"Finally, let me show you the proof that this world is the only reality for you. There are gifts I've prepared in your inventory. Please take a look."
Asuna followed his instructions and almost automatically flicked her finger downwards. The surrounding players all did the same, and a series of electronic ringing effects rang out in the square.
After tapping the item bar icon on the main menu that appeared, the top of the inventory of held items showed the gift that Kayaba had mentioned.
The prop is called a "handheld mini mirror".
Listening to Asuna mutter about why she was being given something like this, he clicked on the name and selected the materialization button from the pop-up window. Accompanied by a bright sound effect, a small square mirror immediately appeared.
The mirror reflected a face with sharp features yet very young.
The next moment, all the players, including Asuna, were flashed with blue light. The light lasted only two or three seconds, but when their vision cleared up again, they saw a series of unfamiliar people.
Those handsome and refined players vanished without a trace, leaving many players looking on in astonishment and disbelief. Their companions exchanged glances, and a single voice echoed throughout the entire plaza.
"Who are you?"
Then they suddenly realized what was happening, hurriedly touched their faces, and looked at themselves in the mirror.
This is exactly who I am in the real world.
Asuna's hairstyle has changed slightly, and her face looks a bit younger and more youthful, but she still looks pretty much the same.
Kirigaya Naoki casually glanced around and spotted several players who had transformed from female to male. These players were definitely not few in number, and he could understand their feelings, since he also liked to play female characters when he played games.
It's not that male characters aren't fun, it's just that female characters offer better value for money.
The players were all groaning in despair.
After all, everyone has some hidden reasons for adjusting their appearance. Everyone will slightly improve their looks, which is not excessive, right?
But nowadays, everyone shows their true colors.
Before Kirigaya Naoki could react, a player next to him exclaimed in surprise, "How come you haven't changed at all?"
He was an ordinary-looking, overweight middle-aged man. His figure was noticeably plump, with a large belly that gave him a comical appearance.
Naoki Kiritani shrugged and said, "That's what I look like in real life."
The fat man fell silent, and not only him, but all the male players who heard this fell silent.
For a moment, Kirigaya Naoki's side was eerily silent.
What should I do if there's a really good-looking gay person living nearby?
While good-looking people are popular with the opposite sex, they are also often ostracized by the same sex.
When someone's appearance is at the top of the list among people of the same sex, most people, while not necessarily inclined to exclude them, will subconsciously keep their distance.
After all, no one wants to admit that they are inferior to the other person.
If they feel inferior to the other person, they will try to make things difficult for them if it is within an acceptable range.
The methods to make things difficult for someone don't need to be deliberate. It could be not speaking when you meet them, or stirring up trouble at a crucial moment to see them make a fool of themselves. As the number of people involved increases, this situation will escalate and eventually lead to school violence.
This is the case in Japan. School bullying targets are usually divided into three categories: handsome but unpleasant to talk to, high-achieving but unpleasant to talk to, and handsome and high-achieving but unpleasant to talk to.
In short, school violence usually targets those who are difficult to talk to and have low self-confidence.
Kayaba Akihiko continued speaking without pausing.
"Everyone must be wondering why right now. Why would Kayaba Akihiko, the developer of SAO and NervGear, do this? Is this a large-scale terrorist attack? Or a kidnapping for ransom?"
Kayaba, whose tone had been completely emotionless before, now spoke with a certain emotion in his voice. Even Kirigaya Naoki had to admit that Kayaba Akihiko was a person with great personal charm.
Naoki Kiritani knew about this young genius.
Akihiko Kayaba is renowned as a quantum physicist and a genius game designer, responsible for the foundation of NERvGear and the design of the SAO game. He created the seed that will shape the world: The Seed.
An ordinary-looking man has the power to change the times.
Unfortunately, he chose this path.
"None of these are my goals. In fact, you could say I have no goals or reasons left. If I had to explain why... it's because for me, this situation is the ultimate goal. To create this world and observe it, that's the purpose for which I invented NervGear and created SAO. And now, all my goals have been achieved."
After a brief period of time, Kayaba's indifferent voice began to echo in the hall.
"...That concludes the game announcement for the official launch of 'Sword Art Online Online'. Good luck, players."
The last sentence left a lingering echo before disappearing.
The enormous, crimson cloak rose silently, starting from the tip of the hood, and gradually assimilated with the system message that covered the entire sky, as if melting away.
Its shoulders, chest, and limbs slowly sank into the blood-red water, leaving only a ripple spreading outwards. Then, the message that filled the entire sky vanished suddenly, just as it had appeared.
The sound of the wind blowing across the square, along with the background music played by the NPC band, gradually approached from afar, steadily touching everyone's ears.
The game was restored to its original state. The only change was that some of the game's rules had been altered.
Only when there was a group of 10,000 players did the expected reaction occur.
In short, an overwhelmingly loud noise came from many places, shaking the entire square.
The moment the surrounding red barrier disappeared, Kirigaya Naoki grabbed Asuna and ran away without even thinking.
Before Asuna could react, the boy pulled her away and sent her a private message to Kirito.
Roya: Hurry up, let's farm monsters. Do you want Suguha to cry over your corpse? Let's split up and farm, it'll be more efficient. DM me if you need anything.
Kiritani Kazuto:.
Before Kirigaya Kazuto could react, he saw the message. His pupils contracted suddenly, he swallowed hard, grabbed Mito, and hurriedly said, "Let's go, let's kill some monsters."
When she turned around, she saw a girl with short purple hair and a cute and pretty face.
The girl was very beautiful; her purple eyes were like purple gemstones.
However, the girl's body had changed from being almost two meters tall to only about 1.65 meters, which left Kirito Kazuto somewhat bewildered.
Feeling the warm touch on his hand, Kirito unconsciously swallowed.
It's not his fault. He's never really had any close contact with other girls since he was a child, except for holding his own sister's hand.
It's not his fault; it's all that shut-in older brother's fault. He played video games with him every day, turning him into a shut-in.
After finishing the first boss story, I will continue writing about Mushoku Tensei, which will be the Alice arc.