A/N: This is to alleviate the fears of those who aren't aware of SAO. It is alright, because the key concepts and ideas behind SAO will be explained as the characters from the other world are learning it, but it will happen as the story progresses. In addition to the essential elements introduced in the later chapters of the story that would be important for the sequel fics.

The Real World (Alternate)

28 July 2024

3:57 P.M British Summer Time (BST)

London, England, United Kingdom

"Damn you, bastard..." male voice with a Ukrainian accent behind it said, cracking under pressure.

Possessing dyed gray hair that's short. Applied with gel sticking it away from his neck and collar. Wrapped across with a white gradient headband. A stream of blood from a shattered molar escaping his mouth

A man with thick pale arms extends part of his span, centimeters from his face "I like how you scream in pain, demanding mercy, Ivanov." before sending purplish electrical elements in his direction.

The lightning coming out of the man's hands wasn't for the boy. Their odd directions revealed it that way. A shiny cube composed of a mesh of metals got the bolts. Ending with two arm and four ankle braces constructed out of cube components. Holding the boy in an ever-pressing grasp.

Ivanov shouts his pain, making the man responsible for his horror twist a smile further up his lip. Bustling his maniacal show further in tandem with the thunderous laugh he gave. The cube's prison protrusions tightening around the arms and legs.

"Concede?" he asked rhetorically.

Ivanov couldn't do anything. He couldn't even reach for the weapon on his back or his military-grade pistol hidden in his trousers. Blood leaking down his busted and torn undershirt from his forehead and upper arms. Teeth following in anger.

His shout rang across the area again, "Never, when you're around, UUGU!"

However, Uugu with his flexible long red hair chuckles, but speaking in a stiffer, serious, Swiss sounding tone, "I'm tired of your resistance, die!"

By his perception of time, Ivanov's right eye, bloodshot and bruised, witnessed Uugu's tightening grip, pieces of a metal building surrounding it like mold around it, and transforming to a fist made from iron.

But, the sky darkened and lit brighter in places, causing an uncharacteristic smirk from the person in the submission position, "The sky falls optimally."

Uugu scoffed at Stanislav's words until the "sky" turns closer to black. Opening the curtain for what he truly meant, the raining of yellow light and purple flames with support from the blue noon sky that day, clouds about to fall over. Descending like arrows, blocking parts from the sun. Impacts on the hundreds and ground descending. Small embers acting like small AOE's whilst the light bullets remained straight. Leading to catching Uugu's facial expression of disbelief.

"We have his back against the wall! Let's end this war!" shouted another person with a similar accent to Ukrainian, but Slovak, with two high powered pistols in his hand, a double-ended spear on his back, and his feet clicking in a rhythmic motion. One of his guns at standby while another aimed for Uugu's arm. His foot slammed a metal sheet again, inverting his body posture and taking a second shot from his left pistol for his back.

Both made their mark, more of the red fluid spurting from the pierced skin and clothing. The black and purple swish in his hair fluttering to face his right side. Taking several deep breaths in bursts as his eyes widened. Tensing muscles against the backdrop of metal and the smoldering heat born from the flames. All of his sweat evaporating into light violet flaming sparks.

"You guys came," Ivanov mumbled weakly. "He's far stronger than we've estimated…"

Uugu snickered into laughter as three more showed themselves, "How predictable, the power of friendship grouping together, Fifty-seventh Squadron. It'll end like two years ago, but with death! Submit…"

Uugu's livened brown eyes electrify. Draining his uncharacteristic long-ranged yellow lighting, relative to the purple sparks he sent to control metal until now. Arriving at his right palm opened via the expulse born in both eyes. Initiating a maelstrom expelling several hundred bolts of varying sizes, descending on everything conductive in the area. Metals, ores, metalloids, the whole pack. Surrounding the man in an electric shield in various jagged yeller circles. Affecting the clouds and wind patterns surrounding him while the long red hair cuts abruptly. Everything, except the weapons of the five, rise and break into more easily shapable forms.

Only his eyes could be seen inside, past the storm he made, yellow but with the iris zagged and the sclera grayed and made room for yellow bloodshot in tandem with the pattern inside his inner eye.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT! THIS…" the Slovakian boy said as Uugu's action plays out.

"TO THE IRON WILL!"

As the cube he got restrained from adhering to Uugu's Iron Will, he fell to the ground. Harshly against a pointed sheet of metal, slicing open an artery. Causing Ivanov more suffering as he attempted to return to standing on his feet.

"Stanislav!"

Another person shouted, this time with a Polish accent and shorter green hair with blue accents. Only holding a rapier on his waist and a rifle latched to his back through a thick leather strap. A shiny magnified scope resting where the sights behold.

