"RUN!!" Mikoto screamed, her voice sounding frantic from within the computer. "JUST LEAVE ME AND RUN!! IT'S ME HE WANTS NOT YOU!!!"

Chiyu and Haru however, didn't drop the laptop and run, instead, Haru opened his backpack and put the computer in, zipping up and giving a shivering scared glare at Krux. "Y-you're not getting to Misaka-san.. if you want to hurt her.. then you'll have to get through us.."

Krux's eyes lit up with green light in what seemed to be surprise. "My, you've only known her for a day, and yet you are willing to go this far..?

Haru looked around, there was nowhere to go.. black darkness energy was cutting them off, like a wall. There had to be a way out.

Krux pointed his dark blade at Chiyu and Haru. "You two do know that I can easily force you two to give her to me.. and if I wish, I could kill you both.."

"We don't care about that!" said Chiyu. "She's our friend, and we aren't going to betray her to.. to.. whatever you are!"

"That is.. regretful." said Krux. "Then again.. the ultimate goal in the end will result in the cleansing of the human race to start anew.. so it's not really too regretful."

Krux slashed his sword down at Chiyu. However, there was a burst of sparks as the blade grinded against a large crystal spire that had erupted out of the ground.

"What!?" said Krux. "Diamond!?"

"THAT'S RIGHT PUNK!!!"

Diamond spires erupted all around the area, tearing the dark energy apart as a figure landed in between Krux, Haru and Chiyu.

The girl had bluish silver hair that was cut short, and she wore a Tokwadai uniform. She grinned at Krux. "The Luster Touch, Level 5 Azure Sapphire has arrived!!!"

"A Level 5.." said Krux. "I knew my attack would attract attention.. but this is a bit much.."

"Ya damn right ya attracted attention!!" said Azure. "Nobody makes a mess of my town!!"

Azure slammed a hand against the ground, and multiple diamond spears erupted from the ground and hurled themselves at Krux.

Krux whirled his sword around at amazing speed, deflecting the spears with ease as he dashed at Azure. "DO NOT INTERFERE!!"

Azure coated her arms in diamond and blocked Krux's blow in a burst of sparks. "YOU KIDS HANG TIGHT!! I'VE GOT THIS!!!"

Azure screamed and a ginormous chunk of diamond erupted from the ground under Krux and knocked him into the air.

Azure thrust out her hands to the side, and two massive diamonds exploded into the air on either side of Krux

Azure clapped her hands together, and the two diamond chunks slammed together with Krux in between..

The diamonds suddenly cracked as darkness energy burst out from within.. and then it exploded into glittering shards as Krux slammed down into the earth.. creating a crater with his impact. He raised his blade, and breathed out a desolate growl. "You will regret.. your interference..."

Krux flew forward whirling his blade around in strange intricate motions. "KENDO HAKAI!! MODE ONE!!!"

Krux's sword exended in length, becoming a long blade of shadows as he slashed at supersonic speed.

Azure thrust out a hand, and a giant field of diamond spikes exploded out in front of her, but the diamonds were instantly shredded to pieces by Krux's technique as he flew through and stabbed the blade at Azure.

Azure coughed up blood as the blade pierced her stomach and she fell to the ground.

"NOOOOO!!!" Chiyu and Haru shouted, running to Azure.

"Damn it.." Azure coughed.

"WHAT'S GOING ON!?" Mikoto's voice came muffled out of Haru's bag. "What's happening!?"

"Now for you two.." Krux began..

"RUNNN!!" Azure rose from the ground as Krux dashed past her, throwing out a hand for an attack that would come too late.

Just as Krux prepared to attack again.. an image appeared on Haru's vision.. another strange message from the 'Viros of Mystery' username.

"A monster may be a monster, but it is still subjected to the rules of this world.."

At that moment, a window showing the ID usernames of fighting Avatars from a VRMMO appeared, with the word 'Challenge' next to them..

At the top of the list, the name 'Krux' was highlighted..

"CHIYU!" Haru shouted. "I'm gonna try something!! You need to Accelerate with me!!"

"Wait! WHAT!?"

"Just do it!!"

"BURST LINK!!" Chiyu shouted as Haru pressed the 'Challenge' option.

