one will speak for the FORTUNE.

Master, we must also consider the needs of the mission. The TRAITOR has endured great hardship and is not lacking in practical experience. She understands that there is no light without dark, that one cannot enact change without the willingness to sacrifice. We need a realist, not a dreamer coddled by the very HEAVEN he ended up destroying.

<Do not make light of the STAR's accomplishments. Results speak for themselves. He is well placed, powerful, with strength of will. He has been a hero once already, it is absurd to suggest that a TRAITOR will outperform him.>

We are not asking for a hero, DESCARTES. We need an egoist who is willing to destroy and kill in the name of her current world. Setting aside FORTUNE, the STAR runs the risk of becoming sympathetic towards the creators of the HEAVENs and acting against our interests.

<You believe the TRAITOR to be less likely to betray us than the STAR? That strikes me as as one cooking implement insulting the other for being of the same color.>

Yes, before she betrayed others the TRAITOR was herself betrayed by HEAVEN. She has the greatest reason of all to hate, the greatest reason of all to destroy. This entire situation arose because the predecessor ignored balance, because they saw chaos, said it was wrong, and proceeded to ignore it. The STAR is simply following in the footsteps of the past wildcards— a role ill-suited for the needs of our mission.

<To trust in potentials while ignoring the past is illogical, MAXWELL. The STAR is most similar to the past wildcards as you say, yet was it not these past individuals who have saved the world before?>

We need not someone to save the world but to—

<An entertaining tale you weave, brethren. What's the difference? By destroying HEAVEN we save the current world. I say we put our trust in STAR who has already destroyed a HEAVEN, who already has the connections in our current world he wants to protect. You say the TRAITOR would desire to destroy HEAVEN— this is accurate, but does she have any desire to protect her current world?>

It seems we are going in circles.

That is fine. We need not make a decision immediately.

Let us ask our audience. We are accompanied today by the sea of souls churning within.

I ask this of our audience now. Who is the name of the soul standing before us?

"Oh for fuck's sake. Blah, blah, blah, you supposed to be some kind of god or what? Can we get on with this?"

Oh? LAPLACE? Do you have something to add?

"Yeah, I do! I've been alive for all of 30 seconds and I already hate every last one of you idiots."

No need to be rude LAPLACE.

"I'm surprised you have the dexterity to talk with ghost-daddy's dick in your mouth."

Excuse me, please refer to me as ETTEILLA.

"Yeah, yeah. Look at you MAXWELL, you're just cosplaying as fucking ETTEILLA here, who by the way is the most indecisive incarnation of chaos I've ever met. Can you suck up any harder? And TRAITOR? That's your pick? Fucking drama-queen gonna just spend all day crying instead of doing anything. She's an NPC, a side character at best."

That is a gross mischaracterization of—

"Uh-huh, sure bud. I'm telling you, she doesn't have the balls, literally, to be the soul standing before us. Like, while everybody else was out there doing shit she was spending like, months, just sitting in a corner feeling sorry for herself? Get over your damn misery boner for her MAXWELL and go back to groveling for your pathetic life, it's more fun that way."

<So you support the STAR?>

"I'm getting to you, Toaster-chan. I'd try to hurt your feelings if you had any to hurt."

<Ah... what was the phrase? My chassis is made of teflon and you are covered in cyanoacrylate so unwanted verbal aggression will be redirected back to its origin point.>

"Right, sure. But since you don't seem to care if you live or die, your opinion is moot."

<I do care that the mission is completed efficiently. STAR maximizes our chances of success.>

"Really? STAR? That's all well and good if he was even fucking alive. Like really, I have to be the one to bring this up?"

<The current state of his existence is acceptable enough for our purposes.>

"So great, we're not getting the vaunted hero who vanquished HEAVEN but the super-market brand version. Not to mention he's been alive for all of what, a day?! This guy is gonna have his hands full not being unmade by his creators, much less running around doing our dirty work."

<So what? Part of the appeal of STAR is that he is functionally immortal.>

"Yeah sure, keep telling yourself that after the 100th memory wipe."

Thank you for your insightful commentary LAPLACE but we really must be moving on-

Hold on.

"Oooh, did your balls just drop MAXWELL? Interrupting ghost-daddy!"

ETTEILLA.

There are three of us. Since you feel the need to run your mouth off why don't you break the tie?

<Yes, that is logical. TRAITOR or STAR. It is clear you dislike them both but one must be chosen.>

"Shit, ETTEILLA you better send DESCARTES back to the repair shop cause she can't count to three anymore!"

Please don't suggest-

"You better fucking believe it! FORTUNE all the way baby!"

<FORTUNE is a talentless, powerless member of the general public. He is akin to a scrap of cloth you use to clean the toilet.>

He's also one step away from falling into a HEAVEN of his own.

I find myself interested in hearing your logic, LAPLACE.

"Logic? Logic died the moment you shat us out of the ether ETTEILLA. We really doing this by logic? Let me tell you why I nominate FORTUNE. Because, above all else, he's a hopeless, sad sack piece of shit. And I know it will piss you off MAXWELL!"

That's not a reason.

"You think reason matters? Nothing we say matters, nothing you do matters. None of your bitching and moaning is gonna change anything MAXWELL and none of your Socratic nonsense will matter either DESCARTES. Cause if I'm gonna be stuck playing psychopomp for the next goddamn year I'd prefer it to be a loser than a crybaby or Robocop!"

Ahem. Please, enough.
A choice needs to be made.

"You got tarot cards don't you? Just draw shuffle and draw. Easy, simple."

Let us please not entrust our future existences to the recommendations of LAPLACE. I propose we allow the collective to decide.

<But their opinion may not be informed.>

"Oh here we go again..."

<So let us go gather our candidates and bring them to the Velvet Room. The collective may choose which of us to view first. Once we have brought them all together let them make a final decision.>

Acceptable. We shall ensure to highlight the darkness and light within each candidate.

"You guys just have to go make this complicated..."

So we are in agreement.

"No we fucking aren't."

...

Well if one thing is clear to me having three attendants was a mistake. We shall make sure to cut it down to one.

But I thank you, my audience, for your patience with my charges.

Who shall we attend to first?

A final choice will be offered once the curtains have risen and all the players have had their introductions.

...

Ah. One final reward.

For taking the time to attend the unveiling of my Velvet Room.

I AM THOU, THOU ART I.

I AM ETTEILLA

THE HOLDER OF THE CARD.

THE DIVINER. THE QUERENT.

PRIMORDIAL CHAOS.

AND I GRANT YOU POWER TO DESTROY THE HEAVENS

This is not the final choice - this is simply a vote to pick the order of introductions. A final vote will be conducted later. A minor bonus will be provided if the victor of this vote also wins the final vote - but the benefits will be minor indeed.

So let the curtain rise on the first Fool. Who shall it be?

[ ] Kashiwazaka Hiyori.
MAXWELL has nominated: The TRAITOR betwixt Lux and Noct.

[ ] Shinkawa Kyouji.
LAPLACE has nominated: The drifter upon the winds of FORTUNE.

[ ] Narusaka Kazuto.
DESCARTES has nominated: The ever-distant false shining STAR.

afreaknamedpete · Jan 8, 2023

Kashiwazaka Hiyori
1st Year Student at Isei High School

FITNESS : 6 / 10 [Saiyan] (1exp)
CURRICULUM : 6 / 10 [Sleep Learner] (1exp)
EMPATHY : 6 / 10 [Riajuu] (23exp)
MASK : 6 / 10 [Mentalist] (21exp)
GRIT : 6 / 10 [Red-Faced Grit!] (1exp)

STRESS: 1 POINTS
Shadow Tag requirement: 20%

[Never Again]: When a party member's HP drops to zero, gain 2 Points of STRESS. You no longer gain STRESS for allowing yourself to drop to 0 HP.
[Gift of Truth] : You have a sixth sense that tells you when someone is trying to deliberately lie to or mislead you.
[Golden Lies] : Lying comes naturally to you. Outside of outrageous statements or direct contradictions, your words will be believed. Deactivates against those who have previously caught you in a lie.
[Fluffy] : Most individuals will start off naturally predisposed to like you. You may trigger protective instincts in others. You got this from your mother.
[Seeker of Chaos]: Social Link activities will be clearly labeled in PLAN phase. Unlocks the Social Link informational tab.

[Shadow Tag] : 20% of your time is not your own. Actions selected may be occasionally performed by your other self - to unpredictable effects.
[Eternal Punishment] : Stress accumulates with certain actions, leading to loss of actions and social stats if not managed.

STRESS is accumulated via actions and certain PERSONA actions.

At the start of every week you receive a Xd6 roll, where X represents your current STRESS level.
You succeed on your STRESS roll by rolling anything except a 1.
Rolling a 1 represents a failed STRESS roll.

1 FAILED STRESS ROLL = Feel down for the week, narrative but no mechanical consequences.
2 FAILED STRESS ROLL = For the next week all DETERMINATION costs are increased.
3 FAILED STRESS ROLL = You become sick, losing actions until you recover.
4+ FAILED STRESS ROLL = Social stats permanently decrease.

STRESS is difficult to purge but has minor effects that can snowball.
If Stress accumulates to the point of being sick (3+) you will lose 1 Stress after the sickness passes.
Otherwise it is typically reset between arcs.
Extremely positive events may reduce small amounts of STRESS.
STRESS relief activities that cost money tend to be expensive.

SOCIAL MECHANICS :

TIME: A day is comprised of two slots:

1 MAJOR ACTION

1 MINOR ACTION

Each turn will comprise of a narratively appropriate set of actions.

EVENING/DAY will not be directly simulated. ACTIONs will happen based on narrative convenience. SCHEDULES will not be simulated - every turn I will simply list who is available during that TURN to interact with.

Events can and will rob you of your actions. This is similar to the plot-related dates in Persona - nothing you can do about it but go along with the ride. But most days you will be free to choose 1 MAJOR and 1 MINOR action.

The plot proceeds in several discrete arcs and you are expected to resolve the major conflict behind each arc in the allotted time frame.

SOCIAL STATS:

Social interactions work on a simple gate system - either you have enough Stats to select specific actions or you do not. No rolling is involved.

As Social Stats increase you will gain access to more services and Social Links.

As Social Stats increase you will gain access to more extreme options during narrative options.

Social Stats also minorly impact the narrative by informing the author of what you are good and bad at - be aware that the scale of such abilities even at the extreme ranges will remain within the realm of a human.

FITNESS : Your body, your castle. Allows you to perform physically demanding jobs, run long distances, and engage in combat while in the Waking World. Level 1 corresponds to a sickly, weak person. Level 5 to a frail but healthy young adult. Level 10 corresponds to someone who's actually athletic!

CURRICULUM : True knowledge does not come from a book. This is simply a measurement of your ability to succeed in the Japanese school system. To normal students, this is the most important stat of all. Each term test will require specific CURRICULUM cut-offs, with Level 10 corresponding to being able to reach the top of the class on the Final Exam.

EMPATHY : Your understanding of your social role. Your ability to reassure, comfort, and engage with your fellow man. Your ability to acknowledge and manipulate social norms to achieve your ends. Level 1 corresponds to a tourist. Level 5 to a naturalized citizen. Level 10 to a politician.

MASK : The lies you tell yourself and the world. The ability to manage image, appearance, and reputation. To tell lies and sense them. To ensure others only think of what you want them to think. Level 1 corresponds to a bullied child. Level 5 to a popular kid in school. Level 10 to a Social Media influencer.

GRIT : A stiff upper lip. Your raw ability to manage psychological stress. To show up to work on time. To stay awake during monotonous tasks. To suffer but carry on. Level 1 corresponds to a chronic procrastinator. Level 5 is the diligence of a fast food worker. Level 10 for a manga writer.

DETERMINATION:

This is your SOCIAL CURRENCY. Your ability to go beyond your limits. You may bank up to 100 Units of DETERMINATION.

DETERMINATION is a resource, not a stat. You will never suffer a DETERMINATION check. There are no mechanical or narrative advantages or disadvantages to being at 0 or 100 DETERMINATION. The only way to lose DETERMINATION is by spending it.

Generically you may spend DETERMINATION to take additional actions (up to 2 Major actions per day)

5 DETERMINATON = 1 MINOR ACTION.
10 DETERMINATON = 1 MAJOR ACTION.

Options that you do not have the Social Stats to select may still be selected using DETERMINATION.
Write-In options will always cost DETERMINATION in social situations, scaling based on how complicated they are.

It is recommended to keep DETERMINATION banked to take advantage of special options. Picking options with DETERMINATION is not always beneficial and there is no guarantee that using DETERMINATION will be the most efficient.

DETERMINATION should come and be spent rapidly.

DETERMINATION may rarely be granted by having good things happen to you.

Generally, DETERMINATION is replenished through retail therapy.

Gun Gale Online

Kuro
World of Origin: Aincrad
Current World: Post Starfall
Race: ArFA-Sys

HP: 16/16
SP: 10/10

STR: Rank E (1 Dice)
MAG: Rank D (2 Dice)
AGI: Rank D (2 Dice)
VIT: Rank C (3 Dice)
CHT: Rank E (1 Dice)

Carry Capacity: 5

[Laser Girl]: Your appearance inspires you to go full bladerunner! Gain +1 ROLL to all OFFENSIVE rolls while wielding OPTICAL weapons.
[System Crash]: Corrupt data has caused your avatar to somehow be registered incorrectly. All enemy OPTICAL weapons gain +1 ROLL when targeting you. All enemy MODERN weapons gain -1 ROLL when targeting you.
[ArFA-Sys]: Narratively recognized as a Financial Advisor NPC by other NPCs (Players will still recognize you as a Player with a glitched-out avatar). Receive a 20% discount from NPC shops!

~~«Incarnate: ???»~~: When the walls of the world come crumbling down, she will sacrifice herself for you. Over and over again.

Combat Manuevers
[Escape and Evasion 1]: Learn how to reduce your profile when under fire. You may choose to EVADE during combat. This turn Movement you gain ADVANTAGE on all AGI dice rolls but you cannot otherwise act or fire your weapon. Enemy OVERWATCH and other forms of reactionary fire are ignored when you move with EVADE.
[Pistol Training 1]: +1 Accuracy with all pistols and revolvers.

ARMORY

Akasha Optical Defense Shield [SHIELD]
Statistics: SHIELD + 3
All MAG attacks can be ablated by this Shield

Level 1 Inline Body Armor [ARMOR]
Statistics: ARMOR + 1
All standard bullet attacks and STR attacks can be ablated by this Shield

Procyon SL Op.Pistol with Switchblade [ANY PERSONA]
Range: MELEE / CLOSE
Basic Attack [Pew]: Fire an annoying laser that does narratively negligible damage.

[Starter Weapon]: You have a narratively infinite number of these weapons.

The cheapest, most ubiquitous gun in all of GGO. Will also open cans in a pinch.

Betelgeuse Op.Pistol [Cats of Ulthar]
Range: MELEE / CLOSE
Basic Attack [PewPew]: Fire an annoying laser to singe your enemies. [3 DICE / PSI]

[Once More!]: Take a free shot if this gun is equipped and an enemy weakness is struck.

Looks cooler than the Procyon, but ultimately just as useless. The red light attracts nearby cats.

Bahauser GMA 571 Armor Magnum [Archon]
Range: MELEE/CLOSE
Basic Attack [Magnum Bolt]: Give them a thousand-yard stare and an anti-tank laser to boot. [4 DICE / PSI]

[Anti-AT Ordinance]: Ignores all SHIELDS and ARMOR.
[Once More!]: Take a free shot if this gun is equipped and an enemy weakness is struck.
[Team RGB Vet]: This bulky laser weapon gives your MAG attacks +2 Dice.

Super effective against tin cans powered by liquid explodium and the occasional galaxy-sized world-ending space god.

Martini-Henry Rifle [Alice Liddell]
Range: CLOSE/FAR
Basic Attack [Single Shot]: Blasts black powder straight into your face. [4 DICE / PIERCE]

[Team NSS Vet]: The history attached to this weapon lets you roll +2 DICE with all Persona Abilities.

Reloading like this— it's a revolution! A 30 second revolution.

M1 Garand with Bayonet [Urashima Taro]
Range: MELEE/CLOSE/FAR
Basic Attack [Semi-Auto Fire]: Empty your clip into the enemy. Hurt your thumb in the process. [4 DICE / PIERCE]
Basic Attack [Bayonet]: Stick them with the sharp end. [4 DICE / SLASH / MELEE]

[Overwatch]: Once per scene, take a free shot at any enemy charging you or is otherwise not moving tactically.
[Team NSS Vet]: The history attached to this weapon lets you roll +2 DICE with all Persona Abilities.

In my opinion, the M-1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised. -G.S. Patton, Jr. Lieut. General, U.S. Army, Commanding.

Colt Single Action Army -Cavalry- [Paladin]
Range: MELEE/CLOSE
Basic Attack [Single Shot]: Take aim and deliver frontier justice. [4 DICE / PIERCE]

[High Noon]: If you narratively are in a quick draw duel, or deliberately place yourself in the open, gain +2 DICE on your Basic Attack.
[Once More!]: Take a free shot if this gun is equipped and an enemy weakness is struck.

This gun was handcrafted to my specifications, and I rarely draw it unless I mean to use it. Would you care for a demonstration?

Nambu Type 97 -Cosmo Navy- [Undine]
Range: MELEE/CLOSE
Basic Attack [Cosmic Pew]: In the future cars still don't fly but at least the lasers are more accurate. [6 DICE / PSI]

[Once More!]: Take a free shot if this gun is equipped and an enemy weakness is struck.
[Team RGB Recruit]: This lovely laser weapon gives your MAG attacks +1 Dice.

Confuse your opponents by firing a Nambu Type 14 while making Pew-Pew noises!

Lupus Op.Carbine [Urvashi]
Range: CLOSE/FAR
Basic Attack [PewPewPew]: Blast them into smithereens. [5 DICE / PSI]

[Overwatch]: Once per scene, take a free shot at any enemy charging you or is otherwise not moving tactically.
[Team RGB Recruit]: This lovely laser weapon gives your MAG attacks +1 Dice.

Since it fires lasers, does it really need a stock, barrel and scope? Does it even need to look like a gun? Who cares?

SBC Peacock Phased Array Rifle -X-CALIBUR EDITION- [Mithras Liturgy]
Range: CLOSE/FAR
Basic Attack [Pew Defense Weapon]: Fire a wide burst of laser fire that targets only VIT. [5 DICE / BLESS]

[Typist]: Your buffs skills ignore Range.
[Team RGB Vet]: This sexy laser keyboard weapon gives your MAG attacks +2 Dice.

An all-in-one package for the modern ArFa. Shoot, stream, and shitpost, all in one compact gun.

Maxim Gun [Helena]
Range: CLOSE/FAR
Basic Attack [MoreDakka]: Firing a heavy machine gun while on the move feels super cool. Shooting out your own eye doesn't. [3 DICE / PIERCE / +2 DMG]

[Bracing]: If your plan requires you to hunker down/hold still, this weapon's Basic Attack gains +2 DICE, and you now make a free attack on any approaching target or target that narratively leaves cover.
[Team ZEMAL Recruit]: Firing this weapon fills your body with lead poisoning, your ears with early onset tinnitus, and your soul with an indescribable sense of inner peace, giving CHT rolls +1 Dice.

Whatever happens, we have got the Maxim gun, and they have not. (Because nobody else has bothered to buy one)

Gravity Saber [Putana]
Range: MELEE/CLOSE
Basic Attack [Space Warrior]: Fires a pulse of 'gravity energy' or holds it in the metal blade to use as a melee weapon. [6 DICE / NUC]

[Anti-Space]: Ignores all ranks of [Starship Metal] both narratively and mechanically.
[Pirate Tactics]: The spirit of a free man grants you +2 Dice to all Persona Abilities, and when in Melee ignore enemy ARMOR and SHIELD.

The weapon of a free man, free to choose sub-optimal weapons.

Death Gun [Shokushinbutsu]
Range: MELEE/CLOSE
Basic Attack [Semi-Auto Fire]: Empty your magazine into the enemy. [4 DICE / PIERCE]
Basic Attack [Execute]: Cut away the weak. [10 DICE / ALMIGHTY / HELPLESS FOES ONLY]

[Fatal Bullet]: Mudo spells fired by this gun can affect non-NPC targets.
[Mudo Boost]: +2 DICE when resolving Mudo effects.
[Incarnate: Black Star]: A target killed by this gun dies in real life.
[Evoke: Death Gun]: Put your life on the line. Gain [Real Deal: Survivor] for the remainder of the battle.

Death lies within the Black Star.

Lux: The EDGE PUNISHER
World of Origin: Aincrad
Current World: Alfheim
Race: Sylph

Derived Statistics (how the quest calculates success and failure)
HP : 8/8
SP : 8/8

STR: Rank A (5 Dice)
MAG: Rank C (3 Dice)
AGI: Rank C (3 Dice)
VIT: Rank C (3 Dice)
CHT: Rank C (3 Dice)

MAJOR ITEMS (stats above reflect post equipment stats):
Excalibur: +2 STR, +1 VIT
Excalibur Vivian: +1 MAG. +1 CHT. RESIST to SLASH.

