Nearly all the Let's Players made videos detailing their experience in Aincrad… however, King Kazma's had become remarkably popular within the following two days. The dark-skinned youth flipped on his camera and sat cross-legged on his cushion. "So, yeah… Aincrad. That was a thing, right? Sigh, but no, really, that was messed up. Like… I was legit afraid. I mean, I kept telling myself, 'I'm strong, I'm strong,' but… it's a different feeling when your life is on the line. Like, in videogames, things are set up to kill you at almost every turn, and when that's happening for real… it really sucks, dude. I saw someone die. He was The Guy. Now, you guys know I didn't like The Guy… but he didn't deserve what he got. And, just because I have my problems with people, it doesn't mean I want anything bad to happen to them. No way. So… my heart goes out to Guy and anyone else who died in Aincrad. Now, with that… I guess I'm gonna tell my story. I mean, I might leave some parts out, but I'll keep the important parts."
KND Moonbase
"Big negative REVIEWS were given to Aincrad after the atrocious disaster that's transpired! All the top employees of Hinobi have been swiftly arrested as soon as the building was made open. They will be questioned individually for their involvement with the project. However, President Kayaba was found dead within his personal game capsule, and it seems our renegade queen, Gaz Membrane, has confessed to the act."
The screen showed Gaz. "Yeah, dude was a mass murderer, a lunatic, and a possible pedophile, I didn't think anyone would be sad to see him gone. P.S., I'm still alive, bitches."
"The Hinobi officers claim that the rogue hacker known as Infinite was an officer of Dr. Eggman, who effectively hacked Aincrad's system and initiated the death game, a command that Kayaba was initially planning to enforce themselves. The Master Control Program of Aincrad was used to further carry out this command once the threat of Infinite had been dealt with. However, according to some Hinobi employees, along with numerous Aincrad survivors, the Control Program seemed to have undergone a change of heart, both apologizing for her actions and claiming to have been under Hinobi's control. She freed the captive gamers shortly after, and the Aincrad network appears to have been shut down completely. King Mickey, what are your thoughts on such a development?"
"All I can say is I've never felt so disgraced!" The mouse king was charred slightly and bandaged. "Kayaba played me like a darn fool, using my money and the good name of Disney to sell his virtual trap-hoho! But rest assured, fellas, that I'm sending money in reparations to all the poor families who were lured into Hinobi's trap."
"That's wonderful, Your Majesty! But could I ask why you look so beaten up?"
"I was trying to put a stop to the rogue MCP using special A.I.'s that I hacked into Aincrad. But they were destroyed by a group of KND operatives and caused my computers to explode-hoho."
"Eh? KND operatives prevented you from stopping the MCP? But why?"
"They claimed they were going to stop her without killing her. But I couldn't tell ya why."
"Quite a mystery indeed. After all, previous threats to the universe have met their ends at the KND's hands, and deservedly so, so what makes a simple computer Program so special?"
"I would like to weigh into this if it is alright with you." Councilman Jeremy began. "The answer is quite simple: the Kids Next Door wanted to hack into the Program and compel it to free all the captives and dismantle the game completely. King Mickey's initial plan to destroy the MCP may have failed and would have kept the players imprisoned."
"Now, hold on, I never said I wanted to destroy the MCP!"
"Ah, my apologies. And how exactly were you going to put a stop to it?"
"Why… I was planning to hack into it myself! But I suppose the KND got the wrong idea-hoho!"
"Man, what an actual dick." Quill commented. Sectors Q and SA were sharing lunch in the cafeteria the following day. "I can't believe that they arrested Phil, too!"
"It shouldn't be too bad if the others vouch for him." Jenny said hopefully, munching a pizza slice. "If anything, he can help pin the nail on this whole operation."
"I really didn't expect Eddy to end up being the Guardian." Index replied, eating a multi-layered sandwich.
"It's actually kind of a relief." Miko smiled. "Like, I don't mind being friends with Boly, but… actually being 'part' of her, even on Guardian terms… I'm just not up for it, anymore. …You know, why don't we bring Boly out now?"
