~February 25th 2023~

Tomoya laughed walking through the streets of the town. He had been absolutely horrified when everyone had first found out about the death game and that it was true.
However things had changed for him once someone had began to help him. Early on in the game not even two or so weeks into it Tomoya had been staying inside the town and the protection of the safe zones.
Even doing so however he found himself barely able to sleep and crying his eyes out when he woke up. He missed his mother and father and his little sister. He had no idea what to do and thought that there was no way to clear this game.
Things got even worse one day when a small guild was formed that began to tax the players in the town of beginnings who were to afraid to leave it's safety knowing they could make a lot of money.
Tomoya had no way of paying the men so he was either going to be forced to go out into the plains and try to fight the monsters to gain coil or be kicked out into an even higher level plain by the men if he didn't pay.

He knew that he had no chance in fighting the monsters so he begged the men but they wouldn't listen to him. He knew that he was going to be killed once they got him to the higher level plains. He had already accepted the fact that he was going to die and never see his family again.
That was until someone showed up. A dark haired boy with a sword who by himself made the men leave him alone and even forced them to stop taxing the people staying in the town of beginnings. The boy however had asked Tomoya not to let people know he was the one who had done it for some reason.
Tomoya recognized the boy as the same one that had helped him with the monsters before it had been revealed that this was actually a death game. For some reason right then and there Tomoya felt better as if there was hope for him and the others inside this game.
This dark haired boy would be the one to clear this game he just knew it!

Tomoya laughed thinking about it to himself as he skipped around the town. Since that day the dark haired boy named Kirito had come back every so often to make sure those men hadn't come back to the town of beginnings.
It had taken him a lot of courage to ask but Tomoya had asked the boy to stay in the inn inside of the town where he was staying. Of course he didn't admit the reason was that he felt much better with him around and played it off as if it was best for the people in the town.
He was pretty sure the boy knew this though and had done it anyway. When he could be leveling and fighting with the higher ups he wasted some of his time here in this town to make sure other players were safe. Kirito had become almost like a ...
big brother to Tomoya though he would never admit it to his face. He had always wondered how Kirito had become so strong and just how strong he actually was. What kind if person had he been inside the real world to be able to fight like this in this one?
Tomoya had just been a computer geek that had saved up enough money to buy the game and then snuck out and waited against his parents wishes.

Shaking his head blonde hair flopping from his eyes he laughed trying to ignore it. It didn't matter because now Kirito was here and he just knew that he was going to save them all!
Tomoya stopped tilting his head to the side as he noticed a small figure off in the distance "a puppy...?" he muttered looking at it and grinned running up to it but blinked as it ran off toward the plains.
His eyes widened "no come back it's not safe there!" he called out watching as the puppy ran off toward the plains filled with monsters. He froze as he reached the edge of the safe zone swallowing. He had never been out of the safe zone like Kirito had. He gritted his teeth rushing forward "puppy?" he called out looking around nervously "here boy?" he called out looking around. Tomoyas eyes widened seeing the puppy right next to a wolf that was licking it's lips "no!".
He rushed forward toward the puppy grabbing a hold of it as the wolf launched covering it and scrunched his eyes together. He opened them once he heard a sound.

Kirito slashed across the wolf in one swift motion and stopped glancing back at Tomoya as it disappeared. He turned around angrily looking at him "what are you doing Tomoya! I told you to never leave the safe zone!" he yelled angrily.
Tomoya looked at him frowning and swallowed "I I couldn't just leave him you wouldn't have ...". Kirito narrowed his eyes looking down and seeing the dog in Tomoyas hands and blinked sighing. Running a hand through his hair Kirito looked down at him kneeling in front of him.

"listen Tomoya it's different that is a npc there not ali..."

"yes they are!" Tomoya exclaimed looking away and holding the puppy tightly to him "there alive maybe not in the same way that we are but their alive..." he muttered.

Kiritos eyes widened a bit looking at him and then just softened a bit and stood up "I guess your right come on it's getting late" he said putting his sword away and turning walking off toward the town.
Tomoya blinked not expecting him to let him off the hook so easy and stood up "oh mmm okay wait on me!" he called out following behind him with a smile holding the puppy.

~March 3rd 2023~

Kirito took a deep breath and put his sword away as he glanced around the plains "all cleared" he said quietly to himself "I better get going it's getting late Tomoyas probably waiting" he said turning and walking up the hill but stopped as he noticed some others off in the distance "hmmm?".

Klein laughed smacking one of his guild members on the back and narrowed his eyes looking ahead "oh Kirito hey man how ya doin!" he called out waving.

Kirito blinked seeing Klein and looked down for a moment before continuing on forward "Klein" he said with a slight nod "the monsters should be re spawning soon" he said walking forward without another word "seeya".

Klein kept his eyes locked on Kirito and just watched as he walked away with a sigh ""is he still hung up on that?" he muttered shaking his head "come on guys!" he said running down the hill with them to take out some monsters for some leveling.

Kirito reached over opening the doors of the inn and then blinked throwing his hands up as something rushed toward him and jumped up into his arms "guhhhh...!" he fell down blinking and looking up at the now already larger dog licking his face.
Kirito sighed "oh it's just you" he said looking at the dog that Tomoya had saved and had been keeping as a pet ever since. It was more like a guard dog now than a damn puppy though.

Tomoya came out laughing "he just wanted to say hi!" the boy said rushing out petting the dog as it moved off of Kirito and ran over to him "isn't that right Max?" he asked chuckling as the dog barked.
Kirito sighed dusting himself off and standing up about to say something when he noticed a familiar face off in the distance. He tilted his head to the side blinking as he stared at the person.

Tomoya watched Kirito and then blinked "huh?" he turned around looking toward where Kiritos line of site was and a devilish grin crossed his face "ohhhh you like her huh?" he asked elbowing Kirito in the side.
Kirito blinked and looked at him giving a look before punching him over the head "nope I just knew her from so where time for bed" he said walking off up toward their rooms. He glanced one more time as the girl from the first floor that he had fought with walked up toward a room.
He wondered why it was that she was on a lower floor like this. He had seen her around a couple times and she seemed to leveling quite well. "Asuna" he repeated the name remembering it but shrugged his shoulders ignoring it as he walked into his room.

~March 4th 2023~

Tomoya tried to keep a hold of his not so small puppy anymore and jumped up as it got away running down the stars of the inn "damn it max!" he yelled running after it crashing into the dog and something else.
He blinked as he opened his eyes to see him and his dog on top of another person. The same girl that Kirito had been looking at the other day and said that he knew "oh sorry about that he get's a little hyper sometimes!" he laughed scratching his head.

Asuna dusted herself off and stood up unable to smile lightly "it's fine" she said looking at the small boy and the dog. She found it a mystery how anyone could possibly live like this and even be happy with the way this world was.
She cared about nothing more than clearing this game even if it meant she would die trying. She nodded to the boy politely "he's cute by the way" she said before turning and walking off. At least it seemed some could enjoy themselves while here though.

Kirito yawned walking down the stairs a bit later "oh Tomoya what's up?" he asked. Tomoya laughed "nothing just walking Max!" he said happily "see ya later Br... Kirito" he said running off with max.
Kirito blinked and tilted his head to the side. It had sounded like he was going to call him something else at first.

He ignored it walking outside of the town to get the day started.

~Next Chapter 4- Darkness~