A/N: WHAT'S GOOD! So I've decided to rewrite Sword Art Online: Beyond the Front Lines. Why? Well because I felt as if the PCT (Portable Command Terminal) made our character a little overpowered so I decided to take it out, of course meaning that I had to alter the story. But, here it is, the Rewrite for Chapter 1, please do enjoy, all criticism is welcome as long as it's legit, any harassment will be ignored.

SeanCityNavy signing off

SAO:BTFL Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

Military Intelligence Extension
Ministry of Defense
Tokyo, Japan
November 9th, 2022 7:00 am JST
Sword Art Online Opening Day

I stretched in front of my computer; I was putting the finishing touches to a Nervegear Object File I was working on. A FN SCAR-H, mainly used by the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force Special Forces Group, but this was a personal one. I wrapped a version of the Hemorrhage Camo, a Tom Clancy Rainbow Six Siege Legendary Weapon Skin that came out in Year 3, Season 1, around the gun, making it look cool.

"That looks amazing" A female voice said over my shoulder.

"Right?" I said.

I turned my head to find my Commanding Officer staring at the screen "That's the Hemorrhage Camo from R Six right?" She asked. I nodded my head.

"Though it was only used on Lions Vector 308 and Finkas Spear 308, I think it looks cool on a SCAR-H" I say, turning back to the screen and saving the object file to the Ministry of Defense cloud.

"Captain" I said, turning back to her "I won't be coming back after I leave for my lunch break"

Tobiichi tilted her head "And why is that Sergeant?"

"That's simple, Sword Art Online releases today and the service starts at 1:00 pm Japan Standered Time" I said, the Captain nodded her head.

"Yeah, the Corporal said the same thing, I guess its fine, you will be back, tomorrow right?"

"Yes, of course Capt, unless of course I get trapped in it or something" I joke, the Captain laughed a little bit.

"Right, Master Sergeant".

JGSDF Dorm room #309
JSDF Male Dorm
Ministry of Defense
Tokyo, Japan
November 9th, 2022 11:00 am JST
Opening Day of Sword Art Online/Day One of SAO

I turn on my PC and open the web browser, I type in Twitch in the Address bar and go over to the Game talk shows category.

"Today is the day the long-awaited Sword Art Online starts" the computer spits out of its sound system, "Everyone is excited to get it, just look at these lines Tom"

I grab my Nervegear from the desk and do final tests on its Hard Drive and the Portable Command Terminal.

"Everything is working fine" I whisper to myself.

"Alright, Tom, it's almost time for Sword Art Online to go live, we will be following three of our players as they travel through the world of Anicrad" I hear in the background, I look down at the clock 11:58 am JST.

"Looks like it's go time" I get up from my gaming chair, lock my bedroom door so that no one bursts in and does something to me, and lay down in my bed, the Nervegear headset on my head, I stared at the clock in the upper right corner of my vision.

11:59 am

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12:00 pm

"LINK START" I yelled.

Town of Beginnings Center
Town of Beginnings
First Floor, Castle Anicrad
Sword Art Online
November 9th, 2022 12:00 pm AST/JST
Opening Day of Sword Art Online/Day One

I opened my eyes, and then imminently shielded them from the sun.

"Who the fuck put the brightness up on that damned sun?" I complained.

When my eyes adjusted, I removed my hand from my face and looked around. The beauty of the Town Square, the markets littering the side roads out of the center. A large clock tower stands in the middle of the square, it's analog clock face reading 12:03. I smiled, god how I have missed this place.

"Activate Portable Command Terminal" I said.

Nothing happened. I looked at the part of my Heads-Up Display that would have shown it in confusion.

"Activate Portable Command Terminal" I retried.

Once again, nothing happened. I tried three more times, getting weird looks from people logging in as I did.

"Shit" I breathed.

The Cardinal System must be blocking the program from entering the server, even if it is localized within my Nervegear. What a smart system.

I looked around once more before noticing my health point bar, my username, and my level.

"Ahh, so they reset levels from the Beta" I was a level 8 when the Beta ended, that was about as high as anyone got.

I also noticed that I had 30,000 col on my person, compensation for being a beta tester I assumed. I started to walk towards one of the side streets filled with vendors. As I entered the street NPC Vendors started to yell at me about what they were selling, daggers, longswords, hammers and I think one was selling a crossbow, I reached one vendor that was selling daggers and leather armor.

"Ahh, hello sir, what can I get you today?" the NPC asked me.

"Hello, what type of shit you selling?" I asked the NPC.

