Sonic runs over to Tails' workshop after running around for a while.
Sonic: Hey Tails. What's up?
Tails: Hey Sonic! I have something to show you.
Sonic: What is it?
Tails: I went to Japan a while ago and I bought this new device that we could both share. It's called the Nervegear. It's a full dive VR device and I heard from the developers that it's super cool. Since you're my best friend I want you to try it out first!
Sonic: Really? Awesome. What game does it have.
Tails: The game is called Sword Art Online. It's an MMO in a fantasy setting.
Sonic: Nice. I'm in the mood to try it out.
Tails: Ok. Here. I already set up your account for the game. Just put the headset on and lay down. It will start up.
Sonic: Ok.
He puts on the helmet and the device starts up. Tails gives a thumbs up to him right before he closes his eyes and Sonic does the same thing.
Tails: Have fun Sonic!
Sonic: Thanks. Link start!
Sonic then gets transported into the virtual world. The nervegear undergoes some tests and then Sonic gets sent into the town of beginnings.
Sonic: Wow. This is so cool. I feel lighter than I was before. It's almost like there's no gravity in this world. This should be fun. Huh?
Sonic looks in a mirror and notices his current form.
Sonic: So is this supposed to be my avatar? Hmm. I look like a different person. Yet I got the same name too.
He see's a guy around his height running around town and he goes after him. Another guy with a headband goes the same thing.
Sonic: That guy looks like he knows what he's doing.
Guy with a Headband: Hey! Hold up!
Sonic: Hey you!
Swordsman: Hmm? You guys need something?
Guy with a Headband: From the looks of your confident stride, you were a beta tester right?
Sonic: Beta tester? You mean like someone who tests something out?
Swordsman: Uh yeah, I am.
Guy with a Headband: Well I just started this game.
Sonic: Hey I started as well.
Swordsman: Do you two know each other?
Sonic: Uh not really.
Guy with a Headband: Nope. But anyway can you show me the basics. Please? Oh and my name is Klein by the way. Nice to meet you.
Swordsman: Uh. I'm Kirito. What about you?
Sonic: My name is Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog.
They both start laughing hard.
Klein: You named yourself after that famous hero? Haha!
Sonic: Hmm. I am pretty famous after all. They wouldn't believe me unless they see it.
They head out into a field to battle some boars and a little while later a boar knocks Klein on the ground.
Klein: OOF! Oh my balls.
Kirito: You're making this sound worse than it already is. You can't actually feel pain.
Klein: Oh yeah. I just did that out of reflex.
Kirito: Like I said before, the key is your first move.
Klein: I know that but he won't stand still.
Kirito picks up a rock and gets ready to throw it at the boar.
Kirito: If you get your first action right and activate the sword skill...
He throws the rock at the boar giving the first hit.
Kirito: the system will correct your aim and ensure a hit.
Klein: Action. How do I put it.
The boar goes to attack Kirito and he blocks it.
Kirito: Just pause for a second, and then once the skill activates, then go for it.
Klein: Go for it? Oh. I got it!
Klein's sword starts glowing as he gets ready for a sword skill.
Sonic: Wow. I never knew a sword could do that. But I did know that a sword could freeze someone.
Sonic starts thinking of Heavy Shinobi for a bit.
The boar then moves away and charges at Klein. Then he releases his sword skill, Raging Spike and defeats the boar. Then he gains some EXP and Col.
Klein: Oh hell yeah!
Kirito and Klein do a high five.
Kirito: Great job. Unfortunately that boar was a low level enemy just like the slimes.
Klein: What? are you serious? I thought it was a mini boss.
Sonic: Yeah. It had a health bar so it looked like it was a mini boss.
Kirito: Of course not. Some games have enemies with HP bars.
Sonic: Hmm. Let me try on an enemy. Watch what I can do.
Sonic gets into his fighting stance.
Kirito: He looks like he knows what he's doing.
Klein: Yeah. Let's see how he does.
Sonic uses his sword skill Sonic Leap, and then Raging Spike on some enemies. And then he uses his spindashing move.
Klein: Man. Look how fast he is. Is he spinning?
Kirito: Woah. Maybe he really is Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sonic: Nothing to it.
Klein: Dude! That was awesome!
Sonic: Really. It's my style.
Kirito: Nice job Sonic.
