Ding-dong.
Ding-dong.
Like the solemn tolling of church bells, the heavy chime echoed across the vast grasslands. The three of them instinctively looked up, trying to find the source, but there was nothing around them. Gradually, the lingering resonance twisted in their ears—no longer a bell, but an alarm.
"This is…!"
Before Satoru could finish speaking, his vision was flooded with blue light. Through the faint, hazy glow, he saw Klein and Kirito being swallowed by it. The endless grassland in his sight began to fade, and he instinctively tried to break free.
As if reacting to his resistance, the blue light suddenly flared brighter, forcing his eyes shut.
Only after the glare subsided did Satoru slowly open them.
He was no longer in the wilderness outside the town.
Beneath his feet stretched solid marble pavement. Orderly rows of trees surrounded him, and enclosing the space was a cluster of bold, free-spirited medieval-style buildings.
This was… the central plaza of the starting town.
Teleportation…?
Still unsettled, Satoru turned to look around. Almost instantly, a crowd packed in around him—every face handsome or beautiful, all dressed in simple beginner gear. At a glance, the plaza was overflowing. It seemed all ten thousand players from the launch had been forcibly gathered here.
The crowd fell silent for a few seconds—
Then chaos erupted.
"What the hell is going on?! Let me log out already!"
"I've got things to do in real life!"
"Where's the GM?! Get out here now!"
Klein and Kirito were still beside him, both equally bewildered.
"If we're all here, there's definitely going to be an announcement."
Satoru let out a slow breath.
No matter what, the operators would have to apologize. Maybe they'd even offer compensation.
"Hey! Look up there!"
A shout cut through the noise, loud enough to suppress all the complaints. Almost everyone reflexively looked up.
At the base of the massive second floor, the vast surface shrouded in mist flickered with a vivid crimson.
"It's finally happening."
This had to be the announcement.
But it wasn't.
The red pattern spread across the sky like a virus unleashed, expanding uncontrollably. Within seconds, it dyed the sunlight crimson, casting a blood-red glow over every confused, uneasy face. At the center, the color deepened further—until it dropped heavily, like a single massive drop of blood falling from the sky.
From within it emerged a giant, cloaked in deep crimson.
It had no visible eyes, no mouth—its face completely hidden beneath a vast red hood.
Looking down from above, that eerie presence gazed upon the ten thousand gathered in the plaza.
Its sleeves widened. White gloves, with no arms inside them, spread open as if in a welcoming gesture. Then a deep, heavy voice echoed from all directions.
"Greetings, players. Welcome to my world."
Every eye locked onto it.
"My name is Kayaba Akihiko. I am currently the only person capable of controlling this world."
In an instant, the image of that unsmiling researcher in a white lab coat flashed through Satoru's mind.
"I believe you have all noticed that the log out button has disappeared from the main menu. However, this is not a malfunction. Let me repeat—this is not a problem with the game. This is the true nature of SAO, Sword Art Online."
"The true nature…?"
Satoru murmured under his breath.
"From this moment on, until you reach the top of this castle—the 100th floor—you will not be able to log out of the game."
A crushing weight bore down on him.
Having studied this game exhaustively before launch, he immediately understood what that meant.
The castle wasn't just some structure in the starting town.
It was…
"Furthermore, there is no way to stop the system. If you attempt to shut down the NerveGear, the result will be…"
It paused briefly, as if emphasizing what came next—or perhaps deliberately drawing it out.
"The microwaves emitted by the NerveGear's signal components will destroy your brain and terminate all vital functions."
It was no longer just pressure.
It was pure, absolute terror.
The entire plaza fell silent. Even breathing seemed to disappear.
Brain destruction. Death.
There was no need to interpret it further.
That was death.
"So… the helmet can actually do that?" Satoru asked hoarsely.
The NerveGear was supposed to be just a game console.
"There's something based on a similar principle—a microwave oven," Kirito replied, his voice just as strained. But his quick answer brought no comfort. "If the output's high enough, it could theoretically cook a brain… but it's probably just a bluff, right? Without an external power source, how could it generate that kind of output?"
"No wonder the built-in battery takes up thirty percent of the helmet."
Satoru forced a grim smile.
