=(+)=(-)=

The three players had spent a little over the hour and a half going over some of the functions in the game. There had been a few times that Midir saw the red dot blink, but he had held it off by simply saying quietly, "Just hold on a little longer."

Despite how Midir had been uninterested at first with S.A.O, he could actually see the charm in it. It was exciting, having to use medieval weaponry and fighting with them, feeling the weapons clash or dig in, and feeling the response of them as well.

During a few practices, Midir had demonstrated several techniques that didn't use the Sword Skills in the slightest yet were still effective, which surprised both Kirito and Klein to no end. In one example, Midir simply let one boar charge in at him with his sword pointed down before pivoting it up with the quick leverage of his second hand, making the boar impale itself from tip to guard and its health dropped to zero with one low, pained squeal.

When asked about it, Midir replied that he had taken interest in medieval weaponry, finding several classes and schools that taught actual useage about them and even went to tournements where people dressed in real armor and battled it out in a narrow arena with real tempered steel weaponry.

Though after hearing how physically demanding they were, it turned Kirito off a little, saying he wasn't exactly fit for full on metal armor and getting hit with them as well, which Midir admitted in sympathy just how demanding it really was. Klein in the meanwhile had his interest piqued and asked if Midir could point him to a few classes, even if it was across the planet.

"You can easily find where there's some classes being held online, though don't be surprised if they're mostly held in the U.S or around Europe." Midir answered, before pausing and pointing, "Watch your left, Klein."

They continued to grind out a little longer before the virtual sun started to appear in the horizon, signifying evening time, and a good signal to stop playing. Instead of quickly saying goodbye and logging off, the three decided to pause a little to watch the sunset before going.

Klein, who sat down with his arms behind him, decided to break the silence commenting, "I still can't believe all this is happening. No matter how much I'm staring at all this, it's hard to tell that I'm in a game. The guy who made this is a freaking genius."

"A damn miracle is what it is," Midir putted in, making Klein give a noise of confusion, "Three years ago, people were still struggling with a simple VR headset and two controllers just to make popular games work. And now we're already at the level of having a full body VR where we're living and breathing inside a game in that span? Its more like an impossible dream."

"Ah, yeah. Now that you put it that way." Klein grinned, "Well I'm just glad I was born in this era."

"Honestly, I think you two are making a big deal out of everything." Kirito half-heartedly complained.

Midir gave a low, disbelieving hum, "Maybe its not to you, but technology doesn't just jump like that. Still, its our first Full Dive."

"So it's your first NerveGear game, then?"

Klein was the first to answer, "More like I just rushed out there, bought the hardware and crashed back home just to play S.A.O. I was lucky enough to get one of the ten thousand copies."

He then gave a small wave with one of his hands at Kirito, "But hey, you're even luckier! You got to play the Beta! Only a thousand got that chance!"

Midir gave a silent 'ahh', "That explains why you know so much." He shifted around a little before sitting cross-legged, quickly coming up with a convincing lie, "Well for us, we were lucky to swipe the last copy of S.A.O over in the U.S. Once we realized it needed the NerveGear, we just ran out and bought it. So sort of the same way Klein got his."

It was then that Klein asked, "How far did you get in the Beta? Surely you guys must've gotten pretty high up there."

Kirito only scratched the back of his neck and shook his head, "I only got up to the eighth floor in those two months." He raised his head back to the sun and said with a grin, "But I think I'll get back up there in half the time, now."

"Well aren't you hyped?" Klein teased.

"Yeah, you could say that." Kirito admitted while he unsheathed his sword and held it out in front of him, "During the beta testing, S.A.O was all I could even think about. I had to restrain myself from not staying on all day and all night. Here, a sword could take you anywhere you'd want to go. And even though I know its just a virtual world, it still makes me feel more alive than anything in the world."

Midir gave a small chuckle, "Just remember where the line between reality and fantasy is at." Once again, the other two looked at him as he explained, "We've seen a lot of people not realize it and end up living worse off, ridicule, isolation, persecution. It's not a pretty life to follow."

The three fell into a bemused silence before Kirito sheathed his sword and asked, "Welp, you two up for another hunt?"

"Oh hell yeah!" Klein declared, getting up onto his knees before hesitating, "But uhh ..." He placed his arms over his stomach just in time for a low grumble resounded from him, "I'm starving, so I gotta log out."

"Ah yeah, and the food in this game just fools you into thinking you're not hungry." Kirito chuckled.

"Heh, its why I ordered some hot pizza to arrive around 5:30!" Klein bragged.

"Mr. Prepared over here, ladies and gentlemen." Midir grinned.

