1 Death Game

a/n: Symbol meanings:

"" : Talking

'': Thinking or referring to something or someone. see in what context

[]: Personal Message

{}: System Message

**: Sound effects

.: Little time skip or switching POV. See the context

==========

'Sword Art Online'

An VR MMORPG using the newly developed NerveGear, by the genius inventor 'Kayaba Akihiko'.

It was the most hyped game of the year, with stunning great reviews from the beta-testers.

And today, the game finally released.

The game-shops were packed with queues, players trying their luck at getting a copy from SAO. They were going as far as waiting 3 days to get one.

And why you ask...

Because there will only be 10.000 copy's available to the public, with beta-testers getting a guaranteed copy.

...

In a room, a young boy was watching the stream.

The boy had an expressionless face while watching the stream, but the people who knew him would say otherwise.

"You're really excited for game aren't you, Giyuu." A woman said while standing at the door of the room. And the boy turned to her after hearing her voice.

"It's nice to see you so excited from something else then kendo. But please don't get too addicted to the game." The women warned the boy named Giyuu.

"Hmm, sure mom." The boy said with an apathetic tone.

*Ping*

When the woman left, Giyuu received a notification.

Walking up to his phone and turning it on he read the message.

Maya:[DAMN IIIT, TOMIOKA-SAN!! I COULDN'T GET A COPY!!!]

Giyuu read with a deadpanned face.

Maya:[THE PERSON RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME GOT THE LAST COPY!!! MOUUU!! JUST MY FKING LUUUUCK]

Maya:[Anyway, just play without me, I'm just gonna hope that there will be more copy's in the future or I can buy one from another player. Just tell me everything at school 'bout the game.]

Then Giyuu typed his reply.

Tomioka:[Alright]

Then he turned off his phone and checked the time.

'12:49. Time to get ready.'

He went to his closet and got his NerveGear that he received from the beta.

He plucked in the cable and put on the helmet.

*Ping*

*Ping*

*Ping*

*Ping*

'Now that I think about it, if Maya couldn't get a copy then the others wouldn't either...'

He thought for a moment.

'Well, guess I will be going alone once again. Ahh.'

Then he checked the time once again

12:59:55

'It's almost time'

12:59:56

'First thing I'll do is go to the plains and farm some frenzy boars and dire wolfs.'

12:59:58

'And I will need to buy a katana, that is way better than the bastard sword I get.'

12:59:59

'And it's time.'

13:00:00

He closed his eyes and muttered.

"Link start"

When he said those word his vision turned white and all sort colours in the forms of cylinders went past him.

After the little trip, different circles approached his vision.

.

System:

Touch ------------- OK

Sight -------------- OK

Hearing ---------- OK

Taste -------------- OK

Smell -------------- OK

.

The circles all turned green at the same time and then disappeared from his sight when 3 slid to the left and 2 to the right.

After they disappeared, another took his place. But this time reading 'Language'. Giyuu clicked on it and chose Japanese.

Then he had to log in.

.

And after successfully logging in, he received another template

{ Character creation Beta test data still available. Would you like to use. Y/N}

.

After reading the 'SM', Giyuu clicked 'Y' and then it finally began.

The intro played.

.

{Welcome to

Sword Art Online!}

.

And then Giyuu got transported to somewhere else. The transfer was too bright so he tried to close his eyes but still saw the effects.

Then everything went black.

He tried to open his eyes and found himself in a plaza.

After checking his bodily functions, like closing his hand into a fist and stretching arms he got excited.

Then he heard the other players logging in and after doing the same routine as Giyuu, They all started to cheer.

This marked the start of the game SAO. That will later be known for as a death game.

.

Giyuu didn't wait a single moment and walked to the gates. He didn't run for two reasons.

He didn't want to be noticed and didn't want any social interactions.

As no other player was running, it would be weird if he would and show that he knew what he was doing. That would make some players follow him and ask for help or something else.

