DISCLAIMER: I do not own SAO


CHAPTER 11: Just a Game


Danger was everywhere.

Players were appearing left and right in beams of light. All of them were just as confused as the cousins were, staring up at the red sky. Little blocks of the sky each held the word 'Alert!' or 'Danger!" in them. Miharu was starting to get nervous.

"You don't think the game crashed?" She whispered to Hikari. Her cousin shook her head, gazing skeptically around.

"No. It's too…planned. Maybe an event?"

Miharu's eyebrows furrowed, "Why would an event change the sky like that?"

"Good point."

Everyone was startled when the sky started to leak red ooze, looking chillingly similar to blood and forming together in the sky. And then, a game master appeared.

"Oh." Miharu blinked, "Maybe the game did crash?"

"Or hacked. Or bugged. Or crashed. Anything can happen."

"Attention, players." The enormous robed figure spread his arms, a deep booming voice echoing around the small area, "Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko."

"Isn't he the guy that owns Argus?" Hikari mumbled. Miharu nodded.

"He made this game."

"As of this moment, I' am the sole person who can control this world. I'm sure you've already noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu. But this is not a defect in the game."

Miharu jolted, snapped her head to the side when her cousin opened her menu. His words were true, for right below the options button, the logout was gone. "I repeat…this is not a defect in the game."

"So…an event?" Hikari raised an eyebrow, turning to her pale cousin. Miharu weakly shook her head.

Kayaba continued his speech, "It is a feature of Sword Art Online. You cannot log out of SAO yourselves. And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear. Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and thus ending your life."

Miharu gasped. Hikari gapped. Thousands of people voiced their shock and confusion, but Kayaba didn't seem to pay any heed. Hikari swallowed.

"He can't do that…can he?"

Slowly, Miharu nodded her head, "The NerveGear runs on battery…basically, he's saying there's a bomb on our head."

Hikari paled.

"Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have ignored this warning, and have attempted to remove the NerveGear. As a result, two hundred and thirteen players are gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world."

Hikari looked sick, echoing 'over two hundred…?' while Miharu's thoughts flew towards their grandmother, hoping with all her might that she wouldn't disconnect them. She hadn't done it before, but who's to say she wouldn't get mad when they didn't show up to dinner? Was she watching the news right now? What was going on out there?

"As you can see," The giant game master flicked his hand, screens appearing and rotating around him, "new organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the deaths. Thus, you can assume that the danger of a NerveGear being removed is now minimal."

That did nothing to ease the crowds panic.

"I hope you will relax and attempt to clear the game. But I want you to remember this clearly. There is no longer any method to revive someone within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be forever lost. And simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain."

Hikari was shaking now, staring wide eyed at the leviathan before the crowd. Thoughts were rushing through Miharu's head, thoughts of her deaths before she started the game and how easy it was then but now if she screwed up even once, even if it was small, she was gonna die. Both of them could die.

"There is only one means to escape." A holographic image of Aincrad appeared in front of the game master, "To complete the game. You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, Floor 1. If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss, you may advance to the next level. Defeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game."

A determined glint entered Hikari's eye. Miharu was too busy trying not to hyperventilate. The level of silence around them was graveyard worthy.

"Finally, I've added a present from me to your item storage. Please see for yourself."

Hikari opened her menu, snapping Miharu out of her daze for her to robotically copy her cousin's movement. She was a little surprised to find an item there, considering they'd already sold everything. She brought it out of her inventory, a small hand mirror forming in her palm.

Miharu raised an eyebrow, "How is this-?"

And then, there was a flash of light. Dizzily, she noticed everyone's shape seemed to have changed. And they got taller. Looking down, Miharu yelped, finding her back in her thirteen year old body. Shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes. Turning to her cousin, she found the brunette staring wide eyed back at her.

"H-Haru-chan?"

"Um…" the blonde took a deep breath, "This…why? What's going on?"

"I'm not sure but…" Hikari turned back to the game master, glaring, "He's really starting to piss me off."

"Right now," Kayaba spoke up, "you're probably wondering, 'why?' Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do all this? My goal has already been achieved. I created Sword Art Online for one reason…to create this world and intervene in it. And now, it is complete."

Shocked silence.

"This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch. Good luck, players."

And then he disappeared.

It was so eerily quiet, Miharu thought for a moment that someone had put everyone on mute. Then an anguished wail went up, and all hell broke loose. People ran screaming, someone falling to the ground in tears, and everything was chaos.

Hikari grabbed her cousin's hand, forcefully pushing their way through the crowds and away from the courtyard. The NPC's looked like no such death threat had been issued over their head, staring at the mass of panicked players in confusion. The cousin's ran through the streets before Miharu tugged on her arm, forcing them to a stop.

Hikari wheeled on her cousin, "What do we do now? He said we have to beat the game to survive…"

"I know," Miharu pinched the bridge of her nose, shakily sighing, "I'm not sure if he's bluffing but I don't really want to find out."

"Right. So, plan of action?"

"Plan…?" Miharu turned towards the direction they were going, eyes lighting up in thought, "This road leads out to Harunka, the first village…we could beat the mobs but…"

"Alright then, let's go!"

"WAIT!"

Hiakri froze; foot in the air, snapping her head to her cousin, "What?"

"Are you sure?" Miharu gestured to the road, "We could die, Hikari. We're just kids."

Hikari smirked, "That's never stopped us before, am I right? We didn't get our titles for nothing."

Miharu couldn't help the smile that crossed her face.

"I bet I'll beat you there."

"Fat chance!"

"Better keep up, lazy!"

"OY!"

Yeah, Miharu thought as they raced down the road with the sun setting behind them, so what if this is a death game? It's still just a game.

One they definitely plan to beat.