Chapter 1: The World of Swords
In 2022, humanity has finally created a complete virtual environment. A boy sits in his room, counting down the minutes listening to his headphones. A female voice rings out in them.
"It's time for this week's MMO stream. We began with a promotional video. Was this the day of last week's launch? What were all these people waiting for?" Images on his computer screen show people waiting in a huge line, seemingly oblivious to the sideways glances the passersby give them. "Sword Art Online. The one at the front of the line waited for three days prior to launch. Amazing! Or is this just what any real gamer would do?" The screen switches to the beaming faces of happy customers, a young man in a bandana as red as his hair standing out from the rest. "On today's MMO stream, we will be covering the internationally famous Sword Art Online, AKA SAO!" The voice continues to ramble on as the boy reads a magazine, cutting his thumb along the thin pages, lazily watching the blood emerge from the new wound.
"Brother, I'm off to practice!" His sister calls out as she leaves. He watches her run off and returns to his room, his eyes locked on the Virtual Reality helmet on his desk. He puts it on, plugs it in, and watches the clock turn to 1:00. A smile creeps on his face as he initiates the program.
"Link start!" With that, his blank user interface turns into a stunning white. Colors begin to flash as the system checks itself, approving of every bit of hardware. He chooses his language, logs in, and a pop-up reads "Character Creation, Kirito(M): Beta test data still available. Would you like to use it?" He clicks yes, and a banner reads "Welcome to Sword Art Online."
A tunnel replaces the banner, and he is transported to a courtyard, his drab and gloomy room replaced by a bright and clean brick floor. Tall pillars hold up a large ceiling. He looks to his hands, and clenches a fist in achievement.
"I'm back in this world!" He happily said as players begin to enter into the game. His black hair is replaced by longer blue and his clothes are now armored. Fireworks and confetti celebrate their arrival. A sign reads "Floor 1: Town of Beginnings". People converse with one another, waiting to get started. Friends congratulate each other for being there, people try to arrange parties, and so forth. Kirito run through the streets, not bothering to start any small talk. A man in a red bandana looks up from the swords he was admiring and follows him.
"Hey, you there!" The man calls after Kirito. Kirito slows to a stop and turns around to face him.
"Me?" Kirito asks. The man rests his hands on his knees, breathless.
"You move like you've been here before. You were in the beta test, right?" He asks desperately.
"Y-yeah." Kirito answered.
"Today's my first day. Show me the basics, okay," The man requested. Kirito hesitated. "I'm begging you! My name's Klein. Nice to meet you." Kirito smiled.
"I'm Kirito." Kirito led Klein to a small field where there were several boars. Klein tried to attack with his sword, but was immediately knocked to the ground.
"Right in the crotch!" He hugged his midsection.
"Give me a break. You don't feel any pain, right?" Kirito asked.
"Oh, yeah. Just habit, I guess." He slowly stood up. Kirito could see that some of Klein's HP had dropped.
"I told you. What's important is your initial motion input." Kirito explained.
"Sure, I get that, but he keeps moving around." Klein answered. The boar snorted.
"If you do the motion input right," Kirito said as he picked up a pebble "and activate a sword skill," Kirito's interface showed the boar's lowered health. The pebble in his hand turned a bright purple, and a humming noise emanated from it. He threw it hard, striking the boar's rump, making it squeal "The system will ensure that the technique connects." The boar turned around, pawing at the ground.
"Motion input... Motion input..." Klein repeated to himself, readying his sword.
"How should I put it," Kirito asked as he easily dodged the boar's charge, then blocking the second "Add a slight pause, and when you feel the skill begin to activate, let it explode."
"Explode?" Klein muttered. Then he took a stance, placed the blade behind his back, and let the attack charge. Immediately, a bright orange hue took the place of the blade's metallic surface. Kirito smiled, knowing he had taught well. He raised his sword, and kicked the boar toward Klein. Klein let out a yell and sent the sword through the boar, leaving an orange line where the sword made contact. The boar's HP bar turned from yellow into red and then disappeared. It dispersed into shards of green and blue, and a box that read "Result: Exp:24, Col:30, Items:2"
"All right!" Klein celebrated.
