"Wow.. it is hot out.."

The 17 year old girl ran her fingers through her chestnut colored hair and sipped a little more of her ice cold drink.

Sitting next to her, was her Cousin Shino Asada, also known as Sinon, master Bow user in ALfheim Online, and the strongest Sniper in Gun Gale Online. Though Shino was technically slightly younger then Mikoto, Mikoto tended to call her Nee-Chan, because she Shino as a more mature figure then her. And Shino thought of Mikoto as cute.. therefore she referred to as Mikoto Imouto-chan..

The two had been living together for several months now.. having even gone on a rather disturbing journey together through a VR Horror game called Dead Space Online. And despite the short time they had known each other, their friends often said that they were closer then anybody else they knew.

"Of course it's hot.. it's early June.." said the black haired boy sitting across from Mikoto, Kazuto Kirigaya, also known as the Black Swordsman Kirito, and one of Mikoto's best friends.

Sitting next to Kazuto, was his girlfriend, and another one of Mikoto's best friends, Asuna Yuuki, AKA The Lightning Flash Asuna.

Mikoto also had her own various titles.. but unlike her friends.. they were quite numerous. The Railgun, The Number 3, The former Ace of Tokwadai, The Blurred Blade of ALO and SAO, The Electric Princess, The Fastest Swordswoman, and etc...

Though Mikoto sometimes found the titles a bit overwhelming and pressuring.

"Oh what are we doing complaining about the heat?" Shino said, smiling at her cousin. "Considering that both Imouto-chan and Kirito-san finally got a nice break from  their mysterious top secret jobs."

"It's not top secret." said Kazuto. "It's just very controversial, so they needed to obscure some details, not even we know what exactly they're doing."

"Yeah, of course." said Asuna. "They keep deleting your memories every time you're done testing, kind of irritating, but I get why they would probably need to."

For weeks, Mikoto and Kazuto had been working as testers for a new VR technology made by a new company on the scene, known as Rath.

Mikoto and Kazuto both suspected that it might be a successor to the Amusphere. Some of the Rath employees even let slip that it might lead to the creation of a new device that would allow somebody to mentally connect to net and Full Dive from anywhere in the world, a device that was currently only theoretically called, The Neuro Linker. But for now.. the current beta technology for what would eventually be called Brain Machine Interface, or BMI..

Kazuto and Mikoto were both testers in the device. The process involved Full Diving in a dream like state for a full 3 days straight.. and afterwards, their memories of the experience were deleted to preserve the integrity of the new technology until the BMI was released.

Every 3 days that Mikoto came home, Shino would become worried, since the result of Full Diving 3 days without food, or water, was a bit detrimental on Mikoto's physical health.

Indeed, both she and Kazuto looked thinner. Due to this job, Shino had gone to the 4th Bullet of Bullets on her own.. making second place before Subtilizer took her out.. and took the winning title for himself.

It was now that, the friends began to discuss the 4th BoB..

"So wait." said Mikoto, interrupting Shino's explanation of what happened during the tournament. "You're talking about Subtilizer? The guy who got shot in the crotch by Twilight Prankster last BoB before Prankster said something about Meme attacks and destroyed him?"

"Well, I highly suspect Subtilizer would have definitely beaten all of us during the Death Gun incident." said Shino. "Cause this time.. he didn't bring any weapons at ALL.. he beat us all with his bare hands.."

"N-no way!!" Mikoto said. "If he's that good, then Twilight Prankster must have been real good!"

"Well that's all I can suspect, since Pranks wasn't in this BoB." said Shino. "But.. it was incredible, it was as if he knew all the moves and combat patterns of every veteran player.  Then.. when he took me down.. he.. said something real scary.."

"Scary?" said Asuna. "How?"

"He said: 'Your Soul is going to be so sweet.' " said Shino. "If that's not borderline creepy.. then I don't know what is.."

"That's.. something else." said Kazuto, looking slightly disturbed.

