The League of Blades

Chapter One: I Made It!

Beginning A/N:

Well, yet another new fic! This one is different from the rest of my stories. This story takes place in an alternate universe, hence the "AU" in the summary. I'll give a summary, but there's also an in-depth explanation in the ending A/N, so if you read to there and like it, then I'll reward you with a new chapter! If not, well… I'm still going to continue this.

Here's the short summary:

Instead of a death game bringing our beloved characters together, it was an organization called the League of Blades, which hosts the World Freestyle Weapon Tournament. When Kazuto becomes the Japanese Representative, he will have to fight other representatives from all over the world, befriending some... and making enemies out of others. However, sinister things are happening behind the scenes, and Kazuto seems to be the victim of all of it. Not knowing whom to trust, Kazuto's world will be thrown into chaos. What will happen in this tournament? Only time will tell.

Have a fun read!

The Japanese National Freestyle Tournament hosted by the League of Blades was being held in a Roman-style coliseum, seemingly the perfect place for a set of freestyle matches.

Wrong.

It was way too loud—everyone cheering profusely for the battle between the overnight stars, Kazuto and Suguha Kirigaya, who happen to be the famous dual-blading siblings.

As we walked from opposite sides of the arena to the tournament mat, my sister and I shared a look that said everything the other wanted to hear.

I'm not gonna hold back.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're about to see a truly amazing sight! The famous dual-wielding siblings, Suguha Kirigaya and Kazuto Kirigaya, the Yami No Keshin, fighting in a relentless battle to decide who will move on to the finals!" the announcer yelled, blissfully unaware of how far our sibling rivalry went.

Calm down, Kazuto. I made it this far, and nothing will get in my way, not even my sister! I'm sorry, Suguha, but I'm not backing down!

"Are you ready, Sugu?"

I drew my swords.

"Always," she replied coldly, doing the same.

"Are you two ready? Three… two… one… and… GO!"

We rushed at each other with insane speed, our swords immediately clashing in showers of sparks.

Left, right, block, diagonal up, double down, double diagonal, block, spin—

Suguha smirked. "That all you've got? I know you're better than this!" she hissed.

"I was about to ask you the same question! Let's turn up the heat, shall we?"

We increased our already insane speed to new levels, continuing to clash, but…

I was faster.

Right, up, diagonal down, double up, downward cross—

This time it was my turn to smirk. Her endurance was slowly wearing down, and I could see sweat pouring down her face.

"You're seriously out of practice, sis! If you can't even handle this speed, then you won't be able to win the finals, let alone represent our nation!"

"Shut up!"

Just the reaction I was looking for.

She jabbed with her right sword, which I batted downward, watching it lodge itself in the ground.

"No!"

"Yes."

I knocked her other sword out of her hand, sending it flying into the air. I put my right sword to her neck, ending the fight.

"And the winner is… KAZUTO KIRIGAYA! Everybody give a hand to our finalist, the Yami No Keshin!"

There were cheers all around the coliseum-like arena, and from the corner of my eye, I saw someone leaving. Someone in a brown cloak, with what looked to be a sword of some kind inside it. Apparently sensing me staring, the figure turned around and stared back at me as if contemplating something. Then the person sat back down, waiting to watch the final match.

Who is that?

Suguha walked up to me, smiling, though it didn't reach her eyes. "You've improved, brother. Good luck." And with that, she shook my hand and left.

We had the same dream. I'm sorry, sis.

"Good work, kid. You've got ten minutes before the next fight begins, so I'd recommend getting some rest," my supervisor said.

"Thanks, pops."

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Whatever," I said with an amused smile as I watched him seethe.

I looked around the room, noticing some training machines made to look like real humans. "Do those still work?" I asked politely, pointing to them.

"Yeah, be my guest."

"Thanks."

I walked over to one of them and turned it on. It immediately spun around, a wood sword in each of its hands.

I went over to the practice rack and got two wooden swords of my own, preparing to fight.

