Asada...
Asada Shino...
Memories of Blood
Hey.
Keep walking!
Sorry, Asada...
We spent so much time at karaoke, we ran out of money for the train.
We'll pay you back tomorrow, so give us this much.
10,000 yen?
I don't have that much...
Then go and withdraw it.
No.
Endou-san, I won't lend you any money.
Don't screw with me, girl...
I'm leaving, so move.
Hey, Asada...
My brother has a model gun.
Next time, I'll show it to you at school.
You like them, right?
Pistols?
Jeez, Asada, don't puke!
When you vomited and collapsed in class, it was really bad.
Just give us all you have now, and I'll let you go.
It looks like you aren't feeling well.
Over here...
Over here, officer!
Hurry!
Damn it!
Are you okay, Asada-san?
I'm all right.
Thanks, Shinkawa-kun...
I heard about the other day.
You were a big hero.
The mission itself was a failure.
In our squadron, we lost four out of six.
If we set an ambush and that was the result, we can't really claim victory...
But still, it's amazing...
They say that Behemoth guy, the one with the Minigun,
had never died in a group fight!
He was that famous?
I'd never seen him in the BoB rankings, so I didn't know.
Of course not...
Miniguns are really powerful,
but five hundred rounds puts you over the weight limit, so you can't run.
BoB's a solo fight. Someone would hit him from range, and that would be it.
But if he has enough support in a group fight, he's invincible.
That weapon's cheating.
They say my Hecate II is a cheat weapon, too.
As the one actually using it, it does have its problems.
They're still nice problems to have.
So, for the next BoB, what will you do?
I'll enter, of course.
I have most of the data on the top twenty players in the last one.
I'll be taking the Hecate.
Next time, I'll kill them all—
I'll try for a high rank.
If I can defeat all my enemies and prove I'm the strongest,
I'm sure I'll...
I see...
You're amazing, Asada-san.
You've got that amazing gun,
and you put enough points into strength to use it.
I'm the one who invited you to GGO, but I've been totally left behind.
That isn't true!
In the last qualifier, didn't you reach the semifinals?
No, it's no good.
Agility-types can't go much further without a really amazing gun.
I spent my status points wrong...
Then you aren't entering the next BoB?
Yeah, there's no point.
Oh.
Well, you have your studies, also...
To be a doctor, right?
Yeah, my family runs a hospital.
I promised my dad I'd study medicine.
I have to do it.
You're in the high school equivalency course at cram school, aren't you?
How are your practice exams?
I'm fine.
I'm keeping up the same rank as I was in school.
There's no problem, instructor!
Very good.
But you spend so much time logged in, I was a little worried.
When I log on, you're always online.
I'm studying during the day.
It's important to take breaks.
If you spend that much time diving, you must have a lot of money?
That's not true.
Agility builds can't solo anymore.
But you only need to make enough for the connection fees, right?
Oh, sorry...
I've got to go.
Oh, right.
You make your own meals, don't you?
Sometime, I'd like you to cook for me again.
Sure.
Sometime.
Once I'm a little better.
Thanks for the tea.
And, seriously, thanks for helping me.
You were really cool.
I wish I could always protect you.
Um, listen...
Should I walk you home from school?
I'm all right.
I need to become strong.
I'm home.
Maybe now.
I don't remember my father's face.
I heard he died in a car accident when I was two.
After the accident, my mom and I left Tokyo
to live with her parents.
And we had a peaceful life there.
But that peace was suddenly broken.
Put the money in the bag!
Don't push the alarm!
Mom...
Hurry!
Put the money in the bag. Everything you've got!
Do it now!
Okay!
I told you not to push the alarm!
Hey, you! Come here, and fill the bag!
Hurry, or I'll shoot another person!
I'll shoot!
You little...
Give that back. Give that back!
You stupid kid!
I look terrible...
Save me...
Someone, save me.
K-Kirito-kun, you're quitting ALO?
N-No, no...
It's just for a few days.
I'll reconvert soon.
Really?
A-Actually, there's a reason.
