Unital Ring: The Mysterious New World

Kirito Group's Game Plan

"This is stupid," Asuna says as she rests her face against the window of Joshua's car. The car stops at a red light, she tries to close her eyes, yet she feels the gaze of the male seated next to her and the younger girl in the back seat.

"What's wrong?" Joshua questions.

"Shikimi Kamura."

"Oh... Yeah..."

"Do you two know her?" Koharu asks.

Shikimi Kamuru, the other transfer student to the returnee school. She's actually in Kotone's class next door to Asuna and Joshua's, which is why neither knew who she was upon first meeting. Joshua had assumed they both blanked out during the introduction. Shikimi came to see them because she met them years ago at a party for the electronics manufacturing industry years ago (ironically, Joshua and Asuna did not meet each other despite their fathers being old friends). Shikimi is the daughter of the founder of Kamura, the makers of the Augma, and competitors to RCT Progress, the makers of the Amusphere and former owners of Alfheim Online, and to RoboTelligence in some regards.

"So there's that, Ko. I don't recall meeting her back at that party. I wouldn't miss someone who loo-" Joshua cuts himself right there and focuses on the road, but the damage is already done. Asuna turns her tired eyes at him and raises her eyebrow.

"Looks so good? Looks as great as her?"

"I didn't say that."

"You implied it," Koharu bounces back, and he grimaces. However, Koharu doesn't seem to mind it one bit. "Is she really that good-looking? I can imagine if you're feeling some way, Asuna."

"It's not totally that. It's her uniform that bothers me. I once wore that uniform. I went to Eterna Girls' Academy before SAO, remember?"

"Oh, right. It's a twelve-year school, and you and Mito were students there. You didn't meet her?"

"No, she started attending the academy's high school portion. I don't even know if I would have attended the high school, as my mom would have had me take multiple school exams anyway. I won't say I wouldn't have gone the last three years at the academy either, in which case Kamura would be a year under me."

"She's super smart, too, Ko. Received a diploma from the International Baccalaureate and a great SAT score. Plans to go to an American college."

"Why did she come to the returnee school anyway? Argo, I understand now, but this Kamura doesn't have a good reason, does she? She'll graduate in six months."

Asuna feels her Shikimi-induced headache worsen. "Scholastic freedom."

"Oh." Koharu goes quiet after that, the hum of the car engine being the only noise between the trio that Asuna decides to think of things other than Eterna and Shikimi. The only other thing on her mind is Unital Ring.

The developers of ALO and GGO, Ymir and Zaskar, and many other developers are still investigating the matter. According to Momiji, who spoke to a woman named Midoroki Hoshiyama-known to Asuna as Klein's girlfriend and part of Momiji, Shino, and Joshua's GGO group under the name Zeliska-who said that, realistically, this is something presently unheard and unthought of. Argo somehow had a premonition about UR but didn't elaborate further on something she didn't know much about. Her investigation leads her to transfer to the returnee school. In the meantime, Argo doesn't plan to enter UR yet but will investigate from the outside; Kazuto, Asuna, Joshua, Koharu, and the others will do the work inside.