Welcome to the first chapter of Alicization Nightshade.

Apologies again for the Prologue being short. I wouldn't have published it if I knew how quickly I would write this. But anyway, it's here now and I hope you enjoy this introduction.

See you at the bottom

Chapter 1

Awakening

How did I get here?

A cold sensation was on my forehead. I blinked as I found myself on a bed, staring at a ceiling that I didn't recognise. Distant clattering confirmed I wasn't alone.

I reached up to my forehead and removed the white towel that was completely soaked, confirming that it was water on my head and not sweat. I was a little worried that I had caught the flu or something.

I looked to my left. There were three beds that were empty, wrapped in thin blankets and an even thinner pillow that was propped up with a folded blanket. The noise was coming from behind a set of two dark wooden doors. To my right, there was another set of beds. It looked like there was ten, maybe more. A mosaic tapestry lined the back wall, which looked like three women fighting a demon.

I took a moment to look in a pool of water. My brown hair was messy, but cut short. It only took a moment to brush it forward into a normal looking state. My eyes matched my hair colour. A drop of water rolled down my pale skin which I wiped away. My outfit was a thin grey top and brown pants, a pair of black boots sat at the end of my bed.

The door opened as I swung my legs around to sit up. A gasp came from the same direction, followed by someone running away. I wiped away the residue on my head in time for the door to open once again, this time with two woman, clad the black robes and white neck piece of a nun, walking over to me. One of them, a middle aged woman who still had perfect skin, but greys were starting to form in her black hair that was tied back in a bun. The other was obviously a lot younger, no older than 18 years it seemed, with scarlet hair that was partially tied back to form a fountain hairstyle.

The older woman leaned towards me and placed her hand in front of me, extending two fingers and drawing an S shape. "How are you feeling boy?"

"A little light headed." I looked at her as a purple window opened where her fingers had drawn the S. "Where exactly am I?"

"You're in Vetal, inside the Wesdarath Empire." The older woman looked rather concerned. "A trader found you out in the field and brought you here. You were completely dead to the world."

I looked at the window that was still hovering in the air. "I can't remember…"

The younger girl suddenly gasped. "Sister Fornell, I remember hearing one of the market stalls talking about something falling out of the sky."

Sister Fornell sighed. "You shouldn't subscribe to petty rumours. Now, what do you remember boy?"

I searched my memory for anything but very little came back to me. "My name is Light. The last thing I remember…I was fighting someone. I think I hated them for some reason."

"Well, at least you remember your name." Sister Fornell sighed. The purple window closed as she leaned back to stand up straight. "Well, I suppose Myne here will be willing to show you around town and get you accustomed to your…new life I guess. I shall go and prepare a more permanent bed. I doubt you have any family around here if you were found in a field."

I slowly pushed myself onto my feet, finding myself to be a little wobbly. "Thank you. If there's any way to repay your kindness…" I doubted just anyone would allow a stranger to stay in their place.

"Myne can explain what is expected of you while you stay in the church." Sister Fornell nodded before walking out.

Church? This is a church? I frowned as I looked around. It looked more like a hospital ward, with all the beds pushed against the walls in long rows.

The younger girl Myne, suddenly burst with energy, squealing. "I can't believe it! I prayed last night that Stacia would give me a sign, and then you fall out of the sky!" I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Oh man, this is one event I must write down in my diary. After showing you around of course." Myne grabbed my hand and begun pulling me.

This girl seemed so full of energy that I just shook my head and let her drag me along, picking up the pair of boots off the floor. She took me down a flight of steps and through a large set of oak doors. I was blinded temporarily by the sun which was high in the sky.

The town was rather large, made up of several buildings made of a stone first floor and a second floor mostly made of wood and a roof of hay. They seemed to be put together rather well, but were showing signs of wear and in terms of size, they were about a third of the size of the church, which was rather huge looking at it from the outside. I couldn't see more than two or three living in them. Just outside the church was a market which was packed with people, taking away vegetables, meat and pottery which was being sold at several stalls. The chapel itself was a long building. The ward I was in seemed to take up most of the second floor, with a first being used for actual religious stuff I presumed.

Myne began pulling me through the crowd who were eyeing me with curiosity. I guess I couldn't blame them. If someone "fell out of the sky" and was up and walking soon after, I would be very intrigued too. She took me to the main street which had a lot more breathing room, enough to finally pull my boots on. It hosted a variety of stores and houses. The smell of freshly baked bread was especially pleasing to smell. "Well, we don't have a lot here. I'm guess that gives me more time to explain some stuff." Myne let go of my hand and spread her arms wide. "Welcome to Underworld. At least the Human Empire portion of it."

"Underworld?" I looked around. I couldn't see any hellfire or brimstone. "So have I actually died then?"

Myne giggled. "No silly. I'm pretty sure everyone else was born here. You might be an Integrity Knight that just didn't summon properly or somehow came here from another time."

"Integrity Knight huh?" I didn't recognise the name. If that was the purpose of my arrival in this world, I think I would at least remember that. "So, hang on a second. What was that window that Sister Fornell opened? That would be in a world that isn't real." I was so confused. I knew that this couldn't be real due to floating status windows. But this world seemed real.

Myne looked confused. "Well, you're real. I'm real. This world is as real as it can be." Her reasoning made sense. "That was the Stacia window. It can tell you your total Life and what level of Object Control Authority and System Control Authority. But you only need to worry about those if you plan on becoming a swordsman or a member of the Axiom Church."