'Being in a friend-group of 5 is enough' He thought.

First off, he went to a shop in the shopping district and bought a 'steel katana'.

And after his purchase, he went straight to the plains.

.

After arriving at the north plain, he encountered 3 frenzy boars. All three charging at him.

Giyuu stood his ground and drew his sword. While he took his stance, an effect came to the sword that had the colour of light blue.

And right before the boars head bumped him, he slashed his sword in a horizontal way. Creating a crescent moon.

*clank*

successfully parrying the attack, the boars all had their heads facing the the sky with their belly showing towards Giyuu.

He used this chance to attack the right boar, piercing him in the middle of the chest. Then continued in that position, slashing upwards. Killing the boar

Then the sound of breaking glass was heard as the mob disappeared in light particles.

'two left' he thought before paying his attention back to the 2 mobs in front of him.

But they didn't give him time to breathe as they charged at him.

He dodged the first boar that came. Lodging the katana in the boar and using his momentum to damage him.

The second one came right after, and Giyuu used his sword skill once again. But this time he dodged to the left.

Then slashing his sword from left to right, in a crescent moon shape. Cleaving the boar in two. Killing it as it disappeared just like the previous one,

'Last one' He focused once again and checked the boars hp, which was coloured yellow.

He got in a stance, pointing his sword towards upwards. Now using a different skill.

Now standing in a face off against the boar, the boar charged at him. And when the boar was just in range, he swung his sword downwards. Splitting the boar in half.

{Congratulations}

Three messages came up to verify his kills, and giving him the resources.

And he continued to hunt mobs.

Dire wolfs, killer wasps, frenzy boars. Everything he could find. Until he finally reached level two.

.

'I think I hunted enough, I'm kinda hungry so let's eat and come back' Giyuu thought as he opened his menu to log out.

"...huh?"

'What? I can't find the log out button... A bug?' But the next moment, bells rang and blue light enveloped him.

And the next moment, he found himself back in the plaza.

'Forced teleportation?? But why?'

He looked around and saw that he wasn't the only one that teleported.

*murmur*

'What is going on?' But the next moment someone shouted.

"LOOK THERE!!" He turned to where the player pointed and saw a red system message.

'Impossible!?' He thought in shock as his eyes widened in disbelief.'

{WARNING}

Then the bells stopped and the message amplified, Covering the sky.

Then between the cracks of the messages, a red fluid, presumably blood. leaked out and formed a cocoon. With light-blue lightning discharging around it.

Then the cocoon started to form a giant figure, wearing a red robe and red smoke covering his face.

The figure was floating over the middle point of the plaza and the players started to whisper once again.

"Is that the game master?"

"Why doesn't he have a face?"

"What event is this?"

Then the figure started speaking.

"Attention, players. Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. And as of this moment, I am the only person able to control this world."

"Kayaba Akihiko?" He heard someone mutter the name and he looked at the person.

'Hmm? Isn't that Mito?' He thought. And then he heard another voice right next to him.

"Hey who is that?"

'Well I knew him from the Beta so I can talk to him at least'

"He's the guy who developed the game." I intervened in the conversation

"Hmm? Ohh, Tomioka. Fancy meeting you here." The man greeted him.

And Giyuu just nodded.

"Hmm, as quiet as ever."

"Uhm, Mito, who is that?"

"Oh, he is-" But before Mito could continue, Kayaba spoke again.

"I'm sure you've already noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu.

But this is not a defect in the game."

And he showcased this by opening his own menu.

"I repeat...

This is not a defect in the game, but a rightful feature of Sword Art Online. You cannot log out of SAO of your own volition. And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear.

Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and thus ending your life."

Everyone gasped at this revelation.

"Unfortunately, as of now, there have been several instances in which players' friends and families have ignored this warning and attempted to forcibly remove the NerveGear.

As a result, 213 players have exited permanently from both Aincrad and the real world."