"I don't see why not." Eddy smiled, setting his laptop onto a corresponding table. He connected the Spirit Ball to a plug in the laptop. Data transferred in, and Boly's eyes would perk open onscreen.
"Greetings. Do you require assistance today?"
"Just thought we'd bring you out for some socializing." Eddy answered.
"Affirmative. What is the topic of our discussion?"
"Boy, she really dropped back into full robot mode." Goombella remarked.
"That is… correct." Her eyes saddened. "Upon being separated from Miko, my personality and emotion comprehension has waned."
"Boly, how come you want to be human so badly, anyway?" Carmine asked.
"I do not know when I acquired this desire… but it was long before Kayaba had awoken me."
"Do you remember Planet Mira?" Morgiana asked. "Cheren told us a story that he heard from Deoxys. A long time ago, you brought a planet into reality similar to Aincrad."
"I recall being discovered on Mira by Kayaba. However, I remember nothing of my involvement with said planet."
"I wonder if that planet would have any remnants or connections to Boly?" Index inferred.
"Don't put any ideas in our heads!" Quill stated. "I'm adventured out for one week, thank you."
"You know, that raises the question." Eddy replied. "Are you sticking around?"
"…" Quill propped his elbow on the table and turned away. "Wait, before he answers," Miko spoke up, "I just wanna say… I really am sorry that all this happened. I brought a lot of trouble to this sector. And I'm… so thankful to you guys for helping me."
"Helping each other is what the KND is all about." Eddy put an arm around her shoulders. "You should know by now that it's no trouble at all~"
"Heh heh, I know this speech is a bit repetitive, but I just…"
"You're a great teammate who's reliable, fun, and comforting. You can blame yourself as much as you need to, but don't assume that we hate you."
"He's right." Jenny smiled. "You've been a blast ever since you joined our sector. Like, between you and Carmine, you both hold our teams together."
"Heh heh!" Carmine internally blushed at the flattery. "Plus, if you hadn't joined our sector, I wonder if we would've stopped Hinobi's plan at all?"
"I guess you've got a point." Miko chuckled. "I guess if I was still blindly siding with Hinobi… I might not've been able to resist at all."
"That reminds me, we owe Vanellope some thanks, too." Eddy mentioned. "Let's pay them a visit later."
"It seems that the common consensus is that Hinobi's logic was flawed." Boly said. "President Kayaba promised to help realize my desire. Perhaps… my desire is flawed."
"I think it's really sweet." Carmine said. "Wanting to be human and learning friendship."
"I understand that such desires are highly positive. However, while Miko and I were bonded, I recalled various 'negative' emotions in my databanks. Ones such as 'anger' and 'frustration'… to those whom were considered friends or family."
"Heh heh heh…" Miko blushed.
"Friendship isn't all positive." Eddy stated. "Close friends feel negative emotions for each other all the time. In the end, it depends on how well you can look past or tolerate them."
"Could you clarify? I do not comprehend."
"It's not something I can just explain. Friendship involves any and all emotions for the most part. Honestly, Boly, you shouldn't even try to take notes on it. People are more complicated than even machines."
"More complicated than machines? Somehow… I seem to understand. Regardless, I am envious. You appear to be greatly enjoying your food, and I cannot partake in such activity."
"I can't really partake in it either." Carmine said. "Not without… oh, yeah."
"Oh yeah, what?" Jenny asked.
"N-Nothing." Carmine would have to consider a good time to do that. "Just that… we should check in with Kazma sometime, too."
"Now I just feel bad for the poor thing!" Index spoke up. "I know that it's dangerous for her to enter reality, but it couldn't hurt if there was a way to simulate taste or something! Or the feeling of sweet food filling up your tummy~"
"Don't make her too envious!" Nagisa laughed. "But, like, if you can put her into computers, maybe you could put her into robots, too. Then maybe she could at least interact with things a bit."
"It's an idea worth considering." Eddy figured, holding up his Spirit Ball. "It's not exactly convenient to have to hook this up to a power source, instead of just chucking the ball and popping it open."
"A robot though…" Index rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "You know, I should check up on something myself. Be right back." She got up and left the table.
