Post by Hayate on Jun 30, 2007 13:07:08 GMT -5
~ Eternal City of Mac Anu; April 8, 2037 ~
*Hayate logs in*
Hayate: *sigh* (117 e-mails!!! Doesn’t that guy know when to quit!?!?)
Kyuzo: …Yo!
Hayate: GAH!!! *falls over* …You again!
Kyuzo: You get the e-mails I sent ya?
Hayate: What do you think!? I just spent the last five minutes deleting them all!
Kyuzo: Aw, that’s not nice. Haven’t your parents raised you better?
Hayate: *stands up* …Look. Let me say this in the nicest way possible… *ahem* …GET OUT OF MY LIFE!!!!! *walks off*
Kyuzo: …You’re joining my guild whether you like it or not, you little gnat… I refuse to be cheated out of my destiny… Hmm?
*Kyuzo looks around and sees several PC’s staring at him*
Kyuzo: …The f**k y’all lookin’ at?!?
*minutes later, Hayate rests on the Alchemy District bridge and gazes at the water*
Hayate: …This isn’t how I wanted to enjoy this game… Maybe I should just quit…
: …Hello.
*upon hearing a nearby voice, Hayate spins around and starts performing some amateurish kung-fu moves*
Hayate: Hyah! Hwah! Yah!
*a Wave Templar girl with light-blue hair stands near Hayate*
: *sweatdrop* Uh… Are you feeling alright?
Hayate: Huh? (…It’s a girl…) *sigh* Sorry… I’ve just been having a really weird week…
: …First-timer?
Hayate: Actually, I started three days ago. *ahem* My name’s Hayate.
Izumi: A pleasure to meet you. I’m Izumi. So… What do you mean by a “weird week”?
Hayate: There’s this guy who keeps pressuring me to join his guild… He sends complete weirdoes to track me down, and everyday I get 100+ e-mails from him. It’s driving me nuts!
Izumi: Well, I for one think that no one should be forced to join a guild if they don’t want to…
Hayate: FINALLY!!! Someone who understands me!!!
Izumi: *giggles*
Hayate: Uh… *blush*
Izumi: …Hey, Hayate… This is probably a bad time to ask, but--
: HEY!!!!!
*a brownish-red-haired Sonic Duelist suddenly comes running up to Hayate and Izumi*
: I’m back!
Izumi: Oh, Coolidge! Welcome back! So, did you find anything?
Coolidge: Nope. Just a bunch of those weird floating lights…as usual…
Izumi: Oh, I see. That’s too bad. Well, you tried your best.
Coolidge: Uh-huh… Hmm? Who’s this?
Izumi: Oh, I’m sorry. This is Hayate.
Coolidge: Hmm…
*Coolidge walks around Hayate to examine him*
Hayate: Uh… W-What is it?
Coolidge: …Hmph. It’s nothing. …Nice to meetcha! Coolidge’s the name, treasure hunting’s my game!
Hayate: Right… So, Izumi, you were about to ask me something?
Izumi: Oh, right! Would you like to come take a look at our guild? We’re called Glaive LeGable.
Hayate: …Glaive…LeGable…?
Coolidge: Don’t bother asking what it means. I’ve been in this guild for five months, and I still haven’t figured it out! HA!
Hayate: …Well, I’m not doing anything at the moment, so… Sure, why not?
Izumi: Terrific! Come on, I’ll show you to our @home.
*meanwhile, at Samurai 7 @home…*
Kyuzo: …I’m back…
Piros VIII: WELCOME BACK, MASTER!!! DID YOU-- *gets punched in the face*
Kyuzo: *angrily* Not…now…Piros…
Piros VIII: *muffled* Okay…
Kyuzo: *yawn* I’m beat… I’ve been logged into The World for 6 hours straight…
*suddenly, Haruhi walks in*
Haruhi: …Master Kyuzo.
Kyuzo: Ahhh, there’s my girl! Hey, Haruhi, what do you say we log out for the day and go get a couple of smoothies?
Haruhi: …Perhaps later, Master. Right now, someone wishes to speak to you…
Kyuzo: A potential member? *groan* I could be having a smoothie right now… Alright, fine! Show ‘im in!
