November 6, 2022 A month passed quickly.
Fresh from the shower, Henshi Shindo stepped out of the bathroom and rubbed the remaining water from his hair with a towel.
When he glanced toward the nixie-tube clock beside his bed, the alchemical-red digits glowing inside the tubes displayed the current time: 12:35:33 The countdown to the official launch of Sword Art Online had already begun.
All six monitors on his computer desk had been shut down, and the desk itself was far tidier than it had been a month ago.
The only things left on its surface were a thick stack of strategy notes, a pen, and the notebook-like God’s World Setting Compendium.
Shindo went downstairs and spoke with Aunt Hirako, telling her that he had several days of game-grinding work lined up and that she did not need to worry about him for a while.
He spent a little time playing with Mano as well before eventually returning upstairs.
The moment he closed the bedroom door behind him, the easy expression on his face disappeared.
He inspected the room one final time.
Everything was ready.
Shindo sat on the edge of the bed.
A network signal booster had already been set up nearby, along with two backup batteries.
Holding the streamlined helmet in his lap, he connected the NerveGear’s auxiliary power cable to one of the batteries before slowly lowering the device over his head and fastening the locking strap beneath his chin.
The room disappeared behind the NerveGear’s dark visor.
Through the black-tinted lenses, what little he could still perceive of reality resembled a silent monochrome film, while the helmet shut out every trace of outside noise.
Shindo closed his eyes.
His lips moved softly.
“Link Start!” Light exploded into the darkness.
A series of system windows appeared one after another, responding to the movement of his eyes as the NerveGear completed its checks.
Then his vision accelerated through rings of brilliant color until streams of code and numerical data assembled themselves into an entirely new world.
Aincrad.
Compared with several months earlier, Shindo adapted almost immediately to the subtle difference between his real senses and the artificial sensory feedback of virtual reality.
Once he had confirmed that everything was functioning normally, he broke into a run.
He swept his right index finger downward through the air and opened the system menu.
The clock in the upper-right corner read: 13:00:25 Perfect.
He had timed his login almost exactly.
As he crossed the central plaza of the Town of Beginnings, more than a dozen columns of blue light began appearing one after another.
Other beta testers were logging into Sword Art Online.
Because they could reuse the avatars they had created during the closed beta, beta testers had a small head start over ordinary players.
They could skip character creation entirely and begin progressing through the game immediately, though all levels, items, and other character data accumulated during the beta had naturally been reset.
Shindo accelerated.
He passed the Black Iron Palace on the northern side of the plaza and continued through the shopping district.
Beyond the final fountain stood the northern gate of the Town of Beginnings.
Once he crossed the bridge spanning the moat, the solid marble paving beneath his feet gradually gave way to a rough gravel road resembling a country trail.
Open grasslands stretched endlessly across both sides of the increasingly uneven path, broken here and there by weathered rock formations shaped like giant stone mushrooms.
Frenzy Boars and winged insect monsters spawned throughout the fields and occasionally directly on the road ahead.
Unless a player approached within a certain distance, however, their Hate would not activate.
Shindo reached over his shoulder and drew the beginner’s straight sword from its sheath.
The blade flared red.
His running speed immediately increased as the system seized control of part of his movement and guided him into the basic Sword Skill «Linear».
Shindo adjusted his wrist by the slightest degree.
A faint ripple appeared around the sword’s point as he shot forward, passing straight through a Frenzy Boar blocking the road.
The monster remained standing behind him for an instant before its body shattered into pale-blue crystalline fragments.
A system window immediately appeared in front of Shindo, its violet text listing the rewards from the kill.
[EXP +30] [COL +50] Nearly half of his EP — Energy Points had been consumed by the attack.
Shindo did not linger.
Aside from monsters unlucky enough to spawn directly across his route, he ignored everything else and continued forward.
A red marker flashed on his map alongside the navigation route, and he increased his pace again.
The seemingly endless grasslands eventually began giving way to clusters of shrubs and patches of woodland.
That told Shindo he was getting close.
Only then did he finally slow down and open his character status.
