Alrain: I am so happy! They announced the 3rd Season of Log Horizon! I have waited a long time for this and though it is in October that it will be aired I am still happy, I couldn't find the Log Horizon novel to read more and get more information about the anime or the manga as that one was also a bit unreliable.

Also, sorry for those waiting and I had to refine this story on paper a little bit.

Chapter 6: New things and Stand up Shiroe!

Crescent Moon Alliance, Guild Building.

Marielle had known Shiroe for quite some time and never had she seen him lose his cool once much less seeing him panicked, but if there were emotions he showed this one she knew all too well.

Worry, that was literally written all over his face as his worry for Henrietta made it known he cared a lot about her which would've made her squeal if it wasn't for the situation. Now she led Shiroe to the room where Henrietta was resting and halted Shiroe to ask him to take a deep breath before entering, opening the door she allowed Shiroe in the room and see the sight of Henrietta sleeping peacefully.

"Henrietta...you were also affected," muttered Shiroe who had knelt down and abandoned his staff to hold Henrietta's hand.

Henrietta had been always beautiful in his eyes as the way she carried herself with discipline, elegance, and grace made her look like Noble's Daughter or a real princess. He had sometimes struggled between choosing which one was better but now he was sure that it was the latter, Henrietta was in her sleeping ware that was light purple-colored and simple yet it brought out all of her beauty to him, her hair had been undone to making the usual ponytail flow freely like it was a river of soft gold and her glasses put on the desk next to the bed she was resting on.

"Shiroe..." muttered Marielle looking sad at the sight as Shiroe was sad which was something she saw every day.

Most would see him like strict or angry but those who truly know him or are truly close to him knew better, Marielle could always sense sadness around him like it was clinging onto him like some kind of magnet or a ghost trying to weaken Shiroe and possess him, he didn't need more of it so Marielle immediately decided to tease Shiroe to distract him. "Are you going to kiss her?"

"W-What?" replied Shiroe snapping out of his sad gaze replaced by a flushed one.

"Don't you remember? You kissed me to wake me up so why don't you try doing it to Henrietta, Mr. Prince Charming~!" teased Marielle mischievously grinning like a cat while internally cheering she succeeded in distracting him, and this would count in as some blackmail on him and make him spill the beans of how he felt towards Henrietta! "So? What are you waiting for~!"

"M-Marielle! I explained to you that it was on the hand...and how did you know because I am sure nobody told you!" asked Shiroe the last part knowing that Naotsugu was too embarrassed about it to lie that it was him, the same was with Shoryuu and none of the girls would've done it since it was funny to frustrate Marielle with the sappy details.

"A girl has her secrets that she won't easily give out~! You 2 look like a married couple and do I hear wedding bells~?" asked Marielle getting into it.

At that comment, Shiroe felt his face heat up and take the color of a cherry at the mention of marriage with Henrietta sound like one of the best dreams come true to him, weirdly enough he felt the blush weaken and form into a tiny yet still a bright one. "...I would love to see that day happen,"

He had muttered that out but since the room was quiet it was loud and clear to Marielle who let out a loud squeal that Shiroe admitted it to her! He loves Henrietta in a romantic way! She could see her best friend in a beautiful marriage dress designed by herself and the girls of her guild, the altar where the oaths would be spoken, hundreds of people looking forward to seeing the bride's pair speak them out and the ceremony ended with the kiss of their pair.

"A-Anyways! Was there anything you could find out about how it happened to Henrietta?" asked Shiroe turning back to his serious mode that got Marielle to wave off her happy expression.

"Nothing, I did as you asked me to how to find a way how to know what caused this event to happen to Henrietta...but the only thing I was able to find was her equipment and nothing else at all," replied Marielle grabbing one of her stuffed animals to calm herself a bit down and squeezed it, the stuffed animal made no sound making her sigh whether it was out of relief that it would make the mood a bit lighter, or making the atmosphere even more awkward for the 2 of them.

"What did the equipment say?" asked Shiroe but Marielle didn't answer verbally but walked over to the night desk and opened it up and handed Shiroe a Japanese-styled hairpin, it was her way of saying that it was better for him to get the item instead of her telling as he might see something she didn't see. But that part is something that even Shiroe doubted as Marielle's eyesight was like his when it came to seeing things that had to do with her guild, but this wasn't in her area knowing that only Shiroe is capable of doing this.

