Eighteenth Day of the Month of the Ash Tree, 2032.
0730 AST.
Heathcliff’s bedroom, northwestern tower of the Knights of the Blood HQ.
The heavily dimpled cheeks of the man gently filled with air as he slowly breathed in and out. It was obvious that he was sleeping peacefully. However, sleep was not what his schedule dictated to him at this time. A chirping sound echoed through the room as the grandfather clock opened up to announce the time was exactly halfway between the hours of seven and eight in the morning. The previous night, he had set the clock to go off at this time so he would be able to do a job that morning which required his full attention.
He groggily pulled himself out from under the covers and rubbed the sleep away of his eyes. He looked around his room which was as orderly as he had left it the previous night. The room was a rather large room eight tsubo (approximately 26.5 square meters) in size. The northwestern corner where his king-size cot was lay next to the north windows whose curtains were currently drawn tight. On the eastern wall, the grandfather clock stood steadfast next to a mahogany working table with papers stacked cleanly on its top. Several quill pens—both dry and inked—lay on their sides. It seems that he was in the middle of sorting through the required paperwork concerning Kirito’s integration into the Knights of the Blood but had become drowsy and retired.
However, that paperwork can be rotated to be completed later. The more pressing matter at hand was that he, Heathcliff, is actually the man behind this game, Akihiko Kayaba. Being the game creator, he was able to do deeds that were impossible to normal players, such as logging out. His alarm this morning was to remind him to log out of the death game to perform his “duty” in the real world. Sighing, he stood up and stretched. His simple white and red nightwear followed suit with his stretching and the shortness of the shirt gave way to an unwarranted view of his exposed midriff—of course, no one was witness to the Paladin’s ever-so-slight potbelly. Akihiko waved his right hand in the air and called out the menu. He fiddled around with his menu first, sending information from this world to the printer waiting in the real world. Satisfied, he scrolled to the bottom and tapped the logout option and closed his eyes as his digital body dissolved and his consciousness returned to his material body.
0735.
A hidden cottage deep in the mountains of Aichi Prefecture.
The early morning light filtered through the translucent curtained windows. That same light softly illuminated the one-room house, enlightening the contents within. Slumped in a comfy stuffed couch, there lay a flower of a woman sleeping besides a bed that was occupied with the unconscious form of another person, a man. Her dozing visage was akin to that of a yellow camellia, longing for when she can see the eyes of her significant other open yet again.
Soon, her wait would end.
The sound of rustling blankets aroused her from her slumber, and when she opened her eyes to watch the scene in front of her unfold, she initially thought she was still asleep—this was just a dream. The sickly-looking man sat up from his covers and removed the helmet-like «NerveLinker». A soft and shaking yet still commanding voice issued from his lips, “Rinko…”
Just that one word filled the woman, whose name was Rinko Koujiro, with a kind of happiness that can only be labeled as children’s folly. “Akihiko, you’re awake!” Leaping off of her chair, she enveloped the man in a bear hug. Suddenly, she switched gears and began scolding him, “You’ve been diving nonstop for sixty days now! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!”
“I’m quite sorry, my dear,” he stated. “I apologize. However, I am only logging out to take a breather as well as contact my employees.”
“For what?”
“I have updates to make to my list of interesting players… Players that I think are worthy to perform heroics. You know I have founded a guild, correct? The «Knights of the Blood»?”
“Yes. What of your guild?”
“There are a lot of promising players in my guild that it would deeply weigh on my conscience if they were to die after coming this far. I plan to instruct my employees to visit the hospitals these players are held in and to tweak the injection function. At least, this way, if they die, they won’t lose their life but instead, they’ll be forcefully ejected.”
“I… I see…”
“What about on this end? Any other news I should know of before I make my calls?”
The woman proceeded to walk back to her chair and sat down. Putting her hands together, she began twiddling her thumbs while saying, “Well, you do know about «ALfheim Online», correct?”
“ALO?” he asked. “Of course I am familiar with it.”
“It’s been out for a year already and the playerbase it is gathering is quite massive.”
“Oh? Despite the ongoing incident about my game?”
“Yes. It has gained quite the vigorous player following.”
