That's why she wanted to become strong. In that situation, there was only one course of action, though she still desired the strength to say so. Strength, like on the battlefield, where female soldiers defeated their enemies mercilessly. It was because of this that she wanted to try living alone.

When she left the town in which she graduated middle school, the only ones to whom she bid farewell were her grandfather, her grandmother, and her mother, who embraced her and stroked her hair. She would always recognize her as the young child before the incident.

She moved to a place where the air was dirty, the water was hard to drink, and everything was expensive.

And then, she met Shinkawa Kyouji and the VRMMORPG "Gun Gale Online".

Finally, her breath and pulse settled down, and Shino opened her eyes.

Lying face down on her bed, her left cheek on her pillow, in front of Shino's gaze was a full length mirror.

In the mirror, with wet hair clinging to her forehead, a girl looked back. A bit too skinny, with just her eyes appearing large. The nose was small and the lips thin. All in all, she appeared similar to a malnourished kitten.

The sniper rifle user of the wilderness, Sinon. Her build and the hairstyle with short hair tied on both sides of her face resembled Shino, but except for that, nothing else. That girl, as it were, was a fierce wildcat.

Though extremely scared, when she first logged into GGO and was taken to that battlefield not knowing anything, Shino discovered something unexpected. It was very different from the real world's j.a.pan, as the landscape was too much like another world. And in that world, if she tried to touch any kind of gun - no, even if she shot down other players, some of the tension would be remembered to some degree, but those detestable fits would not occur.

Shino was confident that she had finally found a way to overcome that memory. In fact, because she tried playing GGO, if she looked at pictures, the attacks no longer happened to some degree, and she seemed able to talk to Kyouji about the weapons in GGO.

No, it wasn't only that. Half a year ago, when she received the huge yet brutal rifle named "Hecate II", the current Shino was in love. While other girls her age had pets or stuffed animals to do so, Shino relaxed while stroking the smooth barrel, and if she leaned her cheek on the round stock, she felt warm.

Together with this gun, in the virtual wilderness, if she continues to fight, someday, her wounds will close and her fears will vanish. Believing that, she blew away innumerable monsters and players with certain kill bullets.

However.

Really? Is this really all right?

A voice in her heart asked back.

Sinon was already, out of tens of thousands of GGO players, someone in the top thirty. She freely commanded the anti-materiel rifle unlike anyone else at the level of actual combat. She could give anyone she captured in her scope certain death with her unstoppable bullets. A warrior with a heart of ice. It was not an exaggeration to say that was the existence the former Shino hoped to become.

And yet-the real world's Shino, as usual, can't even hold a model gun.

Truly... truly... is this all right?

The eyes of the girl in the mirror were, behind her gla.s.ses, shaking and seemed to be at a loss.

These gla.s.ses she began to wear last year did not have any prescription. They weren't for eye correction, but were for "protective equipment". The strong NXT polymer-made lenses, for example, would not break even if a bullet hit it-or so it was written in the leaflet. She doesn't know if it was true or not but, she economized her living expenses and the manufactured gla.s.ses gave Shino a modest sense of security. Now, when she goes out, if she doesn't always wear them, she won't calm down.

But, in short, she relies on this small accessory.

She closed her eyes tightly and again, a frail question was born in her chest.

Someone ... tell me ... what should I do ... ?

-No one will save me!!

A cry from her heart called her to reject and erase the weak voice within her, and Shino rose up. In front of her eyes, on top of a small table beside her bed, the silver circle on her Amusphere was shining.

It just wasn't enough. That was the problem.

Twenty-one gunners stronger than Sinon still existed in that world. Crush those players, send them to h.e.l.l, and simply dominate the wilderness as the strongest player of Gun Gale Online, and that would be when - Shino would completely become Sinon and, in the real world, would be able to gain true strength. "That guy" and "that gun" were, until now, buried in the many targets that Sinon killed and never again will that memory rise up.

Shino picked up the air conditioner remote, turned on a weak heating, took off the jacket of her uniform in one stroke and tossed it away. She undid the hook of her skirt, pulled it from her legs, collected everything and tossed it on her floor. Lastly, she took off her light blue gla.s.ses and softly placed them on a corner of her writing table.

She immediately laid on the bed, picked up the AmuSphere, and put it over her head.

With some fumbling, she turned on the power and as soon as the electronic sound informed her of being in standby, she opened her mouth.

"LINK START".

That murmured voice, like a child tired from crying, cracked helplessly.