"The next guy uses a sword-and-shield combo, so give it a shield. Don't tell anyone I told you that, 'kay?"

"You got it, pops!"

"I told you not to—whatever. Just get some training in before the next match, got it?"

"Yeah!"

And with that, I began to train.

This time as I walked to the tournament mat, the noise was even louder than before.

When I arrived at the center of the mat, there was a man with white hair, red eyes and a black suit just standing there, staring at me.

The textbook definition of creepy.

"May the best swordsman win," I said.

"I intend to," the man responded, smirking devilishly.

I drew my swords from my back, getting into a battle stance. He drew his sword from his tower shield, doing the same.

He had a sheath in his shield?!

"This is it, folks! The fight that everyone's been waiting for!" the announcer shouted enthusiastically. "The mysterious man versus the overnight star, the Yami No Keshin, Kazuto Kirigaya! These fighters are the best in all of Japan! And… three… two… one… GO!"

We rushed at each other, even faster than in my duel with Suguha. Still, we seemed to be even in speed.

Left, right, double diagonal down, block, up, left, right, left—

I couldn't land a single hit on him, and vice versa.

Down, up, diagonal spin, parry, jab, block, dodge—

He made a quick sideways swipe at my head. I ducked just in time, a single strand of hair getting sliced off.

"RAA!" I screamed, jabbing and making a single scratch on his cheek.

Point one.

Immediately afterward, he bashed me with his shield, sending me flying back to the edge of the mat.

Crap!

He ran at me, swinging his sword down at my head. I rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the strike, getting up behind him and swinging at his back. He blocked it with his sword just in time, turning around and me sending me flying with his shield yet again.

This time, however, I landed on my feet, immediately charging at him again.

CLASH, CLASH, CLASH!

Sparks flew in all directions, but I didn't care. I was in the zone. Nothing could break my focus.

Left, up, cross, double diagonal down, double left, double diagonal up—

I jumped up and slashed down on his shield with such force that it propelled me up into the air. I flew over and behind him, landing and immediately turning around to slash at him. Unfortunately, my slash came into contact with his shield yet again.

Faster… I HAVE TO BE FASTER!

(?)

I looked at the arena with interest in the black-haired boy, who seemingly sprang up to fame overnight, taking on one of the strongest warriors in the nation.

This kid is good. To think he could stand up to him…

(Kazuto)

We were at a complete stalemate. He couldn't break through my two-sword style, and I couldn't find a weakness in his sword-and-shield style.

CLASH, CLASH, CLASH!

"Just give up already! You know I've won, so just surrender the match already!" the man shouted cockily.

"Don't throw a victory party before you win!" I yelled while observing his movements.

That's it! I can use that!

While he was talking, I found a weakness that I could easily exploit—he became less focused while talking.

"If you're so confident in your victory, then beat me already!" I shouted at him.

"Why you—Aagh!" The man's response was cut off when I beat on his shield with both swords, catching him off balance.

I pulled his shield out of his grip with my right sword, then swung blindingly fast with my left, stopping just centimeters away from his head.

"And the winner is… KAZUTO KIRIGAYA OF THE BLACK CATS! Everybody give a hand to our new sixteen-year-old champion, the one who will represent our entire nation in the world tournament!"

Cheering was heard all around the arena, nearly busting my eardrums. I looked around, finding the faces of my various fans. For some odd reason, most of them were female.

Then, I saw the person in the brown cloak again. The person looked at me, then stood from their seat and left.

"Damn… well, you're good, kid. Ain't no doubt about that," the man said, panting. "My name's Yenno Kozuki, by the way. It's nice to meet the star player of the Black Cats, the Yami No Keshin. Sorry I was acting so cocky before, but I wanted to test you, as a favor to your facility master."

"So… you were acting the whole time? Does that mean you let me win?"