Right before Krux's blade reached Haru's head.. the world suddenly froze up around him.. and his sword phased through Haru like a hologram..

"What!?" Krux stepped back.. and stared at the world around him.. everything had become frozen.. birds flew motionless in midair, it was as if time had just stopped..

"What kind of Data World is this?" Krux mused. "I have never heard of the humans having this technology.."

Suddenly a giant flaming metal plate on chains appeared above Krux, showing him burning words.

"Lime Bell, Silver Crow V.S. Krux"

The world once more changed as the area turned into a desolate apocalyptic version of Tokyo, the buildings looked burned out, and the sky was dark and cloudy.

Where Haru and Chiyu had stood before, there were two robotic figures. One was tall and thin, with silver armor and a green faceplate. The other was a petite female looking avatar with a green body and a bell-like hat along with a massive bell attached to it's left arm.

"Whoah!" said Silver Crow.. the taller one, in Haru's voice. "Okay! So.. that worked.. somehow!"

"How did you do that!?" Lime Bell, the green avatar exclaimed in Chiyu's voice.

"I see, so somehow you have forced me into a Data World where you humans fight as biomechanical beings of some sort." said Krux, readying his sword.

"Don't get so cocky!" Silver Crow said. "You're on our turf now!!"

Silver Crow launched himself at Krux, using extraordinarily incredible speed and velocity to aim a well placed kick at Krux.

Krux brought up his sword and parried the metal foot in a burst of sparks. Silver Crow bobbed and weaved around Krux, shooting out a flurry of kicks and punches.

Krux easily countered the speed, using a set of strangely horizontal and flexible swings to block each punch and kick with the flat of his blade.

Right as he was about to initiate a counterattack though, Lime Bell came in from behind, swinging her massive bell like a club and slamming it into Krux's back.

Krux fell forward, and the health bar at the top of his vision began to sink.

"My." said Krux as he leapt into the air and somersaulted over Lime Bell. "A team fight against me? Perhaps I should be flattered.. but really since it's you bumbling clumsy humans.. I think not.."

Krux slashed his sword around in consecutive horizontal and diagonal attacks, using moves that were unusually straight and precise as both Lime Bell and Silver Crow jumped back and dashed away from him.

"You humans are so clumsy and unskilled, that you rely on the Data World itself to give you the power which you in truth don't have! Your speed, your reflexes.. the so called 'Sword Skills' are all just the system itself giving you power.. however.. the Viros are not so barbaric.. we have learned the art of our combat.. our power.. is REAL!"

Krux spiraled through the air with another leaping slash, displaying unusual agility for his heavy samurai armor.

The attack slashed across Silver Crow's metal chest, leaving a gash, and knocking him back.

Lime Bell made to counterstrike from the left, but Krux's sword came slashing upwards in a vicious uppercut

Lime Bell blocked with her bell, and sparks grinded across it as the blade rended across.

"BUSHIDO'S HANABIRA!!!" cherry blossom petals suddenly swirled around Krux as his blade became a blur, dealing multiple consecutive strikes across Lime Bell's body, causing her to yell out in pain as she was beaten down.

"BUSHIDO ICHI!!! BUSHIDO NI!!! BUSHIDO SAN!!!! " After each 15th strike, Krux sent down a massive energy enhanced strike into Bell.. pummeling her health further down.

"CHIYU!!!" Silver Crow shoulder charged Krux away from his friend.. leaving Lime Bell moaning on the ground, with only a sliver of health remaining.

"HRAAAHHHHH!!!" Silver Crow's back glowed as two large metal wings made of silver interlocking plates spread out from his back, and he grabbed Krux and flew up into the sky with a sonic boom.

Silver Crow flew up into the air, breaking the sound barrier as he rose higher and higher into the sky, bringing Krux up with him.

"Incredible.. a system that was able to engineer true flight!" said Krux. "This world.. this Data World.. whoever created it.. managed to create a system that is almost as advanced as the Viros homeworld! But, wings can be cut apart..

Krux kicked Silver Crow away so quickly, that the metal avatar didn't even have time to react as Krux slashed the two wings part in mid air

Silver Crow fell from the sky as darkness energy propelled itself out of seams in Krux's armor like booster rockets, keeping him in the sky.

