Kana Misouko

"Dad, When I grow up I'm going to be rich!" Eight-year old Kana told her father, who was bouncing her on his knee.

"Idiot, We're already wealthy enough!" Kyoko muttered from the armchair, The three of them we're lounging in their living room, watching that years children in need programme. Kana turned her head to him and blew a raspberry, annoyed at being called at idiot.

"I know we're wealthy stupid-face! I mean rich, like super duper rich!" Her father laughing, patted her head gently.

"And why'd do you want to be so rich princess? Money doesn't buy your happiness," He told him, she looked back at him and beamed.

"It's not for me, It's so I can help all the poor people, I'll buy them so much food, they wont be hungry no more. I can save them all."

"You can't save them all, idiot." Kana spun to glare at her brother once more, he was such a stupid head, he really made her mad.

"Watch me, stupid-face!" She retorted, sticking her tongue out at him, their father chuckled behind her.

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Kana would save everyone, she had too, she wasn't going to let being stuck in this game take away her dreams. She would survive this, save everyone in the game, them develop OKO-ART's resources and connections. She would build the franchise, and use the profit to create a charity foundation. That was her dream, and to hell with this game if it tried to stop her from making it happen. With a battle cry, she swiped at the bird-beast once more, scratching it's forehead. Not as hard as her last hit, but enough to leave a decent amount of damage.

Her eyes locked with them, she shook her head. "I want to do this, if anything I could let off some steam." she replied. Before turning away, she didn't want anyone to baby her anymore, they certainly hadn't in the real world. She was tired of having it in here. In the real world, she could take out most men with a swift high kick. She hadn't been a weakling in any sense of the word, she had been able to take care of herself. Like all Misouko women, she was independent. It was time for her game self to reflect who she really was.

She saw the bunny come out of the grass, she blinked at it for a moment, it was so small and fluffy. She squealed, falling to her knees in front of it. "Awwww your so cute!" she said, the bunny looked up at her! Sniffing the air as though checking out her scent. It little nose wiggling, she reached out to touch it. Wondering if it felt as soft as it looked.

Suddenly the ground exploding in front of them, a giant claw broken through the soil, reaching out and crushing the bunny under its palm. It disappeared into thousands of green shards. Kana stumbled onto her feet and step back as the monster continued to crawl out of the ground. Kana backed away a good few steps, as a giant violet lizard like beast appeared before them. It opened it mouth, making the awful noise they had heard moments ago. It's tongue was blood red, Kana hoped that was related to strawberries and nothing else.

"Fight it is then, let's do this Kiluia."

"Yes!" Kana cheered as he took out the boar she had missed.This was nearly over, one more hit from each of them, and the creature would be gone and they could relax. Kana could already feel the last traces of panic from being chased by the stampede fading from her system completely. She was focused,with Eléssar by her side, this had been a lot easier than she had expected it to be. Maybe fighting tougher creatures wasn't so bad, maybe she could push herself in the future and go for something with a hp level higher than herself. It would be risky, but she was going to learn. She could become stronger, and wouldn't feel like an asset to everyone she fought alongside with.

She grinned at Eléssars comment, "I know a brilliant cafe that isn't too expensive, I've saved up quite a bit of col, so it's on me," She told him, approaching the last boar slowly. Leaping forward, she swung her blade across the boars side, cutting it deeply. She made a whooping noise before jumping back to Eléssar's side, "Finish this!" she yelled excitedly.

Kana elected to get damage in soon, closing her eyes, she prepared her weapon. Allowing its power to build up to the point where it's release would be strongest. She waited for its power to build as much as it could, she knew it wouldn't be a great deal more damage than she already could do but it would be better than nothing. Anything that could possible help her in this moment she would take gratefully. She knew she had a little way yet before she would defeat this creature, she had no boosts to help her deal more damage. Once this was over she was going to invite in a weapon upgrade to help her deal more damage.

Once the blade was ready she swung her body forward, thrusting her blade into the creatures chest. Leaving it there for a moment before yanking it out. Red shards of pixels sprinkling her a little before disappearing. She divided backyards, their hips seemed to match a little more now, meaning that she was one step closer to winning. "You can do this Kana," she told herself encouragingly.

She heard the voice before she saw the girl, sitting up quickly,she looked around before her eyes landed on her. It seemed she had been joined by a blue-hair girl, around the same age as her. For some reason the girl looked familiar, but she wasn't sure why. She had seen plenty of people as she walked through the game, so dejavu was a common feature in the game. She just wasn't sure how she felt she knew it, in a weird way Haines reminded her of Ruri, the girl Kiluia had introduced her to. It would be ironic, if the two turned out to be related somehow, or even know each other. You never knew, this game was full of suprises.