The monsters he had swept aside along the journey had raised him to Level 3, though he was still some distance from the EXP needed for his next level.
He had also accumulated nine attribute points.
There was no need to deliberate.
Shindo invested six points into STR and the remaining three into AGI.
By then, the clock read: 14:32:23 After more than an hour and a half of travel, he was finally approaching his destination.
Horunka Village.
Horunka lay northwest of the Town of Beginnings and could only be reached after crossing the vast grasslands and forests separating the two settlements.
The village possessed several facilities that made it especially valuable early in the game.
Its weapon shop sold bronze equipment of noticeably higher quality than the beginner weapons available in the Town of Beginnings, and several NPCs around Horunka offered quests that rewarded players with useful equipment and items.
Not long after entering the forest surrounding the village, Shindo spotted someone he did not remember from the beta.
A man dressed like a hunter sat against a tree stump, with a green inverted pyramid floating over his head.
‘There wasn’t supposed to be an NPC here during the beta.’ Perhaps he had been added specifically for the full release.
Shindo approached.
The hunter noticed him almost immediately.
“Well, now, this is a rare sight!
Old Geese doesn’t meet many young fellows wandering through these woods anymore.” The green marker over the man’s head changed into a yellow exclamation mark.
Shindo’s gaze fell on the hunter’s injured leg.
He crouched beside him.
“What happened to your leg, sir?” “Ohhh, don’t even get me started!
Old Hunter Geese came out here for a perfectly ordinary hunt, only to run into a pack of vicious wolves.
Naturally, my peerless archery sent the beasts running for their lives, but unfortunately, one of them managed to bite my calf before fleeing!” Apparently worried that Shindo might doubt his heroic account, the man even gestured toward the bow lying beside him.
Then he gave Shindo an appraising look.
“Tell me, young fellow, are you an adventurer?” “Yes, I am.” The yellow exclamation mark over Geese’s head immediately changed into a yellow question mark.
“In that case, could I trouble you to gather a certain medicinal herb from the western side of the forest?” Geese asked hopefully.
“It’s called Sawtooth Herb, and it’s excellent for stopping bleeding.” He thumped his chest with obvious pride.
“Of course, you’ll be rewarded!
Old Hunter Geese never lies!” A quest window appeared.
[Hidden Quest — Geese’s Injury (1)] [Quest Description: While hunting near Horunka Village, Old Hunter Geese was bitten on the calf by a Dire Wolf.
Gather Sawtooth Herb from the nearby forest to help treat his wound.] [Sawtooth Herb: A short plant commonly found beneath trees near rivers.
It has broad green leaves with serrated edges.] [Rewards: EXP +200, COL +100, greatly increased Affinity with Hunter Geese, increased Affinity with all residents of Horunka Village.] [Penalty for Refusing or Failing the Quest: Reduced Affinity with all residents of Horunka Village.] “Wait here, Geese.
I’ll be back soon.” “Oh-ho!
Don’t you worry about old Geese, young fellow!
Old Hunter Geese is tough as iron and never misses with a bow.
If those vicious wolves return, I’ll shoot every last one of them down and kick them square in the backside so they remember exactly who they’re dealing with!” Shindo left at a brisk pace.
Geese spoke like a character from some ancient, painfully literal game localization, and the effect was so overpowering that Shindo suspected he would start making comments aloud if he stayed there much longer.
Around fifteen minutes later, he returned carrying a bundle of Sawtooth Herb.
After some elaborate NPC crafting animation on Geese’s part, the herbs became a medicinal paste.
The hunter spread it across a cloth and had Shindo wrap the makeshift bandage around his injured calf.
“Ohhh, thank you, young fellow!
Truly, thank you!
Now, what was I supposed to give you in return?” Geese frowned deeply and stroked his mustache.
“I had the perfect reward in mind a moment ago, but old Geese can be terribly forgetful sometimes.” Shindo stared at him.
His fist tightened.
‘This old man…’ “Ah!
That’s right!
Old Geese remembers now!” With a delighted expression, Geese removed a pouch of col from his belt and handed it over.
