It should go without saying, but I don't own Sword Art Online or any of the characters unless stated otherwise. It belong to Kawahara Reki, ASCII Media Works, and A-1 Pictures. I merely own all things to do with the game used in the story, «NeuroBlade Online».

[==={|==============|}===]

"Electronics stores all over Japan are bustling with an insane amount of activity on this ordinary Sunday afternoon. The reason for this sudden public interest is due to the release of the long anticipated «NerveGear» successor, the «NAViGATOR». This new «FullDive» device has taken the Japanese gaming community by storm, with the merger of the two titans in Virtual Reality simulation, «ARGUS Software» and «RECTO Process Incorporated» back in July of last year. «ARGUS-RECTO Softworks», the company that produced the «NAVi», had shown the world the device's power in a live demonstration at the «Tokyo Game Show» earlier this year, showing a game developed by «Sword Art Online» creator, Akihiko Kayaba. The game, now known as «NeuroBlade Online», is said to be a sci-fi and cyberpunk themed «VRMMORPG», and would feature a completely new engine developed by Akihiko-san and his new in-house development team, «WiRED»."

As per usual, the news stream contained no details about the device and game in question that he didn't already know. With a quick click, he closed the tab containing the stream, and checked his clock, anticipation welling up with each passing second.

11:50 AM

"Only ten more minutes…" the boy thought to himself. Sighing, he checked his email one final time. His inbox was lit up by dozens of messages informing him of forum posts on threads he was an active member of. They were threads that dedicated themselves to talking about whichever «VRMMO» was the current highlight in the gaming community. He had been a member for as long as the genre existed, and was one of the lucky ones who had gotten to play the beta of the genre's progenitor, «Sword Art Online».

In fact, because he was able to land the final blow on the 100th floor boss of «SAO», he had been invited to participate in the week-long closed beta event held this past summer. He was a part of a selective 200 people who spent a week in an executive suite rented by «WiRED», the game developers, to play the beta. It was truly an experience that he would likely never forget.

11:55 AM

As he was about to close his email client, he noticed he had an email from one of players he had met in the beta. To be specific, it was his "partner" for that week. While he had not met them in real life, he trusted them to a great extent. They had each other's backs, and even after the week was over, they had decided to keep in contact. Smiling, he opened the email and read it to himself, reading the last sentence aloud.

"'I'll see you in our usual meet-up place in Sector 0…'" Chuckling as he finished the message, he closed the client, not bothering to type up a response. "See you there… partner."

11:58 AM

He moved from his computer over to his bed, and picked up the device that he had gotten in the mail that morning: The «NAViGATOR». The device wasn't much to look at, as it shared a similar aesthetic to that of the «NerveGear», if only a little sleeker in design. Slipping it onto his head, he found it to be much more comfortable to wear than its predecessor. It wasn't like comfort was a big deal, but still, it was nice.

He had already completed the calibration process, so that wasn't an issue; he would be able to dive right into the game. Lying down, he looked at the built in clock, and watched is as the seconds ticked away.

11:59 AM

Tick…

Tock…

Tick…

Tock…

12:00 PM

This was it; it was time to return to that world.

"LINK START!"

In mere moments, he was at the all too familiar log-in screen. Unlike the login process of «SAO», which kept his beta information, he had to create his account from scratch. This was due to the nature of the beta period, and it couldn't be carried over as a result. As for why he couldn't import his character from «SAO», it was due to the fact the engine was completely different. Besides, even if he could he wouldn't. He had built his «SAO Avatar» to a ridiculous level, and if that carried over, the challenge of the game he had experienced during the beta would be non-existent. He didn't want an unfair advantage in this game.

~Please enter your player information to proceed to the character creation menus.~

Family Name: Kirigaya

First Name: Kazuto

Desired Username: «Kirito»

Gender: Male

Age: 16

Class: «Phase Knight»

~User Data Accepted. ~

He smiled, and was brought to a very elaborate character creation interface, complete with a multitude of sliders and dials. Tinkering with it for a little while, he ended up creating a character much like his «SAO Avatar», which bore a typical "RPG Hero" look to it, with a few subtle tweaks. The end result was a man wearing a simple set of black «Beginner's Gear», complete with the cybernetic features found in the «Phase Knight» class build. Cybernetic arms, and some cybernetically enhanced legs for the speed the class was known for during the beta.

~Are these settings acceptable? ~

"Yes."

~Acknowledged, please step into the circle of light now present in front of you. ~

Nodding, the boy now known as «Kirito» stepped into the circle. The light then flared brightly, blinding him for a few seconds. Moments later, his vision returned to him, and he was presented with the flourishing cyberpunk cityscape that he remembered.

~Welcome to NeuroBlade Online, «Kirito». ~

The voice chimed into his ear while he took in the sight of the ever awe-inducing landscape of the city. Memories of his time in this city, such as retrieving quests and buying gear filled his head as he took a deep breath. He was happy to finally be back.

"I see that «Origin City» hasn't changed much since I was last here," he said to himself, chuckling for no real reason at all. Not wanting to waste any more time, and having a grasp on the game without the need of the «Tutorial», he broke off into a dash to go meet his partner from the beta.

[==={|======= «NeuroBlade Online» =======|}===]

A «Sword Art Online» Alternate Universe Fanfiction

Written by: The Krawling KhaoS

Act 1

[==={|======= Chapter 1: Activation Sequence =======|}===]

The keys of her keyboard clattered frantically as she waited for the software to finish installing, each passing second was more irritating than the last. To think she had to cancel her plans for the day because something like this had intrigued her. Then again, the only reason she was here was because she wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. Well, perhaps that wasn't the only reason she was here.

It had been her curiosity that kept her going with this hobby, despite all of the things she should be doing with her time. It was the initial pursuit of knowledge that had brought her here, and that was enough to break the proverbial ice. She was brought into the allure of this kind of thing by her desire to learn more about the worlds that entranced her brother.

And boy, did she learn why. Just over a year ago, 15-year-old Kirigaya Suguha made contact with a rather meek boy in her class; the boy's name was Nagata Shinichi. He was the one who introduced her to the world of «Alfheim Online»; a world that she fell more in love with the more time she spent in it. The system based on actual skill was easy enough for her to get used to, and it allowed for her to balance her kendo and her time in the game. One thing that she particularly liked about the game was the «Flight» system. She loved feeling that flying gave her, and the strength that being «Leafa», her in-game «Sylph» persona, brought with it. Heck, she even got better at kendo through the combat in the game. That was the last thing she expected to gain from the experience.

