Welcome to War of Underworld. I'm uploading this slightly earlier than I wanted to, but why not?

If you're coming from my adaptation of Alicization Lycoris, you know how the story ends. This chapter was originally supposed to answer that, but... As many times as I spoke of the relationship of Jaymes, Kirito, and Asuna to Koharu, I've never shown the four of them together (that I remember). So I decided to introduce Koharu in this manner, back to the beginning of everything. The next three chapters will also be Koharu and real world-centric, so it'll be a few chapters before the Underworld. While this is just a taste of the relationship of the four, I plan to go into it more with a joint adaptation of Progressive and Integral Factor later this year and an AU I thought of as well.

I heavily suggest that, if you're new, you read the first five stories before this in this order: Blacksmith and Warrior, Courage and Realization, Squad Jam, Ordinal Dissonance, and Alicization: Steel and Lycoris. A lot from those stories is going to have references, whether it's characters, relationships, or events. While I wouldn't say this is the culmination of my series, for now, I'd say this is like jumping into a show at season 6 instead of the beginning.

So, without further ado, here's the beginning of the War of Underworld.

November 6th, 2022

"I wonder if this light inside my heart has been right here all along, and I've never noticed it at all, 'cause every time I stumble down or have to take the long way around, it shines on me forevermore… Ahh." The shower turns off and out steps a young girl of 15 years. Humming the rest of the verse to herself, she dries herself off and straightens her hair. Today's the long-awaited day, and she spent all day at school and gymnastics club thinking about it.

Sword Art Online officially launched two hours ago during school, and she's sure her new friend is already online. She has to hurry up before he forgets her, though he doesn't seem the impatient type. He stayed with her despite her combat blunders the day they met in the beta. It's her first VR game ever, so she hopes that doesn't become a bother.

"Koharu? Um… Are you done in there?"

"Yes, Dad, I am… Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, well… I… I was cleaning your room earlier today and… I might've...accidentally knocked your headset off the shelf."

Koharu cracks open the door, enough for her father to see her unhappy glare. "What? It didn't look broken! Dad!"

"Don't worry, I made sure it worked by turning it on and stuff. Didn't log into that game or anything you bought, but it seems to still work. I'm sorry, though."

Koharu sighs and exits the bathroom in comfortable clothing. "Fine. Well, I'll log off around dinnertime. Eight, right?"

Her father nods. "Eight it is. Now go have fun."

She separates from her dad and heads into her room. Eyeing the grey headset, she looks for any damage it might possess, but it seems to be in good condition. "Good. Just a moment longer." She inserts the SAO cartridge, hooks up the NerveGear, and lays down on her bed. Once the system is fully booted up, she smiles to herself. A new world awaits her. "Link Start!"

"Ah! There you are!" Koharu pants as she stops in front of a boy with brown skin and spiky black hair leaning against a building in the Town of Beginnings' main square. His face doesn't show any irritation or surprise, but he made true on his promise to meet with her on the first day. Wiping her sweat (somehow possible in this world) she looks up. He's wearing the same clothing as before, black boots and pants, a long-sleeved red shirt, and a metal chest plate. She, too, hasn't changed attire from the beta. A dark long-sleeved dress that shows off her shoulder, a breastplate topping it, and it leads down to a black skirt fit for combat. Around her waist is a red belt which holds her weapon of choice, a dagger. Koharu found this weapon easiest to wield as it complements her natural agility. "There's way more people here than during the beta. It was hard finding you!"

The boy's face slowly changes to an amused smile. "Hello, Koharu. You finally made it."

"Sorry. I had gymnastics club meeting after school, and the crowd...is why I'm kinda late."

"We should have picked a meeting place too."

"For sure." Standing straight up, Koharu puts her hands together and smiles sheepishly. "So, I have a favor to ask. I'm still terrible at fighting. More lessons, please?"

The boy sighs. "Didn't you fight a lot in the beta?"

"Yeah, but it was only two months!"

"But… Well, we got time now. So, why not?"

Koharu chants excitedly, "Thank you, Jaymes!"

