A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first ever SAO fanfic; I thought it was about time I write something related to this anime. I've had the idea to write this for a while now. Ever since I finished reading the first few volumes of the Alicization arc, I thought about writing something related to its characters. Since I finished reading, I've always imagined how things would turn out had the characters from the Alicization arc been present in SAO. Surprisingly, my favorite character is Eugeo. Kirito is awesome and all, but I just find Eugeo's character to be a little more human. Kirito is OP as hell in the light novel/anime, so I thought writing about him wouldn't be too satisfying. Also, this story will contain a love triangle between Kirito, Eugeo and Alice. For those of you who haven't read the light novel yet, don't worry—there won't be any spoilers save for the characters' names. The love triangle was inspired by Quinella's words to Eugeo in the novel. I'm honestly not sure how I'm going to bring Asuna in terms of romance but I'll figure it out soon. Without further ado, I present my work! Enjoy reading!
Impulses of overwhelming shock and unfathomable fear overtook the once-cheerful ambiance of the newly-constructed world Aincrad. As the gigantic red-hooded entity, who introduced himself as Kayaba Akihiko, vanished into nothingness, so did almost every trapped user's hope of logging out of Sword Art Online. The only way to get back to the real world and out of this virtual prison was to clear all one hundred floors of Aincrad—a task that would take years to accomplish. On top of that, death in-game equates to death in real life. For upon a user's in-game death, the NerveGear's transceivers which contain a powerful electromagnet will explode, causing cerebral hemorrhaging and arterial occlusion(or in other words, instant death). This being said, it is obvious that no revives are allowed in-game. Also, it appears that thousands of users have already been pronounced dead because of attempts to remove their NerveGear by others from the real world.
Many users simply collapsed on the floor. The gasps of horror that echoed all over Aincrad's first floor just moments ago were now replaced with sobs. Majority of the players(now nothing short of prisoners) were only looking for an outlet where they could experience gaming in a whole new level. Instead, they've gotten way more than they bargained for. They will indeed receive a gaming experience way beyond their imagination. However, they are not mere gamers in this world.
Tears littered the ground, to the point where it seemed like a storm just passed the landscape. For the dreams that'll most likely won't ever be fulfilled. For the apologies that'll most likely won't ever be heard. For the aspirations that'll most likely won't ever be achieved. For the smiles that'll most likely won't ever be seen again. For the time that could've been spent with loved ones or meeting new people that surely won't ever be theirs again.
An aura of depression, helplessness and quasi-insanity engulfed Aincrad. With the players staggered by abruptly being separated from everything they had—their homes, their loved ones—and plagued with a very real threat against their lives, they simply could not handle it. Most of them were just teenagers after all. They knew nothing of the real world. They were still within the jurisdiction of their parents. They asked for independence—something they know very little to nothing of. It appears their new lives in this world will change that.
While most of them grieved over their fates, one player seemed to do otherwise. As opposed to everyone who was standing in the arena-looking area where Kayaba Akihiko made his announcement, he was seated on a bench near the southern gates. Instead of feeling anything; even a tiny bit of emotion, he remained indifferent. Fear did not creep up his veins and threatened to consume him. His face remained as stoic as ever, as if he didn't hear the administrator's threatening message. So what if he would no longer be able to return to the real world as he pleased? So what if he was going to lose all that he had because of some dumb video game? So what if he was going to die in this virtual hell? He wasn't afraid of loss at all.
Not anymore, when he had already lost everything.
Or maybe, he never really had anything in the first place.
His dull, greenish-blue eyes stared blankly at the surface beneath him. The once vibrant orbs that were envied by everyone who caught a glimpse of them no longer held its captivating glimmer. A gush of wind swept over him, ruffling his flaxen-colored hair. A strand of his messy locks found itself dangling in front of his left eye. As he usually does, he simply left it there. Old habits die hard indeed. Or maybe it was because he was simply too lazy to even move a muscle.
Empty. Vain. Idle. Hollow.
