Hm, if we're not doing Asuna as Baldr, another option might actually be Sugou himself
We've cast him more towards a defensive build, and he is very aesthetically light themed. given we've set ourselves up as Loki, we might be able to potentially use that in conjunction with how much narrative weight we already have.
Problem: We don't have access to anyone that could betray him in the same way that the myth would require, and if we somehow did come into someone like that, by the time we defeated Sugou/Oberon, we'd have already won.
Problem: We don't have access to anyone that could betray him in the same way that the myth would require, and if we somehow did come into someone like that, by the time we defeated Sugou/Oberon, we'd have already won.
Yeah, but in the myth Thor kills Jormungandr and only dies after a few paces away due to venom. We didn't even get in the proper kill, that was Thrym.
All we (I.e Lux AKA 'Loki) have to do is cause the Death of Baldr. Following the original myth helps, but we don't have to get it perfectly one to one.
And since we can possibly use that disguise potion, I think we could do something interesting. Hard to think right now though, been a long day.
As of exposing Thor and securing Thyrm's aid, our Ragnarok checklist had four items yet to be crossed off:
Loki causes the Death of Baldr
A wolf swallows the sun and the moon
Surtr sets the World Ablaze
Fenrir Breaks free of Golden Chains
Loki causing the death of Baldr is probably off the table - had we played the Seven concert differently we may have been able to use it for this but personally I think it was probably better for Rain and Seven that we did not so I'm okay with that.
Wolf - Probably requires a GM-level terminal. Possible to set up in the RECT espionage option on a later day? Alternatively there's probably one in the Slime House up here? Maybe. Yanai should be operating from there and you figure he has one. I don't think it's worth the risk achieving it that way. I'd say infiltrate RECT or not at all (or someone comes up with an out of the box idea.)
Surtr - Also probably unachievable. Likely needed to work with Sigurd and the Salamanders for this.
Fenrir - Looks like we can potentially set it up with Asuna right now provided we don't get caught/give a reason for OBERON to find it and take it from Asuna.
But we were always told we didn't have to achieve them all - in fact if we did the final raid would probably be pretty easy. I think setting up Fenrir by giving Asuna Excalibur and then considering the Wolf idea by infiltrating RECT is a good overall plan. Come to think of it, Seven wanted proof that Sugou was a creep and we have that now. We can show the accusation to her in confidence to make her a more willing participant. Maybe she can pre-write a script that will handle the Sun and Moon on a USB or something that we can pop into a GM terminal instead of going for OBERON's office? Given she was a semi-collaborator with ALO maybe she has enough system knowledge to pull it off?
[X] Plan: Tactical Espionage Action (Medieval Fantasy Edition)
-[X] Leave behind 1x «Excalibur». Provided you don't get discovered, you expect Asuna will be able to hide it until your assault.
-[X] «Fluctlight Storage Unit»
So, does Asuna even have the skills/stats to wield Excalibur? She was a one-handed build, but she was specced more into speed and rapiers. She also wouldn't necessarily know that, ie, Excalibur cutting into the tree required focusing enough that 'legendary weapon vs legendary tree bark' took priority over whatever game mechanics made the tree nigh invulnerable, so we should probably tell her that if we give her one. Wouldn't want it bouncing off the cage due to something as minor and easily missed as that.
"I can't even hurt myself. Utter invincibility. K-kirito asked Kayaba. That if he died Kayaba would prevent me from being able to end my own life. I... guess Commander held up his promise."
"Lux. You have to understand something. I... was never close with Sugou, the marriage was for business and we rarely talked. But he's changed. He was a brash man, but... quiet. A workaholic. I always thought he was pretty similar to my dad, that was probably why he was chosen. But here I'm not even sure if I ever even talked with the real Sugou. He's... sick. This harem king fantasy, I never heard or even fathomed such a thing before this."
"He doesn't deserve your sympathy Asuna," you say, thinking back to your meeting with the man. The way you saw him try to openly manipulate Meimi. "It's hard for me to explain. But he sees people as just his playthings. Even in the real world."
"No, I get that." Asuna interrupts. "Sugou is scum. But you should understand, OBERON is different. He's... petulant. Throws tantrums, acts more like a teenager, or a child, than an adult. I know Sugou can be cold, conniving and even manipulative. But OBERON isn't that. He's not subtle, he's not sharp, he's... a spoiled prince. And he's unhinged."
She points towards the castle and the gardens below.
"When he realized that some of his harem escaped the tree, he just... made it so that they can't do anything when he's not looking. Their minds just shut down until he graces them with their presence. In the beginning at least it wasn't lonely. All the victims, even if they were obsessed with OBERON they still were people. They remembered their names, they had friends, petty feuds, and talked to each other. Some of them hated me, some of them were even my friends..."
She stops, choking down the grief. "They're gone. They don't talk anymore. They barely even look at each other. They just wait patiently for their King to come home and give them a little attention. OBERON just wants to be surrounded by sycophants and sex dolls..."
Her fist clenches, and her lips curl into a snarl.
"Lisbeth... was a friend. OBERON said he only took her because he noticed from the SAO data I was spending a lot of time with her. Because of me, he kidnapped her! And he used her just to force me to speak with him. But now even she's just placed in storage..."
Asuna shakes her head.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm ranting. I just need you to understand. He's not a person. He's not a rational actor. He's a selfish, capricious monster. And I'm not sure what depths he's willing to sink to."
This is my favorite part of the update, it reads like one of those 'but he has depth, really' scenes like with Akechi but then Asuna turns it around and goes 'no, he's even crazier than I thought'.
[X] Plan: Tactical Espionage Action (Medieval Fantasy Edition)
-[X] Leave behind 1x «Excalibur». Provided you don't get discovered, you expect Asuna will be able to hide it until your assault.
-[X] «Fluctlight Storage Unit»
Well, since freeing Asuna isn't gaining any ground I'm gonna side with visiting the Fluctlight Storage Unit. For neutralizing the dragon I don't think it's that important here. In ALO we've become very powerful, so narratively important that the GMs can't ban us but we're far more vulnerable in real life. There, we're an unathletic pasty dweeb girl with no protection and Sugou is not above getting physical or sending thugs after us so I think it's best to go where we're most likely to find IRL evidence to protect ourselves with or use against him when the game itself is giving us everything we need to kill the dragon the old fashioned way.
[x] Plan: Tactical Espionage Action (Medieval Fantasy Edition)
- [x] Leave behind 1x «Excalibur». Provided you don't get discovered, you expect Asuna will be able to hide it until your assault.
- [x] «Fluctlight Storage Unit»
You know, I just realized, even if we get caught, we have the perfect escape tool, Nephren-Ka's Lightless Crypt. Granted, it blinds us, too, but given the amount of confusion it'll cause, we should just be able to get away...
AN: A handy list to keep track of all the various names popping up! Non-diagetic (ie, this isn't Hiyori's knowledge but more of a way for the thread to keep track of things).
