Digimon Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ Sailor Moon Online: Shadow of Aincrad ❯ Presently Past Tense ( Chapter 14 )

Anyway, I would like to think that my experience with Hollow Fragment has managed to get down Strea and her personality down great which will show in this upcoming chapter. However, you must be asking: Hold up! Strea, in Hollow Fragment, was a mental health program for Sword Art Online just like Yui! What’s she doing on another VRMMO in this story? Well, I did leave a good clue in the previous chapters, everyone. Once again, which I know that I sound like a broken record, but I would like to give thanks and credit to Belletigerand Kanius and Kanius’ YuYuGiDigiMoon series, especially this author’s The Invasion of the Rajita story, for giving me permission to use the idea of Valkyrie Sailor Soldiers and everything that’s a part of them.

 

I DO NOT OWN Sailor Moon, Sword Art Online, Accel World, Digimon series, Yu-Gi-Oh R/GX/5Ds/Zexal/Arc-V, Gundam series, including Gundam Build Fighters, Sekirei, Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed, Senran Kagura, Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden, Tenchi Muyo series, Ronin Warriors, Dot-hack series, World of Warcraft series,Power Rangers series, Tron, Code Lyoko, Rave Master, Mouse, 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!

 

August 1, 2025, Future Divers headquarters

 

Inside of the headquarters of Future Divers, we find Tokyu talking with a young teen lady.

 

This young teen lady is in her late teens with short, dandelion hair, blue eyes, and wearing typical clothing that a teenage girl would wear.

 

Tokyu tells the young lady, “It is an honor to meet you.”

 

The young teen lady responds, “I’m nothing special. I’m just a survivor.”

 

Tokyu tells the young teen lady, “Well, Kotone-san, I consider you special since I lost two friends in SAO. They died within the first month.”

 

The young lady responds, solemnly, “I’m sorry.”

 

Tokyu says, “There is nothing that you need to be sorry for. In fact, they would be glad that you are joining us and the game.” Tokyu tells Kotone, the young lady, “However, I’m surprised that you would do this. I mean, you are one of the bravest people that I know doing this…”

 

Kotone responds, interrupting, “I’m not being brave. I…I just need to bring closer to something.”

 

Tokyu says, “I see. I hope that you find what you are looking for.”

Kotone says, with a smile, “Thank you, Tokyu-san. I hope so too.”

 

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 14: Presently Past Tense

 

August 2025, Sword Art World, Second Level

 

Inside of the main town of the second ‘castle world’ of Sword Art World or SAW for short, Urbus, which was in the main town of the second floor of Aincrad on SAO, Leafa, Dai, and Akari are assembled together in the main square and getting their ‘bearings’ as well as figuring out a plan for the future.

 

Leafa says, “Okay, so far, we’re trapped in the game, we can’t call for help, and we can’t access our powers.”

 

Dai says, “Add to the fact that if we died, we’ll get revived, but we lose a portion of our memories.”

 

Leafa says, “And I don’t want to find out what happens when we have no more memories to give.”

 

Akari says, “That’s for sure, Leafa.”

 

Leafa says, “We’re going to need to try to not get killed at least until we buy some recording crystals.”

 

Dai asks, “Why those?”

 

Leafa says, “To record our memories to try to keep as many as possible.”

 

Akari says, “Good idea, Leafa.”

 

Dai says, “Wish we could tell someone.”

 

Leafa says, “Same here, but if we start raising a fuss, whoever trapped us in here could end it all and us with it.”

 

Akari says, “Like in Rainbow Gardens, our minds are completely in our avatars and if our avatars are deleted…”

 

Dai says, “We are dead meat. Our bodies are still alive, but our bodies would be ‘living corpses’ since there would be nothing to go back into them.” Dai says, drolly, “There is a pleasant thought for you.”

 

Leafa says, drolly, “Yeah right, Dai.”

 

Dai says, with a sneer, “Anyway, I’m going to figure out a way to payback those MPK jerks that caused Kari-chan to lose her memory in the first place.”

 

Akari tells Dai, “Dai-kun, they aren’t worth it.”

 

Leafa tells Dai, “Kari’s right, Dai. They are just playing the game. They don’t know what’s going on here.”

 

Dai says, with a snort, “Yeah, I know, but it is still bad manners.”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “You have a good point. However, while RPG causes people to put on personas, it also reveals their ‘true nature’ that they don’t show in ‘real life’. I learned that people uses ‘masks’ in ‘reality’ as much as ‘game worlds’ and VRMMO, in my view, make it all the more proficient.”

 

Akari says, nodding her head in agreement, “No kidding, Leafa.”

 

Leafa says, “Anyway, from now on, we need to be careful of other players just as much as monsters.” Dai and Akari nod their heads in agreement, but then the world around starts to turn black and white again.

 

Dai says, with a sneer, “Oh, great. Here we go again.”

 

Leafa says, “Get ready.” Just then they see a brown cloaked female player with blond hair and painted whisker marks on her cheeks being chased by two players that have clothing in an imitation of ninjas racing after her.

 

Akari asks, “What’s this?”

 

A female voice says, in a monotone voice, “Follow the footsteps of those that came before you.”

 

Dai yells out, “Hey! That voice!”

 

Leafa says, “I know, Dai!”

 

The female voice says, “They will lead you to the way home.”

 

Akari asks, “Isn’t that the voice of the girl that we saw?”

 

Dai says, “Yeah. The same girl that we saw cutting some strange ‘lines’ before we were revived.” As Leafa looks at the scene, which keeps repeating itself, she then sees a player with a familiar face.

 

Leafa thinks in her mind, stunned, “Big brother?” Leafa says, pointing, “Over there!”

 

When Dai and Akari look at where Leafa is pointing, Akari asks, “Isn’t that Kazuto?”

 

Leafa says, “Yeah, it is.”

 

Dai asks, “What’s he doing here?”

