Digimon Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ Sailor Moon Online: Shadow of Aincrad ❯ Clash in the Rainbow Garden ( Chapter 6 )

You might remember about Rainbow Gardens being mentioned in my Hollow Fragment fanfiction, right? Well, you have must have wondered what it was all about, but now, you won’t have to wonder anymore, everyone. This will give you a good idea about what Rainbow Gardens is about and expect it to have a ‘focus point’ in this and future stories of this series, folks. You are also going to see a repeat of something else that happened in Hollow Fragment in this chapter, but you are going to have to read and find out! Anyway, I hope that everyone had a happy thanksgiving!

 

I DO NOT OWN Sailor Moon, Sword Art Online, Accel World, Digimon series, Yu-Gi-Oh R/GX/5Ds/Zexal/Arc-V, Power Rangers series, Tron, Code Lyoko, Rave Master, and anything/anyone that comes from these and other stories that end up in this fanfiction! Sailor Moon is owned/licensed by Naoko Takeuchi and its various studios and publishers, Sword Art Online is owned/licensed by ASCII Media Works, A-1 Pictures Inc., and its various directors/publishers including Reki Kawahara and Tomohiko Itō, and Digimon is owned/licensed by Toei Animation and its various directors, including Hiroyuki Kakudo, Yu-Gi-Oh is owned/licensed by Kazuki Takahashi, Toei Animation, and Studio Gallop, Yu-Gi-Oh GX is owned/licensed by Naoyuki Kageyama, Studio Gallop and its various directors, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds is owned/licensed by Katsumi Ono and Studio Gallop!

 

Warning: This story contains intense violence, blood, possible gore, death, mild to explicit suggestive themes, including mind-control and brainwashing, mild to explicit bad language, and mature adult themes/situations!

 

Second Warning: Some to a lot of OOC (Out of Character) actions and mannerisms in this whole story!

 

July 28, 2025, Unknown location

 

Somewhere within Japan, Jadeite is with a group of figure discussing about the situation.

 

Jadeite says, with a sneer, “Those bratty Sailor Scouts are still causing us problem despite us being stronger than the Negaverse was when we first fought them.”

 

One of the figures says, in a distorted female voice, “They have gotten stronger with the additions of Sailor Nebula and Sailor Celestial.”

 

Jadeite says, with an evil smirk, “Well, Sailor Moon’s reborn sister is out of commission thanks to that group of disgruntled SAO survivors that had a silly ‘thing’ against her brother.”

 

Another figure responds, “I guess that you weren’t informed. Sailor Celestial’s mind has been retrieved from the virtual world and restored to her body.”

 

Jadeite gasps and he yells out, angrily, “That little wench is back?! Well, it just gives me the pleasure to kill her.”

 

A third figure tells Jadeite, “You will not kill her, Jadeite! Not yet!”

 

Jadeite asks, shocked, “What? Why?”

 

The first figure says, “We believe that she may be the ‘key’ to ‘him’ and for another thing, she may be the source of THAT power.”

 

Jadeite asks, stunned, “Are you serious?”

 

The second figure responds, “Yes, we are. We need to know if she is the source and if she can control that power.”

 

Jadeite says, “Then I will go after her at once.”

 

The third figure replies, “No, Jadeite. Despite how important that she and Heathcliff are, there is something else. Heathcliff may be plotting our downfall since we believe that the Solaris Prince and his beloved, Prince Endymon’s sister, are indeed reincarnated and their reincarnation have been found.”

 

Jadeite yells out, stunned, “What?”

 

The first figure says, “I don’t need to tell you what will happen if they awaken and join up with Prince Endymon and Princess Serenity. They, along with Princess Selene, will cause our never-ending nightmares and could lead to our demise.”

 

Jadeite says, “I’ll stop them!”

 

The first figure says, with a very serious tone, “See that you do, Jadeite! See that you do!” The figures fade away and Jadeite gains a snarl as he thinks about both Sailor Moon and Sailor Celestial as well as his plans of revenge for both of them, but his main focus is on the mission given to them by these figure, who seem to be Jadeite’s new ‘superiors’ which seems to bare ill-will to a particular duo.

 

Sailor Moon Online: Shadow of Aincrad

 

(Sword Art Online opening theme music ‘Crossing Fields’ starting)

 

As the opening ‘scenes’ being, we find Davis Motomiya, wearing an outfit similar to Kirito’s outfit expect his jacket is flame designed and two swords, an Elucidator and Dark Repulser, strapped to the sides of his waist instead of his back, walking down a street and looking at the sky.

 

Next, we find Kari Kamiya, wearing a pink and red version of Asuna’s Knights of the Blood Oath outfit with Crests of Light instead of crosses and strapped to her waist is a sheath for a rapier with a pink handle and a pearly white blade, also walking down a street and looking back behind her.

 

Then we see Suguha Kirigaya and her ‘alter ego’, Sailor Celestial, with their backs to each other with ‘thin wall of light’ separating the two of them in which the scene spins around as the two of them look at each other where Suguha is at her home on her side of the ‘wall’ while Sailor Celestial is in the Moon Kingdom.

 

All three of them are reaching out into the skies and then the world around them transforms into center of the Town of Beginnings for Sword Art Online in which the ground crumbles around them as those that died on Sword Art Online and more try to drag them into an abyss.

 

The scene then changes where Davis is cutting through legions of ‘monsters’ from SAO and ALO as well as youma in which a legion of Duel Monsters appears with Davis having a dragon similar to Stardust Dragon and another monster, Slifer the Sky Dragon, attack them with powerful strikes.

 

Then Davis is fighting against Heathcliff in which he transforms into the massive GM avatar that he used at the start of SAO in which Davis lands a series of blows before slamming him with Starburst Stream, the classic 16 Duel Wielding Sword Skill combo. Soon after, Kari and Leafa, Suguha’s ALO avatar, run at top speed behind Davis and the two of them leap into the air with Kari hitting the transformation Heathcliff with an attack that looks similar to Linear while Leafa does a forward flip and transforms into Eternal Sailor Celestial, also wielding an Elucidator and Dark Repulser, in which they glow with fire and wind power as Sailor Celestial prepares to attack.

 

Then the scene shows Kazuto as his Sword Art Online avatar of Kirito, Serena as her Sword Art Online avatar as Usagi, Keiko as her Sword Art Online avatar of Silica, and Rika as her Sword Art Online avatar of Lisbeth.

 

The scene then changes with Davis, Kari, Sailor Celestial, Sailor Moon, and Kirito looking over the worlds of Sword Art Online, Alfheim Online, the ‘real world’, the Digital World, and beyond.

 

Then there are displays of Darien/Tuxedo Mask, the Sailor Scouts, the Odiaba Digidestined, and Kayaba/Heathcliff before it switches back to a scene where Sailor Celestial, Davis, and Kari are standing in front of the ‘transformed Heathcliff’ with his back to their backs and cleaved into multiple pieces before exploding into hundreds of data polygons.

 

The final scenes show Kirito and Asuna, in her Knights of the Blood Oath outfit, along with Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask being watched over by Sailor Celestial, Davis and Kari resting in front of a tree, and finally, Asuna’s Lambent Light rapier, Usagi’s Lunar Excelsior one-handed sword, Tuxedo Mask’s cane, Leafa’s ALO katana, and an Elucidator and Dark Repulser swords are all together in a pile with Neo Domino City Duel Disks and Davis’ and Kari’s D-3 digivices ‘attached’ to them.

 

(Sword Art Online opening theme music ‘Crossing Fields’ ending)

 

Chapter 6: Clash in the Rainbow Garden

 

July 29, 2025, Crown Fruits Parlor

 

Inside of the Crown Fruits Parlor, Darien, the Sailor Scouts, Suguha, Kazuto, Asuna, Rika, and Keiko are assembled together as Suguha puts a small present in front of Serena.

 

Suguha tells Serena, “I know that it is a month late, but happy birthday.”

 

Serena takes the present and she responds, “Suguha, you didn’t have to!”

 

Suguha responds, “Hey, you are my sister! What kind of sibling would I be if I didn’t care?”

 

Serena opens the package, revealing a gorgeous necklace, and she says, awe-struck, “It’s beautiful!”

 

Suguha says, “I’m glad that you like it.”

 

Serena says, with a warm smile, “I do, Suguha.”

 

Kazuto says, “I told her that you didn’t care since she was stuck in a virtual world for a month, but she insisted.”

 

Rika says, “Anyway, we should celebrate the return of our girl from that place.”

 

Suguha says, nervously, “I don’t think that we should celebrate that since we are going back.” Suguha says, with a sigh, “In which I think that you shouldn’t go and let me handle this myself.”

 

Kazuto says, with a sigh, “Sugu…”

 

Mina says, “No way, girlfriend! You are one of us and we don’t let one of our own go in there without help from her girls!”

 

Hotaru says, “Plus, you are our princess’ sister from her past life and she was really distressed after what happened to you.”

 

Suguha says, “Yeah. Sorry about that Serena.”

 

Serena says, with a warm smile, “Like I said before, you couldn’t help it.”

 

Asuna says, with a warm smile, “We just thankful that you are all right.”

 

Suguha says, “Thanks, Asuna.” Suguha says, “However, haven’t you had enough of Kayaba? You’ve been already through enough. You, especially Serena, don’t need to put yourself in any more grief.”

 

Serena says, with a plain tone, “Suguha, you should know how I feel. If Kayaba is responsible for what happened to Davis and Kari, I can’t help myself, but get involved. I’m trying not to obsessive with it, but until the legacy of SAO comes to its final close, at least in this case, it will dominate plenty of my thoughts and feelings.”

 

Suguha thinks in her mind, “Something that never should have happened. I should have ended this one thousand years ago back in the Silver Millennium. If I only struck the final blow…if only I ended this back then, then Sword Art Online would have NEVER happened. He couldn’t let it go! He just couldn’t let it go!” Unconsciously, Suguha’s expression becomes an uncommon dark and angered expression which scares a few of them.

 

Keiko asks, nervously, “Are you okay, Suguha?”

 

Suguha snaps out of her thoughts and she asks, curiously, “Huh?”

 

Mina says, nervously, “You were making a face that you were going to kill something and I mean that literally.”