So when she heard that her brother had gotten invited to the beta test for a new «VRMMO», she became interested. She had been trying to figure out how to approach her brother about her experiences in the virtual world, and this game seemed like the ideal way of doing so. So when the pre-orders went up for it, she instantly put the money forward and waited patiently for the release. This was a rather spontaneous decision, as she was originally planning to use that money on a shinai. She figured trying to close the gap between her brother and her was more important than kendo. It allowed her to believe she made the right decision. There were times where she regretted it, but in the end, she knew it would be worth it.

The only thing that was disappointing about the game was the lack of the «Flight» system she loved from «ALO». Then again, she should have expected that the game would lack one, given it wasn't so much a fantasy title, but rather, it was a sci-fi oriented title. Sighing, she finished the last bit of her homework, not wanting to fall behind in her studies because of a videogame. She figured her brother was probably neglecting his in favor of starting the game the moment it launched. Upon closing her internet browser, she got notification that the game had indeed finished installing.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, pushing her fist into the air. Before long, she was lying on her bed, with the «NAViGATOR» placed firmly on her head. "Here I come, Onii-chan…"

Checking the clock, she found that it had been a half hour since the game had officially launched. She knew her brother was probably having a heck of a time grinding up his character. Given how excited he was when his copy came in the mail, she knew he was going to be logged on all night. Well, until dinner at the very least.

Not wanting to delay this any longer, she spoke out the two 'magic words' that formed the "first spell" she had cast as a member of the virtual gaming world.

"LINK START!"

After a few seconds passed, she found herself standing on what she figured was the login point for all new players. Given that around 99% of the players were new to this particular game, they were likely all greeted with this. A virtual keyboard appeared in front of her.

~Please enter your player information to proceed to the character creation menus. ~

Family Name: Kirigaya

First Name: Suguha

Desired Username: «Leafa»

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Class: «Phase Knight»

~User Data Accepted. ~

Suguha wasted no time calibrating her character's appearance to resemble her «ALO Avatar». After a few minutes of fiddling with the dials and sliders, she was presented with a rather acceptable rendition of whom she knew as her alternate self: «Leafa».

~Are these settings acceptable? ~

"Yes."

~Acknowledged, please step into the circle of light now present in front of you. ~

Suguha did as instructed by the system, closed her eyes, and felt herself be warped into a world that was nothing like the worlds she knew. Upon opening her eyes, she was no longer the little sister of Kirigaya Kazuto, nor was she a rising star in the world of kendo that was Kirigaya Suguha. No, she was now «Leafa», a former resident of the world of «Alfheim Online».

~Welcome to NeuroBlade Online, «Leafa».~

Taking her first step off the entry platform, Leafa took in her surroundings. They were bright and colorful, but not in the magical way «ALO» was. No, this brightness was far more realistic. The post-modern look of the city reminded her of the center of Tokyo late at night, but this was during the day. The world was far more mesmerizing than she had initially thought; it was breathtaking in different kind of way than «Alfheim Online» was.

"Now… I think I'll go check out the tutorial…" she thought. "I don't want to be killed by some weak mob because I don't understand the mechanics of the game. If Onii-chan found out, he'd probably laugh at me... he can be such a jerk sometimes."

[==={|==============|}===]

Clicking her door shut, the 17-year-old Yuuki Asuna sighed a breath of relief. Finally, she could have a day to herself; a day without the hustle and bustle of being the daughter of a well-off family. A day away from all of the fancy prep-schools; from the excess number of duties she needed to perform to 'keep their family's good reputation.' This often equated to shaking the hands of strangers at some large get together, or studying to ace the next high school test.

As she was approaching the time of her life when she needed to focus on acing entry exams for college, mostly to appease her mother, she had little time where she could revel in her hobbies. Hell, since she had started high school, the pressure on her from her mother became more and more unbearable. So as a small act of defiance, she tried out her brother's copy of the «VRMMO» that changed her life, «Sword Art Online». In actuality, it didn't really change much about her life, but it made her a lot feel better. She could take her ever building stress out on some mobs, or other players that decided it would be fun to piss her off.

Playing a videogame with her free time was not something her mother condoned, but she did little to stop her daughter from doing it. Asuna had told her that she was playing the game to simply relieve stress, and she accepted the excuse. However, the more she played, the more she came to really enjoy the virtual reality she had created. She felt happy playing «SAO»; she felt more free in the confines of a virtual space then she did in actual reality. She sometimes wished she could live inside the digital world, but denounced the idea as quickly as she thought it up; she knew that being in a digital world would be fun, but impractical. That, and she didn't want to feel like some character in a movie from the turn of the millennia.

Normally, when she had a day to herself like this, she would simply slide into some more comfortable clothes, slip on the «NerveGear», and log into «SAO». She would then proceed to level up once or twice, finish a handful of quests, and possibly fight a boss with the other players. Of course, these bosses were usually «Event Bosses», as the 100 bosses of «Aincrad» had been slain a little over 2 months ago.

Today was different however, and it was most certainly a good different; today was a fresh start in a new world. Asuna had been looking forward to this day for a good while, probably more than the average "hardcore gamer". Indeed, today was the launch of the highly anticipated «NeuroBlade Online», which was something she had found a little odd. It wasn't the game that she found odd; rather, it was the fact the game's launch was on a Sunday. Her father had told her this was due to the fact that it was a brand new game on a brand new platform, and as such, they wanted to capitalize on the potential buyers not buying anything else while they were out. She found this entire idea silly, but it proved effective in a way. Sunday was normally just the end of a week, but this particular Sunday was special because of the release of the «NAViGATOR» and the game that came with it: «NeuroBlade Online».

As such, Asuna had gotten her copy the moment she woke up, thanks to her father's position in «ARS». In fact, it had all been installed while she had been out with her family to see her brother and his new wife on their honeymoon. So once she had changed into something far more comfortable than the ritzy she for wore for the occasion, she slid the brand new «FullDive» device onto her head, pausing a moment to get used to the feeling of newness it had. It felt strange to be using a new device after using a «NerveGear» for so long, but seeing as the «NAViGATOR» had once been called the «NerveGear II», it didn't feel too strange. It was oddly similar, yet different. The feeling confused her slightly, but she didn't let it bother her.

