12 Chapter 11: The backstory for the creation of SAO.
"Class 2A? I don't seem to find you in our class? W-Wait a minute, TWO A?… You are still in the second year?" Ask Fumino in disbelief.
After that, there is an awkward silence between the two.
....
"Ku-Hum, Yes I am actually just in my second year," Junichiro affirmed her question before continuing his silence.
"Ahahahaha… Well… D-Doesn't that mean that you need to address me as S-E-N-P-A-I?" Fumino asks with a quivering smile on her face.
"Ehm… I think it is already too late for you to try establishing your seniority after all of that..." Junichiro retorted to her question with a sweat drop on the side of his head.
"Ah!!!! Shut up Shut up Shut Up! N-Next time you need to address me as Senpai! Understand? Well then, goodbye!"
Fumino said all of that in one breath before she left from the vicinity of Junichiro in a hurry.
"What a strange girl… Well, it looks like I need to go back to class since lunchtime is almost finished.
-----
Junichiro continues his class for today before he goes back to the library to borrow some books he needs for research in the library.
Though, this was after all just a high school library. Despite being big enough and containing several university books, it was still incomplete.
Hence he was dropping by the neighborhood library for a quick look. As he entered the library, He was lurking around the section that dealt with old fantasy books.
Looking around, he can't help but sigh to himself;
"At any rate, when compared to mankind's history, the fantasy aspect seems to be quite outdated here. Even the Holy Scriptures could be considered as a type of fantasy haha!. While the second part still has some proof, the first part is written based on imagination."
It was then that he heard a scream from the row in front of him.
"What the heck?" said the guy who screamed just now.
Junichiro hurriedly went to the other side of bookshelves where he chances upon this bizarre phenomenon.
There, a disturbance in space appears in the middle of this library. Junichiro can only stare in shock as someone is absorbed into the space portal or gate that formed.
The space gate only appears for less than 3 seconds before it disappears leaving behind a book in its place that lay down on top of the floor.
"Am I dreaming? What the hell just happened? Did a black hole just appear in front of me? No! Did someone just get isekai'ed in front of my eyes!!?"
Junichiro can't be bothered to wait as he sees the cover of the book that was left behind by the person who got isekai'ed just now.
"Four Heavenly Weapon's Manual?"
For some reason, only this ancient-looking and the retro-sounding book had fallen from the weird phenomenon just now. It is a book that as an Otaku in his previous life where Isekai genre has already flourished can instantly recognize.
"Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that I would witness someone get transported to another world right in front of me…" Junichiro said as he gaze at the book that he know will transport someone to another world in the Shield Hero isekai Anime.
"Well, it looks like that guy just now is Naofumi...., may the shield be with you…"
Junichiro put his hand together in prayer as he left the scene after putting the book on the bookshelves. There is no way he is going to go to that dangerous world if he already likes this world.
'I will just let Naofumi suffer... and probably obtain his own happiness in that world alone.'
With that, he doesn't need to botter being a hero since he doesn't want to be one. Though, he still needs to deal with his current world that seems to be more chaotic as the day progresses.
'Hey! Since you can even be transported to another world by a book in this world, it doesn't close the possibility of me or someone close to me getting isekai'ed in this world later on right?… Looks like I need to prepare huh?'
Unknown to him, he just created a flag for himself just now.
Though, his thought process is suddenly interrupted by a notification
*Ding*
[New Mission: Create your own club or group!]
[Description: Analysing that the world is not peaceful and will be chaotic in the future, the host should look for several friends and teammates that the host can rely on.
Reward: Unknown Technology Blueprint]
'Club? Group? Hahahahaha… Looks like this is the Steins;Gate choice for me to recreate the Future Gadget Research club at my school in this life!' Junichirou thought so with madness in his eyes as he remembered how he came to this world.
There was an inseparable connection between his transmigration and this club. To say that this club doesn't have a place in his heart would be a lie.
"But… Who would be the other member? I don't think that the system will recognize a group without members as I did in my past life… "
"Somehow it sounds embarrassing when I hear it…" Whisper Junichiro to no one in particular thinking about his club creation.
Deciding to save this thought for later, he picked some books that he needed and went to the sitting place.
It was then that he saw an acquaintance. Someone who will be perfect for the second member of his club. Another mad scientist like him, Kayaba Akihiko!
'Perfect timing! Though, since I still have not yet created the club, I will just have a conversation with him for now.'
Junichiro sits directly opposite him and reads the books he has just taken.
"It was a surprise seeing you here… Kayaba-san," Junichiro said so with a chuckle.