 

Suguha says, surprised, “Oh! Sorry about that.”

 

Kazuto asks, “Is something wrong Sugu?”

 

Suguha responds, with a sigh, “Everything, big brother. He…He just couldn’t let go! He couldn’t let go of the past!”

 

Lita asks, curiously, “Who?”

 

Raye responds, “Who else? Kayaba!”

 

Hotaru asks Suguha, “What do you mean?”

 

Suguha says, “Kayaba is stuck in the Silver Millennium in many sorts of ways. He recreated the very same castle that he had ages ago…The same castle that started to beginning of the end of the Silver Millennium…a castle built by a selfish self-righteous SOB that turned into selfish ass with a deity complex…a genocidal jerk that would sacrifice four thousand just to ‘wake me up’…”

 

Rika asks, “Huh?”

 

Suguha says, with a sigh, “Remember when Serena, Kazuto, and Asuna talked about their meeting with Kayaba after they beat him in SAO? When he said that he partially didn’t remember why he did what he did with SAO? Well, the reason, at least how I see, is because he has too many damn reasons, that’s why. From what I heard, he hasn’t freaking changed in one thousand years! He is still the same scheming jerk! When we think about thinking ahead, we do it one step ahead…This guy plans five to seven steps ahead! Even when things change unexpectedly, he welcomes it! To him, change is good. He thinks perfection is stagnation and yet, he thinks in terms of absolutes at times namely ‘black and white’ while trying to be more of ‘black, white, grey, and in color’.”

 

Rika says, with a curious tone, “He sounds like a whole mess of contradictions.”

 

Kazuto says, “I think so. Based on my experience, he doesn’t care about human life, even his own, and yet he is confirming the human will over the system though he said that we taught him about that.”

 

Asuna asks Suguha, “But what do you mean by sacrificing four thousand to wake you up?”

 

Ami gives a gasp and she asks, “You don’t mean…?”

 

Suguha responds, with a nod, “One of the many reasons that Kayaba did SAO was to force me to awaken as Princess Selene and Sailor Celestial.” There are multiple gasps and Suguha says, looking at Trista, “The instant that Kayaba started SAO, it was only matter of time, wasn’t it? He just had to finish our fight.”

 

Trista nods her head, solemnly, and Hotaru asks, “What does Suguha mean Trista-mama?”

 

Suguha responds, with a sigh, “It means that our battle a millennia into the past wasn’t finished. You saw the vision of what happened during Serena’s and Leo’s duel? Well, the thing is, while we fatally wounded each other, I didn’t finish that fight. I left and he didn’t in which I died when I returned home on that horrible day. For Kayaba, something ‘unfinished’ disgusts him. In order for ‘new beginnings’ to start, the ‘old cycle’ has to end.”

 

Kazuto asks, angrily, “Wait! Are you saying that one of the reasons that he did SAO…and caused all that suffering especially to Serena was because of a fight you and he fought one thousand in the past?”

 

Suguha replies, with a serious tone, “That’s the way that jerk is, big brother! He doesn’t want revenge! That isn’t him! He just wants to end the fight! He doesn’t fucking care about winning or losing! To him, he is trapped in the past! The Silver Millennium never ended for Kayaba and what he did prove it!” Suguha thinks in her mind, solemnly, “Through I’m one to call the kettle black when I say being trapped in the past.”

 

Asuna says, shocked, “I can’t believe it.”

 

Suguha says, putting her hands together which are shaking, “If only I had ended it on that day…If I just taken enough of the strength I had left and rammed my sword right through his freaking heart…”

 

Trista tells Suguha, “Princess, you can’t be sure that he wouldn’t have been reborn if you struck him down personally.”

 

Suguha says, with a serious tone, “I don’t think so, Trista…I KNOW so!” Suguha says, with a snort, “And now, I have to live within the shadow that man…that monster created…the bloody shadow of Sword Art Online…the shadow of Aincrad…The castle that I helped create so long ago.”

 

There are multiple gasps and Mina asks, stunned, “Wait! What?”

 

Trista says, with a sigh, “It is the truth.” When everyone, minus Suguha, looks at Trista, she says, with a solemn tone, “The original Aincrad, the one that SAO’s Aincrad is completely based on, may have been designed by Kayaba in his past life, but he didn’t have the power to create it. It was like a whole other world. However, there was one with the power to do so.”

 

Amara says, “Princess Selene AKA Sailor Celestial, the Soldier of Reality.”

 

Rika asks, stunned, “You’re kidding me, right?”

 

Suguha says, solemnly, “She isn’t, Rika.” When everyone looks at Suguha, she says, solemnly, “Everything comes back to him and to me. Long ago, I created the original Aincrad for him and like with Serena, I thought it was one thing and it turned into something else. It became part of the very reason that Metallia was able to latch onto the hearts of Earthlings and control them. He had brought out their fears that we were acting like deities with our superior powers and technology when it was nothing of the sort.”

 

Trista says, “Queen Serenity believed that Earthlings had the power to become great and felt that we should watch over them and not interfere because she didn’t want them to become dependent on us or create the very fear that Suguha just mentioned.”

 

Suguha says, with a sneer, “But Kayaba felt different. He claimed that we were holding Earthlings back and we should aid and guild them which was complete nonsense. He claimed to believe in Earthlings, but as a matter of fact, he never really truly believed in the strength of Earth’s people and his actions allowed Metallia to use their weaknesses to turn them into his puppets. Only Endymon was unaffected and his own so-called noble knights betrayed him.”

 

Hotaru says, “A self-fulfilling prophecy.”

 

Suguha says, “More or less, Hotaru. But then SOB wouldn’t admit that he was wrong and I had to stop him as well as hope to reserve the situation.” Suguha says, with a sigh, “I failed. I had let that ass use me in his plans and started the downfall of my beloved home so long ago.”

 

Trista tells Suguha, “As I have stated before, civilizations come and go and the seed of fear was already planted into the people of Earth.”

 

Suguha responds, with a stern tone, “Well, the Silver Millennium might have lasted a few more centuries at least if I didn’t let that jerk play me like a fiddle.” Suguha says, “And now, it is the start of Kayaba’s true end game. Like those visions said, SAO was the beginning. I know that Kayaba had regained his memories of the Silver Millennium sometime during Serena’s early adventures as Sailor Moon. Most likely, the time that she got the Silver Crystal back and while he was plotting SAO for a longer time, he was doing it for reasons unknown to him at the time, but this new information didn’t stop his plans at all, not him of all people. No, they accelerated his plans. He wanted…He needed back in the game to settle our war one thousand years in the past.”

 

Lita says, “Okay, that’s seriously messed up.”

 

Suguha says, with a plain tone, “Like he isn’t?  Now, you know. You know a good extent of my guilt…the crimes that I bare on my back…including being part of the reason of SAO.”

 

Kazuto yells out, “Sugu, you can’t blame yourself for Kayaba!”

 

Suguha responds, with a serious tone, “Can’t I? You know what we discussed is the truth and the absolute truth! That madman had many crazy and insane reasons for SAO and I’m one of them! He wanted me ‘back in the game’! And he got me! All that pain and suffering just for his own selfish and sick purposes including awakening my power as Sailor Celestial and just because he couldn’t let it go! He couldn’t let go of the Silver Millennium and he allowed himself to be stuck in the past to cause pain and misery in the present. I have to end this before whatever ‘grand scheme’ he has in the making after SAO and it involves Davis and Kari. This has to end. The Silver Millennium is over and it is in the past. And the past should be allowed to rest. And I’m going to make sure it does by kicking his fucking digital ass all over cyberspace before I scatter his data to the far reaches of the net for good!” Suguha slams her fist into the table while making sure to control her strength so she doesn’t snap it in half like she did with a few other tables earlier on in the days that she returned from her time in the virtual world.

 

Amara says, “As much as I hate to admit it, Suguha is right.” When everyone looks at Amara, she says, “The shadow of that madman still hangs over us especially more so since we know the truth about his connection to the Silver Millennium…and to us as well. That ‘death game’ may be over, but for us, SAO was just the beginning and until it is over, the shadow remains.”

 

Suguha says, “And that’s why I need to end this once and for all. I need to face that jerk and end him once and for all. He won’t stop until he gets that. Well, I intend to give it to him and it will be him or I left standing after our final fight.”

 

Asuna asks, concerned, “Final fight?”

 

Suguha says, with a serious tone, “That nut won’t settle for anything less, Asuna.” Suguha gets to her feet and goes over to the restroom for obvious reasons.

 

When she is gone, Kazuto asks Raye, “Raye?”

 

Raye responds, “I sense a great feeling of betrayal in her emotions.”

 

Keiko asks, “Betrayal?”

 

Rika says, “Well, she did say that she was the one that forged the original Aincrad in her past life under the direction of Kayaba.”

 

Raye says, with a nod, “Yes…”

 

Serena asks, “Raye?”

 

Raye tells Serena, “Serena, the feeling that I’m getting goes deeper than that. Meatball Head, I think that you, Suguha, and Kayaba had some kind of ‘deep connection’ back in the Silver Millennium.”

 

Amara says, with a plain tone, “I feel the same way.” Amara says, looking at Trista, “And I know that you know something about it, Trista.”

 

Everyone looks at Trista and Hotaru asks, “Is this true, Trista-mama?”

 

Trista sighs and she says in reply, with a nod, “I do, but…”

 

Darien asks, “But?”

 

Trista responds, “I am under orders not to say anything.”

 

Mina asks, surprised, “Orders?”

 

Raye responds, with a serious glare, “From whom?”

 

Trista replies, with a surprising deadly serious glare, “From Queen Serenity herself.” There are gasps and Trista says, with a plain tone, “And she told Sailor Nebula the same despite she wasn’t planning to, but her emotions want her to really want to answer our princess’ question. I was given this order on the day of the meet up of Serena with her fellow SAO survivor friends in which only Queen Serenity herself or Suguha will be allowed to say. Suguha wants to say something, but it…it is just too painful.”

 

Rika asks, “How is it painful?”

 

Trista says, “You have to ask Suguha. As I have said and I am serious, I am under orders not to say a thing.”

 

Raye says, “We know, Trista. Amara and I can tell.”

 

Amara asks, “Why would Queen Serenity give such an order?”