These words epitomized this blond boy's entirety. If it weren't for the fact that he was still present in this virtual world and that his heart was still beating in the real world, it would be difficult to not mistake him for a corpse. Because of Kayaba Akihiko's 'present' for all users (which turned out to be a mirror), the boy's exact appearance from the real world was incorporated into this alternate universe. His half-lidded eyes remained glued to the rectangular patterns of the concrete floor. His scrawny shoulders were slumped; the boy's upper joints were so thin that the tips of his bones were already being outlined by the sleeves of his blue shirt. In fact, if one were to have an unfortunate collision with his bony shoulders, he/she will most likely sport a bruise or worse, even bleed out. His lips were set in a straight line, looking like they were glued together. His thick brows were rested in place, seemingly unable to be moved.
Overall, his appearance was enough to give a zombie run for its money in terms of who looks more…soulless.
What was going through his head was much worse(if that's even possible)—absolutely nothing. If he were a 'normal' human being, this inability to process a single thought could be attributed to the shock brought about by the knowledge that he was going to spend, at minimum, a couple of months trapped in an MMORPG game given the circumstances.
But he was not...is not…was never…'normal'.
Instead of finding himself under attack by a horde of fledgling emotions, he remained as he has been for the last few years. Over time, a large vacuum had made a home on the left portion of his chest. This menacing 'vacuum' contained a gravitational force so strong that he was unable to feel even just a twinge of emotion. The apparent black hole above his heart sucked in every sensation, every feeling known to man, reducing him to an empty shell waiting for its lifespan to reach its end. But that's how he was in the real world…
To say the least, he didn't expect he would be under such a circumstance. Even in a different world, his emotionless persona was able to over his entire being. How did this happen? Where had he gone wrong? Was he really just going to let this soulless shell rule his body, his life? Where had the old him gone? Was this going to be who he is until the day he dies? What happened? Where was the cheerful, loving-
Oh…that's right.
He was already dead. He died on that fateful night all those years ago.
If that's the case…then why is he still here? Why is he still breathing? Why is he being caught up in a psychopath of a game developer's nefarious schemes? How did he even manage to find his pathetic self in this world? How? Why? WHY? His existence is an anomaly. He shouldn't be allowed to take another sniff of oxygen, whether in the real world or in this messed up digital world.
Living is a privilege. He had already lost the right to that privilege.
So why does he still have domain over this shell? Why hasn't his borrowed time as a human being lapsed yet? Why isn't he being made to return what isn't his? Why is he still…alive?
Why isn't he dead yet?
The question struck something within him. For the first time since logging in, he blinked. That's right. That's the reason why he bought his own NerveGear. That's the reason why he entered the virtual world of SAO. That's the reason why he skipped a company meeting to play a silly video game. That's the reason why he didn't know what to do in this place.
It's because he wanted to free himself from all the pain.
It was too risky to do so in the real world. One, it was going to be very painful; which contradicts his entire reason of why he wants to do it in the first place—to rid himself of pain. Two, it was going to create a huge mess. He didn't want his butler and his servants to spend days scrubbing the marble floors clean. And three, it was going to ruin his reputation.
At least in this world, no one would care. With the admin's announcement, death won't be such an uncommon occurrence here. He stood from his seat.
Humans were created with a sense of autonomy. While other people may influence one's decisions, it all comes down to him/her in the end. Because of this, the fact that every person has power over his/her own destiny is realized. One has the power to move, to live, to kill, to die, to feel, et cetera.
He was going to exert this power over himself. He had already made his decision.
He began to walk in short strides. He figured there was no reason to rush this. He kept his gaze forward, the lifeless look on his eyes not wavering. There didn't appear to be any suitable spots for him to do what he is about to. It's too risky. There were too many people around. While they may all be strangers, he wasn't going to take chances; there's a slight chance that one of them would interfere.
He allowed his feet to drag him to wherever it could. After a few minutes of walking, he stopped in front of a large, open gate. Before he could take a step further, a message box popped up.
'You are about to enter Tolbana Fields'
There were two buttons below the text; one blue that said 'confirm' and one red that said 'cancel'. The blond boy pressed the blue one and moved forward.
His surroundings completely changed. The once player-filled, town-esque and commercial landscape shifted to a grass-filled, fiend-infested and quiet one. Yes, this was the perfect place. No players in sight, a lot of monsters around; no one to stop him.
But how was he going to carry on though? He continued to walk forward while he tried to answer the question. He checked his inventory and saw that he had a small dagger equipped. He tapped on the item to summon it. The dagger materialized on his palm; it had a sharp edge and though its attributes were weak, it was enough. He still had the starting armor on, meaning he wasn't that resistant to physical attacks.