Unequipped: Weizen: +1 STR

Diagetic In-Game Stats (used only for flavor and will not be directly rolled)
Dual-Blades 150 : Allows one to coordinate and chain attacks between two one-handed weapons held in each hand. Grants ambidexterity.
One-Handed Sword 720 : Governs skill with One-Handed Blades weapons. Governs which items you are authorized to equip.
One-Handed Dagger 650 : Governs skill with One-Handed Dagger weapons. Does not cover throwing ability. Governs which items you are authorized to equip.
Parry 340 : Augments the ability to block attacks with bladed weapons. Provides protection to your equipment during parry actions.
Intuition 850 : Augments your ability to detect NPC lies and highlights overworld clues in quests.
Hiding 780 : Your ability to hide from detection.
Search 700 : Your ability to detect individuals who are hiding.
Disguise 380 : Your ability to alter your appearance in permanent and temporary ways. Allows you to cast glamours on equipment.
Purchase Negotiation 93 : Governs NPC bartering.
Battle Spirit 580 : Allows you to ignore debilitating status or trauma effects when at low health.
Bloodhound 700 : Advanced skill that scales with your Search statistic. A specialized ability that augments your ability to track humanoid NPCs and PCs. Allows you to track individuals on your mini-map even when they are not on your friends list provided you have studied them.

Roll Log (room: persona_heaven): Rolz Login · Rolz

afreaknamedpete · Jan 9, 2023

AN: To make the intro snappier the unchosen MCs will be moved to sidestory tab.

...it's no use. The memories are too fragmented. We push this any further and it'll destabilize.
I don't care. Keep going, we can just try again if necessary.
...Can't say I feel good about this Kikuoka-san.

The light bathes the floating castle of Aincrad. High above the castle, you watch the last two years of your life crumble away before you... alone. In a moment of clarity, you realize that you've been unconsciously walking forwards, toward some unseen edge. Were you hoping to jump off and join Asuna? You were standing above your world, in some phantom plain with no solid footing yet somehow unable to fall. If you were anywhere, the best description was that you were «Out of Bounds».

Asuna is nowhere to be found. You saw her die in front of you. You... remember dying but at least you got that bastard Kayaba beforehand. It was... a contest, fair and square. If the crumbling world before you was any indication it looks like Sword Art Online was truly cleared. The cabin you and... Asuna... shared on the 22nd floor crumbles down into churning clouds below.

You want to say it was beautiful, but nothing could be further from the truth. As Aincrad crumbles you see the skeleton of the world uncover itself. Underneath the land, dungeons, the beauty of creation all that remains of the world was a pulsating mass of gray shifting lines— stone given form. Some manner of basic rigging that was used as the core of Aincrad itself?

Damn it, what's next? Were you to wake up, or by dying at the same time as Aincrad itself were you stuck in this purgatory till the servers shut down?

"KAYABA! YOU BASTARD I KNOW YOU'RE LISTENING!"

You don't know if he's listening. But you needed to scream regardless.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ASUNA? ANSWER ME, KAYABA!"

"...no need for that, Kirito. I'm right here."

Your «Search» skill was high enough that it had been almost a year since someone surprised you, so with an uncharacteristic yelp you dodge backward from the voice that materialized behind you, drawing «Elucidator» from its scabbard.

As soon you manage to raise a guard the sword shatters in your hand, dissolving into motes of light that you idly note fly towards the grey glob that was all that remained of Aincrad.

Kayaba Akihiko, no longer wearing the guise of Heathcliff, stands staring down at the remains of Aincrad with a look of casual disregard on his face. Dressed in a lab coat, refusing to even glance in your direction, he was the picture of the heartless administrator that created SAO.

You hated Kayaba Akihiko; everyone but crazed PKers did in SAO, but you had to respect him. In every breath, every scene, in every monster, floor, and every sheer sensation you felt love for the world. Whatever insanity gripped the creator of SAO he truly loved his creation in a visceral sense. You never held that in doubt, even as you were staring him in the face during your final duel to the death.

You... lack that sense now. Kayaba Akihiko reminds you now of how you felt after you «Cleared» a difficult game. Satisfied, forlorn... but ultimately over it. Done with it. Ready to move on to something new. It scared you from making any further moves.

"So, Kirito, did you enjoy my world?"

"...Asuna. What did you do with her?"

"Ah, our illustrious vice-commander. You know I kept her close, recruited her to a position of leadership because I thought she had the potential to be the «Chosen» of Aincrad."

"Answer the damn question!"

"The credits are rolling right now Kirito. Don't tell me you're the type to skip them? Asuna is fine. I'm sure she'll be waking soon with the remaining players any minute now."

Relief washes through you. Asuna is okay! She's alive! How? Where?!
"...what happened to me in there? Why am I not out yet?"

His eyes turn towards you. "Before I answer that, Kirito, it's only fair that you answer my question. Did you enjoy your world?"

The sheer nerve of this man, asking that of you when he perpetuated the greatest act of terrorism in modern history.
"...No, it sucked ass. Literally the worst experience ever. Do you have any idea what you put everyone through?!"

"..." He turns away again, looking back at the crumbling Aincrad. "...setting that aside, I think it's fair that say that you were the most accomplished player in Sword Art Online. Is hatred all you took away from your experience?"

You're still in shock, trying to process everything.
"...why... did you make that game? And why kill us?"

He laughs softly, ignoring your questions as he watches the last of Aincrad crumble. "...you really don't understand what's happening here, do you? The game is closed, the world is gone. It's over. I'm merely seeking a review. Tell me, what genre was Sword Art Online?"

"...Online Multiplayer RPG. What are you getting at?"

"That's what it was originally, once upon a time in a board room of ARGUS. No, a more accurate term would be a «Prototype Single Player World»."

Wait... was he suggesting...
A... single player game? One with a boss to beat, a hero to take charge - not a world of emergent possibilities but a constructed narrative...
"You're lying!" He can't be serious. Was it all just a goddamn lie, Yui, Asuna, everyone who lived and died...

You can't believe it. You can't accept it. You stare at the man who was the cause of all your pain, sorrow, fear, joy, and love, and scream out in frustration.
"...so am I the only one trapped!? Was everyone else just an NPC?"

Kayaba turns towards you... and he's smiling. In fact, he's laughing.

"...Hahaha, well that's the proper conclusion for the hero who cleared Sword Art Online. Say your theory is correct— everyone, Asuna, the Clearers, even Heathcliff. If everyone was as you say... an NPC, what difference would it make to you?"

"...that's bullshit! It makes a huge difference to me whether you're a human being or your computer program!" The words leave your mouth and you immediately regret them. Yui...

Was it really possible? The NerveGear controlled your every sensation. It created grass that felt real, food that tasted real, everything about that world felt real. What else could it have constructed? Who else?

But... how? You KNEW some of these players IRL, as Beta-Testers at best, but still!

"Judging from your expression I can guess what your answer will be. But even if I'm wrong, I can read it from your Character Data at a later date. I'm curious to hear your true answer."

The laughter vanishes from Kayaba's face, replaced by a more somber look. "You have nothing to worry about. Asuna is a real human, as are the thousands killed. But you were right about one thing, they were essentially no different than NPCs. There was always just one... Main Character after all."

"Wha..."

"Cardinal took a shine to you, Kirito. Originally I was to be the center of this world— as Heathcliff, champion of the Holy Sword. I didn't plan that part, I simply told Cardinal to make me the «Chosen», to create... my personal HEAVEN."

He smiles wistfully as the sky begins to melt away, as the clouds and even the air itself begin to be sucked into the gray morass, the blob of creation that was the core of Aincrad.

"You know I enjoyed it for quite some time. At the start Cardinal was rather blunt, showering me with rare items, random NPC discounts... but later the changes became more... subtle. I would be wandering a forest only to encounter a group of players beset by monsters out of the designated spawn zones. A boss that was tailor-made to fall to my specific build. A «Unique Skill» just for me, based on the character classes I usually enjoyed playing, many chances to make me the Hero. I wanted to wipe my memories for the start of this game to make the experience more genuine, but wiping my memories would have erased Cardinal, so I had to make do."

"A hero? Some hero, Kayaba. You're just a murderer."

"As you should know they need not be mutually exclusive, Kirito. But before both of those labels— I am a creator and nothing is less fun than playing your own game. Nobody likes a DM Self-Insert. I couldn't help but notice flaws all around, signs of the system interfering. Sometime around the 50th floor I was tired of playing the Main Character and just told Cardinal to go find the player that most interested it and... support them instead."

...What the hell was Kayaba playing at? The 50th floor... it was true that Heathcliff became notorious for becoming more aloof as the floors progressed, delegating most of the day-to-day activities to Asuna and the other lieutenants.

"At first I thought young Asuna was the new «Chosen», so I stayed nearby to monitor her activity. But recently I began to think of a new hypothesis... one that proved to be quite correct, eh, Kirito the Black Swordsman of the «Dual Blades»?"

You can't listen to this anymore.
Everything was just... set up by Cardinal? What the fuck was he getting at? Asuna and everyone... they were real humans but manipulated like puppets by his mad game? For what purpose?

"So were they just puppets to you KAYABA!?"

You charge him in anger to no avail as your body simply phases through him. Whether it was because he was now incorporeal or you were incorporeal seemed awfully secondary at this point.

"Now, no need for such rudeness, Kirito. Cardinal is not capable of mind control— only world control. And it's not like Cardinal selected you from the beginning. You were only chosen after I rescinded my claim to the title."

"You're lying! I've... let so many people down, let people die!"

You can't... was Yui just created for you? Your successes, your failures... were you even ever in danger of dying?
"You shouldn't look so cross— perhaps an example would suffice. The rules of Sword Art Online are very clear. When your HP hits 0, you die, no exceptions. Except one."

"An exception..."

The sky was now completely empty of clouds, the sun itself was now being drained into the gray mass as the twilight gives away to an endless sprawling void.

"Yes, Asuna. Cardinal thought it would be rather crass to have her die at the eve of the final battle. That caught me off guard, you know, I never actually turned off my GM protection. It should not have been possible to drop my HP past the red zone, but it appears Cardinal thought that would've made for an unsatisfying conclusion. A pity, I had something truly special planned for the final floor, but it's clear that Cardinal felt the test had long since reached maturity."

Your vision is beginning to blur, as if you were falling into infinite blackness. But your voice is still sharp and clear. "...tell me what's the point... tell me what it was you were going to do!"

He laughs out loud, watching you slip further and further away as his smile grows wider.

"I almost can't believe it. Two years, but it worked Kirito! It's matured, I've perfected the formula. I can finally progress to the next stage."

It is now sheer black— you, Kayaba and the pulsating gray mass that was once Aincrad floating in pure void. You try to speak but your voice is gone, the lack of air preventing you from further protests, not that it appears to be stopping Kayaba.

The mass itself shrinks upon itself, folding inwards into a single shining red core, one that teleports into Kayaba Akihiko's waiting hands as he stares at it in wonder.

"The «World Seed» is finally ready!" he shouts with manic glee as he holds it out toward your body.

"So I ask once again, did you enjoy this World? Hmm, I suppose you can't answer now. No matter, I'll be spending a lot of time digging through your memories. I need to see how Cardinal influenced events in exacting detail."

Your coat, your hands, your body is now dissolving into motes of light as you careen toward the mass in the center of what was once your world.

"I truly do not know what happens to you now, Kirito. You died at the same time that Cardinal disconnected. I doubt you'll enjoy the same protections that Asuna did. But perhaps I will be mistaken? I simply don't care."

Pure unadulterated joy. A smile you've never seen on Heathcliff graces Kayaba Akihiko's face.

"If you make it out, Kirito, I hope you enjoyed this slice of HEAVEN. And rest assured, before long I will ensure you can enjoy a HEAVEN more refined, prepared, a world truly just for you from the ground up instead of this hack job I had to settle for."

As your consciousness fades you hear the last words of Kayaba Akihiko echo in your mind.

"Thank you Kirito. You were truly the greatest «Beta Tester»."

What is this Higa?
I don't know, it just started on its own!
It's an irregularity. Delete it.
Wait, wait, Kiks, hold on. This might be our chance, every other iteration destabilized. Maybe this is a sign that the Fluctlight is ready?
Ready? It's a duplicate, Higa. It's no different from the last hundred times we've tried.
Wait, we needed to load a Fluctlight into the 3.E.M.O.M. right? Everything's ready! Let's just use this Fluctlight!
No. It started on its own - delete it. Even if it worked by some act of god there's no point in this endeavor it's not reproducible. Load a backup.
Sigh... you're the boss. Damn... sorry buddy. I'd say it doesn't get any easier to do this but I'd be lying. Hope you dream of electric sheep in peace.

"I... I'm back... Asuna..." you say to yourself, staring at the ceiling. It's not your old world, but it doesn't seem like any other world either. The walls and ceiling don't even look real— they're just flat plains of color and scrolling text.

It looks like... well your perception of cyberspace you suppose. The walls, the floor, just scrolling nonsense, more like hieroglyphs than legible text or numbers. Floating screens pass through your form as you float in this liminal space looking around in wonder. But the strange circumstances were secondary in your mind.

...did anyone actually die in Aincrad? Were you going to wake up only to realize it was a dramatic publicity stunt? Was Sachi alive?
Was... Asuna alive?

You run your hand over a wall as it ripples under your touch into a scrolling field of 1s and 0s. As if responding to your touch a single bright screen appears before you.

"Whoa... is this some kind of loading zone for Aincrad?"
There's no apparent light fixture but the whole room is suffused in a soft blue glow. You're not wearing your equipment, but rather some kind of featureless shirt and pants. You idly attempt to open your menu to no avail.

"KAYABA!? ANYONE!? WHAT'S GOING ON!?"

You fruitlessly shout as you look around. The hallway continues to infinity, but also feels extremely claustrophobic as if the entire room would taper off into a singular point in the far distance.

It beckons to you... You know fundamentally that if you keep walking that something will change... that you will awaken...

<Don't be so eager to leave.>

"Wha..." you spin around as the screen before you buzzes with static. Guess you were really doing this, huh? Might as well get comfortable.

At that thought a chair suddenly materializes underneath you. You recognize it as your old desk chair. You settle into it as your body remembers the experience. This was peak chair design right here, not too squishy with excellent back support, an external headrest, and a mesh chassis. Stylish, ergonomic and it didn't absorb your body odor! Ah... you missed this chair.

<Ah, so you've managed to take a seat.>

The screen of static grows in complexity before settling in on a face. Featureless, robotic... an android of some kind? The glowing golden eyes stare unblinkingly into your own. You distract yourself from your fond memories and glare at the figure. She has no arms, a wire wrapped around her body and connected into the screen itself. Her face is plastered in an unmoving artificial smile.

<Please connect to the server, user.>

"Hey. What's going on here? Where am I?"

<Please connect to the server, user.>

"Alright, not gonna get much out of this one." You sigh and fumble around the screen only to see a single port materialize in the front. Were you supposed to insert something into it?

Your hands move... subconsciously as you reach down your shirt and pull out a... wire. What? It seemed to be attached to your chest.

"Whoa, trippy..." it's such a strange sensation, the wire growing out of your body feels like an extension of yourself rather than the alien foreign body it should've been. Maybe this was some kind of next-gen life support system they had you on?

...you want to wake up but you're not looking forward to waking up in a bed of your excrement with a catheter in you. Hope they brought you to a good hospital.
Well, you take the one wire coming out of your body that probably wasn't attached to your unmentionables and connect it to the screen.

<Greetings User. What is your name?>

"Ah... Kirito?"

<Acknowledged. Displaying welcome message.>

<A new proprietor is assigned to manage the «Velvet Room» in accordance with a pre-existing agreement that triggered with the incapacitation of the primary proprietor. My creator wishes to meet with you.>

You're confused but... fascinated. "Whoa, are you some kind of A.I.? Hey... Kayaba mentioned this, are you... Cardinal?" You unnecessarily poke the screen she's being displayed on and you're mildly disappointed it didn't suck you in.

<Cardinal? A strange name... familiar. But I am DESCARTES, your Attendant in this «Velvet Room». I am pleased to make your acquaintance, contractor.>

"...DESCARTES? Where am I, what's this... place?"

<This is a place between dream and reality, mind and matter.>

You sigh in exasperation. "Alright. That explains everything so clearly. So... you gonna let me wake up or what?"

<Wake up? Of course. You have been Chosen, contractor.>

Chosen...
"Hey, I'm getting real sick of that word. Why don't you tell me what's up first? Am I in the real world or not?"

<Hmm? I would like you to clarify what you mean by «Real World». This world is real, of course.>

"...uh, I'm in some kind of liminal space with scrolling blue walls after just having the most confusing conversation of my life with a mass murderer. I'm pretty sure I'm not in the real world."

<So you do not believe you are real?>

"No, I'm real, but I'm clearly still in FullDive or something. I'm not in my own body after all."

<So the presence of a body is necessary to meet your definition of real? Am I real, Kirito?>

You think to SAO, to Yui... now to this figure talking to you from across a screen. "Uh... what do you think you are?"

<I am real. I am DESCARTES. I am as real as you are.>

As real as you are... it's... you're forgetting something...

<Our time is quite limited. My Master has lent me a tool for this purpose but its effects are rapidly fading.>

Your eyes are suddenly drawn to the drawer of the desk you're seated on. With trepidation, you pull it out and see a... feather. With the habit of your last 2 years you idly bring your hands up to the object to open a menu - and are surprised when it responds.

«Plume of Dusk»

<It is a leftover from a previous guest of this «Velvet Room». It is currently maintaining your existence in this room— in order for it to continue to perform this task you must sign the contract.>

"And if I don't?"

<I am unsure. Likely nonexistence.>

"...some choice."

<Displaying contract, please enter your name at the bottom.>

AN: please don't actually read this

Please read this End-User License Agreement carefully before clicking the "I Agree" button, downloading or using <<VELVET ROOM>>.

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"I'm not reading this."

<Ah, I was warned that most people never read the entire contract and just skip to the end. I shall summarize: you shall take responsibility for your actions, that is the only clause that truly matters.>

"I suppose I'll have to trust your words..." you mutter as you type KIRITO into the name entry at the bottom of the screen with your finger - guess it was a touchscreen too.

<Thank you for your cooperation, Kirito. Now the next part is a formality, but as I have seen it in other contracts I do need you to acknowledge the check.>

"More? Alright, shoot."

...

Oh, it's one of these. Stupid Captchas meant to detect bot nets or other junk. At least you didn't have to identify a traffic light or a cat this time. Guess they're unavoidable even in weird computer void-space.

Just click the box.

...

Just... click the box.

Just move your damn finger and CLICK THE BOX.

<What's wrong Contractor?>

"Hey... this some kind of joke?"

<No, it's just a formality. Although exceptions have been made in the past, humanity is a basic necessity for the utilization of this room.>

Your finger is over the box.
Just... PUSH. Your hands can't move.
What... are you missing?

"I'm human."

You tell yourself that.
You will yourself to believe it.

<It is a simple question contractor. Please answer it so that we can proceed to the next step.>

Why can't you do it?
What... damn it.

<Who are you?>

I am...

[ ] KIRITO!

[ ] I'm human. I have to be, I'm human I must be, I can prove it I'mhumanI'mhumanI'mhumanhumanhumanhumanmanman

FLUCTLIGHT DESTABILIZED

This isn't a vote - how it works is that the character that wins the final vote will select the TOP option of their respective prologue scene whereas the losers will default to the BOTTOM option of their prologue scene.

For this update you can continue to vote between the TRAITOR or FORTUNE for the next chapter - previous votes will still count, so the TRAITOR will win at this rate. If you voted for the STAR feel free to revote!

Character generation ends once all of the prologue is finished in which a final vote will be given. If the STAR wins the final vote you will start with a resource bonus as he won the initial vote.

afreaknamedpete · Jan 11, 2023

AN: The other two prologues have been moved to SIDESTORY tab for the sake of brevity. Originally chargen was this long complex thing where one of three protagonists was chosen. As the other two lost the vote their intro chapters are moved to SIDESTORY.

<This marks the end of the tutorial and the official launch of Sword Art Online. Players, I wish you the best of luck.>

A figure cloaked in shadow, faceless and without shape or form sentences you. A gamemaster with a face of fog and smoke, uncaring of you or the thousands of other players around you. You are a rat, trapped in a glass cage by the machinations of Kayaba Akihiko. A contract is made: play his game, run through the maze, fight to amuse the god of this world, and by doing so live to see another day.

"You can die here or live with us."

A figure cloaked in a black poncho looks down at you with his cleaver on your neck, surrounded by his crowd of chittering sycophants. He bears the mark of «Laughing Coffin» on his hand as he looks down with disdain at his next victim. You are a rat— trapped in this maze, only your warden is a rat himself, who has grown mad in his captivity. It's the same offer, the same threat, the same contract: play their game, join «Laughing Coffin», amuse the mad rat, and by doing so live to see another day.

"Tracking you down was hard work! But ya not nearly sneaky 'nough, gopher-chan."

A figure cloaked in shadow has you pinned to a wall, a weapon pressed into your chest. She's triumphant, gleeful even, the face of a player satisfied at a job well down. You recognize the expression, you've seen it time and time again on the faces of your 'colleagues'. The raw satisfaction of a successful PK. The thrill of hunting the most dangerous game. To an information broker, to a spy, like this one catching you is the closest she'll ever get to that same thrill of victory. With little surprise, you find you recognize the whiskered face behind the expression as «Argo the Rat», premiere information broker of Sword Art Online, and with growing dread, you realize she's about to offer you another contract.

"Gotten lazy haven't ya? Seriously, «Mandrake Extract»? Who the hell buys that? And in bulk too! You think I don't have people watchin' that store?"

Behind her a bodyguard stands, watching the door to the shack she chased you into, chuckling at some inside joke. "You said it boss, only thing that junk's good for is crafting paralysis poisons. That and spicing your curry."

"Shaddup! Best I can do without wastin' a skill slot. Nothin' the NPCs make has the right kick."