Klein: You know. I'm starting to get used to this stuff. There are a lot of other skills right? Like blacksmithing or other stuff?
Kirito: That's right. There's actually an unlimited number of them. But no magic by the way.
Sonic: Well that stinks.
Klein continues to practice his sword skills.
Kirito: It's more fun to use your own body to fight right?
Klein: You know it!
Sonic: I always use my own body to fight.
Kirito: So you guys ready to move on?
Klein: Yeah! I'm more than ready!
Sonic: Let's go!
Klein: Man. This world still surprises me, even though it's just a game. That guy who made this is a true genius.
Sonic: Who made this game anyway?
Klein: You kidding me? You're trying out a device and you don't even know who made it?
Sonic: Well my friend Tails got it from Japan and asked if I could try it out first since we are both best friends.
Kirito: That was nice of him. The guy who made this game is Akihiko Kayaba. He's a true genius.
Sonic: Akihiko Kayaba. I can already tell about how awesome his stuff is.
Klein: I am so glad that I was born in this generation.
Kirito: You're a melodramatic guy Klein.
Klein: But this is my first full-dive experience.
Sonic: Yeah. Mine too.
Kirito: So it's your first time playing a Nervegear game?
Klein: Well I actually rushed to get the hardware just because of SAO. I'm actually pretty fortunate, considering that I got my hands on one of only 10,000 copies.
Sonic: Wait a minute. Only 10,000 were made? That's just disappointing. I thought there would be so much more than that.
Klein: Same here. But Kirito. You are ten times more lucky since you were a beta tester. Only a thousand people were allowed at that time.
Kirito: Yeah. You're probably right.
Klein: How far did you even get in the beta anyway?
Kirito: Well it took two months to get to floor 8. But now I'll be able to do it in half the time.
Klein: You're pretty addicted to this game huh?
Kirito: To be honest, during the beta, SAO was all I thought about whether I would go to sleep or wake up in the morning. Here in the virtual realm, a single blade is your ticket to the entire world. Maybe this is a video game, but here I feel more alive than I did back in the real world.
Sonic: Couldn't have said it better myself.
Kirito: Well then, how about we all go back to hunting?
Klein: Count me in. Well I want to but I'm starving, so I'm gonna log out for a while.
Kirito: Eating food in this world only tricks you into not feeling hungry.
Klein: I ordered a piping hot pizza for 5:30 ahead of time!
Kirito: Looks like you got it all planned out.
Klein: Sure did!
Sonic: I think I've been here long enough. I should log out so Tails can have his turn to play.
Klein: Alright. Well I'll log back in after I'm done eating.
Kirito: Ok.
Klein: Oh and later on, I'm gonna meet up with some friends from another game. So you guys want to be friends with them too?
Kirito begins to think about that question.
Klein: It's all up to you man. There will be plenty of chances for socializing.
Sonic: I think I'll add you guys too.
Kirito: Sorry. But thanks anyway.
Klein: Hey I should be saying that. I'll return the favor sometime, in this world.
Kirito: Ok.
Klein: Well thanks a bunch. Hope to see you guys again.
Kirito: If you have any more questions, then ask me whenever.
Klein: You got it.
Kirito: Same goes for you Sonic.
Sonic: I think I'm all set right now but thanks.
Sonic and Klein go to log out but then...
Klein: What the...
Sonic: Huh? Where's the log out button?
Kirito: Try taking another look guys.
Klein: It's not here.
Sonic: No luck either.
Kirito: Look at the bottom of the screen, there should be... What?
Kirito notices the log out button is missing from his holo-window also.
Klein: You don't see it?
Kirito: No. You guys are right. Well it's the first day of official service so you can expect a bug in a game like this.
Klein: Pretty sure the management's freaking out.
Kirito: Same should go for you. Right now it's 5:25.
Klein: Oh no! My teriyaki pizza and ginger ale!
Kirito: Well then call the GM's.
Klein: I tried but nothing's coming up. Is there another way to log out?
Kirito: No. The only way for a player to log out on their own is the log out button.
Klein: You've gotta be kidding me! Come on return! Log out! Escape!
Nothing happens.
Kirito: I told you, there wasn't anything in the manual about emergency logouts.
Klein: You're kidding! Well I'll just pull the headset off of me then.
Kirito: You can't. We can't move our bodies in the real world if we are here. There is a component in the nervegear that's designed to intercept all brain signals concerning movement.