«Sword Art Online»
Lux: Despite everything it's you. The Main Character, current holder of the Wildcard, and a Persona user. Gopher of «Laughing Coffin». «Edge Punisher» of ALfheim Online. «Airhead Queen of Class 1-D». Absolutely in over her head. Real Name: Kashiwazaka Hiyori. Source: Sword Art Online - Girls Op
Gwen: Your best friend. Once «Orange Player» and admirer of Laughing Coffin turned fellow Persona user. Hates rehab. Has a very skewed sense of how money works. Guarded at all times by a squad of killer ninjas. Real Name: Tsurusaki Meimi. Source: Sword Art Online - Girls Op
Kirito: One of the few (living) Solo Players of SAO. The fabled «Black Swordsman», wielder of the unique «Dual Blades» skill and frontline Clearer. Despite being the Chosen of SAO, he decided to fight to return everyone to the real world. Current whereabouts are unknown. Secret holder of [Harem King EX]. Real Name: Kirigaya Kazuto. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
Asuna: Vice-Commander of the «Knights of the Blood», and a highly skilled Clearer. Married to Kirito via SAO's in-game marriage system. After being trapped in the avatar of «Titania» she's now started on a new warpath. Catnip to girls with purple hair. Real Name: Yuuki Asuna. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
Argo: The Rat, info broker extraordinaire of both SAO and ALO. Cut her teeth on MMOs back in the Elder Tale popularity boon. Wants justice for SAO. Does the stupid voice thing on purpose, cause she thinks it makes her sound cute. Real Name: Hosaka Carina Tomo. Source: Sword Art Online Progressive
Agil: Owner of Dicey Café, which is more of a bar, but don't tell him. Lets you use the upstairs as a dive room. Happily married to both his job and his lovely wife. Is actually an excellent cook but two years of muscle atrophy have eroded his skills. He's trying his best! Real Name: Andrew Gilbert Mills. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
Lisbeth: Blacksmith and friend to both Asuna and Kirito. Was trapped by OBERON and has only been mentioned in passing. More deban! We demand more deban! This fic will not give her more deban. Real Name: Shinozaki Rika. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
Silica: Beast-tamer and mid-level player. Was trapped by OBERON and has only been seen in passing. Grappling tentacles are super-effective against her. Wants more deban, but not like this... Real Name: Ayano Keiko. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
Pina: Fairy-dragon. Enjoys head pats and the cries of the innocent. Has complex feelings about its name after finding out it was from a cat but lacks the vocal cords to express them. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
Dorz'l the Chaos Drake: Floor 91 boss of SAO, now reluctant ally. Enjoys head pats and the cries of the innocent. Has complex feelings about the dualistic nature of the soul after being killed and revived a bunch of times, but lacks the vocal cords to express them. Source: Sword Art Online - Integral Factor
Thinker: The leader of the «Aincrad Liberation Front», which at its peak counted more than a third of the entire SAO population in its ranks. Currently a commentator for MMOTomorrow and Lord of the Undines in ALO. Well-meaning but a bit clueless, excellent qualities for a man named Thinker. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
Ashley: By the eldritch arts of Canonmancy, her position upon the spacetime continuum has been replaced by that of Asuna's old classmate, who has assumed the same name. No longer makes swimsuits but will beat you in Tekken on a goddamn cell phone. Real Name: Tozawa Misumi. Source: Sword Art Online Progressive - Aria of a Starless Night
Rosalia: Leader of «Titan's Hand», an orange guild that engaged in robbery and murder during the duration of SAO. One of the first Player Killers to be caught and permanently incarcerated. Now runs a real-life delivery company. Once dreamed of being a fashion influencer but now dreams about murdering everyone in the Tokyo Bureau of Transportation. Real Name: Hanako Akazawa. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
PoH: Leader of «Laughing Coffin». Specialist in Dagger skills and PvP combat. Superficially charming and practically worshipped by the criminal elements of SAO. Likes killing but adores manipulating others into killing each other. Current whereabouts are unknown. Aware of what his abbreviation sounds like and also finds it funny. Real Name: Vassago Casals. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
XaXa: Core member of «Laughing Coffin». Specialist in Rapier skills and PvP combat. Obsessed with strength and proving he's the 'Real Deal'. Enjoys the challenge more than the actual killing itself. Sickly IRL. Worries about his little brother. Real Name: Shinkawa Shouichi. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
Johnny Black: Core member of «Laughing Coffin». Specialist in Poison skills. Slaughters for the sake of slaughter itself. XaXa is the first and only friend he's had his whole life. «Confectioner» Level: 850. Real Name: Kanamoto Atsushi. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
Kayaba Akihiko: The greatest mass-murderer of the modern age, who trapped 10,000 souls in Sword Art Online for purposes only known to him. Hid amongst the players as Heathcliff, leader of the «Knights of Blood». A dreamer since birth, his eyes are locked onto the ever-distant horizon. Current whereabouts are unknown. Hates programming dicks. Fun fact: Not a single monster in SAO possesses a dick! Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
«Alfheim Online»
Leafa: Fastest Sylph in the west (of Alfhiem). Hardcore player, and Kendo expert. Dealing with a lot of shit right now. Also has a poster of her avatar covering her entire ceiling, which is both normal and healthy. Real Name: Kirigaya Suguha. Source: Sword Art Online - Fairy Dance
Rebar: A Sylph hyperspecialized in scouting. Surprisingly high level. Showed up in one chapter and died offscreen. Secretly dismantled Sigurd's entire conspiracy when no one was looking. In the FORTUNE route, he would've been your first party member! Real Name: Nagata Shinichi. Source: Sword Art Online - Fairy Dance
Sigurd: Kind of an asshole. Hardcore ALO player who took an interest in you after catching you cheating. Extremely salty about losing the Sylph elections. A transplant from YGGDRASIL, which he quit after a space whale nuked his guild with a wish ring. Source: Sword Art Online - Fairy Dance
Eugene: General of the Salamanders. Self-proclaimed strongest player in all of ALO, excluding Lords, cheaters, and everyone that matters. Taciturn and stoic but a battle maniac through and through. Hates politics and is worried his brother is taking the Caesar cosplay a little too seriously. Source: Sword Art Online - Fairy Dance
Sumeragi: Undine warrior and Seven's bodyguard. Seems to be working for the Virtual Division. He plays due to his job and doesn't like gaming for its own sake, but takes his assignment very seriously. Got caught up in the moment with the whole One-Armed Tyr thing, and watching videos of his fights fills him with endless cringe. Has found a new arch nemesis. Real Name: Sumeragi Youta. Source: Sword Art Online - Lost Song
Rain: Claims she's an SAO survivor but since she's a pathological liar you still have no idea if that's true. Works as a maid and dreams of being an idol, mostly so she can lord secrets over people. Has had a perfectly healthy and functional home life. Real Name: Karatachi Nijika. Source: Sword Art Online - Lost Song
Kuu: Cayna's Private Pixie. Glitched out on chargen and thus cannot actually speak. Fear not, for Cayna has trained Kuu to speak the art of violence. Source: In the Land of Leadale
Shiroe: Glitch-hunter and veteran MMO gamer, one of Argo's inspirations, and former hardcore Elder Tale player. Really sad about the Elder Tale content drought. Currently an Engineering student at Toto University, working under Shigemura Tetsuhiro. Wants a plan to go off without a hitch for once. Real Name: Shirogane Kei. Source: Log Horizon
Akatsuki: High level Spriggan Assassin who was recruited into Shiroe's Glitch Hunting team. Currently taking a bit of a hiatus from ALO under the advice of Shiroe. Studying to be an animal groomer and is really, really jealous of her super-tall friend. Real Name: Hanekura Shizuka. Source: Log Horizon
Nyanta: One of Shiroe's old friends. A Cait-Sith spellsword and a member of his Glitch Hunting team. Currently taking a hiatus from ALO in order to focus on his VR Cat Cafe job. He won't lose his spot as top earner to the newcomer! A legend amongst Cait-Sith players for traveling the eldritch path of full cat. Source: Log Horizon
Naotsugu: One of Shiroe's old friends. A Gnome tank and a member of his Glitch Hunting team. Only played ALO briefly and prefers New World Online, not that he has much time to play it with his workload. Just as annoying in real life as online. Source: Log Horizon
