One Punch-Gamer

September 9th, 2025. A badly illuminated bar, 'SPC Glocken' City. 23:30…

It was just another late night in the strange and dark city. People went about their business in this strange world, similar yet different to the real one, ruled by guns.

And inside a simple bar, where many people were watching a TV interview to an important player…something terrible and sinister was about to start.

Everything seemed normal, in that moment. All kind of different-looking players, most of them following the stereotypical dress-code of army people, action-movies or anything gun-related, some just enjoying themselves or chatting with their friends, many hearing what XeXeeD, the winner of the last 'Bullet of Bullets', was saying in his interview of the MMO Stream's 'This Week's Winning Group'. Yamikaze, the one who had gotten the 2nd place in the tournament, was also there with him, having been invited for a discussion with the actual champion about Character Builds. Despite this somewhat interesting event, everything still seemed perfectly normal, just another night more in the virtual world…

And then HE stood up.

There was no warning. No great fanfare or change in the background music, no sinister sound or light effect…and yet, the moment the dark figure stood, everyone in the bar suddenly became keenly aware of his presence.

He was tall, and was wearing a full-body mantle with a hood over it. That alone would have raised suspicion in the real world, but in this one it wasn't something that could be truly considered out of the ordinary…

But there was something WRONG about him.

The cloak he was wearing…it was dark. TOO dark. As if it had been made by taking a piece out of the night sky, but taking away all the stars on it. And, if one looked closer, one could almost swear the darkness within was 'pulsing', whispers of it coming out of the mantle as if made of a dark fog.

Silently, the dark figure raised his head.

Two unnatural red eyes, shining like dots of fire inside ethereal darkness, stared up, making everyone who gazed on them shiver. But the unearthly gaze ignored them all, fixed on a single thing.

In the bar's television, which was showing how XeXeeD ranted about the superiority of Strength-Type players over Agility-Type ones.

Suddenly, the sinister darkness seemed to…'recede' somehow, starting from those unnatural red dots.

What was revealed, though, was perhaps even more terrifying, in a way.

It was a skull-shaped face, made of dark silver metal.

The Players who were staring tried to calm themselves, to tell themselves they were just making a big deal out of nothing, that it was just a strange piece of head-gear accessory…but, for some reason, there was something that just made them feel a cold dread as they looked at the 'face'.

Then, an arm emerged from the darkness of the mantle. It was wrapped in dark-red bandages, which almost seemed to be…'beating'. Like a heartbeat.

An all-black gun was on the dark figure's hand. It seemed utterly ordinary, nothing special about it, completely unimportant and unimpressive when compared to most of the rare weapons of that world.

But its mere appearance made everyone feel even more on edge. Because that 'weapon' was as WRONG as its owner. Something that…SHOULDN'T exist. As if wasn't made of polygons simulating to be metal, but of something far more sinister…darker…

And then, the dark figure finally spoke, with a deep, echoing voice, which seemed to resound into everyone's very souls.

"XeXeeD. Arrogant fool. Trash of the world. You have sinned, and have been judged. Your punishment…is Death."

The sinister 'player' pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the suddenly silent bar as if it was an explosion in the middle of a calm lake. A black mark appeared on the virtual television.

For an instant, the thought of laughing at the 'stupid' action crossed through the gathered player's minds…but there was something, deep within them, a kind of survival instinct, which was telling them to not do that. To get as far away from HIM as they could. To run.

To Survive.

Darkness. Like a living disease, it started to spread through the television's screen, in an unnatural spider-web pattern. At the same time, everyone watching could see how, on the virtual space that was 'This Week's Winning Group's stage, XeXeeD suddenly froze, his face twisting in a strange and agonizing grimace.

His body then burst into polygons, an error message with the words 'Disconnected' appearing where he had been.

No one said a word, everyone frozen in place even as the screen that had been shot kept being covered with the spreading darkness. Then, slowly, the dark figure turned his crimson gaze towards them, somehow looking at every single one of the players inside the bar at the same time.

"…Fear."

A gunshot rang out again. A player that had started to stand to Log Out fell backward, a bullet hole through his head, spider web-shaped darkness starting to cover his trashing form.

Screams started, even as several people ran or tried to materialize their weapons.

"Terror…"

More gunshots started to rang out, avatars falling down while writhing in agony as darkness spread to cover them, the screams increasing in volume as someone started to shoot at the dark figure with a machine gun.

The bullets went through him as if his body was made of smoke.

And then the Darkness EXPLODED outwards, like dark tendrils.

The screams increased again.

"POWER…"

A player called for his friends as he ran out of the dark edges, his mind screaming for him to not look at the shadows engulfing everything behind as he looked towards the bar's door, where two players he knew were screaming at him to go faster. Just a couple of meters more and he would make it…!

And then he stopped dead on his tracks, a sickly sound echoing through the air.

He was idly aware of his friends screaming and running away while he looked down, towards his c.h.e.s.t.

There was a needle-shaped THING, made out of pure Darkness, stabbing his body from side to side. He couldn't even scream before it PULLED back, reeling him like a trap from hell and soon dragging him to the core of the darkness, face to face with those unholy red eyes.

"Remember it all. Remember and be afraid. Afraid of me. Afraid of us. Afraid of the NAME…"

The man finally screamed with all his might, even as the black gun's cannon touched his forehead.

"The name of Death Gun. "

BANG!

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October 7th, 2025. Tokyo, Japan. A fancy-looking restaurant, 11:05…

With a sigh, Kirigaya Kazuto opened the door and looked around with a mix of awkwardness and annoyance. This was the kind of place he would never come inside of…at least not by himself. And, definitively, only in an absurdly special occasion or something similar.

Being direct, the place gave you the impression of EXPENSIVE just by staring at it from the outside. Once actually inside, that feeling only seemed to multiply exponentially.

"…excuse me, can I help you with something?" suddenly asked a waiter to the silent boy, who easily noticed the man's slightly annoyed tone as he stared him up and down.

The gamer couldn't blame him, of course. His looks and age aside, not to mention being alone, the simple black and white clothes he was wearing didn't really give the impression of someone able to pay for anything in that restaurant.

"Actually, I…"

"Oh, Kirigaya-kun!" called out a familiar voice, making the boy close his eyes and sigh with annoyance even as the waiter blinked and turned around, staring at the bespectacled man in the suit and tie waving happily their way. "I was wondering when you would arrive! Come, sit!"

