Kazuto Kirigaya's tense expression gradually eased. He had seen a cloak like that before. During the closed beta, the GMs from Argus had always worn them. But back then, the male GMs had all looked like wizards—old men with long beards.
The female GMs, on the other hand, had always been women wearing glasses beneath their cloaks. Maybe something had gone wrong, and they couldn't create a character, so they'd just made the cloak appear for now. But the deep crimson cloak was completely empty underneath, giving Kazuto Kirigaya an indescribable sense of unease.
Just then, as if to silence the noise, the cloak's right sleeve suddenly moved.
A pure white glove appeared inside the widening sleeve. But the sleeve and glove were clearly separate, and there was no sign of a body beneath them.
Then the left sleeve slowly rose as well. Above the heads of ten thousand players, the empty white gloves spread apart. It looked as if a faceless figure were opening its mouth. A man's deep, resonant voice then rang out from high above.
"Welcome, players, to my world."
"My name is Akihiko Kayaba. I am the only person who can control this world."
"I'm sure you've all noticed that the logout button has disappeared from the main menu. But this isn't a problem with the game. I'll say it again: this isn't a malfunction. This is the original version of Sword Art Online."
"The... original version?"
Countless players cried out in shock. The crowd erupted.
"From this moment on, none of you will be able to log out of this game on your own until you reach the top of this castle."
The man named Akihiko Kayaba paused, giving everyone a moment to absorb his words. Then he continued:
"...Furthermore, no one outside the game can stop or disable the NerveGear. If anyone tries to do so—"
A brief silence followed.
His next words came slowly, in the heavy stillness of ten thousand people holding their breath:
"—the microwaves emitted by the NerveGear's signal components will destroy your brains and stop your vital functions."
Kayaba's declaration was clear: if someone cut off the NerveGear's power or unlocked its fasteners to remove it from the user's head, the person wearing it would be killed.
Asuna's pupils tightened beside him. Kazuto Kirigaya managed to put on a suitably shocked expression, too.
Asuna grabbed Kazuto Kirigaya, her expression rigid. "That can't be true. It can't be. He must be lying. What does he mean, 'the original version'? I want to get out! I want to get out!"
Kazuto Kirigaya didn't know what to say, so he simply stayed silent.
All the players were in an uproar.
Kazuto Kirigaya could understand how they felt. If he were told he was trapped in a game, and that dying in the game meant dying for real, he'd be furious too.
After all, you finally got home from work, sat down to play a game, and then got hit with this kind of mess. Anyone would be seething.
But a few seconds later, the crowd erupted again. Countless people whispered, and some shouted to their companions, "Ha... What's that guy talking about? That's impossible. There's no way he could do that. The NerveGear... It's just a game console."
"Only under the following conditions will the brain-destruction program activate: the external power supply is disconnected for more than ten minutes, the network is disconnected for more than two hours, or someone attempts to damage the NerveGear itself or undo its fasteners. The company and the media have already announced these conditions to the outside world. By the way, at this very moment, many players' family members and friends have ignored our warnings and tried to forcibly remove their NerveGear. The result was..."
The metallic voice paused here, taking a slight breath.
"—I regret to inform you that two hundred and thirteen players have already left both the real world and Aincrad forever."
A single scream rang out from somewhere. Aside from that, most of the players either couldn't believe it or refused to believe it. Their faces showed faint smiles or blank stares.
"You don't need to worry about your bodies in the real world. Television, radio, and online media are now repeatedly reporting on this situation and the many casualties. So the danger of someone forcibly removing the NerveGear from your heads has already been greatly reduced. From now on, your bodies in the real world should be taken to hospitals or other facilities during the two-hour grace period after the NerveGear loses its network connection, and given careful medical attention. I hope you can feel at ease... and focus on clearing the game."
"But there is something you must keep in mind. For you, Sword Art Online is no longer just a game. It is another reality. From now on... all revival functions in the game have been disabled. The moment your HP reaches zero, your character will disappear forever, and at the same time..."
"Your brain will be destroyed by the NerveGear."
Hit points, the measure of life remaining.
The instant they reached zero, I would truly die—according to Kayaba, the microwaves would cook my brain, killing me instantly.
This really was a game. A game where life and death were at stake. In other words, a death game.
Asuna's face was pale. Feeling how shaken she was, Kazuto Kirigaya took her hand and asked softly, "Are you okay, Asuna?"
The girl looked so distraught that only a big hug from Kazuto Kirigaya could comfort her.
Asuna lowered her head, clearly upset.
Kazuto Kirigaya glanced over at Kazuto Kirigaya and saw that even his mood was terrible.
The worst news was yet to come.
"There is only one condition for being released from this game. As I mentioned earlier, you must reach the highest floor of Aincrad—the hundredth floor—and defeat the final boss waiting there. I guarantee that the moment you do, all surviving players will be able to log out safely."
Akihiko Kayaba's words were like a spark setting off a powder keg. The crowd erupted into an uproar.
New Year's Day—surely it wasn't too much to pad the word count a little?