[x] Executive Summary: Project ALICIZATION
Persona: HEAVEN (Persona/Sword Art Online/Isekai Multicross)
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
Not an update but I'm addicted to AI imagegen, at least as far as using it as a toy. I don't think I'd be comfortable using it for published or original work, but since I'm stealing all the characters and settings for this fanfiction I felt the need to indulge...
Anyways I've got pages of cool looking stuff that looks really nice, including some designs I wished I had used instead of what I picked. But where's the fun in good looking AI gen images, when they're a dime a dozen?
I'd rather share these:
Anyways I've got pages of cool looking stuff that looks really nice, including some designs I wished I had used instead of what I picked. But where's the fun in good looking AI gen images, when they're a dime a dozen?
I'd rather share these:
Seriously, NSFL!
Fortune showing off. The woes of trying to do inpainting with a model I found on 4chan.
WIP I liked so much I had to save it. This is the level of visual feedback you would've gotten in this quest if I had written it 2 years ago.
Trying to learn how to outpatient! I could not for the life of me get the early model I was using to do wavy hair, and of course it was based off a porn model, so everything ends up looking like genshin impact fanart or something.
But then I figured out about LORAS! Ways to get the AI to stay on topic and make consistent characters! A revolution for fanfics!
Or not?
The model doesn't like boys. Case in point:
Found a Yuuki LORA! Can I make it work?
Kinda?
I'm not even sure which Lora produced this monstrosity. I think I was trying to generate Philemon with some kind of abstract filter.
Once I started using more midjourney things got easier, but there's far less fun hallucinations. This one though I was tempted to use.
And finally here's Sugou's dream come true:
WIP I liked so much I had to save it. This is the level of visual feedback you would've gotten in this quest if I had written it 2 years ago.
Trying to learn how to outpatient! I could not for the life of me get the early model I was using to do wavy hair, and of course it was based off a porn model, so everything ends up looking like genshin impact fanart or something.
But then I figured out about LORAS! Ways to get the AI to stay on topic and make consistent characters! A revolution for fanfics!
Or not?
The model doesn't like boys. Case in point:
Found a Yuuki LORA! Can I make it work?
Kinda?
I'm not even sure which Lora produced this monstrosity. I think I was trying to generate Philemon with some kind of abstract filter.
Once I started using more midjourney things got easier, but there's far less fun hallucinations. This one though I was tempted to use.
And finally here's Sugou's dream come true:
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I dunno, Kirito could make the look work
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
Ugh, don't get me started on Kirito. I tried to play with Sword Art Online as a tag, hoping it would emulate the style of the show, but all it ever does it spit out Kirito and Asuna. Like it gives me Kirito when I was trying to generate Argo. At BEST I could get Argo to look like Sinon's catgirl form.
Ferb_Ancos
The one under the table
- Pronouns
- He
This is gloriousWIP I liked so much I had to save it. This is the level of visual feedback you would've gotten in this quest if I had written it 2 years ago.
I'm dying XD
I can't breathe...
It may work as a failed copy of Yuuki
This one hits hard not gonna lie, I would love it as a Persona.
....
All girls in the final battle: KILL IT WITH FIRE! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!
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I hereby dub this creature…
THE NECROCHICKEN!
Coming to a VRMMO near you (Necrochicken dlc not included in base game).
Sounds like it had a bad diet consisting of 90% Kirito fanart
Thank Philemon/Nyarly that Trinity Soul isn't canon, or THIS musical monstrosity would have to be acknowledged.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6plVf2T6AOo
What's even worse is that apparently in the OVA, this music is NEVER played long enough for the lyrics to kick in.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6plVf2T6AOo
What's even worse is that apparently in the OVA, this music is NEVER played long enough for the lyrics to kick in.
Winged One
Not the Simurgh
- Location
- definitely the ground
- Pronouns
- They/Them/It
What the fuck, who threw three good tracks into a blender and then added a mediocre incoherent rap on top of the resulting crap?
Apparently it's a sample track?
Persona PHANTASMA: The Blessings of Administrator Upon this Wonderful World!
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
[X] The Blessings of Administrator Upon this Wonderful World!
AN: Sorry this wasn't the stealth Konosuba crossover chapter. It was the Kirito chapter all along!
"Kirito, can we please stop talking about this."
"All I'm saying is that it must be there for a reason."
The blonde haired boy sitting on the bench massages his temples. He's been more than patient but sometimes you wonder if you've been wearing him out with your questions. But you can't help it. You have to know.
He shakes his head, as if flailing around would prevent your words from reaching him. Well too bad Eugeo, you will get to the bottom of this, no matter who you have to badger! "We eat all the time! Where does it all go? Where does all the food go, Eugeo?"
"Please, Kirito." He begs. "We have to go on a mission in 5 minutes, can we not do this now?"
You're tempted to acquiesce. After all, you owe him so much. When you first woke up, those two long years ago, he took you in. With no past, no belongings, nothing but haunting memories you didn't understand. But Eugeo didn't care, no matter how much you imposed on him. He clothed you, fed you, helped you. When he had no reason to.
So you promised you'd pay him back. You trained him in the sword, even when you yourself didn't know where your skills came from. And one day he confessed to you that his memories were haunted by a golden haired girl. One whose name he couldn't remember, whose life he couldn't even recall, but one he knew he had to find.
It's the same as you. These strange memories that keep coming back, but only in pieces. Stray thoughts like 'this would taste good with some rice' or 'Asuna would've made this better...'
Rice?
...Asuna?
But that was that and this is this. And this? This just doesn't make any sense!
So you take another bite of the salty, flaky treat and savor the taste. It's delicious, of course, but you were less concerned with what it did in your mouth and more with what happened after. You take the half bitten treat and wave it Eugeo's face, showing him the creamy butter smeared in the middle.
"Look, this is butter. Which comes from cows!"
Eugeo, darting around trying to make sure no one was listening in, lowers his voice and whispers. "Yes, and? What's so strange about cows!?"
"How come things come out of cows but they don't come out of us?"
Eugeo sighs heavily at this point. He chews on his own lunch, struggling to comport an answer to your most insightful question, "Did Vecta steal your common sense alongside your memories..."
"Hey! I mean, isn't it strange? Like when I eat this biscuit, it doesn't come out the other end. Don't you find that strange?"
"Why is that strange!? You're eating it so of course it goes away!"
You take another bite, recharging your brain cells before diving straight back in. "But shouldn't it? Like... does that make sense? If you eat something, shouldn't it come out somewhere?"
Eugeo blinks for a moment. "I'm trying to enjoy my lunch. Can we not talk about this nonsense while we're eating?"
You sigh.
It's not nonsense.
It just doesn't make sense.
...nothing makes sense to you.
Eugeo tells you it's because Vecta stole your memories.
Selka tells you your best bet is to go to the Central Cathedral and seek an audience with Administrator.
It's why you and Eugeo are here, chasing the lingering commands of memories neither of you can understand.
Your body remembers how to hold a sword. You speak words nobody can understand. And there are just things that you... know. Things no one else believes.
"Look, let me put it this way. Conservation of mass! Nothing can be created or destroyed, only changed! So everything we eat either becomes us, or comes out the other end!" You won't relent on this! It's still strange to you!
"Conservation... another one of your weird theories Kirito? What was it last week? Mountains don't form circles? Stacia Windows shouldn't exist? Or are you going to rant about goblins being fictional right after fighting them? And there is no other end! What you eat becomes sacred energy!"
"Wha, that can't be it!" You gesture to the side, where a fat merchant haggles with a flabbergasted seamstress over the rising price of linen. "Then how do you explain how that guy got so fat—MHMMM!" Any further response is stifled as Eugeo tackles you to the side, covering your mouth with his hand.
"H-he'll hear us!" Eugeo chastises, before leaning in to whisper in your ear, "He's accumulated too much «Sacred Energy» without expending it first, hence he became fat. Everybody knows this!"
"So why are cows different huh?" you say, pushing his hand away. "They make milk, which they make from grass. They make manure, which we use to fertilize crops. Stuff comes out of them."
Now Eugeo is momentarily silent. His mouth closes tight, and he shakes his head. "Because they are Cows Kirito, and we are Humans."
"I'm just saying. I have a hole there and everything, I checked. Double checked! What's it even there for?"
Eugeo raises in hands in defeat, "How should I know? Kirito, you can't go asking questions like this. You've even got poor Ronye running around quizzing people on your behalf! Some things just don't have an answer."
Your riveting conversation is interrupted by the sound of a throat being cleared.
"Ahem. Kirito. Eugeo. Are you finally ready?"
And thus your little band of misfits was complete. The three gilded stars of the «Sword Mastery Academy».
Eugeo the «Woodcutter», Sixth Seat Elite Disciple from a backwater town in the middle of the country, whose only claim to fame was knocking down a tree. Nobody cared that it was some Multi-generational Demon Tree, all they saw was an upstart commoner who got too full of himself.
Medina Orthinanos the «Defect», Eighth Seat Elite Disciple, the latest failure of the cursed clan. The great founder of the Orthinanos once counted herself a close friend and confidante of Administrator, before she foolishly betrayed her liege in a fit of madness. Ever since then, the Orthinanos bloodline has been associated with nothing but treachery and failure.
Kirito the «Child of Vecta», Fifth Seat Elite Disciple, a man so obscure he was literally an orphan from nowhere. No family, no history, no achievements, nothing. Just a stranger with strange swordplay and even stranger ideas. At least he was obviously the coolest, most handsome—
"C'mon! You want us to be late, again?" Medina complains, already turning away. "Lady Alice has already gone ahead of us."
Eugeo is already jumping up to his feet. You can tell he's excited, eager to catch up with Alice. She was the Integrity Knight assigned to train your group, and your direct superior when out on missions. Eugeo always got along with her and they seemed on the same wavelength, in more ways than one. Hehe, you can practically hear the wedding bells.
You, on the other hand? Alice went extra hard on you. Your wrists are already sore just from thinking about it. You don't think she likes you very much.
You sigh, getting to your feet. You spend more time outside of the «Sword Mastery Academy» than inside it. The Integrity Knights were spread wafer-thin from the constant monster incursions, so all the Elite Disciples were forced to step up and take missions on behalf of the Church.
Best to think of it as on the job training for your eventual assignment as «Integrity Knights». Keep your eyes on the prize Kirito, the only person who could hope to fix your memories was Administrator. "Well, what's it this time? Lizardmen? Goblins? Gah, I hope it isn't goblins..." You'd take a dragon over yet another horde of goblins. You still have nightmares about the last time.
Medina, already halfway down the street, pauses only briefly to turn around and shoots you a scathing look. "Worse. Much worse."
"You can't mean..."
"Yeah. Again."
You and Eugeo share a look. There's only one thing that's worse than Goblins.
Her.
The «Twilight Witch».
Welp, guess you know why they're calling you again.
"C'mon Kirito, we can't keep Alice waiting!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
As the three of you leave town, Medina's voice reaches your ears. "By the way, what were the two of you arguing about earlier?"
"Well you see..."
"TABOO!"
"Medina it's not—"
"I REFUSE TO LISTEN TO THIS! IT. IS. TABOO!"
"J-just talking about it isn't Taboo! And Medina you were the one who asked!"
"I-I knew you were a pervert!" Medina, red-faced and shaking, points a finger at you. You were nearly at your destination and only now she's finally realized what you were asking about. "T-to so brazenly suggest such a thing...!"
"I didn't mean to upset you!" You say, trying to calm down the girl who was seconds away from exploding. "I was just asking why the hole was there! Clearly you know something. What is it for?"
"IT'S TABOO!"
"It's not taboo! There's no mention of it in the entire Index—"
"IF I SAY IT'S TABOO THEN IT'S TABOO!"
Eugeo sighs as the two of you argue, Medina's screeching echoing across the hills. What was wrong with simple curiosity? Must be some super-secret nobility thing.
You sigh.
That's one more mystery you'll never get a straight answer to. "Hey, hey! Relax, I meant no offense."
Medina's hands are on her hips, and she's giving you a stern glare. She's still red, and her eyes are still watery. And she's trembling, whether with rage or embarrassment, you don't know. "You should try to be less of a rude, nosy, idiotic, insensitive creep!"
Some deep instinct buried within your soul tells you to call her a tsundere. An even deeper, less suicidal, instinct screams at you to just nod and apologize. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
"G-good! A-and don't you dare do that until you get married!"
"What?"
"You know... that!" Medina says, turning redder and redder with each word. "T-the thing you were asking about, t-that hole!"
"Medina, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."
She opens her mouth to scream at you, but something else catches her attention. Something on the horizon. You follow her green eyes to the smoke billowing in the distance. It's your destination. A small village where the reports were coming from, nestled in the foothills of the End Mountains. The people of the village were fleeing their homes, spilling out from the gates like ants escaping a kicked hill. The smell of brimstone hits you even from this far away.
Hopefully you've arrived early enough to make a difference.
"Let's hurry," Medina says. You can't see her expression, but her tone is grim. She turns her head towards you. "Are you ready, Kirito?"
You draw the nameless black sword carved out of the remains of the «Gigas Cedar», holding it out in the neutral stance of the «Aincard Style».
"Let's do this."
The sky was a burgundy red, the sign of the Dark Territory encroaching onto the Human Empire like a parasite. Wherever she went, a slice of that accursed land followed. The enemy of humanity, the masqued queen of the Dark Territory...
That nameless harbinger of the apocalypse.
«The Twilight Witch».
The ground beneath you rumbles. The earth cracks and splits. Blackened, wispy shadows coalesce before you, turning into strange shapes. A pair of skeletons, armed like foot soldiers. Some alien intelligence within recognizes your groups as targets, the skulls chittering as they mash together. These were Monsters you've never seen before, never ever fought.
