The Untold Truth: SAO Fatal Bullet Prequel

Either One or the Other

October 1st, 2024

[Mercury Wolves HQ on Floor 22]

"So how long you've been together?" I asked.

"We're online friends. When we heard that we all got a copy of SAO, we thought about forming a guild," Kimiko explained.

"When we learned SAO turned into a death game, we thought about sticking together," Nishida continued, "So we formed Mercury Wolves."

"And where are all of you from?" I asked.

"Sayori is from Hokkaido. Nishida and Aki are from Okinawa. I'm from Kyoto. Hayasaka is from Niigata," Kimiko explained.

"I'm from Kyoto too," I stated while drinking iced tea, "But I'm living in Tokyo for school."

I placed the cup on the coffee table in the middle of the room.

"So we're all high schoolers?" I asked.

"I suppose so," Aki chimed in.

Looking at the time, I saw it was getting late. Under the Aincrad time, there was a small 4 digit number mentioning the time in the real world. It was around 1900 hours.

"I'm gonna retire," I mentioned.

"Alright, good night," Sayori said.

I left the living room and went into my own personal room. I closed the door and set it to private. Lying down on the bed, I opened the menu and logged out. Waking up in the real world, I donned a shirt and walked out of my room. A package addressed to me was at the foot of my door.

"Hey Daisuke, what's the package for?" I asked.

"I don't know man, but it's from the SAO task force so maybe it's interesting and important," he shouted back.

I opened the package and on top of it was three 100,000 yen bricks along with a note.

"Why would they send this to me?" I asked.

I picked up the note and it had Kikuoka's number along with instructions to bring the SAO drive back to the HQ. I punched Kikuoka's number onto my phone. His voice popped into my ear.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Why did you send me 300,000 yen? The game isn't finished as far as I know," I queried him.

"All dormant SAO copies are failing. I know you've been playing a lot and I want to make another offer."

"Another offer?" I pulled out a piece of paper.

"You'll get an extra seventeen thou per week you're stuck."

"What do you mean stuck?"

"You want to keep on playing?"

"Yeah..."

"The safest way we'll play is to use the NerveGear. We'll use your old NerveGear so you don't die...but..."

"But what?"

"You're not gonna log out. If we were to swap it back over to the NerveGear, the cartridge settings might reset which does mean disabling the log-out button."

I tapped the pen on my desk for a few minutes.

"What about my family and friends?" I asked.

"We'll break the news to them as delicate as we can," he assured.

"And school? I'll be farther behind than usual."

"We'll put you with them."

"Them?"

"Since there are numerous school students in the game. Depending on the time you miss in school you're staying in the game, we'll keep you in there along with the rest of your schooling life."

"Then by what miracle the game ends early?"

"Then you don't go back."

Looking back at my room. I saw pictures of everything I know and love right behind me. I thought of everything I'm going to lose.

"I'll give you a few days to think about it, but I need that cartridge back," Kikuoka requested.

The call closed leaving me in my thoughts. I packed up everything and left my room. Daisuke was asleep already. I scribbled a quick note saying goodbye for now. I grabbed a coat and drove off to the office.

I arrived at the office around 2000 hours. I saw Kikuoka pacing his office room.

"You okay?" I asked while I entered the room.

"Yeah, So you have the cartridge?" he asked.

I pulled out the game in my pocket and stared at it for a moment. He reached for the case and took it from me.

"Well, thank you for working with us," he said to me.

He was about to leave the office before I blurted, "Wait."

October 2nd, 2024

[Floor 22]

(Kimiko Harabayashi)

Looking down at his lifeless body, I couldn't think straight. Was I really developing a relationship with someone I didn't know? I know he's from Kyoto but he could be any person. I stood up from the side of his bed and trudged away. I heard the sheets rustle a little bit before he asked:

"Kimiko, what were you doing in my room?"

I turned around and saw his light blue eyes looking back at me. His brown hair brushed to his side. I turned around and cried happily. I ran into his open arms and let all of my tears into his black t-shirt.

"What's got you so down?" he asked.

"I just thought you died," I cried.

He chuckled, "What do you mean? As long as my body doesn't disappear, I'll be fine."

I gazed up into his eyes. He smiled down on me and brushed my tears away. Maybe I do like him after all.