Kadokawa’s light novel label announced that Sword Art Online author Reki Kawahara is publishing a new light novel series. The series will be titled Demon’s Crest and will feature illustrations by K-ON! and 22/7 designer Yukiko Horiguchi. The first volume will begin shipping on November 10th.
New VR Death Game Light Novel “Demons’ Crest” by “Sword Art Online” creator Reki Kawahara & Yukiko Horiguchi
A group of teenagers test a new VR game but when they log out, it has fused with reality
Vol 1 out on Nov 10, 2022
Image © Kadokawa, Reki Kawahara, Yukiko Horiguchi pic.twitter.com/e3fxHlV7MB
— Manga Mogura RE (@MangaMoguraRE) September 4, 2022
Demon’s Crest’s story is set in a mixed reality game that combines virtual and augmented reality. The story begins with the beta test of the new virtual reality fantasy MMO named Actual Magic, or AM. According to Reki Kawahara, the official synopsis for Demon’s Crest reads;
Reiki Kawahara: Authoring ‘Sword Art Online’ and Beyond
Reiki Kawahara is best known for his Sword Art Online light novels, which began in 2001. The series then began serialization from 2002 to 2008 on his website. Kadokawa’s Dengeki Bunko label then began publishing a newly edited print version in 2009. Altogether, the series ended with the ‘Alicization’ arc in 2016. Since then, the series has inspired many novel and manga spinoffs, a television anime adaptation, an anime film, and a proposed live-action series. Currently, his spinoff novel Sword Art Online Progressive is inspiring two films of its own. He is also the author behind the Accel World and The Isolator: Realization of Absolute Solitude franchises.
As of now, it is unknown what platform the Demon’s Crest story will be available on besides physical print (though that is expected to be updated by Kawahara). Yen Press is releasing Sword Art Online, Accel World, and The Isolator: Realization of Absolute Solitude novels in English. It is also unknown if any planned anime or manga adaptations of Demon’s Crest exist.
Sword Art Online is available on Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Funimation. Accel World is currently available to stream on Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Funimation.