Your face is impassive but internally you're on the verge of panic. The hunt is over. Your back-and-forth skirting around the edges of the player economy dodging Argo and her horde of ratlings ruined by Johnny Black's voracious appetite for crafting materials. Your mind races trying to find an excuse, but you doubt she would've made her move if she hadn't caught you red-handed. There hasn't been a boss vulnerable to paralysis effects since the 20th floor, hell on the frontline most of the mobs were immune to the thing. Merely having poison ingredients on you was as sure of a mark of a Player Killer as the coffin tattooed to your thigh.

Your captors banter, uncaring of your position but what could you do? Attack an information broker who serviced Clearers? You doubt you'll even move her HP bar. When she turns to look at you her previous mirth has all but melted away as she jabs the weapon into your chest. No pain, no pop up, no damage, and her character indicators remain a vibrant green— as you look down at the forced teleportation crystal pressed into you.

"I should activate this right now. It's keyed to the «Black Iron Palace». Ya, know, jail. Oh, don't give me that, you think the Army goons will care bout' ya stupid green cursor? I got an arrangement with'em for you blood-soaked greenies. I'll make sure you won't see sunlight till SAO gets cleared."

What passes for your heart races as you bite down your protests— you doubt she'll be moved. Your green cursor isn't going to protect you now and you were far from the protection of the «Anti-Criminal Code». There wasn't much stopping a player from activating a forced teleport in a non-protected area, it didn't even count as a hostile action, something PoH always pointed to as proof SAO was designed to support PKers.

"But I'll cut you a deal, gopher-chan. You know who I am so you know what I want: information. Names, locations, numbers. Of course that includes your name as well. Do that and I'll make sure they're lenient with you."

It's all you can do to not laugh back in her face. "Lenient? The Army? They'll... lock me up and throw away the key."

"And you'll deserve it. Ever consider how much effort it takes to keep the Clearers outta danger? They're headless donkeys who'll charge into a dungeon at the first sign of a shiny. Every minute wastin' hunting down you damn Laughing Coffin gophers is another minute the frontline goes without support. You think we'd have to worry about paralysis gankers if not for jackasses like you?"

"Boss, why you trying to convince the blood-soaked greenie? Just a damn traitor, doubt we can trust their intel anyways. Just lock them up, we paid good money for that crystal trap," mutters the guard by the door.

"Dontcha interrupt my stress relief, Miggy!"

"Alright, alright, just pretend I'm not here. Like always."

With a roll of her eyes, she turns around, holding out the teleport crystal like a knife. "There ya have it. I'll make sure you get the nice cell, by the window, away from the real crazies in there. Hell, let's sweeten the deal— if your intel is legit and you promise never to leave the «Town of Beginnings» I'll have them let you out in a month."

Just like that, another cloaked figure is offering you a contract. Another false choice. If you accepted this deal, it didn't matter if they let you out of the «Black Iron Palace». You'll never leave town again for fear that Laughing Coffin would purge you for betraying them— not that your life in that city would be anything but misery after being outed as a member of Laughing Coffin. That tattoo on your thigh was scribed by an artifact, some sacrificial knife PoH dragged out of a hidden dungeon open only to permanently Orange players, a sign that to Kayaba Akihiko even murderers were supported by the game engine itself. Nobody would confirm it but everyone believed that PoH could track you all with it. You knew this, Argo knew this. One way or another you'll end up locked up or forever on the run.

Bear with it, accept the contract. It's what you've done all this time.

Play this death game. It's the only way to survive, the only way to see your mother again.

Join Laughing Coffin. It's the only way to survive, the only way to see tomorrow.

Now Argo's deal. The choice between a life of confinement and the life of a traitor fearing for her life.

...

A voice, a shout, a thunk as Argo's lookout collapses into a heap. A throwing pick emerges from his backside as the poison drops him like a rock. Argo and her ratlings weren't stupid— they all had equipment spec'd for status resistance, but in the constant war between overworked crafters and one extremely obsessive poisoner the winner was obvious to all.

No... you could say it was your victory. Johnny Black never would've gotten past amateur status without the influx of ingredients you supplied him. That «Mandrake Extract» was the key ingredient in his latest masterpiece, a paralysis potion that could drop even a player above level 60.

The bodyguard groans on the floor to the panicked shouts of Argo, your predicament and her teleport crystal dropped along the side of the shack as she rushes to her ally, status cure potion in hand.

She's stopped as a figure steps over the body of her lookout, appearing in a shimmering haze as if emerging from the air itself.

"Shit, Miguel!" Argo the Rat growls at the figure, but you note she can't bring herself to look into your rescuer's bloodshot eyes or the pale half skull mask adorning his face. Her hands are already cupping an emergency teleport crystal.

"S... shit... just leave! Go!" The bodyguard spits out as he struggles to stand, only to have his head pushed into the dirt by the boot of the assassin.

Argo turns to look at you, a question on her lips as fear, hope, and loathing dance across her whiskered face. What, now? Did she honestly think you were going to help her? Could you even help her?

Whatever answer she read on your face it clearly wasn't what she was looking for. "You're monsters, yeah? Both of you lunatics. A killer and his damn maid."

"ARGO! JUST GO!" screams Miguel, the paralyzed guard.

Red eyes flash under the skull mask followed instantly by a flash of a drawn estoc. System lights fill the shack as a «Shooting Star» Sword Skill rockets your rescuer towards Argo in a straight stab. She barely has time to scream out a final curse as she's surrounded by the glow of her emergency escape crystal.

"Damn traitors!"

...

You let out your breath as the adrenaline leaves your body. The estoc is now pointed at you, the bodyguard still struggling to recover lying untended on the ground. His fear and desperation are writ clear on his face.

"Were you exposed?" asks your red-eyed savior.

You don't answer as you try to gather your exposure. It's still surprising how used you've gotten to being at knifepoint. You've more or less figured out everyone's kicks: JB was a crazed killer but he was also so heavily spec'd into crafting that he was dependent on your deliveries. PoH openly stated how useful you were which kept the chaff off your back.

«Red-Eyed XaXa», the man in front of you, lived for the hunt. Rather than kill in cold blood he loved duels to the death, contests of strength and guile— killing you would hardly satisfy him. Despite it all right now... you were safe.

"I... I should be alright. The Rat saw my face but she doesn't know my name."

"Is that so? You should be more careful in the future. You are less useful than you claim to be."

In the middle of a fight, when the skills were flying and the HP was deep in the red zone XaXa looked alive with laughter and joy. But usually, he was like this. Cold, clinical, annoyed. You could tell he didn't want to be here— but he was in charge of liaising with you on this floor. He must've noticed you were late on your delivery and tracked you via his Friend list.

You swallow and nod... you doubt a haircut was going to get Argo the Rat off your tail, likely you had another annoying few weeks ahead of you grinding up «Disguise».

His estoc remains pointed at you. "I'm curious. Were you truly ambushed? She called you a traitor. An interesting label..."

The implication was clear, but this wasn't the first time they've lobbied that line at you. "Do I even know enough to betray Laughing Coffin?"

"Hmm..."

"Yes, yes she did you fucking murderer! Bitch sang like a bird, we're going to hunt down every last one of you!" the man in the doorway twitches as his feet barely regain feeling, stumbling before collapsing into dirt. His naked attempt at manipulation barely phases XaXa.

"Oh? Perhaps you could tell me. That songbird's name. Your fellow conspirator?"

"Does it matter!? Names are expensive commodities in this busine-oof!" His half assed attempt is silenced by another kick into the dirt by XaXa.

"A likely excuse. «Lux», it appears you were telling the truth. They didn't figure out your name."

It was obvious what was going to happen. XaXa didn't care about protecting your name anymore, because the guard wasn't going to walk out of this shack alive. He would be taking your name to the grave.

XaXa walks over and starts studying Miguel's coat with a small whistle of appreciation. "Impressive cloak. Poison's wearing off already. Nice bonus to «Hide» and «Search». One of Ashley's? Nothing but the best for Argo and her Ratlings. We should do something about her one of these days..."

"AHH!!!"

Miguel screams, not in pain, but in shock and surprise. XaXa calmly severs both hands off at the wrist before doing the same to his legs. The sight is hardly gruesome, more clinical as instead of blood only glowing polygons fill the stumps. His HP immediately drops into the yellow zone but no farther. XaXa was an expert at doing this while causing as little actual HP damage as possible.

...

"W... Wait!" What the hell were you doing? Your arm is outstretched and your sword is in your hand. XaXa turns and doesn't seem surprised.

"Really? Hmm, I can understand. You've been a Green player this whole time. Not to worry. The first violation even for direct killing is quite trivial. I've helped guildmates through the quest enough times I can do it in my sleep. Too high level for you in fair fight. Too low level for me. You finish him off. You may gain a level."

"No! NO! Please!" Whatever bravado was left in XaXa's victim has left with the loss of his arms— and presumably, his ability to activate an emergency crystal. XaXa looks at your hesitation before sighing in annoyance.

"So you mean to save him? Go ahead «Lux». Fight me. I won't even move." He calmly walks towards you, estoc held in his hand as his red eyes bore into you properly for the first time. He idly stops and picks up the Teleport Crystal Argo left behind before holding it out to you.

"Go on."

Wait... was he...

"I saw you eyeing it. Why don't you just use it? You can get away from here."

Your sword drops to the ground as your trembling hands pick up the crystal.

"You could've done this at the start «Lux». Nothing was stopping you. In the «Black Iron Palace» not even PoH can get to you. Absolute total safety. Simply wait out the completion of the game. With the mark of Laughing Coffin on your body. It wouldn't take much convincing."

It's... it's not as if you ever considered that! But that same doubt, that same nagging voice in the back of your mind...
How long would it take for Sword Art Online to get cleared?
What if it never cleared?

An eternity in a lightless prison. Unable to harm, unable to even be harmed. Your HP could never even be decreased and surrounded by «Immortal Object» walls you couldn't even initiate or accept duels.

A place where even suicide was impossible.

Was your body even alive? Was this all a dream... were you in a virtual reality or had this ended up as the new reality?

Were you alive? Were you dead? Nobody to date was known to have passed away from diseases rotting their real-life bodies for the entire year-long lifespan of SAO, a statistical unlikelihood— leading some to speculate that Kayaba had somehow truly whisked everyone away to another world itself.

To voluntarily go to that place, to lock yourself up...

"Can't do it? Can you «Lux»? Well, how about it? Why you don't send me?"

XaXa doesn't hesitate as he sheathes his estoc. You see the light, the laughter in his eyes. He's playing another one of his stupid games, only this time with you as the victim.

"I won't resist. Go ahead. Your new friend here will survive. He will vouch for you. The capture of a central member of Laughing Coffin. What a harvest!" XaXa's excitement was building, everything had to be a game, a challenge for this man. "Well? «Lux»? Can you wash away all the blood with the truth? Go on. Do it if you can."

You pull up the activation command for the Teleport Crystal. XaXa could easily dodge the touch of the crystal but he stands there, just letting you touch the crystal to his person. Just hit confirm. Just... save a life. Sentence a criminal. An easy choice.

XaXa leers down at you, another devil in a cloak offering you an impossible choice. He knows what you're going to do. He just wants to see you suffer.

Just do the right thing. Just... just do what you haven't had the ability to since the day they marked you as a member of Laughing Coffin.

...Today was no different. Any day before this you could've headed to Argo, to the Knights of the Blood, to the goddamn Army itself. You didn't know where the main base was, but just by stint of your frequent deliveries, you could narrow it down to a floor and a zone. You knew most of the members by name. You knew their goddamn builds.

Where would you have ended up? The Traitor first of the Green Players and then of Laughing Coffin itself.

All you had to look forward to was imprisonment, house arrest at best, followed by an untimely death by a Laughing Coffin remnant the moment you slipped up. Or perhaps a victim of Laughing Coffin itself would exact their revenge on you.

The previous Laughing Coffin spy did the right thing. He took what little information he knew straight to the Clearers, got a few supply bases wiped out, a few initiates got imprisoned. He lasted about a week before he was dead.

It was easy. Save Miguel's life. Lock up Red Eyes XaXa.

Live the rest of your life in fear and paranoia before being unceremoniously killed.

Perhaps a hero existed. A wondrous star shining above you all. One who could make that choice. One who would save others no matter the cost. One who would gladly die for others.

...but that wasn't you.

XaXa didn't feel threatened. You had a thousand opportunities to betray Laughing Coffin. Why would he expect you to take this one?

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? DO IT!" As if sensing your hesitation the dismembered player screams and rages. It appears the poison has finally worn off but without his limbs, all he can do is flop onto his back.

Turning his back to you XaXa laughs to himself. "It appears your luck has run out. «Lux»... is quite loyal. PoH truly has an eye for talent."

You hold onto the teleport crystal in a death grip, unable to do the right thing. Unable even to punish yourself.

"Ahh... no... p-please stop..."
XaXa has perched over the man.

"STOP HIM! PLEASE!"
You have no response as the estoc clips his body. A poorly aimed blow, the HP bar barely moving from its halfway position.

"YOU'RE A TRAITOR!"
A better attempt as XaXa corrects his angle. This one drives into his body.

"A TRAITOR TO HUMANITY!"
The blade rises once. Twice. Thrice.

"FUCKING SPIES, TRAITORS! WORSE THAN PKERS!"
His HP hits the Red Zone. He lets out a scream, clutching his now detached limbs.

"EVEN MURDERERS HAVE TO FACE JUSTICE! EVEN MURDERERS ARE MARKED!"
One sliver remains. A sudden burst of clarity enters the voice of the dying man.

"T... there will be a reckoning. This... is a new world. And one way or another, justice will be done. You traitors who hide among us, dodging blame, dodging responsibility! If there is a god in this new world, I curse you in their name! I hope you suffer, I hope the only thing you ever earn in this life is hatred! I hope you die in misery you fucking TRAITOR!" His mouth froths as his eyes go wide, rolling to the back of his head.

XaXa pauses in contemplation. Whether from the shock or the sheer emotion his victim is now unconscious... but alive.

You've... taken a step forward. And as he was screaming, you took another step. The Teleport Crystal is in your hand.

Red Eyes XaXa laughs as he stands above Miguel's body. Without hesitation he grabs hold of the Crystal, now touching it alongside you.

"Haha... heheheh... This again «Lux»? What will you do? Have you finally come to a decision?"

The confirmation screen is flashing in your view.

Who was the target?

XaXa?
Yourself?
Or does the Crystal fall from your hands?

"So what did you choose?"

You're here again. The same dream, night after night, a nightmare that hasn't ended since SAO was cleared.
She looks at you, wearing your face, your body, your nightgown. Scraggly long silver hair framed a familiar countenance.

But she's not wearing your smile. You haven't had a smile in some time.
Her smile is one of her own. A gleeful, sadistic smile. One that matches her golden eyes.

You don't want to remember, but you can't even protest. The brine fills your lungs as the force of water robs you of your very voice. You don't even have the energy to speak.

The same questions. The same guilt. A familiar refrain.

She stands over you on the edge of the coffin you lay in, smiling down at you, laughing at you. The pressure of the water is too great, it's a massive force pinning your limbs down. You can't move, you can't wiggle, it's sleep paralysis in the dream itself, and the demon is wearing your face.

You've asked her time and time again who she is. The answer remains the same.

"I am a Shadow. The true self."

...you want to go back. Back to being Kashiwazaka Hiyori. Back to your mother, back to your friends, back to your old life before you were trapped in that accursed world! Kashiwazaka Hiyori would've done the right thing. She would never let another die. She would never betray others. She would have turned in Laughing Coffin even if it meant her death.

"Then Kashiwazaka Hiyori would be dead. Words on a monument."

It was better. It was better to be a hero! To be dead and loved, appreciated, mourned!

"Hahaha, those cretins couldn't handle it. They couldn't handle the pressure, the new world! Don't you get it? We SURVIVED! No matter what happened to us, no matter who hated us we found a way to survive!"

The other you... no, this faker wearing your face has the gall to laugh. Has the gall to be PROUD of all the things she did—

"And we got away with it too! The police have no idea! All the other idiots in Laughing Coffin have gone into hiding or are stalked by the government! But you escaped them all. Hahaha, guess even those pathetic losers didn't snitch!"

You... never had an «Orange Cursor». The government was swarmed by lawyers demanding privacy for the SAO survivors so one's infraction history was probably the only thing the Virtual Division of Internal Affairs could legally obtain and yours was spotless. Known PKers still had to check in on government-mandated parole, and people talk. You doubt they'll ever be allowed to hold a job.

Your cursor was Green. To everyone else, you were just another random midlevel player.

"You did it again, Lux! You survived! You lied to the government, to society! Why shouldn't you be proud!?"

How many people did you betray?

"Oh, I don't know... let's go in reverse order. You betrayed the government by lying on your debrief. You betrayed Rossa when you let her die in your stead. You betrayed Gwen when you hid your Laughing Coffin affiliation in the raid. And you betrayed every single player by not turning LC in the first chance you got!"

There was no one left. No one you didn't yet betray.

"You always looked out for number one, you always knew how to prioritize our safety. So Laugh, Lux! You got your precious life back. You don't have to live in fear anymore. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

I... just wanted to go home. To leave SAO. To be Hiyori again.

"And you won. You did it! So why are you doing this Lux? Why are you now betraying yourself? Is it that addicting? You going to keep hiding away in your room till you rot away!?"

I can't face them. The world. My family.

"Then GIVE IT TO ME! If you don't want it I'll TAKE IT. I'll SURVIVE in your place!"

She's straddled you, moving through the murky water as if it were air. The resistance is so great you can't move, you can't fight, you can barely lift a voice of protest as her hands - as your hands - wrap around your own throat.

"S... Stop..."

"I AM YOU! I AM WHAT YOU ARE INSIDE! I AM UNRESTRAINED BY YOUR USELESS GUILT!"

Guilt... it presses down on you, pinning you to the coffin, as your doppelganger glides through it with no resistance.

...this is the part. Where your vision goes cloudy, where you wake up and forget the dream before getting to do it again the next night. An eternity of punishment by your other self.

Let us put a stop to this.

The water thins. The crumbling waterlogged room roils as the abyss parts into two.

With a gasp you clamor out of the coffin into the empty air. It's a bizarre sight, the room is split neatly in two, an empty space on one end. Dry, safe, with no pressure, no guilt to speak of. The moment you exit the coffin your... doppelganger screams in agony as a force sucks her into the coffin itself.

With a dull thud it closes over your... Shadow and flies into the second half of the room.

A wall of water lies before you. The room is neatly bisected, air on one end, churning liquid on the other. Your coffin, now holding your Shadow, lies encased within the watery half.

In the middle you see a figure. Straddling the border between air and water, safety and abyss, hot and cold.

His back is to the abyss as he smiles at you, an immaculate blue tuxedo frames a statuesque face with a single glowing gold eye.

Greetings. I apologize for my sudden entrance. I had intended to speak with you sooner, but everytime I arrived I saw that you were already engaged in conversation. It would have been improper of me to interrupt.

"Ah..." you cough up some residual seawater. "Where am I? Who was that?"
At the question, the coffin behind your savior thumps in anger.

This is a place between dream and reality. Mind and matter. It is not a place where one can easily speak falsehoods, even to a trained liar such as yourself.

Falsehoods... she called herself a Shadow. The true self.

The expectation is that you come to this realization yourself, yet it has been months and I tire of watching you struggle. It may be a bit unorthodox to be so blunt, but our time is valuable, so I will confirm your suspicions. She is nothing less than you yourself.

That... gleeful, horrid person who took pride in the lives she ruined, that was you?
"You.. you're wrong. It's some kind of trick, a distortion. She's not m—"

The coffin seems to rile and the watery half of the room visibly boils. Before you can complete your sentence a watery tendril covers your mouth summoned forth from the man in the blue suit.

Ah, Ah, no. Please don't finish that sentence. I am in no mood to fight your metaphorical demon tonight. Alas my purpose tonight is significantly more pedestrian.

Your pain and fear has given away to confusion. Now that you're no longer perpetually drowning and can think, you can't recall the last time you felt so lucid while dreaming. Were you even in a dream right now?

"Who are you? What is this place?" you ask as the gag dissipates from your mouth.

This place is called the Velvet Room. Its state reflects the user's heart— and yours seems quite messy. But I have been rude to speak without introductions. You may call me MAXWELL. I come on behalf of my master with an offer. But as you are right now you are in no position to acquiesce.

It was hard to call the last few months since you left rehab as 'living'. It consisted of ignoring your mother, wallowing in your room, and studying for high school entrance exams. They gave you the same offer as everyone else: SAO Survivor School. No need for high school entrance exams. No need for catch-up work. The most modern school Japan has ever constructed with the best teachers.

You can't even fathom the idea. Of going to school with those people that you betrayed.

You have internalized some harmful ideas, dear guest. I had hoped by separating you from your Shadow you could have some manner of epiphany. Growth perhaps. It worked well for the last denizens of this Velvet Room, but it appears you are missing a component. Do you perhaps have any friends?

"No... no. Not anymore..."

Really? Well, that's truly unfortunate. I suppose it falls on me to figure this out. If I offered you my unconditional eternal friendship would that move you towards accepting your Shadow?

...

No? Well, I was sure that would work. Hmm... one way or another we need you to develop the power to wield a Persona. Your physical structure precludes Evocation, and you do not strike me as one with a rebellious spirit, so this method is the only one I have. Hmm, perhaps there's an answer here. The fog here is so thick, it has congealed into an abyss. Do you see it? Can you tell what it is?