"Congrats," Kirito said nonchalantly. They high-fived and Klein still felt giddy. "However," He sheathed his sword in his back sheath, "That boar's about as week as slimes in other games."
"Seriously," Klein asked incredulously, "I thought it was a mid-level boss or something." Kirito chuckled as the game spawned two more boars.
"Of course not," He watched as Klein dispatched them both. "Pretty exciting, isn't it?"
"Yeah! There are lots of skills, right? Like blacksmithing and stuff?" Klein asked as the stabbed at the air.
"Yeah. I've heard there are an unlimited number of skills. However, there's no magic." Kirito answered.
"An RPG without magic? That's a pretty bold decision." Klein said as he slashed the air with his charged sword. He gave a squeal of delight.
"Isn't it more fun to move your body as you fight?" Kirito asked, already knowing the answer. Klein turned to him, a wide smile on his face.
"You're right!" Klein said enthusiastically. Kirito smiled and nodded.
"Okay, let's head to the next one." Kirito suggested.
"Yeah, let's keep going!" By the time they had stopped, it was dusk. The sunlight had cast a beautiful orange tint on everything, and a waterfall created a rainbow unlike any other.
"I still can't believe it, no matter how many times I see it, that we're in a game," Klein remarked.
"Whoever made it is a genius. It's really amazing. Seriously, I'm glad I was born in this time."
"You make a big deal out of everything." Kirito answered, a smile still on his face.
"It's my first full dive!" Klein explained.
"Then this is your first time playing a game with NerveGear?" Kirito asked.
" I rushed out and bought the hardware to play SAO. I was really lucky to get one of the ten thousand copies. Well, you were ten times as lucky, getting into the beta test. Only a thousand people got to do it." Klein said, his voice hiding none of his admiration.
"I guess so." Kirito scratched the back of his head.
"How far did you get in the beta?" Klein inquired.
"Over a couple of months, only to floor 8. But this time, it'll only take a month."
"You're really into this." Klein remarked.
"To be honest, during the beta test, SAO was all I thought about, day and night. In this world, a single blade can take you anywhere you want to go,"Kirito took out his sword and admired it, his eyes scanning the sharp edges, "It's a virtual world, but I still feel more alive here than I do in the real one," he sheathed his sword, "Now then, want to hunt some more?"
"Of course! I'd love to, but I'm really hungry. I'm logging out." Klein said.
"Eating food here only makes you think you're not hungry." Kirito explained. Klein chuckled.
"I already ordered a hot pizza for 5:30."
"You're so prepared." Kirito said.
"Yup! Well, once I've eaten, I'll be back." Klein smiled.
"I see." Kirito said, his voice hinting sadness.
"Hey, after this, I'm meeting up with some people I know from another game. Want to friend them, too?" Klein asked.
"I-" Kirito started but stopped.
"Of course, if you don't want to, that's okay. I'll introduce you another time." Klein answered.
"Yeah, sorry. Thanks." Kirito smiled slightly.
"Hey, that's my line. I'll repay you for this sometime. Mentally," Klein put his hand in Kirito's shoulder. Kirito chuckled, "Thanks so much, man. I'll see you around." He put his hand out.
"If there's anything else you want to know, just tell me." Kirito said as he shook Klein's hand.
"Yeah, I'll do that," Klein answered. He turned and waved, and then swiped the air with his hand, revealing the player menu. Kirito smiled and turned, but stopped when Klein called out, "There's no button to log out."
"Look closer." Kirito suggested.
"No, it's not there."
"At the bottom of the main menu," Kirito swiped the air, bringing up his player menu. He stood in shock as he noticed that there was no log out option.
"See? Not there." Klein said.