Stanislav turned his face, gritting his teeth as he pulled his pistol from a deep pocket in his gray and white trousers made from quality cotton, "I'm alright, Zeli. I can still fight!"

The other boy, fully named Zelislav, sighs. About to put his hand on Stanislav until he quivers as Uugu's next action unfolds.

Uugu spoke again, an echo emanating across the area and gruffer. His eyes flashing as his expression didn't change from the serious stare, "CONCEDE!"

"Uugu…" Stanislav growls, opening his blackened eye.

Zelislav jumps as he tries to keep him from standing, "You're not in a position to-"

However, Stanislav breaks Zelislav's sentence under the feeling of demand, "Kill the pain I'm feeling. Then he's dead."

"You're bleeding out. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Stich it up then. Can you use that sniper rifle of yours?"

"Alright, remain still..."

Meanwhile in the arena with Uugu...

"But not to you, Uugu. Not when you harmed one of our comrades," the same pistol akimbo, dark-haired Slovak replied, aiming his pistols straight forward.

Another one of the comrades. This time, a female with spiky yellow and blue hair and a Serbian accent spoke with a serious tone. Given into an unaffected piece of cover with a heavy machine gun held in her hands, "A frontal attack alone leads to a repeat, Draho."

Drahoslav, the full name of what the girl called Draho, replied, "It's a certainty, Dvina."

"Is Jara in position?" Dvinaslav said.

"Locked 'en load!" Jaraslav said back as he arrived, a backpack with what appears to be a vacuum cleaner on his arm and back. Grinning with his braced teeth and single-sided vibrant green hair down to his feet ready.

"A jukebox? How is that going to-"

Without warning notes manifested in the air start firing out of the machine. Jaraslav saying every time it occurred, "RADRADRADRADRADRADRADRADRAD!"

Each word the cannon fired out, a high F-Sharp Major, each incomprehensible word firing notes within a quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notation. Environmental effects remained minimal as the screeching song rams into Uugu's ears.

Uugu took the bait as the hands he used before covered them from the noise, "Fucking spawns!"

Another plot of metal crashes to the ground, revealing Dvinaslav's location to the man. One part of it cutting her forehead. Causing a blood vessel to split, blood finally breaking out of her body.

"Nice job, Jara. You pissed him off," she turned her head to Jaraslav, having the snarl of disgust in her eye while holding the blood at bay.

Jaraslav continued the use of the Canon Note. Disregarding what Dvinaslav said. Hiding the worries of his comrade.

Uugu's head twitched when electrical impulses between his fingers build. Gritting his teeth as he forced his right hand out, sending five strikes surrounding the girl. Transmuting the solids in proximity into prickly teeth across five angles.

Jaraslav watched as it unfolded, and realized the weapon finished the job. Propelling him to let go, stopping the firing of his ear rape, and spread his legs, stature lowered, and wrists twirling. An outline of yellow coursing across his entire body, eyes turning yellow, and his hair fluttering occasionally, originating from his back.

The sidelines were forced to watch Dvinaslav, Drahoslav, and Jaraslav battle an increasingly agitated Uugu. Stanislav rested on his side while Zelislav made sure he didn't try to join the battle while injured, even though the other three's resistance proved they could retreat if needed.

Stanislav looked at a tail of his headband flying away. Caught by Zelislav and taped to his wounded area. Grunting while his wound produced more agony.

"Jara's charging up to his first stage, Dvina looks to be ready to use her HMG, Draho's doing the heavy lifting," Zelislav replied.

Under Drahoslav's foot, two stunted pillars bust. Sending the guy in the air as Dvinaslav send an assault of machine-gun fire at Uugu's body in the air. With no way or sight to get out, a certainty he'll get shot.

The hits the Serb desired, she didn't get. Uugu manipulated metal again, rising three spirling spikes and hiding both people inside. Her hands moistened, hot metal held on the thick military gloves she used, smoke that can easily mistake it for a grill or barbeque.

Jaraslav's wrist movements finally worked the aura he attempted to get up and running, his eyes the same yellow Uugu had. As his first motion of action, he ran to the cage Uugu was trapped in.

He spoke to Dvinaslav, however, the fun-loving attitude he showed didn't appear, "His Iron Will needs to be broken, give me a window to punch him!"

Nodding, her left hand glowed a yellowish-white as her prelude to firing off a blast that broke the tip of the shell, enough for a man of Jaraslav's height to get through.

The Belarusian jumped to see from below, "Uugu's strong, but numbers appear to be working!"

His view from below saw Drahoslav landing bullets right into the man's chest, however glimpses of blood and wear on his hair. Uugu had the sense someone was attempting an attack. Sending the expulsion of his metallic influence into the sky.

