20 Chapter 19 - Altering Emotions and Souls

'Where am I?'

All I say was nothing. It wasn't black, nor white, it was plain emptiness. Even with my heightened senses, all I could feel was nothing.

'What's going on? System?'

[Not available]

'What!'

Suddenly, I felt a torrent of feelings upon my body. I was wondering if it was my magic side effect, but I didn't initiate anything. Suddenly, I saw a person with blonde hair and long ears in front of me.

"Hello, Zhong Yuan-kun. Do you currently know where you are?" (???)

"Did you trap me here after the SAO servers went down?" (Zhong Yuan)

"Correct! You live up to my expectations! Aside from Asuna, you are the perfect human I can experiment on. These memories and emotions data I gather will be worth so much!" (???)

"Who are you?" (Zhong Yuan)

"Me? I'm the great fairy king, Oberon!" (Oberon)

'I'm guessing I got caught by this horny bastard.' (Zhong Yuan)

"Why did you choose me?" (Zhong Yuan)

"Choose? Oh no, it was pure chance I got you by accident. And I must say, I'm pretty lucky today!" (Oberon)

"So what's going to happen?" (Zhong Yuan)

"Oh... testing. If the results go well, I might sell you off as a weapon." (Oberon)

'Fucker...' (Zhong Yuan)

"Well, it was nice meeting the strongest player Aincrad could offer. I'll see you later." (Oberon)

[System recovering - 0.5%]

'Dang it, guess I gotta experience this? Well, I'll wait until you save me Kirito.'

Suddenly, I was transported into a new scenery. It was cold, really cold. Looking around, I was entrapped in ice and in my left view, I saw a birdcage.

'Asuna, huh?' (Zhong Yuan)

'Guess I'll wait...' (Zhong Yuan)

*****

[System fully recovered]

[Self Afflict - 50%]

'Why did it go down?' (Zhong Yuan)

"System, what happened to my Self Afflict Status?"

[Due to an outsider's tampering, your emotion value was lowered]

'Oberon you fucker...' (Zhong Yuan)

'Well, at least I have access to everything I used to have... what's this?' (Zhong Yuan)

[Letter from Kayaba]

Opening it, I saw some very important details. Kayaba transplanted his consciousness into the game somehow and is still alive. The only way I could escape is either by getting my access back from Oberon or Kirito if he learns of Kayaba's ID. Not having much option, I just train my sword skills.

'How did Kayaba transplant his consciousness? Is he that much of a genius?' (Zhong Yuan)

[System doesn't know]

'Consciousness, emotions, and memories... Could something else exist?'

Coming to this conclusion, I remembered what happened to me when I first entered the game and got magic. Me seeing those weird memories and me floating around. However, this time, it was much clearer.

'That wasn't my body, it was something else... my soul?'

"System, how do I find my soul?"

[Error, system doesn't understand the command]

"Guess I'll find it."

*****

I was meditating trying to arouse those memory balls from the past, but I saw something interesting. One guy appeared and flash appeared.

'Photo!'

This was the ladder flying method someone used to go up Yggdrasil. The plot was soon to arrive.

'Kirito, come soon or I might really die.'

[Self Afflict - 42%]

*****

During one of my meditations, I entered my dream state or whatever. I realized that every human had a soul, but it couldn't be accessed that easily.

'There's something with me that's different'

My backstory was sad. I was an orphan abandoned and lived my entire life trying to succeed in college. I hated it so I dropped out, and using my hobby of live streaming, I became quite successful.

'I wonder what happened to my channel?'

Suddenly, I heard banging. It was Asuna who escaped from her cage and was trying to break the ice. She was saying something, but all my senses were limited as long as I stayed in the ice. I tried lip-reading.

'I'll get a way to get us both out? What a good girl.'

I smiled back and her and gave her thumbs up.

*****

I was teleported into a room of three: Kirito, Oberon, and Asuna being striped... The moment I entered, Oberon summoned more chains to grab by limbs and hold me tight.

"Teme! (Bastard) Let my two friends go!" (Kirito)

"Oh! He was your friend? Pain limiter down." (Oberon)

Oberon stopped teasing Asuna and summoned Excalibur to his hands. Kirito, laying down because of gravity magic watched in horror as a sword went through my head.

'Man, this feels weird...' (Zhong Yuan)

"You see Kirito-kun! Your friend is still connected by a NerveGear instead of an AmuSphere... You know what that means when he reaches zero?" (Oberon)

"Yamero! (Stop)" (Kirito)

My health bar was going down quick and also recovering fast. Even though I made my character build one of the most overpowered ones out, a sword piercing through my head really hurt.

"... why aren't you screaming? Was my therapy that good?" (Oberon)

"Pretty much. I no longer hold much emotions left." (Zhong Yuan)

[Self Afflict - 23%]

"All I'm left with is anger. Absolute, cold, bubbling, anger."(Zhong Yuan)

Using my new found strength, I use my soul to navigate in this world to give Oberon a sucker punch.

"Ouch! What was that?" (Oberon)

"While you were having fun, I fully realized the human body's potential." (Zhong Yuan)

"What do you mean by that! This is a game!" (Oberon)

"It doesn't need to make sense dumb fuck... You're about to die." (Zhong Yuan)

Bashing Oberon down, he was in tremendous amount of pain. Hitting his body doesn't hurt because of the pain absorption, however, what if I were to hit his soul? It was slowly cracking and breaking down because he had no other way to defend.

"Kayaba, don't you think it's time to come out?"

"Kayaba?!" (Kirito and Asuna)

"I guess it is time. So who were you after all? All my studies about you were wasted because you were so unexpected and unpredictable." (Kayaba)

"I'm no one and will never be something. Will you give the seed to Kirito now and your ID? You might not know but fighting can become quite tiresome."

"That's true. SAO did tire us all. Kirito, have my access card Heathcliff and delete this scum." (Kayaba)

"Okay..." (Kirito)

"KAYABA! KIRITO! ZHONG YUAN! I curse you all! When I get out of this game, I will murder you all!" (Oberon)

"Restrict Oberon's access" (Kirito)

[Command Finished]

"What! I made this game you know! How?" (Oberon)

"You didn't make it. You just copied it." (Zhong Yuan)

Ending Oberon's life and Kayaba leaving on his own, I see Kirito and Asuna re-uniting.

"I guess this is the end, huh... I'm still angry at my fate, but I feel like I can't change it..."

"Zhong Yuan? Wait! Your health! Let me recover it!" (Kirito)

"It's too late Kirito. I'm sorry for doing all of this, but do me a favor." (Zhong Yuan)

"...Please tell me..."

"Save my #1 fan Sinon."

And those were my last words, as I disconnected too.

*****

*ring ring ring*

"Yes, who are you?" (Sinon)

"I'm the doctor of your friend and sadly to say, something terrible happened today."

"...what happened?" (Sinon)

"Your friend I'm afraid, has finally passed away."

"..."

*beep* *beep* *beep*

'After all of this, you're gone... I guess it's goodbyes.' (Sinon)

Sinon went up to my old fridge and took out a can of beer. Drinking it, she wept on the floor and a pile of beer started adding up. Everything I had left, was gone.

"Goodbyes..." (Sinon)

A silent whisper came back.

'Thank you for waiting. Move on.' (Zhong Yuan)

I pushed her back forward and she yelped at surprise.

"What just happened?'

*****

Inside my memory landscape...

'Fate Stay Night, I guess...'