Haruhi: …The guildmaster will see you now…
*a brown-haired Assault Ace walks in moments later*
: I hear you’re lookin’ for strong guys to join yer guild…
Kyuzo: …And you are?
Jack: …Russell. Jack Russell.
*meanwhile, in the Mercenary District…*
Izumi: Here. You’ll need this guest key. That’ll let you in the guild. If you want to join, I’ll let you keep it. But if not, you can always give it back to me. Alright?
Hayate: Sure, sure.
Izumi: Well then, Hayate… Welcome…to Glaive LeGable!
*Hayate, Izumi, and Coolidge walk into the intermediate guild’s @home*
Hayate: Whoa… It’s huge!
Coolidge: Heh… Tell me about it.
*two other members, a black-haired Lord Partizan and an Assault Ace with long whitish-yellow hair, walk in from the rear chamber*
Partizan: Oh. Welcome back, everyone.
Izumi: Hello, Orion. *turns to Hayate* That’s Orion, our guildmaster.
Hayate: H-Hi.
Izumi: This is Hayate, a potential new member.
Orion: A pleasure.
: Izumi-chan!
*the blond Assault Ace suddenly runs up and “glomps” Izumi*
: I missed you! It was boring with just Orion around!
Izumi: Um… I-It’s nice to see you t-too, Usa-chan…
Hayate: *sweatdrop*
Coolidge: …That’s Chibi-Usa, our resident “dumb blonde”… We just call her Usa-chan…
Hayate: …I see.
Usa-chan: Ooh! Who’s this? A new member?
Izumi: It’s p-possible, Usa-chan…! *releases herself from Usa’s grip* *sigh* So, where’s Neon?
Usa-chan: He hasn’t come back from his reconnaissance mission yet.
Hayate: Reconnaissance…mission…?
Orion: Perhaps I should explain. *ahem* You see, Hayate, the primary mission of our guild is to locate seven legendary weapons. They’re called the “.hack//Arms”, said to have been wielded by Kite and his band of “.hackers” 27 years ago.
Hayate: The .hackers… Hey, I’ve heard of them! My mom said she used to be a member!
Izumi: Your mother?
Hayate: Yup! …What was her character’s name again? …Agh! I can’t remember!
Orion: Anyway, as I was saying… The .hack//Arms. Each one is said to hold immeasurable power. They consist of Kite’s Dual Swords, BlackRose’s Broadsword, Balmung’s Blade, Ryoko’s Axe, Sanjuro’s Katana, Gardenia’s Lance, and Elk’s Staff.
Coolidge: Ohhh! If only I’d known about the .hack//Arms when I started this game! I would’ve--
All: Made yourself a Twin Blade! WE KNOW!!! WE HEARD IT A MILLION TIMES!!!
Hayate: …And what are you gonna do once you find them?
Orion: Hide them.
Hayate: Huh?
Orion: Seal them away, so that no one could use their power for evil purposes.
Hayate: …Are they really that strong?
Izumi: 3 years ago, a PKer that went by the name of Kurogane had used the power of Sanjuro’s Katana to kill 5,000 players without losing so much as a single hit point. …And it only took him 17 minutes.
Hayate: … *gulp* S-Seventeen minutes?!?
Coolidge: Grrrr… Just thinking about that guy makes my blood boil!! I was one of those 5,000 players!!
Hayate: …
Usa-chan: …Hmm? Hayate?
Hayate: …Hey, Orion…
Orion: Yes?
Hayate: …Got any room in your guild for one more member!?
Orion: *smirk* As a matter of fact, we do.
: Good to hear.
*a Twin Blade with long blond hair (with two violet strands) walks in*
Usa-chan: Neo-niichan!
Orion: Welcome back, Neon. Did you find anything?
Neon: Yes, I did.
Izumi: Nice work. Lead the way
Coolidge: Well, welcome to the fold, Hayate! So, what do you say? You up for a little treasure hunt?
Hayate: You know it!
*Neon leads Izumi, Coolidge, Usa-chan, and Hayate to the Chaos Gate*
Orion: (At last… We’re one step closer…)
*…Samurai 7 @home…*
Kyuzo: Well, I must say I’m impressed, Mr. Russell--
Jack: Please. Call me Jack.