The instant Shindo accepted it, the pouch vanished and its contents were added directly to the numerical balance displayed on his status screen.
“Er…
young fellow?” Geese spoke again, but this time there was a trace of hesitation in his expression.
Shindo crouched down once more.
“Is something else bothering you, Geese?” “No, no, I’m perfectly fine.
It’s just…” The hunter coughed awkwardly.
“Would you mind helping me back to Horunka Village?
Old Hunter Geese lives in a little wooden cottage near the edge of the forest.” “Of course.
You’re injured.” “Oh, no, no, young fellow, don’t misunderstand!
Old Hunter Geese is a master archer with decades of experience…” His enormous white mustache twitched.
“It’s simply that even the greatest hunter occasionally suffers a tiny mishap.” Shindo smiled without commenting.
He slipped Geese’s arm around his shoulders and helped the old hunter stand.
When they finally reached the wooden cottage near the edge of the forest, Shindo immediately noticed the rows upon rows of dried meat hanging beneath the eaves.
Judging by the quantity, Geese really had hunted a remarkable number of animals.
“Look there, young fellow!” Geese announced proudly.
“Every piece of dried meat hanging beneath that roof came from prey brought down by Old Hunter Geese himself!
Old Hunter Geese never lies!” His two enormous white mustaches practically seemed to rise with his pride.
“Sure, Geese.
I believe you.” Shindo had endured the hunter’s relentless self-praise throughout the entire walk back and had long since become numb to it.
Once he was satisfied that Geese would be fine, Shindo turned to leave.
The hunter stopped him again.
“Ah, kind young fellow!
Could you perhaps do one more thing for Old Hunter Geese?” Shindo looked back.
“My leather shoes are terribly worn out, and I keep tripping whenever I walk.
If you could travel to the grasslands east of the forest and bring back a few pieces of high-quality boar hide, Old Hunter Geese would be most grateful.” Another quest window appeared.
[Hidden Quest — Geese’s Injury (2)] [Quest Description: Old Hunter Geese has not replaced his leather shoes in a very long time.
Travel to the grasslands east of Horunka Village and obtain high-quality boar hides that can be used as shoemaking material.] [Rewards: EXP +300, COL +200, greatly increased Affinity with Hunter Geese.] [Hidden Reward: ——— (Unavailable)] [Penalty for Refusing or Failing the Quest: None.] Shindo’s eyes stopped on the words Hidden Reward, highlighted conspicuously in red.
He accepted without hesitation.
As an upstanding young man with excellent morals, Henshi Shindo had always believed in helping others, particularly injured elderly people with difficulty walking.
Naturally, the hidden reward had absolutely nothing to do with his decision.
“Wait here, Geese.
I’ll be back soon!” Thanks to the village-wide Affinity increase he had earned by helping Geese, Shindo only needed to walk around Horunka for a short while before triggering another hidden quest he remembered from the beta.
This one required him to gather Dire Wolf fangs and hides.
Frenzy Boars and Dire Wolves both spawned throughout the broad grasslands east of the village, so the two quests did not conflict with each other.
Completing them simultaneously would maximize the value of the trip.
Shindo was about to leave when something suddenly occurred to him.
He swept his left hand downward through the air and checked the system clock.
17:25:31 Only a few minutes remained before every player would be forcibly teleported and Akihiko Kayaba would make his appearance.
There was not enough time to leave Horunka’s safe zone, much less reach the eastern grasslands.
With that realization, Shindo simply sat down.
There was nothing left to prepare.
All he had to do was wait.
Perhaps because Kayaba possessed administrator privileges as the game’s GM, the tolling of the clock tower in the Town of Beginnings could somehow be heard even here in Horunka, despite the enormous stretches of grassland and forest separating the two settlements.
Dong…
Dong…
As the distant bells echoed through the village, Shindo found himself wondering what the original story’s protagonists were doing at this very moment.
Klein and Kirito were probably already growing increasingly frustrated over the mysterious “bug” preventing them from logging out.
Asuna and Mito were likely still wandering around the Town of Beginnings, chatting as they explored.
