AKB0058 - Chapter 6

The performance was finally over, Yuuko was taken back to the dorm to rest. The AKB0058 members also started talking about Yuuko – Shiina the 2nd. And soon, the news of Yuuko spreaded like wildfire all over Akibastar. “Woo~ Shiina the 2nd~ Want some chocolates?” Takamina said giggling.

“Takamina! Isn’t that LONG name make it tiring to call me? And who knows if you hidden peanuts in it?” Yuuko said sounding annoyed. Most people started calling Yuuko Shiina the 2nd since the performance, and for some reason, Yuuko always blush and look very strange whenever she was called by that name, Takamina couldn’t help but to feel so strange about it.

“Are you Shiina?” Takamina finally asked Yuuko staring hard into her eyes, Yuuko’s face was as red as a tomato.

“Eh… Eh… Of course I am! Hehe…umm…Shiina the 2nd…?” Yuuko denied, staggering. This made Takamina feel even strange about it. Just as Takamina was about to ask more about it, a small ring was heard, it was from Yuuko’s menu. Yuuko swung he hand forward and “pop!” her menu came out.

“EH?! QUEST?! Yuuko! If im not wrong… Only people above level 50 can have quest! Are you above level 50?!” Takamina exclaimed.

“Ah! Not so loud! Shh… I think it should be a mistake… shall we read it…?” Yuuko said hestitantly.

Takamina looked at Yuuko, she thought: That doesn’t looks accidental… nor surprising for Yuuko… They opened the quest, it reads:

The magic pearl
Defeat the invincible monster in the Dungeon. Not as easy as thought! You have to overcome obstacles on your way to get to the boss! The condition for this quest is: The quest recipient MUST have a party! Good luck! Hope you accept this quest, see you again!

“Wow… looks great… Takamina! Can I party with you to complete this quest?!” Yuuko said excitedly.

“Yuuko! You’re not above level 50! How can you…” Takamina’s sentence was cut off by Yuuko, “We sure can! Lets go! We’ll start tomorrow!”

A message popped in front of Takamina, it’s a party request from Yuuko, Takamina then accepted it. The next day morning, Yuuko and Takamina reached the gate of the dungeon. With excitement, Yuuko dashed into the dungeon preparing to accept the quest, then she collided with someone and both the person and Yuuko fell.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” Yuuko frowned.

“You’re the one not looking out what’s in front!” A voice said. Yuuko looked up and saw a handsome young man in front of her, she was stunned.

“Yuuko are you okay?!” Takamina rushed to her and helped her up. Yuuko crossed her arms and asked why the person was there.

“Why could it be? Here to sun tan? Of course I’m here to accept the quest!” He said.

“Cool! You’re above level 50?! It must be fun!” Yuuko exclaimed, jumping up and down.

“What do you mean by that? You must be here to accept the quest too but aren’t you above level 50?” The boy said, raising his eyebrow in suspicion.

“Hm… maybe you can say half…” Yuuko said, looking down.

“Hi! Nice to meet you! I’m Hoshimiya Minami, you can call me Takamina.” Takamina cut in.

“Oh! Nice to meet you too, I’m Kagome Kirito, you can call me Kirito,” The boy introduced.

“Hmph! I’m Yuuko Akinami, not nice to meet you!” Yuuko stuck her tongue out to Kirito. Both Kirito and Takamina laughed.

“So… Shall we start the quest?” Kirito asked.

Takamina looked at Yuuko nervously, “ummm Yuuko… I don’t think I can go… maybe you should leave me out…”

 Yuuko opened her mouth wide in shock. “How can I go alone?! It says we must have a party!” Yuuko tried to stop Takamina from quitting the party.

“You have another person here now!” Takamina said as a message popped out in front of Yuuko. It’s the request sent by Takamina to quit the party. “I promise I will be your party again after this! Bye!” Takamina said as she ran away.

Yuuko looked at Kirito, “wait… are you planning to go in without a party?” Yuuko asked.

“Oh! I forgotten about that though… since the hoshimi or sashimi left, I guess we can party… at least for this only…” Kirito requested. Yuuko nodded unwillingly, as she doesn’t really want to work with Kirito but she’s desperate to do the quest. After adding each other to their party, they started the quest.

“What do you mean at first by saying you’re half above level 50? How did you get a quest then?” Kirito asked on the way to the boss in the dungeon.

“You’ll probably know… soon… I guess…” Yuuko replied. On the way to the so called “invincible moster”, they overcame lots of obstacles. One of those obstacles was clearing the continuous wave of monsters which were Level 60.

Yuuko wielded her sword, and was poised to attack the incoming monster.

“Hyaaaaaaaaaaa~!!” Yuuko yelled, charging to strike. She tried to strike it, and the monster managed to defend it by using its weapon. Both their weapons were pressing hardly against each other, and neither of them gave way.

“K-Kirito!! I need help here!” Yuuko pleaded.

“On it!” Kirito ran to her and finished the monster, together with Yuuko, with one fatal blow.

Their coordination was perfecr! It feels like they know what each other was thinking of. After sometime, they finally reached the gate of the boss.