 

Leafa says, “I don’t think that’s him in this game. I think…I know that this is a ‘scene’ from SAO. We’re watching images from the past during Sword Art Online.”

 

Dai and Akari gasp in shock and Akari asks, “But how?”

 

Leafa says, “I don’t know, but I think that we need to follow them.”

Dai asks Leafa, “Are you serious?”

 

Leafa responds, “Do we have any other choice?”

 

Dai says, with a nod, “Good point.” Soon after, Leafa, Dai, and Akari run through the streets of Urbus, following what looks like replay of events from SAO in front of them, and they see Kirito, Kazuto’s SAO avatar, follow the female player being chased by the two ‘ninja’ where they see Kirito confront the two ‘ninja’ outside of town to protect the female player, who is none other than Argo, the female information dealer of SAO, in which they see Usagi, Serena’s SAO avatar, ‘butt in’ and shows them that they have been targeted by a bull monster causing the two ‘ninja players’ to run off. As the scene between the three of them continue on, Argo leads Usagi and Kirito to small hut where the scene ends and where the three of them find themselves at.

 

Akari asks, “What is this place?”

 

Dai says, “This could be a quest for something pretty valuable since it is off the beaten path.”

 

Leafa says, “Let’s find out.” Leafa, Dai, and Akari enter the wooden hut where they find an elderly sage-like person wearing a tattered robe in which three of them can see by the cursor that he is an NPC with an exclamation mark to show a quest indication.

 

The NPC tells them, “Do you wish to follow my school?”

 

Akari asks, “Your school?”

 

The NPC responds, “The school of martial arts, my dear.”

 

Dai says, “Must be some kind of skill.”

 

Leafa says, “I think it is. My big brother mentioned about a Martial Arts Sword Skill in SAO and we have that in ALO too.”

 

Akari says, “So, this is similar to how he got his.”

 

The NPC says, “If you accept, the road is hard and full of peril.”

 

Leafa says, “I think that we can handle it.”

 

The NPC says, with a nod, “As you wish.” Soon after, the exclamation mark turns into a question mark after a quest acceptance prompt appears in front of their eyes in which they push the ‘yes’ button. Soon after, the NPC escorts them outside to a field of large boulders and he says, “Your training is simple. You must split this stone without any weapons at all. If you succeed, I will teach you all of my secrets.”

 

Akari asks, shocked, “This?!”

 

Dai asks, stunned, “With our bare hands?”

 

The NPC says, “Fists, kicks, or even your head if you wish. However, you aren’t permitted to descend this mountain until you have broken the stone. I will put the sign on you now.”

 

Leafa asks, nervously, “Sign?” Soon after, quick as a whip, the NPC takes out a jar and a magnificent paintbrush in which before they could say or do anything, the NPC lashes out on their faces with the paintbrush causing them to stumble back.

 

Dai yells out, stunned and annoyed, “Hey!” When the three of them look at each other, they gasp to see each of them had three whisker marks painted on each of their cheeks.

 

Leafa shouts out, glaring at the NPC, “What the fuck?!” She then gasps to see Akari’s bow and quiver and hers and Dai’s swords in his hands. Dai and Akari see this and with Leafa, they look to see their weapons have been stolen.

 

Dai shouts out, stunned, “No way!”

 

The NPC says, “I shall hold onto your weapons in you have completed your tasks. Each of you must break one rock each and the sign will not vanish until you have broken your rock. I have faith in your ability, my young apprentices.” The NPC then goes back into his shack to leave a stunned threesome in his wake.

 

Akari says, “I guess that we have no choice.”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “Something tells me that despite our backup weapons, we won’t get far in which he might take them immediately.”

 

Dai taps on one of the stones and he says, with a snort, “Oh, great. This thing is just one step below ‘immortal object’.”

 

Leafa says, with a groan, “Wonderful.”

 

Dai tells Leafa, “I think that your bro must have done this and it was a pain in the butt for him.”

 

Leafa says, “I’ll believe that Dai.” Leafa says, “Well, right now, I’m very pissed off and I need to break something. Let’s just hope that the pain absorbers are working very well.” Dai and Akari nod their heads in agreement in which each of them takes a boulder and starts to pound away at it in which Leafa starts to think that by the time that this ‘adventure’ is over, she is going to know her brother more than ever before.

 

August 2025, Cherry Hill Temple

 

Flashback; December 4, 2022, SAO, Floor Two Field

 

It has been a brief time since Usagi has gone her separate ways from Kirito in the aftermath of the opening of the teleport gate of the second floor of Aincrad in the main town of this floor, Urbus. She knows that the fact that Kayaba’s niece is with the other surviving trapped players in SAO along with ‘Kirito the Beater’ will become well-known in the player community of SAO and despite other players sticking up for her with Kirito focusing the hatred of players on himself, Usagi knows that it is best that she stays out of the limelight despite it being completely against her nature back home in the real world.

 

Right now, she managed to defeat a large cattle monster, Trembling Ox, and after it shatters into hundreds of data polygons, Usagi says, “Man! This cattle monsters aren’t any bull.” Usagi takes a deep breath and she then hears a feminine yell in which Usagi asks, “What’s that?” Soon after, Usagi races off in the direction of the yell and comes into an area with two rocky hill in-between a small canyon. She finds Kirito protecting a female player with a brown hooded cloak on in which Usagi sees that she has three whisker marks on each of her cheeks. Usagi thinks in her mind, “Kirito?” Usagi then sees Kirito protecting the female player from two players that are dressed up in outfits in order to imitate ninjas and she thinks in her mind, “What are they supposed to be? Imitating ninjas or something?”

 

Just then one of the ninja players shouts out, “You Iga dog?!”

 

Kirito asks, confused, “Huh?”

