Disclaimer: This work is a non-profit fan fiction for Sword Art Online. I do not own Sword Art Online nor do I own any of the characters aside from original characters I have created solely for this story. Likewise, the names and or characterization of canon characters may or may not have been altered for the purpose of this fan fiction, but that does not mean I necessarily own them nor does that automatically make them original characters as well. The property of Sword Art Online belongs to Reki Kawahara, which in turn is distributed by ASCII Media Works, Dengeki Bunko, and Yen Press. Please support the official works.

Sword Art Online: Special Edition Prologue:


Most people who play Massively Multiplayer Online games do so through the use of a combination of a keyboard and mouse, a gaming controller specifically built for the job, and a monitor which connects directly into a personal computer. Often times the prices for the computers alone make the price of the games in question miniscule in comparison.

The hardware needed for a currently being tested feature to an ongoing MMO of nearly 8 years, however, is something new altogether. Many would not think the fifth time in which such hardware was attempted to be created for a game of this scale would not work, but now it exists; the MaterialEye, the first ever success in creating an experience between real life players and virtual media all the more enticing than in the decades prior.

The MaterialEye is a special headwear the covers the eyes and ears in a halo-like structure, using a wireless connection to a nearby internet provider to connect to a game built with it in mind. The experience, according to the developers, has proven to be more groundbreaking than their attempts prior that led up to the conception of what they would refer to as their "special child". The founder of the project, Kayaba Akihiko, was breath taken by the beauty of what he had seen before him.

As a result of his success, many VIP purchasers of the hardware who had helped generate funding for it were given a first encounter with the first game to be fully compatible with it upon full release to the public; being as costly as the gaming PCs required to run this game to maximum graphical settings, however, only a very small number of these individual gamers exist. The first shipments of the device caused an unexpected delay in supply because of the surprising demand the MaterialEye had in the market all across the globe.

Kayaba Rinko, who we have gathered today in her office for this interview had a surprising amount to say regarding the creation of this device and its success just as week one of release has begun. Rinko-sama, if you may elaborate a bit more on the game you've designed this hardware to be used for, what do you have to say on the matter?

… Things were not going well in this meeting, the reporter was seeing. In the midst of the office, the reporter kept a cheerful, yet stoic, attitude, but couldn't help but feel an absolutely foreboding presence in the area. She didn't know fully what it was, or why it even unnerved the woman before, but when Rinko finally decided to speak up, it was only after the alarms began to blare.

[Warning. AI breach in the facility. Threat Level: 9. Warning.]

"Run…"

"Rinko-sama! What's going on?!" The reporter asked in a hurry, since now the alarm was beginning to blare at a more urgent intensity; an explosion could be heard shaking the entire facility, knocking the reporter off balance as Rinko moved to stand and walk outside of the room towards the corridor, where multiple security guards were rushing towards in a panic.

"It is nothing you'll believe right off of the bat; all that matters is that you survive the ordeal to report about anything that happens to us directly involved." Rinko spoke towards the reporter, as another, larger explosion could be heard all of a sudden with a tremendous force unheard of for whatever must've been breaking through the system from within.

[Warning. AI breaching the outer wall of the facility. Threat Level: 3. Report all personal to the quarantine zone immediately; all armed staff proceed to the impact zone. Warning.]

The alarm continued to blare as the reporter finally got to her feet, as the whole experience as to what this alarm was referring to only added to the foreboding nature the reporter had already felt. As the reporter followed herself out, she was instructed by a passing guard as to where to flee towards; the guard helping to get her through to safety, what could be heard was a loud, echoing, ungodly shriek of terror from the wall of the building just below the corridor the two were moving through.

As something very large and powerful could be heard colliding with the wall below, the shrieks being heard were only further continued in intensity before move the reporter and the guard were at the emergency exit of the building. Before the reporter could say anything, the guard shut her into the elevator and secured the spot shut all the while panting heavily; a very clear wound could be seen on his vest at this point.

"Listen, I don't know who you are among the various reporters we've seen, since that isn't my job to know; that your job and the job of the public to know that none of us from this screw are going to make it out of this facility alive. Since none of us will possibly survive that monstrosity in the floor below, the public has every right to know! Tell them everything if asked and hurry!" The guard spoke to the woman, as soon a security lock was undone on the whole elevator; causing it remove itself from the building and fly outwards from the building as a separate vehicle to heads to the nearest city much further away from here.

[Warning. All security offline during AI breach. Threat Level: 1. War-]

The alarm cut to nothing but static before it could finish those words; as whatever was making the noise was beginning to quiet down, the guard remained alert when he heard footsteps heading his way, as well as the groans of a man trying to follow it. The guard turned to face the way of a child-like entity that was facing the man so quickly, now having a sword-like object wielded in its left hand. The man, having been told of what the being was capable of, simply raised his large shield and advanced towards the being as the being approached with the sword-like weapon in hand, ready to strike.

Three months later…

"Come on, Asuna! It was just an accident I swear!"

The mood, setting, and overall context was different, but the scenario was unchanged; a man with a large shield raised before him as a redheaded woman wielded a rather large javelin in her left hand. Both were making the approach to each other as the area dictated; the fight taking place in a gladiatorial arena, though it was made rather clear that this fight was clear it was just a game and nothing more. A game inhabited by various players of many shapes and sizes; some human, some elf, some more fantastic such as orcs, trolls, goblins, and humanoid renditions of animals such as oxen, frogs, wolves, and lizards, all cheering in the crowd of a large stadium from which two combatants prepared themselves.