A Catalog window popped up in front of me and I started to scroll through it. There were daggers for days in this Menu, I stopped on a interesting one, a dagger made with black steel for 25,000 Col, came with a heat damage bonus if it was left in the sun for exactly 12 minutes. I clicked on it and purchased it.

"Interesting choice sir" the NPC said 3as it was added to my inventory and the col disappeared from my balance. I nodded and walked off.

I came across a cheap vendor and paid for a 500 col Sheath for my dagger and about 3,000 col for a full set of leather armor which left me with 1,500 col left for food. I looked at the time, 30 minutes have passed since I've logged it. I turned around and started to walk out of the Town of beginnings when a familiar female voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Master Sergeant!"

I turned around and found a female walking up to me, smiling and waving, a woman being dragged along behind her.

"I'm sorry? I didn't think the CIA would follow me into a game, Special Activities are really stepping up their game" I joked.

The female frowned. "That's not funny"

She gave me a pout before I finally said "Yeah, sorry but I don't know who you are"

A message popped up in front of me reading Cpl_Yua has sent you a friend request I stared at it for maybe 3 seconds before realizing.

"Oh, Corporal, I'm so sorry" I apologized.

The Corporal giggled, "It's okay Master Sergeant, especially since I don't look like myself"

"You look taller Corporal, that's why I didn't recognize you" I teased.

The Corporal pouted and I laughed "Well Corporal, have fun, I'll see you at work tomorrow"

"I will, and you also have fun Master Sergeant"

I nodded to her friend who gave a friendly nod back and they ran off. I watched and gave a small laugh.

"She'll always be a 12-year-old"

―――

I slashed the last boar and it shattered to pieces, a reward screen popped up showing that I had made 30 col and had gotten 14 xp. I placed my dagger backs in its sheath and sat down. I looked over at the time 5:28 Japanese Standard Time.

"Oh crap" I said to myself "I really let time go huh?"

I stood up and did the swiping motion to open the menu, after placing my Dagger and its sheath into my inventory I navigated to the settings menu where the log out button should have been.

"Wait? Where the hell?"

The ringing of a church bell invades my thoughts as a white light engulfs my vision.

Town of Beginnings Center Square
Town of Beginnings
Floor 1, Castle Aincrad
5:35 pm JST/Aincrad Standard Time (AST)
End of Day One (End of SAO Tutorial Day)

I stood there as Kayaba, the creator of Sword Art Online and the Nervegear said the words that would forever change the life of not only myself, but every single player in the game.

"Destroying your brain and thus ending your life"

I couldn't think straight, and the quiet of the square didn't help.

"If you die" I started, my voice loud enough for anyone that wanted to hear "in here, you die" I took a deep and shaky breath, then with a shudder I said, with a dark tone of voice "In real life"

Several protests broke out across the square, and I wasn't about to complain, this was what I wanted to happen in the first place.

Kayaba's speaking reentered my brain "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 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 boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game."

"Clear!?" Someone near me yells.

"What's he talking about?" another asks.

I looked over at Kayaba before yelling myself "You want us to clear a fucking MMORPG!? Are you fucking insane!?"

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

I opened my menu and navigated to my inventory. I pulled a mirror out of my inventory and held it in my had, looking at myself, before I was once again engulfed in a white light, but didn't teleport anywhere. When the light retracted, I found myself staring at…. well myself. Not the character I had created but my real-life self. My clouded Blue eyes stared back at me, a beard had appeared on my chin, and my height had been reduced to 5'8.

"Master Sergeant?" Someone questioned.

I turned around to face a exact replica of Corporal Yua Kimura, a small girl, only 5'1, long light brown hair done up in a messy bun and brown eyes stared back at me "Corporal?" I asked in astonishment.

The Corporal nodded. I looked behind her to a girl with jet black hair in what looked like the evening out haircut from Fallout 4 and piercing blue eyes I nodded towards her once again and she acknowledged my existence.

"This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online Launch. Good luck players" Kayaba then disappeared back from which he came from, leaving a crowd of shocked and somewhat angry or scared, depending on how you look at it, players in the square. That's when it started. The protests, the screaming, the crying, the longing for home, everything you could possible imagine all happening at once.

"Get us the fuck outta here!" one yelled.

"Come on man! We can't do this! Are you fucking nuts!" yelled another.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Ohmygodohmygodohmygod" A female said over and over to herself.

"This is bullshit man! You can't keep us in here! What the fuck type of shit are you in!?" A thirty year old Male asked the sky.

I stared back at the Corporal and a single message got through "Survive".