"The next BoB is going to be in a month or so." said Shino. "So maybe Imouto-chan and Kirito-san can get in on the action?"

"Hmm.." said Kazuto. "Well.."

"I'm in." said Mikoto. "No doubt, I want to see you work that AS50 Sniper. It better be worth what we went through for it.."

Shino shivered. "So.. many.. Necromorphs... enough about that freakshow game, I wanna know more about how your jobs are.."

"Well." said Kazuto. "I guess we can reveal more, since the tests are almost over, and BMI is basically on edge of being released. Okay... so.. I should probably start by explaining what Fluctlights are.. or you won't understand."

"Fluct.. what?" said Asuna.

"Fluctlight is the scientific term for the Human Soul." said Mikoto. "According to Nox, she says that Viros call it Roswanga in their language, or the Light Core. Every living intelligent being in the Universe, including some pretty powerful ones called Numensapiens and Razzz.."

"Razzz?" Shino began to laugh, along with Asuna.

"Er.. right." said Mikoto. "It's a wild and crazy world out there. Anyways, Light Cores are where a sapient being's base intelligence and life force exists.. it's so base, so inherent in everything, that it can't even be destroyed by Touma's Imagine Breaker... when a being dies.. the Light Core.. or as they call it in Academy City research centers.. the Fluctlight, uses an electrical interface to form into an invisible physical body called a soul, comprised of something called reiatsu."

"That's just the parts that Rath doesn't know about." said Kirito. "It's a tech company, so it isn't really read into the whole aliens thing.."

"Nox makes an irritating sound in my head whenever she thinks I'm going to reveal anything to them." Mikoto muttered. "But she trusts all of us for some reason.."

"Well, she's nicer to us now that we got the whole boy and girl mix-up thing taken care of." said Shino, giving Mikoto a wink.

"Anyways." said Kirito. "Fluctlights are the actual physical manifestations within the human brain of what is usually referred to as the soul. There's even theories that say hauntings like in that movie poltergeists are caused by violent fluctlights.. the technology we're diving into, will probably use the ability to imput a soul into a game to increase the intensity and realistic feel of a Full Dive experience.."

"Well.. if it's your Soul going in, and not actually your brain." said Asuna. "Can we even call it Full Diving anymore?"

"Well, that depends." said Mikoto. "Anyways.. BMI, like Kazuto just said, has the ability to imput Fluctlights into the VR world.. and because of this, the VR world is much more complex then even GGO, or ALO.. it's probably safe to say it's an ACTUAL real physical world hidden within a shell of data.. kinda like how Viros are physical creatures capable of becoming data... "

"At least that's what we're told." said Kazuto. "They delete our memories every time we log out.. so we don't really know what it's actually like in there.. but from what they hinted, the tests are going well.. so.. it must be good."

"Originally, they were only going to use Kazuto for the tests.. but they also wanted to make sure that the technology would be safe for Espers like me." said Mikoto. "Cause you know.. I still sometimes zap stuff IRL when I get excited while diving. They wanted to make sure Fluctlight type diving wouldn't influence my IRL body.. but here's the strange kicker.."

"Strange kicker?" said Shino. "You mean.. something they couldn't predict happened?"

"Totally unpredictable. "Said Mikoto. "According to the nurse who was caring for my body when I was out for the 3 days, and some of the system administrators, I actually had the full capability to use my Esper powers inside the VR world."

"Like.. hack the game and stuff?" said Asuna.

"No.. rather.. my esper powers interacted with the VR terrain and objects just like they do IRL." said Mikoto. " I was able to shoot electricity, fire railguns, everything! And weirder still.. I couldn't hack the game system itself.. and yet my avatar actually had my esper powers.."

"We suspect it might be because of the Fluctlight." said Kazuto. "We know that Esper Personal Realities are spread out from the brain.. but not even Academy City power developers know where the base source of Esper abilities are.. we think that the base source of Esper abilities might be the Fluctlight.. and that's why by installing a Fluctlight in an artificial world.. an artificial version of the Fluctlight's esper power emerges as a result of the Personal Reality being present in the Fluctlight.."

