[SPARTAN 119]

Originally Posted by novalysis

Interesting. But how did Sachi got revived within 10 seconds, from outside the trapped room?

More Sachi, a draft from Sword Art Online: From the Outside. This scene features Shinichiro Matsuoka, a former university student turned vigilante, and the older brother of Sachiko "Sachi" Matsuoka.

Spoiler for Fic Draft:

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I do not own Sword Art Online. Sword Art Online is owned by Reki Kawahara and ASCII Media Works.

June 17th, 2023, apartment near Tokyo University

I sat at the desk in my small apartment, staring at the form on my desk. It read: “Firearm Acquisition License Application”. Contrary to the belief of many foreigners, you could buy a gun in Japan, if you were willing to fill out a mountain of paperwork.

Picking up my pen, I signed my name, “Shinichiro Matsuoka” in the “name column” and “24” in the age column. I then checked off the box next to “rifle” in the weapon type column and “target shooting” in the “purpose box”.

But in truth, that would not be the primary purpose for which I was purchasing the weapon. Oh, I would use it for target shooting, but I had something else in mind… for the primary purpose…

“What is my primary purpose? Simple, to kill Kayaba Akihiko, the man who caused me and my family so much suffering.

It happened on June 12th, 2023. I had been living away from home in this apartment for three years now. I had just gotten back to the apartment at around 5:00 when the phone rang. It was my mother, she sounded distraught, unable to hide her tears even over the phone.

I asked her what was wrong, though I knew what it had to be. Ever since September of last year, my entire family had been dreading this… “Sachiko…”, she said through her sobs… “Is dead… killed by… that… that game”.

As soon as I heard her name, I broke down into tears. Sachiko Matsuoka, my little sister, dead at only 16…. Murdered by Kayaba Akihiko…. As though he had personally run her through with a sword.

Three days earlier, June 14, 2023, Day of the funeral of Sachiko Matsuoka

I stared, tears in my eyes, as the last early remains of my sister were lowered into the Earth. Sachiko… She had bought that game that day, not knowing it she was about to fall victim to the worst mass murderer in history… She had always been a sweet, innocent girl, somewhat quiet, perhaps even shy at times… Why? Why did she have to die? Did she suffer? Did the Nerve Gear console transmit pain to the user? Why did Akihiko want to kill her and so many others? Simply for his own sick pleasure?

That night, I was haunted by nightmares, horrible images passed through my mind. Sachiko backed into a corner, terror in her eyes, as some dark figure raised a sword over her. The blade swung forward in a flash of cold steel and flying blood.

The image switched, to a ward in a hospital in Tokyo, where Sachiko lay on a bed, connected to life support systems. Suddenly, a humming sound came from the Nerve Gear console over her head. Sachiko writhed in pain for a few seconds as the microwave generator mounted in the device literally cooked her brain alive. Sachiko fell still, as the heart rate monitor letting out a loud bleeping sound as Sachiko expired.

The images changed again… the dark figure revealed his face, to be that of Kayaba Akihiko, exactly as like the photo circulated throughout the media since September. I tried to walk towards him, I would kill him with my bare hands, crush his neck until he breathed no more.

But something was holding me in place, like I was paralyzed. As I struggled to move, Akihiko stood there, waving a broadsword stained in Sachiko’s blood in my face and laughed sadistically, clearly enjoying my suffering and my inability to do anything about it.

After several seconds Akihiko and his maniacal laughter faded, replaced by a second, feminine figure, none other than Sachiko herself, dressed in dark blue vest and a lighter blue dress with a dark blue skirt matching her vest. I knew at once this had to be Sachiko’s game avatar.

“Sachi-chan?”, I asked.

“Onii-chan”, Sachiko softly said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t see you again. I… I just want to tell you I love you… and don’t lose yourself in grief… Don’t blame yourself…”

Don’t blame yourself, onii-chan”, Sachiko continued, “Because there is someone who is very much to blame… That man is Kayaba Akihiko. I… do not wish you to burden you with this… but… if you ever find out anything about Akihiko, make sure he is brought to justice…”

With her next sentence, Sachiko’s voice changed, a coldness and vindictiveness I had never heard before. “And after Akihiko ends up on the other side…”, Sachiko said darkly as, she produced a large spiked mace out of nowhere, “I’ll see that he gets what he deserves….”.

As she finished her sentence, Sachiko swung her mace for dramatic effect. As soon as the mace hit the ground, Sachiko picked it up and put it behind her back, causing it to seemingly disappear. As Sachiko did so, returned to her usual self.

“Send my parents my love…”, Sachiko said, “Until I see you on the other side… Sayonara, onii-chan.”

As Sachiko started to fade away, I felt tears well up in my eyes. “Wait!, Don’t leave me!”, I said, hoping she would return, but it was to no avail. She was gone in seconds.

“SACHIKO!!!”, I yelled as I woke up, realizing I had actually shouted. The tears in the dream were also quite real, having soaked into my pillow.

Thankfully, no one was woken by my shout, as no one entered the room as I whispered “Sachiko-chan… I will kill Kayaba Akihiko for you… or die trying…”

Constructive criticism only please.


Also, opinions on Shinichiro's weapon, In the initial draft above, I have him purchase a hunting rifle (contrary to popular belief, you can purchase a hunting rifle or shotgun in Japan, at least according to Wikipedia).

I figured him using a katana or something would be to cliche.

So, anyway, I was also think perhaps him either purchasing from an illegal arms dealer, perhaps making some comment about suddenly there being significant illegal arms sales in Japan, all for the same reason: "Kill Kayaba Akihiko".

Or, alternatively, according to an interview with the creator Highschool of the Dead, he owns a crossbow, noting that there are no crossbow restrictions in Japan.

Also, I was thinking of having him purchase several knives and hatchet, as well as make some pipe bombs with online instructions, and perhaps having him as something of a computer geek like his sister, and manage to hack into police and Argus corporation databases in search of Akihiko.

Opinions on which option I should choose for the weapon?