A huge castle made of stone and steel floating in an endless sky.
That was all the world was.
It took a varied group of craftsmen one month to survey the place; the diameter of the base floor was about 10 kilometers – large enough that the entirety of Setagaya-ku would fit on it. Above, there were 100 floors stacked directly on top of each other; its sheer size was unbelievable. It was impossible to even guess how much data it consisted of.
Inside, there were a couple of large cities, countless small towns and villages, forest, plains, and even lakes. Only one stairway linked each floor to another, and the stairways were in dungeons where large numbers of monsters roamed, so discovering and getting through was no easy matter. However, once someone broke through and arrived at a city in the higher floor, the Teleport Gates there and in every city in the lower floors would connect, making it possible for anyone to move freely through these levels.
Under these conditions, the huge castle had been steadily conquered over two years. The current front line is the 74th floor.
The name of the castle was Aincrad; a floating world of battles with swords that had engulfed approximately six thousand people. Otherwise known as...
Sword Art Online.
"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 in line for? Sword Ar t Online. The one at the front of the line waited for three days prior to release! Or is this just what any real gamer would do? On today's MMO Stream, we'll be covering the internationally famous Sword Art Online, AKA SAO! To be honest, none of the Nerve Gear software released so far has really taken advantage of the hardware. SAO was made by the Nerve Gear inventor, Kayaba Akihiko, and it's a long-awaited VRMMORPG. The beta testers said it was all incredible. I wanted a copy... Only ten thousand copies were sold in its first printing. It sold out online in seconds. And as you saw, hardcore fans bought all the store copies."
A blonde haired boy shut off the monitor. He let a small grin appear at the corner of his mouth in small excitement for this new game that could possibly prove to be a challenge. He shut everything off in his room and plugged in all the Nerve Gear hardware required to run SAO. He laid down in his bed with the Nerve Gear headwear on his head, running, and waited for it to activate.
3...
2... He smirked a little.
1...
13:00. He closed his eyes.
"Link start!"
A flash of colors blurred by. Blue and pink-purple circles popped up.
Touch: OK
Sight: OK
Hearing: OK
Taste: OK
Smell: OK
All the circles were green as the moved to the side and then off his view.
Language: Japanese
Log in _::
:account: *********
:password: *********
Character Creation. Would you like to create a new character?
YES.
Would you like to use your real person or create a new avatar?
The boy slightly paused at this, giving it a moment to think on it. He was about to choose create a new avatar, but hesitated.
Use... Your own person...
The boy's mind changed and he chose the other option.
USE REAL PERSON.
Avatar Name: ...
Kitsune.
Welcome to Sword Art Online! Colors zoomed by again and then...
Everything looked slightly blurry. Blinking a couple times, the blonde boy took a glance around. It seemed so... Real. All five of his senses were struck by the realistic scenery. It was incredible to him. Noise permeated the air as other people logged into the game.
Floor 1: Town of Beginnings.
The player named Kitsune began walking around the town, taking in all the shops and people passing by as he walked on the stone paved road.
"So like I told him..." A group of guys were making good conversation.
"Hey, let's make a party." A brown haired man was talking to this cute pink-shirted girl.
"Hmm, maybe..." The girl responded while moving around cutely and shaking her body that would make any healthy male grin pervertedly.
"Oh, come on!"
A blue-black haired man ran by and then a pink haired man ran to catch up. Kitsune gave a hearty chuckle as his face slowly shifted back to the normal aloof look he sported in his everyday life.
"So this... Is the world of swords, huh?"
XxXxXxXxXx
Ding... Ding...
A chiming noise like a bell, or a warning chime, sounded loudly. Kitsune snapped his head in the bell's direction and curiously watched the tiny bell in the far distance make its noise. Even his incredible senses somehow made it into the game... His thought process broke when he was immersed in a blue pillar of light. Past the blue veil, Kitsune slowly shook off the small daze from the forced teleportation that was made.
For a few seconds, everyone just looked around without speaking.
Then a few mumbles and mutters could be heard here and there; it started to get louder.
"What's happening?"
"Can we log out now?"
"Can't they take care of it quickly?"
Comments like these could be heard from time to time.
As the players started to get more annoyed, shouts like "Is this a joke?" and "Get the hell out here, GMs!" could be heard.
Then suddenly...
Somebody raised his voice above all these comments and shouted.
"Ah... look up!"
Kitsune almost automatically turned his eyes up. There, a strange sight greeted him.
The bottom of the second floor, one hundred meters above us, was checkered in red.
When I looked closely, I could see that the pattern was made up of two phrases crisscrossing each other: the words [Warning] and [System Announcement] written in red.
Kitsune raised an eyebrow, but then thought, "Oh, the operator is going to begin informing us now," and the slight tension in his shoulders eased a bit.