"No, it isn't." Kirito answered.
"Well, it's the first day out of beta. There are bound to be some bugs. I'm sure the server people are freaking out."
"In a second you will be, too. It's 5:25." Kirito interjected.
"My teriyaki mayo pizza and ginger ale!" Klein wailed.
"Just hurry and call the game master."
"I tried, but nothing is happening. Is there any other way to log out?" Klein asked, urgency rising in his voice.
"No, if a player wants to log themselves out, they have to go through the menu." Kirito explained.
"That's nuts! There's gotta be some way. Return! Log out! Escape!" Klein yelled as he jabbed his finger at the menu. Clouds began to cover up the sun, casting silhouettes on everything.
"I told you. There wasn't an emergency logout in the manual, either." Kirito explained.
"You're kidding, right? I know! I'll just rip the NerveGear off my head." Klein said as he wrestled with his head, clearly empty of a NerveGear headset.
"You can't. We can't move our real bodies. The NerveGear intercepts anything we tell our bodies to do here."
"Seriously? So we have to wait for them to fix the bug?" Klein asked.
"Or for someone in the real world to remove the NerveGear from us." Kirito answered.
"But I live alone. What about you?"
"I have a mom and a sister. So I think they'll notice by dinnertime-" Kirito stopped as Klein
grasped his shoulders.
"H-How old's your little sister?" Klein demanded.
"She's on a sports team, and she hates games. She has nothing to do with people like us." Kirito retorted.
"That doesn't mat-" Klein was cut short as Kirito's knees jabbed into his crotch. He began to wail in pain but stopped. "Right, it doesn't hurt."
"More importantly, don't you find this weird?"
"Sure, I do. It's a bug." Klein answered.
"It isn't just a bug. If we can't log out, that'll pose a serious problem for the game's future." Kirito explained.
"Come to think of it, you're right." Klein responded.
"If they wanted to, they could just shut down the server and log everyone out. But there isn't even an announcement." Kirito trailed off. Klein was silent in thought. A bell began to ring, echoing across the whole server. The clouds passed from the sun, and the world grew brighter until neither could see. They began to materialize in the courtyard, along with everyone else on the server. People began to loudly express their distress.
"A forced teleport?" Kirito asked to no one in particular. The bell finally stopped.
"Look! Up there!" Someone yelled out. Kirito saw a red hexagon with the word "Warning" flash. It stopped, and was rapidly joined by a mass of millions of red hexagons. The whole server was enshrouded in a hue of red, and a red liquid began to ooze out of several hexagons. The liquid formed together, building on top of itself as everyone watched in silence. The liquid became a hooded figure with no face.
"Attention, players. Welcome to my world." A deep voice rang out.
"'My world'?" Kirito murmured.
"My name is Kayaba Akihiko. As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world. I'm sure you've already 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. It is a feature of Sword Art Online. 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." Cries of distress and protest rose to the sky. Some people tried to leave, but an invisible barrier stopped them.
"What's he talking about? He's gotta be nuts. Right, Kirito?" Klein said to Kirito.
"He's right that the transmitter's signals work just like microwaves. If the safety were disabled, it could fry a brain." Kirito answered.
"Then, if we cut the power..."
"No, the NerveGear has an internal battery." Kirito interrupted.
"But this is crazy," Klein said. "What's going on?!"
"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."
"Two hundred and thirteen?" Kirito asked incredulously.
"I don't believe it... I don't believe it!" Klein said. News articles from around the world materialized in front of Kayaba.
"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. But I want you to remember this clearly. 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," Kirito had a flashback to when he first played in the beta, when a boar's charge had killed his avatar. He snapped back to reality, his fist clenched with rage. "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." Several cries of protest arose.
"Clear all 100 floors? That's impossible. The beta testers never made it anywhere near that high!" Klein yelled.
"Finally," the voice rang out, "I've added a present from me into your item storage. Please see for yourselves." Kirito opened his menu, went to the items tab. It read "Mirror."