Argo, Silica, and Lisbeth were probably enjoying the game without a care in the world.
Then a circle of light suddenly appeared beneath Shindo’s feet.
The compulsory teleportation that would mark Sword Art Online’s transformation into a death game had begun.
‘Here it comes.’ The world vanished.
When Shindo’s vision returned, he was standing beneath the Gothic architecture of the Town of Beginnings.
Marble paving covered the ground, rows of trees surrounded the central plaza, and the towering Black Iron Palace loomed nearby, giving the entire area the atmosphere of some enormous medieval arena.
Thousands upon thousands of teleportation beams flashed across the plaza before fading away.
Confusion immediately swept through the crowd.
A brief burst of disorder turned into an overwhelming roar as nearly ten thousand players began talking over one another.
Shindo stood among them, quietly feeling the anxiety spread through the square.
Then something appeared in the sky.
A blood-red pattern spread overhead like a giant chessboard whose black and white squares had been replaced with darker and lighter shades of crimson.
Two incomplete system messages repeatedly appeared across the tiles.
[WARNING] [SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT] The pattern expanded rapidly until the entire sky had been swallowed by red.
Then a thick liquid resembling blood began leaking from between the countless warning panels.
Streams joined together in midair, gradually constructing an enormous humanoid figure dressed in a broad crimson robe, like some faceless dark sorcerer suspended above the plaza.
Questions and frightened voices began rippling through the crowd.
The figure raised both hands.
“Players, I welcome you to my world.” Ten thousand people stared upward as though their minds had simply stopped working.
“My name is Akihiko Kayaba.
At present, I am the only human being capable of controlling this world.” Kayaba moved his left hand.
A replica of the player menu appeared across the sky.
“As I believe many of you have already noticed, the Log Out button has disappeared from your main menu.
This is not a malfunction.
I repeat: this is not a malfunction.
It is part of the intended design of Sword Art Online.” Whispers immediately swept across the plaza again.
Several impatient players had already begun shouting questions and demands.
The enormous crimson figure ignored them.
“From this moment onward, none of you will be able to log yourselves out of the game.
Furthermore, no one in the outside world will be able to shut down or remove your NerveGear safely.
Should anyone attempt to do so—” Kayaba paused.
The silence stretched like a string drawn tight beneath a musician’s fingers.
“—the NerveGear will emit a high-powered microwave pulse that will destroy your brain and end your life.
More specifically, the brain-destruction mechanism will activate if external power to the NerveGear is cut for more than ten minutes, if the connection to the network is interrupted for more than two hours, or if someone attempts to damage the NerveGear itself or forcibly release its locking mechanism.
ARGUS and the media have already informed the outside world of these conditions.
Unfortunately, despite those warnings, several players’ family members and friends have already attempted to remove their NerveGear by force.
As a result…” Every breath in the plaza seemed to stop.
“…two hundred and thirteen players have already been permanently removed from both the real world and Aincrad.” “No…
I don’t believe you…!” Voices began breaking throughout the crowd, some players desperately trying to convince themselves that none of this could possibly be real.
Shindo’s expression remained as calm as Kayaba’s.
“It’s a bluff!
This can’t be real!
Stop screwing around and let me out!” Unlike Shindo, everyone else had been given no warning of what was coming.
“We don’t have time for this stupid event!” “That’s right!
This is just some launch-day performance, isn’t it?!
It has to be!” Kayaba continued as though the voices did not exist.
His declaration remained mechanical, cold, and utterly devoid of emotion.
“There is no need to worry excessively about your bodies in the real world.
Television, radio, and internet media are already reporting continuously on this incident and on the deaths that have occurred.
As such, the likelihood of anyone attempting to forcibly remove your NerveGear has fallen considerably.
Within the two-hour network-disconnection grace period, your physical bodies should be transferred to hospitals or other suitable facilities while the NerveGear remains attached, where you will receive appropriate care.
I therefore ask that you remain calm…
and devote yourselves to clearing the game.” By now, despair had overwhelmed any lingering disbelief.
Sharp screams tore through the plaza.