"Well, it looks like this newbie didn't take the correct course of action. What do you think?" One of the announcers, a newt-like humanoid spoke towards the much taller giant beside them; the giant simply chuckled.

"Eh, whatever pays Asuna's bills I suppose; I heard this is just for demonstration for someone's birthday anyways." The giant answered, turning his attention back towards the arena as the primary fighter, Asuna, approached the much lower leveled combatant that was claiming things here were an accident. According to the stats shown on their screens, though, it was clear he had to have done this deliberately; the weaker opponent stood tall at only Level 8, whereas the quiet and advancing Asuna stood even taller at Level 112.

"Well what else did you expect to get when you walk straight into a PVP exclusive zone at such a low level? I could've sworn everyone made the warning clear as day, Klein." Asuna spoke from her avatar; a slender, but otherwise strong female human clad in white armor and face hidden by her helmet. The man before her looked a bit shorter, but more muscular and had a similar look of armor to him, with the main difference in weapon between the two being his giant kite shield he wielded.

"Oh come on Asuna, your gear didn't look that high level for crying out loud!" Klein complained, as Asuna groaned before making a single jab of her spear against Klein's shield, the fight was over as Klein's HP fell to zero as he collapsed to the ground completely exhausted. As the giant and newt announcer looked towards each other, they looked towards the back of the booth to notice an elf ringing the bell to indicate Asuna being the winner of this match.

Klein, meanwhile, looking at his screen in real life during a fit of rage, simply yelled a bunch of angrish to himself mostly towards his own stupidity in getting himself roped into a fight he couldn't win, the fact he thought Asuna more or less tricked him into it, or some other thing about the game that had him grabbing hold of the giant mattress he had laid out on the floor just before the presence of a tall, dark haired man came into view as Klein blinked.

"Oh hi Kazuto-san how's it going?" Klein said as he set the mattress down, as Kazuto simply groaned before moving to collapse himself down upon it.

"Nothing out of the ordinary outside of my boss giving me absolute hell despite everything I've done to work as hard as I could for the past year. I never once bothered asking anything from him in return prior, and then when it comes to mine and Asuna's wedding coming up shortly I have to tend to the fact if I so much as want him as a guest he's forcing a whole bunch of work down my throat for it." Kazuto spoke up as he relaxed himself on the mattress behind him, before sighing a bit to himself.

"Also thanks in advance for letting me stay here for a while; Asuna had to have the apartment to herself to deal with her younger brother's birthday, stuff like that, and the fact Suguha-chan has her birthday being held the same day over there as well, and-"

Klein grabbed hold of Kazuto's mouth when he was beginning to talk endlessly, though; interrupting him before he could finish anything.

"… Dude, relax; you have a job, you'll have a wife soon, and you're both financially secure. What are you worried about?" Klein asked as he moved towards the lobby room in the game as he went back to finding a spot to have his low level character rest so he could find his way back out later. Asuna, though, could be heard trying to explain how the game worked to someone on her end; talking in a rather cheerful, excited tone for somebody who just got done kicking a guy's ass.

"By the way… on the subject of that… What did you end up getting Suguha-chan for her birthday?"

"The MaterialEye."

"Doesn't she already have a copy of Sword Art O-WOAH HOLD ON NOW!" Klein interrupted himself, "Dude do you realize how expensive those things became in the past three months? I mean now that keeping them in-stock is stable, true, but they skyrocketed in prices because the thing is in its final state before a full public release!" Klein shouted towards Kazuto in the sheer surprise of it all.

"… So what of it?" Kazuto asked as he lifted himself off of the mattress to look at the screen and wave to the camera on-screen of feed of his fiancé, Asuna, waving to him happily. "Besides, I kind of figure this is the reason my boss is overworking me primarily because I asked if he could allow me to get a hold of a unit for next to nothing just days before I ask to invite him to the wedding ahead." Kazuto spoke to elaborate on Klein's concerns.

"… You have next to no life ahead of you don't you?"

"More like my mom wants grandkids before I'm 25, and I need to work on preparing for what kind of kid I'll end up having with Asuna-san because we both know for certain gaming is on the mind of the kid to be." Kazuto explained as he looked around the room; the room was rather large, considering this used to be Kazuto's original residence before he moved in with Asuna into an apartment, and so much of this was currently in the possession of Klein until whenever Klein decides Kazuto earned the household more than he ever did.

"Alright, fine, if that's your case… at least make sure Suguha-chan isn't going into this game blind like me. So much for claiming your boss was shoving work at you for nothing then..." Klein said. Kazuto, on the other hand, noticed full well as Klein now watched as he had a rather unamused expression on his face towards the younger man. Klein, taking the warning too well, calmed down and walked out of the chair; handing over the seat to the computer to Kazuto, all the while Kazuto smugly grinned before walking over to the login screen of the game and typed in his information.

"Heh… 'Welcome to Sword Art Online', my friend…"


Edit: Fixed some issues I had with the prologue initially; I was at least impressed that considering I have a full load of work on my plate, I was even able to manage to find the time to type this up at all.