1st June, morning.
Ariake International Exhibition Centre.
Kazuto Kirigaya, who had skipped class to be here, stared at the long, winding queue that snaked around like the game Snake, cordoned off by barriers. He couldn't help but let out a sigh of doom. "Why does it feel like there are more and more people~ Ah!!"
Just as Kazuto Kirigaya was lamenting, a blue, punk-style mechanical dog, over a metre tall, slowly glided past the barrier next to him. Its red electronic eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, while an electronic notification sound emanated from its body:
[All participants, please queue in an orderly fashion and enter according to your position in the line!]
[All participants, please do not cut in line or shout. Otherwise, the company reserves the right to remove you from the premises!!]
Looking at the slowly advancing blue mechanical dog, and then at the two police officers following behind it, Kazuto Kirigaya couldn't help but complain, "Has Tokyo's technology really become this advanced?"
Just as he finished speaking, a male voice with a slightly peculiar accent came from behind him. "No, Tokyo isn't nearly as advanced as this place."
At the sound of the voice, he turned around and saw an exceptionally tall man of African descent standing behind him.
Seeing the man's robust build, Kazuto Kirigaya, who was already a bit of a social recluse, instinctively took a few steps back, not daring to make a sound.
'If a grown man this big threw a punch, I'd probably end up on my knees while he cried and begged me not to die.'
However, even though Kazuto Kirigaya was clearly showing he didn't want to talk, the young African man struck up a conversation anyway. "Sorry for answering you out of the blue. I'm Andrew Gilbert Mills~"
"Don't mind my appearance, I'm a true-blue Tokyoite."
Seeing Andrew, with his distinctly non-Japanese face, claiming to be a true-blue Tokyoite, even Kazuto Kirigaya, who had no desire to chat, couldn't help but let out a "Huh?" to express his confusion.
Andrew wasn't surprised by this. After all, when he introduced himself like this in the past, the people of Japan did tend to get very confused.
At this point, the slightly bewildered Kazuto Kirigaya, seeing that he couldn't escape the social interaction, couldn't help but ask, "Can I help you with something?"
Andrew then asked, "You must be from outside Tokyo, right, lad?"
Kazuto Kirigaya was instantly on alert, but a glance at the patrolling mechanical dog, which was still issuing warnings, helped him relax a little. He asked, "Is there something wrong with that?"
Andrew then said, a little awkwardly, "I don't know if you're aware of the lottery rules for Yggdrasil's closed beta slots, but I heard that people from out of town can buy up to three slots with their driving licence or proof of address..."
"That sounds fake the moment you hear it..." Kazuto Kirigaya couldn't help but say. "No matter how foolish the organisers are, they'd know not to discriminate between consumers like that!!"
Andrew also looked a bit embarrassed. "It's just a rumour, so..."
By now, Kazuto Kirigaya had figured it out. The rumour was fake, but the desire to buy a slot was real!
"You actually want to ask if I'm selling my closed beta slot, don't you?"
At this, Andrew chuckled and rubbed his fingers together. "Rest assured, this... will definitely be to your satisfaction!!"
Kazuto Kirigaya was about to refuse, but looking at the huge muscles on Andrew's arms, his tone weakened considerably. "...If I get a second one, I wouldn't really mind."
"Thank you so much!!"
Just as Andrew was expressing his thanks, a cheer suddenly erupted from the back of the crowd.
"Woooooah—!!" xN
"What's going on?" Kazuto Kirigaya turned his head to look at the crowd, but due to his height, he couldn't see what was happening at the back. He could only see a large group gathered, causing a bit of a stir.
At this moment, the tall and burly Andrew, whose physique was almost overwhelming amongst the Japanese, glanced ahead and said, "Looks like some celebrity has arrived!"
"A celebrity?" Kazuto Kirigaya paused, then said, baffled, "Did they invite celebrities to the press conference?"
Just then, voices carried from the commotion in the crowd.
"It's Utau Hoshina! It's really her!"
"And Mai Sakurajima... Ah, isn't my fave filming in Hokkaido? How did I run into her here..."
"The organisers must have invited them, right?"
"Wait, who's that purple-haired girl next to Utau Hoshina? She's kinda cute..."
"She looks a bit familiar. Is she some minor idol?"
"Seems to be Ai Hoshino from B-Komachi... Why would the organisers invite such a small-timer..."
Listening to the fans' chatter, Kazuto Kirigaya, who had some knowledge of idols, began to understand the situation. He couldn't help but sigh. "If Suguha knew Utau Hoshina would be here, she'd definitely blame me for not bringing her."
Beside him, Andrew couldn't help but comment, "A famous actress, a super-popular singer, and an idol... It really feels like Yggdrasil spent a lot of money on promotion..."
At the same time, two blue mechanical dogs approached from the rear, emitting an electronic sound as they drew near.
[Make way!!]
[Make way!!]
Because the patrol dogs were constantly moving along the queue, the crowd, though long, wasn't very congested within the barriers. It felt like there was enough room for another three or four people to stand abreast.
However, as the idols approached, the crowd seemed to grow a little restless.
But before the commotion could escalate, the patrol dogs issued a warning:
[Warning, do not attempt to approach the guests. This unit is equipped with a 5.6mm calibre submachine gun. Please do not test this unit's performance with your life!]
[Repeating...]
Hearing the warning and seeing the firearm rise from the mechanical dog's back, Kazuto Kirigaya fell silent.
'That thing... looks like the real deal!!'
'Wait a minute, Officer, isn't there a problem with letting a weapon like this appear here?'
'Ah, you're holding the same model yourself, sir?'
'Never mind then.'
While Kazuto Kirigaya was lost in thought, led by the mechanical dogs, several men and women, escorted by a group of Metropolitan Police Department personnel, walked over.
Kazuto Kirigaya's gaze lingered for a few seconds on the face of the ash-blonde girl in a staff uniform at the head of the group. He then looked at the men following her, and for a moment, he didn't even have time to notice the even more beautiful female celebrities behind them.
If Kazuto Kirigaya remembered correctly, the faces of those men belonged to the various Union ambassadors, who rarely appeared on NHK but whose appearances always signified major events.
Realising that even ambassadors were present, Kazuto Kirigaya instantly understood why the security personnel were armed.
With these people here, it would be strange if the guards weren't armed.
'Still, for so many ambassadors to show up, just how powerful is Yggdrasil's background...?'
'Somehow, for a company with such an advanced level of technology to be serving us gamers instead of researching weapons... seems like a bit of a waste of talent...'