 

Soon after, Usagi notices the two ‘ninja players’ drawing their blades and she thinks, “What are those two think that they are doing? They aren’t in town and if they attack Kirito and even just nick him, they are going to go orange and make them unable to return to town until they are green. And if they get stuck out here, they could die! What the heck are these morons thinking? This isn’t just a game anymore!” Usagi then sees something and she gets to her feet in which she shouts out, “Hey, ninja losers!” When everyone looks at Usagi, she points behind the two ninja players and she says, “You are about to be victims of an MPK if you don’t watch out!”

 

The other ‘ninja player’ responds, “What kind of trickery is this?”

 

Usagi shouts out, “Don’t be stupid and look out already!” The two ‘ninja players’ then look to see another Trembling Ox and they are immediately off with the bull monster right on their heels. With the two players and monster gone, Usagi leaps down in front of Kirito and the hooded female player.

 

Kirito asks, “What are you doing here Usagi?”

 

Usagi responds, “What do you think Kirito? By the way, do you always look for trouble or does it come looking for you?” Kirito gives a nervous expression as a reply and Usagi asks Kirito, looking at the other player with him, “By the way, who is this?”

 

The female player was about to answer when Kirito responds, in a nervous hasty tone, “This is Argo. Like me, she is a former beta tester. She is an information dealer.”

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “Information dealer?”

 

The female player, Argo, responds, “That’s what the job says. I gather information and sell it for a price. Normally, what I just told you costs one hundred col, but since you did help Kii-boy and me out, I’ll let it pass for now.”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “Okay…” Just then she becomes more nervous when Argo looks her over in which Argo can’t see her face thanks to her special hooded white cloak.

 

Argo says, “My, I had wondered what happened to the quest with that special cloak that keeps your face hidden. I had heard that someone in the first boss raid had gotten it, but I don’t take ‘rumors’ until I had found them to be confirmed fact.”

 

Kirito asks, curiously, “How much did you hear?”

 

Argo responds, with a sly smile, “That you have been put in the ringer and we have a bit of ‘celebrity’ in our ranks.” Argo asks Usagi, “So, you must the infamous niece of Kayaba, huh?” Usagi gives a winch and she then states, “And you must know her if called her by name, Kii-boy.”

 

Kirito and Usagi give yelps and Kirito thinks in his mind, nervously, “Oh, crap!” Kirito tells Argo, “Argo, I don’t care what I have to pay! I need for you to keep that piece of information silent for good!”

 

Argo tells Kirito, “That isn’t usually my style, Kii-boy…”

 

Kirito responds, “Argo, do you know what it means even if her player name got out there especially at this stage of game? Come on, she just helped me save you!”

 

Argo says, “Okay, Kii-boy. If you keep this up, you are going to make Big Sister break the first rule of information dealing.”

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, confused, “Big sister?”

 

End Flashback; Return to the Present

 

Back within Cherry Hill Temple, Darien, our Sailor Scouts, Kazuto, Asuna, Rika, and Keiko are together and talking about when Usagi first met Argo.

 

Rika says, “That’s when you met Argo.”

 

Serena says, “That was our first meeting and he became a good friend…sort of.”

 

Asuna says, with a smile, “I’ll bet Serena.”

 

Kazuto says, “Soon after, Serena and I found out why she had those whiskers on her cheeks.”

 

Serena says, with a groan of annoyance, “Don’t remind me, Kazuto.”

 

Lita asks, curiously, “What happened?”

 

Kazuto says, with a nervous scratch of his scalp, “The two of us found out about her whisker marks when we went on the quest for the Extra Skill: Martial Arts.”

 

Serena says, with a sigh, “Turns out during the beta, she found out about this skill and tried to get it, but she had to punch out a boulder that’s one step away from ‘immortal object’.”

 

Mina says, with a winch, “Ouch.”

 

Lita says, with a nod, “No joke, Mina.”

 

Amara says, “I’m guessing that she never got to it.”

 

Kazuto says, with a nod, “Yep. She kept the whisker marks on her cheeks and found it worked for her allowing to develop her persona as ‘The Rat’.”

 

Rika says, with wide eyes, “Well, that’s interesting to know.”

 

Raye asks Serena, “Let me guess: You went through the same thing and you managed to break the rock?”

 

Serena says, nervously, “Let just say that there is a reason why there are pain absorbers in Full-Dive games.”

 

Hotaru asks Serena, “Did you and Kazuto look like Argo?”

 

Kazuto becomes nervous and Serena responds, with a solemn tone, “In Kazuto’s case: Kiriemon.”

 

Kazuto yells out, embarrassed, “Serena!” Asuna, Rika, and even Keiko, despite herself, can’t help to get a few giggles out.

 

Raye asks Serena, with a sly grin, “That means that you looked really silly, huh?” Serena lowers her head in complete embarrassment.

 

Amara says, “I don’t know about relying on such a person for intelligence.”

 

Kazuto says, “Argo may have a problem when it comes to ‘customer confidentiality’, but she knows when to ‘bury’ information when needs to be. She made sure that Serena’s handle remained with her and the only ones that knew are the ones that we made sure only knew.”

 

Serena says, “Argo is a good person…sort of. However, we can rely on her.”

 

Michelle says, with a smile, “If you and Kazuto say so, princess, then we can believe you.”

 

Amara says, “However, she is going to have to watch her step despite her ‘special privileges’ that they gave her. If there is someone in the ranks that got through the ‘filter’ that these guys put up, they are buried deep in the club especially since the club is so big and it has multiple ‘branches’ on several continents and dozens of nations.”

 

Ami says, “Amara has a point. They may be here in Japan, but with their network, they might be using servers that are in Europe or the Americas, specifically Canada or the United States.”

 

Kazuto says, “And there is no proof of any wrong-doing. Remember, the records show that all of them have logged out of the game at the times that their ‘minds’ have been ‘separated’ from their bodies and trapped within the game.”

