During lunch break the following day, the usual group of five was eating on the rooftop. Out of nowhere, Kazuto turned to Hachiman with a question that hit like a physical blow.
"Hey, Hachiman. What kind of game is GGO?"
Pfft!
"Whoa! What are you spraying your food for? That's gross!"
"S-Sorry… went down the wrong pipe," Hachiman wheezed, trying to cover his shock.
Beside him, Asuna had reacted similarly, though fortunately, she hadn't been mid-bite.
"GGO… that's the one with the guns, right?" Asuna asked, recovering her composure. "What brought this on?"
"Oh, I was talking to Yui and Kizmel the other day," Kazuto explained. "They mentioned Hachiman converted his character over to GGO for a little while."
(So that's where it leaked… Nice one, Rika. Great follow-up question,) Hachiman thought dryly.
He nodded to Kazuto, his mind already spinning a web of plausible excuses. "Yeah, that. I just hopped over for a bit of a change of pace. It's… a pretty bleak world, to say the least."
"How's it compare to ALO?"
"I don't know. It's just the difference between cutting someone down directly or doing it from a distance. It's a matter of taste, I guess. The city is all gritty and decadent—totally different vibe."
"Huh. Sounds like a whole other world," Kazuto said idly.
Hachiman glanced at Asuna. "Asuna, you've got some dust in your hair."
As he leaned in as if to brush it away, he pressed his lips close to her ear and whispered, "Find out what Kazuto is actually after."
Asuna gave a tiny, almost imperceptible flinch at the sensation of his breath, then turned back to Kazuto with a casual smile. "But really, why the sudden interest? Thinking of starting GGO yourself?"
"Ah, well, not exactly. Haha… I just got a bit curious, is all."
"Developed a sudden passion for firearms?" Hachiman poked.
"U-Umm… I don't think I'd be very good with a gun."
"True," Asuna giggled. "Guns don't really seem like your style, Kazuto-kun."
Hachiman watched Kazuto's non-committal attitude with growing suspicion.
(This isn't about him finding out what we've been up to,) Hachiman realized. (Which means someone asked him to look into it.)
He decided to prod a little further. "Got an acquaintance in GGO asking for help or something?"
"No, helping someone across a game-convert is a bit much, even for me."
(Not that either…)
"Oh, wait. Don't tell me Kikuoka-san is pestering you with another 'part-time job'?" Hachiman said, acting exasperated. "That guy really does come out of left field with the most ridiculous requests."
(Let's see how he handles that one…)
"No, no… look, can we just drop it? It's just small talk. Just talk!"
(It's Kikuoka. Definitely Kikuoka.)
"I see," Hachiman said aloud. "Well, ALO doesn't have guns, so I get the curiosity. We've only got bows."
(Guess I'm calling Kikuoka the second school is out…)
"So. What exactly did you ask Kazuto to do?"
"Eh? What? Where is this coming from?"
"I'm asking you what the point of making Kazuto play GGO is," Hachiman said, his voice cold.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You aren't planning on putting him in danger, are you?"
Hachiman had summoned Kikuoka to a cafe in Tokyo. As the official tried to dodge the question, Hachiman's gaze sharpened.
"Now, now, Hachiman-kun. Why would I ever ask you guys to do something dangerous?"
"You aren't denying that you asked Kazuto for a favor, though."
"Goodness, I haven't said a word."
Kikuoka continued to play coy. Hachiman went silent, staring directly into Kikuoka's eyes with a heavy, pressurized silence.
"W-What?"
"I really didn't want to have to use this, but… 'Chrisheight.' This is an order."
Kikuoka went rigid. He looked up at the ceiling and let out a long, defeated sigh.
"Hah… I knew I couldn't fool you the moment you called me out here, but to go that far? You really do become a different person when your friends are involved, Hachiman-kun."
"You're supposed to be one of those friends, you know," Hachiman countered.
"I know, I know. And for the record, I'm not asking him to do anything dangerous."
At Kikuoka's suggestion, they moved the conversation to the interior of KITT—Hachiman's AI-equipped car.
"We can talk freely here; the sound won't leak," Hachiman said. "Now, Kikuoka-san. Do you know about 'Death Gun'?"
"Ah… so that's the investigation," Hachiman said, his tension visibly bleeding away. "The rumor about the player who shoots someone in-game and causes them to disconnect? My lead staff and I looked into that recently. Our conclusion was unanimous: it's impossible."
"I heard you've even brought Makise Kurisu into your inner circle," Kikuoka remarked. "With a team like that, Hachiman-kun, you could probably conquer the world."
"You're well-informed… You sure you don't have a spy in my company?"
"Nothing so dramatic. Reports regarding the Medicuboid project eventually cross my desk. That's all."
"Right. It is a government-sponsored project, after all."
"Precisely. So, who is this 'lead staff' of yours?"
"Argo and a few others who are… experts in network security."
"'Experts,' huh? Well, I trust you aren't doing anything illegal, Hachiman-kun."
Hachiman didn't offer a rebuttal, merely a silent nod. (He probably knows about Mai and Daru too… or he's just bluffing.)
"Anyway," Hachiman continued, "if it's just an investigation, it shouldn't be dangerous. But there's really nothing to find, is there?"
"You seem quite sure. What conclusion did your group reach?"
"KITT, pull up that video, will you?"
"Understood, Hachiman," the car's voice replied.
A video began to play on the dashboard monitor. Both men watched in silence.
"Even looking at it again," Kikuoka mused, "it just looks like he's shooting a gun."
"Exactly. Which is why our conclusion was that a lone actor couldn't possibly pull this off."
"A lone actor?"
"Yes. Assuming this isn't a coincidence, there has to be someone on the outside physically interfering with the victim."
"An accomplice on the outside… I didn't discuss that possibility with Kazuto-kun."
"In any case, that's where we stand. So no matter what happens to Kazuto in the game, he's technically safe, right?"
"Hmm…" Kikuoka's reaction was uncharacteristically hesitant.
"Is there something else bothering you?"
"Well… that's actually why I wanted to move to a more private location." Kikuoka looked at Hachiman awkwardly. "Do you really think I'd move this much just because someone got disconnected from a game once?"
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