"All of us are here now," Sam announced, his voice calm but commanding.
A chorus of "Yes!" echoed back from the group, a mix of excitement and readiness buzzing in the air.
Sam crossed his arms and gave a sharp nod. "As promised, me and Allya — will go enjoy the rides. And you can after completing your mission. Handle it well, and the rest of the day is yours to chill."
Kirito stepped forward, raising a brow. "So... what exactly do we have to do?"
Without a word, Sam handed him a slightly crumpled photo. The picture showed a middle-aged man in a suit, his expression cold and unreadable.
"This man is a traitor," Sam began, his tone turning serious. "He stole classified documents from the Tokyo branch. He's connected to a shady organization — and now it's our job to bring him in."
Kirito smirked, cracking his knuckles. "So we just find him… and kick his ass? Easy enough."
Reno grinned. "Piece of cake."
"Guys..." Asuna stepped in, arms crossed. "Shouldn't we take this more seriously? Let's listen to Sensei for once."
Sam gave a final nod. "Good luck. Come back alive."
The mood shifted — from chill to full-on mission mode.
"Huh?" Kirito muttered as they started walking.
"Best of luck, all of you!" Allya shouted, waving before heading off with Sam.
The team split off to search the amusement park. The air was filled with the sounds of laughter, jingles from rides, and the aroma of food. But they were focused. Eyes scanning, steps light, minds sharp.
"I'll take the west side," Reno called out.
"I'll head north," Asuna replied.
"Guess that leaves me with the east," Kirito said with a smirk. "Let's move."
Asuna wandered toward the food court, scanning faces and comparing them to the photo in her hand. She paused for a second when she saw a high school couple sharing ice cream near the fountain.
They were laughing, their hands barely touching, and a quiet moment in the chaos of the park.
Her chest tightened.
"I… also want to come here with Kirito…"
She blinked, suddenly aware of her own thoughts.
"Huh? What the hell am I thinking?"
She turned her head quickly, cheeks flushed.
"Me? With Kirito? Seriously?"
She shook her head, pushing the feelings aside.
Focus. Mission first... feelings later.
Meanwhile, across the park, Kirito sat alone near a stone fountain, the gentle trickle of water barely registering in his ears.
He took a slow sip from his cold Coke, his gaze distant.
"Who in the world chooses an amusement park to hand over top-secret documents?"
He scoffed at the absurdity of it all.
Suddenly, a small scene caught his attention.
A little boy, no older than six, stood nearby — his eyes red and wide with panic. His clothes were slightly dusty, and his tiny fists rubbed at his wet cheeks.
He was crying uncontrollably, calling out weakly, "Mom... Dad...?"
No one stopped. People glanced, frowned, or simply walked past him like he didn't exist.
"What the hell is wrong with society…" Kirito muttered under his breath, brows furrowed. "They're all just watching — like he's not even human."
Not wasting another second, Kirito stood up from the bench and walked towards the kid. His boots echoed softly on the pavement as he knelt beside the boy.
He gently placed his hand on the boy's trembling head.
"Hey... there's no need to be scared," he said softly, smiling.
"I'll find your parents for you, okay? So stop crying for now."
The boy blinked at him, surprised by the sudden kindness. Kirito, keeping the same calm smile, pulled out a stick of ice cream from a nearby vendor and offered it.
"What's your name, little man?" he asked.
"M-my name is Rin... Rin Sozu," the boy sniffled.
Kirito chuckled. "Rin, huh? That's a cool name."
He paused, then leaned in slightly.
"Do you know your parents' phone number? Or maybe your home address?"
Rin pouted, tears welling up again. "Umm… no. But I think I remember where we parked our car."
Kirito ruffled his hair gently. "Good. That's something."
He scooped the boy up and rested him on his shoulder.
"Alright then, let's go find them together."
Kirito carried Rin gently as they moved toward the parking area. The sun was high, casting sharp shadows across the pavement.
While walking, Kirito spotted a familiar face approaching.
"Where are you going?" asked Reno, raising an eyebrow.
Kirito adjusted Rin on his shoulder. "This little guy got separated from his parents. I'm helping him find them."
Reno nodded. "In that case, I'll help you too."
Suddenly, Rin's tiny voice cut in. "Aniki, look!"
"Huh?" Kirito turned his head — his eyes narrowing at the scene unfolding.
A young boy, Of their age , stood across the lot.
His hands were trembling, but he was holding something deadly —
A gun, aimed directly at a man in a suit.
Rin clutched Kirito's shirt tightly.
"What is this...? A co splay?" Kirito muttered, stepping forward.
Reno narrowed his eyes. "No... That guy — that's the target we're looking for!"
Kirito's heart skipped.
"Oye! That's him! Rin, stay back," he shouted, gently setting the boy down and placing a protective hand on his head.
"Don't move from here, okay?"
Without wasting another second, Kirito and Reno sprinted toward the scene.
Both drew their weapons from behind — sleek pistols, just like something out of a cop movie.
"HEY YOU! KID!" Reno shouted. "Drop the gun! That man is a criminal!"
People started to gather, murmuring and taking out their phones.
"Whoa, is this some kinda live performance?" someone asked.
"Looks like a cosplay skit..." another replied.
"I'm not a damn cosplayer!" the boy with the gun snapped.
"I'm from Team-11 of Dark Knight!"
Kirito blinked.
"Dark Knight…? What the hell?"
