"Huh? Sorry, could you run that by me one more time?"
"Oh, right. Well, here goes..."
Kurusu sat across from Hachiman at Soleil, recounting the strange incident she'd witnessed in Gun Gale Online. While a phone call would have sufficed, she had insisted on coming in person. The truth was simpler: she just wanted to see him. She was trying to stay true to her resolution of being more "proactive" with him—though if someone like Misaki saw her now, she'd likely just scoff at how low Kurusu's bar for "aggressive" was.
Hachiman leaned back, rubbing his chin. "…I don't get it. I mean, I understand the words, but the logic is missing."
"Exactly," Kurusu sighed.
"You're saying a player gets shot in-game, and then their connection just… drops? If a bug like that existed, the forums would be on fire. It wouldn't be an isolated event."
Kurusu bit her lip, wondering if she'd wasted his time with a trivial report. Sensing her anxiety, Hachiman reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
"We don't know what it means yet, but there's a world of difference between knowing and being in the dark. Good job reporting it, Max."
"Y-Yes!" Kurusu beamed, her eyes squinting with pure delight at the praise.
"Seriously? You guys are doing this right next to me? Read the room," a voice drawled from the side.
"Oops. Sorry, Orikimoto. Want a headpat too?" Hachiman teased.
"Wait, what?"
They were standing right by the reception desk. Hachiman had been on his way to the upper floors after greeting Kaori when Kurusu had intercepted him. The moment the offer left Hachiman's mouth, every female employee within earshot turned a gaze of pure, burning envy toward Kaori.
"Uh… wait, uh…" Kaori looked around, her head spinning. Is this okay? Is this allowed? Should I take the bait or play it cool?
"Hey, Orikimoto? I'm joking, you know."
No, no, I definitely want it, Kaori thought frantically. But the eyes… the social hierarchy of the office… as a new hire, I have to consider my seniors…
"Hello? Earth to Orikimoto? We're heading up," Hachiman said, turning away.
But Chika always said I was too 'dry,' Kaori agonized internally. That's how I blew the biggest chance of my life back in middle school! I can't let history repeat itself!
"Alright, let's go, Max."
That's right! Kaori's internal monologue reached a crescendo. In times like these, you have to cling to the chance with everything you've got! Even if it's a joke, I have the power to make it real!
She snapped her head up. "I would be honored!"
But the lobby was empty. Hachiman and Kurusu were already gone, the elevator doors sealed shut. Kaori's shoulders slumped in a comedic display of defeat. Immediately, her female colleagues swarmed her, patting her back in a mix of mockery and genuine sympathy.
"Better luck next time, Kaori-chan."
"Hesitation is defeat! Don't forget that!"
"I… I won't…" Kaori stammered, her face a bright, vibrant crimson.
Rosa passed by the commotion, offering a confused glance before heading to the elevator herself. Just as she went to press the button, the light in the car was suddenly eclipsed by a massive shadow.
"S-Sorry! Hold the door!"
"Oh, it's just you, Daru-kun."
"Ah, Rosa-san! Long time no see, 'ey?"
"Are you heading to the development lab today?"
"Yup. Believe it or not, I'm actually a serious professional when it comes to the jobs I accept."
"I'll believe it when I see the results. Good luck."
Rosa opened the door to the secretary's office and was slightly surprised to find Hachiman already there.
"Oh, you're here, Hachiman."
"Yo, Hachiman!" Daru's voice boomed from behind her.
"Koneko, Daru. Perfect timing," Hachiman said, looking up. "I'm meeting Kurisu here to take her to the Sleeping Forest later."
"Ah, right. That was today."
"Hey, Max," Hachiman turned to Kurusu. "Since Daru's here, why don't you tell him about that thing in GGO? And let's get Argo and Eve in here too."
Within minutes, the six of them—Hachiman, Koneko, Kurusu, Argo, Eve, and Daru—were huddled in the office. After Kurusu explained the mystery of the disconnected player, a heavy silence fell over the room.
"So, what's the verdict?" Hachiman asked. "Is it possible for a player to force another player offline just by shooting them?"
"Impossible," Argo said flatly.
"Technically unfeasible," Eve added.
"No way in hell, my dude," Daru finished.
Hachiman sighed. "I figured."
"The system constraints are too tight," Daru explained. "If the game had a backdoor into the PC's OS, maybe. But just a bullet? It doesn't compute."
"Are there any other cases?" Koneko asked.
"None confirmed," Hachiman replied.
The "Death Gun" incident involving XeXeeD was still a ghost story. One player had uploaded an audio-only clip titled 'Incident during the talk show, audio only,' but without a description or video, it had failed to gain any traction.
"The Amusphere's security is top-tier," Argo noted. "If some amateur could just reach in and tweak the hardware through the software, we—and you especially, Hachiman—would have broken out of SAO a lot sooner."
"Fair point." Hachiman decided to shelve the technical debate for now. "Without more footage or another witness, we're just guessing. Daru, can you see if anything new has been uploaded?"
"On it!" Daru sat at a terminal, his fingers flying. Moments later, a grainy video appeared on the monitors.
"We can't see the victim," Hachiman observed.
"Can't be helped," Daru said. "Getting the culprit on camera is already a win."
"Hmm… Koneko, recognize him?"
Koneko squinted at the screen. "With that cloak and mask? It's hard to tell."
"The vibe, though…" Hachiman muttered. "Does he remind you of anyone from Laughing Coffin?"
"Maybe Red-Eyed ZaZa?" Hachiman suggested, though he had no proof. He looked to the experts again, but they all shook their heads.
"It doesn't look like he's doing anything special," Argo said.
"Agreed," Eve added.
"If he can do something with just that, I'm out of a job," Daru grunted.
"Then we're stuck," Hachiman concluded. "But my gut says this isn't a one-man show. You'd need one person to pull the trigger and another to handle the technical sabotage. It has to be a team."
He couldn't shake a growing sense of dread. These kinds of premonitions were rarely wrong.
As the group dispersed, Rosa pulled Hachiman aside. "By the way, I finally found him. The guard from when I was kidnapped."
"Really? Did you get the footage?"
"Yes, crystal clear. I'm about to run an analysis."
"Good. But don't expect him to know the mastermind. Those types usually stay masked."
"I know," Rosa said. "But I'll compare his voiceprint to this 'Death Gun' guy just in case."
"Do that."
Hachiman left the room with Kurusu. "I've got a meeting, then I'm heading out. What about you, Max?"
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