[3rd Alv Princess Hairpin.]

[Is said to have belonged to one of the 7 Alv Princesses that was a gift to the wedding night of the 3rd Alv Princess, the said hairpin is said to be cursed as the Alv Princess was enslaved at her wedding night. Whoever wears it that isn't the Princess is said to be cursed for eternity but if it is the Princess wearing it then it will grant her authority of her descendants.]

-Increases by 50% MP Capacity.

-Attacks of Male/Female players decreased by 30%.

-Allows Dual Casting of Spell.

It was Alv related and anything besides that it was rare item widely sought in the Yamato Server there wasn't anything else useful for Shiroe...if he were to be normal as something about the Alv-Society was told to him that it was a Hierarchy and that it had 7 Princesses, not much is known about the Race of the Alvs only about the Half-Alvs making it pretty much a Race that was out of existence. But that the thing that caught him about the item was that he remembered Marielle telling him that all the Alvs who were near her obeyed her and didn't downright attack her...Marielle's description wasn't that far off, in fact, it was head-on right, obeying Henrietta like she was some kind of Princess.

Now Shiroe was getting scared as he knew which concept was imprinted in here and that was reincarnation...this wasn't anything like the game at all because it wasn't the game he was used to, Nyanta made that very clear that this world should be stopped to be seen as the game but as a truly another world with its own rules and morals.

The concept that Henrietta was downright here evidence that she was some kind of reincarnation of a Princess of a Fallen Empire with a Fallen Race, that would be ridiculous and there were still some concepts of the game as creating food through the menu does its thing but it was never included with flavor since they are eaten by the game bodies.

The mind was a factor by taste but right now he was worried about Henrietta.

"Marielle, so far I have been able to get something but even with how I would explain it...it would be even hard for you to believe it," sighed Shiroe out and explained it all to Marielle and it wasn't surprising that Marielle was looking a bit weird up at his explanation, he decided to not break it down that the game they used to play was actually a potentially real another world.

"That sounds hard...to believe, Shiroe," said Marielle who was doubting Shiroe's explanation.

"You're not the only one as I hardly think this is believable...but we must have some lead rather then nothing if we don't find this cause that caused the Half-Alvs to go berserk," before they knew it Shiroe feared that it would lead to even darker actions as those with the Half-Alv race got everyone to fear them, he had to do something about it before it escalated and before he could do something. He may look composed most of the time but there were times where he had some dark thoughts of revenge and that those would become reality in this potentially real world.

"I know, but when we were gone has there been any other trouble besides that the PK Incident is over...but the peace did not last long as there is another problem that came in right away," said Marielle sighing that everything was in complete chaos that wasn't seen like everywhere was fighting and such, but it was simply felt by the atmosphere and how everyone acted to the other. "There is this new problem where everyone doesn't trust each other anymore like some kind of constant Guild Rivalry but worse than a normal one,"

"How worse are we talking about," asked Shiroe narrowing his eyes.

"It is like you can't trust anyone outside of your own guild and the problem with that is that the smaller guilds are suffering through it, hunting grounds have been occupied by the bigger guilds forcing the smaller guilds who want to go fight to back down," no more explanation about that part was needed as a smaller guild had to back down unless they wanted to lose the items they had and had to do real-life battle with Raid-Level Monsters. "Crescent Moon Alliance isn't a big guild nor are we a Battle-Type guild, so we tried to align ourselves with the other small guilds...it didn't go well, "

"Hm," grunted Shiroe.

"But there is also this as you know Isaac of the Black Sword Knights is like the opposite of Krusty's DDD, he won't allow anyone underneath Level 86 to join his guild," continued Marielle as the flash of Isaac smiling in a rather scary way as she imagined him suddenly declaring war against DDD, though that idea was more something Krusty would do then, Isaac who might have a short temper but nearly not reckless like that as he can see good points in doing things and taking action.

"Fighting quantity with quality is his way," commented Shiroe remembering the time that Isaac offered to him to join the Black Sword Knights, while the offer was tempting Shiroe still didn't feel comfortable about the idea of joining a Guild and have people whisper behind his back. He wasn't good at socializing at all so he would make everything awkward, and still not over the fact that people only came to him with him having a lot of knowledge how to advance to the next level quicker put him on guard.