 

Raye says, “Meaning that there is nothing that the authorities can do even with the full cooperation of the founders of Future Divers.”

 

Trista says, “If the people that did are part of the industrial spies in Argus from RCT Progress before the fallout from the original ALO, we may not find them since Sugou made sure that their identities are only known to him.”

 

Lita says, “And the rotten jerk has gone major AWOL!”

 

Asuna says, “I’m really concerned for Suguha, Davis, and Kari. That man is the worst type of fiend and if he involves, I’m so afraid for them.”

 

Serena says, with a nod, “I am too, Asuna.”

 

Kazuto says, with a nervous expression, “I am too, you two. I’ve seen what you, two, have known for years.”

 

Amara says, “So have we. And we may not have much time.”

 

Everyone looks at Amara and Kazuto says, nodding his head in agreement, “Remember, the game is running an ‘accelerated time’ in which game time is different from ‘real world time’ in which hours, here, may be days and weeks in that game.”

 

Asuna says, “I’m still amazed that they figured out a way to do that.”

 

Darien says, “That means that game will be going faster despite all of the enhanced dangers and difficulties since there is supposedly ‘no danger’ to it.”

 

Amara says, “And we don’t know what they will do if the game is completed before we can get in and stop them.”

 

Mina asks, “But how can we get in?”

 

Lita says, “Yeah, something is making us unable to log into the game.”

 

Ami says, “With help from Seijirou and what resources that he could give us from the VR Division and assistance from Tokyu-san, we are going through the code of the game, but this is a VRMMO after all.”

 

Kazuto says, “And one designed like SAO and using a replicated full version of the operating system like ALO is using.”

 

Serena asks Kazuto, “If that’s the case, can’t Yui help?”

 

Asuna says, “Kirito-kun and I are having Yui help with this since she is worried about her ‘auntie Leafa’.”

 

Kazuto thinks in his mind, “Sugu, just hold on! We’re on the way!”

 

Serena thinks in her mind, concerned, “Please stay safe, Suguha. I don’t know what I do if anything happened to you. You are my sister.”

 

August 2025, Sword Art World, Third Level

 

After going through the classic see-through passageway, Dai, Leafa, and Akari enter the next castle that’s the third ‘level’ of Sword Art World where they find themselves within a forest themed ‘world’ as Dai is spinning a Chakram with a handle in the middle of it around his right hand.

 

Akari says, “It is a good thing that we got that Martial Arts Extra Skill.”

 

Dai says, “No joke. Combined with my Throwing Knives Extra Skill, I could use this baby.”

 

Leafa says, “And it really helped with that ‘Bull Emperor’ boss.”

 

Dai says, “Without dying and risking losing another chunk of memories.”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “No kidding, Dai.”

 

Akari says, looking at the surroundings, “Oh, wow.”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “Reminds me of the forests of ALO.”

 

Dai asks, “So, where do we go from here?” Just then the world around them becomes black and white and Dai says, “Oh, boy.”

 

Leafa says, with a groan, “Here we go again.” Soon after, the three of them witness the scene of Kirito, Usagi, and Asuna heading off into the woods.

 

When the world returns to ‘normal’, Akari asks, “You think…?”

 

Dai says, “Follow the yellow brick road, Kari-chan.”

 

Just then a female voice shouts out, “What ‘yellow brick road’?” The three yelp in which they look to see Strea coming towards them and she asks, “I don’t see any yellow brick road. Where is it?”

 

Leafa says, nervously, “It is just a saying, Strea.”

 

Strea asks, curiously, “Saying?”

 

Dai asks Strea, “So, what are you doing here?”

 

Strea says, with a smile, “Following you silly. Anyway, you were great in that battle. You were so strong and that trick with that disk weapon was incredible.”

 

Akari says, “Thanks, Strea. We were good too.”

 

Strea says, with a giggle, “Thank you, Kari.”

 

Leafa asks, “How did you get by our Search Skill?”

 

Strea says, with a perky smile, “I’m just that good.”

 

Dai thinks in his mind, “Leafa and I have been developing our Search Skills like crazy and she has a Hiding Skill that makes it hard if not impossible to ‘sense’ her. Who is she?”

 

Strea says, “Anyway, can I join your group? I really think that I can have lots of fun with you, three.”

 

Leafa says, nervously, “Well…”

 

Akari says, with a nervous expression yet kind tone, “Sure!” Dai and Leafa look at Akari and she thinks, “We have to act normal as much as possible to make sure that we don’t attention through that’s proving impossible since one of us won the Last Attack bonus of the first two floor bosses.”

 

Strea says, excitedly, “Thank you! Don’t worry, I’m strong!”

 

Leafa says, nervously, “We’re sure that you are.”

 

Strea asks, “So, where are we going?”

 

Akari says, “Just follow us, Strea.”

 

Strea says, with a smile, “Okay!” Dai, Leafa, and Akari, now joined by the mysterious Strea, head into the forest in which they are following what they had seen in their vision.

 

Just then they hear something and Dai asks, “Do you hear something?”

 

All of them stop and listen in which Akari says, “It sounds like…swords clashing.” The four of them then head off in the direction of the sound where they find two groups of elves fighting each other with one group wearing grey-silver armor and looking like forest elves and the other wearing dark violet or black armor and looking like dark elves. Our foursome can see that they have exclamation marks over their heads to show that they are ‘quest givers’.

 

Strea asks, “Why do all of them have quest indications on them?”

 

Dai says, “Guess they are all part of a quest.”

 

Akari says, “This might be a campaign quest similar to the one that we saw on New Aincrad in ALO.”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “Oh, yeah. This must be this world’s version of ‘War Elf’ campaign quest.”

 

Dai says, “And if it is like the one on ALO, it is going to last several floors.”

 

Strea says, amazed, “Oh, wow. That’s a big quest.”

 

Dai says, “Sure is, Strea.”

