Sword Art Online:
The White Dragon
A/N: Hi there! My name is WhiteDragonKnight, but you can just call me Dragon! Though I've read many Fanfictons from the community, this is my first time ever writing one! I've just recently watched Sword Art Online (The whole season in two days) and was mystified by it! Anyways, enough rambling from me! On to the point! I noticed there wasn't an extraordinary amount of SAO fanfictions on the site, as one might expect, so I've decided to undertake the daunting task of capturing the story in my own words. The story will follow my OC Saburo on his journey through castle Aincrad. There will be bosses, skills, weapons, and items, which do not exist in the original Sword Art Online. This is to add character development. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of Sword Art Online: The White Dragon! Don't forget to Rate and Review!
Chapter One: Sword Art Online
November 6, 2022 12:56 PM
17 year old, Kobayashi Saburo's hands quivered in excitement as he opened his mailbox. The metal door gave a low creaking moan, shedding small traces of rust as he slowly pulled the lid down. The warm sunlight spilled into the metal container, illuminating his prize. There, in its glamorous case, was a brand new copy of the just released VRMMO (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online), Sword Art Online. "Yes!" Saburo cheered, punching his fist in the air as he held up the game in a victorious pose. He'd sat beside his computer with a digital timer on the day online sales began, ensuring that he'd get a copy of the game. "It's finally here! I've been waiting forever!" In his excitement, Saburo forgot to remove the rest of the mail, leaving the mailbox door wide open as his ran down his driveway and into the house.
"Saburo, lunch is almost ready! I made steamed broccoli and teriyaki chicken!" His mother, Miki, called from the kitchen as he ran inside. The aroma of steamed vegetables and well-seasoned meat wafted around the house. Unconsciously his face scrunched up. He'd never liked steamed broccoli all that much, but his mother's teriyaki chicken was the best he'd ever had, so he usually just dipped the broccoli in the leftover sauce before eating it. "Sorry, Mom. I'm going to be online all afternoon. Sword Art Online just came in! Save me some food for later!" Saburo called as he ran past the kitchen and upstairs to his room. His 12 year old little brother Kaito's room was just across the hall from his. The door was ajar, revealing Kaito shouting into his mike like a sailor as he played some FPS game on his computer.
Saburo barged into his room, throwing his checkered black and white hoodie in the corner as he moved to his computer desk. As he crossed his somewhat messy room, he caught a glimpse of himself in the dusty full length mirror that rested against his wall just below a Sword Art Online poster featuring a generic hero and heroine. His hair was dyed a silvery-white and came down just to his shoulders in natural spikes. He had dark brown eyes and a handsome, angular face. His skin was pale from his habit of staying indoors for hours on end, playing online games. Saburo wore a black SAO t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans accompanied by orange sneakers. He booted up both of his homemade monitors as he sat in his squeaky swivel chair, cracking his knuckles. His NerveGear sat further back on his desk, just behind his black mouse pad. A window over his bed lit the room nicely, giving it a warm glow. Saburo couldn't stop smiling from pure anticipation as he inserted the disk into his computer. There was a low hum as the machine processed the disk, initiating the game. A notification popped up on his monitor, signaling that Sword Art Online was ready to be played. Saburo nodded confidently. "Alright, then, let's do this!"
Saburo grabbed the NerveGear helmet, and lay down on his bed, stretching in anticipation of the amount of time he would spend online. He put the NerveGear on and hit the power switch on the side, initiating the startup sequence. Saburo stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom through the visor and watched the fan rotate slowly for a couple of seconds. Finally, he closed his eyes. "Link, Start!"
The world flashed stark white as the FullDive began. Brilliant colors began to rush past Saburo, like an aurora of multicolored light. Menu screens appeared in front of him confirming that his senses were synced with the FullDive. The language option blipped onto the screen, followed by Saburo's login credentials. The world flashed white once more, and Saburo found himself in a spacious chamber, surrounded by character creation screens. He kept his appearance mostly the same, leaving his hair color, but changing his eyes to a fiery orange hue. He also changed his face, making himself appear slightly older than he actually was. He confirmed his character customization, and then moved on to his class. Saburo chose to wield a one handed long sword as his primary weapon. "Select your Avatar's name." A computerized female voice said as a holo-keyboard materialized in front of him. Saburo typed his own name into the keyboard and hit enter. "Confirm Avatar?" The synthesized voice asked. "Confirm." Saburo said. The world went black around him.
When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the middle of a bustling medieval marketplace, filled with other players just like him. A green HP Bar was in the upper left corner of his field of vision. It faded away unless Saburo trained his eyes on that particular spot. He was wearing a long sleeved grey cloth shirt made of a light material. Over his shirt was a brown leather plate that fit on like a vest. His pants were black and he wore a pair of brown leather boots. His hands were covered by a pair of fingerless black gloves. A standard straight-edge long sword hung in a scabbard on his hip. Saburo eyes widened as he realized the scope of the FullDive system. He could sense everything, as if his avatar were his real body, in a real place. He could feel the warm breeze rustling through his silver hair. He could smell the scents of the market, combining into an amalgamation of colorful aromas. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking it all in.
