A Reaper Among Knights.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online or any other crossover elements in this story, I only own the story itself and the protagonist.
Okay so this is my first fanfic, though I have written other stories before, so please, while I enjoy constructive criticism, don't flame, it does nothing for anyone except prove that you are a self righteous idiot who thinks they are Gods gift to the writing world, even though most flamers have never written a single fanfic in their whole life. So sit down, shut up, and enjoy. If you can't do that then stop reading my story immediately, I refuse to entertain you from your pathetic life. Enjoy.
Okay so this will be a fanfic with an OC protagonist and a OC pairing, I'm just not feeling any of the girls in this anime, I would have to change them drastically to suit my needs and I would get so many flamers from that, it's just not worth it. This will not be a happy go lucky, lovey dovey adventure where everything goes right for the characters, I won't be needlessly abusing my characters, that would be like abusing a child in my mind, but they won't breeze through the game and have a perfect life with no sorrow, thats just plain boring. Finally the protagonist won't be a super powered nerd with a hero complex, in fact he will often be down right sadistic in most ways, I like goofy characters with hero complexes just find, one of my favorite characters in anime is Monkey D. Luffy, but I'm just no good and writing that sort of character, it flows much better with a darker character. If you have a problem with any of this, please move on to another story, if you like happy go lucky stories with god-like protagonists that get all the girls then I suggest a Naruto fanfic. I'ev read my fair share of those and I like them better than the actual show.
Okay final note, I promise. Okay so while Kirito and Asuna will show up in this fanfic, keep in mind Arashi is the protagonist so I will be messing with the story a lot so that the original story won't interfere with my ideas, so yeah expect some massive AU. And that doesn't mean Kirito wont be the "Hero" of the story, he can have his little one episode harem and his fight with Kayaba, but this won't be Arashi following him around and playing the best friend character, Arashi will have his own goals and agenda and while Kirito and him will team up for boss fights and missions and such don't expect this to follow the SAO story line.
That is All.
"Link Start" I shouted into my newly acquired NerveGear before the world faded to white. I saw colors flash by until I came to a menu saying LOG IN/NEW USER. I clicked on the NEW USER option and another menu came up asking for a user name and password.
User Name: Arashi98
PassWord: ********
The menu left and yet another menu came up. Voice Test: Please Speak. It read, whatever, Clearing my throat and said clearly, "I hate you, please die." In the kindest voice I could. THANK YOU! The menu said, making me smirk.
Next came the character customization, a feature I thoroughly enjoyed, in about an hour I was done. My character was a tallish, lanky guy with shaggy, fire red hair and slit purple eyes. Sadly it would only let me choose the color of my armor so I ended up just having a dark purple, long sleeved shirt with grey trim, black pants, and an armored leather vest.
The world flashed white, then faded to darkness.
The would shifts back into focus around me, the darkness dissipating as if it was never there. Looking around I find myself in a cobblestone plaza surrounded by other players. No one really stands out and most seem just as confused as me. I mean come on, it was the first time most of us had been in a VRMMORPG, the only exception were the Beta Testers and most of them where already up and about.
Getting my bearings I decided the best thing to do was to check what items I had been given, I had pre-ordered the collectors edition so I was suppose to get a unique item on start up. I swiped my hand downward through the air and a white menu came up intently, I pressed the inventory button and a sub-menu came out of the original. I checked weapons first, and sadly all I found was a basic iron sword. Next up was armor, I only found my leather armor. Well that was a bust.
I went to close my menu, figuring I had been ripped off, but then I noticed a oddly named tab at the bottom, it was labeled, "Up-gradable." I pressed it, my hopes rising, inside their was one item, a item labeled, "Basic Scythe." I'm not going to lie here... I literally screamed out in joy and started jumping around like a small child on Christmas... I'm not proud. I equipped the scythe and instantly grabbed onto the shaft of the scythe, pulling it off my back and examining my prize. It was a seven inch scythe with a curved silver blade that spanned three inches from the shaft, the shaft was black and slick, though still it fit firmly in my hand.
I did a few practice swings with my newly acquired toy, and it was perfect, it felt right in my hand and felt much more natural than my old shinai. It felt like this weapon was hand crafted with me in mind.
I marched out of the plaza with a smile on my face muttering about becoming a Reaper and slaughtering things with my new scythe.
My buzz kinda dropped by time I got to the outskirts of the Town of Beginnings, mostly because of realizing that I would have to get a HIGH blacksmithing skill to do anything with my new scythe, either that or find someone to pay to do it, and I would not trust someone else with my scythe. I had already become attached to my weapon.
I looked around and caught two sights, one was a boy with longish, black hair lecturing a boy with spiky brown hair about... rocks? What the crap? And the other was a guy by himself... getting the crap beaten out of him by a boar. I almost laughed, but felt an abnormal need to help the boy.
I quickly ran up to the boar, my feet falling silently so he wouldn't hear me, and quickly slashed the boar down from head to haunches. Blood shot up from the boar and into my face before it's remains, including the blood staining my face, went up in a shower of blue and green petals. I placed my scythe back on my back as a menu came up telling me I had gained XP and I quickly exited out, more interested in the boy I had saved.