Lying down, she listened to the device spring to life. After what felt like a microsecond, the VR helmet was ready, and so was she.

"LINK START!"

Finding herself on the traditional login area, she wasted no time in entering her information.

~Please enter your player information to proceed to the character creation menus. ~

Family Name: Yuuki

First Name: Asuna

Desired Username: «Asuna»

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Class: «Phase Knight»

~User Data Accepted. ~

She then spent a decent amount of time tweaking the model of her «Avatar», before hitting the «Confirm» button, satisfied with the results.

~Are these settings acceptable? ~

"Yes."

~Acknowledged, please step into the circle of light now present in front of you. ~

After doing so, and being temporarily blinded, Asuna found herself standing on what she assumed was the «Entry Platform». She was immediately intrigued by the unique style the game had. The mix of gritty realism and bright colors almost sounded insane to the part of her brain that had grown fond of the scenery that the world of «Aincrad» had offered. However, much to her own surprise, she liked the way it looked. It was unique in comparison to most «VRMMO» worlds; it had a level of charm that had been woven in the metaphorical fabric of this reality.

~Welcome to NeuroBlade Online, «Asuna».~

Looking down at herself, taking note of the robotic joints she now had. Interestingly enough, when she touched her two metal hands together, she found she could still feel with them. Sure, there was no fleshy feeling, but the metal was oddly warm, despite being completely synthetic in the context of the game's world. She figured the creators of the game did this as to not make people feel off when they logged out. Since these worlds were being projected into your brain, the lack of virtual nerves in a metal limb could cause negative effects on the body in real life, such as loss of motor non-vital motor functions. This was often called «Temporary Motor Dysfunction» by doctors who often dealt with cases attached to other «VRMMOs»

"Still, it's going to take some getting used to," she commented aloud. Stretching her mechanical muscles, she decided to check out the tutorial. She hadn't done so in «SAO», and as a result, she was lost as to what to do for a good month; that was certainly an experience she didn't want to relive in this game. That was especially the case if the game was as hard as she had heard online.

"I wonder if the «Black Swordsman of Aincrad» is here...?" she thought to herself, walking out of the central plaza. He was the player who had landed the last strike on the final boss of «SAO», and was supposedly given an invitation to the beta. She hadn't personally met him outside of the occasional times she went to fight a «Floor Boss» with her guild, but she nevertheless wondered if he was here in this world right now. I wonder if I'll run into him? Probably not... oh well."

[==={|==============|}===]

Kirito,

As I write this, it's about 11:40 in the morning, so the game will officially launch in about 20 minutes. I can't really tell you how strange it is for me to actually look forward to meeting a person who is almost a complete stranger in a videogame, but I trust you will take my word for it. I remember the time we partied together in the beta, and I'm grateful for how willing you were to partner with me back then.

I don't really know what else to say, but I figured that we could meet up and continue our "partnership" in-game. I'm usually alone for these kinds of things, but given the game's difficulty, I figured a fellow 'lone wolf' such as yourself would be okay partying with me. If you don't want to, then I have no qualms finding someone else. Of course, I want to work with one I can trust with my life, and you are the most qualified. So with that said, I have spent about 12 or so minutes typing this message, and will likely spend another few minutes proofreading it. I guess the fact I have an online acquaintance is still new to me, and I want it to work out as well as it can.

I'll see you in our usual meet-up place in Sector 0.

Sinon

After reading it over, Asada Shino grimaced. She wasn't completely satisfied with the way she worded things, but given that it took her as long as it did to write the email in the first place, she figured she should just leave it as is and send it. She wished she had more time to make the message contained in the email look more professional, but if she didn't send it now, he would more than likely miss it.

For Shino, having an online friend was something she didn't really expect to have for a while. She was still having trouble making friends in real life, having only one real friend to fall back on. Sure, their relationship may not yet be that of 'friends', but still, she figured that was the best way to word it. She found it inconvenient to refer to him as 'her partner from the beta,' and as such, simply started calling him her 'friend.' While the term 'acquaintance' was a far more fitting term, she sort of liked the idea of having another 'friend' around her age, even if they only knew each other online. From what she had read, online friendships were not uncommon, and often lead to lifelong friendships. Of course, going by information on the internet on the subject wasn't the smartest idea.

A part of her wanted to add the phrase 'Maybe some time this week we can meet up in real life and do something?' into her message, but she ultimately decided against it. She had only really known Kirito for about 2 months, so she didn't know if she was mentally prepared for the act of meeting an online 'friend' in real life. There was also the question "what if he knew about the incident in her past?" that held her back from trying to meet up in real life. How would he react upon learning about that fateful day in the post office? She found herself asking this question every time she emailed Kirito, wondering if she should bring it up at all. Everytime she thought of telling him about it, she backed down at the last minute; the fear of being judged for her actions back then holding her back.

She had also considered inviting him to play «Gun Gale Online» with her at some point, but decided against it as well, but for a more practical reason. They met through the beta for «NeuroBlade Online», and as such, it was only logical that they partied up together in «NBO» instead of «GGO», or the game he played regularly, «Sword Art Online». That, and she no competent ability with close range weapons; she was far more experienced with ranged weapons, as she played a «Sniper» build in «GGO». She had heard recently that «SAO» had apparently recently made bows usable, as the game had long since been cleared. As for him playing «GGO», she figured he would not last long with a simple «Energy Sword» in a world of guns.

Glancing over at her desktop clock once again, she noticed the time was now 11:54 AM, and hit the send button so Kirito would see it before he went into 'Gaming Mode.'

"Knowing him, I likely won't get a reply... Well, I did tell him where he could find me once he logs on," she said to herself, placing the «NAVi» on her head. She lied down and made herself as comfortable as possible, despite the fact that she would not really notice until she logged out. Still, she liked to think it helped with the overall «FullDive» experience. Infact, she remembered reading that the more comfortable you are, the better the flow of information was.

As the minutes ticked away into seconds, she thought about how she and Kirito would go about their first day back in the world they had first met.

"We'll probably grind for a while before tackling a simple quest… not that I mind at all."

She watched as the clock ticked to twelve, and smirked. This was it, the moment she had to be ready for, lest she wanted to be left in her 'partner's' dust.