"Excuse me, have a good day." dryly muttered the black-haired boy before walking towards the man's table and sitting at the opposite side, scowling at him. "Okay Kikuoka, no screwing around this time, get to the point: What did you call me for?"

"My, is that a way to talk to a kind government officer and fellow player? Relax a bit, Kirigaya-kun! Why don't you order something?"

"Because everything in this menu goes way above what I can save in months, thank you." acidly answered the gamer with a hint of annoyance.

"…I will pay."

"…Excuse me! Can you please bring me the biggest ice-cream dessert you have?" suddenly shouted the boy to a passing waiter, a hungry gleam in his eyes, making him blink in confusion before walking away. "…okay, talk. I have to meet someone later, so please summarize it as much as you can. In 20 words, if possible."

"Sigh, so cold…" muttered the man while shaking his head. "Even when we see each other in ALO, you and your friends are always giving me the cold shoulder too…"

Thinking about the man's words, Kazuto realized he was more or less right. Despite Kikuoka having created himself an ALO Avatar (An Undine called Chrysheight), for 'investigation of Virtual Reality-purposes', as an obvious excuse to get closer to him and the others (For reasons he didn't even want to bother thinking about), they still pretty much ignored the man every time they 'coincidentally' met in a dungeon or in a Boss Battle.

No matter how 'innocent' the man claimed his actions to be, both he and Sugu knew there was something about him that was…not good. One couldn't exactly call it 'evil' or 'sinister', but both Kirigaya siblings were sure that, whatever the hell was that the man was hiding, it would be better for them to stay away from it. The rest of his friends had been quick to follow his example, after they gave some explanations about from where they knew the 'excessively friendly' Undine.

Even so, when the man had called him yesterday to meet in that place, there had been 'something' that had told him to actually go and hear what he had to say. Perhaps he had noticed something truly worried in Kikuoka's voice. Perhaps he had felt that the bespectacled man wasn't kidding around this time. Perhaps it had been something else entirely…

But whatever it had been, here he was, and so it wouldn't do any good to think about 'What ifs'.

"I'm still waiting…"

"Okay, okay, I will get to the point." taking a tablet out of his briefcase, Kikuoka looked at him with unusual seriousness while showing him what was on the screen. "Take a look at this."

"What the…?" confused, the gamer stared at the several reports of people being hospitalized, and also what seemed like the tale of a sensationalist reporter written about a dark shadow attacking in a bar. "…what the hell is this?"

"The little info that the public was 'allowed' to know. Let me give you the full facts: Almost a month ago, this man…" the government worker pointed at the image of a confident-looking player with some dark shades. "…died. His name in the game VRMMORPG he played was 'XeXeeD'. In real life, he was Shigemura Tamotsu. The last time he was 'seen' he was having an interview in a popular online-show about VRMMOs when he suddenly seemed to have some kind of 'attack' and he was forcefully Logged Out without warning. Two days later, they found his corpse on his apartment after one of his neighbors noticed the bad smell and called the police."

"…and what's so strange about it?" asked Kazuto despite his sanity begging for him not to, almost feeling something crazy was about to be revealed. "Shouldn't the police just investi…?"

"Because there wasn't any sign that his apartment's entrance had been forced. He lived alone. Also, the police were unable to find any actual cause for his death. It's as if his heart just…stopped, for no reason."

"…a heart attack?"

"That would have been scary, right?" rhetorically asked the man before shaking his head. "But no, as I said, it's as if the man's heart just 'failed' and stopped beating for no reason. No trace of poisoning was found on him, and there weren't any wounds on his body. The only thing that the agents could say that was 'unusual' was a terrified expression on his face."

"…okay, I will accept that's a bit more unusual, but I still don't see how…"

"THIS happened at the same time." interrupted Kikuoka while pointing at the article on the small screen about the incident in a virtual bar. "Inside the VRMMO XeXeeD was famous in, Gun Gale Online, an unknown player suddenly started to declare something weird while they were broadcasting his interview, as if he had a grudge against him. Then he got a gun out and shot the image of XeXeeD on the screen. From the info we got from the 'survivors' of the incident, this happened more or less at the same time that Shigemura Tamotsu died."

"…wait, what do you mean by 'survivors'?" muttered the gamer, liking this less and less with every explanation. "Do-don't tell me that…."

"8 more people on that bar were 'shot' by this mysterious player that night. All of them, however, were thankfully found by their families or friends before it was…'too late'." sighing, the man looked to the side with a dark expression. "They're all in a coma. The cause was certified as…epilepsy attacks."

"What?" Kazuto's voice was incredibly low as he asked the question.

"Whatever exactly happened there…it was something that seems 'out of place'. Unnatural. The people who escaped and we were able to interrogate…rambled nonsense. Crazy things, about a monster made of darkness with red eyes…" putting up an audio file on the tablet's screen, he suddenly lent the gamer a couple of earphones. "Here, heard this. It's what one of the 'survivors' managed to record while hiding under a table as all this happened."

Wordlessly, the black-haired boy took the offered gear and put it on, starting to play the audio file. His face went from surprised to shocked and finally to frowning as he heard what was happening, screams and gunfire filling the background several times…and yet the voice of the sinister player still was perfectly clear, like a knife cutting through the darkness and into one's very soul.

"The name of Death Gun." he finally heard before another gunshot rang out. The audio file ended shortly after.

"…okay, let me guess." raising his head, Kikuoka found himself very surprised at seeing the boy's deadpanning face. "Despite how crazy it sounds, you think this 'Death Gun' guy has 'powers' of some kind, that allow him to either kill or put someone in a coma as he pleases. And you called ME here because you got enough evidence to know that at least SOMETHING is happening and need 'specialized' help, right?"

"Uhm, yeah? I mean…there was another victim almost 2 weeks ago, another GGO player called Usujio Tarako. He was giving a speech in front of his squad when this Death Gun is reported to have appeared and shot him, 'Disconnecting' him…then other 3 members of his squad when they tried to fight back before they ran away. When we got word of this, I sent the police to investigate the addresses of all the 'disappeared' players in the real world. Effectively, they found Usujio Tarako dead for 'no apparent reasons' and his 3 squad members in a coma from epilepsy attacks. Again, no one had apparently entered their homes. Hell, 2 of the squad members lived with 2 or more people and they assure NO ONE got in there when this happened."