"So.. this may be a real leap forward in game play for espers!" said Shino.

"Or a big step back." said Mikoto. "It would mean that players from Academy City have a massive unfair advantage over non esper players or Level 0 players. Players who could probably possess no skill could defeat veteran players just because they're espers.. nobody but the espers would want to play because of this.."

"Makes sense." said Asuna. "I mean, if Accelerator played ALO and had access to his power.. nobody would want to duel him just because he wouldn't even need to get weapons or armor, everything would just bounce off of him.. it takes the fun out of the game.. and it's not like Espers make up a large portion of the world.. much less the world's gamers.. so it would definitely cause gaming companies to lose plenty of money.."

"They would need to find a way to limit us.. or find a way to allow us to give our powers to other gamers." said Mikoto. "Like maybe, I'm only allowed to use my powers as a form of Limit Break, like in Final Fantasy.. and I can teach my Limit Break to those who defeat me in a duel or last a certain amount of time.. make it more fair.. "

"They'll probably do that." said Kazuto. "I mean.. even with a world as complex as the one they're having us test in the BMI, they should be able to easily create simulations of esper abilities to transfer into other non esper Fluctlight avatars."

"Well.." said Mikoto. "That's pretty much everything we know for now.. and.. I feel exhausted.."

"Of course you do!" said Shino. "You two haven't eaten for 3 days!! In any case.. enough about the world of the VR!! Tell me how that other matter went!!"

"Other matter?" said Asuna. Kirito also looked confused.

"I finally convinced Imouto-chan to go ask Touma Kamijou out on a date!!" said Shino.

Asuna squealed with delight, clapping her hands together. "OH MY GOSH!!! S-so she asked?"

A beeping noise suddenly sounded.. Shino grinned and brought out her phone. On it, was what appeared to be some sort of heart monitor. "Oh.. I believe you body temperature is rising Imouto-chan.."

Both Mikoto and Kazuto, on recommendation from the medics in Rath, had devices installed under their skin to monitor their bodies.. apps linked to the devices had been installed on Asuna and Shino's phones so they could monitor them while they dove..

"U-uh.." Mikoto began to go red. "Well.. you see.. I went over to talk to him.. I-Index was away in London, doing something with her church for a week.. so.. yeah, he was alone. And we talked.. I gave told him about that new movie that was coming out.. and how it would be nice to go with a boy to see it.. to go on a date.. then he said how he never really dated before.. and maybe he should start... and and.... and.. I saw that opportunity.. and..."

"Yeah..? " said both Shino and Asuna together. "YEAH!? Don't keep us in suspense!!"

"I didn't ask him out.." Mikoto said.

"Awwwwwww...." Shino and Asuna sighed with disappointment.

"HE asked ME out instead!.." Mikoto stammered. "He asked me before the words could even come out of my mouth! H-he asked me out on a date.. and I said yes.."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!" Shino and Asuna both squealed at the top of their lungs, causing Kazuto to jump out of his seat in fright, and Andrew (Agil) to look up from cleaning glasses at the counter of the café.

"We've been waiting for this moment!!"exclaimed  Asuna. "Agil!! You know what to do!!"

Agil laughed. "Alright, alright! I've been wondering when we'd do this.."

Agil brought out several bottles of Sparkling Cider and poured them into glasses, he then served the glasses to Mikoto, Kazuto, Shino and Asuna.

"Wait.. you two had these bottles saved up for when me and that idiot finally went on a date!!?" Mikoto said. "How long did you wait!?"

"Only like.. months." Asuna winked once more, ruffling Mikoto's hair with a playful hand. "Come on Biri-chan! drink up!"

"You girls." Kazuto said, shaking his head and grinning. "Sometimes I don't get girls.."