"CITRON CALL!!!" Lime Bell rose her giant bell from where she lay, and from within, a massive surge of green light exploded out and showered itself upon both her and Silver Crow.

Immediately their health bars returned to their maximum amount, and the Ability Bars below them that had been building up, returned to their empty state.

Silver Crow's wings reformed, and he flew up once more to meet Krux.

"That wasn't an ordinary healing ability!" said Krux growled as he blocked a blazing kick from Silver Crow. "Time! I see.. an ability which turns back the effects that were issued by the forms of battle.. a rewind!"

Whoah! Haru thought as he once more re-engaged Krux in the sky. He figured out Chiyu's ability this quick!? Not to mention, he's not even a Burst Linker, and somehow he's entered this world... what is he!? He's not human!

Silver Crow crossed his silver wrist armaments together to block another powerful blow from Krux.. it seemed that Krux's moves were that of somebody who put plenty of stock into the geometrical and precise.

Each cut was like a work of art to the guy, the sword would cut in an absolute straight line, without falter, if he wanted, he could take his target and cut it up into 15 equally sized squares. That's what was scary.. this character was skilled and precise enough to never miss his mark, even if it was moving around.

The only comfort was, that this guy wasn't too keen on feinting, not with a style that required one to cut where they meant and hit precisely where they aimed.. which meant he was predictable to an extent, but because of his speed, that predictability in itself was limited as well.

Silver Crow was a very speedy avatar, his body's attributes contributed to that, being made of a lightweight metal, not to mention being quite thin and non bulky compared to most melee types. And his maneuverability through the air as the only Avatar that could fly. But Krux.. he was a master...

It soon became apparent to Haru that unless he got some kind of edge.. he was going to lose this fight.. and badly..

Haru shot into the sky and began coming at Krux from different directions.. above, below, right, left. Hitting at Krux who levitated in the center of it all.

Silver Crow broke the sound barrier each time as he attempted his aerial assaults, soaring around like a supersonic bird.

"LASER SWORD!!!" Silver Crow slashed his hand out, and a powerful blade of disintegrating light burned forth from it...

Krux, seeming a bit surprise, nonetheless blocked the move with his blade as a shockwave of light exploded out from the impact point.

"The Incarnate System.." said Krux. "So humans are indeed aware of it.. I thought that it might be true when Yuuki Kono used it on Shouichi Shinkawa.. but.. it appears that human beings are aware of the properties that affect all Data Worlds.. influenced by the soul's will inflicted upon the system."

Silver Crow launched himself back as Krux slashed a gash on his leg..

He could feel his endurance whittling down.. he had to find some way to hurt this guy fast..

Down below, Lime Bell could be see bashing and smashing random pieces of rock and debree.. what was she doing? Was she throwing some kind of fit or something?

"DIE!!" Krux came at a speed too fast for Silver Crow to react to.. his blade stabbing into his chest, and pushing him down from the sky to the ground at blistering speeds, creating a crater in the ground.

Krux removed his sword from Crow's chest and pinned him to the ground with his foot. "Do you want to know a secret.. we Viros have a power called Kill Match.. if we so choose, we can influence another sentient race's data world to give us the ability to kill somebody IRL as well when killing them in here.. however, that also means that our injuries received here are also made real.. of course that is to be expected.. I think for insulting me enough to actually attempt to fight me with your crude VR technology, I will kill you.."

"CITRON CALLLLL!!!!" Another shower of green light warped over Silver Crow.. and instantly he felt his stamina rise, and his injuries heal, he kicked Krux off of him.. and soared back into the sky, hovering above the Viros, his fists held at ready.

"Ch-Chiyu!" Silver Crow cried out. "H-how!?"

"Well, while you were up there going all Jetsons on him, I decided to hit a few things so that I could fill up my Ability Gauge." said Lime Bell. "That way I'd have another quick heal ready when you needed it."

"That's genius!" said Silver Crow. "Well well, we might not be as skilled as you.. er.. "

"Krux." said Krux.

"Yeah, we might not be as skilled as you Krux. But as long as my friend Chiyu's here, we can totally outlast you until you're completely whittled down to nothing!!"

