World of Swords (2)

"Huh? Where'd the log out button go?" Klein asked, stumbling through the simple menu trying to find the button. Kirito exhaled, he had been holding his breath for Klein's exit.

"It should be there," Kirito said, assuming that Klein had missed the simple button. It was his first full dive after all. Mistakes were bound to be made.

Klein looked again. "Nope, it's not there".

"It should be at the bottom of the main menu," Kirito lectured. Klein was only extending their bitter farewell, and Kirito was a bit more agitated than depressed at this point. He swiped the air and pulled up his own menu.

"See, not there." Klein announced, Kirito agreeing once he looked at his own.

"You're right, it's not," Kirito agreed with confusion. This had never happened in the beta test, let alone in other full dive games using the NerveGear.

"Oh well. Today's, what, the first day out of beta?" Klein reassured. "Bound to be some bugs! I bet the server people are freaking out right now!"

"You will too," Kirito replied.

"Huh?" Klein was confused, not understanding Kirito's joking statement.

"Look, it's 5:25" Kirito pointed out.

"Oh my god! My teriyaki mayo pizza and ginger ale!" Klein shrieked, flailing his arms in horror while imagining this tragic loss.

"Why don't you just contact the game master?" the other swordsman suggested.

Klein ceased his tantrum to correct his fellow player. "Yeah, I did that, but nothing's happened! He's not picking up!" An icon labeled "GM Calling" appeared, as Klein tried to get into contact. He stopped, and then contemplated for a moment. "Do you know if there's any other way to log out of this thing?"

"No" Kirito replied. "Whenever a player wants to logout of SAO, the only way they can do it is by going through the menu".

"That can't be right!" Klein said, frustrated. "There's got to be some other way out." He karate punched the air and made various swipes with his arms, yelling commands in an attempt to convince the game to log him out. "Return! Log out! Escape!"

Kirito had to admit, his panic was kind of sexy. A little too sexy. "Told you so." Kirito shook his head. "There's no emergency log out in the manual, either."

"No way, you're kidding." Klein was standing with his mouth agape, not sure what to do. All of his options seemed to be exhausted. "I know… I'll just rip the NerveGear off my head!" The redhead put his hands on his temples and tried to pull the nonexistent headgear off of him. The struggle lasted for minutes, as Kirito watched, not sure whether to be embarrassed for him or impressed by his determination.

"Don't bother," he said dryly, and in cryptic style. "One you're hooked in, you can't move your body in the real world anymore. The NerveGear intercepts all the commands you give from inside the game, using an interface built into the rig".

"Seriously?" Klein said, shocked. He lowered his hands from his head in defeat. "So now we got to wait until someone gets around to fixing the bug?!"

"That, or until someone in the real world comes along and takes the NerveGear off us. That's it".

Klein's shoulders slumped. "I live alone". Kirito perked up a bit, but tried to hide his excitement under his cool demeanor. "You?" Klein asked.

"I got a mom and a sister. And I'm pretty sure they'll notice by dinner time and come..."

The other swordsman rammed into his friend with excitement and grabbed his shoulder. Kirito felt a blush spread across his face, and tried to ignore the gesture as Klein spoke. "Y-you got a sister? How old's she? What's she like?"

"Huh?" Kirito said, eyebrows furrowing and eyes glazing over with rage. He felt his heart ice over and realized what Klein thought of their relationship. It… it was going so well. Until….until I was betrayed. I should have trusted Akihiko. I should have reserved my love for him. Now I have been punished for it. "She's into sports, and hates games. And she's totally not your type, man" Kirito continued coldy. "She wouldn't date a gamer if he was the last guy-"

"Who cares?!" Klein interrupted, grabbing Kirito by the collar and intruding into his personal space. "I want to-"

Kirito lifted his leg and kicked Klein's special purpose, sending him flying across the grass. Mere minutes before, Kirito was hoping that making contact with this sacred part of Klein's body would be out of love, but now, it was out of malice. Klein screamed and tried to recover from the immense pain.

"Oh, right". Klein stopped his yelling and removed his hands from his private square. "Getting kicked in the balls doesn't hurt".

"Get serious" Kirito snapped at his former companion. "Don't you think this is weird?"

"Yeah, totally" Klein agreed, still sitting in the grass. "But it's just a bug".

"This isn't just a bug. If we can't log out, it's going to cause some serious problems for the game". Kirito's worst fear was that after this mishap, SAO would receive serious backlash from gamers and press alike. Akihiko Kayaba would be blamed for the entire error, and shunned by the gaming world. Kirito could bare to see his precious prince be dethroned by a simple bug, as Klein referred to it. He just wouldn't let that happen.

"Yeah, I guess you're right" Klein said, continuing the already dry conversation. Both were extremely anxious and hoping to logout as soon as possible.

"I wonder if the developers even know what's happening, 'cause they could just shut down the server and log everyone out". He paused and thought for a minute. "But why haven't they made an announcement?"

