"I'm surprised that Kirito's chess strength is so weak. I thought he was stronger. ”

"Yes, Shino. Kirito is not good at board games. It's the same with chess, but he never beat me in Othello, Go, shogi. \"

Shino was amused by Lilan's words. Then again, I didn't tell Shino that I wasn't good at board games. I don't think there's much to say about it - I'd rather keep it a secret - but Lilan found out.

"It's useless to say such things. We're not compatible, we're not compatible. ”

\"yes. I know Kirito is such a person. He was a battle fanatic at heart. \"

"Thank you, Your Highness Princess, for your understanding. \"

Shino chuckled again. She seems excited to be able to see the unexpected side of her favorite person. So I don't feel bad about it, but maybe in the future I can challenge Shino to a board game like chess or othello. Then of course you can't win.

Just as I was thinking this, a voice came from next door.

"The game has been cleared!"

When I look at Kirito, the girls are on the left.

Kaori Shinozaki is a girl with dark brown hair and a few freckles on her cheeks, and Keiko Keiko is a petite girl with light brown hair tied into a double ponytail. There are also Yuki Yuki and Asuna Asuna, whose distinctive long maroon hair and amber eyes. At the dinner table, everyone looked at each other and was delighted.

They also play the same game as Kirito and Lilan. I couldn't see the situation because of the game with Lilan, but it seemed like I was able to get through it safely.

"Now you can get a free cake ticket, congratulations!"

Smiling at the happy girls is a petite boy with the same hair and eye color as Asuna. It was Jupiter, Lilan's brother. Kirito's box table was already full, and only one person sat in another chair, snuggling up to them.

Keiko smiled back at Jupiter.

"Jupiter-kun, this assist is so good. You can definitely count on me! \"

"Isn't it? Jupiter really helped me a lot. Thank you again today, Jupiter. ”

After Asuna patted him on the head, Jupiter said with a happy face, "Hehe." "The girls are playing games with the help of Jupiter. With the help of Jupiter, which has high-performance information processing capabilities, it's not impossible to clear the kind of retro games they play.

Although this method can be called cheating in a sense, Kirito doesn't say anything in particular. Shino watched this scene as she put her hand on her left ear. It has a white walkie-talkie-like mechanism attached to it that is used for communication and conversation.

If you look closely, everyone here has a similar device on their left ear.

"We came up with something really useful. I think it's going to be a social phenomenon. ”

"This has become a social phenomenon. Passers-by always wear it on their ears. Now, it may be difficult to find someone who doesn't wear them. ”

As Lilan said this, Kirito also touched the machine on her left ear.

That machine was called "Ogma". While it is similar to VR machines such as Amusphere and Nerve Gear, there are many differences. Its biggest feature is its ability to augment reality.

Just by wearing Augmar, some elements of the virtual reality world are brought into the real world. Just like you play VRmmo on Amusphere, you can move your finger to expand the window, and you can watch the news, weather forecast, time, traffic information, or TV shows almost at any time. Kirito: What they're playing is a game that can be played with Ogma.

Various companies participate as sponsors in games that can be played on Augmar, and by beating the game, you can get the benefits of the sponsoring company - coupons and points.

And that's not all. By using Augmar's augmented reality capabilities, people with disabilities can enjoy tremendous benefits, such as climbing mountains, exploring ruins around the world, and experiencing a simulated journey around the world.

Equipped with a plethora of convenient features for everyone, Augmar quickly penetrated Japanese society and spread around the world. Nowadays, people are everywhere wearing Augmar to enjoy augmented reality.

Maybe it's because today is Friday night and tomorrow Saturday, so I saw a lot of Augmar users on the way to this family restaurant. One of the users, Rika, shouted to me.

"Because it's not true. As long as I wear this, I can watch the weather forecast, watch TV, watch the news, get coupons, and I can meet and talk with Jupiter, Lilan, Yui-chan, and Streya. ”

When Rika said this to Shiina, a small fairy appeared on Shiina's shoulder. A long-haired girl with the same black hair as Kirito and Shino's teacher.,But not here.。 That's Yui, Kirito and Shiina's stepdaughter. Next to her, Yui's sister Strea also appeared, who was a female goblin with a larger body than Yui.

"Yes. If you're wearing Ogma, you can talk to us whenever you want! ”

"I never thought I would be able to talk to everyone so easily, even outside of VR, it was like a dream!"

Yui and Strea are glad I'm reading. Her sister and brother, Lilan and Jupiter, also had a good laugh. The four siblings live in a completely virtual world, and they usually only meet by diving into VRmmo, and they can't talk to each other unless they use smartphones.

However, with the advent of Augmar, which superimposes elements of the virtual world into the real world, these girls can now be easily embodied in the real world.

You can easily meet and talk to them without any extra steps or preparation. This is the biggest reason why Kirito and others want to use Ogma.

Lilan said as she looked at her friend who was an Augmar user.

"It would be helpful if you could use Augmar as much as possible in your daily life. Even if you have something to tell us, you can't hear without Augmar. ”

\"yes. I was surprised, though. Lilan, Yui, and Strea look a little different when they use Ogma. \"

Hearing Shino's words, Kirito turned his attention to the three of them. Although Lilan, Yui, and Strea have roughly the same appearance as they did in VR, Yui and Strea are pinned as ALo's navigation sprites. VR and AR seem to be worlds with different principles and rules, and girls are also considered to fit those principles.

On Lilan's body, his iconic physical signs, wolf ears and tail, are gone, and his height has shrunk. Lilan was fixed in this form due to the mutation and resurrection due to absorbing various data, but in AR, this principle does not work, and he reverts to his natural form "Martell".

It was Keiko who shouted to Lilan.

"Mr. Lilan is very powerful. He lost his ears and tail. ”

Riran gently touched the place where the wolf's ears should be.

"I'm sure it was a bit confusing at first, but I'm used to it now. It's not bad that the ears are in the same place as you and that you don't have a tail. ”

"And, if Lilan still has a tail and ears, that outfit might not fit him."

Asuna looked at Lilan's clothes.

The clothes on Lilan's body are not the ones she wore in ALo or SAo, but the girls' uniforms of the SAo Survivors School. They pick out their clothes from the internet and are free to modify them to suit them, but Lilan pulls up the composition data of the SAo Survivor School uniforms and modifies them.