 

Leafa says, “If my memory is good, we have to choose one side to help.” Just then Dai, Akari, and Leafa gain a ‘vision’ where they see Usagi, Kirito, and Asuna doing the original ‘War Elf quest’ in SAO and seeing them assist the female dark elf, Kizmel.

 

When the vision ends, Dai says, “I say that we help the dark elves.”

 

Akari says, “Okay.”

 

Leafa says, “Sounds good to me, Dai.”

 

Strea says, with a nod, “Okay.”

 

Dai says, “Actually, why don’t I get the first attack in with the Chakram and the rest of you charge in afterwards? Hopefully, we can get in the element of surprise.”

 

Leafa says, “Well, that’s a pretty good plan.”

 

Akari says, “I think that could work, Dai-kun.”

 

Strea says, with a smile, “You are good at this, Dai.”

 

Leafa says, “Okay, let’s go.” Soon after, the four of them step out of the shadows of the woods and into the clearing in which all of the NPC elves see them in which the exclamation marks over their heads turn into question marks.

 

The leader of the forest elves shouts out, “Stay out of this humans!”

 

The leader of the dark elves, a female dark elf knight, says, “This isn’t your battle, human warriors.”

 

Dai says, “Sorry, but we are making it now. We just don’t like brutes that pick on women.” Leafa, Dai, Akari, and Strea turn to the forest elves and their cursors start to turn from yellow to red.

 

The leader of the forest elves says, with a deadly glare, “If you don’t back down now, humans, you will pay for interfering in the affairs of elves.”

 

Dai yells out, “Just try it!” Dai then unleashes his attack with his Chakram and hitting one of the forest elves on the head in which the forest elves cursors now become red.

 

Leafa shouts out, drawing her One-Handed Sword, “Now!” Akari draws her rapier and Strea draws her own Two-Handed Sword in which Leafa, Akari, and Strea charge in managing to get into the group of forest elves while Dai switches out his Chakram for a One-Handed Sword, Anneal Blade, in which he joins the fight.

 

The female leader of the dark elves shouts out, “To victory!” Immediately, the dark elves join into the fight and after a long battle, the final forest elf, the leader, shatters into hundreds of data polygons, but our group isn’t unscathed in which they are just above getting into the yellow zone for their health.

 

Dai says, in a weary tone, “That was…something…”

 

Leafa says, “You said it, Dai…”

 

Strea then notices a jeweled key and she asks, picking it up, “What’s this?”

 

When the dark elves see the key, one of the NPC dark elves says, “Thank goodness.”

 

The female leader of the dark elves, who gains a question mark to indicate a quest update, comes over and she says, “Warriors of humankind, we thank you for your assistance in this matter. I am Kimal, Knight of Shadow Guardians.”

 

Akari says, “We were glad to help, Kimal.”

 

Kimal, the NPC dark elf knight, says, “Could you please return with us to our camp? Our commander would most likely wish to reward you for your assistance.”

 

Strea says, excitedly, “Sure!”

 

Leafa says, “We would be honored.”

 

Kimal says, with a nod, “Good. Please follow us.” The question mark over her head vanishes and the four of them gain quest update on their logs in which the four of them follow Kimal and her fellow NPC dark elves back to their camp where they see dark violet flags, all sorts of small and large tents, and two guards at the fence of the camp in which Kimal talks to them. All during this, Dai, Akari, and Leafa are seeing ‘visions’ of Usagi, Kirito, and Asuna as they perform the original ‘War Elf’ campaign quest in SAO.

 

Leafa thinks in her mind, “What’s up with these visions that I’m getting of big brother, Serena, and Asuna during their time in SAO? And why are Dai and Akari seeing them too?” Leafa, Dai, Akari, and Strea are escorted into the camp by Kimal with the rest of the NPC dark elves scattering into the camp. The four of them face the commander of the camp and giving them rewards and equipment including a choice of several different items with Leafa, Strea, and Akari going for an agility enhancing earring while Dai took a rare forging metal. Soon after, the commander started a new quest and they left the tent with Kimal.

 

She says, “Once again, I thank you for your help, human warriors. I hope that you will assist in our next operation.”

 

Akari says, “It would be our honor, Kimal.”

 

Kimal says, “Thank you. But first, I believe that introductions are in order. If we are to work together, it is best that I learn your names.” Soon after, Dai, Akari, Leafa, and Strea give their names and Kimal manages to memorize them. When she is done, Kimal says, “Please call me Kimal. I will leave the departure for our next mission to you. I could create a gate to the human town or you can spend time in one of our tents.

 

Leafa says, with a kind smile, “We would be honored to accept your hospitality, Kimal.”

 

Kimal says, “As you wish Leafa. However, you will have to make use of my tent since we have no free tents available.” As Kimal points to her tent in the camp, Dai’s, Leafa’s, and Akari’s eyes widen and they look at each other.

 

Strea says, with a happy smile, “Thank you. We would be happy to use it if you want us too.”

 

Kimal responds, “The honor is all mine, Strea. I shall be here within the grounds, so, call upon me when you wish to start the next mission.” Kimal makes a bow and walks off to the distance.

 

Akari tells Leafa, “Um, it won’t be a problem with Dai-kun and I, but…”

 

Leafa says, “Well…Wait! What do you mean that it won’t be a problem for Dai and you, Akari? Hey!” Leafa gains a blush on her virtual cheeks, but she yelps along with Dai and Akari as Strea pushes all of them towards Kimal’s tent.

 

Strea says, happily, “Come on, everyone! We are so tired from that fight, so, we need to rest and be ready for tomorrow!”

 

Dai says, nervously, “Okay! Okay!”

 

Akari says, shocked, “Strea!” However, Strea keeps pushing them into Kimal’s tent and the three of them look at each other and sigh as they are pushed into the tent where they will take some time to rest and cover their ‘mental strength’ to prepare for the journey ahead.

