Author's Note: Hey everyone, NC here. This is my first crossover fanfiction, and my first SAO (Sword Art Online) and Assassin's Creed fanfiction. Hope you all enjoy, and let me know if you want to see any more fanfictions like this one. It might not be completely canon, but it will be close enough to where you'll be able to depict where certain scenes happen at which time. Without further adieu, here's the first chapter of this fanfiction. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sword Art Online and Assassin's Creed. All right's reserved to their original owners. No copyright infringement intended. Any music used belongs to their rightful owners.

WARNING: The following is rated M for Mature due to foul language, sexual tendencies, suicidal thought or actions, murder, espionage, attempted murder, sexual assault, robbery, attempted rape, and other scenes not approved for younger audiences. Discretion is advised.

A young boy was hiding under a couch as a group of people were talking to his parents. His breathing was quiet enough to where the group couldn't hear him, but his parents knew where he was. The group then murdered the boys parents and left behind a piece of evidence of their presence, a weirdly shaped cross. He waited for a few moments before leaving from his spot and going towards his parents. He knew from their looks that they were dead. He called the police and told them what happened. When he showed them the weird cross, the two detectives at the scene approached him and took him to the precinct they worked out of. He then told them what he saw, and they took him to a room. They asked him to look around and tell them what he could see. He saw nothing at first, but then he focused more and saw some strange writing on the walls. The detective's CO (Commanding Officer) then decided to take him in and teach him about his ability and how he came to get it. At first the boy didn't believe it, but he soon learned that it was the truth. At the age of 5, the boy was accepted into an organization known as "The Brotherhood" and started to learn from the others inside it.

The government in where the boy lived gave permission for him to live in a secure apartment and go to school while training. He trained with them until the age of 12, then he became a teacher for The Brotherhood and became the youngest ever to do so. He was also allowed to join the local police in his area, courtesy of the government. He was allowed to wear his uniform while going to school, since his shift started after school ended. At age 13, he became a detective for the local police and worked in the same precinct as the two detectives who investigated his parent's murder did. He worked several homicides and gained more methods of information gathering, as well as some profiling training that helped him in finding the truth. His main focus of his investigations was into a company called "Abstergo Entertainment," a type of game developer that created console games such as "Assassin's Creed" and other games like it. He also investigated their security group called "Sigma Team" and kept profiles of all members of both. Abstergo had no idea, but this boy would be the one to take down their way into the country he lives in.

The experience he had when he was younger made them a target in his eyes. They had killed his parents, and he was going to kill them in return. The local police knew the truth about all those working in that precinct, and so did the rank and file. They left no trace of their actions, making them unable to be charged by IAB (Internal Affairs Bureau). Eventually, in his middle school history class, they started talking about the Middle Ages and how it affected the way they did things. They started learning about a group called the "Knight's Templar," a group made up of knights during the Holy Crusade. When the teacher brought up the symbol they used, he made the connection. He then asked if they had committed any crimes during those times. The teacher explained about it, and he took notes on it.

He approached the teacher after class and asked him to provide everything he had on the Knight's Templar. The teacher did so and it proved useful in his investigation into Abstergo and Sigma Team. He then made the ultimate connection. Abstergo Entertainment and Sigma Team were a modern day version of the Knight's Templar. However, he knew them by a different name, the "Templar Order." He also had a name for The Brotherhood, the "Assassin's Order," or "Assassin's Brotherhood." He was tasked with eliminating the Templars throughout his home country of Japan, in the Providence of Tokyo.

His time to eliminate the key players would come when he started to play Virtual Reality Mass Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, or VRMMORPGs, and he became a Beta tester for them as a hobby. When he got to his high school years, he met a girl named Asuna Yuuki. Her father, Shouzou Yuuki, was the CEO of a company called RCT Inc., a company that specialized in FullDive technology. They decided to have him Beta test a game called Sword Art Online. He agreed to it, and cleared the game within two days. His name is Edward McGarrett, he's a Tokyo Police Detective, and an Assassin.

Assassin's Creed: SAO

As Edward was walking out of his high school, Asuna approached him and started walking with him.

"Is there a reason you're following me to where I get my coffee?" Edward asked.

"Yeah," Asuna said, "this." She then handed Edward a copy of the latest VRMMORPG, Sword Art Online.

"Full copy?" Edward asked.

"Yup," Asuna said, "courtesy of RCT Inc. You're welcome. Wait until the full release date to start. You'll also need a NerveGear to play it."

"I know," Edward said, "but those things are expensive."

"Which is why my dad got you one," Asuna said, "it's at your house."

"You gonna play it?" Edward asked.

"Yup," Asuna said, "I am. I'll see you in the Town of Beginnings." Asuna then left his side as Edward arrived at the coffee shop.