His approach is to hack the Survivor School's servers and copy the data, which is unique to Lilan, who is good at hacking. In addition, data on male student uniforms were obtained at that time, and adjustments to Jupiter's costumes are currently being made.

Jupiter looks like it's 10 years old, and in reality there is no uniform for a child of that age, but this has nothing to do with Jupiter, which has characteristics that can be reflected in the application data alone.

"Anyway, your school is still very generous, isn't it? After all, they distribute ogma to all students for free. ”

As Jupiter said, the Ogma held by Kirito and the others was distributed to the school where the SAo survivors attended.

One day, the school made an important announcement. The story is that the latest AR machine, Augmar, has been released, and a lot of it has been supplied to this school. At that time, all the students of the school were endowed with Ogma, and in an instant, the whole school was filled with Ogma.

One of them, Rika, tapped Ogmar's left ear with his fingertips.

"That school did do something weird, didn't it? But when it comes to free distribution, it's a waste not to use it. ”

"It seems that only the students of the SAo Survivor School can use it. Kotone Kotone, Umiki Umiki, and Kimata Yuki's high schools did not receive them. \"

Kirito has also heard Keiko's story. Only everyone here can get Augmar for free, the other members like Kotone, Umi, Keim, Ryotaro Ryotaro, Andrew, and diabel have no choice but to get it for free, it seems. Ryutaro, Andrew, and Diaberu are all working adults, so it's only natural.

Kirito touched Ogma and whispered.

"I don't really like this, though. I prefer VRmmo, Amusphere, etc. ”

Because Augmar simply superimposes elements of the virtual world onto the real world, it is essentially the real world. If you can't act as recklessly as you would in the virtual world, it's hard to perform a skill like swordsmanship. Kirito doesn't like the fact that virtual worlds are stacked on top of each other.

Rika asked Kirito with half-open eyes, and Kirito expressed a small dissatisfaction.

"Hello? Then why is Kirito-san wearing Ogma? \"

"Because there is no other way to talk to my 'acquaintances' and my daughters. But like Lecca said, it's convenient in so many ways. I don't like it, but I don't hate it. ”

Rika said, "What's that?" Everyone else laughed. Just then, a waitress walked up to me. In his hand, he carried a tray with several pieces of cake on it. I don't think he remembered what he ordered, but Kirito thought so, but the waitress shouted at him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. This is the bonus cake for beating the game. \"

The waitress placed four cakes on a tray on the table. There is a rare blueberry jam cheesecake, tiramisu, strawberry jam and pulp cream cake, and shortbread. Apparently this is the reward for the game they played before they beat it. That's what Rika says you can get with Augmar.

"Oh, you're coming soon. I-"

Rika, Keiko, and Asuna each pointed to different cakes. If I got hit, I had to play rock, paper, scissors or something like that and surrender, but that didn't happen. Rika, who had taken the rare cheesecake, whispered.

"And AI is collecting data and even matching your food preferences. What do you call this? ”

"Deep learning. It translates subjects' behaviors, lifestyles, diets, and more into detailed data to determine their preferences and movements. This is the foundation of learning. ”

"We've learned these things a long time ago, but the AI around us doesn't seem to be like that, and I feel like we're behind the times."

Lilan and Jupiter, the two AIs, the exact opposite of the nature of the unconscious AI that might be recording data somewhere, muttered. They have completed deep learning to the point where they are smart enough to be called the "Cyber Life Evolution Anima". Kirito and Shino felt that it was a little funny for these girls to express their opinions on other AIs, and they smiled wryly with Shino.

"Well, there's a piece of cake left."

Shiina, looking at the tiramisu who was left behind, wondered. Lilan reacted immediately.

\"Ah, this is for me. I just won Kirito's chess match, so I'm just saying it's an added bonus. \"

However, no matter how they adapt to the real world, Lilan and the others do not have real bodies and are unable to eat real-world food. This cake belongs to Lilan, but the most important person is here because he can't eat it.

Lilan seemed to know this, and shouted to Kirito Shino.

\"Kirito and Shino. Eat yourselves. \"

"Okay? It's your cake. ”

Lilan's eyes were half-open. He is reacting to Kirito's teasing.

"You know I can't eat real-world stuff, isn't that intentional?"

Kirito smiled. With this, I was able to repay the ridicule I received in chess. Shino, who was beside Kirito, smiled bitterly at Lilan.

"Are you sure you want me to give it to you? I'm a little sad about that. ”

"It's good, I'm grateful to be in close contact with the real world like this, I don't have any higher hopes."

Even so, it's a bit unfair. Later on you should probably provide Lilan with some kind of service, especially food-related services. Now, let's thank Lilan for her kindness and have some cake.

"I see. Thank you, familiar Lilan, for inviting you to dinner. ”

"Beast Tamer, I'll buy you some good stuff in the virtual world later."

After talking about the characters that won't change in the real world, Kirito grabs a piece of cake and puts it between himself and Shino. Divide the cake in half with a fork and start eating. Soon after, Asuna called out to Jupiter again.

"I'll make you some food later, Jupiter. Why don't you add some dessert? ”

"Is that okay? I'm looking forward to it if I can."

Jupiter smiled at Asuna and turned to Rika.

"Sister Ewha, you know that AI also calculates and manages the calories that people eat. I can also look at this data in the same way, isn't that the end? \"

When Jupiter, who was born to heal women, pointed at her, Rika's movements froze. Although you can't see it from here, there may be a warning that you have too many calories.

Unlike Shino, Rika is a girl with a very sweet tooth, so she consumes a lot of calories. After blinking repeatedly in response to Jupiter and management AI pointing out calorie overload, Lilan further said.

"Rika, let's walk. Even if it's just a little bit, exercise and burn off your calories. ”

After eating the cake, Rika left the shop and walked briskly. Keiko panicked by the sudden movement, Asuna and Jupiter calmly followed, while Kirito, Shino, and Lilan followed at a relatively leisurely pace.

The location is in a shopping mall relatively close to the school, and there are a lot of people. Maybe it's because tomorrow is Saturday. More than half of them are using Augmar to transform the virtual world into the real world and enjoy it.