After two hours or so of Koharu being trained by Jaymes and two other guys, Klein and Kirito, the four of them decide to call it quits. "It's almost seven already? Gonna grab me a bite! Got some pizza waiting for me! Thanks, Kirito! I'll pay you back sometime! Maybe."

Koharu nods. "Thank you. I think I won't trip over my feet now. Oh, and thank you as well, Klein."

Kirito nods. "Sure thing. Though I got something out of this as well. You know how to handle a sword and shield well, Jaymes. Your defense is almost impenetrable."

Jaymes chuckles as he taps the wood and metal shield strapped to his arm. "Yeah, well, I've always used the combination in traditional games, so the art of SNS combat is partially in me. But I am sure you're the better swordsman, Kirito."

"Well, we're on each other's friends list, maybe we'll see how good we are from time to time. What do you say?" Koharu smiles as the two boys shake hands. She doesn't understand it, but she knows a budding friendship when she sees one. For some reason, she sees no reason Kirito and Jaymes wouldn't get along. Both look unapproachable, yet neither one denied helping her with such a task as combat. Klein, as weird as he is looking at her whenever she falls, is super friendly as well. Who knows, maybe they'll play this game tons with each other in the days to come.

"Huh? Where's the logout button?"

"It should be at the bottom of the menu… Huh?"

"What's the problem?"

Kirito answers Jaymes by showing both him and Koharu his menu. "The logout button… It's not there!"

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

"Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have ignored this warning and have attempted to remove the NerveGear. As a result, 213 players are gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world. As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting this, including the deaths. Thus, you can assume the damage of a NerveGear being removed is now minimal. 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. There is only one means of escape. To complete the game.

"You are present on the lowest floor of Aincrad, Floor 1. If you make your way to the dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss, you may advance to the next floor. Defeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game. Finally, I added a present from me to your item storage. Please see for yourselves… Right now, you're probably wondering 'Why? Why would Akihiko Kayaba, 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. This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch."

"Hey," Koharu looks up and sniffs as Jaymes comes back with a piece of bread. "With the Col I had, this was the cheapest thing I could buy. Not much, but it'll do for right now, right?"

"Thank you." Koharu begins to munch on the loaf of bread, gasping at the incredible taste of it. "Is that butter?"

"Mhm. Pretty good, huh?" After a moment of eating in silence, Jaymes breaks the ice by facing Koharu. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah. Sorry I freaked out on you back there. I should have kept calm."

Jaymes shakes his head and pats hers gently. "No, you had every right to panic. Maybe I'm the weird one for not panicking… I've talked to Kirito and Klein via messaging. Kirito is heading to the next village, Klein is gathering his friends and gonna head out soon. He offered me a spot in his guild, but… Making sure you're okay is my priority at the time."

Despite tears in her eyes, Koharu manages to smile. "Thanks."

"Aw, how touchin'."

Alarmed and protective, Jaymes turns his head upward. Koharu follows, seeing a small person leaning against the railing of the stairs just behind where they are. It looks to be a girl possibly around their age, with blond hair, yellow eyes, and similar equipment to Jaymes with a different color scheme and the addition of a brown cloak. "And who are you?"

"I'm Argo! Nice to meetcha! What happened there was crazy, right?" She jumps down, raising her arms as a sign of nonaggression. "Heeey, relax, big red. I won't bite...much."

Jaymes backs down but still stands between the girls. "I guess you couldn't do anything if you tried. Not in the safe zone."

"What are we supposed to do? Will someone save us from outside?"

Argo answers Koharu's question without hesitation. "Nay, I don't think so. If someone could've fixed this, they'd done it by now. So two choices. Wait for help that won't come, or take action! Take your pick, Big Red."

"I'm not hiding in fear. I"m an experienced gamer, so this kind of challenge, minus the severity, is up my alley. But what do I need to do?"

"First, you're gonna need some cash, or Col as it is called here. You need to buy or buff your equipment. I know easy quests with a good payout. Interested? Just remember, don't let your guard down."

Jaymes nods. "I'm interested. I need to be able to survive."

"Great, that's what I like to hear!"