 

Darien thinks in his mind, plainly, “That’s a very good question. Why would she allow only her and her younger daughter say anything about what they know about Kayaba and the Silver Millennium and not say a thing even to Serena?”

 

Serena thinks in her mind, “Why? What is Serenity-mama not wanting to tell me about Kayaba, Suguha, and her? Why is it so painful for her and Suguha?”

 

Kazuto, thinking that it is best to change the subject, says, “I think that our main focus should be finding Davis and Kari in that virtual world and bringing them home.”

 

Asuna responds, with a nod, “Kirito-kun is right. We can worry about the commander…I mean Kayaba another day.”

 

Rika says, “You might have to tell Suguha that one, Asuna.”

 

Raye says, “I just got a bad feeling that she might ‘fly off the handle’. We need to keep a close eye on her there.”

 

Kazuto says, with a nod, “I hate to say it, but point taken. I’m concerned about Sugu since whatever those memories unlocked in her, it is causing her to act obsessed when it comes to ‘him’.”

 

Amara says, nodding her head, “Agreed. While we are in there, we don’t let her leave our sight at all.” Within the bathroom, Suguha is over a sink and splashing water over her face in which she looks inside of a mirror where the images of herself as Princess Selene and Leafa appear in her mind.

 

Suguha thinks in her mind, “Soon, I will end this. Kazuto…Big brother, I’m sorry to you and to Serena. I don’t know what to say to Serena without hurting her. How can I even tell her? That fiend already torn her heart apart by SAO and she has yet to completely get over it. And I’m sorry to you. I know that you are trying to repair our family bonds, but like you were once, I’m trapped in a place that I haven’t been able to come back yet. However, my ‘prison’ has been with me all my life, but Sword Art Online revealed that ‘prison’. It was exactly what ‘he’ wanted when he committed this repeat of what he done back in the Silver Millennium. Well, when I finally beat him once and for all and put an end to his legacy, I can finally break free…of everything and I can finally forge my own future away from that fiend’s shadow.” Suguha looks at her transformation broach and she walks off to rejoin the others.

 

July 29, 2025, Digidestined orphanage facility

 

With the Digidestined, the Sailor Scouts, Darien, Suguha, Kazuto, Asuna, Rika, and Keiko are assembled with Luke, Datamon, and Molly as Suguha explains things about Rainbow Gardens, the living virtual world.

 

When she is done, Luke says, with a nod, “It is exactly like the data that Kayaba sent with you.”

 

Datamon says, “Thanks to the program that we have created, you can enter that world, but you can only logout from there manually. All automatic logout features of the Amusphere will be disabled, but not because of the program itself, it will be due to the nature of the virtual world.”

 

Luke says, “This is like a virtual version of the Digital World or another ‘Digi-World’ and it is very much ‘alive’ as this world is.”

 

Kazuto says, “And it also means that there are no ‘pain absorbers’ there.”

 

Datamon says, “Correct, human.”

 

Darien says, “It means that we are in danger of not only feeling pain, but returning that pain to our bodies.”

 

Kazuto says, with a nod, “I know. When Serena set the pain absorber in the original ALO to zero and I cut Sugou to pieces, he was blind in the exact same eye where I stabbed his avatar. The damage that we take from that place might be worse. Remember, the brain can be fooled to feel real pain even before Full-Dive technology came out.”

 

Amara says, nodding her head, “Our bodies could be fooled that we had taken real damage and it could be registered on our bodies.”

 

Luke says, also nodding his head, “This is the reason that medical teams are on standby and don’t worry, they don’t know a thing about you.”

 

Trista says, with a nod, “Thank you, Luke-san.”

 

Luke responds, “Davis and Kari risked everything to save us and in one form or another, you are victims of what ‘he’ had done. Along with Molly, plenty of you are fighting to keep us safe from situations that may be beyond our understanding or we have no business in yet.”

 

Raye asks, “Anything else that we should know?”

 

Datamon responds, “Time is different there than here or in the Digital World. In fact, this place is much like the Digital World was before the first Odiaba Digidestined had defeated Apocalymon and reformatted the Digital World.”

 

Izzy asks, “Wait! You mean time there is accelerated?”

 

Datamon responds, “Correct, Destined of Knowledge. Based on calculations, time in Rainbow Garden is five to seven times faster than this realm’s timeframe.”

 

There are gasps of shock and Ami says, “Then it is no wonder Suguha felt that she was in Rainbow Garden’s longer than a month! For the month that past here, five to seven months must have pasted in Rainbow Gardens!”

 

Yolei says, amazed, “Whoa!”

 

Suguha says, “No wonder it felt longer in there.”

 

Kazuto says, “Then imagine what Davis and Kari must have experienced when two years past here.”

 

TK says, “He’s right. They must have experience over ten years’ worth of time in that world.”

 

There are amazed looks on their faces and Cody says, “If they were there all the time which we can’t be sure that they were since we know that they were in ALO.”

 

Izzy says, “True, Cody. But it doesn’t mean that they didn’t experience years and years of time in Rainbow Gardens.”

 

Matt says, “And it makes wonder if they want to go back.”

 

Mimi asks, “Why would you say that?”

 

TK says, “Our experience in SAO, Mimi. We had to adapt there in order to survive, but being there for so long, you might get ‘too used to it’.”

 

Asuna says, with a nod, “You may have a point. However, deep down, I think that both of them want to come home. They want to be with their family and friends, who mean so much to them.”

 

Jun says, nodding her head, “I agree, Lady Asuna…Oops!”

 

Asuna says, with a sigh, “No problem, Jun.”

 

Tai says, “However, she is right. Deep down, Davis and Kari would want to come home to the people that care for them most! We have to bring them back!”

 

Ken says, with a nod, “Right, Tai.”

 

Amara asks Suguha, “Anything that we should know while we are there?”

 

Suguha responds, “Yes. Somehow, Rainbow Garden was born actually before any VRMMO and in fact, before even the NervGears was created. Like the Digital World that I heard about, it was created around the time that internet and World Wide Web was created.”

 

Izzy says, “Most likely about the eighties or nineties.”

 

Suguha gives a nod and she says, “However, Rainbow Garden truly ‘evolved’ around the time that the first MMO games started.”

 

Kazuto says, plainly, “Most likely, the nineties since the ‘Information Age’ started that time. So, Rainbow Gardens has been around for several decades before even the Full-Dive came around and with more and more games including MMO become more advanced, Rainbow Gardens kept ‘evolving’ in which VRMMO caused a major ‘leap’ in its ‘evolution’.”

 

Suguha says, with a nod, “That’s right, big brother. From what I know, if you didn’t have a VRMMO avatar, you would be given one based on your ‘mental perception’ of what you look.”

 

Lita asks, “Our ‘mental perception’ of what we look like?”

 

Ami responds, “It means what we feel like we look or what we look to look like in our minds and subconscious, Lita-chan.”

 

Kazuto says, “However, since you have an avatar from ALO, it managed to give you your avatar as Leafa.”

 

Suguha says, with a nod, “That’s right. And if you have multiple avatars, you can actually switch between ‘avatar forms’. I saw Dai and Akari switch between what they look like as they usually do in Rainbow Gardens to their ALO avatars and to another set of avatars including one that say came from a VRMMO known as GGO.”

 

Raye asks, “Wait! GGO? Gun Gale Online?”

 

Hotaru asks, “Gun Gale Online?”

 

Amara says, “One of the many VRMMO created from ‘The Seed’, Firefly. However, this one is a bit ‘shady’ since it allows you to convert game money into real-like money.”

 

Mina yells out, stunned, “No way!”

 

Ami says, with a nod, “That’s right, Mina-chan. I know about it. It is in a ‘legal grey zone’ and because of that, only very profession players are part of that VRMMO.”

 

Mimi says, amazed, “Wow.”

 

Kazuto says, “So, it means that we, SAO survivors, could have both our SAO avatars and our ALO avatars.”

 

Asuna asks, “Why do you say that Kirito-kun?”

 

Kazuto responds, “Most likely, this place is connected to every game, not just VRMMO, in the world, Asuna. And most likely, it is now connected to every VRMMO world, which was how Suguha was able to get back to ALO from Rainbow Garden.”

 

Asuna nods her head in agreement and Suguha says, “Right, Kazuto.”

 

Darien says, “That means that it has access to the ALO severs and all of the data including the old SAO data that was found and refurbished.”

 

Just then a familiar child-like female voice responds, “That’s right, Uncle Darien!”

 

There are gasps and Asuna asks, “Yui?!” On a nearby screen, Yui, in her pixie form, appears and she waves at them.

 

Yui responds, “Hi, momma! Papa!”

 

Kazuto asks, surprised, “What are you doing here Yui?”

 

Datamon responds, “She requested that we allow her access here and we have agreed since she proved to be no threat to us or this facility. I must say that she is quite an AI through I think that AI is no longer the term to describe this advanced program. I believe that the term ‘AL’ is better suited to this digital life-form.”

 

Yolei asks, “AL?”

 

Luke responds, “Artificial Life-form, Yolei-san? Her program is so advanced that she is more like a Digimon than just an AI. In all sense of the world, she is a living being made of data much like the Digimon.”

 

Izzy says, with a nod, “I believe that you are correct in that statement.”

 

Datamon says, nodding his head, “Indeed, human.”

 

Kazuto says, “It doesn’t matter what she is. Yui is our daughter to Asuna and me.”

 

Yui says, with a smile, “Thank you, papa.”

 

Kazuto asks, “Anyway, what are you doing here, Yui?”

 

Yui asks, “Papa, I want to go with you and mama.”

 

Asuna yells out, stunned, “Yui-chan, this isn’t a VRMMO! This is a living breathing virtual world and it is dangerous even more so than SAO!”

 

Yui responds, with a pleading tone and ‘puppy dog’ look in her eyes, “Please, mama!” Kazuto and Asuna flinch at the pleading look in their digital daughter’s eyes and they couldn’t say ‘no’ to her in which they drop their heads in defeat.

 

Rika says, with a sly tone, “The mighty ‘Black Swordsman’ and ‘The Flash’ also known as ‘The Berserk Healer’ defeated by the ‘puppy dog eyes’.”

 

Asuna says, embarrassed, “Liz!”

 

Matt says, with a smirk, “Don’t even try to argue, Asuna.”