Rimuru: Lead GM of ALO and head of RECT Progress' Moderation and Curation team. Living the Slime Life and proud of it! Knows all of the SEED Content package's quirks via trial and error. Friendly and beloved by all his coworkers, except Aizawa, who has a bone-deep hatred of the man she cannot explain. Really, really, really loves meetings. Real Name: Satoru Mikami. Source: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Azusa Aizawa: Office drone and head of RECT Progress' Metadata Analysis team. Jealous of Mikami's chill attitude. Has been working for 50 days straight. Has not yet bothered to check if anybody is paying her overtime (they aren't). Signed on to YMIR after RECT's collapse mostly just to keep working. Really, really, really hates meetings. Source: I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level
Marinca: Newly employed member of RECT Progress' moderation team. Wasn't exactly trained well, since the person who was supposed to teach her got reassigned. Shocked at how cheap rent is in Tokyo. Don't bully her! She's doing her best! Source: Sword Art Online - Calibur SS
Yuuki: Leader of the «Sleeping Knights» and a child of VR. Locked into a two-year continuous Full-Dive due to late stage Crawforde-Ende disease and is a person of interest to the field of Cognitive Psience. Surprisingly well connected. You think she's just a tad creepy. Real Name: Konno Yuuki. Source: Sword Art Online - Mother's Rosario
Cayna: Sylph mage and Skill Master of ALO. Bedbound due to severe spinal cord injury and third degree burns. Very rich. Has evolved grinding into an art form. Constantly worried and fussy, and secretly has a very short fuse. Don't call her a witch. Don't mention her age. Don't call her mommy. Don't badmouth Kuu. Don't... Real Name: Kagami Keina. Source: In the Land of Leadale
Siune: Undine healer who pretty much only ever plays healer. The oldest member of the group barring Yuuki and Cayna. Absolutely, positively, despises InsectSite. Real Name: An Si-eun. Source: Sword Art Online - Mother's Rosario
Jun: Salamander tank and hotheaded hellion. Youngest member of the group, and the only one who never actually met Ran or Merida. All the unresolved sexual tension goes over his head. Source: Sword Art Online - Mother's Rosario
Tecchi: Gnome tank and Cayna's oldest MMO friend. Known as Tetsuo IRL. Fancies himself the team dad, but doesn't say it out loud cause it just gets Cayna mad at him. Source: Sword Art Online - Mother's Rosario
Talken: Leprechaun DPS and perfectionist. Will spend hours going over the perfect build only to get browbeaten into playing a suboptimal combination just to satisfy Yuuki's desire to make the Knights a Sentai squad. Source: Sword Art Online - Mother's Rosario
Nori: Spriggan DPS and wierdo who's on the same wavelength as Yuuki. Likes off meta builds and enjoys playing against type. Has a thing with Talken, he just doesn't know it yet. Source: Sword Art Online - Mother's Rosario
Ran: Yuuki's sister and a founder of the «Sleeping Knights». Even now Yuuki finds it hard to talk about her. Gave up her position as STL Test Subject for her sister. Died prior to the start of the story. Real Name: Konno Aiko. Source: Sword Art Online - Sister's Prayer
Merida: Yuuki's friend from Serene Garden and a founder of the «Sleeping Knights». A previous SAO beta tester who desperately wanted to join the SAO deathgame, but instead chose to stay behind with her friends. Died prior to the start of the story. Source: Sword Art Online - Sister's Prayer
Clover: Got replaced by Cayna. Don't worry! Clover's disease got cured by Plot Irrelevantitis and he's happily retired to enjoy zany adventures in the Bahamas. His parents run a famous mochi company. Source: Sword Art Online - Clover's Regret
Seven: Lord of the Pookas. A 12-year old professor of Cognitive Psience from MIT that moonlights as an Idol and somehow finds the time to also run an entire MMO faction. Has a skewed sense of time and prefers to work fast. Dreading puberty. Real Name: Nanairo Nijika. Source: Sword Art Online - Lost Song
Mortimer: Lord of the Salamanders. Fashions himself a Roman Emperor and models his faction after Imperial Rome. You've dodged all his appearances. Currently very confused about all the snow falling. Source: Sword Art Online - Fairy Dance
Sakuya: Lord of the Sylphs. All her scenes got matrix-dodged. Fancies herself the leader of an Adventurer's Guild. Actually appreciates all the work Sigurd does for her, and was legitimately shocked to find out he hated her. Most fashionable Sylph 3 months running. Source: Sword Art Online - Fairy Dance
Alicia Rue: Lord of the Cait Siths and Argo's current patron. Rather lazy, happy to let Argo do all the work. Masterminded the Cait-Sylph alliance in order to give herself even less work, but is finding the whole thing to be the exact opposite. Source: Sword Art Online - Fairy Dance
Granze: Lord of the Leprechauns and Queen of the Underworld. Absolutely loves being a scumbag and believes games are meant to be broken. The only Lord to make extensive use of out-of-game organizations and resources. Exhibitionist, sad she has little to exhibit. Source: Sword Art Online - Girl's Op
Hakuto Kunai: Lord of the Spriggans and ALO's most infamous solo-player. Fashions himself the «Demon Lord» and fights with overwhelming speed and strength. Big fan of the «Black Swordsman» and is trying to copy his build. Refuses to hold weapons in his hands until he's figured out «Dual Blades»! Source: Demon Lord, Retry!
Dunbalf Gandadore: Lord of the Imps and ALO's One Man Army. Spent hundreds of dollars rerolling the character creator until he could get the old man look just right. Seen purchasing a rare appearance respec potion. Current whereabouts unknown, but a silver haired teenage girl has been seen walking out of his old tower... Source: She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man
Lord of the Gnomes: Exists. I'm sure. Probably has a pulse. Source: Sir Not Appearing in this Fic
OBERON: The god of ALO, and the heinous criminal who kidnapped Gwen for his sick fantasies. Your first opponent. What could bring a man to commit such crimes you still cannot fathom. Real Name: Subou Nobuyuki. Source: Sword Art Online - Fairy Dance
Yanai: OBERON's slime-based co-conspirator. Gets along well with Mikami, who shares his love of slimes. Has an agenda of his own. Considers himself an enlightened pervert. Current whereabouts are unknown. Source: Sword Art Online - War of Underworld
Urðr: The Norn of the Past. Accidentally killed by you when one of OBERON's harem members called on her combat data. Actually the strongest of the three sisters, but due to circumstances outside her control she was never able to bring forth her true power. So unlucky Urðr-chan! Source: Sword Art Online - Calibur
Verðandi: The Norn of the Present. The shepherd of the Beast Gods and friendliest member of the trio. Killed for the sake of Ragnarok. Designed the Beast Gods to be comfy to sleep in. Source: Sword Art Online - Calibur
Skuld: The Norn of the Future. The Valkyrie and warrior of the Norns. Called forth the power of her sisters but was ultimately subsumed by Lux. Will give you her number if you ask nicely. Source: Sword Art Online - Calibur
Freyja/Thor: The god of thunder, masquerading as Odin's wife in order to reclaim his Hammer. Killed for the sake of Ragnarok. Found a sick-ass helmet and is really sad he couldn't get to show it off. Source: Sword Art Online - Calibur
Thrym: King of the Frost Giants who is legitimately upset that his wife-to-be (who he kidnapped) was actually Thor in disguise. Currently very mad and very sad. Probably despawns when not in view of players, but according to the lore he spends all that time styling his beard. Source: Sword Art Online - Calibur
Bragi: Seneschal of Thrym, and the man running things behind the curtain. Only mentioned in passing. Has been plotting to take over Thrym's spot for the last 100 years! Any day now! Source: Sword Art Online - Calibur SS
«Gun Gale Online»
Death Gun: A strange, mysterious stranger seeking to prove that he is the «Real Deal». His name and the name of his gun are the same thing, which is very confusing to everyone. Real Name: ??? Source: Sword Art Online - Phantom Bullet
Sinon: High-level Sniper and frequent participant in the Bullet of Bullets. Your next-door neighbor who cannot get a read on your personality. Wishes you had more time to hang out but understands it's hard being a high school student. She swears she's not a gun nut! Real Name: Asada Shino. Source: Sword Art Online - Phantom Bullet
Spiegel: Friend of a friend. You find it strangely easy to get along with him, and sense that he has some connection with a Persona. Also kind of unhinged, and just a tad bit scary. Hopefully, Shino can figure out what's bugging him and tell him to get a haircut. Real Name: Shinkawa Kyouji. Source: Sword Art Online - Phantom Bullet
『 』: Current three-time champion of the Bullet of Bullets, and winner of countless other tournaments across almost all manner of different games. 『 』never shows up in person.『 』never uses the same strategy twice. And 『 』never loses. Real Name: Sora and Shiro. Source: No Game No Life
Kuzuma: A member of『 』's «Alts» and their current trash boy. Likes money, girls and video games, but hates being ordered by girls to play video games for money. Unbelievably lucky, has never lost a game of Rock Paper Scissors in his life, though to date he's only managed to tie his boss. Professional grade idiot wrangler. Real Name: Kazuma Satou. Source: Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!