In particular, I can't help but pay attention to people's interactions with fictional animals, such as cute mythical beasts that appear in myths and fantasies.

Just as he was about to stop, Kirito reacted when he heard the voice. The owner of the voice is none other than Lilan, a veritable mythical beast in the game.

\"Kirito, are you going to Yuna's first concert? \"

"What's wrong, all of a sudden?"

"I think you can attend Yuna's first concert for free. I ask if you would like to participate. ”

I can see that there is a store behind Lilan that sells CDs and music players. In one corner, there is a poster with a girl. This is Lilan, I think he came up with the idea after seeing it.

It's not just its features that drive Augmar's growth and popularity. This Ogma itself has already set up a character that is Yuna mentioned by Lilan.

The subjects in VR are the same as Yui, Streya, Lilan, and Jupiter, while Yuna materializes in the real world through Augmar, with long silver hair with purple tints at the tip, with black and red as the main colors. She looks like a girl in traditional clothing. In other words, she's beautiful.

However, its biggest feature is that its speech and attitude are so natural, depending on how you look at it, you might think that it is a super advanced AI comparable to Yui and Lilan.

Her mysterious side, cute appearance, and human-like ability to speak and sing made her very popular, and she soon became an AR idol. Nowadays, there are many people who get Ogma just for Yuna, and Yuna is arguably the biggest contributor to Ogma's spread in society.

Yuna is about to hold her first live performance, but for some reason, all the students at the SAo Survivors School decide to participate as part of the class. Among them are not only Kirito, but also Shino, Asuna, Rika, and Keiko.

"Yuna's concert, I should perform at school, but what should I do?"

"I think I'll pass. I don't really like that noise. ”

That's what Shino said. As I said, she hates noise and loves quiet places. The same goes for Kirito, who wants to refuse Yuna's first live performance if he can.

\"I'd like to do that too, but what's wrong, Lilan? Are you worried about Yuna? \"

"Well, that AI named Yuna is doing really well, I don't know if there's something wrong."

Lilan's words are not difficult to understand. I've actually watched a lot of Yuna's videos, and I'm amazed at her attitude, speaking style, and singing ability. I can only think that it can be compared to Lilan and Jupiter. This kind of AI cannot be created by a local company or researcher.

That's what I came up with...

"Oh, so Lilan is already a fan of Yuna?"

Lilan turned her head in surprise. Before you know it, Rika and Keiko appear behind Rilan.

"When you sang Kara oK together the other day, you also sang Yuna's song "Miss Hiran". You sang with Miss Naoba! \"

"I—I did sing it, but I didn't particularly like Yuna's singing, and I didn't mean to be a fan."

Rika clapped her hands as if she had thought of something. However, this is clearly an evil conspiracy.

"That's right! Now is the time for you to show off your singing prowess to those around you. ”

\"What!? What are you talking about, Rika! \"

"You're a great AI, right? I'm telling you, you're on par with my junior AI Yuna! ”

After saying that, Rika took Lilan and Keiko's hands and led them to the square. Then, by repeating the flick a few times, a ring-light machine will appear around Lilan and begin to shine light on Lilan. Before she knew it, Lilan was forced to grab the microphone.

Lilan became impatient and set her sights on Kirito as if asking for help. As its owner, Kirito, it's not bad that he is proud when his "messenger" sings to everyone. Give the command to "sing" through eye contact.

Realizing that there was no rescue boat, Lilan shrugged her shoulders in frustration. But he quickly came to his senses, clutched the microphone tightly, and began to sing.

The song of the "acquaintance" who has been fighting side by side with me for more than two years caught the attention of users of the mall Augmar.

The situation is no different from idols singing songs, and there is no sign of being worse than Yuna, who has already begun to emerge as an AR idol.

When the song ended, the audience burst into amazing applause and cheers. In a sense, that was the moment when I discovered the possibilities beyond Lilan's 'familiarity'.

After the tea party with everyone, Kirito returned home and rode back to Tokyo on his motorcycle. The sun had completely set, and the darkness of the night surrounded us, but the lights of the city shone brightly, as if pushing the night back.

As I maintained my speed and blended into the traffic, I heard a sound in the wind. It's from behind.

"Kirito, how far have you come now? \"

"It looks like it's almost there, but it's really urgent, and they announced it thirty minutes ago."

"There seems to be a spirit of surprise in the development and management of Ordinal Scale!"

"Absolutely!"

Kirito rides a motorcycle, and Shino puts her arms around him and rides behind him.

After leaving his home in Saitama Prefecture, Kirito rushed to Shiina's apartment where many other SAo survivors lived and picked her up, where he still lives to this day. The two of them went this time to participate in the event that starts at nine o'clock tonight.

As I drove through the crowd, I saw the sign of a burger joint. It looks like you've arrived at your destination. I managed to arrive on time. Park your bike in a place where it won't be a nuisance to traffic and turn off the engine.

When I took off my helmet and took a breath of air, I noticed that Shino behind me also got out of the car and took off her helmet. I took the helmet she was wearing, put it in a box on the luggage rack, and left the bike.

The scene was crowded, most of them were young people. Everyone is gathered to get ready for the upcoming event. Everyone is wearing an Augmar and this is the ticket to attend.

Seeing such a scene, Shino muttered.

"I can't believe that so many people have gathered. Although the information was disclosed 30 minutes ago. ”

"It looks like the number of people playing games is increasing dramatically. SAo and ALo can't keep up. ”

When I answered this question and put on Augmar, a completely familiar layer of virtual reality was superimposed on top of the real world. The time is one minute before the start of the activity. Traffic restrictions have been implemented in the venue, and cars are not allowed to pass.

In central Tokyo, it's not uncommon for a corner of the city to get crowded just before 9 p.m. However, they are all participants in a certain event, which is an unusual situation. From now on, such scenes will no longer be anomalous, but will become commonplace.

Ogma was trying to dye Tokyo a different color – and just as I was feeling that way, I heard a phone call coming from nearby. It was a male voice.

\"It's too late, Kirinoji! \"

When the two of us turned back, we saw six figures walking towards us. Their physiques are different, but their faces look somewhat familiar. In the center is a man with a mustache and reddish-brown hair tied in a turban.