“I see. If I remember correctly, it is the result of Argus going bankrupt and selling rights to RECT Progress Inc. They’re using my Cardinal System.”
“Yes. Are you irritated?”
“Not at all! On the other hand, I’m actually quite glad people are using my Cardinal System. Nothing brings me greater joy than knowing that something I invented is being used for the greater good. Anyways…”
Akihiko stood up but nearly fell over. Rinko grabbed his left arm before he could topple face-first into the oak floor. “This is what you get for remaining in-game for sixty days straight. Be glad that I have the necessary knowledge to attach an IV to you.”
He laughed weakly. “Ahaha… I guess. Just support me until I get to the table. My printer should be finished with the job I instructed it to do earlier when I was still in-game.”
Now that I think about it… Rinko turned her eyes to the printer whose tray was filled with several sheets of paper. “What’s this for?”
“I used the tracking logs to reverse-search for their NerveLinkers and as such, the hospitals in which they are confined in.” Rinko helped Akihiko into his chair, receiving a, “Thank you,” As Akihiko began to riffle through the files he had printed out, he set aside yet another piece of paper to take notes. “Ah, the Idol is held in JR Tokyo General Hospital, eh?”
“The ‘Idol?’ Would you happen to be talking about that young sensation, Ayanami Shiratsuyu?”
“Indeed. Although the knowledge that Ayanami Shiratsuyu is in SAO should be limited. As far as the general populace knows, she is still performing on this side.”
“Yes… those in the know, however, are aware that she is a body double. The one singing on this side is her younger sister, Kyouka Shiratsuyu. She has all but the brightest of minds fooled.”
“Such a great burden to force on a girl who did not want it. Ah, I see that she and Rain are being cared for in the same hospital..”
“Would you like some coffee?”
“I’m more in the mood for tea.”
“At least you still have the decency to want to drink the refreshment that has an excellent healing effect.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“Haha, thanks, Rinko.”
The woman of twenty-six walked to the left side of the room where the makeshift kitchen was. Over the stove, she lit a fire and put a tea kettle to boil. Whistling, she also began to prepare a small breakfast of scrambled eggs using butter as the “oil.” She sought to create the healthiest breakfast for her significant other. While she left the eggs to simmer, she opened the refrigerator to fetch the gallon of orange juice before topping off a glass. During that time, the kettle whistled as it strained to let the woman know that it had finished its job. She shut off the flame burning underneath and poured it into a china cup. Taking the plate of food in one hand and the cup of tea in the other, she walked back to Akihiko’s workspace where he was busy talking on the phone.
“… Yes, you are able to do this, are you?” Rinko said nothing as she placed the platter on the table which Akihiko acknowledged with a nod and a smile before returning to his conversation. “Yes, just simply change the settings. … I know, I know, stay calm, friend. You are saving a life in doing this as well as putting that life at immediate risk. … I see. Alright, both Kazuto Kirigaya and Asuna Yuuki have been retrofitted? … Good. On to the next ones.”
Rinko asked. “Is this your way for atoning for all those lives you took even if it was indirect?”
Taking his face away from the phone, he leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. “Perhaps… If anything, I would like to ensure the safety of the lives of those who are serving under me.”
“Very selective of you.”
“Of course. I have a very high expectations bar for players. I only recruit promising players into the Knights of the Blood.”
Rinko posed another question, in relation to the game. “How about those ten Unique Skills you added?”
“Ah, those?” he said. “I am actually quite surprised. Aside from the unlimited number of other skills, I honestly didn’t expect three people aside from myself to manifest Unique Skills.”
“What of the Battōjutsu Unique Skill?”
“Yes, that Unique Skill is owned by a young adult named Klein. That youngster is quite talented too. He has managed to discover an exploitable frame from which he could activate a second or more sword skills with no penalty.”
“Let me guess what that exploit is called.” Rinko proceeded to place her chin in her hand as she stood in a thinking position. “Um… Sword Composition!”
“Incorrect.”
“Uh… Blade Dance!”
“Off.”