The chatter died down in the plaza and you could feel everyone waiting to hear what was going to be said.
However, what happened next wasn't what he had expected.
From the middle of the pattern, a liquid that looked like blood started oozing down slowly. It came down at a rate that almost emphasized how viscous it was, but it didn't fall all the way down; instead, it started congealing into a shape.
What appeared was a twenty-meter tall figure with a hooded robe draped around it.
No, that wasn't exactly right. From where Kitsune was looking, he could easily see into the hood. There was no face. It was absolutely empty. Kitsune could clearly see the inner cloth and the green embroidery inside of the hood. It was the same inside the robe, all we could see inside the edges were shadows. The empty space inside the hood gave him an unexplainable feeling of anxiety. He shook it off though as it was uncharacteristic of him.
The countless players around him began muttering.
"Is that a GM?"
"Why doesn't it have a face?"
There were a lot of whispers like these.
Then the right sleeve of the huge robe moved as if to silence them.
A pure white glove appeared from the folds of the long sleeve. But this sleeve, like the rest of the robe, didn't cover any sort of body.
Then the left sleeve slowly lifted upwards, too. Then with its two empty gloves spread out in front of ten thousand players, the faceless person opened his mouth—no, it felt like it did. Then a low, calm, male voice resonated from high in the air.
[Players, I welcome you all to my world.]
The anonymous red robe lowered its arms and continued talking.
[My name is Kayaba Akihiko. Right now, I am the only person who can control this world.]
"What...!?"
Kayaba Akihiko... Kitsune knew that name.
This person, both a game designer and genius in the field of quantum physics, was the one responsible for raising Argus (which was just one of many small companies a few years ago) into one of the leading companies in its field.
He was also the development director of SAO and, at the same time, the designer of the Nerve Gear.
As a hard core gamer, I respected Kayaba deeply. I bought all the mags that featured him and read his few interviews until I almost knew them all by heart. I could almost see him in the white overalls he always wore by just hearing his voice.
But he had always stayed behind the scenes, refusing media exposure.
[I think that most of you have discovered the fact that the Log Out button has disappeared from the main menu. This is not a bug; it is all part of Sword Art Online's system.]
"Part of... the system?" A person nearby muttered.
The announcement continued in its low voice as if to cover the sound.
[Until you get to the top of this castle, you cannot log out of your own free will. Also, the disruption or dismantling of the Nerve Gear from the outside is strictly forbidden. If these things are attempted...]
A moment of silence.
The silence of ten thousand people was overwhelming. The next words came slowly.
[The signal sensors in your Nerve Gear will emit a strong electromagnetic pulse, destroying your brain and stopping all of your basic functions.]
Kitsune stood stock still in surprise. It was as if his mind refused to believe what he had just heard. But Kayaba's short statement pierced through his body with a ferocity that was both hard and dense.
Destroy his brains.
In other words, kill him.
Any user that turned the Nerve Gear off or unlocked the clasp and took it off would be killed. That is what Kayaba had just stated.
People in the crowd started muttering, but there was no one shouting or panicking. It was either that everyone couldn't understand it yet, or refused to.
The countless signal transceivers in the Nerve Gear's helmet emitted small electronic pulses to send virtual signals to the brain.
People might call this the newest ultra-technology, but the basic theory was the same as a certain household appliance that's been used for over 40 years in Japan, the microwave.
If there was sufficient output, it was possible that the Nerve Gear would vibrate the water particles in our brains and cook it with the heat from the friction. But...
"Theoretically it's possible, but... He must be bluffing, because if we pull the plug on the Nerve Gear, there's no way it can emit a strong pulse of that type. Unless there's some form of battery with a huge storage capability... Inside..."
"There... is," the person continued. "Thirty percent of the gear's weight is in the battery. But... that's totally crazy! What if there was a sudden power outage or something?!"
Kayaba started explaining, as if he had heard what the anonymous person shouted.
[To be a little more specific, disconnection from an outside source of electricity for ten minutes, being cut off from the system for more than two hours, or any attempt to: unlock, dismantle, or destroy the Nerve Gear. If any of these conditions are met, the brain destruction sequence will start. These conditions have been made known to the government and the public through mass-media in the outside world. On that note, there have been several cases where the relatives or friends have ignored the warnings and tried to forcefully remove the Nerve Gear. The result...]
The metallic voice took a short breath here.
[...regretfully 213 players have already exited this game, and the real world, forever.]
A long, thin scream was heard. But most of the players couldn't or refused to believe what they had been told, and just stood there slack-jawed or with a wry smile on their faces.
Kitsune stared on with an emotionless, blank face.
213 players have already...
That phrase repeated over and over again in everyone's head.
If what Kayaba said was true, over 200 people have already died...?