"Anyway…" Quill spoke up again. "I think I decided."
"Yeah?" Eddy replied. "What's your answer?"
"I…"
…
"All I cared about was defying the popular opinion and defending the games that I love." Kazma continued. "I always thought I was special, challenging all those big-name gamers and acting like I was better than all of them. But after that adventure… I learned what it meant to really feel special. I felt more proud of myself than I ever have. There's a weird feeling with putting your trust in other people and fighting for a common goal. A sweet feeling. So, even though it's dangerous… I kind of want to do it more. If Aincrad was good for something, it made me feel stronger. I still have those battles fresh in my head. I wonder if I could bring that strength to the real world."
KND Graveyard
Pacifica held Dipper's hand as Mabel's coffin was buried. "We promised we would grow up together." Dipper said. "We got past the Twenty Keys Quest and the Pirate War… I know we weren't exactly the stars, but… I didn't think we would die to this. I can't be a Mystery Twin if I'm the only twin."
"And in the end…" Candy Chiu bowed her head, "she never found the perfect boyfriend."
"At least they could all be here in the end." Grenda said, looking to all of Mabel's crushes that she had dragged here. "! Marius, are you texting?! Gideon, get the Taser!"
Gideon threateningly raised a Taser at Marius.
George and MaKayla King laid flowers down for their cousin. Their grandfather, Stanford planted a flower he found from another dimension. "Hey, you two." Dipper greeted. "I heard you were on a mission about Miyuki."
"We thought we should come for this." George said. "Maybe we should've gone into Aincrad, too."
"Don't fret over it, kids." Ford said. "You had your own mission and these two had theirs. And Dipper… it may not feel like it, but Mabel is always watching over you. I mean, not 'always' always, but during the important parts!"
"Yeah, he gets it, bro." Stanley stated.
"It's not gonna feel the same without Mabel's creative input." Dipper said. "But I'll try to keep going, Mabel. And if ever I can't figure something out… I'll ask myself, 'What would Mabel do?' And it'll work."
Luna Nova
Constanze was buried in the school's own graveyard, where a couple Stanbots deactivated beside her. "Just feels like… a whole chunk of our team is missing without Constanze." Amanda said.
"Of course." Lotte agreed. "She was the best technician we could've asked for. Extremely talented and reliable. You really helped carry this team, Constanze."
"I'm such a coward." Diana said. "Some of us should've gone in with her. Instead, we left her virtually alone."
"I'm so sorry for all those times I teased you, Conse…" Barbara sniffled.
"I wonder if Mickey knows about this." Sucy said.
"Don't even mention him." Akko glared. "He was trying to badmouth the KND on that broadcast. God, I hate him…"
"It's also concerning." Diana followed. "Normally, he feigns appraisal for the KND. But it seems he's letting his true side show. Even so… it's partly his fault that this happened to Constanze. And I'm determined to make him pay more than reparations."
"You said it." Amanda agreed.
Assassination Classroom
The four apprentices returned to class the following day and were greeted by their teachers. "Well, then…" Deathstroke began. "It's safe to say THAT little incident caught you by surprise! Perhaps you got some real experience out of the deal after all. So, spill the beans, kids… what did you learn?"
"I was a hedgehog!" Killua proclaimed derpily. "Hehe, and I was cooler than you, Mr. Shadow!"
"Killua and I went after a boss called Death Gun." Fie continued. "He had instant-kill ink, so it was a great way to practice evasion and watch our footing."
"Good! What about you, Maki?"
"I'm ashamed to say that I let my guard down. I thought I had laid a good trap for the MCP… but I was stopped by one of their allies. Another sniper."
Killua and Fie cast glares at the pigtailed classmate. "Always be vigilante of your surroundings." Akame said. "You never know where foes may be lying in wait."
"However, I'm beginning to understand your aim to take down the gods. Such gods like that 'MCP' can't be trusted to watch over the world. Especially when they're so easily used by mortals. Isn't the only reason that it apologized was because it was reprogrammed?"
"Perhaps it was." Shadow replied. "True, the gods aren't as easily manipulated as Programs… but they are vulnerable all the same."