“Whew… here we go…” Kirito took a deep breathe, “Yuuko, are you okay?”

“I’m…I’m… fine…” Yuuko trying to put on a brave front.

“How can you be fine while trembling all over?! Your lying skill is so bad…” Kirito continued, “don’t worry, I’ll be here for you.” Kirito the held onto Yuuko’s hand and smiled. Yuuko was shocked, his hand… feels so warm, it made Yuuko felt much more protected.

“Lets go then!” Yuuko took a deep brave too. They pushed open the door and stepped in… “it’s… empty… What’s going on?” Yuuko stayed close to Kirito.

“Careful… it might just pop…” Kirito’s sentence was interrupted by Yuuko’s loud scream. “HELP!!!!!!!”

Kirito turned around and realized Yuuko’s body was bleeding profusely. The monster had appeared, with a killing strike just at the start. Cold sweat rolled down Kirito’s forehead. He wondered he can survive this. A monster around 5 metre tall with a giant sword on his hand. “Yuuko! Are you okay?! Can you continue?!” Kirito shouted hoping for a reply.

“I…I…” Yuuko groaned. Kirito can see Yuuko’s HP bar decreasing.

“No… Yuuko…Don’t die… We must survive this! I want to fight with you! Come on up!” Kirito encouraged Yuuko. The monster seems to be agitated by now, its red bloodshot eyes stared at Kirito, Kirito could feel that he won’t survive this…alone… The monster finally took its first attack, not on kirito, but on Yuuko! “Ah!” Yuuko screamed once again.

“NO! DON’T--” Kirito shouted, he ran and blocked the second attack of the monster. “Don’t worry Yuuko, I’ll be here, to… protect… you…” Kirito said to Yuuko.

Upon hearing this, tears trickled down Yuuko’s cheek. “Don’t… Ki…ri…to…Run…” Yuuko said softly. Kirito did not “obey” Yuuko, he continued his fight. Yuuko never thought Kirito would risk his life for her. She tried to sit up but she seems to be lack of energy, watching Kirito’s HP bar decrease made Yuuko mad of herself for not being able to help him, and made him lose his life because of her. That’s when she thought of something… She forced herself to open her menu, toggled on a button.

“What are you doing Yuuko?!” Kirito shouted while trying to block the attack of the monster. A bright light then shone on Yuuko, Yuuko stood up and raised both her hands, the light then became brighter until Kirito could not see a thing and blocked the bright light with his hands. By the time the light disappeared, what Kirito saw was no longer how Yuuko Akinami looked like, It’s a beautifully dressed girl with a sword indescribably beautifully made with intricate designs. To her surprise, it’s still Yuuko! He was the one stunned this time.

“Come on… It’s my first time too…” Yuuko gave Kirito a weak smile and attacked the monster. Kirito couldn’t believe Yuuko’s skill, with a few strike, the monster’s HP bar decreased more than half of it! And before Kirito could react, Yuuko already killed the monster.

A big screen showed up and it says: “CONGRATUALATIONS! HERE’S YOUR PRIZE!”

Kirito couldn’t believe his eyes, the prize is EXP, but the EXP is enough for you to level up from his level: 51 to 65!

“You can take it… I don’t need it anymore…” Yuuko said softly. She then opened her menu again, toggled a button, and was back to the seriously injured Yuuko, and she fell back to the ground Kirito was surprised, he could not explain all these.

“Yuuko… Are you okay… What’s going on…?” Kirito carried Yuuko up and walked out of the room. By this time, Yuuko was already too weak to reply. Kirito immediately stopped and took out a potion from his inventory. He fed Yuuko with it. Yuuko’s HP bar did increase but her injuries were still unable to heal.

“It… Should take a few days…” Yuuko said weakly, “Don’t bother about me… And… Congrats on your level up…”

“I’ll carry you back… can you tell me what’s going on..” Kirito asked.

“You’ll know soon enough… I couldn’t hold it back anymore… at least we survived this… like you said…“ Yuuko replied. Yuuko was brought back to the AKB0058 dorm and was under the care of Stein, Kirito was worried about Yuuko so he decided to stay with Yuuko until she heals.

Unexpectedly, one day, Yuuko was no where to be found. Not in her room nor anywhere she might possibly be. Everyone was worried sick. After some search for Yuuko, Everyone then received a video message, it’s from Yuuko! And everyone in Akibastar received it!

Everyone opened it and it shows a video, Yuuko is in it: “Hi everyone… Yuuko Akinami here… You all must be wondering I sent this to every single one on Akibastar. This will be explained… Now… “ Yuuko opened her menu once again, and toggled a button again. The bright light appeared once again. What appeared next is exactly what Kirito had seen that time when they were in the dungeon.

“I, Yuuko Akinami, is Shiina Akinami. The original Shiina Akinami, level 155. I’ve been sealing my power all along, I met a high level boss one day and I managed to defeat it, and I turned to be the highest ranker in Akibastar overnight… from the EXP gained… I know this is hard to believe… But believe or not… I already told you all the truth and I can no longer seal my power anymore. See you all again.”

The video then ended with a silence…