Lucifer scrolled down the shopping page, sighing happily as he found the listing. He glanced over his shoulder, hoping the light from the screen wouldn't wake Satan or Ashiya. Turning back to the screen, he hovered his mouse over the orange purchase button. Only four minutes before it was released. Lucifer shifted his weight, and cringed as he heard the floor creak under him. He took a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that he hadn't woken his room mates. His attention fixed back on the screen, as he began clicking his mouse repeatedly to be sure that he got at least one copy of the game, as well as the nerve gear that came with it. He counted down the seconds in his head as the orange icon turned green. He started clicking his mouse vigorously. After what seemed like an instant the 'add to cart' button turned grey. The game had sold out. Lucifer took a deep breath, and clicked on his cart. He scrolled down the page, and saw that he had managed to get 11 copies of the game and nerve gear. He sighed in relief. Then he felt someone grab him by the shoulder.

"Lucifer, What are you-" Ashiya started. Then his gaze fixed on the screen. His eyes widened in rage, as he looked at the price of the objects he was ordering. "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!? HIS LIEGE CANNOT AFFORD SUCH THINGS!" Ashiya screamed at Lucifer.

Maou groaned and sat up from behind them. "Calm down or you'll wake up the land lady. What is it?" Maou asked, and sat next to Lucifer. His eyes narrowed. "I hope you realize that you're going to have to delete those," he hissed.

"Hear me out first. This game is unbelievably real, and-"

Ashiya cut him off, "His Liege and I care not of what quality this item is!"

Lucifer put out a hand to silence him.

Ashiya narrowed his eyes.

"Anyway, as you might imagine, you can die in here. And when you do, it's really freaky until you get used to it. My point being, we should be able to score some magic in there, easy. Also, no-one has to get hurt."

Maou pondered this. It also meant that he wouldn't have to spend all his magic fixing the mess that had given it to him in the first place. Only one problem… "Okay, but how do we know that our powers would work in the game?" he asked, skeptical.

"They worked when I tried it," Lucifer said bluntly.

Ashiya's ears pricked up. "And when exactly did you try this game?" he demanded.

"Few months ago when you two weren't paying attention to me," he answered.

Ashiya was about to say something when Lucifer added,

"The demo was free, calm down."

"Okay… but there's still no way we can afford this," Maou continued.

Lucifer smiled. "Don't worry, lucky for you two I managed to get my hands on more than one copy," He said.

"So?" Ashiya asked harshly.

"So, these are expensive today… but just wait until tomorrow. The price will easily triple, and with a few extra copies, that leaves us with the money in the bank," Lucifer continued, and smiled smugly, leaning back onto his computer desk.

Ashiya crouched in front of the screen, skeptically. He opened a new tab, and hesitated.

"It's called Sword Art Online," Lucifer supplied.

Ashiya carefully picked out the letters on the keyboard, one at a time.

Lucifer groaned, and pushed Ashiya's hands out of the way. He typed the name of the game into the window, before clicking on a video link, and putting it on full screen. It showed a reporter outside a Game Shack, the first store to get the game.

"This is Kami Ren, and I am here at the Game Shack, interviewing the people here waiting to get the new game Sword Art Online," the camera scanned the sidewalks, lined with tents, chairs, and people who looked like they might pass out any second.

She pointed her microphone at a guy in his 20s waiting near the front of the line.

"So, how much, on a scale of one to ten, do you want this game?" she asked him.

"42," he answered. They laughed, until she moved on to the next question.

"And tell me, how long, have you been camping out to get this game?" she asked.

"Four days," he answered.

The reporter turned back to the camera, and smiled. "This is Kami Ren, signing out," she said.

The TV station's logo showed on the screen, before it went black.

"Told you," Lucifer said.

((-Future-))

"One thing I don't understand is, if the game is so popular, how did you manage to get 11 copies?" Ashiya asked as they unpacked the boxes with the nerve gear in them.

"Never underestimate a demon with a high speed mouse," Lucifer answered, and held up one of the helmets to look at.

They turned to the door as a harsh knock pounded against it.

Maou answered it, unsurprised to see the hero.

"Hi Emi, come in," he told her, and stepped out of the way.

The Hero Emilia walked through the entryway and scanned the room carefully. Her eye caught on the boxes. "What are those?" she asked, skeptical.

"Ever heard of the game 'Sword Art Online'?" Lucifer asked.

