"When you put it that way… no, that does seem strange."
"You keep saying 'disconnected,' Hachiman-kun. But that's not what happened. The player being shot in this video… he died shortly after."
"...What?" Hachiman felt a chill run down his spine. "Are you saying this 'Death Gun' is shooting people in the game and actually killing them in reality? Is Kazuto really safe?"
"He'll be fine. Ironically, you said it yourself—a solo crime is impossible. We didn't plan for an accomplice, but Kazuto-kun will be logging in from one of our secure facilities. We'll be monitoring his vitals with Soleil's tech, and I've assigned a graduate from the JSDF Nursing College to be by his side. There is zero risk."
"Soleil's tech… the stuff from May Queen? Is this nurse also a member of the Self-Defense Force?"
"Yes. And they've had full combat training."
"Then I suppose it's fine."
Kikuoka continued, "We don't even know for sure if it's murder yet. The autopsy was performed, but because the circumstances looked like a natural accident, they only did a routine check."
"Shouldn't they do a more thorough investigation?"
"I'd love to, believe me. But can you imagine the police report? 'We need a full forensic workup because the deceased was shot by a virtual gun right before he died'?"
Hachiman thought about it for exactly one second. "...Yeah, they'd laugh you out of the room."
"Exactly. Deaths during long gaming sessions are surprisingly common, so they tend to treat them as routine. Plus, there's only one reported case involving this Death Gun character. Most people just think it's a coincidence."
"One case… huh?"
Hachiman hesitated, then decided to bring up his own concerns. "Kikuoka-san, do you know a player named Zexceed?"
"Your rival, right? Shana-kun."
"...So you did know."
"Of course."
A new question formed in Hachiman's mind. "Wait. If you knew who I was, why didn't you ask me to investigate?"
"You're too famous. If the top player in GGO suddenly started acting strangely, the whole community would be buzzing with rumors in minutes."
"Ah. Good point. Sorry… I guess."
"Well, we still need Kazuto-kun to make a bit of a name for himself to draw the killer out. It's a delicate balance."
"I see."
Hachiman shifted back to the topic of his rival. "About Zexceed… did you see the MMO Today talk show the other day? I was on that program too."
"Hm? No, I missed that one."
"During the broadcast, Zexceed suddenly seemed to be in pain, then he disconnected. Is it possible it's the same thing?"
"Hmm. I'd need to see it to be sure. Is there a video? Specifically of the moment he was shot in-game?"
"I looked for one, but I couldn't find anything."
Suddenly, KITT's voice interrupted. "Shall I search for it? I am quite proficient at such tasks."
"Oh, right. Good call. KITT, if you would."
"Of course. Please wait."
Kikuoka looked impressed. "An AI that makes suggestions on its own… Kayaba's work really is on another level."
"Yeah. Kurisu was shocked, too."
"I'm grateful she's helping with the Medicuboid. Did you have to offer her a reward?"
"I gave her access to Kayaba's AI tech on the condition of absolute secrecy. Was that a problem?"
Kikuoka pondered this. "No, I think it's fine. That tech belongs to Soleil now. Unless a crime is committed or we need to regulate it, the government won't interfere. We might even pay you for some of that tech ourselves one day."
"Good to know."
"Hachiman," KITT announced. "I have found something. It is audio only."
"Seriously? You're a lifesaver, KITT."
"Playing now."
A title appeared on the dashboard: 'Incident during Talk Show - Audio Only.'
"Just audio and no description," Kikuoka muttered. "No wonder it was hard to find."
Then, a voice crackled through the speakers—cold, distorted, and chilling.
"Zexceed… False victor. Now, receive judgment by the hand of true power."
"...That sounds familiar," Hachiman whispered.
"The phrasing—'Receive judgment by the hand of true power'—is an exact match," Kikuoka said grimly.
"Which means… Zexceed is already…" Hachiman's face went pale.
Kikuoka looked troubled. "The thing is, we haven't received any reports of a death matching that timeframe."
"Really?"
"Even if they didn't die, if an ambulance was called for a VR-related incident, I would have heard about it. I'm almost certain there's no fatality."
"Hmm… but there's no way it's a different person."
"I agree."
They both fell into a pensive silence. Then, Hachiman had an idea.
"You know about the 'War' that happened recently?"
"Of course. I have acquaintances in the JSDF who participated."
"Wait. Are you talking about Comiket-san, Kemoner-san, and Tommy-san?"
Kikuoka suddenly spat out his drink. "Pfft! Sorry, sorry… 'Comiket'? That guy is a bit of a legend in the Force. Hearing that name out loud just… yeah."
"...Does he actually go around telling people his hobby is going to Comiket?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"...Comiket-san is a beast," Hachiman muttered.
Wiping his mouth, Kikuoka managed to stop laughing. "Setting him and Kemoner-kun aside, what about them?"
"Right. In the process of that conflict, Soleil formed a bit of a connection with Zaskar (the GGO developers). I was thinking of using that lead to see if they'll disclose Zexceed's personal info."
"Ah! I see. You want to check his address and see what actually happened to him." Kikuoka nodded vigorously. "That might work. If I put in a formal request from the government's side, citing potential criminal activity, we can make it happen through Haruno-san."
"Yeah. I'm worried about the guy. Let's go with that."
"Understood. I'll make the arrangements immediately."
"One more thing," Hachiman added, his tone hesitant.
"What is it?"
"When you monitor Kazuto… just for the beginning, can I be there? And I'd like you to set it up so I can log in from there too."
"I don't mind, but why? Are you that worried?"
"Yeah. I want to help him out at the start if I can. Mostly, I'm just worried he'll do something incredibly reckless."
Kikuoka let out a genuine laugh. "Ahahaha! Fair point. Alright, I'll set it up. I'll call in one more JSDF nurse from the Central Hospital to help out."
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
And so, with the backroom deals struck and preparations in place, the day arrived for Kazuto's first dive into Gun Gale Online.
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