In VRmmo, they are Ryotaro Tsuboi, whose name is Klein, and his friends from the Kazan Guild of the Wind Forest. Maybe to show that they are from the same guild, but they both wear light blue hoodies.

I see. Is Shino with you too? \"

"Yes. I try to get involved here as much as I can. ”

\"Is that so? It's amazing. I thought he only liked VR like Kirito. \"

When Shino answers Ryotaro's question, Kirito can't help but feel anxious. There are a number of factors that worry Shino in the events that are about to begin. I couldn't calm down because I was constantly worried about what would happen to her during the event.

As a result, Kirito was unable to react to Ryotaro, but when the voice was heard again, Kirito came back to his senses. It was a familiar female voice.

\"Shino, Kirito-san! \"

Shino was the first to react, followed by Kirito and Ryutaro. Where the sound came from, there was only one figure. Your appearance will instantly become clearer.

She has long, black hair that is the same color as her own child Yui and is shiny. He has reddish-brown eyes and looks somewhat boyish compared to his peers. A woman with many characteristics, such as plump breasts, can be seen through white clothes.

Serizawa Serizawa is a former employee of "Argus", the creator of the game "SAo", the creator of "Yui", "Streya", "Lilan", "Jupiter", and Shino's personal physician, the psychiatrist who is Ze Alice.

\"Teacher Alice! \"

"Alice!"

Alice walks up to Kirito and greets them "Hi". Due to research and work, her appearance doesn't usually appear in the real world, but it's pretty much the same as what we see in "SAo", "ALo", and "SAo". Alice looked around at the others and opened her mouth.

"It's been a while since we've seen each other like this."

"Yes, but I only met you yesterday at SAo."

Alice laughed at Kirito's answer. He looked relieved.

\"No, no, it's been a long time since we've met in the real world, haven't we? I'm wondering if anything has changed, but don't worry. \"

Indeed, it has been more than half a year since we met Alice in the real world, and we have not met in the real world since the beginning of this year. Shino is close to Alice, who appears for the first time in a long time.

"Teacher, that's true. You're going to spend some time with me in the real world."

"Ah, yes, I can dive into the research as much as I want, but that's not good for you. I really took a day off, and I'll be with you for a while, Shino and Kirito. \"

Two nights ago, Alice logged on to "SAo" and told me that she was returning to Tokyo after a short but not short break. Because Airi, who has become scarce even to "SAo", said such a thing, I doubt that it is true, but apparently it is true. He also said that his purpose was for Shino and Kirito.

Shino, who was able to confirm this, seemed very happy.

"Teacher Alice, thank you. \"

"It's not like that. Shino, don't be so afraid. \"

Alice smiled at Shiina. If Airi was here, his worries about what would happen next would have been dispelled to some extent, but not yet completely. Alice shouted to Kirito, who unconsciously became nervous.

"Kirito-kun, since you're here, I'm guessing you're trying to deal with the rumors. \"

"Yes. I think I need to see it for myself. Airi-sensei probably feels the same way. \"

"Of course, since something from the world I once created has reappeared, I have no choice but to look at it. Well, the battle will be left to you. ”

Then Ryotaro rushed to Kirito's side. Kirito has a companion by his side, and in an instant, things around Kirito become a little unpleasant.

\"Leave the investigation to us, Miss Alice! We'll do our best! \"

Alice replied with a smile like a grown woman.

"Ordinal Scale is a game where you fight with your own flesh and blood, so if you get hurt, it's not good. But I've got your back, so please do your best. ”

As soon as these words came out, the men let out a warm cheer. Since there is a beautiful woman named Alice who supports him, he must be eager to show his good side. Is it honest or cash? In any case, Kirito could not master the spirit.

"Kirito, no, Kirito, it's on. \"

Before I knew it, Lilan was beside me. Since she will also be attending the event, she shows up at the same time as installing Augmar. Lilan asked a question the way she had prepared for the battle in previous games.

\"Are you worried about Shino? \"

\"Ahh Now there's nothing and it feels a little weird. \"

"Because the stage is in the real world, I can't help you. If something happens, you'll support Shino. Don't worry too much if nothing has happened so far, though. If your own performance deteriorates, you're putting the cart before the horse. ”

Lilan placed her hand on Kirito's right hand. Ogma conveyed the warmth of Lilan's body, and my right hand became warm.

"And, if there's an emergency, I'll do my best to help. You just have to stay with Shino and protect her as usual. \"

Lilan's expression was calm. When I saw that face and heard that voice, a sense of relief rose in my chest and the anxiety disappeared. Kirito, who reaffirmed the importance of Lilan's presence, also nodded.

"Thank you. That's already the number of times you've made me happy. \"

"I didn't count. I'm just doing what I need to do. I'm protecting you, my lord, and I'm giving you the strength to do what you need to do. My mission is to be your support when you need it. ”

"I'm counting on you, man."

After Lilan nodded, Shino walked in front of her.

"Kirito, let's get started. \"

"Okay. Let's do it. ”

Kirito made a loud noise along with Shino and Lilan.

"'Ordinal scale, start!!' ”

As soon as the manifesto came out, the world changed completely. His costume was transformed into a special black-and-white combat uniform, and the short pole in his hand was transformed into a straight sword. The clothes and appearance of the people around them have either become knights or soldiers, or they have become orcs, specializing in spears, greatswords, rocket launchers, and assault rifles. The layers of the virtual world are adjusted and integrated with the avatars.

Kirito also became Kiritto in the virtual world, Shino became Shino, and Ryotaro became Klein, each holding their own weapons. In an instant, Lilan turned into a ball of light, jumped into Kirito's body, and disappeared. At this moment, Kirito immediately turned his attention to Shino's hand.

It was a so-called anti-materiel rifle, larger and longer than an assault rifle. The color is silver, and the shape is similar to what appears in the future world, but it is still an anti-materiel rifle. It was this kind of gun that reminded her of her terrible memories.

Shino has a gun in her hand, ready to pull the trigger at any moment. It's an incredible sight for Kirito, who has learned most of her content by spending time with her.