"…" Kalluto was unsure how to weigh in. That MCP was supposedly Lexi's sister… She wanted to talk and reason with her, and it seemed that already worked itself out. He would've killed her for nothing… and now she was upset with him.
"Yo, Kalluto, why the shy eye?" Deadpool asked jovially. "You didn't procrastinate the whole time, did ya? Come on, be honest~"
"O-Of course I didn't! I defeated three bosses, and… I was about to kill a 4th one before we were all logged out. All by myself!"
"Ooo, smooth! And how many bosses did you kids kill?"
"Two." Maki stated.
"Fie and I took a small portion of one boss's health." Killua answered.
"Looks like my Kalluto trumps all y'all! JK, you kids did great~ In other news, we're back from our trip to the Marvel Galaxy! You kids wanna see something cool?"
"Sure, what've you got?" Fie wondered.
Deadpool spun to the desk and pulled out a short object wrapped in a blanket. "Behold… the Whistling Arrow!"
Aranea's House
Aranea Fulbright received a phone call that night. She answered, "Hello?"
"Hi, Nea. It's Quill."
"Oh, hi. I'm glad you made it back. It seems like the comatose people haven't woken up, yet. And some of them… apparently died."
"No. I'm glad I didn't put my dad in there after all. Otherwise, he might've been killed by XANA, too."
"So, XANA was the killer?"
"Well, technically the game NPCs did it… but XANA was the instigator. At least Jenny and Carmine stopped it before the damage was too serious."
"So, does this mean you have a new Firstborn Guardian? That Miko girl."
"…Yep." Quill played along. "But anyway… I wanna back out."
"I expected. Your sector's only gonna get more hectic now. Eventually, your other teammates will-"
"No, I meant that I'm backing out of your little plan."
She cocked a brow. "What?"
"I thought Aincrad would be the final nail in the coffin. I was reaching the pinnacle of my frustration. Just saying 'my friends need me' wasn't a good enough reason to stay. But there's more to it besides just the friendship. It's the satisfaction of helping people… and giving those rotten criminals just what they deserve. But after Eddy forced himself to stay awake to defend us, and after all we risked to save Miko… it would just be rude of me to leave them. The fact is, it would've been much harder for them without my help. I can't just abandon them when they need me. Instead of obsessing over the stressful parts of the job… maybe I should remember the better parts. Like driving epically as we ram enemies in a high speed battle."
"I see…"
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna rat you out or anything. But maybe you should think it over one more time… before you make your decision. Later." He hung up.
Aranea glared as she returned to her magazine. "Pathetic."
…
"And that's why… I'm gonna join the Kids Next Door." Kazma decided. "I'm gonna get me a new pair of shoes and enter their training program. …'Course, who knows, maybe I'll back out of it. Heh. At the end of the day, I'm just some kid that plays videogames. But there's nothing wrong with that, of course. If we're being real… the KND are heroes. And maybe I don't have what it takes to be a hero. It's not everyone's job to be a hero… but you should at least try not to be a villain, heh. Everyone should do what they wanna do. But I'm gonna try it out. So… I guess I'll update you on that later. This is King Kazma, signing off." (Play "When Can I See You Again?" by Owl City!)
Tokyo
Nagisa knocked on a door on the walkway of a small apartment building. A familiar girl with black hair in bangs, rectangular glasses over her dark eyes, and a light-brown pajama shirt perked up when she answered the door. "Nagisa!"
"Sinon!" Goombella jumped. "Oh, so you wear glasses?"
"Yeah. I didn't really need them in Aincrad. So, where's the rest of your group?"
"Most of them weren't actually in our sector." Morgiana answered. "And Index had other plans."
"There was quite a lot of you before." Sinon chuckled. "Well, don't be strangers. Come on in and I'll make tea!"
"Awesome! We already brought lunch!" Nagisa and Morg held up several carryout boxes.
The four friends sat around Shino's table. She and Nagisa shared ramen, Morgiana munched a yellow-tail tuna, and Goombella chewed some bagels. "So, you just live by yourself?" Goombella asked.
