1.1 | The Reunion Pt. 1: Player Two

I, Clay Crassius, could feel the subtle sign of an upcoming storm crawling on my skin, and it's making me shiver like a dog fresh from the bath.

It's my fourth night of busking for money at the entrance of the Maglev (Magnetically-levitated) train station in a distant part of Kyoto Megacity.

As a street performer, I had to know exactly which city spots are ripe for the busking.

It's easy enough for an average man to know the places where people flock the most, but for someone blind like me? It's not impossible, but it's so damned difficult.

That's why I had to explore this side of the city first. It took two whole months. I had to memorize every route I take and the number of paces I make to give myself a very rough rundown of the district.

Once, I even managed to get to the "wrong" side of the city.

It was a neighborhood owned by some bloodthirsty criminals, and is a drug factory. How did I know? Simple, the sound of chemical equipments were buzzing, and the air smelled funny.

It was the same scent as the powder that my mother often brings home from her job, but she doesn't use it and quickly disposes of it as always. 

Thankfully, seeing I was blind, they mercifully let me go, warning me to never speak of this encounter to anyone.

Technically I didn't "see" anything, but I did hear the names of some higher government officials tangled up in this messy work, but I really couldn't care less and it's a story to be told in another time.

I could never describe the visual scenery of the place even if I tried. But the sound of people walking, the neon lights buzzing, and the cars running were enough to conjure a vivid picture in my mind.

The closest word I could describe the city is cyberpunk.

[Come to think of it, the number of people traveling today is fewer than average. I wonder if today's a holiday of some sort.]

I muttered.

Fewer people means fewer coins, after all.

I paid no heed to it, until I heard two PA drones zoom over my head repeating these words in monotone:

[Generation-Five VR Commences with the Release of a new VRMMORPG <Crusaders of Kraniel>. Pre-order now on Valin's game distribution platform Alterra!]

I see. That game's release is tomorrow. They said it would change the face of VR gaming... well, not that I care about this topic at all.

I'm done with games.

I'm done with everything related to games.

In fact, I would say that gaming is the reason why I'm living like a rat nowadays.

If I were to go back in time, I should've gotten myself a part-time job instead of being a pro gamer. That way, I should've made some connections and found myself an acquiantance who will reccommend me to a well-paid job.

Really, living in a dark, black world is hell, but you get used to it.

Not that it's going to get better, but what's worse than this?

The money I've saved up from my pro gamer job is about to run out, too. The way things are, I doubt if I'm still going to last for another month.

Since a few hours have already passed when I started playing, I figured the sky was getting darker by the minute. So I gave a slight kick to my guitar's hard cover in front of me.

As expected, the clanging of coins was very minimal to the point it was silent.

[Hah.. I'm in big trouble. With this much, I couldn't even buy the train fare back to the house.]

Really, I was in deep trouble.

With my guitar in hand, I decided to play one last song. I guess a few more coins are still needed to buy the minimum train fare.

Plus, the smell of ramen noodles from a diner across the street was getting pretty delicious. My stomach grumbles at this mesmerizing smell.

I sang with all my heart in my last number.

Truthfully, back then I didn't want to do anything related to music, but my mother was a respected singer in a famous nightclub, so once in a while she would teach... no, she would force me to learn the basics of singing and playing the guitar.

Looking back on it, I resented my mother for this. The time for music lessons was supposed to be extra time for having fun and gaming with my friends.

I didn't realize that this very craft was going to be the one that will save me from living like a beggar. No... from becoming one.

With my meager earnings, I have managed to acquire a small apartment in a poor, yet respectable part of the city, where people will unite against a suspicious intruder, so it is considered safe.

It was a miracle that I've been hanging on like this, but it seems that this miracle will soon come to an end.

As I was thinking this, I hear more clanging of coins in my feet.

Well, boys. It seems like I'll live for another day after all.

A few hours later, when I feel that the streets have become practically deserted, I decided to pack up, get back home and immerse myself into a deep sleep.

All of a sudden, both of my arms were violently restrained by two people.