"Shiina, are you alright?" \"

When I called out to her, Shino nodded in response. Her face didn't get any worse.

"It's okay, there's nothing wrong with ordinal levels, so don't worry."

Her expression was calm, as if she was reassuring Kirito. It's a steady thing that doesn't make me feel sick or anxious. It's no different than when you fought by my side all the time.

Although there was something that didn't make sense, Kirito breathed a sigh of relief for a moment and turned to face forward.

"It's coming! \"

A voice echoed in my head. A familiar old woman, this was similar to his tone. Soon after, the clock displayed on the building's monitors sounded to announce that it was 9 p.m. At the same time, cities are changing.

Modern buildings such as skyscrapers instantly become polygons, and then quickly take on the shape of part of a Western fantasy castle. Cars parked on the road turned into piles of wooden crates and barrels, and asphalt turned into pebbles. A layer of the virtual world has been applied to the visible world itself, turning into a dark fantasy world.

What some consider to be the best game, and Ogma's greatest feature, has only just begun.

This is the beginning of the events in the game called "ordinal scale".

Soon after the start of the game, a white light effect similar to a flame appeared about twenty meters in front of Kirito and the others. It is an effect that announces that a messenger from another world has reached the real world, and the real world has been expanded by elements of the virtual world.

When the light stopped, the figure of the messenger from another world was revealed. It is covered in white fur and scales, and its upper body looks strong and its lower body is soft. A giant creature with a long tail and a silhouette that resembles a mix of a cat and a dog.

What made me know that it was a fictional creature because of its protruding horns on its forehead and the fact that it had wing membranes on its arms, shaped like pterosaurs. This is a type of bipedal wyvern that we often see in "SAo", "ALo", and "SAo".

"Kirito, his horns and wings! \"

"Ah, there is no doubt about it. He is"

"Yes" Heroic Apostle!! \"

After answering Shino's words, the people near the two-legged wyvern immediately raised their voices. He used a word that I was not used to hearing: "Apostle of heroes." "What made them say that, and what caught their attention, was the horns and winged arms of the bipedal wyvern.

The outer side of the winged arm of the two-legged wyvern resembles a blade, but its shape is that of a holy greatsword. The horns that grew from its forehead were also shaped like a holy sword, with intricate patterns carved into it.

This trait is the characteristic of Kirito's "acquaintance" Lilan. The white-bladed dragon is a monster characterized by a holy sword or magic sword growing on its forehead or part of its body, and it cannot exist anywhere else no matter how many times it roams the game world.

"Apostle of heroes, right? Indeed it is. He shares the same traits as the Kirito type "Demon" Lilan, who is said to be the hero Kirito. \"

Just as he was listening to Crane's whispering, another light effect appeared in the distance behind the white-bladed dragon.

Just as the reinforcements appeared, a beautiful girl wearing a black cyber suit, silver hair, and purple gradient appeared.

This is Yuna, an AI girl who is famous for her AR idols. Those who saw it were amazed and cheered.

"Hey, it's Yuna-chan!"

"Yuna-chan is out!"

There was joy all around, as if I had seen the goddess of victory descending. Yuna, an AR idol, is no different from a goddess. This is exactly what the number seven in "ALo" looks like. Yuna, who was cheered so on, waved her hands loudly and shouted.

"Everyone! Thank you for being together today! Listen to my songs and give it your all in the boss battle! The music begins!! ”

As Yuna responded to the cheers, a golden light flashed on everyone present. At the top of the status bar, there are icons for increased attack and increased defense. Looks like Yuna gave it a buff.

In the "ordinal scale", there is sometimes an event in which Yuna appears in a boss fight, at which point Yuna sings and strengthens and motivates the players around her. This boss fight seems to fall into this category. Yuna starts singing to the background music that comes out of nowhere.

Ellie/Alice looked at Yuna and her surroundings and burst out laughing.

"I see, Yuna is here, I have to do my best."

Before Alice could speak, many young people who had turned into clones began to move towards the sword dragon.

The reason why this game, called Ordinal Scale, is popular with young people because it is actually possible to fight by moving the body, but the game itself is sponsored by various companies, and the biggest reason is that by being a highly-ranked score holder, you can benefit from them.

By ranking high, you can get a variety of services such as online mail-order discounts, free large beef rice bowls at the Ushidon restaurant, and the ability to pre-order tickets to the event. There seems to be some service that can bring you closer to Yuna, and everyone is trying to get their hands on the game.

However, the purpose of Kirito and the others in challenging the ordinal hierarchy is not to obtain service.

"Heroic Apostle, right? You are indeed very much alike, Lillan. ”

"There is no resemblance other than the horns and the blade. It's not smart either. It's just a machine.

"I'm sure. But "

Kirito responded to the 'voice' and turned his attention to the sword wyvern. Players with different classes and different weapons are already battling Blade Wyverns. With its soft body, the Wyvern quickly moves to tease the player and counter with a slash with the holy sword in his arms.

"You're strong after all! It's a game of death! ”

"Its horns are the same as the hero dragon in SAo, it must be like this!"

Players have expressed their impressions of the Blade Wyvern. It seems that there are a lot of SAo survivors gathered here.

Many people know that the hero who led SAo to completion was Kirito, and the white dragon used by Kirito had a holy sword on his forehead, thanks to the publication of the book "The Complete Collection of SAo Event Records". This.

One day, a story begins to circulate that in this ordinal rank there will be a powerful boss monster with the same characteristics as the hero Kirito's "Messenger", with a holy sword or magic sword growing on his forehead. A strong man with the same characteristics as the "messenger" of the SAo heroes, a symbol of hope and victory for the survivors of SAo.

Once their existence is confirmed, there will be rumors that if they win, they will definitely gain the same power as the heroes, and the ranking will be increased instantly, so they are informally called "Hero Apostles".

Players playing Ordinal Scale are challenging boss fights in search of the "Hero Apostle". In order to get the benefits of defeating the 'Heroic Apostle'.

"Heroic Apostle", a mysterious monster with the same traits as Lilan. In order to confirm the truth, Kirito and his friends decide to participate in the ordinal number battle, but the result is in sight.