"But first…" Jaymes turns around and kneels to Koharu's level. "For now, being part of the beta gives me a leg up. But it is you I'm concerned about."

Koharu glances up. "Huh? Why is that? I mean, we don't know each other in real life, and we barely know each other here. You have the skill to go out there and fight. You don't need me around, I'll just hold you back and all."

"You're right, we don't know each other and, for the lack of a better term, you suck...but you're the only person I know in this game that's still here." Jaymes smiles and holds his hand out to her. "Besides, you said we should play together and I agreed. The situation might have gone completely sideways, but a promise is a promise. Koharu, no matter where this game takes us, as long as both of us are alive, we can clear this game! Of course, I know I'm asking you to risk your life...but I'll do anything and everything in my power to make sure you live."

Koharu lowers her head and her eyes somehow land on the time display. 8:00 pm JST...dinner time back home, yet she's trapped in another world… "No. No, I will not have you protect me all the time. Maybe for now, sure...but I promise I'll get stronger. We both will...and we'll see the hundredth floor of Aincrad together!"

Jaymes nods and lifts Koharu from her seat. "Then, from this moment onwards, we're partners."

"Partners… I like the sound of that."

"Hah...hah… Are you okay, Koharu?"

Koharu wipes her teary face, but she doesn't answer a question even Jaymes knows is rhetorical. Just moments before, Koharu watched as two players were killed by a wolf mob. Frozen in fear, she would have joined them had not Jaymes rescued her and cut a path to the woods outside of their fighting range. It was the first time in the five days they've been in SAO that she's seen someone die, so the reality of things is now weighing heavily on her. "Did...those players...d-die for real? There wasn't any blood… There wasn't any blood…"

"I know this is the world we have to live in now, but that's not how someone should have to die… Koharu." Koharu looks up to Jaymes' outstretched hand and his warm, comforting smile. "Let's get stronger together. Let's live and beat this thing!"

"But… I'm just slowing you down."

"No, you're not. You'll be way stronger in no time. Besides… You're the only one I can trust here."

"Really… Well, okay." Koharu takes Jaymes' hand and stands up. His words back on the first night replay in her head, and in that moment her doubts about holding Jaymes back washes away. He wants her here with him despite being weak. Maybe...maybe he too is afraid, and being with her keeps him just as calm and collected as her being with him makes her feel anything is possible. She may be only able to offer him that for now, but one day, she'll be strong enough to give him a true partnership. They'll get stronger, for the both of them, together. On that thought, she smiles and laughs, still holding on to this hand. "Watch out, Jaymes! Cause I'll be stronger than you someday."

Jaymes smirks back. "I have little doubt about that."

Weeks passed, and the pair continued to get stronger by completing quests given by Argo and town NPCs. Jaymes believed they were strong enough to take on more challenging quests before they hit what he called the 'level cap' for the floor, which is gamer language for becoming strong enough that they'll be unable to get stronger. At best, they're on level with top players on the first floor.

Col is now plentiful for the pair, so they've upgraded their gear as far as they can on the first floor. Koharu invested most of her armor's enhancements in being light and durable and making her dagger sharp and accurate. Jaymes, being both the defense and the offense, purely took durability into account with his armor and shield, while his sword was very sharp and durable.

Now the duo tackles their greatest challenge: their stomachs. As they sit in town, Jaymes blinks in Koharu's direction as her stomach rumbles and she tries to play it off in a hilarious manner. "How about lunch? If you're hungry, no need to hide it."

"Fine… What kind of system is this? Why do we get hungry in VR?" The pair hear chuckling nearby, further embarrassing Koharu and entertaining Jaymes. The person laughing is a girl with short, black hair and kind-looking blue eyes.

"Sorry for laughing. I couldn't help myself. You looked so happy. It's nice hearing about things besides monsters and quests. I'm Sachi."

Koharu smiles. Now that she thinks about it, it has been "quest this, quest that, monster here and there" for her and Jaymes since they've gotten here. Sure, it's served them well, but… When the idea of lunch feels like an anomaly of conversation, it makes Koharu want to take a step back and make such anomalies normal again. "I'm Koharu, this meanie here is Jaymes. Nice to meet you! Are you a solo player?"