"Mirror?" He asked aloud as he pulled it out. Looking into his reflection, he saw a burst of light in the corner of his eye. Klein was surrounded by a bright blue light. Suddenly, everyone was surrounded in the same blue light. It dissipated, and he turned back to Klein.
"You okay, Kirito?" He asked.
"Y-Yeah. Who are you?" He asked Klein, except it didn't look like Klein. His hair was shorter and had the start of a small stubby beard.
"And who are you?" Klein asked. Kirito looked to the mirror. His hair was as his real body shows, pitch black and short, not blue and long. Everyone had been changed. Several players who had claimed to be female proved to be male, and vice verce. Kirito looked around and back at Klein.
"Which means... You're Klein?"
"You're Kirito?" They asked in unison. "How.."
"It can't be... The NerveGear covers your entire head with a high-density signaling device. So it can see what your face looks like. But our height and body shape..." Kirito trailed.
"When we fist used the NerveGear, it had us calibrate it, right? You had to touch your body all over." Klein continued.
"O-oh, right. That must be where it got the data." Kirito said.
"But...But... Why? Why do all this anyway?" Klein asked, the hilarity in his voice rising. Kirito pointed to Kayaba.
"I'm sure he'll tell us." Kirito answered.
"I'm sure you're probably wondering, "Why?" Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do all this? My goal has already been achieved. I created Sword Art Online for one reason. To create this world and intervene in it. And now, it it complete. This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch. Good luck, players." Kayaba began to pixelate, and then he faded from view completely. Instantly, the warning hexagons disappeared, and the world was bathed in its natural light once again. There was a moment of silence, and then mass panic engulfed everyone. No one else but Kirito noticed that the invisible barrier has risen.
"Come with me Klein!" He whispered. Grabbing his wrist, he pulled him with him. He took Klein to an alley. "Listen to me. I'm heading to the next village right now. Come with me. If what he said is true, the only way to survive in this world is by making yourself as strong as possible," Kirito pulled up his map, "The resources within a virtual MMORPG, in other words, the money and EXP we can earn, are limited. The fields surrounding the town of beginnings will soon be hunted clean. To do this efficiently, we should head to the next village now," He showed Klein the map, which had a dot snaking through the twisted paths, "I know all the paths and dangerous areas. Even at level 1, I can get there safely."
"But... But you know... I spent a whole night in line to buy this with my friends from the other game. They're out there, in the plaza. I can't leave them." Klein responded.
If it were just Klein, but two more, or even one more... Kirito thought
"Sorry. I can hardly ask you for anything else, can I? So don't worry about it. Go to the next village. I used to run a guild in my last game. I can use what you taught me to get by!" Klein smiled as he spoke.
"All right. Then let's say goodbye here. If something happens, send me a message." Kirito said over his shoulder as he walked away.
"Will do." Klein responded.
"Okay, goodbye, Klein." Kirito said sadly.
"Kirito," Klein spat out. Kirito stopped. Klein had trouble finding the words he wanted to say. Kirito kept walking on. "Hey, Kirito. You were actually pretty cute," Kirito looked back at Klein, "That's my type." Kirito smiled at the compliment.
"And that unkempt face of yours suits you ten times better." Kirito retorted. He began to go into a full sprint, but stopped. Turning to look at Klein, he found that Klein had already left, leaving him to himself. He gave a look of quick remorse, but forced himself to continue on. He had a mission, and he wanted to fulfill it. He was in the fields very quickly, not once dropping his pace. He thought of home, of his sister, of his mother. Those thoughts spurred him on like never before. He thought of Klein. He thought of the family who had lost their son. A wolf suddenly spawned in front of him. Yelling loudly, he drew his sword, and struck it quickly across its side, leaving a thin blue line before it dispersed into nothingness.
"I am going to survive in this world!" He shouted, letting the whole world know who he was.