"To be more precise, the destruction program will activate under the following conditions: if external power is cut off for more than ten minutes, if the network connection is lost for more than two hours, or if there is any attempt to damage or remove the NerveGear itself…"
As if hearing their conversation, Kayaba Akihiko continued from above.
"All of this information has already been announced in the real world. Incidentally, by now, quite a number of players' families have already removed their headsets."
"And those who ignored my warning…"
It paused again.
"Their outcome was inevitable."
Another beat of silence.
"Regrettably, two hundred and thirteen players have already left Aincrad—and the real world."
A few people cried out.
But most simply stood there, stunned, their faces blank with disbelief.
Satoru's eyes widened as he clenched his teeth.
Death.
Two hundred and thirteen.
Just a number.
And yet, it carried overwhelming horror.
Death…
He clutched his chest, feeling the steady beat of his artificial heart.
'I'm sorry… we did everything we could.'
'At least the child is safe.'
'Poor thing… so young…'
'Maybe we should…'
"What are you saying?! Do you understand what that implies? Let's check on the others first."
"Oh, right… doesn't his mother's younger brother work out of town? We should call him back…"
"But would he take him in?"
"At least they're closer than we are…"
So that's it.
That was reality.
"I don't believe it! I don't believe this!"
Klein dropped to one knee, his voice shaking.
"It's just a scare tactic! Stop screwing around! Let me out right now! This has to be some kind of event!"
No.
It's not an event.
The thought echoed in Satoru's mind.
That man was serious.
Even without eyes, he could feel that cold, almost emotionless gaze.
"There is no need to worry about your physical bodies in the real world. Television, radio, and the internet are continuously reporting on this situation. Due to the number of casualties, the survival rate of those still alive is now quite high. At the very least, you will not die from the removal of the headset. From here on, your bodies will most likely be transferred to hospitals and placed under careful supervision."
The massive red figure continued its emotionless announcement.
"So I ask that you all proceed with peace of mind as you clear the game."
Proceed with peace of mind… into death.
Satoru stood frozen, his fists clenched tight.
"I want to emphasize this: for you, this is no longer a virtual world. This is reality. From this point forward, all resurrection functions will be removed. The moment your HP reaches zero, your character will be permanently deleted…"
"And at the same time… your brain will be destroyed."
Satoru immediately glanced at his HP in the corner of his vision.
362/362.
An RPG… where you grow stronger simply by not dying?
Ridiculous.
He slammed the thought down in his mind.
If that were the case, no one would dare leave. Everyone would just hole up in the safety of the town!
"The only condition to free yourselves from this game, as I've already stated, is to reach the very top of this floating castle—the 100th floor—and defeat the final boss in the Ruby Palace. At that moment, all surviving players will be able to safely log out."
So it really is there.
But… how long would that take? How many lives would it cost?
A deathly silence settled over the plaza. It was as if everyone was running the same calculation in their heads—and when they all arrived at the same answer, the silence shattered into wails and furious shouting.
But… not everyone was in despair.
Some wore astonished smiles.
Some looked exhilarated.
And some…
Satoru narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the crimson figure.
It was the same.
No different from reality.
No different from the world where he had struggled desperately just to survive.
Danger had always been there—cars on the road, unseen sources of fire, sudden disasters.
The only difference now was that the conditions for death had been laid out plainly.
To survive.
A twisted expression spread across his face.
He had already endured so much pain… so much cold, suffocating loneliness.
This was nothing more than a virtual construct built from data and systems!
"Lastly, I will present you with proof that this world has become your only reality. In your inventory, you will find a gift I have prepared. Please take a look."
Satoru's hand moved almost on its own.
A small mirror.
After selecting materialization, a small square mirror appeared in his hand. Reflected within it was his default, generic system face.
Then, every player was enveloped in white light.
Two or three seconds later, the mirrors vanished.
And so did their appearances.
Klein's armor, his crude red headscarf, and his red hair remained unchanged—but his face was completely different. His narrow eyes drooped at the corners, his straight nose had turned hooked, and stubble covered his cheeks and chin. He had gone from a handsome warrior to a scruffy rogue.
Satoru froze for a moment.
Then he raised the mirror again.
Long, unremarkable hair. Eyes tinged with fatigue. A face not unlike Klein's, just with slightly less stubble.
"Oh… so it's you."
He muttered to his reflection.
"Yeah… it's me."
