The dull sound of gunshots echoes through the darkness of a dungeon that lies beneath the city of SBC Glocken.
Blum...blum...blum...blum...

A petite figure is lying on the ground and keeps firing a sniper rifle at a colossal, hideous monster.
On the other hand, having been hit by bullets, the monster is apparently in outrage. It makes a sharp shrill cry, then blasts a stream of crimson flare from the tip of the tail to destroy its nemesis.

But this attack wasn't even intimidating enough to stop the sniper from firing the next round because the blast disappeared before it reached where she was lying.
Blum.

Sinon, the info on her HUD shows her display name in this VRMMO, slowly takes a deep breath, inhales, then exhales.
Another round of gunshots ring out in succession.
Blum...blum...blum.

The monster stumbles as if it could feel pain or agony, and roars another shrill cry.
Finally, the monster turns into shards of light. Then the darkness comes back.
Left on the ground are more than a half dozen of empty magazines, which speaks volumes about how formidable this opponent was.

A screen pops up before Sinon as she's catching her breath.
She touches the screen to materialize the reward for the hunt.
...Ultima Ratio Hecate II.
...Hecate.



GGO player A(Sinon's team):
Yawn...
Eh... Yo, Dyne. You sure you got right info? They coming or what?

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
They're coming, alright. I checked the route myself. So, relax.
I bet they are busy clearing some big ass monster spawn. That means your cut'll be bigger this time. So, no complaining.

GGO player A(Sinon's team):
Dude. No one's complainin'. This is what we're talking about it? It is the same jokers we hit last week - that they could wise up to us and change their route?

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
All that squad does is hunt monsters. They don't care how many times they get attacked, 'cause they'll just make up for it on the next hunt. For player hunter squads like us, they make the perfect target. They move by algorithm. Just like the monsters. As far as I'm concerned, they're chumps.

GGO player A(Sinon's team):
Damn straight.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
As for weapons, they're geared up with optical guns for hunting monsters. But, we got defense shields. So, as long as those are up, it's easy picket.

GGO player A(Sinon's team):
But, what if they've got smart? Like, like what if they're ready for us this time?

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
We hit them not too long ago, right? I doubt they got their hands on enough live ammos guns that fast. By now, they might have one fire arm to support. But, that's about it.
And, besides, we've got the best sniper in GGO watching our backs.
We've got all our bases covered. Right, Sinon?

Sinon:
... Yup.

GGO player A(Sinon's team):
Guess I can't argue with that. With the crack shot like Sinon up here, things are looking good.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Ahem, it's better than good.

GGO player A(Sinon's team):
Well, if - it's a big if but still - If she missed, that would be cool with that. It'll take them about a minute to figure out where the shot came from. More than doing that, I'll be in position. I'll hold them down and rake in the money.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Easy, cowboy.

GGO player A(Sinon's team):
Hey, doll face, I was wondering. What do you do after this? On a gun shop with an awesome inventory? Maybe we could go get some tea or maybe somewhere else, mm huh. You know what I mean?
(Gloats)

Sinon:
I don't know what you mean, Ginro. Besides, there's stuff I have to do when I log out.

GGO player A(Sinon's team):
Oh, come on, doll face. Which stuff? Wait, you still in school? That's gonna hot. You gotta report, do you?

Sinon:
Yeah, alright...

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Lay off her, Ginro! Don't put her on the spot like that. We are working. So, don't bring up the real world in here.

GGO player C(Sinon's team):
Yeah, man, this ain't time n' place to re-spec your solo status?

GGO player A(Sinon's team):
What!? You guys to talk! When's the last time either you got lucky?

GGO players(Sinon's team):
(Laghter)
Last night!
With your sister!

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Knock it off! Stay sharp.

GGO player D(Sinon's team):
Got them!

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
About time they showed up to the party.
Yup, it's them. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. That's one more than last week.
We've got four optical blusters on the front. I see one large caliber laser rifle. Not a problem. And... A guy with the MINIMI. He goes down first.
The new guy's in the back. He's got a cloak on. Can't see what he's carrying.

