“No…I wasn’t threatened. I knew that it was too random in the tournament…but I nearly panicked when diving…and in this mess…I vented my anger on Kirito…that guy. Anyway, I said a lot of things too much.”
“…”
Kyouji widened his eyes and silently listened to Shino.
“But…that guy infuriates me, but he felt…just like my mom. Because of that, I cried like a kid…it was really embarrassing, right?”
“…Asada-san…bu…but you did that because you relapsed, right? You…had no special feelings with that guy, right?”
“Eh…?”
“Asada-san, you said that you wanted me to wait for you, right?”
Kneeling down and bending forward, Kyouji looked extremely nervous.
“You said that before, right? If I wait, that you’ll be mine, right? Tha…that’s why I…”
“…Shinkawa-kun…”
“SAY IT! SAY THAT YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT GUY. SAY THAT YOU HATE HIM!”
“Wha…what’s with you…all of sudden…”
Shino did remember that she told Kyouji to ‘wait for me’ when they were at the park before the tournament.
However, the meaning was to ‘wait until she finally shook off her demons’. And then she would become an ordinary girl once that day came.
“A…Asada-san, you’re strong now that you became champion, so you won’t relapse again. So you don’t need that guy. I’ll accompany you always. I’ll…protect you forever.”
Kyouji started muttering as if he was dreaming and stood up before swaying towards Shino and took a few steps—he then suddenly opened his arms and hugged Shino without holding back his strength.
“Uu…?”
Shino felt extremely tense as she was extremely shocked. The bones on her arms and abdomen started to ache, and the air in her lungs were squeezed out.
“…Shin…kawa-ku…n…”
The impact and force caused Shino to gasp. However, Kyouji exerted even more force and pressed his weight on Shino like he wanted to get her onto the bed.
“Asada-san…I love you. I love you. My Asada-san…my Sinon.”
Kyouji’s hoarse and breaking voice didn’t sound like a love confession, but like a curse.
“Stop…it…!”
Shino tried her best to use both hands to support her body on the bed. She then exerted strength on her legs and used her right shoulder to nudge Kyouji’s chest away—
“…Stop it!”
Though she could only give a hoarse voice, she finally managed to push Kyouji’s body back, and took a large amount of breath like she was panting.
Kyouji himself tumbled onto the seat and fell backwards. He then ended up knocking into the teaset, and the box that had cake inside drop and let out a little sound.
However, Kyouji himself didn’t seem to notice it as he just continued to stare at Shino. The shocked expression on his face seemed to show that he wouldn’t believe that Shino would reject him.
Those widened eyes soon lost their shine—and an empty voice came out of his trembling mouth,
“This won’t do, Asada-san. You can’t betray me. Only I can save Asada-san, so you can’t look at other guys.”
After saying that, he closed in on Shino.
“…Shin, Shinkawa-san…”
Shino was still shocked as she could only mutter in a dazed manner.
It’s true that she felt a dangerous impulse in Shinkawa’s eyes when she invited him over for dinner and when she was hugged by him at the park. However, Shino felt that it couldn’t be helped to a certain extent as he was a guy, and she couldn’t imagine that kind and feeble Shinkawa to do something out of control.
However, to Shino, who’s unable to move on the bed, Shinkawa who’s looking down at her, had a mysterious glint in his eyes that she never saw before.
Don’t tell me Shinkawa-kun’s going to rape me…
The interrupted thoughts flashed through Shino’s mind, and the fear went through her body in a way that surpassed the impact.
However—
Though Shino was thinking in the right direction, it was of a completely different manner.
Kyouji opened his mouth slightly and let out a heavy breathing sound. He then reached his right hand into the military jacket and looked like he was holding something.
The right hand that he held out showed a rather strange object.
That thing was about 20cm long, made by translucent milky-white plastic.
The tip was taper, and there was a cylinder about 3cm thick. At the back, there was a handle-like thing protruding out diagonally, and Kyouji’s right hand was there. Also, his thumb was placed at the green button that’s on the joint between the handle and the cylinder.