Kyuzo: …Jack. I’ve had quite a number of people take on Piros in battle, but none of them were able to win… And in 10 seconds, no less…
Piros VIII: HE CHEATED!!!! MY CONTROLLER SLIPPED OUT OF MY HANDS!!!! THE SUN WAS IN MY EYES!!!!
Kyuzo: Do you want to go back to the Pit of Despair?!?
Piros: …I’ll be good…
Kyuzo: *extends a hand to Jack* …Welcome to Samurai 7.
Jack: *shakes Kyuzo’s hand* Heh.
Kyuzo: Now then… Your first assignment: Head to this area. *sends Jack a short mail* Examine the area thoroughly and report back with your findings.
Jack: Yes, sir! *walks out*
Kyuzo: …Hehehe… Hahahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Just two more to go!! The power will soon be in my grasp once more!!! The .hack//Arms WILL be mine!!! And I’ll take down anyone who gets in my way!!!
Piros VIII: *sob* Even me, Master?
Kyuzo: OH, SHUT UP, PIROS!!!!
*D Hidden Forbidden Sky Gate ~ The Aerial Temple of Sepia Lin Rovis*
Usa-chan: WOOOOOOOOOW!!!!! We’re so high up in the sky!!!!
Neon: Careful, Usa-chan!
Usa-chan: I know, I know!
Hayate: …A temple high above the clouds… Do you think this is one of those…you know…“Lost Grounds”?
Izumi: I don’t know. It’s possible.
Coolidge: So, Neon! Where’s that thing you found?
Neon: This way…
*Neon leads the group to an area behind the temple, where they found a bunch of tiny blue orbs floating in midair*
Hayate: What are those things?
Izumi: Aura Spheres. At least that’s what we call them. They’re tiny dancing lights that always seem to float in counterclockwise patterns.
Coolidge: So what’s so special about it? We’ve find Aura Spheres in all the Lost Grounds - how is this any different?
Neon: …Take a look at that one.
*Neon points out a single yellow Aura Sphere in a group of blue ones*
Usa-chan: Ooh…
Izumi: A yellow Aura Sphere… This is a rare find.
Hayate: So… Do we just go grab it or something?
Izumi: No. You have to be careful around Aura Spheres. If you approach them carelessly, they get frightened and float away. Some of them even attack you. …Usa-chan?
Usa-chan: Yes, ma’am!
*Usa-chan steps ahead of the group and clicks her heels together; she then begins to hover in midair*
Hayate: Whoa…!
Neon: Cool, huh? Usa-chan’s PC body possesses the ability to hover. It only lasts a few seconds though, so she’s gotta be careful.
*Usa-chan floats gently towards the yellow Aura Sphere and reaches out to it*
Usa-chan: Al…most…there…
*seconds later, she grabs it*
Usa-chan: Ha-ha! I did it! Look, look, I got the Aura Sphere!
*suddenly, another person’s hand grabs the hand Usa-chan had over the Aura Sphere*
Jack: I’ll be taking that!
Usa-chan: AAAAHHHH!!!!
Neon: Usa-chan!!!
Coolidge: Hey!!! Who are you?!?
Jack: Don’t worry! You won’t be around long enough to find out! *draws Flick Reaper scythe with other hand* Now are you gonna be a good girl and hand over the Aura Sphere?
Usa-chan: Never!! I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!!
All: …
Jack: …
*wind whistles*
Usa-chan: …Hehehe… Sorry. Got caught up in the moment.
Jack: Kid… Let go of the Aura Sphere before I tear your whole bleedin’ arm off!
Usa-chan: AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
*seconds before Jack’s scythe connects with Usa-chan’s arm, Hayate’s blade connects with it instead*
Izumi: Hayate!
Hayate: Let go of her!
Jack: Tch!
*Jack lets go of Usa-chan and backs off to assume a battle stance*
Jack: I’m not leaving without that Aura Sphere! Gotta look good on my first day in Samurai 7, y’know! Hehehe!
Hayate: (Samurai 7…!?) Grrrr… If you want that Aura Sphere, you’ll have to go through me!