"LINK START!"

As the device whisked her mind away to the typical login and character creation menus, she felt her soul be coated in a thin layer of frost. Shino began to slip into the mind of her more cold and calculating half, her digital persona, «Sinon». As this game had access to a number of long range weapons, she was able to click into her ice-sniper mind incredibly easily.

~Please enter your player information to proceed to the character creation menus. ~

Family Name: Asada

First Name: Shino

Desired Username: «Sinon»

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Class: «Arc Ranger»

~User Data Accepted. ~

As she had remembered all of her settings from the beta, she had spent less time in the character creation process than most other players, and was able to log-in faster.

~Are these settings acceptable? ~

"Yes."

~Acknowledged, please step into the circle of light now present in front of you. ~

Doing as instructed, the girl that now donned the name «Sinon» stepped into the light circle, and was whisked away to the world she had visited some time ago.

~Welcome to NeuroBlade Online, «Sinon».~

As a result of her memory allowing her to speed through the character creation menus, the world was slightly less populated than it would be in due time. She took this opportunity to get a head start on her trip to the usual meeting place for both her and Kirito: a little café. She decided to pass the time by seeing if they had fixed the problem they had with the taste simulation coding. As she recalled, the tea she had received during the beta had tasted like what she could only describe as 'burnt grass and mustard.' The phrasing seemed a little weird in her mind, but it definitely fit the tea that day. As a result, she had avoided drinking tea throughout the beta period, and merely logged off to make her own. At least then it wouldn't have such a bizarre taste.

"I wonder how many «Arc Rangers» there are going to be? People likely will the «Class Descriptions», but they'll probably think they hold the advantage because of their range... despite the fact that isn't the case." she mumbled to herself as she walked to the café. It was true though, despite the fact the class had an affinity for long-ranged weapons, the class was simply as balanced as any other. It only posed a few advantages against the other classes, but it also had it's own set of disadvantages the other classes could exploit. This information was also readily available on the forums that talked about the game, and the average gamer could use it as they saw fit. Of course, this didn't mean that everyone would use it, and some may not realize that the class had such disadvantages until they lose in a «PvP» based event.

Upon reaching the café, she decided to wait for Kirito rather than try the tea. She'd rather wait for him to try his first before sipping at hers, and knowing him, it wouldn't be that long of a wait. Then again, she doubted he wanted to waste time on this sort of thing when the game just started.

The café bore the name «Scapegoat Café», which was an odd name for a café.Then again, this was a world that was full of bizarre names, and given it's science fiction themes, it made sense to have odd names for things. She took a seat at one of the tables outside the café, and waited for her 'partner' to arrive.

[==={|==============|}===]

"Congratulations on a complete recovery, Konno-san," the nurse said, smiling at the young girl who sat on the edge of the bed in front of her. The girl, Konno Yuuki, up until about a month ago, had been listed as a 'terminal patient.' Her family, due to a contaminated batch of blood during a transfusion for her mother, had been infected with the deadly Human Immunodeficiency Virus, commonly referred to as HIV, which developed into Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, better known as HIV/AIDS. A disease that has killed millions had affected such a innocent soul from the moment she was born. It was truly devastating, and it had made her life rather difficult from the moment she was born.

Between the countless medical expenses to treat her family, and the loss of her parents and sister, Yuuki had seen nothing but death stem from her dire situation. All seemed relatively hopeless for the young girl, but she never gave up. She kept wishing upon shooting stars, wishing that she could get better.

And then salvation came in the form of an experimental treatment method. It had been in development since she was about two years old, and it was not a guaranteed success. They said it had a fifty-fifty chance of success, and that they had yet to test it on a human being. The doctors told her that it had been able to kill the virus in a controlled environment, and that they have been looking for a person who was willing to test it. Not having much to lose, she accepted the offer, and was put into a program.

The program's name was «Isao», named after the greek goddess of cures and remedies. It involved several types of injections and an "incubation" period for it to take affect. During this time, she was placed in the experimental «MediCuboid», a modified form of the «NerveGear» device known for its «FullDive» capabilities. The goal of the procedure was to allow for the injections to force the Immune System to neutralize and draw out the genetic mutation that allowed for the AIDs to form so they could kill it at the root through radiation, much like a cancer patient.

There were two downsides to this treatment however. The first of which is that you will essentially be in a controlled medical coma for 16 months, so you will require physiotherapy once it's complete. That was the lesser of two evils in the long run.

The second downside is that there was a chance that it could make the condition worse by targeting the wrong parts of the immune system. This would cause the virus to advance and due to the physically weakened state of the person, it would more than likely end their life within several days.

Thankfully, in the case of Yuuki, she was one of the lucky ones to not face the second downside of the process, and successfully made it through the program in one piece. It had left her sore for a while, but that didn't stop her from successfully recovering.

At the ripe age of 14, she had beat one of the world's deadliest illnesses, and it was all thanks to the miracles of modern science. She thanked all the stars she wished upon for this second chance at life, and she knew she wasn't going to waste it.

"Thank you for everything Nurse Aki," Yuuki said, beaming at the nurse that had been involved in her treatment process from the day she started the program that saved her life. Aki had been a kind woman in the short time that Yuuki had known her, and was grateful for her support throughout her physiotherapy. "It feels good to finally be cleared to leave the hospital after so long!"

"Your welcome Yuuki, I'm glad to have been helpful to you," the nurse said, smiling at the girl's kind words. She had been a good patient, and Aki was genuinely happy to see the girl in good health at long last. "It must feel great to finally be able to leave the hospital."

"Yup! I'm pretty thrilled actually... although I wish Nee-san and my parents could leave with me..." Yuuki said with a slight frown. The sad fact that her parents had unfortunately passed away several years ago, and her sister had died around the time Yuuki started the program that ultimately cured her of her then terminal illness weighed heavy on the young girl's mind. "But... they're watching me from heaven, so it's like they're here with me right now!"

"That's right, and they must be very proud of your recovery."

Yuuki looked over at the clock, and noticed it was nearly noon. According to the doctors, she was going to be living with her Aunt and Uncle, whom were listed as her next of kin by her parents should they pass on. She had remembered meeting them when she was younger, and they were incredibly nice from what she remembered, so she didn't mind living with them. If she remembered correctly, they couldn't have children of their own. She could imagine how happy the idea of having a child in their life would make them, even if it technically wasn't there's. They were running a little late, but she didn't mind the wait.