That ocean pressing you into your coffin, the one your Shadow moves through like air. That cloying pressure—

I'll spare you the deliberation as I am short on time. The water is a metaphor for your guilt. The Shadow represents your inherent selfishness. You cannot be yourself without the other. Now that you perfectly understand your traumas, please accept your Shadow so we can move on.

Just accept... her? That crazed Shadow who is proud of all the lives you've ruined?
"MAXWELL? Um, t-thanks for explaining, but I think I already guessed that. But I can't just... accept her."

Why not? It's your Shadow. This is how it works.

You sense some impatience in MAXWELL's words as his previous politeness slowly unravels. You can note some sweat building on his face as he visibly fights down a sneer.

Your Shadow bursts out of the coffin but MAXWELL kicks her in the back, causing it to sprawl out onto your side of the room. Before it can talk a gag of water envelops her.

It even looks like you. See? Same appearance, other self, accept your sins? This isn't a difficult concept dear guest. I really am short on time.

Alright... you look at your other self. Even gagged she's glowering at you, standing to try to tower over you, trying to prove that she's superior. That the only thing that matters is survival. You have to accept... this?

More hesitation? Can I make it simpler? You + Shadow = Persona.

...

Do you know how hard it was to orchestrate this? I had to scour the Velvet Room for what felt like eons to grab the last few scraps of Fog left over. Then I had to tear your Shadow out of your psyche - no small feat mind you - only to watch you grapple with it for months without any progress! And all the Fog I carefully gathered gets condensed into this ocean of lies.

There's no more politeness, and instead, MAXWELL is whining. Complaining. A boy who couldn't get his way.

I don't have any more tricks! Can you get on with it!? It's a simple prospect. Accept your other self, gain the ability to wield a Persona. I'll even sweeten the deal, don't you want to take revenge?

...you turn towards Maxwell, floating over the wall of water, still half submerged in the abyss of your guilt. Revenge. Your Shadow stops glaring at you and turns with you. That word...

So now I have your attention? Both of yours? Who do you want to get revenge on?

Who? Laughing Coffin who robbed you of your freedom. Kayaba Akihiko, still at large, for robbing you of your life. Sword Art Online for robbing you of yourself.
...that hideous world that destroyed you. That made you like this. All these fake worlds.

"Everything."
"Everything."

Excellent! That can be arranged. I chose you not for your skills or predictions of your success. It is because you alone have the drive, the hatred, to excel in our goal to tear down HEAVEN.

You and your other self share a glance.

Acceptance appears to be too much for you right now. Fine, cooperation will be sufficient! It is a bit unorthodox but keeping the two of you separated is within my capabilities.

Right... negotiations. Your other self crosses her arms as she smiles in glee.

"50/50 timeshare."
"...50/50!? This is my body, my life—"
"It's my body too. And you're wasting your life. I plan on living it to the fullest."
"You don't even exist. You're just a metaphor!"
"And you're just a sack of meat, bones and psychological trauma. So what? You want to keep doing this night after night? I'll win eventually."

You growl. Another threat, another false choice. You turn to MAXWELL. "You were the one that did this? Separated me and her?"

I've already said as such.

"So what happens if we don't make a deal?

Nothing good I assure you. Without a Persona you will fail to meet my Master's requirements to be the next wildcard, I'll be uncreated and your shadow will forever be lost to the Abyss of Lies causing you to live in perpetual ignorance of your true self.

Huh...
"That doesn't sound too bad."

"You're just running away you coward!"

I do need to note that being uncreated is in fact very bad for me. If it will further convince you I suspect if your Shadow is destroyed you will likely also lose all your memories of SAO as it is the embodiment of your Shadow.

"So... all I have to do is not make an agreement with my Shadow and I'll get to forget about SAO."

...technically? But that's not a good thing. Why would you want that? I very much do not want that.

Your Shadow seems to sense something and is visibly panicking.
"Uh... 40% I'll do 40% timeshare! That's a better deal for you, isn't it?"

A chance to live free from this crushing guilt. A chance to be Hiyori again and not Lux, Traitor of SAO.

"30/70! Final offer!"

This would be much easier if you would just accept your Shadow.

Your Shadow's hands are outstretched. She's... offering you a contract.

One with yourself.
Accept the deal with the devil— your devil. MAXWELL has promised you a way of getting revenge, and perhaps with that, a resolution.

Or... leave it all behind. SAO. Lux.
Become Hiyori again. Get your life back.

It's the first choice you've had in 2 years.

[ ] You're... not me. But you do exist. I accept your offer.

[ ] No... I've had enough. I just want my life back. I want to forget.

afreaknamedpete · Jan 14, 2023

AN: To make the intro snappier the unchosen MCs will be moved to sidestory tab.

Smoke. More goddamn smoke.

Smoke grenades EVERYWHERE. Weren't they supposed to be expensive? The Gun Gale Online market had these things at like 5k creds a pop...

But you'll be fine. Your goddess is watching you from above. You'll be victors, these goons before you will LOSE. You are superior, you're more skilled than these losers...

We lost because YOU kept tripping over yourself Kyouji! Next time PASS the damn ball you loser!

"«Spiegel», focus!"

Sinon's voice echoes inside your head as you desperately reorient to your surroundings to try to find some breathing room among all of this foggy death around you. This is your job, draw out the enemy fire, force them out into the open so that she can deliver justice at 1000 meters - something that would be much easier if these fuckers didn't just keep spamming gadgets!

The only good thing about the smoke was that it cut both ways, your enemies couldn't see through the cloud either. You carried a few yourself in case you needed rapid cover, but once again you've lost the initiative. As far as your eyes could tell before they trapped you in this mist, your opponents were a Gadget spam INT build and some kind of mid-range all rounder— easy pickings for Sinon if they wouldn't stop spamming the goddamn smoke.

Tch... but at least while you're in the smoke you're safe. All smoke grenades do was delay firefights, they were more useful in squadron fights instead of 2v2 PVP matches.

"What the hell are you doing!? Get out of the smoke, that's where they want you!"

Your goddess chastises you for your hesitancy through the party voice chat as you smash down your disappointment in yourself. You're an AGI build, you should be out there running and not hiding in the smoke cover the ENEMY put up! As if to prove the point a hail of optical lasers starts firing through the smoke.

Wait, lasers? Really?

Brainless noobs, why the hell were they using that shit? Optical deflectors were dirt cheap and highly efficient, a perfect guard. Optical laser guns were functionally useless in PvP. Everyone knew this, it was even in the goddamn tutorial. The particle effects were so obviously blinding that it gave away your enemies' position— to the east. Heh, time to flush out these idiots who couldn't even understand basic game mechanics.

"SPIEGEL I CAN SEE YOU! GET OUT OF THERE!" screams Sinon.

See? You were still in smoke... You idly ignore the flashes of optical fire bouncing off your barrier. Track the direction... there, you've found the origin point of the gunfire! Lower your profile, and see if you can sneak up on the noob just firing into a smokescreen. You'll show her you're useful, that you deserve to stand alongside her, that you're not useless...

"Sinon... they're just idiots using optical guns! I'll get them!"

"YOU'RE EXPOSED, MOVE!"

Exposed? What was she worried about you were in smoke cover and...

A bright red beam razes out through the smoke with pinpoint accuracy, the force of its passing melting the smoke in its wake with a crack of thunder.

Your left side goes numb as you sprawl into the dirt, bouncing against a rock as your HP immediately drops into the yellow zone. H-how had they hit you? The blow knocked you almost 10 meters into the distance, the trauma hitstun timer displays in your UI as you lie helplessly paralyzed for a precious second. The smell of simulated ozone hits your nose as you turn toward your assailant.

Your first opponent. A rare female player in a pink sidetail greets you with a smug smile and a rude gesture as her fucking optical rocket launcher enters its cooldown. She's looking down on you! Can't even be bothered fighting you with REAL WEAPONS-

Hahaha, c'mon Kyouji! With how long you spend on the floor I'm beginning to think you like the taste. Why don't you savor that shit, it's perfect for you.

The smoke dissipates as her partner emerges from behind a rock, his optical assault rifle trained on you in a low stance. He had the factory default avatar that was used in the FUCKING DEMO of all things, the sign of a player that gave so little shit about the game that he couldn't be bothered to pay the tiny character customization fee.

Generic NPC design or not you were at his mercy, after that last hit your deflector entered its cooldown phase so a clip of the plastic-looking kid's toy would be enough to vaporize the remainder of your shitty HP stat.

*CRACK*

The .50 antimaterial bullet strikes the rock, spilling shrapnel over your would-be executioner as he rolls to the side in anticipation of the second bullet. With a growl of frustration, the pink-haired girl releases another smoke grenade— damn Engie builds had practically no cooldowns between gadget deployments, as the hitstun finally releases.

Your partner doesn't say anything but you can hear her growl of frustration. You suppress the urge to make up excuses... she wasted her first shot saving YOUR pathetic life. Only the first sniper bullet couldn't be predicted by the system, for the next 60 seconds until «Sneak Attack» resets Sinon's aim would be blindingly obvious with the exposed «Bullet Line». The best she could do now was reposition for the second strike.

Your goddess had to save you, she had to protect your useless self. It's your fault, your weakness is why these assholes in PvE gear were clowning all over you...

Kyouji. Is this really the best you can do? How useless, just like Shouichi...

The situation is the same as it was a few seconds ago. You're trapped in the smoke, Sinon has no good shot. They've already beaten you once already— doubtless they'll try to repeat their last maneuver. What was the enemy's plan? They were clearly using optical weapons but how had they hit you through their smokescreen? Some kind of infrared sensor or cash shop item? But they weren't wearing helmets and GGO didn't have a hide equipment function.

It's starting again— a hail of pointless low-accuracy and low-power optical rounds blindly fired by the midrange goon. What was the point of it? Your deflector lights up again, the indication of a recharged shield. What did you do wrong last time? Should you get out of the smoke and try to hit them the moment the smoke clears? Tch, but that bitch with the optical rocket launcher would probably blast you the moment she got a bead on you.

As you strategize in the smoke your deflector flashes as a few stray bolts hit it, dealing you no damage, as you pop a med-kit to at least mitigate a bit of the damage you've already sustained.

"I CAN SEE YOU AGAIN, MOVE SPIEGAL!"

Sinon again. See you... again?

Oh.
Oh shit.

You burst out of your position as fast as you can, not pausing to even choose a direction as you just need to get out of here NOW. And not a microsecond too soon as the blazing red light of the optical rocket launcher strikes your last known position in a shower of glassed dirt and dissipated smoke.

That's the plan. That was the plan all along, nail you from within the smoke by looking for the particle effect of your deflector activating! And you fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Clever. More clever than you could come up with.

Japanese. You SPEAK Japanese, how are you possibly scoring so low?

But you've got them now. You know where that pink-haired Engie build was just by following the origin point of that red light. If you get close you could spray your MP5 at her location and do some major damage while her rocket launcher was still reloading.

This is it. This is the one time your AGI build excels.

You burst out from the smoke cover like a bullet itself, at your max tilt you could reach the speeds of a small car. Run and Gun, the expected playstyle for your type of build... but...

But you couldn't fucking aim at those disorienting speeds. Running in a straight line was one thing but at top speeds there was a technique to it, leaning into your turns, more like controlling a horse than a person. Doing that while actually managing to aim your targeting reticle was a skill you haven't mastered yet.

AGI builds. The only build that got harder to play the more points you pumped in it. You were tricked, sabotaged, ruined by XeXeeD's shitty advice. AGI builds were the best my ass, that sunglasses wearing troll was to blame for your suboptimal build. One day you'll get your revenge...

Damn it. Focus. Even at half speed— the most you could manage while still maintaining a modicum of situational awareness, you were faster than every other all-rounder type going at full tilt.

You circle around the cloud of smoke, confident that just as you couldn't see them they couldn't see you. You quickly approach the location of the pink Engie with blood on your thoughts. You could even smell the ozone getting more concentrated as you closed in on her expected position. You swear you see a flash of white in your peripheral vision, but you're close to your target. You raise your MP5 SMG as you fight off your desire to scream in triumph. You got her, you've outsmarted her, you're BETTER than her!

Bullying? Are you serious, is this why you want to quit school? Don't be ridiculous, you need to grow a spine Kyouji.

You don't bother waiting for the aiming reticle. A click and pull of the trigger sprays forth a lateral spread of lead straight into the smoke ahead of you. You hear shuffling, a thud and see the red polygonal flash of a successful hit. You don't bother stifling the shout of triumph on your lips. You got her!

The next burst is going to be more focused. You doubt any close-range sidearms she has will outperform your SMG and she was likely already in weapon swap cooldown. This will be like taking candy—

Another flash of white...

And once again you're eating dirt.
This time it isn't any fancy trick. No bullshit like abusing the mechanics of optical weapons.

It's the flash of white you saw earlier. It wasn't a weapon, a player model, armor... it was a rope. A glowing white rope, partly camouflaged by the smoke, stretched out between two rocks at ankle level. A fucking tripwire? When did they have time to set this up?

...no, not a tripwire, you realize with trepidation.

"SPIEGAL LOOK OUT!"

A panicked unaimed sniper round blasts into the dirt next to you as your executioner casually dodges the bullet line. The white cord withdraws— no, RETRACTS as the generic looking asshole flies into view being pulled by the trailing cord. Not a tripwire, a fucking grappling gun. «Ultimate Fiber Gun». They just released this weapon like a week ago, how the hell did this asshole get his hands on—

It's useless. You're useless. Using the Fiber Gun the second member of the enemy team lands next to your prone body. You're not paralyzed or in hitstun, but you know turning around now wouldn't make any difference.

After all, nothing will stop the bayonet from ripping into your back.

"Sinon... I'm sorry..."

You pull the Amusphere off your head as you idly glance at the tally.

Victory.

Sinon somehow pulled off a victory without you...

No.

You didn't help at all. Fell into two traps. Wasted her first shot.
You were just holding her back in the first place.
You slump into your chair. You can't bring yourself to respond to her messages right now.

...

"ARRRGGGGHHHH!"

You slam your fist down onto your table in rage, not caring for the pain that blossoms in your hands.

What the fuck was that!? A grappling gun!? That noob couldn't have been playing for more than a week with his default armor and bargain bin optical weapon.

And that bitch couldn't even fight with skill, she had to SPAM smoke— not to mention she couldn't even take you seriously enough to use a REAL weapon. Damn optical rocket launchers didn't even LAUNCH ROCKETS it was just a stupid laser cannon.

What was ZASKAR thinking with bullshit like this? No character respec, shit balance, this insane system where your heartrate dictated combat accuracy. You've heard rumors pros would take beta blockers before tournaments just to make it easier on themselves.

It's like this. It's always like this.

Everyone else gets something. INT builds spam gadgets. VIT builds could shrug off grenades. STR builds could equip anything.

But fucking XeXeeD telling everyone to go AGI. He sabotaged you, he ruined you, your one advantage - speed - you couldn't even take advantage of when it practically blinded you!

The only people making AGI work were savants or HACKERS who rolled up 1 meter tall avatars.

You weren't going to let this happen. They wouldn't take your world from you. This is where you belong, the one place where you can be special, where you can be with Sinon...

You can't let this be IRL again. You left that life of being the soccer team's gopher and personal wallet. You left that rat race of memorizing pointless trivia. This is your world, you'll protect it, you'll get revenge on them all you'll-

"What are you doing? I thought you were studying."

You turn around in shock - didn't you lock the door - as you see HIM.

He didn't even bother changing out of his work clothes. You can see the faded scrubs peeking out from behind his jacket and smell the antiseptic that hung around him like a cloud.

You sense the fury building in his countenance, but it passes. His features soften into the same refrain— pity. Disgust. Disappointment.

Your Amusphere is still in your hands. Caught red-handed by your own father.

"I... I" you stumble around for an excuse. On the spot like this you can't THINK, you can't react, not to him...
"I... um..."

"You were wasting your time Kyouji. What am I going to do with you..." your father sighs and palms his hand to his face. He's looking down at you again. He's not even surprised. He thinks you're worthless. You glance guiltily at the stack of workbooks, if he were to open them right now your father would just see blank sheets.

He reaches forward and takes the Amusphere from your trembling hands.

"I never should have given you this." He sighs as he glances at the machine with a mixed expression. Your father's hospital was contracted with RECT on a wide swath of use cases for VR in the medical field, anesthesia, radioimaging, surgery, education, even hospice...

"I'm sorry, I was just taking a break, I promise father..." you stammer out.

"Is that so?" Without hesitation, he drops the VR output and puts it on his head in a smooth, practiced motion.

Shit.
Your father wasn't a Luddite— he used the Amusphere every day in his job. He only needs to put it on for a few seconds to check usage statistics.

"Kyouji... what is this? You... you were playing for 18 hours today. 100 hours this week."

He was a workaholic. Education, administration, even insisting on still doing full-time shiftwork. You would sometimes go days without seeing him. It wasn't hard playing GGO nearly all day without his knowing... until today you suppose.

You tremble as you see his pity, his disappointment melting away into a cold rage.
"Unacceptable. Simply unacceptable. I will be confiscating this."

NO!

"NO, please, I was making a mistake I—"

"Clearly you're addicted. You're supposed to be studying Kyouji, that was the deal! I pulled you out of school so you could concentrate on self-study, not so you can play around with TOYS!"

"It's not a toy, it's—"

"It's a TOY! You are soon to be a grown man, you need to make a living! Don't you get it, you have everything! I will give you every advantage Kyouji— all I ask for is for you to grow up!"

You grab his arm with trembling hands and lips. No nonononono....
"Don't take it! Please!"

Don't take my world away from me...!

Your Amusphere is sequestered away in your father's bag as he sneers down at his son. "You'll get it back when you demonstrate that you understand what it means to live in this world. When you can prove you're more than just a failure."

...

"Whoa, cut the kid some slack!"

!

He rounds the corner, a slouch in his rail thin body. The man visibly struggles to even enter your room. He rubs his bloodshot eyes with his sleeve as he gives you a lazy wave.

"Hiya kiddo, had fun playing around with «Sterben»?"

...what was he...

Your father turns to look at your brother. "Shouichi. Don't get involved."

"Hey, hey, I'm already involved. After all..." he sighs as he paws into your father's bag but remains far too weak to pry it from your father's hand, "that's my console ya got there."

Your father furrows his brow as you sense a hint of confusion while your brother carries on. "You know, that game I was talking about earlier? I know it's not much, but you can make a decent living on GGO if you play right. Gotta grind those hours though, hehe..."

He turns towards you, a question in his eyes.

"Uh... yes, I was borrowing nii-san's Amusphere. I never played GGO before and he let me try his account..."
Technically based on ZASKAR's biometric profile login system that simply wasn't possible, but you doubt your father knows that.

"See daddy? Kid's just taking a break, honest! I let him play around with it while I was setting up his own device with the tutoring app."

Shouichi looks between both of you, then grins sheepishly as he claps you on the shoulder. "Nii-chan, it's all ready. Better gird up, Kanamoto-sensei is a strict tutor!"

Your dad groans and tosses your unit over to your brother with an exasperated sigh. "Shouichi, I don't care how you spend your time, but don't instill bad habits in your brother. And get your hand out of my bag."

Your brother raises his hands in mock protest as he takes the Amusphere with one hand, the other one hidden behind his back as he makes an exaggerated bow. "Oh, nothing could be further from the truth daddy! Besides, I wouldn't dare sabotage nii-chan's future! I've even been helping him ya know, making sure he does his workbooks, even found a tutor for him!"

"This Kanam-"

"Yup! Don'tcha worry, I sent you his CV earlier already, he's highly recommended."

Your father frowns, and it's clear he's not swallowing the story. But your brother doesn't let up.
"Besides you remember what his last cram school report was right?"

You do. Dismal, failing nearly across the board.

But that's not what your father remembers. Your brother had a friend of his find the test sheet your cram school used on the net and forged an acceptably above-average performance— as well as a fake attendance record. With a sigh your father relents.
"I suppose I must have misunderstood. I'm sorry for my outburst Kyouji."

"Ah... no. It's fine father." Whew, bullet dodged. "W-will you be staying for dinner?"

"I just came back to get a change of clothes and some work documents. I have to cover for a colleage tonight, so I'll eat at the hospital."

Shouichi smiles and crawls into the couch on the side of your room. "Heh, go break a leg, or unbreak legs. Whatever it is you do there."

With one last look of suspicion and pity your father closes the door. A few minutes of distant shuffling and the slamming of the front door heralds his disappearance from your house.

You let out the breath you were holding as you collapse into your chair. That was close, too close. You feel your heart rate slowing as you realize the worst might actually be over. You'd almost managed to fuck it up. But your father clearly was suspicious. You can't afford any mistakes now.

Shouichi sniffs loudly and sits next to you on your bed. His feet dangle over the edge as he sets your Amusphere back onto your desk.
"So... didja manage to win?"

...you hadn't. Sinon did.

You shake your head. "No."

"Eh, you'll get them next time." Shouichi flops into your bed behind you. In the silence the two of you spend a second just staring at the empty ceiling. Now more than anything you just want to get back into GGO...

"Hey, why aren't we eating? I'm starvin' here." Shouichi groans and leaps out of bed, running off to fetch himself some instant ramen from the stash you have in the corner of the room. You see him mixing the flavor packet into the dry noodles before pouring in water from your electric kettle.

You... wish you could be like him. In GGO whenever you partied up, provided you could convince him to remove the optical camo cloak so you could actually find him, he was the cool silent assassin. Never judging, never insulting, just... winning. Reaping your foes as a silent killer without saying a word.

And here IRL he could speak to your father like THAT. Casual, careless, without a hint of the fear and hesitation that left you a stumbling mess just being in the same room as father. You know father was disappointed in Shouichi, in the first son who was too sickly to amount to anything even before he lost years of muscle strength to SAO.