 

August 2025, Future Divers headquarters

 

Within Future Divers headquarters, Tokyu is looking over the reports and he isn’t liking what he sees.

 

Tokyu asks, stunned, “How can this be happening?”

 

Just then a voice comes over the intercom, “Tokyu-dono, Argo-san is on the line.”

 

Tokyu pushes the button near his intercom speaker and he responds, “Thank you.”

 

Soon after, Argo’s voice shouts out, “Hey, Tokyu!”

 

Tokyu responds, “Hey, Argo. What do you have to report?”

 

Argo replies, “Well, the players have made it through the second floor boss and they have reached the third floor in which they start building guilds soon.”

 

Tokyu says, with a sigh, “That’s good news.”

 

Argo says, “Well, there are three players that are doing really well. In fact, I hear that they do well in the first and second boss raids.”

 

Tokyu asks, “Who are they?”

 

Argo responds, “The handles are Leafa, Dai, and Akari.”

 

Tokyu asks, stunned, “What? Are you sure?”

 

Argo says, “Yep. I managed to get a picture of them during the boss fight with your ‘Bull Emperor’.”

 

Tokyu asks, “Can you send it over?”

 

Argo responds, “Already there.” Tokyu then activates a holographic screen and the screen then displays a picture of a large group of players fighting against a monster that looks like an armored version of Asterius the Taurus King with Leafa, Dai, and Akari in the lead with Dai using his Chakram to hit the tiny bump on his forehead causing it to suffer stun effects.

 

Tokyu says, “That’s them!”

 

Argo says, “I would think so since Kii-boy was nice enough to send a picture of his sister’s ALO avatar. Even with the change in eyes and the ears being human, she is a dead ringer for Leafa of ALO.”

 

Tokyu says, “This might prove that there is a ‘glitch’ in the game because the logs still say that they are logged out.”

 

Argo says, “Yeah, but there is more bad news.”

 

Tokyu says, “I already know. I’ve heard about the reports of ‘memory loss’ and despite that, they are continuing to play the game as if…if…”

 

Argo says, interrupting, “They can’t help themselves. To be honest, I’m feeling that kind ‘itch’ myself.”

 

Tokyu says, “Maybe you should stop playing the game then, Argo.”

 

Argo responds, “It isn’t like I got trapped in a game before, Tokyu. However, these are tricky jerks.”

 

Tokyu says, “They are. However, Kazuto and the others are going to want to hear this news. Thanks for your help, Argo.”

 

Argo replies, “No problem. You paid big ‘real bucks’ for this and I’m a girl that her rep to maintain, you know. Later.”

 

Tokyu turns off the intercom and he thinks, “So, they are trapped in the game! It looks like that the logs were tampered with somehow, but we’ve been over them dozens of times already! I hope that Kazuto and his friends came help. This game was to be our dream, the dream of former SAO beta testers, to create a ‘real’ and safe version of Sword Art Online and bury Kayaba away for good. Now, this is turning into a nightmare of this becoming a possible ‘second Sword Art Online’.”

 

August 2025, Sword Art World, Level Three

 

Back inside of the dark elf camp within the third ‘castle world’ of the one hundred ‘castle worlds’ that make up Sword Art World, Leafa is lying on ‘fur mattresses’ on the floor while Dai and Akari are sleeping together on a cot with a large fur blanket in order to regain their ‘mental strength’ after the battle with the forest elves. As Dai and Akari slowly wake up, they feel ‘a strange weight’ on them in which they slowly wake up and when they wake up, they yelp to find Strea lying under the blanket of the cot.

 

Dai yells out, stunned, “What the?!”

 

Akari asks, shocked, “Strea?!”

 

Leafa mumbles as she wakes up and she asks, “What?” As Strea yawns as she wakes up, Leafa turns to see the three of them together in the same ‘bed’ and she asks, stunned, “Huh?”

 

Strea says, as she wakes up, “Oh, good morning.”

 

Akari yells out, “Strea, what are you doing here?”

 

Strea responds, “Well, I was a bit cold, so, I thought I snuggle with you to keep warm and keep you warmer.” Strea asks, curiously, “Is that a problem?”

 

Dai responds, nervously, “Well…”

 

Leafa thinks in her mind, nervously, “I never thought that I would see anyone even more ‘bubbly’ than Mina-chan. She really takes the cake and eats it too.”

 

Strea tells Dai and Akari, “Well, thank you for keeping me warm and I hope that I kept you warm too.” Strea then kisses Dai and Akari on the nose causing them to blush, yelp, and shake as Strea, still full clad in her clothing, gets to her feet leaving a stupefied Dai and Akari in her wake.

 

Dai thinks in her mind, “What is with that girl?” Soon after, Kimal walks into the tent.

 

Kimal says, “I’m afraid that I can’t offer you too much at our humble camp, but the dinner tent will serve you food as you wish and there is a simple tent for bathing.”

 

Strea asks, curiously, “Really?”

 

Kimal says, with a nod, “Yes. It is next to the dining tent and it is available at your leisure.”

 

Leafa thinks in her mind, “Despite us not needing to shower in a virtual world, I do wonder how a bath in this world feels.”

 

Strea says, happily, “It sounds great!” Strea then grabs the hands of Akari and Leafa and starts to drag them out.

 

Akari asks, stunned, “Strea?”

 

Strea says, “Come on, this will be fun!” Leafa and Akari yelp as they are dragged away by Strea to the bathing tent.

 

Dai thinks in his mind, amazed, “Okay, how much strength does this girl have?” Soon after, Dai follows them to the bathing tent when they arrive, Dai stayed outside while all three girls went inside in which all he heard was a lot of splashing, yelps, and quite a few giggles. Later on, the group, now joined by Kimal, is heading off through the forest to complete another quest which involves finding the nest of spider monsters in the area.