However, Jaraslav's aura assisted him in preventing getting shocked or becoming a magnet. Except with the change of yellow to white to light then deep blue, in the inclusion of his hair turning to a kind of Super Saiyan vibe.

Uugu looked up, legitimately surprised at the factor. But, instead of an immediate counter, Jaraslav condensed his aura into his right fist. Gravity overriding his direction, with a single option, straight down. Even the crazed look his hair obtained turned into a single unit like when he didn't have his aura on.

"Alright! His FLIC's exposed!" Drahoslav shouted as he overextended an exhausted Uugu's arms to prevent a counterattack.

Jaraslav's hit connected, shattering all the metal up in the air. Raining like drops in the storms constantly bashing Britain. Landing erratically as Uugu loses his grip. The iron he melded to his imagination breaks from physics without anything to hold it for a long period.

Everything in the area became subject to an EMP, except for an empty doorframe with a keycard console near it.

The final release of Jaraslav's strike shocks the ground, lighting several sensitive electronics on fire. Dragging the site into risk with poisonous smoke.

Drahoslav drops to the floor, exhausted. Jaraslav as well falls, his face and hair poofed and a charred left arm from the concentrate. Dvinaslav, Zelislav, and Stanislav remained there. Watching as Uugu ran for the console, despite his FLIC damaged beyond repair. Pulling a keycard and sliding it through the appropriate slide.

"Give me two minutes… Fate." Uugu gritted his teeth as blood spilled over the console from a cough.

Zelislav stood, taking his hand and an aim, staring through the scope while separating from the Ukrainian that needed medical attention, "Uugu survived, I will make sure their efforts aren't in vain." like a droplet of sweat passed his brow.

Stanislav slowly came to his feet, wincing at his pain he endured from Uugu's attacks. Pulling his shaking hand to grab a handle of something hidden under his clothes. Dragging it out, a thin scimitar. Despite the wounds, spilling blood across the blade. Both hands and leveled to the ground as he sprinted towards him.

"UUGUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" He shouts, forwarding the sword. The sharp blade he held swung to his left, cleaving Uugu's neck from his body.

The end came, he took deep breaths as he went to put it back in the scabbard. Walking to Drahoslav. Uugu's body behind Stanislav fell near the console as Zelislav arrived to help the two injured.

"Is Uugu?" Drahoslav said weakly.

"He is... Dead." Stanislav replied before he subsequently collapsed for real.

As things came to fruition, Dvinaslav smiling as she thought her future will be brighter than before. Enough to drop her gun. Zelislav helped Jaraslav up and laid his hand on his shoulder as he grunts. Before a force of unknown power, the console included in the play of the fight.

Uugu's keycard revealed a truth he hid, a real portal. The abyss cleared to view unknown, what could be on the other end? Air sucked to like a black hole's event horizon, causing grunts and screams, not even the furthest comrade away could resist the effects it'd create on them. Sucked into a cloudy pipe, not visible on the other end.

If Uugu intended to use it, then the war the Fifty-Seventh Squadron was fighting had suddenly changed. With no true intent or destination, an enigma dominated by variables and rules no one knows of…

The Real World

28 July 2024

8:12 A.M Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)

An Office in San Deigo, California, United States

Alone at his desk, a man with short blond hair with two bangs, high stature realistically possible, and a mass of paperwork building up. While the man watched the TV extensively while the news covered a strange occurrence in New York. Guzzling his hot coffee from Starbucks.

"Hmm..."

He gets off his seat when he changes channels, another national station covering the strange anomaly in New York City.

"Mister Miller…"

He turns his head, setting the coffee cup down, "Yes?"

"The new delivery of items from overseas, what armory is it going to?"

"Buffalo."

The guy nods and walks his way out of the office. Before he noticed another voice from his boss.

"Tell the guys to prepare my private jet to Buffalo."

11:12 A.M Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

?

Each of the comrades woke up, one by one. Each on an ICU bed inside a seemingly standard hospital. If this was the result, why isn't there much press, compared to their previous actions? Except for a single journalist, probably a low coverage newspaper, website, or a freelancer wanting a new story to break.

"Where are we?" Drahoslav asked, his face having dressing applied on it.

The journalist sat at the chair next to Drahoslav's hospital bed, his spiral notebook in one arm, and hooked by his hand. Another had the pencil, "You are at Bellevue Hospital."

"Is this in France? You speak English..."

"Sir, we're in New York." the journalist replied, a smile priming on his face.

Drahoslav's chest expanded as he took a gasp for fresh air, typical sounds of the hospital arriving at his body as he watched everything move in motion. A new patient along the corner, burns. He stared at his right, an IV stuck to it.