Some players shouted at the enormous crimson figure above them that there was no possible way anyone could still call this a game.
Shindo, however, had already heard all of this before in another form.
The experience of watching a future he knew unfold exactly as expected was beginning to bore him.
He turned away and started moving through the tightly packed crowd toward the side of the plaza nearest the Black Iron Palace.
Positioning himself there now would make it easier to move as soon as whatever restrictions Kayaba had imposed on the plaza disappeared.
Above them, Kayaba continued speaking in the same steady voice.
“There is, however, one point that all of you must understand.
From this moment forward, SAO is no longer merely a game.
It is another reality.
There will be no resurrection system.
When a player’s HP reaches zero, that avatar will be permanently erased.
At the same moment…” Shindo silently finished the sentence in his head.
‘…the NerveGear will destroy the player’s brain.’ As though Kayaba had read the thought directly from him, the enormous figure continued: “The condition required to free yourselves from this game is simple.
You must reach the highest level of Aincrad—the one-hundredth floor—and defeat the final boss waiting there.
At that moment, I guarantee that every surviving player will be safely logged out.” The central plaza fell completely silent.
No—silence was too mild a word for it.
The place had become deathly still.
Kayaba slowly raised his right hand, the motion almost resembling an invitation.
“Finally, I will show you proof that this world has now become your only reality.
I have placed a gift in each of your inventories.
Please examine it.” Nearly every player reacted at once.
Electronic chimes sounded across the plaza as thousands of menus appeared in midair.
At the top of the Items tab was the present Kayaba had mentioned.
A Hand Mirror.
Moments later, the plaza filled with the sound of glass shattering, one mirror after another striking the ground like a chain of fireworks going off during a summer festival.
“I imagine many of you are wondering why.
Why would Akihiko Kayaba, creator of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do something like this?
Is this an act of mass terrorism?
A kidnapping carried out for ransom?” For the first time since his appearance, something entered Kayaba’s voice.
It was difficult to define, but the emotion behind it was undeniably strong.
“Neither of those is my purpose.
In fact, you could say that I no longer have any purpose or reason beyond this moment.
Why?
Because this moment itself is what I wanted.
I created the NerveGear and Sword Art Online because I wanted to create this world and observe it.
And now, that desire has been fulfilled.
This concludes the official explanation for the launch of Sword Art Online.
Players…
I wish you good fortune.” Those were Akihiko Kayaba’s final words.
The enormous crimson figure began to dissolve, its body spreading outward until it once again covered the entire blood-red sky.
Then the color faded away, leaving nothing behind but Aincrad’s ordinary blue heavens, as though a gust of wind had swept the entire apparition out of existence.
For a few seconds, only the wind could be heard crossing the plaza.
The cheerful string music normally played throughout the Town of Beginnings continued as though nothing had happened, grotesquely inappropriate now and almost completely unnoticed.
Then the plaza erupted.
Crying.
Shouting.
Screaming.
Cursing.
Begging.
Howls of rage and despair.
In only a few dozen minutes, ten thousand people who had logged in as players had become prisoners.
Some collapsed to the ground with their heads in their hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
Others raised their arms toward the sky and begged whatever god they believed in for help.
Some clung desperately to friends or strangers for comfort, while elsewhere panic had already turned into arguments, insults, and even fistfights.
Shindo moved through them all.
Watching the countless reactions around him, he was vaguely reminded of the Buddhist idea of witnessing every face of human existence gathered together in a single place.
Then he sensed someone staring at him.
Shindo stopped.
His eyes searched through the crowd until they settled on someone he could not honestly describe as either familiar or unfamiliar.
Mito Tozawa was looking directly at him.
More specifically, she was staring at his calm, almost indifferent expression as though she were looking at a monster.
Shindo did not care.
If she wanted to think of him as a monster, that was fine.
Though he found himself mildly curious whether that was truly what she was thinking.
Beside her, a visibly shaken Asuna Yuuki noticed Mito’s gaze and followed it.
Her eyes met Shindo’s.
He returned the two girls’ stares with the same composed expression, then walked straight past them without saying a word.