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Chapter 381: Chapter 377 ~ Kayaba

From the giant figure, a manʼs deep, calm voice resounded, echoing throughout the massive plaza. His voice in stark contrast to his bizarre, inhuman appearance

”Dear Players. Welcome to my world.”

Yuuji stared up from the ground. At this angle, everyone standing with him within the plaza center wouldʼve been able to catch a glance underneath the hood. 

But there was no face. 

Instead, an empty space. Only the underside of the hood and the stitching of the seam were clearly visible. 

The long, dangling sleeves were also absent of matter. Nothing but faint darkness. 

Many guested it to be some technical issue that had prevented this admin from creating an avatar. The robe being the best it could manage. 

But after all he had researched about the man he guessed was behind the robed figure, Yuuji could tell; it was nothing of that sort. 

ʼHe voided his own self… He simply donned the robe, the mantle of the Game Master. The master of this world he created.ʼ

A man obsessed with creating his own ideal world where he could be free. One where he could become something else, and do the things he couldnʼt do in reality. 

”My name is Akihiko Kayaba. As of this moment, I am the only human being alive with control over this world.”

The brilliant young game designer and genius quantum physicist who transformed the niche, little-known game studio Argus into one of the foremost developers in the scene. 

He did not only design the game of Sword Art Online. He was also the mastermind behind the design of the NerveGear itself. 

”You have likely noticed by now that the log-out button has disappeared from the main menu. This is not a bug. I repeat, this is not a bug—it is a feature of Sword Art Online.”

The smooth baritone voice continued.

”From this point onward, you will be unable to freely log out of the game until the summit of this castle is conquered.”

Yuuji guessed it to be the top floor of Aincrad. The final dungeon of this death game. And the place where his quarry, the final boss of Sword Art Online, resided. 

The beta testers had barely reached the tenth floor of the game. 

The total number of floors of this game was 100.

In a game where every floor was designed as its own self-contained world—each with unique environments, mechanics, monsters, and brutal challenges—clearing Aincrad was never meant to be easy.

Every floor was essentially a new battlefield.

And at the end of each one awaited a Floor Boss. Monstrous beings whose strength far exceeded the limits of the players currently trapped on that floor. One that would need a number of players working together to even stand a chance against it.

Under normal circumstances, clearing such a game quickly would already have been extremely difficult. 

But this was not a normal game. This was a death game.

A world where a playerʼs HP reaching zero did not simply mean respawning at a checkpoint. It meant death. Real, irreversible death in the real world.

And because of that, every battle carried weight. Every mistake could be fatal. Every floor would demand time, preparation, coordination, and sacrifice.

Aincrad was not designed to be conquered in days or weeks.

It was a colossal iron fortress built to break people down, floor by floor, until either the players cleared all one hundred levels…

Or died trying.

”Furthermore, the NerveGear cannot be removed or shut down via external means. If forceful means of exit are attempted…”

A palpably heavy silence filled the air as thousands of breaths were held in apprehension. The next words came with a slow, awful finality.

”…the high-powered microwaves emitted by the NerveGear will scramble your brain and shut down your vital processes.”

Gasps filled the plaza. And even more deafening, the silence of disbelief and fear that never left the throats of the players trapped. 

”To be more specific, the brain-frying sequence will commence upon any of the following circumstances: ten minutes of no external power; two hours of network disconnection; removal, dismantling, or destruction of the NerveGear. 

The authorities and media in the outside world have already announced the details of these conditions to the general public. At present, the friends and family of several players have already ignored these warnings and attempted to forcefully remove their NerveGears, the result being…”

The echoing, metallic voice paused for a breath.

”…that sadly, two hundred and thirteen players have already been permanently retired from both Aincrad and the real world.”

213 deaths. 

213 individuals, each with their own family, friend, and lives ahead of them. 

213 people, gone. 

A terrible tragedy to simply prove the gravity of the situation, and how far the genius behind this technology was willing to go to realize his dream. 

The machine wouldnʼt be able to affect him. No. 

Since the moment he acquired the SSR [Divine Physique] from the Multiverse Group Chat, such a thing no longer posed a threat to him. Now, even less so. 