I have to go check things out in another VMMORPG.
Check things out?
You've done that a number of times by making new accounts...
Converting resets your items, right?
Why do you have to do all that?
Well, um...
Remember that guy from Internal Affairs?
From: Kikuoka Seijirou Subject: Everything's ready Everything's ready for you to log in to Gun Gale Online. Come to the location on the attached map. But you may not need it. Someone should be coming to pick you up.
If Kikuoka-san needs your help, you may not be able to refuse.
But I'm not sure you can really trust that guy fully.
Actually, I feel the exact same way.
Come back as soon as you can.
This place alone is our home.
Of course I'll return to ALO soon.
I'm just doing research on what's going on
in a game called Gun Gale Online.
I'm ninety-nine percent sure that Death Gun is a mere rumor.
Killing people in the real world from a virtual one?
I can't believe that's possible.
This is true power.
True strength.
Fools... Remember this name, and fear!
The name this gun and I share!
Death Gun!
But the remaining one-percent chance has brought me here.
Excuse me.
Hey!
Kirigaya-kun, welcome back.
H-Hello...
It's been a long time, Aki-san.
You've built up some muscle,
but not enough!
Are you eating enough?
Y-Yes! Yes!
And actually, what are you doing here?
I heard the story from the bureaucrat in glasses.
You're investigating a virtual network for the government?
You haven't even been back a full year...
That's rough!
So since I was in charge of your rehab,
they said they wanted me to monitor you.
I was taken off my shift today.
It looks like they already spoke to the head nurse.
I guess the government has a lot of pull!
Anyway, I'll be working with you for a while again, Kirigaya-kun.
R-Right.
Then, the bureaucrat in glasses isn't here?
No, I have a message, though.
"E-mail your reports to the usual address.
After the mission's complete,
We'll pay compensation as well as expenses, so make sure to submit them.
P.S., Just because you're alone in a private room with a pretty young nurse,
don't let your youthful impulses rage out of control."
Okay, I'm going to connect to the network.
Sure, it's all ready.
Remove your clothes, Kirigaya-kun.
Wh-What?
I'm going to connect some electrodes.
When you were in the hospital, I saw everything already.
Um, can I just take my top off?
Okay, that'll do it.
Well, I'll be back later.
I should be in there for four or five hours.
All right! I'll keep a close eye on your body,
so don't worry about a thing!
Th-Thanks.
Link start!
Yeah, I'm doing well.
I've gotten used to the school, and I've made some friends.
It's fine.
Lately, I haven't had many attacks, either.
Yeah. I know.
Don't you catch cold, either, Uncle.
I'll be back for winter break.
Yeah.
See you later.
Ever since the incident at the post office,
just seeing a picture or a video of a gun
was enough to send me into a situational panic attack.
Even here, in a Tokyo school, far away from my home,
my symptoms barely improved.
After Shinkawa-kun suggested it, I started Gun Gale Online
as a form of immersion therapy.
But strangely, when I'm Sinon in the game,
holding a gun or seeing one pointed at me doesn't trigger an attack.
The stronger Sinon gets, the stronger the real me will get.
I believe that, and I'll keep fighting with the Hecate II.
If I can win the next Bullet of Bullets, I'm sure I can...
I'm sure...
Link start.
Enter
There's no sign of Zexceed or Tarako.
It's been almost a month.
If anyone can reach them in the real world, let me know.
I told you they're gone.
No one knows...
We know the day and time Death Gun shot them,
so if we checked whether any VMMORPG players died then, couldn't we tell?
If they lived alone, no one would have noticed they died,
and we've already confirmed that the police won't tell us.
A few people wrote an e-mail to Zaskar in English.
And all they said was the usual crap. "We cannot share users' personal information."
I think someone has to use their own body to prove it.
Then tomorrow, at 2330,
I'll be at Glocken Central Bank, with a red rose on my chest.
Death Gun-san, please come and shoot me.
We have a hero!
But tell us your real name and address, or there's no point, right?
Or do a public dive from some net café.
It doesn't matter.
Next Time: GGO