GGO player A(Sinon's team):
He's wearing a cloak?

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Yeah.

GGO player A(Sinon's team):
M, Maybe it's him. The Death Gun, everyone's talking about...

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Hump, no way. What? you believe in fairy tales now? He looks like, he strength build. Probably, just a courier, though. If anything, I bet he's carrying squad's ammo, energy packs and drugs. And, we can ignore him.

Sinon:
Hmm... I'm getting a bad vibe from the guy in back. I think we should take him out before anyone else.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
No way. He's not carrying any weapons.

Sinon:
Maybe, he is. Maybe, he isn't. He's unknown, so he's a risk.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
I hear what you are saying. But also, a MINIMI out there, and that's a problem. If he starts letting us up and those blasters move in, it's gonna get ugly.

Sinon:
Understood. I'll drop the guy with the MINIMI first. ...But my second bullet'll got Mr cloak's name on it.

GGO player D(Sinon's team):
Hate to interrupt you guys, but they're closing on us. They're twenty-five hundred meters.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Alright, we're gonna stick with the original plan and wait for them in the shadow of that building. Sinon. Call out if the situation changes. Wait for my orders to fire.

Sinon:
...Roger.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Alright. Move out.

...

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
(buzz) I'm in position.

Sinon:
Roger. Target haven't change their course, or their speed. They're four hundred meters from you. Fifteen hundred from me.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Pretty far. Can you make the shot?

Sinon:
No sweat.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
OK, then fire when ready. I'm counting on you, Sinon.

Sinon:
Roger.
(She thinks) This pressure, this anxiety, this fear... Fifteen hundred meters. It's nothing. I'm tossing a wad of piece to a trash can. No way. This is nothing like how I felt that day...!

Blum!

Sinon:
Next!

Blum!

Sinon:
... can't change position.
I cleared the first target. But I couldn't pass the second one.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Roger that. Sit tight up there. You hear? GO GO GO!

Sinon:
Mm? ...Eek! He's got a... Minigun!

They were not late because the hunt was running long. They were moving slow in the field because they waited at that Minigun's got a movement penalty.

GGO player A(Sinon's team):
Heh, heh...
(Shoots to an opponent team player) Score!
Ha! I knew it. This gonna be a cakewalk. ... eh!? Gah!

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
's the?

Man with Minigun:
(Smirks)

Sinon:
What was that? If he can smile in the middle of the fire fight, he must be pretty brave... Or crazy.

Man with Minigun:
(Smirks)

Sinon:
Either way, he's mine.
...

ta-ta-tan. ta-tan.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Down!
Crap! Don't let him get closer. Fire!

GGO player E(Sinon's team):
Y-yeah! Roger that!

The sound of exchanging gunfire follows.
ta-ta-ta-ta-ta...
blum, blum...

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Gotta find some cover...! But where...!? Where? Damn it... Where!? ...Huh?
S, Sinon?

GGO player F(Sinon's team):
Sinon! Are you hit!?

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Bastards! They teamed up with a freakin' bodyguard!

Sinon:
Bodyguard?

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
It's that guy with Minigun! He's a macho player, calls himself Behemoth...

Sinon:
But we can't keep sitting here 'cause they're gonna wipe us all out! That Minigun's only got so much ammos to fire. If we attack him at once, he'll panic and burn through the rest of it. Jin and Miso, you'll take the left flank. Dyne and I'll come in from right. Arashi, you stay here and cover us.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
That's crazy! What about the three guys out there carrying the blasters? Even if we rush them, our defense shields are not enough!

Sinon:
Right, but their blasters can't fire as fast as a live ammo gun. We can just dodge 'em.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Screw that! If we go charging out there, that Minigun will turn us into confetti!
(Panting) ...Sorry, but we are packing it in. I's better if we logged out right now. At least we'd able to get away.

Sinon:
You don't get away from things by logging out.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
Are you nuts!? This is a game for Christ sakes! Think about it. Even'f we charged, we'd just die!