The "Heroic Apostles" do exist. There really is a boss monster with the same characteristics as Lilan. And just now, another piece of information added that Yuna will also appear at the same time in the battle where the 'Heroic Apostle' appears. After the battle is over, the news will spread, and the number of people who will target the next 'Heroic Apostle' will increase all at once.

By meeting Yuna, listening to her singing, and defeating the "Apostle of Heroes", you can quickly climb the ranks and gain more services. Killing two birds with one stone is too much. It's impossible for a ranked player not to aim for this.

"What's that? Why does it have the same properties as Lilan? ”

"I don't understand. I think developers and operators are just starting to do this because they think they can attract a lot of players based on us.

Of course, it has something in common with the "messenger" of the SAo Hero, so its fame is also quite large. This can be a great way to attract customers, but I don't think that's the reason why they do it. However, it seems impossible to understand this different intent at the moment.

"There...!!"

Kirito was taken aback when he heard a strong shooting sound coming from nearby. Before she knew it, Shino had left Kirito and fired bullets at the sword dragon with her anti-materiel rifle. The people of the Wind Forest Volcano led by Klein also approached attacking the Wyvern. When I thought about the Wyvern, I was left behind.

"Oh no, I'm late!"

\"Well, Kirito, let me show you what a true hero is!

Players are excited to meet the Hero Apostle. What would happen if these people saw the "demons" of real heroes? Kirito could easily imagine that and felt his heart pounding in his chest.

Let's show the true face of the "Heroic Apostle" - with a feeling akin to mischief, Kirito starts running.

When the distance between him and the sword wyvern narrowed to a certain point, he shouted, and a ball of light appeared in Kirito's chest. When it was lined up next to Kirito, it became huge and took shape all at once. Immediately after, the light rushed towards the sword dragon, and with a roar, the sword dragon was blown away.

"Hey, that's it!"

The eyes of those around were suddenly attracted to something that was once bright. What emerges in this world covered by virtual reality is a dragon. It has the silhouette of a majestic wolf, covered in white-gold fur, and has the wings of a giant white bird of prey growing from its shoulders. A true heroic dragon dressed in futuristic armor on his chest, arms, and wings, with a golden mane on his head and a holy sword-like horn on his forehead.

It is the demon of Kirito, the hero of SAo, and a symbol of victory and hope. That's when Lilan appears in the "ordinal scale" game world. The players around her reacted the same way they did when they saw Yuna.

"Hey, hey, there's another boss!?"

"No, that's not the enemy, that's familiar!"

"The Beast Trainer and Dragon Trainer have arrived!!"

How to Train Your Dragon. Players say it's a nickname in "Beast Tamer" for those who are able to turn powerful dragons into their "darlings". And his expression was full of hope.

In addition to the goddess Yuna, a bioweapon from an international defense organization called Ordinal Scale has also appeared in the game world, which is an extremely reassuring situation for players.

Surprisingly, however, no one seems to realize that Lilan is the same Lilan as Lilan who appears in the full collection of SAo's case records. For Kirito, it's actually a good thing that he didn't make a sound.

\"Kirito, Lilan! Be careful! You never know what this guy will do! \"

Hearing Klein's call, Kirito suddenly stopped. At the same time, the white-bladed dragon was engulfed in white smoke, making it difficult to see its face. The white-bladed dragon jumped up like a somersault, but when it landed, its appearance changed.

The holy sword on his forehead did not change, but his originally soft body became even thinner. It has become softer and its tail has become unusually thick. The form seems to have changed. It seems that the white-bladed dragon is a monster that fights by transforming into a monster.

If it is a \"SAo\" that can use sword skills, even if this happens, the battle can continue, but at this ordinal scale, sword skills cannot be used. Players are always in a very disadvantageous position. Even at this very moment.

"It's funny how your appearance has changed!"

"If you defeat this, you will get a lot of rewards!"

However, the momentum of the surrounding players cannot be weakened. The crowd was even more combative, and rose up against the white-bladed dragon. Among them, a player like Shiina, who is armed with a shooting weapon, rains down bullets and grenades at the same time.

The white-bladed dragon attacks at close range with a knife, and it is natural to shoot from behind. However, things are not so easy, and the health of the white-bladed dragon has not decreased much. It seems that their shooting capabilities are not weak.

The white-bladed dragon, which had been attacked from a distance, spun around, ignoring the flying bullets and firing a laser beam from its open calyx. The impact point is the position of the player who makes the shot attack.

Unable to adapt to a sudden ranged attack, the players were engulfed in the explosion. When the dust clears, the players return to the real world. When you become uncombatable, ordinal level players are stripped of their hierarchy and you can't participate until the next battle, leaving only watching. If this happens, you won't be able to climb the rankings, so you'll have to do your best to avoid not being able to fight.

This ordinal scale does not lead to death, but the death penalty is quite severe. Crane and his friends from the Wind Forest Volcano, who are participating in this game, are heading towards the Whitebladed Dragon. The white-bladed dragon attacks from a distance with its back to it. They are trying to take advantage of this gap.

"We're asking for a bonus!!"

Perhaps in response to Crane's words, the white-bladed dragon turned around and swung the blade of his right arm to attack. Then, one of Klein's companions, a one-handed club wielder with a shield, stepped in and blocked the blade of the Whitebladed Dragon.

When the Whitebladed Dragon stopped moving with a high-pitched metallic sound, Crane and the One-Handed Swordsman ran past the Whitebladed Dragon and slashed hard. It seems that although it has taken a lot of damage, the white-bladed dragon seems to have plenty of health.

The attacked Whiteblade Dragon began to charge towards Crane and the one-handed swordman, but the next moment, a sudden impact hit the Whiteblade Dragon's right arm. The white-bladed dragon was completely hit and fell to the ground.

Shino, who was closer to Kirito but farther away from the white-bladed dragon, fired. For some reason, there is a description of shooting at people, but it was originally hit by a large-caliber bullet from a self-propelled rifle used to destroy tanks, fighters, armored vehicles, etc., and the white knife dragon fell, of course.

\"Kirito, let's set it! \"

Kirito, who was summoned by Shino, reluctantly ran over, approached the white-bladed dragon, and slashed at the white-bladed dragon's body with all his strength with his one-handed sword. Sensing a reaction, he tried to break free, but just as he was about to run, he tripped and fell. It was as if he and the White Knife Dragon were falling in turn.