Jack: Pffff! Save the corny heroics for the comic book guys, shorty!
*Hayate and Jack battle blade-to-scythe, neither side letting up*
Coolidge: Ooh! …That’s gonna hurt in the morning…
Usa-chan: Go, Hayate! Give ‘im the old 1-2-buckle-my-shoe!!!
Neon: Huh… The kid’s got guts…
Izumi: …
Hayate: SWORD FLASH!!!
*Hayate thrusts his blade multiple times at lightning speed; Jack is unable to keep up*
Jack: *sweatdrop* (Damn…! This guy’s a f**king newbie! How could he be this strong!?)
*Jack suddenly backs away from Hayate*
Jack: *panting* I’m not through yet!
Hayate: …I am! VAK DON!!!
*Hayate conjures a small meteor shower to rain down on Jack*
Jack: GAH!!! *uses a Smoke Screen*
Hayate: Huh!? *slashes at the smoke* …Damn! He’s gone!
Usa-chan: *clapping* Yay, Hayate!! You scared him off!!
Hayate: *blush* Hehehe…
*Izumi looks down at the Aura Sphere in her hands*
Hayate: So…what’s so special about these Aura Sphere thingies?
Izumi: We’re not exactly sure. But there has to be a reason that they only appear in the Lost Grounds. Orion says that if we collect enough of them, they may lead us to the .hack//Arms.
Hayate: How many have you collected so far?
Coolidge: Including this one… Three.
Hayate: T-Three?!? And you’ve been searching for them for 5 months?!? W-What about the blue Aura Spheres!?
Neon: It’s a peculiar thing. Whenever we bring blue Aura Spheres with us to the @home, they always die out soon after. It’s probably because they’re too accustomed to the atmosphere of the Lost Grounds. But the yellow ones are different. None of the yellow ones we brought back have died yet.
Hayate: I see…
*Hayate notices Izumi’s face shining brightly in the glow the Aura Sphere was giving off*
Izumi: …Beautiful, isn’t it?
Hayate: …Yeah.
Usa-chan: …Hmm? Hey, Hayate, why’s your face so red?
Hayate: Huh!? N-No, it’s not!! S-Shut up!!
*…Samurai 7 @home…*
Jack: …I failed! I’m terribly sorry!
Kyuzo: …Failed what?
Jack: I failed to bring back the Aura Sphere! Punish me however you like!
Piros VIII: However we like, huh? …Hehehe…
Kyuzo: Hmm… If I remember correctly… I never asked you to bring back anything…
Jack: Huh?
Kyuzo: I told you to report what you find… And what you found was that Glaive LeGable has a deep interest in the Aura Spheres… In other words, your mission was a success…
Jack: …
Kyuzo: *walks up to Jack and puts a hand on his shoulder* …Good work, Jack.
Jack: Ohhh… *bows* T-Thank you, sir!!
Piros VIII: …Does this mean no punishment…?
Kyuzo: Dismissed.
Jack: Yes, sir! *Jack leaves*
Kyuzo: … *muffled laughter* …HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Man, can you believe that guy?!? “I failed! I’m terribly sorry!” What an ass-kisser!
Piros VIII: I thought he was rather courteous! You don’t find much courtesy in The World nowadays!
Kyuzo: I don’t pay you to think, you overgrown tin can!!!!
Piros VIII: …You don’t pay me at all…
Kyuzo: *puts hand on lever* ARE YOU GIVING ME LIP, MINION!?!?
Piros VIII: N-No, Master!!!
Kyuzo: You better not or I’ll send your ass straight into the Pit!!! Now go get me a taco!!!
Piros VIII: At once, Master!!!! *runs out*
Kyuzo: …What an idiot…
~ Next Time on Infected! ~
Orion: Another Lost Ground’s been discovered!
~*~*~*~
Hayate: …This Aura Sphere… It’s red!
~*~*~*~
Kyuzo: Glaive LeGable… They’re nothing more than pawns on the chessboard that is The World…
~*~*~*~
Piros VIII: Behold!!! I am Piros VIII!!!
Coolidge: …O…kay…
~*~*~*~
Hayate: Izumi!!! Where are you?!?