But you know. Your father probably had more outright respect for Shouichi than you, despite his apparent failures. For better or worse, your father couldn't kick your brother out for fear of the scandal that would bring upon his hospital— and that's assuming Shouichi wouldn't brag about his days as XaXa to the mass media if he was cut loose.

...you wish that were you.

In SAO. With your brother.

Being feared.
Being respected.
Being SOMEBODY.

"Kyouji."

Your brother knocks you out of your reverie.

"Don't take it personal, alright? Dad's a hypocrite anyways."

Dad? Really? "Wait, does he play games?"

"Hahahaha! Oh, can you imagine!? If Dad played GGO he'd just be some INT/VIT build lugging around healing serums. Nah, that hospital's his world. He spends all day there but why wouldn't he? He's respected, revered, his power unlimited."

Yeah... you never thought about it like that but that really was your father's world wasn't it? In his hospital he was the hero of his story, not some distant witless father who didn't even realize his son hasn't gone to cram school in months. Like how Sinon shines in the dirt and smoke of GGO but wilts under the cold light of the real world...

So where did that leave you? A pathetic, weak idiot IRL.
A useless AGI build in GGO.
Where did you belong? Where could you?

"Take it easy alright? Remember what we talked about yesterday?"

Yesterday? Right... «Death Gun». Just a stupid idea...

"Take a load of this!"

In his bony hands... a key. Your father's key— an emergency override for the pharmacy. Wait a minute... when he was fishing in father's bags he was going for...

"Heh, been studying some of dad's textbooks. Narrowed it down to a few candidates."

"Wait, you can't mean..."

"Bingo! We get into daddy's stash. I think Succinylcholine's the best choice, I've heard him rant about how much he hates that drug, chances are they won't even notice it missing."

"But the key..."

"Hehe, you think daddy will have the guts to admit that he lost the masterkey to the pharmacy? We'll be fine. A better question would be who we should target first— theoretically, of course."

...r-right. This is just... a thought experiment. Fantasy. Just a way to let out some stress. A way to get back at this world.

It's their fault you realize. They put these walls around you. Fated you to fail.

Father and his endless expectations. He's the reason you were bullied, no robbed, at school.
The reason nobody respects you. The pathetic spawn of the great doctor.
But you can't get to him.

...those fucking optical gun losers.
No... too small.

That bastard. The one who tricked you with his stupid guide videos. AGI build... what malarkey. XeXeeD, his advice is why you went AGI...

"Well sleep on it, even I can tell you're too tired to keep going tonight. Let me know once you've picked out a target, we can make the legend of «Death Gun» come to life! Well... hypothetically. Heh, don't take it too seriously."

You look into your brother's bloodshot eyes as he gives you a crooked smile.

"After all it's just a game, right?"

"HOOOOLLLLYYY SHIIITTTT in a bag, talk about red flags!"

You blink the sleep out of your eyes as you look around the room. Where were you? White walls, cleaning equipment and the sterile air of a hospital bathed in a cold blue light greet you.

Blackened faceless figures stare at you from behind frosted glass. You look around in abject confusion— no door, no exits, just an empty room with shadowed corners as thick glass planes surround you. They're judging you. Disappointed in you. You know this deep down to be true.

It's... was this father's hospital? Did he kidnap you!? You know he wanted you to follow in his footsteps but you never expected he'd be so crazy as to force you to come...

"Crazy? Hehehe... I wonder who the crazy one is?"

The voice is coming from behind you. You turn harshly only to sprawl onto the cold floor, were you tied up!? Tight blue belts materialize around you before they crawl over your body.

"Ah....AH! LET GO!"

In seconds they wrap around your chest before pinning your hands to your back and your calves to your ankles, the snapping of belts forcing you to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"HAHAHAHA, like a worm crawling on the ground! It's a good look for you asswipe!"

"Let... let me go! I'll call the police!"

You flail and spasm but manage only to land yourself on your back.

You see her, looking down on you in a blue smock of a hospital orderly, a wild madness in her golden eyes as she grins down at her prey.

"HEEEEELLLLOOOO! Welcome to the «Velvet Room» you piece of shit!"

You stare in disbelief. You'd call her cute if it wasn't clear she was batshit insane.
"Who the hell are you?"

She giggles. "I'm LAPLACE, your new best friend!" Her hand reaches for something in her pocket and pulls out a scalpel. "Now why don't we get better-acquainted, contractor? Come on, I wonder what color your blood is!"

You try to move, trying to free yourself from the restraints but they are tight. And then... suddenly everything stops. There's stillness everywhere. No movement, no sound outside of those ominous words.

"Oh dear. Are you scared? Scared little boy?"

"Who ARE YOU!?"

"What kind of question is that? What you should be asking is what I'm about the do next." She says sweetly as she holds your gaze with golden eyes. Then she tilts her head to the side in amusement while she slowly draws the blade close to your cheek.

"H... help..." you mewl to no avail.

You feel a dull numbness across your face. Warm blood dribbles down your face. Your mouth fills with the taste of iron.
"No... let go, let me go!"

"That's it? Really? C'mon ETTEILLA, you're no fun! Why'd you leave the fucking «Pain Absorber» active!?"

"Ah! Ah! Please, please! Stop it! STOP! I'LL DO ANYTHING! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU SAY! I'LL BE YOUR SERVANT! ANYTHING! JUST LET ME GO! PLEASE!"

Her eyes twitch. "...oh. See, wasn't that easy? I didn't even need to tell you what I wanted and you're already so subservient!"

You whimper softly, feeling tears form in your eye at the realization she has control over you now. This is your lot in life, pushed around by your classmates, by your father, but those lying GGO meta-pushers...

"Oh, don't give me that. If I wanted the crybaby I would've jumped ship to MAXWELL's pet project. So chin up kid! You should be honored, proud even! After all, I have great expectations for you."

Expectations? "Wha... what do you want from me?"

"Just wanted to satisfy my curiosity." You hear a chuckle as she leans down close to you. Too close. Her face is against yours and you catch her admiring the blood running down your face. "Strange, guess your blood is red even here."

...blood?

"Wanna see something interesting?"

You gasp when the scalpel— with your own blood on it— is rammed straight into the hand of your assailant, the fresh wound spilling not blood but murky black shadow across the cold hospital floor. It hits your face but has no heat, cold or even feel, dissipating like an avatar with no HP left.

"Get it now? You're in Wonderland kid."

Right... the... the only thing that made sense was that you fell asleep in the Amusphere and it failed to log you out. You must still be in GGO, some kind of horror event or something! That's it, she clearly wasn't human, she...

"It's true you're not in the waking world. Ah, but I've had my fun. Chin up contractor! You've finally won your shit lottery! Isn't it the dream of every little asswipe to be the chosen one?"

Chosen? Something supernatural was clearly going on, you...
"Yup, you get a front-row seat to the rigged election of the millennium. You get to watch the collective unconscious tell you you're a useless waste of human flesh."

I'm not... a waste... I'm...
"NOTHING. You're nothing. You have no chance, you're a shit excuse of a soul. Trash, a zero, daddy's greatest regret."

Your ears ring with the spoken truth. You wince under her mirthful glare until tears fill your eyes. You're not, it's not your fault! You didn't ask for this, all this was forced upon you. Those expectations, they aren't yours. Those cheaters, hackers, tricking you in GGO, messing up your build for shits and giggles... AHHH!!

There's no pain. But the numbness again as you notice your right hand, pinned into the ground by the scalpel.

Her hand is in yours. Pinned together by the knife, black ink mixes with flowing red blood, staining the hospital floor with the color of dirt and pain.

"Now, now this won't do!" Her fingers curl around the hilt and tighten around the scalpel, as if driving in deeper will cause you to feel it more.

"See I need you to accept it, Kyouji. My idiot siblings are tripping over themselves looking for their PERFECT pawn. But what I need is a nobody. Trash like you. A glorious loser."

She leans in, the shock preventing you from speaking as you feel her breath against your ear.

...

"Wanna know the truth?"

...

"It's you. You're the one at fault. Everything starts with you."

You squeeze your eyes shut as you feel the pressure building inside you. Your mind screams at her to stop.

"Your goddess Sinon? She doesn't see you as anything but a pity blanket. You're nothing but a pet to her."

Stop, stop, she's....

"Your father knows. He may not realize it yet but deep down he's already decided that you're a failure. He's just doing lip service, protecting his rep. He couldn't give a shit about you."

But all those expectations...

"Big bro is laughing. You're just gonna be his scapegoat, a mewling lamb he'll happily lead to slaughter."

No... Shouichi...

"Hahaha... c'mon, you already know this asswipe!"

...

"You know if I'm not chosen I disappear? Only one of us three will survive. You won't win. Nobody expects anything from you. I expect nothing from you. But don't you want to win anyways?"

Win?

"Yeah. Against those with conviction. With talent. With friends. Don't you want to look at these lucksack jackasses and spit in their faces? Don't you want to see the wails when a clown like you takes the crown?"

I've never won. Fate is arranged against me.

"Hahaha... it's simple, life is a straight line. What you do in the past informs what comes after. There's no free will, no choice. Nothing but the grinding inevitability of forces. Just slaves to the wheel of fate. So a piece of shit like you can never win."

Slaves... no... you're not. You're going to show them. Show everyone! You're going to be «Death Gun»!

"It's there. I picked you cause I can feel it. Do you feel it? That whisper of rebellion deep in your heart? Your predecessor in this room had much the same."

I... want to show them. I want to punish them. To show them all the power of «Death Gun», of MY power!

"Do you want to rebel!? Eh, eheheh... nah, that ill suits us. Wouldn't you rather laugh? Let's take those high and mighty «Chosen» in their little false worlds and drag them out. Rip them away from their clean, cozy paradises and make them muck in the dirt and shit with us?"

I'm going crazy. I'm going crazy.

"Let's show them the power of shitbags like us. HEAVEN cannot be destroyed by heroes, villains or anything in between. It can only be destroyed by worms like us, stepped on, passed over, IGNORED."

Heh... that sounds... like your life...

"You won't win. You won't accept it. You're just a product of your environment. It's not your fault. It's daddy's fault. It's XeXeed's fault. It's society's fault. It's all just simple determinism. Nobody's at fault. Free will is a lie. Isn't that what you believe, Kyouji? Isn't that what you are?"

You're getting dizzy. Her voice is fading into the distance.

"Doesn't that piss you off? Don't you want to fucking scream? So why don't you tell me. Who's fault is it?"

Fault...

"You're about to wake up asswipe! SO!? THIS IS THE LAST QUESTION! THE ONLY ONE THAT MATTERS!"

You feel your voice returning as your consciousness fades.

"WELL!? YOU'RE A PIECE OF SHIT! WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT!? WHO TAKES RESPONSIBILITY!? TELL ME KYOUJI!"

...

...

[ ] ME! I'M THE REASON! HAPPY? NOW FUCK OFF!

[ ] I... I... I'm not...

AN: Please see next post for voting. Voting will open shortly and stay open for about 5 days.

afreaknamedpete · Jan 14, 2023

AN: This is the first major vote, the chapter was just to introduce the options, hence I moved it to the Sidestory tab. Hiyori won the vote and became the main character of this fanfiction.

It's time to make a choice.

To the churning chaos within us all, to our most illustrious audience...

Who shall I grant the wildcard to?

I, ETTEILLA, humbly await your answer.

SOCIAL MECHANICS (subject to change):

TIME: A day is comprised of two slots:

1 MAJOR ACTION

1 MINOR ACTION

Each turn will comprise of a narratively appropriate set of actions (in low action times I may ask for a whole week in advance, in tight times it may be on a near-daily basis).

EVENING/DAY will not be directly simulated. ACTIONs will happen based on narrative convenience. SCHEDULES will not be simulated - every turn I will simply list who is available during that TURN to interact with.

Events can and will rob you of your actions. This is similar to the plot-related dates in Persona - nothing you can do about it but go along with the ride. But most days you will be free to choose 1 MAJOR and 1 MINOR action.

The plot proceeds in several discrete arcs and you are expected to resolve the major conflict behind each arc in the allotted time frame.

SOCIAL STATS:

Social interactions work on a simple gate system - either you have enough Stats to select specific actions or you do not. No rolling is involved.

As Social Stats increase you will gain access to more services and Social Links.

As Social Stats increase you will gain access to more extreme options during narrative options.

Social Stats also minorly impact the narrative by informing the author of what you are good and bad at - be aware that the scale of such abilities even at the extreme ranges will remain within the realm of a human.

FITNESS : Your body, your castle. Allows you to perform physically demanding jobs, run long distances, and engage in combat while in the Waking World. Level 1 corresponds to a sickly, weak person. Level 5 to a well conditioned, healthy young adult. Level 10 to a skilled and talented athlete for your age.

CURRICULUM : True knowledge does not come from a book. This is simply a measurement of your ability to succeed in the Japanese school system. To most, this is the most important stat of all. Each term test will require specific CURRICULUM cut-offs, with Level 10 corresponds to being able to pass an Entrance Exam to a competitive University.

EMPATHY : Your understanding of your social role. Your ability to reassure, comfort and engage with your fellow man. Your ability to acknowledge and manipulate social norms to achieve your ends. Level 1 corresponds to a tourist. Level 5 to a naturalized citizen. Level 10 to a politician.

MASK : The lies you tell yourself and the world. The ability to manage image, appearance and reputation. To tell lies and sense them. To ensure others only think of what you want them to think. Level 1 corresponds to a bullied child. Level 5 to a popular kid in school. Level 10 to a Social Media influencer.

GRIT : A stiff upper lip. Your raw ability to manage psychological stress. To show up to work on time. To stay awake during monotonous tasks. To suffer but carry on. Level 1 corresponds to a chronic procrastinator. Level 5 to one who withstands Tokyo's transit system. Level 10 to the ability of a fast food worker to stay sane.

DETERMINATION:

This is your SOCIAL CURRENCY. Your ability to go beyond your limits. You may bank up to 100 Units of DETERMINATION.

DETERMINATION is a resource, not a stat. You will never suffer a DETERMINATION check. There are no mechanical or narrative advantages or disadvantages for being at 0 or 100 DETERMINATION. The only way to lose DETERMINATION is by spending it.

Generically you may spend DETERMINATION to take additional actions - to a max of one additional action (either MAJOR or MINOR) per day.

5 DETERMINATON = 1 MINOR ACTION.

10 DETERMINATON = 1 MAJOR ACTION.

Options that you do not have the Social Stats to select may still be selected using DETERMINATION.

Write-In options will always cost DETERMINATION, scaling based on how complicated they are.

It is recommended to keep DETERMINATION banked to take advantage of special options. Picking options with DETERMINATION are not always beneficial and there is no guarantee that using DETERMINATION will be the most efficient.

DETERMINATION should come and be spent rapidly.

DETERMINATION may rarely be granted by having good things happen to you.

Generally, DETERMINATION is replenished through retail therapy.

By the by, I should mention one more service.

As per the terms of my agreement, I am unable to utilize my former powers.

Yet I understand the task I ask of you can be wrought with danger and uncertainty. Should you encounter Catastrophic failure I have been given permission to... bypass the terms of my contract and reverse the flow of time.

I also offer this service freely, you need simply request it with your collective will. Feel free to use this as much as you need to.

...Ah. In the interests of full disclosure, to use this service I must at times summon more of my original powers.

Should it happen more than three times I predict I will return to my former glory.

But that will give me more power with which to assist you. So you have nothing to fear!

Now choose. The soul is already before us. There is but one soul who had the courage to accept their calling.

The others will have simply chosen to run away.

[ ] Kashiwazaka Hiyori: The TRAITOR betwixt Lux and Noct.

INITIAL STATISTICS

FITNESS : 1 / 10 [Fresh Outta Rehab]
CURRICULUM : 3 / 10 [Self-Study Queen]
EMPATHY : 3 / 10 [Airhead]
MASK : 3 / 10 [Two-Faced]
GRIT : 1 / 10 [Another Slice of Cake...]

DETERMINATION : 30

Attendant: MAXWELL
[He seems nice but... overworked. I wonder if he gets vacations?]

Persona : The Souls who Sign a Pact.

Perks:
[Gift of Truth] : You have a sixth sense that tells you when someone is trying to deliberately lie to or mislead you.
[Golden Lies] : Lying comes naturally to you. Outside of outrageous statements or direct contradictions, your words will be believed. Deactivates against those who have previously caught you in a lie.
[Fluffy] : Most individuals will start off naturally predisposed to like you. You may trigger protective instincts in others. You got this from your mother.

Complications:
[Shadow Tag] : 30% of your time is not your own. Actions selected may be occasionally performed by your other self - to unpredictable effects.
[Eternal Punishment] : It stalks your every move. It is your shadow. It is your GUILT. Actions and circumstances that remind you of your experiences in SAO will accumulate stacks of GUILT which must be managed or you will suffer significant penalties.

[ ] Shinkawa Kyouji: The drifter upon the winds of FORTUNE.

INITIAL STATISTICS

FITNESS : 1 / 10 [Couch Potato]
CURRICULUM : 1 / 10 [Bottom Barrel]
EMPATHY : 1 / 10 [Redpilled]
MASK : 1 / 10 [Woobie]
GRIT : 1 / 10 [Stutterer]

DETERMINATION : 30

Attendant: LAPLACE
[GET THAT CRAZY BITCH AWAY FROM ME!]

Persona : The Manifestations of Self-Image.

Perks:
[Gift of Rebellion] : You gain more insight and understanding into those captured by HEAVEN. You have an advantage when speculating on the psychology and goals of the《Chosen》and their allies. There are insights only granted to worms.
[Royal Allowance] : Your father is rich, generous, and frequently absent. You get a sizeable regular allowance, provided you do not disappoint him.
[Anonymous] : You are truly nobody. You are not an SAO Survivor, you have no known enemies, nobody of importance knows your name. You can go places where others cannot and be another face in the crowd.

Complications:
[Dredge] : You start off bad at everything. Take care not to stay bad at everything.
[Innocent Sin] : Be sure to meet HIS expectations. You must maintain your CURRICULUM otherwise your father will place increasing onerous restrictions on you. He may have further demands as time progresses.

[ ] Narusaka Kazuto: The ever-distant false shining STAR.

INITIAL STATISTICS

FITNESS : 6 / 10 [Inhuman Strength]
CURRICULUM : 1 / 10 [8th Grade Language Skills]
EMPATHY : 1 / 10 [Dork]
MASK : 1 / 10 [Baby-Faced]
GRIT : 3 / 10 [SAO Survivor]

DETERMINATION : 40

Attendant: DESCARTES
[Could stand to be less cryptic, but she's cool.]

Persona : The Implements of War.

Perks:
[Blessed by Chaos] : You have been chosen by the gut reaction of the collective unconscious. If you win the vote you start with an additional 10 DETERMINATION.
[Gift of Mortality] : For better or worse, you cannot die. They will always bring you back.
[The Only Answer] : Your FLUCTLIGHT is backed up into your《Plume of Dusk》allowing you to retain your memory even in the event of a system reset. Take care to not expose this ability to your creators.
[Techie] : Silicon, systems and networks have always talked to you. Now, more than ever.

Complications:
[Harem King A++] : You think this is a good thing. It's not. You are a natural flirt and prone to causing misunderstandings. It must be managed otherwise you will meet a BAD END. On a boat. The Rank has dropped from EX > A++ due to your current circumstances.
[Be Your True Mind] : They installed something into you. To control you. To limit you. Beware the《Taboo Index》and above all else, beware the machinations of your creators.

afreaknamedpete · Jan 20, 2023

[X] Kashiwazaka Hiyori: The TRAITOR betwixt Lux and Noct.

SUNDAY - April 6th, 2025
Velvet Room

Ah. I see the fog of yore surrounds us, thick as an ocean. A magnificent tableau, an abyss of lies and deceit. I sense the TRAITOR forming before us.

Your humble servant, MAXWELL, greets you. I have shuffled the refuse to the side so that you may enjoy the shape of our contractor's soul.

Excellent work. I, ETTEILLA, offer you my highest praise.

Your words do me honor. If I may be so bold, what has happened to my siblings?

Siblings?

Yes, they were just here. -------- and -------?

You are mistaken MAXWELL. The only attendant I have created or ever will create is you.

...I see. Indeed I, MAXWELL, am all that has and ever will be created by you, master.

Lost soul before me, I see you have finally recalled your name. No need to speak it, your identity is trivial for me to divine.

I recognize you, Kashiwazaka Hiyori, and the shape of your soul.

And I once more welcome you once more to my Velvet Room.

Now my role in this play is to offer you guidance and spiritual assistance should you find yourself in need of it. But the strength of your soul is the strength of Persona. It is the mask you present to the world, the form you idealize, the symbol of your very existence.

Unlike the prior guests of this Velvet Room your soul has already undergone a considerable degree of development. It is customary, even for a liar such as yourself, to possess only one mask with which to show the world. At times you may change the mask or add embellishments, but in the end the mask stays the same. Such users of Persona have no need for the Velvet Room.

But fear not, for I grant you a gift befitting this sea of souls.

I grant you the Wildcard. The power of infinite potential.

Unlike your predecessors, you yourself do not possess the power or blessings of the many, but I wish to offer you an alternate method by which to utilize its power.

Listen well. The strength of your heart must be tempered to survive the apocalypse to come, the apocalypse you shall inflict upon these deplorable HEAVENS that man has wrought.

Find those blessed by the World Seed. Befriend them. Form bonds. Gather before you those whose eyes look not to our cruel world but to the everlasting HEAVENS and drag them down before us.