"...don't believe it... I don't believe it," a familiar pink-haired man said, sitting on the ground, started saying in a strained voice. "He's just trying to scare us. How would he do such a thing? Stop kidding around and let us out. We don't have time to play along to your sick opening ceremony. Yeah... this is all just an event. An opening show, right?"
But as if to dispel everyone's hopes, Kayaba's businesslike voice resumed its explanation.
[Players, there is no need to worry about the bodies you left on the other side. As of this moment, all TV, radio, and Internet media are repeatedly reporting this situation; including the fact that there have been numerous deaths. The danger of having your Nerve Gear taken off has already all but disappeared. In a moment, using the two hours I have provided, all of you will be transported to hospitals or similar institutes and be given the best treatment. So you can relax... and concentrate on beating the game.]
"What...?"
Then, at last, violent shouts left someone's mouth.
"What are you saying?! Beat the game?! You want us to play around in a situation like this?!"
He kept shouting, glaring at the red robe that had oozed out of the bottom of the upper floor.
"This isn't a game anymore!"
Then Kayaba Akihiko started announcing quietly with his monotonous voice.
[But I ask of you all to understand that Sword Art Online is no longer a simple game. It is a second reality... From now on, any form of revival in the game will no longer work. The moment your HP reaches 0, your avatar will be gone forever. And at the same time...]
I could guess what he was going to say all too clearly.
[...your brain will be destroyed by the Nerve Gear.]
A long, horizontal line shown at the top-left corner of Kitsune's vision. As he focused on it, the numbers 342/342 overlaid it.
Hit points. My life-force.
The moment it reaches zero, he will die. The electromagnetic waves will fry his brain, killing him instantaneously. This is what Kayaba had said.
This is without a doubt a game, a game with his life at stake. In other words, a death game.
A small twitch occurred at the corner of Kitsune's mouth. A challenge...
[Players, there is only one way to be freed from this game. As I have said before, you must get to the top of Aincrad, the one hundredth floor, and defeat the final boss that resides there. All players still alive at that time will be immediately logged out of the game. I give you all my word.]
Ten thousand players stood in silence.
"This castle" meant the huge monstrosity that imprisoned all the players on the first floor, with ninety-nine more floors stacked on top of it, towering into the sky in which it floated. He was talking about Aincrad itself.
"Clear... all 100 floors?!" Pink-hair suddenly shouted. He got up quickly and raised a fist up to the sky.
"And how do you want us to do that? I heard that getting up was crazy hard even during the beta testing!"
Most players who had been forced here would be asking themselves this rhetorical question.
The strained silence eventually gave way to low murmuring. But there was no sign of fear or despair.
Most people here would still be confused about whether this was a real danger or a seriously warped opening event. Everything Kayaba had said was so horrifying that it felt unreal.
This challenge... It excites him. You either live or die. When your health reaches zero, it's game over.
The red robe swept its right glove and started speaking with a voice void of all emotion.
[Then I will show you evidence that this is the only reality. In your inventories, there will be a gift from me. Please confirm this.]
As soon as Kitsune heard this, he casually pressed his finger and thumb together and pulled downwards. All the players did likewise and the plaza was filled with the ringing sound of bells.
He pressed the Item button on the menu that appeared and the item was there, at the top of his belongings list.
The name of the item: Mirror.
Why did he give this to him? Even as he wondered, he tapped on the name and pressed the "Make Into Object" button. Immediately, there was a tinkling sound effect and a small, rectangular mirror appeared.
Kitsune grabbed it slowly, but nothing happened. All that it showed was the face of the avatar, his real face in the outside world.
...Then.
Suddenly everyone and their avatars around him were engulfed in white light. As soon as he took this in, he was surrounded too and all he could see was white.
Almost 2, 3 seconds later, the surroundings reappeared just as they had been.
The face in front of Kitsune was the same as it is. He rose an eyebrow in curiosity. When he took a look around, the crowd was no longer filled with people who looked like characters from a fantasy game. A bunch of normal looking young people had now taken their place. It was like something you'd see if you gathered a bunch of people in real life at a game show venue and dressed them up in armor. Distressingly, even the sex ratio had changed greatly.
He was a healthy male, thank you very much.
The same voice that always spoke spoke out once again.
"There are high density signal sensors in the Nerve Gear covering our whole head. So it can tell not only how our brains look, but our faces too..."
Kitsune then tuned them all out. He was smart enough to leave it at his own real person, even if he mysteriously changed his mind. A few seconds later a voice, sounding almost solemn, sounded from the blood-red sky.
[You will all most probably be wondering, "Why." Why am I, the creator of both the Nerve Gear and SAO, Kayaba Akihiko, doing something like this? Is this a sort of terrorist attack? Is he doing this to ransom us?]
