Sword Art Online: A New Beginning

[Mega90]

Legacy took a moment to consider Hiroku’s request.

“Hmm, well, that’s not technically what we do at the rumor mill, but… I can certainly take a look for you. Who is it that you need me to find?”  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku let out a soft chuckle.

"Who indeed. I would look for him by the name Shiro. All I want is for you to find him and let me know where he is so I can meet with him. No easy task in a world this large but I ask you to do your best. As I said, no one else can know of this or him."

Hiroku's eyes and tone were serious and he stared intently at the young girl.  

[Mega90]

A mischievous smile overcame Legacy’s features and she looked at Hiroku with a slightly cocked head.

“Um…maybe I’m missing something here, but if all you want to do is talk to him, and you think you know what his name is, why don’t you just send him a mail?”  

[Zarkon90]

The tall man frowned and glanced up at the sky.

"It's a bit more complicated then that."

Hiroku seemed lost in thought for a long few moments before returning his attention to Legacy.

"So do we have a deal? An interview for that information?"  

[Mega90]

A slight blush came over her face as she looked at Hiroku out of the top of her eyes, a dark smile on her face.

“Oh, are we both pining for the affections of the same girl?”  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku raised an eyebrow. When he spoke his tone was almost bored.

"Something like that."  

[Mega90]

Legacy’s lip quivered for a moment as she attempted to maintain the serious expression. Her efforts were in vain, however, and she soon burst into laughter, shaking her head and gently waving him off with her hand.

“I’m just teasing you.” After laughing for a few more moments she regained enough composer to continue speaking. “Sure, I’ll find this guy and keep your involvement secret if you give me an interview and keep my involvement in helping you find him secret. Deal?” She extended her hand to the tall man before her.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku sighed, closing his eyes and reached out, taking the girls hand in a rather firm handshake.

"Fair enough. So what is it you want to know?"  

[Mega90]

“Well, the answers to some of the questions that I posed earlier would be appreciated. Also, if you could give us some exclusive information that would really get out readers interested, we would greatly appreciate it. What that exclusive information is we will leave up to you, as it’s usually better if it comes directly from a source, rather than something we fabricate.”  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku let a soft sigh escape.

"Alright, though I am not as interesting as these rumors have made me out to be. I believe your first question was where the name 'The Reaper' came from. As far as I am aware it started here shortly after my name appeared on the monument of swordsmen in the black iron palace. I honestly don't know who started the trend or came up with the name but a few months after my name appeared was when I started hearing it. As for the rumor that I never log out. I figured that would be simple to discredit. It is impossible to stay logged in 24/7. I do extreme sessions of diving but I don't know of a way to remain in game for more then a few days without seriously damaging your body irl."

Hiroku fell silent for a moment before continuing.

"Those were the two main questions that you asked in the post. Was there something else you wanted to know?"  

[Mega90]

Legacy took some notes on a small pad that she held as Hiroku spoke. To his question of further information, she shrugged.

“Like I said, if there is something about yourself that you’d be willing to share with our readers, we’d appreciate it. However, I won’t try to dig too deeply into your personal life. I know I’m a reporter and all, but this isn’t’ exactly a news story. More just something to wet the curiosity of our readers.”  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku shook his head.

"I'm afraid nothing of interest comes to mind. You'll have to forgive me."  

[Mega90]

Legacy smiled and waved him off with the back of her hand.

“Hey, no big. I’ll just write something to add to your mystery. It might get you more fans that way anyway.” She winked at him as she took a step back from Hiroku. “Alright, I won’t take up any more of your time. But hey, if you ever need anything, don’t be afraid to send me a mail. I may not answer it, but you shouldn’t be afraid to send it.” She gave him a quick wink and took another step back from him. “I’ll look into that thing for you, and I should be in touch in the next few days or so. See ya!” With that, she turned and leaped off the edge of the island that they were standing on, sprouting large angel wings and flying away.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku chuckled softly as he watched the young girls form vanish into the distance.

"What and odd girl.." With that he turned and began making his way back to the town.  

[Mega90]

Rin waved goodbye to Re-Re and stepped away from the teleport gate. Her limbs felt heavy, but at the same time, her body felt invigorated and renewed. Training in this game was a bit like working out in real life, and just as exercise can sometimes bring with it a sense of energy and satisfaction, so to was the feeling that she was now experiencing.

She made her way towards one of the many Inns that dotted the landscape of the Town of Beginnings. As she neared her chosen establishment, she was surprised to see a man with long green hair leaning against the post next to the door. His eyes were closed and his head was down, but his appearance gave her pause. He wore a large black cloak, the hood of which was up, obscuring much of his face from view. Over his hood was draped a silver chain with an ornate cross hanging off of it. The clothes that he wore below the cloak could be seen now and again as the overcoat blew in the wind. He wore a tan shirt over a long sleeved tee, the left arm of which was checker patterned, and the right arm of which was black. There was a dark smile on his face, and though he had neither spoken, nor moved, a shiver ran down Rin’s spine as she saw him.