XeXeeD: Runner up of the last Bullet of Bullets and loudmouth braggart. Possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of GGO and frequently writes guides, though he's often accused of lacing them with false information in order to secure an advantage. Argo considers him the closest thing GGO has to an info broker and everyone considers him an asshole. Real Name: Shigemura Tamotsu. Source: Sword Art Online - Phantom Bullet
Sublitzer: A frequent participant in high-level GGO tournaments with a reputation for being a Solid Snake wannabe. Snuck up on Sinon once, which has made her really hate stealth specialists. His employees think his love of VRMMOs to be maximum gap moe. Real Name: Gabriel Miller. Source: Sword Art Online - War of Underworld
Itsuki: A frequent participant in high-level GGO tournaments. Sinon considers him the better sniper, though admits her gun is far superior. Tends to place poorly in tournaments due to his overwhelmingly poor luck. Personality can best be summarized as: YIKES. Source: Sword Art Online - Fatal Bullet
Pitohui: A rabid gun fanatic and GGO's most infamous wallet warrior, who has made it her mission to own every gun in GGO no matter who she has to kill, trick or betray. Sadist, pansexual, thanatophile, and an expert in hiding all of it. Explicitly hates her real job but is probably just tsundere. Stage Name: Kanzaki Elsa. Source: Sword Art Online Alternative - Gun Gale Online
M: Pitohui's subordinate/manager/lover/slave. Distractingly handsome, an office superstar and conniving beyond measure, he'd be the smartest man in GGO if he wasn't wrapped around Pitohui's finger. The M stands for Mastermind! Honest! Real Name: Asougi Goushi. Source: Sword Art Online Alternative - Gun Gale Online
Zeliska: The «Uncrowned Queen» of GGO that largely eschews competitive play for high-level PvE, secretly a GM from ZASKAR. Implemented and designed most of the ArFa-Sys features in the most recent update. Has cultivated the coveted 'Dead Mom' aesthetic down to a science. Real Name: Hoshiyama Midoriko. Source: Sword Art Online - Fatal Bullet
Taipan: A chief moderator of GGO, who manages the Japanese server. A micromanager asshole who still maintains his own private account, despite chewing out his subordinates for the same. The type of person to lose all his money on hosts. Source: Sword Art Online - Fatal Bullet
Lugh: A highly suspicious new character you had a chance encounter with on the day you started. Is shockingly knowledgeable about pretty much everything that isn't video games. You get the sense that he enjoys teaching others. Current Alias: Allen Smith. Source: The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat
LLENN: A pure AGI hit-and-run Player Killer with a reputation as the «Pink Devil». Champion of the inaugural «Squad Jam» tournament which has won her a few fans. Though her body towers over 180cm, her soul is only 120cm tall! Real Name: Kohiruimaki Karen. Source: Sword Art Online Alternative - Gun Gale Online
Lievre: ArFa Type-Z and 'local contact' for Glowgen Defense Solutions, currently situated within the SBC Flügel. Is in love with her master, who rescued her from her stasis pod. During personality generation, her specs crossed streams with gamer rage chatlogs. Source: Sword Art Online - Fatal Bullet DLC, Ambush of the Imposters
Endou and Kobayashi: Commentators from MMOTomorrow, who provide the play-by-play and color commentary for GGO's myriad of tournaments. They occasionally branch out into other games. Not the same Endou as the school bully, just similar names. Come for the cutting commentary, stay for the UST! Source: Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte
Behemoth: Professional bodyguard and a rare example of a Pure-STR build, being the only player on the server properly spec'd to wield a minigun. Has a shockingly high failure rate because it turns out a 3000rpm heavy machine gun that takes a full minute to deploy is not actually a very effective weapon for a bodyguard. Source: Sword Art Online - Phantom Bullet
Red Rider: One of the Four Riders of the «Old South», a high DEX player with the most absurdly customized guns on the server. President of the LLENN fan club, mostly because he approves of her monochromatic color scheme. Friendly, talkative, and very, very gullible. What does he ride? His cloud of death flags! Source: Accel World
Pale Rider: One of the Four Riders of the «Old South», a high AGI player known for his aggressive close-in play style and stylish acrobatics. Refuses, on principle, to kill unless he can do it with style! A strong and silent type, at the urging of his teammates, to mask his stutter and overtly apologetic personality. What does he ride? The wind from his death flags! Source: Sword Art Online - Phantom Bullet
«Isei High School»
Your Loud Friend: Your first IRL friend since SAO! Expert in sleeping in class and climbing trees. Otome-game addict. Curry addict. Cucumber addict. Even more Fluffy than you are. Secret holder of [Harem Queen EX]. Source: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
Sasaki Atsuko: Another friend from class who's always glued to your Loud Friend. Tries her hardest to think enough for both of them. Her hyperaware instincts have told her that you are no threat, thus she greets you with warmth and kindness instead of overwhelming violence. Source: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
Natsuki Subaru: Class clown and annoying friend who keeps skipping school. Surprisingly athletic and can be sharper than he looks, but has no filter and you're pretty sure is a nervous wreck. Brings a bottle of mayo to school every day. Source: Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World
Wakaba Hiiro: Your senpai in the literature club and the Airhead Queen business. You've never seen her face, but she seems awfully familiar to you. Rumored to be horrendously bullied in school but that can't be true because no-one's yet found the bodies. Source: Does it matter? Just leave me alone.
Nishino Akane: A girl from Class 1-A and the only other student with special permission to leave school early for extra-curricular activities. An up-and-coming actress who's unfailingly polite to everyone. Absolutely despises rude idiots who never get her name right. Source: The Eminence in Shadow
Kuga Hiroto: A forlorn boy from Class 1-A who spends most of his free time on Gundam Battle Nexus, searching for someone dear to him. An award-winning Gunpla builder who always carries his Gunpla in a leather holster wherever he goes— just in case. Source: Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE
Mukai Hinata: Hiroto's childhood friend who through a series of largely manufactured coincidences essentially lives at his house. Has been meticulously setting up flags for the last 10 years but still can't spit it out. She's already picked out the names for her first two children. Source: Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE
Endou: A trendy upperclassman who you briefly befriended then rapidly betrayed. Legit is scared of you and rarely comes to class now. You will never learn her super-secret level max class cutting skills! Source: Sword Art Online - Phantom Bullet
Motosu-Sensei: Late-stage bookworm and your homeroom teacher. Teaches English class and possesses a School Librarian certificate. Misses being a student who could read all day. Overqualified for her position, not that it stops her from sucking at it. Source: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Okazaki-Sensei: Perpetually chipper Japanese teacher. Keeps up with all the trends and tries her hardest to be a good teacher. Wears pigtails which is... a choice. Source: So I'm a Spider, So What?
