Chapter 1

"Hah!" Kayaba Keisuke activated [Shaft], thrusting in front of him, the [Kobold Henchman] in front of him being thrown backward. Quickly turning around, he threw his spear at another [Kobold Henchman] who was throwing himself at Keisuke while his back was turned. Grabbing his [Bronze Lance], he took a step back before tapping the bottom of the shaft on the floor once.

"Having fun?" Keisuke blinked as he stared at the person floating in front of him. A man wearing a necktie and a long lab coat stood in front of him, metallic eyes glimmering in the dim atmosphere. Keisuke sighed before putting his [Bronze Lance] on his back.

"What's up, father? Is there something wrong with the [Cardinal System] again?" He asked, sitting down.

"You know that the [Cardinal System] is self-sufficient enough to give me reports." Kayaba Akihiko frowned before putting his hands into the pockets of his lab coat. "I'm just here to see how you are enjoying my creation. Although judging the way you look, I assume so."

Keisuke jumped off his seat, before stabbing it. The [Kobold Henchmen] cried out in pain before exploding into a shower of pixels.

"I won't lie. The game is fun, but there is something else going on, isn't there?" Kei looked his father in the eyes. "You are still planning on doing something. Once the game is out of Beta and released to the world, you have some sort of event in mind, don't you?"

Keisuke watched as his father's eyes grew wide. Inwardly, he couldn't help but smirk. While he truly was the child born of Kayaba Akihiko and Koujiro Rinko, he had different memories. Memories of a different person called Natsuki Rentaro. While it had all come to him in a blur on his 12th birthday, something went wrong. According to Rentaro's memories, he was reincarnated and supposed to become someone Kayaba Keisuke, yet he ended up getting killed in the process, leaving only his memories. While he could not remember much from Rentaro, he did remember him watching something called [Sword Art Online].

Keisuke remembered watching the story of someone called Kirigaya Kazuto. His trials, his efforts, all the way to his escape from the game. [Sword Art Online], [ALfheim Online], [Gun Gale Online], Keisuke watched the memories of it all. The rest of Rentaro's memories of the series were abruptly cut off as Keisuke remembered Rentaro was excited over something new.

[UnITaL RiNG..?]

Ignoring the buzzing in his head, Keisuke continued to look ahead as his father had finally calmed himself, before looking at Keisuke. Yet, something was wrong. What was once metallic eyes were now purple.

"Congratulations!" His father? clapped his hands. "You have completed the tutorial of this world!"

"...What?" Keisuke took a step back, his eyes narrowing. "Father, what are you..?"

"Sorry, but your father isn't here right now. I'm here to just tell you what's going to happen."

"A virus?! Shoot-!" Keisuke threw himself backward before collapsing to the floor. "What the- [Paralysis]?!"

"Sorry again, but I need you to listen up! I was the one who reincarnated Natsuki Rentaro!"

Keisuke felt his blood go cold. No one knew about that except him and the person who sent Rentaro, which meant this person was..?

"I'm not a God! I just happen to be able to do things that make me look one!" Keisuke struggled, before eventually giving up, still keeping an eye on the floating one. "Nice! So, I'm sending you to a different world! It will be nearly identical to this one, the one you saw in Rentaro's memories and your current world. However, you know how the stories going to go, don't you? Combined with your knowledge of working alongside your father, you know a lot! So I'm going to tweak a few things!"

Keisuke slowly pushed himself up, before relaxing his body against a wall. The indefinite [Paralysis] meant he truly wasn't going anywhere. "Why?"

He watched as his father's body slowly floated toward him. "I made a promise to Rentaro to give him an adventure he would love. I messed up and now he can't. So I'm going to send you instead. You are technically also Rentaro, so it will be fine."

The voice that came out was less excited, less cheerful, more solemn. Keisuke looked up and found purple eyes staring back at him.

"This isn't a choice, as much as I hate forcing people to do things. I promise you this, your family here will be safe, and you won't be alone when I send you. I'll even give you a gift when you get there. Call it an apology. How about it?"

A hand was in front of Keisuke, who watched as the [Paralysis] effect disappeared. Keisuke hesitated before the purple eyes changed back to a metallic silver.

"You should do it, Keisuke." Father stared at his child. "I don't wish for you to be here when my plan goes through."

"You were listening?" Keisuke's eyes were wide.

"Right now, I can see what he is thinking about, and it would be safest for you. Once my plan goes through, child or not, I will expect you to also go through with the game, even if it hurts me. With 0 advantages, at the same starting line as everyone else."

"What about mother?"

"I will explain things to her, although she might not take it well."

One of Akihiko Kayaba's eyes turned purple. "I'll make sure she does. Nothing will go wrong."

Keisuke looked at both eyes, one purple, one metallic, before sighing.

"Sure. I'll do it." Clasping his father's hand, he pulled himself up and hugged his father. "Take care of mother."

"Of course." The metallic shine was gone, replaced with purple once more. "Alright! Let's do this! Don't worry, after this, you won't see me ever again!"

The world began spinning as Keisuke felt himself getting dizzier and dizzier. The last thing he saw as his consciousness faded was a huge grin on his father's face.

"Have fun, [Kayaba Keisuke]!"

"I will."