Her pace slowed dramatically as she approached, coming to a near halt when she was within a few feet of him. It was at this point that he raised his head and looked at her with his monochromatic eyes. The left eye was a venomous green, while the right eye glowed with a devilish red. In nearly the same instant that their gazes met, a young girl with white haired girl stepped out of the enclave that formed the entrance to the Inn. She wore a blue dress, and a white apron, much like the garb of a maid. There was a confident smirk on her face and her light purple eyes burned with an emotion that was difficult to detect.

As the man spoke, his voice seemed to slither from his throat. There was a slimy quality to his dialogue that mad the hair on the back of Rin’s neck stand on end.

“Ah, you must be Rin, the new Princess of Crestfallen. I’ve been dying to meet you.” He seemed to float back to his feet as he shifted from the position where he had previously been leaning against the post. Rin took a half step backwards, seemingly repulsed by the very atmosphere around him. There was a moment’s pause before he spoke again. “On top of that, you seem to be quite close to The Reaper, Hiroku.” Rin’s eyes widened and she put some extra distance between them, quickly taking several more steps back. “Come now, there’s no reason to be skittish. It’s all common knowledge. In fact, my associate and I were hoping to get a chance to speak with you before the meeting at the Crestfallen guild hall this evening.”

Rin grit her teeth and raised her hand to her chest. She couldn’t place why, but there was something strange about the man before her. “How…how do you know about that?” The smile on the man’s face widened and he gave an exaggerated shrug.

“Well, how I know is nothing as special as I’m sure you’re imagining. Once a guild gets as large and well known as Crestfallen, it’s hard to keep things secret. But, perhaps I could impose a request on you in that manner. The reason why I wanted to speak with you was because I wanted to give you a bit of welcome gift to the guild.”

“Are you a member of Crestfallen?” Rin’s unease and suspicion carried easily into her voice, and the man obviously caught wind of this, as he held his hands up in a peacemaking gesture.

“Oh, no. They don’t want anything to do with people like me. I’m afraid I don’t make their cut, and I can’t pull of that dress quite as well as you can. But that’s beside the point. I have quite a bit riding on you doing well in that guild. A personal bet, you might say. So, I figured it would be pragmatic to….tip the scales in my favor, if only just a bit.”

Rin raised an eyebrow. With a dizzying speed, the man appeared in front of her, crossing the distance between them in less than a second. He seized her hand and held it so that her palm was up.

“I’d like to bequeath one of my personal spells to you. With your permission, of course.” Rin, pulled back, but his grip persisted, holding her where she was.

“P…personal spells?” Her tone was searching, and the man could see that she was completely lost.
“That’s right. You see, when someone masters magic to a high enough degree, they can begin to combine and morph it until they have something wholly unique. Much in the same way that melee classes can create original sword skills, those more magically inclined can create original spells. Even magical infusion can be tweaked to create something one of a kind. The spell that I’d like to give you is a rather high leveled technique, so you shouldn’t use it unless you absolutely need it. However, it will tip the balance in your favor with near certainty if you should need it in a fight.” He spoke quickly, and there was a near savage gleam in his eyes as he looked deep into the young girl’s face. Again, she attempted to pull away, but was still unable to free herself from his grip.

“Who are you?” Her eyes shifted from the tall man before her to the young white haired girl that stood to his right. She appeared to be scanning the area to make sure that their meeting was not interrupted.

“Who, me? I’m a man of absolutely no consequence, and this darling thing is Misery.” He gestured quickly to the white haired girl beside him. “But that’s not the point right now. Would you like the spell? I assure you, I’m not doing this out of the goodness of my heart. As I said, I have quite a bit to gain from helping you.” Rin, hesitated for a moment.

“I…I don’t….” The man cut her off before she was able to finish.

“Say no more, I understand completely that you don’t trust me. We did just meet, after all. So I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you the skill, and if you don’t want it, you don’t have to use it. Simple, right?” Before Rin had an opportunity to respond, her hand began to glow with a red and black aura. A burning sensation rushed through her body, and she took an uneasy step back. This time, the man released her, and she stumbled backwards. She felt herself suddenly stop, and looked up to see Misery holding her steady. Her vision clouded for a moment before once again clearing. She rose to her feet and looked at her palm. There were no visible changes, and after the initial head rush, she felt exactly as she had before as well. “That spell I gave you is called Miasma. It’s quite devastating, dealing both status and direct damage to opponents. Again, I should caution you that it is quite advanced, and you should only use it if you have no other options. Consider it your trump card.” He gave a light bow before turning and taking a few steps away from her. Stopping, he looked over his shoulder, and his smile grew. “Oh, and there’s one more thing that I should mention. While that skill will work anywhere, it’s best suited for PVP. If you really want to see its true effect, use it in a battle against another player.” With that, he and Misery walked away, turning the nearest corner to them, and disappearing from view.

§

The rest of the day passed without incident, and as night began to fall, she made her way back to the guild hall, following the orders that she had received earlier that day. As she walked through the door, she immediately saw Yamen who pulled her aside. He instructed to wait in his office until he came for her, and after giving her some quick directions on how to get there, sent her along. He then turned to Amara who had been standing nearby him.

“Well, here we go. Any words of wisdom or thoughts before we being.” His tone was laid back, and he seemed only half genuine in his question.