SAO FB: Scars

No Free Will

It took a few hours for the preliminaries to finish. After a one hour rest, the battle royale started. Kato walked through the forest and thought about Kirito's briefing. Assuming that PAAC applied to everyone, Kirito said that ending a player as fast as possible is the surest way they can stop the scheme. Kato shifted the brush to the side and pulled out a range finder. He covered his left eye and peered through the scope revealing the distance to the next target. A gunner and swordswoman stood in the middle of the ruins with their weapons raised. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of gunfire and metal clanging. He watched the pair patrol the area without paying attention to their surroundings.

"What are they doing?" Kato thought while increasing the magnification for the scopes.

As he looked closer, he saw red and black sparks arcing from their bodies. He clicked his tongue before pulling out the VSS Vintorez from his back. As he released the safety, he felt a chill run up his spine. He reached down to his thigh and drew the Glock 34 from its holster. He saw the glint of a knife reflecting the sun. He traced the knife back to its user. She had pink hair and blue eyes. When Kato feared the worse, her clothing and slung weaponry only confirmed his findings. The knife plunged down and sliced off a bit of Kato's cheek. He caught the arms of Kureha and looked into her eyes. They had a dull look with no thoughts or feelings behind it. He could sense a feeling of rage flowing through her.

"Kureha," he groaned while pushing the knife from his face. "It's me."

He received no response from her. When Kato observed her body, he noticed the black and red sparks surrounding her. Kato took her arms and redirected the knife into the ground. She fell next to him and he pushed her to the side. He reached out with his left arm and pulled himself away using the device that Layla gave him. Once he created distance, he saw Kureha picking the knife out of the ground. Kato lifted the rifle and shot the knife out of her hand. A plume of crystals appeared from her hand. Kureha returned to cover and Kato moved towards her.

"Hurts doesn't it," a voice echoed in the forest.

Kato lowered the rifle and shifted his priority to locating the origin of the voice. Kureha took sharp breaths before wrapping her arms around Kato's neck. Kato leaned forward and Kureha was thrown above him. She collided with the tree before falling onto the forest floor. The black and red sparks became more intense as she pushed herself off of the forest floor. He slung the rifle over his shoulder and attempted to locate the voice.

"The ghost. Losing everything that he loves," the voice echoed again. "He fails to protect them from his past."

Kato glanced back at Kureha. He gritted his teeth as now he is stuck with a dilemma. His orders were to eliminate each person affected. Now he's stuck with the thought of hurting someone he loves. The sentient voice sensed the conflict in his thoughts.

"So what will the noble hero do? Strike the love of his life down in cold blood or die by her hands," the voice cackled.

Kato gritted his teeth and took out his pistol and knife. His unsteady breaths signaled a sense of unease and nervousness. When he brought the pistol up, his hands shook and the sights could not remain centered. He took a moment to think about it. After a few minutes of thinking, he felt a surge of strength fill his soul.

He thought, "I'm not losing to her."

Kato placed his finger on the trigger of the pistol and faced Kureha. Her Uzi was raised and pointed at his chest. The two slowly encircled each other and watched each other. Kato caught a glimpse of the open bolt closing. When he saw the bullet lines appear, he drew his pistol and fired at certain parts of the bullet lines. The pistol bucked back and the lead spewed from the muzzle. The bullets from Kureha's Uzi and Kato's gun impacted mid-air. Kato retreated to a nearby tree and dropped the half-spent magazine into his hand. He reached for a spare magazine but felt the open space in his hand. He dug through his mag pouch and all magazines were dry.