Editor's Foreword:
As was broadly covered in the news media, the Zemuria Online incident was resolved through the effort of not a single player, but a collection of brave individuals who, though unfortunate circumstances bound them to the digital realm, chose to fight against fate instead of resigning to it.
The purpose of this book is to collect the tales from these heroes in their virtual prison, to illustrate their perspectives, thoughts and actions in their fight to survive and break out of it. Through their interactions with each other and with Kayaba's accomplices, we not only hope that the reader would be inspired by the exploits of these heroes of circumstance, but also gain a glimpse of insight into Kayaba Akihiko and his accomplices, and perhaps one day understand the true motives behind their collective actions.
We would like to offer our gratitude to the Zemuria Online players who accepted the invitation to divulge their experiences with our editorial staff during this difficult time of recuperation. There are not enough space in this Foreword to contain all their In-Game Names, so we have instead included their abbreviated profiles in Appendix A at the end of the book. In addition, a list of the In-Game Names and the Real Names of each deceased player is included in Appendix B, also at the end of the book.
These heroes—the ones who gave their lives during their brave fights for freedom, and the ones who carried their collective will that defied the god in their digital world—shall be remembered.
Nial "NialB" Burns
Editor-in-Chief, Dengeki VR