Yuuki Asuna, like many others, stood there in a daze.
The panic and shouting all around her didn't seem to reach her at all.
It wasn't until someone accidentally bumped into her that she finally snapped back to reality.
The bizarre figure in the sky was already gone.
The declaration was over.
From today onward, forty-eight thousand players would be forced to live in this world.
If they wanted to escape, they would have to clear the colossal floating castle—[Aincrad].
And now, in this world, the revival system had been removed. Once your HP hit zero, your brain would be cooked by microwaves and you would die.
What kind of joke was this?
A lot of people refused to believe it, but Kayaba Akihiko promptly pulled real-world news reports into view, showing that the outside world truly had fallen into chaos over the players being trapped.
There were even reports of people forcibly removing VR headsets—followed by confirmed deaths.
Of course, it was also possible that all of it was fabricated. That Kayaba had staged the broadcasts to scare them into compliance.
"J-just kidding… We have to clear a hundred floors?!"
"According to players from the beta, it took almost half a year just to clear Floor 6."
"Half a year for six floors? Then how long is a hundred supposed to take?"
"Yeah! And during the beta, the average player died over a hundred times. Now there's no revival system—what kind of sick joke is this?!"
The voices around her only made the weight in Asuna's chest sink deeper.
At this rate, would she be stuck in this world for the rest of her life?
Then something struck her—and the color returned to her eyes.
The Super-Dimensional Channel.
If that thing truly wasn't part of SAO, then maybe it could pull her out of this nightmare.
She needed to talk to Kuroneko immediately and get more concrete information.
If Kuroneko knew it took two years to clear the game, that meant she understood this world far better than any ordinary player. Maybe she could provide a faster route to clearing it.
[Asuna: Kuroneko, could you tell me what you know about SAO? Especially information about the boss fights.
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: I probably can't give you that much. The novels and the anime didn't describe most floors clearly, aside from a few specific ones. And even if I tell you some boss traits, they might not be accurate. The information from my version of the story could differ from the reality you're in.]
Asuna could tell Kuroneko was being extremely cautious—afraid that if her intel turned out wrong, it could get Asuna killed.
Asuna understood that.
Still, she hoped Kuroneko would share whatever she did know, and she would treat it carefully.
She also wanted intelligence about other players—who was strong, who might die under certain circumstances—so she could avoid those risks.
If she could keep more capable players alive, she could gather them together and increase their odds of clearing this death game.
And then another thought surfaced.
Could there be "GM" plants among the players?
People monitoring progress from inside. If any player discovered a loophole—some way to escape or clear the game prematurely—they could report it to Kayaba so he could patch it.
So Asuna asked directly.
[
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Ah… for that, you could say yes, and you could also say no.
]
It was vague. Ambiguous. Like Kuroneko was hesitating—caught in a dilemma.
Then an idea flashed through Asuna's mind.
Kuroneko said Kayaba's dream was to experience a fantasy-world adventure.
But Kayaba couldn't possibly be satisfied staying a GM forever, watching everyone else "play."
To fulfill his dream, he would have to participate.
Which meant—
[Asuna: Is Kayaba Akihiko mixed in with the players?
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Uh…]
That reaction all but confirmed Asuna's suspicion.
[Asuna: Who is he? What's his ID?]
Kuroneko went silent.
[Fallen Angel Kuroneko: I can't tell you. It's like what happened with Madoka earlier—telling you too soon isn't necessarily a good thing.]
Asuna understood the concern.
If she lost her composure and tried to confront Kayaba directly, she could be killed on the spot.
And even if she told others and tried to pressure him with numbers, it probably wouldn't work. More likely it would just help Kayaba bury his identity deeper.
[Fallen Angel Kuroneko: And I really hope you won't spread the idea that the GM might be hiding among the players.
Asuna: Why?]
Not naming him was one thing, but telling her not to even warn people—when the danger could be right beside them—felt harder to accept.
Then someone else answered.
[
Tendō Civil Security Corporation: What else could it be? Human suspicion. People start doubting each other. When emotions hit the extreme, it gets ugly. You'll end up with players turning on each other and killing each other long before anyone finds Kayaba.
]
Asuna's face went white.
She'd assumed Kuroneko was worried Kayaba would become more cautious.
But this… meant she might have to guard the secret alone.
[Fallen Angel Kuroneko: About everything you want—any SAO intel—I'll整理 it and send it to you later. But remember: it's for reference only!!!
Asuna: Yes. Thank you.]
After that, the conversation drifted back to Madoka Magica. In the end, they decided to "handle" Madoka for now by feeding her a safer, simplified warning.
They told her there was a bad guy named Kyubey who would trick girls into signing a contract, basically selling themselves.
Like a talent scout.
If Madoka met him, he might sweet-talk her into debuting as an idol with a "magical girl" concept.
So all she needed to do was watch out for that.
No need to live in constant fear of kidnapping or being dragged away—just don't blindly trust strangers.
That way, when Madoka truly met Kyubey, she'd have a chance to avoid falling into the trap.
And if she did meet Kyubey, she had to tell everyone immediately—so they could explain the truth.
Only then did Asuna turn her attention to the livestream.
[Asuna: Um… what is this livestream playing? The camera hasn't switched once. It's like a single uncut shot centered on that dark-purple-haired onee-san.]
At first, Asuna thought it was some kind of "show"—a zombie apocalypse story.
But the longer she watched, the more wrong it felt.
[
Busujima Kendo Style: That's a live feed from my world.
]
Oh. So that's what it was.
Wait—live?
The ID "Busujima Kendo Style" was that beautiful long-haired woman with the dark-purple hair.
So the scene being broadcast… was real?
Those were real zombies?
Her world was truly being swallowed by something that horrific.
(End of Chapter)
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