Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

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Oxidizer
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Re: Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Oxidizer »

I must be blind... I don't see the update? :(
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Re: Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Kazetrigger »

Oxidizer wrote:I must be blind... I don't see the update? :(
http://dothackers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19320
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Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Oxidizer »

Danke, sorry about that.
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Chapter 20: Martyrs

Post by Kazetrigger »

20 Martyrs

The man pushed off the pavement and leaped backwards awkwardly. His shiny black hair was dishevelled by the rapid movement. Due to his weak physique, his agility was like that of an imaginary wild beast.

A chunk of something hit his left shoulder with an immense force.

Suddenly, a sensory perception that absolutely shouldn't happen if the game was acting normal—something that everyone experiences differently in the real world—struck the man. It was a shock that he didn't expect. His eyes blazed red hot.

It was a “pain” that he had never before experienced in playing “The World.”

A bark, a growl, and then a scream resounded in the alley, and Flugel knew that the bullet he fired had struck somewhere on the body of the other PC. Then there was the sound of something hitting the ground. The opponent had fallen. But Flugel couldn't be sure of the situation with all the vapour blocking his view.

Flugel tilted his body and began to walk.

It felt like it took one whole month just to take one little step. There was no strength in his limbs. His whole body felt like it was weighed down. He was also in pain, but wasn't so bad—at least not yet.

The surroundings looked blurry. Not because of the mist, but due to being struck in the eye.

It just so happens that the wind was blowing in from the sea and it cleared away all the mist that enshrouded the alley. The bleak landscape came into focus.

At an intersection a few metres ahead stood a steam pipe that shot up like a utility pole. A man that looked like a system admin crept out from around the corner and faced Flugel. He began to run, and he wasn't going to stop.
Just before pulling the trigger of Brieler Roessle, the man jumped back a distance of two metres in one breath.

The bullet struck the side of the target. Damage that conformed to the system of “The World” was applied to the opponent. Then it was a feeling of “pain” that was fed back to the player in real life.

“Ahhhhhh. Somehow I feel as though the smell of sewage is ingrained in my whole body. And here I was thinking I could do whatever I wanted,” said Flugel as he directed the muzzle at the man.

“I don't want to be a bother, so I'll get to the point. I'll approach you now and deliver the final blow. Obviously this doesn't mean that you'll die in real life. I'm only going to delete your PC data. Understand? I'll just have to put in a little extra effort,” Flugel continued.

“There's something I experienced and understood for the first time,” said the man as he stood up partially, his leg sticking out from behind the pipe.

“Schicksal PCs attacking each other, that's truly soaking into my brain. It was rather satisfying...” he continued.

The man had both hands wrapped around the pipe. His face and much of his body was not visible, but one could tell he had a smirk on his face.

Cocking the gun, Flugel spoke across the gap to the opposing man.

“I'm not leaving here. If you cooperate, this won't have to end badly,” said Flugel.

“You brilliantly escaped the rats and survived, it seems,” said the man, ignoring Flugel's warning.

“To be exact, although you're still not out of this back alley, that doesn't matter. You surprised me quite a bit when you used Brieler Roessle. Your judgement and cunning deserve the highest accolades,” said the man.

His hands disappeared and then the sound of applause could be heard.

“You get an A+. You passed the test without incident. Congrats,” he said.

Flugel moved ever so slightly and confirmed the condition of his body. It was returning to normal functionality and he'd gotten used to the narrow field of vision.

However, the problem was the rats. There now was resistance from them after many of the rats had been attacked and destroyed by the steam jet trap. Not all of them had been annihilated.

But now, there was no sign of even one rat. They had all suddenly disappeared. The man was planning something.

A palm appeared around the pipe once again and soon went up the pipe. It seems the man was standing against it to support himself. He let out a sigh to stifle the pain.

“I'll try to accept this blow. It is proof of sublime passion. I am a proud stigmata that ushers in the trial,” said the man.

“You're really acting the martyr,” retorted Flugel.

“When I used the ability, I realized that it was a divine revelation――when I was eighteen years old, I felt trapped, then I was hired by Cyber Connect, everything I did was for that company. By using the rats, I could save the world from contamination by the Internet. It was a mission that was imposed on me. Because of this, I resigned myself to the fate of a cyberterrorist who spreads a virus across the net. I sought the disgrace of a criminal,” said the figure.

“That's a lie. You would have only been able to kill me with a special power,” said Flugel.

