Kikuoka Seijirou

Kikuoka Seijirou (菊岡誠二郎) is a member of Second Separated Advanced Network Division, Technology Bureau, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, or «Virtual Division». He uses the handle Chrysheight (クリスハイト) (formed from the English words «Chrysanthemum» and «Height» ) in «ALfheim Online» (ALO). He supposedly uses this account to get more familiar with VRMMO players, but Kirigaya Kazuto (Kirito) speculates that the true reason for using this account is to gather information. It is later revealed that Kikuoka is actually a Lieutenant Colonel working at the JSDF who voluntarily transferred over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication for the sake of his plans on Project Alicization.

Background
He was an investigator in the «Sword Art Online Case Victims Rescue Force», and the one who told Kazuto which hospital Asuna was in. Though he is stated to be part of the virtual division, Kazuto suspects he is part of the JSDF, after tailing him. He takes advantage of Kazuto's gratitude by using him as an investigator for issues, and uses other people like watchdogs over the VR network.

His skill as a mage in ALfheim Online is acknowledged by General Eugene.

He was also one of the original 1,000 beta testers for the original Sword Art Online. However he did not transfer over to the full version of Sword Art Online because he realized that the technology could be used for more than just military training programs and started working on Project Alicization.

Extra Edition


Seijirou had the SAO Survivor School set up an emergency counseling session with Kazuto, to his surprise, in order to gather more information regarding the events of SAO, and its aftermath. The game's logs only displayed the locations of players at certain times and, with Kayaba Akihiko's death, Seijirou wanted to hear Kazuto's story. Kazuto, after informing Seijirou that he had to be somewhere later, agreed to tell him everything that happened: from the incidents in SAO, to Kirito's "victory" over Heathcliff, and then explained the situation after he discovered that Asuna, along with 300 other SAO players, was trapped by Sugou Nobuyuki, and how he came to locate her in ALfheim Online.

Seijirou is later seen calling Kazuto through his cell-phone.

Phantom Bullet Arc
Kikuoka Seijirou made his first appearance at the beginning of the Phantom Bullet arc as an acquaintance of Kazuto, contacting him for advice concerning a troubling matter. He introduced the Death Gun problem, trying to debate on how Death Gun could kill through the tamper-proof, safety conscious AmuSphere. He and Kazuto reasoned that such a feat was impossible, but he convinced Kazuto to investigate for a sizable reward.

After Kirito entered the «Bullet of Bullets» and encountered the Death Gun after the death of Pale Rider, Asuna contacted Kikuoka and got him to log in to ALfheim Online where she interrogated him to find out the true reason behind Kazuto converting his avatar to Gun Gale Online. He, after extreme pressure, revealed everything to Asuna.

In the resolution, he met with Kazuto and Asada Shino for a debriefing of the incident and apologized for the danger. Kazuto also brought up the issue of the dangers that some aspects of VRMMO pose, such as invisibility being a gateway to misbehavior.

Alicization Running
In Alicization Running, it was revealed that he is a Lieutenant Colonel from the Japanese government's Self-Defence Force, and is in charge of Project Alicization. He oversaw its conception and formulation, directing the soul cloning of newborn babies and then the acceleration of the Underworld society.

It was also revealed that he had taken advantage of the «Gun Gale Online Incident» to form a relationship with Kazuto. His true goal was revealed to have been enlisting Kazuto's help for Project Alicization.

Gallery

 * See Kikuoka Seijirou/Image Gallery

Trivia

 * Seijirou can be seen to be rather sadistic as he was happily discussing what sort of image could possibly stop a heart (an earlier theory to how «Dead Gun» could stop the heart of players). Some of the graphic images include the making of Kiviak, which is made up of Auks (birds) stuffed into the hollowed out body of a seal to ferment. This was to the unhappiness of the other diners in the cafe.