She smiled, slightly embarrassed by having been caught like this, reaching up she scratched the back of her head nervously. "Sorry, I'm training to be an alchemist and I'm looking for a specific ingredient for a healing crystal." She explained, she knew full well that this was an odd way to go about things, but she hadn't wanted to fight any beasts, so she took the route less travelled and sought the flower in a safe zone. She had heard that it would be hear, and she thought her luck was in. Only to find out when she got here, that it was buried someone in this sea of flowers, making it nearly impossible to find. One difficulty for another really.

" It's called a 'Living lullaby', it kind of looks like a lotus flower but it's purple with a blue middle. It's tiny in comparison to all of these, I don't suppose you may have seen it as your walking by?" She asked, a friendly smile reting on her lips. She lowered her hand from her hands and rested both palms on her lap. The girl looked harmless enough, but never could tell in this game, that Ruri girl had been fierce and she looked completely innocent, for all she knew she was talking to a front liner.

Kana glanced over as she was joined by another man, for some reason the guy was apologising for not being able to help her, she smiled her his kindness her anger lessening slightly. "Honestly, it's fine it's not your fault, it this idiots fault for running around like a mad man." She aimed the last of her sentence at the fool who had knock her sandwich out of her hand. Filling her words with as much heat as she felt. She had really been looking forward to that sandwich, and not that it had been taken away from her, the highlight of her day had been ruined. She would just have to work on her cooking until she could finally make a new one, although that wasn't easy, she was a little hopeless at it.

"But I'm Okay, thank you for asking,just annoyed." she replied! looking at the man before her. He was a few inches taller than her, and a few years older too. He seemed like a nice guy, she was glad that someone had showed concern for her, and also appreciate how heartbreaking it was to lose a sandwich when all you ever seemed to eat was bread and water. She glanced over at the idiot, wondering if she was going to get an apology from him, Geez, where are people damn manners these days! Just because they were in a game didn't mean they couldn't be polity. It was still a SOCIAL network after all.

"Hey, after we end this, let's grab something to eat? You know, to celebrate," she asked with a grin, he had just taken another boar out now there was only two. She had to admit she was impressed by his skill, she could only wish that she could become this good one day. One that she had struck and one that had yet to be wounded. She decided to aim for the one that had yet I be struck, seeming as this seemed to be the quickest way to end this battle.

Leaping, forward she raised her sword and attempted to bring it down in the boars head. However the boar was too quick, and it dived left. Causing her blade to collide with nothing but air. She pulled back. Growling in frustration, she yanked to end this quickly, but she couldn't do that if she kept missing. She would have to try harder on her next attempt, she at least wanted to land one more hit before it was over.

As Kana swiftly moved back, the bird-beast swung it's body around to face her, clearly not happy about her sneak attack. She smirked at it, "I won't let you defeat me," She told the creature, her tone challenging it to try harder. She had figured it out by know, the birds speed was mainly due to its wings, that why it had chased her down so quickly. It had flown. But since she had cut down its wing, it had dramatically reduced the speed of its attacks. She could see that the bird was using its weight to add speed to its attacks, almost likely allowing itself to fall to speed it. It was a weird tactic, but the clumsy looking creature using it to its advantage.

The bird swung forward, it's beak veering across, Kana jumped back, the tip of the beak millimetres away from her stomach. Before she could recover the bird did it again, Kana jumped once more, but not far enough. The beak was going to hit her, but then she lost her footing and fell back onto the ground. The beak narrowing missed her once more. Kana rolled into her stomach, climbing onto her feet she sprinted away, putting a little space between her and the bird-beast. That had been too close for comfort.

Kana sighed at his words, of course there was. More bad news from Kiluia., so much for her happy day off. Oh well, this would be her first chance to fight with him and see what they're like together. She would just have to look at it as training, training that would lead to become stronger. She looked ahead, scanning for whatever Kiluia may have been talking about.

She pulled out her blade too, her one-handed curved sword hanging by her side. Kana gripped it tightly with her right hand, feeling the tassels of the sword under her skin. Damn, this game is realistic, She thought subciously. She glanced at Kiluia who also had his sword out, this was it, they were ready to fight. She heard a peculiar sound as they walked along, slowly it grew louder and louder until it was so loud she could barely hear anything else. "What is that?" She shouted to Kiluia, barely able to hear herself over the sound.

Kana began to move through the trees, she could hear the bird -beast flapping around. It was getting restless with her lack of movement. It was moving after her, trying to swing at her with its beak and remaining wing. Fortunately the trees blocked most of it's attacks from even coming close to her. Although she was worried that if the bird-beast kept hitting at the trees they may topple. As far as she knew, there was a vast amount of objects into the game that had a durability rate, trees she wasn't sure about. She didn't know if the game worked that way and she didn't want to find out.