“Ha. Why would you think that?” said the man with a defiant tone.

“Unless, I purposefully killed seven residents of the same apartment? Whether a trial or a crucifixion, this is merely an accessory to you,” said Flugel.

“I agree, but you're a bastard for enjoying killing for killing's sake,”Flugel continued.

The man appeared upset upon hearing this. The lurking man could be heard breathing heavily in the shadow of the pipe.

However, Flugel noticed immediately that this was not the case. The man only smiled and breathed lightly without uttering a word.

“What's the matter? Are you any different from me?” said the man as he poked one eye out from behind the pipe.

“I was just wondering if you were thinking the same thing as me, Flugel. I want you to tell me something. When you dream about your time with Kaya Frebe, do you still feel something for her?”

A silence lingered for a while. The man's words took a moment to sink in.

“What...” mumbled Flugel.

“I think you're rather similar to 'them.' There are crucial differences, but very similar overall,” spoke the man.

“Them?” asked Flugel.

“The programmers who once decided to take a look into the abyss of The World. They were also martyrs,” said the man.

“Stop flapping your gums. I don't know what you're talking about,” said Flugel.

“Harald Hoerwick,” said the man.

“For the sake of his true love, he did not hesitate,” continued the man.

The man came out from behind the pipe. He stepped forward without taking his eyes off Flugel, revealing himself completely. He continued talking.

“Indou Masato. For the sake of his sister, he did not hesitate.”

He started to walk towards Flugel.

“Jyotaro Amagi. For the sake of his aunt, he did not hesitate.”

He continued to gradually come closer. He continued to speak to Flugel.

“However, you are clearly different from them in one regard. You 'hesitated.' You withdrew from the study of Real Digitalization. Why is that? Why did you give up?”

It felt as though the man's eyes were becoming more intense.

“Are you trying to avoid the question? Why didn't you overstep your bounds? It was a mission you believed in and were supposed to complete, you, a human of sufficient ability, so why did you have to hesitate during the mission?”

A gentle saintly smile crossed the man's face.

“I'll ask you again. In your dreams, what was most appealing about her? Or rather, did she even visit you in your dreams?”

With his hands spread in a natural manner, in a gesture as though he was pitying Flugel, the man had been stepping inside Brieler Roessle's firing range.

“She would visit you, wouldn't she? The man who let her down.”

Flugel shot reflexively.

The bullet struck the man in the face, and blew off the top half of his head. It rebounded and struck a the brick wall behind the man, created a wave of digital noise and tore off a section of the wall's data, then rolled to the man's feet.

The man staggered back one, then two steps, then stood still.

“Is that your response? Flugel. Hehehehehe,” said a new voice.

Flugel gasped.

With only his lower jaw remaining, the man did not even collapse. Flugel heard a laugh come from the man as though a swarm of insects were buzzing around each other, and there remained a rift in the man's body. From the chest to the neck, a mass of PC data fell from him like slabs of meat.

Flugel saw that the mass was made up of rats.

The man's bogus appearance vanished immediately, and the countless rats began to scurry all over the ground and brick wall.

Flugel tried to get the agile little beasts in his sights, but to no avail.

Then he realized something in the corner of his mind. Just like an octopus can squish its body to fit into places, the rats were mimicking the PC data in order to work together.

Has he been fighting against the damn rats instead of Yuri Seto this whole time? There's no way, Flugel thought. The PC body had been shot with a bullet and then a steam jet trap. Then, having been blinded by the steam, the figure fled the scene, leaving behind rats. They came out from the shadow of the pipe where they had been hiding.

“Listen, Flugel. Take heed,” came the voice, which was a rat who spoke as though it had the booming voice of a man.

“Five days. Five days from now, on Thursday, the 18th day of June,” said another rat.

“We will unleash the rats unto the world,” said a third rat.

“They will infiltrate every terminal and grant the 'Light of Salvation' to those who have grown weary of the Net. Hehehehe.”

One after another, the rats continued to issue forth the man's words in turns.

“You are my trial.”

“I am your trial.”

“The trial must be administered equally.”

“Therefore, I showed you the ability.”

“Do your best to stop me.”

“Use any means necessary without hesitation.”

“Hunt me to mobilize everything...”

Suddenly the rats' voices began to fade away. The shadow of the group of rats became thinner and thinner. They continued to spread out.

“I'll shatter you... and prove just how right the rats are...”

