Chapter 36

Kazuto Kirigaya's initially tense expression gradually softened. He had seen a cloak like this before. During the closed beta, it was the attire worn by GMs—staff members from Argus—without exception.

Back then, male GMs always appeared as elderly wizards with long, flowing beards, while female GMs were bespectacled characters beneath their cloaks. Now, though, it seemed something had gone wrong, preventing the creation of a proper avatar.

At the very least, they'd managed to summon the cloak—but beneath its deep crimson fabric, there was nothing. An empty void that filled Kazuto with an indescribable unease.

At that moment, as if to silence the murmurs, the right sleeve of the cloak suddenly twitched.

From the widened cuff emerged a pure white glove. Yet the sleeve and glove were clearly disconnected—there was no visible trace of a body linking them.

Then the left sleeve slowly rose. Above the heads of ten thousand players, the empty white gloves spread apart, as though a faceless figure were opening its mouth. Immediately after, a deep, resonant male voice echoed from high above.

"Players, welcome to my world."

"My name is Akihiko Kayaba. I am, at this moment, the only person capable of controlling this world."

"I believe all of you have already noticed that the logout button has vanished from the main menu. This is not a glitch. Let me repeat: this is not a glitch. It is the intended design of Sword Art Online."

"The… intended design?"

A wave of commotion swept through the crowd as countless players erupted in disbelief.

"From this point forward, none of you will be able to log out of this game until you reach the top of this castle."

Akihiko Kayaba paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in before continuing.

"Furthermore, no one outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear. If anyone attempts to do so—"

A brief silence followed.

In the heavy stillness, as ten thousand players held their breath, he delivered his next statement slowly.

"—the NerveGear's signal components will emit microwaves that destroy your brain, ending your life."

Cutting the power to the NerveGear or attempting to unlock and remove it from your head would result in death for the wearer. That was Kayaba's proclamation.

Beside him, Asuna's pupils contracted in shock. Naoki Kirigaya, too, displayed an appropriately stunned reaction.

Asuna grabbed Naoki's arm, her face rigid with panic. "This can't be real. It shouldn't be real. He's got to be lying, right? What does he mean by 'intended design'? I want out—I need to get out!"

Naoki didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent.

The players around them exploded into chaos.

Naoki could understand their reaction. If he were told he was trapped in a game where dying meant real death, he'd be furious too. After all, who wouldn't be pissed off after coming home from a long day, booting up a game, and running into something this messed up?

But within seconds, the crowd grew louder. Whispers turned into shouts as some players called out to their friends. "Haha… what's that guy even saying? This can't be possible. There's no way something like this could happen. The NerveGear… it's just a gaming console!"

"If the external power is cut for more than ten minutes, the network disconnects for over two hours, someone tries to destroy the NerveGear, or the safety lock is tampered with—the brain-destruction sequence will activate under those conditions alone. These conditions have already been announced to the outside world through our company and the media. As a side note, at this very moment, several players' friends and families have ignored our warnings and attempted to forcibly remove the NerveGear. The result…"

A metallic clang rang out as the voice paused to take a breath.

"…is regrettable. As of now, 213 players have permanently departed from both the real world and Aincrad."

A single scream pierced the air from somewhere in the crowd. Beyond that, most players either couldn't believe it or refused to, their faces showing faint smiles or dazed expressions.

"There's no need to worry about your physical bodies in the real world. Every TV station, radio broadcast, and online outlet is repeatedly covering this situation and the growing number of casualties. The risk of someone forcibly removing your NerveGear has been significantly reduced. Going forward, your bodies will likely be transported to hospitals or other facilities within the two-hour disconnection buffer period, where they'll be carefully monitored. You can rest assured… and focus your efforts on clearing the game."

"However, I urge you to pay close attention. For all of you, Sword Art Online is no longer just a game—it's another reality. From now on, all revival mechanics have been disabled. The moment your HP hits zero, your character will vanish forever, and at the same time…"

"…your brain will be destroyed by the NerveGear."

Hit points. The measure of life.

The moment they drop to zero, I'll die for real—according to Kayaba, my brain will be fried by microwaves in an instant.

This was indeed a game. A game where life and death hung in the balance. A death game.

Asuna's face turned ashen. Sensing her despair, Naoki took her hand and whispered, "You okay, Asuna?"

The girl's state was genuinely worrying. Only a big hug from Naoki could offer her any comfort.

Asuna hung her head, her mood sinking lower.

Naoki glanced over at Kazuto and saw that even his brother's spirits were grim.

The worst was yet to come.

"There's only one condition to free yourselves from this game. As I mentioned, you must reach the highest floor of Aincrad—the 100th floor—and defeat the final boss waiting there. I promise that the moment you succeed, all surviving players will be able to safely log out."

Kayaba's words were like a spark igniting a powder keg. The crowd erupted into a frenzy.