Fight to the Edge!

7: Discussion with Kayaba

Wandering in Floor 20th's town, Arisa raced past the shops and hotels; keeping an eye to alert for someone in the empty ranks of stores. where are you, Brother? where could you be?

Arisa skidded to a halt and was about to scream his name when she heard someone call her name.

"Arisa? over here"

Arisa heard the voice, closeby, but before she could manage to follow it. AWithgrey hair wearing grey armour, an older man appeared in front of her and seems to be way taller than Arisa.

Arisa leaped back, holding her chest, nearly screaming. "Will you please don't appear out of nowhere like that?"

The man stood there with crossed arms, in front of her. "I need to talk to you, Ichika?" 

Arisa gasped, looking both ways, panic struck. "could you please don't call me by my real-life information... someone might hear you?"

"Oh come on, I doubt no one can because most of the players are on Floor 1 right now, we are basically, the only ones here" spoke Kayaba Akihiko

Arisa let out an annoyed glare at her brother. "what's your True plan with Sword Art Online and why do you want players to die in-game and in real life? This isn't some sort of trick?"

"first of all, I don't need to tell you about my plans, when you will know in due time... not that I don't trust you, Ichika but you might share my real plans with a player and I don't want that just yet" he spoke gently through his manipulating tone of his.

"Right? like I believe what you said during that announcement, to the players! not to mention ignoring most of the complaints heard from the players around... not to mention my own, what if I told you one player might be on to you as you think?" she spoke irritably staring up at him.

"well, I want you to keep an eye on these Rozari and Kirito players, even other players that seem curious yet seem strong. Can you do that for me?" asked Akihiko looking at his sister.

Arisa stood there shocked, after hearing him say her friend's name... why would he want to keep an eye on Rozari and Kirito, are they that strong? She crossed her arms, staring at Akihiko, with an agitated glance. "what's in it for me?"

"well, I watched you and you might seem like a perfect match for this job, and I just need you to take this task?" he spoke

"so you are saying for me to betray my new friend?" she asked looking at him

"I need an answer" he answered

"well, you are saying, that for me to do this task for you, is to betray players' trust?" Arisa spoke toward him

"Ichika?" he said before Arisa raised a hand in front of his face, turning to the side.

"I will not accept this task, from you, not to mention that you forced me to be Sword Art Online's first beta test and now you ask me to keep an eye on the players? for you, what is wrong with you?" she stared darkly at him directly. "All you need to tell me why you are doing this? what if my bar drops down to zero and I die in both the real world and the game, Will you care?"

Akihiko Kayaba stared at his sister, shortly before his eyebrows twitched, anger flashed at the edges of his eyes. "Well, you have no choice, Ichika you are going to take this task, I've given you and for the attitude, you gave me you have a bonus task, report everything back to me?" he grinned

Arisa's eyes widened, she opened her mouth trying to object to the words, he just said to her, however, He raised his hand to silence her.

"oh another thing, if you haven't yet opened your menu you would notice, that how you have a higher level,  almost like these beta players... who no longer exists" he spoke sinisterly "go on open that menu of yours"

Arisa raised her eyebrow at him. She swiped open her menu, for one moment and she closed it right after she scanned it. "so you didn't bother resetting the stats for me and you added a higher rank?"

"yes-" he spoke before Arisa soon turned around and began to walk away. "Hey did I tell you that this discussion is over?"

Arisa halted, clearly agitated who she never bothered to turn around to speak "no... but I really need to meet Rozari at Central Tolbana Plaza on Floor 1 and don't even if I were to report back to you about the involvement of Rozari's progress, don't do anything harsh, I might end up choosing to go up against you?"

"Ichika?! you think you can threaten me!" he yelled at her.

Arisa stayed quiet, clearly angered. "for the last time, if we meet again, call me by my player name, not by my real-world information!"

Arisa soon raced off straight to where the middle of the teleportation pad is, to go back down to Floor 1, still feeling a bit agitated, from the way Akihiko Kayaba told her and these tasks she was ordered to do.

"I don't want to betray Rozari? Kirito? Or even Kiyoko and the other players? However I have no choice, I have to do it no matter what?"

Arisa told herself over again as she reached the teleportation pad and went straight down to Floor 1, to start her journey in remeeting Rozari.