As the wave moves away, the rats disappeared to the back of the square.

Afterwards Flugel was left all alone.

It seemed that all traces of the rats were gone. Flugel stood and clutched his gun for a while, exhaling as he became acutely aware of the fatigue he felt throughout his body.

However, just as he was about to unplug the power to his system, a man's voice whispered in his ear.

“I'll fill this 'world' with the rats of greed,” came the appalling voice. It was like a raging wind blowing through a desolate and eerie void.

He shook his body, knocking off one rat that had been clinging to his shoulder.

The rat fell to the ground and ran about two metres up a nearby wall.

“I have a gift for you. Please accept it,” the man said.

The rat looked down at Flugel.

“Good luck with the test.”

There was an explosion.
Last edited by Kazetrigger on Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Adhemas »

Such a cliffhanger again~ I hope it won't take that long anymore till they release the next chapter.

Thanks for translating it again!
Wonder what will happen with Flügel now. And it seems like we will finally get some insight into the plans of the enemy soon. One of the upcoming chapters is also titled "Geist".
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Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by (Phantom) Thief »

Thank you for the translation. There is an, "am" where there should be an "an" in just like an octopus. But that's about it. Also the Yuri stated “When I used the ability, I realized that it was a divine revelation――" Was Yuri another Double Ware?
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Re: Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Adhemas »

Seem like they'll update the story more frequently again. Another new chapter is online ("Season of Blue"). It seems like it deals with the past from Flügel's(?) PoV? I am not sure since I can barely read any kanjis.
It's probably interesting anyway, considering the end of the latest chapter. Hope we'll get a new illustration for the next chapter again.
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Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Kazetrigger »

(Phantom) Thief wrote:Thank you for the translation. There is an, "am" where there should be an "an" in just like an octopus. But that's about it. Also the Yuri stated “When I used the ability, I realized that it was a divine revelation――" Was Yuri another Double Ware?
Thanks. I fixed it. And I'm not sure. It's a little vague as to whether the Yuri we saw was real or just a pile of data to act on his behalf. He might be a doubleware. I'm not even sure if the real Yuri is still around.
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Re: Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Kazetrigger »

Adhemas wrote:Seem like they'll update the story more frequently again. Another new chapter is online ("Season of Blue"). It seems like it deals with the past from Flügel's(?) PoV? I am not sure since I can barely read any kanjis.
It's probably interesting anyway, considering the end of the latest chapter. Hope we'll get a new illustration for the next chapter again.
I've started translating the next chapter. No photo yet, but maybe chapters 22 or 23 will have some.
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Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Adhemas »

I've started translating the next chapter. No photo yet, but maybe chapters 22 or 23 will have some.
Take your time. I enjoy all of your translations, but you don't have to hurry because of us. I guess it will take a few weeks again until they release the new chapter anyway.

Also, I really wonder about the end of Bullet. Many last scenes or chapters of .hack stories tie to the next/upcoming series or games of this universe, like the end of Thanatos and such-
and it's clear that Matsuyama intends to continue the .hack story. I just wonder how he'll do that and what kind of role Aura (and others) will play in .hack//Bullet. If they'll appear at all,
that is. Anyway, I'm really enjoying the story so far.
Especially since I would have never expected to see Flügel as a main character.
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Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Kazetrigger »

HINT: The next chapter goes back in time and we learn more about Ryuuji's (Flugel's) past.
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Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by lycorispeony »

@Kazetrigger: I just wanted to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to to translate this. At first I didn't think much of the third season, but reading Bullet has helped me change my mind.
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Re: Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Bullet Biter »

Man, I'm so glad you work so hard to translate these things for us. Season Three is amazing.
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Chapter 21: A Season of Blue

Post by Kazetrigger »

21 A Season of Blue

The past suddenly flashed before him. It didn't look as good as he had hoped. He had been struck deep in his chest, but he didn't dare touch his chest. Gradually the past became more and more beautiful in order to avoid a feeling of disgust.

A year before Pluto Again. He had torn into the other side of the past, into the year 2009.

It was the year of the earthquake.

A magnitude 3.3 quake occurred in Duisburg, Germany. It was said to be the biggest earthquake they'd had in over ten years*. To the Japanese Ryuuji, such an earthquake was not particularly large, but for the people of Germany, it was an earth-shattering event, literally and figuratively.

It was the year of women's soccer.