"So…he 'kills' only important people, and 'leaves in a coma' anyone else who stands in his way…" mused Kazuto before staring back at the bespectacled man. "You KNOW there is no real way he can truly hurt anyone from the virtual world, right? Especially with the AmuSphere safety features."

"Yes, and that's what is freaking out my bosses so much. We may be in front of another crisis for the VR industry, you know? The strangest thing, though, is how the ones in a coma just look…well, perfectly okay. As in, the doctors even guarantee they will soon wake up…it doesn't make any sense…" looking down, Kikuoka seemed clearly at a loss.

"So, to summary…you want me to get into GGO, find Death Gun, have him shot me to discover what's his 'trick' and stop him because no one in your freaking government agency supposedly dedicated to these things is competent enough to do so?"

"…uhm…yes? Not quite how I would say it, but…"

"Okay, where do I start?" sighed the gamer to the man's surprise, making him look up in shock. "I mean, I guess you should at least have A CLUE to guide me to this guy, right?"

"Ye-yes, in fact, we have reasons to believe that Death Gun may try and enter the 'Bullet of Bullets', a PvP tournament that is held to determine GGO's strongest player. The 3rd one is in 6 days, so…you are really going to do this?"

"I have the feeling I would somehow end up doing it anyway if you hadn't told me. I have started to resign myself that my life is doomed to always seem like the plot of some crazy action anime." muttered the boy before standing up…while still holding the very expensive and massive ice-cream dessert they had brought him. "Besides, I guess that it's a Hero's job to stop the crazy and spooky serial killer…God, how I miss the times when my life was just playing in front of my PC…" turning around as he started to talk away, Kazuto waved at the man. "Call me later to give me the details about this, okay?"

"You're not even going to ask how much we're going to pay you?" questioned the man with honest surprise.

"…wait, you're going to pay me?" blinked the gamer with honest surprise too, making the bespectacled man blink and curse, even as a smile appeared on the black-haired boy's face. "You know what…I am going to do this for 'free'. But…in exchange, you will owe me a favor."

"…what kind of…'favor'?" warily asked Kikuoka while seeing the boy's innocent smile.

"Oh you know, something or another." waved it off Kazuto while walking away. "It's always good to have someone from the government in your debt, right? And now, if you excuse, I have to meet up with a…friend. Later."

While still sitting stunned for 5 more minutes, the bespectacled man would realize too late that the boy had also taken both the bowl and the spoon from the restaurant with him when going away and merrily eating his ice cream.

The check was considerably more expensive than he had planned…

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The Imperial Palace and its surrounding gardens were probably one of the most iconic places in all of Japan. Though not as famous out of the country as other places like Tokyo Tower or the many temples in Kyoto, no one who was native from the land of the rising sun could spend their entire lifetime without knowing about the beauty of this place.

It was the perfect place for families to come and have a good time, athletes to come and practice freely, average people to enjoy the view…

"Ah, Sensei! You came!" smiled Asuna while waving a hand towards the blinking Kazuto, who quickly shook off his captivated look at seeing her in the white and red jacket and skirt she was wearing, still not used to seeing her (Or more exactly, how pretty she was) out of armor despite having been out of SAO for almost a year.

"Ye-yeah, don't be so surprised about it. I promised I would, right?"

…and also a great place for couples to go on dates. Of course, this totally wasn't that, no. This was just two very good friends going out for a bit to chat, enjoy the view and have a good time. Two friends who just so happened two be a boy and a girl. One of which had openly confessed the like the other, who in turn had a huge crush on her.

…the more Kazuto tried to point it out on his head, the more he realized with 'horror' that this was totally a date. But he hadn't had the heart to deny his disciple's cheerful request when she called him to 'spend some time talking like the old times' the other day. At least she hadn't called it a date, but it had still made him very nervous the way in which Sugu had been STARING his way the last couple of days…

"Well, why don't we start moving?" Asuna's cheerful voice brought him out of his thoughts, the girl dragging him by the hand towards the east gardens. "We have lots to catch up to!"

"Asuna…we saw each other in school yesterday." sweatdropped the gamer even as he followed the girl's pace.

None of them noticed how a certain figure riding a bicycle stopped almost 600 meters from them, staring at the scene with a frown and tightly gripping her handlebar.

"So…you were right. They are here, Shiori-san."

The figure standing on the back of the vehicle sighed at this looking uncertainly at the girl 'giving her a ride' before scowling slightly towards the retreating pair.

"Yep. Told you my information network would work, Suguha-chan."

"…you just got Asuna-san to tell you by mistake where she was going, right?"·

"…are we going to follow them or what?" asked the information broker while looking to one side, dodging the question.

For the next 30 minutes, both teens walked calmly through the gardens, enjoying the weather and each other's company as they happily talked and questioned each other about several things they had been doing or planning to do.

They never quite noticed the two 'stalkers' following them, though, nor how darker their auras got with every minute that passed.

"Aahh…this is good." grinned Asuna while she and Kazuto sat on one of the area's many benches, a can of iced tea on her hand. "Reminds you a bit of the old times, eh, sensei?"

"Yeah…it does." softly muttered the boy while looking to the sky, his eyes wandering for a moment towards the view of the Imperial Palace itself before falling over the c.h.e.s.tnut-haired girl. "Heh…remember when we spent three days going through the 3rd Floor's main jungle just to complete that Quest?"

"Hahah, yes! Your sense of direction wasn't very good back then…like Saitama's."

"Hey, I take offense in that! I DID learn to jump around to find directions better, it's just that that jungle was too damn thick!" half-shouted the boy in mock-annoyance, before both exchanged another glance and started laughing again.

"…what are they saying?! I can't hear anything from here!"

"Suguha-chan, we're almost 500 meters from them, I would be worried if you actually COULD hear them…" muttered Shiori before looking hopelessly back to the laughing pair.

Being honest, she was starting to lose any hope about her own feelings as time went by, and she could see the rest of the girls from the guild going through the same.

She liked Kirito…Kazuto. She really did. She wasn't sure if she could assure with all her soul she loved the boy, but being a teenager no one really could blame her for not being an expert about her feelings.