"Hmm…" Klein pondered. A bell began to ring, and suddenly the two broke apart into hundreds of colorful shards of glass. Kirito closed his eyes, and when he opened them, the two were in the Town of Beginnings' Square. Thousands of players were gathered, all confused and trying to ask the others players why this had happened.

"Do you know what's going on?" one girl yelled through the crowd.

"Someone forced a teleport" Kirito said, scanning through the crowd for Klein or a moderator.

Another player pointed to the ceiling, yelling "Look, up there!"

The entire mass of players looked up at the sky, where a small [WARNING] panel replaced a piece of the beautiful Aincrad view. Another appeared, and then a third, until the entire invisible dome now covering the top of the Town of Beginnings turned red. Thick red liquid dripped down from the ceiling with theatrical lighting, and morphed into the giant red clock of a game-master. The crowd erupted in confusion, unsure of what this strange thing was. A giant faceless figure loomed in the sky, looking down on the players of SAO.

"Attention, players" the figure spoke in an ominous tone. "I welcome you to my world".

Kirito stood, aloof and confused. "What does he mean by that?" he muttered to himself in the now nearly silent mass of players.

"My name" the hooded thing continued, "is Akihiko Kayaba. And as of this moment, I am in control of this world".

At the mention of that name, Kirito's knees buckled and he felt his legs begin to tremble. Akihiko… Kayaba? The black-haired swordsman did not see the perfectionist beauty of Kayaba within the hollow face of the floating game master. He didn't see the exquisite kneecaps that his precious prince carried with him with every step, everywhere he went. And the voice of this thing matched not to the the hours of interviews Kirito had watched, sometimes the same three-minute clips over and over until he had every line of Kayaba's speech memorized. This person… this thing couldn't be Akihiko Kayaba. But something in the back of Kirito's head told him that it was.

"I'm sure most of you have already noticed an item missing from your main menus- the logout button. Let me assure you, this is not a defect in the game. I repeat, this is not a defect. This is how Sword Art Online was designed to be".

"He's kidding, right?" Kirito heard Klein yell from somewhere else in the crowd.

"You cannot log yourselves out of SAO, and no one from the outside will be able to shut down or remove the Nerve Gear from your head. If anyone attempts to do so, a transmitter inside the NerveGear will discharge a microwave signal into your skull, destroying your brain and ending your life".

Klein stood almost motionless, but turned to Kirito as everyone angrily shouted in denial. "Are you listening to this crap? He's gotta be nuts, right? Right, Kirito?"

"He's not" Kirito responded, quivering in his boots and not even bothering to turn his head away from Kayaba. "The transmitter's signals in the headgear work just like microwaves. If the safety's disabled, it could fry your brain."

"Couldn't somewhat cut the power or…?" Klein was frantic, but Kirito cut him off.

"That won't work. The NerveGear's got an internal battery". Someone in the crowd hit a gong, replicating the eery background noise of common horror films. Unlike the majority of the crowd, Kirito remained calm and collected. He was completely absorbed in fear, but for whatever reason, didn't feel the need to scream, cry or collapse. Kirito was aware that if what this figure was saying was true, he already had a leg up in this world.

"This is crazy! It's totally crazy!" Klein hollered in disbelief. Kirito almost pitied the poor player, but remembered his betrayal and said nothing.

The figure spoke again. "Despite my warning, the families and friends of some players have attempted removing the NerveGear, an unfortunate decision, to say the least. As a result, the game now has two hundred thirteen less players than when it began. They've been deleted from both Aincrad and the real world".

"Two hundred thirteen?" Kirito spat in disgust. Thirteen… is my lucky…. number.

"No way… I don't believe it!" Klein yoddled through the crowd.

"As you can see, the international media outlets have round-the-clock coverage of everything, including the deaths. At this point, it's safe to assume the likelihood of a NerveGear being removed is minimal at best. I hope this brings you a little comfort as you try to clear the game. It's important to remember the following: There is no longer any way to revive someone within the game. If you're HP drops down to zero, your avatar will be deleted from the system… forever. And the NerveGear will simultaneously destroy your brain. There is only one way for a player to escape now- you must clear the game. Right now, you're gathered on Floor One, the lowest level of Aincrad. If you can get through the dungeon and defeat the boss, you may advance to the next floor. Defeat the boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game."

The crowd became even more vocal, emitting loud vibrations of confusions and rage from their virtual lungs. "We can't clear all 100 floors…" Klein said in anger and shock. "That's freaking impossible… even the beta testers never made it that high!" He bellowed the last bit in the audience, invoking fear in the crowd members.

The cloaked Kayaba ignored the shouts from the crowd and began to wrap up his monologue. "Last but not least. I've placed a little present in the item storage of every player. Please have a look."

Kirito swiped his right hand in the air to open the menu, and then looked at his items list. A mirror was listed. Kirito clicked on it, and it materialized in his hand. "A mirror?" Suddenly Klein erupted into a pillar of light, making the young boy fear for the life of his potential lover. "Klein!" he yelled through the crowd.

"You okay, Kirito?" Klein called back.