[WHAT THE-!?]

I tried my best squirming, but judging by their hands, they were huge, muscular people after all.

One of them restrained my neck as they led me away. My two feet barely kept up with their fast pace.

I felt like a dog that was being dragged back into a truck whose last destination is the dog pound.

They dragged me for a few meters, then they cuffed my hands and put me in a blindfold, which I think was meaningless since I couldn't see even with my nonfunctioning eyes spread wide.

They threw me inside a car. As soon as the doors close, they car revved up in an instant.

[What do you want with me?]

[If you don't want to die, shut up.]

[But I didn't do anything wrong!]

[I said shut up!]

The person at my left said as he punched me straight in the face, bloodying my nose.

God, their temper is very short.

As I recovered, I recognized the voice of the one who punched me.

[Wait, you're those criminals, right?]

The voice was really familiar. I can't quite put it... No, I'm certain of it. He really is one of the criminal members that I've met accidentally once before.

But something tells me that's not all.

[Why are you doing this? I kept my promise to keep my mouth shut.]

[I said-!]

[Enough.]

The person on my right said in a commanding tone. It seems like the owner of this voice is higher up in the hierarchy since the other person gulped in fear.

[That's not it, kid.]

He said.

[I was indeed merciful to let you go, but the boss was furious. No witnesses he says.]

[But I didn't witness anything!]

[Can't trust your word with that. You could have heard anything.]

Tch, they're good. And here I thought I can trick them with mere persuasion.

Am I going to be killed? Or have my hands cut off?

Maybe they're going to put me in a barrel and drown me in the river or harbor.

These sorts of things are circling in my head.

But I have to be brave in order to get over this hopeless situation.

A few moments later, the car came to a stop.

I was dragged out of the car like a pig about to be slaughtered.

I can hear ocean waves, the sound of sea gulls flying. The texture of the floor was that of concrete. The smell reminds me of the time my father brought us to an island resort in the tropics of Mars.

The air was very humid, and yet very windy.

We were at the harbor.

Am... I really going to become fish bait?

Is this the day I die?

I can hear their 'silent' conversation from behind me.

[.... the boy can't be left alive. You know this much.]

It was another unfamiliar voice.

[But boss, he promised to keep his mouth shut. So far, he hasn't done anything to make us doubt him.]

[Even a blind man can hear things and he could implicate our names, do you understand? Now, has the switch started?]

[It's currently ongoing, boss. We managed to switch thirty thousand vials of sedative in exchange for this drug.]

[Good. Adkins won't know what hit her. Hehehehe! Well? What are you waiting for? Kill him and drown his body in the ocean!]

[Y-yes, boss.]

Crap, this is really it, huh...

I was lying down on the ground, my nose bloodied, and my eyes facing the sky.

Even though I couldn't see, I could feel the stars twinkling.

Mother and father in heaven, your son is about to join you in a moment.

This... is fine right?

I have suffered in this world. It's alright to finally rest, right?

And then a bunch of sirens suddenly rang up.

[W-what's the meaning of this!? I thought we lost the cops!]

I hear their boss and some lackeys panicking around, while I'm by myself still lying on the ground. I'm too depressed and scared to even react anymore.

[...did you?]

The voice of the one who punched me said that, making me even more confused.

I could hear the footsteps of cops swarming about everywhere as they arrested every single one of the yakuza members.

[Y-you!? But how...?]

The boss muttered in a trembling voice as he was led away in cuffs.

[All it takes is a little bit of anything, then you can do everything.]

That line...

Right then and there, I realized.

That voice was indeed familiar. And it's not because I recognized him from the time I carelessly wandered into yakuza territory.

Actually, the owner of that voice and I go way back.

Way, way back into my own childhood.

[...Hiro?]

I managed to mutter out one single word.

The name of my best friend.

The name of a friend who's been my Player Two all throughout school.

[Ya, Player One.]

That nostalgic voice greeted me.

It was him.

Hiro Haneda.

A former classmate,

A former professional gamer,

And currently serving as the vice president of Valin Megacorporation.