Yet somehow, oh so familiar...
Your allies have worked with you long enough to stop questioning how you know this. They accept your intel without question, even when you don't even know where the info is coming from.
The skeleton in front of you, wielding a short sword and a rectangular shield, sweeps the weapon forward in a wide arc. You duck under the blow, delivering a swift counterattack with your sword. You expect the monster to crumple in one blow. You expect your sword to slice through the shield like it wasn't even there.
Instead, the monster recoils from your attack, but the damage is minimal. The monster recovers quickly. Its hollow eyes lock onto you, and you realize that you've now drawn primary aggro on the monster. There's no time for a second strike, the monster's counterattack is already upon you.
You raise your sword in a block, catching the blade before it hits your skull. Another buried instinct screams at you. Now's the time, redirect its aggro, mess up its AI subroutine... Even if the logic escapes you the word does not.
"SWITCH!"
"HAAAAAH!"
A blonde-haired figure in a blue uniform blasts forward in a burst of sheer momentum. Their ice blue blade whistles through the air, slamming into the side of the monster's skull, encasing it in a thin layer of frost. And the thing is finally knocked aside, exploding into a thousand pixels.
No blood, no corpse. The hallmarks of the strange creations of the Twilight Witch.
"Nice save, Eugeo!" You call out to your partner, high-fiving your best friend. You've worked out some time ago that the best way to fight off the Twilight Witch's monsters was to tag team them, as they seemed strangely hesitant whenever they switched enemy targets.
"Anytime!"
Medina takes out her skeleton with greater ease than the two of you, her High-Norkia style's powerful two-handed strikes carving through her opponent in a single strike. You were here early, there were only a few monsters spawning in. Any longer and you'd have to deal with entire hordes of the beasts.
"Medina, that was amazing!" You say, still amazed she managed to defeat a monster in one strike.
"Of course it was! The Sword of Orthinanos cannot be stopped by a mere monster," The girl replies. You're already getting used to her bragging.
"Put er' here!" You cheer, holding up your hand.
...
Medina stares dumbfoundedly at your raised hand. Trying to copy Eugeo she puts her hand up against yours, but ends up curling her fingers around your own, blushing furiously the whole time. "U-uh, is this how you do it?"
"Close enough!" You say, laughing.
She pulls her hand away. "A-anyway! We should find Lady Alice and finish this."
It doesn't take long to find your master, Alice Synthesis Three Hundred and Thirty.
You simply had to follow the sounds of battle, and the infernal proclamations of the Twilight Witch.
"I know your every move, your every thought! Before the gaze of my demonic «Crimson Eye of Absolute Obedience» you are naught but servants to your King!"
You'd recognize that voice anywhere. You've heard it dozens of times already, and each time it nags at some memory buried within you. It sounds... so familiar.
But you can't afford to be distracted, because everyone in the Human Empire knows who the voice belongs to.
The «Twilight Witch».
Alice stands before you, surrounded by a golden halo of blooming flowers, her blade already in its memory release stage. Anything less would be suicidal against a foe such as the Twilight Witch.
You look up as the witch looks down from her perch atop the hill. There's a sinister smile spread across her face, accentuated by an ornate masquerade mask. She's dressed the same as the last time you've seen her: a flowery gown with feathers and long billowing sleeves unlike anything you've ever seen in Centoria. Yet her long black hair, her strangely familiar voice, and just the way she feels—
It all seems so familiar.
You almost want to praise her for wearing 12 whole belts over her stockings, complimenting the 5 belts she's wearing elsewhere. She's even added some more since you last met! And yeah, it's cool and all, but belts over stockings over another pair of stockings and a garter belt? You don't want to be the kind of guy who micromanages his own daughter's clothes but boy you really shouldn't let her mother see her in that, she'll—
What are you...
"KIRITO! Stay behind me!" Your master, Alice, shouts as she notices you stepping forward. "You're in range of her demonic eye!" She raises a curtain of gold between you and the witch, trying to shield you from the uh.. demonic eye of the Twilight Witch?
When did she get that? You could've sworn it was a cursed tattoo last time.
The Twilight Witch is quick to notice your arrival, raising her arms dramatically. "Ah! Pap—er... uh, KIRITO! THE BLACK SWORDSMAN OF LOST SOULS! YOU HAVE ARRIVED ONCE MORE TO BEHOLD THE INFINITE POWER OF THE TWILIGHT WITCH!"
Medina trembles, the Sword of Orthinanos quivering in her hands. You can see the sweat on her brow. The fear in her eyes.
Eugeo is standing next to you. He's less frazzled but you can tell by the way his knuckles are turning white that he's just barely holding it together.
But you? For some reason, you could never raise your guard around the Twilight Witch.
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!?" Calls out Alice, her blade still pointed forward. The gold curtain has turned into a shield, a glowing wall between you and the witch. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US?"
The witch laughs, throwing her arms out wide. She's a showman, always has been. To your mounting annoyance.
"AS THE TWILIGHT WITCH I HAVE BUT ONE PURPOSE! TO PLUNGE THIS WORLD INTO EVERLASTING TWILIGHT!" She shouts, her voice echoing across the hills. "AS PROPHECIZED IN THE «DEAD SEA SCROLLS» NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU STRUGGLE YOU CANNOT AVOID YOUR INEVITABLE END!"
The Twilight Witch's hand points towards Alice, and a bolt of darkness erupts from her fingertips, striking the earth in front of Alice. The explosion of magic throws the Knight off her feet, slamming her into the nearby walls of the village.
"ALICE!"
"Lady Alice!"
Eugeo and Medina rush to the side of their mentor, but you're already staring up at the witch.
It's... the same conversation as last time... the only difference was the names...
"Silence, Integrity Knight! I've had my fill of your foolishness!" The witch snaps her fingers, and purple lightning erupts from the ground, surrounding your allies in an unholy magic symbol. It looks impressive, but did it... do... anything...?
And then the witch turns her gaze towards you. "I grant you one final opportunity! Surrender to the Incandescent Mercy of the Twilight Witch! Take your rightful place by my side and I will grant you dominion over half the world!"
You stare at her, trying to place that deja vu that won't disappear.
"Uh... please?"
"We'll never surrender to a monster like you!" Medina declares, spitting at the Twilight Witch through phantom binds. "You may have gotten away thus far, but by the honor of House Orthinanos you will TASTE DEFEAT!"
The witch sighs, wagging her fingers in a mock salute. "A pity you would not see reason. And a pity that you are so weak. Haven't you realized it already? Your souls are already ensnared within my «Extradimensional Multiverse Labyrinth»! I need but one errant thought to deform your pathetic forms into that of... uh, newts!"
"I-I.. I'm not afraid of you!" Medina declares, but can't find herself to take another step. "DO YOUR WORST!"
"Medina, NO!" Eugeo calls out in warning.
"Don't you dare harm them, your opponent is me!"
The Twilight Witch cackles into the night sky, black lightning flashing with every overwrought proclamation. Medina and Alice are resolute, ready to risk it all on a singular chance to harm the Witch, while Eugeo desperately tries to hold them back, less her curse turn them into newts.
It's always like this. At this point it's almost a pattern.
Alice surrounds herself in layer after layer of magical protections, casting Sacred Arts upon arts, until the air around her is saturated with divine power. Even with her arms restrained her sword beckons to her will, the cloud of golden flowers blooming into a veritable maelstrom of petals.
And all the while, the Twilight Witch does nothing but stand and wait.
She waits...
And stares at you.
You just sit back and wait, too.
It's always the same. Every encounter.
Another thing that just doesn't make any sense.
You take a step forward.
"Kirito, not like this!" Eugeo cries out, arms reaching out towards you with a hand wrenched free of the restraints. He's about to charge but Medina grabs his shoulders, pulling him back.
"Disciple Kirito! Don't be a hero!" Alice cries out, oblivious to the fact that you were here precisely to defeat the Twilight Witch. Oblivious to the fact that she called you here just to defeat her.
You continue to approach, sword drawn. It feels futile. The end of the story is already written.
"Hohohoho~" The witch laughs, and raises her hands towards you. "You're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're coming right to me? Like a cadet scrambling to complete—"
You charge. You've already heard this speech before, it's something you know from your memories...
The Twilight Witch's arms radiate a pale light. From all around her, violet chains erupt, flying towards you with impossible speed. They behave less like chains and more like twisted snakes, the attack reminiscent of the time you saw Eldrie use his memory release art in a spar with master Alice.
You shouldn't be able to dodge this. But you do.
Your sword knocks back the first chain, a flicker of dark flame enveloping the black sword. You skid against the ground, allowing another pair to fly wide overhead. Yet another flies straight towards your face, but seems to veer off course at the last possible second.
"Impossible! How are you dodging my «Omega Chains»!? They will pursue their target unto the ends of the world! No mere human can avoid their grasp!"
If anything they get even slower. A cocoon of fast-moving projectiles that each weave around you without touching you. Even if a chain could hit you, it wouldn't do much more than tickle. Her monsters were almost built to be defeated. Even the spell restraining your party, all it did was write fancy symbols on the ground.
Why didn't anyone else see what you did? Why...
Did this all feel so wrong?
You're only a few steps away now, close enough to hear the witch's heavy breathing. To see the black eyes poorly hidden beneath her masquerade mask glistening with tears.
"D-do you finally remember?" She says, voice trembling, hands shaking, whispering so only you can hear. "P-please. You can't stay here. You have to come home. You can't stay here forever. You have to logout!"
Your hand is already reaching out towards her mask.
"Kirito, stop! Get away from her!"
"Kirito, no! It's a trap!"
"Don't give into her lies, disciple Kirito!"
Your fingers feel the edge of her mask.
There's a name, brushing up against the tip of your tongue. You can feel it, right there, just out of reach. A name...
"Yu—"
A force slams into you, driving into your stomach with the strength of a runaway carriage. The breath is knocked from your lungs and you're sent flying, rolling along the dirt roads of this border town.
Your eyes flutter open and the world comes back into focus.
The Twilight Witch stands above you, her mask still secured to her face. She's frowning, her eyes narrowed. "To resist my «Absolute Terror Field»... truly this is the power of the «Black Swordsman»...!"
Eugeo's at your side, holding your hand in his. "Kirito, answer me! Please!"
You... feel dazed. But everything's where it should be. You brush him off, standing to your feet. Despite the concussive force of the blast you're remarkably undamaged. The only part of you that still hurts is your butt, likely because you landed on it.
"My power wanes with the accursed light of Solus! Providence has saved you, for now! But I shall return, and next time, all of creation will bow before the wrath of the Twilight Witch!"
"W-wait!" You cry out, calling out to the witch. But she doesn't wait, instead retreating through a glowing doorway that soon disappears into the night.
...
And then there's silence. Another day, another encounter with the Twilight Witch. This was... the 14th? 15th? it's getting harder and harder to keep track.
"YOU IDIOT! Do you know how worried I was!?" You fight back a flinch as Medina, tears pooling in her eyes, grabs the collar of your shirt. "Why did you charge ahead like that!? You could have died!"
"Uh... sorry?" You didn't die the first dozen times so why should you die now?
"Disciple Orthinanos, release him. Now, Kirito, are you hurt?" Alice asks, kneeling down next to you and shushing away your classmate, checking you over for wounds. "Stay still, don't try to move."
"I'm fine," You assure her. "I don't think she was trying to hurt me."
"Don't be absurd." Your master chastises you, running a diagnostic Sacred Art over your body. "The amount of Sacred Energy she wields is astronomical. It rivals that of even Administrator."
"Yeah, but—"
"Even a minor scratch from her spell should have left a lingering curse. And yet..." Alice frowns, "No lasting effects. Your magical resistance is truly impressive, Disciple Kirito."
"Uh, thanks? Really, I don't think she had much of anything..."
Alice shakes her head, letting out a tired sigh. "False bravado ill suits you. And you're way too reckless! Disciple Kirito there's no denying that you were able to force the Witch to retreat, but I worry that one day your lack of caution will get you killed!"
"Ah-hahaha, just doing what comes natural..." You laugh, rubbing the back of your neck. You didn't do anything special. Rather it seemed more like everyone except for you went crazy whenever they encountered the Twilight Witch.
You've never seen her do anything. Monsters that didn't leave corpses. Magic that never seemed to affect you.
Towns almost wiped out.
Borders almost breached.
Horrors almost unleashed.
Nobody seems to find it odd. Nobody but you.
Eugeo helps you back on your feet, and the four of you all examine the damage done to the village. Outside of a few new craters in the ground, the town itself was more or less fully intact. The villagers could handle the cleanup without any further interference.
"Once again, we were lucky," concludes Alice. "The Twilight Witch can strike anywhere, at anytime. By the time Administrator receives word, the witch has vanished." You can hear the frustration in her voice. This was her assignment, a sacred task from the Pontifex herself, and after over a year of fighting the Twilight Witch she still hasn't managed to land a single scratch on the elusive woman.
"We need to be better. All of us." Alice proclaims, suddenly looming over all of you. Medina, to her credit, seems excited.
Medina likes the harsh training.
Eugeo, whether he knew it or not, always ended up coddled.
But you?
She went extra hard on you.
Urgh, this was gonna be a miserable walk home. And your butt was still hurting from the fall earlier. Actually wait, a minute... Alice was an Integrity Knight, surely she knows more than Medina...
If you couldn't find out who the Twilight Witch is today, at least you could get another mystery solved. In for a penny, in for a pound.
"Say, Alice?" You ask.
"Yes, Disciple Kirito?"
"There is one place that hurts. Can you take a look?"
"Of course, I wouldn't want the hero of the day to go untreated."
"Great! And while you're back there, can you tell me what's the purpose of that hole in the bu—"
AN: According to Moon Cradle people from the Underworld don't poop and have no toilets. The more you know!
