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Sword Art Online's Reki Kawahara Pens New Light Novel Series Demon's Crest
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Kadokawa's Dengeki Bunko light novel label announced on Monday that Sword Art Online author Reki Kawahara is penning a new light novel series titled Demon's Crest, with illustrations by K-ON! and 22/7 character designer Yukiko Horiguchi/Shiromizakana. The first volume will ship on November 10.
The story is set in a mixed reality game that combines both virtual reality and augmented reality. The story begins with the beta test of the new virtual reality fantasy MMO named Actual Magic, or AM.
Sixth grader Yūma Ashihara marvels at this MMO born from new technology, and begins playing and clearing dungeons with his friends. Satisfied with a day of playing and eager to play more later, Yūma logs out of the game — or so he thought. After clearing a dungeon boss, Yūma's avatar is enveloped by a strange red light, after which he loses consciousness. When Yūma comes to, he awakens to a "New World" where the VRMMO has combined with the real world. Before he is able to fully process the situation, Yūma encounters his beautiful classmate Sumika Watamaki — except her appearance has dramatically changed into something resembling the game's monsters.
Kawahara is best known for his Sword Art Online novels, which he began in 2001, and serialized from 2002 to 2008 on his website. Kadokawa's Dengeki Bunko label began publishing a newly-edited print version in 2009, ending the original story with the "Alicization" arc as Kawahara had wrote it in his website with the 18th volume in 2016. The novel series returned with an all-new story in 2017, and is now in its 26th volume. The series has inspired novel and manga spinoffs, a television anime adaptation with several seasons, an anime film, and proposed live-action series. Kawahara's Sword Art Online: Progressive spinoff novel series is inspiring two films of its own so far.
Kawahara also penned the Accel World novel series, which inspired its own manga adaptations, a television anime adaptation, and an anime film. He also penned The Isolator: Realization of Absolute Solitude light novel series. Yen Press is releasing Sword Art Online, Accel World, and The Isolator: Realization of Absolute Solitude novels in English.
Source: Dengeki Bunko
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