Klein: Seriously? Then the only option is to wait for the bug to fix?
Kirito: That or, if someone from the real world takes the nervegear off of you.
Sonic: Hey. My friend Tails is near me. He should have gotten the headset off of me by now.
Klein: I actually live alone. What about you Kirito?
Kirito: I live with my mom and little sister. They will probably notice at dinnertime...
Klein goes up to Kirito.
Klein: Oh! How old is your sister?
Kirito: She's athletic and doesn't really like video games. Trust me she wouldn't fit in with people like us.
Klein: That doesn't matter but...
Kirito punches him over.
Klein: Oww. Oh yeah, no pain.
Sonic: Something doesn't feel right about all this, with the log out button not here.
Kirito: That does seem suspicious.
Klein: Well it's a bug after all.
Kirito: That doesn't seem possible. Inability to let players log off is a major flaw that could impact the entire game.
Sonic: I'm with him honestly.
Klein: Yeah, me too.
Kirito: This problem could be solved by rebooting the system which will forcibly disconnect everyone from the server. But there has yet to be an announcement.
The bell at the town of beginnings rings, and then Kirito, Klein and Sonic, get teleported to the teleport gate plaza.
Sonic: What the. What's going on?
All of the other players get teleported to the plaza also.
Kirito: A forced teleportation?
Sonic: Huh? Look! Up there!
A system announcement signal appears in the sky. and then a bunch of red slime heads down and turns into an avatar in a robe.
Confused Player: A GM? Why is he hiding his face? Is this an event?
Strange Avatar: Attention players. Welcome to my world.
Kirito: His world?
Sonic: This feels wrong.
Strange Avatar: My name is Akihiko Kayaba, and I am currently the one and only person who can control this world.
Sonic: So that's Kayaba in that robe?
Kayaba: As you all know the log out button is removed from your settings screen. This is no glitch nor bug, I repeat, this is a feature for the true Sword Art Online.
Klein: Feature? What does he mean?
Kayaba: You all cannot log out of SAO, and nobody in the real world can take off the nervegear you all are wearing, nor interrupt its processing. That would be a fatal mistake as a powerful burst of microwave radiation emitted from a transfer in the nervegear will destroy your brain, and end your life.
Sonic: What? You've gotta be kidding right?
Two players try to leave the area but an invisible barrier blocks them.
Player: Huh? I can't leave!
Klein: What's he talking about. This guy is nuts right Kirito?
Kirito: The signals in the nervegear are the same as microwaves. If the safety was removed, frying the brain wouldn't be impossible.
Sonic: But what if we cut the power?
Kirito: We can't. The nervegear has an internal battery.
Klein: That's ridiculous! What the hell is happening?!
Kayaba: It's possible that a family or friends of a player could ignore this warning and attempt to remove the nervegear by force. As proof of this, so far 213 players have died from both this world and the real world.
Kirito: 213?
Sonic: No way!
Klein: I can't believe it!
Kayaba: As you can all see, news of my warning and the victims who died are being spread worldwide. As a result, it is safe to say that the danger of removal attempts has decreased. I hope all of you will be at ease and focus on clearing the game.
Kirito: What?!
Kayaba: But I would like you all to remember this now. All methods of revival from this point on in the game, will no longer be functional. If your HP hits zero, your avatar will be banished from the game forever, and then, the nervegear will destroy your brain.
Everyone gasps, and Kirito thinks of what would happen if he died.
Sonic: I can't believe it! This guy has lost it!
Kayaba: There is only one way you can all log out, and that is the completion of the game. All of you are here in the first floor of Aincrad, the lowest part. If you travel through a floors dungeon and defeat the boss for the floor, you will be able to move onto the next floor. If you defeat the final boss on floor 100, the game will be cleared and all players will log out.
Klein: Clear all 100 floors? How!? The beta testers never made it that far!
Sonic: I bet you're right.
Kayaba: And one more thing. I have a special present for all of you in your item storages. Have a look.
Everyone looks into their storage menu and notice a mirror.
Kirito: A mirror?
Sonic: What does this even do?
They all equip it and then Klein starts flashing and all of the other players.
Kirito: Wha... Klein!?
Sonic: What's happening?
After a huge flash, Kirito looks into the mirror and notices he looks like he does in the real world, and same goes for Sonic in his classic hedgehog look, wearing the same gloves and shoes.