Last edited:
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
In any case edits are going slower than expected. Currently uploading editing chapters to AO3 (Persona: HEAVEN - Chapter 1 - afreaknamedpete - Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga) [Archive of Our Own]) as a backup (it's the same exact story with the gameplay parts cut out and some line edits, so not worth rereading).
Regularly scheduled chapters will return by the end of November, at the latest.
(Also having second thoughts on Pokemon quest. Think it might be more work than it's worth.)
Regularly scheduled chapters will return by the end of November, at the latest.
(Also having second thoughts on Pokemon quest. Think it might be more work than it's worth.)
Winged One
Not the Simurgh
- Location
- definitely the ground
- Pronouns
- They/Them/It
Yui's chuunibyou phase is adorable. And she's putting in work on breaking her dad's programming!
Ferb_Ancos
The one under the table
- Pronouns
- He
Oh, look at that, at least we now know where Yui is. It seems she is doing this as a cover from the Administrator or is actually helping the people that have Kirito.
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
It's not a chuunibyou phase! It's a calculated strategy to jog his memory with pop culture references! Honest!
Now I sort of regret not letting Asuna go into the Underworld if she could've met with chuuni Yui. It would've been hilarious. Imagine if Yui convinced Asuna that going chuuni was 100% the best method to rescue Kirito and had Asuna join her.
Red_Knight25
Unofficial Edgelord Advocate
Now that I'm caught up.... Again.... for like the fourth time.... I really need to stay up to date.
I'd guess that what would happen if Asuna went to Underworld would depend entirely on who found her first. Yui I think would have given us a tearjerking scene of Mother Daughter reunion combined with some level of exposition on just what is happening in this crazy digital realm.
But given that Yanai was involved with telling Asuna how to get to the place I figure Administrator would have found her first, and I cannot reliably predict the ripples that would have caused.
I'd guess that what would happen if Asuna went to Underworld would depend entirely on who found her first. Yui I think would have given us a tearjerking scene of Mother Daughter reunion combined with some level of exposition on just what is happening in this crazy digital realm.
But given that Yanai was involved with telling Asuna how to get to the place I figure Administrator would have found her first, and I cannot reliably predict the ripples that would have caused.
truly the cruelest plot twist
I wonder how literal we should take Kirito's talk of a loop. Alice's Synthesis Number jumped from 30 in canon to 330. At first I wondered if that might be a tell that it's Loop 11, with Alice's number jumping 30 each time as the past repeats... but Kirito would have noticed that and commented on it, I think. OTOH, the idea that Kirito alone is retaining awareness of this would play into the hypothetical PC Kirito since one of the skills we saw he had was the ability to retain his memory after a system reset (with a warning that he should conceal this.)
05/21: Sugary Days
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
Another Terrifying VRMMO Incident!
Two years after the specter of SAO first synonymized VRMMOs with mortal peril, another case of unprecedented proportions has just been reported out of Tokyo. Alfheim Online (ALO), the flagship VRMMO of RECT Progress's AmuSphere device, has just been revealed to be a front for a massive illegal data scraping operation, as well as the suspected grounds for unauthorized medical experimentation.
On May 20th, a special investigator under the employ of the Ministry of Internal Affairs's Virtual Division made public a report that RECT Progress was utilizing ALO players in an illegal test of directed memory manipulation. The current director of RECT Progress, Sugou Nobuyuki, well known for his studies into the field of memory, was arrested on charges of forced, untested medical experimentation and endangering minors.
It is worth noting that RECT Progress is the direct administrator of the SAO Servers, which until recently still held 200 victims in a prolonged coma. The fact that RECT Progress's director may have been conducting research and experiments on SAO victims on the server they were entrusted to protect has many pointing fingers at RECT Inc, the parent company of RECT Progress, for poor oversight and neglectful management.
ALO was taken offline earlier last night, and its future is currently unknown. Sugou Nobuyuki's legal team has claimed that the accusations are "entirely false, and have no basis in truth."
President of RECT Incorporated and the direct superior of the accused, Yuuki Shouzou, has declined to comment at this time, citing a family emergency.
-Special Report, NHK News
Horrifying Human Experiments!
It's time for today's SCOOP OF THE DAY! A shocking revelation regarding ALO!
You've all heard about the shutdown of ALO right? If not, get out from under your rock! According to the latest reports, Alfheim Online is actually a front for human experimentation! That's all fine and dandy, but what aren't they telling you?
'Human Experiments'. Sounds kinda innocent, like somebody's testing out acne cream or something. Wish it were that simple. But this is a new era, with a new brand of criminal. One who engages in barbaric hypno-therapy on test subjects that can't consent.
For the last four months, since ALO's launch and the end of the SAO incident, 300 players of SAO were being systematically violated by RECT Progress's CEO and current SAO administrator, Nobuyuki Sugou. The methods used were unspeakably horrific, involving repeated simulated psychological and physical tortures. I'm talking about being burned alive, flayed, dismembered, the whole shebang.
It gets worse! You see, many players were forced into servicing Sugou sexually while having their memories repeatedly wiped. This is beyond sexual harassment, beyond even rape. It's a corruption of the very soul. Sugou, dubbed "Oberon" by his captives, enjoyed his power over his harem of victims and flaunted it, using his captives as personal playthings.
What's even more fucked up is that these are SAO survivors we're talking about here! These kids went through hell once already and now RECT Progress is playing mad scientist? How did he get away with it for so long!?
Thankfully Sugou's plans were foiled yesterday night when unknown vigilantes hacked into the servers and rescued the SAO victims from captivity! Although this tragedy has a happy ending, we must take it upon ourselves to ensure justice is done! Write to your representative! Spread this story! And don't buy a fucking thing from RECT until we see Sugou and all his colluders behind bars!
-Sarutobi Shinobu, correspondent for the Choyoyu High School Newspaper
Fatal Flaw in the Game System!? After SAO, another Horrible Crime Occurs in ALO.
05/21/2025: 09:07
Yo guys, let me lay it out for all you scrubs out there. ALO is Fucked! Like what the hell, at least in SAO you got to have some fun while you got killed by some evil boar demon. But in ALO you get mindraped in your sleep! Whatever happened to just plain ol' predatory monetization? Did RECT seriously look at capitalism, and think: 'Nah, I can do eviler'!?
You know what? Maybe I'm just an old grizzled badass now but I miss the ol' days of just logging on, kicking some ass, and logging off without putting your brain at risk. But then I wouldn't have GGO and all you lovely readers. And to all those ALO players who wandered in here: Come on over to GGO! We have no rapist overlords, no brain-melting hacks, we got nothing but pure cathartic violence. What do ya say? If anyone deserves to knock some heads around it's you guys.
Oh, and my squadron has some openings! Any girls interested? <3
05/21/2025: 11:37
Usujio you discount Rambo I know you stalk my blog. Why the fuck aren't you responding? Too scared to poke your head out after you lost to that Dead Gun loser?
05/21/2025: 13:10
C'mon Usujio, 1v1 me in Dustbowl! I'll even give you a handicap! Consider it practice for your runback with the gas mask freak!
05/21/2025: 13:30
Usujio, your girlfriend dumped you because she's too busy sucking my dick. Get back on GGO you pussy.
05/21/2025: 13:51
Seriously, anyone know where the hell he is? He's usually on this time, PM me if you have some info.
05/21/2025: 14:05
Fuck man, ghost me if you want. I'll kick your ass in BoB, as usual, you scrub.
-XeXeeD's EXTREEEEME Blog!
May 21st Update
First off, to everyone asking, I'm okay. Honestly, I haven't been logging into ALO too often with the baby on the way, so I'm safe and sound. To all the Undines out there, you have my line. PM me if you need anything, alright?
Now with all the revelations about RECT flooding the net, I thought I should chime in with the news that's going to get drowned out by all the controversy. The SAO survivors are now free. I've managed to speak with a few members of the SAO Survivor Support Network, and I've personally confirmed that everyone victimized by RECT Progress is safe and mentally sound. Nobody has any recollection of what happened to them inside ALO, beyond some faint nightmares.
They're still adjusting to their new freedom and have a long difficult recovery ahead of them. But now, after so long, the SAO incident is finally over. I know some of you might be disappointed that Kayaba Akihiko was never caught, but at least now the bleeding has stopped and we can all move forward together.
But to RECT Progress and Sugou Nobuyuki, I have this to say: Shame on you. Shame on you for failing these victims not once, but twice. I hope you rot.
And... to all of the players of ALO. I know this comes as a shock, I loved that game, as did many of you. But maybe that love may not have been real. Maybe I never enjoyed ALO to begin with and it was all planted into me by RECT. I don't know, nor do I think I ever will.
But please, whatever feelings of betrayal you might be experiencing right now, I think it's important that you understand that not every VRMMO developer is a monster. I still believe that VRMMOs are a positive thing, they help us make friends, meet new people, and even form families. Today was a dark day for us all. But it doesn't have to be the end.
Until next time, this is Thinker, signing off. And though it may no longer be in the Land of Fairies... I'll see you on the other side.
-MMO Tomorrow Subscriber Update, May 21
WEDNESDAY - May 21st, 2025
Afternoon
Is it strange of you to expect something to be different? You're not asking for a parade, but didn't you just expose a massive conspiracy and save 300 lives in the process?
Instead, you went to school, slept through first and second period, then spent the rest of the day compulsively refreshing your phone. You're certain the teachers caught on, not that they could do anything without calling out half the whole class in the process.
Hosaka was true to her word. Nanairo-sensei spent an all-nighter pulling the evidence out of your NerveGear while her sister stood over her shoulder, trying to prevent her from drooling over the research data. The moment the rat received the data she blasted it to every media outlet in Japan and a few blogs for good measure.
It's far too late but you suspect Kikuoaka was in a rush to meet you precisely to prevent you from releasing the data. You'll have to ask about it when next you meet him.
Which is hopefully never.
Well... there was one thing that has changed.
You've gotten used to the side-eyed glances, hushed voices, and even outright ostracization. Oh, they were still avoiding you, that hasn't changed. But rather than fear it's been replaced with... pity?
Motosu-sensei stopped you after homeroom to ask how you were holding up. The faculty knew you were an SAO survivor and SAO was in the news again, so you didn't pay it any mind...
But when more people did it as the day progressed you had to wonder...
"Y...yori-chan..."
The final bell has rung and it was your turn to mop the classroom. But just as you reach the cleaning closet a strong arm grabs you and pulls you back. It's Subaru. His eyes are damp and his sleeve is soaked in tears. For once you suspect he's not crying about himself.
"Please! Let me take over for today! You should go home and rest!"
You try to push past him but he lunges for the mop and holds it against his chest like some precious object.
"Subaru-kun, what are you talking about? I'm fine."
"No! Yori-chan! You played... that fairy game, didn't you? The mind-controlling one! Gah, and you just managed to escape! Go home and rest! Don't stress yourself out, please!"
You stare at him for a long moment, your sense of responsibility warring with your desire to get out of clean-up duty.
If he wants to mop the floor so bad then let him!
"Subaru-kun. I'm fine. Trust me, ok?"
"O-of course! You're strong, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!" Subaru gives you an awkward smile and then grabs the bucket next to the mop. "But you'll be doing me a favor! I mean, I love mopping! Best chore by far! I dream of mops every night!"
Before you can mount a protest he bows to you and then scurries away, mop and bucket in hand.
D—did he even realize that he has to mop this room?
What the hell was that? You don't remember telling Subaru you played ALO. You... don't recall keeping it a secret though. Shino knew about it. And you did mention it when you were talking with—
"YOOOOORRRRIIII-CHAAAAANNNN!"
You turn just in time to be tackled into a hug by none other than your loud friend. She's sobbing so incoherently that you have no idea what she's saying. You pry yourself out of her arms and grab her by the shoulders, shaking her, "H-hey you're getting snot all over my shirt! What gives!?"
"Yori-chan, I... I..." Your friend manages to form a sentence, "I... I had no idea! You've been through so much! I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you!"
She then bursts into tears again. You look around the hall, desperate to find someone who can translate crying, before you finally find Atsuko trailing in after her friend.
"Uh... are you okay? We heard all about what happened in ALO... they say the players there had their minds controlled!" Atsuko, stepping into class, clarifies. "I knew a few other classmates who played that game, and they're all out sick today..."
"T-THAT'S RIGHT! YORI-CHAN, IT'S SO HORRIBLE!" Your friend wails. "I HAD NO IDEA WHAT YOU WERE GOING THROUGH! I'M THE WORST!"
Oh.
You did, uh, roll around in the blood of an ALO player. You had a reputation for being spacey... and some articles were even now reporting that the suicide victim on the Tokyo Skytree was an ALO player...
Everyone already thought you were crazy.
Everyone still thinks you're crazy.
At least now they have an explanation.
That... has to be an improvement... right?
In the end you gave up. If Subaru was gonna treat you like some traumatized waif then fine! Let him mop the floor! You were gonna relax today!
You were gonna relax the hell outta this day!
In fact, you're gonna get professionally relaxed!
"It's just a bath."
It's just a bath.
That you were getting in a floor-sized pool Meimi rented out for exclusive use.
And after this? You were going to get a foot bath with volcanic stones.
Then a medicinal carbonated hot tub.
A full body amethyst powder massage and treatment.
Then a final stop at the sauna supplied by imported mountain water.
You were taking five goddamn baths today.
"You know it's fun the first time, but spending all afternoon getting water splashed on you in increasingly complex ways gets old fast."
You ignore your friend's criticism and sink further into the waters, your toes wiggling beneath the surface. The entire place reeks of incense and flowers. You couldn't be happier.
"Haah... I'm glad one of us is relaxed," Meimi sighs. "I had to spend all morning dealing with Asuna. Trust me, not a fun time for everyone involved..."