When had it started? She could still remember the c.o.c.ky guy from the Beta Test, always joking or getting annoyed with her, and she laughing openly with or at him. Then, when the Death Game that the true SAO had started, actually meeting his 'real' self and the crazy 'powers' he had obtained for no apparent reason (And that were even crazier for somehow being parallels of those from a manga). Quickly, she had come to see that he would become a driving force, a bastion of hope. Someone who could give everyone the motivation they needed to actually Clear the game…

Had it already started, back then? She could clearly remember spending many days with both Master and Disciple, befriending Asuna and getting to know both her and Kirito even more. Without almost noticing, the time she spent away from them became smaller and smaller, and she even actually started to spend most of her free time Leveling Up by taking advantage of all the information she gathered, just to be sure they didn't leave her behind.

Had she been chasing after her only two real friends, though, or after something 'more'?

…maybe it had been the day they investigated and did that nightmarish Quest together on Floor 22nd. She could still remember being scared shitless of THA THING while he acted just annoyed and nonchalant, always covering and protecting her. She could remember how she not only didn't complain but even welcomed her with an awkward smile when she started to openly stay with him and his 'group' during the whole Sachi incident…

When they announce their intention to form a Guild, she jumped in without hesitation. The United Heroes Association became her family, her home…

And when she realized it, she was already head over heels for the idiot in black and white. And, as she later had found out, every girl around him was too.

The 'funniest' part was that the guy hadn't tried to do anything to cause something like that. He had just…been himself. As if his mere way of being drew people towards him, and he made it his duty to do his best for them.

…maybe it was time for her to give up? She knew that she would probably never had the same chance as Asuna did, even if she gathered the courage to actually tell the boy her feelings on his face. Hell, even the girl she was with right at that moment had more possibilities with him than her, and she was the boy's little sister (Adoptive, but still!)! perhaps it would be best if she just…

The sound of her phone ringing interrupted her dark train of thought, making her blink. Confused, she stopped looking towards the chatting pair to grab it and look at it.

Argo-chan, don't give up! Everyone can be happy if we try hard enough!

Kisses, Strea =D!

Looking away from the screen, Shiori's gaze shot from side to side and around them at lightning speed, wide-eyed. Shakily, she touched the scowling kendoka's shoulder.

"Hey, Suguha-chan…did you tell Strea we would come here?"

"Uh? Strea?" confused, Suguha looked at the nervous girl behind her, idly remembering how WEIRD it was that the AI girl's attitude towards her adopted brother hadn't changed in the slightest even after kissing him, acting as if nothing had happened. "No…I didn't talk to her yesterday. Why?"

"…there are cameras around here, right?"

"…I think so? We're in the Imperial Palace, after all…"

"…I'm not going to be able to sleep soundly ever again."

Ignorant of the confusion going through the mind of his hidden little sister, Kazuto nervously stared to Asuna before looking up towards the form of the Palace once again. The girl had already been silent for almost 30 seconds, and the boy just KNEW that it meant something big. That the real reason for calling him out to this place was going to be revealed and…

"…Kazuto-kun." suddenly whispered the girl. "…we have been through a lot, haven't we?"

"…yeah, we have." slowly nodded the gamer, his voice even and serious at noticing how she wasn't calling him Sensei. "More than I could have imagined in my life, probably."

"…I think I have already made it clear before, but…I love you, Kazuto-kun." blushing, the c.h.e.s.tnut-haired girl looked down before steadying herself and looking back straight at him. "So, that's why…I need to know! What do you think of me?!" shock filled the boy's face as he stared at Asuna's determined gaze, a strange 'fire' burning behind the girl's eyes. "I…even if you say you only see me as your disciple or as a good friend…I will understand. But please…can you tell me?"

There was a moment of absolute silence. The two watching girls held their breath, having slowly come closer until they could hear what the pair were saying.

Kazuto's face changed from surprise to guilt. Then, he seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if fearing the effect of what he was about to say, before apparently resigning himself and looking down.

"…I like you, Asuna. A lot."

The world froze. Asuna's face went to absolute shock to utter happiness. Shiori winced, hard, and ignored the sting she felt on her heart to look at the young girl in front of her, who suddenly seemed as if her very soul had been crushed…and was she going insane or she could 'feel' the BICYCLE shaking happily?

"Se-Sensei…I…!"

"…but…I-I like Sugu the same way."

The world 'blinked'. Everyone did. Asuna, Suguha, and Shiori felt their minds suddenly suffer a crashing error when the boy's words finally registered.

"…uh?" dumbly muttered three female voices at the same time, though Kazuto could only hear one.

"I…I wanted to be honest, so I will. It…it's not right to see you always 'fighting' like that over me. It's not worth it and…I didn't want to make you sad, but this has to end. So yes…I like both of you." sighing, the gamer's voice suddenly seemed much lighter than before. "…you can insult me or whatever now, if you want. I won't complain, I probably deserve it…"

"…I see. Anything else you want to say, Sensei?"

"…uhm…I find all the girls in the guild very attractive?" ventured Kazuto, deciding that being totally honest probably wouldn't hurt him anymore at that moment.

The echoing slap that brought the two onlookers out of their stupor proved him wrong. Blinking, the black-haired boy found himself painfully staring at the sky from the grass-covered ground, a fierce sting on his right cheek.

Asuna blinked a couple of times before staring at her raised hand as if it was a totally foreign object. Then, her face twisted into a look of panic and guilt as she looked down at the boy.

"AH! I…I didn't want to…! I mean, it was a reflex and…and I'm used to you not even feeling it, so…!"

Apparently unable to properly form a coherent sentence, the c.h.e.s.tnut-haired girl turned around and ran away as fast she could.

"…I totally deserved that." sentenced the gamer while closing his eyes, feeling both extremely relieved and extremely sad at the same time. He wasn't really aware of the sound of a bicycle speeding away or a familiar voice shouting  'S-SLOW DOWN!' , thanks to the turmoil currently running through his head. "…I need to tell Sugu the truth too when I arrive home."

Despite his words, Kazuto kept lying there for several minutes before finally standing.

He probably just lost his best friend, and he would probably lose any affection from his little sister by the end of the day, but he knew it had been long enough.

He couldn't stand seeing the two girls he loved (God, he had finally been able to think it without shivering) fighting for him when he felt he didn't really deserve any of them.

…the boy just wished that the thought wasn't so depressing. Hopefully, somewhere, someone was having a worse day than him…

00000000000000000

Behemoth wasn't having a good day.