At the 2009 UEFA Women's Championship held in Finland, the German team ran a close game against powerhouse Sweden, winning 1-0, thus securing their fifth consecutive title**. During the halftime of the final match, words that the coach directed to the players such as “existential attack” became buzzwords in the country.

It was also the year of “The World.”

Just six months after its release in 2007, this monster hit of a game had recorded sales of over ten million units, and this figure would increase with every version update. The world was about to be united by a game. At least that's how it looked. When Ryuuji thought back on that idea, it was no more than a mere illusion, a practical joke., but some people at the time took it very seriously.

It was the year of the reassessment of Minnesang.***

The old love songs gained such a resurgence in popularity that soon one could hear such love songs seemingly everywhere. Ryuuji's attendance at the laboratory was no exception; he had become fed up with his coworkers playing the sweet melodies every day from old record players, like what you might find in an old professor's personal belongings. His blood would boil every time he heard the songs playing. His memories would seethe. Two birds nestling close together. Forever. Forever and ever. Forever and ever and ever and ever and ever...

It was the year that he met Kaya for the first time.

That unbelievable afternoon, under a blue sky the like of which had never before been seen in Germany, Ryuuji was sitting on a bench in the Englischer Garten with the dog from his former boarding house. A breeze gently shook the trees that lined the street in Schwabing, and the sun shone softly on the lawn.****

There was a creek in front of the lawn. While listening to the lively chatter of passers-by, Ryuuji pondered the matter of the death of the soul. He didn't know why.

Suddenly a strong gust blew, and a round brown object came into view and broke his concentration. The object, a straw hat, fell just short of the creek, and looked as though it was going to start sailing away again.

Ryuuji commanded the dog with a smack on the back of the neck.

Alright, let's go. Come on, he said.

However, the dog, a Great Dane, looked back at Ryuuji with a sad look as though he had been through some hard years, and then laid back down with a big yawn.

I know, the dog was trying to say.

Ryuuji stood up, walked over, and picked up the hat.

Immediately after, a young woman with a handbag began to scurry over.

Ryuuji brushed off the hat, then passed it to her.

Thank you, she said as she took the hat. Then she called out hesitantly to Ryuuji who was about to return to the bench.

Do you live around here? I'd appreciate it if you give me some directions, she asked.

There was an awkwardness in her words, like a foreigner exploring an unfamiliar land. I wonder if she's a tourist, Ryuuji thought.

No problem, Ryuuji said casually.

The woman wore a cardigan and a skirt of modest hue. She had a mature demeanour, but if you looked closely, you could see a childishness in her face as though she were a young girl. Ryuuji supposed that she was one or two years younger than him.

The woman said the address.

However, these strings and numbers, which she did not understand well on her own, meant little to Ryuuji too.

It's hard to understand the addresses around here. Don't you have a map?, Ryuuji asked.

She took out her phone from a pocket in her handbag, displayed a map on it, then passed it to Ryuuji.

Ryuuji examined it for a moment, struggling to adjust the map on the mobile terminal while he rechecked the address several times, but he finally managed to find the destination and the route to it.

Ryuuji was surprised to see the name and picture of the building displayed on the terminal.

What? That's the boarding house I stayed in, he said.

Just then, Ryuuji saw a flash of a memory of something he had been told at a dinner two weeks before.

She decided to adopt the daughter of a distant relative, the landlord had said.

The woman's relatives had been involved in an accident while on a business trip in the United States, leaving their daughter an orphan. The daughter had nowhere to go and she was so depressed that her health started to deteriorate. To get her medical attention, the woman adopted the young girl.

If you're so inclined, could you perhaps also direct me to a nearby cafe?, the woman asked.

Such an amazing coincidence, Ryuuji said as he handed back the mobile terminal. I'm the one who took care of Mr. Weiss. I've heard about you. Ah... Kayo Frobe, right?

Kaya, said the woman as she held out a slender hand. Kaya Frebe.

He took her hand and gripped it lightly. Her hand was light as a feather. It felt like she would fly away if a breeze blew, so Ryuuji pressed her hand lightly so as not to hurt her.

My name is Ryuuji Sogabe, but please just call me Ryuuji.

Ryuuji took the leash after he finished his self-introduction and spoke to the dog that remained lying down while also showing no interest in the exchange between the two people.

Grid, come on. You've got to guide the guest, Ryuuji said to his dog.

The dog, however, did not move. He looked up at Ryuuji and yawned again. He wagged his tail two or three times listlessly, and then closed his eyes as though to say that he had fulfilled his duty. Ryuuji pulled on the leash in vain.