Hatayama-Sensei: Morally uptight Civics teacher. Shorter than most of her students and kind of a pushover. Spent her first day as a teacher trying to convince the rest of the teachers she wasn't a student who wandered into the faculty room. Source: Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest
Ishigami-Sensei: Insane Science teacher. Blows stuff up and taught you how to start a fire with a stick and a ripped-up t-shirt. Flunked out of a big-name lab due to politics. Will either save the world or end it, probably both. Source: Dr. Stone
«The Ordinary World»
Mom: Texts you incessantly off-screen. Wishes you would call more often. Suffers from back problems and is worried her daughter will share the same fate. Can't fit into her old school uniform anymore and is quite sad about it. Source: Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?
Dad: Never home but still loves you! Hasn't grown an inch since junior high. Constantly anxious about being NTR'd. Source: Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?
Kurahashi-Sensei: Yuuki's attending physician and specialist in long-term care. Extremely excited by the possibilities of VR when applied to medicine. Currently in a clinical trial of the Medicuboid. Wonders if he should change his hairstyle, so that he could be more memorable. Source: Sword Art Online - Mother's Rosario
Yakutani-Sensei: World-recognized specialist in pharmacologic medical research and a licensed clinical pharmacist. Possesses an unmatched work ethic but bemoans how rarely he gets to actually speak to patients. Allergic to self-care. His bloodstream is currently 15% coffee by volume. Source: Parallel World Pharmacy
Takemi-Sensei: Leading expert in Crawforde-Ende disease and collaborator with Yakutani-Sensei. Frequent violator of hospital dress code. Likes them young. Source: Persona 5
Master: Head chef of Nekoya. Arch-nemesis of your waistline. Everything he cooks is the best thing you've ever eaten. Do not, ever, EVER, mention that other curry place to him. Source: Restaurant to Another World
Kurata Tsubasa: Gunpla nerd you once met in Shinjuku. Evidently, the head programmer of Gunpla Battle Nexus Online version 1.78, after its previous head programmer took a sabbatical following the infamous GBN 1.0 Fiasco. Most likely to die from accidental paint inhalation. Source: Knight's & Magic
The Balaclava Berserker: Rumors abound of an armed crazed vigilante stalking the streets of Tokyo and beating up biker gangs. Personally responsible for the recent boon in home security system sales. Has a more stylish name, and wants more people to use it! Source: ???
Momonga: Appliance Sales Representative with Amazing Commodities Corporation who moonlights as an all-powerful arch-lich. Is single-handedly supporting the dying YGGDRASIL VRMMO. Due to the demands of his job, he always takes the last train home. Has created a truly abominable NPC but is too sentimental to delete it. Real Name: Suzuki Satoru. Source: Overlord
Natsuki Kenichi: Subaru's father, a local hero and social worker. A human being so bright he's painful to look at. A danger to housewives all across the world. Source: Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World
The Net-Cafe Refugee: A recently homeless, former NEET, currently holed up in a local Net-Café after his parents died. Has no aspirations nor goals, beyond his phantom dreams of a better life. Is truly miserable. Source: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Wanna-Wanna: GOD OF SECURITY. DISRESPECT WANNA WANNA AT YOUR OWN PERIL. Source: Persona 5
THE SUN GOD: Here to save your heathen soul from the horrors of VR! We live in blessed times for the incarnation of the SUN GOD, LORD OF ALL CREATION walks among us! Praise the SUN GOD! PRAISE MITAMA-SAMA! Source: KamiKatsu: Working for God in a Godless World
Lord Urabe: Leader of the Sun God cult. As devout as he is naked. Source: KamiKatsu: Working for God in a Godless World
Ninomiya Kinji: Real estate tycoon owner and your landlord. Likes pissing out of the top of his penthouse when no one's watching. Source: The Dungeon of Black Company
Your Boss at CatCafé: An asshole, but at least he pays on time. Source: My OC! Do not steal!
The Chief: A cat trapped in the body of a man who FullDives as a cat for fun and profit. Source: Log Horizon, A Story About a Cat Reincarnated in a Different World Where There are No Cats
Animal Mask: Someone you helped. Source: Kemono Michi: Rise Up
Nema: One of your regulars. Source: I'll Try My Best So I Can Pet and Pat in Another World
Arima Taichi: Whale of CatCafe. Source: Isekai Mofumofu Café
Ogada Deru: Your senpai at Titan Movers. A heavy-set man who's just starting to regain his strength. Almost certainly an SAO survivor, though you're scared to ask him. Keeps showing off his skin flaps even when no one wants to see them. Source: Sword Art Online - Aincrad Arc
Edogawa-Sensei: School nurse and substitute teacher at Gekkoukan High School for many decades. Has a popular video series on the history of magic, esoterica, and the occult. A very bad nurse and an even worse teacher, the real magic is how he's managed to keep his job for so long. Source: Persona 3
Shigemura Tetsuhiro: One of the pioneers of the VR revolution and former mentor to Kayaba Akihiko. Currently hard at work developing the Augma, the world's first production model Augmented Reality device. A mourning father who seeks to right the wrongs of Sword Art Online, no matter what it takes. Still can't bring himself to truly hate his students. Source: Sword Art Online - Ordinal Scale
Nochizawa Eiji: A young man and fellow SAO Survivor, he lost a loved one during the death game and is still trying to come to terms with it. A beta tester for the Augma and fellow SAO Survivor. Rocks that jumper jacket like nobody's business. Source: Sword Art Online - Ordinal Scale
Suzuki Ichirou: Super Code-Monkey of the Shigemura Labs and former employee of Kayaba Akihiko. Did most of the thankless job constructing labyrinths and dungeons in SAO. Sometimes cuts corners. Current whereabouts unknown. His philosophy on difficulty curves: Throw in an Anti-Crystal Zone as a stopgap and fix it in a patch! Source: Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody
Takebayashi Ryoma: Systems Engineer of the Shigemura Labs and former employee of Kayaba Akihiko. General handyman and resident goon. Hates conflict but gets taken advantage of because of it. Did most of the non-boss mob programming. Currently re-employed by Shigemura Labs. Snuck in a pet system when no one was looking. Source: The Man Picked Up by the Gods
Koujiro Rinko: AI Specialist of the Shigemura Labs and former employee of Kayaba Akihiko. Rumored to be the person closest to Kayaba Akihiko. Has gone overseas to avoid all the press and is currently employed as a Professor at CalTech. Wonders where it all went wrong. Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
«Project Alicization»
Kikuoka Seijirou: Mild-mannered head of the Virtual Division, and the man ostensibly responsible for overseeing the entire SAO incident. Wears many hats, and miraculous manages to wear them all badly. Either the most disorganized bumbling fool in the whole government or a 4th-dimensional evil mega-genius. Source: Sword Art Online - Fairy Dance
Higa Takeru: Quantum Neuroscientist of the Shigemura Labs and government contractor. You've never met him before. Has mixed feelings about his current job. Has very unmixed feelings about Rinko. The go to guy for retrofitting project names into cool acronyms. Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
Yōji Itami: Member of the JSDF garrison assigned to guard the «Ocean Turtle». Outwardly and inwardly lazy, but well connected and easy to get along with. Was forced through Special Forces training by his superiors, as a practical joke, but when he somehow passed they decided to settle by throwing him to a post without a wi-fi connection. Source: GATE - Thus the JDSF Fought There!
Administrator: She's watching. Source: ???