"They'll be here soon, Yuuki. They said they would be a little late, but couldn't wait to bring you home."

Home. That was a word that she almost forgot the meaning of. For the past few years, the hospital had been her 'home,' which was something that came with the territory of being terminally ill. Now that she was no longer in any danger, she could finally have a 'home' of her own again. Even if it was with family members that were more or less strangers, but that didn't matter. She had a home, and that was all that mattered to her.

As the clock struck noon, another nurse walked into the room, and with her were two adults that looked vaguely familiar. They were the people who had stepped up to take care of her. Yuuki smiled brightly at them, with them smiling back at her.

"Hello Yuuki... its been about seven years since we last saw you. I'm your Uncle Jiro, and this is your Aunt Manami. We're going to be taking care of you starting today," the man said, his arms splayed open to offer a hug, which Yuuki greatly accepted. She hugged him tightly, with Manami joining them for a group hug. Yuuki had almost forgotten that she hadn't had a hug like this in years, and she was incredibly happy. "We have something for you back home, to celebrate your recovery."

"You do?" Yuuki asked, eyes on the verge of tears. The joy of having a family was something she missed, and was ever grateful to the stars that granted her wish to get better. The fact that they had got her a gift to say both 'congratulations,' and 'welcome home' was something she didn't expect, but she was never the less grateful.

"Yes, we got you something we're sure you're going to love," her Aunt said, smiling at the happy young girl. Yuuki's face lit up like a child's on Christmas day as she hugged them again.

After Yuuki's new guardian's signed her release forms, and a short car ride, Yuuki was in her new home, in her room. It was somewhat bare in terms of decoration, but the one thing that stood out was the new looking computer on the nice maplewood desk. Attached to it with a cable was a headset that she remembered reading about the other day. It was the new «NAViGATOR», the device that was currently all the rage, because it was brand new, and there was a new game bundled with it. She quickly ran over to her bed and slipped it on, so eager that she forgot to go and thank her guardians for the gift.

It felt strange, wearing a helmet like this again. It reminded her of the time she first logged into the virtual world through the «MediCuboid», and how she went «Game Hopping» with some other terminally ill kids. It was a fun experience, and now, she got to try something that wasn't there to help her get better, but rather something that would bring her enjoyment.

She ran through the calibration tests as instructed, before laying on her bed, with the simple instruction "Say 'LINK START' to begin your diving experience." She wasted no time doing so.

"LINK START!"

A flurry of color and light filled her vision, before she found herself standing in a room with a keypad in front of her.

~Please enter your player information to proceed to the character creation menus. ~

Family Name: Konno

First Name: Yuuki

Desired Username: «Yuuki»

Gender: Female

Age: 14

Class: «Phase Knight»

~User Data Accepted. ~

Yuuki had entered everything as she saw fit for this game. She specifically chose the «Phase Knight» class due to the fact that it seemed like it was the easiest to understand. Most of the other games she had played involved her using a sword, so it was also the most logical choice, given the «Class Description».

After fiddling around with the sliders and dials of the character creator, she was left gaping in awe at her created metal arms were a feature she found to be incredibly strong and cool looking; she couldn't wait to begin using them as her own arms.

~Are these settings acceptable? ~

"Yup."

~Acknowledged, please step into the circle of light now present in front of you. ~

Glancing forward, she made note of the circle of light that was now present in front of her, just as the «System Voice» had told her. She did as instructed, and once again her vision filled with light as she felt herself being transported into the game's world. A few seconds later, she found her vision cleared, and she was left staring at a huge city scape that was full of lights, despite the fact it wasn't even dark yet.

~Welcome to NeuroBlade Online, «Yuuki».~

The system voice chimed in her head as she took in her surroundings.

"Wow... so pretty!" she said as she rushed forward, almost bumping into a girl as she did so. Careful not to intrude on someone else's first experience of the world, she stepped over to a less crowded spot as she looked around. She wondered how many players there were, since it was clear that the game had been up and running for a little while. "Well... I think I should head to the «Tutorial Area»... wherever that is."

Tinkering with the menus, which operated the same as the other games she had played in the past, she managed to find a map and where she was headed. With this information in mind, she dashed off in the direction of the tutorial, excited to be both out of the hospital and in this new world.

[==={|==============|}===]

As he ran through the streets of «Origin City», Kirito took in the sights and the simulated smells with a smile. It had been far too long since he had last played this game, and he really couldn't wait to get to grinding. It had been far too long since he had been able to grind with a goal in mind. Once «SAO» had been cleared, there was only the occasional «Event Boss», which took all the fun out of grinding. The fights were far easier than initial 100 bosses, and even the «Extra Boss» in the Labyrinth below «Starting City», which was on par with the «Final Boss» in terms of difficulty.

With all this in mind, Kirito was actually more the happy playing a new game, having to start from square one once again. Working his way through each «Sector» and «Zone» whilst grinding and completing quests would feel incredibly rewarding, a feeling he missed while playing «SAO» as of late. It was one of those games that lost it's challenge after it had been cleared, which was a huge disservice to it's devoted playerbase in his mind. Sure, the developers had moved on to make the game he was now playing, but it still made little sense to leave a game without any
updates other than the «Event Bosses» on occasion.

He longed for that feeling of progress that had motivated him to become stronger in the past. Given this game's difficulty being much higher than «SAO's», it only made sense that the feeling he was longing for would return in full force.

The sights, sounds, and smells of this new world were a welcome change of pace for the «Black Swordsman», having grown tired of «SAO's» rather basic sensory algorithm. «NeuroBlade Online» was designed for a far more capable piece of hardware, and it really showed in the world's design.

It looked more realistic than the games developed on the «SEED» engine of past games. The feeling that this game created felt more like a "simulated dream" than prior «VR» titles, which was a huge improvement. Everything felt more vivid, more alive in this world, despite the fact it was largely science fiction inspired. The contrast of character models and textures was far less noticeable, and everything seemed real. Sure, you could still tell this was a virtual world, since technology hasn't advanced to that point as of yet, but the upgrade was nice.

