Bay 12 Games Forum

"....right. I'll have to check with my contacts. Thank you, Miss Riesenberg."
Professor Greyhame looks somewhat troubled for a few moments, considering her words.

Professor Estelle surges through the bushes nearby, her fists glowing green from her Arte.
"Don't worry! You're....safe..."
She processes what has happened, before her eyes dart to Professor Greyhame.
"....Arunas. I see you've met my students."
"They seem reasonably competent, Sheila. You've gone a good job teaching them. We're going to need to talk to the Order headquarters. Do Layla and Olison know?"
"About the Seekers? First time I've heard of them."
"We'll need to read you in, then. This is a matter somewhat beyond the students."

He turns to Rika, Reeve and Lin.
"Students, you have my apology for getting you involved."

"I'll be real, who was I, really, when I got here? I was a nobody. I was a cashier at a konbini selling bento lunches to high schoolers. And then....the accident happened and I'm here now. And I've gotten farther than any other Kirito wannabe ever has to beating the Demon Lord or whatever I need to do to find the truth. I've made more friends like this than I ever did back home. I've done more, like this, than I ever did back home. Yeah, I'm worried that maybe people won't ever know who I used to be, but....one, I don't care if most of the world doesn't, because the people closest to me know, and two, would that really be such a bad thing if a bunch of strangers who never even knew who I used to be never find out?"

---

Milly giggles at the bobbing Wiggler head.
"I-If it helps any, I....I appreciate y-your efforts helping us fight here, t-too. I'm uh...yeah. I believe you'll be a hero one day. Y-you might really already be."

Kazuto thinks briefly.
"....well, for one, when's the last time you've seen anyone associate Kazuto with Kirito, right? That's all anyone who wasn't a fan knows him as. So it's not hard to get away with it. But...well, for the people with no lives like we used to have and therefore got that far into it, uh....well, generally, I used to fight them, then I just....ignored it. Took it in stride. Figured....if they're going to be calling someone Kirito, they're going to be calling one guy Kirito, and I was going to make it be me. The whole of Generia's gonna know who I am, even the goddesses, when they say Kirito. Nobody else. Just me."

Then, he blushes a little bit.
"....that, and....Rena kinda....calls me that."

As the party disembarks from the tram, they notice nobody on the platform. Dead silence. The board marking the tram times is now empty save for the the current time, the vending machines briefly flicker and with the exception of the occasional canned voice telling people to "mind their belongings and mind the gap before and after boarding the tram", not a single soul is present.

This is expected.

What isn't is, after the party manages to get onto street level, not a soul is present. In the suburbs of Ishim, this makes perfect sense. In the inner city, where people are working 24-7 and the city has grown a reputation for being a city teeming with life at all hours of the day, not so much. Nobody seems to be around; not one street sanitation worker, nobody heading to the night shift, no adventurers limping home from quests, not even drunks returning from the game tonight and having lost their way.

It's far, far too quiet.

C6

Trish just stares at Yliss' babbling, before gingerly shaking her hand.
"....uh huh."

Kazuto raises an eyebrow briefly at Asuna, of all people approaching him.
"....sure."

The new lady shakes Keith's hand.

"Call me Trish. So, you're Team F, huh? I figured you'd show up around these parts eventually."

Sink some of the stockpiled weapons into the wall and blow it open to make an exit.
[[4] 2 4 4 3 2 6 3 6 2]