It was then that Kayaba's voice, which had been emotionless up to now, seemed to show some signs of emotion.
[None of these is the reason I am doing this. Not only that, but now for me, there is no longer a reason or a purpose in doing this. The reason is because... this situation itself was my purpose in doing this. To create and watch this world is the only reason I have created the Nerve Gear and SAO. And now, everything has been realized.]
Then after a short break, Kayaba's voice, now emotionless again, spoke.
[...Now, I have finished the official tutorial for Sword Art Online. Players, I wish you luck.]
This last sentence trailed off with a faint echo.
The huge robe rose soundlessly and started sinking, hood first, into the system message that covered the sky, as if melting.
Its shoulders, then its chest, then its two arms and legs merged into the red surface, and then a last red stain spread briefly. Right afterward, the system message that had covered the sky disappeared as suddenly as it appeared.
The sound of the wind blowing above the plaza and the BGM that the NPC orchestra was playing came softly to our ears.
The game had returned to its normal state, apart from the fact that a couple of rules had been changed. Then, at last, the crowd of ten thousand players gave a proper reaction.
In other words, countless voices started resounding loudly through the plaza.
Except for Kitsune. He had to keep his badass, stone-cold look on.
"It's a joke right...? The hell is this? It's a joke right?!"
"Stop kidding around! Let me out! Let me out of here!"
"No! You can't! I've got to meet someone soon!"
"I don't like this! I'm gonna go home! I want to go home!"
Yells. Clamors. Shouts. Curses. Begging. Screaming.
The people that had changed from game players to prisoners in a matter of minutes crouched clutching their heads, waved their arms about, grasped each other or started to swear loudly.
In the midst of all this noise, Kitsune's mind was thinking about these surprising news. What Kayaba Akihiko had declared was all true. If that was the case, this was all to be expected. It'd be strange not to expect it. This genius was one side of Kayaba that made him alluringly attractive.
If he died, he's gone forever.
The Nerve Gear, once a game machine, is now a lock to this prison and a tool of death that will fry his brain.
A smirk slowly adorned his face.
This was the challenge he was looking for. Something to test his will to survive. This wasn't just a game to everyone anymore. He let out a low chuckle and casually walked off amidst all this chaos to begin his training.
"I accept your challenge, Kayaba Akihiko."
Sword Art Online.
Blades of the Kitsune.
End Prologue: Let the Game Begin.
So! How'd you like it? Not much? Me too! This is a near exact copy of the anime. Oh well, I just wanted to get this first chapter/prologue/preview out. As you can see, Naruto, if you haven't figured it out, is very, very OOC. He isn't evil, oh no. He's definitely not joining Laughing Coffin!
Now onto the topic of pairings. At first, there was going to be parts of Campione in this. However, Campione has magic, and this is a non-magic world. Just doesn't fit in. I might throw in a few things that shouldn't happen, but nothing as big as fighting gods and using inhuman powers to beat them. Back onto topic, shall I leave it to canon Kirito and Asuna, or move Asuna onto Naruto, who was supposed to be with Erica, or what? Choices, choices...
Spoiler:
Also, about the Unique Skill Dual Blades. The one awarded to the player with the fastest reaction time and the one to meet up with the final boss that was given to Kirito? Yeah, that one. Kirito will still keep that skill, but I want Naruto to have it to... Which becomes an issue. I don't want Naruto to dual wield anything else either, so how would it work? Ideas?
Here comes the warning. This will be M rated for language and possibly lemons later on. Or soon, who knows? Too bad I can't give a gory description, as they don't bleed... I also like M rated stories better anyways for some odd reason.
What else...
I have no clue.
Meh, I'll figure it out when the time comes.
Oh wait, forgot to mention I'm an incredibly slow updater. I really don't have much time to do fanfiction writing, as sad as it is.
Cry, cry.
Well, I'll be off for now, so leave me some comments?
Alright, thanks!
Oh, and have any of you heard about the Occulus Rift? The virtual reality goggle-thing? Yeah. It seems we're even closer to reach true SAO! This is completely and utterly an orgasmic thought.
Not really.
Another thought...
How cool would it be to play Pokemon in virtual reality?
Too cool. Almost orgasmic.
Just kidding.
Anyways, later. There was really no purpose to this, I just wanted to break 4,000 words. I think I succeeded already, so yay me!
Edit: October 26, 2012.
Thank you all so much for the feedback! It's incredible! I already have so many reviews, favorites, and followers! You all made me bubble in joy, dear readers. Many thanks!
Now I know why I never continued my other stories. Not enough feedback.
And so, the pairing shall be Naruto x Asuna. Said and done.
Naruto will not have Dual Blades, Kirito would keep that. Disappointed? Don't be. Naruto get's something even better... Kukukukuku.
Just letting you all know, and thanks again!
~ Zeph