4th Phase: Languishing of the Lost!
*Hayate logs in*
Hayate: *sigh* (117 e-mails!!! Doesn’t that guy know when to quit!?!?)
Kyuzo: …Yo!
Hayate: GAH!!! *falls over* …You again!
Kyuzo: You get the e-mails I sent ya?
Hayate: What do you think!? I just spent the last five minutes deleting them all!
Kyuzo: Aw, that’s not nice. Haven’t your parents raised you better?
Hayate: *stands up* …Look. Let me say this in the nicest way possible… *ahem* …GET OUT OF MY LIFE!!!!! *walks off*
Kyuzo: …You’re joining my guild whether you like it or not, you little gnat… I refuse to be cheated out of my destiny… Hmm?
*Kyuzo looks around and sees several PC’s staring at him*
Kyuzo: …The f**k y’all lookin’ at?!?
*minutes later, Hayate rests on the Alchemy District bridge and gazes at the water*
Hayate: …This isn’t how I wanted to enjoy this game… Maybe I should just quit…
: …Hello.*upon hearing a nearby voice, Hayate spins around and starts performing some amateurish kung-fu moves*
Hayate: Hyah! Hwah! Yah!
*a Wave Templar girl with light-blue hair stands near Hayate*
: *sweatdrop* Uh… Are you feeling alright?Hayate: Huh? (…It’s a girl…) *sigh* Sorry… I’ve just been having a really weird week…
: …First-timer?Hayate: Actually, I started three days ago. *ahem* My name’s Hayate.
Izumi: A pleasure to meet you. I’m Izumi. So… What do you mean by a “weird week”?
Hayate: There’s this guy who keeps pressuring me to join his guild… He sends complete weirdoes to track me down, and everyday I get 100+ e-mails from him. It’s driving me nuts!
Izumi: Well, I for one think that no one should be forced to join a guild if they don’t want to…
Hayate: FINALLY!!! Someone who understands me!!!
Izumi: *giggles*
Hayate: Uh… *blush*
Izumi: …Hey, Hayate… This is probably a bad time to ask, but--
: HEY!!!!!*a brownish-red-haired Sonic Duelist suddenly comes running up to Hayate and Izumi*
: I’m back!Izumi: Oh, Coolidge! Welcome back! So, did you find anything?
Coolidge: Nope. Just a bunch of those weird floating lights…as usual…
Izumi: Oh, I see. That’s too bad. Well, you tried your best.
Coolidge: Uh-huh… Hmm? Who’s this?
Izumi: Oh, I’m sorry. This is Hayate.
Coolidge: Hmm…
*Coolidge walks around Hayate to examine him*
Hayate: Uh… W-What is it?
Coolidge: …Hmph. It’s nothing. …Nice to meetcha! Coolidge’s the name, treasure hunting’s my game!
Hayate: Right… So, Izumi, you were about to ask me something?
Izumi: Oh, right! Would you like to come take a look at our guild? We’re called Glaive LeGable.
Hayate: …Glaive…LeGable…?
Coolidge: Don’t bother asking what it means. I’ve been in this guild for five months, and I still haven’t figured it out! HA!
Hayate: …Well, I’m not doing anything at the moment, so… Sure, why not?
Izumi: Terrific! Come on, I’ll show you to our @home.
*meanwhile, at Samurai 7 @home…*
Kyuzo: …I’m back…
Piros VIII: WELCOME BACK, MASTER!!! DID YOU-- *gets punched in the face*
Kyuzo: *angrily* Not…now…Piros…
Piros VIII: *muffled* Okay…
Kyuzo: *yawn* I’m beat… I’ve been logged into The World for 6 hours straight…
*suddenly, Haruhi walks in*
Haruhi: …Master Kyuzo.
Kyuzo: Ahhh, there’s my girl! Hey, Haruhi, what do you say we log out for the day and go get a couple of smoothies?
Haruhi: …Perhaps later, Master. Right now, someone wishes to speak to you…
Kyuzo: A potential member? *groan* I could be having a smoothie right now… Alright, fine! Show ‘im in!