"Yes, but lately they've been going on raids and nothing suspicious is about that...but the thing that they are using EXP Potions to do it," revealed Marielle and it piqued the complete attention of Shiroe who looked slightly alarmed at that.

"EXP Potions, how did they get their hands on that with a guild like Isaac's?"

'EXP Potions are only available to players under the Level of 20 which when taken in Doubles the amount of earned experience, increase in all stats, and recovery of HP, they can only get a single one each day and new players who get guided by Veteran Players store them up. This way they could earn a lot of gold for those who chose to become merchants, the Potion is only given to new players but that doesn't mean the Veterans can't use them,'

"That's the thing Shiroe...they made a deal with Hamelin as the truth behind them is that they force the New players to work for them and sell their EXP Potions...with no way of leaving," said Marielle and she had prepared as a wave of anger was released throughout her room, the wave was intense but Marielle expected it to be quite deadly but she didn't know that Shiroe was angry like that. The named player was quiet but his anger was visible and his pupils glowed red for a moment, his pupils turned similar to those of a cat, veins of his hands were visible and his thoughts clouded with a lot of things that couldn't be shown.

Shiroe had gone outside not wanting to bother Marielle nor wanting to make Henrietta uncomfortable anymore with his anger, the thought of the new players who were children in such a situation was nothing but slavery, the names of 2 children came in his mind and those were Tohya and Minoru and the thought of them being in there...

Chief Nyanta always teased him for being too overprotective that it made him look a bit weird, but he knew the difference of feeling the anger of his teammates hurt and the new foreign anger he was feeling of the word he thought off.

Slavery.

'Humans! They are nothing but a disgusting bunch! They even turn against each other just for the sake of currency and something they couldn't get!' thought Shiroe darkly showing his bare teeth but then when he snapped out of his anger he fell to his knees, he let go of his staff and held his head as it was once again bombarded with thoughts that weren't his own. It was the same thing in the Abyssal Shaft with him almost attacking Hibari who tried to check on him, he didn't know who this Goddess was and yet he felt he should know but he couldn't exactly remember it.

All he remembered was shim filled with rage and obeying without a question of who this Goddess is and he saw someone entirely different before he got to his senses the place of Hibari was taken by someone else, a knight had taken her place and the visor covered the face but the jaw showed a grin that made him angry as if he answered a question eagerly in a way it shouldn't be answered.

"Ugh! T-The pain...pant...the...hatred!" he felt like he had his brain on fire and it was like having fever only 10 times as worse, he almost lost his balance but 2 pair of hands shot out and held him steady.

"Master Shiroe!"

"Shiroe-sama,"

Looking up Hibari and Sylvia were holding him up looking worried for him and gently carried him to somewhere safe, they eventually lead him to an abandoned area and let him sit down on some grass.

"H-How did you?"

"Chief Nyanta told us where you would be going if you were bothered by something," answered Sylvia for the both of them and to Shiroe.

"Master Shiroe...are you still bothered by the fact that you attacked me out of your own will?" asked Hibari concerned as she went closer to him and hugged his arm, she predicted it as right now Shiroe wasn't blushing that his arm was between her breasts that would normally get a blush out of the 2 of the, added that Sylvia mimicked her actions and Shiroe still not reacting to having his other arm put between her breasts.

"...Yes, I-!" Shiroe never got to finish as Hibari released his arm and pulled his head into her breasts, her pointing finger put on his lips to prevent him from talking, her grip was like made of the steel itself but he didn't resist and simply allowed the softness of Hibari's skin calm him down.

"Just don't talk for now and simply let your mind become clear...I would never be mad at you for attacking me and you should forgive yourself," began Hibari while softly stroking his hair in a loving way and ignoring the embarrassment she usually would've had if she or the other girls were teased, teased that they were his girls and no one else creating pretty much a 2nd Soujiro.

"..." Shiroe did as he was asked to do and didn't think and cleared away his thoughts about the Alves, his attack on Hibari, Hamelin, and everything else for now.

"My turn!" declared Sylvia pulling Shiroe out of Hibari's embrace and pushing his face into her chest making him blush as he was put out of his relaxed state, it seemed Hibari didn't like Sylvia interrupting their moment but decided to let her have her moment, she knew the competition was heavy for his heart and she knew that it would be only harder as she felt that it wouldn't be that easy anymore.