"How's she doing?"
You figure you're the last person Asuna wants to see right now. When you crushed the SEED in your hands you saw the lights dim within her eyes. At the end of SAO she held power and influence, solving problems at the point of a sword. Then she awakens into the real world in the worst possible way... as a child, who has no power but to beg others for help.
"She's... alright, I guess? Not exactly happy to see me," Meimi says, popping a chocolate-covered strawberry into her mouth. Should she be eating in a pool? Should you? Probably not but who the hell was gonna say no to a Tsurusaki? "I had to show up to keep our stories straight. She's my 'best friend' after all."
Meimi rolls her eyes as if this is the stupidest thing she's ever had to do.
It probably is.
"We're still going with that story?"
"Phff, nah, she wants nothing to do with me. But then I reminded her of her position and she finally realized she didn't have a choice," Meimi laughs, polishing off another snack.
"Meimi..." you try to give her a disapproving look but it's hard to look intimidating when your cheeks are stuffed with chocolate.
"Ahh, don't look at me like that," Meimi says. "She's not gonna spread around the details, especially of the whole LC thing. We had a... talk, let's leave it at that."
A part of you wants to go visit Asuna, maybe set things right, but another part of you thinks that distance is best for everyone. You don't think she'd be vindictive, but you didn't know her, even though between the SEED, Kayaba, and your Persona, she knew a lot about you. More than you're entirely comfortable with.
But more than anything... she was imprisoned. And you're glad she's alright.
"Meimi, just be gentle with her. She's a victim too—"
"No, she's NOT!"
Meimi rises to her feet, causing a splash of water to dunk the tray of snacks into the water. Meimi was always the smiling, laughing one, even when she was planning some cruel scheme. But now her expression is twisted into anger, one you've only seen her show OBERON.
"All she had to do was listen to Sugou bitch and moan! She got something out of SAO! She's... she's got someone to fight for, she..."
Meimi's fingers are clenched tight, her nails digging into her palms. You swim over to her, trying to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. But you feel her shift away, forcing you to awkwardly float there in the chocolate-infused water.
"Meimi, what happened? It wasn't just some talk, was it?"
And it's not really about Asuna, is it?
You study Meimi. Her damp hair hangs over her shoulders and sticks to her skin. She's still so frail and skinny, you can count the ribs on her stomach. It's easy to forget that as far as physical recovery went, you had a full 4-month lead on her. She's only barely able to walk without a cane. That energy that's been pushing her this whole time, the fight against OBERON, it was all expended.
Catching you staring, Meimi slumps back down into the bath, sinking until her face is barely above the water. "Hey, don't use your weird cursed eye mojo on me. I'd rather not have to call the cleaners up here and explain why the bath has both chocolate and blood mixed in it."
Your hand instinctively shoots up to cover your forehead. If you looked closely the scar was still there. "I-I can't do that outside of VR! And it was just that one time, and I wasn't really sure how I did it!"
Meimi's lips draw a thin line and her eyes track up to your forehead. "If you asked me two years ago who I'd be hanging out with, 'girl with cursed eye powers' wouldn't have cracked the top ten."
You hesitate for a moment but then give her a lopsided smile. "You have magic powers too!"
"Yeah, but you've got like... double the magic power I have? If I'm a magical girl then you're the big space goddess who hands out powers."
"Meimi..."
"Jeez, you're so persistent. Fine. Not like it's some secret," Meimi mutters. She sinks back down into the waters, looking utterly exhausted. "...Look. I didn't really want to go talk to Asuna, I figured it could wait at least a few days. Let her figure out how bowels work first. I mean, she starts blabbing about Personas and magic VR powers, who the hell's gonna believe her?"
"So why did you go then?"
Meimi's shoulders slump. "Dad insisted on it."
The water laps against your skin. Somehow it feels colder.
"This whole... thing. It's been great for... business." She spits out the word like it's poison. "It's not like I got a problem with that, I've always wanted to do more, honor the family name and all that but..."
She shakes her head, trying to dislodge the unpleasant thoughts. "I got nothing to hide anymore, Sugou's crimes are all out in the open, including what he did to me. I thought dad would be angry. That he'd drive RECT into the ground, ruin the Yuuki family... I thought he'd go on the warpath for me..."
You wish you could say you were surprised when Meimi leans back and laughs, a dry, joyless sound.
"But he's ecstatic! Ever since I pretended to be Asuna's friend Dad and Yuuki Shouzou have been glued at the goddamn hip. That little lie of ours was just the introduction Dad needed to get all up in RECT's business. Favors, loans... control. And now that RECT's radioactive, he's positioned himself as the only person who can help. The one who's willing to help. RECT will survive with Dad's help, and when the smoke clears, only one party will have come out ahead. The Tsurusakis, with a fresh new vassal."
"I thought they were enemies..." You remember the meeting you sat in on. The two men spent the whole meeting jostling for face.
"Enemies? Dad doesn't have friends and he certainly doesn't have enemies. Just those he can use and those he can't. This is his golden opportunity to control RECT, to control everyone. My little lie was just a foot in the fucking door! And you know what the worst part is? I know Dad knows I was lying. I know he realizes me and Asuna aren't friends, especially not after I sniped at Asuna all meeting. But he doesn't care. Cause this little fake friendship? Right now it's convenient to the Tsurusaki family. It's convenient to keep Yuuki Shouzou running to him for help. It's convenient for Asuna to play along lest her family business get shredded by wolves. You see? My kidnapping, my suffering, it was all convenient."
Meimi's anger rises to the surface and you can see her shoulders quiver beneath the water.
"He told me... that he was proud of me. For giving him an opportunity... that I was useful to him..."
You try to say something but Meimi continues, the words spilling out of her lips like vomit.
"Proud of me for... taking it with dignity."
...
Just another piece on the board. A pawn in a game neither of you understand.
You try not to think of Yanai or the voices in your head.
Just... another piece on the board.
The two of you sit in silence, just looking at nothing in particular. What can you say? You want to grab Meimi's hand and squeeze it, hoping to show that you're there for her. But you don't miss the way she draws her arms around her body, or how far she sits away from you.
"...Hiyori. Why is it that I'm the only one who remembers?"
...The closest person to Meimi's situation was, ironically, Asuna herself. The two had more in common than just running in the same circles. Maybe if things didn't turn out so hostile in the end, if it wasn't for Laughing Coffin, the two of them would've ended up close friends.
"Every single one of them. All of Sugou's victims they're... they're fine. A few nightmares, whatever. Just some bad dreams."
"Meimi..."
"But I'm the only one that remembers. OBERON, those feelings, to everyone else what he did... it's... it's like it never happened..." Meimi leans back against the edge of the pool, the waterlogged snacks floating by. "After everything that bastard did, the only one who remembers is me."
"But we got him. He won't hurt anyone anymore, he's... ruined."
Meimi got her revenge. She got her closure. She resisted OBERON even without your help, proving that he had no more hold on her...
And she's lost the driving force that's been pushing her forward all this month.
If you could drag Kayaba Akihiko to the light of day...
If you could see XaXa locked up in the world's darkest pit...
Johnny Black committed to the asylum he belonged in...
PoH's severed head on a spike...
You'd feel so much better.
And Meimi's staring at you as if she's reading your thoughts. "Hmm. I'm jealous Hiyori. You've still got plenty of enemies to fight."
After ALO your impromptu party has kind of scattered. Shirogane's gone back to his lab, to deal with the piles of work he's left behind. Cayna and Yuuki were ramping up the experiment with RATH. Seven's heading back to the States and Rain is planning on traveling with her. And Meimi? She never hated SAO. She even admired Laughing Coffin. The person she came along to destroy... "You don't have to force yourself, Meimi. We've stopped Sugou, and—"
"Hey, don't give me that crap! You're right, I don't have to do anything. But I'm gonna, and I don't want to hear you moaning about 'risking your life' or such nonsense ever again! You ain't getting rid of me that easy." You see the corner of her mouth curl up into a smile, "Besides. What kind of a Tsurusaki would I be if I let an opportunity to use magic pass me by?"
You smile. You don't want to admit it but fighting in other worlds with magic stands? It's pretty freaking cool.
"So, what's next for the «Fangs of Fenris»?" Meimi asks, kicking up a small wave. "Are we still calling ourselves that? We need like, a more generic name. Like the Phantom Thieves!"
"Uh... the «Virtual Research Society»?"
"Guh, too generic. Sounds like something a bored princess would think of."
The SAO Survivor Executioner Squadron!
"We can worry about a name when we have more than two people..."
And about what next... you don't know. There's no apocalypse you currently need to prevent, nothing but the machinations of Kayaba Akihiko, and the creeping warnings of your sponsor.
That there are more worlds out there.
That Sugou for all his crimes was just... a warm-up.
"You think there's another one out there?" Meimi says. "Another Sugou, another criminal out there to bring to justice? Are we just meant to run around crashing every single SEED game till the end of time? There are hundreds of them out there..."
Hundreds of SEEDs, hundreds of worlds...
Soon to be thousands.
Possibly Millions.
Until... everyone has a world of their own.
Was it going to be like SAO? A final fight with a mastermind, some load bearing villain that when crushed would save the day?
Or was it going to be something that couldn't be solved? Poverty, Despair, Depersonalization, a problem with society that can't be stopped until everyone, everywhere, changes. There's not enough strength in the world to tackle something like that.
"We're heroes, right?" Meimi says, seeing the way your eyes unfocus. "I mean... we saved Asuna, we stopped Sugou... and if I'm understanding things right, we stopped a couple thousand players from being whisked away into another world."
You nod slowly. "...We did. We stopped the creation of Sugou's world."
With Sugou it was simple. He was a monster, his world would've been no different than hell with woodland trappings.
But if it wasn't Sugou. If it was just... another world. A world people went to escape to?
Where you could... do everything right the first time. Make no mistakes, be the hero, conquer the Demon Lord.
Would you have stopped it?
Should you?
...
"C'mon, Hiyori. Let's get out of here, my skin's starting to get sticky..."
You nod.
There are no answers here.
Just warm water and chocolate.
>Your STRESS has been set to 0!
>You found ¥500 on the ground! (the QM likes round numbers)
>You possessed 23Determination, lost net 5 during last plan, and lost a handful in the OBERON fight.
>We'll round to 15 Determination at the start of this phase.
>For defeating OBERON and ending the ALO arc early, you have obtained 30 DETERMINATION! Don't spend it all in one place!
AN: Please submit in PLAN format!
After some thought I'm deciding to not mess too much with the non-combat aspect of the quest.
So tentatively UPGRADE is still being changed, but I'm not messing with Determination.
Also since I don't want to make another shop, DEATH will no longer be selling a high school girl pharmaceuticals, at least in Arc 2. Arc 3 though, well...
Two years after the specter of SAO first synonymized VRMMOs with mortal peril, another case of unprecedented proportions has just been reported out of Tokyo. Alfheim Online (ALO), the flagship VRMMO of RECT Progress's AmuSphere device, has just been revealed to be a front for a massive illegal data scraping operation, as well as the suspected grounds for unauthorized medical experimentation.
On May 20th, a special investigator under the employ of the Ministry of Internal Affairs's Virtual Division made public a report that RECT Progress was utilizing ALO players in an illegal test of directed memory manipulation. The current director of RECT Progress, Sugou Nobuyuki, well known for his studies into the field of memory, was arrested on charges of forced, untested medical experimentation and endangering minors.
It is worth noting that RECT Progress is the direct administrator of the SAO Servers, which until recently still held 200 victims in a prolonged coma. The fact that RECT Progress's director may have been conducting research and experiments on SAO victims on the server they were entrusted to protect has many pointing fingers at RECT Inc, the parent company of RECT Progress, for poor oversight and neglectful management.
ALO was taken offline earlier last night, and its future is currently unknown. Sugou Nobuyuki's legal team has claimed that the accusations are "entirely false, and have no basis in truth."
President of RECT Incorporated and the direct superior of the accused, Yuuki Shouzou, has declined to comment at this time, citing a family emergency.
-Special Report, NHK News
Horrifying Human Experiments!
It's time for today's SCOOP OF THE DAY! A shocking revelation regarding ALO!
You've all heard about the shutdown of ALO right? If not, get out from under your rock! According to the latest reports, Alfheim Online is actually a front for human experimentation! That's all fine and dandy, but what aren't they telling you?
'Human Experiments'. Sounds kinda innocent, like somebody's testing out acne cream or something. Wish it were that simple. But this is a new era, with a new brand of criminal. One who engages in barbaric hypno-therapy on test subjects that can't consent.
For the last four months, since ALO's launch and the end of the SAO incident, 300 players of SAO were being systematically violated by RECT Progress's CEO and current SAO administrator, Nobuyuki Sugou. The methods used were unspeakably horrific, involving repeated simulated psychological and physical tortures. I'm talking about being burned alive, flayed, dismembered, the whole shebang.
It gets worse! You see, many players were forced into servicing Sugou sexually while having their memories repeatedly wiped. This is beyond sexual harassment, beyond even rape. It's a corruption of the very soul. Sugou, dubbed "Oberon" by his captives, enjoyed his power over his harem of victims and flaunted it, using his captives as personal playthings.
What's even more fucked up is that these are SAO survivors we're talking about here! These kids went through hell once already and now RECT Progress is playing mad scientist? How did he get away with it for so long!?
Thankfully Sugou's plans were foiled yesterday night when unknown vigilantes hacked into the servers and rescued the SAO victims from captivity! Although this tragedy has a happy ending, we must take it upon ourselves to ensure justice is done! Write to your representative! Spread this story! And don't buy a fucking thing from RECT until we see Sugou and all his colluders behind bars!
-Sarutobi Shinobu, correspondent for the Choyoyu High School Newspaper
Fatal Flaw in the Game System!? After SAO, another Horrible Crime Occurs in ALO.