"I'm in a guild with friends from high school. They're...somewhere around here. Do you have time to chat? I've heard all sorts of rumors about you both, Koharu and Jaymes."

Koharu looks to Jaymes, who looks just as confused as she does. Who is out there spreading rumors about them? They don't know many people. "Us? Why?"

"You're about our age, but you're amazing! It's so cool that you fight on the frontlines."

Koharu bashfully laughs. "Haha… Er, thanks, I guess?"

"Oh! You said you were hungry? Here, try this." Sachi pulls out a bag from her inventory and holds it out to Koharu. "I brought enough for everyone, but they're not back yet, and it's about to expire."

Koharu takes the bag and looks inside. Her stomach begs for fulfillment, but her manners get the better of her. "Sandwiches? Are you sure it's okay?" Sachi nods and Koharu relinquishes control to her hunger. She hands the quiet swordsman beside her a sandwich and takes one for herself while continuing conversation with Sachi. "Hey, why aren't you with your friends?"

Sachi's happy face falls. "Because… I'm a coward. I'm terrified every time I leave town. They're off earning money to buy me a spear so I can fight far away from the monsters. But I'm just a big burden on all of them."

"It's only natural to be scared, Sachi. Don't push yourself. Take it slow."

"Are you scared, Koharu?"

"You bet I am terrified. I can't handle it on my own, but..." She turns around to the eating swordsman in red and black, either not paying attention to the girls at all or just more focused on his hunger. And he was talking about her, the idiot. "I've got a friend."

"I see. I've got friends too, so maybe one day… Well, thanks for the pep talk."

"Is there anything we can do to help? Like, where are you friends now?"

"Fighting on the plains. Seems they're having trouble."

Koharu snaps her fingers. "Ah! It's much easier to fight a monster if you know its patterns, right? We'll investigate for you!"

"Hey, I never agreed to that."

Oh, no he speaks. Koharu turns and points to the sandwich he's halfway consumed. "It's to thank her for the sandwiches. Right?" She winks at him, and she knows she has him.

"Fine, we'll get the monster data--that Rat!" Jaymes sighs as he crosses his arms. "Argo is spreading rumors, of course. Who else?"

"Hmm, you may be right."

Few hours later

"Hi again. How did it go?"

Koharu hands the monster data to Sachi. "Easy! Here's the monster data."

Sachi smiles as she reads through the data. "Wow! This is great! I'm sure everyone will jump for joy! Thank you so much!"

"You two did great." Koharu, Jaymes, and Sachi are approached by a tall male in blue armor. "Rather than hoard the information for yourselves, you share it with those in need. Information can save your life here. Your willingness to share it is truly inspiring."

"Who are you," Jaymes asks.

"Oh, sorry, I'm Diavel. Nice to meet you! I'm gathering people to take on this floor's boss right now. If you wish to help us conquer this floor, come to Tolbana. Well, good day! Hope to see you soon!"

As Diavel departs to continue recruiting, Koharu looks to Jaymes. His face is deep in quiet thought, so Koharu gives him a moment before she speaks. "So… Yes? No?"

"Info from the front will help… And whether we like it or not, our way out of here is to ascend Aincrad. Let's do it."

"You're challenging the floor boss?"

Jaymes nods to Sachi's question. "Yeah. But we'll get a little stronger first."

"If you insist on going… Survive, okay? And come see me again!"

Koharu nods. "We will! That's a promise!"

Tolbana

"There's so many people here," Koharu says as she looks around the amphitheater. As told, the pair came to Tolbana for a meeting about the floor's boss. Thanks to a certain informant strolling around town, they learned that they're not the only one of her regulars here: Kirito, who sits on the other side of Jaymes, is also here along with his "princess" who Koharu believes is wearing the cloak. How Argo knows the three of them know each other is beyond her, but she wouldn't be good at her job if she didn't know the unknown.

She charged them 500 Col for that unnecessary (but hilarious) piece of information about Kirito and the girl.