Haruhi: …The guildmaster will see you now…
*a brown-haired Assault Ace walks in moments later*
: I hear you’re lookin’ for strong guys to join yer guild…Kyuzo: …And you are?
Jack: …Russell. Jack Russell.
*meanwhile, in the Mercenary District…*
Izumi: Here. You’ll need this guest key. That’ll let you in the guild. If you want to join, I’ll let you keep it. But if not, you can always give it back to me. Alright?
Hayate: Sure, sure.
Izumi: Well then, Hayate… Welcome…to Glaive LeGable!
*Hayate, Izumi, and Coolidge walk into the intermediate guild’s @home*
Hayate: Whoa… It’s huge!
Coolidge: Heh… Tell me about it.
*two other members, a black-haired Lord Partizan and an Assault Ace with long whitish-yellow hair, walk in from the rear chamber*
Partizan: Oh. Welcome back, everyone.
Izumi: Hello, Orion. *turns to Hayate* That’s Orion, our guildmaster.
Hayate: H-Hi.
Izumi: This is Hayate, a potential new member.
Orion: A pleasure.
: Izumi-chan!*the blond Assault Ace suddenly runs up and “glomps” Izumi*
: I missed you! It was boring with just Orion around!Izumi: Um… I-It’s nice to see you t-too, Usa-chan…
Hayate: *sweatdrop*
Coolidge: …That’s Chibi-Usa, our resident “dumb blonde”… We just call her Usa-chan…
Hayate: …I see.
Usa-chan: Ooh! Who’s this? A new member?
Izumi: It’s p-possible, Usa-chan…! *releases herself from Usa’s grip* *sigh* So, where’s Neon?
Usa-chan: He hasn’t come back from his reconnaissance mission yet.
Hayate: Reconnaissance…mission…?
Orion: Perhaps I should explain. *ahem* You see, Hayate, the primary mission of our guild is to locate seven legendary weapons. They’re called the “.hack//Arms”, said to have been wielded by Kite and his band of “.hackers” 27 years ago.
Hayate: The .hackers… Hey, I’ve heard of them! My mom said she used to be a member!
Izumi: Your mother?
Hayate: Yup! …What was her character’s name again? …Agh! I can’t remember!
Orion: Anyway, as I was saying… The .hack//Arms. Each one is said to hold immeasurable power. They consist of Kite’s Dual Swords, BlackRose’s Broadsword, Balmung’s Blade, Ryoko’s Axe, Sanjuro’s Katana, Gardenia’s Lance, and Elk’s Staff.
Coolidge: Ohhh! If only I’d known about the .hack//Arms when I started this game! I would’ve--
All: Made yourself a Twin Blade! WE KNOW!!! WE HEARD IT A MILLION TIMES!!!
Hayate: …And what are you gonna do once you find them?
Orion: Hide them.
Hayate: Huh?
Orion: Seal them away, so that no one could use their power for evil purposes.
Hayate: …Are they really that strong?
Izumi: 3 years ago, a PKer that went by the name of Kurogane had used the power of Sanjuro’s Katana to kill 5,000 players without losing so much as a single hit point. …And it only took him 17 minutes.
Hayate: … *gulp* S-Seventeen minutes?!?
Coolidge: Grrrr… Just thinking about that guy makes my blood boil!! I was one of those 5,000 players!!
Hayate: …
Usa-chan: …Hmm? Hayate?
Hayate: …Hey, Orion…
Orion: Yes?
Hayate: …Got any room in your guild for one more member!?
Orion: *smirk* As a matter of fact, we do.
: Good to hear.*a Twin Blade with long blond hair (with two violet strands) walks in*
Usa-chan: Neo-niichan!
Orion: Welcome back, Neon. Did you find anything?
Neon: Yes, I did.
Izumi: Nice work. Lead the way
Coolidge: Well, welcome to the fold, Hayate! So, what do you say? You up for a little treasure hunt?
Hayate: You know it!
*Neon leads Izumi, Coolidge, Usa-chan, and Hayate to the Chaos Gate*
Orion: (At last… We’re one step closer…)
*…Samurai 7 @home…*
Kyuzo: Well, I must say I’m impressed, Mr. Russell--
Jack: Please. Call me Jack.
