Prologue-
December 8, 2022: 1st Floor
My name is Aki. I am a player of the VRMMORPG Sword Art Online. It has been one month and two days since everyone got trapped in this floating castle, and I'm already on the verge of death.
My health was already on the red zone because I tried to defeat the wolves that were chasing my party.
Even if I succeeded in defeating the first few wolves, I was cornered by the others.
"What a stupid way of dying… " I muttered.
I was on the final three digits of HP, in mere moments, my brain was going to get microwaved by my NerveGear.
Do I have regrets? Well…
I regret playing this game.
I regret leaving my friends.
I regret leaving my sister by herself in the real world.
I regret not acting as a brother.
A blue light flashed before me, accompanied by the sound of shattering polygons.
. . . . .
I heard voices in my head, voices saying "Onii-chan!" or "Akihiro!"
'Am I dead?' Should I even be asking that question?
But then, I could still open my eyes.
"Run, you idiot!"
A girl whom I have never met before was fighting the wolves.
"Who-?!" I was asking, but she cut me off.
"RUN!"
I did as she said and ran back to the town.
I felt a pain in my chest.
I should have helped her… but in the state that I am in, I wouldn't have lasted seconds in there.
Wait. What if the girl died? If she died to save me, I wouldn't forgive myself.
But there's something else I should regret.
I regret not seeing her face, nor her name.