The real world.
Late at night.
Outside the window was pitch-black, and huge raindrops pelted the glass with a rapid pattering sound.
Kamishiro Rinko stared at the window before her, her expression stern and cold. She then turned to look at the screen on the other side. On it, a thin man wearing a helmet lay flat on a bed, sunk in deep unconsciousness and sleep.
He was the creator of the Game World, and the chief culprit who had imprisoned ten thousand players.
Kayaba Akihiko.
And also the man she loved most.
"Forgive me..."
Kamishiro Rinko lowered her head and looked at the remote control in her hand. As long as she pressed the button, she could kill Kayaba Akihiko completely and restore order to the entire Game World. But she could not do it, because he was the man she loved most. Although Kamishiro Rinko had wanted to kill him from the very beginning, when she truly prepared to act, she discovered that she simply could not kill the person she loved.
And now, all she could do was remain in this hidden villa, caring for Kayaba Akihiko's body while silently watching everything unfold.
She knew that Kayaba Akihiko would inevitably be captured and put on trial. But even so, she did not want to leave him. After all, the thought that this might be the last time they could be together only made Kamishiro Rinko cherish it more. If that was the case, then she would become his accomplice...
"Rumble..."
Just as Kamishiro Rinko put down the remote and prepared to rest, the ground suddenly began to shake violently.
"An earthquake?!"
As someone born in an island nation along an earthquake belt, Kamishiro Rinko was naturally no stranger to earthquakes. She hurried beneath the table and waited