"Shiroe-sama? Do you still hate guilds?" asked Sylvia while stroking his head which shifted when that question was asked so he could answer, because if his head stayed like that his answers would be...muffled.

"...I do," answering was better in his opinion knowing that Sylvia and Hibari knew him too well that he didn't have to answer to make it clear. "Each time I look at a guild like that of Marielle...I feel jealous and stupid that I don't accept those type of invitations that truly mean out of kindness,"

"You are not to blame, Shiroe-sama, with your history with Guilds that feeling of unease and fear is not something that can be easily overcome," chided Sylvia stroking his hair the same manner that Hibari did and gently talked to him and pointed the reasons out, she like all the others knew Shiroe was one who blamed himself and saw himself as an arrogant player which he wasn't. He may be referred to as a great genius who has made the Debauchery Tea Party complete impossible raids with the number of people they had, but in the end, he was no villain but someone who just had simple desires like wanting to have friends but he was too shy, too smart for his own age that others couldn't follow, and the results were just a person with poor social skills.

"Master Shiroe, you don't have to worry that we find it weird you are so overprotective because in a way we are similar," added Hibari her own thoughts in and decided to reveal something. "We know a bit about your life even if you haven't told us all about it, so how about we share some of our lives?"

"That's-!"

Hibari gave Shiroe a stern glare making him cease and not even allow him to begin protesting, not that it would've changed anything if it regarded him in a struggle. So he allowed Hibari to put him on her lap as she began stroking his dark blue hair with a smile on her face, this made him blush madly and as much as he was called in Elder Tales as a ladies man he was far from one, not that he didn't enjoy of where he currently was right now but he just wasn't used to it.

His life he always called himself a boring person that could never catch the eyes of beautiful girls or women, all the girls and women he had met were simply meeting them and talking to them.

"[Master Shiroe, can you hear us through the Telepathy Link?]"

Shiroe nodded.

"[We know about your hesitation about helping the players of Elder Tales,]"

He stiffened at that for them knowing his thought if he should help the people or not that berated him for being a cheater, it was a childish thing of him to do and not to try and help the ones who never did berate him, but still, it wasn't the right thing of him to do and leave the people suffering knowing there was absolutely nothing to do. Food tasted bland, fighting was now only done by major guilds and claiming the grounds, and everything was going worse. The only one who could change all of this was him and him alone and no one else like somebody planned this, like somebody of Earth knew that he was capable of changing this entire situation. KR told him one time that it was his destiny and that he was fated to do such things as one of the people born underneath a star, a special star that told him that this type of situation would be unavoidable to him.

He was right, this was something he could only fix and while names did cross his mind they all lacked in some aspect and 1 name annoyed him to no end, but that wasn't important as right now they would simply be angry at him for this childishness of his...

"[We're not mad,]"

Huh? Did he hear them right or was that sickness coming to him?

"[But we do know that sooner or later you would've done it anyway not to gain anything from it, we know you too well for that and it is the reason why we like you and allowed you to be near us,]" said Hibari as she turned Shiroe's head to look up to her and Sylvia both of them smiling at him, no hints of going to scold him for something childish. [That is just who you are because as angry as you could be you would still help another out of trouble, you don't judge, and you are always willing to save a soul,]

[Well, let us tell a bit about ourselves and I'll start with my story!] said, Sylvia. [In my whole life ever since I was born I always took an interest in plants, flowers, and anything that was related to nature...but children didn't have that much interest in it so I was outcasted by the others. Because of that, I wasn't able to develop social skills,]

Sylvia let out a small laugh but it was a fake one that neither contained happiness or fondness about those times she was talking about, talking about one's past made one feel miserable and pathetic but neither did they want pity for it. If you did show pity than it would be more sometimes more of an insult then you realize that you see them as weak, they don't want to be seen as weak if you show pity and don't try to sympathize with them by placing yourself in their shoes. Placing yourself in their shoes and perspective would've not really made one truly understand in some cases, only those who had similar experiences can truly sympathize with them.