"So this is the Town of Beginnings?" Saburo said, training his orange eyes on the fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily through the blue sky. In the distance, he could see what appeared to be a stone pillar rising up into the clouds. Castle Aincrad was composed of 100 Floors, all connected by stairwells. If the Floor Boss was cleared, the next floor up would be available to all players on the floor below. The bosses were increasingly difficult as one rose through the floors. Since the game was just launched, the Boss Room for the first floor hadn't been discovered yet. "Guess I'd better ask around and get some info on where I need to head for my first quest."
As he strode through the clamor of the marketplace, Saburo saw players bartering with merchants, engaging in duels, or simply just chatting casually. Though their appearances varied greatly, all of the players seemed to be in the same standard gear as Saburo. Finally he spotted a friendly looking player at a weapons market. The player was male, thin, and looked to be around Saburo's age. He had dark green hair, tied back into a short ponytail with two bangs hanging in front of his face. A long katana hung at his hip. His shirt and pants were both an earthy brown color, the shades varying slightly. He was negotiating prices for a set of potions with a player that ran the market. Saburo strode up casually to the stand, as if he were going to buy some merchandise. The green haired boy spoke first. "Lemme guess. New player, looking to find his way in the world of SAO? Tell me if I'm right." He said, smiling. Saburo's mouth gaped. "How did you...?" He stammered. "I'm intuitive about these kinds of things." he said, tossing Saburo one of the potions he had just bought. "The name's Ailwen. I was a beta-tester, so I notice new players when I see them." Saburo smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry. We were all there, once." Ailwen said laughing. "So what can I help you with?" He asked. "I was wondering if you could give me some information on where I could get my first quest, and maybe some better gear." Saburo replied. "The first quest is due north of here, in Horunka village, but the path is filled with monsters. Do you know how to fight yet?" Ailwen asked as they began to walk through the marketplace. "No, unfortunately not. I just started playing a little while ago." They emerged out of the marketplace into a large, open fountain square. "We'll then, what do you say I teach you, in a duel?" Ailwen asked, drawing his katana. "You look like a tough opponent. I'll get wrecked!" Saburo protested, throwing his hands up. "Strength, true strength, comes from putting yourself to the challenge. Don't hold anything back, because I sure won't!" Ailwen raised his right hand and slid it in a downwards motion, opening the SAO menu, a series of panels that hovered in front of him. The menu gave a bell-chime every time he scrolled through an option. He selected the challenge option, then Saburo's name. A pop-up appeared in front of the Silver-haired player, reading 'Accept Duel Challenge?' Saburo pressed the 'O' button, confirming the challenge. "Alright! Let's get started." Ailwen said, twirling his katana. "The first thing you need to know about combat, is that there are two types of attacks. Manual attacks, which are performed by the player at will." Ailwen said, slashing his blade through the air in a 'Z' pattern. "The player decides how their weapons move. The second types of attacks are Sword Skill attacks. The work in preset combos and are triggered by the Motion Input system." Ailwen said, raising his arm over his head. His blade glowed radiant purple, and when he sliced the air there was an arc of electricity that trailed after his blade. A crowd of players had begun to gather around them as they practiced, watching on with interest. "Your avatar will know a few Sword Skills by default. You get one class-standard skill and one randomized skill to start off. "Try out manual attacks, then Sword Skills." Ailwen explained. Saburo stepped in a lunge, thrusting, then whipped around in a radial attack. "Manual feels pretty good! This blade feels so natural." Saburo said as he assumed a standing stance. "Now try out your Sword Skills." Ailwen said. Saburo searched his avatar's mind for the preset combinations and found them. They were like fresh memories in his mind. "Here goes nothing..." He said drawing his arm back. He dashed forwards and his blade glowed white as he brought it around in a horizontal strike. "I could get used to this!" He said holding up his blade and laughing. "Now for the other Sword Skill!" Saburo slashed his sword in an 'X' pattern, his blade glowing red. His long sword burst into flames and the 'X' shape shot from his sword in a blaze of fire. "Holy crap!" Ailwen shouted, diving to the ground in panic. The flaming 'X' narrowly missed an onlooker and dispersed in midair. "Sorry!" Saburo exclaimed. "I didn't expect that to happen!" Ailwen got to his feet, eyes wide in awe. "I've never seen that Sword Skill before! Look up your skill names. They're in your Player Stats Menu." He said as he picked up his Katana. Saburo opened the menu and scrolled through his player stats. "Skill One, Horizontal, Skill Two, Fireburst." Saburo said before collapsing the menu. "Fireburst, huh? They must have added it after beta. I've never heard of it before. It seems like it's rare, so you should consider yourself lucky." Ailwen said. "Anyways, now that you've got the basics down, we should fight." He continued, smirking. "Let's use manual attacks only. I want this to be a real test of skill." Saburo said. Ailwen reset the duel timer, this time setting it on a four minute timer.