I apologize, Ryuuji said to Kaya.

It seems my buddy here wants to bathe in the sun a little more. Good grief, he continued.

I understand, she said.

Pardon?

Since the weather is so nice today.

Kaya smiled as she spoke. Her flaxen hair blew in the gentle breeze.

Ryuuji looked away and pretended to look down the road.

Well, once you go out of the park, don't just immediately turn right. Go straight, then the cafe is on the right side of the second street. Understand?, Ryuuji said.

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Sogabe. Well, bye now.

Ryuuji said goodbye and sat on the bench.

As she walked away, Kaya put on the straw hat.

Ryuuji watched Kaya as she walked the trail, his eyes fixed on the beautiful outline of the girl who easily stood out from everything else in the park.

The sky overhead was a ghastly shade of blue.



NOTES:
*This historical piece of information is based in reality. In July of 2009, a magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck near Moers and Kamp-Lintfort in the Wesel District, a region 20km (12mi) northwest of Duisburg, Germany. About a week later, a magnitude 3.1 aftershock was recorded in the area. These two seismic events are known as the 2009 Moers Earthquake. It was caused by a mining operation in the area, but does not seem to have caused much damage. It is apparently the largest earthquake Germany had experienced since 1955. Although natural earthquakes of a larger magnitude have occurred before and since 2009, they do not seem to have been felt as heavily as the 2009 earthquake due to its closeness to the surface.

**Although also based on real events, the story gets details wrong. Germany did not play Sweden at all in the 2009 UEFA Women's Championship. It played England, winning 6-2 in the final. Germany, however, did win 1-0 against Sweden in the semi-final of the 2013 UEFA Women's Championship held in Sweden. They then played Norway in the final, winning 1-0.

***Minnesang (“Love song”) is a type of Middle German love poetry popular from the 12th to 14th centuries in Germany.

****Schwabing is a borough in the northern part of Munich, the capital of the German state of Bavaria in the south of Germany. The Englischer Garten (German for “English Garden”) is a popular public park. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwabing and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Englischer_Garten for pictures of what Ryuuji likely saw.)
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Re: Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by VirusCoreS »

Ooooh look what I found! I'm so late to check this XD

nice translation kaze, though in chapter 20 I got a little bit confused with who's talking which.
Btw, Grid shares the name with the one... uh, bot? server bot? well, 'assistant' that takes care of Sogabe's house right?

oh no, what'll happen to the dog!grid? O_O
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Re: Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Kazetrigger »

VirusCoreS wrote:Ooooh look what I found! I'm so late to check this XD

nice translation kaze, though in chapter 20 I got a little bit confused with who's talking which.
Btw, Grid shares the name with the one... uh, bot? server bot? well, 'assistant' that takes care of Sogabe's house right?

oh no, what'll happen to the dog!grid? O_O
Yeah, I may go back and improve the dialogue in previous chapters.

Grid, the robot, was most likely named after the dog. We can assume that by 2023 the dog has passed away. Dogs usually only live 7-15 years, and since the chapter goes back to 2009, and the dog is probably already a few years old, we can safely assume it has died by 2023. Sad, but that's the way it goes.
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Chapter 22: Message

Post by Kazetrigger »


22 Message

As soon as he had returned from the cyberworld, the area that had been bitten by the rat became hot. The area soon began to show signs of inflammation, along with symptoms of numbness, tremors, and dizziness. These were moderate side effects of the use of the VR scanner. Abnormal damage incurred in the cyberworld flooded into the real world, reaching levels far beyond what “Flugel” could handle.

He couldn't have been logged in for more than an hour. It was only now that Ryuuji felt like his whole body would fall to pieces.

He tried to rest and recover at the office late into the night. But by nine o' clock in the morning, he was still far from ready to even drive his car. Rather, he felt that he was getting worse as time passed.

Maybe I should go to the doctor, Ryuuji thought. But he had been prohibited from using the VR Scanner before this.

Reluctantly he took a taxi and returned home at what seemed a crawl. Along the way he bought some painkillers and muscle relaxants at a pharmacy, and took two pills before going to bed.

The next day, at around seven o'clock on Sunday morning, Ryuuji woke up to severe pain as though his flesh had been torn apart. His senses returned to him in the morning light as he temporarily forced himself to get out of bed with the use of the drugs he bought. It felt like a drop of scalding hot water from a frying pan had dropped on to his head.

