Sword Art Online: The Crystal Swordsman

Squad Jam 3

Technopath, Purple, Sharpshooter: K

"GGO is hosting an event on the first of February for the third annual Squad Jam tournament. Knowing you, I figured you'd be up for the challenge." Sinon briefed me.

"You know I always am." I admitted.

"Here's the kicker. Squads can be from two to six players." Sinon informed.

"Six?" I asked, only being used to a maximum of four.

"You're not afraid of being outnumbered are you?" Sinon joked with a smirk on her face.

"Never have been, never will be. Even if the odds are stacked against me, I will fight till my last breath." I said from my heart.

"That's what I like to hear." She smiled.

"Now then. Let's run you thru the rules." Sinon put her hands on her hips and prepared to freshen me up.

As I was her teacher in the war zone of Vestige, I was prepared to be her student in the realm of GGO.

"Before we begin, I am going to start by saying that we have better gun skills thanks to your game Vestige. GGO uses bullet lines and bullet circles unlike yours. With that in mind, you have trained us all without the help of these tools. I have no doubt that you will crush the entire competition of Squad Jam. You're born for Battle Royale, you've built your knowledge of it. This, will be a breeze." Sinon assured me.

"Flattering. I agree with you." I nodded.

"However, there are pros and cons to GGO as with any game, including yours. Teams can consist anywhere from two to six players, but there aren't any rules when it comes to alliances." Sinon revealed.

"You can't be serious..." I said, worried I would be pinned against teams of twelve players or more.

"That may or may not work in your favour. Depends on who's on the battlefield." Sinon shrugs.

"I've handled teams of four on my own. Sometimes even more but, I fear I won't stand a chance against teams of twelve or more. That's like going against an army." I realized.

"In any case, you're skilled. Way more over prepared than most of the players in the game." Sinon lifted up her hand.

"That makes two of us." I gave her credit.

"Yeah. Your training has... changed me. I won't play GGO the same." She admitted.

"Neither will I." I vowed.

"Now then, a crucial difference between your game and GGO is that the map displays an enemies location for a short time. It's called a Satellite Scan." Sinon explained.

"Periodic SAT Scan. Got it." I concluded.

"Another small detail. You cannot communicate with your dead allies like you can in Vestige. Whoever dies gets sent back to the saloon to watch." She confirmed.

"To communicate with the dead was a luxury in itself, but a luxury I shall trade for access to the bar." I smirked.

"Unfortunately, you have to die to be sent to the saloon. Which, I will not let you do." Sinon warned me.

"Of course, my little sniper. We play to win." I referred her by an old nickname.

Sinon smiled. I used to say that when we would play GGO before, it reminded me of good times with her.

"Get this. The ping on the map reveals only the squad leaders location." She revealed.

"Ahh... that could be used tactically." I pondered.