.Hack//New Testament Chapter 15

On this day, when I was walking around Mac Anu's shops to get some equipment, I came across Balmung.

I tried to turn away, but I was too slow.

“Wait.”

I stopped very suddenly at his firm tone.

I take a somewhat-firm posture.

He directed me to follow him and he walked back without looking over his shoulder. It was as though he knew I would follow him.

I hesitated a little, but decided to follow him.

We left the crowds and went to the riverbank under the bridge.

Balmung stopped there, turned around, and looked at me. His gaze was narrowed. I stood there, paralyzed with fear.

“We meet again,” said Balmung.

“It seems you're a real-life acquaintance of Orca.”

“I know him,” I answered.

“He invited me to start playing this game.”

“If that's the case, I want to ask you something. I haven't been able to contact him since the server trouble the other day. What is he doing now?”

I looked at Balmung. His arrogant atmosphere has been replaced with an expression of concern for the safety of his friend.

“You don't know?”

“That's why I'm asking you like this.”

“Are you an acquaintance of Orca, Balmung?”

“He…”

Balmung knitted his eyebrows.

“He is my partner. We formed a party together.”

I remembered Orca's PC which was operated by Yasuhiko.

His partner was a giant barbarian-type?

I talked about what happened the day Yasuhiko became comatose.

How I had met a mysterious girl and a monster chasing her.

How Orca had been Data Drained by the monster.

I talked about the book that the girl handed to Orca which somehow appeared in my hand and how I suddenly became able to use Data Drain.

Immediately, a crease appeared between the eyebrows of Balmung's handsome face.

“Why didn't you say such an important thing sooner!”

“It didn't seem like the right time to say,” I said in return.

When I met Balmung before, he was so upset that I felt that he would slash me if I said anything.

Recalling that moment, Balmung took a deep breath with his right hand on his forehead. He thought for a while, but eventually put his hand down and looked at me.

I saw a harshness, if anything hostility, in his eyes once again.

“I see… I don't know how true the story is.”

“I'm not lying to you.”

Balmung ignored my objection.

“Remember, the power of your bracelet is the same thing that put Orca into a coma!”

At these words I took a deep breath. I thought he would thrust out his drawn sword, because I repeatedly wondered about this to myself as well.

“I'll overlook this for now, since you're an acquaintance of Orca, but if get too comfortable with cheats and other skills,” he said.

Balmung turned away from me.

“Then I'll definitely kill you!”

Then he walked back to the main street.

I was left alone by the river.

“I… get it.”

I was suddenly no longer in the mood to continue the game.

When I was about to log out, I was called from behind.

“This is no time to feel down.”

When I turned around, there was a female Wavemaster before me.

I said it was a Wavemaster just now, but I thought this because it's the impression I got from the wizard-like look, and the PC model was the first type I saw. She was wearing mysterious goggles, the upper half of her face, including the eyes, was completely hidden.

“Oh, you are…?” I asked with a rising voice.

When Balmung led me to this place, I noticed that no one else was here.

When did this person get behind me?

“Are you friend or foe, hehe, meddlesome warner,” she said. Her voice gave a strange feeling of dignity.

Placing the cursor on her, her character name was displayed in the window.

Hel… ba… Helba?

“You're Helba? You sent that mail?”

She nodded.

“Yes, but more important than that, watch out for Lios.”

“Lios?” I asked back.

“Lios is a human system administrator. He will treat your bracelet as a virus.”

I chuckled a little.

“I wrote it in the mail. You are being watched.”

I didn't know how to respond.

“Why are you helping me?” I asked bluntly.

“Helping you? Hahahaha.”

Instead of a m.u.f.fled chuckle, Helba laughed out loud. The laughter of someone who knows something you don't know. In other words, a condescending laughter.

“I don't know. Maybe it's better for me to help.”

Then she transferred out without warning.

She disappeared, leaving behind a mysterious laugh like the Cheshire Cat.