He held the dagger and his right wrist up. He flipped it so that the tip was pointed towards his wrist. Without hesitation, he sunk the sharp edge of the blade on his flesh. A sound went off then his health bar became visible on the upper left corner. From 100 points of health, it dropped to 92.
The discovery left a bittersweet taste on his mouth. On one hand, it was going to take him more than a few slashes to drain his health points to zero. On the other, it was painless. His wrist was wounded but he did not feel any sort of pain from the slash he gave himself. At the very least, this was going to be painless…just like how he desperately wished for it to be.
His train of thought was derailed by the sound of a howl. He turned his head to see a brown wolf glaring daggers at him. The creature's face was contorted angrily; it eyed the blond like a predator would to its prey. The wolf was hunched back, as if prepared to charge at him. It kept growling at him like some crazed animal. A warning suddenly flashed in front of the boy.
'Alpha Wolf(Level 8)'
The words flashed in red, indicating that it was a high level foe. He resisted the urge to smile. It appears he would have his work cut out for him. While doing it himself was a viable option, having this alpha wolf do it for him would be much faster. This wolf was seven levels higher than him. And because he didn't have any equipment on that would improve his combat sustainability, he was pretty much a walking candy bar.
He scrolled through his inventory and unequipped his dagger. Without an ounce of fear for his life, he faced the hungry wolf. Upon seeing this unexpected move from the boy, the wolf lost control and charged at him. It let out another growl, seemingly rejoicing for its hunger would be sated by this foolish boy.
The blond closed his eyes and prepared to meet his doom. This is where it ends. This is where the pain stops. This is where the nightmares disappear. This is where the unknown becomes known. This is where his dream comes true. He waited…and waited…for the blow that would free him.
But it never came.
Instead, he heard a soft wail and the sound of…a body landing on the ground? The boy opened his eyes to see the wolf, which a few moments ago prepared to lunge at him, lying on the ground, lifeless. He furrowed his eyebrows. What happened?
"What in the world do you think you're doing?" an irritated voice asked.
He shifted his gaze towards the owner of the voice. There stood a black-haired boy, a sword in hand and a displeased expression on his face. He appeared to be around his age, judging from his stature and appearance. He wore an outfit similar to his own; only this boy's top had a lighter shade of blue.
The blond blinked. How was he going to explain himself to this person? He remained quiet as he struggled to form an explanation.
The boy in front of him sighed before his look softened. "Be careful around fields like this next time, okay? There's no telling what's out here. It's best to be prepared all the time"
The raven-head's words were met with silence. The blond simply stared at him. What was he going to say?
"Well then, I'm off. Take better care of yourself next time. There'll come a time when no one will be around to help you but yourself" the black-haired boy advised in a cold, reserved tone. He shook his head and ran off in what probably was the direction of the closest town. When the blond boy was left alone, he remained glued to the spot.
What just happened? There weren't supposed to be any other players around here, especially since the administrator just made a life-changing announcement an hour ago. Weren't the other players supposed to still be paralyzed with shock?
So what's going to happen to him now? He could simply find another beast and let them do the trick, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to do so. He felt lost. He thought he had everything planned out perfectly, but some random stranger just comes in and ruins everything. He should be angry. He should be frustrated at the boy who just saved him. Didn't he see that he was about to let himself be killed on purpose?
But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to feel irritated at the very least. In a way, he was given a second chance by that boy. Was that something he really wanted? Wasn't he settled on just ending his life just moments ago? So why was he hesitating to give it another try?
He shook his head. He wasn't going to get anywhere with all these questions. He needed to think, to plan his next move. He began to walk again, towards the direction of where the boy from earlier ran off to.
No one had ever bothered to care for him before. No one had ever bothered to approach him, much less even look at him. But that random stranger just helped him, saved him. Maybe...he sighed deeply before focusing on just walking. His emotions were all over the place right now. He was uncertain—something he's very uncomfortable with. He would find answers to his questions soon.
This is how Eugeo's story begins.
A/N: So how was it? I'm sorry if it was a bit long, but I really couldn't figure out a way on how to shorten it without sacrificing a little character development. So there it is; Eugeo's this depressed teenager who goes to SAO to…end his life. If you find it confusing, especially the last part, don't worry. More will be explained in the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed! I will update depending on if you guys liked this. The more you like it, the faster I'll update. See you in the next chap!