Sword Art Online Creator Shares First Look at New Series, Demons Crest

October 10, 2022, 11:47am

Sword Art Online brought the isekai genre to new highs with its debut, and creator Reki Kawahara is still basking under its success. After all, Asuna and Kirito are bonafide icons in the industry. The pair have inspired all sorts of high-tech isekai titles over the last decade, and now, Kawahara is giving fans a first look at his new techy title.

Videos by ComicBook.com

As you can see below, Kawahara released a look at his new series Demons Crest with help from illustrator Yukiko Horiguchi. The pair are working together on the light novel right now, and it won’t be much longer before its first volume goes live.

View on X

For those unfamiliar with Demons Crest, the light novel has drawn comparisons to Sword Art Online thanks to its tech-centric plot. Kawahara’s upcoming series will use virtual reality to build up an adventure for a ragtag group of teens. After the kids test out a new VR game named Actual Magic in their world, they are stunned when they log out and discover the VR title has fused with reality.

Currently, Demons Crest is expected to ship out on November 10th in Japan, and an English release has yet to be announced. You can check out the story’s full description below, and of course, stay tuned to ComicBook for updates on the story’s hopeful release stateside.

“Sixth-grader Yūma Ashihara marvels at this MMO born from new technology and begins playing and clearing dungeons with his friends. Satisfied with a day of playing and eager to play more later, Yūma logs out of the game – or so he thought. After clearing a dungeon boss, Yūma’s avatar is enveloped by a strange red light, after which he loses consciousness. When Yūma comes to, he awakens to a “New World” where the VRMMO has combined with the real world. Before he is able to fully process the situation, Yūma encounters his beautiful classmate Sumika Watamaki – except her appearance has dramatically changed into something resembling the game’s monsters.”

What do you think about this first look at Kawahara’s new series? Do you think it sounds too similar to Sword Art Online? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.