"It hurts!"

The pain and suffering you feel in the real world attacks you relentlessly. "Ordinal Scale" is an augmented reality game, so there are no features as handy as a painkiller. And there was no system assistance, so my body felt heavy and it was difficult to move. This is a natural thing for Kirito, who stays indoors completely and doesn't do much exercise every day.

When I got up, the white-bladed dragon also stood up and was approaching me. It seems that the target of the attack has shifted. Just as Kirito was about to escape, Lilan rushed up from the side of the white-bladed dragon with all her might, separating it from Kirito.

"Kirito, what are you doing?" How is your usual routine? \"

"Are you provoking me! Because it's not VR, my whole body hurts and my body is heavy! ”

"Isn't that a lack of exercise?"

Kirito remained silent after hearing Shino say this. In this world of augmented reality, there are a lot of things that can be affected inside the body. Those who do not have motor nerves or lack exercise are at a huge disadvantage compared to those who do.

If this happens, he should exercise and strengthen his physique. With such regrets, Kirito took his place. The next moment, the white-bladed dragon's body was once again shrouded in white smoke, and it rolled over one by one, revealing a new form.

The arm holding the blade suddenly became thicker, and the body became bulky. He doesn't have a lot of flexibility and is a power type. If I get cut, then I really get cut in half. Just as I was taking a deep breath, I saw a player on the right side of the Whiteblade Dragon, who had turned into a Tiger Orc, holding a dispenser.

"This is your last attack! Eat it! ”

The next moment, a rocket was fired from the launcher. The bullet, which was originally intended to crush the tank, flew in the direction of the white-bladed dragon. However, just before the bullet was about to hit, the Whitebladed Dragon dodged with a speed that did not match its power system, dodging the attack.

The rocket, which had lost its target, flew straight towards Yuna.

"Ahh

\"Yuu, Yuna-chan, I'm going to hit you! \"

Crane said they were tiger beastmen, but Yuna was immersed in singing and dancing, without any dodging movements. Even though the rockets flew in front of me, I couldn't seem to see anything. Does this mean that he is still too smart to even change his behavior depending on the situation?

\"Yuna!! \"

At this moment, Kirito couldn't help but call out the name. A laser-like stream of water shot out from below, engulfing the rocket. The rocket was propelled by a powerful force from below and exploded after being pushed into the sky. It illuminates Yuna like fireworks.

What's happening now? Just as everyone was thinking this, two shadows of different sizes jumped out from under Yuna's body and landed beside her. One of them was a brown-haired young man wearing a coat-like battle uniform with a purple glow flowing from it. There was a dragon next to him. However, its characteristics are surprising.

“！？”

The dragon beside the young man was covered in white fur and surrounded by blue water. Its belly is covered with dark blue shells with seven-colored light streaks. It flies with a pair of wings shaped like a sea slug's hand, which grow from its back and shoulders. And its silhouette is the same as Lilan's, it's a wolf's.

"Water wolf?" Everyone was stunned by the sudden appearance of the Water Wolf Dragon and the young man who seemed to be its owner. Yuna, who was about to be hit directly by a grenade, was able to continue singing without any change. The young man looked like a knight, Yuna's guardian.

"What, what's that!? \"

As Crane watched the young man say this, Kirito noticed. The number displayed above the young man's head is 2. He seems to have the second-highest score on the ordinal chart.

There is a discussion in the news about how much benefit the person who ranks second or first in the ordinal number will get, but I never expected that there would be a person who ranked second, what does it mean? And that person, sure enough, is still a 'beast trainer' and a 'dragon trainer'.

"Are you serious about being number two?"

The next moment, he muttered involuntarily, and the young man kicked the ground, jumped forward, and flew into the air. Soon after, it landed gracefully on the same ground as Kirito and the others. Its lean, nimble, and powerful body movements are reminiscent of the ninjas of yesteryear. This can be done normally in virtual reality, but it is not an easy thing to do in the real world.

This can be a difficult move even for people who practice freerunning and parkour overseas, and I think they would be nervous if they actually saw it. A water wolf dragon pounced on the young man who had made such an unusual move, and a white-bladed dragon immediately attacked him.

Neither the Young nor the Dragon have yet to attack the Whitebladed Dragon, but perhaps the higher the rank, the easier it is to attract targets. The white-bladed dragon swooped straight at the young man, but the water wolf dragon stood in the middle and stopped him. The two dragons tangled together and crashed into nearby buildings, roaring and impacting.

This is a scene straight out of a monster movie that can be created by an animal trainer whose demons are large monsters in "SAo", "ALo", and "SAo". The white-bladed dragon slashed at the water wolf dragon that bound it with its blade, but the moment the blade bit into the water wolf dragon's body, the speed became extremely slow.

The water wolf's fur looks blue, but it looks like water. He wears the armor of water. It looks like the armor is blocking the blade, and the water wolf dragon seems to have plenty of space. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the young man rushed towards the white-bladed dragon, slashed twice with his sword in one hand, and left. After the owner had inflicted some physical damage, the 'familiar' Ahuizotlus also unleashed an extremely thick stream of water from behind its mouth towards the white-bladed dragon's face, blowing the white-bladed dragon away in an instant.

Hit by a torrent that was almost indistinguishable from a commercial ultra-high-pressure cleaner, the white-bladed dragon rolled on the ground and fell. It looks like it's been hurt a lot and is on the verge of death. If we continue like this, we will be able to defeat him.

\"Kirito! \"

Shino's voice came from behind. It seems that he wants to leave this matter to himself to stop. In fact, somewhat coincidentally, Kirito was positioned close to the downed white-bladed dragon, and he could easily approach and slash it.

I've never heard of this ordinal rank having a final attack bonus, but the last attack is what you should aim for. Kirito held a sword in one hand—actually a small stick—and turned to face the white-bladed dragon.

The next moment, the white-bladed dragon suddenly stood up and assumed a fighting posture again. As if to show that everything is not over yet, it is not over, and he is ready to launch a blade attack. Are you just jumping on me?