The boy was small, smaller than most boys I had seen in my life. Though he wasn't short, just kinda... delicate? Is that the right word?
Anyway, back on topic. He had snow white hair and piercing, crystal blue eyes, and soft feature, fitting to his body type. I might have laughed and called him a pansy, but the look he was giving me told me that if I so much as looked at him wrong I would be parting with my manhood via rust sword.
And on that happy note I jump back into reality.
"You okay?" I asked, offering my had to him.
"I didn't need your help baka!" The boy shouted as he slapped my hand away and got up.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, I was just doing what I would have wanted some else to do if I was in your place." I said, keeping my calm mask on.
"Well... thanks... I guess." The boy mumbled, looking away from me.
"No problem, I'm Arashi." I said as I stuck out my hand.
"Kin." Kin said as he clasped my hand.
"Well you wanna kill some boars Kin?"
"Whatever, fine." Kin said as he picked up his sword.
I drew my scythe from my back and got into a ready stance... that was broken a moment later as I heard a sharp gasp. Turning I saw Kin staring at my scythe.
"What the crap! Your a cheater aren't you! Thats how you took down that boar so easily!" Kin shouted in anger.
"What are you on about?" I asked him, slightly annoyed at being accused.
"That scythe, this is a game with only swords and daggers, there are no scythes, especially so early on! So you must be cheating!"
"Hey heres a tip numb-nuts. Don't accuse and assume, you'll make mistakes and piss people off. And if you must know, I pre-ordered the collectors edition of SAO so I got a unique item that isn't anywhere else in the game. Which as you can see is my scythe. and I'm not a cheater, I don't even think you can cheat on a VRMMORPG."
"Oh... Well thats still cheating... kinda..." Kin mumbled with his head down and shoulders slumped.
"Can we just get back to the game?" I asked in a bored monotone.
"Yeah, sure!" Kin said enthusiastically, surprising me with his one-eighty mood swing.
We slaughtered boars until the sun set and the sky turned a pale orange color, what looked like drakes flying in the twilight. We both got up to level five with our little killing spree, we kept talking and become much closer than we were before, not really hard when you start at each others throats.
I finished off another boar, virtual blood spraying my grinning face before if vanished. I checked the time in the main menu and found it was seven thirty-eight.
"Oi, Kin!" I shouted to the boy who was stabbing at a boar with a smile on his face.
"Yeah Arashi?"Kin asked as he quickly took down his boar, blood still dripping from his face as he turned towards me.
"It's past seven thirty, I need to log out." I said, the disappoint clear on both of our faces.
"Yeah, me two... Hey add me first!" Kin exclaimed happily. Gotta love the guys mood swings. One second hes pissed the next hes smiling like its Christmas.
"Hehe, alrighty then." I chuckled as pulled up the menu and looked at our team roaster, I found Kin74 and clicked on it before hitting the, send friend request button.
A second later a menu popped in front of Kin and he pressed the yes icon.
"Well... see ya tomorrow Kin." I said as I pulled up the menu again.
"Yeah see ya." Kin muttered as he did the same.
We turned to each other in utter shock a moment later. The looks on both of our faces confirming our shared fear.
We couldn't log out.
Hearing a noise I looked up and saw Rock boy and his friend go up in blue and green fragments. Panicking I grabbed on to Kin's arm a split second before the world shifted.
The world came into focus again and the first thing I saw was myself clinging to Kin's torso... and Kin looking ready to get the rust knife back out... Please God don't let him go through with that plan!
I quickly threw myself off of Kin, straightened my shirt and sent him a disarming smile... after a few seconds he looked around. God I'm glad I have high charisma! That would have never worked in real life!
My manhood in the clear I began to look around as well, it seemed that everyone in the game was here, what was this some sort of launch event? I hope so! that would be awesome!
But I know its not, I can't explain it but I know that this isn't anything so good, I know deep in my bones that this will be something that will fuel my nightmares for years... If I live past this day.
I was broken out of my musings as I heard the collective gasp of a million people, looking up I noticed a dark red hexagon in the air with the word WARNING! written in the center, the hexagon then sprouted six more on each side, the cycle then repeated until the sky was the color of stale blood.
hen from the center of the newly formed dome, blood dripped down until it was ten feet above our heads, where it floated in mid air, slowly talking on the form of a cloaked, and finally shifting in on itself to form a figure cloaked in a red robe with gold trim, a black void under his hood, and two white gloves sticking out of his sleeves.
"Hello and welcome to Aincrad!" The man said as he threw his hands up dramatically.
"I am Akihiko Kayaba, the maker of the new VRMMORPG Sword Art Online!"
My hopes lifted a bit as I heard this, I mean come on this was seeming more and more like a launch event.
"Now let me explain a few things. I'm sure most of you have noticed but, the log out button has stopped working, I know most of you are freaking out but rest assured... Thats suppose to happen. You aren't allowed to leave Sword Art Online!"
And my hope just jumped off a cliff into a shallow river of rocky rapids.