«Underworld»
Alice Synthesis 330: An active Integrity Knight currently on assignment repelling Dark Territory incursions into the Human Empire. A once-in-a-generation genius of Sacred Arts who longs for a chance to prove herself on the front lines. After countless encounters with the «Twilight Witch» she has developed a pathological hatred of people who dress all in black. Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
Eugeo: Sixth Seat Elite Disciple, known as the «Woodcutter», for chopping down the «Gigas Cedar». Novice in the Aincrad style and possesses a powerful Divine Object made from eternal ice. Has no clear memories of his childhood, beyond a blonde girl and her smile. Can have an entire conversation with Kirito solely through hand signs. Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
Medina Orthinanos: Eight Seat Elite Disciple, known as the «Defect», an appellation given to every scion of the Orthinanos family since their fall from grace. Master of High-Norkia style and one of Alice's subordinates. Has never heard of the word 'tsundere' but will become violently mad if called one. Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization Lycoris
The Twilight Witch: Beware! She comes for you! The «World-Eater», the «Supreme Overlord», the «Queen of Darkness», it is she who hails from a broken future, here to turn our world into the wasteland from whence she came! Cower! Fear! For the Twilight Witch has but one goal! To cast the world into EVERLASTING TWILIGHT! Source: Accel World vs Sword Art Online
Quinella: Daughter of Nobility and a powerful Persona user of the ancient past, who enjoys leveling up and slaughtering woodland pests. Her ability to conduct acts of great evil is limited by her inability to reach the top shelf without a footstool. Finds clothes to be annoying to wear but does so anyway so her mom stops yelling at her. Calling: To Research Sacred Arts. Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
Chudelkin: Self-proclaimed Chudley the Clown, the son of Quinella's family butler, and notable scourge of the town guards. Has burned off his hair so many times Quinella suspects it'll stop regrowing within the next year. Calling: To Fill the World with Laughter. Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
Bercouli Herlentz: Second son of the Herlentz Family, low-ranking nobility with only a handful of citizens in their retinue. Served a calling as the honor guard of the nobility before it was changed by Quinella's father. Dreams of one day running his own hot springs resort. Calling: To Protect my Liege's Daughter. Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
Moon God LUNARIA: Goddess of the Moon, dreams, and destiny. She sits upon her silvery throne, plotting the paths of the stars. SOLUS screams in the light and grants humanity power, while LUNARIA whispers in the night, and grants humanity purpose.
Divine Domain [Debug Command]: «Unlimited Role Allocation»
Divine Object [SA-04 Default 2-Hand Sword]: «Void Tesseract» Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
Fire God IGNIA: Goddess of Fire, forges, and invention. Once humanity lived only by the blessings of STACIA, no different than mere creatures. IGNIA took pity upon them, and granted them the spark of fire, so that they may create wonders of their own.
Divine Domain [Debug Command]: «Unlimited Resource Production»
Divine Object [SA-07 Default Hammer]: «Ardent Heart» Source: Sword Art Online - Last Recollection
Sword God GLADIA: Goddess of the Sword, destruction, and endings. All things must end, and when the final memory is forgotten, GLADIA shall descend with her blade and wipe clean the slate one final time. The last to be forgotten will be herself.
Divine Domain [Debug Command]: «Unlimited Omni Severance»
Divine Object [SA-08 Default 1-Hand Sword]: «Thorough Triumph» Source: Sword Art Online - Last Recollection
Wind God AERIA: Goddess of the Sky, weather, and the seasons. When she is absent the fields lie fallow, and when she is wroth the fields exist not at all. Pray to the storm queen or scorn her, it matters not, for the tempestuous AERIA will only ever do as she wants.
Divine Domain [Debug Command]: «Unlimited Weather Control»
Divine Object [SA-06 Default Dagger]: «Fierce Scourge» Source: Sword Art Online - Last Recollection
Land God TERRARIA: Goddess of the Land, flora, and growth. None love deeper than TERRARIA, for she brings forth LIFE and all its abundance. Even when must cut out her own flesh, spill her own blood, and tear out her own soul.
Divine Domain [Debug Command]: «Unlimited Life Regeneration»
Divine Object [SA-03 Default Katana]: «Verdurous Anima» Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
Creation God STACIA: Goddess of Creation, birth, and the cycle of Sacred Energy. Every birth is imparted with the blessing of STACIA, and every death is radiant as she returns them to her bosom. The cycle of souls shall remain unending until GLACIA swings the final stroke.
Divine Domain [Debug Command]: «Unlimited Terrain Manipulation»
Divine Object [SA-01 Default Rapier]: «Radiant Light» Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
Sun God SOLUS: Goddess of the Sun, light, and inspiration. The Sun is the font of Sacred Energy, the source of all, for not even STACIA may create something from nothing. Fly every higher SOLUS, shine your light ever father, so that all may drink of your blessings.
Divine Domain [Debug Command]: «Unlimited Flight Generation»
Divine Object [SA-02 Default Bow]: «Annihilate Ray» Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
Dark God VECTA: God of Darkness, memory, and tribulation. Bleed, die, and remember that you are nothing, you came from nothing, and your purpose is to be nothing. The creators have spoken: The Final Load Test has begun. Source: Sword Art Online - Alicization
«The Velvet Room»
MAXWELL: The Attendant of the Velvet Room. Greatly respects his master, going as far as to emulate his style of speech, but also kind of a wimp. Likes complaining about things. Source: My OC! Do not steal!
IGOR: A strange man with a big thing that shall not be named. Expert in managing loquacious psychopomps. Always happy to help, even when it pulls him away from vacation! Source: Persona
ETTEILLA: Etteilla, professor of Algebra, reformer of Cartomancy, and correctors of the modern inaccuracies of the ancient Book of Thoth, lives in the Rue de l'Oseille, No. 40 à Paris. Source: ???
PHILEMON: The Teller, the tutor of Fools, diviner of Augury, and advocate for the truths of the Grand Tarot of Marseilles, lives in the Shinjuku Back Alley, behind the porno mag vending machine. Source: ???
Pina: Fairy-dragon. Enjoys headpats and the cries of the innocent. Has complex feelings about its name after finding out it was named after a cat but lacks the vocal cords to express them.
PoH: Leader of «Laughing Coffin». Specialist in Dagger skills and PvP combat. Superficially charming and practically worshipped by the criminal elements of SAO. Likes killing but adores manipulating others into killing each other. Current whereabouts are unknown. Aware of what his abbreviation sounds like and also finds it funny. Real Name: Vassago Casals.
One of Shiroe's old friends. A Cait-Sith spellsword and a member of his Glitch Hunting team. Currently taking a hiatus from ALO in order to focus on his VR Cat Cafe job. He won't lose his spot as top earner to the newcomer!
(it's just a bit of carl jung circlejerk because it appeals to my chuuni sensibilities to drop a hundred references to a mythology nobody's ever heard of)
(it's just a bit of carl jung circlejerk because it appeals to my chuuni sensibilities to drop a hundred references to a mythology nobody's ever heard of)
The attendants (mostly) fought by summoning Personas from the Compendium like the player. Igor fights by using Gate of Babylon and just rains dozens of them down on you at once.
[X] Plan: Tactical Espionage Action (Medieval Fantasy Edition)
-[X] Leave behind 1x «Excalibur». Provided you don't get discovered, you expect Asuna will be able to hide it until your assault.
-[X] «Fluctlight Storage Unit»
Poor Rebar, so plot irrelevant his name was forgotten.
Love all the little notes on the dramatis personae page.
Also I think we should be careful with getting Asuna out of ALO before taking down Oberon since the last 4? SAO players we freed had their memories of being in ALO erased. It could happen to Asuna too if we let her out early, weakening the case against Sugou.
[X] Plan: Tactical Espionage Action (Medieval Fantasy Edition)
-[X] Leave behind 1x «Excalibur». Provided you don't get discovered, you expect Asuna will be able to hide it until your assault.
-[X] «Fluctlight Storage Unit»
"Are you certain, Lux? There's every possibility that we've already been discovered. That access card must be tricking the system into thinking we belong here. Somebody programmed that."
A likely theory, one that you can't test since the item was expended upon your entry into the «World Tree». Asuna told you about the building she suspected the Slime was staying in, right as you handed her your duplicate copy of «Excalibur». An annex you plan on giving a wide berth.