'I hope and pray to God that Abstergo isn't playing a part in this VRMMORPG development.' Edward thought. As soon as Edward entered, the owner of the shop approached him.

"Usual?" The owner asked.

"Yup," Edward said, handing the man a coffee thermos, "don't change anything."

"You got it." The owner said, taking the thermos. Edward then sat down somewhere and waited. As he waited, a man approached him.

"This seat taken?" The man asked.

"Nope," Edward said, "go ahead and take it."

"Thanks." The man said, sitting down.

"I'm just waiting on my order." Edward said.

"Say," the man said, "were you a beta tester for SAO?"

"Yeah," Edward said, "why?"

"I was one as well." The man said.

"No kidding?" Edward asked.

"Nope," The man said, holding a hand out, "the name's Kazuto Kirigaya." Edward took the man's hand and shook it.

"Edward McGarrett," Edward said, "pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Pleasure's mine," Kazuto said, "I had no idea you were THAT Edward McGarrett. You're a Detective with the Tokyo Police, right?"

"Yeah," Edward said, "that's right."

"I think you're in one of my classes." Kazuto said. That's when Edward recognized him.

"Technology 105," Edward said, "I sit three computers down from you."

"That's it!" Kazuto said.

"Heh," Edward said, "who knew?"

"Did you get your full copy yet?" Kazuto asked.

"Yup," Edward said, "just got it today."

"Nice," Kazuto said, "I got mine today as well."

"Which company?" Edward asked.

"The original creators," Kazuto said, "ARGUS. You?"

"RCT Inc.," Edward said, "I beta tested for them."

"Nice." Kazuto said.

"Yeah," Edward said, "I'm even friends with the CEO's daughter."

"Really?" Kazuto asked.

"Yup," Edward said, "I even got to visit their home. It's nice, but it lacks something."

"What?" Kazuto asked.

"A comfortable atmosphere." Edward said, causing Kazuto to laugh.

"What made it so uncomfortable?" Kazuto asked.

"The CEO's wife," Edward said, "she seemed very controlling. Almost like she didn't trust me. I even told her that I was a Detective, but that didn't ease her nerves at all."

"Sounds like she has something to hide." Kazuto said.

"I don't doubt it," Edward said, "seeming as how she hired a Private Investigator to investigate and follow me. I caught on and told the guy to back off." Kazuto smiled. The owner then approached and placed a thermos in front of Edward.

"Free of charge." The owner said.

"Thanks." Edward said.

"No problem," the owner said, "anything for Tokyo's finest."

"I need to get to the office," Edward said, "see you in the Town of Beginnings, Kazuto."

"You know it." Kazuto said. Edward then left and went to the precinct. When he got there, he saw the place empty. However, he wasn't having it.

"No use guys," Edward said, "you'll have to do better than that to surprise me." His colleagues then groaned and came out of their hiding spots.

"You're no fun, Edward." One of them said.

"Can you blame me?" Edward asked.

"Nope," Edward's CO said, "we can't. You didn't even have to use the sense to find us." Edward smiled and went to his desk. When he got there, he saw a box and opened it. Inside it, he saw a new holster for his SIG Sauer P226. He looked at his CO and smiled.

"You didn't have to get me this." Edward said.

"True," Edward's CO said, "but I was tired of seeing you with a holster on your side. You look better with a holster on your back. So, I got you one."

"Thanks, boss." Edward said.

"No problem," Edward's CO said, "you deserve it." Edward's colleagues then looked at him and Edward smiled.

"Go ahead." Edward said.

"Happy birthday, McGarrett." Edward's CO said. His colleagues then smiled and one of them put a cupcake in front of him. Edward blew the candle out and they all applauded. After his shift, Edward went home. He saw a box on the table of his apartment and smiled. He then set his bags down and went to the kitchen. He then started to make some instant noodles and opened the box. He smiled as he read the card.

Not only is this a gift for beta testing SAO for us, this is also a gift from us for your birthday. Thank you for your input, and good luck in Aincrad. Sincerely, Shouzou Yuuki. P.S Please look out for Asuna while in the game. I have a bad feeling that Kayaba's up to something.

Edward's smile went to a look of seriousness.

'Akihiko Kayaba,' Edward thought, 'creator of the NerveGear and primary developer of Sword Art Online. If Shouzou feels like Kayaba's up to something, I should play the game like it's different from the beta test. I need to do research on the weapons all the bosses use.' Edward then finished making the instant noodles and went to his computer room so they could cool off a bit. He then looked at the weapons for all the bosses and wrote down the attack patterns and moves for them. Just then, he got an email from Asuna.

To: Edward McGarrett

From: Asuna Yuuki

Subject: Boss Research

Hey Edward,

I think you need to do some research on the bosses in SAO so we can be prepared in case Kayaba changes anything. Let me know when you're done.