The feeling of his robotic arms felt both natural yet not. It moved and acted like a normal arm, as expected, but it also had it's own set of intricacies. While it acted as an arm, it was capable of more, as it wasn't made of flesh and bone. It could be upgraded by specialists, like the odd NPC or a player that had the «Manufacturing» skill. If a player wished for additional abilities for their robotic limbs and implants, they need only get the required items for the synthesis.

Kirito wondered what the true extent of upgrades were. In the beta, he remembered having a few done by an NPC in «Zone 3». It was an interesting feeling, having something inserted into your arm. «NBO» featured an advanced sensory algorithm, so the sensations that the player feels are more realistic. So having something being inserted into your metal arm feels like something is being shoved through the skin of your actual arm, and it was somewhat awkward. He often thought of it being a similar feeling to having surgery done on your arm. The only difference is there is no skin, so the it lacked the feeling of skin being parted.

He interrupted his own thoughts by realizing he was already at the café he and Sinon usually me up. Glancing at the table to the left of the door, he noticed his partner from the beta sitting there, waiting for him. He felt kind of bad for making her wait, but given that it was only about a quarter-after-noon, he didn't think she had been waiting long. At most she had been waiting for about five minutes.

"Hey," he greeting, waving slightly with his metal appendage. Taking note of his presence, she watched him take his usual seat across from her, getting himself comfortable in the chair. "Did you wait long?"

"Not really, I've only been here for about seven or so minutes," she replied, her ice cold eyes looking straight at his own. Kirito felt himself shiver, as if her eyes actually made him cold; no matter how many times he saw those eyes, he would always feel the frosty glare begin to freeze him in place. He wasn't sure if the thought excited him or not, but he didn't think now was the best time to be thinking about that. "I remembered all of my settings from the beta, so I didn't take too much time making my character."

"That makes sense, that's probably the most time consuming part of having to start from scratch," he said, standing up from his chair. He began to wonder why he even sat down in the first place, since he knew they wouldn't waste time sipping at coffee or tea when they could be grinding. "You ready to get to work?"

Sinon nodded, and stood from her chair. Opening her menu, she navigated through it until she came to the section specified for «Party Members». It was currently empty, but she was about to fix that. A few clicks later, a message opened up in front of Kirito.

~«Sinon» would like to add you to her party. Will you accept her invitation?~

Selecting the «Yes» option, he took note of his partner's «Health Points» gauge appearing just below his own on the simple heads up display. Along with her name and «HP» gauge, it displayed her current level and her class, which was represented by a little symbol that looked like a bow. As expected, she went with the «Arc Ranger» class, much like she had in the beta. She had told him in the beta she preferred long range classes, and it clearly showed.

Briefly navigating through his own menus for a moment, he opened his «Party Members» tab, and tapped her name. A brief description of her stats appeared, along with three buttons. These were labeled «Disband», «Track», and «Friend». Tapping the «Friend» button prompted him with another choice.

~Would you like to send a friend request to «Sinon»?~

Once again selecting the «Yes» button, he waited for her to confirm this on her end.

~«Kirito» would like to be friends. Will you accept his request?~

Tapping the «Yes» button, she watched as Kirito grinned a little, while she grinned herself. Normally, neither of them were the type to add anyone to their «Friend List», but given the nature of this game, it seemed convenient to do so.

"Alright, let's get going."

"Right," Sinon replied. The two of them head to the edge of the city to begin the long, arduous process of grinding. They had a long day ahead of them, and they needed to get started as soon as possible.

"Hey! You two!" a masculine voice called out, halting them in their tracks. Turning, Kirito and Sinon found themselves looking at a man garbed in red «Beginner's Gear», with a «Beginner's Sword» on his waist. He had closed the distance between the three of them after running for a moment. "You two were in the beta, right?"

"You can tell?" Kirito asked, confused by the man's question. Of course, the two of them were in the beta, but how did he know? Was he in the beta as well?

"I just assumed you were, since you are clearly not heading in the direction of the «Tutorial» area," the man said, holding out his right hand. "I'm Klein by the way, and incase you are wondering, I wasn't in the beta."

"«Klein»? Weren't you the leader of the «Fuurinkazan» guild in «SAO»?" Kirito asked the man, remembering the name from his time in «Sword Art Online». Fuurinkazan was one of the guilds with a reasonable amount of influence in the floating castle. They were either 4th or 5th in terms of size, in comparison to the many guilds that had populated «Aincrad».

"Ah, then you were from that game too?"

Kirito nods.

"Yeah, I'm «Kirito» from that game... and I'm the same in this game," Kirito replied, chuckling slightly at the amused expression Klein gave him upon hearing his name.

"You... you're that «Kirito»!? You're the «Black Swordsman of Aincrad»!?" Klein exclaimed in shock. Truly, he didn't expect to run into the one who had landed the finishing blow on the «Final Boss» of «SAO» in this new game. He knew that Kirito had won the right to participate in the beta test as a result of his «Last Attack Bonus», but he didn't think he would hear about him until later in the game.

"Some people do call me that," Kirito said, nervously scratching the back of his neck. He had not expected someone to know who he was so soon. "I'd like to start this game with a clean slate though, so what happened back then doesn't really matter."

"I understand. That was one hell of a battle though, right?"

Kirito nods, remembering the brutal final battle in «SAO». It was truly worth being called a 'last boss.'

"Is there a reason you called to us, Klein-san?" Sinon asked, her icy eyes looking at Klein. Klein, noting her frostbite gaze, nervously gave his answer.

"Well... you see... I was hoping you guys could teach a thing or two? The tutorial didn't really explain everything."

Kirito rose an eyebrow at this. The tutorial, from he had remembered in the beta, was actually quite thorough with its information. Kayaba had even stated in an interview that he had made the tutorial more informative after the negative feedback of the tutorial of «SAO». The fact that Klein said it didn't explain everything didn't really make any sense.

"What do you mean? The tutorial is very in-depth," Kirito says, sounding confused. Sinon was equally as confused, knowing how well the tutorial had conveyed information in the beta. It seemed illogical to downgrade the tutorial for the full release.

"Ah, what I meant to say is that I am a more 'hands on' kind of learner, so I didn't really understand the tutorial," Klein said with a nervous laugh. The two partners both sighed at his unwillingness to say so in the first place. If he was concerned about how it made him look, going about it this way only made him seem less like the mighty leader of the guild he once helmed.