The boy's eyes darted from Kirito to Reno.
"What is going on?" Reno asked, keeping his aim steady.
Kirito shook his head. "I don't know… but keep your eyes on him."
"You brats talk too much," the boy snarled.
"Get out of the way."
Suddenly—
"Incoming!" Reno shouted his voice full of warning.
Kirito's eyes widened.
"I know that"
The man in the suit made a sudden gesture — a blur of motion.
Everyone nearby — including the civilians — were thrown back violently by an invisible shockwave. A powerful gust of compressed air exploded outward. Reno was blasted backward, slamming into the wall — barely dodging the full impact. Dust filled the air, screams echoed, and panic began to spread.
Standing firm, untouched, a figure loomed over the fallen man with a gun pointed to his temple.
"Now this… is checkmate,"
said the Kirito coldly.
"Dr Hawk," Kirito muttered.
"But how the hell did he dodge that strike…?"
A voice called out from behind.
"That's Takashi (from Dark knights)"
Reno said through gritted teeth, blood running down the side of his face.
Takashi clenched his jaw. "How how is he not affected by that spell"
"Simple," Reno continued. "He used his slime ability to form a wall and then cloaked it with dust — slipped behind it while we were distracted."
Hawk smirked as he tilted the gun. "You've got guts, kid. I'll give you that."
Suddenly—
Rapid gunfire.
A full burst lit up the sky, and chaos broke out.
Hawk dropped, shot in the side by a Enemy soldiers hidden in the crowd.
Kirito wasted no time — he use his slime, forming a barrier between himself and Rin. He pulled the boy close, covering his ears and holding him tight as debris and bullets rained around them.
"Just stay down… stay with me," he whispered.
But amidst the chaos, Rin opened his eyes—
and spotted two familiar figures lying motionless near the exit.
"Mama! Papa!" Rin screamed.
"MAMA!!"
Tears flowed uncontrollably as he squirmed in Kirito's arms, trying to break free.
"Let me go! They're right there!"
Kirito didn't answer.
He simply tightened his grip, shielding Rin from what he shouldn't see.
He already knew.
Rin's parents… were gone.
They were just more casualties in a game much bigger than a lost kid in a theme park.
There's no point in telling him the truth now,
Kirito thought grimly.
Just let him cry…
Gunfire halted. A sharp voice echoed through the chaos.
"Dark Knights… if you care about the citizens in this park, then hand over the documents that Hawk brought, and the boy with you. Behind that wall. That's the cleanest way to end this mess."
Reno clenched his fists.
"Kirito… what happened to Asuna and our backup?"
"I… I can't reach them."
Kirito's voice cracked with frustration.
"The signals jammed. High-level spell. We're boxed in."
Reno nodded grimly.
"They put up a barrier. No one gets in or out. We're on our own."
"Oh man, this is such a drag…"
Takashi yawned mid-panic.
"I just wanted to sleep. Why do I keep saying yes to this stuff?"
"He's hopeless," Reno muttered, chuckling.
"Both our healers are."
Then, with a sharp breath, he barked out orders:
"I'll cover you, Kirito and Protect Rin. You take front."
"ROG!"
Kirito nodded.
"Levitation!"
Reno dashed toward a nearby bench and used his magic arts. His fingers glowed faintly, energy pulsing through the air.
A crate of soda bottles at a vending stall rattled lifted into the air by unseen force.
"Rotation… Rotation… Hold it—2 to 5 seconds max…"
Reno whispered like a sniper prepping for a shot.
CRACK!
He launched the bottles like grenades—straight toward the black suits closing in. Explosions of fizz and glass burst across the field, stunning and confusing the attackers.
"Now my turn!"
Takashi roared.
"Flame Arrow!"
With a snap of his fingers, fire arrows rained down—lighting up the sky like a festival of destruction. The soda bottles exploded mid-air, turning the battlefield into a carnival of fire and foam
The battlefield trembled.
"What the hell is this?!"
A Black Suit commander screamed as soda shards and fire lit up the park like a war zone.
"Take cover! Retreat, retreat!"
Enemy soldiers scrambled, slipping and stumbling, trying to dodge explosions and catch a glimpse of their attackers. But in the confusion, they overlooked something crucial—
Kirito.
He silently slid behind a tree, cloak fluttering like a shadow on the move. His hand touched the bark, and then the air shimmered as he whispered:
"This is checkmate.
Aqua Prison."
Suddenly, the air around the enemies twisted. A massive sphere of water burst from the ground, engulfing them like a living entity.
"I… I can't breathe!"
One of the soldiers cried, eyes wide in panic.
The rest followed, trapped in the giant water bubble, flailing helplessly.
Panic turned to gunfire.
"Shoot! Shoot them all!!"
"Try, try,"
Kirito muttered under his breath, unfazed.
Reno called out,
"Kirito! Just kill them already!"
But Kirito just gave his classic deadpan stare.
"I'm just keeping them alive for prison. They can't escape once locked."
"Yeah well, they can escape prison if they breathe!"
Takashi raised a hand.
"De-Materialize, Sam!"
And then… flash.
All the enemy soldiers disintegrated into glowing particles, their forms vanishing like code being deleted.
"That was fast."
Kirito's voice was calm, impressed.
From the smoke, Sam emerge.
Behind him: Asuna, the rest of the Dark Knights, and even the police.
"Where the hell have you all been?"
Reno exhaled in relief, adrenaline finally crashing.