 

Leafa asks Kimal, “Kimal, do you know anything about how this…world got started?”

 

Akari and Dai look at Leafa in surprise and Kimal responds, “This vast of world of castles and its history have been lost to time, Leafa. As you know, there are one hundred castles with each castle a small world onto itself.”

 

Akari thinks in her mind, “So, Leafa is trying to get the backstory of the game?”

 

Kimal then says, “The castle worlds are linked together by passageways that are guarded by guardians of the dungeons at the end of each world and they have been separate from each other for a long time. Our people have remembered much about the time before the ‘castle worlds’ of this realm. On the surface, there were a group of civilizations, one of the humans, one for each of the elven races, and one for each of the other races of the world. What is known is that someone from one of the races became tired of the constant warfare and decided to create a new world in order to stop the fighting. He used powerful magic forces to remodel the land into the realms that you see here and causing the people to lose their greatest power: The magical powers of old. Entrapped in this world, the man came and said that this realm belongs to him in which he refused to restore the realms to what they were unless people united as one and defeated him. Without the magical powers of old, those that dared to try to attack him at his palace were soon felled. His palace, the final ‘castle world’, is his home and he is known as the ‘Yokai King of Aincrad’. He is the only one with the powers of old and no one dared to challenge him. Over time, the people accepted their fate and entrapment since the fiend king never tried to influence the people more than what he done. He awaits at his home palace, supported by the magical powers of old to support his life, and waits for adventures to come and defeat him.”

 

Leafa thinks in her mind, “It sounds like Kayaba and the Ruby Palace. Most likely, they got influenced from their own experience in the beta and stories from SAO survivors.”

 

Kimal says, “The worlds grew apart from each other and then the guardians of the gateways between the castle worlds appear in which it seems like those entrapped in here and their descendants have resided themselves to this fate.”

 

Dai says, “Sounds like a defeatist attitude to me.”

 

Kimal says, with a nod, “And you would be right to make that statement, Dai. However, it is difficult since the fiend king has the magical powers of old to support him and all races have little to no magical power left.”

 

Leafa tells Kimal, “While that’s true, it doesn’t mean that you should give up. Nothing is even hopeless.”

 

Kimal says, with a smile, “There are many that wish to have as much hope as you, Leafa.” The group ventures into a cavern where they search around for what they are looking for.

 

Akari whispers to Leafa, “If this is like the one in SAO, we should be looking for an emblem right?”

 

Leafa responds, with a nod and a whisper, “That’s what big brother said. However, this is only based on SAO and they may have changed for all sorts of reasons.” Just then Dai, Leafa, and Akari then see images of Usagi, Kirito, Asuna, and the NPC dark elf, Kizmel, going through a similar cave and fighting the spider queen.

 

Strea asks, as he sees her three party members ‘zone out’, “Is something wrong?”

 

Leafa, Dai, and Akari come to their senses and Akari says, with a smile, “We’re okay, Strea.”

 

Leafa says, “However, I think that we have to be wary of other human warriors come in here.”

 

Kimal asks, curiously, “Are you sure?”

 

Dai says, “There are other ‘adventures’ as we like to call other human warriors that come here to perform missions of their own and it is best that we don’t meet them.”

 

Kimal says, with a nod, “I understand. Ever the fiend king entrapped the people here and no one has been able to dethrone him, humanity had become even more divided than before.”

 

Leafa says, nodding her head, “So, you can understand why we don’t want to meet with other human warriors.”

 

Kimal says, “I understand. I have a few charms that can assist us just in case.”

 

Akari says, “Thanks, Kimal.” They continue on until they find what looks like an emblem of red and green check shield with two lances crossed in front of each other with dragon’s head in the center of the emblems.

 

Kimal says, with a solemn tone, “The Dark Elves Dragoon Paladins. It is their symbol.”

 

Dai asks, feigning ignorance, “What’s it doing here?”

 

Kimal says, “This must be from a scout sent here on earlier mission against these menaces. It is obvious the scout did not survive.”

 

Leafa says, “I’m sorry, Kimal.”

 

Kimal says, with a sigh, “It is hard to lose a comrade in arms, but we must endure if we wish to survive.”

 

Leafa thinks in her mind, “You don’t know how true that is, Kimal.” Soon enough, they grab the emblem and prepare to leave until they hear a group of human-like yell in which they keep to the shadows where they find a group of players running for their lives in which Dai, Leafa, and Akari gain a vision of Usagi, Kirito, and Asuna fighting a giant spider monster as it was chasing a group of players including Kibaou.

 

Dai says, “They must have disturbed a pretty strong monster.”

 

Kimal says, “It looks like they have gone down to an area rumored to hold a terrible queen of the spiders.”

 

Strea asks, “Spider Queen?”

 

Kimal says, “Yes, Strea. She is said to be a fearsome opponent with deadly venom.”

 

Strea asks Dai, Akari, and Leafa, “What shall we do?”

 

Leafa says, a bit nervously, “Well, despite our problems with other human warriors, I think that we should help them.”

 

Akari says, with a nod, “Yeah, it is the right thing to do.”

 

Dai says, with a shrug, “Okay, I’m in.”

 

Leafa tells Dai, “Hit the monster with your Chakram and we can lure it into that open room where we found the emblem.”

 

Dai says, with a nod, “Good idea, Leafa.” Akari, Leafa, Strea, and Kimal retreat to the room and Dai prepares his Chakram in which he witness the ground of players running away. When he sees a large figure appear, Dai uses his Chakram to hit hard enough to attract its attention in which he immediately retreats to where the four females, three players and one NPC, are waiting where Dai gets behind them to reequip himself while the four females take on monster revealed to be a massive spider registered as Nephila, the Spider Royal with several HP bars.

 

Leafa says, plainly, “Ugly.”

 

Akari says, with a nod, “You said it, Leafa.”