 

Tai says, with a grin, “Trust me, I think that there are plenty of us that used that look on parents and they couldn’t help to do anything that we say in which when they didn’t, it took a lot for them to say ‘no’.”

 

Sora tells Tai, “Not surprising since you especially did it to your parents when you were younger to get out of a lot of trouble.”

 

Tai says, nervously and embarrassed, “Sora!”

 

Kazuto says, with a sigh, “Okay, Yui-chan, you can come with us, but if it gets too dangerous, you are heading back to ALO.”

 

Yui says, with a smile, “Thank you, papa!”

 

Datamon asks, “Shall we get started?”

 

Tai says, with a nod, “Yes, we are.”

 

Gatomon says, “Bring Kari and Davis back home.”

 

Veemon says, “We really missed them.”

 

Ken says, “All of us do Veemon. We’ll bring them home, don’t worry.” Suguha takes a deep breath as they prepare to head into Rainbow Gardens with Darien, the Sailor Scouts, and Kazuto look at each other and give a slight nod at some kind of unsaid agreement.

 

Kazuto asks Keiko, “Are you sure about this?”

 

Keiko says, with a smile, “I’m fine, Kirito…I mean Kazuto. My parents are glad for my new friends and also Usagi-chan is my friend. You and she saved my life and I want to help easy Serena’s pain for all of the help that she did me.”

 

Serena responds, “You really don’t have to do anything for me, Keiko.”

 

Keiko says, with a smile, “But I want to Serena. You, Kirito, Liz, and Asuna are my friends and I want to help any way that I can.”

 

Lita tells Serena, with a smile, “Well, you made some good friends while you were ‘away’, Serena.”

 

Raye says, with a smirk, “Not surprising since Meatball Head has that positive effect on people.”

 

Mina says, with a smile, “No joke!”

Asuna says, with a smile, “Can’t argue with that Serena. I have to admit that I know what Silica feels. You did save my life and helped me too. If it wasn’t for you and Kirito-kun, I wouldn’t here be here today. You deserve closer more than anyone despite you not going to admit being the good person that you are.”

 

Datamon asks, “Shall we get started humans?”

 

Kazuto says, with a nod, “I believe that we are.” Soon after, the group prepares to head into the next room/rooms to use the Amuspheres set up to allow them into the mysterious realm of Rainbow Gardens.

 

July 29, 2025, Rainbow Gardens

 

Inside of the mysterious virtual world of Rainbow Gardens, there is a strange looking jungle style forest in which a large group of ‘glowing lights’ appear and when the ‘glow’ fades away, it is revealed to be Leafa with Mamoru, the Sailor Scouts, in their ‘avatar forms’, and the Digidestined, also in virtual avatars, with Kirito, Asuna, Silica, and Lisbeth. Usagi, Kirito, Asuna, Silica, Lisbeth, and the Digidestined that were trapped in SAO, namely Tai AKA Taichi, Matt AKA Yamato, TK AKA Takashi, Ken AKA Sam, Yolei AKA Miyako, and Jun AKA Junpier, are all in their SAO ‘forms’ while Mamoru and the rest of the Sailor Scouts, like Leafa, are in their ALO avatars along with the rest of the Digidestined: Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, and Cody.

 

Sora’s ALO avatar, Sara, is a female Salamander with flowing crimson red hair and brown eyes, light red lips, and she is wearing something akin to Sakura Haruno’s outfit in Naruto Shippuden expect that her gloves are fingerless and they are flame designed with the fact she is wearing high-heeled open-toed sandals not boots. Strapped to her back is a bow.

 

Izzy’s ALO avatar, Izumi, is a male Undine with short blue hair, violet eyes, and he has on a dark blue shirt with a silver armored chest plate, black short, silver armored kneepads, black combat boots, and he has a curved sword attached to the left side of his waist.

 

Mimi’s ALO avatar, Hana, is a female Undine with long flowing blue hair mixed with pink highlights, pink eyes, light pink lips, and she is wearing something similar to Asuna’s ALO outfit through everything on Mimi’s version is pink where Asuna’s outfit is blue. Mimi carries two daggers with their sheaths attached to her waist.

 

Joe’s ALO avatar, Kido, is another male Undine with shoulder length blue hair, round glasses in front of grey eyes, and he is wearing light grey sleeveless shirt under a light grey armored vest, silver armored elbow pads, black gloves, blue shorts, and white sneaker-like shoes. He has no weapon in his hands, but he has a shield attached to his left wrist.

 

Cody’s ALO avatar, Kendo, is a male imp with short violet hair, deep brown eyes, and he is wearing an outfit similar to samurai with a long katana and a samurai style short sword attached to the left side of his waist.

 

As they look over each other, Asuna says, “Kirito-kun…!!”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “I know. We are in our SAO avatars.”

 

Mamoru says, “While we are in our ALO avatars.”

 

Kendo says, “Like the information and Leafa said, we have VRMMO avatars and that means that we will be in our avatar forms.”

 

Yamato says, “This is a bit creepy.”

 

Junpier says, “I know.”

 

Takashi says, with a smile, “Well, we can switch avatars if we feel uncomfortable.”

 

Leafa says, “You’ll need to use your menu here for that. Right hand.”

 

Taichi says, with a nod, “Okay.” Taichi swipes with his right hand and a player menu appears, but unlike SAO and ALO, the player menu appears like a screen sliding open and the menu buttons then appear after the player screen.

 

The others do the same and Lisbeth says, “This is different.”

 

Kirito looks around and he says, “I think that I found it. There is a button that says ‘Switch Avatar Forms’.”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “That’s it, big brother. I don’t have it since I only have one avatar.” Kirito then pushes some buttons and a bright flash, he ‘transforms’ from his SAO avatar into his ALO Spriggan avatar, which looks similar to his SAO avatar with a new set of clothing and his hairstyle similar to his SAO avatar/real-like hairstyle.

 

Silica says, amazed, “Wow!”

 

Kirito looks himself over and he says, looking over the menu, “I noticed that I had all of my SAO stats and skills and now, I have my current ALO stats and skills. This place must have access to all game servers.”

 

Hana says, amazed, “Cool.”

 

Miyako says, “And creepy. If it has access to that, who knows what else it has access too? It could be like the Digi-World and if this place is destroyed, our world might go with it.”

 

Hana says, nervously, “Good point, Yolei…I mean Miyako.”

 

Leafa says, with a smile, “Anyway, we should keep it to a mixture of humans and fairies. With large groups, people around here tend to be suspicious of large groups made of a single ‘species’ like all humans or all fairies.”

 

Mamoru asks, “They tend to cause trouble?”

Leafa says, with a nod, “Yes. They are usually are a part of gangs. And they are equivalent to the ‘criminal players’ of SAO.”

 

Haruka says, “In plain language: Just plain troublemakers.”

 

Leafa says, nodding her head, “That’s right, Haruka. I barely survived two encounters with them with all of my stuff and at times, my life. Rainbow Gardens may sound sweet, but at times, it can be a ‘rough place’. This is a living virtual world and you can’t take it like a game even if it as ‘game format’ for this world.”

Silica asks, seeing something, “What’s that?” Everyone then looks to see what looks like barely foot tall pixie-like cartoon monsters that keep saying ‘mux’.

 

Minako says, “That’s cute!”

 

Lisbeth goes over and Leafa says, nervously, “That’s not a good idea. Those are ‘Muxels’ while one of the weakest monsters in terms of health and power of all types on this floor, they are dangerous!”

 

Lisbeth looks at Leafa and she asks, “Why are they dangerous?” When Lisbeth turns around, she gets hit in the face by a custard cream pie!

 

The others are shocked and Leafa says, nervously, “That’s why. They are dangerous pranksters and they are smart as heck! They lead you into traps and they can adapt among one more thing!”

Makoto asks, nervously, “One more thing?”

 

Lisbeth shouts out, angrily, “You little brat!” Lisbeth swings at them with her mace and Muxels then combine into a huge monster that looks similar to Kuribandit from Yu-Gi-Oh.

 

Leafa says, nervously, “That.”

 

Taichi says, nervously, “Oh, crap.”

 

Takashi says, nervously, “You said it.” The massive monster gives a roar and Lisbeth yelps as she quickly goes back to the ground as the massive Muxel opens its mouth.

Leafa shouts out, “Duck!” Immediately, the group ducks to dodge a massive flame attack.

 

Silica says, holding Pina in her hands, “That’s not cute anymore!”

 

Tomoe asks, “What shall we do?”

 

Leafa says, seriously, “Big brother, you and Usagi distract it!”

 

Usagi asks, nervously, “Us?”

Leafa says, “You have fast reaction times! That’s the key!”

 

Kirito says, changing back to his SAO avatar and drawing Elucidator and Dark Repulser, “Let’s go, Usagi!”

 

Usagi says, drawing Elucidator and Lunar Excelsior, “Right, Kirito.” The two of them rush at the giant Muxel monster, who unleashes a barrage of arrows from its mouth, in which Usagi yelps as she and Kirito barely manage to dodge it.

 

Haruka says, shocked, “Dumpling!”

 

Kirito says, “Keep moving Usagi!”

 

Usagi responds, “No kidding!” Kirito and Usagi as the Muxel fire its attack and trying to get a bead on them, but didn’t notice a sneak attack until it is too late.

 

Leafa leaps at the Muxel and she shouts out, her katana glowing, “Okay, time to end this! Starburst Snowflake!” Leafa then slashes the monster around 16 times in the shape of a snowflake in which it freezes where Leafa puts her katana into its sheath in which when it ‘clicks’ shut, a twister hits the monster and it shatters into hundreds of data polygons.

 

The others are stunned by this and Miyako says, stunned, “No way!”

 

Yamato says, “I think ‘yes way’.”

 

Silica says, “That was incredible!”

 

Kirito asks Leafa, shocked, “What was that Leafa?”

 

Leafa says, with a smile, “My new OSS, big brother. It is called Starburst Snowflake and it was inspired by Starburst Stream through I only saw Davis’ OSS version of it.”

 

Asuna says, amazed, “That’s incredible, Leafa-chan.”

 

Leafa says, with a smile, “When you are stuck in here for half-a-year in this world, you tend to have plenty of time on your hands.”