"If that was the case, you should have said so in the first place," Sinon said, not amused with Klein thus far. "Why ask us anyway? You could ask just about anyone who has completed the tutorial."

"W-well, I thought it'd be best to ask someone who didn't just learn everything, you know?" he said, feeling the chill of her gaze seeping into his poor soul. If the game was capable of recreating sweat, he would be sweating ice cubes in the shape of bullets. "I mean, you two looked like you were in the beta... so I thought-"

"That you could learn more from a far more experienced player then a fellow newbie?" Kirito asked, interrupting Klein whilst finishing the thought. Klein nodded eagerly in agreement.

"Exactly!"

"Well, I guess I could give you some pointers..." Kirito said more to himself then Klein. The way he saw things, he could give him a quick crash course in the game mechanics while grinding, which would leave them both happy. Klein was getting the better end of the deal, since it would cut into his grinding time a little, but he would feel bad leaving the man confused in this incredibly challenging game. "Alright, you can come with us for now."

"Really? Thanks Kirito, you're a lifesaver!" Klein said ecstatically.

Sinon sighed. This was a slight setback on their schedule, but she figured Kirito wouldn't have it any other way; he was far too noble for that, despite being a «Solo Player» in the past. She had experienced his kindness first hand in the beta, and decided to play along with this situation. Besides, what's the worse that could happen?

[==={|==============|}===]

~To be guaranteed success in this world, it is advised that you party with at least one other person. Good Luck!~

This was the final message of the tutorial of «NeuroBlade Online». It seemed like a simple bit advice to follow, but if only it were that easy. If you didn't know anybody in the game you had no idea if you could trust them with your back. This was overall the greatest flaw in the system of «NeuroBlade Online».

Kayaba had explained his reasoning for this more "teamwork" oriented method in a press release shortly after the debut of the game at «TGS» this past year. According to the press release, the decision was made based on surge of solo players that had begun popping up in other games. There was apparently no incentive to party with anyone in the other games, and Kayaba had said it "took away" from his vision of a "virtual community" made of players. While players interacted, partying had stopped being the method of choice around the time players had made it to «Floor 86» of «SAO».

Other games, such as «Alfheim Online» had a main quest that could only be completed by a collective of players. Although by the time the quest was completed, players were strong enough to play the game without partying for anything other than the odd «Group PvP» event, like an «Arena Match» or the like. In short, Kayaba had thought teamwork was slowly diminishing in the genre. For a developer of a «Massively Multiplayer Online» game, this was a problem.

As if to remedy this, Kayaba had made the challenge of «NeuroBlade Online» virtually impossible to do alone. If a player wanted to play solo, it would require them to dedicate their lives to grinding. The flaw with this mentality is that if you know nobody in the game, you'd feel uncomfortable with partying with a complete stranger. There were players who partied only to get rare drops in other games, often leading to them «Player Killing» the rest of their party to get their items after getting the aforementioned rare drops.

So for a player like Asuna, who knew nobody who played this game, the more team based gameplay was a hinderance rather than an advantage. She sighed as she walked out of the tutorial area, unsure as to what to do. She knew that she could grind for a bit alone, but if she wanted to actually make progress, she would have to bite the bullet and find a partner out of the 19 thousand or so strangers. While the idea certainly wasn't very appealing, she found she had little choice in the matter. The last thing she wanted was to be left behind by the more devoted players who had managed to form a party one way or another.

"I guess I'll just have to find someone who looks trustworthy..." she thought, sighing once again at her dilemma. Looking around, she found herself asking the obvious question. "Who actually looks like they can be trusted?"

Trust was something that she had to be careful with, according to her mother. While she didn't particularly like half of the things her mother had taught her, she found this to be the diamond in the rough of all of her teachings. Trusting the wrong person could put you at risk of something not particularly nice to think about. Anything could go wrong, and as such, Asuna had always been careful when putting her trust in anyone. She refused to trust someone completely just in case, given her status in the real world. Here though, she was a female player, and whether or not they liked to admit it, male gamers can be quite the pigs.

"Maybe I should find a female player to party with?"

Scanning the people leaving the tutorial area, she noted that there were a fair amount of girls in the crowd. She knew that at least half of them had to be the perverted males who play as girls for one reason or another; it was unfair to label them all as perverts, but if their reason was something about getting free gear from male players, it was more than justified. There were some who were likely closet transexuals, which was not that uncommon in Japan, even at this point in time. One would think that in the year 2024 that people would be more open about who they really were. Asuna figured it was because of the stigmata that was associated with people outside of the hetrosexual community that prevented them from being as such, a thought which saddened her.

After giving it some thought, she figured she would ask the next female player she saw, and wouldn't discriminate if they were really a guy. It was taboo to talk about such things in a game like this, but she felt for the sake of security, that she would ask.

The player that had caught her eye was a «Phase Knight» type character, much like herself. She was blonde, with her hair tied up in a neat ponytail. The player's avatar was evidently more curvy than she thinks would fit, but then again, there were girls who lacked confidence in that area that sometimes used these kinds of games to feel better about it. Walking over to her, she presented herself as politely as possible whilst tapping her on the shoulder. The girl turned around, her emerald green eyes looking at Asuna quizzingly.

"Excuse me, but are planning on partying with anyone?" Asuna asked the girl, using the polite tone of voice she had been raised to use in such circumstances by habit. The girl shook her head, and gave a simple reply.

"I don't think I know anyone in this game... except for my older brother, but I have no idea where he is or what his character name is for that matter." she replied.

"Oh, then will you be partying with him if you find him?" Asuna asked.

"Probably... that is, if he believes me when I tell him who I am."

Asuna lifted an eyebrow at this comment.

"Siblings playing the same game, yet one of them not knowing the other one is playing? How odd." she thought to herself.

"Ah, I'm normally not into these kinds of things, but I wanted to see why he was so excited to play this game... so I bought it on a whim," the girl explained, letting out a short nervous chuckle when she finished talking.

"In that case, do you want to form a party with me? I don't really want to be left behind by the other players."

The girl thought about it for a moment, before nodding in agreement.

"Alright, I don't want to be left behind either," the girl said, holding out her hand. "I'm «Leafa» by the way."

"My name is «Asuna», I hope we become good friends Leafa-chan!" Asuna said, grasping Leafa's hand with her own, and giving it a quick shake. "Just out of curiousity, are you actually a girl? I know it's taboo to ask that, but I just want to be sure."