Krux considered this for a minute, tilting his head. "Hmmm.. true.. very true.. however that is only if I continue using the tactic. It appears the one I should be focusing on isn't the main combatant.. but the supporter!!!"

Krux rocketed at Lime Bell, thrusting his blade forward.

"WHOAH!!" Lime Bell blocked Krux's attack with her bell, and made to counterattack with a roundhouse kick.

But Krux dodged the blow and began coming at Lime Bell again, making sure that none of her attacks made contact while continuing a furious assault.

"NO!!" Silver Crow dived down at Krux from above. He knew what Krux was doing. He was taking out the supporter so that he could continue focusing on Silver Crow. And he was making sure that Lime Bell couldn't use Citron Call to just heal herself by making sure none of her attacks actually made contact.

And furthermore... if what Krux said was true about being able to kill somebody IRL in game... well, Haru had heard about the Sword Art Online disaster from 40 years ago, and he wasn't about to let that happen.

He wasn't going to make it in time, Mikoto could tell as she watched Silver Crow fly towards Krux. The battle happening in slow motion

She wasn't sure how and why she was watching this, a disembodied mind floating in a strange world.

"It's quite a sight isn't it?" said another voice. "Remember what you and Yuuki promised you would work on together? To create something amazing out of the Brain Burst program?"

"Yeah." said Mikoto. "We've been using Sacred Arts to compile the program together, add different specs to it.. give it the ability to map it's own world by looking at real world environments.. it was a complicated program.. but we were slowly succeeding.."

"You never succeeded in completing the program." said the voice. "But, in the future, somebody discovered your work, and feeling that it must be done, completed the project for you.. this is the result of that project.. Brain Burst.. a VRMMO unlike any other.. where gamers fight not only play.. but also to grow strong in real life.. to create relationships with each other.. to become honorable people and to fight for something very real..."

"Real.. " said Mikoto. "That's what me and Yuuki wanted.. a game that would be real.. that wouldn't just be a game.. it would influence us in the real world.. not just like GGO where you could get paid.. but a world where people could develop relationships with each other.."

"Yes.. that is the world you see now.. the Accelerated World.. Brain Burst.. Haruyuki Arita and Chiriyu Kurashima are both players in that world.. in this game.. the brain's perception and heart rate are accelerated to a point where time is frozen.. and during that time entire battles can take place.. a 15 minute battle, happening in moments faster then a second.."

"Incredible.." said Mikoto.

"I am the one who completed it.." said the voice. "I am the former Queen of the Viros.. Aslenia.. Nox is my daughter.. and I helped finish Brain Burst because I felt that it was the one way to prepare a select group of humans for the day of the invasion.."

"Invasion?"

"Yes." said Aslenia, as she spoke a vision appeared before Mikoto.. showing the Earth, only the continents were all barren and in flames as streaks of light hurtled towards the planet. "The Viros used to look after the humans with benevolence after they discovered, much to their delight, that humans were progressing in virtual technology.. this first drew the Viros to make contact with Aleister Crowley... the one who was furthest in virtual advancement at the time.. but.. the relationship changed when Sword Art Online was created.."

"Let me guess.." said Mikoto. "Something about trapping 10000 people in a death game made you all angry."

"You could say.. we were thrilled that humans were finally entering their own data worlds." said Aslenia. "But when we discovered Kayaba's despicable actions, it led us to believe that humans weren't ready for the technology.. however, it was too late to ask Aleister to abort.. the SEED program that you and Kirito-kun unleashed was already spreading like wildfire.. I ruled that we give humans a chance..... but.. a coup was held by my sister Vant.. she managed to turn my people against me, telling everyone that SAO was proof that humans were a bumbling terrible race who deserved none of the advances they made.. and that the sacred bond we formed with them.. the Viros Symbiosis.. was a perverse abomination.. and so.. Vant took the throne, my daughter and I were branded criminals and sealed in near death forms beneath your planet's surface, and they proceeded to eliminate all Viros Symbiotes on Earth, leaving only a few to survive.. but.."

"But some survived.." said Mikoto. "And people like Yuniko formed new Symbiotic bonds.. "