Asashi Asa blinked awake to the familiar melody of his alarm. He stretched, glanced at his phone, and rolled out of bed, careful not to disturb the precarious stack of manga beside his pillow. The scent of miso soup drifted from the kitchen, promising a warm start to another ordinary day.

Yui Ako, Asashi's mother, smiled warmly as she set a plate in front of him. "Eat quickly, Asashi. You stayed up late playing again, didn't you?" Asashi grinned sheepishly, rubbing his neck. "Just a little. The new expansion in Demonic Death dropped last night. I had to see it for myself." "Just don't let games eat up all your time," she chided, though her eyes were full of affection.

Asashi joined his friends at the school gate, waving as they called out to him. Daichi, his best friend, nudged him. "Did you beat the new raid boss yet? I heard Hexawave made it brutal." "Not yet," he replied, excitement flashing in his eyes. "But tonight, I'm going to try. Want to join?" Laughter and plans for the evening filled the air as they walked to class.

Asashi slipped on his headset, heart pounding in anticipation. Notifications pinged as friends joined his party. "Alright, everyone ready? Let's take down that demon king tonight!" The world outside faded away as he immersed himself in the game, fingers dancing over the keyboard.

Asashi's vision blurs. Alarms blare from the street below, and his computer seems to pulse with a life of its own. "What's happening? Is this… some kind of event?" Panic rises as a chilling message appears: "Welcome, players. The game begins now." Without warning, a blinding light envelops him—and the world tilts.

Asashi stands amid the chaos, realization dawning as he looks at his trembling hands—now adorned with the gauntlets of his in-game avatar. The voices of thousands echo in the crimson air, all asking the same question: "How do we get out?" And above it all, the Hexawave logo glows, watching, waiting.