Edward smiled and sent a reply.

To: Asuna Yuuki

From: Edward McGarrett

Subject: RE: Boss Research

I'm already ahead of you, Asuna. I just got done writing the attack patterns, weapons, and weapon moves for the bosses. I'm about to do research on the bosses themselves. Need me to send a list to you?

Edward then started researching the bosses, but received a reply from Asuna as he did so.

To: Edward McGarrett

From: Asuna Yuuki

Subject: RE: Boss Research

Go ahead and send it. That way, I can show the list to my father so he can have a copy. Make sure to include what they did in the beta so we can tell if Kayaba changed anything.

Edward smiled and finished his research on the bosses and made a list of them. It was at this point that Edward put the weapons with the bosses and emailed the list to Asuna.

To: Asuna Yuuki

From: Edward McGarrett

Subject: Boss List

Here's the list you asked for. I included everything from the weapons to the bosses themselves. I'd tell your father to be careful with this list. If Kayaba sees that we're researching the game, it could end up deadly. Tell him I said "Thanks for the NerveGear." for me. I'll see you in the Town of Beginnings.

Edward then ate the instant noodles he made, got a shower, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and went to bed. Before he went to sleep, he got a text from Asuna.

I know you're about to sleep, but this is important. I gave my dad the list and he looked it over thoroughly. The final boss is probably going to be the Game Master, but he's not sure. I'm glad you included everything. Be careful, Edward. See you soon.

Edward smiled and fell asleep. The next day, Edward woke up early and did his morning routine. He then calibrated his NerveGear and waited patiently until 1300 (1:00 PM) to say the activation phrase. He put the game into the NerveGear and looked at the clock.

'Three minutes left.' Edward thought. He slowly eased his nerves and waited patiently. Thanks to his CO, Edward has two years off. Edward knew everything about the game, so he could easily beat it alone. However, going solo will only get you so far. He decided to team up with Asuna and Kazuto, if he saw them, and try to form a guild that specializes in not only clearing the game, but also investigating Player Kills (PKs), and catching the ones responsible. He then looked at the clock again and smiled. Only one more minute and he could get to work on clearing Aincrad. The clock then turned to 1300 and Edward closed his eyes.

"Link start!" Edward said. He then set up his avatar and saw the screen he had hoped to see.

WELCOME TO SWORD ART ONLINE

Edward then looked around and got himself familiar with the Town of Beginnings. He then saw a Weapons Shop and looked at the swords and armor. He bought a sword and saw that he was low on Col. He had bought a back sheathe and placed the sword inside it. He then looked for a quest that was easy enough to do. However, he needed to level up more. He went to an open field and leveled up by defeating monsters and finally gained enough for a quest. The quest he got was an escorting mission. He was to escort a NPC (Non-Playable Character) to a certain location. Along the way, he encountered monsters and a mini boss. When it came to the quest boss, Edward was able to defeat it in under two minutes. As a reward, he received a large amount of Col, armor, and a weapon he never thought would be in SAO, a SIG Sauer P226 semi-automatic pistol. He then went back to the Town of Beginnings and looked for another quest. However, he saw someone familiar.

"Asuna?" Edward asked. Asuna turned around and smiled.

"Edward," Asuna said, "how nice to see you!"

"Nice to see you, too." Edward said.

"Do any quests yet?" Asuna asked.

"Just finished one." Edward asked.

"Nice," Asuna said, "what was it?"

"It was an escort mission," Edward said, "and I leveled up before doing it."

"Nice." Asuna said. Edward then found another quest giver and smiled.

"Found another one," Edward said, "I'll see you around, Asuna."

"See ya!" Asuna said. Edward then went to the quest giver and and talked to it.

"Sir," the quest giver said, "can you please help me?"

"What's wrong?" Edward asked.

"I fear my village will be attacked by an enemy," the quest giver said, "but we don't have enough power to fend them off ourselves. We'll give you a large reward for your trouble, and our village elder will give you a unique skill that only you can use. Please help us."

"I will," Edward said, "just tell me where the enemy is."

"They're about to attack the village now," the quest giver said, "you must hurry!" Edward then accepted the quest and hurried to the location. He took out monsters along the way and looked for the enemies. He then saw where they were and knocked a few of them out. He then stealthily killed a few before going after the main boss. It was then that Edward upgraded his stealth skill and that caused him to level up. Edward then saw something off and used his searching skill, but he couldn't see anything.

'Damn,' Edward thought, 'the search skill won't work here. I need to focus and concentrate. Just use my training.' Edward then started to focus and he used all his senses. He then found an enemy, grabbed a dagger from one of the dead guys, and threw it at them. The dagger hit them in a spot that instantly killed them, and Edward moved on to the boss.

"This village will be mine!" The boss said. Edward then killed the boss' guards and charged at him.