Sonic: Huh? Why do I look like me back in the real world?
Klein: Kirito, Sonic, you guys alright?
Kirito: Yeah, What?
Sonic: Who are you guys?
Kirito: That's what I want to know. Wait Sonic?
Klein: My god. You really are Sonic the Hedgehog.
All of the players start looking shocked at their sudden appearance.
Sonic: Wait a minute!
Kirito: That means. Klein?
Klein: Kirito? But how?
Kirito: That's it. The nervegear has a high density scanner all around your head. It can calculate what your face looks like. But how did it know our bodies?
Klein: When we first put on the nervegear, it made us touch ourselves all over our body for calibration right?
Kirito: That's right.
Sonic: It did the same for me also.
Kirito: So it was collecting data from us.
Klein: But, why? Why would he do this.
Kirito: Looks like he's about to answer that question.
Kayaba: Many of you might be asking, why would I, Akihiko Kayaba, do all of this? Well I have already achieved my goal. I created this world for my personal enjoyment.
Kirito: Kayaba...
Kayaba: And now preparations are complete.
Sonic: No way I'm letting you get away with this Kayaba!
Sonic uses his spindash attack on Kayaba but the avatar sends him flying back as it is an immortal object.
Sonic: AGH!
Klein: Sonic!
Sonic: What was that? An immortal object? He sent be back without lifting a finger.
Kayaba: This concludes the tutorial for the launch of Sword Art Online. I wish all of you good luck.
The avatar starts to disintegrate and disappear, and so does the warning sky. There was a pause on all of the players for a few seconds, and then Kirito notices the paper cut he got after reading that manual that came with the nervegear.
Kirito: This is reality. A genius who created the nervegear, and in doing so, gave birth to a true virtual reality, Akihiko Kayaba. I can understand since I admired him. He is telling the truth. If I die here, then I die in the real world.
And then everyone starts panicking really hard. Some scared, and some angry.
Kirito: Sonic! Klein! We gotta go now.
Sonic: Alright!
Klein: Ok!
They head to an alley and talk about plans.
Kirito: Listen up. I'll head to the next town immediately. You guys should come to. If what he said was true, if we want to survive, then we have to get stronger. The resources in an MMORPG, money, and EXP are limited in number.
Kirito opens up his map.
Kirito: The fields around the starting town will soon be wiped clear of mobs. The best course of action would be to move to the next town. I know there might be dangerous encounters, but even at level 1, we will be able to make it there safely.
Klein: Well. I was in line all night with some friends I met in another game to buy SAO. I'm sure they're over at the plaza. I can't leave them be.
Sonic: If Tails and Knuckles were here. Maybe Mighty and Ray, then this would make a much better ride. I guess I'm all alone here.
Kirito: I can manage with Klein and Sonic, but with two others, no even more would be...
Klein: Sorry. I can't keep making you look out for me like this Kirito. So don't worry about me and head into the next town.
Sonic: Yeah. I can look after myself also. But being on a team can make things much better. Right guys?
Klein: Yeah. In the last game, I was the leader of my guild. I'll make it through with the tricks you taught me.
Kirito: I see. Then I'll leave you here Klein. If anything happens, message me or Sonic.
Klein: Alright.
Kirito: Well Klein, I'll see you around. You coming Sonic?
Sonic: Yeah! I know we can clear this game. I've been through so much than this. We'll make it to the next town faster than you can say cool!
Klein: Kirito! Sonic! I.. Umm... Hey I think you two have pretty cute faces. You guys just may be my type.
Kirito: Yeah. Well that face suits you a lot better.
Sonic: Same goes for that headband.
Sonic runs ahead and Kirito goes after him but then Kirito stops and looks back and Klein is not there. He starts feeling bad leaving Klein behind, but then he continues to run ahead out of town, he starts thinking of his younger sister and mother back in the real world, and then a wolf spawns in front of him and he takes out his sword.
Kirito: I will survive this game, until the end of this world!
He uses Vorpal Strike to defeat the wolf.
Kirito: HGRAAAAAAH!
Meanwhile Sonic is far ahead of him and attacks some enemy monsters.
Sonic: I gotta clear this game, and save everyone! I will stop Kayaba!
Within a month in the game, more and more players end up dying, and at the same time trying to find the boss room for the first floor.