Author's Note: I'm a slow poster, so don't expect a new chapter very often! Even so, don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! At least, only do so if you are physically able to (e.g. having functioning appendages)

Pilot

Otonashi's POV:

Man, yesterday was eventful. Well, ever since I joined them, I guess every day has been eventful.

Everything is peaceful as I make my way through the hallways of the school, the only sound being the steady beat of my shoes on the floor. Tap. Tap. Tap.

I walk down the stairs and am greeted by the same vending machine that I visit almost every day. It's the closest one to HQ, not to mention that it has Key Coffee. I insert 400 yen and press the button for Key Coffee. The coil that's keeping the cans from falling twists, and soon a single aluminum container falls from its grip into the retrieval pouch below. I reach in and take it out.

As I open a can of Key Coffee from the vending machine, the intercom flares up. "Message to all SSS upperclassmen: report to the Anti-Angel Strategy Headquarters immediately. I repeat: All SSS upperclassmen report to the Anti-Angel Strategy Headquarters immediately. That is all." The voice says. I've never seen you use the intercom before, Yuri. What's important enough that you needed to use that?

Yuri's POV:

Earlier That Day:

How are we supposed to execute Operation Tornado with Iwasawa gone? I guess the only thing to do would be to replace her.

I ponder that thought as I go for a walk through the school to clear my mind from the events that happened yesterday. I've needed to do this a lot ever since I came to the afterlife, but lately I've opted for simply resting in the Headquarters. Today seemed like a good time to revisit old habits.

I'm not just aimlessly wandering throughout the school, mind you. I've taken this route often enough to remember everything these hallways have to offer.

In order to keep my mind from completely going blank, I try to remember what rooms I'll encounter on my walk. Here are the 2nd year classrooms 2-A through 2-D. After this, there should be a roomless hallway used solely for transportation. After that should be the rest of the 2nd year classrooms of 2-E through 2-H.

My memory is correct for the most part. I pass by the first set of 2nd year classrooms and begin making my way through the empty hallway.

What's this? In the once-roomless hallway, on the right is a door. It doesn't seem any different from the other doors in this school, but the fact that it wasn't here before is what makes it strange. Above the door is a sign that reads "NerveGear Storage."

Was this room here before? Better yet, what's NerveGear? I better check it out. I turn the doorknob and push the door open, although it does take some effort. Inside the room are plenty of boxes. However, something tells me that these aren't just any boxes. After all, they appear to be the kinds of boxes that have gaming consoles in them.

I take a closer look at one of these boxes. The side reads in bold lettering:

Introducing:

THE FUTURE OF GAMING!

This brand-new NerveGear will ensure that your

gaming experiences will be more immersive and

exciting than ever before!

Next to this caption is a picture of some sort of helmet that you would see in a cheesy Sci-Fi movie. This is the NerveGear? I don't think that anything like this existed when I was alive. I take out my walkie and turn it to the same frequency that Takeyama has. Or at least, the same frequency that I told Takeyama to turn to.

"Takeyama, are you there?" I say. After a moment, I hear his voice on the other end.

"Yes, I'm here. However, could you please call me Chri-" He replies before I cut him off.

"Do you know what the NerveGear is?" I ask.

"Nervegear? Yes, it's a new gaming console that came out shortly before I died. However, there were very few games for it at the time. Why do you ask?"

That's right. Takeyama is the newest member of the SSS, having arrived here the other day. I kind of felt bad to throw him into last night's Operation Tornado so soon after his arrival, but we needed someone with his expertise. "Well, could you please report to B-Wing, in that empty hallway between the 2nd year's classrooms? There's something I need to show you."

"I got it. I'm on my way."

After waiting next to the storage room for roughly ten minutes, I hear his voice to my left. "Yuri, I'm here." Takeyama says.

"I see that. Come here, there's something I need to show you." I tell him. He approaches, noticing the storage room which we both know wasn't hear earlier.

"Is this the 'something' in question?" He asks.

"Sorta. Look inside." I order him. After a few attempts, he pushes the door in. "Do these boxes seem familiar?"

"NerveGears..." He whispers in shock. "How did these get here?"

"That's what I want to know."

"Wait, what's that?" Takeyama asks, pointing at a pile of disc cases in the corner.

I walk over and examine them. "Sword Art Online?"

"Sword Art Online? I believe that it was an MMORPG that was going to come out in July of 2023. It was supposed to be the first big game for the NerveGear."

2025? If I came here in 2010, then I've been here for 13 years. I can hardly believe that our war has continued for this long. "Our next big operation is going to begin next week, so I guess this could be a good way for the SSS members to pass the time."

"Wait, Yuri, do you actually know what an MMORPG is?" Takeyama asks.

I have to admit, I didn't pay much attention to games when I was alive. "Not really, why?"

"It's a genre of gaming. More importantly, it requires internet connection. Even if we do get into the game, I doubt that we'll be able to effectively play it."

"I see. Even so, we'll see if any upperclassmen are willing to give it a try." I decide.

"Are we done here?" Takeyama asks.

"You are done. I'm going to take one of these to the HQ." I tell him.

"Alright. If you'll excuse me, I have things to do." Takeyama says, then walks away in the same direction that he arrived.

As he leaves, I take a closer look at the Sword Art Online case. Under "Special Features", something catches my eye:

Thanks to the generosity of Argus, SAO now

comes with its own special WiFi connection

separate from your original internet service!

Otonashi's POV:

Later that day:

Knock, Knock. I tap the door to the Principal's Office, which has become the SSS's Strategy Headquarters.

"What's the password?" A voice asks from the inside.

"There is no God, Buddha, or Angel." I reply.