Finally, Diavel appears on the stage, taking his place as leader of the gathering. "Thank you all for heading my call today. My name's Diavel, and I like to think of myself as playing a knight." Several players laugh at the use of the nonexistent role before Diavel continues. "Now, you're all top players in the game, active around the front line of our progress, and I hardly need to remind you of why we're here. Today, our party discovered the first-floor boss chamber! The time has come to beat the boss and reach the second floor! It took an entire month, but now we have the chance to show everyone that someday we can beat this game of death. That's the duty of all the top-level players here, isn't that right?"

"Hang on just a sec, sir knight." Koharu and the three with her turn to see a spiky-haired man walk down to the amphitheater's stage. "Gotta get this offa my chest before we can start playin' like we're all pals."

"What's on your mind, friend? Positive opinions are always welcome. However, I'd ask you to introduce yourself first."

"Hmph. The name's Kibaou." He turns to the audience and produces an angry stare. "C'mon, you cowardly beta testers! Show yerselves! I know there's five or ten of 'em here. Come out and name yerselves! You owe an apology to the two thousand people who already died because you were too busy hoggin everything to yourselves! Now get down on hands and knees and apologize and donate your stockpiles and items." This causes quite a clamor, one that makes Koharu nervous. 2,000 players in a month...and the anger is directed at beta testers. She can look at three right here, right now, as Jaymes, Kirito, and herself were part of the beta, but…

"May I speak?" Everyone faces a looming, dark figure in the middle of the audience. "My name's Agil. Kibaou, if I have this right, you're claiming that many newbies died because the former testers didn't help them, so they ought to pay reparations? Is that right?"

"Yeah. They abandoned all the new players who didn't know left from right on the day this damn game started and' hightailed it right outta the Town of Beginnings to pursue their own selfish ends. When them beta assholes hogged all the best huntin' grounds and lucrative quests, they kept the beginners from good leveling spots so they had ya venture inta dangerous zones and wound up dead."

"That's true, the resources available to players in this game is limited by the system. But consider this question, Kibaou. If you were a self-interested beta tester who only cared about your own survival and you could monopolize one thing, what would you choose? The best hunting grounds? The lucrative quests?"

"Wh-What's yer point?"

"I'd choose information." Agil produces a book, which Koharu recognizes as the guidebook for the first floor… Argo's guidebook. "Every time I reached a new town, this guidebook was available at the item shops. And for free, too. I'd say everyone has made use of them, right?"

"F-For free," Kirito frowns. "That Rat! She charged me five hundred Col a pop!"

Jaymes sighs. "Only reason we got it from her for free was because we helped her fill it out. Be glad you didn't go through that trouble."

"But," Agil continues, "it felt to me like it was all too quick. I suspect that the only people who could have offered this information and map data are the former beta testers who have already been past anything we've seen so far. Listen, the information was out there. There's no better gi you could give a group of beginners. Yes, many people died, but that was because they assumed SAO worked the same as other MMOs and failed to pull back when they needed to. Meanwhile, we've got the information from the guide and we're still alive."

"He's met his match," the girl beside Kirito says. "You always find these people, the ones who aren't happy and want to drag everyone down with them. He doesn't realize there's a role only the frontrunners can play."

"But I don't think everyone can be broken down into simple categories," Kirito responds.

Diavel speaks again. "Your point is well taken, Kibaou, but isn't this time to look forward? if the former beta testers are going to lend us their help to defeat the boss, what greater ally could we possibly hope for? Now, do you mind if we can get back to the topic--"

"Diavel! Look!" A newcomer runs down to the stage, holding a book and presenting it to the knight.

"Wha? A strategy guide for the boss?"

"The NPC shop in the square just got them in!"

Jaymes scoffs. "So timely, she is."

Below, Agil and Diavel continue to scour the guide as everyone comes down to grab a peek. "The boss' name, sword skills, estimated HP, attack damage, even his accompanying mobs, the information is impressive."

"This is very helpful. The boss' numerical stats aren't too dangerous."

"Seems that way."

Kibaou is infuriated. "What? Now wait just a damn second! Look at this here! The informant knows who's a beta tester! In fact, I bet the Rat must be a beta tester herself. Maybe we need to go have a lil chat, eh?"