"Don't go easy on me." Saburo said as the sixty second duel timer counted down. "Don't worry, I'll give it my all." Ailwen said, drawing his katana. The timer dipped into its final countdown, and the crowd began to chant. "Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" Saburo and Ailwen charged at each other, blades breaking the air with a harsh metal ring. Ailwen caught Saburo across the cheek with a Slant Sword Skill, jumping back to avoid his opponent's counterattack. Though Saburo didn't feel much pain, he saw his health bar drop a little as a red wound opened on his cheek, revealing pixelated blood. As Ailwen dashed back in to attack, Saburo parried, and twisted his sword, throwing his opponent's blade into the air. Ailwen was caught off guard and Saburo took the opportunity to shoulder charge him, knocking him to the ground. Ailwen was ready to spring back to his feet, but stopped when he saw Saburo's blade angled at his throat. The Duel Timer ended and a screen similar to the menus appeared, signaling Saburo as the winner. "Good game." Saburo said, sheathing his sword and offering and hand to help Ailwen up. "Yea, you're a fast learner! I didn't expect you to be so quick with a long blade like that." Ailwen said, taking Saburo's hand. Saburo sent Ailwen a friend request, through the menu as the crowd began to disperse. Ailwen accepted the request and recovered his sword, sheathing it. "I haven't had a challenge lime that in ages. C'mon, I'll show you around Aincrad."
The rest of the day flew by with Ailwen showing Saburo around the First Floor of Castle Aincrad. The floor was massive, far more so than Saburo realized. He knew SAO was an MMO, but the scale of the game was simply monumental.
November 6, 2022, 5:25 PM
As the day came to a close, Saburo and Ailwen found themselves in the marketplace once again, buying supplies after they had been training in the field. "I should probably log off soon. I'm getting pretty hungry. Saburo said as he handed the merchant his Col, SAO currency. "Yea, same here." Ailwen said as his stomach grumbled loudly. "Why don't we meet up here tomorrow? We can head to the first village and team up for the first quest." He suggested. Saburo nodded. "Sounds like a plan." They both turned in unison, swiping their hands down to open the menu. Saburo was the first to notice the anomaly. "Hey, there's no 'Log Out' option." He said, scrolling through the menu again to check. "It's right at the bottom." Ailwen said, scrolling through his own menu. "See, right..." He stopped as his finger hovered over the spot where the 'Log Out' option should have been. "That's weird, they more than likely didn't move the option between beta and launch." He said, scratching his head. "Well, the game is just out of beta, there may be a few bugs at the very least." Saburo suggested. "Let me try calling a Game Master." Ailwen said as he scrolled through various menu screens. "Game Master?" Saburo asked tilting his head. "They're like system admins. If there's a bug with logging out, they can just kick all players off if the server. That'll solve the problem." A call screen appeared on Ailwen's menu, but after around a minute of waiting, the call ended due to inactivity. "That's strange. Someone should have answered." Ailwen said. "I'll try." Saburo said as he opened his menu. With no warning at all, a loud bell began to ring. There was a flash of blue light that surrounded the both of them and Saburo was blinded.
As the light around him faded, Saburo could see that he was standing in an open courtyard, bricks decorating the floor under his feet. A looming clock tower rose up in the center of the area, tolling like a warning siren. One by one, Players began filling the courtyard, appearing in the same blue light that surrounded Saburo. Ailwen materialized beside him. "What's going on?!" Saburo asked, hoping the more experienced player would have an idea of the situation. "This was a forced teleport! Only GM's can do that sort of thing! The only other thing I could think of would be an Event!" Ailwen said. All of the sudden, the commotion grew even louder, and Players began pointing at the sky.
Far up above them, in the sky, was a hexagonal red panel that read 'WARNING' in all capitals. "What?" Saburo stammered. All of the sudden, the 'WARNING' sign spread across the entire sky as far as the eye could see. Players were beginning to panic. "Ailwen, look!" Saburo shouted pointing. From in-between the warning panels, thick red liquid began to ooze, collecting into a web-like shape over the courtyard. Slowly the liquid coalesced into a gigantic hooded figure, wearing red robes with golden trim. "A game master?!" Ailwen exclaimed. The players all around them began to mutter, some scared, some excited.