“Argh! Um… I’m close… Uh…” Akihiko couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. Rinko was always like this. He recalled the time when the girl invited him to the swimming club back in college—those were the good old days. However, Akihiko couldn’t reminisce too much now. His attention was needed in the present. Suddenly, Rinko yelled triumphantly, “I got it! Skill Connect!”
“Correct,” Akihiko replied. “Anyways, you know of the Unique Skills.”
“Of course,” she stated. “The first one is Dual Blades, carrying the prerequisite of its wielder having the fastest reflexes as of the forty-fifth floor.
“The second one is yours, Holy Sword, which means you made yourself the strongest player.
“Third is Battōjutsu, obtained after completing the Two-Handed Curved Sword extra weapon skill—otherwise, the katana skill.
“Next is Infinite Spear, obtained after completing both the Two-Handed Assault Spear weapon skill and Extended Weight Limit support skill.
“Folllowing that comes Divine Bow Art, obtained after completing the Archery combat skill.
“Then comes Shurikenjutsu, obtained after completing the Blade Throwing combat skill.
“Succeeding the former is Primordial Rune, obtained after completing the Runecraft combat skill and clearing the «Trials of the Ancient Letters» questline.
“Continuing the list, Songstress is achieved by completing the Chant extra hobby skill, which is itself obtained by developing the Musical Instrument hobby skill.
“Finally, Sophist is a unique composite skill obtained after completing the Hidden Blade support skill, having at least 800 proficiency in five different weapon skills, and the highest Agility stat, in descending order of importance. If there are players with higher Agility stats but who fail to meet the first two prerequisites, they will not be considered a candidate for this Unique Skill.”
“You left one out.”
“Must I really name such a distasteful skill?”
“Yes… Apologies, that was in poor taste,” he replied, hanging his head. Instead, he merely stated it within his mind. Darkness Blade… obtained by having the highest kill count as indexed by Cardinal by the forty-fifth floor.
“Apology accepted. Now, what else is there before I leave?”
He tilted his head in confusion. “Why don’t you leave?” Rinko clammed up and her face went red in embarrassment. Completely oblivious, he turned his attention back to his work, having stayed on the line and provided additional instructions to his staff members. Suddenly, he received another call over his current one and upon noticing the name, he sighed. “Actually, tell me later. This is quite the interesting person to be calling me…” He soon spoke into the mouthpiece. “Please call me when you are finished with your job. Right now, I have a call that I cannot afford to miss.” Pressing the end-and-accept button, he said, “Why, it is a pleasure to speak with you, Professor Arshavin.”
“Доброе утро (Good morning).” The soft, commanding voice on the other side of the line greeted Akihiko in her native tongue. “Привет (Hello), Professor Kayaba. I see you are finally awake?” The person calling was a girl with a physical appearance that evokes a teenage girl but is an important and well-known face in scientific circles. This young girl’s name was Nanairo Arshavin, a Russian-born naturalized Japanese citizen, whose intelligence was renowned by many world experts. It was such that she dropped out of the public school system in Japan and was admitted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the age of ten, graduating summa cum laude four years later. Now, in the present time, the young genius professor has both obtained her master’s degree in computer sciences—her vast knowledge applying to the entire academic discipline—and was appointed a professor in the Toto Institute of Technology.
Akihiko couldn’t help but break into a smile. He had wanted to talk with this young genius at least once in his life. “What warrants you to give me a call? Surely it is not from the kindness of your heart.”
“What if I told you that that is exactly the case?”
“You jest!” he exclaimed, rather softly as he was still exhausted from his extended stay.
“No, it is the truth.” Seated in a bench in Hikarigaoka Park, a relaxing location within Nerima Ward in Tokyo, the girl of eighteen years kicked her feet through the air as she sat on the bench. To any onlookers who knew nothing about her prestigiousness, she was a child who was on the phone with a friend; after all, Nanairo truly appeared to be nothing more than a child. She leaned back against the bench and stared directly up into the sky as she added, “I must say that I am sad that I missed my chance to play Sword Art Online.”
“Implying that you wished to have started SAO when you were halfway through your master’s degree? I have to say that I would much rather not have you fail to become what you are for participating in my death game.”
