Japan, Tokyo District. 2022.
"ARGUS," a major electronics and machinery manufacturer, has finally released its next-generation consumer terminal for everyone: "NERvGear."
This device has made full-dive virtual reality possible for regular online games.
Sword Art Online, or SAO for short, is the first large-scale VRMMO to use this advanced technology.
A black-haired teenager, fresh out of a department store, held an unopened NERvGear terminal. Just as he was about to head home to try it out, his phone suddenly rang.
"Seiya, did you get your hands on a NERvGear helmet today?"
The moment Seiya answered, a very anxious male voice came from the other end. Judging by the voice, the speaker was roughly the same age as Seiya, probably a middle-school student.
"I wasn't going to get one, but the sales assistant turned out to be an older student from our school working a part-time job. She saw I was her cute junior and pulled some strings for me. She was even kind enough to slip me a little note with her contact info, saying I could call her if I had any trouble using it. I have to say, big companies are different; even their part-time staff have such great service."
Upon hearing his friend's words, Kirito, on the other end of the line, couldn't help but roll his eyes.
On account of being her junior? The great service of a big company? She gave you her number because she's interested in you!
While annoyed, Kirito wasn't surprised by the special treatment Seiya received. He had seen too many similar things happen to Seiya over the years.
Seiya's full name is Wenren Seiya, a very Japanese-sounding name. However, he is actually Chinese. Kirito once asked him why his name was like that. Seiya explained that "Wenren" is a compound surname, and in ancient China, "Sheng" (圣) means sacred or beautiful, and "Zai" (哉) is a particle of emphasis.
Seiya's parents died in an accident when he was very young, and he was raised by his grandfather. His grandfather passed away not long ago.
Seiya's family ran a kendo dojo, and Kirito and his sister, Suguha, were both students there. However, when he was seven, Kirito gave up kendo because he found it boring.
Seiya and Suguha, on the other hand, stuck with it. Seiya perfectly inherited the "Wenren Sword Style." In his first year of middle school, he competed in the National Kendo Championships, defeating many older students in their second and third years to win the national championship.
Because they grew up together, the three of them were childhood friends. Aside from the somewhat strained relationship between Kirito and Suguha, Seiya gets along very well with both of them.
Setting aside his friend Kirito, who shares his mischievous nature, Suguha absolutely idolizes Seiya. For a girl who loves kendo, Seiya, a middle-schooler who became a national champion, seems like he was born for the sport. Although he's still in middle school, Suguha knows that her "Seiya-niichan" has already achieved the "Menkyo Kaiden" (full transmission of a school's secrets) level of the Wenren Sword Style. He could easily place well in a high school kendo competition.
Since their grandfather's death, the dojo has been closed. If Seiya does well in high school competitions and has his "Menkyo Kaiden" rank, he is fully capable of inheriting the kendo dojo.
Not only is he handsome and a young kendo champion, but his academic performance is also outstanding. It's no surprise that he is popular at school. That's why Kirito isn't shocked by the special treatment Seiya receives. Besides his own lovesick sister, Seiya has never lacked admirers since childhood.
Having such an excellent friend is both a blessing and a curse for Kirito. It's a blessing because Seiya is a true friend who will help out whenever needed, and there's little he can't accomplish. It's a curse because the pressure is immense. Kirito's main role at school is often just to pass messages or love letters to Seiya.
When he gave up kendo at age seven, it wasn't just because he found it boring; the pressure was also too great. They were the same age, both boys practicing kendo, but Seiya's progress was astounding. Meanwhile, Kirito could only beat Suguha. He felt he had no talent for kendo, so he decisively quit.
Of course, even though Seiya excels in every way, that doesn't mean Kirito is useless. After giving up kendo, Kirito unexpectedly found he had a talent for gaming. It was the only area where he wasn't completely dominated by Seiya; in fact, he usually won. Naturally, a boy who already loved games became even more engrossed after finding a place where he could finally beat his friend.
SAO is the first major VRMMO to be released using NERvGear. As a game, it has received unprecedented attention, and as a gaming enthusiast, Kirito was naturally very interested. He was lucky enough to be chosen as a beta tester and was among the first to experience SAO.
Now, with the official launch of SAO imminent, the NERvGear is in high demand. As a beta tester, he didn't have to worry, but his best friend, Seiya, needed a helmet. As a beta tester, he had already experienced SAO's charm. He thought that in that world, he might finally be able to beat Seiya at something with his sword skills.
He was already skilled at gaming, and now he would enter the official launch as a beta tester. Even if the game had a "Swordsman" class, he should be able to win against Seiya, right?
In short, Kirito was worried Seiya wouldn't get a helmet for two reasons. First, he was concerned about not having his best friend to play the game with. Second, he wanted to show off to Seiya!
That's right, with such an excellent friend, Kirito felt a lot of pressure. He had to rely on games to regain a little dignity. This time, no matter what, he was determined to win a round in his friend's field of expertise, even if it was just in a game!