Once she was behind the bird, she aimed her swung, she needed to hit this or she wasn't going to make it. Shifting her fitting, she pushing off her feet, diving forward quickly. With a yell of effort, she brought her right arm across her body, slashing her blade across its spine. The bird-beast squawked as the blade connected, leaving a glowing scar along it's back, proving that she had succeeded in hitting it. She watched as the bird rearing forward. Kana grinned, and moved back once more.

Kana nodded, she was still finding it hard to smile at the moment. The pain in her heart was still too great, she could feel herself trying to rebuild the walls she had to her emotions. After Hikaru and Sakie's death, she had worked more and more on becoming susceptible to death and evil. But that clearly hadn't worked well, it seemed she had avoided danger so long that she had forgotten its horror, and now it was eating away at her. "We will do this Kiluia..." and that was the last she said in use matter.

She allowed Kiluia to take her hand and lead her along, ironically she wasn't in the mood to eat strawberries anymore. She wasn't in the mood to eat anything at the moment, but they would get them for the children. They would need them today most of all, a light in the dark days. "Okay," was all she to say to Kiluia, she wasn't hungry, but she would force herself if it made him happy.

"i would fight with all I had. I wouldn't want you to die for me, and I won't die for you either. I'd fight for you for the rest of my life and if death came so be it. I would make the world a better place in anyway I can, because I wouldn't want you're life to be wasted, we need to fight and live until the end. Until we wake up on the other side." Kana stood up. "I'll stand by your side on the front lines,"

She made a decision at that moment, one that changed the course of the entire game. She was not just surviving anymore, she was playing to win. She had found her role in this game finally, and now it was actually going to begin. "I will be gone for the next few days, I need some time to build myself, I'm going to become stronger. But I need to be alone, I have to learn to be strong on my own." She hoped he wouldn't argue with her, if she was going to do this she had to do it properly. How would she learn otherwise, how would she develop herself. If she wanted to be a warrior, she had to act like one.

Kana took a moment to look over the beast once more, Kana hoped it was a slow regenerator. Taking out its wing had been a surprisingly good move on her part, if she could make it happen once more, her chances of win would rocket. There were also other areas she could focus on, the bottom of the stomach, the back, the back of its head and potentially it's feet, although the stomach was so low she doubted she could reach its feet.

Using her << Acrobatics >> skill! she leaped high to the right! moving too fast for the bird to follow. The bird attempted to swing at her, but missed narrowly. Phew, that was close she thought. She began to circle the bird,,depicting her next move, finally she dived forward to strike only to find the bird had thrown its body forward to, maybe her swing collide with its beak. There was a clang as her blade struck it, she felt the force of the collision cause her sword to vibrate slowly. This suggested the strength of the beyond was beyond the capability of her sword. She would have to avoid hitting that, the last thing she wanted was to lose her only weapon.

She jumped back, reanalysing her options. She would have to try from behind, hopefully by doing that she may potentially get a good hit. She definitely needed one at this point. She bird-beats hp was still higher than her own. She wasn't winning just yet.

Kana smirked, she loved getting on Aika's nerves. It seemed whatever she seemed to say, she would take the bait. It was a lie, it she didn't say it went vice versa too. She caught the last words and her eyes light up. Her expression smug, "I knew you wanted to be my bestie! you only get that if you admit defeat." she challenged before turning her attention back to the boys! although the blonde one was more muscular, the dark one was more dangerous looking, smouldering and enrapturing. Plus he seemed to be more into her.

Kana watched, raising an eyebrow as Aika's posed for them, well if she was going to stoop to that level. She smirked, "You look constipated," she quipped, she didn't really but it wasn't like Aika could see herself. "Hey boys, I bought a new battle suit recently, wanna see?" Standing up, she took a few steps in front of them, turning to face them. She selected the item from her menu, and put it on.

Having years of knowledge about the fashion industry, Kana knew exactly how to model an outfit, including a medieval battle suit. She watched their reacts with glee, they were impressed. She was wear a leathery black one piece, designed with intricate stitch work, the play suit cut off like shorts, revealing her bare legs. The top half was cut in a V-neck, low enough to catch their attention, but still high enough to be a mystery. The sleeves reached all the way to her knuckles, with patterns cut out at the forehands in vine like patterns. It was a beauty that shed won in a bet. To finish off, she had black battle boots that reach her knees. The suit was daring, but not enough to be slutty.

Everything was coming back to her from before, those moments she spent watching two people she cared for deeply disappear into nothingness, knowing that they weren't ever going to log out. Their game had ended and so had their lives. Some where in the real world, innocent peoples brains were being fried, killing them instantly. Families who would be waiting hopefully beside their beds would hear their heart flatline.

Beep, beep, BEEEEEEEEP.

And then nothing, she couldn't do this. She couldn't just look after herself anymore, she had to fight it. It was one thing to tell Caen to go to the front lines, while she sit back and watch, but what was she doing? Picking damn fake strawberries, in a fake field. No more. She stopped shaking, hearing Kiluia's question, she looked up at him.