There was a knock at the door of the room.

“I have breakfast for you,” came Lilie's voice.

Ryuuji bit his lips and tried to not let a groan escape.

“Ryuuji?” said Lilie.

Ryuuji breathed with difficulty, cleared his throat, and took another breath.

“I'm sick. I have a splitting headache,” he said.

He spoke in a purposefully deep, hoarse voice, so much so that his voice unexpectedly cracked.

“Ugggh. Have you been drinking?” Lilie said through the door before walking away.

Ryuuji tried to get up from the bed. For a moment he remained paralyzed. His upper body was locked while his legs swung towards the floor. His breath came with difficulty and sweat dripped down his forehead.

He didn't want to allow his body to shake so much. But he couldn't stop it. He felt nerve pain, muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, chills, and cramps. He waited for the pain to subside.

Slowly he grabbed a glass of water, took two tablets, and placed it back on the night stand. Although the drugs might not take effect for a while, at least it was better than nothing.


There was another knock.

“How about breakfast? Want to try some rice soup?” asked Lilie.

“No, I'm fine. I want to sleep in because I worked too much yesterday,” said Ryuuji, nearly forgetting to use his fake hoarse voice.

“Well, I'll have something ready for lunch, okay? Sweet dreams,” said Lilie.

Ryuuji listened as Lilie left the hallway, her footsteps growing fainter.

He laid himself back on to the bed and hauled the blanket over him with difficulty.

He wanted to write a summary of yesterday's incident while the memories were still fresh in his mind, but it seemed more difficult to do in his current state than if he were to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. He took in a deep breath. At that moment he wanted to immerse himself in peace and tranquility while he waited for the drugs to take effect. It was an impossible wish. The mobile terminal suddenly rang on the night stand. The call was from David.

“Sorry to bother you so early. I wanted to wait, but I had to call right away. Some real bad stuff happened,” said David.

“No problem. I was up anyway,” Ryuuji answered from his bed.

“What's this bad situation you're talking about?” Ryuuji continued.

“It's our headquarters,” said David.

His voice was a mixture of frustration and shock.

“I gathered some personnel and created a search team to find Seto within the Japanese Server. I think that's what Gus intended. He contacted me previously about it,” said David.

“Is that the terrible news?”

“HQ's been wiped out,” said David.

“Seto logged into Dol Dona, mustered his forces, and sent his rats to attack us. He ambushed us while he crashed the server with that blast of light. That light virus got sent to all the hospitals.”

Ryuuji closed his eyes. Then he spoke.

“This was yesterday?”

“I heard he logged in at half past two.”

Yesterday Ryuuji had arrived in the cafe district of Mac Anu after three o'clock. Yuri Seto had followed and greeted Ryuuji after dispatching with the NAB officials who had been tracking him.

“I'll tell you about it in greater detail. Shall we meet in your office at four o'clock today? How does that sound?” David said.

Ryuuji hesitated. He was suspicious about meeting at the office.

“No, please come to my apartment. Do you know where it is?” Ryuuji asked.

“I know. Is something wrong?” David asked.

David seemed to have noticed that Ryuuji's voice was different from a moment ago.

He spoke briefly about the events at Mac Anu.

“Don't worry, Mr. Sogabe,” said David.

“He logged in somehow. All by himself. That dangerous bastard,” said David, in reference to Seto.

“I just wanted to enjoy Mac Anu's scenery,” said Ryuuji.

Because he was was humbled in the presence of the informer, Ryuuji couldn't explain why he had been logged in.

David blew his nose.

“Well... I guess I'll see you at your place at four o'clock,” said David.

The phone cut off.

Ryuuji twisted his body in his blanket, and attempted to return his mobile terminal to his nightstand. However, he couldn't stand the discomfort created by reaching out and dropped the terminal by the bed instead.

As he tried to move now, the pain throughout his body seemed to become worse.

I can't sleep lie this, he thought. But this wasn't true. Perhaps it was because of the drugs or his symptoms or both, but Ryuuji closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep, almost as though he had lost consciousness.


Ryuuji woke up from his nondescript dream and saw that the hands of his clock read noon.

His body was soaking wet, having been covered in night sweats. But he felt much better overall. Compared with the night before, his pain was markedly reduced.

Ryuuji slowly came out of the bedroom.

There was no sign of Lilie. She seemed to have gone out.

