I stepped out of the cave and pulled out my map.
Kirito:What's the situation?
Maverick:There's no one near us thankfully.Death Gun and Sinon aren't on the map so that leaves eight of us.
Just as I said that two icons disappeared.
Maverick:Make that six.
Kirito:Maverick,there's something that's been on my mind.
Maverick:Lay it on me.
Kirito:It's that we can't find a player if we're counting you and me along with Sinon and Death Gun there's one person missing because we can see Yamikaze but there's still one missing.Maybe Death Gun killed someone else?Actually no,his partner's been waiting to kill Sinon I don't know maybe i'm overthinking this.I just feel like we're still missing something.
Maverick:Hold that thought.It might be helpful because I can't shake the feeling that we're missing something too.Of course,we could just be overthinking things.
We both stood there in silence.
Maverick:Well were not gonna figure out anything just standing so let's just head back.
Kirito:Ok.
We headed back into the cave to meet up with Sinon.
Sinon:Well,what did you find?
Maverick:There's six of us left.You,me,Kirito,Yamikaze, I'm pretty sure Death Gun,and some other player out there somewhere but he probably is chilling in a cave like us.Let me say that if he wins,then this'll kill the argument that BRs are competitive which they're not.
Sinon:That's it?Just us six?Well,it has been an hour and forty-five minutes already.Seeing that how the last BoB ended in about two hours,this ones right on schedule.Heh,i'm surprised no ones checked and naded here yet.
Kirito:Yeah,maybe we've got Death Gun to thank for that.He swept the competition with that rifle of his.
Sinon:If you're right,then he's for sure going for the max kills award.Whatever,we should worry about Yamikaze.You two were probably the only one to show up on his terminal,so we better get ready,because he'll be coming for ya.
Kirito:He any good?
Sinon:He was the runner up for the last BoB.He's a typical forlorn AGI type.They call him"The Run-n-Gun Daemon" or something.
Kirito:Uh run-what?
Maverick:Run-n-gun,it's a type of combat style where players will run and shoot simultaneously.
Sinon:Right.His main weapon is the HMG Helical.An ultra-light submachine gun.Yamikaze couldn't compete with XeXeed's rare gun and armor in the last tourney.But even though he didn't win,some people say he's a better player.
Kirito:Wow...he's really that good?Like the best player on Japan's server good?
Maverick:I think that's me.
Kirito:I don't think so.
Maverick:Bet.
Sinon:He might be an ace in a hole too.If you're right about Death Gun,and i'm the only one he's ready to kill,you know,because his partner is waiting back at my apartment right now.See,I figure if that's the case,Yamikaze isn't in danger of getting killed,this is gonna sound cold,but I think he would make a great decoy for us.When Death Gun shoots Yamikaze,we'll know where he is.
Kirito:You're pretty brave Sinon.
Sinon:Not even,i'm not trying to think about it.Trying to avoid it scares me,like I always do.
Maverick:I think you're pretty brave Sinon but I think that you don't wanna believe it.
Sinon:Huh?
Maverick:You're able to stay cool when you know that there's probably a guy sitting in your apartment waiting to kill you.
Sinon:Well that's because...
Sinon started blushing and twirling her hair.
Sinon:You know,you helped me.........Uh anyways,what do you think about my plan?
Maverick:Sounds solid but Kirito and I still have something that's bothering us.
Kirito:Just now,when I added up players and I could only come up with twenty-nine.
Sinon:No way!Could Death Gun have tried to kill someone after he tried for me?How's that even possible?I mean,his No.2 supposed to be waiting at my place now.
Maverick:True but now there's something i'm thinking,here me out,Between the time Death Gun attempted to shoot Pale Rider and attempted to kill you only thirty minutes went by.So based on that theory,Pale Rider's apartment would have to be thirty minutes away.Awfully convenient wouldn't you say?
Sinon:I guess,but what other explanation is there for it?
Kirito:Maybe,Death Gun isn't working with just one guy,like,maybe he's got a few more partners.If he does,then it'll be possible to kill one player,or still have someone available to kill you.And one for Yamikaze.He could still be a target now,too but I don't know.
Sinon:Oh my god!If you're right,and there's more of them out there,then how many are we dealing with?!
Kirito:If they're all ex-Laughing Coffin,at least ten.
Maverick:Maybe even more but I don't think all ex-Laughing Coffin members are involved but we can't assume that there's only one killer in the real world anymore.
Sinon:That's crazy!Why else would they do this after getting out of SAO alive?!How could anyone stay up player killing after that game?!
Maverick:Most people in Laughing Coffin loved killing people.Take that away and that insatiable quench will begin to swell until they just need to do it again.Once they got a taste for the thrill of the kill,they can't lose it.
Sinon:I called them PKers,but I take it back.There are lots of people who PK in this game.I used to run with a group of PKers myself.But at the end of the day,PKers have a code of honor they stick to.They're not PKers.They kill people with poison while they're unconscious.They're a bunch of cowards.There's no honor in murder.That's chicken shit!Straight up,and we can't let them get away with it.
Maverick:Alright calm down Captain Planet.
Sinon:I'm serious.
Maverick:And we are too.We'll stop them,together.
Kirito:Yeah!
Sinon:I'm taking Yamikaze out.I won't let Death Gun kill him.
Maverick:How is Yamikaze?
Sinon:He's tough,I doubt even you could finish him out with one hit.And if he's busy with you,Death Gun will shoot him for sure.