But that wouldnʼt be true for regular people, everyone else around him. 

”There is no need to worry about your physical bodies back in the real world. The current state of the game and todayʼs fatalities have been covered far and wide on television, radio, and the Internet. 

The danger that someone will forcefully remove your NerveGear is already much diminished. The two-hour offline leeway period should provide enough time for your physical bodies to be transported to hospitals and other long-term care facilities with proper security, eliminating concerns over your physical well-being. You may rest assured…and focus on conquering the game.”

”Wha—?” 

A scream finally rippled out from a young man a few distance away from him. 

”What do you mean? Conquer the game? You expect us to just sit back and enjoy the game when we canʼt even log out?”

Yuuji turned towards him, towards the figure of the young man with black hair, glaring at the headless, crimson-robed figure that floated high up the sky, nearly touching the upper floor. 

”This isnʼt even a game anymore!”

But, as though not hearing his heart-wrenching shout, Akihiko Kayaba continued. 

”However, please proceed with caution. As of this moment, Sword Art Online is no longer a game to you. It is another reality. The standard means of player resurrection will no longer function as they did previously. When your hit points dwindle to zero, your avatar will be permanently deleted… and the NerveGear will destroy your brain.”

Silence. 

Not even a gasp. Just utter, heavy silence. 

”Finally, let me prove to you that this world is now your one and only reality. Iʼve prepared a gift for all of you. You may find it in your item storage.”

Yuuji made the two-fingered downward swipe to pull open the menu and navigate to his inventory.

Others around him made the same motion, and the square plaza was quickly filled with electronic chiming sounds. 

There, he found a new item on top of the list. The final slot in his inventory that was otherwise full with various monster drops. 

ʼHand Mirror…?ʼ

It was a seemingly regular item. A simple, small hand mirror. 

He tapped the name and selected the ”Materialize” button from the list of options. 

Then, with a sparkling sound effect, a small square mirror appeared in his hand. 

Yuuji could see the face reflected on its surface. The painfully average face that would be easily missed in the crowd. A face far removed from his true appearance. 

Alongside him, the rest of the crowd around him did the same. A similar look of confusion on their faces. 

Then…

A brilliant white light enveloped them. And in the next instant, the same light filled his vision. 

A few seconds of brilliant, searing white light lingered, before everything faded. Their sight returned. 

Reflected in the mirror was a face he knew all too well.

A beautiful, striking face. His real face.

His eyes widened slightly in shock.

Immediately, he raised his arm, hiding the lower half of his face behind the inside of his elbow.

His appearance had completely changed.

The short, frail-looking boy avatar was gone. In its place stood his true physique—a tall, broad-shouldered young man with a naturally powerful build.

Of course, it still wasnʼt entirely accurate.

The digital limitations of this world prevented Aincrad from perfectly reproducing his true [Divine Physique], along with the overwhelming majesty and unnatural charisma he naturally possessed in reality.

But even in this incomplete state, he stood out far too much.

”…Damn it.”

He had intentionally created an average-looking avatar for a reason.

Remaining unnoticed would have made things easier. Tracking targets. Gathering information. Moving through crowds without attracting attention.

All of it depended on anonymity.

But now, such a thing would be impossible, unless he found some way to conceal his appearance, standing out would become unavoidable.

Yuuji slowly lowered the mirror and glanced around the plaza.

Then, taking advantage of the confusion still gripping the crowd, he quietly slipped away toward a less populated corner of the square.

As he moved, he observed the players around him.

And the sight was drastically different from before.

The colorful gathering of idealized fantasy avatars had disappeared entirely.

Instead, it looked as though someone had taken the attendees of a real-world gaming convention and dropped them into a medieval fantasy world with swords and armor strapped to their bodies.

Ordinary faces.

Ordinary physiques.

Ordinary people.

Even the ratio of men to women had drastically shifted to one side; men. 

”Ai, would you be able to change my appearance back to the avatar I created?”

He whispered into his arm, sneaking himself as much as he could to the side to prevent others, who were still caught in shock and disbelief, from noticing him. 

