Chapter 87: Haruno and the Investigation
"Yo."
"Oh, Hayama, long time no see."
"Hikigaya-kun! You're back!"
"Tobe, you're still as frivolous as ever… but hey, spirit matters more than anything."
"And I'm here too!"
"Ebina-san, uh... still the same as ever?"
"Yeah, I guess I haven't really changed, hehe."
'Seems like they're all still the same...'
The very next day, three visitors arrived at Hachiman's hospital room: Hayama, Tobe, and Ebina.
Although whether they could be called close friends was debatable, Hachiman was genuinely happy they had come to visit.
"The yearbook was passed to me by Yuigahama. You guys helped collect the signatures, right? Thanks, Hayama."
"Originally, we wanted to graduate together."
"Yeah... That's the biggest regret."
"But it's really great that you're back safely, Hikigaya-kun."
"Thanks, Tobe."
"And this photo is amazing! As expected of Hikigaya-senpai!"
"Uh... about that... I was planning to take it down soon..."
"Why? It looks good on you!"
"O-oh, hearing you say that makes me a little happy."
"Hikigaya-kun, you traitor! You traitor...!"
"Ebina-san..."
"Why are there no boys in the photo? That's already a betrayal!"
"Sorry for not meeting your expectations..."
"Hina, that's enough."
"Yeah, Hina, today's a celebration, remember?"
"Sorry, my true feelings just slipped out..."
'Still the same as always...' "But seriously, I was worried about you too, you know."
With slightly teary eyes, Ebina said to Hachiman: "Welcome back, Hikigaya-kun."
"Yay~ Welcome home~!"
"Welcome back, Hikigaya."
"Thank you all so much. I'm sorry for making you worry."
Hachiman bowed deeply in gratitude.
All three smiled in joy.
At their request, Hachiman briefly recounted his experience in SAO.
Though he downplayed many things, the contents were still quite shocking to the three.
They were alternately stunned, saddened, and supportive as they listened intently.
Before they knew it, two hours had passed.
"It seems someone from the government is coming soon, so we should get going."
"Hikigaya-kun, we'll come again!"
"See you later, Hikigaya-kun!"
"Ah, Ebina-san, can I ask you something before you go?"
"Hm?"
Hachiman called out to Ebina.
"Um... Yum-Miura... did she leave your group already?"
"Just now, were you trying to call Yumiko by her name directly?"
"…She told me to call her that."
"Eh~ I knew she visited you, but I didn't expect you two to get that close. On our end, Yui and I haven't changed much, but with Hayato and the others, well..."
"So that's how it is..."
"Don't worry too much. Everyone's going their own way after graduation anyway."
"As long as there's no bad blood, it's fine."
"Yeah, it's all good."
"See you later, Ebina-san."
"Yep, bye!"
Not long after the three left, there was another knock on the door.
"Come in."
"Tada~ the main character has arrived!"
Haruno exclaimed as she suddenly hugged Hachiman's head.
"Uh... what's this all of a sudden...?"
"Shizuka-sensei said 'seduction won't work on Hikigaya,' so I wanted to test it out."
"Ah, well, that's accurate. Now that your curiosity is satisfied, could you let go? This is honestly quite embarrassing."
"What's the big deal? I held back my desire to see you and let others go first, you know."
Though Haruno spoke in a slightly sulky tone, she let go of him.
"Allow me to formally thank you. I heard you did a lot for me, Haruno-san. I'm really grateful. It's thanks to you that I'm here now."
"With our relationship, you don't need to be so formal."
"But I truly mean it. I have to thank you properly."
"Then why not get marri—"
"Sorry, that's a separate matter. Please spare me."
Hachiman quickly cut her off, sensing she was about to say something dangerous.
"Geez, Hikigaya-kun, you're so cold. I was just joking."
"Your eyes didn't look like you were joking."
"That was just your imagination. So, how about we get marri—"
"Hey, how is that a joke? That sounds totally serious."
"This wild side of Hikigaya-kun is nice too!"
"D..."
"Um... may I come in?"
Just then, a voice came from outside the door.
"Ah, please come in, Mr. Kikuoka."
"Not at all, I feel bad interrupting your touching reunion."
"Are you with the government?"
"I'm Kikuoka from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Department of Virtual Network Management. Nice to meet you, Hikigaya Hachiman-kun."
"I heard from your sister that you did a lot for me. Thank you."
Kikuoka gave a troubled look and said to Hachiman:
"No, no, we're the ones who should apologize for letting something like this happen.
We could only monitor position and status data from the outside and were unable to do anything to help you.
We're truly relieved to see you return safely."
"I heard that my body and family have been well taken care of. I really appreciate it."
"Glad to hear that. We'll continue to do everything we can to support the victims. Actually, I wanted to come as soon as I heard you woke up, but there was an incident that needed investigation, which delayed me."
"You wanted to come right away... I see. Then let's get to the main point. You've investigated my connection with Kayaba Akihiko, right? You're here to ask about his whereabouts or any clues, aren't you?"
Kikuoka looked both surprised and impressed by Hachiman's insight.
"As expected of someone Haruno-san chose. I'll be frank—may I record this?"
"Go ahead. Here's the conclusion: I don't know where he is, but I know his fate."
"His fate?"
"He's probably dead."
"I see."
"After clearing the game, I was transported to another area where I had a brief conversation with Mr. Kayaba. I asked what he intended to do next, and that's what he told me."
"Can you elaborate?"
"Sure. He was still alive shortly after the game ended, but he said he was going to scan his own brain, which would inevitably kill him. If it succeeded, he might continue to exist as a consciousness in the network."
"What? Is that even possible?"
"According to him, yes."
"As expected of a genius... but that means arresting him is no longer an option."
"Exactly. Still, I have a feeling I'll see him again."
"After experiencing a death game, your instincts are probably very accurate. Looks like we must remain on guard for his potential return..."
"I understand your dilemma. Preparing for a threat that may not exist isn't easy."
"That's part of the job. Though I'm not sure what countermeasures we can take."
Kikuoka shrugged as he spoke.
"Next topic..."
Kikuoka hesitated. Sensing this, Hachiman asked:
"Is it hard to talk about? Is it about the players who haven't woken up yet?"
Kikuoka was visibly shocked.
He looked at Haruno, who shook her head.
"I didn't tell him anything. Hikigaya-kun, how did you know?"
"I asked Mr. Kayaba directly. He said there may have been external interference."
"External... Kayaba said that?"
"Yes."
"In fact, just as you said, there are still players who haven't awakened. We suspected it might be due to actions taken during your mission, which made it difficult to bring up..."
"Mr. Kayaba mentioned there were about a hundred still unconscious."
"You even know the number... This confirms you really did speak to him in the end. Your testimony is highly credible."
"I believe there's another culprit behind this.
I promised Mr. Kayaba I would find them.
He said he couldn't tolerate SAO's conclusion being tarnished like this.
I feel the same—I must bring back Asuna."
Seeing the resolute look in Hachiman's eyes, Kikuoka nodded and said:
"Asuna refers to Yuuki Asuna, correct? She is indeed still unconscious. From the photos, it seems you two were quite close.
I understand how you feel. The government will fully support you, though we currently have very little information.
Originally, we didn't want to take up too much of your time due to your condition, but we'd appreciate any information you can provide."
"No problem. Ask away."
"Then, could you please recount the major events in chronological order? I'll ask questions as needed. Haruno-san, I'd like your help as well—I might miss some details."
"Okay, Hikigaya-kun, I'll leave it to you."
"Understood."
And so, Hachiman's long account began.