"Loud and proud!" Klein declared as he got up, "Well, I'll log off and come back once I'm done eating. How bout you, 'Darkeater'?"

Midir chuckled, "Sadly, we have to log off too. It's late over here and pretty sure a certain little brother in the family wants a shot at this game."

Kirito started looking away and frowned, "I see ..."

"Ah, shame." Klein said with a wave of his hand, "Although I'm going to meet up later with some people I met and gotten to know from another game. Either of you two up to friending them and maybe have a get-together? Maybe a team hunt?"

Kirito just looked down and didn't say a word while Midir gave a small shrug, "Why not? Things are always better with a few friends."

"Sweet! Lemmie give you their names!" Klein gave a small cheer before asking, "What about you, Kirito?"

The beta-tester still hadn't said a word, which Klein didn't take too hard, "Well if you're not up for that, it's okay. I can always introduce you to them another time!" With that, he looked over to Midir and started helping him get to the 'Friend's List' and add in the names.

Once it was over, Kirito seemed to have gotten over his uncomfortable silence and mumbled, "Sorry, Klein."

"Nah!" Klein waved it off, "To be honest, I'd say the both of us should be thankful. You helped out where we'd be freaking out over for a few days." He came over to the beta-tester and gave a small swat on his arm, "I'll be sure to repay you for it though ..." He paused to consider what was the best way to say it, "Eh, virtually, so to speak."

Midir simply looked on as the two continued talking before seeing the red dot blink much longer than just a quick second. He gave a low grouse and said to himself, "Fine, fine, we're leaving." And swiped down the menu to log out.

Only to have a slight problem...

"Krito?" Midir asked loudly, getting both of the players attention, "Where's the logout?"

"Wait what?" Klein asked, "Its down in the settings, right?" He brought up the menu as well only to find the same problem, "... Huh?"

Kirito looked between the two players and brought his own menu, "It should be there." He mumbled before seeing the same problem, "What?"

"Yeah, its not there." Midir reported.

Klein gave a soft chuckle, though anxiety started to creep into his voice, "Maybe this is just a bug, it's the first day the game's out of beta afterall. Heh, I'm sure the server people are freaking out already!"

Midir looked up at the time and said, "You probably should be freaking out too, Klein. It's 5:25."

Klein looked up at where the time was displayed for him and after a full second of realizing what time it was, he immediately freaked out and screamed in dispair, "My teriaki and mayo pizza and ginger ale!"

"Just call the GM, Klein." Kirito nearly deadpanned.

"Already did that," Midir said, pointing down at a small window that held the image of an old man in a red, hooded robe, "He's not answering."

Klein scratched his chin as he asked, "No other way of logging out, is there?"

Kirito considered it for a moment and shook his head, "No, it has to be through the menu."

"Can't someone just rip the headset?" Midir asked, giving his two bits.

"A wise idea, but not really a good one." Kirito shook his head again, "Just removing the headset is alright, and it won't hurt you at all. But ripping the NerveGear off suddenly? Doing that can cause serious mental damage. One beta-player had that happen and I later heard he had to go to a therapist and a mental recovery ward, the sudden return from S.A.O was too much of a shock."

"And who told you that?" Midir questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"From the S.A.O forums, it was discussed and announced what happened, someone from his family reported what happened."

"Eeeiiie." Klein winced, "Well, maybe not that way, then ..." He started dancing about in various poses while chanting just about every word that fit the definition of logging out.

Kirito looked down and frowned, "There wasn't even any emergency logout method in the manual. We can't even move our real bodies, either. The NerveGear intercepts all the signals from your brain down here." He pointed to the base of his skull behind his ears, right where it would meet the spine."

"So we'll just wait," Midir decided as if it answered their problem, "We'll just have to wait for either the GM to fix this or for someone to remove the NerveGear."

"I live by myself though ..." Klein muttered just before a loud and deep toll of a bell resounded across the first floor, gaining the three players attention.

Before any of them could say a word, a bright flash errupted from each of the players, blinding them until they found themselves back at the town, exactly where every player joined the game from with the bell tower ringing away.

Midir looked around and watched as more players were teleported from wherever they were, rifed with confusion as to what was happening and why they were forcebly teleported.

Soon after, the bell stopped tolling and fell silent. However a new sound took dominance as a red flashing hexagon with the word 'WARNING' on it appeared high above the mosque before it began to spread and covered the entire sky with more hexagons either saying the same word or 'System Announcement'.

After a flashy display of what looked like red wax dripping down and forming what appeared to be a GM, Midir had the sneaking suspicion that this wasn't just a flashy ceremony of saying 'Welcome to the Game'.