“Oh no, of course I cannot condone that,” she scolded. “What I mean is that the technology you have invented has me extremely intrigued.”
“To be told that by a child genius such as yourself is an honor beyond my wildest imaginations.”
“Perhaps… But it is the honest truth, Professor. Your NerveLinker is by far, the most intriguing invention yet. Of course, the second-generation FullDive machine of the AmuSphere invented by RECT Progress is an invention that can rival yours.”
“However, as the person who pioneered the breakthrough, I will be more renowned? Am I understanding your implication correctly?”
“Indeed. You took the words right off of my tongue.”
“Ahaha. I guess an aging man such as myself still retains some sense of humor, huh?”
“Stop it. Has diving for too long befuddled your mind to the point that you forget you are only twenty-eight?”
“No, no, it’s just a stupid gag, Professor. I’m sure I look quite horrid after diving for three months straight. Anyways, I am sure you haven’t called me to just make small talk. What is your true purpose, Professor?”
On the other end, Nanairo stopped overly relaxing. She sat back up straight on the bench and exercised a tone used for business. “Indeed. Idyllic greetings can wait for another time. The reason why I am calling you, Professor, is to invite you on an endeavor that we of the Japanese Self-Defense Force have come up with.”
Before she could continue, however, Akihiko interrupted. “I apologize for interrupting your request but must I say that you are Russian?”
“Is that your way of discouraging me against labeling myself as Japanese?” the girl laughed. “Unfortunately for you, I am full Japanese, having two Japanese parents, although I will not deny that I was born in Russia to a Russian father who upon discovering my genius had sent me to America. I don’t remember the arguments my parents had when they discovered my genius but I know for sure that my mother was against my new life in America. My father did win the argument in the end though, and so, you have the Nanairo Arshavin of today.”
“Interesting… Well, you can continue.”
“As I was saying, we—or more accurately, my contacts—in the Japanese Self-Defense Force have been chafing at the outdated items that America has been sending us. Through this line of thought, I have been hired by the government to help create something that we have yet thought of—a bottom-up AI.”
“Hoh?” Akihiko let out a breath in anticipation as he began rapping the table with his fingers. “Very interesting. You have my full attention.”
“Oh, I do? Well, I’d like you to listen up. Have you heard of Project Rhealization?”
“‘Project Rhealization?’”
“Yes.”
“No, I believe this is the first time I have heard of this.”
“The Rational Heuristic Existence Actualization. That is what we call our Bottom-up Artificial Intelligence.”
“The acronym… ‘R. H. E. A.?’”
“Indeed. That is where the project gets its name.”
“Interesting. How exactly will we build a truly sentient AI?”
“I will need to know if you are on board with the project or not.”
Akihiko chose that time to look at his clock. Realizing that it had ticked past eleven, he was shocked. “Apologies, Professor, but the time has just occurred to me. If I do not log back in soon, players may suspect something is wrong.”
“Ah, I see. Are you diving back into Aincrad?”
“Of course. The next time I log out, I want to hear the full details on this project.”
“Indeed. I wish you well, Professor Akihiko Kayaba.”
“To you as well, Professor Nanairo Arshavin.” Akihiko pressed the ‘end call’ button before dialing a new number. He then spoke to his subordinates to complete the job that they had started. Once he was satisfied, he hung up and turned to Rinko. “I’m sorry… I’ll be going back into my dream.”
“Just… Promise me you won’t die, okay?”
“I won’t. Who do you think you’re talking to? Besides, I have to ensure I make it out alive because this ‘Project Rhealization’ has me deeply intrigued.” Smiling one last time, Akihiko laid back in his bed and donned the NerveLinker once again. Taking one last deep breath, he said, “Link start.”
Rinko watched as her significant other yet again dove back into Sword Art Online. Sighing, she sat down in the desk at which he had previously worked on and eyed the papers he had been scrutinizing so intensely. From the desk, the faces of a rather handsome boy with jet black hair and a girl with flowing chestnut hair stared back at her. “Kazuto Kirigaya… Asuna Yuuki… Interesting. Now… How shall this play out?”
Yet again, the bell tolled.
Time moved forward.
Closer to the end.
Or so it seems…