Chapter 3
Hotaru

"Please select a language."

I scrolled through the long list of languages I'd never heard of until I found "Japanese." I clicked it.

"Welcome to Sword Art Online."

I was in an empty room with a virtual screen in front of me requesting my name. For a game, this stimulation felt so real. I typed my name on the keyboard in front of me.

T-A-K-A-H-A-S-H-I H-O-T-A-R-U

"Name accepted. Please enter player name."

I just typed in "Hotaru."

"Player name accepted. Please customize your avatar. You will be able to change your settings later throughout the game."

"Damn computer voice from above. You're annoying."

I didn't really change my look that much. I changed my eye color to brown and hair color to black so as to not attract attention. I chose to wear a long black cloak to hide my face.

"Customized avatar saved. You will be transported to the Town of Beginnings. Please enjoy Sword Art Online."

The room around me disappeared, and a swirl of bright colors took its place. I felt myself floating as I was transported away from the room with the annoying computer voice. The colors peeled away to reveal a large, old-European style town with cobblestone floors and cottages. Crowds of players were looking around in awe. Other people were still being teleported, some materializing right in front of me. Regular players were walking around casually in the town before us. They all wore flagrant clothes and wielded swords and shields, just like in the movies. I did have to admit that this virtual stuff was pretty cool.

I looked up to find a large holographic screen above the square where players were gathering that said "Welcome to Aincrad!" in big letters.

"Amazing!" One man besides me exclaimed. "It's so realistic!" A girl squealed.

"Pathetic." I sighed.

A new message appeared on the board.

"For general instructions, guild information, maps, and more, please hold up a finger. A menu will appear. This is where you will maintain your skills, appearances, items, and logging out."

"Hmmmm." I held up a finger. A bar of orange and white appeared. I clicked "General Instructions."

"Welcome to the VRMMO game, Sword Art Online! The goal to defeat the game is to clear all floors of the game. Each floor has a boss to clear. Defeating these bosses can earn you rare items or a high amount of xp points. You can earn hp and xp points through duels, battles, and quests, as well as skills and items. Skills and items can aid you in your battle. You can also earn skills by leveling up. Customization of your avatar as you wish is also in store. Most clothes are dependent on the guild you join. Guilds are parties of players who form alliances to clear floors and reach the end of the game. They share information and trade items. There are also solo players, players who prefer to not join a guild. This can be both an advantage and disadvantage, making it easier to clear floors, but it also raises the risk of getting ambushed."

"Solo player?" I mumbled. Not bad.

"There are also yellow and red players. Yellow players are players who have committed crimes in the game. Red players are players who have killed other players online. You are able to identify red and yellow players by looking at their hp bars above their heads, which also display their player name, level, and hp. Hp can be lost through damage during battles. One your hp reaches zero, you will automatically be logged out of the game. For more information, please continue reading the passages below. If you have any questions, please click the "Help" button below."

"Aincrad is your new home! Fight with your swords and shields to the top!"

I finished the last sentence. These people take this way too seriously. They're all just people who turn to virtual reality because they have no life in the real world, I guess. I spotted a green bar floating in the corner of my eye.

"Oh? My level bar." My hp level was full, and my name. "Hotaru" was right above it. "Eh? My level isn't here." I noticed that the level number like the one in the example picture was missing. "I'd obviously be level one, but…"

Maybe it's normal when you first start the game? I examined other hp bars of the people around me. They all had level numbers.

"That's strange. A glitch, maybe?" I began pressing buttons. "But it should be here."

Another message appeared on the screen. "You are currently in the Town of Beginnings. Restaurants, pubs, cafes, markets, and blacksmith shops are located here. This is where you will stock up your supplies for journeys. This is also where you will buy your first weapon. Teleportation crystals are also available here. Teleportation crystals are used to teleport to certain places. These are vital for your journeys, so please do purchase some. You have already been provided with 200 col, the currency used in Sword Art Online. More col can be earned through quests and other achievements."