The GM widened his arms out and declared loudly, "Players of Sword Art Online, I welcome you to my world."

''My world'? So Kayaba decided to show up?' Midir pondered as the now identified GM answered his question completly by introducing himself by name, Kayaba Akihiko.

"I shall assume that you all have noticed that a vital option in the main menu is missing. The 'log-out button' to be specific. I can assure you that this is not a game malfunction."

Midir narrowed his eyes, quickly connecting the dots and lines at what was happening.

"I repeat, this is not a bug in the system. It is a feature." Kayaba continued, "You are unable to log yourselves out of this game, and no one outside of Sword Art Online will be able to remove or shut down your NerveGear. Any attempt in doing so will result in a transmitter inside the NerveGear to activate and discharge a powerful microwave radiation into your skull, effectively destroying your brain, and ending your life."

Midir heard many of the players either scoffing or complaining about that being stated, some trying to leave but finding themselves unable to do so. He on the other hand considered and recalled back when he first saw the NerveGear.

It certainly was bulky, encompassing the entire human head. He did note that most of the weight was around the back, and that the bottom-most part of the helmet swung on a hinge. From this hinge, the rest of the helmet came down on the human head to encompass it.

If what Kayaba said was true, then the microwave transmitters would have to be around in the bottom-most part. And they had to be particularly powerful too, likely around the same energy output as a mid to high level microwave.

The perfect 'dead-man's switch' if anything.

It didn't help that he noticed the NerveGear had an internal battery, taking away any chance that unplugging the thing, and the batteries weren't noticeably located anywhere, likely inside the helmet.

"... What of an EMP?" Midir considered. It wasn't far off to consider that militaries around the world could have some in various, but too lethal, degrees. But still, these things could be easily made and even focused to a point where it may very well bypass any shielding that the NerveGear might have.

However … That may end up killing the hostage instead of the transmitters.

He hadn't heard if the governments or militaries disassembled a NerveGear to find out how it ticked. But if they had before people started grabbing them mindlessly, surely they would've discovered something that the NerveGear was vulnerable to that would break people out before the transmitters would've tripped.

But still, why go to all this trouble? Just to prove it could happen?

"Unfortunately, the friends and family members of around two hundred and thirteen players have attempted to remove the NerveGear, regardless of the warnings. Thus, these players have both 'died' in Aincrad, and in the real world."

'He seriously thought no one would challenge that?' Midir stared at Kayaba's avatar in dull surprise, 'Even I would've had some expectation that there'd be at least a dozen who wouldn't even see the warning ...'

Still continuing and clearly was prepared to give what could likely be an hour long speech, Kayaba went on as images and pictures of news and media that had already written and shown stories of what had happened appeared and started flying about in the arena, "As of now, the international media around the world are reporting and having full coverage on everything, and the many deaths that followed. You may safely assume that any chances of your NerveGear being removed will not likely happen."

Midir looked at one passing video of a sobbing girl with her mother hugging her tightly as Kayaba added, "In all likelihood, this should bring you comfort and help you relax and concentrate more upon the game."

Midir just turned his attention to the GM avatar and just muttered a flat, "What?" That's it? All the trouble and hostage taking and he just wants to force people to play his game?

It appeared that some of the people around Midir had the same thought and reaction to this, as some started to grumble or stare at the GM avatar, insulted or in disbelief that was all Kayaba wanted.

But wait, there was more, "However, I do want to inform you of this, and it is important. There is no longer any way to respawn or revive anyone in this game. The moment your HP reaches zero, your avatar is permanently erased. And at the same time, the NerveGear will activate and destroy your brain, killing you in real life."

This stunned almost everyone into silence and just stared blankly at the GM, "However, there is a way and a goal to set yourselves free from this game, which is to clear Sword Art Online," Kayaba said while opening a map that enlarged itself to where everyone could easily see it, "As of now, you are currently on the first floor, the lowest level of Aincrad. By making your way through each dungeon and defeating each Floor Boss, you advanced to the next floor until the One-Hundredth floor, and once the final boss is slain, you will clear the game and everyone then will be freed to leave the game."

That brought everyone out of their reveries and started speaking to each other in either disbelief or confusion. Even Midir could hear a familiar voice call out, "Not even the Beta-Testers made it that high!"

'Which means its not just a team effort, but it's an endurance challenge.' Midir considered. He didn't entirely know how many players there currently were, but unless there was around twenty thousand, it was a slim and difficult chance even if everyone pushed forwards like an unrelenting wave.

It seemed that Kayaba was about to finish his spiel, as he said, "Finally, I have a gift for each and one of you, and you can see it for yourself in your Item Storage. If you please, I would like for you to see it for yourselves."