“Grid, where's Lilie?”

When he asked this in the living room, a message played.

“I'm gone out with friends. I'll be back in the evening. If you have laundry, keep it all together,” came the voice of Lilie.

Sorry, Ryuuji thought, apologizing in his mind.

He had left a large amount of dirty clothes in his office.

He prepared himself a microwave meal and ate it. He had no appetite, but he forced himself to eat it. It was like chewing on waterlogged cardboard. But he knew he had to eat if he wanted to keep his physical and mental faculties.

He finished his brunch and went to the bathroom where he took painkillers and muscle relaxants.

In the bathroom mirror he saw his sullen eyes, void of ambition, his unkempt hair, and pale sickly face staring back at him.

“Don't worry,” he said to himself.

“It's not as bad as it looks,” he continued.

He took off his clothes and got in the bathtub. He stood under the showerhead a long time, letting the hot water fall on his feet. Soon the drugs began to take effect, and he began to feel like his usual self.

He soaked in the bathtub, washed himself, shaved his beard, got dressed, and finally got ready to face the tough world.

He sat on the sofa in the living room, and unfolded his mobile terminal.

He loaded The World's official bulletin board and found that an apology concerning the connection error that cut many players off in the middle of yesterday's “Monster Town Invasion” Event had been posted.

A forced disconnection?

Some players had responded to it, apparently they were the participants. They were complaining, and the language was rather abusive. It was one scene surrounding the game. However, they were angry that the event had been cut short, not that any of them had suffered any harm in real life due to being killed in the game. Everyone seemed convinced that it had been nothing more than an event filled with raiding rat-monsters. There didn't seem to be any reason to doubt them.

Ryuuji accessed the NAB website from his mobile terminal and looked through the latest reports. No stories about any unconscious people could be found. For the time being there was no publicity given to the victims of the “rat hunt.”

Ryuuji scrolled through the rest of the pages and checked the news.

Much of it dealt with Veronica Bain's visit to Japan. It was in the news that she had just arrived in Tokyo yesterday. Various speculations were made as to her reasons for visiting, such as performing an audit of the Japanese branch of the company or visiting a Japanese factory to oversee the development of new products. She was staying the Baketon Hotel in Tokyo. It seemed she would be staying about two weeks or so.

The V.I.P. truly is the center of attention.

He scrolled further down the screen and this time he was worried about something.

Something nibbled at the back of his mind. Some thought crawled into his consciousness. It was an unpleasant, frustrating sensation.

He returned to the top of the screen and reviewed the page from the beginning; it was not possible to locate the identity of those who had struck a nerve in him.

Something was strange, but nothing seemed to be abnormal in the article.

Ryuuji shook his head.

Nevermind, he thought. If you assume something's there, you must be seeing things. I'll put it at the back of my mind for now.

Positioning his mobile terminal at eye level in his hands, Ryuuji was startled by something. An icon had just popped-up. It was a notification that a new thread had been written on the official bulletin board that Ryuuji started.

He called up the thread using the keyboard.

“From Fate to The Magician. There is talk of exterminating the rats. I request that you contact me. Mail is acceptable.”

Two weeks prior, this is what Ryuuji wrote after the death of Kiyoteru Yodogawa. He added a new sentence at the end.

“From The Magician to Fate.”

The text that followed read:

“In the lake, it turns to silence. All that remains is nothingness.”

(To be continued)
Last edited by Kazetrigger on Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
VirusCoreS
Posts: 531
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 1:06 am
Location: Outer Dungeon

Re: Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by VirusCoreS »

Oh? what is Ryuuji anxious about when reading article? was it something he he overlooked, or foreshadowing something?

and I feel bad for him, how did the damage in digital world transferred to real life, again? i mean, it left physical mark. And all this time, i thought even if player could feel pain, it's 'just phantom pain' and damage to nerve?
User avatar
Bullet Biter
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:55 pm

Re: Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Bullet Biter »

Jeeze, that VR scanner doesn't sound like fun at all...I feel bad for Lillie too.

I hope they update with the newest chapter soon. Part of me regrets reading it while it's still in-progress since the delays between chapters absolutely kills me.
User avatar
Vallen
Posts: 521
Joined: Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:39 am
Location: Toronto

Re: .hack//Bullet (English Fan Translation)

Post by Vallen »

Does anyone know how long this series is? Does it have a planned length? And yeah, the wait between chapters is brutal
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