 

Yamato says, “Anyway, we should get going before we are attacked again.”

 

Sara says, “If that was the weakest type of monster, I don’t want to face stronger versions.”

 

Minako says, “That’s for sure.”

 

Leafa says, “That’s what makes this place so dangerous. There are plenty of monsters that you would find in SAO and ALO as well as other games that follow certain attack patterns…”

 

Kirito says, interrupting, “But there are plenty that don’t since they are truly free thinking AI enemies.”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “Bingo, big brother.” Leafa says, “Anyway, we should get to the nearby town that Davis and Kari…I mean Dai and Akari are in. And remember, we have to stay as a ‘mixed group’.”

 

Kido says, “Yeah, you told us about this.”

 

Takashi says, “With large groups, if they aren’t a mixture of different kinds of people, people around here get suspicious of the group.”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “Bingo, Takashi-san.”

 

Kirito says, “So, it is best to remain like this for the time being.”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “That’s right, big brother…I mean Kirito. Follow me.” Soon enough, the group heads off and follow Leafa in which they go through a black arched gate where they find themselves in a massive dome city in which a replica of the sky seems to be ‘painted’ onto the ceiling with the city looking like a mixture of Renaissance Europe, Feudal Japan, and the modern day world mixed with bits of futuristic type stuff.

 

Everyone, minus Leafa, is amazed and Silica says, awe-struck, “This is incredible!”

 

Leafa says, with a smile, “This is the city of ‘Little Leaf’, everyone!”

 

Makoto asks, “LITTLE Leaf?”

 

Lisbeth say, stunned, “This place is huge!”

 

Haruka asks, curiously, “How can they have the sky painted on the roof so perfectly?”

 

Leafa responds, “That’s because that it isn’t painted on. The roof is specially transparent. You can see the sky from the roof, but it filters the sunlight in a special way so the vampires don’t get turned into dust.”

 

There are gasps of shock and multiple voice shout out in unison, “Vampires?!”

 

Leafa says, nervously, “I should have mentioned that. I’m sorry. There are multiple types of ‘people’ around here. There are regular humans and they are most common while they don’t make up the majority. There are human sized fairies like us and various human-animal hybrids.”

 

Izumi asks, “Human-animal hybrids?”

 

Leafa says, pointing at one area, “Look over there.” Everyone then looks to see various male and female humanoids that have cat-like ears and tails, canine ears and tails, rabbit ears and tails, and the like walking around and talking with each other and human ‘residences’ of this world like it was a regular dog.

 

Minako says, “Wow.”

 

Leafa says, “Yep. There is a lot of them and unlike regular humans, they have animal-like instincts and animal-like ‘super-human’ abilities. However, they also suffer from times when they can go ‘feral’ especially during their ‘mating seasons’ if you know what I mean.”

 

Taichi asks, nervously, “So, to the boys, the girls are ‘eye-candy’ and the same for us guys when it comes to the females, right?”

 

Leafa says, nervously, “Yeah, usually. However, the girls of various human-animal tend to be more ‘dangerous’ especially when they are in ‘heat’. One guy found that out when he got too close to a wolf girl when she was in ‘heat’ to ask if she was okay and…Let’s just say that he needed major counseling after that.”

 

The others gained nervous looks and Yamato says, nervously, “Okay…”

 

Leafa says, “And trust me, he was a high level and powerful warrior not someone that you want to piss off. However, there is something or should I say some people that he couldn’t handle.”

 

Taichi says, nervously, “Thanks for the warning, Leafa.”

 

Just then a female voice shouts out, “Leafa!” Everyone then looks to see a fox girl with orange ears and five tails coming out of her tailbone area that’s wearing what looks like a blue version of Tenten’s Shippuden outfit where everywhere that’s white on Tenten’s outfit is blue on her outfit comes out into the open.

 

Leafa says, with a smile, “Hey, Kitami!”

 

The fox girl responds, “Leafa-chan, it is so good to see you! Where have you been? It has been weeks!”

 

Leafa asks, “It has?”

 

The fox girl says, “No kidding! I was worried for a moment that you were dead!”

 

Leafa responds, “Really, Kitami?”

 

The fox girl, Kitami, responds, with a smile, “Sorry, I should have known better.” Kitami asks, seeing the others, “Are these your friends?”

 

Leafa replies, with a smile, “Yeah. Everyone, this is Kitami and she is a Kitsune. Don’t get her confused with regular fox-human hybrids since they only have one tail.”

 

Kitami says, with a grin, “You know it! We, Kitsunes, are stronger than those regular fox girls through they are our cousins however.”

 

Leafa says, “Anyway, we’re going to visit Dai and Akari at their place.”

 

Kitami responds, with a smile, “That’s great! They have been wondering about you, but then again, Dai was always telling me that I shouldn’t worry since you are a real strong person. With someone as strong as him and Akari, I should have known better. Oh, by the way, Dai and Akari have managed to get up to level one!”

 

Leafa asks, “Really?”

 

Kitami says, with a nod, “Yep! Now, they can challenge the GM and become GM themselves! This is so exciting! See you later!”

 

Leafa says, “Later, Kitami!”

 

Kitami then races off into the distance and Tomoe asks, “Level one?”

 

Izumi says, “Remember, this world as eight levels with this one being the lowest level and the rulers of this world, the GM, are on the top level in which if a ‘player’ reaches the top, they can take a challenge to be a GM here.”

 

Leafa says, “That’s right. Now, follow me. Dai’s and Akari’s place is this way. While they are high level, Dai and Akari made many friends here and they consider this place their home.”

 

Sam says, “How much of a home is what worries us. However, I know that Davis and Kari won’t ever forget us.”

 

Takashi says, with a smile, “No joke, Sam.” Soon enough, the group goes through the city and they end in front of a massive skyscraper building that had a sign ‘Blacksmith Cats’ with a picture of Gatomon with swords, knives, and the whatnot behind her over the front door.

 

Lisbeth asks, shocked, “This is their home?”

 

Leafa says, nervously, “Home, place of business, workshop, factory, and everything in-between actually. Akari became one of the top blacksmiths in all of Rainbow Gardens not to mention that they are also the top bounty hunters too.”

 

Kirito asks, “Bounty hunters?”

 

Leafa responds, with a nod, “Capturing or ‘defeating’ top level AI ‘criminal players’ in which the worst of the worst are marked with a ‘black cursor’. You can say that those ‘black players’ are equal to the ‘red players’ of SAO.”

 

Silica asks, nervously, “So, they do PK?”

 

Leafa says, with a sigh, “That or something equal to it. Let’s just say ‘don’t ask’.”

 

Usagi replies, “Don’t tell, Leafa.”

 

Leafa says, “Anyway, I should go in first since they know me.” Plenty of the others nod their heads as Leafa goes in first with Kirito, Asuna, Lisbeth, Silica, and Usagi following her in which they find a massive floor filled with cases displaying all sorts of weapons from swords to crossbows to even guns!

 

Just then a female voice shouts out, “Hi, welcome to…Leafa!” Everyone then looks to see Akari, wearing a pink version of Lisbeth’s clothing where the part of Lisbeth’s outfit is red is pink on Akari’s version, runs over to her.

 

Asuna asks, surprised, “Huh?”

 

Akari tells Leafa, “It has been weeks, Leafa! Where have you been?”

 

Leafa says, with a smile, “I’ve been ‘over there’ for a while.”

 

Akari says, with a smile, “That explains it. We said that time, here, runs faster than in the ‘other worlds’. Kitami and the others were worried about you, but we knew that you would be fine.” Akari sees the others and she asks, “Friends of yours?”

 

Leafa responds, a bit nervously, “Yeah.”

 

Akari gives them a curious look and Asuna asks, nervously, “Is something wrong?”

 

Akari responds, “No. I felt like I have seen you before.” Kirito, Usagi, Lisbeth, Asuna, and Silica then become nervous since there aren’t too many differences between their ALO forms and their SAO forms especially with Usagi, Lisbeth, Asuna, and Silica.

 

Leafa asks Akari, “Akari, is Dai here?”

 

Akari says, with a nod, “Yep. Dai-kun is doing his usual thing, Leafa.” Akari notices the nervous look on Leafa’s face and she asks, “Is something wrong?”

 

Leafa responds, nervously, “Akari, you see…”

 

Just then Taichi’s voice booms, “Kari?” There are surprised looks and everyone looks to see Taichi walking up to them.

 

Akari asks, shocked, “Tai?”

 

Usagi slaps herself on the forehead and she thinks, “So much for breaking it to them slowly.” Soon after, the others arrive in the room much to Akari’s shock.

 

Hino tells Usagi, “Sorry about this, Meatball Head.”

 

Akari takes a step back with a look of shock and Dai’s voice then booms, “Hey, Kari-chan, what’s up…Huh?” Dai, wearing an outfit similar to Kirito’s outfit expect his jacket is flame designed and two swords, an Elucidator and Dark Repulser, strapped to the sides of his waist instead of his back, walks up and gasps in surprise to see the Digidestined of the group along with his sister coming up to them.

 

Sam asks, “Davis?”

 

Dai asks, shocked, “Ken?”

 

Junpier then runs over, hugs Dai, and she says, excitedly, “Davis!”

 

After a few seconds of shock, Dai gets out of Juniper’s hug, and he shouts out, “Jun, what the fuck are you doing here?!”

 

Junpier responds, “Why do you think that I’m here squirt? I’m here to bring you home!”

 

Akari asks, stunned, “But how?”

 

Leafa responds, nervously, “It is a long story. Can we talk?” Later on, in a huge private office, the group is talking with Dai and Akari and revealing as much as possible without revealing a few certain facts to Dai and Akari as of yet while showing them pictures of their ‘real forms’ of Davis and Kari to them.

 

Akari asks, shocked, “So, we…we’re still alive?”

 

Izumi responds, “Alive and well, Kari. Your bodies are completely healed and they are ready for your ‘minds’ to be returned.”

 

Dai says, amazed, “Whoa. I can’t believe it. I thought that Kari and I were goners.”

 

Takashi tells them, “Don’t blame you or Kari for thinking that way. We saw the pictures before your bodies were put into those pods and it was a major miracle that you were still alive long enough for those things to save your lives.”

