It has been over a year since I have updated this fan fiction, and to be honest it is completely unacceptable. I hope you can forgive me for being absent for so long, but life has been very difficult for me lately. I have decided to get back into the writing spirit by cleaning up my old chapters in hope that I can breathe life back into this fan fiction!
Disclaimer - I do not own any of the Sword Art Online franchise , except for the idea to write this story
Kirigaya Residence
"The wait is over it all goes down today", I thought to myself flipping through the most recent edition of Nervegear magazine.
I glance over to an article giving praise to the revolutionary game set to release in a few short minutes:Sword Art Online. This technical wonder of a game was created by the renown game creator Akihiko Kayaba. It was Kayaba himself that brought the video game industry to unimaginable heights by unlocking the key to full dive technology. With this he brought us Nerve Gear system, and many expansive games for it. Now with backing from several large companies he has brought us his most ambitious project ever: Sword Art Online aka SAO. A game that has been in the public eye for over a year now, and today it all comes to fruition.
You could consider me as one of the lucky ones when you think about it. I was not only guaranteed a copy of the game, but I was few people that were selected to beta test it several months ago.
To most SAO is treated as just another game to experience, a platform to roleplay, or even a way to escape from the stressors of the day, but for me it was much more. It was the reality where you can write out your own story, live out your every fantasy, and become the person you always wanted to be with a single sword.
I flip to the next page of the magazine, but stop with a stinging sensation on my hand. I glance over to a thin paper cut across my thumb as a small amount of blood runs down it .
" Heh, the dangers of reading" I chuckle to myself .
A soft voice called out from the hall "Hey I'm off to practice , i'll see you later okay". It was my little sister Suguha, or at least that is what I keep telling her. In reality she was my cousin. After both of my parents died in a car wreck my uncle and aunt took me in. Both Suguha and I were raised as sibling, but once I was old enough to realize what really happened, life seemed to fall apart in the unwelcoming reality I now resent. Maybe that's why I prefer the virtual world over the real one: they're the only thing that truly understand me.
I glance over to the digital clock on my desk giving way to a small grin
It was time...
Placing the Nervegear system on my head I sat down on my bed straightening myself out facing the barren ceiling above me. I close my eyes and recited the two words that would open the gate to my new life.
" Link Start!"
Town of Beginnings
I slowly open my eyes being greeted with the absence of the ceiling that was once above me, with a world of unlimited possibilities before me.
A world called "Aincrad"
"Hello world i'm back!"
The Town of Beginnings rang in vibrant celebration, filling the streets with new avatars full of joy and excitement. Cheering echoes throughout the town and fireworks were going off in a spectacular display of color celebrating the opening of the server.
I glance down at my avatar inspecting my fine tuned character creation skills. I constructed an avatar that consisted of similar qualities to my real life self. There was something odd about playing as someone drastically different than myself in Virtual Reality, however that didn't stop me from making a few necessary changes. My avatar had the same black hair and eyes, with a face that looked mostly like me, besides a few things like height and good looks which I lacked in real life desperately. .
I wave my hand in a downward motion wasting no time opening my character menu. A holographic menu page appeared before me listing different options such as skill, inventory, and stats. I tap the tab marked inventory scrolling through my new found belongings.
My inventory consisted of a basic iron sword, a light leather chest piece, and several minor healing potions. It wasn't the best but then again it's all I needed to start this new life of mine.
I knew that if I was going to make my mark on this world I need to get considerably stronger as soon as possible. I should start grinding experience points, but to be safe I should probably start out with something low level. Lucky, thanks to my beta testing I knew that right outside of town there was a good spawning zone for local boar, if I remember right they are the weakest mobs on the first level and shouldn't be much of a problem.
I start making my way to the town gate, running past markets, taverns, and the center of the town the cathedral. As I made it to the gatehouse i'm startled by a someone tapping my shoulder.I turn around to see a older looking guy probably early twenties standing with an exaggerated smile that seems to dominate the majority of his face.
" My name is Klein, nice to meet you". He says presenting himself with a deep bow.
"I'm Kirito"
"You're a beta tester aren't you"
" Of course…", I cut myself off. If I tell him the truth people like him won't stop cramming me for info, and that is the last thing is something to weigh me down in my rise to greatness, it's probably best to keep this a secret.
