Part 3 (2/2)

”... don't believe it.... I don't believe it,” Klein, still sitting on the ground, started saying in a strained voice. ”He's just trying to scare us. How would he do such a thing? Stop kidding around and let us out. We don't have time to play along to your sick opening ceremony. Yeah... this is all just an event. An opening show, right?”

Inside my head, I was screaming the same thing.

But as if to dispel our hopes, Kayaba's businesslike voice resumed its explanation.

'Players, there is no need to worry about the bodies you left on the other side. As of this moment, all TV, radio, and Internet media are repeatedly reporting this situation; including the fact that there have been numerous deaths. The danger of having your Nerve Gear taken off has already all but disappeared. In a moment, using the two hours I have provided, all of you will be transported to hospitals or similar inst.i.tutes and be given the best treatment. So you can relax... and concentrate on beating the game.'

”What...?”

Then, at last, violent shouts left my mouth.

”What are you saying!? Beat the game!? You want us to play around in a situation like this!?”

I kept shouting, glaring at the red robe that had oozed out of the bottom of the upper floor.

”This isn't a game anymore!!”

Then Kayaba Akihiko started announcing quietly with his monotonous voice.

'But I ask of you all to understand that ”Sword Art Online” is no longer a simple game. It is a second reality.... From now on, any form of revival in the game will no longer work. The moment your HP reaches 0, your avatar will be gone forever. And at the same time...'

I could guess what he was going to say all too clearly.

'... your brain will be destroyed by the Nerve Gear.'

Suddenly, an urge to laugh out loud bubbled up from the pit of my stomach. I forced it down.

A long, horizontal line shone at the top-left corner of my vision. As I focused on it, the numbers 342/342 overlaid it.

Hit points. My life-force.

The moment it reaches zero, I will die-the electromagnetic waves will fry my brain, killing me instantaneously. This is what Kayaba had said.

This is without a doubt a game, a game with your life at stake. In other words, a death game.

I must have died at least 100 times during the two months of beta testing. I had re-sp.a.w.ned with a slightly embarra.s.sed smile on my face in the palace north of the main plaza, the ”Black Iron Palace”, and ran off into the hunting grounds again.

That was what an RPG was: a sort of game where you keep dying and learning and leveling up. But now you can't? Once you die, you'll lose your life? And in addition... you can't even stop playing?

”... no freaking way,” I muttered softly.

Who in their right mind would go out onto the field with those conditions? Of course everyone would just stay inside the city where it was safe.

Then, as if reading my (and maybe every other player's) mind, came the next message.

'Players, there is only one way to be freed from this game. As I have said before, you must get to the top of Aincrad, the one hundredth floor, and defeat the final boss that resides there. All players still alive at that time will be immediately logged out of the game. I give you all my word.'

Ten thousand players stood in silence.

It was then that I realized what Kayaba meant when he said, ”get to the top of this castle”.

”This castle” meant the huge monstrosity that imprisoned all of the players on the first floor, with ninety-nine more floors stacked on top of it, towering into the sky in which it floated. He was talking about Aincrad itself.

”Clear... all 100 floors!?” Klein suddenly shouted. He got up quickly and raised a fist up to the sky.

”And how do you want us to do that? I heard that getting up was crazy hard even during the beta testing!”

This was true. During the two months of beta testing, the one thousand players that had taken part only managed to get to the sixth floor. Even if ten thousand people had dived right now, how long would it take to get through all 100 floors?

Most players who had been forced here would be asking themselves this rhetorical question.

The strained silence eventually gave way to low murmuring. But there was no sign of fear or despair.

Most people here would still be confused about whether this was a ”real danger” or a ”seriously warped opening event”. Everything Kayaba had said was so horrifying that it felt unreal.

I craned my head back to look at the empty robe and tried to force my mind to accept this situation.

I can no longer log out, ever. I can't go back to my room, my life. The only way that I would get them back was when somebody defeated the boss on the highest floor of this floating castle. If my HP reached zero even once during that time-I would die. I would die a real death and I would be gone forever.

But...

However much I tried to accept these as facts, it was impossible. Just five or six hours ago, I had eaten the dinner that my mom made, shared a short conversation with my sister, then walked up the stairs of my house.

Now I can't go back to all that? And this is now the real reality?

Then, the red robe that had always been one step ahead of us swept its right glove and started speaking with a voice void of all emotion.

'Then I will show you evidence that this is the only reality. In your inventories, there will be a gift from me. Please confirm this.'

As soon as I heard this, I pressed my finger and thumb together and pulled downwards. All the players did likewise and the plaza was filled with the ringing sound of bells.

I pressed the Item b.u.t.ton on the menu that appeared and the item was there, at the top of my belongings list.

The name of the item-”hand mirror”

Why did he give this to us? Even as I wondered, I tapped on the name and pressed the ”Make Into Object” b.u.t.ton. Immediately, there was a tinkling sound effect and a small, rectangular mirror appeared.

I grabbed it hesitantly but nothing happened. All that it showed was the face of the avatar that I had gone through a lot of trouble to create.

I c.o.c.ked my head and looked at Klein. The samurai was also looking at the mirror in his hand with a blank expression.

... Then.

Suddenly Klein and the avatars around us were engulfed in white light. As soon as I took this in, I was surrounded too and all I could see was white.

Almost 2, 3 seconds later, the surroundings reappeared just as they had been...

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