As Rinko pondered these questions, she remained unaware that a figure had teleported beside her, subtly observing her chest and hair with a peculiar gaze.
This gaze made Rinko feel uncomfortable, and she quickly noticed it. However, she didn't bother to turn around and look at the person.
To her, getting into arguments with other players in a game was meaningless—it would only waste her time and mood.
Just as she was about to stand up and leave, the person beside her spoke.
"Rinko, I'm sorry. I didn't realize before that you were actually quite conscious about this."
A familiar voice rang in her ears, making Rinko freeze in place. For a moment, she didn't dare turn her head.
It wasn't until that person stood in front of her that she finally composed herself.
She calmed down because the one standing before her wasn't the familiar Kayaba Akihiko—it was Heathcliff.
Although Akihiko and Heathcliff bore some resemblance, there were still clear differences between them.
"…Annoying."
Rinko glanced down at the exaggerated proportions she had deliberately designed, her face flushing slightly. She looked away, pretending to be indifferent.
"My apologies for disappearing without a word. The thing is, something happened at the time—I got a bit too excited, and things were rather urgent, so I didn't have the chance to explain to you."
Akihiko reached out and took Rinko's hand, guiding her to sit beside him on the nearby bench. He looked at her sincerely. "Thank you for still being willing to come see me."
"…Are you really you?"
Rinko looked at the person beside her, disbelief evident in her eyes.
"Yes. It's a long story… I have to start from last June, when SAO's closed beta began…"
Akihiko began explaining the events of the past thirteen months in detail.
Since it was a long story, it took quite some time.
The two of them sat on the bench, just like they had in their university days, hand in hand—one speaking slowly, the other listening attentively.
Before they knew it, it was already 2 AM.
The Town of Beginnings on the first floor was still bustling with activity. The streets were illuminated by Pokémon attacks flashing in the distance and players wielding high-powered lanterns from the shops. Even though it was late, Aincrad's first floor remained lively, filled with the chatter and commands of players. In a place like this, loneliness was impossible.
"In the past, if you told me all this, I'd have thought you were insane. But now, just seeing you again is already a miracle. So, even if you tell me things that sound unbelievable, I can accept them."
Rinko maintained a calm expression.
Back in university, she wasn't like this—she had been just an ordinary girl, full of admiration and affection for her senior, Kayaba Akihiko.
To stay close to him, she had joined his research lab, and as the days passed, she became deeply immersed in her studies. Over time, her personality grew colder.
Even though she and Akihiko eventually ended up together, her personality had already changed completely.
"Rinko, has anything happened on your side?"
"…No."
Rinko shook her head coldly, not even looking at Kayaba Akihiko.
"…Are you mad at me?"
"Yes."
"Because I left you behind in that world without telling you?"
"…That's right."
"…Then can you please die?"
"…"
Rinko's eyes widened, staring blankly at Akihiko, her mouth slowly opening in shock.
"…Sorry, I was nervous and didn't phrase that well."
Realizing his mistake, Kayaba Akihiko patted his forehead. Then, he pulled up an interface panel displaying his slightly elevated heart rate, using it to prove that he wasn't lying. He continued, "What I meant was—are you willing to give up your life in that world, come to Pokémon Island, and return to my side?"
"…Is this your way of confessing to me?"
Rinko slowly closed her mouth, shifting her gaze away from Akihiko to the grassy field beside them.
Meanwhile, her hands unconsciously stroked the Snivy curled up in her lap like a stuffed toy.
Being gently [petted] by its Trainer, Snivy showed a blissful expression.
Anyone familiar with Rinko would immediately realize that her emotions were in turmoil.
But no one could blame her for that.
Even though she seemed indifferent to others now, deep down, she still loved Kayaba Akihiko.
Otherwise, during the SAO Incident, she wouldn't have taken such a massive risk to care for his body in the real world for two entire years.
Back when she confessed her feelings, it was the slightly more lively version of Rinko who had made the first move.
Now, after so much time had passed, their roles had reversed—it was Akihiko's turn to be nervous while confessing.
"I think it would be more accurate to call this…"
Akihiko rubbed his chin, searching for the right words.
Rinko lowered her gaze slightly, sighing inwardly, thinking he was about to come up with something completely unromantic.
"…A proposal."
After a few seconds of deliberation, he finally found the right term.
"…Eh?"
Rinko was stunned.
She slowly turned her head to look at him. Seeing his serious expression, her face turned slightly red.
"You're proposing? Just like that? Without anything else?"
"No, of course, I have a proper engagement gift for you. But it's not here in this virtual world—it's on Pokémon Island."
"So… you're not giving me any other choice?"
"That's right."
Akihiko nodded firmly, showing an unexpectedly domineering side.
But Rinko wasn't surprised at all. If anything… she kind of liked this side of him.
"…What do I need to do?"
"I already told you."
"…Die?"
Rinko frowned slightly as she thought it over, her expression darkening.
It wasn't that she was afraid of dying.
Like Akihiko, her family had passed away long ago. Apart from a few friends, there wasn't much holding her back in that world.
Her hesitation came from the fact that achieving "death" meant experiencing pain.
Rinko wasn't afraid of dying—she was afraid of pain.
"Yes. And it has to be while wearing the first-generation NERvGear. Only then can Porygon2 assist me in transferring your consciousness into the new body I've prepared for you."
Akihiko explained the technical details.
While Rinko wasn't as well-versed in this area as he was, she understood enough to grasp the concept.
"…Anything else I need to do?"
"Hmm… If possible, can you also upload the Medicuboid data for me? I remember leaving it with you."
Akihiko thought for a moment. There wasn't much else for Rinko to do.
Ever since arriving at Pokémon Island and gaining access to multiple worlds' resources, he had realized just how primitive Earth's scientific research was.
He had even visited Dr. Vegapunk's research facility in One Piece's world. Seeing some of the special metals in the lab had reignited ideas he had previously abandoned on Earth.
One of his goals was to create a sensory capsule that allowed organisms to continue playing games while asleep—without sacrificing rest.
During his research, he discovered that certain crucial materials didn't exist on Earth. They might be found in space, but there were no records of them so far.
However, in One Piece's world, such materials were abundant. And since that world lacked advanced researchers, no one knew how to utilize them.
Thus, he could purchase them in bulk for an incredibly low price.
"…Alright, I understand. It'll take me about three days."
Rinko nodded without any objections.
After all, Medicuboid was Akihiko's invention—a more advanced version of NERvGear with an enhanced electromagnetic pulse system, capable of interrupting pain signals to the brain.
In his vision, it was meant for medical use.
But it had another unspoken function—euthanasia.
A way for someone to die painlessly.
"Mm. With more Trainers appearing, the Pokémon Centers are in greater need of medical equipment. Medicuboid can help relieve some of that burden."
"Got it. This will also be a good opportunity for me to test out Medicuboid's effectiveness."
Rinko's words made her intent clear.
She planned to test out Medicuboid's euthanasia function.
"Thank you, Rinko."
Akihiko smiled and leaned toward her.
But Rinko extended a finger, stopping him.
He looked at her in confusion. It was rare for him to take the initiative, yet she was rejecting him?
"…When we meet in the real world, we can have a proper, deeper conversation."
(End of Chapter)
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