Kirito began to act, expecting the next move of the white-bladed dragon, but at this moment, the handsome boy who appeared earlier ran and jumped into the arms of the white-bladed dragon. Immediately, I couldn't help but stare at it, and the young man slashed around the white dragon four times with a vivid movement.

The action of drawing a beautiful square with the fourth shot is exactly the action of the one-handed sword technique 'horizontal square' with four consecutive strikes.

Because the ordinal scale directly uses the body and mind of the real world, it is impossible to use sword skills and so on at all. Even Kirito, who has been living with swordsmanship for more than three years, has never used it in his own life.

However, the boy showed his swordsmanship that should have been impossible. It was as if he had been in an environment where he could use a lot of sword skills on a regular basis, and the movements of the sword skills had been integrated into his body. Anyway, it looked crazy, and Kirito could only blink in surprise, but he came back to his senses when he heard the sound of the white-bladed dragon falling again.

This time, the white-bladed dragon fell to the ground, unable to move. There is no doubt that one more blow will be over. The battle will end with the victory of humanity.

"—This is it!"

\"Go, Kirito!! \"

Kirito immediately began to run, approaching the white-bladed dragon. I won't trip and fall this time. Do you want to let go of this opportunity? As the white-bladed dragon's body approached, Kirito raised his one-handed sword.

At the same time, I approached the young man who had given me the opportunity to attack the Whitebladed Dragon, and the moment I cut in beside him

"--Transformation--"

Suddenly I heard a voice, and it felt like the world had slowed down. The voices of young people seem to slow down the time of the world. Switch - This is the term used in SAo, ALo, and SAo, but it first appeared in SAo.

When someone has performed a sword skill, a basic strategy of the strategy is to take turns fighting back with that person to eliminate any gaps. If you ask me, this situation was a turning point between me and the young people.

However, what does it mean for a young man to say such a thing

Before I could think about it, my hand moved, and a voice came out. With all his might, he slashed at the fallen white-bladed dragon. Although it didn't have a sword in its hand, it reacted to it when it sliced through the scales, carapace, and muscles, and the white-bladed dragon let out a final scream.

When the sword was pulled out of the white-bladed dragon's body, the white-bladed dragon's body was instantly enveloped in white light, and it exploded, emitting seven-colored light. The seven-colored light that spread out seemed to spread, but it converged to the place where the white-bladed dragon was, condensed, and then disappeared. Defeating bosses on an ordinal scale produces a unique effect. The boss summoned from another world is forced to return to another world.

The battle ended, and there was silence all around.

The silence was broken by the voices of the contestants and the spectators. The joy spread quickly, and the entire venue was filled with sounds of joy and blessings. The noise was so loud that I forgot it was past nine o'clock in the evening. Among them, Yui has Yuna who makes a loud voice.

"Congratulations on conquering the boss monster! I've got you points! ”

With a shout from the singer, a notification is sent above the player's head that the points have been added. It's not just a boss, it's an "Apostle of Heroes" that has the same characteristics as the hero's "Messenger" in SAo, so you'll get a lot of bonus points.

Everyone was happy to see the points and balances they had earned, but Kirito was not so happy. For some reason, I don't see any signs of points coming in. Indeed, he should be able to take out the Whitebladed Dragon. No, I was worried about other things before that.

I'm sure the young man was...

"And I'm going to do more for the people who worked hardest today!"

As soon as I heard Yuna's voice, I felt a breath approaching. When I came back to my senses and looked back, Yuna was there. Yuna, who has the appearance of a beautiful girl who has captured everyone's hearts, is getting closer and closer to her, and Kirito is also shocked by her eyes.

Then, when the female singer approached Kirito, she kissed Kirito's right cheek.

When a pleasant sensation came from my right cheek, the noise around me suddenly stopped. Everyone was stunned, looking like they couldn't believe the scene in front of them. In fact, even Kirito couldn't believe it and was shocked. Yuna kissed me.

"Today's mVp is you! I'll give you a lot of points! ”

When everyone's favorite heroine is announced, a small sound effect sounds, and the displayed point balance and ranking increase significantly. This is indeed a blessing from the Goddess. The goddess who lives in virtual reality but is connected to the real world has given me a blessing and a kiss. However, Kirito is not at all grateful for this.

The originally stiff player's gaze began to become more and more aggressive. "Take my Yuna-chan's lips away." Everyone looked at me with strange eyes, as if they were all thinking the same thing. I've been stared at like this more than once or twice in my VRmmo career, but I'm still not used to it. At this moment, Yuna suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and turned her head to look around.

"If you all try your best to fight the boss, I'll do something like this guy, so try your best next time! So be it! ”

After calming down the people around her, Yuna separated from Kirito and disappeared in the glow of the sky. The signal of the end of the important event came out, and the players dispersed. At the same time, the gaze that looked at Kirito disappeared.

I coldly thought that maybe some player who was jealous of me would attack me, but it seemed that my worries were unfounded. Just after I took a deep breath, I heard a voice. It was the voice of Alice, a viewer in the distance.

\"Kirito-san, thank you for your hard work! \"

When I was invited to turn around, Alice, Shiina, Lilan, Klein, and other people from the Wind Forest Volcano were walking towards me. But Kirito was terrified. In addition to Alice and Lilan, Crane and the others from Wind Forest Volcano continued to stare at them with jealous and aggressive eyes.

Shino, on the other hand, was filled with an almost audible atmosphere of extreme dissatisfaction.

Soon, Klein captures Kirito.

\"Kirinoji! Hey, why are you so picky about girls! Actually started attacking Yuu, Yuyu, Yuna-chan! \"

\"No, no, no, I didn't mean that! You know that too!? I didn't expect Yuna to do something like this! I didn't have any news beforehand! \"

He said so, but Crane was furious: "What?! "Even the people of the Wind Forest Volcano joined in, and things got out of hand. Just as I was wondering what was going on, Alice called me.

"Okay, calm down, shouldn't you be happy that you can defeat the boss, get points, and improve your ranking?"

At the request of the older and beautiful Alice, Klein and the others reluctantly left Kirito. Wow, that helps—just as I was about to thank Alice, I heard a voice. He looked to where Lilan was.

"I didn't expect the second place to appear. Isn't he an incredible celebrity?