In the year 2022, the VRMMO game "Sword Art Online" trapped 10,000 players in a death game. This is the story of a rapier wielding girl joining an armored slayer on his journey to defeat all 100 floors of the floating castle of Aincrad. Will his exi...
Agil's café-and-bar was located in a crowded alley in the neighborhood of Okachi, in the Taito ward of Tokyo. The storefront was made of sooty black wood, and only a small metallic sign affixed over the doorway indicated that there was a business there at all. The sign was decorated in the shape of two dice, reading "DICEY CAFÉ".
A dry chime sounded when the brunette pushed open the door. The large bald man behind the counter looked up and grinned at his entrance. There was no one else inside at this time of day.
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Agil: Hey, that was quick.
Adkin: Is it just me or is nobody ever here? This place is as empty as the last time I visited. How did you guys even stay open for the last two years?
Agil: Shut up, we do a brisk night business.
An agent from the Ministry of Internal Affairs had succeeded in getting the young man a list of the names and addresses of as many in-game friends as he could remember. No doubt plenty of players were seeking to reunite with Klein, Kirito, Silica, and Lisbeth, but he decided to give them more time to get back to regular life before contacting them.
Agil—real name Andrew Gilbert Mills—also ran a business in real life, so it made perfect sense. It was the type of place with plenty of regulars. The wood fixtures had the deep luster of polish and care, and the cozy intimacy of the interior, with only four tables and a counter, made it a comfortable visit. Pulling up a leather-seated stool, impatiently called for a coffee, and launched into the topic at hand.
Adkin: What's the deal with that picture you sent me?
Agil: Straight to it. Well, that's gonna need a little explaining. But first, check this out.
He reached under the counter and pulled out a rectangular package that he slid over. It stopped just in front of the boy. The package fit in the palm of his hand, clearly a video game box. He scanned it for a platform and noticed a logo in the upper right corner that said [AMUSPHERE].
Adkin: Never heard of this console...
Agil: That's because the AmuSphere was released while we were on the other side. It's a successor to the NerveGear.