05/21/2025: 09:07
Yo guys, let me lay it out for all you scrubs out there. ALO is Fucked! Like what the hell, at least in SAO you got to have some fun while you got killed by some evil boar demon. But in ALO you get mindraped in your sleep! Whatever happened to just plain ol' predatory monetization? Did RECT seriously look at capitalism, and think: 'Nah, I can do eviler'!?
You know what? Maybe I'm just an old grizzled badass now but I miss the ol' days of just logging on, kicking some ass, and logging off without putting your brain at risk. But then I wouldn't have GGO and all you lovely readers. And to all those ALO players who wandered in here: Come on over to GGO! We have no rapist overlords, no brain-melting hacks, we got nothing but pure cathartic violence. What do ya say? If anyone deserves to knock some heads around it's you guys.
Oh, and my squadron has some openings! Any girls interested? <3
05/21/2025: 11:37
Usujio you discount Rambo I know you stalk my blog. Why the fuck aren't you responding? Too scared to poke your head out after you lost to that Dead Gun loser?
05/21/2025: 13:10
C'mon Usujio, 1v1 me in Dustbowl! I'll even give you a handicap! Consider it practice for your runback with the gas mask freak!
05/21/2025: 13:30
Usujio, your girlfriend dumped you because she's too busy sucking my dick. Get back on GGO you pussy.
05/21/2025: 13:51
Seriously, anyone know where the hell he is? He's usually on this time, PM me if you have some info.
05/21/2025: 14:05
Fuck man, ghost me if you want. I'll kick your ass in BoB, as usual, you scrub.
-XeXeeD's EXTREEEEME Blog!
May 21st Update
First off, to everyone asking, I'm okay. Honestly, I haven't been logging into ALO too often with the baby on the way, so I'm safe and sound. To all the Undines out there, you have my line. PM me if you need anything, alright?
Now with all the revelations about RECT flooding the net, I thought I should chime in with the news that's going to get drowned out by all the controversy. The SAO survivors are now free. I've managed to speak with a few members of the SAO Survivor Support Network, and I've personally confirmed that everyone victimized by RECT Progress is safe and mentally sound. Nobody has any recollection of what happened to them inside ALO, beyond some faint nightmares.
They're still adjusting to their new freedom and have a long difficult recovery ahead of them. But now, after so long, the SAO incident is finally over. I know some of you might be disappointed that Kayaba Akihiko was never caught, but at least now the bleeding has stopped and we can all move forward together.
But to RECT Progress and Sugou Nobuyuki, I have this to say: Shame on you. Shame on you for failing these victims not once, but twice. I hope you rot.
And... to all of the players of ALO. I know this comes as a shock, I loved that game, as did many of you. But maybe that love may not have been real. Maybe I never enjoyed ALO to begin with and it was all planted into me by RECT. I don't know, nor do I think I ever will.
But please, whatever feelings of betrayal you might be experiencing right now, I think it's important that you understand that not every VRMMO developer is a monster. I still believe that VRMMOs are a positive thing, they help us make friends, meet new people, and even form families. Today was a dark day for us all. But it doesn't have to be the end.
Until next time, this is Thinker, signing off. And though it may no longer be in the Land of Fairies... I'll see you on the other side.
-MMO Tomorrow Subscriber Update, May 21
WEDNESDAY - May 21st, 2025
Afternoon
Is it strange of you to expect something to be different? You're not asking for a parade, but didn't you just expose a massive conspiracy and save 300 lives in the process?
Instead, you went to school, slept through first and second period, then spent the rest of the day compulsively refreshing your phone. You're certain the teachers caught on, not that they could do anything without calling out half the whole class in the process.
Hosaka was true to her word. Nanairo-sensei spent an all-nighter pulling the evidence out of your NerveGear while her sister stood over her shoulder, trying to prevent her from drooling over the research data. The moment the rat received the data she blasted it to every media outlet in Japan and a few blogs for good measure.
It's far too late but you suspect Kikuoaka was in a rush to meet you precisely to prevent you from releasing the data. You'll have to ask about it when next you meet him.
Which is hopefully never.
Well... there was one thing that has changed.
You've gotten used to the side-eyed glances, hushed voices, and even outright ostracization. Oh, they were still avoiding you, that hasn't changed. But rather than fear it's been replaced with... pity?
Motosu-sensei stopped you after homeroom to ask how you were holding up. The faculty knew you were an SAO survivor and SAO was in the news again, so you didn't pay it any mind...
But when more people did it as the day progressed you had to wonder...
"Y...yori-chan..."
The final bell has rung and it was your turn to mop the classroom. But just as you reach the cleaning closet a strong arm grabs you and pulls you back. It's Subaru. His eyes are damp and his sleeve is soaked in tears. For once you suspect he's not crying about himself.
"Please! Let me take over for today! You should go home and rest!"
You try to push past him but he lunges for the mop and holds it against his chest like some precious object.
"Subaru-kun, what are you talking about? I'm fine."
"No! Yori-chan! You played... that fairy game, didn't you? The mind-controlling one! Gah, and you just managed to escape! Go home and rest! Don't stress yourself out, please!"
You stare at him for a long moment, your sense of responsibility warring with your desire to get out of clean-up duty.
If he wants to mop the floor so bad then let him!
"Subaru-kun. I'm fine. Trust me, ok?"
"O-of course! You're strong, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!" Subaru gives you an awkward smile and then grabs the bucket next to the mop. "But you'll be doing me a favor! I mean, I love mopping! Best chore by far! I dream of mops every night!"
Before you can mount a protest he bows to you and then scurries away, mop and bucket in hand.
D—did he even realize that he has to mop this room?
What the hell was that? You don't remember telling Subaru you played ALO. You... don't recall keeping it a secret though. Shino knew about it. And you did mention it when you were talking with—
"YOOOOORRRRIIII-CHAAAAANNNN!"
You turn just in time to be tackled into a hug by none other than your loud friend. She's sobbing so incoherently that you have no idea what she's saying. You pry yourself out of her arms and grab her by the shoulders, shaking her, "H-hey you're getting snot all over my shirt! What gives!?"
"Yori-chan, I... I..." Your friend manages to form a sentence, "I... I had no idea! You've been through so much! I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you!"
She then bursts into tears again. You look around the hall, desperate to find someone who can translate crying, before you finally find Atsuko trailing in after her friend.
"Uh... are you okay? We heard all about what happened in ALO... they say the players there had their minds controlled!" Atsuko, stepping into class, clarifies. "I knew a few other classmates who played that game, and they're all out sick today..."
"T-THAT'S RIGHT! YORI-CHAN, IT'S SO HORRIBLE!" Your friend wails. "I HAD NO IDEA WHAT YOU WERE GOING THROUGH! I'M THE WORST!"
Oh.
You did, uh, roll around in the blood of an ALO player. You had a reputation for being spacey... and some articles were even now reporting that the suicide victim on the Tokyo Skytree was an ALO player...
Everyone already thought you were crazy.
Everyone still thinks you're crazy.
At least now they have an explanation.
That... has to be an improvement... right?
In the end you gave up. If Subaru was gonna treat you like some traumatized waif then fine! Let him mop the floor! You were gonna relax today!
You were gonna relax the hell outta this day!
In fact, you're gonna get professionally relaxed!
"It's just a bath."
It's just a bath.
That you were getting in a floor-sized pool Meimi rented out for exclusive use.
And after this? You were going to get a foot bath with volcanic stones.
Then a medicinal carbonated hot tub.
A full body amethyst powder massage and treatment.
Then a final stop at the sauna supplied by imported mountain water.
You were taking five goddamn baths today.
"You know it's fun the first time, but spending all afternoon getting water splashed on you in increasingly complex ways gets old fast."
You ignore your friend's criticism and sink further into the waters, your toes wiggling beneath the surface. The entire place reeks of incense and flowers. You couldn't be happier.
"Haah... I'm glad one of us is relaxed," Meimi sighs. "I had to spend all morning dealing with Asuna. Trust me, not a fun time for everyone involved..."
"How's she doing?"
You figure you're the last person Asuna wants to see right now. When you crushed the SEED in your hands you saw the lights dim within her eyes. At the end of SAO she held power and influence, solving problems at the point of a sword. Then she awakens into the real world in the worst possible way... as a child, who has no power but to beg others for help.
"She's... alright, I guess? Not exactly happy to see me," Meimi says, popping a chocolate-covered strawberry into her mouth. Should she be eating in a pool? Should you? Probably not but who the hell was gonna say no to a Tsurusaki? "I had to show up to keep our stories straight. She's my 'best friend' after all."
Meimi rolls her eyes as if this is the stupidest thing she's ever had to do.
It probably is.
"We're still going with that story?"
"Phff, nah, she wants nothing to do with me. But then I reminded her of her position and she finally realized she didn't have a choice," Meimi laughs, polishing off another snack.
"Meimi..." you try to give her a disapproving look but it's hard to look intimidating when your cheeks are stuffed with chocolate.
"Ahh, don't look at me like that," Meimi says. "She's not gonna spread around the details, especially of the whole LC thing. We had a... talk, let's leave it at that."
A part of you wants to go visit Asuna, maybe set things right, but another part of you thinks that distance is best for everyone. You don't think she'd be vindictive, but you didn't know her, even though between the SEED, Kayaba, and your Persona, she knew a lot about you. More than you're entirely comfortable with.
But more than anything... she was imprisoned. And you're glad she's alright.
"Meimi, just be gentle with her. She's a victim too—"
"No, she's NOT!"
Meimi rises to her feet, causing a splash of water to dunk the tray of snacks into the water. Meimi was always the smiling, laughing one, even when she was planning some cruel scheme. But now her expression is twisted into anger, one you've only seen her show OBERON.
"All she had to do was listen to Sugou bitch and moan! She got something out of SAO! She's... she's got someone to fight for, she..."
Meimi's fingers are clenched tight, her nails digging into her palms. You swim over to her, trying to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. But you feel her shift away, forcing you to awkwardly float there in the chocolate-infused water.
"Meimi, what happened? It wasn't just some talk, was it?"
And it's not really about Asuna, is it?
You study Meimi. Her damp hair hangs over her shoulders and sticks to her skin. She's still so frail and skinny, you can count the ribs on her stomach. It's easy to forget that as far as physical recovery went, you had a full 4-month lead on her. She's only barely able to walk without a cane. That energy that's been pushing her this whole time, the fight against OBERON, it was all expended.
Catching you staring, Meimi slumps back down into the bath, sinking until her face is barely above the water. "Hey, don't use your weird cursed eye mojo on me. I'd rather not have to call the cleaners up here and explain why the bath has both chocolate and blood mixed in it."
Your hand instinctively shoots up to cover your forehead. If you looked closely the scar was still there. "I-I can't do that outside of VR! And it was just that one time, and I wasn't really sure how I did it!"
Meimi's lips draw a thin line and her eyes track up to your forehead. "If you asked me two years ago who I'd be hanging out with, 'girl with cursed eye powers' wouldn't have cracked the top ten."
You hesitate for a moment but then give her a lopsided smile. "You have magic powers too!"
"Yeah, but you've got like... double the magic power I have? If I'm a magical girl then you're the big space goddess who hands out powers."
"Meimi..."
"Jeez, you're so persistent. Fine. Not like it's some secret," Meimi mutters. She sinks back down into the waters, looking utterly exhausted. "...Look. I didn't really want to go talk to Asuna, I figured it could wait at least a few days. Let her figure out how bowels work first. I mean, she starts blabbing about Personas and magic VR powers, who the hell's gonna believe her?"
"So why did you go then?"
Meimi's shoulders slump. "Dad insisted on it."
The water laps against your skin. Somehow it feels colder.
"This whole... thing. It's been great for... business." She spits out the word like it's poison. "It's not like I got a problem with that, I've always wanted to do more, honor the family name and all that but..."
She shakes her head, trying to dislodge the unpleasant thoughts. "I got nothing to hide anymore, Sugou's crimes are all out in the open, including what he did to me. I thought dad would be angry. That he'd drive RECT into the ground, ruin the Yuuki family... I thought he'd go on the warpath for me..."
You wish you could say you were surprised when Meimi leans back and laughs, a dry, joyless sound.
"But he's ecstatic! Ever since I pretended to be Asuna's friend Dad and Yuuki Shouzou have been glued at the goddamn hip. That little lie of ours was just the introduction Dad needed to get all up in RECT's business. Favors, loans... control. And now that RECT's radioactive, he's positioned himself as the only person who can help. The one who's willing to help. RECT will survive with Dad's help, and when the smoke clears, only one party will have come out ahead. The Tsurusakis, with a fresh new vassal."
"I thought they were enemies..." You remember the meeting you sat in on. The two men spent the whole meeting jostling for face.
"Enemies? Dad doesn't have friends and he certainly doesn't have enemies. Just those he can use and those he can't. This is his golden opportunity to control RECT, to control everyone. My little lie was just a foot in the fucking door! And you know what the worst part is? I know Dad knows I was lying. I know he realizes me and Asuna aren't friends, especially not after I sniped at Asuna all meeting. But he doesn't care. Cause this little fake friendship? Right now it's convenient to the Tsurusaki family. It's convenient to keep Yuuki Shouzou running to him for help. It's convenient for Asuna to play along lest her family business get shredded by wolves. You see? My kidnapping, my suffering, it was all convenient."
Meimi's anger rises to the surface and you can see her shoulders quiver beneath the water.
"He told me... that he was proud of me. For giving him an opportunity... that I was useful to him..."
You try to say something but Meimi continues, the words spilling out of her lips like vomit.
"Proud of me for... taking it with dignity."
...
Just another piece on the board. A pawn in a game neither of you understand.