The tip of the round cylinder had a silver metal part on it, and what could be called a sharp tip had a little opening. Basically, it looked like a laser gun a kid was playing with, but it couldn’t mask a certain function despite its simple look.
The right hand that was in Kyouji’s hands trembled slightly, and then he placed the round cylinder carelessly on Shino’s neck. That icy feeling made all the hairs on Shino’s skin stand.
“Shin…kawa…kun…?”
Shino barely managed to squeeze these words out from her stiff lips, but before she could finish, Kyouji said with a deep voice,
“Don’t move, Asada-san. You can’t scream too. This…is called a needleless syringe. It has a drug called «Succinylcholine». The muscles can’t move once this is injected, and the heart will soon stop.”
If her brain really had a mental protection shell, Shino’s shell would have several layers punctured in today.
The cold air that came from behind her neck made Shino’s limbs go cold. Shino realized that her limbs were starting to stiffen as she racked her brain to understand what Kyouji meant.
What that meant was that—Kyouji wanted to kill Shino. If she didn’t listen to him, he would use that toy-like syringe in his hand and inject that really long English-name drug into Shino’s body to stop her heart.
Thinking about this, another corner of Shino’s mind was thinking and asking herself, Is this a joke? How can Shinkawa-kun do such a thing? But in fact, Shino’s lips didn’t move as they felt like a ton. And the cold hard metal cylinder was pressed at her neck—or more accurate—it was 5cm below her left ear. This cold feeling continued to deny the possibility that Kyouji was joking.
Shino couldn’t see Kyouji’s expression as she was facing the light, but still stared at his face blankly. His still tender-looking round face twitched its chin slightly, shooting out a voice without restraint.
“It’s alright, Asada-san. You don’t have to be scared. Soon…we’ll be together as one. I want to offer all the feelings I had accumulated all~this while to you. I’ll inject it gently into you…so you won’t feel any pain at all. Don’t worry, just leave everything to me.”
Shino couldn’t understand anything of what he said at all. It really sounded like Japanese, yet it sounded like a language from a certain country. Two words continued to ring in her ears.
This is called a needleless syringe, and it can stop your heart.
Syringe, heart. It felt like…she heard these words somewhere before.
In the desert under the night sky, inside the small cave, the boy who looked like a girl said this before. «Zekushiido» and «Usujio Tarako» may have a certain drug injected into them that caused heart failure…but that seemed like something that happened in a distant dreamland.
In that case—tha—that means…
Shino’s lips moved like they were numb, and then, she heard her own hoarse voice.
“That…that means…you…you’re the other «Death Gun»?”
The syringe that was placed at the neck suddenly jerked. Kyouji gave an admiring smile like how he would when talking to Shino.
“…Heh, that’s too amazing. As expected of Asada-san…you saw through the secret of «Death Gun». That’s right. I’m the
other «Death Gun». Even so, «Sterben» before this BoB was controlled by me. I’m really happy that you saw me shoot Zekushiido in the Gurokken bar. But, for today, I want to be active in the real world. I can’t accept other guys touching Asada-san. Even if we were brothers.”
This umpteenth shock caused Shino’s body to tense up again.
Kyouji did mention before that he had an older brother, but he merely mentioned how this brother of his was always sick ever since young and always moved from home to hospital. He never said anything other than that, so Shino never asked.
“B…bro…brother? The one who joined the red guild in SAO…was…your brother?”
This time, it was Kyouji’s turn to widen his eyes in shock.
“Wow, so you even knew about that. Shoichi nii-san said that much in the tournament? Maybe nii-san really admired Asada-san. But Asada-san, you can relax. I won’t let anyone else touch you. Actually…I didn’t intend to inject this into Asada-san. Nii-san may get angry…but because Asada-san, you said that you’ll be mine in the park…”
Kyouji paused. The intoxicated smile on his face disappeared, and his expression went back to being blank.