It had seemed like a pretty standard workday when it had begun. Escort a small party of hunters through the eastern area back and forth. Cowards like them were what made his bodyguard job profitable, so he didn't really complain about how long the walk was, despite how extremely bored it had been. Just another day earning his keep in Gun Gale Online, the most 'difficult' VRMMORPG out there.

Then, the PvP squadron had attacked them.

He had been smirking like a madman when it started, taking off his hood and enjoying the look on the other team's faces upon seeing his GE M134 Minigun (That 'We're f.u.c.k.e.d'-look he loved so much) before starting to unleash hell upon them…when everything went WRONG.

The first sign the almost 10 players from both sides got that something wasn't going as it should was when a louad 'BOOM' filled the area. Then, Dyne, the leader of the PvP squad, flew backward as his head was blown up, the shocked look on his face being the last team everyone saw before his cowboy hat flew away and shattered into polygons, followed by the rest of his body.

"SHIT! IT'S HER !" screamed the leader of the squad that had hired Behemoth, making everyone shout in panic and take cover, looking around and madly aiming their weapons.

The minigun-user was the less mobile of the group, in all senses, so he was opting to try his luck and staying out, now that everyone could see from where the Prediction Line would come…before it appeared over the broken wall behind which a member of his team was hiding.

He had enough time to blink before an armor-piercer bullet shot through the air and made the wall collapse, the scream from behind it and the sound of shattering polygons indicating the player had been ended even before the wall crushed him.

Behemoth turned around and, screaming madly, unleashing the full might of his deadly weapon in the direction from which the shot had come from, aiming at all the high points he could see on the ruined buildings almost a kilometer away.

The sound of another shot passing over him was an indication he had missed.

The following explosion of burning flames coming from the incendiary bullet and the startled screams of several players indicated that he was failing utterly on his bodyguard job.

Still, he HAD seen from where that shot came from. The others too and, any grudge they had towards one team or the other momentarily forgotten, all of them unleashed a rain of either bullets or laser shots in the direction of the run-down building.

Almost 10 seconds of continuous fire later, they all stopped, panting hard and staring towards the bullet-peppered structure with a look of relieved hope.

Then, the screaming sound of an engine filled their ears. Their eyes widened.

All the players scampered to try and change their empty magazines for fresh ones even as behemoth stared in shock at a cloud of dust coming their way, growing bigger by the second. He was still trying to aim properly at the fast-moving target when it sped over an irregularity in the road and 'flew' over them.

The post-apocalyptic style motorcycle seemed to go in slow motion over the shocked groups even as the minigun-user stared in absolute disbelief, unable to aim his weapon against it as it went over him. Riding on it, there was HER.

Her white scarf flapping madly behind her. her tight clothes hugging her figure in an almost indecent way, giving her absolute mobility. Her pale blue hair swaying at the wind, even as a futuristic blue 'goggles', not unlike Behemoth's but way cooler than his, gave her the appearance of a masked cyber-warrior from a sci-fi movie…oh, and also the big-ass anti-materiel sniper rifle she was carrying with one hand and aiming down…oh shit.

The explosive sound echoed in everyone's ears as the rifle was shot, seemingly without even aiming, and blew to pieces one of the shocked players. The others were starting to react when the girl swung the rifle to the side, the sound of the shell inside the barrel falling to the side with the action seeming like a death sentence, and SHOT again, blowing a third person to pieces.

By the time the minigun-user had finished turning around and raising his weapon, no other players but he remained and the bike was already touching the ground again, starting to sped away. All of this had happened in less than 3 seconds. The man also knew that the magazine on the girl's weapon was empty.

With a roar of rage, fear, and hate, Behemoth unleashed his minigun directly against the turning vehicle, his hidden gaze meeting the girl's 'visor' for an instant…before she JUMPED out of her motorcycle as she sent it careening forward against his hail of bullets.

The bodyguard player had enough to time to blink in a mix of shock and confusion before the speeding vehicle EXPLODED, unleashing fire and a massive cloud of black smoke between him and his target, the virtual smoke actually simulating the acrid smell and making him cough from the realism of it all.

Like an angel of death, the blue-haired girl shot from the middle of the black cloud, her rifle hung on her back, falling directly towards him. Utterly shocked, Behemoth hesitated for an instant before madly raising his minigun against the apparently weaponless girl…

Pssshhew!

…and paid dearly for it when his dear and absurdly expensive weapon's canon was cut apart as if it was butter, together with his body, by the suddenly flashing edge of purple plasma.

He had enough time to see the girl landing and giving him a cold and emotionless look from behind her visor.

Then, he exploded into polygons.

Silently surveying the area, the girl confirmed that, effectively, no enemy were left before she powered down her lightsaber, or Photon Sword Kagemitsu G4, as it was officially called in that world, and hang the tube-like handle from her h.i.p.s.

"…another day. Another victory." whispered the one known as Sinon to the empty air, raising her goggles to her forehead and letting her indigo eyes gaze forward. "…and I'm still not strong enough."

Turning around, she started to walk away. It would be a long way back to Glocken City without her bike, after all.

00000000000000000

The sun was starting to set in ALO, but for the monsters that inhabited it, that didn't really mean much except some changes in their behaviors or spawn rate.

For the giant carnivore plant-thing that was lashing around with its tentacles, it just meant that the glare of the sun somehow blinded it (Despite not having eyes) and left it unable to evade the several burning shurikens that sped through the air towards it, the extra-elemental damage combined with its already low HP making it die and explode into polygons in a very brutal way.

"…and another down." stated Lisbeth while lowering her mace, looking back at the haunted-looking Silica. "Man, anyone would say you have a special grudge against that kind of mob or something…"

"Tentacles." simply whispered the Caith Sith while Pina sighed and patted her on the head with a wing. "Why do those things always attack with the tentacles…?"

"…I think she's a bit out of it." commented Sachi while sweatdropping, looking behind her as she lowered her spear. "Everything fine there, Philia-chan?"

"Perfectly." announced the Spriggan Ronin while sheathing her katana again, scattering polygons showing what had happened with the small plant mobs that had tried to flank them as they dealt with the bigger one. "…say, do you think we should be worried about…'that'?"

In response to her words, the 4 girls looked around the open field where they were currently grinding mobs. Not far from them, Strea was in full Darkness Blade mode while Keita and the other boys made sure she didn't have any interference as she finished off another of the plant mobs that were the objectives of their current Quest. That wasn't what Philia was talking about, though, but what could be seen a bit further.