[I could never hold a normal conversation except if it was about plants and such and the most embarrassing part was...I would talk like an Otaku and creep them out,] finished Sylvia looking a bit sad and stared at the horizon at remembering how embarrassing she was when she did try to hold a conversation, but people of the city rarely cared about plants and health. [Until I met you Shiroe-Sama when I played Elder Tales...I could hold conversations about plants because it was about Elder Tales, ingredients and people starting to know me for my knowledge about them,]

[...The time I met you and encouraged you to continue like that,] finished Shiroe that his 1st meeting with Sylvia and him encouraging her to use her knowledge about plants, to choose the subclass of being a [Florist.] earning many apprentices and a lot of gold and questions about flowers and such. Finally giving her the feeling she belonged somewhere and actually be able to hold conversations, the thing she loved most that used to be a bit of a bane to her now turned back into nothing but her favorite thing to talk about. [I'm not going to dance around this subject so I will say this, Shiroe-sama, I love you but not in the friend way,]

Shiroe honestly didn't know what to say about that but didn't get to as Sylvia pretty much stole him from Hibari and pushed his face into her breasts, leaning forward Sylvia had already broken the telepathic link and whispered a few words in his ear for him alone to hear.

"They're all yours and yours alone, Shiroe-sama~!" whispered Sylvia with a sultry tone.

"Excuse me! I have to still tell my story and no hogging!" pouted Hibari pulling Shiroe's face out of the blossom of Sylvia who responded with a small glare, but it disappeared as quickly as it came and Sylvia simply allowed Hibari to tell her story.

[I am from actually one of the remaining noble houses in Japan and the 3rd daughter as well, of course, I had little freedom because of my status of being of a noble house or clan in this case.] began Hibari her story and the other 2 didn't look that surprised since her appearance did fit the image, that she belonged to one of the remaining clans of Japan meaning it dated back very far. [It dated back to the Sengoku Era and the clan remained strong and the thing that made me come here was because of a thing with clans and noble houses, I had an arranged marriage which I couldn't even get out of.]

At that, both of them frowned in anger and Sylvia in disgust at the mention of an arranged marriage, the modern ones weren't still any different from the ones in the old times. It was only for the pure benefit of a company or house of what they specialize in and no love existed between the 2 chosen for the marriage, it was something that wasn't like except if they just did it if they were promised something in return for agreeing to it.

[My fiancee was in few words to describe, and that was that he was a spoiled one and while he was good at doing what his clan specialized in,] Hibari scoffed at the mention of her fiancee as it seemed that he only looked at her and wanted to marry her because she looked pretty, she was very pretty but a girl wants to be seen for herself as well then only her looks. [Didn't even attempt to hide that he was staring at my boobs and wanting to touch them, pig!]

[I would've gone for your lips instead and looking in your eyes...] Shiroe clamped his mouth shut as he realized that he said what he would've done, but before he could attempt to apologize Hibari did as he said. His lips were covered by her lips and silenced him as a light blush was drawn on his cheeks as Shiroe just processed Hibari was kissing him, he felt her tongue invading the insides of his mouth and soon wrapping itself around his tongue.

"No hogging my ass!" pouted Sylvia interrupting the kiss between the 2 before doing the same what Hibari did and kissing Shiroe and wrapping her tongue around his, but stopped soon not wanting the situation to escalate any further reminding herself what she came to talk about. "Shiroe-sama, you hating the game for how it works isn't childish at all, no system has ever been perfect as there are always loopholes around them"

"But that isn't any different from hating the normal daily life itself, take the Tea Party for a guess where you didn't hold yourself back at all," continued Hibari letting out a sigh as she remembered those good days the party had spent around difficult Raids and quests, it was far from the ordinary as Kanami always added a little touch to it that made it even more fun. She felt a bit jealous when Shiroe looked at her with such admiration and the smile he brought forward while the others couldn't, there was something special about her that even the reclusive Shiroe got out of his shell and he was way worse then anti-social.

"Yes, I remember your old self where you didn't even want to talk with anyone else at all besides us, and then when you were in the Tea Party you charged in straight into battle like Kanami!" laughed Sylvia how much Kanami had changed him and felt jealous about it as well, just a few days spent with her and Shiroe showed smiles and charged in recklessly after a few raids without thinking ahead. "Kanami made everything different and why nobody changed it was that everyone in truth liked it, she made it work and we went along with it as we wanted it to keep it that way not for fame but for the thrill and fun of it!"