"What?! Hell no! My pride would never allow that! You won fair-and-square, buddy. Now, I'll be going. Ja Ne, Yami No Keshin." And with that, he shook my hand and walked away.

My facility mates ran up to me, singing their praises.

"Dude, that was awesome! You just beat the last national champion!" Ducker yelled, positively ecstatic.

"What?"

The last champion?!

"That was amazing!" Sasamaru praised.

"I agree," Tetsuo said happily.

"Kirito, you've made my father proud," Keita said, walking forward with Sachi in tow.

"Indeed. Kirito, you've made us all proud. You'll be going to the world tournament tomorrow! You now represent our nation! This calls for a celebration!" Keita's father exclaimed, laughing heartily afterward.

"Hell yeah!" Ducker shouted with glee.

I merely smiled softly. I looked into Sachi's eyes, and I saw her praising me in a way her mouth never could.

Sometimes I wish you could talk, Sachi.

Indeed, Sachi was a mute. She had experienced something traumatic in her childhood that had left her completely unwilling to speak, even to her closest friends. Nobody knew what happened to her, not even me, and I was her closest friend.

It didn't matter, though. I could somehow understand exactly what she wanted to say just by looking into her eyes, and vice versa. I was like a translator for the rest of her friends.

She used to write on various things to communicate to others, but when we first met, we instantly understood each other through mere eye contact. Then, through her, I became friends with everyone else.

But I still understand you, so I guess it's all right.

"Cheers!" we all shouted, raising our glasses into the air.

As everyone else dug in, Sachi and I ate slowly.

"What's the matter? Why are you so sad?" Keita asked Sachi and me with a concerned look on his face.

"He has to leave us."

What the?!

"Sachi?!" Ducker exclaimed.

"You… talked…" I whispered sadly, knowing what she was trying to say.

Her voice is so beautiful… but…

"We aren't allowed to come with him to the World Championship matches," Sachi said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"WHAT?!" Everyone in the room shouted, save for me, Sachi, and Keita's father, Daisuke.

"Is this true, Father?" Keita asked sadly.

"Yes. When he leaves for China tomorrow to compete in the Asian Bracket, he will leave alone. Not even his family is allowed to attend the tournament."

"B-but why?! We want to support him!" Ducker was furious.

"If I still had my influence, I would have been able to make it so, but that influence no longer belongs to me."

"Old man… I'm going to go to bed. Tomorrow is the day I leave for China, and I'll need my rest…"

"All right, Kirito. Rest well."

I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about the next day, caught between elation and depression.

This is my chance! My chance to achieve my dream! But… I'll be abandoning my friends to do it. If I lose, then what? I'll have left my friends for nothing…

I knew I had no chance of falling asleep any time soon, so I decided to give my room one last look before I left in the morning.

"Kirito…?"

"Sachi…?" I asked, still not used to hearing her speak.

"Do you… not like my voice?"

"Where did that come from? No, I think your voice is beautiful. Almost as beautiful as you," I said.

"Thank you… ne, Kirito."

"Yeah?" I asked gently.

"If I were to say that I wanted you to stay… would you?"

I didn't know what to do. I was completely paralyzed. She… she wants me to stay? I… I want to stay with her, but… I want to accomplish my lifelong dream more, even if just by a tiny amount. I don't want to hurt her feelings… AAGH, this is too hard!

"Just kidding! Don't worry, I would never get in the way of your dream. Your happiness is my happiness as well."

"Sachi… thank you. You've always been there for me ever since we met. Even though you couldn't talk… you found your way deep into my heart. I'm glad I've had as good a friend as you by my side for so long. And after the tournament is over, I promise that I'll come back to you."

"All right, it's a promise. You'd better win, Kirito. Well, I'm off to bed. Good night," Sachi whispered.

I grabbed hold of her arm. "Wait… sleep here beside me for tonight, like when we were younger."

She looked at me with wide eyes and red cheeks. Her eyes softened, and she said, "All right… a-as a going-away gift…"

"Thanks… my beautiful Sachi," I said drowsily, immediately falling asleep.