Kyuzo: …Jack. I’ve had quite a number of people take on Piros in battle, but none of them were able to win… And in 10 seconds, no less…
Piros VIII: HE CHEATED!!!! MY CONTROLLER SLIPPED OUT OF MY HANDS!!!! THE SUN WAS IN MY EYES!!!!
Kyuzo: Do you want to go back to the Pit of Despair?!?
Piros: …I’ll be good…
Kyuzo: *extends a hand to Jack* …Welcome to Samurai 7.
Jack: *shakes Kyuzo’s hand* Heh.
Kyuzo: Now then… Your first assignment: Head to this area. *sends Jack a short mail* Examine the area thoroughly and report back with your findings.
Jack: Yes, sir! *walks out*
Kyuzo: …Hehehe… Hahahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Just two more to go!! The power will soon be in my grasp once more!!! The .hack//Arms WILL be mine!!! And I’ll take down anyone who gets in my way!!!
Piros VIII: *sob* Even me, Master?
Kyuzo: OH, SHUT UP, PIROS!!!!
*D Hidden Forbidden Sky Gate ~ The Aerial Temple of Sepia Lin Rovis*
Usa-chan: WOOOOOOOOOW!!!!! We’re so high up in the sky!!!!
Neon: Careful, Usa-chan!
Usa-chan: I know, I know!
Hayate: …A temple high above the clouds… Do you think this is one of those…you know…“Lost Grounds”?
Izumi: I don’t know. It’s possible.
Coolidge: So, Neon! Where’s that thing you found?
Neon: This way…
*Neon leads the group to an area behind the temple, where they found a bunch of tiny blue orbs floating in midair*
Hayate: What are those things?
Izumi: Aura Spheres. At least that’s what we call them. They’re tiny dancing lights that always seem to float in counterclockwise patterns.
Coolidge: So what’s so special about it? We’ve find Aura Spheres in all the Lost Grounds - how is this any different?
Neon: …Take a look at that one.
*Neon points out a single yellow Aura Sphere in a group of blue ones*
Usa-chan: Ooh…
Izumi: A yellow Aura Sphere… This is a rare find.
Hayate: So… Do we just go grab it or something?
Izumi: No. You have to be careful around Aura Spheres. If you approach them carelessly, they get frightened and float away. Some of them even attack you. …Usa-chan?
Usa-chan: Yes, ma’am!
*Usa-chan steps ahead of the group and clicks her heels together; she then begins to hover in midair*
Hayate: Whoa…!
Neon: Cool, huh? Usa-chan’s PC body possesses the ability to hover. It only lasts a few seconds though, so she’s gotta be careful.
*Usa-chan floats gently towards the yellow Aura Sphere and reaches out to it*
Usa-chan: Al…most…there…
*seconds later, she grabs it*
Usa-chan: Ha-ha! I did it! Look, look, I got the Aura Sphere!
*suddenly, another person’s hand grabs the hand Usa-chan had over the Aura Sphere*
Jack: I’ll be taking that!
Usa-chan: AAAAHHHH!!!!
Neon: Usa-chan!!!
Coolidge: Hey!!! Who are you?!?
Jack: Don’t worry! You won’t be around long enough to find out! *draws Flick Reaper scythe with other hand* Now are you gonna be a good girl and hand over the Aura Sphere?
Usa-chan: Never!! I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!!
All: …
Jack: …
*wind whistles*
Usa-chan: …Hehehe… Sorry. Got caught up in the moment.
Jack: Kid… Let go of the Aura Sphere before I tear your whole bleedin’ arm off!
Usa-chan: AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
*seconds before Jack’s scythe connects with Usa-chan’s arm, Hayate’s blade connects with it instead*
Izumi: Hayate!
Hayate: Let go of her!
Jack: Tch!
*Jack lets go of Usa-chan and backs off to assume a battle stance*
Jack: I’m not leaving without that Aura Sphere! Gotta look good on my first day in Samurai 7, y’know! Hehehe!
Hayate: (Samurai 7…!?) Grrrr… If you want that Aura Sphere, you’ll have to go through me!
Jack: Pffff! Save the corny heroics for the comic book guys, shorty!