“…But…Asada-san, and that guy, actually…you must have been tricked by him. I don’t know what that guy said, but I’ll chase him away immediately. I’ll make you forget about him.”
As the syringe was still held at Shino’s neck, Kyouji used his left hand to grab Shino’s right shoulder and pressed Shino down onto the bed like that. He then got up the bed and moved onto Shino’s thighs. While doing that, he was still murmuring like he was daydreaming,
“…Don’t worry, I won’t let Asada-san be alone. I’ll accompany you immediately after. We shall be reborn in GGO…no, in a more fantasy-like game, and then we’ll become husband and wife and have a wonderful life. We’ll have adventures…and then we’ll have kids. That’ll be great!”
Though Shino heard the nonsensical ramblings from Kyouji, that numb part of her thinking ability was still thinking—the police will be here soon, so I have to talk to him more.
“But…if you’re not here as a partner, your brother will be troubled, right…an..and, I didn’t get shot in the game. If I die, that Death Gun rumor you guys worked hard to build on will be doubted.”
Shino continued to move her dry tongue as she said all that, and Kyouji moved the syringe in his right hand and pressed onto Shino’s collarbone, revealing a stiff smile.
“Don’t worry. There were three targets today, so nii-san brought another person also. That was another guild member of his during SAO. That person would soon take over my position, and…how can I put Asada-san in the same conversation as trash like Zekushiido and Usujio Tarako? Asada-san’s not Death Gun’s belonging, but mine. Once Asada-san goes off…I’ll bring you to the endless abyss, and then I’ll follow after. So, please wait for me halfway there.”
Kyouji’s left hand carefully moved into up Shino’s abdomen inside the tank top timidly. He touched with his fingertips a few times before using his entire hand.
The fear and irritation made Shino get goosebumps, but she really wanted to talk on. If she moved or screamed, the seemingly gentle boy in front of her would definitely press the syringe. Unfortunately, Kyouji’s voice and expression showed that he would definitely do this. Thus, Shino could only keep her cool and say,
“…We, well…you haven’t used this syringe in the real world, right…? The…there’s still time. You can start afresh. Don’t think of dying…you still have the high-school equivalent of General Scholastic Ability Test? And there’s still remedial classes, right? Don’t you want to be a doctor…?”
“General Scholastic Ability Test…?”
Kyouji tilted his head like he heard that term for the first time. He repeated it a few times before finally going ‘ahh…’. The left hand left Shion and reached inside the jacket.
He took out a thin piece of paper from his pocket.
“Do you want to take a look?”
He gave a self-mocking smile and handed the piece of paper over to Shino.
Shino was rather familiar with this paper that had certain numbers on them—that’s the mock exam results slip. However, the scores and segments for each subjects could be said to be so bad that nobody could believe it.
“Sh…Shinkawa-kun…this is…”
“It’s funny, isn’t it? To think that there’s such a rating…”
“Bu…but, your parents…”
What Shino meant was that ‘your parents would still let you play with the AmuSphere after seeing such scores’, and Kyouji immediately understood what she wanted to say.
“Fufu, this sort of results slip…I can make it with a printer. Besides, I told my parents that I was wearing the AmuSphere for long-distance learning. They won’t help me with GGO’s monthly fees, but that small sum of money can be earned easily from the game…it should be easy to earn it, originally…”
The smile on Kyouji’s face suddenly disappeared. He frowned, and the gritted teeth were exposed.
“…I had enough of this boring world. Whether it’s my parents…those guys at school, they’re all bastards. Once I become the strongest in GGO…I’m satisfied. At…at first, «Spiegel» was supposed to be the strongest player…”
Shino felt Kyouji’s hand trembling from the syringe that’s placed at her neck, and held her breath as she was worried that Kyouji would press it.