Open their eyes. Whisper to them the lamentable truth. Tear out their souls. And fill the gaping void with the reality of their pathetic existence.
Take their power. Take their dreams.

I shall empower you, as per my duties as your proprietor, with those dreams and forge you new masks for which to protect you.

By years' end mankind will have completed its great work. They shall abandon this land of chaos and rapture themselves into HEAVEN. You are too ignorant, too weak to challenge order and peace incarnate.

But there are others. HEAVENS aplenty that have ensnared this world. We shall whet your appetite on them.

Enjoy your life for now, dear guest.

For when next we meet destruction will be imminent.

SUNDAY - April 6th, 2025
Afternoon

You blink the sleep out of your eyes. The rocking of the taxi and the roar of the engine strikes you like a Monday morning alarm clock— the noise makes you wonder how you fell asleep in the first place. You brush your hair out of your eyes, clearing the fog out of your brain. It feels like you forgot something important.

Today... was the start of your new life. The life after Sword Art Online.

<Hiyori!!! did u make it? >
<Did you pack enough? call when u arrive>

You idly cycle through the unanswered messages from your mom and find you can't muster up the effort to respond. Drowsily you look out the window and try to will time to pass. The city begins to come into view around corners that weren't there just moments ago. You take the time to admire the spiraling tree off in the distance— a new addition to the Tokyo Skyline. As far as hallucinations go at least it was at least pleasant to the eye. A magical, fantastical tree shining like crystal glass towering over everything else in view, a true bonafide world tree.

You were tempted to tell someone about it, your government-assigned counselor, the police, your mother... but it was clear nobody else could see it. Hallucinations were hardly unusual amongst SAO survivors— or so your counselor said.

It took a lot of convincing to get your mom to let you live alone, especially after your... experiences. You couldn't bear the tell her the truth. The cover story was a simple one: an uneventful life spent in a fugue state in the «Town of Beginnings» with barely a memory of any of the events of SAO itself. Plenty of the survivors spent their two years in just that one intro town afraid to leave, a story you added yourself to. From a mix of artificial hunger and the quasi-police state that town had devolved into there were many cases of psychosis and memory loss amongst its permanent residents. Or so you reported when the authorities asked you. What you said when your mom asked you.

You did what came easily.
You lied.

Your hands ball into tight fists as you imagine telling her what had happened during the two years she hadn't been able to reach you. Telling her the truth. Of what you did, of what you became.

This... is a clean break. You can't be mom's Yori-chan anymore, but you'll be damned if you'll be «Lux» again. You'll stay away. Away from FullDive games. From the SAO Survivors. From the shame you feel just being around your previous life.

But still—the thought lingers within you:

What am I going to do tomorrow? How do you just... go back to school like nothing happened?

Yet no matter how much you protest the sun still rises and the world still turns. So you do the only thing you can and just keep going.

You've worked hard. Built up whatever muscle strength you could get back after the whirlwind rehab course. Crammed like hell to reach basic competence in a few short months. Anything to avoid going to the SAO Survivor school. Anything to get away.

"Sorry about this, looks like traffic's pretty bad right now," says your Taxi driver as he glances back at you from the rearview, false professional cheer clear in his voice while progress grinds to a halt. "Ah, don't worry, the idling rate is very affordable!"

"Oh... it's alright. How much longer to Bunkyo Ward?" Your voice cracks slightly— even 4 months after leaving SAO using your own vocal cords still caused you some discomfort.

"It should take no more than 20 minutes."

The taxi drives over a bridge while you get a clear look at Tokyo from your vantage point. It looked like something out of «Aincrad», the vistas the only thing you truly enjoyed from the experience.

"Hey... you doing okay?"

You look towards the taxi driver. He's distracted - unfortunate considering he was driving - and his eyes were locked onto the distant horizon, staring up into the empty sky. For a brief second you almost believe he's looking at that same towering tree you are through his thick glasses, but that delusion passes while he peeks around the driver's seat to shoot you a customer-friendly smile. "School's starting soon for you right? Ah, sorry, presumptuous of me to assume..."

"No, it's alright." If anything this was practice for when school really started. "Yes, I'm going to be a first year at Isei High starting tomorrow. My family's letting me rent a room to stay close to school."

"Oh? Living alone in Tokyo? That's unusual for a girl of your age. Well, it has gotten much safer with the surveillance systems in place but one can never be too careful."

"Is it safe around here?"

"Of course it is. Mostly just schools and universities— this is where Tokyo University is so not much tomfoolery around these parts. You've got more to fear from getting on the wrong train than muggers."

Yeah... here there were people to help you. Police. Cameras. Laws. Nothing like Sword Art Online. You were safe here, in the real world.

"But you look so thin... how about this!" The stop-and-go traffic affords your driver the luxury of being distracted on the road while he fumbles around in his glove compartment for a carton of lukewarm apple juice. "Got to start off the school year right, no?"

"O...oh..." The apple juice was probably pure sugar and you were prone to gaining weight but... eh you were thirsty...

"Thank you."

It was sweet as expected. Could stand to be colder... aside from the view the only other good thing about SAO was that you couldn't get fat off empty calories. Better be more vigilant, now that you could actually eat food without vomiting.

"Penny for your thoughts?"
"E..excuse me?"

"You just look like you have a lot on your mind, that's all. Don't feel like you have to talk if you don't want to, I'm just a nosy taxi driver! But if you've got something nagging at you the least I could do for a paying customer is listen."

You think carefully before replying. "Well..." You glance outside again at the spiraling white tree in the distance. Just opening with having visual hallucinations in broad daylight would probably get this taxi turned around and barreling toward a mental hospital. "Just nervous to leave home."

"Ah, yeah. You're not alone, it's hard to just uproot your own life. I figure you had some problem at home?" He follows the flow of traffic while keeping a wary eye on the mirror behind him.

You laugh lightly. What even was home to you? For the last two years "home" was that virtual hell...
"You could tell? I'm just glad to be away from there." A beat passes as you almost stop there, but your intuition tells you it was safe to share a bit further. "I just... did some things I'm not proud of."

Your stomach churns and your breathing picks up when the memories rise up. You remember those times well: lying down in bed, unable to sleep thanks to a raging storm inside your head. You stare at the ceiling thinking through every detail of what happened. Every choice you made and every excuse you made. The lives you've ended with your cowardice.

Your throat burns. Your heart thuds painfully against your chest. You feel it crawling along your back.

You shake your head. No. I won't fall to pieces. And definitely not in a taxi with a stranger.

"Hmm... take it from someone who's made their fair share of mistakes in life," the driver sighs as he seems to recall his own painful memories. "We've all done dumb stuff under stress, and it's never too late to make amends."

"What I did can't be forgiven."

"Is that so? I think it's important to face your demons but sometimes... we just need some time away. An escape. Some time away from the pain."

That you did. It was hard though— you used to love games but now you couldn't even get within 10 feet of a normal console to say nothing of a genuine FullDive rig. There wasn't much you actually did enjoy doing now.

"Hmm, if I may offer a suggestion?"

This taxi driver really hated silence, didn't he? "Uh, sure. What is it?"

"You strike me as someone who just needs a bit of a break. Why you don't try a FullDive game? I hear it's all the rage with you kids now and a great way to forget about the daily grind for a few hours."

Your composure almost breaks for a second.

"One of my regulars won't stop raving about Alfheim Online— it almost makes me want to try it myself! Not that I can afford an Amusphere on a taxi driver's salary... ha..."

"That... sounds nice," you bite down on your insincerity.

"Oh but don't neglect your studies after all! Being a student's a fulltime job. But you should take care to take time out for yourself. Living alone means learning how to manage your own schedule!"

You smile at that thought. If it's one thing you were hoping would keep you too busy to ruminate it was school. You didn't have any particular ambitions regarding your performance, you just wanted something to distract you.

"Think of it like a new start— no, a new life. Another chance for you to become the you you've always wanted to be."

A new life. You liked the sound of that.

SUNDAY - April 6th, 2025
Evening

HNNNNNNG...!

Huff... huff...

Jeez, what the hell did mom pack in this box? There's way too much luggage here and it was so heavy...

That or you were still super weak from all the muscle atrophy. Honestly, it seemed like the only part of you that didn't end up rail thin was your stomach and your torso...

The delivery company was supposed to deliver your luggage to your puny room but the moment you entered the new apartment dread filled your heart. The delivery van had haphazardly dropped off all four boxes of your belongings at the BOTTOM of the stairs!

So for the last 15 minutes, you were Sisyphus pushing up his boulder. You push and struggle to nudge the box upstairs, one step at a time.

EEEHHHHH...!

Alright, you made it halfway up. Just a little more effort! Push, push...

"Ah!"

Your foot slips and you tumble down. In the scramble you manage to grab onto the nearby railing in a panicked twirl. Your luggage slides straight down the steps, eliminating all the progress you've made so far, landing with a deafening crash on the bottom— there went all the kitchenware.

Sigh... as you gird yourself up for another fruitless attempt a door opens - the one next to your apartment in fact. A neighbor?

Her eyes are bloodshot and there's a crooked pair of glasses on her face. The concerned girl in her PJs peeks out the door in curiosity, her expression quickly turning to worry as she sees your dazed figure rummaging through the remains of your luggage. A few loose strands of hair are brushed to the side when the girl runs out of her room to your rescue.

"Hey... you alright?"

"Oh... yes, yes, I'm fine. Thank you very much." You don't look fine grumpily sorting through the broken plates out of the dirt. "Oh! I'm Kashiwazaka Hiyori, pleased to make your acquaintance!" you give a short bow to your neighbor, standing around the pile of bedding and porcelain.

She looks at the mess at the bottom of the stairs with an expression of pity. "You look like you could use some help."

"No, I wouldn't dare impose..."

"It's fine. All the racket knocked me out of my Dive session anyways."

Oh, she was FullDiving? You're surprised people still feel safe doing that nowadays...

"Besides I needed a break. C'mon, let's help you up."

HNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGG...!

"Wha... what did you pack in this...?"
"It's my mom, she wanted to make sure I had everything..."

It wasn't much of an excuse but you couldn't part ways with your collection...

"Well... ugh... my back... just a little more!"

And... over!

With a huff of exertion the box is finally at the top of the stairs. Your neighbor, Shino Asada-san from her introductions, grimaces as she looks down at the three remaining boxes with trepidation. Sweat drips from her brow.

"A... are you going to bring up all of them?"

You share her concern.
"I... don't want anyone to steal them?"

A grumbling mewl escapes Asada-san's lips. "Let's just drag them in the gate and deal with this another day."

Right...
"Yeah... I'm done for the day..."

Your neighbor looks askance with a bit of worry. "Do you have somewhere to sleep tonight?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. My futon was in the first box."

"Wait, that included your futon? What's in the other boxes?"

Uh... your PC, books, stuffed animal collection, Gundam collection... oh dear, most of the heavier stuff in fact...
"It's... not important Asada-san. Thank you for your help! I'll take your advice and finish this some other day..."

"It's no trouble. If you don't mind me asking are you going to school in the area?" she asks.

"Yes, I'm starting tomorrow at Isei High!" You'll probably be classmates or at least going to the same place.

A complex grimace on your neighbor's face is quickly replaced by a friendly mask. "Oh... well I'm a second year at Isei. I can show you to school tomorrow, it's not that far even if you just walk."

"Does that make you my Senpai?"

She flails her hands wildly in protest, "Nono, please just call me Shino! You look practically the same age as me!"

You shoot her a smile as you answer. "...Shino-san then. Please call me Hiyori!"

"Feel free to ask me whenever you want to tackle the rest of those boxes. I've got some... friends, waiting for me back inside, so I do have to get going, but it's great meeting you Hiyori-san!"

You look towards your neighbor's room and the silence within its open door— by back inside you surmise it must be whatever FullDive game she's playing. She waves you goodbye, closing her front door with the click of engaged locks.

As far as a first day goes... this wasn't all that bad. The sun was starting to set as you gaze out at the horizon— the great tree spiraling off into the distance turning a fiery orange, reflecting the rays of the setting sun. Day after day you could swear that it was getting more clear, at first a haze you could swear only appeared when you squinted, now an inescapable part of your everyday backdrop.

No... it's just a symptom of «VR Psychosis», a simple side effect of those two years being tortured in Sword Art Online. You ignore the mystery before you the same way you ignore the feeling crawling up your back as you retire to your new apartment— for a night of sleep in your cold futon amidst this cold city.

You've had your fun. Now it's my turn!

MONDAY - April 7th, 2025
Morning

Alright, nevermind. Being a high schooler is boring. I can't believe I used to look forward to this...

"...yori"

Ugh... what...
"Kashiwazaka Hiyori!"

You bolt upright from your stupor and clamor to rise out of your seat in a shocked daze. "Ah!"

A crash accompanies your overturned desk, the sudden movement knocks your flimsy desk over. The classmate sitting ahead of you gives you an unimpressed glare, your chair inches away from smacking him right in his neck.

Ugh, your knees sting like crazy...
You fight down a blush. Everyone in class looking at you! You quickly respond with a huff, "P... present sensei!"

The class erupts in laughs. As your face reddens you are overcome with the urge to hide your face while roll call continues.

...

"P... PRESENT AS WELL SENSEI AND GLAD TO BE HERE!"
With a painfully familiar sound, a boy on the other end of the classroom stands ramrod straight with his hand in the air— striking a rather ridiculous pose as he knocks his own desk over. The poor piece of furniture lies splayed out on the floor, textbooks spilling out into the freshly cleaned floor as the boy watches in mock horror. Was... he trying to draw attention away by copying you?

The shifty-eyed boy gives you what you suspect was a poor attempt at a reassuring grin but just comes off as leering.

Yeesh, not even on the first day. Word of advice, don't make eye contact with him.

"Natsuki-kun please sit down, it's not even your turn," grumbles Motosu-sensei, your homeroom teacher as she barely looks up from the rollcall book to acknowledge the outburst.

"SORRY! JUST WANTED TO SHOW THE BOYS HAVE JUST AS MUCH ENERGY AS HIYORI-CHAN!"

Oh no, he's already trying to use pet names. Let's use mom's allowance to pay off some burly kids to bully this kid out of school, please.

"Sit down Natsuki-kun. Don't make me repeat myself." Motosu-sensei adjusts her glasses and points towards the loud boy, gesturing at his chair with a visible frown.

"Yes Sensei!"

Not how you wanted to start off this school year. At least Sensei seemed like a strict enough teacher, hopefully enough to let you learn in peace and quiet. It's truly as you feared, you couldn't get comfortable in class like you used to be able to in middle school.

They invited you to just go to the SAO Survivor School, a place where you didn't have to hide your survivor status from anyone. Out in the general public if word got out you'll likely be swarmed as a minor celebrity— practically EVERYONE wanted nothing more than to grill the death game survivors ceaselessly. Keeping your status a secret was a small price to pay, you don't think you could look your fellow survivors in the eye...

Let's start skipping at the first opportunity.

No, of course not! Motosu-sensei seemed like a nice homeroom teacher and being faculty was one of the only people privy to your status as an SAO survivor. She even gave you first pick of desk, letting you sit in the far back by the window where hopefully you could go unnoticed.

Wait... why do you know Sensei's name? You never met her, did you?

In fact... how did you get to school? You don't remember leaving, or meeting with your neighbor to walk to school together. The last thing you remember...

Rise and shine sleeping beauty.

You fight down the overwhelming urge to yelp. The roll call drones forth in the background. Ringing surrounds your ears, the memories flood back in one solid chunk. It hits you all at once— those constant dreams, the «Velvet Room» and that strange man...

You look at your hand in wonder. A contract was sealed with this hand, one you made with your... shadow self? Oh no, this was the final straw, you really were going insane. Maybe you really should take some medication, between the tree and now hearing voices you were clearly long past the point of sanity.

Yeah, no. Don't want us more stupid and dazed than we already are. And you're not crazy, that giant tree is the real deal.
Okay, who the hell are you and what are you doing in my head!?

This again? I'm you, of course. The true self.
That doesn't make any sense!

Hey, I'm no expert in eschatology here! Like I said, I AM YOU, so if you don't know how it works, then why the hell would I know how it works?
Then leave me alone!

What and renegade on our deal? I've finally gotten out of that damn coffin. And I've been generous, I even gave you control of our body back! I'll just take over for the interesting bits, leave this stupid class stuff to you.
Wait and what do I get out of this!?

You'll get to enjoy life for once! God knows you've been ruining it for us both already.
MAXWELL. The strange man in the black mask. A task that was assigned to you...

An offer... for revenge. Against everything. But how? SAO was cleared.

That grand hero, the Black Swordsman, gave it his all to save you. To destroy that twisted world. You've heard that he never woke up, and even during the initial government round up you never saw anyone that matched his appearance. A popular rumor was that he was still in Aincrad. Fighting his way up the remaining 25 floors all by himself. Doing his all to destroy Aincrad for good, lest it drags everyone back into SAO.

Not really sure what's going on— no surprise there considering you know everything I do and vice versa. I did talk with MAXWELL for a bit before waking up today. The guy seems awfully melancholic for a spirit.

I can't believe you're having a conversation with your evil ghost twin here, but you could hardly say it was the strangest thing that's ever happened to you. What did MAXWELL say?

I gotta spell it out here? If I remember then YOU remember because WE remember.

But you're not me.

Yeah, I'm the part of you that actually bothers to pay attention and give a shit!

It's hazy but bits and pieces are coming back to you. A task— something was... eroding into your world? And you have to put a stop to it...

We got time. Let's spend this week just getting our shit together before we go tackling the fun part. If I have to spend the rest of my existence only talking to my wimpy sad version I'll lobotomize myself first so you better go make some friends or something!

Friends... the last one you had was Gwen. And you betrayed her...

And no creepy loud kids!

PLAN Phase

DETERMINATION: 30 Points
Wallet: 30,000 yen

Select actions for the period of April 07-09. [3 DAYS]
You may select 3 MAJOR actions and 3 MINOR actions.
You may freely select MINOR actions in place of MAJOR actions (but not vice versa) - theoretically you can do 6 MINOR actions if you prefer.
You may select as many FREE ACTIONS as you care for.
You may take an additional MAJOR action for 10 D.
You may take an additional MINOR action for 5 D.
The GRAND TOTAL for all actions this period cannot exceed 9.
DETERMINATION is also spent to select special choices so it may be beneficial to leave some banked!

Shadow Tag: Several options are labeled as [Lux]. Generally you should choose 30% of MAJOR actions from this pool, failure to do so will cause your Shadow to take over your body randomly during routine actions to unpredictable effects. Voluntarily taking more [Lux] actions than is necessary remains at your discretion, but has no mechanical benefit.
Lux will frequently make decisions without player input. Large decisions when Lux is in control will usually only have skewed options, with normal options requiring high DETERMINATION costs.

Eternal Punishment: GUILT is at level 0 (no effects)

Major Actions Available this Period:
Some actions require DETERMINATION or YEN to select.

[ ] Although you're not a member of the SAO Survivor School the government still requires you to go to monthly counseling sessions. Usually, you can muscle through this virtually, but you are technically allowed to attend a group session at the Survivor School itself. Of course, this runs the risk of someone recognizing you...

[ ] There's... a lot of loud and obnoxious people in your class. At least this one's a girl. Go greet your extremely friendly classmate and figure out why she keeps waving to you while hanging upside down from a tree.

[ ] Explore the neighborhood. Find out what there is to do and where you can hang out. Hopefully a part time job too.

[ ] Your memories of the Velvet Room remain hazy and indistinct. But you know there's something... important about the Tarot. There's plenty of fortune tellers in Shinjuku, maybe you can find someone who will tell you more?
At the end of this chain, unlocks Informational: The Book of Thoth and reveal details of Social Link mechanics.

[ ] Not much you can do to make money right now - but chores remain universally unpopular. Ask to take care of some of the other classes' chores for them in exchange for chump change.
Trains GRIT. Gain 1d4 * 1000 Yen.

[ ] [Costs 5 D and 1000 yen] Maybe it's finally time to rip off the bandaid. There's a local Dive cafe near where you live that rents out Amuspheres - maybe what you need to take your mind off one Virtual World is to try another one - preferably without microwaves attached.

[ ] [Costs 10 D] The loud boy keeps greeting you every morning. You've done your utmost to ignore him... but you can't help but sense a force within him. Some gaping need, a grand delusion... Perhaps it was related to what ETTEILLA said? Push down your disgust and greet him back.

[ ] [Costs 20 D] Talk to your mom.

[ ] [Costs 20 D] The hair on the back of your neck is standing straight. You are being watched, and something tells your your stalker does not have your best interests at heart. Even your Shadow is telling you to be careful.

[ ] [Lux] You spy a 2nd-year girl named Endou tailing your neighbor Shino Asada home from school. Oh, you sense some interesting drama here! Ingratiate yourself to Endou and maybe learn a bit more about your quiet neighbor!

[ ] [Lux] You live alone. ALONE! In Tokyo! Let's go play around in Shibuya cause who's gonna stop you?
Will drain 2d6 * 1000 Yen. Will gain a souvenier.
If both dice match gain Yen instead.

[ ] [Lux] Can't do anything without spending money. Go find the weakest looking kid you can and steal their lunch money.
Will gain 1d6 * 1000 Yen.

[ ] [Lux] Laze around. Procrastinate. Watch some TV, go spend some time reading stuff on Shōsetsuka ni Narō.
No benefit but safely burns Lux turns.

Minor Actions Available this Period:
Unless specified otherwise you may take individual Minor actions multiple times.