Translation Notes

6 mats 9 ft 12 ft j.a.panese 911, police and emergency number firearm configuration in which the action is located behind the trigger group j.a.panese driver is on the right side.

j.a.panese post offices also has banking functions

Chapter 5.

After the browser opened, it automatically accessed the site with the start-up URL. Many double-layered windows were displayed.

They were all related to Gun Gale Online, in particular, a collection of information focused on "Death Gun".

"He" used his right index finger to operate the 3D mouse, making the current most relevant site active. On the front page with the words "death gun information summary site", only the words 'Death Gun' were red.

Looking at the history first, it seemed the administrator hadn't made any new updates tonight. He then moved to the message board. Some new ones were written since last night's check, and the status tree was flashing "NEW" icon here and there. He read them in sequence.

-Those two, Zekushiido and Tarako haven't appeared. Has it been one month? Maybe their accounts were irresponsibly disconnected? Someone who can contact them in real world, if you have any information share it PLZ.

-Told you there wasn't any. It was said no one in their squadron knows how to contact them real life. Also, whoever discloses personal information in GGO is a fool.

-Since we know the day and time that Death Gun shot them, if those two really died, will we know if we can find any VRMMO player that died around that time?

-Don't loop the topic, read the past log. For a person living alone, no one will notice if they die. We already checked that, asking the police won't get any answers. Incidentally, if you ask Zasker with an English mail, they will send the standard response related to user's personal information.

-As I thought it could be that Zeku-tan and Tarako-tan wanted some excitement for their retirement commemoration. You two, if you don't come out and expose the truth soon, the impact will be lost.

-After all, someone has to use his body as a test, I think. In this case, tomorrow at 2330 I will wear a red rose at my chest and wait in front of the Gurokken central bank's front. Death Gun-san please shoot me.

-Hero debut! But if you don't expose your real name and address before you die, it would be meaningless.

-Or rather please use a Net Cafe for a public dive.

"He" clicked his tongue in annoyance. He moved the mouse wheel to make the next window active. However, no matter which message board or information site, he could not find the desired article or written message.

Originally he envisioned, after two people had died, "Is "Death Gun"'s power real?" That kind of rumor would spread around the net, with GGO players wondering in fear if they were the next target, having people retire from the game-that was what was supposed to happen.

However right now, the foolish net gamers still had not realize "Death Gun"'s real terror, and ended it with talk of jokes. The total number of GGO user accounts had hardly been reduced.

Also, that the real world death of "Zekushiido" and "Usujio Tarako" had not been reported was beyond his calculation. It seemed there was a large number of strange death incidents in the city every day, and if it wasn't a clear crime case, it won't be on the news.

Of course, the hearts of two people "He" shot were definitely stopped in the real world, and he knew they died. That was "Death Gun"'s power.

"He" had a strong temptation to write that information on the summary site's message board. However, it would be hard for him to provide a concrete source for his information, and if he did that then it would weaken the legend of "Death Gun". "Death Gun" will be the first and last absolute warrior to descend on that wilderness, suppressing the management company's power, a real G.o.d of death.

Well, fine.

"He" took a deep breath to calm down.

Soon the third "Bullet of Bullets" will be held. "Death Gun" will take part in the tournament, again kill two, if possible three people, that is the plan. Of course he has to pa.s.s the preliminary without using that gun. For that day, if he logs in 20 hours a day to train his stats, it will certainly be possible.

BoB is subject to a great degree of attention. "MMO Stream" will broadcast it in real time, and not only GGO but other VRMMO players will be watching it as well. He will not only reign on that large stage in name and reality as strongest, but if the people he shot with that gun disappeared from the net, then there won't be any foolish people who would doubt "Death Gun"'s power.

If he obtains that degree of attention, he wouldn't be able to use his current account anymore, but that doesn't matter. As long as he has that gun, a new "Death Gun" can easily descend into the wilderness.

Then continue to kill. In the plan, the sacrifices will rise up to seven people. At that time there should be players constantly retiring, then the Gun Gale Online t.i.tle would have been put on a death sentence.

"Death Gun" would become legend.

It won't be comparable to that cursed death game "Sword Art Online" in the number of deaths, that was simply a crazy person cooking the users' brains with a microwave oven.

"Death Gun"'s power isn't of that low dimension. The bullet released in the virtual world will stop the heart in the real world. The only other person who knows the secret is "his" other half. That is why "Death Gun" is the strongest person. He won't become a questionable rumor like the "Black Swordsman" who cleared SAO. The time that he will become the top player of all VRMMOs will soon come.

