"It's impossible to beat this game. The only difference is where it ends, how it ends, whether it's early... Or late..." A month has passed since Kayaba Akihiko announced the start of the game. Two thousand players have already sacrificed their lives in this ultra-difficult virtual reality online game. On the day of the "First Floor Boss Strategy Meeting", Kirito, a lone player who decided to fight only to strengthen himself, met a rare female player on the front line while heading to the venue. She is constantly fighting powerful monsters with a light sword, like a "shooting star" tearing through the night sky. This book contains three short stories including "Aria of a Starless Night", the story of why Kirito is called the "Black Swordsman", and "Waltz of the Illusive Sword", which revolves around the boss battle on the second floor and describes the sorrow of a certain young blacksmith.