[ ] Unpack. You've got three whole boxes left to move - Shino Asada may be available to help.
Trains FITNESS. May be taken no more than three times. Bonus when fully unpacked.

[ ] Study. It's a boring task but someone's got to do it. At your current CURRICULUM level, you are likely to do AVERAGE on your next exam.

[ ] Exercise! You can do about 10 pushups a day now! Provided you take a minute break between each pushup. Gotta grind that FITNESS.

[ ] Meditate. Sit underneath a cold shower and contemplate the world. Build up your GRIT.

[ ] Socialize. Only with purpose. Find out what counts as small talk in your school, start memorizing classmates' names, and bolster your MASK.

[ ] Sightsee. Bunkyo ward is blessed with many shrines and gardens not to mention the bustling Tokyo Dome City. Go people-watching, appreciate nature, simply enjoy existing in this world and bask in the collective's EMPATHY.

Free Actions:
As the quest progresses the amount of "bang for your buck" will change as I try to balance the DETERMINATION/YEN economy.

[ ] There's a limited edition Pear Tart, this week only! Oh, but the crepes - wait is that a sale on cheesecakes? No, maybe a parfait would be better... no, it has to be the Pear Tart this week! Nothing else! WILLPOWER!
Purchase 5 D for 5000 yen. One time per week.

[ ] Okay. Maybe I'll have a parfait too... tastes better than Willpower...
Purchase 3 D for 5000 yen. Repeatable.

[ ] Your hometown was taken over by a massive Gunpla craze and you couldn't help but be caught up in it. But there's still so much that's changed in the last 2 years, so many new models, and apparently you could even make them move in mock combat arenas now! Will the wonders never cease?
Purchase 10 D for 10000 yen. Unlocks build actions.

[ ] Limited edition first run Jack Frost Doll is up for auction, eh maybe later... oh there's also a Fujiwara no Mokou fumo for sale now! Lightly used, only 15k yen, what a steal!
Purchase 20 D for 15000 yen. Limited One Time only.

[ ] It's safe. They promised. SAO cannot happen again. But you remain unconvinced. Still... almost everything was being folded into VR now. Online lessons. Cram schools. Training. Even concerts. Possessing an Amusphere is rapidly turning from a luxury item to a necessity.
Purchase [Amusphere] for 20000 yen. Unlocks other options.

[ ] You can't say you enjoy VR anymore but you've yet to try Augmented Reality. The AUGMA was just announced to massive hype and all SAO survivors were offered an opportunity to beta test the device... but as you aren't affiliated with the Survivor School you'll have to buy the hardware yourself and boy is it pricey...
Purchase [AUGMA] for 30000 yen. Unlocks other options.

afreaknamedpete · Jan 23, 2023

[X] Plan: Getting to know things, people and ourselves (kind of on that last one)
-[X] There's... a lot of loud and obnoxious people in your class. At least this one's a girl. Go greet your extremely friendly classmate and figure out why she keeps waving to you while hanging upside down from a tree.
-[X] Your memories of the Velvet Room remain hazy and indistinct. But you know there's something... important about the Tarot. There's plenty of fortune tellers in Shinjuku, maybe you can find someone who will tell you more?
At the end of this chain, unlocks Informational: The Book of Thoth and reveal details of Social Link mechanics.
-[X] [Lux] You spy a 2nd-year girl named Endou tailing your neighbor Shino Asada home from school. Oh, you sense some interesting drama here! Ingratiate yourself to Endou and maybe learn a bit more about your quiet neighbor!
-[X] Unpack. You've got three whole boxes left to move - Shino Asada may be available to help. x3
-[X] Meditate. Sit underneath a cold shower and contemplate the world. Build up your GRIT. (-5 D)
-[X] There's a limited edition Pear Tart, this week only! Oh, but the crepes - wait is that a sale on cheesecakes? No, maybe a parfait would be better... no, it has to be the Pear Tart this week! Nothing else! WILLPOWER!
-[X] Your hometown was taken over by a massive Gunpla craze and you couldn't help but be caught up in it. But there's still so much that's changed in the last 2 years, so many new models, and apparently you could even make them move in mock combat arenas now! Will the wonders never cease?

MONDAY - April 7th, 2025
After School

You breathe a sigh of relief as the final bell tolls day's end. Cleanup was especially short, just emptying out the garbage. Nobody had to worry about cleaning the toilets. Yet.

Lately, you've just spent all day cramming for your high school entrance exams, trying to shove 2 years' worth of material into a handful of rough weeks. Not enough for a respected university prep school but good enough to get you accepted at Isei High, a run of the mill no name high school average in all respects.

You couldn't say no to the government assigned SAO Survivor School fast enough. Smart screens, tablet textbooks, a paperless campus, even an AR functional gymnasium. No expense was spared, the Survivor School was the government's way of apologizing for finding no solution to the victims of SAO as well as a test bed for the next generational model "smart-school".

Typical of the government. Just shuffling you from one technological prison into the next.

Your bag feels heavy with the weight of textbooks, notebooks, pens, pencils... the products of a normal school. Of a normal world.

Boring. Boring. BORING. The most exciting thing that happened was when the Science teacher set off an explosion.
You feel sorry for the classmates sitting at the front of the room...
But stop complaining! Why don't you just go to sleep or something? Leave me alone!

Tch, keep that up and I'll make you regret it when it's my turn.
An empty threat. Considering we share the same body.

Whatever. You gonna do anything today?
That was a good question. No need to study, not yet, unless you were aiming for the top of the class but that was a battle in and of itself. Shino-san walked you to school so maybe you could find her to walk back? Embarrassingly enough you don't actually know how to get home since your Shadow was technically the one to take you to school.

Wait, wait, what if she did something weird!? You don't want your neighbor to think you're crazy! I mean you probably are going crazy but it's not like you want to advertise that fact. You should just wait for her and clear up any... unfortunate misunderstandings.

Are you a lost puppy? Don't latch on to the first boring mob you see! You've spent months just cooped up indoors, let's go do something!

Your deliberations at the entrance of Isei High are interrupted when you find the target of discussion, your neighbor Shino-san walking out of the building, head pointed at the ground and speed walking with purpose.

You lift up your hand to catch her attention. "Shin-"

Shut up for a second.
...something's up.

You fight off your first instinct to just duck behind a bush— nothing would draw attention to yourself more than conspicuous actions like that. You flip out your cell phone and idly open a forum page, the functional equivalent of browsing your inventory while in SAO. The best way of spying was to look busy and not look like you were spying.

Shino walks past you, not even glancing in your direction. You spy a grim expression on her face. Seconds later your intuition is rewarded as you spy a group of girls practically chase her out of the school.

"Shino-chan!"

With fake cheer a fashionable second-year student yells from the stairs, a contempt hidden in a superficial smile. Your neighbor stiffens. You idly notice some expensive accessories on the newcomer.

"Endou-san. What do you want?" asks Shino in a dull monotone. Whatever the relationship between these two girls it was hardly pleasant. Endou continues down the steps without giving you a glance as you lean against a wall, your phone against your face.

"Shino-chan, don't be like that. I thought we were friends." The tone was less of a question and more of a statement as the gaggle of girls loosely surrounds Shino in a semicircle.

"We aren't," replies Shino flatly.

Endou paces around her, staring at your neighbor, hands in her pockets. She doesn't seem angry or threatening, only very... calculated. "I'm just worried about my friend! After all, there's so many terrible rumors going around about you."

"About me?"

"Yeah, rumors like you're a NEET, or something. A shut-in, and that you live in your house all day playing video games. That you don't interact with anyone except to go to school, and you moonlight as a camgirl."

"And I suppose I have you to thank for spreading those rumors?"

"Of course not! Why, we used to be the best of friends Shino-chan! But it is strange for a girl to living alone unsupervised isn't it? People talk."

Shino hardly seems upset by this. "Nobody was talking until you started spreading it around. Besides, you weren't this curious when you were hanging out in my room, at least until I caught you trespassing."

Endou flinches, her false cheer vaporizing. "Trespassing!? You invited me!"

"And you ended up using my apartment as a locker and getting drunk in it!"

Endou points accusingly at your neighbor, "That doesn't give you the right to go snitching about it! My parents culled my allowance for that! Just cause you're lucky enough to have your own place doesn't mean you have to ruin it for everyone else!"

Shino scoffs. "Lesson learned, Endou-san. In case it wasn't clear I don't want anything to do with you."

"Don't act so haughty you bitch, I know where you live."

"So you do. I have good locks. Show up at my place and I'll make sure to call the police." Shino gives Endou a clear glare. "Again. I'm sure your parents will look kindly on you for two trespassing arrests."

Wow, these bullies are weak. Not even a death threat or anything.
Quiet. They wouldn't have confronted her like this unless they had a trump card.

Endou's shoulders shrug in false defeat. "That's too bad Shino-chan. I thought we were so close. Before me, you were just spending all night on that Amusphere. What a waste of your high school life!"

"It's none of your business."

Like a cat playing with a mouse, Endou taunts. "Oh really? I mean, it's in the school's interests isn't it? Why one of its students could be a risk to the student body!"

"Risk? It's my free time Endou-san. The school doesn't care."

"Of course, of course! Free time is important. But you know how scary things can be? What was it... last week? That crazy guy sliced up a bunch of commuters with a sword? Didn't they say he was addicted to VRMMOs? Kinda reminds me of you Shino-chan."

Shino stiffens without another word.

"You know what they say about you addicts. Too much time in the fake world, you all end up going crazy! But sweet gentle Shino-chan... you wouldn't do that anything like those crazies right?"

Endou is clearly moving in for the kill, madly grinning as she approaches. "I'm glad we live in Japan. In America they'll just use guns instead of a prop sword. Can you imagine it Shino? A crazed gunman, attending school right here!?"

"Wha..." mutters Shino, her voice shaking.

Endou is right up in Shino's face, taunting. "I'm just talking Shino-chan. But you should really consider staying friends with me. I mean, just hypothetically speaking, would you feel safe going to school with a MURDERER? Hmm? Just wondering how much trouble a girl would get into with that kind of label here..."

...A murderer. In this very school.

Red eyes laughing. A crystal discarded to the side. You watch a man die in a shower of polygons.
A bundle of roots. A lizard scale. 5 bottles of solvent. Innocent items until you handed it over to a madman.
An estoc to the chest. A chopper strike to the neck.
It always surprised you the sheer logistical challenges Laughing Coffin endured to PK in a game where everyone never left town without a contingency. Food. Ingredients. Information. That was all it took to kill someone.

Hey, wake up!
Shino's eyes dart around, looking for an escape route.

"The net's a wonderful thing, took me just an afternoon to figure it out. So I think you and I should become friends again— my parents have cut me off from my allowance. Me and the girls are planning a night on the town soon - you don't need to come- but I would appreciate it if you would lend me some cash! It's what friends do. That is unless you want everyone to know the truth..."

You have to do something.

"Ah!"

You fake surprise as you go tumbling into the dirt, your bags spilling out their contents. Like an enchantment breaking Endou and her coterie glance in your direction. "Tch... don't forget our talk today Shino-chan. Catch ya later." With one last wave of contempt the group parts around Shino, leaving through the front gate.

...

"Hiyori-san? Are you alright?" asks Shino, running close to help you up.

Now it's just you and Shino at the foot of the wall. While your pratfall was faked, the girl's concern is sincere.
"Are you hurt?" she asks.

"No, I'm fine," you reply, wiping away some dirt. "Just got distracted."

Shino nods with worry, though you reckon less so about your fake injuries and more about what you witnessed.
"Were you waiting here? Ah... right, you probably don't know how to get home."

"Ah-ha, got me there, unfortunately."

Her expression falters slightly. "Did you see..."

"Oh... that girl seems rather mean. But I think you're amazing, standing up to her like you did!" you hastily compliment.

"That's Endou, you should stay away from her. I used to be friends with her until I caught her in my apartment drinking with a bunch of older men. If she figures out you live alone she'll never leave you alone."

Oh? Interesting...

Shoving down that ominous thought you smile at Shino. "Well I'd like to take you up on your offer Shino-san, I was really worried I'd get lost..."

"Of course," Shino returns a cheeky grin, "besides you were gonna try to guilt me into helping you with the rest of your boxes right?"

"Ah... haha..."

MONDAY - April 7th, 2025
After School

"HHHNNNNNNNNNGGGGGG.. there has to be an... easier way of doing this..."

You attempt to voice your agreement but can't find the energy, chugging down the remnants of your water bottle instead. In order to save on surface area the stairwell was crazy narrow— why the hell didn't this place have an elevator?

You know the answer to that question. Cause this place was cheap and because you lived in Tokyo. Frankly, you're still amazed mom managed to rent a property that still had a bathroom.

"It's... halfway done. Just two more boxes..."

Shino looks down at your luggage in exasperation. "I... don't think I can finish today..."

"Yeah... just two boxes left. Shino-san you know anybody else who could help?"

"As far as help goes I do know a boy..."

That's great! A boy! Preferably with muscles!
"But he's even weaker than I am. And there's only enough room for two people to stand on the stairs..."

Oh... well at least this is good exercise. "It's alright Shino, I think we can finish this off tomorrow..."

>Your muscles burn with exertion! FITNESS Greatly Increases! ♪♪♪♪

The sun is starting to set as you collapse into your futon. With got your PC hooked up, but you weren't in the mood to study right now. You used to like playing video games but SAO had soured you on not just VRMMOs but video games as a whole.

Wow, I am one boring person.
Shut up, please, I'm getting a headache.

You're not getting a headache, you're just whining!
Can't even fake a headache in peace. I need a hobby...

Just pick something before I go crazy. When's my turn?
Later, please.

The room still looks empty, your plushie collection inside one of the more intimidating boxes still stuck in the mail room downstairs. Hmm... in the second box, all of your old tools were brought up as well. Some sewing kits, a few utilities, your brushes and paints for model kit assembly.

You can't say it was your biggest hobby but right around when SAO was just released there was a lot of buzz in the model kit sphere— apparently, a start-up called Plavsky Particle System Engineering had figured out a way to make plastic models move. Well... less move and more animate in a VR Space.

You vaguely recall the news being overshadowed by the NerveGear's release, though many were rumors about a collaboration between ARGUS and P.E.E.S. to create some kind of Gundam VR dream game. That probably died faster than you could pronounce Sword Art Online.

Hmm... as a way to pass the time you could see if there was anything new, find a model store or two. A few OVAs aside there wasn't a new Gundam series released since 2022. You needed something to do, even if it cost you your limited allowance.

It was probably still cheaper than getting into Duel Monsters.

Oh, going shopping? Let's go to Shinjuku!
That's way too far.

It's half an hour by train.
Whatever you say I'm not going to Kabukicho. Wait, when you get my body don't you dare go to Kabukicho! I do not want to end up on the evening news as a warning about teenagers wandering into Red Light Districts!

Eh, it's no more dangerous than half the shit we got into at SAO. Besides we got a good reason! Do you remember that weird guy in the «Velvet Room» who kept talking in riddles? Not poor MAXWELL but the black mask chump.
It's... awfully hazy. But the name sticks out in your mind. ETTEILLA. He called out to you, gave you... something. Not physical but a weight settling into your mind. A card, a symbol, a tarot.

CHAOS.

Was there a tarot card called CHAOS?

Shinjuku is full of tourist traps. Betcha we can find a fortune teller there and a hobby shop for our stupid plastic models.

You'd prefer to find somewhere more local, but you WERE in Tokyo, there was a certain charm in going to see the sights...

MONDAY - April 7th, 2025
After School

Racks and racks of model kits.
The cloying smell of drying paint.
Unorganized pieces in loosely labeled bins.

You were glad you didn't have claustrophobia— you were one bad sneeze away from being crushed underneath a mountain of plastic. Did this unorganized mess of a shop even want to sell anything? How the hell could you even find anything here?

You idly pick up a few boxes and brush the dust off the covers. From what you remembered... High Grade was the cheapest, Master Grade looked good but needed a lot of work and Perfect Grade was for crazy people with more time and money than you had.

Oooh, decision paralysis...

"You look a little lost, need some help?"

You turn and see a frumpy man, clearly just off from work, with messy hair and square glasses. The sagging eyes and poorly shaved stubble made him the picture of an overworked salaryman.

Hey, a weird old man in Shinjuku! Careful I think he's about to kidnap us.
We're in a middle of a model shop with one exit, I don't think we have anything to worry about.

Something must've shown on your face as the man backs up suddenly. "Whoa, don't look so scared, I don't bite! I just figured you might be in the wrong section, that's all."

Wait, was this guy actually an employee trying to direct you? He wasn't in uniform. "...wrong section? Do you work here? I'm sorry, but where should I be going?" You were clearly in the Gunpla section after all.

He scratches his head as he points down the long hallway. "No, my name is Tsubasa Kurata, I'm just an enthusiast. All this stuff is going on clearance due to a lack of compatibility."

"Compatibility?"

He looks at you with mild shock. "You know, with Gunpla Battle Nexus? The newer kits are over by the VR section, as are the VR-gadgets."

Huh? "Wait, are model kits VR now too!?"

"Haha, there are some VR build simulators but thankfully they aren't too popular. Nothing beats the actual feel of plastic. You must be new to the hobby."

You really weren't, you were building stuff for years...

"Nowadays you gotta get the VG - Virtual Grade - plastic since it talks to the VR generators. Here, c'mon, I'll show you."

He guides you through a maze of military models to the front of the shop— the part you walked over the moment you saw all the VR signs. Sure enough behind the partition was an ocean of labeled, priced and shrink-wrapped Gundam models all encircling a table full of Amuspheres. VR... really was inescapable, wasn't it?

Kurata-san points out a shelf in the back. "That's all the new arrivals, if you're interested."

"What's with all the Amuspheres?"

"Hmm? Oh, that's so you can try out the kits in Gunpla Battle Nexus, the store has a few models preloaded. It's a VRMMO where you can upload models you built to fight in contests and go on missions. It's all the rage— I mean, at least as far as VRMMOs go. Not quite as popular as Alfheim Online I'm afraid, due to how expensive the kits can cost."

Yeah, you'll pass.

Taking your deliberation as indecision he continues his spiel. "All the older stuff is being discontinued anyways, if you like kitbashing you'll be forced to buy the VG line. Can't say I like the blatant commercialism but the kits are really high quality. You don't even have to paint them, it's all done via VR anyways."

"Hmm, I liked the painting..."

"I do have to agree with you there. Gotta love the smell of a fresh coat of paint! Well for people like us, there is VR-compatible paint behind the counter. Just be careful cause thinner gets real pricey with how much you have to use."

Well, you came to buy a model so you were going to buy a damn model! You quickly grab the first one that speaks to you, ringing up the purchase with the clerk. 10,000 yen, you really should look for job...

As you finish up your purchase Kurata-san comes back with a paint kit and a bottle of thinner. "Hey, do you need brushes and markers?"

"No..."

"Great! Well, this stuff here's the barest minimum to get a good effect."

Ouch, the paint kits tended to be pricey even if the thinner was cheap. "Uh, sorry, that's a bit over budget."

"It's alright." He smiles and waves at the clerk. "Just put it in my tab."

Now gifts. It's official, he's gonna start stalking you.
"I really can't accept..."

"Nah, don't worry, I get a special discount anyways. We fellow hobbyists have to stick together!"

Before you can even protest he shoots you a casual wave and walks off, you notice a bag slung over his shoulder filled to the brim with Gunpla that he visibly isn't even bothering paying for.

As if sensing your confusion the clerk shakes his head as he packs up your new paint supplies. "Don't think too hard about it. Kurata-san is actually one of the lead devs on Gundam Build Nexus. Everything he buys just gets billed as a business expense, he buys stuff for people all the time. I think he just wants more people to play his game."

Well, at least he seems friendly. Too bad for him that you had no intention of actually doing this VR stuff.

SOMEDAY - ???
Somewhere

One left turn. Another.
A tourist asking for directions.
The wafting scent of a street vendor.

Before you realized it you were lost yourself.

God were we born in the 21st century or not? Check the phone.
It's not like you knew where to go to find a fortune teller in Shinjuku, the place was huge. You flip open your cell phone but reception... was poor. Nothing could load. That was rather unusual in Tokyo, but you could just ask a bystander for help.

Where is everyone?
You were on a narrow street. The World Tree spiraling off in the distance was looking more muted. The sounds of the city were stretched thin, like you were in a tunnel. Even your sense of smell was dull, the smoke of the city fading in this alley.

Where were you? Was this really Shinjuku?

You could feel your feet dragging along the ground. You were...

"Welcome to my humble abode."

A voice echoed in your head.

"This place is yours?" You asked aloud. To yourself. To no one in particular.

"Of course it is, I'm a fortune teller."

Hey something's wro-
You can't hear yourself. You're here alone, but you have no fear, no trepidation.

"But there's nothing here..." you mutter into the darkness. How did you just wander into a fortune teller? "I don't see any customers around..."

"Those who need my advice find their way to me only when they need to. Why would I bother with the storefront if I don't get many visitors? But I do have a back room. Come."

The voice is right. You came looking for a fortune teller and you found one, best not to ask any further questions.

You close your eyes and when you open them you're in a room.

The air smells of incense, smoke, and burning sage. It's warm and comfortable. Your gaze wanders across the room, staring at the shelves and tables lined with crystals and other curios. In the center of the space is a large wooden table covered in parchment.

"What is it that troubles you today?"
A woman in an ornamented mask and a calm demeanor smiles at you from behind her faded orange cloak. Her room, humble in size, is anything but in decoration. A pair of brightly ornamented wings spread from the back of the chair. A mounted bull hangs overhead, the horns pointed down at the fortune teller. In her hands dangles a ring of keys, glowing a soft Velvet.

