While the original four .hack video games followed the tales and travels of Kite, these books retell the story from the perspective of Akira Hayami, also known as BlackRose in The World. When her younger brother, Fumikazu, falls into a coma while playing The World, Akira decides to figure out why it happened, and launches herself into the most exciting, and dangerous, journey she will ever have to encounter. There, she meets the twin-blade Kite, whose friend Orca has fallen into a coma too. Together they venture to find out The World's innermost secrets, meeting new friends along the way who aid them in their journey.