Excelling socially and academically, Asuna Yuuki is on track to ace her high school entrance exams. Her friend and classmate, Misumi Mito Tozawa, advises her to take a short break from studying and join her on the launch day of Sword Art Online (SAO)—the highly anticipated online virtual reality multiplayer game. Asuna accepts her offer and soon meets her in the game. In a cruel twist of fate, Asuna, Mito, and every other player logged into SAO find themselves trapped in the game permanently. The only way out is to clear all one hundred floors of the game, and to make matters worse, dying inside the game will kill the player in real life. With SAO now turned into a nightmare death trap, Asuna and other gamers—such as the lone swordsman Kazuto Kirito Kirigaya—must adapt and survive, all whilst attempting to beat the unforgiving competition to the top.

After achieving fruitful results in New World Online's previous events, the now famous Maple Tree guild is excited to explore the new floors introduced in game. As if their guild was not already feared enough, each member is motivated to find stronger skills for themselves in order to greatly expand their options in future battles. Not forgetting the importance of networking, the guild also forges amicable relationships with other notable guilds, such as the Kingdom of the Flame Emperor and the Congregation of the Holy Swords. With their eccentric guild master Maple at the forefront, the members of Maple Tree continue to stumble upon creative ways to implement their skills, driving the game developers crazy along the way.

Professional wrestler Genzou Shibata sports the body of a mountain, but beneath his hulking appearance is a man with an extreme affection for animals. Facing off his opponents in the ring as the legendary Animal Mask, Genzou wins the hearts of crowds everywhere with his iconic tiger persona. During the bout for the title of World Champion against his greatest rival, the Macadamian Ogre, Genzou is suddenly summoned to a fantasy world by a princess. With her kingdom being threatened by a monster infestation, she pleads the wrestler for assistance—to which he answers by knocking her out with a German suplex! Escaping the castle and finding himself stranded in a mysterious land, Genzou decides to begin his career as a beast hunter to capture and befriend creatures far and wide. Joined by the wolf-girl Shigure, the dragon-girl Hanako, and the vampire Carmilla Vanstein, the professional wrestler pursues all kinds of dangerous requests for the sake of fulfilling his dream as a pet shop owner.

After escaping a bus hijacking with the help of masked superhero Strange Juice, Yuuta Iridatsu finds his soul separated from his body and in the care of a perverse cat spirit, Chiranosuke. As a spirit, Yuuta wanders around his residence, the Korai House, aiming to regain his body and observe the other residents: Meika Daihatsu, a genius inventor; Mikatan Narugino, a cheerful idol; Ito Hikiotani, a shut-in NEET; and Rabura Chichibu, a spiritual medium. After catching a glimpse of Narugino's undergarments, Chiranosuke reveals to Yuuta that he becomes exponentially stronger upon seeing panties. However, if he sees another pair while he is still a spirit, his power will cause an asteroid to crash into the earth, ending the world and killing his friends. Punch Line follows Yuuta as he unravels the mysteries surrounding Korai House, its residents, and a villainous organization attempting to end the world. Will Yuuta be able to save everyone, or will the ever-present threat of panties result in their doom?