This was reality.
Complete, undeniable reality.
"I'm sure many of you are wondering why—why I, Kayaba Akihiko, the developer, would do such a thing."
For the first time, the ruler in the sky spoke with a trace of emotion.
"That was never my goal. In fact, I no longer have any particular reason. If I must give one, then this situation itself is the ultimate objective. To create it, and to observe it—that is why I invented the NerveGear and created SAO. And now, it has all been fulfilled."
"This concludes the announcement. Everyone… I wish you the best of luck."
His final words lingered as an echo.
The crimson cloak and hood melted away, dissolving into rippling distortions. When the ripples faded, the sky returned to normal.
The wind in the plaza, the footsteps of NPCs in the town, even the ambient background music—all of it gradually regained clarity, striking against Satoru's senses.
And then—
The plaza erupted.
"You've got to be kidding me! This has to be fake!"
"I have promises to keep! Let me out!"
"No! Let me go back! Let me go back!"
Voices overlapped, emotions collided, forming a chaotic storm of panic and despair.
In that moment, every one of them had become prisoners on death row.
"Haa…"
Satoru exhaled slowly.
His expression didn't change as he grabbed Kirito and Klein.
"Let's move."
They pushed through the crowd and returned to the alley where he had first met Kirito.
"Kirito… you're a beta tester. I have a request—could you share any useful information you have?" The sun had already set, and in the alley's shadows, a faint glint flickered in Satoru's eyes. "Do you know the route to the next village?"
Both Klein and Kirito looked at him.
"In an RPG, resources are always contested… Aside from those who haven't snapped out of it yet, everyone else will start grinding like crazy around here," Kirito said, clearly understanding his reasoning.
"Even ignoring monster respawn rates, quest rewards will be fought over. That slows everything down. Right now, levels, EXP, and money are life itself. This town's resources will quickly run dry. Instead of exhausting ourselves competing here, it's better to find a resource-rich area and establish a new base."
Kirito took a deep breath.
"I know the route to the next village, along with the danger zones. Even at level 1, it's doable…"
"I see. That's good." Satoru nodded.
Klein glanced between them, then spoke after a moment.
"But… those friends I mentioned earlier—they're probably already there. I can't just abandon them…"
The tension and sincerity in his voice were unmistakable. He was the kind of guy who made friends easily—straightforward and warm.
Kirito fell silent.
The alley grew quiet.
Perhaps sensing Kirito's hesitation, Klein forced a smile onto his now-rough face and crossed his arms.
"No… I shouldn't drag you guys into this. Don't let my looks fool you—I used to be the guild leader in my last game. I've got plenty of experience. It'll be fine. With the tricks Kirito taught me, I'll manage. Besides, we don't even know if this is real yet. Maybe it'll all be over soon. Don't worry about me—you guys head to the next village first."
"…"
It was a hard choice.
Anything tied to survival made people hesitate.
Satoru looked at Kirito. There was a faint struggle in his expression.
"Kirito, just give me the route to another village. I won't go with you."
"?!"
Both of them were startled.
"Think about it—getting from the starting town to a second-tier village at level 1 isn't easy. It's fine. This isn't your responsibility. You don't need to carry that burden."
Better to take the initiative than force you to refuse.
At least this way, it lightens the weight on both of us.
Call it payment for the information.
"…Are you sure?" Kirito asked, turning slightly away.
"I'm sure."
Kirito fell silent, then began operating his menu, tracing out a route on the map and copying it over.
"Then we'll part here. If anything comes up, you can message me…"
"Yeah—don't worry. If I need help, I won't hold back!"
Kirito turned and left.
"He's actually kind of a good guy," Klein said with a small laugh, though the tension of what lay ahead still lingered on his face.
"Alright… I'm heading out too."
"Hey… you're really leaving? I thought you'd stick with me. You were just saying that to help Kirito, right?"
Satoru shook his head, ignoring Klein's call, and dashed straight toward the city gate.
"I'm not going to sleep."
Gather.
Plan.
Pour everything into it.
Just like before.
All he had to do was do everything within his power.
Survive.
And this time…
At least this was something he was good at.
Someone as weak and insignificant as him—had once stood at the very top. With his back to everyone, with his back to the newborn city.
The pounding in his chest grew more and more real.
No.
This was reality.