"The World" is a massively multiplayer online game played by more than twelve million people across the globe. Within this virtual world Haseo, a PPK (Player Killer Killer), continues an endless fight. Everything he does is for the sake of the girl Shino, who back in the real world, is hospitalized by an unexplained coma. However, on finally meeting with his sole lead, a PK called “Tri-Edge,” Haseo is dropped back to Level 1 by a mysterious power! Can Haseo save Shino now that he has lost all of his abilities? Tatsuya Hamasaki, writer of the scenario for the ".hack//G.U." games, now turns his hand to its novelization!

Albireo
A debugger and the main character. He is also Watarai and the Captain.

Balmung
Balmung a legendary player that is known all over the World. The wings were part of a mod he obtained during .hack//AI BUSTER. He was one of two players that destroyed the One Sin, during the "One Sin avent".

Lycoris
She is deaf, blind, and mute.

Orca
Orca: Like Balmung, Orca is a lengendary player. In the video game series, he is Kite's classmate that convinces him to play, "The World".

Writer Tatsuya Hamazaki is the writer of several Gundam manga, as well as the author of several One Piece novelizations.