Join the front line?

Could she really do that? Take her sword, and kill bosses. She looked down at her hands, Am I strong enough? she asked herself, The million dollar question. She stared at her fingers, she would have to fight, she would get close to death, she may even have to kill. Could she kill? A strong part of her rose in anger, a internal war began to engage. Her fear of death and her desire to save everyone fighting it out inside.

"We could die... I could die. What would you do if I died?" she asked, looking back up at him with her big golden eyes.

Kana felt as if her heart had fallen through her stomach, her body went rigid, and she began to shake. Tears welled in her eyes, She couldn't take this. She fell to her knees, burying her face in her hands, and she began to bawl. After crying for a few moments, she began to speak.

"I hate it." She barely croaked out the words, "This game, I hate it. It ruins lives, kills innocent babies, and WHY?" She screamed the last part looking up at the heavens as though speaking to a specific individual.

"DO YOU ENJOY THIS YOU SICKO! YOU'RE A MURDERER, YOU DID THIS, WHEN I GET OUT I'LL-.. I swear I'll...oh god..." She buried her face in her hands, she couldn't even threaten the guy, how was to suppose to do anything to someone as rich and powerful as that. She was hopeless, in game and out of it. "I'm sorry Kiluia..." She wanted to be strong for him, but right now, she was broken.

"Don't worry, I wasn't focusing," she replied, grinning as she watched him take out another boar, only three left. They could definitely win this, and she would survive her first decent battle. She felt excitement rise in her, it had been a long time since she had own anything. It felt good.

Aiming for the one of the ones that hadn't been hitting, it seemed that Eléssar dealt a great deal of damage, enough to take out one that had been slightly weakened. She didn't wanna waste he attack on the wounded one. Leaping forward, her blade dangling behind her, she pulled it across, and slashed into the side of the one of the boars. It squealed and leap back, she grinned and jumped back to Eléssars side careful not to let the boar get between them again.

Kana stood up from the fountain, "Ahaa, I knew it was you! You're so typical, Aika, always doing what I'm doing, like a little wannabe stalker!" She retorted with a smirk, placing her hands on her hips defensively. Aika had been the only girl Kana ever disagreed with in school, for some reason when they had first met each other years ago, they just hadn't got on. Kyoko had said it was because their personalities were so similar, following this he was kicked in the groin. Kana especially hated it whenever Aika had spoken to Hikaru, not many people knew Kana had feelings for him, but whenever Aika had been around that was when they had been most recognisable.

"Honestly, ladies you're both pretty," intervened the blonde one, Kana looked back at him so fast she almost gave her whiplash, her eyes telling him to shut his mouth. She turned her head back to look at Aika, her number one nemesis in their entire high school.

"You don't have to say such things to make her feel better, how can she be pretty when she looks like she washes her hair with blueberries." She wouldn't admit it, but she was a little envious of the length of Aika's hair, Kana's never seemed to grow longer than her shoulders, whereas Aika's flowed all the way down her back. Kana sat herself back down between the boys, she turned to the dark haired one, "You think I'm prettier right?" She asked, giving him her puppy-dog-eyes that seemed to work on almost everyone. Touching his arm gently for effect, the guy gulped unsure on how to respond.

Kana took a moment behind the tree, taking a moment to breathe. The fear in her rising once more, she couldn't allow for the panic to take over. The bird-beast was simple and slow, it's main feature was its strength and weight. She could defeat this thing, she had dealt more blow than she had received. She just had to keep trying.

After all, how was she going to defeat a level nine boss in the future, if she could defeat a damn bird. This bird seemed tough to her, but no doubt, in comparison to what she would fight in the future this was mince meat. She had to work at it, she had decided to join the frontline and fight in the guild. She had taken the title soldier and she wasn't going to waste it.

Hikaru, Sakie, the church children and everyone else. She would do this for them, so that their deaths were not in vain. She would come back a stronger woman, maybe not physically but mentally. Then no one would be able to take her one, she would become and asset to the world, Oko-Art would not longer be limited to fashion. She was going to make connections, connections with powerful people. Do everything she could to prevent this from happening again. She had a true goal now, her own goal, not just her families. She opened her eyes, the fear had faded and she was ready once more. Leaping from behind the trees she charged into battle once more.

Kana stopped at his words, she had easily recognised his change in mood. Reaching out to grab the hem of his shirt, she asked a question she feared the answer to. "Kiluia, What's wrong? Has something happened? Is the kids? Are they ok?"

She could feel the panic begin to rise in her chest, one nice day, one day. That's all she had asked for, with no deaths, no issues, no tears. From the sound of Kiluia's voice, it didn't sound like it was going to be the case today. She could already feel her mood morphing, the happiness fading from her eyes as she awaited Kiluia's answer to her questions.