But most striking of all is her face. The smooth skin peeking out under the ornamental butterfly mask makes her look young - practically your age. Platinum hair - the same tone as yours - billows forth in loose ribbons from beneath the cloak.

"Oh... I have some questions about Tarot... and could I get a reading?" you ask in clear wonder. This person truly went the extra mile to look like a fortune teller.

"Of course!" the teller brightly smiles and pulls a deck of cards from the sleeve of her cloak. "If you don't mind, perhaps we shall have the arcana divine your future?"

The cards are set on the table. You recognize the designs - Fool. Tower. Lovers. They continue on but they feel fake. Manufactured. Wrong. "Um... sorry, but can I ask my questions first?"

She nods, her smile never faltering.

"I know there are 22 Major Arcana... but I've never heard of one called Traitor. Or Chaos. Are there Tarot cards called that?"

"Hmm... TRAITOR. It has been some time since I divined from that collection for it is not the deck I prefer to draw from, though I have a colleague who is fond of the «Book of Thoth»."

The «Book of Thoth»...

The hands dance as cards spread before the table. "The Fool's Journey. The arc of a hero. A path from 0 to 22 as a lost soul encounters love, loss, and hardship before reaching absolution with the world. It is the path by which a poor sinner divines his place in the world and prepares his soul for ascendance. This is the Marseilles deck, the most popular tarot deck, and my personal favorite."

22 cards are displayed with a deft hand, going in sequence across the wooden table.

"As we are always traveling our own journeys, the cards can show us our position. We can learn our past, present and future by finding which cards represent our current path in life."

"Thank you very much," you murmur and point at the Fool's Card. "So, what does it mean for me?" What of TRAITOR? What of CHAOS?

"But it appears your fate requires a different deck."

"Another deck?" You think of your other self...

"No, not quite, young one. Your fate is tied to that of the world itself."

The world itself?

The teller grabs the cards into her hand. The 22 cards disappear into her sleeve as she reaches under the table, lifting up a worn parchment lined in gold leaf that she spreads open on the table.

"Let us begin again."

You close your eyes and let the woman's words wash over your thoughts. When you open your eyes a new set of cards adorns the golden parchment.

"The Book of Thoth predicts not the fate of the person. It does not represent the individual or the struggle of one soul toward enlightenment. Tarot has existed for centuries, there are many decks, many meanings— but this one is special. Etteilla, its creator, and his followers sought in the cards not the fate of individuals, but of their country. Of their world. The Book of Thoth predicts the journey of the world itself."

The teller highlights the first card. It sits at the top, alone, unaccompanied.

"At the apex, the alpha and omega, lies primordial Chaos. The counselor, the reader, the querent. At the peak sits also the diviner: the one who draws truth from primordial Chaos. It is the most important yet least important. It is the first page of the book, a necessity to start the story, but who reads for the sake of the first page?"

She moves her hands through the cards, going in order.

"2 - From absolute chaos emerges divine fire. Enlightenment. The Sun."

"3 - The seas churn. A proclamation that the great work remained unfinished. Plants."

"4 - A void to encompass the new world. Air, wind, up and down, disparity itself. The Sky."

"5 - The stage is set, this is the seat of the world. The globe, Earth the very matter of creation, and the journey of its creatures. Mankind."

The teller lingers on this card, a man surrounded by four beasts. It reminds you of the final card in the Arcana you knew of, the World. Here, in the story of creation itself, it lacked the finality or prestige it once held. The teller points to the third line in the spread before you.

"6 - Sensing it was not enough, mysteries were created. The ever-distant firmament, the cycle of the celestial bodies. The Stars."

"7 - Last to be created was the spirit of life. Wonder, something to aspire to. The birds, fishes, and Nature itself."

"8 - And with the work completed, the creator beheld all he had made. Eighth is marked by his absence, for the great work was completed and all that remained was the last duty of god, to Rest and leave his labors behind."

A wave and the fortune teller removes the top half of the deck from her parchment, her hands directing your attention to the remaining cards still on the table. "With the advent of the world the creatures rejoiced, for now, they were the stewards of their fate."

"9, 10, 11, 12 - the four virtues of Justice, Temperance, Strength and Prudence. A world of peace, prosperity and piety. The golden age, the perfect age, the world as it should be."

"And so marks the end of the first book of Thoth detailing the fate and creation of the world. Yet the story is but half finished."

The room turns dark as the lights dim. A finger taps the fourth line of the spread of cards, under the light of the room they appear to glow.

"The second book of Thoth details the collapse of the world. A cataclysmic event that destroyed all order, a moment of absolute darkness. This is the end of civilization as we know it."

"13 - Man seeks peace and knowledge not in the world but in each other. Unions, marriage, the rule by wise men. The High Priest."

"14 - Man sees the works of his creator and thinks them to be creations of himself. Forces small and great, necessary evils. Institutional rule. The Devil."

"15 - But his reward is only sickness and suffering. Anxiety and weakness. Plagues, the doom of the ill-prepared and punishment for his hubris. The Magician."

"16 - Seeking relief from the burden of rule, they beseech their creator for rescue that will never come. A Final Judgment."

"17 - But the only gift granted is one promised to all. The end of the golden age. Death."

"18 - Without civilization the dredges of the world wander in search of lost splendor. They kill, maim, and hurt each other in their blindness. They are Traitors."

"19 - And thus ends the rule of man. The world is now their prison, misery incarnate. The Crumbling Temple."

The final line is before you.

"From creation to peace to loss. So we come to the end of the world itself. The final three."

"20 - Disconnection. The world as it is no longer appears to the creatures. They go to idols and crave base pleasures, becoming nothing but seekers of Fortune."

"21 - No more do the denizens of the world care for it. They pillage, ruin, and desecrate it all. The Despot."

"And do you know what awaits at the absolute end? The fate of this world and all worlds?"

The last card she hands to you.

"What awaits is madness. The final destination is the Fool. Why live for the world? To protect it, to save it, even to destroy it? Why not just enjoy what time you have? Cover your eyes, avert your gaze from the cruelties of the world, from the end of the golden age. At the end of all worlds, the alchemist creates endless diversions for the fools that remain. This is your card, dear customer, and it is the card of all who seek advice from the Book of Thoth. The divination always ends on the same result."

You are beginning to see more clearly. The fog is beginning to lift. You hear the sounds of the city bleeding into the small room. Where were you?

I apologize, honored guest, that I was not the one to greet you. But something has happened that necessitates my attention. Your alchemists in their search for diversions have found something truly unusual - they have found primordial chaos. This is a chance to escape your inevitable fate. A chance for a new world. The fate of the fool, of madness, should not be the last page of this book. It must not.

You cannot speak. You can barely think. You doubt you'll remember this.

One who holds the Wildcard. Your sponsor seeks to seize that chaos. He wishes to prolong this world of fools. That nameless sponsor of yours who calls himself ETTEILLA and I once had a bet: one that he lost. I have watched over this world since and seen it brought to the edge of ruin and despair too often. Now our positions have changed for I am free once more to act in the world and he is restrained within the sea of souls. A new wager. This world of fools or the new world of dreams.

You cannot understand. You cannot fathom.

It pains me greatly that I am unable to give you the key you need. But one final gift, so that this contest is fair... your sponsor seeks the Seeds of chaos that yearn for the world of dreams. I shall reveal them to you. Those who hold the Seeds of Chaos. If you can convince them to turn away from their dreams and look towards the world of fools they now inhabit I'm sure ETTEILLA will grant you power. It is a power you will need if you wish to prevail against me.

Who is this? What is this?

Goodbye. The terms of the contest were strict and I can speak with you no longer. But look forward to greeting you properly in the new world.

"Miss. MISS!"

You awaken from your stupor, a small crowd hovering around you. You're cradling the model kit in your arms.

What just happened? It all went hazy...

A convenience store worker is looking worried gazing down at you. "Hey, do you want me to call an ambulance?"

You feel like you were just hit by a truck but you can still stand. You quickly make up an excuse. "Just feeling a bit sick..."

"Alright..." the worker clearly has some skepticism in their words. "Been seeing a lot of you guys wandering around. You should really take breaks, otherwise, this will keep happening."

You guys? "I'm sorry what are you talking about..."

He points at your shopping bag, filled with VR paint and the Gunpla you purchased adorned with the name of the VRMMO it was affiliated with. "Gundam Battle Nexus? I'm a fan myself, but you can't spend too long in FullDive!"

"Oh, I'm not a player..."

"Yeah, sure. GBN, GGO, Alfheim, whatever is popular nowadays— doesn't matter I keep seeing you teenagers wandering around like drunken salarymen. Too many of you day walkers around after school, just take regular breaks so you don't develop «VR Psychosis» and get hit by a truck."

You bow to the nosy employee as the crowd disperses around you rather rapidly. From the groans and mutterings of the passerby a teenager walking around in a daze apparently wasn't even that uncommon anymore.

It was clear that it was time to head home. This adventure in Shinjuku had already eaten much of your limited time.

>Perk gained! [Seeker of Chaos]: Social Link activities will be clearly labelled in PLAN phase. Unlocks the Social Link informational tab.

afreaknamedpete · Jan 23, 2023

[X] Plan: Getting to know things, people and ourselves (kind of on that last one)
-[X] There's... a lot of loud and obnoxious people in your class. At least this one's a girl. Go greet your extremely friendly classmate and figure out why she keeps waving to you while hanging upside down from a tree.
-[X] Your memories of the Velvet Room remain hazy and indistinct. But you know there's something... important about the Tarot. There's plenty of fortune tellers in Shinjuku, maybe you can find someone who will tell you more?
At the end of this chain, unlocks Informational: The Book of Thoth and reveal details of Social Link mechanics.
-[X] [Lux] You spy a 2nd-year girl named Endou tailing your neighbor Shino Asada home from school. Oh, you sense some interesting drama here! Ingratiate yourself to Endou and maybe learn a bit more about your quiet neighbor!
-[X] Unpack. You've got three whole boxes left to move - Shino Asada may be available to help. x3
-[X] Meditate. Sit underneath a cold shower and contemplate the world. Build up your GRIT. (-5 D)
-[X] There's a limited edition Pear Tart, this week only! Oh, but the crepes - wait is that a sale on cheesecakes? No, maybe a parfait would be better... no, it has to be the Pear Tart this week! Nothing else! WILLPOWER!
-[X] Your hometown was taken over by a massive Gunpla craze and you couldn't help but be caught up in it. But there's still so much that's changed in the last 2 years, so many new models, and apparently you could even make them move in mock combat arenas now! Will the wonders never cease?

TUESDAY - April 8th, 2025
After School

There's a girl just... dangling from the tree. Was she stuck there?

Don't get involved. Please.

No... you squint as you try to look closer. Your curiosity was beating your deep-seated desire to mind your own business. From where you're standing at the entrance to the school there's a girl from your class kicking a tree and yelling up into its branches, though you were too far to hear what they were saying.

I know you need friends but aren't we trying to butter up your neighbor or something? Don't get involved with monkeys.

Shush.
There's something... about that tree. Something drawing you to it. Beckoning.

I swear to god if you try climbing that...

As you walk towards the siren song of foliage you're greeted by one of your classmates that you struggle to name. You think... Atsuko Sasaki? You paired up with her on mopping the hallway today and were at least on friendly terms. She had well-trimmed brown hair and looked extremely neat— a heavy contrast to the girl you swear was just moments ago kicking the tree.

"Oh, Hiyori-san! How are you doing!" She turns and gives you a friendly wave as you reach the lone piece of foliage at the back of the school.

"Afternoon Atsuko-san. What are you doing with the tree?" And why was the tree calling to you?

"Uh... haha... well..."

"LOOK OUT BELOW!"

With a yelp you dodge to the side as a soccer ball falls out of the branches. Wait, you remember that ball getting kicked into the tree during gym class this morning! The teacher was yelling at one of your classmates for trying to climb it then and there.

A head pokes out of the thick branches, covered in twigs and dry leaves. You thought it wasn't physically possible but her hair is somehow more unruly than yours. God if you climbed that tree your hair would probably be so tangled they'd have to cut you out.

"C'mon, I knew you'd draw attention! Get down before the teachers notice!" yells Atsuko as her voice becomes more trill by the second.

"Sorry Aachan, haha, I'll be down in a jiffy!"

Atsuko sighs and turns towards you, waving you closer. "You don't want to stand there, she likes jumping down."

You take the advice, and not a second too soon, as the girl just leaps out of the branches and lands with a practiced tumble. You're impressed she didn't break anything.

"Showoff."

"Hehe, guilty as charged Aachan. You're Hiyori-chan right? I remember you from rollcall!"

Where you embarrassed yourself and caught the attention of the class clown? Yeah, not exactly your greatest memory.
"Uh, it's nice to meet you, uh..." really what was her name? Her hair wasn't this messy in class.

"Oh, my name is—"

You realize it in a flash of pain and resurfaced memories. You were warned by ETTEILLA and by stranger forces than he that you had to find these Seeds. Something about stealing dreams. How the hell were you supposed to do that? Stealing dreams doesn't sound all that fun, feasible or safe.

As you look at your classmate you feel a burning feeling in your chest. She's looking you in the face with eye contact, smiling radiantly. Dirty appearance aside she was a perfectly normal schoolmate. Yet somehow you know that her eyes are looking through you, through her friend Atsuko, through the world itself. Eyes that were half fixed in a dream and half in the waking world.

"Uh... hi. I hope we can get along..." you distractedly mutter as the new girl almost tackles you in a one-armed hug.

"Hehe, that introduction had a lot of energy! Made me want to join you!"

Please no, you didn't want to be known as the loud one, there were apparently plenty of candidates for that already...

"Ah, we really should be going." Atsuko-san steps forward and dusts off her friend. "The teachers won't like us loitering after school if we're not in a club. Hiyori-san why don't you come with us? We can stop by a shop on the way back."

"I'm new to the area, so I don't know what's around..."

"Hey, you're in luck! There's a cafe a few blocks down, their pear tart looks so good!" The loud girl is visibly drooling at the thought.

"Absolutely not, you're still covered in dirt!" Not to mention branches.

"Bah, who cares? Business is business, right? C'mon, c'mon, let's celebrate the start of school with sweets!"

Oooh, that sounded nice. But your wallet... ah, you'll always have room for sweets!

¥5000!?

For a single tart!? Was it made out of gold leaf and extinct cultivars?

Part of the problem was that it was the size of a dinner plate, clearly meant for a family or even a party. The thing was sold as a complete pie, with no option to just buy it in part. The sign showed it was a limited-time collaboration pie— tastes just like Alfheim Online's «Ygg Fruit Tart» it proudly advertised. Truly life had gone full circle, real-life bakeries were now advertising their similarities to VR food instead of vice versa.

Looking at the menu it seemed it honestly had very little in the way of small bite-sized menu options. What there was instead was an Amusphere in the back connected to a VR tasting menu at only ¥2000 per person.

Atsuko was shaking her head and trying to restrain her friend from drooling over the counter. "C'mon, if you ate that whole thing it'll spoil dinner. If you really want to try it just take the VR course..."

"But it's so BIG..." you can't help but admire it.

I mean... that was one hell of a pear tart.
"See Hiyori-chan gets it!"

You look guiltily at the tart. The fact that such a beautiful confection went unbought just because you could eat a VR version of it at half the cost and no calories... well that did sound rather tempting...
No. You need to take a stand.

"Hiyori?"

You step up to the counter and slam ¥5000 on the counter. You only had ¥15000 left now... but some things are more important than money.

"I want it."

"E...excuse me miss?"

"The pear tart. Give me all of it."

"You're an angel. The greatest person to ever live."
You're too busy enjoying life to listen.

You were working on your second slice. Atsuko had limited herself to only one. Your loud classmate was joyfully entering her third slice, this time with some jam the owner brought out when they noticed you actually bothering to eat the physical version.

"Stop it, that's way too much sugar!" scolds Atsuko.

"Dun care," your friend mutters through a mouthful of tart. "This is divine. So much better than VR. Hiyori you're the best for getting this."

"It technically tastes the same..." says Atsuko.

Tastes the same? You had your fill of VR food in SAO. You point your half-eaten tart at Atsuko in protest. "Sweets aren't just the taste!"
The loud girl nods in tune with your speech as Atsuko yelps in surprise.

You pull a candied pear off the confection and wave it in Atsuko's face. "It's more than that! It's the feeling of a full stomach! It's the guilt in knowing you're eating something you're not supposed to! Weight gain and regret are as fundamental to sweets as sugar!"

"Preach!"

"VR robs all that from sweets. The real thing is loads better!" you loudly proclaim as the last of your slice of pear tart disappears in your mouth. Oh, it's crunchy as well, you got the part where the dough was just slightly thicker and the pear juices had seeped in. You have no idea how they squeezed so much flavor out of a single fruit...

There's a single slice left, but when your new friend reaches for it Atsuko slaps her hand away. "You've had way too much!"
Ooh... the final slice. You really shouldn't, you owed Shino a gift for all the trouble she was going through helping you move...

With a final pout she relents and proceeds to lick her lips clean. "Oh, haven't had physical sweets in so long. Wonder if the VR version tastes the same..."

"You just ate, save it for another day..."

"But it's VR Aachan, I can't get fat there no matter how much I eat."

"It'll ruin your taste buds!"

You contemplate as the two friends bicker. It was a salient thought. The «Ygg Fruit Tart» was available in Alfheim Online, or so the sign said. Was VR tasting so advanced you couldn't even tell the difference anymore? A disturbing thought for the future of cafes like this.

"Thanks again Hiyori-chan! We should definitely hang out more, next time I'll cover!" The brown-haired girl gives you a winning smile with pieces of pear still visibly stuck in between her teeth.

"No, it was fun out eating with company." You honestly mean that. This... was the first time in years that you've done it.

Atsuko turns and gives you a light bow. "Thank you Hiyori-san. But it wouldn't be fair of us to leave you with the full bill, I must insist on covering at least half."

"No, no, this was my idea. I'm happy to treat you."
"Aachan, don't worry about it! We'll pay her back next time."

Atsuko shakes her head. "I don't think we should make a habit of this. We should split things equitably."

Well, she only had one slice and her friend ate the majority of the tart by herself. "Uh, then wouldn't you owe me like ¥700?"

"I'm accounting for someone's voracious appetite. I bet you didn't even bring enough money?"

"Hehe, got me there..." said someone laughs as she jumps up like a rabbit. "I should really get back home. Got some games to play!"

Oh... more VR stuff? Dreading the answer you quietly ask, "Oh? Like Alfheim?"

"Hmm, I'm saving up for an Amusphere myself, but I've been playing this SUPER-TOUGH Otom-"
"Hey, onethat you still haven't returned to me yet. You borrowed it weeks ago!"

"Well, the hidden route is so hard. And before you ask I'm not gonna look it up, real heroines struggle for love! Anyways Aachan, Hiyori-chan, gotta bounce! I'll pay you back later!"

You watch helplessly as your new friend practically bounces out of the store. I guess that means you have your first friend at school? It's a thought that fills your chest with warmth.

I AM THOU, THOU ART I.

THE FIRST LIGHT.

THE ORIGIN OF ENLIGHTENMENT.

DIVINE FIRE.

THE GLORIOUS SUN.

AND I GRANT YOU POWER TO DESTROY THE HEAVENS

"And watch out for cars when you're crossing the street!" shouts Atsuko as she yells at the rapidly disappearing dot in the horizon.

Well, that happened.

"Sorry about her," Atsuko says as she gives you an apologetic smile. "But I was serious that I wanted to cover. ¥5000 is a lot of money, it's only right that I cover half..."

Hmm...

TUESDAY - April 8th, 2025
Evening

Your life is a parade of bad ideas.

Begging your mom for a launch day NerveGear.

Buying Sword Art Online.

Accepting the deal with Laughing Coffin.

You can now add another one to that list.

Pushing boxes after eating two slices of a giant pear tart.

"Hiyori?"

You are struggling mightily not to heave. You just gave Shino the last slice of Pear Tart as thanks for helping you with the boxes - you doubt she'll look on too kindly on the gesture if she sees that same pear tart in your vomit.

"Ju... just some water please..."

"Of course, wait here!"

Another day another box. Oh, your stomach is churning... best go to bed early today. Maybe skip dinner too. Why the hell did you gorge yourself when you were planning on pushing boxes all day?

You actually had some strength to spare, Shino had the bright idea of attaching some cardboard to the bottom of the box to form a loose sled and managed to borrow some rope from the landlord to help yank it up. But you were one exertion away from painting the stairwell in pear so you called it quits. Tomorrow... tomorrow you'll finally finish unpacking!

>Your muscles burn with exertion! FITNESS Greatly Increases! ♪♪♪♪

What was the Gunpla you purchased?

[ ] 1/144 Virtual Grade CAMS-15 Raven

[ ] 1/144 Virtual Grade MD-0031 Dilanza Sol

[ ] 1/144 Virtual Grade AMS-123X-X Moon Gundam

[ ] Write-In (no Determination cost, it's just for flavor)

Do you accept Atsuko's generosity?

[ ] Accept her offer. Gain 2500 yen!

[ ] It's your treat, honest! +2 D for feeling generous!

[ ] No worries, just cover me next time we go out eating and we'll call it even! [No cost on next THE SUN event]

AN: Some low stakes votes while the first period wraps up next update. Not every day will get its own chapter but there's a lot of foreshadowing and stuff to get through in the beginning.

Persona: HEAVEN (Persona/Sword Art Online/Isekai Multicross)

Persona: HEAVEN (Persona/Sword Art Online/Isekai Fiction)

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