"If this... Slime invited us in, then why haven't they shown themselves?" you ask. There's been no sign of your detection, and once again not a single guard.
"We came here at midnight, on a holiday no less. Probably even Sugou himself is asleep in some penthouse."
Cayna makes good points, but that didn't preclude an alarm or some other silent notification system. Even if someone noticed you were here, they'd have to first travel to the offices just to log in, which gave you time to explore.
The Storage Facility. Presumably, this is where the 300 SAO survivors were currently being imprisoned. From the description, you weren't expecting a traditional prison, with walls, bars, and mildew.
You approach the door etched into the side of the tree, behind the palace proper. It's nondescript, a plain opening in the bark without a knob. A gaping hole carved in the very edge of the tree. You place both hands against its surface and give a gentle push. It opens without any fanfare.
"That was easy," Cayna says with mild shock, and you shush her. Your intuition is telling you to be quiet from here on out. She frowns but doesn't complain as you take the lead, stepping inside the darkness.
It's not what you expected.
The passage, a black void from the outside, opened up to a scene of pure white the moment you stepped inside. A long nondescript hallway with nothing in it. The patterns of the walls repeat in regular geometric intervals making judging even the length of it challenging.
No guards. No NPCs.
Nothing except lines of red and black that run along the floor, like veins flowing into the walls and ceiling.
"Lux... something isn't right."
Cayna is beside you, her eyes fixated on the pulsing lines of light along the floor. You recognize the scene. You've seen it time and again. When you subverted the will of Verðandi. When you cracked the ground beneath «Alne».
Lines of black and red. The world as it appears when you utilize the enhanced powers of your Persona, melting away into the truth that lay behind the dream. You were seeing the true shape of the world.
"This is the same as the dev kit..." murmurs Cayna, running her hand along the floor and feeling the lines swim across her hand. Where the lines cross her avatar, her hand momentarily phases out and you see a shriveled, scarred appendage where Cayna's smooth skin once lay.
She recoils when she notices you staring.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"No. It's... it's fine. Let's just move on."
As Cayna stands you can tell she's nervous. Uncomfortable to have her body so casually exposed.
You walk down the hall, feeling the red and black lines beneath your feet. There's no sound, not even the soft patter of your shoes on the floor. But you feel... something traveling beneath you. The lines were carrying something toward the center of the tree.
"Cayna. Do you recognize this?" You thought it was just a hallucination of the Persona ability. But now others could see it as well?
"I do. I've played around with the SEED development kits in my spare time, and this is from it. You can reskin it, but when you start generating a new world with the SEED the control room always looks like this. White walls, black floors, and these red lines that all run into the dev console."
"So if we follow the lines we reach the heart of ALO?"
"I don't think it's that simple. The lines are angled, they're pointing away from the length of this hallway. If I had to guess OBERON built his castle around the dev console."
"So then... where are we going?"
You're still staring at the floor. Even if the lines couldn't be followed the hallway itself was a straight shot.
"I'm not sure. Storage, if Asuna's correct. But what we need to realize is that... we're in the backrooms of ALO. In a place no player was meant to see."
In console video games, behind the walls of the world didn't exist a land that stretched out to infinity. Instead, it was an endless void, a series of debug rooms, invisible walls... who cared how they looked when no player would ever need to see them? This was «Out of Bounds».
You continue forward, eventually reaching an end. The hall opens up into a wide, rectangular chamber, practically the size of an entire stadium. Within lie dozens, no hundreds, of individual pillars dotting the room in regular intervals. Each column has some sort of console carved into the side, glowing with a faint blue light.
It reminds you of a graveyard.
"What is this..."
You approach the closest one and press your hand against its surface.
The pillar is translucent, and the moment you touch it, you're presented with a menu. And you see something appear on top of the pillar as if putting it on display. It looks as if it's in pain.
A sight you've grown familiar with.
A series of wavering lights.
A Fluctlight.
A soul.
"These are... the SAO survivors?" you ask with hitched breath.
"I... think so," Cayna replies. She's already examining another pillar, her expression one of intense concentration. She's already snapping pictures with her magic eye trying to capture both the individual pillar and the room as a whole.
"Is there a way to get them out?" You idly wonder, tapping your finger against the podium.
TEST SUBJECT: 23-UKDM
Reset: Y/N?
"Don't touch it!" Cayna practically screams, jolting you to attention.
"I wasn't going to!" You were going to.
Cayna focuses on her own pillar, slowly poking and prodding at various portions of the structure. It seems each individual pillar was a console of sorts. What a hypocrite. 'Don't touch it' and she's just all over it.
"Tch... I can't make heads or tails out of this. So many technical terms and code phrases. But I can at least tell that they're... doing something to them."
"How eloquently stated."
Cayna shrugs. "Something is the best you'll get. I'm not exactly an expert here."
...
Then don't touch the controls. But there's still something we can learn here.
You ignore the controls. Instead, you place your hand against the Fluctlight, or the visual representation of it displayed by the console.
You've been hearing a lot about souls lately.
Was it really that simple? The soul degraded into simple particle physics? Once you may have even believed it. Even your Persona could be conceptualized as simple editing of the Fluctlight.
Your powers only worked in game. You had no power in the real world.
Your Shadow for all her occasional bursts of intuition, possessed no knowledge you didn't already have.
From a certain perspective, all this was just a complex hallucination. A blip on your Fluctlight. A glitch in your soul. Your life and the life of every man and woman in the world nothing but the delusions of fluctuating lights.
It's all obfuscation. What mankind thought of as the immutable, unmeasurable soul was nothing more than a series of fluctuating lights. Was that really the answer?
Is this all a soul is?
Look at it. Can you see?
Now... who are you?
"Lux...?"
Can you hear me?
"Lux, what are you doing!?"
You've always thought of it as your Shadow warning you. Some supernatural power she possessed let her see the avatars of people even in the real world. Not a power to seek the truth, but bring lies out into the open.
Can you see it?
You could always see it. You're just now realizing it. Show me what you see. Let me feel what you feel.
You wake up. Where are you? You remember waking up in your room. A beautiful day, same as every day in the last two years. What would you do today? Go listen to the singers in the streets? Camp the apple tree by the edge of town? Finally gather the courage to walk out of the «Town of Beginnings»?
Wasn't... there an announcement? That SAO was over? It's—
The flesh flays from your body. You scream but your tongue has rotted out of your mouth.
Do you accept OBERON as your god?
No. NO make it stop!
You wake up. Where are you? You remember waking up in your room. A beautiful day, same as every day in the last two years. What would you do today? Go listen to the singers in the streets? Camp the apple tree by the edge of town? Finally gather the courage to walk out of the «Town of Beginnings»?
Wasn't... there an announcement? That SAO was over? It's—
Your body is a blackened, charred mess, but your nerves remain active. You try to scream with lungs you no longer possess. Just nerves and a few scraps of meat. Your mind is the only thing left, and it's fading.
Do you accept OBERON as your god?
Yes, yes, just please stop!
You wake up. Where are you? You remember waking up in your room. A beautiful day, same as every day in the last two years. What would you do today? Go listen to the singers in the streets? Camp the apple tree by the edge of town? Finally gather the courage to walk out of the «Town of Beginnings»?
Wasn't... there an announcement? That SAO was over? It's—
The itch won't go away. You cough and hack, bringing up your lung, your stomach, and every last millimeter of your guts but it still won't go away.
Do you accept OBERON as your god?
You recoil, jumping away from the Fluctlight as if burnt.
Your body is cold. Your heart is pounding. Your head is throbbing.
"Lux!? Lux!"
You can't say anything. The sensation is passing, but the memory isn't. Even muted like this you feel sick. The soul is being tortured, reset time and time again. The pillar was testing strategies, finding the best way to harm a mind until it could be broken into obedience.