"Guess again, assface!" Edward said. He then swung down and lowered the boss' HP gauge. This initiated the boss fight.

"Tonight you will die." The boss said. He then started to attack, but Edward parried. He then swung down and cut the boss' arm off. Before the boss could counter, Edward cut the other arm off, as well as the legs.

"I'm not dying tonight," Edward said, "you are. Requiescat in Pace, bastardo (Rest in Peace, bastard)." Edward then cut the boss' head off and the battle ended. The village leader approached Edward and smiled.

"Thank you," the elder said, "you have saved our village. We are grateful. Please accept this as our thanks." Edward then received a skill he was familiar with, Eagle Vision. However, he also got another skill.

'Move Copy?' Edward thought.

"Do you have a question?" The elder asked.

"Yes," Edward said, "I do. What does this skill 'Move Copy' do?"

"I see," the elder said, "that skill allows you to read the moves of your opponents so you may react appropriately. You can upgrade it by completing an event called 'The Sharingan Eye' and its advanced form event 'Eternal Mangekyou' to fully unlock its potential."

'Sharingan and Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan,' Edward thought, 'did Kayaba add in a Naruto reference?! What the Hell is going on?!'

"I am grateful you asked about that skill," the elder said, "I shall teach you a technique to allow you to teleport to any location, without the use of a teleport crystal. It's effective in non-crystal areas in Aincrad."

"What's this technique?" Edward asked. A gold question mark then appeared above the elder's head.

'Whoa,' Edward thought, 'I just triggered a quest while on a quest! It's a dual quest!' Edward then started to talk to the elder.

"The technique is very advanced," the elder said, "so you'll have to level up more first. I know how you can do just that. There are some monsters in the forest that are guarding an ancient treasure that was stolen from this village. Defeat the monsters, and you'll be experienced enough to learn this technique. If you manage to bring the treasure back, you'll gain a reward from me."

"I'll do it." Edward said.

"May the spirits of our ancestors guide you to your chosen path." The elder said. Edward then left and went to where the monsters were. He defeated monsters along the way, increased his stealth skill, and increased his health. It was then that Eagle Vision was put in place of the search skill. Edward then activated Eagle Vision and saw that it was just like he remembered it. He saw some monsters guarding the treasure the elder was talking about, and decided that it would be best to take them out one by one before challenging the boss. Edward then lured them over one by one and took them out, leveling up and gaining enough for the skill. However, he decided to take on the boss and to be sure. He grabbed the treasure and put it in his inventory. That triggered the boss to show up. Edward knew that this battle would put his abilities to the test. The boss launched an attack, but Edward dodged it and struck the boss. He then closed his eyes and concentrated. It was then the Move Copy skill was activated, and Edward's eyes changed. His vision was red, but he could see some of the moves the boss was using. He acted accordingly and defeated the boss without getting hurt. His eyes then went back to normal and he gained a set of blueprints. He then went back to the village and approached the elder, holding the scroll in hand.

"I believe this belongs to you." Edward said, handing the scroll over.

"Thank you," the elder said, "I'm grateful for this. I shall teach you the technique. It's a series of hand signs and it uses a special energy known as SP. Many have tried to use this technique, but they weren't experienced enough. The hand signs are Boar, Ox, and Ram. Use them in that order, and you can teleport anywhere in Aincrad. If you're in a party, they will teleport with you as well."

"Thank you for teaching me this technique," Edward said, "I'll be sure to use it sometime in the near future."

"I know you will," the elder said, "please take this as well. I hope it will be of use to you." Edward then received Throwing Daggers and the elder smiled.

"Thank you for everything." Edward said. He then left the village and went back to the Town of Beginnings and turned the quest in.

"My village is saved," the quest giver said, "thank you. Take this as a token of my appreciation." Edward then received a huge amount of Col and leveled up. He then looked around for more quests, but also for information on the two events he had heard about. He then saw someone approach him and smiled.

"Kazuto," Edward said, "or should I say 'Kirito.' How are you?"

"I'm good," Kirito said, "you?"

"I'm good," Edward said, "just finished a dual quest."

"A quest within a quest?" Kirito asked.

"The very same." Edward said.

"Nice," Kirito said, "want to form a party?"

"Not yet," Edward said, "I still want to complete one last quest before I party up with anyone."

"Alright," Kirito said, "I'll see ya."

"See ya." Edward said. He then went to a blacksmith to look at the blueprints he got.

"Can I help you?" The blacksmith asked.

"I found a set of blueprints on a mission," Edward said, "do you mind taking a look at them?"

"Sure," the blacksmith said, "let me see them." Edward then showed the blacksmith the blueprints and the blacksmith was baffled.

"You can't read them," Edward said, "can you?"

"I'm afraid not." The blacksmith said.