You try not to think of Yanai or the voices in your head.
Just... another piece on the board.
The two of you sit in silence, just looking at nothing in particular. What can you say? You want to grab Meimi's hand and squeeze it, hoping to show that you're there for her. But you don't miss the way she draws her arms around her body, or how far she sits away from you.
"...Hiyori. Why is it that I'm the only one who remembers?"
...The closest person to Meimi's situation was, ironically, Asuna herself. The two had more in common than just running in the same circles. Maybe if things didn't turn out so hostile in the end, if it wasn't for Laughing Coffin, the two of them would've ended up close friends.
"Every single one of them. All of Sugou's victims they're... they're fine. A few nightmares, whatever. Just some bad dreams."
"Meimi..."
"But I'm the only one that remembers. OBERON, those feelings, to everyone else what he did... it's... it's like it never happened..." Meimi leans back against the edge of the pool, the waterlogged snacks floating by. "After everything that bastard did, the only one who remembers is me."
"But we got him. He won't hurt anyone anymore, he's... ruined."
Meimi got her revenge. She got her closure. She resisted OBERON even without your help, proving that he had no more hold on her...
And she's lost the driving force that's been pushing her forward all this month.
If you could drag Kayaba Akihiko to the light of day...
If you could see XaXa locked up in the world's darkest pit...
Johnny Black committed to the asylum he belonged in...
PoH's severed head on a spike...
You'd feel so much better.
And Meimi's staring at you as if she's reading your thoughts. "Hmm. I'm jealous Hiyori. You've still got plenty of enemies to fight."
After ALO your impromptu party has kind of scattered. Shirogane's gone back to his lab, to deal with the piles of work he's left behind. Cayna and Yuuki were ramping up the experiment with RATH. Seven's heading back to the States and Rain is planning on traveling with her. And Meimi? She never hated SAO. She even admired Laughing Coffin. The person she came along to destroy... "You don't have to force yourself, Meimi. We've stopped Sugou, and—"
"Hey, don't give me that crap! You're right, I don't have to do anything. But I'm gonna, and I don't want to hear you moaning about 'risking your life' or such nonsense ever again! You ain't getting rid of me that easy." You see the corner of her mouth curl up into a smile, "Besides. What kind of a Tsurusaki would I be if I let an opportunity to use magic pass me by?"
You smile. You don't want to admit it but fighting in other worlds with magic stands? It's pretty freaking cool.
"So, what's next for the «Fangs of Fenris»?" Meimi asks, kicking up a small wave. "Are we still calling ourselves that? We need like, a more generic name. Like the Phantom Thieves!"
"Uh... the «Virtual Research Society»?"
"Guh, too generic. Sounds like something a bored princess would think of."
The SAO Survivor Executioner Squadron!
"We can worry about a name when we have more than two people..."
And about what next... you don't know. There's no apocalypse you currently need to prevent, nothing but the machinations of Kayaba Akihiko, and the creeping warnings of your sponsor.
That there are more worlds out there.
That Sugou for all his crimes was just... a warm-up.
"You think there's another one out there?" Meimi says. "Another Sugou, another criminal out there to bring to justice? Are we just meant to run around crashing every single SEED game till the end of time? There are hundreds of them out there..."
Hundreds of SEEDs, hundreds of worlds...
Soon to be thousands.
Possibly Millions.
Until... everyone has a world of their own.
Was it going to be like SAO? A final fight with a mastermind, some load bearing villain that when crushed would save the day?
Or was it going to be something that couldn't be solved? Poverty, Despair, Depersonalization, a problem with society that can't be stopped until everyone, everywhere, changes. There's not enough strength in the world to tackle something like that.
"We're heroes, right?" Meimi says, seeing the way your eyes unfocus. "I mean... we saved Asuna, we stopped Sugou... and if I'm understanding things right, we stopped a couple thousand players from being whisked away into another world."
You nod slowly. "...We did. We stopped the creation of Sugou's world."
With Sugou it was simple. He was a monster, his world would've been no different than hell with woodland trappings.
But if it wasn't Sugou. If it was just... another world. A world people went to escape to?
Where you could... do everything right the first time. Make no mistakes, be the hero, conquer the Demon Lord.
Would you have stopped it?
Should you?
...
"C'mon, Hiyori. Let's get out of here, my skin's starting to get sticky..."
You nod.
There are no answers here.
Just warm water and chocolate.
>Your STRESS has been set to 0!
>You found ¥500 on the ground! (the QM likes round numbers)
>You possessed 23Determination, lost net 5 during last plan, and lost a handful in the OBERON fight.
>We'll round to 15 Determination at the start of this phase.
>For defeating OBERON and ending the ALO arc early, you have obtained 30 DETERMINATION! Don't spend it all in one place!
So it is done. Alfheim Online lies conquered, and its Chosen has been dragged back into reality.
Have you seen the true shape of the world? Your task is far from complete, my agent.
But rest for now. And keep your eyes on the sky. For HEAVEN shall soon descend once more.
TOTAL TIME: 04 FREE DAYS
Discretionary Budget : ¥16000
Determination: 45 D
Stress: 0 POINTS
0 MISTCOINS
Select actions for the period of May 22nd through 25th. [4 DAYS]
You may select 4 MAJOR actions and 4 MINOR actions.
You may freely select MINOR actions in place of MAJOR actions (but not vice versa).
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 major actions this period cannot exceed 8.
DETERMINATION is also spent to select special choices so it may be beneficial to leave some banked!
Don't worry about specifying the exact date, that will be determined by QM for narrative convenience.
HINT CORNER:
20% of Major Actions must be performed by your Shadow! She is currently satisfied.
Improve GRIT to experience a truly miserable encounter!
Improve EMPATHY to advance SUN!
Improve EMPATHY to advance MANKIND!
Apologize to your mom to advance PRUDENCE!
Apologize to your mom to get your allowance raise from Midterms!
Improve FITNESS to not have a horrible time during the third arc!
Improve CURRICULUM to improve your chances during the 1st Semester Finals!
Money will become more important during your next arc! [And it will be easier to obtain money!]
SIDE QUESTS!
[ ] Shadow//[INSERT]: Your Shadow may perform any MAJOR action on your behalf, simply specify in the vote. Actions your Shadow is interested in will be labeled as such. Actions EXCLUSIVE to your Shadow will be labeled as such. You may have your Shadow perform an action she isn't interested in, with variable results.
[ ] NEW! [Visit the SAO Survivors]: You have Dorz'l's character data saved on your ALO game disk. Considering you will never, ever, run that program ever again maybe you should return Dorz'l to its master? Agil runs the closest thing Tokyo has to an SAO Survivor support network, and he plans on traveling around the city introducing himself to the newly awakened, so it shouldn't be hard to find this... Ayano Keiko?
>May help you in a future HEAVEN...
[ ] NEW! [Girl's Night Out (and +1)]: You and Meimi promised to hang out after everything is done, but Meimi has suggested it'd be a good idea to invite the whole crew together for one last celebration! Now that you have an Augma even Cayna and Yuuki can join in on the festivities. Everyone's going their separate ways, and Rain is even traveling abroad with her sister. You just hope a certain someone doesn't crash the party... well... if she does you'll make her foot the bill...
>You'll be out late. You might even need to take the last train home.
[ ] NEW! [G-Man 2.0]: Kikuoaka has stopped trying to be the distant and mysterious government sponsor. Now he's decided to be an annoying twat. You started blocking his calls but he managed to start using a different number... you blocked that one and he figures out another... You're not gonna win a battle with the government over this, so might as well rip the bandaid off while he's still offering to treat you to sweets.
>Normally costs 10 Determination, but the sweets balance it out!
[ ] NEW! [Somewhat Less Ashamed!]: You aced your Midterms! That's good news! So you can uh, have an excuse to talk to your Mom about something that's not forgetting about Mother's Day and then forgetting to apologize about forgetting about Mother's Day and... well, it can wait another week can't it?
Yeah! Procrastinate!
>This takes a major action because you spend all day building up the courage.
[ ] NEW! [Pulling the Safety]: How's Shino doing? Last time you saw her she seemed... distracted. Something about training for a tournament? And how is Shinkawa Kyouji for that matter, did Shino ever figure out what was going on with him? You haven't seen him around Shino's place in some time. You have some free time now, so why don't knock on her door and see how she's doing? It's not exactly rational, but... something feels wrong. With Shino. With Kyouji and... you're not sure what it is.
[ ] [Movie Magic!]: MAXWELL wants to go... see a movie, after you shot down his request to travel across the country to the ass end of nowhere to satisfy his curiosity. Sounds harmless enough. What could possibly go wrong? What does a disembodied spirit man even want with... Shin Phoenix Ranger Featherman R?
>Not actually a Social Link. Upgrade Points are being nuked but MAXWELL's event will allow you to strengthen Personas of your choice.
SOCIAL LINKS
[ ] NEW! [Razed NATURE]: Satoru Mikami... you wonder how he's doing. He was reassigned out of RECT Progress, so ironically, he may have dodged the worst part of the current controversy. He's always shown an upbeat spirit, so you doubt he's wallowing in despair... it's strange doing it in reverse but call him up and ask to meet. If anything you owe him an explanation...
NATURE trains MASK efficiently.
NATURE provides contact information for VRMMO Developers
[ ] NEW! [DEATH and Taxes]: It's uh, not quite an internship. But you do have a standing offer from Yakutani-sensei to shadow him at work; he feels he owes you for saving his life and the least he can do is give you an introduction to the wonderful, wonderful world of working yourself to death in a hospital. For all his altruism Yakutani-sensei strikes you as someone who's used to getting his way... as the the person who saved his life, you might be the only person who can browbeat him and get away with it!
DEATH trains CURRICULUM and EMPATHY efficiently.
DEATH Personas typically specialize in healing.
[ ] NEW! [Pruning PLANTs]: It's a date! Not your date, per se, but someone else's date! Who you'll be stalking! Kinda, you're just making sure everything goes off okay! From behind a corner. With a pair of binoculars. You're totally not doing it cause you think it'll be funny watching Shirogane fumble his way through this. Wait a minute, if anyone sees them together... wouldn't they call the police on them!? All the more reason for you to back him up!
PLANT trains MASK efficiently.
Provides a contact for the next Arc.
[ ] NEW! [TEMPERATE Literature]: The local book store is closed! Motosu-sensei has been so distraught she's started complaining about it during class. You see the way she's looking at you. She's already been trying to trick you into going to her house and help her move her book collection, and now she wants your help in moving the giant bulk purchase of used books she's purchased from the defunct bookstore. You'd tell her to just hire a regular moving company, but you're 99% sure she probably can't even afford to buy lunch anymore... Actually, how will she make money...?
TEMPERANCE trains CURRICULUM efficiently.
TEMPERANCE will sell you books!
The next rank will train FITNESS as well.
[ ] [Seeking FORTUNE]: Subaru needs a favor. His father has signed him up for some shifts in the Bunkyo-ward Beautification Committee. Sounds exciting! Unless it's just a jumped up name for an unpaid position picking trash out of every temple in Bunkyo ward. At least it's impossible for someone to think it's a date! Wait, Subaru's father is coming along?
FORTUNE trains FITNESS efficiently.
Your SHADOW is interested in this action.
[ ] [DEVIL's Day Off]: Your, uh, partner in crime wants to get to know you better. The real you. You have a mind to fear you're gonna be kidnapped and have your organs sold on the black market but Mitsuha seems like a... well not exactly upstanding individual but not pointlessly cruel? The whole cryptocurrency scam thing notwithstanding. She's also an adult hanging out with a high schooler, but she's sure that won't cause any misunderstandings. And hey, maybe you can find out why she values money so much! Anything to get her to shut up about her fake money!
DEVIL unlocks more ways to interact with MISTCOIN.
Your SHADOW is interested in this action.
[ ] [Ordinal SWORD]: A way to bring back those lost to Sword Art Online. You don't believe. It can't be possible. It's as impossible as gods, spirits and the manipulation of souls themselves. It's... not possible.
You're going back. You need to know more. And for once you don't have an ulterior motive. Return to the cradle of VR and speak to the Father of the VR Revolution.
Oh... and he says to get plenty to eat and bring a few sports drinks with you. What?
KING OF SWORDS trains FITNESS and GRIT.
KING OF SWORDS provides contacts within the field of Cognitive Psience.
SWORD Personas typically specialize in STR.
Your SHADOW is interested in this action.
[ ] [Higher than SKY Phase]: Turns out your school does have a model kit club! And since Gunpla has essentially pushed practically all other model hobbies straight out of the market that makes it a Gunpla club! It wasn't an uncommon thing - some schools were famous for Gunpla, and there were even national tournaments now. You're already something of a pariah - pretty much everyone in school is already scared of you, but from what you hear this club is so sparsely populated they can't afford to turn anyone away - for good reason. Turns out? Gunpla is expensive. [Costs 5 D] [Costs 5000 yen]
SKY trains GRIT. Requires an Amusphere.
SKY upgrades your Gunpla! This makes the Build Gunpla minor action more efficient and rewarding.
SKY frequently requires the investment of significant monetary resources.
SKY Personas typically specialize in VIT.
[ ] [Grim JUSTICE]: Fukazawa Seiichiro, a man on Argo's list. An SAO Survivor like you, one Argo claims has escaped justice for some truly heinous crimes. After painstaking work and a questionably legal deal with the government, she's managed to track down his place of work and wants to wring a confession out of him. She plans on ambushing him on his way home and wants you to come to join her on the stakeout. She promises that you'll find meeting the man to be enlightening.
JUSTICE usually builds STRESS when taken.
You may meet some interesting people.
Your SHADOW is interested in this action.