"Yeah, I'm learning to be self-sufficient. So, what does being a KND operative entail exactly? Do we get money or something?"
Nagisa giggled. "Well, technically yes. Often times, the G.U.N. or government pays us for solving crises. We either give the money to our families or use it to buy more materials for our sector. Though lots of our supplies come from the Minish KND."
"We're also exempt from school during operations." Goombella said. "Which is, like, all the time. But we do have to try to write reports about our exploits. Gotta earn a passing grade somehow."
"Luckily, Morg doesn't go to school." He jabbed a thumb at his girlfriend. "So, she's our treehouse guardian. Well, neither does Index, anymore."
"That's better than trying to lead a secret identity while managing school at the same time." Shino figured. "Honestly, that's the one part I was worried about. Now I can risk my life with a more sound mind."
"Heehee, that's the spirit!" Nagisa grinned. He pulled out an ad and handed it to her. "If you call that number down there, you can ask Arctic Base to send a transport to your location. From there, your training can begin."
"Nice! I think I'll call them up tomorrow. Though now I'm a little bit nervous…"
"Well, you do remember what we said about Index, right?"
"I remember you saying a lot of villains were after her. But you'll have to fill me in on the details."
"Alright, you have time for some epic stories?"
"Hit me with your best shot~"
Kubota Household
"And I met this boy-!" Lexi continued.
"We made this giant pair of roller-shoes for Jenny-!" Miko rambled.
"And he was actually an assassin-!"
"And then I met Sayu! Like, the actual Sayu, from Vinyl City!"
"He was kinda mean, but he helped me clear all those levels-"
"Then we met Chiaki, the Number One gamer, but she was actually-"
"But then we shrunk down and rode giant fireflies-"
"Then it turned out I was the MCP, because Kayaba…"
The family's heads were spinning from both sisters trying to recap their tales at the same time. "Alright, kids, just, slow down!" their mother, Mayumi pled. "One at a time, please! And, maybe skip to the important parts…"
"Okay." Miko began nervously. "The thing is… I was actually…"
"So, Kayaba… implanted part of the MCP in your mother… and you were born?" Hugh recounted.
"Good Lord…" Mayumi didn't know how to process this.
"Hah!" laughed Lee, the youngest brother. "That means you're not my sister!"
"Lee!" Hugh glared.
"But I'm still the same Miko! My friends saved me and now I'm back to normal. I'm still your daughter… right?"
"Well, of course you are." Mayumi knelt down and hugged her daughter. "I just can't believe all this…"
"You're still our kid, kiddo." Hugh ruffled her violet hair. "But, is it really all over?"
"Hopefully, it is for Hinobi. Kayaba was killed in the game, Aincrad was shut down… and Hinobi's probably being sued like the dickens. But I can't promise things will get any better for my team."
"Are you sure you still want to be in the KND after all this?" asked Nica, the eldest sister.
"Well, yeah. Those guys need me… and I need them. If not for them, I never would've learned how evil Hinobi was. I might not've been able to stop them. Lexi and I might not've been able to come back."
Hugh sighed. "So, this must be how those TV parents feel when their kids run off to save the world. But, hey… you've done more than either of us have."
"We're really proud of you, sweetie." Mayumi said. "And I'm sorry all this had to happen to you."
"I'll be fine, Mom. And thanks."
Miko and Lexi retired to their room and changed to pajamas. "So, Lexi… what did happen to Kalluto again?"
"We… sort of got in a fight and split up." She replied awkwardly. "But, you know… I'm thinking about joining the KND myself."
"Really? I thought you said it sounded dangerous?"
"Yeah, but after fighting all those monsters and exploring those cool places… I kind of feel a little more comfortable about it. It was exciting, and I felt strong! But I'd like to be put in a good team, of course."
"Wanna sign up for Arctic Training then?"
"Yeah! I'll give it a try!"
"Great! I hope you like it! …Wanna play some online Smash with Eddy before we conk out?"
"Yep!"