"That's okay," Edward said, "sorry to waste your time."

"It's fine," the blacksmith said, "I appreciate you coming by." Edward took the blueprints back and went to find another quest. It was then he saw a weirdly dressed person and approached them. The person looked at him and smiled.

"You have the sense." The person said.

'Could he be talking about Eagle Vision?' Edward thought.

"My name is Diablo," the person said, "and I believe you are the one I'm looking for."

"What's this about?" Edward asked.

"You are the one," the person said, "to eliminate a Templar." A golden question mark appeared over the person.

'So,' Edward thought, 'this person is a quest giver. What does he know about the Templars?'

"What do you know about the Templars?" Edward asked.

"There's a Templar here in Aincrad," the person said, "and you are the only one who can take him out. You must locate him using your sense and kill him with stealth and precision. If you do so without getting noticed, you will be rewarded heavily."

"I understand," Edward said, "and I accept."

"May the Creed guide you." The person said. Edward then went to the location specified on the map and used Eagle Vision. He saw regular civilians in white, allies and guilds in blue, enemies in red, and a target of interest in gold. He then upgraded his stealth skill, equipped the Throwing Daggers, increased his HP, and upgraded Eagle Vision. He then took out the enemies surrounding the target, stealthily and precisely, then stabbed the Templar in the back with his sword. The Templar tried to look behind but couldn't and Edward withdrew the sword, catching the Templar as they fell back.

Memory Corridor

The Templar looked on in shock and started gasping for air.

"Your life is over," Edward said, "confess your sins."

"I have no regrets," the Templar said, "but I thank you for ending my life. You are kind on making this my last days in this world."

"I take no joy in taking a life," Edward said, "but I do so for the protection of mankind and its free will. May your soul be cleansed of sin, and may you find peace in the afterlife. Requiescat in Pace." The Templar then faded to pixels.

Edward went back to the person, having proof of the Templar's death.

"I see you've come back." The person said. Edward showed the symbol to the person and sighed.

"He's been eliminated." Edward said. The person smiled and nodded.

"Good work," the person said, "here's your reward for doing such a quick job." Edward then received a set of robes, a blending skill, and a set of blueprints. The quest was then completed and Edward received a large amount of Col. He then upgraded his skills and went to a tavern.

"Can I help you?" The keeper asked.

"Do you have any rooms available at the moment?" Edward asked.

"I do," the keeper said, "upstairs, first room on the right."

"Thank you." Edward said. He then went upstairs and changed into the robes, as well as put on the armor he received. When he put it on, he noticed that it was a tactical vest. He then equipped his SIG, and placed it on his back. He then left the room and paid the amount for his time there. Edward then looked around and saw another quest giver. He approached the person and was given a search and rescue quest. He accepted it and went to look for the missing person. He found the person, defeated monsters, defeated the boss, and got the person back to the quest giver. As a reward, Edward received a large amount of Col, ammunition for his SIG, and a new weapon. It was a M4A1 Carbine, and it came with a Red Dot Sight, Foregrip, Extended Mag, Tactical Light, and FMJ and AP rounds. Edward equipped it and smiled. He then looked at the time and saw that it was almost time for him to eat dinner. However, he had a bad feeling he couldn't logout. He then saw Asuna and approached her. When Asuna saw him, she was shocked.

"Edward," Asuna said, "I can't seem to logout. What's going on?"

"I don't know," Edward said, "but I have a feeling Kayaba's behind this madness." Edward opened his menu and saw that he couldn't logout.

'I knew it.' Edward thought. He then saw something weird in his settings.

"Edward," Asuna said, "I'm scared." Edward then realized what it was and opened it.

'I can send information to Shouzou,' Edward thought, 'tell him what's going on. I can't do it just yet. I need more information.'

"Edward," Asuna said, "what's going on?"

"Kayaba's gotta be behind this," Edward said, "no doubt about it."

"What's he gonna do?" Asuna asked. Edward looked at her in a serious way.

"He's probably gonna keep us trapped in here until we beat the game." Edward said. Asuna gasped in shock and covered her mouth.

"This can't be happening." Asuna said.

"I'm not certain yet," Edward said, "but I'm going to do one more quest to make sure." Edward then went on another quest and got another set of blueprints, a zipline, a dart launcher, and a pouch full of darts. Afterwards, he leveled up some more and went back to the Town of Beginnings. Once he got back, he met up with Asuna.

"Tell me you found something." Asuna said.

"I got more info," Edward said, "and what I found was shocking. I talked with other beta testers, and they all said the same thing."

"They can't log out." Asuna said.

"Everyone is contacting the Game Master," Edward said, "but he's not answering." Just then, the bell in the tower started going off. As it went off, several players teleported in.

"What the?" Asuna asked.