The towering game master spoke in a deep voice, spreading his arms wide. "Attention, players. Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko." Saburo gasped. Kayaba Akihiko was the man who created SAO. "As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world." "What could he possibly mean by that?" Ailwen said. The Game Master continued. "I'm sure you've ready noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu. But this is not a defect in the game. I repeat...This is not a defect in the game." "Not a defect? Just what is going on?" A female player nearby asked, clutching to her boyfriend. "It is a feature of Sword Art Online." The Game Master explained, scrolling through a massive menu that matched his size. "You cannot log out of SAO yourselves. And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear. Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain, and thus ending your life." The slowly escalating panic in the crowd rose even more as several players cried out in fear, or even accusation. "This is bad, very bad." Saburo said. "If my mom or little brother removes my NerveGear..." He looked at the ground. "If the safety on the NerveGear is removed, it could be lethal." Ailwen said holding his head in his hands. The Game Master continued to speak, despite the ongoing chaos. Some players tried to leave the courtyard, but were surprised to find that an invisible wall encased the entire area, preventing escape. "Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have ignored this warning, and have attempted to remove the NerveGear. As a result, two hundred and thirteen players are gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world." Saburo gasped in shock. Varying monitor screen began to appear around the Game Master showing newscasts from all over the world. "As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the deaths. Thus, you can assume the danger of a NerveGear being removed is now minimal. I hope you will relax and attempt to clear the game." Saburo's tension receded ever so slightly, though he still remained on edge. "But I want you to remember this clearly." The Game Master started. "There is no longer any method to revive someone within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be forever lost. And simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain." A unified gasp of fear emitted from the crowd as players jumped in shock. "There is only one means of escape. To complete the game. You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, Floor 1. If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the floor boss, you may advance to the next level. Defeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game." Ailwen cringed. "The final boss?' We only ever made it to floor six in beta! It took two months!" He said to Saburo. "Finally, I've added a present from me to your item storage. Please see for yourselves." Saburo swiped his right hand downwards, opening the menu and scrolled through his inventory. Finally he spotted the item name. "Mirror?" He removed the item from his inventory. A small handheld rectangular mirror materialized and dropped into his hand. As he stared at his avatar's face in the mirror, he was enveloped in a blue light. A around him, the players were being engulfed in the same light. When the light show cleared, Saburo looked at his reflection once more. Instead of his avatar's face, he stared back at his own. His face had reverted back to its original, but his avatar's orange eyes had remained. "Saburo?" A somewhat familiar face called from beside him. "Ailwen?" His friend's green hair had remained in the same style, but his hair was now shorter, and the bangs in the front of his head came down just to his eyes, instead of his shoulders. They both looked around at the crowd. A lot of the female players were reverted into males wearing female clothing. Several couples cried out in shock, at the thought that they had been dating the same gender. "How is this possible?" Saburo asked still reeling from the fact that everyone had taken on their natural appearance. "The NerveGear has a scan that can sense your whole face. It must be wired to be able to change your avatar." Ailwen explained as he touched his new face. He now appeared to be around 19 years old. "I guess it's good that we didn't change our natural looks too much." Saburo said. "Some people were in for a real surprise. The Game Master spoke once more, breaking the loud uproar from the players. "Right now, you're probably wondering 'Why?' Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do all this? My goal has been achieved. I created Sword Art Online for one reason...To create this world, and intervene in it. And now, it is complete." Ailwen and Saburo growled in anger. "This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch." The Game Master continued. "Good luck, players." As the GM finished, he began to dissolve back into pixels that dispersed into the air. The sky reverted back to its normal sunset color.
There were several seconds of silence as the players soaked in the events that had just transpired. 'This isn't just a game anymore!' Saburo thought to himself. 'This is a fight for survival! If we die here, we die in the real world!' All at once the eerie silence was shattered as the player filling the plaza began to scream and shout. "Saburo! We need to go now!" Ailwen said, snapping his friend out of his trance. "The invisible wall is down!" Saburo nodded, clenching his fist. "Right! Let's go!"
As they ran through the empty streets of the Town of beginnings, Ailwen spoke. "Here's the rundown. We have to get to the next village right now! This is a struggle for strength now. The players with the best equipment and items will be the ones who survive! We have to become as strong as possible if we want to live. This isn't a journey a player can go alone. We need to team up!" Saburo nodded as they ran along. "This isn't a game anymore. What's our plan?" Ailwen scrolled through his menu and pulled up a map. "Soon the Town of Beginnings will be picked clean for money and EXP. If we head to Horunka village now, and do some higher level quests, we'll have access to upper-tier items and equipment. It won't be easy, but teamed up we can do it!" "Even at lvl.1, you're confident we can make it?" Saburo asked as they came to the outskirts of town. "Yea, I learned all the paths to get there safely." They stopped at the edge of town. Saburo held out his hand. "Then we'll survive." Ailwen nodded and turned, shaking his hand. "Right, then! Let's get to it!"