Over to one side, in an elevation of earth and rock that could only be accessed by flying, a silent Asuna mercilessly unleashed Dual Blades against 3 of the carnivore plant mobs at the same time.

The Undine didn't even blink as she slaughtered them, with an absent face as she cut them down.

On the opposite side, above the line of trees that marked the start of another patch of forest, Leafa flew, a similar expression on her face as she periodically shot down with her katana raised, only to quickly ascend after supposedly landing a solid hit on one of their targets hidden in the trees, like an eagle slowly wearing down a prey.

"They had been like that since we Logged In…" muttered Lisbeth while frowning at the two girls, slightly clenching God Hand around her mace even more. "And they haven't even said a word to one another…"

"Not to mention that they didn't really seem to be paying attention when any of us talked to them…" added Silica worriedly while looking to the side. "What do you think happened?"

"I don't know…but I'm willing to bet she does." pointed Philia while they all turned to look at the only present member of their guild that wasn't helping with the Quest at all.

Argo was sitting on a rock with a serious face, thinking very hard about something. On the Caith Sith's shoulders, an eagle-sized black crow cawed worriedly at her, but she apparently seemed not to notice.

"If Argo is ignoring Garasu, then something must be really wrong…" commented Sachi while looking worriedly at the Black Shadow Crow that their information-gathering friend had tamed months ago. "Maybe she's not at the same level with him that you and Pina, Silica, but she still respects the little one very much…"

"Of course she isn't. Mine and Pina's Ninja Way is so developed and close that we're already about to discover the secret that will allow us to combine our powers into one being." flatly declared the small Caith Sith, ignoring the deadpanning look of her friends while looking worriedly at the information-broker. "Still…I think it would be better if we go ask her what's going on."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" rhetorically asked Philia before marching her friend's way, the other startled fairies quickly following.

On the other side of the field, while Keita and the rest cheered for their victory over the carnivore plant, Strea let her usual smile slip down for a moment before looking worriedly at Leafa and Asuna. From her shoulder, Yui gave him a pat on the cheek before the Gnome and the Pixie exchanged a silent glance.

This was bound to happen at some point. NOW it was when they needed to step in and 'start their plan'…

"Uhm, Argo?" blinking, the Caith Sith raised her head and looked towards her worried-looking friends, her pet cawing at them in greeting while Pina answered with a cooing sound. "Are you okay? You have been looking strange for the last 2 hours, and as Leafa and Asuna are acting even weirder, we thought…"

"…well, can't blame you for that, I should have guessed you would notice." sighing, the information broker stood up and scratched Garasu's chin while looking back at Lisbeth, the one who had spoken, but clearly addressing all of them. "I…have to tell you something. Something big, and I'm not sure of how…"

The sudden sound of something crashing with unreal force at the edge of the clearing stopped her dead on her tracks, her eyes shooting towards the familiar black and white form of a Spriggan, just standing from the small crater he had made.

The rest of the group had apparently noticed it too, for Strea and Yui were already greeting him, Keita and the other boys close behind.

The four girls that didn't know exactly what was going on, however, were keenly aware of how both Asuna and Leafa had just frozen where they were, their eyes going silently over Kirito's form (Which looked less ridiculous now that he had changed his spiky hairstyle back to his old SAO one) but not making any move to get near him.

They also saw how the Spriggan smile as he greeted the others and then waved their wave seemed both resigned and sad, and that he wasn't making any sign of going towards either the Sylph of the Undine either.

Their clear worry and shock were painted on their faces as they turned to look back at Argo, who was looking in the gamer's direction with a worried look.

"…so, what are you here, mighty leader?" joked Tetsuo while looking at the Spriggan, he and the other boys having also noticed that something was 'wrong', but knowing that it would be better to not ask their friend in front of the rest. "I thought we were going to meet up in Aincrad later?"

"Yeah, well…there has been a small change of plans, so I wanted to take advantage of the fact that everyone was already here to tell you all." informed the boy while looking around at everyone, his gaze looking a bit down as he forced himself to also look towards Leafa and Asuna for a moment. "…in a few days, you probably won't see me around for a couple of days, maybe more."

"…wait, what?" asked Strea with utter confusion, looking at him with alarm.

"Wha-what do you mean, Papa?" also questioned a clearly worried Yui.

Clearly aware of how everyone was suddenly looking at him with confusion, the Spriggan took a deep breath before looking silently at the sky.

"I'm going to convert my account to another game."

Silence reigned over the whole area, even Asuna and Leafa having looks of stunned shock on their faces.

Then, the expected reaction finally came

"WHAT?!"

00000000000000000

September 13th, 2025. Kawagoe, Saitama. 14:30…

Walking calmly down a street, Asada Shino idly looked around as she headed back home, thinking about how much her life had changed in the last months.

Getting into Gun Gale Online and 'becoming' Sinon, her progress with her fear, the changes in school...

At that, her gaze flickered at the bag she carried on her back, where her bokken silently rested. She could still remember the confused and disbelief-filled looks she got when, 3 days after her last 'incident' with Endou and her followers, she entered the classroom carrying the bag with the wooden sword on her bag. Nothing had happened and she had ignored the strange whispers going around until, just before she went home, her homeroom teacher had asked her if she had joined the kendo club or something.

She had kindly answered that no, that she was only carrying the bokken with her for personal reasons. The aged man had nodded with a mix of confusion and worry and let her go. After all, there was no law in Japan that forbid a student that wasn't in a club to carry the 'harmless' practice weapon around.

The looks she saw on Endou's face when she and her two 'friends' went back to school 2 weeks later (One with a bandaged hand and the others with similar things over their noses), made it all worth it, though. In fact, the girl found she no longer minded the constant whispers going around, for they had stopped being about the 'sinister killer girl' and instead had started to be about WHY she carried a bokken to all places.

She found the doubt and confusion much more welcome than the previous hostility and reclusion. Though she was still 'alone', she no longer felt sad and unwelcome in her isolation. She was STRONG, after all. Still not as strong as HER, but she was sure she would soon be. Besides, she had...

Blinking out of her deep-thoughts, Shino looked at her ringing phone and answered it with a polite smile, stopping walking as she did so.

"Yes, Shinkawa-kun?"

"Ah, Asada-san, is great to hear you!" happily commented Shinkawa Kyouji from the other side of the line, the boy that had introduced the bespectacled girl to GGO seeming cheerful as always when they talked. "I just wanted to wish you luck for the preliminaries later. I'm sure you will manage to enter, of course, but as I may be a bit late to see you..."

