"Seiya… this guy… what the hell did he feed you to grow up on?!"
"Your kendo talent is insane enough, but your learning speed is ridiculous too!"
During their initial sword clash, Kirito held a slight advantage. Judging by the rate at which their HP bars had dropped, victory should have been his.
But that was two minutes ago. With only one minute remaining, Kirito noticed something unsettling: Seiya, who had been stiff and unfamiliar with the game mechanics, had suddenly become agile.
The rookie who didn't even know how to chain skills had just used Dash to close the distance—and then flawlessly executed a combo similar to Kirito's earlier slash, sending him flying.
This wasn't just talent—it was incredible learning capacity.
Kirito's mind raced. If Seiya continued to adapt and master the rhythm of the fight, even his lightning-fast reflexes might not save him.
He realized he had to end the duel quickly. Any delay would only tilt the odds further in Seiya's favor.
Kirito, still sliding across the ground from Seiya's strike, snatched a stone and activated Throw Sword.
In SAO, this wasn't dishonorable—it was a legitimate skill. Anything that contributed to combat power was fair game. Throw Sword, though named for swords, could use any object as a projectile.
"Clang!"
Seiya instinctively raised his sword, splitting the incoming stone.
At that exact moment, Kirito's dash cooldown ended. Gripping his rusty blade, he surged forward like a cannonball.
Seiya was still recovering from deflecting the stone—any direct hit now could deal massive damage.
But just as Kirito's sword neared Seiya, an invisible barrier appeared. The words "Cannot Attack" flashed on-screen.
The reason was simple: the three-minute PVP limit had expired. Any further attack would count as malicious PK.
The result? Surprisingly, the screen displayed "Draw." Both Seiya and Kirito froze, staring at it in stunned silence.
"I would have won if even one more second had passed," Kirito muttered, frustration evident.
He'd invited Seiya into SAO partly to vent against the typical "real-world bullies," but Seiya had turned out far more formidable than he imagined. Even with a clear advantage, Kirito hadn't secured victory.
Seiya smirked. "Who's to say I didn't have a few tricks left in reserve? If you really can't accept this result, we could always go again. What do you think, Kirito-kun?"
Kirito hesitated… and then shook his head.
The reason was obvious: Seiya had only just begun to master the game, and yet he already matched Kirito blow for blow. If they repeated the duel, Kirito was almost certain he would lose.
Better a draw than a crushing defeat at Seiya's hands.
"Could you two consider the feelings of us ordinary players?" Klein piped up, still reeling.
"After watching your PVP, I'm convinced we're not even playing the same game. Kirito, I can forgive… but Seiya, you—"
Before he could finish, a strange sensation surged through him. His lower body seemed to dissolve before his eyes.
He wasn't alone. Kirito and Seiya were undergoing the same phenomenon.
"What… what is this? Forced teleport?" Kirito exclaimed, alarmed. "There shouldn't be any mechanism or trap nearby…"
Before he could finish, their bodies vanished.
When they reappeared, they were standing on a massive plaza, its size dwarfing the town they'd just left.
The town's bells tolled ominously, and many other players had been teleported here as well, all wearing the same confused expressions.
Klein, tried to rationalize: "Ah, I get it! This is one of those… game-opening ceremonies. Some games do that to hype the players."
But Kirito's gut twisted. During beta testing, there had been no such event. And if this were really an opening ceremony, the game would have issued a notice.
Seiya opened his menu. The logout button was gone.
"Guys, The logout button… it's gone."
His voice carried across the plaza, alerting others. Those who had assumed this was a mere ceremony now panicked as they discovered the truth.
In a fully immersive VR game, if you can't log out, how would anyone wake up?
"Wha...What is going on!?"
Fear spread rapidly, cascading through the crowd like wildfire.
The death game had officially begun.
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(End of Chapter)