After chatting with Asuna and Argo for a while longer, Haruto finally logged off.
That was enough gaming for today—any more grinding would just be rude. Finding a quiet spot, Haruto chose to log out.
After two weeks since the official launch, the first floor was finally cleared.
Sounds like it took too long?
Well, the pace of floor clearing would speed up considerably from here on.
In the original storyline, clearing the first floor of SAO took an entire month. And clearing the whole game? A whopping two and a half years.
That was far too slow.
Haruto's presence was definitely meant to accelerate SAO's progression. By his estimate, the game should be fully cleared and liberated within a year.
Exiting the game, Haruto stretched a little. At that moment, his phone vibrated twice.
He checked the screen.
It was a message from the Foundation site.
And not just any message—it was highly encrypted, only viewable by personnel with Security Clearance Level 4 or higher.
Haruto frowned slightly.
At this point, the only places capable of generating such high-level encrypted data…
Would likely be O Death (SCP-2935) or Kisaragi Station.
Could something have gone wrong again?
Verifying his identity, he unlocked the encryption.
The message unfolded before Haruto's eyes.
What first came into view was an amulet-like ornament, about fifteen centimeters in diameter.
The body of the amulet was crafted from pure silver, shaped as a regular polygon.
At each intersecting edge, thirteen brilliant beak-shaped diamonds were embedded, dazzlingly bright. These thirteen diamonds formed a star pattern, encircling a central oval-shaped ruby.
The ruby was about the size of a pigeon egg, crystal-clear and vivid blood-red. It had been found within a spatial rift between Kisaragi Station and the main world.
By the time Foundation personnel located it, it had already been ejected from the rift and lay on the ground of the station.
At the same time, the Foundation observed the complete collapse and annihilation of Kisaragi Station.
This decorative ruby seemed to be the last remnant of Kisaragi Station—something it left behind.
Upon discovering an object being expelled from a spatial rift, the Foundation immediately evacuated the area within a 50-kilometer radius of the station.
A squad of D-class personnel was dispatched to observe the ruby.
It turned out that even approaching the ruby did not result in mass casualties.
The Foundation deduced that the ruby did not carry the O, Death (SCP-2935).
This was reasonable.
Because based on known data—
O Death requires a living carrier.
And this ruby showed no signs of life.
A D-class individual was assigned to pick up the ruby.
Immediately after, that D-class underwent an astonishing transformation.
He became (data redacted).
The D-class and the ruby voluntarily agreed to containment and were moved into the site's containment facility. At the same time, with the complete annihilation of Kisaragi Station—
After thorough investigation, the area was approved for reopening to the public.
All Foundation personnel were withdrawn from the area.
The report ended there.
Haruto rubbed his forehead as he read the intel.
The good news: Kisaragi Station was gone.
The only bridge between the O Death world and the main world had collapsed—and likely would never be restored.
As for beings with unfathomable, formless divine nature like that…
Haruto preferred to stay far, far away.
Even if one could wield such power, the consequences were utterly unpredictable.
A Black Death-level apocalypse breaking out in the main world...
That was a scene Haruto didn't even want to imagine.
As for what might not be bad news—this strange ruby extracted from Kisaragi Station.
This ruby could very well originate from the world of O, Death.
Haruto decided to head to the Foundation site personally to take a look.
Before long, he arrived at Site-01.
Because this ruby involved extensive encrypted data, it made perfect sense that it had been delivered to Site-01, the facility with the most complete containment setup.
In the reinforced containment zone, inside a specific chamber, Haruto saw the ruby—and the transformed D-class individual.
And it was there that Haruto learned the true meaning of "transformation."
Nao, Site-01's director, was on the other side of the high-tensile glass of the containment room, speaking to the D-class.
Director Nao: "Can you tell me your name?"
D-113: "I am a former agent of the SCP Foundation and the current commander of MTF 'Manifest Destiny'—Saguru Hakuba."
D-113: "Honestly, I thought that was obvious. A person like me is hard to imitate."
Director Nao: "I believe you are D-class personnel—D-113, Kensuke Futagawa."
Director Nao: "You were convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to 327 years in prison."
Director Nao: "You agreed to work for us in exchange for reducing your sentence. You signed the necessary agreements."
D-113: "That's nonsense. I could never be D-class!"
The conversation paused.
Inside the chamber, a small Foundation-operated robot retrieved the ruby from D-113's body.
D-113 instantly collapsed, unresponsive.
Tests confirmed that after being separated from the ruby, D-113's higher brain functions ceased entirely.
Further MRI scans revealed subtle alterations in his brain structure.
When the ruby was returned to him—
D-113's brain activity resumed as normal.
The interview continued.
Director Nao: "Welcome back, Commander Saguru Hakuba."
D-113: "Told you so, I—"
Director Nao: "You were awarded the Foundation Star. We deeply respect you. But we've run into a bit of a problem."
D-113: "What is it?"
Director Nao: "It seems you've fused with the ruby, and now possess the ability to project your consciousness onto other humans."
D-113: "... (long silence)"
Following that, and with D-113's cooperation, the Foundation began a battery of tests on the ruby...
The results were as follows:
Based on its properties, the object was designated Soul Ruby, or Immortality (SCP-963).
It was discovered that when any member of the primate suborder came into direct contact with the Soul Ruby (SCP-963):
The subject's consciousness would be erased.
And Saguru Hakuba's consciousness would be projected into that body. If the subject maintained contact with the Soul Ruby for 30 days—
Their brain function would become a replica of the previous Saguru Hakuba.
If the ruby was removed at that point—
The subject would become an independent copy of White Horse Detective, with full awareness.
This information was reported to the O5 Council.
Initially, to avoid the creation of multiple instances of White Horse Detective and prevent potential self-conspiracies—
A policy was proposed to store and wear the ruby with caution.
It required that the D-class wearer of the Soul Ruby be replaced and terminated before the 30-day mark.
Another D-class would then be assigned to wear the ruby.
This proposal was ultimately rejected.
Reason:
Such measures were unnecessary. White Horse Detective had been awarded the Foundation Star.
He had fully dedicated himself to the Foundation and its cause.
Encrypted Records (Accessible to Level 5 Personnel Only):
O5-1: "Do you still remember what happened in that place?"
Saguru Hakuba: "Yes, I remember. It was rather despairing."
O5-1: "Thank you—for everything you've done for the Foundation and for all of humanity."
Saguru Hakuba: "Haha, I suppose it's what I was meant to do. In fact, even up to the moment of destruction, I was grateful."
O5-1: "I don't understand…"
Saguru Hakuba: "Other worlds had the Foundation, powered exosuits, gravity rifles... but that wasn't my world."
Saguru Hakuba: "The biggest difference was that those worlds didn't have you, 05-1."
Saguru Hakuba: "That made all the difference. And that's not flattery—it's how I truly feel."
O5-1: "Maybe so. I'm grateful for all of you too. It's only thanks to you that the Foundation can keep pushing forward in the darkness."
O5-1: "Someone always has to burn themselves to light the way... but so few are willing to do so. As the Foundation always says—"
O5-1: "Salute to the ones who march to death."
Saguru Hakuba: "The one who marched to death salutes you."
After careful deliberation, the Foundation decided to allow Saguru Hakuba full custody of the Soul Ruby (SCP-963).
Mobile Task Force Manifest Destiny was disbanded.
The former commander was reassigned as an A-Class Special Investigator for the SCP Foundation.
He was granted Level 4 security clearance.
And tasked with investigating the anomalous properties of the Soul Ruby and consciousness transfer experiments.