Sword Art Online (ソードアート・オンライン)

These players who think

it's all about their agility...

...man, they're living in a dream.

I mean, sure, firing speed and evasion are important.

And time was, if you rocked those two things,

it's all you needed to be the best.

Till now, that is.

Yeah, hate to say it,

but it don't work like that anymore.

In fact, I got a message for the folks

who spent the last eight months indoors

boosting their AGI.

Sucks to be you right now, don't it?

Now that's the kind of comment we'd expect...

XEXEED YAMIKAZE MODERATOR

...from the top player of Gun Gale Online,

one of the most challenging VRMMOs!

Talk about controversial!

I guess, but who knows if I'll be on MMO stream again,

so might as well stir things up.

Oh, please.

So, do you think you have a shot in the upcoming

-Bullet of Bullets? -Damn right, honey.

I wouldn't be in it

if I didn't think I could win it!

It won't be that easy, XeXeeD.

The BoB's a solo tourney, so it's way different.

What worked for you up to now, doesn't mean it'll work again.

If I were you, I wouldn't chalk my wins up to my status type.

Yeah, well, if anything, my results point

to some big changes happening in GGO.

You're all about AGI, Yamikaze.

-Go figure. You'd be in denial. -

Wake up, people!

Till now, the best strategy was boosting your AGI

and shooting a powerful gun as fast as you could.

But the reality is, the balance of gameplay

in an MMO is always changing,

especially in games like this one,

with levels that don't let you re-spec your stats.

You have to think ahead and be smart

when using your points, 'cause the best weapon

in one level zone might not work for you in the next.

Besides, the new guns coming out are gonna have

higher strength requirements and accuracy bonuses.

You remember when he was talking about

how great being an AGI-type was?

-That dick totally scammed us. -

You're nothing but a fake, XeXeeD.

And now you'll face judgment from someone with real power.

- -

All I'm saying is,

what's really important in the end

is the player's ability to--

Huh?

Uh-oh. I guess we have a bad connection here.

Don't worry, folks. I'm sure he'll be back shortly.

Stay tuned for more MMO stream.

Huh?

This is real power, real strength!

Let your fear carve one name into your brains.

The name I share with this weapon,

Death Gun!

THE WORLD OF GUNS

I'LL BE BACK BY SIX. BE HOME FOR DINNER!

December 7th, 2025.

Has it already been a year?

- -

I wonder what the difference is between the real world

and the virtual.

The amount of data. That's all.

You scared me.

Sorry about that. I'm on time, though.

-What? -

No, I'm sorry. I was spacing out.

Anyway, hello, Kirito. How are you doing today?

It's been good so far, but it's even better now.

What are you staring at?

Nothing. Just...

that outfit looks good on you.

It brings back a lot of memories.

I guess it does. No rapier, though.

Looks like you went overboard on the black today.

Yeah. Sugu threw everything in the wash this morning,

and this is all I had left.

Then stop putting your laundry off.

- -

I can't believe we both dressed in our old colors today.

What are the odds of that?

Well, if we see each other every day

-for a year-- -Stop!

That was a rhetorical question, smartypants.

-Come on. -Okay, okay.

I don't know about you,

but I think the Imperial Palace is interesting.

Interesting? What do you mean?

It's two kilometers north to south,

1.5 east to west,

and it takes up 20% of Chiyoda ward.

There aren't any subways or tunnels under it,

and it's a no-fly zone.

It's kinda cool, don't you think?

I mean, it's this big restricted area

right in the middle of Tokyo.

Not only is it cut off from everything physically,

but information-wise as well.

See that?

It's a surveillance camera.

This place was set up with its very own closed network.

You can't even access it from the outside.

Wow.

That's a weird-looking camera.

Yeah.

Not only is this place the heart of Tokyo,

but it's also an isolated world of its own.

Maybe I'm exaggerating its cool factor.

-I get like that. - You think?

Wow!

This used to be the inner citadel.

Come on, let's go!

GOHOUDAI RUINS

Hey, you know that questionnaire

they gave us to fill out?

The one about our future plans?

Do you know what you wanna do yet?

Hmm.

I guess, if anything, I wanna go

from playing games to being a creator.

A creator? What, for games?

No, not for games.

I wanna make a human-machine interface

to replace the full-dive tech we use now.

I've been going to all these tech forums

to learn more about it,

but it's a heck of a lot of information to absorb.

After I graduate, all I want is to be with you.

-Huh? -I-- I mean,

I-- I wish we could figure out a way

to live with Yui in this world, too!

We'll be able to live with her some day,

as soon as we figure out how to access

augmented reality at will.

The only thing standing in the way is the difference

in the amount of data.

Didn't you say something like that a little while ago?

That the difference between our world

and the virtual was the amount of data?

What does that mean, anyway?

Let's see.

It's like this.

If we were holding hands in ALO,

it wouldn't be the same as in the real world, would it?

No, it wouldn't.

You can feel a lot more touching a real hand.

Hey, is that what you mean

by the difference in the amount of data?

Yep. And can you imagine what it would be like

if we could reproduce the feel of skin and a pulse?

Would we be able to tell the difference

between a real hand and an avatar's hand?

I know I could,

if I was touching your hand.

But it's not just touch, is it?

I mean, in the real world, we get a lot of information

from how something sounds or tastes.

Even if our AmuSphere rigs could access augmented reality,

we'd still know the difference.

Yeah.

The second you saw or touched something,

you'd know if it was real or not.

But hopefully, someone will come along

and make a technological breakthrough.

And whatever that is,

it'll have to output a ton of sensory data all the time.

Then we could break down the wall between both worlds

and be with Yui forever.

Do you think that day will ever come for us?

-Yeah. -Then get to work

and make it happen, okay?

-Okay. -

ABOUT FOUR HOURS EARLIER

COME HERE ON 12/7. I'LL BE WAITING.

I'LL BE HEADING OUT SOON.

Welcome, sir.

Hey, Kirito!

Over here!

Go ahead. Order whatever you want.

It's on me.

Thank you, sir. That's very kind of you.

Come on. You don't have to be so formal with me.

Relax and talk to me like you would in ALO.

Okay. If you say so.

Then I guess I'll...

I'd like the parfait au chocolat,

the framboise mille-feuille, and a hazelnut latte.

- -Sorry to make you come

all the way out here, Kirito.

If you're that sorry about it,