Sword Art Online: The Unsung Files Of Metal Gear Online

Chapter 1: The Return Home

"Kenny?" A voice called. It was a voice I recognized, but I couldn't fully make it out. "Kenny?" It called again. I was sure I knew it from somewhere, But I had no clue where. All I knew was that it was a friend's voice...

"Kenpachi Yuuki!!"

I jumped a bit and had realized that I'd fallen asleep. "Geez, that tournament must've wiped you out man. Barely two hours out of there and you can't stop sleeping" Kaz said, worried about me. We called him Kaz because he loved to main as Kazuhira Miller, a character within the canon Metal Gear series who was playable in regular online matches, even though he looked NOTHING like the guy.

"We're all pretty exhausted" replied Oz. Oz had made ONE Wizard of Oz reference in the past, and we called him Oz ever since. The last man in our group, who was relatively silent unless he ranted, was Gonzo. We gave him that nickname because he acted rather odd and it reminded us of Hunter Thompson's "partner-in-crime" Dr. Gonzo. The guys all called me Kenny because it was kinda shorter than my real name, Kenpachi. Everyone except me at the table were in their twenties. I was seventeen, but I met these guys through video games, so we didn't pay our age difference any mind. Where were we, though? Oh right it was our favorite multicultural diner. I had promised to pay for a meal here if we won the tournament.

"Do you ever wonder how the rest of our former platoon is doing?" asked Kaz.

"I never really got to socialize with the others, oddly enough." I replied. "That's weird, considering you single-handedly won the final match of the tournament and saved us all" jeered Oz. The rules of the tournament stated that only if all the members of each platoon died or if the remaining members quit mid-match would the platoon members actually die from the electromagnetic waves from the nerve-gear. The only way to save them would be to win the tournament, then the whole platoon survived. It got to the point to where I was the last fighting player in my platoon. I barely survived the tournament's final match. "It was a sloppy victory, at the most" I replied.

"Yeah, it WAS just you, so I'll vouch for you there" Kaz responded. I took a drink of my soda that I had ordered. Gonzo was staring at the tv in the restaurant. "No mention of what happened to us" Gonzo finally said. "I don't think it's that they don't care, Gonzo, more like they don't wanna tell the families of those who were part of that hell, 'hey, there's a likely chance your loved one is dead.'" I responded. "You make a good point" He remarked. "That IS a bit of rubbing salt on some wounds, but even those who lost loved ones to all this should AT LEAST know that this hell is over."

"..... You're right" I said. I took another sip of my soda. "And with the tournament being over, there's likely a lot of funerals to come after." We all went silent after that last comment, looks of grimace over our faces. "Sooo, what did you spend your cut of the tournament money on, Ken?" Kaz asked. Everyone at the table had already shared what they spent it on except me. " I bought a house, since my parents kicked me out" I replied. My parents kicked me out of the house six years ago over a debacle about how things were run in that house. I had rented an apartment six years ago, but decided to fully pay for my own place. "Is it a decent place?" asked Oz. "Pretty cozy" I answered. "Anything else you bought recently?" Kaz wondered. "I......" I choked. I was afraid to tell them. "Come on, out with it" Oz said encouragingly. "I........ I bought Gun Gale" I blurted weakly. "You bought a game for noobs?" asked Kaz. 

"I thought I could use a break from all the hardcore stuff, alright? Especially after what happened" I said in response. " You got a point, but the game'll be too easy for you" replied Gonzo. "Going a little softer on difficulty might help me cool down after all this" I said. I get up from my seat. "I'll see ya. I should head home before it gets too late"

"See ya" Kaz replied.

"Have a safe trip home" Oz said.

"Duces" said Gonzo.

I made sure to leave the money for the bill and opened the door to the restaurant, then headed out the door. I wasn't even sure if there was anyone who even knew I was alive, save Kaz and them. But I'd have to start attending school again.

Looks like I'm taking my first steps to returning to normal...