This isn't the only one.
You walk forward, morbid curiosity driving you farther. You place your hand against another Fluctlight.
You wake up. You cuddle your husband. You have mixed feelings about grinding Kayaba's fake money to buy Kayaba's fake house in Kayaba's fake world but you have to admit the man knew how to make a beachfront property look good.
He melts into your arms, the pink goo that was his body spilling out and running down your naked body.
Do you accept OBERON as your god?
No no no no no no no no no no no NO—
And another.
You wake up. They were dead. All of them, due to your stupid mistake, due to your carelessness. But he promised he would bring them back. You can say sorry. Apologize for all the things you did to them...
Do you accept OBERON as your god?
Please, yes. Yes!
And one more.
You wake up. He saved you. He plucked you from the horror of SAO and brought you to his paradise. You are his queen, you are his Titania, you are his one and only...
Do you accept OBERON as your god?
He already is.
"SNAP OUT OF IT!"
A golden staff slams through your fugue, striking the middle of your chest. You go careening down the chamber, passing by another half dozen tortured souls in the process of skidding to a stop.
"D... did you have to hit me so hard?"
"YES! Please tell me you learned something!"
Your eyes dart between the hundreds of pillars in the room. Each pillar a different soul, each a different torture or manipulation. But it seemed there was some underlying pattern, some logic to the madness. OBERON, each seemed to be saturating their mind with OBERON. And, success or failure, it was reset and tried again, and again, and again....
Sugou kidnapped 300 SAO victims, for the longest time you thought it was just to fulfill his sick fantasy. But didn't Seven make mention of an experiment? And OBERON was working on something. An update to ALO, something he was going to pull off at the end of the month. Seven... she was going to be a part of an experiment with Sugou, before you stopped it.
You... you realize what that experiment was going to be. Meimi, Asuna... well-placed heiresses who would be nothing but puppets to him, their respective fortunes open to him by the sheer force of love. Seven would join them, a world-famous scientist brought under Sugou's collection.
And everyone else? Experimental puppets. Practice dummies, with their memories reset day after day to repeat the same process.
OBERON's doing the same shit Cayna's doing.
He was grinding.
Trying again and again until he's perfected the formula. A way to manipulate any Fluctlight into becoming whatever he desired. To make everyone love him. And with the benefit of Seven's research, spread that feeling across all of ALO. Possibly even wider.
"...this isn't just a prison. These are... experiments." You're not sure what kind of emotion is filling your heart right now. Disgust, revulsion, anger.
Cayna's eyes widen, whirling on her console and concentrating on what little she could understand from the cloud of data readouts. "Experiments...? For what goal..."
Sugou had 2 years worth of data on all 300 SAO Survivors.
Conversely... he had 4 months of data on thousands of ALO Players. With a head start experimenting on SAO survivors, with the players already receptive to being influenced by the game, how long before he knew enough to control every single soul in ALO? Sugou wasn't satisfied with his little paradise here. He would drag everyone into his fantasy, to be the god of a world. To create HEAVEN with OBERON as its god.
"To... bring the «World Tree» to all of ALO. To expose every last player to this... Seven was going to be the first. I... I think that's what the update is going to be. Sugou's going to make himself worshipped."
"...Then the SAO survivors...?"
"Will probably be set free, but changed. Permanently loyal, in absolute love, with OBERON. And everyone in ALO will join him."
Cayna was pale.
"He can start with love and loyalty, and once he has that secured he can do whatever he wants. They'll keep logging in and Sugou can edit them at his leisure. His own little cult, and he can turn them into whatever he wants. Warriors, servants, experts... slaves..."
"Mind control. And worse is that if he figures out how to do it, then he could distribute it. Sell it. Add this kind of memory editing to Seven's theories and you can subvert entire cultures."
This was big. Big and ambitious. "We're the only ones who can stop this. We have to do something, get some evidence..."
"We can't," Cayna immediately replies. "I can follow some of this due to my work with RATH, but the technical details are way over my head. If there's a way to release them from here, I can't find it."
"T-then at least take some pictures!"
"Already done. But there's no context... there's no convenient summary or self-incriminating document lying around. Half of this is still guesswork based on your own intuition. A picture of a SEED Dev Room isn't going to turn heads, and it's not like anything is labeled. We have pictures of Fluctlights, but the holograms are just a visual shorthand. You can't prove anything with just a picture."
"W-we can show an expert. Seven, or Shigemura-sensei. They'll get the context. If they support us and take it to the police..."
"Lux, do you really think the Japanese government is going to arrest a CEO so easily? Sugou is well connected with lawyers crawling out of his ears. Have you ever dealt with the government before? I assure you, it's an enlightening experience." Cayna's eyes narrow. She wasn't being sarcastic, but blunt. "They're slow, incompetent, and more interested in appearances than results. Even if the Prime Minister himself believes us, there's going to be enough red tape to delay action for weeks. And that's not even getting into the fact that Sugou has everyone here effectively held hostage."
"That's..."
"And there's another thing. There's no guarantee he'll release them even if he is arrested. If I was a paranoid criminal, I'd have a killswitch installed, a deadman's switch, or something equally horrifying."
"So then... we have to..."
"There's only one option, Lux. We have to destroy Sugou alongside all of ALO."
Destroy ALO. Eliminate every last scrap of this data so that nobody else could use it for evil.
"But this isn't good news for us. If Sugou really plans on controlling ALO players we have to accept that we're all equally vulnerable. We've all spent months logged in to ALO. It wouldn't surprise me that Sugou has enough to... subvert us if he finds us."
And ironically the only protection you can count on is that of the SEED, the very system that's making this perversion even possible.
That and your Persona, a power you understand even less. "There must be something we can do right now. Set just a few of them free..."
"Lux, don't. Don't try to be a superhero, there's too many unknowns."
"Well we've got a superpower, don't we!? Let's use it! I can force a disconnect..."
"I don't know what will happen if we use your weird powers here! There are lives on the line!"
There are always lives on the line, so how about you chill and use your brain for a fucking second? We've logged off people before by beating the shit out of them, so who's to say it won't work now?
You... you don't think they'll die. You don't know. Past evidence pointed towards SAO's final logout command taking over the moment your Persona defeated them. But now they were unconscious, and there's a good chance by destroying these pillars you may force them out, with memories of these... experiments fresh in their minds. Broken, insane souls, loyal to OBERON released into the world.
And you know what? I'll bet these sadsacks could be repurposed into shock troops when we assault this place. One way or another we'll probably be killing them off, so why not get a headstart?
If we leave a scene of destroyed pillars behind even if OBERON doesn't catch us he'll know we were here. He might escalate.
So what!? If you have to be sneaky what about that shit disconnect Persona we never use? We might be able to thin the crowd and pass it off as a glitch. Not like their precious logs can tell when we do something with the Persona, and if you don't leave a bunch of destroyed objects in your wake he'll be none the wiser.
You have to decide. And there's the final question of how much farther you want to push... you still haven't answered your 'invitation' yet. The girl with the dragon. And the personal chambers of OBERON himself, where presumably the dev console sits...
AN: Please specify if you plan on doing anything to the Fluctlight Storage.
[ ] Nothing. You will simply deal with it during the actual assault.
[ ] Logout a few Fluctlights with Magdalena. This won't cost "SP" but will narratively "exhaust" you from repeat castings of Hama, as you do not possess a Mahama equivalent.
[ ] Logout everyone with sheer overwhelming violence. Will leave behind physical evidence of your presence.
[ ] Logout a few people with overwhelming violence, to see what happens. Will leave behind physical evidence of your presence.
[ ] Write-in [1 D Cost, more if complicated]
There are various POINTS OF INTEREST you can reach.
As time progresses your chances of detection increase.