"Col?" I searched through my menu and found an icon saying "Col: 200." I clicked it, and a cloth bag materialized in the air. It made a loud jingling sound as I caught it in my arms. I pulled the drawstring to reveal a pile or normal-looking coins. "Like yen?" I took one out and inspected it.
"Well, might as well get started, then."

I headed for the Town of Beginnings.

No matter how much I tried convincing myself, I just couldn't get myself to believe that this was all a virtual world. The place was packed with people, buildings stacked side-by-side. There were people selling fruits and vegetables and items on the sides of the streets. Markets were yelling out reasonable prices, selling food, jewelry, clothing, and weapons. Blacksmiths were banging on weapons with their hammers, which didn't seem that hard since they only had to hit a few times before the heated metal morphed into a weapon on its own.

The accurate senses also made the game seem more realistic. I could hear clearly and smell the fresh-baked food as if it were real. My vision was as clear as it was back in the real world, maybe even clearer.

"Fresh bread! Fresh bead! Only 10 col!" I passed by a girl who was waving a loaf of bread in the air. The smell made my stomach rumble even though I wasn't hungry.

I bought some food, teleportation crystals, and light clothes. None of the weapons there perked my intserest, so I decided to get one later. I didn't want to stay too long, since the town was totally packed.

I found a clearing with cobblestone seats a few blocks down and decided to rest there. I took out a loaf of bread and began munching on it as I watched other players pass by.

"There are more girls here than I expected." I mused as I chewed on the bread. "Wow, it tastes so real."

I lost myself in the wonders of virtual bread for another half-hour before standing up once again.

"Where should I go now?" I opened up my menu and clicked the "map" icon.

It displayed a variety of forests, mountains, rivers, and oceans, like a real wilderland. I decided to head to the fields not too far from here where people were said to train on local monsters. I was just going to watch, though.

The field was full of players battling these blue hog-like creatures with red eyes. Once the hogs hp bar reached zero, they dissolved in a shatter of digital colors. According to my guide, these hogs were the equivalents of slim in RPGs.

"Impressive." I thought sarcastically.

I couldn't fight since I didn't have a weapon yet, so I kept my distance from the battles all around the field.

"These people seem to know what they're doing." I watched a boy my age dodge a hog and spin around, sword high in the air. He brought the blade down on the hog's head. With a loud snort, the hog evaporated.

"Oi, chibi."

I looked up at the source of the gruff voice. A large man with huge abs and a celebrity face was glaring down at me.

"You're in the way. Move."

"I can't. You're too big." I scowled but said nothing.

"Oi, you deaf?" The guy grabbed me by the collar. "I said move!" He hurled me over his shoulder. I went crashing into a herd of hogs. They began stomping on my body, and I could feel my hp level lowering.

"Hey, who's that, Justin?" A lanky dude walked up to the guy who just threw me. "Just some bastard who wouldn't listen." Justin growled.

"Don't say anything. Don't say anything. Don't say anything."

"Not listening to Justin means you have a death wish." The lanky one walked up to me with a taunting look on his face. He unsheathed his sword.

Crap. Maybe I should've gotten a weapon earlier.

The man standing over me let out a gleeful laugh and brought his sword down. I squeezed my eyes shut, ready for the impact, but all I heard was a loud "clank."

I opened my eyes to find a tall girl with dark pigtails held up with ribbons. She was wearing a dark purple coat, white miniskirt, and purple boots that matched her eyes. She stood effortlessly blocking the attack with a long, thin sword. Surprise could be seen on the guy's face.

"Attacking players ruthlessly is absurd." The girl said with a loud, strong voice. "Stand down." "A girl?" The lanky guy smirked. "I don't fight girls."
The girl narrowed her purple eyes. "I don't want sympathy. Please stand down." "Don't tell us what to do." The man snarled and lunged. He held out his sword, aiming to knock the girl's weapon out of her hands.

The girl carefully sidestepped, the blade barely missing her chin. She twirled gracefully and outstretched her sword hand. The next thing I knew, she was on the man's other side, sword held beneath his chin. He dropped his sword in shock and held up his hands in surrender. Murmurs began to spread amongst the crowd surrounding us.