"Naw man I'm just excited about the game finally being released" I nervously laugh coyly.
" Well I guess i'll see yo…"
" I gotta go" I interject running past the gate escaping the awkward situation that was bound to ensue.
Wilderness
I wonder if I should have been more considerate to that guy...it would be nice to actually have a friend, well what's done is done and it's probably best not to worry about that now: the time to hunt is here.
I look out into the vast fields in front of me filled with boars and other low level mobs. This was my chance at a new beginning.
"Well let's do this" I quietly say while unsheathing my sword.
Swish - Tump
The Hp of the boar dropped down to zero exploding into fragments of data.
Result
Exp 24
Col 30
Items 2
It may not be much, but it was a start.
Several Hours later
Ba-Tump Swish-Dump Ding
That should be enough experience and col for now, and I better log off and grab something to eat, considering the unfortunate fact that the food in game doesn't actually give you nutrients, and i'm sure dinner is almost ready anyway.
I open up my menu sliding over to the options tab when I saw it, or at least the lack there of it …
The log out button isn't anywhere in the options tab.
This can't be right, maybe there's a bug in the system or some kinda sick prank. I close out the options tab while trying to wrap my head around what was really going on.
"I got a bad feeling about this"
I open up the contact tab, scrolling down to the icon labeled gamemaster selecting it. The line rang, and rang, and rang, and than as if it knew what would frighten me the most it disconnected.
Am I stuck in this world ….. Whats going on here!
A omanous bell rings in the distance, growing with each ring it reverberated throughout the entirety of the first floor causing confusion and panic among the players.
A strange white light envelopes around me like a mist that made me light headed and uneasy. .
" What … A forced teleport, but why?"
Town of Beginnings
The courtyard within the Town of Beginnings was covered in flashing lights as players were being teleported there. The lights than fade being replaced with the chaos that was to ensue.
The light around me fades away leaving me with a void of questions that were soon transformed into panic.
Where am I? What's going on? Why was I brought here? I just… I just…. I just need to calm down.
I took a deep breath while making sure to take in the situation that was unfolding around me. There was players everywhere, and all just as confused as I was.
Okay well someone must have forced a teleport, but only the Gamemaster could…
Above all the crowds of avatars a red warning panel appears and with great speed it spread across the entire sky, then the unthinkable as a red sludge started to flow out of the sky. It slowly lumped together creating a massive red figure in the sky.
"My name is Akihiko Kayaba and I am the creator of Sword Art Online" Boomed the mysterious figure
Could this really be him, the very man that I idolized for so long. The man who brought us both Nervegear and Sword Art Online, but what could he want from us?
"As you are aware there is an item missing from your menu, the logout button, this is not a defect as that's how Sword Art Online was created to be, and now I am in full control"
What the hell does he mean…. NO LOGOUT... FULL CONTROL…
"And as of now there are two-hundred and thirteen less players in the system, because if you die in the game the nerve gear will fry your brain and ... you will die in real life.
This can't be happening, why would he do something like this… who am I kidding it's all true, the nerve gear designed by Akihiko Kayaba could give off enough microwaves and kill …. anyone… or everyone!
" Before I take leave i'll leave you an item in your inventory , take a look"
I open my menu and select inventory tab finding a new item by the name of [mirror]
Everyone starts to glow in a bright white light as they each take out their mirror and as fast as the light came it disappeared.
"What the hell just happened"
I look down at my hands noticing that I look like myself, and not in the good way. My appearance looks like my real life self.
How did does the system know what I look like? Wait a second, if I remember correctly we had to input our body type and size when we were creating our character. With that and the camera in the Nerve gear it all makes sense, but why would he do this?
" I know you are wondering why Akihiko Kayaba creator of Sword Art Online and Nerve gear do this, well it's simple I want to control a world of my own design."
Damn you and your god complex Akihiko Kayaba this is insane! How could you treat is like your playthings.
"The only way to make it out of this world is to complete all one-hundred floors and defeat the final boss."
...That's impossible… no one even made it that far in the beta!