'She made it work,'

"But it is also because of you that it all worked out and not only Kanami but everyone else," added Hibari and looked down at Shiroe again.

"...You were all waiting for me to do something?"

Both nodded to him.

"Despite all that chaos you waited on me?"

Another nod was given by both of them.

"Then it is time I got to work," said Shiroe as he shed a few tears.

Walking over the hill Shiroe headed for the place where it all started and looked ahead and was surprised.

"Hey, Shiroe! If you are going somewhere warn us ahead!"

"Milord! Do not worry me so much!"

"Nyau, Shiroe-ecchi, I still have some of the last night dinners for you left,"

"Good morning, Master Shiroe,"

"Good morning, leader!"

"Took your time to get here, Shiroe!"

Blinking for a second he chuckled realized that they were also waiting for him to act up and he had made them wait plenty enough, it was time for him to act and set everything straight and not holding back this time ever again!

"Sorry, everyone, was a bit busy with something," walking over to the group and pushed his glasses up warning those who knew him for a long time that he was planning something, he did that whenever he found something out or was planning something out and going to carry it out and it was going to be amazing. Something the others aren't capable off of what he was about to pull off, and something that no one could believe that he was the one capable of it despite status. "I'm going to change everything around here, all of Akihabara will be changed to the same state of the normal cities and it will be done, it will be done within 4 days of hard work,"

"E-Ehhhh! Shiroe-san, but that is impossible!" shouted Hiro.

"Oh, don't worry about it Hiro-cchi! You are in for a treat whenever Shiroe cuts loose-nya!" snickered Chief Nyanta looking forward to what Shiroe was planning.

Crescent Moon Alliance.

"Marielle, lend me your help," said Shiroe bluntly.

"Eh?" was all that Marielle could say at the sudden change Shiroe went as his eyes were more alive then she remembered of the previous time, devoid of any anger, fear, confusion, and frustration. "Why the sudden change?"

"All of Akihabara needs to change right now and I am the one that can do it," replied Shiroe his eyes unchanging.

"Do it, Marielle," came a voice making Shiroe, Marielle, and Shouryuu look to the door and see Henrietta in the same state of dress come in the room, automatically Marielle rose up and went over to her and carried her to the couch.

"What are you doing out of your bed! You haven't fully recovered yet!" shouted Marielle now her turn to be scolding Henrietta for the 1st in her life.

"A small headache like this is hardly any bother to me, I had worse than this," replied Henrietta pouring herself some water and gulping it down in one shot, and poured herself another one but left that for later. "Continue where you started,"

"Right, I need your help with this if I want to change Akihabara and solve all the problems with it, the future problems I will also deal with if it came from my actions and plans," continued Shiroe. "Only if you agree to help me but I won't push you,"

"Well..."

"Master, I agree we should help him as we are comrades and Shiroe here has helped us get Serara back," cut Shouryuu in the conversation truly wanting to help, and a plan that could possibly help improve the living situation in Akihabara was also welcome to him.

"Of course, but Shiroe I just want to know one thing more...why did you refuse my invitation?" asked Marielle, and Henrietta was ready to protest against that but Marielle looked serious about it.

"...I just wasn't ready yet to join a guild because of my fear and I wasn't completed adapted to this world either," he knew it wasn't over knowing there would be many unknown factors are yet to come to him. "And now I do have a place for myself to please, Marielle, please help me and my guild out to save Akihabara,"

"Huh? W-Wait, Shiroe, did you just really say what I think you just said?!" Marielle got all excited.

"Yes, I have started my own guild, and once again sorry for not accepting your invitation to your guild," apologized Shiroe.

"No! It is alright, I am just happy that you have made your own guild, so you have finally your own place?" asked Marielle wiping her tears away feeling happy that Shiroe had his place, a safe haven where he could feel safe right now and not wary of others anymore. "S-So what is it called? What is the name of your Guild?"

"Ah! Of course!" said Shiroe as the area changed to that of the sun setting down while leaving the orange light to illuminate his guild. "We will spread the name of ourselves, we will help those who need help out, we will look at what is beyond us and overcome any obstacle. Every single way of the log is connected with all the others heading to the same place, to see the place of the unknown and adventure as we are named the Log Horizon,"

Alrain: So sorry for the late update!