That night, my dreams were filled with peace, love, longing, and a new hope. A hope that one day, I would be able to return as the victor of the world championship… and live with Sachi for the rest of our lives.

Aishiteru… Sachi.

When I woke up, Sachi was nowhere to be found. I got up, remembering with sorrow that I would have to leave my friends.

I began packing slowly, looking around at the room that I'd probably never see again.

When I arrived at the airport, I saw him… or her… again. That person in the brown cloak, walking toward me. "I've been watching your matches ever since I came to Japan to sightsee. You're quite the fighter. Would you like to sit with me on the plane?" the person said when she reached me.

That was random.

"O-okay… but could you take off your cloak so I know who you are?"

I don't know who this person is, but something draws me to her.

"Sure. I was going to have to take it off to get on the plane anyway. Let's wait until you're done saying goodbye to your friends, though."

I heard the sound of frantic footsteps running on the airport floor. I turned around to see the other members of the Black Cats running toward me, with Sachi and Ducker at the lead.

"Wait, man! You can't leave without saying goodbye to us!"

"Haha, you're right, Ducker. I'll miss you all, but I promise that I'll come back as soon as I win!"

Tetsuo extended his hand toward me, and I took it as he said, "I have faith in you, man. You'll win for all of us!"

I shook everyone else's hands, but just before I got to Sachi, Keita's father came up to us, huffing and puffing. "You're not going to leave without saying goodbye to this old timer, are you?"

He extended his hand, and I shook it warmly. He pulled me into a hug, which I didn't resist. He had become like a grandfather in the years that I had spent with everyone.

"Do us proud," he said, with tears gathering in his eyes. When he released me, I looked at him and said, "You got it, old man."

Just before I left for the airport with my cloaked friend, I walked up to Sachi and hugged her.

I put my mouth to her ear and said, "I'll be back, Sachi… for you and only you."

Once the cloaked traveler and I were at the entrance to the plane, she took off her cloak to reveal stunning chestnut hair and matching eyes, accompanied by a gorgeous figure.

Beautiful.

"It's not nice to stare, you know. Anyway, my name's Asuna. It's nice to meet you, Yami No Keshin," the beauty said.

And with that, we walked up the stairs and onto the plane.

This is it! My life as a tournament fighter begins!

Ending A/N:

I realize that I made this first chapter a little shorter than I wanted it to be, but I'm going to make the rest of them longer, simply because I hate overly-short chapters, whether I'm reading them or writing them.

Oh, and by the way, Yami No Keshin means, "Swordsman of Darkness", just to let you know.

Don't worry, there will be Kirisuna in later chapters, but even in the anime and the light novels, he loved Sachi first. Even when we get Kirisuna, I'm still gonna have it be an Asuna/Kirito/Sachi fic, not just Kirisuna. I simply can't put Sachi in a story and not pair her with Kirito, and the same goes for Asuna.

Okay, here's the in-depth explanation of this universe:

Instead of a video game being what brought everyone together, it was League of Blades, or the LoB for short. The LoB is an organization that hosts weapon fighting (not just sword fighting) matches of all kinds, but mostly freestyle matches, where any weapon choice can be used.
The LoB holds a freestyle world tournament every five years, and in between, they have every level of tournament up to the nationals.
Kirito is a high school student that just barely got into the Japanese National Freestyle Tournament with his dual sword style. He eventually won the tournament, earning him a spot in the world freestyle tournament, where he will fight various other players from the LNs and anime, befriending some… and making enemies of others.

So, sorry to say, that means that there are no sword skills.

Also, the guilds become facilities that train people to participate in LoB-sponsored tournaments, so picture all of the famous guilds as… Pokémon gyms of sorts, located in various countries around the world. The Black Cats are Kirito's facility, of course.

Well, that's about it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online, its video game, or any of its characters!

See ya!