"A forced teleport." Edward said. After the bell stopped, a red hexagon appeared in the air with the word WARNING. Just then, several more with the words SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT appeared along with some that said WARNING. After the sky was filled with them, a red liquid that looked like blood oozed out. It soon solidified and turned into the Game Master.

"What the Hell is that thing?" A man asked.

"Is that the Game Master?" Someone else asked.

"Why doesn't he have a face? Is this some sort of event?" Another person asked.

"I'm scared." A girl said.

"Don't worry," a guy said, "this is just part of the opening ceremony."

"I doubt it," Edward said, "something's wrong here."

"What do you know?" A girl asked.

"That there's more to this than meets the eye," Edward said, "and that there's a greater power behind this."

"Who?" A guy asked. Edward looked towards the Game Master.

"We're about to find out." Edward said.

"Attention players," the Game Master said, "I welcome you to my world." Edward looked at Kirito, knowing that he was next to him.

"What does he mean by that?" Kirito asked.

"We're about to find out." Edward said.

"My name is Akihiko Kayaba," the Game Master said, "and as of this moment, I'm in complete control of this world."

"Seriously?" A girl asked.

"Wow," a guy said, "that's some entrance."

"I'm sure most of you have already noticed an item missing from your main menus - the logout button. Let me assure you," Kayaba said, "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."

"I knew it." Edward said.

"I can't believe it!" Asuna said.

"He's kidding, right?" A man said.

"No," Edward said, "he's not. He's telling the truth."

"You can't log yourselves out of SAO," Kayaba said, "and no one from the outside will be able shutdown the NerveGear 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."

"What are you talking about?" A girl asked.

"Oh," a guy said, "come on! That's such bullshit! This game sucks!"

"I'm outta here." A guy said.

"It's pointless!" Edward said.

"How do you know?" The same guy asked.

"Because that's another way of logging out," Edward said, "I've kept count of all the players inside SAO. As of right now, 213 players are gone from Aincrad. It's safe to say they're gone from the real world as well."

"What?" A guy asked.

"No way!" A girl asked.

"This has to be a joke!" A man next to Kirito said.

"It's no joke, Klein," Kirito said, "it's true. The transmitter signals inside the headgear work just like a microwave. If the safety's disabled, it could fry your brain."

"Couldn't someone cut the power or...?" Klein asked.

"That won't work," Edward said, "the NerveGear has an internal battery."

"This is wack!" Someone said.

"How do we get out?!" A girl asked.

"I have a feeling Kayaba's gonna tell us." Edward said.

"Wait," Asuna said, "what if our HP drops to zero? What will happen to us?!"

"Kayaba's about to tell us." Edward said.

"There's something you all should know," Kayaba said, "there's no longer any way to revive someone in the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be deleted from the system... forever, and the NerveGear will simultaneously destroy your brain."

"What?!" Asuna asked, scared.

"No way!" Klein said.

"Kayaba," Edward said, "you motherfucking, sadistic bastard."

'He's gotta be working with the Templars,' Edward thought, 'that's the only other reason he'd do this.'

"Hey," a guy said, getting Edward's attention, "you might be on to something. So far, everything he's said is true. So, how do we get outta here?"

"We have to clear the game." Edward said.

"What?!" A girl asked.

"Is that true," Asuna said, "is that the only way out?"

"We're about to find out." Edward said.

"There is only one way for a player to escape now," Kayaba said, "you must clear the game."

"Holy crap," Klein said, "that guy was right!"

"Right now," Kayaba said, "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."

'Good thing I did all that research yesterday,' Edward thought, 'I even sent a copy to Asuna. However, I also downloaded the list into my NerveGear. I'll send it to Kirito and Asuna. I might give it to someone Kirito knows.'

"We can't clear all 100 floors," Klein said, "that's freaking impossible! Even the beta testers never made it that high."

"That's not true," Edward said, getting everyone's attention, "I cleared all 100 floors."

"No way!" A guy said.

"He's a beta tester!" A girl asked.

"I say he should give up all he has right now!" A guy said.

"Everyone," Asuna said, "be quiet! Let him explain!"

"In the real world," Edward said, "I'm a cop. Specifically, a Detective in the Tokyo Police Department. I was asked by Shouzou Yuuki, CEO of RCT Inc., to beta test SAO for them. I was able to clear all 100 floors because of my training as a Detective."

"Wait," Klein said, "you're a cop!"

"That means the Tokyo Police is watching," a girl said, "they're probably looking for a way to get us outta here!"

"That's not gonna happen," Edward said, "my CO knows about this. He's trusting me to handle it. I know for a fact I can clear this game by myself, but it'll be a lot quicker with help from a lot of people."

"Hold on," a guy said, "did you do quests?"

"Yeah," Edward said, "they were limited edition. After a certain time, they're unavailable. Plus, I had to level up just to do them. I even leveled up DURING the quests! They were tough!"

