Decoded Pain (Aoi Zaizen x Male OC Reader)

Chapter 11: First Boss

Playmaker POV

After winning my duel, I was going to check on Blue Angel. But she was already infected with a Hanoi virus. That, along with the security bots slowly drawing closer, I couldn't stay. I logged out and immediately talked to Kusanagi.

Yusaku: We need to find Riku.

Kusanagi: Why? I called him but there was no answer.

Yusaku: It's likely that the Knights of Hanoi kidnapped him as a hostage to force Blue Angel to duel me.

Kusanagi: What?! Do they know he's Raider?
Yusaku: Probably not. If they did, they would've blackmailed us instead.

Ai: How are we gonna find him?
Yusaku: ... I don't know.

I clenched my fists in frustration. I knew this would happen and I still went for the win. I need to at least try and find Riku. But how?

Meanwhile elsewhere

Riku Kanashimiki was completely unconscious. He was logged into Link VRAINS on a duel disk put on him by the Knights of Hanoi. His avatar was being held near Blue Angel's

Akira Zaizen was furious at what happened to his sister. But he had no idea what to do or what had happened. He stormed home and found her passed out on the couch.

He immediately called for an ambulance. On the ride to the hospital, he got a call from SOL Technologies.

Akira: What is it?

Staff: We found another avatar in Link VRAINS with similar issues to Blue Angel's.

Akira: What? Send me what you can.

Staff: Right away.

After a few moments, a short video was sent to Akira's phone. He opened it and was shocked to see Riku Kanashimiki logged in and laying down in a warehouse in Link VRAINS.

Akira: Is that... Riku Kanashimiki? What happened to him?

Staff: We noticed the time of him logging in being seconds after Blue Angel's loss to Playmaker.

Akira: Can you find where he dived from?
Staff: We already have. An ambulance picked him up not long ago.

Akira: Good. Thank you.

He hung up.

Akira: Aoi... Kanashimiki... What caused this to happen to you both?

Back at the hot dog truck, Yusaku had found the duel disk that logged in Riku.

Kusanagi: He's in Link VRAINS?

Yusaku: Yes, but he's unconscious in reality and in VR. He's currently at a hospital.

Ai: We have to go check on him!
Yusaku: We can't.

Ai: What?! Why?!

Yusaku: The duel disk that logged him in wasn't his own. If Hanoi planted it on him, it could cause problems. For example, if it has a camera in it, and we visit him immediately, that could cause suspicion for how we found him so fast.

Ai: You can't be serious.

I grit my teeth in frustration.

Yusaku: We'll visit him eventually, but right now it's too dangerous.

Ai: Fine.

Kusanagi: Yusaku. You feel too guilty don't you?
Yusaku: It's that obvious?
Kusanagi: I know what happened is eating you up. I'm sure he wouldn't blame you.