"Woah, who's that?"

"She's hot!"

"That was amazing!"

I cursed. I meant to not attract much attention, but this girl just butted in.

"You okay?"

I realized she was talking to me. She held out a hand. I tentatively took it, and she hauled me up with ease.

"You need to learn to defend yourself." She said. "Weaklings should be training in lower level fields."

"Wow. Sassy."

"Hey, what do you think you're doing, girly?" The buff guy, Justin, demanded. I had forgotten he was there, which should've been impossible considering his size. "I do not wish to quarrel." The girl faced Justin. "Please leave this boy alone." "Why you-" Justin took out a large thick sword and a shield. He raised his sword and slashed at the girl.

The girl was somehow able to deflect the blow. She ran up the man's arm, lept into the air, and slashed so fast that my eyes couldn't keep up. Once she landed on the ground, Justin's sword was sliced in half. There were scratch marks all over his once polished shield, and tears began to form on his clothes. "W-what the-" He stammered, examining his clothes and fallen weapons. "W-who are you?"

"I am Hitomi, commander of the guild "Black Vampire Bats." The girl declared, chin raised high.

"The Black Vampire Bats?!"

"That's one of the strongest guilds around!"

"What's a Black Vampire Bat doing here? And the commander, at that?!"

"If you wish to live, leave." The girl held the point of her sword in front of Justin's face. He looked like he was about to burst, but didn't say anything. He and his friend fished out teleportation crystals and disappeared.

"That was amazing!" People began surrounding the girl.

"Can I have your autograph?"

"What skill was that just now?"

"Cool sword!"

"You're pretty!"

I quietly crawled away and escaped through the crowd.

"H-hey, wait!" The girl called out, but she was surrounded, and I had already dived into the crowd.

I finally got out of the populated field and was back in the Town of Beginnings. I pulled my bangs. "Talk about little attention." I scoffed.

"Hey, you! Wait up!"

I turned around. The girl who had just saved me was running towards me. Seems like she somehow escaped the crowd of fans.

"You haven't thanked me." She stopped in front of me and slouched to catch her breath. "For what?" I asked. "For what?" The girl scoffed. "I just saved your frickin ass."

"I didn't ask you to." I stated bluntly. "Wha-" Her face twisted in anger. "You should be thankful! If I hadn't been there, you would've bee smashed and sliced to pieces." "So?" I shrugged.

"So?!" The girl echoed with disgust. "What's wrong with you?!"

"What's wrong with me? You're the once who butted in, you bitch."

I don't know why I was acting like my true self in front of this girl. Well, I don't know her.

The girl was fuming. "Tch. Whatever. Well, you owe me."

"I owe you for something you did?"

"Just buy me a drink or something!" The girl snapped. "A drink?" This girl's demanding. I sighed. "Fine."

We found an old-style pub nearby. I ordered two glasses of some strange drink that was the color of honey and some sandwiches.

"How long will this last?" I held up the half empty bag of col.

"Just earn more." The girl took a sip of her drink. "You can complete quests or defeat monsters to earn money. Jobs are also a way to get more col."
"Is that so?" I clicked a button, and the bag disappeared. I took a tentative sip from the glass. It was sweet like syrup, but also slighlty fizzy.

"Anyway, I'm Hitomi." The girl introduced herself. "I know." I said. She scowled. "And you're...Hotaru?" She read the name above my hp bar.
I nodded.

"I would say nice to meet you, but that would be a lie." I took a bite out of my sandwich.

"Wh-what?!" The girl burst out. "You're rude."

"You can't call the person who bought you a meal rude."

"Well, that's because I saved you!"

"I didn't ask you to."

"That-argh!"

"Um, sir, miss."A waiter cautiously walked towards our table. "Please quiet down. You are causing a ruckus." We looked around to find all eyes on us. Shit. I pulled my hood lower over my face. Hitomi caughed awkwardly. "Whatever. I'll just finish this then leave."

