.hack//AI Buster - Volume 2 - Chapter 2.7

.: 7 :.

I opened my eyes to see Saki Shibayama staring down at me. Was she crying?

"Mister Watarai! Do you know where you are?" Saki asked.

The high-pitch sound of sirens assaulted me from every direction. As I tried to turn my head around, I could barely make out what looked like flashing lights. I was in an ambulance; a paramedic checked my vitals.

"What happened?" I groaned.

"I found you passed out on your desk!"

I sighed heavily. ''This is the third time I've been in an ambulance."

"Huh?" she asked.

I felt delirious.

"You work too hard, sir. You almost never leave the office and you're too possessive of your projects. We want to help you, but you never ask fot help. If you break down, you'll be left with nothing:' Saki managed to say between sobs.

I wanted to calm her, but I was strapped into the gurney.

I tried to remember what had happened, but my mental synapses were fried. I couldn't properly conjure up my memones.

I waved Saki closer to me. "Tsukasa."

"Huh?"

I whispered so the nurse couldn't hear. "Continue surveillance on Tsukasa. But don't make contact."

"What do you mean? Did you meet Tsukasa?"

"I'll give the details to upper management. They'll come up wi th a response plan."

My body felt heavy. I knew if I closed my eyes, I would sink into a deep slumber and possibly never emerge. Then I remembered-Albireo's Divine Spear of Wotan was shattered.

My heart felt broken. I didn't know what to believe anymore. Was a real player manipulating Tsukasa's avatar? If so, who? What was that dumbbell monster? What was the cat? Who was I trying to protect? I no longer knew.