"Kazuto!" said Mikoto, giving her friend a playful punch in the shoulder. "And I thought you'd have learned by now... considering 90 percent of your friends ARE girls.."

"So are Touma's." Kazuto muttered. "It's a miracle he hasn't dated one of them till now."

At that comment, the 4 friends laughed.. unaware the coming danger that would await them when they left the café.

________________________________

At an area, far in another part of town, Shouichi Shinkawa sat within his jail cell.. bored out of his mind..

As he sat on his bunk and bounced a tennis ball against the wall.. other prisoners watched him, chuckling.

So far, Shouichi  had been the center of bullying within the prison.. all the inmates picking on him due to his rather young age, and because he was supposedly some sort of Gaming nut.

Not that Shouichi couldn't take care of himself.. he kept himself fit and in top physical health.. and was sneaky enough to avoid conflicts with most of his fellow inmates.

However, sometimes.. the prisoner's top banana, George.. a muscly bald man with a few skull tattoos on his forehead, signifying his membership in the notorious gang, Silent Skull, would catch him.. and beat on him with a rusty metal pipe he managed to sneak into the prison himself

All Shouichi had to say to these beatings was this: "Someday, I'm going to get a stick of my own.. and when I do.. I'll shank you dead.."

George laughed at this quite often.. as he was doing now.. rattling his bars and yelling at Shouichi's cell, which was across from his.."

"Yo!!! Shinkawa!!" said George, laughing. "Ya going to shank me yet!? Just you wait!! Once we get back in the yard, I'm going to shank you with a stick of my own.. the stick get's longer when I'm excited!!! HAHAHA!!!"

Shouichi ignored George.. and continued to throw his tennis ball against the wall.. as other prisoners jeered and threw taunts at him. Until all of a sudden, the lights in the prison all went out, one by one.. and the high tech, second generation red lights lit up along the dark hall.

"What's going on here!?" said a guard, running into the hall.. but he didn't get far.. as suddenly, a black, high tech knife with a blade edge made of red plasma sailed right in between his eyes, killing him instantly..

A group of hooded and cloaked figures walked in.. the one who was their leader, had a familiar handsome face under his hood, with a scar like mark on the side of his face.

PoH grinned as he walked over to Shouichi's cell.

"Well boss.." said Shouichi. "Took you long enough.."

PoH's sly smile grew wider as he broke Shouichi's lock with a strange looking plasma bladed sword that was shaped like a butcher's knife. "I know I say this a lot... but it's Showtime.."

PoH, walked into the cell, and handed Shouichi two things.. the first, was a mask shaped like a skull, with red glowing patches for eyes. The second was a handgun.. a Type 54 Black Star to be specific.."

Shouichi grinned evilly and chuckled as he put the mask on. "Wow.. freedom.. at last.."

The hooded figures parted as Shouichi walked out with PoH.

"Hold on guys.." said Shouichi, his masked eyes gleaming. "I have a score to settle first.."

Shouichi walked over to George's cell, where he was staring at Shouichi with shock.

"You asked if I was going to shank you yet.." said Shouichi. "Sadly, I don't have an Estoc right now.. so that's not likely.. but at least I can still shoot ya.. heheheh.. wonderful right? Oh, and you think you're the only one with a gang tat?"

Shouichi showed George his wrist, on which the insignia of an open smiling coffin could be seen. "Laughing Coffin doesn't give a sh*t about a bunch of petty thieves and robbers like Silent Skull mother f**ker..  we've got a higher purpose.. and you're just a tiny ant in the scheme of things.."

"N-now.. hold on... Shinkawa.." George stammered.

"BAM!!!" Shouichi fired the Black Star.. and George fell dead in his cell.

"The name ain't Shinkawa." Said Shouichi. "It's Red-Eyed XaXa.."

XaXa grinned beneath his mask as he turned to his fellow Laughing Coffin members.

"Come on boys.. the Devil Waits for no Invitation."