"Please do."

We ate the rest of our meal in silence. Seriously, the food was good, better than anything I'd had in the real world.

"You don't have a weapon?" Hitomi suddenly asked out of the blue. "Huh? Oh...nope." I looked up from my sandwich. "No wonder." Hitomi scoffed. I do admit that I should've gotten a weapon sooner, but she didn't have to rub it in. "You a new player? Or you just don't fight?" She picked at the tomatoes in her sandwich.

"New. I just logged on today."

"Figures." Hitomi snorted. I held back a sharp retort.

"Well, thanks for the meal." She stood up, though she didn't sound grateful. We left a tip and walked out of the restaurant, which was a relief. This girl was pretty hot, and all the guys were drooling over her.

"Well, I have to go." Hitomi said. "Hopefully, I'll never see you again."

"Good-bye to you too." I scoffed.

"Anyway, see-" Suddenly, light flashed around us.

"What the-"

The town disappeared and was replaced by the town square where I had first walked into. Millions of players being teleported to town square and were walking around in confusion.

"What's going on?" Hitomi wondered out loud. She headed for the center, and I followed.

"Hey, I can't log out!" One guy cried.

"Me neither!"

"I can't find it!"

"What?" I opened up my menu. The log out icon that should've been at the bottom was absent.

"What the-" Hitomi scrolled through her menu. "What's going on? Is it a glitch?"

"Attention, players!"

The confused players looked up above them. The sky was turning a dark reddish-purple, and a gigantic red-hooded figure was floating high in the air.

"What the hell?" Hitomi exclaimed. "He's a game master, isn't he?"

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"I am Kayaba Akihiko!"

Gasps spread out throughout the crowd.

"Kayaba Akihiko?!"

"The creator?!"

I remembered the name that those guys in my class talked about earlier. Not to mention that his name was all over the news.

"Yes." Akihiko's voice boomed. "Welcome, players of Aincrad. I am here to offer you a quest."

"Probably just some prank." Hitomi muttered under her breath.

"I don't think so."

"As you can see, the log out icon on your menus are missing." Akihiko continued. "I am the one who took it out."

"What?" A player in front of me exclaimed. "That's stupid!"

"Let us log out!"

"I have a date at 5!"

"This is stupid! I'm leaving!"

"You cannot log out." Akihiko said. "Leaving from inside the game is impossible. And if someone on the outside attempts to remove the NerveGear you used to log in, you will be killed instantly."

The protests grew. Players began to shout in fear and anger.

"This is a game of survival." Akihiko announced. "If your hp leel reaches zero in the game, your bodies in the real life will perish as well."

"What?!" Hitomi exclaimed. "So...if we die in the game...we die for real?"

The commotion grew even louder.

"Of course, there is a way you can leave the game alive." Akihiko said. "If you clear all 100 floors of the dungeon, the log-out option will reappear."

"C-clear all 100 floors? Without reaching 0 hp?"

"Absurd!"

"Get us out of here!"

"I want to leave!"

"Before I leave, I will give you all a parting gift." A new icon appeared on everyone's menus.

"Mirror?" I murmured. I clicked the icon, and a simple mirror materialized in the air. I studied my reflection. "Isn't this just a regular mirror?" At least that's what I thought when suddenly light flashed and the world around me began to spin. The mirror crashed to the floor and shattered. I felt like I was being spun upside down. Hitomi, who was on my left, was now on my right.

"What the-" I gasped. My bangs were back to their regular color. "Hey!" Hitomi was messing with her hair. She didn't look that much different, except her face looked much younger and her hair was longer. Players were staring at each other in awe. There were plenty of "Hey, you're a guy!'s." The number of girls in the crowd had decreased.

Do that many guys really enjoy cross-dressing?

"That is all." Akihiko said. "Good luck on your journery, and work hard to clear the game. Or there'll be no one left."

Akihiko disappeared, and the sky returned to its normal clear blue state.

Tense silence hung in the air for what felt like hours. No one said anything. No one made a single sound.

Then chaos erupted.