The journalist, having uneven bowl-cut brown hair, blue eyes, stocky features, and tall stature. wrote it down before explaining, "I think you should know, you and five other people, three males and a female, crashed in Central Park last night. Woke a lot of people up and questions are being asked. But I believe you and those other five friends of yours-"

"Comrades, they're my comrades." Drahoslav corrected.

"Oh, sorry!" he chuckled, "Either way, what happened before that if you know anything."

Drahoslav sat up, bandages cracked on his body with stitches underneath. In addition to the injuries, he sustained against Uugu, "My comrades and I engaged the great threat Uugu, to stop his madness and end the war going on."

He tilts his head, "Are you amnesic?"

"I'm not amnesic, it happened, in London."

"London?"

"Yes it happened in London," Drahoslav replied, more of his more Slavic accent showing off.

"Hmm…" the journalist's fingers stop writing, looking at the boy. "You're not American, aren't you and your comrades?"

"We're European," he said back, "What's your name?"

"I'm Haizi, and I write for a technology newspaper. But I'm trying to get a job for the New York Times. So I'm writing this to hopefully find my next article. What's yours?"

Drahoslav nods, "Drahoslav."

While they communicate and questions get asked, Jaraslav woke up, a cast on the arm he got charred when fighting against the transpired fight with Uugu, "Who's there…"

"He's Haizi, Jara," Drahoslav replied.

"Haizi?" Jaraslav asked, scratching his head a little as the guy looked over to him.

Drahoslav blinked, his brown eyes adjusting to the distance he had to look at and cover. Catching Jaraslav's and nods, "Yes, that's his name."

Haizi watched their interactions. Especially as Zelislav woke, in between Drahoslav and Jaraslav, with his deep green hair and blue streaks like lightning. Compared to everyone else besides Dvinaslav, he was the one who didn't get the worse of the harm.

"We're in New York City. Jara, Zeli," Drahoslav said to the two comrades. "Stanislav and Dvina aren't up yet."

"Interesting…" Haizi mumbled as he went to get a remote and turned it on to a TV show.

The screen itself, looked like a holographic projector as opposed to a conventional screen TV. The comrades were used to such screens being commonplace. Except for rudimentary colored green and white when the screen turned on. Turning to the traditional RGB which allowed for hundreds to thousands of different colors to be rendered on a screen compared to full HD but with the quality of UHD.

Another yawn broke, from Stanislav. The worse hit by injuries. As he had a left-arm cast shown, could look up, part of his short gray hair fading the dye to reveal a more standard brown common among people of European descent. Blinking a few times as his intense blue eyes looked within the gray, white, and other faint colorations.

Drahoslav noticed Stanislav woke from his unconsciousness but waited to explain the situation. Leaving only Dvinaslav, awake, however not within her attention.

"So, you guys probably have a lot of questions. Including why I'm here and where you are at. So, I will answer your questions, but you will answer my questions. My name is Haizi and I'm a journalist for Supernatural-and-Tech, a newspaper covering the supernatural, science, and technology. Now, the first question..."

28 July 2024

5:12 P.M BST

London, England, United Kingdom

Over an hour has passed since the faithful encounter between the squad and Uugu. The portal was still active, but in a wasteland with ember remains. Purple remained as a vestige of a concluded battle. Remnants of steel and the release of the Iron Will stayed with the gate, now in a stable form that didn't force anyone in it's sucking distance. Now making its entrance up to a person's discretion.

An entire fragment of a building housing the dangerous piece of tech blocked the entrance inside. Light bypassing the barrier once lifted off its crooked posture. Permitting a person of medium stature, a pineapple for hair, a shredded trench coat right sleeve joining to a glove. Dropping past multiple steps while marking his way down. Illusionary metal monstrosities filling the sight of an eye.

"Ulgumous?" he said, a light tone mixed in British and French caught to his eye as the smell of a dead man.

Initially, surprise marked present, until the portal's tempting blue brought him closer. Uugu's body on the floor, dried blood, slowly beginning its decay to only skull and bones.

He smiled weakly, shaking his head, "But it works. A warp gate to see the kid I always hated, stupid writer for making such an OP teen when inside a video game."

The hand grasped the card Uugu used initially. Sending it to his hand as he approached the console. Beginning to send orders via its buttons, "One third time machine, one-third portal, one third the culmination of over two decades of research and development. Project S.A.O shall now have its final test…"

He said, ordering the machine through his words, "Deactivate within two minutes." as the card slips into one of his coat's pockets.

His hands to the side, the other side awaits him. Speaking to himself out loud as he walks, smirking

"It works! Perfect! Now let's see if it's true it goes to the right destination!"

A/N: Welp, we've arrived at the end of the first leg of our journey. I hope you've enjoyed it, constructive criticism is appreciated!