Original subtitles

Asuma...

Mom!

Asuma! Someone! Please help!

Doctor, is he okay?

A blood vessel on the inside of his eyelid ruptured.

What?

Don't worry.

Bleeding from the inner eyelid happens for many reasons.

Like high blood pressure, but mostly due to trauma.

- So when he fell, he... - Yes. It's highly likely.

There's no need to worry too much. He'll be discharged tomorrow as scheduled.

Discharged? He was bleeding from his eye!

Brother.

I'm all right.

- By the way, Mom was... - What?

Mom came with me, until...

- I see. - Do you want to contact her?

Maybe it was still too hard for her.

Yeah.

Your pillow... Why would you...

- No particular reason. - What?

I got bored.

So if you're bored, you tear up pillows?

I don't know.

By the way,

I'd like to speak with your parents.

What about your father from Gleam?

I've sent a message, but I haven't received a reply yet.

I wanted to ask him about that headset you mentioned.

Let me know when he responds.

Brother...

thanks for seeing me.

Yeah.

And I'm sorry.

The last time we talked, I was being emotional and lashed out.

I do play PLANET.

I see.

I have been having fun.

I lied to you.

It may seem like a weird lie, but it came from my pointless pride.

Brother, I might be wrong, but you're also playing PLANET, right?

If you are, the things I said must have really hurt.

I don't like lying to you and never owning up to it.

So I'll be honest.

That place... is a refuge for my heart.

- A. - What?

AAAAA.

AAAAA.

I'm...

I'm Ichi.

I was determined to silence these feelings inside of me.

But in the end, I can't. I'll say it.

Hearing the word "fake," I thought I couldn't tell you.

But if you're admitting

it's actually your place of refuge, I'll open up too.

I am...

We are the Akabane Family.

You're joking.

I wish I were.

I don't fit into this life.

I struggle with expressing my emotions. I don't even know who I am to begin with.

I realized all that when I was only five years old.

Big brother.

You had many friends. You studied well.

The exact opposite of me.

You were the sun in my life.

But then...

you started shutting yourself away.

I felt disappointed and lost my light all at once.

I didn't know what to do.

Hey.

Let's go.

Brother Ichi became my new sun.

Sure!

So did the Akabane Family.

But behind this fun lurked the regret that it was all just a virtual experience.

I feared that even the sun was fake.

The sun.

It was real, right?

What?

Brother.

Brother!

THE SUN

Brother, brother, brother, brother, brother, brother, brother!

Nii-san! My big brother!

You're my Nii-SUN!

Hey, stop! Get off of me! You're creeping me out! Shit!

Shit? Is that what you think?

What?! Are you crazy or...

Do you feel okay? Stop moving so much!

Let's go to a dungeon, then.

What?

I can move as much as I want in a game. Let's go, Nii-SUN!

I'm not going.

You're... too weak. Let's train together, and then we'll go.

Sure!

HOSPITAL

I think we need public transportation in PLANET too.

Well, we have airships.

It's not that cost-effective.

It'd be nice to have a guild that provides cheap taxi services

to beginners.

I like that. Sounds fun.

THE BUS IS COMING

Oh no.

- I only have a 10,000 yen bill. - Really?

I'll go and break it. Stay here.

TWO DAYS AGO: DAD, CAN YOU COME TO THE HOSPITAL?

A taxi guild.

There used to be a guild like that,

but many players posed as beginners and robbed drivers,

and they went out of business.

You shouldn't log in to PLANET anymore.

What?

Take my advice.

Wait!

TOEI BUS

What's wrong?

Nothing.

Brother, do you want to log in to PLANET for a bit?

I want to see Shiro and May too.

Right now? But my headset is broken.

Wait. Isn't yours broken too?

Oh, you're right.

They need to be repaired, so no PLANET today.

But that means it's just Shiro and May there.

We have to help them rebuild the Akabane House.

Also, I'm worried about the Pirates.

The Pirates won't come anymore.

What? For real?

For real.

Anyway, go get changed before you eat.

Okay.

It doesn't seem to be broken.

PASSCODE

I can't log in.

Someone locked the files.

Did I get hacked? It can't be.

Brother! Can you come here for a bit?

He didn't hear me?

Brother!

Brother!

Where'd he go? Brother!

I probably should've stayed at the hospital a little longer.

Brother?

THE ENDURANCE TEST WILL COMMENCE

A test?

Hey.

Hey! Asuma!

Asuma! Come on, Asuma. Hey!

Come on! Not again!

Hang on. I'm calling an ambulance.

I warned him.

What? Who the hell are you? What are you doing in our house?

I'm Hana Kamuro. I'm an engineer at Gleam Corp.

I'm your father's... subordinate.

