Chapter 1: The Disconnect
On September 27th, 2027, the world witnessed an event without precedent.
The stage was the Esports World Cup, a global tournament where national pride and staggering skill were on full display. Millions watched live as the world's greatest players battled for supremacy. Then, in the middle of a broadcast, it happened. Over one hundred players, live on camera, dissolved. They didn't scream or vanish in a flash of light; they simply unraveled into streams of shimmering, blue digital sparks and disappeared.
Panic erupted. As the world reeled in confusion, scientists nervously debated theories of "alien invasion" or a "glitch in terrestrial spacetime." But while Earth was in chaos, the players were simply... falling.
The first thing he registered was the sound. A soft, whispering symphony played by wind rushing through a million blades of grass. It was accompanied by the gentle rustle of leaves and the faint, almost musical chime of small flower heads swaying against each other. The air was alive with the chittering of squirrels and the distant, cheerful songs of birds, all underscored by the gentle babbling of a nearby stream.
Hikari materialized from a cascade of the same blue pixels that had marked his disappearance. The fall was only two meters, and he landed with a soft thump on the impossibly green turf. He groaned, pushing himself up and running a hand through his messy black hair. His mind was a frantic blur.
"Where... Where am I? What happened?" he muttered, his voice hoarse. He was still in his tournament attire: a clean white hoodie, comfortable grey sweatpants, and white sneakers. He had nothing on him—no wallet, no phone, no bag.
Pushing a hand against his knee, he slowly rose to his feet. A wave of vertigo washed over him as he took in the scene. An endless sea of emerald grass stretched out before him, dotted with wildflowers of vibrant red and yellow. To his left, a dense, ancient-looking forest loomed. This was... wrong.
"This is so weird," he said, his voice laced with confusion. He walked a few steps, the grass tickling his ankles. "This doesn't feel real. It's like... a full-dive VR game."
He held up his hand, turning it over, flexing his fingers. A strange sensation, or rather, a lack of one, crept over him. "That's the thing," he whispered, his blue eyes wide with dawning unease. "I don't feel any gear. No headset, no haptic suit... nothing."
He turned his head left, then right, as if searching for a hidden camera or a projector. "Just a second ago, the hall was deafening. The crowd, the commentators..." He let out a sudden, sharp sigh, a wry smile touching his lips. "And to make it worse, I was about to get absolutely demolished in my favorite game by that weird kid." He chuckled, a hollow sound. "I have no idea what's going on, but hey, at least I didn't lose, haha."
The humor faded as quickly as it came. A shadow of grim reality fell over his features. He glanced over his shoulder at the dark forest, then back at the vast, empty plains. "But seriously," he said to the empty air, "what the hell is happening?"
Figuring the open fields held no answers, he took a few cautious steps toward the forest. "Doesn't look like I'll find anything out in the open. Might as well check out these woods."
But the moment he neared the first line of trees, a word materialized before his eyes, shimmering in ethereal golden light:
Wystoria
A soft, feminine voice echoed not in his ears, but directly inside his mind.
Welcome to Wystoria.
Hikari flinched back, his eyes wide with shock. He repeated the name in his mind, his voice a shaky whisper. "Wystoria? What is this?"
The name, 'Wystoria' is a weird hybrid of 'We Share Stories'. The "We" is referring to you, and the other players.
He clutched his head, his blue eyes flickering with anxiety. "This isn't a dream. It's not a prank. This is... actual telepathy." He looked up at the unfamiliar sky, a canvas of perfect, cloudless blue. "I have to find a way out of here."
The feminine voice returned, calm and absolute.
No, you won't.
The directness of it sent a jolt through him. "Did... did you just talk to me?"
Yes. I know everything about you, Hikari Yamamotoza. You are one of more than one hundred players selected for this project. And you won't want to leave once you hear what I have to say.
Hikari scoffed, a flicker of his usual defiance returning. "I don't care about your 'project.' I know I'm in some kind of game now, but how was I even transported here?"
Are you sure that's the right question to be asking? The other players have already begun making their way toward the grand prize of twenty million dollars.
Hikari's blue eyes froze. The world seemed to stop. "...Twenty million dollars?"
Have I finally gotten your attention? the voice purred, a hint of amusement in its tone. It paused for effect before continuing. Yes. Twenty million US dollars for the first-place winner. Five million for second place, and one million for third.
Hikari remained silent, his mind racing as the voice continued its explanation, the words echoing in the private space of his thoughts.
The other players are already progressing through the game world. The game ends only when one player remains. However, it can also conclude if the final three or two players agree to divide the prize money amongst themselves.
A dark thought crossed Hikari's mind. His voice was tense. "The people who get eliminated... are you killing them?!"
The voice disappeared for a moment, leaving an unnerving silence. Then it returned, sounding almost offended. Hah? What do you think we are, some terrorist organization? Any player who is eliminated will be safely returned to the real world. Do not worry. They will, however, return empty-handed, having lost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by failing to reach the top three.
Hikari let out a long, slow breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. A sense of relief washed over him, followed by a new, burning determination. "After hearing that," he said, a new resolve hardening his voice, "I don't have a reason to refuse. Let's see just how far this goes."
As if in response to his acceptance, the air above him shimmered with blue sparks. A weapon materialized and fell with a soft thud onto the grass. It was a monstrous, fang-like blade, its sheer size impressive, housed in a simple brown leather sheath. Beside it, a small, heavy-looking pouch landed, clinking with the sound of metal coins.
This is your starting weapon, the voice explained. The Reflection Fang. Its core ability allows you to reflect most types of incoming attacks, with the exception of purely physical ones.
Hikari knelt and picked up the weapon. It was heavy, real. He then grabbed the coin pouch. A grin spread across his face. "This is just like Meliodas's Lostvayne," he mused aloud. "Does that mean other players got powers similar to anime characters?"
Well, who's to say... the voice replied cryptically. You will not hear from me again until the game concludes. Do your best to survive. And remember, you have access to an inventory menu to store and retrieve items. Take care, Hikari.
And just like that, the voice was gone. The mental channel closed, and the sounds of the living world rushed back in—the wind, the birds, the stream. It was just him.
He stood up, the massive sheathed blade in his right hand, the pouch of coins in his left. He stared down the path leading into the forest, a path to glory or defeat. His blue eyes glinted with a fierce, competitive light.
"$20 million..." he thought. "...What a tempting sum."