"You took on tough quests right off the bat?!" Kirito asked.

"He's nuts!" A guy said.

"Wait," Asuna said, "you have two weapons that the others don't. A pistol and a rifle. Were they from a quest?!"

"Yes," Edward said, "they were. I'm experienced with firearms, seeming as how I'm a cop. I know how to handle a gun."

"Lucky." Klein said.

"I'll check to see if I got the same thing in storage," Edward said, "but I doubt it." Edward then opened his storage as Kayaba started talking.

"Last but not least," Kayaba said, "I've placed a little present in the item storage of every player. Please have a look."

"It's a mirror," Edward said, "and I know what it's for."

"What's it for?" Kirito asked. Klein then screamed and was surrounded by a bright light.

"Everyone," Edward said, "get ready for a shock!" The entire town was then surrounded by a bright light, including Edward. When the light faded, everyone looked like they did in the real world. Asuna and Edward didn't change, since they kept their faces and bodies the same. Everyone was shocked, but it calmed down real quick. They all looked at Edward.

"Dude," Klein said, "what just happened."

"That mirror basically made us look like we do in the real world," Edward said, "if we didn't look like it already. That was made possible by a scan. There's a high-density signal device in the NerveGear rig. It can see what our faces look like, and I know how it got our physical data."

"The calibration." Asuna said.

"Exactly," Edward said, "it asked us to touch our bodies all over until the area turned green."

"Why would Kayaba do this?!" Klein asked. Edward looked at him.

"He's about to tell us." Edward said.

"Right now," Kayaba said, "you're probably wondering 'Why? Why would Akihiko Kayaba, 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."

"Kayaba..." Kirito said, menacingly.

"As you can see," Kayaba said, "I have achieved my goal. This marks the end of the tutorial and the official launch of Sword Art Online. Players, I wish you the best of luck." Kayaba's Game Master form then turned to red smoke and went back up into the sky. Once he was completely gone, the sky turned to normal.

"Edward," Asuna said, "this isn't a game anymore, is it?"

"No," Edward said, "it's become reality."

"What?" Klein asked.

"You heard me," Edward said, "it's not a game. This is real. Akihiko Kayaba created a virtual world. He designed the NerveGear rig. The man's a genius! I've looked into him for a long time... so I know... everything he just said is the truth! If we die in the game, we'll die in real life!" The entire crowd was silent. Edward balled up a fist and walked up to a wall.

"What's he doing?" A guy asked.

'Damn it.' Edward thought.

"Is he okay?" A girl asked.

'Damn it!' Edward thought.

"Edward?" Asuna asked.

"You alright?" Kirito asked. Edward clenched his teeth and his eyes changed.

'DAMN IT!' Edward thought. Just then, a girl walked up next to Asuna and Kirito.

"Sir?" The girl asked.

"You good, bro?" Klein asked. Edward started breathing heavy.

'DAMN IT!' Edward thought. Another girl stood next to Asuna and Kirito.

"Detective?" The girl asked.

"DAMN IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Edward yelled. He then punched the wall and the whole town shook, causing everyone to cower in fear. Asuna and Kirito ran to Edward and held him.

"Calm down, man!" Kirito said.

"That STUPID, *strong punch* SADISTIC, *strong punch* BASTARD-LIKE, *strong punch* SOCIOPATHIC, *strong punch* PSYCHOTIC, *strong punch* MURDEROUS, *strong punch* SON OF A BITCH!" Edward yelled. With one more strong punch, the entire Town of Beginnings was reduced to complete rubble. Before Edward could storm off, Asuna hugged him tightly.

"Please," Asuna said, "calm down, Edward. Just calm down! I don't want to be stuck here, none of us do! We all have families, jobs, classes! It's not our fault we're stuck here! Kayaba made this happen! It's his fault! Don't let your hatred for him cloud your judgement! You're not alone!" Edward's eyes returned to normal, signalling that he calmed down. The Town of Beginnings then rebuilt itself and Klein went to a group. Kirito took Edward and Asuna to an empty alley.

"I'm about to head over to the next village," Kirito said, "I want you both to come with me."

"Don't have to ask me twice," Edward said, "I want to get outta here as fast as possible."

"Same here," Asuna said, "but why the sudden urge to leave?"

"If what Kayaba said is true," Kirito said, "and I think it is, the only way we're gonna survive in here is by making ourselves as strong as possible."

"What do you mean?" Asuna asked.

"In an MMORPG," Edward said, "the money you can earn... the EXP... once the game starts up, there's only so much of that stuff to go around." Kirito then brought up his map.

"Look," Kirito said, "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." Edward then brought up his menu and sent an item to both Asuna and Kirito.

"What's this?" Asuna asked.