"Yeah," Kirito replied, his heart lifted a bit hearing Klein worried about his safety. He looked around for his companion but didn't see him. In fact, the entire crowd's look had changed. The other players no longer looked like video game protagonists and samurais, but normal people. Kirito spotted a man wearing the same armor as Klein, who appeared to be the one who shouted at him. "Who are you?"

"I'm me," he responded. "Who are you?"

The crowd of players exploded into confused conversation, not sure where their friends had gone and who they were next to instead. One female player had been revealed to be a guy in disguise, his male partner confused and shocked. Heh. Kirito thought to himself in the midst of the chaos. I should have done that. Lol. Pranked.

"Is that you… Kirito?" the Klein imposter asked, probably recognizing the slight smirk on Kirito's face from the jokes only he could hear. Inside his head. He loved that stuff.

"Is that you, Klein?" Kirito said at this declaration, pointing his finger at the stranger.

"But… how?" The still redheaded swordsman made a valid point. The intense detail captured in each person's actual face had been perfectly replicated within the game. If Kirito hadn't read up so many articles about Kayaba, he wouldn't have had a clue.

"The scan" he answered. "There's a high-density device inside the NerveGear rig. It can see what my face looks like, but how's it know my height and body type?" Kirito shuttered in excitement at the thought that Kayaba might be interested or even know the specific dimensions of his body.

"When you first put the NerveGear on, it had to do this… calibration thing. It asked you to touch your body all over like this, remember?" Klein patted his head, chest, arms and legs in demonstration.

"Oh, yeah, you're right! That's where it got our physical data!" he was glad to clear up the confusion, but disappointed that this was merely a procedure.

"But this… what's the point? Why would anyone do this to us?"

"I think he's about to tell us". They both turned once more to face the giant Kayaba, who some had forgotten about in the disarray.

"Right now, you are probably wondering why." the faceless man began to explain. "Why would Akihiko Kayaba, a developer of Sword Art Online and NerveGear, do this? Ultimately, my goal was a simple one. The reason I created Sword Art Online was to control the fate of a world of my design. As you can see, I have achieved my goal. This marks the end of the official launch of Sword Art Online. Players, I wish you the best of luck." With that Akihiko melted away and his avatar broke apart into pixels.

Kirito felt blood begin to drip down his finger, where his papercut from earlier had once been. "It's not a game. It's real" Kirito spoke. "Akihiko Kayaba created a virtual world. He designed the NerveGear rig. The man's a genius! I've been a fan of his for a long time… so I know… everything he just said… is the truth". He paused. If I die in this game, I'll die in real life!"

"Come on Klein," Kirito grabbed Klein's hand and started to push through the crowd. He reached a small alleyway outside of the square, before Klein stopped him.

"I'm heading out right now for the next village. I want you to come" Kirito reasoned with his friend. "If what he said is true, and I think it is, the only way we're gonna survive in here is by making ourselves as strong as possible. In an MMORPG, the money you can earn… the EXP… once the game starts up, there's only so much of that stuff to go around.

Look, the fields around the Town of Beginnings are gonna be hunted clean soon. If we head to the next village now, we'll have an easier time collecting cash and points. Even if I'm level one, I can get there easy."

Klein hesitated and took a step back. "Thanks, but… you know those friends of mine I was telling you about… we stood in line for a whole night to buy this, and… they're back at the Plaza, somewhere… and I can't leave 'em."

Kirito's expression changed drastically. If it were just Klein… but two more… or even one more…

The redhead seemed to understand, and didn't want to hold force his new ally into something he didn't want to do. "Sorry. Can't ask a guy I just met to risk his life for a bunch of strangers, can I? So, don't worry about me. Get your ass to the next village!"

I was hoping that my ass would be somewhere else... not a village or two away from Klein. He listened to Klein continue. "I'll be fine! Last game I played, I ran a guild, so I'm more than prepared. And with all the stuff you taught me, I'll get by, no sweat!"

"Okay" Kirito said, not wanting to drag out the good-byes. "If that's what you want, I'll get going. But if you're in a jam, message me, okay?" He turned to leave, but was stopped by Klein calling out his name.

"Kirito! I… Hey, Kirito. You look better like this. Way cooler than your avatar".

Kirito felt a blush spread across his face and nodded back at his pal. "Y-yeah, and I think that scruffy face fits you ten times better, too."

Klein laughed, and Kirito turned to leave. With hesitation, he looked back and saw that Klein was gone. Kirito stared down the empty alleyway and tears welled in his eyes against his will. He turned back and began to sprint to his destination, wiping the salty tears from his face.

As he ran, Klein's face flashed before him, motivating him to run faster through the streets into the next time. He knew that if he stopped at all, he would be all too tempted to return to the Town of Beginnings and give up. Maybe spend the last of his days wrapped in Klein's strong arms.

A wolf appeared, trying to attack the determined swordsman. He took out his sword, and let it rip, killing the beast with a single solid stroke. I've got this! I can do this! This world can't beat me! I will… survive!