.hack//AI buster

.hack//AI buster is a novel by Tatsuya Hamazaki in the Japanese multimedia franchise .hack. It was published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten in 2002, and was translated and published in an English form by Tokyopop in 2005. Chronologically in the series, it is set before the anime .hack//Sign.

AI buster is set both in The World and in the real world. The story is told from the first person point of view of two characters as they interact with Lycoris, a Vagrant AI who seemingly can't be deleted. Watarai, the first character introduced, is the captain of the Cobalt Knights, a group of system administrators whose purpose is to delete Vagrant AIs. "Albireo" is the in-game name of the second and primary protagonist, a self-described lone wolf who encounters, and later is followed by, Lycoris.

Story

In the prologue, Watarai leads his team of Cobalt Knights to an area inaccessible to normal players. They attempt to delete a vagrant AI in the form of a little girl in a red dress, but their attempt fails and she escapes.

In the first chapter, we are introduced to Albireo. He cheats his way into the lowest level of the dungeon and meets the Vagrant AI. Through text chat, she reveals her name to be Lycoris. The end-of-dungeon treasure was an item named "eciov.cyl", which Albiero traded to Lycoris by her request. In the game, she gains her voice.

Lycoris teleports them without warning to his home, where there was currently a massive monster attack. A newbie player, Hokuto, appeals to Albireo to help her. He is forced to help her and finish the event involuntarily, gaining an item "rae.cyl". This is also traded to Lycoris. Hokuto manages to blackmail him into letting her into his empty friend's list, and then into forming a party of the two of them. Due to this, Hokuto was able to see Lycoris.

Albireo was also approached by Orca and Balmung to ask for assistance in resolving the "One Sin", an event considered unbeatable. He declined however. He was unable to log out from The World, but was able to continue with his normal life (unlike infected characters later in the .hack series, who fell into comas). Upon returning, he headed to the "One Sin" location. Hokuto met him there, and they witnessed Orca and Balmung defeat the boss character there. Upon its defeat, an angel appeared, trailing feathers. Lycoris requested that Albireo find a red feather, which turned out to be "eye.cyl". This restored Lycoris' sight.

Lycoris brought them to another zone. She entered a phantom spring, and Albireo gained "yromem.cyl". Returning to the area in the prologue, Albireo gives Lycoris the item. She regains her memory and realizes that Albireo is none other than Watarai, the Cobalt Knight who had first tried to delete her.

Watarai had attempted to complete the event in order to delete the previously fragmented Lycoris. She informs him of the existence of Morganna Mode Gone and the fact that she was a failed prototype of Aura, and reveals the last fragment of herself, hidden in Albireo's spear: "etaf.cyl". She then chose to delete herself, impaling herself onto Albireo's spear.

References