 

Akari asks Leafa, “So, you are a Sailor Scout and you got critically injured?”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “Yeah. Some jerk still held a grudge against my brother from SAO after he, Asuna, and Usagi gave him a boot from the ultra large guild there for doing things that he blamed beta testers of the game for.” Leafa says, solemnly, “He…murdered a friend of mine before my eyes and put another friend in the hospital before he tried to kill Usagi, who he recognized due to her voice. I got stabbed with a poison sword, but I paid him back with my power of Mars’ flames right to his face.”

 

Hino says, with a sneer, “In which he got what he deserved.”

 

Makoto says, “You would have wanted to do that personally.”

 

Hino responds, “And I would have if I wasn’t concerned for Leafa.”

 

Dai says, with a sneer, “Bastard.”

 

Leafa says, “Anyway, they brought me to the same place where you are and put me in the same device to save my life, but like you, I was also sent here too. However, after a month back in the real world through I didn’t know it until I got back, I reunited with my big brother and the others and they reunited my mind with my body.”

 

Akari asks, “And now, you found your way back here through the Amusphere?”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “Ironically by the same guy that sent us into this world.”

 

Dai says, with a snort, “That fucking prick! Not only did he trap my sister and the others in his fucking ‘death game’, he also brought us here and made us unable to get home!”

 

Akari asks, “What’s the point of it all?”

 

Leafa responds, with a sneer, “All part of his ‘grand scheme’ much like SAO was. He had many reasons for SAO, but one of them was in fact to make sure that ‘awaken’ as Sailor Celestial. He and I fought in our past lives and he wants ‘round two’. It is the reason that he helped us get to Rainbow Gardens via the Amusphere.”

 

Haruka says, “We’re not sure completely of all of his plots, but we do know that the two of you are a part of it. We have an idea why and we need to get you out of here and back to the real world as soon as possible.”

 

Akari and Dai look at each other and Akari says, nervously, “Well…”

 

Hana asks, “What’s wrong?”

 

Kirito’s eyes widen and he then says, seriously, “You have been in contact with Kayaba.”

The others gasps and Dai says, with a serious tone, “The bastard called us out.” Dai then goes through his menu and he creates a message screen in which he makes sure that the others are able to see.

 

When they look at the message, Asuna asks, “Managrove Mines?”

 

Akari says, “It is a mine where ores for equipment are mined and quite a few rare ores are found there. It is the most famous mines in all of Rainbow Gardens. It is actually on this level, but the way to get there is dangerous even for the lowest level of this world…unless you know a way around it.”

 

Hino says, “This has got to be a trap.”

 

Haruka says, with a nod, “He is up to something.”

 

Leafa says, “Then he is going to get something or should I say, someone, he doesn’t expect.”

 

Kirito says, “Sugu, you aren’t planning…”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “I do. It’s time that I put an end to this final sad story from the Silver Millennium for good.”

 

Makoto tells Leafa, “You know that he is out for you, too, Leafa.”

 

Leafa says, “And as long as he is out there, he is going to be gunning for me. I say, let’s end this madness now and put the ‘ghosts’ to bed.”

 

Usagi asks, nervously, “Did you have to say ghost, Leafa?”

 

Kirito says, “Sugu…”

 

Leafa responds, with a determined tone, “Big brother, don’t try to convince me out of this.”

 

Dai says, “Same here.”

 

Miyako yells out, “Whoa! Didn’t you hear what Hino and Haruka just said?!”

 

Dai responds, with a nod, “Loud and clear and they just mentioned that SOB that trapped you in SAO is also the reason that we were here in the first place. And he is trying to make us ‘pawn’ in whatever stupid and rotten ass plan. He has got a ton to answer for and he isn’t going to be allowed to escape to this world just because he didn’t want to accept justice that he so rightfully deserved. He has four thousand, mainly innocent, lives to answer for and including a hand like those sickos players that killed other players in which they wouldn’t have been able to done so if he just made SAO into a regular game.”

 

Akari says, “I’m with you, Dai-kun.”

 

Taichi shouts out, shocked, “Kari!”

 

Akari responds, “Wherever Dai-kun goes, I’ll follow him, Tai. We have been together for a long time, here, and we have shared so much together. I’m not going to sit around and let him face that…that monster that trapped you in that nightmare alone. And since he is responsible for us being away longer than we could have been, I’m not going to let Kayaba’s crimes continue on. He will be stopped here and now.”

 

Taichi was about to argue, but Takashi says, “Don’t even try, Tai. When Kari gets her heart on something and someone, she will be as stubborn as you if not more so.”

 

Taichi says, drolly, “Don’t remind me.”

 

Haruka says, slapping her forehead, “Fine, but all of us are coming with you. We’re here to bring you home.”

 

Dai says, with a nod, “No problem.” As the group prepares to go off, Hino and Haruka share a look that says ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this’ and plenty of the others notice in which they also notice that Usagi and Kirito are also sharing the same look in which they are glancing at Leafa which has plenty in the group having a feeling that this won’t end well.

 

July 29, 2025, Rainbow Gardens, Managrove Mines

 

In another area of Rainbow Gardens, we find ourselves within a massive silver-grey mountain where they are multiple caves into the mountain with multi-colored crystals coming out of the mountain and poking around the caverns passageways from the ground, walls, and ceilings where we find our group, being led by Dai and Akari, going through the maze of caverns and crystals.

 

Silica says, amazed, “Wow. It is so pretty.”

 

Akari says, “It is, but don’t be too caught up by the sights or they will catch you.”

 

Sara asks, “What do you mean?”

 

Just then out of a pink crystal, a replica of Illfang the Kobold Lord made of pink crystal, emerges, and Dai says, “That.”

 

Taichi says, plainly, “Oh.”

 

Asuna says, shocked, “It looks like the boss of floor one!”

Akari prepares to use her hammer/mace, but then Dai says, with a grin, “No need, Kari-chan. This guy is already going to be toast.”

 

Sam asks, “Huh?” Just then a sound like a jackhammer is heard and the ceiling above the monster bursts open in which a figure with a jackhammer slams onto the back of the crystal monster and hammers it until it loses all of its health and crumbles into pieces before shattering into data particles.

 

Miyako asks, “What was that?”

 

Akari responds, with a smile, “The question is: WHO is that?” Out of the smoke from the destruction of the monster, a male humanoid with human-like head that has mole-like whiskers coming out of his cheeks and scalps as well as wearing a miner’s outfit walks out.

 

Dai says, “Dino, I knew it!”

 

The ‘mole man’ responds, “Hey, Dai!”

 

Lisbeth asks, amazed, “Is that a mole man?”

 

The ‘mole man’ responds, “You know cutie! The name is Dino and I’m the best miner in all of Rainbow Gardens!”

 

Dai says, “His mining skills are top notch and he gets a lot of the best ores to make all sorts of equipment.”

Akari says, with a smile, “And he is also a top notch information broker. Not surprising since his kind are the best when it comes that and spying around here.”

 

Dino responds, with a grin, “No joke! That’s why when people talk about spies, they talk about ‘moles’ after all.”

 

Dai says, producing a picture of Heathcliff, “By the way, Dino, have you seen this character?”

 

When Dino looks at the picture, he says, with a nod, “Yeah, I have!” There are gasps and Dino says, “I saw him at the center cavern about a minute ago! Just keeping going and you will be there!” Like a signal, Leafa takes off running and drawing her katana.

 

Kirito says, “Oh, shit! Sugu!”

 

Dai uses his player menu to transfer money to Dino and he says, “Thanks, Dino! Catch you on the flip side!”

 

Soon enough, the others race off after Leafa and Dino responds, “Any time!” When they are gone, Dino thinks in his mind, “Be careful, bro. Something tells me if you are interested in that guy, he is big trouble.” Within a massive cavern full of multiple tunnel entrances/exits, Leafa runs out of one of them and sees a glittering crystal ceiling, but her main focus is finding none other than Kayaba, however, she doesn’t see anything as the others run up to her.

 

Asuna says, “Leafa!”

 

Usagi asks, “What has gotten into you?”

 

Silica says, amazed, “Wow. It is so lovely.”

 

Minako says, with a whistle, “I can imagine what kind of jewelry you can make with these babies.”

 

Hino says, “We’re not here for jewelry Mina-chan and I don’t think that’s what these crystals are here for.”

 

Mamoru asks, “Anything?”

 

Haruka responds, “My Search Skill is coming up with nothing.”

 

Makoto asks, “Why don’t we go with the experts?”

 

Tomoe asks, “Experts?”

 

Hino retorts, pointing to Usagi and Kirito, “Who do you think?”

 

Dai says, with a deadly serious tone, “There is no need. He is here.”

 

Everyone looks at Dai and Sam asks, “How can you be sure?”

 

Dai looks in one direction and he shouts out, “Okay, come on out! I know that you are there!” A short time later, there is the sound of loud clapping echoing and then footsteps in which none other than Kayaba, in his SAO avatar of Heathcliff, walks out into the open.

 

There are multiple gasps and Taichi yells out, with a snarl, “It’s him!”

 

Heathcliff tells Dai, “Well done. I see that your warrior’s intuition is far superior to your Search Skill and that’s already really high. As I have learned, there are things that one can’t rely on just ‘special abilities’ alone for.” Just then he draws his sword as Leafa appears above him and the two of them clash swords.

 

The others are surprised by this and Yamato says, “Whoa! She’s fast!”

 

Makoto says, “I didn’t see her move!”

 

Haruka says, “Probably from my powers.”

 

Michiru asks, with a smile, “Proud?”

 

Haruka replies, with a small smirk, “Maybe.” However, Haruka gets an intense stare as Heathcliff and Leafa clash with their blades and stare each other down.

 

Heathcliff says, “Ah. We finally met in person so to speak. It has been centuries…my dear Celestial.”

 

Leafa responds, with a snarl, “Not long enough, you prick. One thousand years and you still commit these travesties! I can’t believe that you were reborn in this time!”

 

Heathcliff responds, with a sly smile, “I see that your temper hasn’t changed in centuries, Celestial. However, a beautiful rose has its thorns and yours are deadly!” Soon after, the two of them clash blades at high speeds and Leafa leaps back in which she sheaths her sword in which she starts to glow that engulfs her. When the glow fades away, Eternal Sailor Celestial replaces Leafa in front of everyone.