" One more thing to make the start of Sword Art Online a experience no one will ever forget , I am temporarily disabling the safe zone for the town of beginnings to show you how serious I really am. Good luck and goodbye."
Then as fast as he appeared he vanished into fragments of data ,leaving the crowd in silence before the storm , Then as like a dam breaking people started to run in every direction seeking safety only trampling others while others crying for help leaving the courtyard in mass chaos!
Only one thing went through my mind in that moment: I must survive at all cost. I stare over at the other players paralyzed in my own fear, as all I saw was death and despair around me.
Then for a moment everything stopped as I notice a young woman cowering in front of me getting trampled by the ensuing panic, beating her down with no regard of her life.
As time seems stand still I was given a choice, either leave her and run for the next town where I will be safe, or help this stranger at the risk of my life… what do I do?
The words of Akihiko Kayaba kept echoing throughout my head as I stood there.
"If you die in the game….. you die in real life."
I look down at the young women, seeing how helpless and alone she was.
How could everyone disregard her life! If we can't even manage to notice the pain that young woman is going through what kind of hope do we have of leaving this game. This isn't just a game anymore, and I can't let somebody die when there is something that I can do about it!
I dart through the frightened players running toward the young woman, as I reached her I threw myself on top of the motionless body covering her from the multitude of feet trampling over me.
I watch as my Hp lowers into the red as the chaos of panicking players push their way over me.
"Please don't let this be the…. end"
Then the light dimmed and there was nothing but darkness…
The mass chaos passed through the town as the courtyard completely emptied …except for two figures next to each other.
Everything was dark as I lay there cold and alone …
Where am I… What happened... Did I die… Am I dead?
"Pl…...g….p"
What was that? I swear I just heard a voice?
"Ple…..ge…..up"
There it is again, but who is it?
" Please….. ge….. up…."
Who's there? Who are you?
"Please get up!"
I feel tears rolling down my face as the darkness subsides and my vision focus to find a young woman sitting above me shaking me with tears running down her face.
" I was so scared, you where... you were … going to die"
" What happened" I say rubbing my head in confusion.
" You …almost died … trying to save me!
"Well i'm glad that you're okay" I say recalling the chaos that just passed. I glance over at my health bar which was so low one wrong trip could spell my demise.
I slowly get up opening my inventory pulling out two health potions . Handing one of them over to her.
"Take this, it should help and by the way my name is Kirito" I say lifting the potion to my mouth.
" I'm Lisbeth" she timidly responds with the traumatizing experience we just got out fresh on her mind.
"Lisbeth, that's such a pretty name" I say trying to make light our situation.
She let out a small smile trying to wipe away her tears.
" What now?" She asks looking up at me.
"Well I think this should help" I say opening up a trade menu placing all the col I earned today while hunting.
Seeing the trade screen she fell silent in disbelief.
" It's nothing , please I want you to take it and go buy a place in town to wait out this mess okay"
She placed her hand on her chest and lightly smiled at me
" Why are you being so nice to me?I'm a complete stranger to you."
" I don't know, and to be honest I don't like helping other, but.."
"But what?"
" There something about you that gives me hope."
"... gives you hope?" she replies almost speechless.
"Yea, I don't know why, but when I saw you on the ground I just couldn't imagine being able to finishing the game if I was able to let you die."
She smiles up at me as a tear rolls down her cheek.
"We could use as much hope as we can get" I say wiping the tear from her face.
" Hope for what?"
" Hope that we will survive to beat the final boss, and hope to one day be free of this prison of a game."
" How? It can't be possible to make it that far."
" Well we won't know until we try, and I will not rest until we make it!"
" But you could die…."
I grabbed her loose hand and cupped it together between my hands
"Don't worry about me, just make sure you don't lose hope, okay."
She looks down at the floor and back again at me nodding in agreement.
"Please just stay alive Kirito" She said with worried eyes.
" I will, trust me I have faith things will get better!"
"Also Kirito… Please don't forget about me."
"... don't worry I'm going to get stronger, and when I do I'll come find you, and we will finish this game together!"
We walked over to the local tavern getting Lisbeth a place to stay before taking my leave for the town gate.
My new life begins today and no matter what... I will survive… I will beat this game… I will not break my promise I made to her!