What? That piece of shit?

My business card.

Get out!

Or make a phone call! Call an ambulance!

Asuma, my brother, he collapsed!

No need for that.

What the hell is your problem? Damn it!

Asuma is already dead.

What?!

You know the Black Bird, right? It's not just an in-game enemy.

It's a terrifying computer virus, capable of infecting the human mind.

What are you even talking... Stop bullshitting me!

No way Asuma is dead, damn it!

Asuma was infected by the Black Bird while playing as his character, A.

His mind was ripped from his body, and by now--

What are you saying?!

The infected die instantly upon showing symptoms.

There have been no exceptions.

He's not dead! Asuma is not dead!

Taichiro,

you should have a talk with your father.

Might be easier for you to accept reality from him than from an outsider like me.

The mind of the infected is drawn into the Birdcage,

a virtual world controlled by the Black Bird.

At the same time, their body ceases to function.

Once the mind is trapped, there's no means of rescue.

Hello? There was an accident!

At Akatsuka Ni-chome. A truck crashed into a house! Quickly!

Asuma! He's not dead!

He's not, right?!

He's still breathing. But why?

Is it because he was infected indirectly through the Red Dragon's data?

That's hard to believe.

Can you just leave now?!

Or get an ambulance! Asuma is still alive!

What is this?

What should I do, Asuma?

The malicious intent of the Black Bird keeps sending toxic signals to his brain.

Brother...

Don't die! Asuma, wake up!

Hey, you! Is there a way to save him?

No.

He's my little brother!

What should I do?!

I'm begging you!

Is this weak, immature shut-in really Kojiro's son?

I doubt that this boy has what it takes, but...

There might be a way to save him.

What?!

Then save him! Right now!

Shut up and listen.

I need your determination and consent to do this.

What? Me?

It's a very simple question.

Can you die in your brother's stead?

Yes! Save him now!

Calm down. Take a deep breath.

Good. Clear your mind and listen carefully.

Are you willing to give up your life for Asuma?

Yes.

It's not a metaphor.

- You'll die, guaranteed. - Yes!

Even if it worked and Asuma was saved,

you'll have to sacrifice your entire future and life.

Just hurry up!

What's the point of asking all this?!

I said he's my little brother!

What kind of big brother would say no?!

Do it right now! We don't have time!

I apologize for asking you pointless questions.

Come with me, Ichi.

Grim Reapers?

How do you feel, Taichiro?

Fine. What about Asuma?

He's stable at the moment.

The world where Asuma's mind is trapped

is under the Black Bird's control right now.

But it was originally a virtual world made by your father.

There are humans and other creatures, and it's very close to the real world.

We call it the Birdcage,

a virtual space that replicates reality to its utmost extent.

You realize what we're doing is far beyond extraordinary?

Save Asuma, no matter what.

Right. Yeah.

I'll spend my lifetime atoning for what I did to you.

Goodbye, Taichiro Arima.

Eternal pain leads to an eternal life.

There is no such thing as death in this world.

Brother...

Asuma.

Are you okay?

Yeah.

- You're wounded. - I'm fine. It's just a scratch.

- You're crying. - No, I'm not.

Yes, you are.

Oh. You're right.

This place isn't real.

What?

It's kind of like PLANET.

And in the real world, you're unconscious right now.

I know it's hard to believe.

To be honest, I didn't believe it until I saw you.

I believe you. I mean, look at you.

Asuma, I'm taking you back to the real world.

Okay. Please.

Did they hurt you?

A little.

You must've been scared.

Yeah.

That's for making Asuma cry, you pidan-faced piece of shit!

That Kamuro told me all about you.

I know you're the Black Bird. Not like I give the slightest shit!

Brother!

- Brother! - Stay back!

So you're the boss.

Ichi.

Ichi, I love you.

Ichi.

As you enter the Birdcage,

I'll arm you with tools to combat the Black Bird.

Love you...

"Hello, World."

The light that severs the Black Bird from the Birdcage.

"Hello, World"!

- Bro-- - Go back, Asuma.

Now's your chance.

It looks like it's asleep, but it's actually stunned.

Brother...

Lots of memories came back to me.

I'd forgotten you were my little brother.

You were so weak and always got picked on.

And I'd rush over to beat the hell out of whoever made you cry.

I completely forgot about things like that from when we were kids.

I remembered it all these years.

You have a good memory.

Am I...

You're good to go now.

Big brother, are you not coming?

Let's go back.

Together!

Brother...

are you going to stay here?

No way. I'm not leaving you alone in that room ever again.

And you shouldn't leave me either!

No, please!

Be good to each other.

No, don't!

No! Brother!

Brother!

Brother.

Subtitle translation by: David Elan