Midir looked around as everyone began, rather obediently, opening their menus and looking through the aforementioned Item Storage. And as he saw from the closest player to him, a girl just under his height, it was a simple mirror that was a shy bigger than her hands.

After a few seconds of seeing nothing happening, Midir brought his own given mirror out and inspected it, some of his own reflection catching in the mirrors reflective surface.

Not a moment later, he saw a brilliant flash of light erupting from somewhere in the large crowd before the same flashes began to appear and envelop every player around Midir before he was enveloped himself in the same light.

Soon after the light show died down and as Midir quickly looked around, he noticed one stark difference. Everyone now looked completely different. Instead of the typical height of either six or five foot, or even the occasional four foot in the preferences of the players around Midir, everyone was now a wildly different height.

On top of that, their faces, appearances, and most striking was the change in gender for some of the players. Some of the players immediately took exception at realizing their partners weren't what they said or thought they were.

The loudest, and most oddest, complaint he had ever heard of in any predicament was two kids yelling how one wasn't a girl and the other wasn't seventeen.

Midir looked back down at the mirror that was still in his hands and noticed that his entire appearance was exactly the same as he was outside of the game, even the same oily, blonde hair that tracked down the sides of his head.

Hearing again the familiar voices that he had been paired up with an hour before, he glanced around until he spotted the familiar outfits of Klein and Kirito, on two very different looking teens.

Midir quickly made his way, bumping and gently pushing aside everyone around before calling out, "Hey! Klein! Kirito!"

Out of familiarity with both names and the voice that had called them, both teens turned and saw Midir step out of the crowd and stopped before them.

Klein was the first to comment after staring at Midir for a few moments, "... Damn, the long hair and sideburns look better on you than it did for me."

Midir responded by giving a bewildered glare at Klein as Kirito started to realize what was going on, "The scanners … The NerveGear traces your face with the high-density sensors, that's how our faces changed to what we look like in real life … But what about our height and body shape?"

"The calibrations." Midir answered, getting his attention, "When you first start using the headset, it had you feel all over your body."

"Yeah that," Klein started, before hesitating and asking, "But why? Why's this all happening?"

"Neither of you catch on to what he said?" Midir pointed out, "He said it quite clearly that he has us trapped here, we have the potential to die here, and the only way out is to win the game. That's what he wanted, its all he wanted: To play his game from start to finish."

"Many of you must be wondering 'Why? Why did Kayaba Akihiko, the developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear take so many hostages and hold them all here?" Kayaba began again, this time sounding like someone reciting off speech, "What I have aimed to do has already been accomplished. And I have created my own world where I can observe and admire the actions and efforts of everything in it. That is why I made Sword Art Online."

Kirito seemed to take serious offense at that all the while Midir started losing more of his tolerance at Kayaba's shenanigans. All in all, the speech could have been summed up to simply say: Kayaba was taking control of the game; He wanted everyone to give actual effort in clearing the game while he watched and not just have it as a eventual goal; And he had these specific incentives to push everyone to accomplish it faster.

So he wasn't a very patient man to wait around for just somebody to ascend to the last floor and had a case of 'God Am I', he could've just thrown different incentives or even a 'New Game+' where the death there would've meant the lost of both character and all the items the player collected, as well as all that progress. Much less mess, and it'd give everyone a sense of some serious but amazingly fun endgame.

"This ends the tutorial and opening ceremony for the official Sword Art Online launch!" Kayaba declared loudly, "Players, I wish each and every one of you the best of luck."

And with that, the GM avatar started to glitch and dissipate into dust, but not before a small mirror flew out of the crowd and went perfectly through where the face of the GM would be, which startled Klein and Kirito a little bit when they noticed Midir recover from his rather herculean throw.

However, it didn't affect the avatar nor did it change much as it disappeared back behind the red hexagon ceiling above before it too disappeared, leaving the arena of players simply staring in silence, either unsure what to make of what just occurred to them or the fact of what did happen hadn't registered in their minds completely.

It was only when the scream of a girl did it stir the entire crowd of players into reacting with panic, fear, and anger.

=(+)=(-)=

AN: And that'd be the last of my steam, I'll probably keep up with this and try to keep it going, though don't be surprised if that takes awhile.

No I'm not going to try and go full-on copypaste with the canon plot, I'm not that bland and its lazy af. Yes there'll be times where things do cross into canonic events, and if and when they happen, it'll be because there's a lot of 'noise' happening and Midir loves taking a peek at what's making all that racket, but most of the POV will be with Midir.