Then he showed different screens to the players, showing news reports with the information similar to what he just announced.

"As you can see, news organisations across the world are reporting on this situation, including the multiple deaths.

Thus, you can assume that the danger of a NerveGear being removed has been reduced. I would like you all to rest assured and apply yourselves to clearing the game.

But I want you to be sure to keep this in mind. There is no longer any function to revive someone within the game.

The instant your HP drops to zero, your avatars will vanish forever. And simultaneously...

...your brain will be destroyed by the NerveGear."

*Gasps*

"There is only one condition for your escape.

All you have to do is complete this game."

Then he showed the map of the first floor.

"You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, floor 1."

Then all the other floors began to stack on top of each other, with each floor having a yellow mini-tower that connects to the floor above.

"If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the floor boss, you may advance to the next level. Defeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game."

After Kayaba was done speaking, the tension rose as the players started screaming at Kayaba.

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"Clear 100 floors? That's impossible!! Even the beta testers didn't make much progress, right?"

Giyuu looked at the two players on his left and saw that they were sheepishly stared at the cloaked figure.

"Now then, finally, I've provided you all with a gift in your item storage. Please see for yourself."

And when his words ended, all the players did the same thing and opened their menu's.

'Hmm? A mirror?' He took it out and the next moment everyone present was engulfed in a blue light. Illuminating the whole town.

After the light disappeared, everyone was confused and shocked.

Giyuu then looked at his mirror and was equally shocked.

'That's... my face.'

What he saw was a 14 year old boy.

He had unruly black hair of uneven lengths that sticks up in tufts around his head, which he wears tied back in a low messy ponytail at the base of his neck. His bangs fall over his eyes in an uneven fringe. His eyes are sharp and moderately large, their irises a deep sapphire that fades to a lighter blue and their pupils a bluish-black, and are framed by thin eyebrows.

Then he heard someone speak next to him that caught his attention.

"Asuna! Are you alright?"

'Hmm?'

"Yeah... Huh? Are you... Misumi?"

"Hey, I told you, it's Mito over here!" The purple haired girl said.

"B-but..." Then the auburn haired girl showed the mirror and 'Mito' saw her reflection.

And she was shocked.

"Hmm, didn't know Mito liked to cosplay as a man." Giyuu chipped in.

"Ahh, and who are you? Ah, wait, Tomioka?" She asked.

"Correct."

"You look... different." She said.

"Same about you."

They stared at each other for a while but then Kayaba continued.

"Right now, you must all be wondering, 'Why?'.

Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do such a thing?

My goal has already been achieved.

I created Sword Art Online for one reason-

to create this world and enjoy watching it.

And now, all is complete.

This concludes the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch. I have one last warning for you.

This may be a game, but it's not something you play.

I wish you luck players."

Then the cloak started to disperse in the same red liquid it came from, back to the cracks as if it was being played in reverse.

And then the red wall of 'WARNING' signs disappeared.

Everyone stood there, processing what just happened. Before someone dropped to their knees and started screaming.

This caused a chain reaction as one player after another started breaking down.

The auburn haired girl called Asuna was also spacing out.

Then Tomioka, as was his player ID. And Mito saw some players running away.

'They're probably going to the plains. If everything he said was true, then I need to start right now.' Then he turned to Mito and Asuna.

'They can fend for themselves.' He thought.

"Mito, I need to go. Take care and don't die." he said before leaving, not even waiting for a reply.

'Let's go straight to Tolbana as I don't need the 'anneal blade' but levels' he thought while running ahead.

'I need to get stronger fast'

.

.

a/n

2356 words

First chapter yay!!

If you haven't noticed yet, I'm using the SAO progressive movie and novel series as comparison.

I'm not gonna tell who the FL is but I suck at romance so it'll be quite obvious.

Alright that's it.

Thx for reading, hope you enjoyed. Drop a comment, and a review. Maybe even some stones.

CYAO CYAO