Maverick:So what's the plan?
Sinon:I'm a sniper,i'll have eyes on you the whole time,so once they move on you two,i'll know their locations.I'll hit Yamikaze first,then i'll go for Death Gun.
Maverick:Sounds like a plan,Kirito and I will hop one of the buggies and head out.You'll take the other one and get set up.Sound good?
Kirito:I'll get the buggy set up.
Maverick:Right.
Kirito jogged over to the buggy and I was about to follow when Sinon stopped me by the arm.
Sinon:Maverick?
Maverick:Sup?
Sinon:Just....be careful out there,okay?
I smiled at her rubbed her head.
Maverick:Do you even know who your talking to?
Sinon chuckled and smiled at me and we fist bumped before heading out to our positions.
......
Kirito and I stood in the middle of the desert.
Kirito:So,this is it huh?
Maverick:Seems so.
There was a awkward silence between us.
Kirito:Hey Maverick?
Maverick:Yup?
Kirito:I'm really glad I became friends with you.
Maverick:Is this a confession?My,what would Asuna say?
Kirito:Hahaha!
I looked over to Kirito and we fist bumped and then we heard a gunshot.
Maverick:On your guard.
I began surveying the area until I saw bullet coming straight for Kirito.
Maverick:WATCH OUT!
After pushing Kirito I dodged the bullet as it grazed my helmet.I noticed Yamikaze standing there and I started shooting at him with my pistol.He rolled behind a rock and I kept firing to keep him pinned down and then I saw a Sniper bullet hit behind the rock and saw DEAD above it.
Sinon Pov
Sinon:Maverick!
I looked through my scope and saw Death Gun prone taking aim and shooting at Maverick as he dodged bullets.
Sinon:Gotcha!
I aimed at Death Gun and he noticed my bullet line and quickly switched to me and we fired at each other simultaneously and destroyed each other's scopes of our rifles.I saw Death Gun abandon his rifle.
Sinon:You better not die Maverick....
Y/N Pov
I kept shooting at Death Gun and grazed his shoulder and then he pulled out a estoc and clipped me in the shoulder.
Maverick:Damn!
Sugu Pov
I noticed Y/N was panting.
Sugu:Y/N?!
Aki:Don't worry he's okay.I know it looks bad,but he's not in danger.His heart beat spiked is all.
I looked at the MMO stream as Maverick and Kirito faced off with Death Gun.I noticed Death Gun's screen name was Sterben.
Sugu:Sterben?Isn't it Steven?
Aki:It's not.
Sugu:What do you mean?
Aki:It's a german word.I know it.It's a medical term we use,it's pronounced "shu-tár-bun"
Sugu:Shutar-bun?
Aki:It means,to die,in hospitals,we used that word when a patient passed away.
Sugu:Y/N.....
I looked between the screen and Y/N as he panted.
Y/N Pov
We stared Death Gun down as he held his estoc.
Kirito:That's a interesting weapon you got there.If i'd known where metal swords were in GGO,I would've gotten my hands on one.
Death Gun:You've should've done your homework before logging in,Black Swordsman.I made this weapon with my creation skill.It can't be longer or heavier but it does the trick.
Maverick:Eh,i'm not one for flimsy blades.
Death Gun:Maverick,I see you have proficiency in guns.Still as psychotic as usual?
Maverick:You know it.
Death Gun:Ha!You're attacks are slow,if the old you saw he would just laugh at that pitiful excuse.
Maverick:The old me?Seems like someone still living in the past.Do you roleplay every night thinking your still a part of Laughing Coffin?
Death Gun:You remember?I'm impressed,but you're not so different from me.I may be a genuine red player but you killed so many players but still only was a orange player.I bet you tried to forget it,all those lives you could've spared.
Maverick:Hate to break it to you pal but,I live with my decisions.And I know that you don't have any special powers either.All you do is spout edgy sayings from that retarded mask.
Death Gun:How did those players die then?
Maverick:You learned the players addresses from watching them put it in at the governor's office.You had another or multiple people scope out the competition's addresses and broke into their apartment and timed the shot in the game along with them injecting the player with a drug,killing them,making it look like it was heart failure.Once the Ministry of Internal Affairs has your SAO name, your finished.
Death Gun:You've think you've got it all figured out don't you?But you don't and you can't stop me.Want to know why?Because I know that you'll never remember my handle was.
Maverick:Is it because I didn't want your handle?
Death Gun:What?
Maverick:You don't think I don't remember when you were gonna tell me your handle but you know what I said?I said I don't care because even if I knew your handle you should be lucky you didn't get executed by me.You want to know where your god is?He's right here...
I pulled my combat knife out it's sheath and did a slitting gesture.
Maverick:...And he's fresh out of mercy.
Death Gun:I can't wait to watch you helplessly lay there as I kill your friend and that girl.And...YOU CANT STOP ME!
Death Gun charged at Kirito and he quickly jabbed him in the chest.
Kirito:Gah?!
Maverick:KIRITO!!
Death Gun:Stings doesn't it?This is made from the best metal in the game.It's armor plating...from a space battleship.Hahahahaha!
Death Gun removed his estoc from Kirito's chest as he fell to the ground showing a dead icon.
I kicked Death Gun across his face catching him off-guard as he stared me down as I twirled my knife.
Maverick:I'm gonna gut you like the pig you are,degenerate.