Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

Currently, players were only able to explore the outer reaches of the Destiny Unchain Online continent, almost like a donut.
The main obstacle…a tall circular mountainous range that seemed to reach into the skies, impenetrable from all angles.
And in the center of that circle was a vast basin.
An enormous and deep Leyline Point was situated in its middle, an imperial palace built on top of it, from which Magic Railroad tracks spread out like a spiderweb, reaching all the way to the inner side of the mountain range. It was an enormous city…which people had taken to calling Imperial City Argento.
It had once been a magnificent metropolis, the heart of the empire. But as that same empire fell, the entire city was constantly embroiled in territorial disputes, ravaging the streets in an instant.
No victor emerged, and that strife was suddenly put to end a few years prior.

A strange miasma…emanating from the mountain range, enshrouded the whole city, turning the land barren and impossible to live in.

Hordes of monsters followed the miasma, forcing the people further out, even if not everyone could evacuate in time, and the Crimson Blade Gates were sealed shut, completely isolating the capital from the rest of the continent.

After many years, the seal holding those gates shut was finally going to break.

***

Only one remote road led from the continent to the Crimson Blade Gates, and in this momentous occasion, it was fully crowded. It would be no exaggeration to assume that most if not all the players currently online were present there.
And amidst them…

“Ohh…that’s quite the throng assembled here.”

The clear voice of a young girl broke through them.
Hearing her, the players quickly moved, like waves of the ocean parting open, clearing the path for the young girl…the Scarlet Demon Lord, Crim Lua Cheia, allowing her to advance up to the gates.

“Oh my god…”
“I’ve never seen them outside of screenshots in the guides…”
“Wait, aren’t those the Absolute Realm sets..?”

As Crim and her allies walked through the opened path, the players nearby began commenting on their equipment, and with good reason.
For instance, while Crim was still wearing her signature red cloak, her black dress beneath it resembled Ariel’s Dress, but it was not quite the same.
The stitching, details, and additional white lace were of much higher quality.
It was actually called Sephir’s Dress, an upgraded version, which was said to carry the blessing of one of the Twelve Sephirs that comprised the Red Emperor’s Twelve Blades.

“Humm, it would seem we’ve caught their eyes.”
“And can you blame them? This equipment is hardly ever seen out in the open.”
“I don’t think anyone has gotten there other than us and the Nord guys!”

Crim took note of the most common comments amongst their audience, and next to her Hinagiku interjected, who was wearing a gothic japanese-style robe, with Setsuna on the other side also joining in, who wore a short battle-optimized dress of a black color, both of them grinning confidently.
And it was not just those three in front…Crim, Hinagiku, and Setsuna, who had new outfits. Everyone who came after them also had equipment from the same set.

“Uhhhh, everyone’s looking at us…”
“Hahah, well we do have some crazy equipment. But it’s the fruit of our labor, so wear it with pride.”

All the additional attention from wearing a completely new outfit was too overwhelming for Lycoris, who wore a two toned blue and white valkyrie armor, as she trembled and hid behind Frey.
He tried to reassure her to not let it bother her, as he also wore a new red and black imperial court sorcerer suit, ignoring all the stares he got.

“I really get the feeling that I’ve come a long way…”
“Ahahah… Who would’ve thought that we’d be the ones being envied like this.”

Kasumi’s voice also wavered as she spoke. She was wearing a sleeveless shirt and hotpants, with a lightweight chest plate to preserve her mobility, a pair of sturdy gauntlets, and a long coat woven with slash and magic resistant fibers that waved behind her.
Next to her was Freya, wearing a fluffy long white skirt, with heroic plate armor on top. She seemed to rather be enjoying the attention, as she agreed with Kasumi.
A few steps behind, in leather dress and armor, was Sara.
Jade was also with her, wearing a camisole and skirt, with a multitude of belts and pockets to affix a variety of crafting and alchemy tools, as well as a cape that draped over her arms.
They were the adult women of the guild, but as they normally never appeared in the front lines, they were just as taken aback as Kasumi.
…They also had a ghastly green pallor, almost like they were about to throw up, and all Crim could do was throw glances at Ryunosuke who was hiding in the crowd, praying that those two were not hungover after getting wasted the previous night.
But all he did in response to her glances, clad in a silent black leather suit for scouts, was to shrug and give a vague smile.
…Maybe it was better not to think about that.
Those adult members of Lua Cheia usually just behaved like they would in any regular guild as crafters, so they could not quite process the current situation either.

In reality…they had also become part of the upper reaches of the top 1% of players, with the highest tier equipment currently available.

Everyone in the crowd surrounding them had good reasons to be jealous and envious of them.
Most of the new equipment worn by Crim and the rest were rare loot drops from the replay of Ba‘al Zəbûl Aery’s raid battle, Remembrance: The Devil Princess’ March on Weisswald, and the higher difficulty raid dungeon Absolute Realm Castle of Seyfert, which they had to clear multiple times to get enough full sets for everyone.

Their guild had been wiped out countless times.
They charted maps and internal strategy guides with their own sweat, blood, and tears.
Once they reached the end, they fought the siblings Effie and Adnammelech so many times they inflicted deep psychological wounds… And after going through a grueling deathmarch repeating that hell over and over, they finally acquired their matching outfits from the Relic Series.
Those items were commonly referred to by players as Absolute Realm equipment, and the average price in the PvP trading rates were half a million for each series, making them truly something only the top no-lifers could afford.

Thinking back to the process of obtaining them brought back a few bad memories, and while processing them, they reached the Crimson Blade Gates, standing tall as far as one could see, and wide enough to allow armies with hundreds of thousands of men to pass through with ease.

“Now this is a surprise, Crim. Not even I expected you to come fully kitted out with Absolute Realm loot.”
“Oh come now, Sorleon. Wasn’t it told that thou were the first to defeat the strongest named boss of the northern sea, the World Serpent Midgardsormr?”

It was almost expected that the first person to dare speak to Crim about her equipment was Sorleon, leading to a discussion about their mutual achievements.

“…Well, it looks like you’ve successfully adapted by now.”
“Yes, thou need not concern thyself with that anymore.”

Crim was confident in herself, and if there was someone who could need worrying over…

“How’s Suzaku holding up?”
“Don’t worry about him. His Demon Sword Gram was mended right in time, and he’s got enough equipment to hold his ground without needing his Dragon Armor.”

Sorleon had a smug look as he mentioned that, so judging by that reaction, Suzaku had been put through quite the hellish regiment to please Sorleon to that extent, leading to Crim offering a silent prayer in his honor.
Their conversation made time pass by in the blink of an eye…and before they realized, it was already 9:59, the moment when all the players looked up in anticipation, knowing that the gates would open in mere instants.

“…By the way, what do you think we’ll see first when the doors open, Crim?”
“Hmm… Personally I would send out hordes of monsters from within and attack the players, to lay bare just what kind of environment is awaiting us there.”

As they spoke about not very wholesome ideas, the gate hinges cried out in rusty pain… In anticipation, Crim deployed her Shape Shifter TPH-R, creating her staple scythe, and Sorleon unsheathed his two swords. All the other players also followed suit, holding their weapons ready, or chanting spells in advance.

…The gates began to turn.

The instant a sliver of space appeared, monsters began scurrying out to the open…and were instantly met with the wrath of two Demon Lords mercilessly slicing them to pieces.