[ ] [Blooming JUSTICE]: Hanako Akazawa, a woman on Argo's list. Surprisingly easy to find, Argo states she's not only escaped justice but is now managing a thriving business, despite being by Argo's standards a bonafide mass murderer. The address she provides you seems strangely... familiar, though you can't exactly pinpoint where you saw it before.
JUSTICE usually builds STRESS when taken.
You may meet some interesting people.
Your SHADOW is interested in this action.
WORK ACTIONS
Work can be done for 2 MINOR or 1 MAJOR action.
[ ] Raised! [Work//Titan Movers]: It's... it's finally happened. You've managed to open the wrapper without asking anyone for help! And... and you can even carry your bookbag without your back hurting! You've also brought in big business for Titan Movers! That means you're finally getting a raise! But... does that mean you'll have to lift bigger boxes?
You will be fired by the END OF MAY if this job is not selected by then.
Trains FITNESS greatly and receives payment based on FITNESS. Can train other stats. [Currently gains 4000 yen. Roll FITNESSd6, gain bonus Social Stats for each SUCCESS]
[ ] [Work//Augma]: Break into the gig economy! Become an independent contractor in an exciting self-directed once in a lifetime opportunity working with 2025's most visionary startup! Work when you want, for as long as you want! Not included: health insurance, job security, paid time off, hour limits, or a spiffy looking uniform.
Trains GRIT greatly. Will roll based on GRIT for task completion - completion of the task gives you a large lump sum and DETERMINATION.
Your contract expires at the END OF MAY.
Current Task Progress - 2/5, 20000 yen. [Roll GRITd6, gain PROGRESS for each SUCCESS]
[ ] Raised! [Work//CatCafe]: You are now an established catgirl maid! Frederica's novelty may have worn off but you have a few regulars now! Just... you can do better, can't you? Because he's seen you. He's challenged you. The top of the pile, the invincible, king of fluff himself... the CHIEF.
You will be fired by the END OF MAY if this job is not selected by then.
Trains EMPATHY greatly and receives payment based on EMPATHY. Can gain determination. [Currently gains 5000 yen. Roll EMPATHYd6, gain DETERMINATION for each SUCCESS]
[ ] Raised! [.Work//Sign]: There's a letter in the coin locker. It says that your work thus far has been... exemplary. Jobs that went unfilled, positions even the most hardened part timer have ran away from. But not you. You are now a veteran. Nothing can possibly scare you. It's time. You are up for the challenge. And no matter what happens, no matter what you see, remember... HOLD THE SIGN.
You will be fired by the END OF MAY if this job is not selected by then.
Trains MASK greatly and receive a lump sum of 7500 yen. [Roll STRESSd6. If any 1s are rolled, accumulate an additional 1 STRESS]
MINOR ACTIONS
Unless specified otherwise you may take individual Minor actions multiple times.
[ ] [Report//<INSERT>]: You've made a number of discoveries that Argo's boss in the Ministry of Internal affairs may find very interesting. What exactly is he doing with all this information...?
You may write 1 Report per Minor Action
Available Reports:
[Incarnation]: Sufficient rumors and mass belief can distort things... items, players... worlds. Is this common knowledge or did you stumble on something best left unsaid? [+10000 yen]
[The SEED]: It's not just some development kit. It's something strange, something... fundamental. The SEED of a world? What can you even do with this information? Will the government believe you? ...What if they do? [+10000 yen]
[ ] [Cram School]: High efficiency studying! And it prepares you for a crushing existence as an office worker!
Trains CURRICULUM efficiently.
[ ] [Augma Fitness!]: Can't build up the motivation to run to save your life? Download Augma Fitness now! A limited-time offer for beta-testers, spice up your exercise by running from a boulder, a zombie, or your disappointed parents! For the truly hardcore, the Augma has a function where it automatically calls everyone on your friends list and tells them embarrassing facts about your performance metrics if you fail to meet your fitness goals!
Trains FITNESS efficiently.
[ ] [Augma Fight!]: Want to learn how to sword fight for real? Using real life Kendo and HEMA techniques and not those dumb facsimiles in VR games? Well Augma Fight has you covered! Warning: Due to poor connection Augma Fight only works outdoors in areas publicly seeded with AR stickers.
...Well when you think about it there's nothing wrong with swinging a make-believe sword at make-believe monsters while wearing a gaudy headset in a public park. Just pretend nobody's staring and pray you don't end up being videotaped.
Trains MASK efficiently.
[ ] [High Love]: This is what you were afraid of. That otome game your friend recommended to you, Alto Liebe? It's filled with microtransactions. God at least none of the suitors were locked behind a paywall, but you expect you're in for a painful experience.
Trains GRIT efficiently.
[ ] [Serene Garden]: SereGa is an interesting VRMMO - billed as an app to assist hospice patients with end of life loneliness, it's less of a game and more of a chat room. The full-service model can only be used in hospitals for sick patients. However the SereGa devs believe that no one should die alone, hence the game features no NPCs and all quest givers, shops, even the rare monster are all controlled by volunteer actors. You won't get paid, hell you have to pay to download the app, but this is one use of VR tech you can actually approve of. [5000 yen]
Trains EMPATHY efficiently. Permanently replaces [Sightsee] with a more efficient variant.
[ ] [Sleep-in]: You need to study. You need to train. You need to save the world. Instead, go to sleep EARLY and snuggle up with Kuma-kun.
Reduces STRESS x 1. Becomes less efficient the more it is used (applies across the lifetime of the quest).
Roll 1d6, on a natural 1, Sleep-in has no effect. The roll becomes more harsh the more this option is used.
[ ] [Medicinal Baths]: No, not the local one down the street by the old folk's home. The big one. By the IMPERIAL PALACE. That has private rooms. [Costs 10000yen]
Reduces STRESS x 1. Repeatable.
[ ] [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
[ ] [Nekoya!]: It's open every day except Saturday. You'd eat there every day if your wallet and your waistline could afford the beating... but going there is always a risk. You can always find yourself spending a bit... more than intended.
Purchase 5 D for 1d6*1000 yen. One time per week.
[ ] [Bulk Hair Products]: You like your hair, it's pillowly, soft and feels great! But you can sense the air changing. Soon, Japan will enter the Typhoon season. And that means... humidity.
If you don't want to spend the rest of the school year looking like a cat strangled itself to death in your hair, you'll need to prepare. A lot.
>Purchase 20 D for ¥15000
[ ] [Sweets!]: You've had pancakes before. But... Triple Layered Ricotta Souffle Pancakes? Or Apple Caramel Custard Brûlée Pancakes? How can you possibly choose!? You know! You'll just try them all!
>Purchase 5 D for ¥5000
[ ] [Bookstore]: Due to a lack of interest the local bookstore closed... kinda sad to see, even if you only bought one book from them.
[ ] [Fix your Air Conditioner!]: After you complained to your landlord about the broken Air Conditioner he finally got off his ass and called in a handyman. Turns out, your lease only required that he connect you with a repairperson and not actually pay them...
>Handyman Saitou is requesting ¥40,000 to repair your Air Conditioner!
>Once JULY 20th hits if your Air Conditioner isn't fixed you will accumulate STRESS on a weekly basis!
Huh? What are you bothering me for, I know you haven't invested in the currency of the future: $MISTCOIN$!
...guess it doesn't really matter right this second. Gonna do a bit of an adjustment of things behind the scenes. Simple stuff, smaller denominations, maybe try to make it a TAAADDD more stable, after the ALO disaster.
But don't you worry, the $MISTCOIN$ train is chuggin' along just fine! We'll soon be open for business again, only this time leaner, meaner... and greener! WITH BENJAMINS!
Have you seen the true shape of the world? Your task is far from complete, my agent.
But rest for now. And keep your eyes on the sky. For HEAVEN shall soon descend once more.
TOTAL TIME: 04 FREE DAYS
Discretionary Budget : ¥16000
Determination: 45 D
Stress: 0 POINTS
0 MISTCOINS
Select actions for the period of May 22nd through 25th. [4 DAYS]
You may select 4 MAJOR actions and 4 MINOR actions.
You may freely select MINOR actions in place of MAJOR actions (but not vice versa).
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 major actions this period cannot exceed 8.
DETERMINATION is also spent to select special choices so it may be beneficial to leave some banked!
Don't worry about specifying the exact date, that will be determined by QM for narrative convenience.
HINT CORNER:
20% of Major Actions must be performed by your Shadow! She is currently satisfied.
Improve GRIT to experience a truly miserable encounter!
Improve EMPATHY to advance SUN!
Improve EMPATHY to advance MANKIND!
Apologize to your mom to advance PRUDENCE!
Apologize to your mom to get your allowance raise from Midterms!
Improve FITNESS to not have a horrible time during the third arc!
Improve CURRICULUM to improve your chances during the 1st Semester Finals!
Money will become more important during your next arc! [And it will be easier to obtain money!]
SIDE QUESTS!
[ ] Shadow//[INSERT]: Your Shadow may perform any MAJOR action on your behalf, simply specify in the vote. Actions your Shadow is interested in will be labeled as such. Actions EXCLUSIVE to your Shadow will be labeled as such. You may have your Shadow perform an action she isn't interested in, with variable results.
[ ] NEW! [Visit the SAO Survivors]: You have Dorz'l's character data saved on your ALO game disk. Considering you will never, ever, run that program ever again maybe you should return Dorz'l to its master? Agil runs the closest thing Tokyo has to an SAO Survivor support network, and he plans on traveling around the city introducing himself to the newly awakened, so it shouldn't be hard to find this... Ayano Keiko?
>May help you in a future HEAVEN...
[ ] NEW! [Girl's Night Out (and +1)]: You and Meimi promised to hang out after everything is done, but Meimi has suggested it'd be a good idea to invite the whole crew together for one last celebration! Now that you have an Augma even Cayna and Yuuki can join in on the festivities. Everyone's going their separate ways, and Rain is even traveling abroad with her sister. You just hope a certain someone doesn't crash the party... well... if she does you'll make her foot the bill...
>You'll be out late. You might even need to take the last train home.
[ ] NEW! [G-Man 2.0]: Kikuoaka has stopped trying to be the distant and mysterious government sponsor. Now he's decided to be an annoying twat. You started blocking his calls but he managed to start using a different number... you blocked that one and he figures out another... You're not gonna win a battle with the government over this, so might as well rip the bandaid off while he's still offering to treat you to sweets.
>Normally costs 10 Determination, but the sweets balance it out!
[ ] NEW! [Somewhat Less Ashamed!]: You aced your Midterms! That's good news! So you can uh, have an excuse to talk to your Mom about something that's not forgetting about Mother's Day and then forgetting to apologize about forgetting about Mother's Day and... well, it can wait another week can't it?
Yeah! Procrastinate!
>This takes a major action because you spend all day building up the courage.
[ ] NEW! [Pulling the Safety]: How's Shino doing? Last time you saw her she seemed... distracted. Something about training for a tournament? And how is Shinkawa Kyouji for that matter, did Shino ever figure out what was going on with him? You haven't seen him around Shino's place in some time. You have some free time now, so why don't knock on her door and see how she's doing? It's not exactly rational, but... something feels wrong. With Shino. With Kyouji and... you're not sure what it is.
[ ] [Movie Magic!]: MAXWELL wants to go... see a movie, after you shot down his request to travel across the country to the ass end of nowhere to satisfy his curiosity. Sounds harmless enough. What could possibly go wrong? What does a disembodied spirit man even want with... Shin Phoenix Ranger Featherman R?
>Not actually a Social Link. Upgrade Points are being nuked but MAXWELL's event will allow you to strengthen Personas of your choice.
SOCIAL LINKS
[ ] NEW! [Razed NATURE]: Satoru Mikami... you wonder how he's doing. He was reassigned out of RECT Progress, so ironically, he may have dodged the worst part of the current controversy. He's always shown an upbeat spirit, so you doubt he's wallowing in despair... it's strange doing it in reverse but call him up and ask to meet. If anything you owe him an explanation...
NATURE trains MASK efficiently.
NATURE provides contact information for VRMMO Developers
[ ] NEW! [DEATH and Taxes]: It's uh, not quite an internship. But you do have a standing offer from Yakutani-sensei to shadow him at work; he feels he owes you for saving his life and the least he can do is give you an introduction to the wonderful, wonderful world of working yourself to death in a hospital. For all his altruism Yakutani-sensei strikes you as someone who's used to getting his way... as the the person who saved his life, you might be the only person who can browbeat him and get away with it!
DEATH trains CURRICULUM and EMPATHY efficiently.
DEATH Personas typically specialize in healing.
[ ] NEW! [Pruning PLANTs]: It's a date! Not your date, per se, but someone else's date! Who you'll be stalking! Kinda, you're just making sure everything goes off okay! From behind a corner. With a pair of binoculars. You're totally not doing it cause you think it'll be funny watching Shirogane fumble his way through this. Wait a minute, if anyone sees them together... wouldn't they call the police on them!? All the more reason for you to back him up!
PLANT trains MASK efficiently.
Provides a contact for the next Arc.
[ ] NEW! [TEMPERATE Literature]: The local book store is closed! Motosu-sensei has been so distraught she's started complaining about it during class. You see the way she's looking at you. She's already been trying to trick you into going to her house and help her move her book collection, and now she wants your help in moving the giant bulk purchase of used books she's purchased from the defunct bookstore. You'd tell her to just hire a regular moving company, but you're 99% sure she probably can't even afford to buy lunch anymore... Actually, how will she make money...?
TEMPERANCE trains CURRICULUM efficiently.
TEMPERANCE will sell you books!
The next rank will train FITNESS as well.
[ ] [Seeking FORTUNE]: Subaru needs a favor. His father has signed him up for some shifts in the Bunkyo-ward Beautification Committee. Sounds exciting! Unless it's just a jumped up name for an unpaid position picking trash out of every temple in Bunkyo ward. At least it's impossible for someone to think it's a date! Wait, Subaru's father is coming along?
