Parallel (A Virtual Gamer's Story) [Vol.1 - Vol.4 Complete]

Chapter 13: Encounter Under Moonlight

Restricted Sector,

Building 5, Level 2,

Holding Cells.

"Here you go," Akari said as he dropped the last set of books onto an already mountainous pile, forming a great wall. A crop of silver, silky hair barely stuck out behind the wall, the rest of the body buried under an avalanche of books.

A shirtless Taiga arose from the pile, pushing the books aside. The young man was a lean nineteen-year-old, but his heavily scarred body made him look much older than his age. "Morning Aki-chi," Taiga greeted in a light, almost sing-song voice. "When will you take this off me?" the young man questioned as he pointed at a silver bracelet tightly bound to his right wrist.

"You know when," Akari flatly replied. Despite his harsh tone, there were traces of guilt in his eyes as he looked at the young man whose life he had personally twisted. "You have a week. Finish reading, then report to me."

"Che. Boring," Taiga joked as he fished out a pair of glasses from under a host of books and put them on. He actually did not need glasses, but he liked to use them when reading. "A week is too long. I'll finish these in three days." He adopted a reading pose and zipped through the books at inhuman speed.

Akari watched the rapidly turning pages with mixed feelings. "Behave this time, and I promise to let you out within the compound." Akari left the room, and the door slid shut behind him.

Outside the room, Yukino had her arms folded across her chest as she regarded Akari with curiosity in her eyes. "Who is he?"

"That's right. You were not here during the first phase," Akari muttered as he loosened his necktie. He motioned for her to walk with him as he made his way down the hallway. "He is the first success of the Rebirth Project."

"Impossible," Yukino instantly rejected with a stunned expression. "The reports said they were all failures. Isn't that the reason we started this project?"

A shadow crossed Akari's face. "That was the official report," he said. "However, there was one success — no, one survivor. The process had a severe side effect on his personality, and he was deemed a failure."

Yukino noticed the troubled look on his face. This, on a man who did not flinch when faced with the deaths of several people. "I thought HQ's policy on failures was disposal."

"It was," Akari agreed. "But I convinced them to let him live for research purposes."

Yukino bit her lip, a troubled expression on her face. "Why did you lock him up so far down? I didn't even know he existed until now."

"The largest side effect is extreme aggression," Akari revealed. "In only a month, he killed four orderlies and one scientist."

Yukino's brow rose as she recalled the young man in the room. "That boy? Murder?"

Akari glanced at Yukino with sadness in his eyes. "Don't underestimate him. That boy has killed more people than some soldiers on active duty."

Yukino's eyelids flickered, and her mouth opened wide in shock. "And you want to release him now? What changed?"

"The virtual games," Akari replied. "I'm hoping he can vent his rage in there and maybe find a friend or two."

Yukino turned to him in shock. "Did you just say friends? You?"

Akari ignored the rude remark and replied, "I am not a monster, Asagi-san. I have friends too." He stopped at the elevator doors and turned to her. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something."