 

Kimal says, seriously, “It comes!” Immediately, the battle starts with the four females attacking it with their swords and Dai joining in at the right moment with a properly time switch. However, the battle was hard and after a few minutes, the spider monster shatters into hundreds of data polygons.

 

Dai says, sarcastically, “That was fun.”

 

Strea says, in a chipper tone, “It sure was!”

 

Dai asks, stunned, “Really?”

 

When Strea nods her head, Leafa whispers to Akari, “I heard of ‘bubbly’, but this is incredible.”

 

Akari whispers back, “No kidding, Leafa. I thought that Mimi had a ‘bubbly’ attitude, but she is something else.” For a moment, Dai and Akari thought they heard Mimi sneeze, but they decide to ignore it for the moment.

 

Dai tells Kimal, “Good work.”

 

Kimal says, with a nod, “Same to you, Dai. You have fought very well and proven to be strong warriors.”

 

Leafa says, with a smile, “It was nothing.” Leafa then gets a quick ‘vision’ of Kirito picking up a fang and Leafa then notices a fang near where the spider was defeated in which she picks up causing her to find that it is a called ‘Spider Queen’s Fang’ as the item’s identification. Leafa thinks in her mind, “I don’t know how, but you are guiding me somehow big brother.” She puts the fang in her item storage and the group ventures out to return to the dark elf camp in which they make sure to avoid the other players along the way. When they have returned to the camp, they give the emblem to the commander of the camp where they get the next mission to destroy the spider queen, but since they did that already, Leafa presents the fang to the commander and the quest is complete. When they leave the commander’s tent, Dai, Leafa, and Akari witness another vision seeing Usagi, Kirito, and Asuna going to the blacksmith’s tent in the dark elf camp in SAO.

 

When the vision is done, the Leafa, Akari, and Dai look at each other and Strea asks, “What’s up?”

 

Leafa says, with a smile, “I think that it is time for us to upgrade our weapons, Strea.”

 

Strea asks, “It is?”

 

Akari says, taking out her rapier, “I think so. Our weapons are good, but they won’t last past this world, so, we need to get new ones.”

 

Strea says, taking a pretty large Two-Handed Sword, “But I like my weapon.”

 

Leafa responds, “Why not melt it into ingots and use them for the new sword?”

 

Strea asks, curiously, “Why?”

 

Leafa replies, with a smile, “It would be like the ‘spirit’ of your sword moved onto the new sword.”

 

Strea asks, amazed, “Really?”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “Yeah!”

 

Strea says, with a smile, “Okay!” Soon after, Strea, Leafa, Dai, and Akari went into the dark elf’s blacksmith tent where they find a muscular dark elf-like blacksmith with a long beard who just gives them a stoic look that makes them nervous in which Strea gets her sword turned into a ingot in which the ingot and the other materials get turned into a beautiful and massive Two-Handed Sword that looks like Celtic Claymore.

 

Akari says, “Oh, wow.”

 

Dai says, with a nod, “Nice.”

 

Strea says, with a nod, “It’s so pretty and powerful! I like it!” The blacksmith gives a nod in which Akari does the same with her rapier in which her new one created looks to be pink and blue rapier version of Scottish Claymore military sword.

 

Akari says, awe-struck, “Amazing.”

 

Dai tells Akari, “It is a perfect for you and I’m not saying this just because I’m your boyfriend.”

 

Akari says, with a warm smile, “Thank you, Dai-kun.” Leafa and Dai then does the same thing with their Anneal Blades like Strea and Akari did with their swords in which both of them got incredible and strong brand new One-Handed Swords similar to Spatha swords of Ancient Rome, but with larger hand guards and perfect leather hilts for holding.

 

Dai swings the sword a little and he says, “Perfect.”

 

Leafa says, with a nod, “I’ll say.”

 

Dai says, “Oh, yeah!” Dai then produces a chest full of metal plates and he asks, “Remember that ‘Raid the Vault’ quest?”

 

Akari says, “Oh, yeah! We got those metal planks that make upgrading any weapon below plus nine to ninety-nine percent!”

 

Leafa says, “We decided to save them for a rainy day.” Soon after, the group uses all of the planks to upgrade their weapons to plus five in which Akari’s rapier has three points to accuracy and two points to quickness, Leafa’s sword has three points to quickness and two points to durability, Dai’s weapon has three points to sharpness and two points to durability, and Strea’s sword has three points to heaviness and two points to durability.

 

Dai says, “Nice.”

 

Akari says, “We have a better chance with these weapons on the next couple of levels.”

 

After putting their swords into their new scabbards, the group leaves the blacksmith tent and Strea asks, “So, what’s next?”

 

Akari’s stomach grumbles and after Akari blushes in embarrassment, Leafa says, “I think that we need to get something to eat.”

 

Strea says, with a smile, “That’s okay with me!” As the group ventures onto the dining table, Dai, Leafa, and Akari look up to the skies and remain firm in their resolve to get home.

 

August 2025, Sword Art World, Unknown location

 

Within an unknown location within the virtual world of Sword Art World, the mysterious teen girl that they have been seeing is watching them on a holographic ‘pop-up’ screen.

 

The girl says, in a stoic voice that seems to carry sadness, “I’m sorry, but I had to make sure that you didn’t fall in their hands. You are the only ones that can free them. I just pray that you can also keep the ‘key’ safe.” Soon after, the screen changes to looking straight at Strea directly and she looks very intently at the violet haired beauty.

 

End of Chapter 14

 

(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: Life Marches On.”

 

Well, we have arrived at the end of the chapter. I did very well say that main Sailor Moon Online storyline and my Hollow Fragment storylines are going to ‘parallel’ each other, didn’t I? As you might expect, Strea is going to play a vital part in this arc of this story. And yes, Kotone/Philia is going to have her role in this story too. However, as I have said before, you are going to have to read to find out what they are, folks. Later and best wishes, Crossover Fans!