Shōzō froze for a moment upon hearing those words, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Ahahaha! As expected of Hachiman-kun. Even after hearing the reason?"
"There's no particular reason. I just can't let those bastards insult my future father- and mother-in-law and get away with it—that's all."
"Hachiman-kun... no, my son!"
"Asuna! Marry Hachiman-kun right now—yes, immediately!"
"Dad, Mom, calm down. At least wait until we're done with school, okay?"
Urged by Asuna, the two thought better of it and settled down for the moment.
"But to hear such wonderful words from Hachiman-kun... we're truly blessed."
"Yes, really."
"In that case, no matter how slim the chances, we have to pass on any information that might help Hachiman-kun, even a little."
"You mean there's something about the main family?"
"Well, it's a bit—or rather, quite hopeless—but..."
Shōzō prefaced it that way before revealing the information.
"Hachiman-kun, do you know what a Medicuboid is?"
"...I've heard the term somewhere, but I can't recall clearly."
"It's part of end-of-life care, apparently. Essentially, it keeps terminally ill patients constantly connected to VR, blocking out pain and such while treatment proceeds."
"Apparently? But couldn't The Seed substitute for that?"
It seemed logical, but Shōzō shook his head and said to Hachiman:
"Probably not, even with The Seed."
"Why not?"
"Tell me, Hachiman-kun—what do you think is the difference between NerveGear and AmuSphere?"
"The first thing that comes to mind is the safety features."
Shōzō nodded at Hachiman's answer.
"With NerveGear, if the player blacks out in the real world, they do the same in-game. But with AmuSphere, blackout triggers immediate logout. Is that what you mean?"
"Yes."
"That's true, but the reality is a bit different."
"...How so?"
Shōzō's eyes grew serious as he answered Hachiman.
"AmuSphere is NerveGear with safety added—an evolution, or so the public thinks. But really, it's a downgraded version."
"Downgraded...?"
"No one could replicate NerveGear's ability to stay connected no matter what—blackout or otherwise. Clear consciousness is an absolute requirement. Truly the work of genius Kayaba Akihiko."
"Is that so!?"
Hachiman was stunned by this revelation.
He vaguely grasped what Shōzō was getting at.
"So, to create the Medicuboid, you absolutely need to understand NerveGear's internals. Simply reusing old production lines? No one would touch such a terrifying thing—it'd bankrupt the company. And patients naturally lose consciousness or can't maintain normal mental states during treatment. That's why AmuSphere won't work."
"Exactly. The issue isn't software—it's hardware."
Shōzō affirmed Hachiman's words and continued:
"Acquiring Medicuboid tech means untold potential to dominate medicine."
"So profits from Yūki General Hospital are trash compared to that."
Shōzō laughed at Hachiman's bluntness.
"Hah, you say it plainly. But you're right. Apparently, the main family's head, old Kiyoshige Yūki's grandson, has a severe illness. The main house is desperate to obtain the Medicuboid."
"I see. Dangle usage rights as bait to demand non-interference. Grant it only to the Yūki General chain, and the main house crumbles."
"Pretty much."
Convinced this would achieve their goal, Hachiman desperately tried recalling where he'd heard "Medicuboid."
Then Yōno, silent until now, spoke up.
"Hey, Hachiman-kun, I heard about it from Kikooka-san too."
"From Kikooka-san!?"
To the surprised Hachiman, Yōno continued:
"You know I was in an omiai with Kayaba, right?"
"Ah, yes."
"So the rumor was true. If it had worked, what a power couple."
"Well, I got dumped."
Yōno seemed uninterested in that, saying it to Shōzō before turning to Hachiman.
"Kikooka-san is desperately searching for the Medicuboid researcher closest to Kayaba. Probably still is. Kayaba's death seems certain, but his body hasn't been found. That person might be the only one who knows where it is. Their research was the Medicuboid, Kikooka said. Likely the one caring for Kayaba's body while he was logged in. From my connection to Kayaba, he thought I might have heard about this woman from him."
"A woman, huh. Kikooka never mentioned it to me... Though given my ties to Akihiko-san, he could've asked."
Yōno answered Hachiman's doubt:
"If you knew her and her whereabouts, you'd drop everything to meet her, right? You probably want to see Kayaba again. Seeing no sign of that from you, Kikooka figured you knew nothing. He should've just asked, but he was probably being considerate—keeping you from Kayaba's ghost."
"I see..."
Hachiman nodded at Yōno's guess. He'd likely search frantically if told. Kikooka, thoughtful as he was, might avoid it.
Thinking that, Hachiman casually asked Yōno the name.
"So, what's her name?"
"Um... something Rinko... What was the family name...?"
"Huh?"
Yōno's words jogged Hachiman's memory—of "Medicuboid" and from whom.
"Ah... Kamishiro Rinko... Medicuboid..."
"Yes, something like that... Wait, Hachiman-kun?"
Yōno, eyeing his reaction suspiciously, realized a possibility and widened her eyes.
"You don't actually know her, do you?"
"Yes, Akihiko-san introduced us once. That's when I heard 'Medicuboid.' She took a weird liking to me and gave me her contact."
"...Kikooka checked with the carrier—Kamishiro Rinko's phone was canceled."
"Mine was for her private lab, apparently. If it didn't show in their search, it's under another name or something. Honestly, no idea if it still works."
Hearing this, Yōno looked troubled at Shōzō.
"Shōzō-san, what now? This is beyond me."
"Normally, report to police, but given the circumstances... Contact Kikooka?"
"Yeah, he'd be flexible. Hachiman-kun, okay with that?"
"Uh, y-yes."
Hachiman felt his heart pounding like a drum, hoping for clues on Kayaba's fate.
Asuna gently squeezed his hand; he smiled back.
"You okay, Hachiman-kun?"
"Yeah, pretty tense, but I'm fine."
"Don't push too hard."
"You too."
Noticing Asuna's tension—Kayaba was enemy, former leader, comrade—he spoke. It was natural. They held hands until Kikooka arrived.
Contacted by Yōno, Kikooka came alone to the Yūki estate. On secret government orders, he aimed not to prosecute Rinko but to deal, harnessing her tech for medicine, mainly.
Off-record, he smiled and explained to them.
Watched by others, Hachiman fought trembling fingers, dialed Rinko's number, and pressed call.
Ring ring ring...
The dial tone spiked his tension. The number still worked.
Seconds later, it stopped—someone answered.
Hachiman swallowed hard and spoke.
"Hello, Rinko-san? It's been a while—Hachiman."
Silence, then after seconds, Kamishiro Rinko replied:
"You sure took your time remembering this number, Hachiman-kun. I've been waiting forever."
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