 

Dai says, shocked, “Oh, crap! She is a Sailor Scout!”

 

Miyako asks, “Didn’t we just say that Davis?”

 

Heathcliff asks, with a smile, “At long last, I see that you are getting serious. Now, shall we begin?” Sailor Celestial draws her sword and charges right at Heathcliff, who charges in reply.

Kirito yells out, “Sugu, wait!” However, both Sailor Celestial and Heathcliff don’t stop and they clash sword in which they go into an intense high-speed sword battle with the two of them moving very fast and close to blurs in which Usagi, very concerned, can’t help to open her menu and push a few buttons causing her to glow and transform into Sailor Moon. Immediately, the other Sailor Scouts go into their Sailor Scout forms with Mamoru transforming into Tuxedo Mask. But then Sailor Celestial and Heathcliff leap past each other and while their backs are to each other, they move their swords under their arms with the point of their swords at each other’s heads: Sailor Celestial’s blade at Heathcliff’s head and vice-versa.

 

Takashi says, stunned, “Whoa!”

 

Asuna says, amazed, “They are good.”

 

Sailor Uranus says, with a serious tone, “Very good.”

 

Kirito thinks in his mind, “This ability…Both Sugu and Heathcliff…Kayaba…are beyond what Kayaba was in SAO…Wait! Kayaba fought me within the limits of his own game, but this isn’t SAO! Could this…Could this be Kayaba’s true power and skill?”

 

Heathcliff says, “Your skill haven’t dull one bit.”

 

Sailor Celestial says, with a snarl, “Not surprising that you haven’t fucking changed one bit either.” Sailor Celestial and Heathcliff leap away from each other, spin around, and attack each other again with Heathcliff thrusting his sword at Sailor Celestial, but she bends out of the way and grabs his arm with one arm. Heathcliff tries to bash her with his shield, however, she grabs onto that too. The two of them struggle in a brief clash of raw strength as the others watched and the ground around them seems to crack from that struggle.

 

Sailor Mars says, with a serious tone, “They aren’t joking around. Look at the ground!” There are gasps as they see the growing cracks on the ground from their struggle.

 

Heathcliff tells Sailor Celestial, “Very good, my dear. Your strength hasn’t waned one bit.”

 

Sailor Celestial says, with a sinister smirk, “You’re pleased. How shocking!” Just then Heathcliff yells out in pain as he is blasted by green electric energy and Sailor Celestial smirks at this, thinking that she has got him, but Heathcliff gives her a serious glare in which he wrenches his shield from her grip and bashes her right on the head with his shield knocking her down to the ground, hard!

 

Kirito yells out, shocked, “Sugu!” However, nearly instantly, Sailor Celestial performs a spin kick that knocks Heathcliff off his feet allowing her to leap back away from Heathcliff and back onto her feet in which she holds her head.

 

Sailor Celestial says, with a groan of pain, “This is why there are pain absorbers in VR worlds.” But Heathcliff instantly leaps to his feet and charges right at Sailor Celestial.

 

Sailor Uranus shouts out, “Celestial!” However, it is too late as Sailor Celestial is rammed in the chest by Heathcliff’s shield and he rams her right into the cavern wall, hard!

 

Sailor Moon yells out, shocked, “Celestial!” Heathcliff leaps back a bit as Sailor Celestial stumbles out only to get hit on the side of the head by Heathcliff’s shield throwing her sideways and sending her sword flying out of her hand as well as impaling itself onto the virtual ceiling.

 

Kirito yells out, stunned and horrified, “No, Sugu!” Both Sailor Moon and Kirito draw their swords and prepare to charge in, however, Sailor Celestial manages to leap to her feet in which Heathcliff attacks with his sword intending to impale her, but Sailor Celestial, despite being still woozy from the attack, manages to grab onto Heathcliff’s sword without cutting her hands and stopping him in his tracks!

 

The others gasps and Lisbeth says, stunned, “No way!”

 

Sailor Celestial shouts out, with an angered tone and sneer, “Payback time, asshole!” Sailor Celestial then yanks Heathcliff’s sword forward and before he could put his shield up, Sailor Celestial bashes him in the face with her fist, however, she isn’t done as she puts both hands on the sword and starts to spin around on her heels, going at high speeds like a top, and she then throws him in which Heathcliff heads at high speeds until he slams into the cavern wall opposing Sailor Celestial with a mighty ‘crash’. Sailor Celestial holds her head and she says, with a groan, “What is it with jerks and hitting me on the head? I’m going to have a real headache in the morning.”

 

Soon after, Heathcliff stumbles forward, shakes his head, and he says, stretching his neck, “Now, my dear, are we done with our warm-up?”

 

The others are shocked at this and Sailor Venus asks, “What did he just say?”

 

Heathcliff tells Sailor Celestial, “You and I both know that we are both holding back and my dear, do you really think that your katana will be sufficient against me?” Sailor Celestial glares at Heathcliff, she then puts the sheath for her katana to the rear of her skirt, and closes her eyes causing two more swords in two more sheaths to appear with one sword attached to each side of her skirt. Sailor Celestial then cross-draws the swords and the swords are revealed to be none other than Elucidator and Dark Repulser.

 

Kirito says, shocked, “Those swords!”

 

Heathcliff says, “Elucidator: A sword forged from pure and raw mystical power making it one of the most powerful magic based blades in the universe. Dark Repulser: Forged by a legendary blacksmith of the Silver Millennium and commissioned by Sailor Celestial herself in which she gathered the scales of five powerful dragons, an earth dragon, a fire dragon, a water dragon, a wind dragon, and finally, a light dragon.” Everyone looks at Heathcliff and he says, “And they are the original blades. Not the replicas created by SAO. The ‘real deal’ as you can say.”

 

Sailor Saturn asks, “Is that true?”

 

Sailor Pluto says, with a nod, “It is, Saturn. Those two swords were Sailor Celestial’s swords back in the Silver Millennium.”

 

Sailor Moon looks at her versions and Kirito asks Heathcliff, “Hold up! Does that mean…?”

 

Heathcliff responds, “I can assure you that I was fighting at the fullest that SAO allowed me too, but to answer your question: Yes, you were merely a prelude to my real battle with your sister.” There are gasps and Heathcliff says, “It is the reason that I made the welder of the Duel Blades the hero of SAO after all. I tried to replicate the original hero or in this case, heroine of SAO back in the Silver Millennium after all.” There are looks of surprise and shock and Heathcliff says, “SAO is more than just a ‘death game’. It is a war…A war between two…”

 

Sailor Celestial says, getting into a defensive stance, “And a war that gets settled today. But before I kick your rotten butt to the ground, you are going to answer a few questions.”

 

Heathcliff then responds, “I believe you had already answered quite a few of them yourself my dear. However, to appease you in that regard, what I had told Kirito, Asuna, and Serenity at the end of SAO was in fact the truth, but I admit that while I told the truth, I didn’t tell them the WHOLE truth. It is true that I had indeed partially forgotten the reasons that I did SAO, but the fact is it is because I had so many different reasons that I did SAO. And yes, if you wish to confirm it, one of those reasons was you. I did SAO in order to force you to awaken, Celestial.”

 

There are gasps of shock and/or horror and Kirito asks, angered, “Hold up! Are you saying that all of those lives…those innocent lives that you took…was just to force my sister to awaken her Sailor Scout powers?!”

 

Heathcliff says, with a nod, “Yes, Kirito, it is. The reasons that I told you were the truth and what you just said is the truth as well.” Kirito snarls in fury and Heathcliff says, looking at Sailor Celestial, who has a disgusted look, “Why? As you may have realized, our fight was never finished and this is not for payback…Maybe not in your typical revenge sort of way. However, I feel that in regard to what happened, I felt that it was your fault that the Silver Millennium was destroyed by stopping me from stopping Metallia.”

 

There are a lot of surprised looks, expect from Sailor Pluto, and Sailor Celestial shouts out, “You piece of trash! You know darn why I had to the stop you! That power is not to be messed with! Only I have the ability to control that power and it is the reason that I was chosen to be Sailor Celestial, the Sovereign Soldier of Reality in the first place!” There are quite a few confused looks including Sailor Pluto and Sailor Celestial says, “You know darn well that it is a power beyond your understanding and control! You could have destroyed the entire universe!”

 

There are gasps and Heathcliff responds, “Maybe from your understanding, Celestial.”

 

Sailor Celestial says, with a sneer, “You arrogant jerk. You haven’t changed one bit. I’ve heard enough from you.” Sailor Celestial says, pointing her Dark Repulser at Heathcliff, “Let’s end this.” The two of them then get into defensive stances and before anyone could say or do anything, both Sailor Celestial and Heathcliff seem to vanish/teleport.

 

Hana asks, “Huh? Where did they go?” Just then sounds of swords clash and shockwaves being felt fill the cavern room.

 

Miyako asks, stunned, “What’s going on?”

 

Sailor Uranus says, “They are moving so fast that we can’t follow them!” However, Sailor Uranus notices that Dai and Akari seems to be following them in which she isn’t the only one.

 

(Sword Art Online music ‘Swordland’ starts)

 

However, as quickly as they ‘disappeared’, Sailor Celestial and Heathcliff ‘reappear’ in which they are in an incredible high-speed sword fight that’s WAY faster than Kirito’s battle with Heathcliff in either of their fights on Floor 75 as well as Sailor Moon’s battle with him. Their movements and their swords with Heathcliff’s shield are a blur as every single clash causes shockwave that cracks the floor around them and causes the whole virtual cavern to shake from the sheer power that the two of them are giving off. Heathcliff then unleashes an all-out assault Sailor Celestial with all types of slashes and thrusts attack, but she gracefully manages to dodge them every type despite the super-human speed in the attacks.

 

Sailor Celestial says, with a serious tone, “My turn, jerk!” Sailor Celestial then unleashes a barrage of slashes and thrusts at Heathcliff in which he blocks with his shield much like he did with Kirito in SAO, but unlike it, the sheer power and volume of the attacks as well as the speed make it much hard for him to block in which he manages to do, barely, however, he is forced backwards and completely on the defensive.