"Ugh, Otonashi. Alright, come in." The voice says. I don't think Noda will ever like me. If that's the case, the feeling's mutual.

I push the door in and enter, only to find that I'm the last one to arrive. Everybody is already here. "You're late." Yuri says from her chair.

"How shallow-minded" Shiina says.

"Uh... Yeah. Anyways, what's so important that you had to use the intercom?" I ask, taking a seat on the couch between Hinata and Takeyama.

"This." Yuri says, pulling out a box from under her desk. "This is the NerveGear. Do any of you recognize this?"

Can't say I do. All my memories are gone, after all.

After a moment of establishing that nobody knows what this is, Takeyama puts his laptop on the table and walks over next to Yuri's desk. He points to the box and begins speaking.

"This, as you know, is the NerveGear. It's a new form of gaming device that promises more immersive gaming. The only reason I know about this is because it's currently 2023 in the real world. Most have you have been here for up to thirteen years, with the exception of me and Otonashi." he explains.

"I can't believe you guys have been here this long." I comment.

"I've actually kept track of my days here. Today is day 2,291 for me. That's approximately six years and 101 days." Takamatsu says. When he talks like that, I wonder if what Yuri about his stupidity is actually true.

"Anyways, why's a video game so important to us, Yurippe?" Matsushita asks.

"I'd like to know that too." Noda says.

"First of all, it was found in a storage room which appeared out of nowhere. Second of all, the Afterlife has been around longer than the Nervegear has been in existence. This raises plenty of questions without answers."

"Yeah, now that you think of it, it just doesn't quite make sense, does it?" Takamatsu says. "But the way I see it, there are few ways to actually find these answers."

"Exactly. First, we will have some volunteers try on the NerveGear and see how it works. Next, we'll try to see what Angel knows about this. If it was God that gave it to us, I want to know why."

"I'll volunteer for it." Hinata says. "What could be the harm in it?" Hinata tugs at my sleeve, whispering, "C'mon man, let's do it!"

"Alright, alright!" I whisper back to him, standing up. "I'll do it too."

"I'm curious to see what this is, so I'll try it." Fujimaki says.

"I'll do it too!" Ooyama exclaims.

"No better way to waste time than playing video games, I guess. I'm in." Noda says.

"I'll do it." Shiina says brusquely.

"Alright, six people is enough. Matsushita and Fujimaki, come with me. We only have one Nervegear, so I'll need you two to carry the other four over here." Yuri orders.

"If this is my dorm room, why haven't I been here yet?" I ask myself as I enter my surprisingly cozy-looking dorm room. It could be the wooden drawers or the wooden bunk beds on the right, but this place feels like home.

"It's because you've been so caught up in our operations, you probably never got the chance." Fujimaki says.

Why am I roommates with him again? "Uh, yeah. Anyways, let's just set these up." The manual told us that it would be best to use it lying down, so Yuri said that we start "investigating" it in our dorm rooms. I just feel like I'm about to play a video game.

The both of us follow the instructions given to us separate from the manual:

1. Plug the NerveGear's Power Cube (1) into the nearest outlet using Wire A (2)

2. Use Wire B (3) to connect the NerveGear (4) to the Power Cube (1). Note that Wire B can be plugged in both ways.

3. Add the Extension Cord (5) if needed.

4. Put your NerveGear (4) on your head and tighten the chinstrap (6).

5. Press the Power Button (7) on the Power Cube

5. Lay down with your face pointing towards the ceiling. Press the power button (8) near your right ear and listen to the instructions given to you.

We follow these steps until the both of us get to step 5. A slightly-robotic female voice begins speaking once we press the power button.

A red sillhouette of a person is displayed in the NerveGear's glass interface in front of me, although I can still easily see my current surroundings.

"Thank you for purchasing the NerveGear," it says. "In order to continue, please touch your body all over until the red figure in front of you is completely blue. You do not need to touch your face. Know that you are free to stand up and move around as long as you do not disconnect the NerveGear from the Power Cube."

Unsure of the instructions given to me, I sit up look up at Fujimaki on the top bunk. He appears to be following the NerveGear's instructions without hesitation.

Well, I guess there's no harm in it. I proceed to rub my legs, and I notice that the sillhouette's legs are turning blue where I'm rubbing them. I feel like I'm giving myself a massage.

After the sillhouette becomes completely blue, it disappears and the robotic female voice resumes speaking. "Please insert a game into the Power Cube, then lay back down with your face up."

I look over to Fujimaki, who has climbed down from his bunk bed and was inserting his Sword Art Online disc into his Power Cube next to mine. "Hey, Fujimaki, can you hand me my Sword Art Online disc?" I ask.

"No worries, I'll just insert it for you. Just let me insert my own disc first." He replies. He seems so much more focused than during our operations.

"Uh, thanks." He also seems a lot nicer. I wonder what's up with him.

Once he inserts both of our discs, he climbs back up to his bunk bed and lays down. As he does so, text appears on the NerveGear's glass interface.

Now downloading:

Sword Art Online/ソードアート·オンライン

10%

It takes roughly a minute for it to reach 100%. As soon as it finishes, the whole glass interface goes blank with the exception of the time of day in the top left corner and the battery power on the top right.

When I read the manual earlier, it said that in order to activate the game, the NerveGear will need a voice command. What was it again? Oh, right. I remember now.

"LINK START!"

Man, this surprisingly didn't take long! Even so, getting the next chapter up probably will! If you visit my profile, you'll find that I'm actually working on about four other fanfics at the same time. Unwise, but hey, I got bored. Even so, there's no harm in Following, Favoriting, or Reviewing!

-Regards and all that, SEP.