That day, Hikigaya Hachiman had finally reached the long-awaited day.
Wearing his panda pajamas, the fish-eyed boy sank into a beanbag chair, absentmindedly tapping his phone screen while SAO's launch countdown ticked away.
A starting town decorated with Christmas ornaments… definitely one of those elaborate pranks from Mr. Kayaba…"
Although Hachiman wasn't exactly a hardcore gamer, he had been eagerly awaiting this VRMMO, which in theory was supposed to be his nemesis. The story went back to his work internship — yes, that disaster Zaimokuza had called "the normies' battlefield."
At that time, the entire Service Club had ended up by accident at ARGUS, and under the "brilliant and radiant" assault of Hayama Hayato's smile, they had all witnessed the jaw-dropping live demonstration of SAO.
Since the release of the NERvGear gaming console — capable of full-dive VR — several titles had appeared, but none had truly managed to unleash its full potential due to the technical limitations of the time.
The moment Hachiman saw the gameplay with his own eyes, he struggled to contain the resurgence of his chuunibyou.
(This is an overwhelming gap in level… those so-called masterpiece games aren't even a pixel compared to SAO…)
"This isn't just simple entertainment anymore!" Tobe shouted, his voice echoing through the test area. "In full-dive mode, you can even smell the citrus scent of Kaito's shampoo!"
Ebina Hina let out a strange giggle.
Fufufu… seeing Zaimokuza-kun and Hayato-kun fighting back-to-back in a virtual world… that's just like a CG scene straight out of a BL game…"
With that, she covered her nose, and a suspicious red liquid trickled between her fingers.
"More than that…" —Hachiman's gaze never left the luminous effect of the sword executing a sixteen-hit combo— "the system allows movements that completely violate human ergonomics? I don't know whether to call the developers geniuses or terminal chuunibyou patients…"
Naturally, Hachiman couldn't take his eyes off the screen. After some testers got the chance to play, the self-proclaimed professional loner never volunteered, content to just watch others play.
"What do you think of Sword Art Online?"
Startled by the sudden question, Hachiman replied reflexively:
"How should I put it…? This isn't just simple entertainment; this is a real game."
It sounded strange, but he felt that even though it was an artificially created world, it truly existed… or rather, it was real. There was a reality here that he longed for but could never reach.
Behind him, he heard a sharp intake of breath. Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with a man in a white lab coat watching him with interest — a face far too familiar from magazines.
(Kayaba Akihiko, genius game designer and quantum physicist.
Could it be that someone like him has already reached "the real"?
Also, why did I say that word I'd never even thought about before?)
Kayaba's dazzling presence made him feel small, uncomfortable.
"I see… the real… is that what you think?"
"S-sorry! I said it without thinking… I don't even know why…"
"It's strange, but you don't have to apologize. On the contrary, I'm glad."
Kayaba continued with interest:
"You didn't sign up to test it? This SAO was made precisely for people like you."
"It's not that I'm not interested… it's just… well…"
Using his usual excuse, Hachiman covered for himself, feeling rather unbrave.
"Well then… if you're interested, how about a part-time job helping with adjustments before the official test during the summer vacation? Here's my card."
"Th-thanks… but, why me…?"
"I sense in you a certain special quality. An official tester would need a school certificate, and that might be inconvenient."
Although he considered himself a lone wolf, Hachiman replied cautiously:
"If the opportunity comes up, I'll consider it and handle it appropriately."
Kayaba smiled in satisfaction.
"Hahaha, you're interesting. Even if you don't seem all that willing, I'll look forward to it. Enjoy the world of SAO."
Just before leaving, he asked:
By the way, your name?"
"Sōbu High School, second year, Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Sōbu High… do you know Yukinoshita Haruno?"
(Haruno… Yukino… sounds familiar…)
"I know Yukinoshita Yukino, she's my classmate and the president of the Service Club."
"They might be related, I was just asking. Don't think much of it."
Hachiman found the coincidence strangely unsettling.
Later, after accepting the job and enduring the most exhausting summer of his life, Hachiman ended up buying a NERvGear and SAO.
(In the world of Sword Art Online… what awaits me? It's surprising… but even I feel a little excitement about finding out.)
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