“But…Zekushiido, that scumbag…lying about how AGI-type are the strongest…that damned bastard caused Spiegel to be unable to even equip an M16…damn it…damn it…”
The anger in Kyouji’s voice was so deep that nobody could tell that he was talking about the game.
“Now…I can’t even earn my monthly connection fee…GGO’s my everything…I gave up on everything in the real world…”
“…So that’s why….that’s why you killed Zekushiido…?”
Though she was thinking whether he killed him because of this reason, Shino still asked that. Kyouji blinked hard a few times and then showed a drunken smile.
“Yeah. To create the legend of «Death Gun» being the strongest in GGO…no, in all the VRMMOs, that guy would be the best sacrifice! Once I kill Zekushiido and Usujio Tarako, then Pale Rider and Garret who appeared in this tournament, no matter how foolish the other players are, they’ll know that Death Gun really has the ability to kill. The strongest…I’m the strongest…”
Perhaps unable to restrain the excitement rising inside him, Kyouji’s entire body started to tremble.
“…Now there’s no need to waste time in such a boring world. Here…Asada-san. Let’s evolve into the «next step».”
“Shi…Shinkawa-kun…”
Shino desperately shook her head and plead with Kyouji.
“No. You…can still head back. You can still start afresh. Come along and surrender yourself with me…”
“…”
But Kyouji merely looked afar and shook his head.
“…There’s nothing worth living for in the real world. Come, be one with me, Asada-san…”
That left hand start patting Shino’s face as it accompanied his feeble voice, and his fingers went around Shino’s hair.
Kyouji’s fingertips were very dry. As the cracks on the fingers stroked Shino’s soft skin near her ear, she could feel a slight pain. However, Kyouji looked like he didn’t notice Shino’s expression as he continued on like he was daydreaming,
“Asada-san…my Asada-san…I always liked you…ever since I…heard about Asada-san’s situation…in school…I always…”
“…Eh…”
Shino hesitated for a bit before realizing what Kyouji was saying. But after thinking about it, she couldn’t help but widen her eyes.
“Wha…what’s…going on…”
“I always liked you…always admired you…”
“…Then you…”
Shino muttered in her head ‘no way’, and then asked with a voice that was about to disappear,
>
“You…talked to me…because you knew about that incident…?”
“Of course.”
Kyouji’s left hand stroked Shino’s face like he was comforting a kid and then nodded passionately.
“I think if there’s a girl who once used a real gun to shoot and kill someone, you’ll be the only one in all of Japan who had done that. That’s really amazing. Didn’t I say that Asada-san has real power? That’s why I chose the «Type-54 handgun» to create the ultimate weapon of «Death Gun». Asada-san’s the one I admired the most. I love you…I love you…I love you more than anyone else…”
“…How is that…possible…”
—To think that there’s such an eccentric person.
Shino once thought that this boy was the only friend she could get along with other than her relatives. However—his mind was already in another world. Ever since the beginning, both of them had a huge gap between them that couldn’t be measured.
Shino’s heart finally sank into the abyss of despair. Her vision, hearing and all her sense lost their significance as the world gradually left her.
Shino lost all her strength in her body.
In her vision that lost focus, Kyouji’s eyes above her were looming like black holes. Those eyes looked as if they were tunnels to the deep dark world—
They were the eyes of that guy.
That guy who was hiding in the shadows of the night streets, the window openings, «Death Gun»’s mask and all the darkness, looking for a chance, still came back in the end.
Shino’s fingers immediately went cold. The feelings of her fingertips started to leave her body and consciousness, and her entire soul shrank.
In the deepest area of this shell called the human body, Shino who was trapped in the small and cramped darkness returned back to the time when she was a kid, all curled up. She didn’t want to see or feel anything.
The 16 years she lived were so icy and cruel. It took the father she had never seen before, took her mother’s heart, and even took away a part of Shino’s soul with great malice.
The adults in this world who saw her would look interested as if they were looking at some strange animal also had intense irritation in them. Kids at the same age however mocked her and humiliated her.