"I've decided that this world needs to be permanent, after all why should Earth be everlasting while Aincrad, my own perfect world, will fade into non-existence I refuse to let such a thing happen to my own world, after all the only difference between the real world and a VRMMORPG is the amount of data.
Many people screamed at the idea but that seemed to please the manic known as Kayaba, though I was starting to like the guy. Though not what he was doing. The biggest surprise came when I felt Kin slip his hand into mine. I griped his hand instinctively, we both needed a little comfort at the moment.
"Another thing, since this is the real world from now on, I can't let you live forever, so I've added a little something extra. If your Heath Points reach zero in Aincrad, you die. Also if someone from the outside world tries to remove the NerveGear from your head, you die."
And que more screams. Though the concept of this new game had me intrigued, the only real deference between Aincrad and the real world was that we were in a fantasy world that most of us had wished to live in for years. And the fact that if we die we die in real life just makes it so much more realistic! I love it!
"Oh last thing... I left a parting gift in your inventories, but to make sure the surprise isn't spoiled I'm activating them all now!" Kayaba slammed his fist into a menu that opened before him, before disappearing in a flash of blood, the sky returning to its dim orange color. But nothing happened. Disappointing.
I was just about to ask what happened when a mirror popped up in front of me, my hand left Kin's and grabbed without being commanded to and as I looked into it I found myself covered in blue and green petals similar to those of a destroyed boar, but bigger and thicker.
As the petals dissipated I came face to face with myself... my real self not my avatar. My red hair turned pitch black, my slit purple eyes turned into soft, forest green ones, my facial features became sharper and more angular, my body was slightly shorter, less lanky, and more toned.
Turning to Kin I had to do a double take, Kin's hair had went from short and snowy white to down to his rear and strawberry blonde, his eyes surprisingly stayed the same save that they became clearer, his facial features became even softer, his body became a much taller to where he was barley shorter than me and his body became even more delicate looking, his chest puffing out to be a surprising size and his rear followed suit. Thats right, the somewhat girly looking Kin turned into a tall, beautiful, and busty blonde.
"Well that explains a few things." I said with a smirk, no wonder he, sorry SHE got so pissed at me treating her like a damsel in distress, freaked out at me touching her chest, grabbed my hand when scared, and, of course, seems to have no remorse for a mans manhood.
"Shut up!" Kin screamed as she punched me square in the face, sending me flying into Rockboy, who said something about balls being less hairy to his red haired friend. I really don't want to know.
"What the crap Kin?" I exclaimed as I looked up at her, to see her looking at me sadly.
"Your gonna be like everyone else now, always trying to help me to get in my pants or because I'm some damsel that needs saving. No one ever thinks as me as more than just a mascot on these stupid games!"
I got up and clasped Kin's shoulder.
"No worries, I'm not gonna treat you like a defenseless girl or try to get in your pants or anything. You've proven yourself more than capable of fighting... and I have no respect for perverts."
Kin looked about ready to cry and started to talk but I interrupted.
"Kin, we can talk later but for now think, what will happen in a game where everyone needs to get more powerful and the server can't reload?"
"The mobs and other resources will run out." Kin muttered, understanding the need to keep this to ourselves.
"Correct, now lets head out for a less crowed area to do some farming."
Kin nodded and we clasped hands, no need to get lost in the chaos. We made it to the edge of the Town of Beginnings before a voice stopped us.
"Wait up!"
Rockboy.
We stopped and turned, Rockboy stopping and panting as he grabbed his knees.
"I see that you understand the need to get your own source of XP, but the only way out of town ends in a mini-boss, I think we need to stay together at least until it's dead don't you?"
I looked to Kin and we both nodded, before we all three ran out of the Town of Beginnings.
As we ran out of town I looked over at Rockboy, "How do you know there's a mini-boss anyway, Sword Art has only been out for a day?"
"Simple," the boy says as we run, "I was a Beta Tester and the Beta had the whole first floor. Nothings really changed much, except the boars are easier, lets hope the mini-boss is the same way, it took a lot of deaths to finally take that thing down, and we could respond then."
"Beta-Tester huh," Kin asked as we run, "Got any other useful info?"
"Not really," Rockboy said, "The only thing I can tell you is the mini-boss changed every time a new version of the beta came out."
"I'm Kirito by the way." The boy said as we reached the edge of town."
"Arashi." I said with a simle.
"Kin." Kin muttered.
We ran in silence for a few more seconds before a sound drew my attention, a slight slithering sound from underground.
"We've got company!" I shouted as I equipped my scythe and stopped to listen.
Kirito and Kin both equipped their starting iron swords and waited as well.
Half a second later a giant snake shot out of the ground, its blue scales shining in the sun.
"Abzu The Snake Father" Flashed over his head next to a single green heath bar.
"Always wanted a snake skin wallet." I said with a smirk as the colossal beast hissed at us, showing a pale forked tongue and two bone white fangs.
Okay, this was a little shorter than expected but I felt that was a good place to leave off at. Also the first to chapters of this will mostly follow the cannon but don't expect that to hold true, got it?
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and please review and message me about whatever.
Also, last thing I promise, I will need some characters later on so send me messages with your OC's information and what you want them to do and I'll probably add them into the fic.
-ChronoKing