• Chapter 2

    “Aw… My aching butt…” Sai winced as he stood up shakily. “Can’t they find a better way of transporting people?”

    “Are you Hiragi Kaito of Japan, Shibuya district?” A voice to his right asked.

    Kaito promptly fell back on his butt. His wings spread open as a clear sign of agitation.

    “How the hell do you know that?!” Kaito turned around with surprising speed to glare at the person.

    “I would keep my voice down if I was you. This game is just like real life, which means no private or party messaging system.” The other guy’s head nodded towards the various other people scattered over the Town Square.

    “And my answer?” Sai whispered rudely, making a conscious effort not to yell at the annoyingly smirking guy next to him.

    “There’s no need to be all rude about it you know.” He smirked before tugging on Sai’s arm and dragging him off to a corner, away from all the curious stares his shout had drawn.

    “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Merciless.” He gave a mocking bow towards Sai, who seemed to be turning an unhealthy shade of red. “And I’m one of the Game Masters of this game. Or at least I will be. Right now, my duties consist of guiding you and documenting any bugs or irregularities you come across.”

    Trying his best to reign in his increasing anger towards Merciless, Sai commented sarcastically, “Is this where I start gushing about how honored I am?”

    “Let it not be said that I’m a person who turns down compliments. Feel free to fan my ego while you are at it as well, Sai.” Merciless then abandoned all pretenses and just leant against the alley wall, looking arrogantly down at Sai, who- at best- is half a head shorter than he is.

    “JERK!” Sai yelled out before stomping off in no particular direction. ‘Anywhere, I don’t care exactly where. I have to get away from this god-be-damned a** of a mule!’

    “Now, now. Is that anyway to talk to your elders?” Merciless effortlessly grabbed Sai’s left wing, preventing him from moving any further.

    “What elders?” Sai spat back, anger sparking in those violet eyes of his.

    Merciless completely ignored his retort. “Before you start stomping off, I’m curious. Do you even know what you are supposed to do in this game?”

    Sai froze. He hadn’t bothered reading the instruction booklet any further than the ‘How to Install’ page. He figured he’ll just learn as he goes along, or in the worst case scenario, ask for help from the other players.

    Raising both eyebrows, Merciless continued as if he had not noticed Sai’s sudden compliance. “As I thought, seeing as your name was one of the few that I had not recognized. You hadn’t read the instruction booklet either, am I wrong?”

    “F--k off.” Sai growled, “Whether you recognized my name or not has nothing to do with this!”

    ‘Right?’ Inwardly, Sai wasn’t as certain.

    “Why do you think this closed beta has less than a thousand players even though it is to be sold world-wide?”

    As if able to read his thoughts, Merciless continued pushing. “Of the 900 copies of this closed beta, over three quarters of them were given out to the players who ranked within the top 50 in all other Virtual Reality games. The rest were given out to the close friends or relatives of those working in this project.”

    “So what?”

    “You still haven’t realized how outclassed you are yet?” Merciless questioned Sai, disbelief coloring his tone.

    “Is that why I get the special privilege of having a GM by my side as I play this game?” Sai hissed, feeling his temper about to erupt again.

    “Nah.” Merciless waved off his angered words. “Did nothing I have said just now penetrate into your thick skull? I’m just here to serve as a feeler for my superiors, record any bugs in this game and serve as a guide. All players are assigned a GM. So there really isn’t any reason to make a huge fuss out of it.”

    Slightly placated by it, Sai then asked. “Is there anyway I can change my GM?”

    “No.”

    “Damn…” Sai cursed. “Out of morbid curiosity, just how long am I going to be stuck with you?”

    “The entire closed-beta period.” The annoying, holier-than-thou smirk reappeared on that face of his.

    “F--k.”

    “Feelings mutual, kid.” Merciless allowed the first hint of frustration appear on his face. “Is there anyway we can attempt to get along?”

    “You wish. Maybe when hell freezes over.”

    0o0o0o0

    “How many times have I told you Sai! You do not kick the bloody monster!” Merciless was on the verge of ripping his hair out as he once again had to step in to stop the monster from tearing Sai apart, limb from limb, literally.

    “Then what do you expect me to do?! All you have been doing for the past hour is yell, then yell and finally yell some more! It would be better if you actually did your duties properly and guide me you idiot!” Sai yelled at his supposed guide, all the while clutching his injured foot which he had used to kick the monster.

    “How the hell should I know I got saddled with an idiot who didn’t even know how to properly equip a freaking weapon?!”

    “You should have gotten a clue from the moment I started kicking a tree instead of using a sword to attack!”

    The two of them were not getting along, at all. The only saving grace was that they are currently alone, without any other players witnessing this embarrassing confrontation.

    Glaring at each other, neither of them moved from that spot.

    “Fine!” At last, Merciless conceded his point. “I supposed I would have to start from the beginning and teach you from scratch.”

