After the game started, Almond and all the players appeared on the field. Two hundred individuals filled the deep mountain valley.0

Then—0

“Waaaaaaah!!!”0

A tremendous cheer covered the stage. The virtual world reflected the seated audience in the main stadium, creating virtual spectator stands. Above that, spectators from This World could also be seen. The audience size had more than doubled compared to the qualifiers.0

“... Wow, this feels so different.”0

“Whoa...”0

The players looked around the spectator stands while adapting to the changed environment.0

‘The audience is one thing.’0

For Almond, something else concerned him more than the audience. It was the different capsule. 0

‘This capsule feels a bit off.’0

It wasn't a capsule that matched his body, but a shared capsule used by all players. He couldn't shake off the feeling of wearing uncomfortable clothes.0

‘It’s different from the test.’0

He had felt this discomfort during the testing, but that was nothing compared to the real thing. In the actual match, the discomfort felt much...1