*Hayate and Jack battle blade-to-scythe, neither side letting up*
Coolidge: Ooh! …That’s gonna hurt in the morning…
Usa-chan: Go, Hayate! Give ‘im the old 1-2-buckle-my-shoe!!!
Neon: Huh… The kid’s got guts…
Izumi: …
Hayate: SWORD FLASH!!!
*Hayate thrusts his blade multiple times at lightning speed; Jack is unable to keep up*
Jack: *sweatdrop* (Damn…! This guy’s a f**king newbie! How could he be this strong!?)
*Jack suddenly backs away from Hayate*
Jack: *panting* I’m not through yet!
Hayate: …I am! VAK DON!!!
*Hayate conjures a small meteor shower to rain down on Jack*
Jack: GAH!!! *uses a Smoke Screen*
Hayate: Huh!? *slashes at the smoke* …Damn! He’s gone!
Usa-chan: *clapping* Yay, Hayate!! You scared him off!!
Hayate: *blush* Hehehe…
*Izumi looks down at the Aura Sphere in her hands*
Hayate: So…what’s so special about these Aura Sphere thingies?
Izumi: We’re not exactly sure. But there has to be a reason that they only appear in the Lost Grounds. Orion says that if we collect enough of them, they may lead us to the .hack//Arms.
Hayate: How many have you collected so far?
Coolidge: Including this one… Three.
Hayate: T-Three?!? And you’ve been searching for them for 5 months?!? W-What about the blue Aura Spheres!?
Neon: It’s a peculiar thing. Whenever we bring blue Aura Spheres with us to the @home, they always die out soon after. It’s probably because they’re too accustomed to the atmosphere of the Lost Grounds. But the yellow ones are different. None of the yellow ones we brought back have died yet.
Hayate: I see…
*Hayate notices Izumi’s face shining brightly in the glow the Aura Sphere was giving off*
Izumi: …Beautiful, isn’t it?
Hayate: …Yeah.
Usa-chan: …Hmm? Hey, Hayate, why’s your face so red?
Hayate: Huh!? N-No, it’s not!! S-Shut up!!
*…Samurai 7 @home…*
Jack: …I failed! I’m terribly sorry!
Kyuzo: …Failed what?
Jack: I failed to bring back the Aura Sphere! Punish me however you like!
Piros VIII: However we like, huh? …Hehehe…
Kyuzo: Hmm… If I remember correctly… I never asked you to bring back anything…
Jack: Huh?
Kyuzo: I told you to report what you find… And what you found was that Glaive LeGable has a deep interest in the Aura Spheres… In other words, your mission was a success…
Jack: …
Kyuzo: *walks up to Jack and puts a hand on his shoulder* …Good work, Jack.
Jack: Ohhh… *bows* T-Thank you, sir!!
Piros VIII: …Does this mean no punishment…?
Kyuzo: Dismissed.
Jack: Yes, sir! *Jack leaves*
Kyuzo: … *muffled laughter* …HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Man, can you believe that guy?!? “I failed! I’m terribly sorry!” What an ass-kisser!
Piros VIII: I thought he was rather courteous! You don’t find much courtesy in The World nowadays!
Kyuzo: I don’t pay you to think, you overgrown tin can!!!!
Piros VIII: …You don’t pay me at all…
Kyuzo: *puts hand on lever* ARE YOU GIVING ME LIP, MINION!?!?
Piros VIII: N-No, Master!!!
Kyuzo: You better not or I’ll send your ass straight into the Pit!!! Now go get me a taco!!!
Piros VIII: At once, Master!!!! *runs out*
Kyuzo: …What an idiot…
~ Next Time on Infected! ~
Orion: Another Lost Ground’s been discovered!
~*~*~*~
Hayate: …This Aura Sphere… It’s red!
~*~*~*~
Kyuzo: Glaive LeGable… They’re nothing more than pawns on the chessboard that is The World…
~*~*~*~
Piros VIII: Behold!!! I am Piros VIII!!!
Coolidge: …O…kay…
~*~*~*~
Hayate: Izumi!!! Where are you?!?
4th Phase: Languishing of the Lost!