"Haha, I was about to ask you the same thing. I'm a girl, so you don't have to worry about anything sleazy coming from me," Leafa said, giggling at the coincidence. It seemed that great minds thought alike when it came to personal security. "I assume because you asked that you are also...?"

"That's right."

"Good, well, it's good to meet you Asuna-san."

"Likewise, Leafa-chan," Asuna said, smiling at her seemingly new friend. She quickly navigated her menus, and sent the «Party» invite.

~«Asuna» would like to add you to her party. Will you accept her invitation?~

Selecting «Yes», Leafa watched as the addition of Asuna's status bar appeared beneath her own. Like hers, it had a little sword icon, symbolizing her status as a member of the «Phase Knight» class type.

~«Asuna» would like to be friends. Will you accept her request?~

Once again, Leafa was prompted by another question box. She looked over at Asuna, who simply smiled. She assumed that it would be beneficial to add Asuna to her «Friend List», if they ever get separated or disband their party in the future. She accepted, once again pressing the «Yes» option on the box.

With that done, the two girls were ready to begin the process of grinding up their characters to a reasonable level to take on quests.

As the were about to leave, Asuna felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Turning to see who it was, she was greeted with the avatar of another girl, this time with a dark purple hue to her. She gave off an aura of youth and innocence, and she looked at them both questioningly.

"Umm... are you two partying together?" the girl asked.

"Yes, we were just about to head out to begin grinding experience points... why do you ask?" Asuna asked, curious. Perhaps this girl was looking to join them?

"Well, I don't know anyone, and it's been a while since I last played a game like this... do you mind if I join you?" the girl asked, innocence clearly there. Asuna didn;t trace a single bit of dishonesty come from the girl's words, so she smiled.

"Sure, I don't mind. What about you Leafa-chan?"

"I'm okay with it, the more the merrier right?" Leafa said, smiling at the girl, whose face lit up with a huge grin as she hugged them both. As if on cue, the «Anti-Harassment System» brought up the option to send the girl to jail. Seeing her as nothing short of harmless to them, they declined. After the girl let go of them, she introduced herself.

"My name's «Yuuki», and I hope we can get along well~!" the girl chimed.

"I'm «Asuna», and this is «Leafa»," Asuna greeted.

"Nice to meet you Yuuki." Leafa said with a smile. With that, they sent Yuuki both a party and a friend invite, both of which she accepted happily, and they made their way to the area that most players would be right now: the area around «Origin City»; the «Promethean Fields».

[==={|======= Author's Note =======|}===]

So after countless delays and several rewrites, the highly anticipated (I think) «NeuroBlade Online» is out and ready for you all to read~ It took as long as it did due to several circumstances, so I hope you can forgive me for the wait. I will try not to take as long to write chapter two. I hope you are all interested in what I have in store, because there is a LOT coming in the future... you know, when I am not lazy and actually write.

Oh, and a quick shout out to Mr. California for giving me the name «NAViGATOR», even if I changed the style of how it was written.

So with that said, I will answer a few questions that you may have regarding the contents of this chapter before you ask them.

1. "Why the merger between Argus and Recto? I thought Argus went bankrupts, and Recto bought all of their trademarks?" - This was to simply create the bigger budget device that would take more money to make... in short, it was a purely business based move. (also, when Asuna refers to «ARS», she is referring to «Argus-Recto Softworks». This abbreviation will appear more in the future, since the full name is a little long.)

2. "Why have a closed beta in hotel suites? Wouldn't it make more sense to just do what SAO did for its beta?" - This is done to gain more direct feedback from a controlled source, while also keeping the game a easier to guard secret while it was in testing. While the Alpha build was shown at the Tokyo Game Show, the beta build added things to it, and in order to prevent leaks. That, and the beta was smaller in scale, only being about a fifth of the size of SAO's beta. They aren't all in the same hotel either, it's a chain of them that are partially owned (shareholders wise) by ARS... so yeah.

3. "Why is Suguha/Leafa playing VRMMOs? Shouldn't she not be interested in them because her brother isn't in a Death Game?" - I raise the point that she likely wants to close the gap between her brother, regardless of him being trapped in a Death Game or not. The best way she can do so is by playing VR games, so she does, and ends up liking them. It's basically for the same reason in the canon, minus Kirito being in a Death Game. And it's more fun to have Sugu in on the fun of a Death Game in my honest opinion.

4. "How did Sinon get into the Beta?" - That will be explained later.

5. "You changed some details from what was described in the forum post. Why is that?" - Honestly, it's because I felt like I needed to tweak the ideas, given it has been so long since I initially made said forum post. So yeah, terms changed in some cases, and other things remain the same to a degree. As for the biggest change, that will be addressed in one of the following questions.

6. "Are are most the characters introduced this chapter «Phase Knights»?" - Because in the canon they use swords? That's the best I got.

7. "Holy crap on a cracker, you included Yuuki! Why the change of heart?" - After thinking about it for a while, I came to realise that I had no problem with Yuuki, and actually kind of liked her. I still dislike Mother's Rosario (which I will properly address in the future, so wait for my reasoning until then... whenever that is), but I like Yuuki. Since I like Yuuki, she is part of the story. That's simple enough to believe right?

8. "Yuuki's AIDs are cure? By miracle science? Why the bogus science to remove a potential plot point?" - Honestly, I believe that by the time we can project video games into our minds, we will have a cure for AIDs and possibly cancer. I did indeed use complete bullcrap science, but I assure you, that it doesn't really matter much. The sole purpose of creating the fake medical program was to remove something that honestly would inhibit the way Yuuki would affect the story. That, and as I said on the forum, the MediCuboid would not be compatible with NBO, and it would not be upgraded to be until the Death Game is underway. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't send a terminally ill girl into a Death Game for the lulz. Hence the bullcrap science. Hope that is a sufficient explanation.

9. "What about the other Sleeping Knights? Will that appear?" - let me see... they are bland, and forgettable side characters who serve next to no purpose, with one of them miraculously getting better after Yuuki died... yeah, no, they will not be appearing.

If you have any additional questions that I didn't answer, I will address them in the next chapter if you leave them in your reviews. With that, I leave you. Until the next chapter everyone! It shouldn't take as long as this one did, although no promises. «Burst Out»!