Sinon:
Then die!
It is a game! So you can at least have the balls to face death here instead of whining!

GGO players(Sinon's team):
Umm...

Sinon:
We can do this. If you can distract the Minigun for three seconds, I can take him out.

GGO players(Sinon's team):
Y, yeah...
Okay.

Sinon:
Good.
Then we split up and attack him from both sides. Got it?

GGO players(Sinon's team):
Got it.

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
...

Sinon:
(Counts three) Go!

ta-ta-ta...
shoom...

Sinon:
Dyne! Cover me!

(Sinon snipes at Minigun, but fails. Dyne moves in to cover her)

GGO player B(Sinon's team):
How do you like that!? Punk!
Raaaah! Screw you! ... agh!

GGO players(opponent team):
Yes!
Heh-heh-heh.

(a hand grenade Dyne pitched in explodes and the blast wipes out all renaming hunters.)

GGO players(opponent team):
Bwah!

Sinon:
Nice going.
Now, I've got to figure out how to get into Behemoth's blind spot. I better move fast. Or he's gonna get a beat on my location.
Bullets are flying, and he's got the guts to smile like that... Maybe I will too, when I kill him.

Sinon thinks fast. She runs into a half-collapsed tower and rushes upstairs.
The second Sinon has reached the uppermost floor, she quickly locates Behemoth down below, trying to aim him with her Hecate II.
But Behemoth outclasses Sinon again, like having anticipated her position beforehand.
Sinon makes a narrow escape by throwing herself out the window. A barrage of the Minigun rips through where she was hiding just a second ago.
Sinon loses her left leg as she evades Behemoth’s incessant attacks in the midair. But she doesn't care.
Being sure of winning, Behemoth starts laughing triumphantly.
Mwa ha ha... Ha ha ha ha...?

Behemoth suddenly stopped laughing. Who should he notice but Sinon still being alive and kicking.
This is no joke. Behemoth starts frantically firing the Minigun at Sinon, who is approaching from the sky to kill him.
And this time, Sinon manages to evade all the incoming bullets raining from the ground and finally catches Behemoth in the sight of her rifle scope.
You're dead.

The bullet Sinon fired flies straight towards the target. It hits Behemoth in the forehead and pierces the upper body.
Like the monster in the dungeon, his body swells and disintegrates into fragments of light.
The battle is over and... she wins.

...

Shino blinks several times as her vision is blurred.
She slowly opens her eyes only to find herself lying in the bed -- Now she is back in the real world.

After taking off her AmuSphere, Shino sticks the right arm towards the ceiling and crooks fingers as if she was holding an invisible handgun.
Then she pulls back the arm and stares at the hand for a couple of seconds.
Shino feels a strong feeling of mortification welling up inside...
Damn it... I gotta get stronger...



Silica:
Daah!

Leafa:
Look out!

Silica:
He he, I've got a new trick up my sleeve... Eek!
Lis, Leafa! Help me!

Leafa:
I'm coming! Hyah! ...Lisbeth!

Lisbeth:
Yaah!

Leafa:
Yay!

Lisbeth:
Let's see what we've got.

Silica:
Please, tell me that is the last of it.

Lisbeth:
Hmm... I think I've pretty much got everything I need now.

Leafa:
You wanna keep going some more? You always suck us at your shop, so if you need more, we don't mind helping.

Lisbeth:
Thanks guys. Although...
Hmm, we sort of picked this place cleaned, didn't we?

Leafa:
Let's take a break and let them re-spawned.

Lisbeth:
Uh-huh.

Silica:
Okay.
...They are so into each other.

Lisbeth:
It's not fair. Damn it...

Leafa:
Now, now.

Lisbeth:
Ugh, doesn't matter if they're at school or here, they can't keep hands off each other.

Leafa:
You mean, they are like that at school too?

Silica:
All they everyday...

Leafa:
Hmm...

Silica, Lisbeth, Leafa:
Sigh...
eh? Ha-ha-ha...

...

Kirito:
Asuna. There is something important that I wanted to tell you.

[End of the episode]