Emi narrowed her eyes. "No," she answered, and crossed her arms. "Hmm…" she trailed off, and picked up a piece of nerve gear from a box. "First game I've seen in the form of a motorcycle helmet," she commented, and tossed it back in the box.

"Hey! Those things are expensive!" Maou told her.

Emi rolled her eyes.

Lucifer sat down at the computer, posting the extra gear online. "Hey, Ashiya, How much do you want to sell these for?" he asked

"How much can we get away with?" Ashiya asked.

"At least $2,000, depending on the competitors' prices," Lucifer answered.

"Wait, are you serious?" Emi asked.

"Yup."

"Hmm… okay then, $2,000!" Ashiya shouted.

Lucifer sighed, and turned back to Ashiya. "You do realize that's the bare minimum, right?" he asked.

Ashiya pondered this. "What was the original price again?"

"Nine hundred something dollars," Lucifer answered.

"Okay… $4,000!"

"Sure," Lucifer responded and typed the price in. He rolled his shoulders and picked up a helmet.

"Ready to try these things out?" Maou asked.

Lucifer smiled, and plugged his in.

Maou followed his lead, and sat down.

"Remind me why we're allowing Lucifer to play," Ashiya said.

"I know how the game works," Lucifer told him, and put his gear on.

Ashiya didn't respond, and instead turned to Emi, careful to watch her.

Lucifer sighed, and closed his eyes. "Link, start!" he said into the helmet. The mechanics began whirring, as multicolored light flashed around him.

He signed into his account from when he had demoed the game. The image blurred as it took him to the virtual world. He found himself in a town square, other players forming around him. He grinned, and clicked on the main menu. He went to 'find player', and searched the name 'Maou'. His face popped up. He clicked Maou's Icon, and teleported to him.

Maou jumped as Lucifer formed next to him. "Oh, Hi," he said awkwardly.

"If you want to cause chaos and get magic and stuff, may I suggest the nearest village? Not to mention we can get some cash there," Lucifer told him.

Maou frowned. "okay," he decided.

Lucifer frowned, looking the demon king up and down, remembered that he was new to this. "Actually, scratch that, we should start training, we have advanced durability thanks to our strength in real life, so we shouldn't have too much to worry about… still come on, you should get to know how it works a little more," Lucifer told him, and started towards the nearest field.

((-IRL-))

Ashiya sliced up cucumbers, starting to prepare a meal, while watching Emi leaning against the wall, daydreaming.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Ashiya asked her.

"Nope," she answered.

He sighed, and continued cutting. Ashiya cringed as the knife nicked the tip of his thumb. "Now what am I going to do with this?" he asked, and turned his finger as blood began to form at the tip. He jumped as the phone on the wall began to ring.

Emi instinctively reached for it, then pulled back, reminding herself that she wasn't at her own home.

Ashiya picked it up, placing the knife on the counter. "Hello?" he asked.

"I understand that you have someone in your household who is currently playing sword art online," a voice spoke in an uncanny tone.

"Yes..."

"I wish to inform you that under no circumstance are you to remove their nerve gear. The helmet will submit an electromagnetic wave, and kill them,"

"what?!" Ashiya asked, stunned.

"Who is it?" Emi asked.

Ashiya ignored her, and kept his focus on the phone.

"They may be killed in the game, and if this happens, the same electromagnetic wave will destroy their brain," the voice continued.

Ashiya turned to where Maou and Lucifer lay, mortified.

The person on the other line hung up.

Ashiya dropped the phone, and walked over to his master.

"Ashiya? Who was that? Emi asked again.

Ashiya swallowed, and turned back to the hero, and explained what he had heard on the phone.

((-Short Future-))

They sat there in silence.

"You know, I bet I could track down the game developer and force him to shut this thing down," Emi offered.

Ashiya swallowed.

The crease between Emi's eyes narrowed as she began to realize something. If it was true that people who died in the game were killed in real life… The Hero's eyes widened. This game was more than just a death trap now. It had the devil playing for Christ's sake! Emi began to feel sick. All these people were in danger.

And so is Maou.

She shook the thought off, her gaze slowly drifting to Ashiya, hands covering his face in greif. Biting her lip, she picked up a helmet, plugged it in, and forced it over her head.

(Thank you so much for reading! Honestly, comments are my main motivating force, so please! Tell me what you thought!)