"Swords…man…?" I looked down at my hand. For a moment, I could imagine a sword inside my palm. In fact, I could see the sword clearly. A silver blade with a golden handle, a strange design on the cross guard. "There are swords here?"

"Yep. In fact, we hold a duelling tournament every year. The winner gets to challenge the head of the town's guard and if they win, they're rewarded with a sword." Myne spread her arms wide and twirled as we reached the end of the street, which was signified by a drawbridge over a moat, leading out of town. "So, I'm guessing that you want to participate?"

"The only thing I can remember other than my last fight is that a sword is my weapon. If I'm ever going to find my purpose in this world, a sword will take me there. That I'm certain of."

Myne shrugged. "Are you sure you can even swing a sword?"

"I wouldn't bother asking him Myne. He's as thin as a stick."

A guard walked over, clad in leather armour. He looked middle aged, a stubby beard and slicked back hair. He wore a smug face, but his eyes were sharp. I could tell he was an experienced warrior.

"Kids these days always think they can just pick up a sword and swing it to win a fight." The guard shook his head. "There's a lot more to it than that kid."

For the first time since waking up, I smiled. "Oh really? Maybe you would be so kind to teach me?"

Myne let out a groan. "If Sister Fornell finds out you've been picking fights so quickly, she won't be happy."

"I'm not picking a fight. Think of it as training for the duelling tournament." I shrugged.

The guard laughed. "That's the spirit kid! I like you already." His expression softened a little before gesturing to follow. I looked at Myne who looked defeated, putting her hands up in surrender. I followed the guard down the street.

As we walked, I retraced the steps that Sister Fornell had performed to open my Stacia window, drawing the S with my forefinger and middle finger. The same purple window appeared. My Object Control Authority was at 32, while my System Control Authority was sat at 2. I swiped the window away, deciding to ask Myne about specifics later. Right now I had to focus on the fight in front of me.

The guard had led me to a barracks. He explained to another guard what was going on before we went into the yard. Myne leaned against the fence, ready to watch.

I was passed a wooden sword and I felt it in my hand. It was incredibly light. My instinct seemed to be right. The sword felt right in my hand, like it was part of me. I swung it a few times, finding myself more reinsured.

"You ready kid?" The guard got into a stance. He stood body facing forwards, one foot in front of the other, with the sword ready in front of him. His grip was sloppy despite holding the handle with two hands. One strike and I could knock it out of his hands. Or maybe that was what he was trying to get me to do. Even so…

I placed my right foot in front of my body, left foot behind and angled to the side. My sword was gripped firmly, my wrist lax so the sword was pointed at my opponent. The guard raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive. You'd be amazed how many other brats have no idea how to properly stand." He raised his sword over his head.

His sides were open for a swing if I dodged to the same side I swung at. However, a smile on his face told me that he was expecting that. I decided to wait for him to make the move.

The guard jumped forwards, bringing his sword down on my head. "Checkmate…" I muttered under my breath as I moved my sword to intercept, placing my other hand on the blade so the power behind his strike wouldn't cause my sword to be knocked away. As the two swords clashed, his smile vanished as he realised his mistake. I fell backwards, planting my foot on his chest. I didn't need to do anything else, just letting momentum and gravity take over. The force of his strike made him come down with me. I used my feet to throw him over my head, sending him tumbling in the dirt.

The guard gasped in pain as I kicked to get myself back on my feet. I twirled the sword in my hand before sheathing it, or at least attempting to, all in one smooth motion. I held the wooden sword on my waist and smiled as I turned to look at the guard. "Thanks for the training."

I heard some murmurs from the other guards. The guard I had been fighting pushed himself into a sitting position. "Heh…not bad kid…"

I bowed before sticking the wooden sword in the hay. Myne's eyes were wide, her jaw open in surprise. "Where did you learn that?"

Unfortunately, my answer was as expected. "I don't know."

That evening

The sky was a deep red that evening. I lifted the bucket out of the well, emptying it into the urn. The water was at an acceptable level now, so I heaved it onto my shoulder and carried it towards the kitchen. The Sister inside thanked me and dismissed me.

I went outside and sat on the stone wall, staring up at the sky. Something went across the sky but I didn't pay it any attention.

This world is too realistic to be a virtual world, but relies on systems too strange to be real. Even without my memories, I could tell that something's wrong. I need to find out why I'm here and what my goal should be. Myne mentioned something about an Integrity Knight. It's a good start, maybe I could find out how to meet one.

I let out a sigh, knowing that the journey was going to be long. A chill was now in the wind, causing my shoulders to shake.

My first goal was getting a sword I could rely on. And that meant fighting in the duelling tournament and winning every fight, even against the head of the town's guard.

I chuckled to myself. "If he's anything like his subordinate, then this will be all too easy."

Thanks for reading. And thank you to people who have already followed and favourited. I think you're crazy for doing so but it's appreciated all the same :)

A little backstory. Light is a survivor of another death game called The Land Beyond, and ended up freeing everyone. He has only one memory which is his lowest point. He will begin to remember other parts of his past, but you'll find out what those are when we get to them.

Unfortunately, this story isn't going to be updated as regularly as my Fatal Bullet Rewrite. This was just an idea that bloomed into a story. The crossover was going to happen anyway, but I didn't have a concrete idea until Season 3 of SAO finished. I will try to write a chapter every month, but don't hold your breath. As soon as the FB Rewrite is done, I'll be focusing on finishing this ASAP.

Reviews are appreciated. Critisim is preferred to blind love or hate. Thank you all again for checking this out.

Until next time, Stay Cool