One year after the SAO incident, Kirito is approached by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Department, Seijiro Kikuoka, with a request to enter another VRMMO called Gun Gale Online (GGO). Kikuoka informs Kirito that, “Players who are shot by a mysterious avatar with a jet black gun lose their lives even in the real world...” Unconvinced that the virtual world can affect the real world, Kirito logs on to GGO, wandering in an unfamiliar world in order to investigate the “Death Gun” incident. He is joined by a female sniper named Sinon who owns a gigantic “Hecate II” rifle. The two decide to enter the “Bullet of Bullets,” a large tournament to choose the most powerful gunner within the realm of GGO, in hopes of making direct contact with the mysterious avatar behind the “Death Gun”.