"I see...well, thanks for that anyway, Shinkawa-kun." replied Shino while staring at the sky in silence.

The Bullet of Bullets. Gun Gale Online's 'strongest' was determined through the grand-scale tournament, and she was set on winning it this time.

Last time, in the 2nd one, she had been VERY close to do it, ending up in 3rd place. If that dammed Yamikaze hadn't caught her with his insane speed, she would had been able to win despite only carrying her trusted blade and a submachine gun.

But this time, it would be different. She had Hecate now, and when combined with her photon sword, she was invincible. She let the memory of how she had obtained the ultra-rare PGM Ultima Ratio Hecate II, the sniper rifle that had changed her from just a crazy girl with a lightsaber into one of the most feared players of GGO, run through her mind again. Anyone who knew the events would have said she had been just incredibly lucky of the 'bug' that had allowed her to harmlessly tear down that absurdly strong mob's life from a place where it couldn't strike back, only to finish it by jumping down and ramming her sword into its brain (Just because she ran out of bullets, though), but she knew that it wasn't something as silly as that.

Just like how meeting HER hadn't been just 'luck', getting Hecate had been the same. Fate.

This time, when she won the Bullet of Bullets, she would be close enough to her Heroine to leave all her fears behind. She was sure of it.

The only thing that had her a bit worried and sad lately, though...

Glancing to the side, Shino looked at a stand for newspapers, a minor article in the cover of one ironically reflecting her worries with only the headline: 'Bicycle girl gone?'

"...where are you?" softly whispered the bespectacled girl, remembering how the reports about the mysterious Heroine had started to become fewer and fewer until they suddenly stopped, without any apparent reason.

The most skeptical people said that the ones behind the 'Urban Legend' had grown tired of it and decided to stop spreading it. Those who truly believed in (And, in some cases, had been helped by) the masked heroine of the bicycle had started to debate the wildest speculations. Some thought the girl had just gotten tired of it all and decided to stop. Others that she had finally bitten more than she could chew and that a criminal too big for her had ended up taking her down, or worse. Some of the craziest theories even said that the Bicycle Girl had ridden away into the sunset towards some other place where she was most needed.

Shino knew most of it was craziness and silliness, though. As one of the few people who had actually met the masked Heroine, the bespectacled girl knew that she was as human as anyone else, but...'special'. Special in a way that she held a inner strength that could outshine anything she had ever imagined, and her actions were as pure as her determination was unbreakable. Shino refused to believe that she had been 'beaten', and she KNEW the Bicycle Girl hadn't gotten tired of her 'work'. The words that she had told her that day, that 'People like them reminds me why I do this' had been something that had seared into her mind as much as the revelation of how a simple sword could beat any mighty gun, just like how a teenage girl could ride a bicycle with helmet and health mask and truly become a Heroine.

But that still left a single question that had been gnawing at the corners of her mind for the last months, even as she pushed herself to become stronger both in GGO and the real world.

What had happened with the Bicycle Girl that had made her stop riding around saving others and bringing Justice?

With a sigh, Shino forced herself to forget about it and resume her walk back home. She needed to prepare to get into the BoB's preliminaries, after all. Besides, as much as she wished for it, it wasn't as if she was going to run headfirst into the answer to her question or something like that.

The only thing that truly worried her about the upcoming Bullet of Bullets was if she wasn't going to find a true challenge. After all, since getting Hecate, it was as if no enemy could actually pose a threat for her, always falling under her bullets or her blade, no matter how many or strong they were.

Hopefully, there would be someone who was actually Strong and that she could take as a worthy opponent this time...

00000000000000000

Getting off his bike, Kazuto stared up towards Toritsu Central Hospital, from where Kikuoka had told him he would be Logging In, and headed inside while releasing a tired and slightly depressed sigh.

Four days ago, it had taken a while for him to reassure his friends that he wasn't quitting ALO and that his 'change' of game was something temporary, because of an 'investigation work' he had been asked to do. Technically the truth, though not all of it, but as much as the gamer hated no telling everything to his friends, he knew Kikuoka was, for once, right about the fact that it would be better to keep the Death Gun Issue under wraps. Besides, he had seen that they all still seemed worried even without knowing that, and he had a good enough idea of WHY to know he didn't need to worry them even more.

He still wondered how exactly had Sugu discovered what he had told Asuna that day in the Imperial Palace (Maybe the girl herself had called to tell her?), but the point was that, when he got back home, his adoptive sister already knew the truth. The way in which she had actively avoided him, then the silent way in which she had acted in ALO (Very similar to Asuna's) before he announced his 'work' told him that much, not to mention how she hadn't answered when he had knocked on her room's door to try and talk to her.

She had still seemed very worried the last four days, though, looking his way and seeming about to say something before falling silent when they ate. He had noticed Asuna acting very much the same in the breaks on school. He just hoped none of them thought it was the current situation was their fault, it was his and his alone, first falling in love with both of them and then letting both kiss him and not immediately answering.

Kazuto just wished everything could return to some kind of normality soon. Even if he could never be with the girls in THAT way, he still held them in a special place in his heart. Romantic feelings aside, they were still his little sister and his best friend. If things could return to just that, he would be happy enough. Besides, it was clear that everyone else in the guild was being affected by their current situation, and he didn't want to bring problems to his second family in any way, not when he had sworn to protect them from anything...

He was brought out of his deep thoughts by Aki, the nurse who had helped him on his rehabilitation therapy after SAO, who seemed really worried that he had just been nodding absently at her questions and that he hadn't reacted to whatever teasing she had tried to use to embarrass him.

The gamer reassured her that he was fine several times before following her instructions, putting on the several life-monitoring devices that she pointed for him (Which made the boy wonder if Kikuoka was really expecting him to suffer some kind of harm or die during this) and put on the already prepared AmuSphere.

"Good luck, Kirigaya-kun." smiled Aki at him while finishing calibrating the medical machines. "Take care, okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry Aki-san. I'm not planning on getting in anything too dangerous…probably." lamented Kazuto, actively trying to not think about how much his life seemed some kind of shonen plot before steeling himself and staring at the ceiling.

At least with some luck stopping whatever this 'Death Gun' was trying to do would help him forget about his currently screwed situation with Asuna and Sugu…

"Okay, everything set. Ready when you are, Kirigaya-kun."