 

However, at one moment, he shouts out, “You are open, my dear!” Heathcliff, with one slash, cuts Sailor Celestial in the right chin causing her to yelp in pain and the others to gasp in shock.

 

Kirito yells out, shocked, “Sugu!” Sailor Celestial snarls in which she spins around Heathcliff in which she swings her swords and slashing the back of his right shoulder causing Heathcliff to grunt in pain in which the two of them leap away from each other, but Heathcliff charges right at Sailor Celestial, who turns around only to get the bottom of Heathcliff’s shield right in her nose causing her to stumble back. Sailor Celestial recovers to block a downward swipe with her crossed two swords, but Heathcliff puts such raw strength and power that he forces Sailor Celestial down on one knee and the ground around her greatly cracks.

 

Sailor Jupiter says, shocked, “Such power!”

 

Sailor Moon says, greatly concerned, “Celestial!” Sisterly instinct comes into play as Sailor Moon draws her swords and along with Kirito, prepares to join the fight.

 

Sailor Celestial shouts out, “No, Sailor Moon! This fight is mine and mine alone! You and Kirito stay back now!”

 

The others are surprised and Heathcliff asks, “How can you fight on your knees?”

 

Sailor Celestial responds, strongly, “Let me show you!” Sailor Celestial roars out as she slowly, but surely pushes up and pushes Heathcliff back causing a rare look of surprise before Sailor Celestial body slams him and rams him into the virtual cavern wall once again and just as hard in which she leaps back. However, Heathcliff leaps forward and attacks with several slash attacks with his sword, but Sailor Celestial rolls and leaps out of the way. The two of them then charge at each other high-speed and take a swipe at each other that’s so fast that it is a blur as they seemly race past each other before stopping in their tracks.

 

Taichi asks, “Did anyone see that?”

 

Dai says, with a winch, “Yeah. And that’s going to hurt them both.” Before anyone could say or ask what Dai meant, Sailor Celestial grunts in pain before she holds her right leg in as there is a nasty gash like the one show on virtual avatars on her right leg while Heathcliff shows that he has a similar nasty gash on his left arm causing him to grunt in pain.

 

(Sword Art Online music ‘Swordland’ ends)

 

Kirito shouts out, shocked, “Sugu!”

 

Heathcliff turns to face Sailor Celestial, who has spun around to face him, and he says, with a smile, “Your skill and power haven’t weakened one bit, my dear Celestial.”

 

Sailor Celestial says, with a sneer, “You haven’t changed much, but SAO showed me that you have changed. You went from self-righteous to self-serving and just plain selfish bastard!”

 

Heathcliff says, “Such language. That’s very unbecoming of a moon princess, Celestial. I would have to say that Serenity taught you better than that.”

 

Sailor Celestial says, angrily, “Never bring mother into this! You have no right to even say her name!”

 

Heathcliff then says, with a sly smile, “My dear, I believe that I would have a right to talk about my beloved…my dear daughter.”

 

There are multitude of gasps and Sailor Uranus shouts out, “What did he just say?!”

 

Sailor Pluto gives a solemn look and Heathcliff asks Sailor Pluto, “Pluto, you didn’t tell them? From the way that Celestial is acting, I believe that she remembers everything down to detail, but you didn’t tell Serenity the truth of her bloodline?” Plenty of the others look at Sailor Pluto and Heathcliff says, “The truth of the connection between Sailor Celestial and I are plain and simple since Princess Serenity shares that same ‘connection’. One thousand years ago, I was the lover of Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom…and father of Princess Serenity and Princess Selene, the two daughters and heiresses of the Moon Kingdom.”

 

There are multiple gasps and shock and horror and Lisbeth says, stunned, “You have got to be kidding me!” Just then everyone hears a loud ‘clang’ in which everyone looks to see Sailor Moon has dropped her swords and her eyes were wide with shock, surprised, and even horror.

 

Sailor Moon says, lowly, “No, it can’t…it can’t be true…”

 

Silica asks, concerned, “Sailor Moon? Sailor Moon?”

 

Sailor Mars shouts out, shaking her head, “No way, it can’t be! That’s impossible!”

 

Heathcliff points to Sailor Celestial, who has her head down and snarling, and he asks, “Then why is Sailor Celestial lowering down her head in shame?”

 

When everyone sees this ‘action’ of Sailor Celestial, Kirito asks, “Sugu?”

 

Sailor Saturn asks Sailor Pluto, “Pluto-mama, this isn’t true? This isn’t true, is it?”

 

Sailor Pluto doesn’t say a thing and she responds, solemnly, “It is the absolutely and undeniable truth. Back in the Silver Millennium, he was the father of the daughters of Queen Serenity. He was her lover.” There are more gasps of shock and surprise and Sailor Pluto asks, with a stern and deadly glare, “So, Prince Heathcliff, how long?”

 

Heathcliff then gives a solemn look and she responds, gaining a plain look and with a plain tone, “If you wish to know, the day that Serenity regained the Silver Crystal.”

 

There are more gasps and Sailor Mercury says, shocked, “That was around one to two years BEFORE SAO!”

 

Sailor Celestial snarls in anger and Sailor Jupiter says, angrily, “You fucking fiend! You knew! You remembered a whole year before SAO and you still committed this…this horror…this mass murder!”

 

Sailor Venus looks at Sailor Moon and she asks, horrified, “Sailor Moon?” Everyone looks at Sailor Moon and they see her eyes widen with a look of pure unadulterated horror with tears coming out of these virtual eyes as she realizes that the man that she loved as a second father in this life was her father in her life as Moon Princess AND he still committed the horror that was Sword Art Online despite knowing that they were once father and daughter. She wanted deny this and say that he was lying, but the memories that she was regaining as her life as Princess Serenity say otherwise and she KNOWS that it is the truth and absolute truth causing an emotional dam to finally burst.

 

Sailor Moon says, in disbelief and mainly in horror, “No…No…No…NOOOOOOOOOO!!!” Sailor Moon’s crescent moon sigil blazes with a golden light and she unleashes a powerful aura of energy that knocks everyone minus Sailor Celestial and Heathcliff.

 

Sailor Celestial shouts out, shocked, “Sailor Moon! Sailor Moon! Serenity!” However, Sailor Moon doesn’t stop giving a mighty wail of pure pain and terror creating a massive shockwave to shake the whole of the virtual cavern until Sailor Celestial yells out, pleadingly, “Sister, stop!” The words reach Sailor Moon and she gasps as she stops her wailing and Tuxedo Mask then embraces her in which he makes Sailor Moon look at her.

 

Tuxedo Mask says, “Look at me, Sailor Moon! Look at me! I’m here! I’m here for you my love! Please calm down! Please!” Sailor Moon’s breathing is heavy as she struggles to calm down while Heathcliff gives another solemn look, but sensing massive killer intent, he looks to see Sailor Celestial glaring a death glare at him.

 

Sailor Celestial says, angrily, “You wretched fiend! You knew! YOU KNEW FOR OVER AN ENTIRE YEAR YET YOU COMMITTED THAT HORROR AND MASS MURDER THAT WAS SAO!!! You knew what it would do to her! You don’t deserve to call yourself a father!”

 

Heathcliff responds, “And you would be right, but the facts are the facts.” Heathcliff tells Sailor Celestial, “I don’t think you should glare at me, my dear. From what you thought is right and you could have stopped it all from happening.” Sailor Celestial gives a look of confusion and Heathcliff tells her, “You should have struck me down and I wouldn’t have been reborn and SAO would never have happened.” Sailor Celestial’s eyes widen and he says, “And basically that means that the blood of the four thousand people of SAO covers your arms and hands forever!” Sailor Celestial winches from this remark and he says, “You call yourself a Sailor Senshi and yet once again, like you did in the Silver Millennium…You have failed!” Sailor Celestial snarls at Heathcliff and he says, “Do you wish to prove that you are a true Sailor Guardian? Then get justice for what I have done for committing the ‘horror’ that’s Sword Art Online! If you destroy me here then my existence is gone for this mortal plane forever! If you are a true Sailor Soldier, a champion of justice, then you will strike me down!”

 

Unable to take anymore, Sailor Celestial roars out, strongly, “KAYABA!!!” Sailor Celestial then charges right at Heathcliff with the intent to destroy him once and for all.

 

Kirito shouts out, “Sugu, wait!” However, it is too late, Sailor Celestial and Heathcliff clash with their swords, once again, as a former father and daughter prepare to do one thing between that you would think unthinkable between a child and their parents: Try to kill each other. As we leave the scene, an ancient battle one thousand years in the making starts to reach its climax…

 

End of Chapter 6

 

(Sword Art Online closing theme ‘Yume Sekai’ starts)

 

As the scene floats down in front of us, we see the Moon Palace in front of a massive lake where instead of the palace, Aincrad is being reflected by the pool of water instead of the Moon Palace. As Aincrad is being shown, we see Kirito, Usagi, and Asuna, in their SAO forms with their ALO forms behind them, floating down and as we float down, we see Suguha Kirigaya surrounded by her ALO avatar of Leaf and as Eternal Sailor Celestial with the form of someone that looks like Princess Serenity, but with Sailor Celestial’s sigils on her forehead. And finally, we float down to see Davis Motomiya, in his Kirito’s style outfit, and Kari Kamiya, in her version of Asuna’s KOB outfit, together surrounded by the three Egyptian God Cards, the Sacred Beasts, Signer Dragons, and many more ‘out of the ordinary’ Duel Monsters including the Aesir.

 

The final scene appears where it shows Kazuto, Serena, Asuna, Suguha, Davis, and Kari surrounded by all of their friends, comrades, and/or loved ones: The Sailor Scouts, Tuxedo Mask, Digidestined and their Digimon partners, Rika, Keiko, Andrew, and Ryoutarou.

 

Preview (Leafa’s voice)

 

“Next time: A Sailor’s Purpose.”

 

Well, this is the end of this latest chapter and now, it is the big reveal for Sailor Moon and she didn’t take it so well. Based on the situation, you can realistically imagine that she wouldn’t have and that’s being nice. There is going to be a lot of ‘emotional and mental drama’ among the other ‘regular’ action, adventure, and drama that you can expect in a story like this, folks. So, you can expect a lot of ‘development’ of the character of the characters and plenty of OOC in this story, too. Later and best wishes, Crossover Fans!