November 6, 2022

-All-

The next thing they all know is that they are at spawn.

Then a massive hooded figure appears in the sky.

"Welcome players, I am Akihiko Kayaba and welcome to my world: Sword Art Online." Kayaba announced.

"As you may have noticed the logout button is missing from the main menu." Kayaba continues to speak. "THIS IS NOT A BUG, it is a feature of Sword Art Online." Kayaba tells us.

"What no, NO, you can't do that." Asuna thinks.

"If you die In SAO then simultaneously the nervegear will emit a microwave signal that will fry your brain." Kayaba says, "This will also be the cause if someone the outside world takes the nervegear off your head, as a result 213 players have already died." He informs us.

Screams come from all over the crowd as they realize that Kayaba is serious.

"Kirito, can it…" Klein starts to ask.

"Without the safety, potentially yes." Kirito answers.

"Why would he do that?" Asuna asks.

"Now players by this time you maybe wondering why does Akihiko Kayaba, Creator of nervegear and Sword Art Online would do such a thing." Kayaba begins to speak again. "My goal was a simple one, to control a world of my own design."

"He's kidding with us." Sinon said while trying to cope with it.

"He's made his own world, he controls this world, he's the god of this world." Klein says while freaking out.

"Now there is only one way to defeat this game." Kayaba continues. "Beat the boss on floor one hundred." Kayaba informs us.

"What we didn't even make it that far, we didn't even make it through ten floors of the game." Asuna yelled at Kayaba while everyone else was in an uproar.

"That's insane beat an mmo, that takes forever." Klein shouts.

"Wha, what, what." Sinon thinks while almost blacking out from fear.

"Lastly I have left a gift in each of your inventories, please have a look." Kayaba says as he disappears.

Everyone took out the item in their inventories that is except for Sinon who was still in shock. It was a mirror.

"What's a mirro" Asuna said but got cut off a blue gleam that had erupted and her and everyone who had pulled it out.

Sinon had finally came to her senses to see someone who she knows from real life… Kazuto.

-Flashback-

September 14 2021

"Hey everyone this is Kazuto and he'll be joining this class." Shino teacher announces.

"You take the seat next to that girl over there." My teacher says to Kazuto while she points at me.

Kazuto takes a seat next to her and extends out his hand to me while saying. "Hey I'm Kazuto Kirigaya."

"…Shino… Asada." I say quietly and shyly.

"Nice to meet you." Kazuto says as he returns his focus to the teacher.

They sit throughout the whole entire day making almost no interaction until the final bell went off.

"Hey Asada." A group of girls walk up to me. "Gives us your money, now." They demand me.

"No." I say quietly.

I look around for somebody and all I see was Kazuto standing in the doorway.

He nods and turns around and walks towards me but not before.

"Bang." The leader of the group says while holding up her hands in a gun formation.

I start to shake and falls to me knees and see him. The man's face the color from his face escaping to the blood. His pale face in agony. The blood …

"Are you okay." A voice asked me. "Are you okay." He repeated.

"Hmm." I responded.

"Do you want me to get the teacher?" He asked me.

I shook my head no.

"Are you sure?" He said reluctantly.

"Please don't." I said quietly.

"Okay." He says hesitantly. "But let me walk you home, okay?"

"…Okay." I say.

They walked to her home without any talking.

"Thankyou." I say without any emotion.

"Welcome, Are you okay now?" Kazuto asks.

"Yes." I sigh.

"Bye, see you tomorrow. " He says to me.

"Bye." I say as I close the door.

-Flashback End-

"Who are you." Klein asks.

"Who are you." Kirito responds to Klein.

"This is Klein." Asuna says sarcastically while waving her hands at Klein. "This is Kirito." she says sarcastically while waving her hands at Kirito. "And well Sinon hasn't changed." She says.

"THANKS." Klein says sarcastically and intensified.

"So you aren't her then." Kirito thinks.

"Why are you staring at me?" Sinon says.

"Sorry!" Kirito's response immediately. "Did you use the mirror?" Quickly changing the subject.

"NO NO NO, he's onto me." Sinon thinks. "Yes!" She says hastily.

Kirito starts to run off with Asuna but Sinon and Klein stop them in a alley.

"There's a town up ahead if we make it there first we can get the first stab at the monster, come with us." Kirito says as he extends his hand.

"We can make it there together, the only way we are going to survive this death game is by leveling up and getting op." Asuna continues off Kirito.

"... You see came I into this game with friends." Klein starts. " We had stayed in line for an entire night to get this game, I have to go back to them." Klein says. "I'm sorry can't ask you guys to help me, I mean we just met, don't worry I ran a guild in the last game I played, I got this." Klein finishes after he sees their looks of worry on their faces.

"Message us if you have any trouble." Asuna requests.

"Will do, good luck, you three." Klein says as he turns around and walks away.

"Are you going to join us?" Asuna asks Sinon.

"I know I can trust Kazuto." Sinon thinks. "But who is she, can I tell them?" She asks herself.

"HEY!" Kirito shouts as he chases after Klein. "Hey." Kirito says out breath after he grabs Klein's arm. "I'm sorry, survive… please." Kirito asks Klein. "Bye." He says as though he is never going to see him again.

"HEY, … Kirito, you look better this way." Klein says in response to Kirito's different look.

"And that scruffy face fits you way more." Kirito says then turns around and runs. "No regrets." Kirito thinks as he runs away.

"Yes." Sinon says. "I will be different, I will be strong, I will be strong." Sinon thinks to herself. "They will help me, they will never know, I am Sinon." She says to herself.

"Great!" Asuna says happily.

"We're leaving." Kirito says as he runs by them.

"... Kirito, Are you okay?" Asuna asks him but keeps on running.

"Did you ever have to deal with him like this in the beta?" Sinon asks.

"No." Asuna answers. "Let's get going before he runs off without us." Asuna says.

They begin to see him in the field fighting off several wolfs.

"I will survive." He thinks as he kills the first one. "I will make it back." He thinks as the second and third die. "They will see me again." He thinks as he kills the four. This world can't beat me." He thinks as he slices two wolves. "I will survive." Kirito thinks as the last one dies. Then a pop up appears before him.

Level four - Level five.

Kirito's mouth curves into a smile. "I will survive." Kirito shouts as he raises his sword to the sun. During that battle he didn't lose a single health point.

XXXX

Thank you all for the support on my first chapter.

Feel free to PM if you have any pointers or ideas.

I'll try to get the next chapter up next Sunday.

Thank you all for reading and have a fantastic day.