"Well, I didn't expect for the self-proclaimed Houoin Kyouma who wants to dominate the world to come to me here in a local library despite already giggling and sneering at something I have no idea about before in the middle of the library."
Kayaba said with no expression found on his face.
"Y-you saw all that!???" Blurt out Junichiro as he thought 'Did he see me looking at the system before?'
"Well yes, of course, I think you already attracted a lot of unwanted attention before to the whole library since your behavior looks very suspicious and very similar to a mental patient… Though you actually are with your high degree of secondary illness (chuunibyou)."
Kayaba said his explanation as he flipped to another page from his book.
"Ahahaha… I-... I just think about my plan to dominate the world through my technology." Explain Junichirou in a hurry, even if it sounds very unreliable.
The sentence makes Kayaba finally take off his gaze from the book he read as he stares at Junichiro.
"The thesis was called "Dokodemo door" right?"
ask Kayaba suddenly
!!!
"You read my thesis?" Junichiro replied with a question in surprise.
"Don't get me wrong, I just envy you for being able to chase your almost impossible and a fictional dream to this extent. Unlike me who doesn't know what to do with mine."
Kayaba explained his reason as he took his book again and read it.
"Yours? Do you also have some kind of unsolvable dream?" Ask Junichiro in confusion.
'Does this psychopath also have a dream?... Wait don't tell me that SAO is his dream and he is now inviting me to join his mass murder….. Oh crap.'
Junichiro thought as cold sweat started to flow in his hand. Although he is a mad scientist, he doesn't like to engage in a stupid public mass murder like SAO.
After all, he still sees the public image as important. He rather starts World War III for humans to enter the interstellar era rather than this stupid endeavor. Although a World War will kill more people, he will not be categorized as a killer but a revolutionist.
This might be what differentiates a hero and a demon king despite both being mass murderers...
"You have watched Laputa right?" asked Kayaba suddenly, breaking his thought.
"Laputa? Does your dream have to do with that movie?" Junichiro asked as he can't understand any connection between him and that film.
Kayaba smiled a little bit hearing that question as he finally broke away from his poker face.
"Haha, it might be a bit childish but my dream is the second part of the title of that movie."
"You mean, 'Castle in the sky'?" Junichiro said as he finally realized something.
Laputa: Castle in the Sky, known as Tenkū no Shiro: Laputa in Japan and Castle in the Sky in North America. It is a 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
For those who don't know, it was the first film produced by Studio Ghibli and was produced for Tokuma Shoten.
It follows the adventures of a young boy and girl in the late 19th century attempting to keep a magic crystal from a group of military agents while searching for a legendary floating castle.
'Remembering SAO which features a floating castle, the reason Kayaba designed it as such might be due to this so-called childish dream of his…'
Junichiro thought with a wry smile as the guy in front of him is so lacking in his conversational skill, probably due to him being introverted.
With the fact that Junichiro knows his future self, He almost misunderstands him, thinking that he is trying to invite him to join in his crime.
"Right. It is my dream to create a floating castle, though I realize that it is impossible to create one in real life."
"I see…"
'That's why you create one digitally in a virtual world!' Thought Junichiro in his mind.
"I lived longing for nothing but to create a floating castle. A world that surpassed the laws and boundaries of reality. I wonder how old I was when I became entranced by that steel castle floating in the sky. I just wanted to leave the earth behind and go to that castle. For a long long time that was my only desire."
Kayaba took a deep breath in his explanation before continuing. He stared deeply at Junichiro as he said; "You see Junichiro. I still believe that in some other world, that castle truly exists. Just like how you believe that 'Dokodemo door' can exist through science."
"Yeah, it'd be nice if it did," Junichiro replied as he stared at the sky wondering if he will create a floating castle one day with an anti-gravity engine.
"Heh, sure it is… I'm not sure what makes me say so much to you. Might be due to our similarity in being a scientific person and an otaku, even though I belong to what people say closet Otaku unlike you…"
...
He continues his silence before saying;
"Now then, I'll be on my way." Said Kayaba before standing up from his seat and walking toward the exit of the library.
Seeing him leaving, Junichiro hurriedly says the reason he came here before.
"Wait! I plan to create a future gadget research club at our school after this. If you still hold to that dream of yours, then you should join this club." Junichiro said toward the leaving Kayaba in the library.
The raindrops continue to sound inside the library building as the echo of the water splashes reverberated through the air.
Kayaba stops in his step when he hears his sentences. He ponders for a few seconds before saying;
"I see…"
He then continued on his way to the exit of the library.
