Railgun Online, Book 6: Alicization Invading

Dark Mind Online

"I just don't get it.." said Haru as he checked the matchup list in the street. "This is Green Grandee's territory, but we've been here for hours, and only a few of the Green Legion have ever even been seen.. I don't even see Graphite Edge on here."

Azure sighed and yawned as Chiyu started checking the list herself. "You're right on that count Haru, it doesn't look like we'll be having a word with the Green King today.. it's.. just no dice I guess.."

"But.. if Sempai's theory is correct.." said Haru.

"Enough with the theories!" said Azure. "Can't we all accept that Aleister Crowley is just screwing with us and just go kick his butt!?"

"Aleister Crowley isn't always behind everything." said Chiyu, her lips pursed sceptic of the rumor that the City Administrator for Academy City was still alive after so many years..

"You don't know that." said Azure darkly. "With his secret black ops division, Hound Dog, he can pretty much do anything.. Academy City is a dark place.. and anybody whose a level 5 has to watch her back.. or they'll become a puppet in his game.."

Haru and Chiyu looked at each other worriedly. Azure wasn't stupid.. nor was she paranoid.. this news about Academy City was quite disturbing...

"Well.. from what we heard.. Rath, the company Misaka-chan mentioned made the Underworld, also invested a heavy sum of money in cryogenic research for no reason it would explain." said Chiyu. "So far.. it seems as if Kuroyukihime's theory is the best suited one.. that at some point, Misaka, her friends.. and a great number of the 7 original Level 5s were cryogenically frozen.. and still remain so somewhere.. we just need to find where they were stored.."

"Still sounds far fetched.." Azure muttered. "But I guess it's the best lead we've got.."

"Hey!!" Chiyu exclaimed, pointing up at a large billboard. "Look!! It's the add for that new big deal VRMMO that's coming out!!"

The billboard shifted as a holographic add came into view.. showing a desolate land.. a night realm of beautiful forests.. and dark creatures.. dark communities shadowed by dark castles.. a land of eternal night and beauty..

"Dark Mind Online.." said a female voice. "A great world of darkness and despair, yet adventure and power.. enter if you dare.. the most advanced VRMMO of it's kind.. and the most REAL... "

"They say they're putting a limit on who can buy it.." said Chiyu. "They only use their own personal company vendors, and the vendors examine you before they upload it to your Neuro Linker!"

"Sounds shifty." said Haru.

"Yeeaaaahhhh.." said Chiyu. "LET'S BUY IT!!!"

Haru looked frightened by the prospect, while Azure's eyes sparkled, and a few giant gemstones popped out of the ground with her enthusiasm. 

"YES!!! We are doing that!" Azure squealed, hi-fiving Chiyu.

"H-hold on a second!!!" said Haru, waving his hands around frantically. "Didn't I just say this game sounds shifty!?"

"Yes.." said Azure. "But we don't care!!!"

"Come on!!" said Chiyu. "It's been ages since we've played an MMORPG with a super dark plot together Haru!!"

"I'm not sure," said Haru. "I mean, it seems like the kind of game that does well at staying out of the government's control.. like Sword Art Online... and we've always been told to watch out for games like those."

"What's life without a little risk?" said Chiyu. "Come on, there's a vendor just down the street.

The vendor, as it turned out, was a large old-fashioned looking cart with a bunch of strange trinkets. The vendor himself was a small character, with child-size wizard robe that had sleeves covering his hands. And his head was covered by a large black wizard's hat which draped over the entire head, covering it so that eyeholes needed to be cut into the hat for the glowing eyes beneath to see anything.