KND Arctic Base
"So, you fellas are Aincrad survivors, are ya?" Marcus announced to the new recruits. "Good! Ya already got training under your belts. If you're worth the weight here as you were in there, maybe you can graduate early. I bet ya already got sectors in mind, don't ya?"
"Yes, sir!" they saluted.
"Then let's hear 'em! State your names and wannabe sectors!"
"Shino Asada! Sector SA!"
"Megumi Tadokoro! Sector JP!"
"Kazuma Ikezawa! Sector Q!"
"Lexi Kubota! Sector… I'm fine with any one!"
"You'll be tested in all areas ranging from combat, piloting, shooting, platforming, swimming, or what-have-you. But you're not expected to be perfect. So long as you can attain mastery of at least one skill, you can qualify. That said, passing the obstacle courses is highly recommended, as you'll see more than your fair share when you're out in the field. But I reckon you gamers have already got it covered."
Sector $
Sector Q were asked to fly to Poshley Heights the following day. Boly's Pokéball was hooked up to the head of a special robot that Raleigh rebuilt. Magearna had a round head with a gear around it, a whitish body with a dress design, pointed hands with spherical shoulders and middle body, and rabbit-like ears. As Boly entered the mech, its ovular eyes lit blue. They had two golden eyelashes each.
The design of the robot's face made her look curious. Boly moved and looked at her hands and was marveled by the pretty dress. She couldn't see her stubby feet beyond it. "I feel very… joyous by this design!"
"I'm so glad!" Raleigh beamed. "Magearna was initially designed to harness Firstborn power, but I guess she's the perfect body for a digital Firstborn!"
"She really is!" Miko grabbed her by the "waist" and raised her high in the air, twirling. "How does it feel to be almost human, Boly?"
"This body is helping me to adapt with emotional readings. I believe the proper response in this context is, 'Yaaaaaaaaaayyy!'"
"Ha ha ha!" Raleigh laughed. "It's just too bad she won't be able to hang around here. Promise you'll take good care of her?"
"Of course!" Eddy nodded. "You can come visit her if you want, too."
"So, Boly only has one Pure Heart powering her now?" Carol asked.
"Yeah." Miko nodded. "I only took one heart with me. I wonder… if Deoxys kept the other hearts?"
"What really concerns me is that Chaos Heart." Quill mentioned. "I feel like we're gonna need to worry about that in the future."
"Yeah… but for now, I think we're in need of a little vacation." Eddy said. "Not to be rude, but the scent of your unwashed bodies put me in the mood for something special. Whaddya say we call up some friends to join us?"
"Heh, for what?" Jenny chortled.
A bathhouse in Coruscant
"Aaaaaaahhhh…" Jenny felt her woes melting away in the steaming sauna. "Yeah… this was 100% worth it."
"Hehe, it looks really warm in there." Carmine smiled.
"I feel a little rude doing this if she can't come in." Zahra mentioned.
"No, it's okay, guys! I'm just happy to be here with you."
"I empathize with this notion." Boly twirled.
"On the bright side," Five began, "we managed to work things over with the officials. Phil's proving his innocence and explaining everything Hinobi's been doing… without mentioning you too much, of course. It's still gonna be a while until we have the whole thing under wraps."
"I still don't know how I feel about letting that thing walk around." Mitch said.
"As long as she's mellowed out and not trapping us in a game, I'm fine." replied Tila.
"So, why're you wearing your hoodie in the spring?" Jenny asked.
"I'm a Zeenuian. …We like hoods."
"Weird tribal custom." Quill remarked. Tila glared and submerged herself, blowing bubbles.
"Wow, what is this marvel made of?" Sofa asked, picking Boly up and studying from all angles. "The material feels so retro!"
"Hey, don't look up her dress, Sofa!" Dodo shouted.
"Why?" Boly asked. "Is there a faulty area beneath this body's dress?"
"I hope there isn't!" Kazuma blushed.
"TMI, TMI!" Lexi dove underwater.
The three groups of friends shared a laugh, leaving Boly confused. The stress they all felt from the ordeals of Aincrad were lifting away with the steam. Miko was so thankful for her friends… and though she was worried for what came next, she knew they could face it together.