First Floor, the Main Square, Midnight of the May 6th.
"Welcome, everyone. My name is Kurobane Akata, the creator of the Black Game."
Thousands of the players gathered in the Main Square looked up to the red skies and saw a massive head formed out of clouds, grinning down at them with piercing red eyes.
The players felt nervous, and oppressed, as if they were being watched by a malevolent force.
"Why can't we log off?!"
A lone voice cried out in the distance.
"That's right! Where is the logoff button?!"
The players echoed their worries.
"Hahahaha…"
The massive head laughed.
It brought chills down the virtual bodies of the players, and since this game was so realistic, they actually felt their hair stand up on end.
"Why would you want to leave? This is a creation that I have spent all my life creating, and I didn't create it to be a game.
"The current world disgusts me."
Kurobane Akata said coldly.
A feeling of fear crept into the bones of the players when they heard his words.
"A world for the weak—I will create a new world where only the strong survive. A natural selection, you may call it.
"Show that you are worthy of life, and conquer the tower. Reach the top, the 100th floor, and if you clear it, the game will end!"
Kurobane Akata laughed loudly.
Among the fearful players, Sozen looked silently at the red skies, his eyes shaking as did many others.
This was not what he expected when he woke up this morning.
"Well, your wish came true, Ricky."
Sozen lampooned.
"…Shit."
Ricky stood beside him, tears flowing down his face, and he wanted nothing more than escape this horrible nightmare.
…
Eight hours ago.
The skies were blue and bright with the blazing sun scorching the world below in an intense heat.
It was easily the hottest day of the year, and currently in the classroom of Makabe High, the students were restlessly fanning themselves in an attempt to cool down.
"Can someone… answer this question, please?"
The teacher stood by the blackboard.
His white shirt was drenched in sweat and clinging to his skin.
While one student raised his arm to answer the question, at the back of the classroom, Sozen stared out of the window.
He was resting his legs on top of the desk, and his mind was a million miles away.
The black hair on his head waved about as the wind poured through the window, and his handsome features were highlighted by the sunlight.
It was easy to tell that he was a very popular person in the school, and it was the right thing to assume, as it was the truth.
Ring~
In that moment, the final school bell went off.
"Finally!"
The students let out sighs of relief, picked up their backpacks, and began to head out of the classroom.
Sozen followed his classmates out of the classroom and then felt a smack at the back.
"Yo, Sozen!"
Ricky said with a grin.
"You look excited."
Sozen said with a smile and looked at the other three young men with Ricky, who all shared the same look of excitement.
"Of course… that thing releases today."
Ricky rubbed his hands together with a smile and then asked.
"Would the young prince of the Song family join us for a game?"
Mark asked.
"I don't know, maybe."
Sozen chuckled.
They left the school building, and when they were walking down the yard, the sun kept shining brightly.
"So insanely hot…"
Lucas closed his eyes and waited for the wind to pick up speed, but it didn't.
"Let's get some ice cream before we melt away in this heat!"
Ricky stepped into a run, and they went to the convenience store across from the store and bought one ice cream each.
As they were sitting by the shade of a store, they noticed a group of girl students heading their way.
They were just coming to hang around inside the store, where it was cool.
"Hey, girls… You joining for the game tonight?"
Ricky asked while sitting in a rather nonchalant manner, as if he was trying to make himself look cool.
The girls looked at Ricky and rolled their eyes.
"Who isn't?"
Jenny said with a smile, and then she saw Sozen, nonchalantly enjoying his ice cream while trying to avoid the heat.
Her and Sozen's family had always been close, so she was naturally well-acquainted with him.
"Are you going to play, Sozen?"
She asked.
"…If I have time, sure."
Sozen said as he continued to lick his ice cream cone.
"What if we all link up and play together?"
Ricky asked with a smirk on his face.
"Hmm…"
Jenny tapped her chin thoughtfully, looked at her friends, who just rolled their eyes at Ricky, and then, with a giggle, she said.
"With you? No, thank you!"
She playfully waved her hand and entered the store with her giggling friends.
"Who will be there to protect you fine ladies if it isn't us?!"
Ricky shouted after them, but they were just ignoring her at this point, and with a click of a tongue, he sat back down.
"Look!"
In that moment, Mark pointed towards the television screen inside the store, as it was talking about Black Game, and they quickly entered the store to listen.
"…Today, the world-famous Black Game is releasing. It has been the hot topic all around the world ever since its announcement three years ago.
"…It has been said to revolutionize the world itself. It has been hailed as the world's first second world realism-based game!"
"It is said to break all the records, and more…"
"…Now, we have a word from the game's creator, the genius Kurobane Akata…"
On the television screen, a man wearing glasses with long black hair appeared, and it didn't look like he had slept in days.
"That man is such a beast. My mind can't even comprehend the level of genius it takes to literally create a second world that is identical to the real world!
"Doesn't that make him the closest thing to a God?"
Mark said.
"Wait till we actually play the game before you start making those kinds of claims."
Sozen said with a laugh.
"That's true, but one thing is certain: why would anyone want to be in this boring world when you can be over in the superior world, fighting dragons and shit?
"If I could, I would live there instead!"
Ricky said.