.hack//Portal

.hack//AI Buster (Artificial Intelligence Buster) is a novel created by Tatsuya Hamazaki, for the major multimedia franchise of .hack. Originally published in Japanese by Kadokawa Shoten in 2002, it later was released in english by Tokyopop in 2005. AI Buster is set before the adventures of .hack//SIGN.

The prologue begins with Albireo, the leader of the Cobalt Knights who leads his troops to a place inaccessible to normal players. He had received a tip on a Vagrant AI from an unknown inactive account (later found out to be Morganna hacking the account).

The knights corner the Vagrant AI in Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground, who appears in the form of a little girl in a red dress named Lycoris, but she escapes their grasp and the mission is a failure.

Albireo later receives another tip in regards to the same Vagrant AI, from another hacked Morganna account. He enters the field and re-encounters Lycoris, who requests Alberio to take her to the Gott Statue, where he will receive the first Lycoris segment, "eciov.cyl". Albireo gives it to the Vagrant AI child, who regains the ability to speak.

She suddenly teleports them both from the Gott Statue, to Albireo's apartment in Mac Anu, where a monster attack is being held, and a newbie Wavemaster named Hokuto requests Albireo's help to defeat it.

Upon defeating the monster, he receives the second Lycoris segment, "rae.cyl", which he also gives to Lycoris, who can now apparently understand what Albireo is saying to her.

Soon after, Orca and Balmung visit Albireo to request his help in defeating the mission "The One Sin", a mission considered unbeatable. Albireo kindly declines, telling them that he is in the middle of an event (referring to Lycoris). Once Orca and Balmung leave, Albireo attempts to log out but can't. Lycoris has prevented him to do so, due to her wanting him to help her.