FORTUNE trains FITNESS efficiently.
Your SHADOW is interested in this action.
[ ] [DEVIL's Day Off]: Your, uh, partner in crime wants to get to know you better. The real you. You have a mind to fear you're gonna be kidnapped and have your organs sold on the black market but Mitsuha seems like a... well not exactly upstanding individual but not pointlessly cruel? The whole cryptocurrency scam thing notwithstanding. She's also an adult hanging out with a high schooler, but she's sure that won't cause any misunderstandings. And hey, maybe you can find out why she values money so much! Anything to get her to shut up about her fake money!
DEVIL unlocks more ways to interact with MISTCOIN.
Your SHADOW is interested in this action.
[ ] [Ordinal SWORD]: A way to bring back those lost to Sword Art Online. You don't believe. It can't be possible. It's as impossible as gods, spirits and the manipulation of souls themselves. It's... not possible.
You're going back. You need to know more. And for once you don't have an ulterior motive. Return to the cradle of VR and speak to the Father of the VR Revolution.
Oh... and he says to get plenty to eat and bring a few sports drinks with you. What?
KING OF SWORDS trains FITNESS and GRIT.
KING OF SWORDS provides contacts within the field of Cognitive Psience.
SWORD Personas typically specialize in STR.
Your SHADOW is interested in this action.
[ ] [Higher than SKY Phase]: Turns out your school does have a model kit club! And since Gunpla has essentially pushed practically all other model hobbies straight out of the market that makes it a Gunpla club! It wasn't an uncommon thing - some schools were famous for Gunpla, and there were even national tournaments now. You're already something of a pariah - pretty much everyone in school is already scared of you, but from what you hear this club is so sparsely populated they can't afford to turn anyone away - for good reason. Turns out? Gunpla is expensive. [Costs 5 D] [Costs 5000 yen]
SKY trains GRIT. Requires an Amusphere.
SKY upgrades your Gunpla! This makes the Build Gunpla minor action more efficient and rewarding.
SKY frequently requires the investment of significant monetary resources.
SKY Personas typically specialize in VIT.
[ ] [Grim JUSTICE]: Fukazawa Seiichiro, a man on Argo's list. An SAO Survivor like you, one Argo claims has escaped justice for some truly heinous crimes. After painstaking work and a questionably legal deal with the government, she's managed to track down his place of work and wants to wring a confession out of him. She plans on ambushing him on his way home and wants you to come to join her on the stakeout. She promises that you'll find meeting the man to be enlightening.
JUSTICE usually builds STRESS when taken.
You may meet some interesting people.
Your SHADOW is interested in this action.
[ ] [Blooming JUSTICE]: Hanako Akazawa, a woman on Argo's list. Surprisingly easy to find, Argo states she's not only escaped justice but is now managing a thriving business, despite being by Argo's standards a bonafide mass murderer. The address she provides you seems strangely... familiar, though you can't exactly pinpoint where you saw it before.
JUSTICE usually builds STRESS when taken.
You may meet some interesting people.
Your SHADOW is interested in this action.
WORK ACTIONS
Work can be done for 2 MINOR or 1 MAJOR action.
[ ] Raised! [Work//Titan Movers]: It's... it's finally happened. You've managed to open the wrapper without asking anyone for help! And... and you can even carry your bookbag without your back hurting! You've also brought in big business for Titan Movers! That means you're finally getting a raise! But... does that mean you'll have to lift bigger boxes?
You will be fired by the END OF MAY if this job is not selected by then.
Trains FITNESS greatly and receives payment based on FITNESS. Can train other stats. [Currently gains 4000 yen. Roll FITNESSd6, gain bonus Social Stats for each SUCCESS]
[ ] [Work//Augma]: Break into the gig economy! Become an independent contractor in an exciting self-directed once in a lifetime opportunity working with 2025's most visionary startup! Work when you want, for as long as you want! Not included: health insurance, job security, paid time off, hour limits, or a spiffy looking uniform.
Trains GRIT greatly. Will roll based on GRIT for task completion - completion of the task gives you a large lump sum and DETERMINATION.
Your contract expires at the END OF MAY.
Current Task Progress - 2/5, 20000 yen. [Roll GRITd6, gain PROGRESS for each SUCCESS]
[ ] Raised! [Work//CatCafe]: You are now an established catgirl maid! Frederica's novelty may have worn off but you have a few regulars now! Just... you can do better, can't you? Because he's seen you. He's challenged you. The top of the pile, the invincible, king of fluff himself... the CHIEF.
You will be fired by the END OF MAY if this job is not selected by then.
Trains EMPATHY greatly and receives payment based on EMPATHY. Can gain determination. [Currently gains 5000 yen. Roll EMPATHYd6, gain DETERMINATION for each SUCCESS]
[ ] Raised! [.Work//Sign]: There's a letter in the coin locker. It says that your work thus far has been... exemplary. Jobs that went unfilled, positions even the most hardened part timer have ran away from. But not you. You are now a veteran. Nothing can possibly scare you. It's time. You are up for the challenge. And no matter what happens, no matter what you see, remember... HOLD THE SIGN.
You will be fired by the END OF MAY if this job is not selected by then.
Trains MASK greatly and receive a lump sum of 7500 yen. [Roll STRESSd6. If any 1s are rolled, accumulate an additional 1 STRESS]
MINOR ACTIONS
Unless specified otherwise you may take individual Minor actions multiple times.
[ ] [Report//<INSERT>]: You've made a number of discoveries that Argo's boss in the Ministry of Internal affairs may find very interesting. What exactly is he doing with all this information...?
You may write 1 Report per Minor Action
Available Reports:
[Incarnation]: Sufficient rumors and mass belief can distort things... items, players... worlds. Is this common knowledge or did you stumble on something best left unsaid? [+10000 yen]
[The SEED]: It's not just some development kit. It's something strange, something... fundamental. The SEED of a world? What can you even do with this information? Will the government believe you? ...What if they do? [+10000 yen]
[ ] [Cram School]: High efficiency studying! And it prepares you for a crushing existence as an office worker!
Trains CURRICULUM efficiently.
[ ] [Augma Fitness!]: Can't build up the motivation to run to save your life? Download Augma Fitness now! A limited-time offer for beta-testers, spice up your exercise by running from a boulder, a zombie, or your disappointed parents! For the truly hardcore, the Augma has a function where it automatically calls everyone on your friends list and tells them embarrassing facts about your performance metrics if you fail to meet your fitness goals!
Trains FITNESS efficiently.
[ ] [Augma Fight!]: Want to learn how to sword fight for real? Using real life Kendo and HEMA techniques and not those dumb facsimiles in VR games? Well Augma Fight has you covered! Warning: Due to poor connection Augma Fight only works outdoors in areas publicly seeded with AR stickers.
...Well when you think about it there's nothing wrong with swinging a make-believe sword at make-believe monsters while wearing a gaudy headset in a public park. Just pretend nobody's staring and pray you don't end up being videotaped.
Trains MASK efficiently.
[ ] [High Love]: This is what you were afraid of. That otome game your friend recommended to you, Alto Liebe? It's filled with microtransactions. God at least none of the suitors were locked behind a paywall, but you expect you're in for a painful experience.
Trains GRIT efficiently.
[ ] [Serene Garden]: SereGa is an interesting VRMMO - billed as an app to assist hospice patients with end of life loneliness, it's less of a game and more of a chat room. The full-service model can only be used in hospitals for sick patients. However the SereGa devs believe that no one should die alone, hence the game features no NPCs and all quest givers, shops, even the rare monster are all controlled by volunteer actors. You won't get paid, hell you have to pay to download the app, but this is one use of VR tech you can actually approve of. [5000 yen]
Trains EMPATHY efficiently. Permanently replaces [Sightsee] with a more efficient variant.
[ ] [Sleep-in]: You need to study. You need to train. You need to save the world. Instead, go to sleep EARLY and snuggle up with Kuma-kun.
Reduces STRESS x 1. Becomes less efficient the more it is used (applies across the lifetime of the quest).
Roll 1d6, on a natural 1, Sleep-in has no effect. The roll becomes more harsh the more this option is used.
[ ] [Medicinal Baths]: No, not the local one down the street by the old folk's home. The big one. By the IMPERIAL PALACE. That has private rooms. [Costs 10000yen]
Reduces STRESS x 1. Repeatable.
[ ] [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
[ ] [Nekoya!]: It's open every day except Saturday. You'd eat there every day if your wallet and your waistline could afford the beating... but going there is always a risk. You can always find yourself spending a bit... more than intended.
Purchase 5 D for 1d6*1000 yen. One time per week.
[ ] [Bulk Hair Products]: You like your hair, it's pillowly, soft and feels great! But you can sense the air changing. Soon, Japan will enter the Typhoon season. And that means... humidity.
If you don't want to spend the rest of the school year looking like a cat strangled itself to death in your hair, you'll need to prepare. A lot.
>Purchase 20 D for ¥15000
[ ] [Sweets!]: You've had pancakes before. But... Triple Layered Ricotta Souffle Pancakes? Or Apple Caramel Custard Brûlée Pancakes? How can you possibly choose!? You know! You'll just try them all!
>Purchase 5 D for ¥5000
[ ] [Fix your Air Conditioner!]: After you complained to your landlord about the broken Air Conditioner he finally got off his ass and called in a handyman. Turns out, your lease only required that he connect you with a repairperson and not actually pay them...
>Handyman Saitou is requesting ¥40,000 to repair your Air Conditioner!
>Once JULY 20th hits if your Air Conditioner isn't fixed you will accumulate STRESS on a weekly basis!
General Store Mitsuha
Huh? What are you bothering me for, I know you haven't invested in the currency of the future: $MISTCOIN$!
...guess it doesn't really matter right this second. Gonna do a bit of an adjustment of things behind the scenes. Simple stuff, smaller denominations, maybe try to make it a TAAADDD more stable, after the ALO disaster.
But don't you worry, the $MISTCOIN$ train is chuggin' along just fine! We'll soon be open for business again, only this time leaner, meaner... and greener! WITH BENJAMINS!
AN: Please submit in PLAN format!
After some thought I'm deciding to not mess too much with the non-combat aspect of the quest.
So tentatively UPGRADE is still being changed, but I'm not messing with Determination.
Also since I don't want to make another shop, DEATH will no longer be selling a high school girl pharmaceuticals, at least in Arc 2. Arc 3 though, well...
Last edited:
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
For some reason I can't edit threadmarks? Something's broken on SV.
Any case you have 0 Stress right now, not the 1 listed in the update. I just can't edit it, nor can I edit your character sheet.
Hopefully it gets fixed soon.
Any case you have 0 Stress right now, not the 1 listed in the update. I just can't edit it, nor can I edit your character sheet.
Hopefully it gets fixed soon.
I feel like we should take at least two of these, also progress with mother, or prep for future arcs
for these, its to cross off the list, get working on the SL, or also work on prep work for future arcs as well, shadow action, I would be fine with any
Well, nicely done. Although I wish Meimi was a Social Link so we could bond with her more deeply...
[X] Plan: Living and Loving a good life
-Major Actions (-10 D)
-[X] [Visit the SAO Survivors]
-[X] [Somewhat Less Ashamed!]
-[X] [Girl's Night Out (and +1)]
-[X] [TEMPERATE Literature]
-[X] [Razed NATURE]
-Minor Actions
-[X] [Work//Augma]
-[X] [Serene Garden]
-[X] [Augma Fitness!]
We need to get money to fix the AC ASAP or Stress will quickly become unmanageable. Also starting to build FITNESS and EMPATHY.
Also, I noticed that fixing the AC is on the list twice.
[X] Plan: Living and Loving a good life
-Major Actions (-10 D)
-[X] [Visit the SAO Survivors]
-[X] [Somewhat Less Ashamed!]
-[X] [Girl's Night Out (and +1)]
-[X] [TEMPERATE Literature]
-[X] [Razed NATURE]
-Minor Actions
-[X] [Work//Augma]
-[X] [Serene Garden]
-[X] [Augma Fitness!]
We need to get money to fix the AC ASAP or Stress will quickly become unmanageable. Also starting to build FITNESS and EMPATHY.
Also, I noticed that fixing the AC is on the list twice.
- Location
- The Z-Cave
Asuna, you've probably got Daddy wrapped around your finger after he almost sold you to creepy incel doujin man. Please use that influence to have your dad lock Sugou away and throw away the key.
I'm going to gladly ruin this man's whole career. My spite aside the HEAVEN system has poisioned VRMMOs from the foundation, anyways.
Having rick friends has its perks.
This really hammers in how pointless simping for Asuna was during the OBERON fight.
Dudes can dig scars too, Hiyori.
Well, we do have a direct connection to an outer god.
No wonder she resents Asuna. For all her dads a useless stooge at least he loves his daughter.
It's so nice that Hiyori's hidden selfishness and self-loathing has redirected itself towards a desire to punish the wicked. It's so much more interesting since we don't have a magic morality fixer to solve all our problems in one fell swoop.
We should totally call ourselves the Masked Circle!
Yes. Yes, you should.
I really don't wanna talk to him and give him ideas for his plans but as the option points out, we're not gonna win a fight with the government.
I really think we should meet her. Besides all the DEATH GUN stuff having Shino in the loop as a main party member could be really useful.
I think we should leave this to our Shadow next turn. Lux's has been really good at giving him the kick to the pants Subaru needs. It could be interesting to have her do the rest of the link, too.
I think starting SKY would be a good idea. From what I know of Build Fighters the Link should be a skilled gunman and could be a great party member for GGO and beyond.
I think we should continue to grind fitness even now. Laughing Coffin isn't afraid of getting physical in real life.
Fuck. It's worse than I thought.