    Running his fingers through his hair, he took in a shuddering breath, making a visible effort not to blow up. “The weapon… is located on your belt.”

    Sai blinked.

    He looked to his side. Sure enough, the sword was strapped to his side, leaning against his right leg. It was a wonder that he had not noticed it until now, considering that length stretched from his hips to half of his lower thigh.

    He felt stupid.

    Another sigh was heard from Merciless, “Do I have to teach you how to unsheathe your sword?”

    Grumbling under his breath, Sai slowly removed the sword from its sheath, feeling a little awed at holding a real sword. Virtual, but to him, it was as good as the real thing.

    The next hour was spent running and re-running Sai through the basics, what to do and what not to do when gaming.

    Surprisingly, when Merciless wasn’t about to blow his top, he actually was a good teacher.

    Merciless’s own sword glinting regally in the sunlight, the smooth strokes of the attacks and the trail of whistling it left behind, coupled with his hard red eyes filled with all the ferociousness of a predator, only one word could be used to describe the scene before him: Majestic.

    “—are you even paying attention to what I’ve said?” Merciless looked flatly at the kid in front of him.

    “Huh? Oh, yea.” Snapping out of his stupor, Sai hurriedly mimicked the movements Merciless had just demonstrated. But even then, he felt that compared to graceful dance he just saw, his was more like dog attempting to swim. Choppy and slow.

    As if reading his thoughts, Merciless muttered just loud enough for him to hear, “You get better, eventually. It’ll be a lot easier once you get used to it.”

    Hearing those words coming from Merciless caused Sai to falter and lose control of his sword… Taking out half an inch of Merciless long hair in the process.

    “SAI!”

    “Ah crap…” Sai winced.

    “It was an accident?”

    0o0o0o0o0

    Logging out…

    Successfully logged out

    Kaito removed the visor with a sigh of relief.

    After that incident involving the accidental removal of a bunch of dead cells, Merciless became absolutely relentless in drilling everything he needed to know into his brain.

    “ ‘Even if I meant carving it into my skull to make it stick’ he says… All he is doing is making my virtual life into Hell, complete with boiling lavas and red lighting.”

    The only good thing that came out from it is that ‘Sai’ has finally reached level 12, and can finally choose a job when he goes online the next time around.

    ‘Note to self: Leave Merciless’s hair alone. He gets homicidal the moment it is damaged.’

    0o0o0o0o0

    “So how was it so far?” Sumeko turned towards her youngest, knowing that he had been playing that game for almost five hours straight. Any longer and she was just about ready to pry open his door and to check for herself that he hadn’t died…

    She just couldn’t forget the first time he electrocuted himself via his computer…

    “How was what mom? Yo Kaito!” His brother interrupted what he was about to say, thus saving him from a somewhat awkward confrontation with his mother.

    “Saito, you’ve finally decided to un-glue yourself from that terminal of yours I see.” Sumeko pursed her lips, frowning disapprovingly at her eldest.

    “Aw mom, come on. Don’t be such a spoilsport. Your two precious children—” At that, he grabbed his younger brother around his neck, “—are finally enjoying their holiday after a tiring semester filled with exams and tests! Why don’t you just allow us to have some fun?”

    Kaito coughed. “Speak for yourself brother. Don’t try and use me as an excuse to permanently attach yourself to the computer during this break.”

    Their mother raised an eyebrow, “You want to have some fun, Saito?”

    Without waiting for a reply, she continued. “Very well then, after all, I wouldn’t want you to spread the word that I’m too strict with my children now would I?”

    She then removed a few pamphlets from her handbag she always kept by her side. “Here are some of the ‘fun’ activities you have been neglecting these past few years, why don’t you take a look? Volleyball, karate, Squash and even some sea sports. Choose one.”

    Saito paled.

    “So?”

    Kaito snickered.

    Saito glared at his younger brother.

    “Now mother…” Saito trailed off.

    “Sume-chan? Has dinner started?” A voice came from behind the door.

    “Ah Toya-kun? Welcome back!” Sumeko quickly headed in the direction of the voice, eager to see her husband.

    But she stopped for just a moment at the entrance to the dining hall, “I’m not done with either of you two. I better have my answers by the end of this week. Or else.”

    “Damn, that was close. Luckily dad chose that time to come home. I swear, that guy has a sixth sense for interrupting these sorts of moments.” Saito slid against the chair, sighing in relief.

    “Yea…” Kaito just murmured absently. ‘It’s a pity mother wasn’t able to force brother into choosing an activity before father appeared. I would have paid to see that. Dragging my brother away from his games… Priceless.’

    “She was hounding you about something before I came in?”

    Kaito gave his brother a deadpanned look, “What do you think?”

    “Ah… About the computers as usual?”

    “What else can it be about?”

    “…Good luck.”

    “Thank you. I’ll be needing it.”

    The both of them sighed at the same time.

    0o0o0o0o0

    TBC…