-235- I'll show you

"...."

At this moment, the entire square fell into silence as all ten thousand players stared dumbfoundedly at the red cloak suspended in the air, seemingly unable to react for a long time.

"Stay here forever?"

Someone murmured, causing one player after another to display expressions of confusion.

Presumably, the people present still couldn't comprehend Kayaba Akihiko's words, right?

No.

Or rather, even if they could understand, their brains were rejecting this reality.

Consequently, the square became exceptionally quiet, so quiet that even breathing seemed to have stopped, creating an indescribable stillness.

Amidst this scenario, only one person was able to react promptly: Rozen.

...

Rozen maintained silence at this moment, quietly gazing at the red cloak in mid-air.

Although Kayaba Akihiko had only spoken a few sentences, Rozen had already grasped their implications.

Of course, Rozen wasn't inclined to believe it.

To believe what was going to be revealed next.

But reason told Rozen that his intuition and speculations would certainly come true.

The reason?

From this man who called himself Kayaba Akihiko, Rozen sensed a very familiar aura.

That was...

"Magus."

A researcher willing to exhaust any means to reach the root, even at the cost of ethics.

From Kayaba Akihiko, Rozen could feel that familiar atmosphere.

Hence, Rozen knew that something cruel and despair-inducing would unfold next.

And indeed...

"I understand that you all can't comprehend what I'm saying right now. But it's okay. You only need to realize one thing: for all of you, this world is no longer just a game but another reality."

Kayaba Akihiko pronounced without emotion.

"There are three things you need to be aware of."

"One: From now on, all revival functions in the game will be disabled. So, when your HP reaches zero, your characters will be permanently eliminated and won't respawn."

"Two: When your game characters die, the NerveGear devices worn on your heads will emit microwaves at the moment of your death, frying your brains."

"Three: Don't be holding onto false hope. The game has started, and no one can stop it. If external parties attempt to forcibly stop or remove the NerveGear you're wearing, the signal component will emit microwaves to destroy your brains. Moreover, if the external power supply is cut off for more than ten minutes, the network is disconnected for over two hours, or if an attempt is made to destroy the NerveGear, the brain destruction program will activate."

"These conditions have already been announced to the outside world through the media."

"Presumably, your physical bodies in the real world will be transported to hospitals or other facilities with the NerveGear still on during the two-hour buffer time of disconnection."

"The only way to free yourselves from this game is to reach the 100th floor of Aincrad and defeat the final boss there."

"At that point, you will have completely cleared this death game, and all surviving players will safely log out."

"These are the rules of this world. I hope you all remember them well."

Finishing explaining the so-called rules in one breath, Kayaba Akihiko continued in his emotionless voice before anyone could react.

"To make sure you understand this is not a joke, I'll give you a special gift. It's already in your inventory; please materialize it."

As Kayaba Akihiko's words fell, all the players below seemed as if their bodies had been manipulated. They all extended their hands downward and swiped in unison. Accompanied by the sound effect of an electronic chime, the main menu appeared.

Rozen did the same.

However, he wasn't led by Kayaba Akihiko's words but instead opened his inventory of his own will, finding an item displayed at the top of the list.

The item was named "Handheld Mirror."

Rozen was certain that this was an item he hadn't obtained before.

Without hesitation, Rozen clicked on it, selecting the "Materialize" button that appeared in the window.

"Clang!"

Accompanied by a gathering of polygonal radiance, a small mirror appeared in Rozen's hand.

Rozen looked into the mirror.

In that instant...

"Clang!"

A light even brighter and more dazzling than before enveloped Rozen and all the players present.

Instinctively, Rozen closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, his eyes widened.

Because, what appeared in the mirror was not the wise and intellectual countenance of a strategist, but a mixed-blood, handsome face with a hint of naivety. It exuded a casual and carefree charm.

This was Rozen's own appearance.

"So you're saying..."

Rozen turned his head and looked around.

"What's going on here!?"

"Are you kidding!?"

"Who are you!?"

"Who am I? Who the hell are you?!"

One player after another screamed in despair.

Players who had recently displayed the beautiful faces of heroes and heroines from a fantasy adventure game were gone. In their place were ordinary faces, with even the average height and body shape reduced significantly. The overall visual appeal of the game had plummeted, and its atmosphere had vanished, leaving only reality.

Evidently...

"Everyone has reverted to their real appearances?"

Rozen murmured these words.

Kayaba Akihiko seemed to be smiling as he spoke in an inorganic tone.

"In this way, can you believe more or less that this isn't a game but reality?"

With those words, Kayaba Akihiko left a cold remark.

"So, the virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (VRMMORPG) Sword Art Online is now officially operational."

"Thus concludes the game explanation."

"To all players, I wish you good luck in conquering Aincrad."

With these words, the enormous red cloak gradually disappeared, causing the patterns in the sky to vanish as well, restoring them to their original state.

The square remained in silence.

Until...

"Let me out!"

As the first player cried out in agony, it triggered a chain reaction. All the players erupted.

"Let me out!"

"Let me out of here!"

"I don't believe it! I can't believe something so absurd!"

"It's just a game!"

"It's just a game, that's all!"

"Let us out!"

"No!"

A tsunami-like noise vibrated through the entire square's air.

At this moment, all the players were plunged into unprecedented panic, a cacophony of cries, shouts, screams, curses, roars, pleas, and weeping intermingling, making it impossible to regain silence.

Rozen silently walked out of the crowd, into an alley.

"Bang!"

The small mirror shattered into pieces, its durability plummeting. It instantly transformed into scattered polygons.

The fragments' glow illuminated Rozen's face.

Illuminated the face brimming with disgust and anger.

Though he didn't know exactly what had transpired, Rozen could guess to some extent.

"Did he imprison ten thousand ordinary people in a game world for his research?"

Flames burned in Rozen's eyes, a fire he hadn't had before.

"I'll show you how I'll conquer this world."

"I'll break through the top floor of this world, stand before you, and make you regret treating me like an experiment."

"Kayaba Akihiko."