Another uproar encircles the group. Despite Argo delivering valuable information, the players aren't too happy about it. While she finds their anger somewhat rational, it is better than not having it at all. But what makes her nervous is the reaction of Kirito, who angrily begins to walk through the crowd. Whatever he might have said or done never happens, however, as his friend speaks up. "So tell me… What are you proposing we do other than be grateful for the info?"

"She's correct," Diavel agrees. "Our enemy is not the beta testers, it's the floor boss. Let us be grateful for this information, my friends!"

"Indeed," Agil says. "It's going to save us all the reconnaissance missions. We might be able to win without any fatalities."

"In fact, we will do so. If there's any fault in the information as you say, then I'll take it upon myself to protect the group. On my pride as a knight, I swear this to you… Seems fitting, given that we have a few princesses." Diavel winks at Koharu and Kirito's friend before issuing more orders. "All right, I think it's time to start planning! First, we have to form a proper raid party. Now team up with your friends and others around you."

Koharu looks around seeing the others gather around each other, but none approaches her or Jaymes. Sheepishly, she faces Jaymes. "Well, how about we party up, good sir?"

He bows. "It would be an honor, Princess Koharu."

"H-Hey, don't call me that… Oh, look, doesn't look like Kirito has been chosen either. Hey, Kirito!" Koharu steps over between him and the girl he's speaking to. "Um, if you'd like, why don't you party up with Jaymes and me? Four heads are better than two, right?"

"Hmm, we can't join the raid unless we're in a party… Why not?" Kirito turns to his companion. "If you're not convinced to party with me alone, why not with these guys? What do you say?"

"No thanks," the girl states sharply before turning away. "But… I might consider it if you send the invite since the girl asked." Koharu smiles and invites the two to her party. Kirito immediately answers the invite, his HUD appearing underneath Jaymes', and a moment later, the girl's display appears. Her name's… Asuna? It's cute.

"So Koharu, you made a party with these three?" Diavel waves and walks up to the four. "Forgive me, but can I ask that the four of you back up the team handling the boss's Kobold guards?"

Jaymes, as party leader, nods. "Sure thing. We don't exactly have a full raid party, do we? Not like we can ignore them, huh?"

Diavel sighs in relief. "Thanks for understanding… As a knight, I'm jealous of you guys, that you get to guard the princesses."

Koharu blushes again and wishes her face could be hidden by a hood while Kirito and Jaymes laugh. "Haha, yeah… It's an important job."

"Mhm. Actually, Jaymes, can I speak to you privately after we end the meeting here?"

Jaymes is quiet for a second, yet he nods. "Sure thing." As Diavel steps away, Jaymes sighs and turns to the Koharu and the others. "Not that I want to fight the boss, but the back? If it wasn't so vital we hold off the mobs, this would be disappointing."

Kirito chuckles and pats Jaymes on the shoulder. "Well, the two of you have gotten stronger after all. I'm quite impressed. Argo was not embellishing those rumors."

"So it was her? Remind me to give her a piece of my mind."

Koharu lets the boys talk to each other as she faces Asuna, who remains silent and guarded, and sticks out her hand. "Hello, my name is Koharu. Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable joining a bunch of strangers."

Asuna hesitates but takes Koharu's hand. "Anything is better than being stuck with him alone. He's been a nuisance recently, plus… It's nice to know there's another girl around in this testosterone-filled raid."

"Yes. Jaymes is fine to be around, but sometimes I get tired of being around a boy all the time. So, Asuna, I hope we can become good friends and survive together."

"Great," Jaymes says sourly, "Koharu made another friend. What's the story with you two, you save her from death, and now she owes you?"

"Well, I did save her earlier today…"

Asuna steps up to Jaymes. "I owe him nothing! Ugh, boys and their belief girls need saving from them… C'mon, Koharu, let's get away from them." Koharu is speechless as Asuna drags her away against her will, but it's not like Koharu fights against it either. Ah, this should be a breath of fresh air, from a two-man party to a four-man party.

Kirito, Asuna, Jaymes, and Koharu. To her, this was the beginning of a great team.