Absolute power-legendary devil-the strongest-the strongest-the strongest-...

"He" noticed that without him knowing, his right hand was holding the mouse tightly, he relaxed his shoulders while breathing raggedly.

He was looking forward to that day. If he obtains that legend, then he has no more use for this stupid world. "He" will forever bid farewell to those annoying stupid people.

After closing all the open double windows in the browser, "He" opened a new local HTML file.

Seven portraits in a column-made from cropping GGO screenshots, to the right of each is their name, equipment, and other information. The top picture, "Zekushiido", and the one below it, "Usujio Tarako", pictures were darkened, with a blood red X mark through them.

This is "Death Gun"'s target list, put in another way, this is the number of "Death Bullets" in that gun's magazine. All seven were famous, strong players in GGO.

"He" slowly scrolled down the file, placing the bottom most picture in the center of the screen. The only female player in the seven.

The screen shot was taken from a right side angle. Her pale blue short hair was tied on either side of her face as it came down, hiding half of her cheek lines. It's a shame her mouth could not be seen with the deeply wound sand-yellow m.u.f.fler around it, but her deep blue eyes that seem like a cat's eyes shone with enough charm.

The name displayed on the right was "Sinon". Main weapon is the anti-materiel rifle "Ultima Ratio Hecate II".

"He" had seen her many times in the game directly. When she was shopping at the Gurokken market street, sitting in a park bench eating a hot dog from a food stand, and sprinting in the battle field with that huge rifle on her back-. All of them full of coquettish charm that stirred his desire to possess her. He had almost never seen her smile, her eyes were usually filled with sorrow, but that attracted him even more.

"He" had some hesitation about this girl named Sinon being "Death Gun"'s target. If not only in game, her body and heart in real world as well became his- But "His" other half, "Death Gun"'s other arm, probably wished for her death. Sinon was a cold sniper in GGO, there was almost no one who didn't recognize her as famous player known as the G.o.ddess of the underworld. There was no one more suitable than her to be offered as a flower for "Death Gun"'s legend.

"He" stretched out his right hand, fingers stroking the photo of Sinon.

In the touch of the slippy polished screen, "He" really felt the real girl's softness and warmth.

Chapter 6.

Turning on the LED lights and leaning sideways to turn while on my bike, I pa.s.sed through a large gate.

At that moment, feeling the critical gazes of the people walking on both sides of the avenue, I lowered the speed of my bike in a hurry.

This 125cc, 2-stroke, Thai-made, dilapidated motorcycle obtained through Agil's connections was, in this era where electric scooters are common, emitting noise. When she rode with me, Suguha would explode with complaints like "Noisy-smelly-uncomfortable to ride." Each time, I'd lie by saying that if she could get used to the wind then she could get used to the noise, but I regretted not choosing a 4-stroke scooter as well.

Possibly, the place I was rushing to was somewhere like this, especially if it was within the grounds of the hospital.

With the speed of a donkey pulling a wagon, I slowly continued along the avenue and saw the parking lot entrance ahead. Relieved, I rode in and parked at the edge of the motorcycle lot. I took out the real ignition key even in this era, and while taking off the helmet, I could faintly smell disinfectant riding on the cold December wind.

It's Sat.u.r.day, one week after my meeting with Kikuoka in the expensive cake shop.

I had left after reading the email saying that the preparations for my starting area in Gun Gale Online were finished. What kind of place was I heading to? It was a large munic.i.p.al hospital in the Chiyoda ward, a munic.i.p.al of central Tokyo. Though I don't usually enter the heart of Tokyo, I already knew the way. It was the same hospital I was previously hospitalized in for my muscle rehabilitation after being freed from SAO.

Though rehabilitation had only taken a month before I was discharged, I had continued to commute back and forth along this road many times for examinations and the like. In the past half year, I hadn't visited the hospital, but when I looked up at the white building, which had become a familiar sight, strong feelings of nostalgia and forlornness rose to the surface. I lightly shook my head, shook out the sentiments, and started walking in the direction of the entrance.

The discussion six days ago on Sunday in which I explained my current situation to Asuna reappeared in my mind. It had been at the promenade in the Imperial Palace near this hospital.

"...Eeeeeehhhhhhh!? Ki...Kirito-kun, are you quitting ALO...!?"