"Link Start!"

With a familiar wave of rainbow-colors washing over his vision, Kirigaya Kazuto's mind abandoned his body.

Kirito opened his eyes once he finished materializing, the contaminated and metallic view of SPC Glocken City (Which had at one point been a massive spaceship in which the human's returned to earth after whatever disaster left it like it was now ended, in the game's lore) greeted his eyes.

"Well…I'm not really into post-apocalyptic games, but I guess this place is kind of cool…" muttered the gamer while looking around and then staring down at his hands, familiar white gloves covering them. "Yep, my 'beloved' jumpsuit and cape are with me. Also, I don't seem to be any taller or anything, so there go my hopes of the game-change actually giving me a cool-looking or epic look." sighing as he walked to a nearby building with more-or-less reflecting panels on the side, the black-haired boy tried to cheer himself up. "Well, at least my luck hasn't actually gotten worse and given me an even more ridiculous…WHAT THE ACTUAL F.U.C.K?!"

The scream, that caught the attention of several players around, was totally justified, in the disbelieving boy's point of view, because of the figure staring back at him with a mix of shock and horror from the glass panel.

His face was exactly the same, as always, and he was indeed wearing his familiar Saitama-like costume, but…okay, Kirito had always known that he didn't look exactly 'manly'. In fact, he was sure most of the respect he had gotten from being a 'Superhero' in SAO wouldn't last much if anyone ever knew that he and Sugu used to be confused as SISTERS when they were little (And not that he thought about it, he dearly hoped his sister kept the secret even now that she probably hated him)…

But that had been before his skin became paler. His eyelashes longer. His black hair now flowed down his back past his shoulders. And his eyes turned a black so shiny that seemed slightly purple.

For the first time, the stupid-looking jumpsuit had the totally positive effect of being the ONLY thing that stopped anyone from confusing him with a GIRL.

No girl with enough self-respect would wear THAT, after all.

"…I don't know how…or why…but this is somehow Kayaba's fault." darkly muttered the gamer with a twitching eyebrow. "It HAS to be. I can't have such screwed luck so many times in a row…" his head hanging down, the resigned boy turned around to stare at the tall and dark buildings that surrounded the area, suddenly aware of one thing. "Ah…not having any f.u.c.k.i.n.g idea of where am I supposed to go. Saitama's greatest weakness."

Honestly, if the boy had been his usual self, he would have bothered doing all the research he could about the game in the 4 days he had had since Kikuoka asked him to do this, but with his mood since his confession about his (Stupid) feelings he hadn't been exactly in the highest of moods, so he had just investigating enough to know the basic lore of the world of guns and a bit about the different weapons people used in there.

Shaking his head and purposefully ignoring the guy who was trying to ask him if he would sell him his 'M9000' Type Avatar for a considerable price (Which was kind of a big deal, since GGO was the only VRMMORPG whose currency could be exchanged by actual money in the real world, and vice versa, though most players were just barely able to pay their monthly fee to keep playing), Kirito decided to get out of the area in a burst of super speed, leaving many people confused and looking around, wondering where the girly-looking and silly-dressed boy had gone.

Twenty minutes later, a black and white blur stopped in the middle of an alley in the labyrinthic city, finally understanding firsthand how frustrating it had been for Saitama to be unable to get where the Sea King was in one go.

"I'm lost." simply declared the gamer before sighing and staring out of the alley, starting to walk at normal pace and ignoring the confused or weird looks most players he came across sent his way. "…I guess I will have to ask for directions."

It wasn't a matter of pride, really. In fact, Kirito would have done exactly that at first if it wasn't because he was pretty sure most people would either mock or laugh at him, and while he usually couldn't care less about what suck jerks thought, he was, as repeatedly stated, not in the best of moods, and he didn't want to risk attracting some GM's attention by punching a player halfway through the city.

Lamenting the fact that this was the same reason that stopped him from just jumping all the way over a building and looking for any place that looked 'important', the black-haired boy stopped in and looked around in time to see a pale blue-haired figure turning a corner in front of him.

"Ah, wait!" called out the gamer while following after her, not noticing how every other player in the area had run for it with terrified looks the moment they saw the girl, who stopped and turned around with confusion on her indigo eyes, which turned to disbelief the moment he saw the weirdly dressed…boy calling for her. "Uhm, excuse me, but, could you please help me out? I'm new in this game and I'm a bit…lost."

"Yeah, I could kind of notice that, you…uhm…"

"Kirito. And if you're doubting it, then yes, I am a guy." deadpanned the boy before releasing a depressed sigh, making the surprised girl blink. "Sorry, not having the best of weeks and now converting my account and ending up looking like this…you could say I'm a bit edgy today."

"I…see." tilting her head, the girl seemed to consider the gamer's ridiculous looks for a moment, and Kirito thought for a moment that it seemed as if she wasn't really used to talk to openly other people. "…guess I will help you out, if it doesn't take much. I kind of need to do something important in a bit…"

"Oh, thank you, really. Last thing I needed was screwing up THIS too." muttered the black-haired boy with a thankful smile, the first honest one had in 4 days, before offering his hand to the blue-haired girl, surprising her even more. "Pleased to meet you, uhm…"

"…Sinon. Same here, I guess…Kirito." finished the sniper while accepting the handshake.

The moment their hands touched, both teens felt for a moment as if an electrical current ran up their arms.

Somewhere else, a dark figure stared with a sinister smile towards a computer screen, where several images, Sinon's included, were shown, before turning around towards a nearby AmuSphere. For an instant, a silver mask with heterochromatic eyes seemed to flash on his screen before vanishing without a trace.

On its throne above Everything, Fate leaned forward, his metaphorical chin over his crossed hands.

The time for Light and Darkness to clash was coming…

00000000000000000

NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW!

"Greetings to all of you. I'm Behemoth, bodyguard for hire in Gun Gale Online, and I'm here to give you the next episode's preview. Next time on 'One Punch-Gamer': 'Clash! Punch vs. Bullets!' As the caped hero makes his way into the world of guns, meeting an unlikely companion, so different yet similar to him, the Darkness and its shadows hang sinisterly over it all…Also, please, if you want any kind of help, call me. Seriously, since that maniac of Sinon destroyed my minigun, I haven't gotten a single job, and I only accepted doing this for-!"

END OF THE PREVIEW!