”Iʼm sorry, master…”

Ai responded, her usual energetic tone now deflated with sadness…

”Iʼll need a high level of clearance to access the system that would allow me to change your appearance… And doing so would definitely alert the game master.”

”I see…”

Yuuji sighed inwardly. 

It seemed that his mission would become a bit more difficult.

”You are likely asking yourselves, why? Why would Akihiko Kayaba, developer of SAO and the NerveGear unit, do such a thing? Is it an act of terrorism? An elaborate kidnapping to extract ransom money?”

Yuuji shifted his gaze back at the robed figure. Though his mind was now already thinking of his next plan of action. 

”What I seek is neither of these things. I have no goals or justifications at this moment. In fact, this very situation was my ultimate goal. I created NerveGear and SAO precisely in order to build this world and observe it. I have now achieved that aim.”

Kayabaʼs emotionless voice began to take on the faintest sign of color. Of emotion. Even longing. 

But the colors faded as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the usual monotone gray that painted his voice. 

”This concludes the tutorial phase of Sword Art Online. I wish you the best of luck, dear players.”

He spoke with finality. His last word echoed briefly before dying out.

Then panic began.

”What…?”

”No… This canʼt be happening…”

”What the hell.. Youʼve gotta be kidding me!”

”S-Screw this! Let me out! I donʼt want to play this game anymore!”

”Y-You canʼt do this! I-Iʼm supposed to meet some one tonight!”

”I-I have to take care of my family! Whoʼd take care of them if Iʼm gone! No, let me out!”

Screams. Angers. Shrieks. Insults. Pleas. Begging. Cries.

Desperation. 

In the span of mere minutes, the players who had once celebrated the dawn of a new era in gaming had become prisoners within the very world they admired.

And then—

Panic erupted.

Screams echoed through the plaza. Some players collapsed in disbelief. Others desperately tried to open menus that no longer held a logout button. Arguments broke out almost immediately, fueled by fear, denial, and rising hysteria.

Then came the fighting. Not against monsters. 

Against each other.

The moment Kayaba vanished and the blood-red sky faded back into the soft orange hues of evening, Yuuji turned away from the chaos without hesitation.

He moved quickly through the crowded streets, heading straight for the NPCs to submit the quests he had completed earlier.

”Ai, Iʼve finished all the quests in this town. Where should I go next?”

His pace never slowed.

Now that the truth had been revealed, every second mattered.

This was no longer just a game. Strength had become survival itself. The stronger you were, the higher your chances of living long enough to return to reality. And everyone would realize that soon.

Players would begin scrambling for resources—quests, monsters, equipment, money, experience points. Anything that could make them stronger.

Yuuji didnʼt know how Aincrad handled its quest system in full detail.

There could be unique quests that only one player could complete. Limited-time events. Rare monsters that spawned once and never again. Hidden rewards obtainable only under certain conditions.

And if that was the case, hesitation would be fatal.

The longer he delayed, the more opportunities he would lose.

More quests taken by others. More rewards claimed. More time wasted while stronger players surged ahead.

Worse still, the farther time progressed, the more dangerous other players would become.

Because desperation changed people. Especially in a world where death was real.

Monsters were dangerous, yes.

But humans… Humans would become far worse.

There was no telling what frightened, desperate people might do when cornered by the fear of death.

”I suggest going to the next village, master! Thereʼs a village near the forest you just came from called Horunka! Thereʼs a quest there that would reward you with a new sword.”

Yuuji nodded. 

”Good. Then after we buy something to hide my appearance, weʼll go.”

The moment he finished turning in his quests and collecting the rewards, he went to buy a [Leather Coat] and [Cloth Mask] to hide his appearance and face before leaving immediately. 

Only a few minutes had passed since Kayabaʼs announcement.

Already, players throughout the Town of Beginnings were descending into chaos.

Yuuji ignored all of it.

The instant he reached the massive gates of the city, he broke into a sprint and headed toward Horunka Village.

His speed never faltered. Even when monsters appeared along the road.

He simply drew his blade and carved a path straight through them, leaving behind trails of shattered polygons and fading particles as he pushed deeper into Aincrad.

Leaving behind the safety of the Town of Beginnings. And stepping fully into the death game.

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AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!! 

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Thank you~!