"I did some research earlier today," Edward said, "this is a full map of Floor One. I've included some possible viewpoints, so we can look out for them. Update your map with this data." The two of them did so, and Edward did the same.

"Whoa," Kirito said, "that's amazing!"

"I had no idea there were so many viewpoints on Floor One." Asuna said.

"It's the lowest floor," Edward said, "so that's pretty obvious."

"True." Kirito said.

"Say," Asuna said, "maybe we could add in the boss data!" Edward snapped his fingers.

"Smart thinking," Edward said, "I downloaded it to my NerveGear today." Edward then sent the list and information to Asuna and Kirito, and all three of them updated their maps.

"Wow," Kirito said, "that's a LOT of bosses."

"Yeah," Edward said, "I know. I researched all of them on the official page. I even included the weapons that the bosses use."

"So," Asuna said, "what's first? Dungeon hunting, leveling up, or quest taking?"

"I say you two level up first," Edward said, "let's form a party." Edward then sent a party request to Asuna and Kirito. The two of them accepted and Edward smiled.

"Let's go." Kirito said. The three of them then ran to the next village together, but not before being stopped by a quest giver.

"Can we help you?" Edward asked.

"I need your help," the quest giver said, "I'm trying to get to the village across the way, but I'm inexperienced with weapons. I was hoping you could escort me."

"Of course," Asuna said, "we'd be happy to help." The three then escorted the quest giver to the next town, defeating monsters along the way. Edward also gave pointers to Asuna and Kirito to upgrade their skills and HP when they can. When they got to the next village, the quest giver smiled.

"Thank you so much," the quest giver said, "please take this for all your trouble." Asuna and Kirito got to the same level as Edward, and they both upgraded their skills and HP. The three of them each got a small amount of Col. However, Edward got something, even though he didn't participate. It was a mask with the design of the lower human skull. Edward equipped it and Asuna smiled.

"Now you look like you mean business." Asuna said.

'If only I could wield two swords,' Edward thought, 'then I'd really be tough to handle.' Edward put the mask down and Kirito smiled.

"I just realized something," Asuna said, "your outfit has a hood on it."

"Put the mask back up," Kirito said, "and put the hood over your head." Edward did just that, and Kirito's eyes went wide. Asuna smiled nodded in approval.

"Now you mean business," Asuna said, "if only you could dual wield. That would be pretty cool."

"Him having two swords instead of one," Kirito said, "that would be awesome!" Edward opened his menu and looked at the blueprints again. He couldn't figure out what they made still, but he'd figure it out. Just then, one of the girls from the Town of Beginnings walked up behind them and saw the blueprints. She widened her eyes in shock.

"Those make a type of weapon!" She said. The three looked behind them and the girl smiled.

"You're one of the girls from the Town of Beginnings." Kirito said.

"Name's Lisbeth," the girl said, "but you can just call me Liz."

"I'm Kirito," Kirito said, "these are my friends, Asuna and Edward."

"I know about Edward," Lisbeth said, "and I'm surprised he reacted like that. However, now I know what I can do. I've decided to be a blacksmith, but I can't really do anything just yet. I don't have a smithy yet, so I'll have to wait until I can find a floor to build one."

"Well," Edward said, "there should be a vacant spot on Floor 48. That said, we'll need to clear this floor first. I'll visit you when you have the time later. Until then, you said that the blueprints I have make weapons?"

"Yeah," Lisbeth said, "they do. One is for a left-handed Hidden Blade, the other is for a right-handed Gauntlet. Once you bring me the right materials, and once I have my Blacksmith Skill at maximum, I'll make them for ya."

"Thanks." Edward said.

"No problem." Lisbeth said. The three of them then went to a hotel for the night. Edward got a shower first, then went to bed. However, he couldn't sleep and knew what he had to do. He opened up his menu and sent a message to Shouzou.

Hey, it's Edward. I'm sure you're aware of what Kayaba's done, but that's not the problem. I need you to tell my CO that Kayaba is a "potential suspect" in the case we're investigating. Ask him to fill you in so you can update me on their progress. I know we can communicate, but I don't know how. Is it possible that the you gave me an administrative copy of the game so that I can stay in contact with you? Either way, I'm grateful that I can contact the real world. I'll update you on any new information when it comes to me, or when I find it.

After the message sent, there was a knock on Edward's door.

"Edward, it's Asuna," Asuna said, "can I come in?"

"Not yet." Edward said.

"Alright," Asuna said, "I'll wait." Edward then got into pajamas and sighed.

"Enter." Edward said. Asuna walked in and smiled.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked.

"Nope," Edward said, "not yet at least."

"Say," Asuna said, "did you send a message earlier?"

"Yeah," Edward said, "why?"

"Because that message never went to anyone in SAO," Asuna said, "but I don't know where it went." Just then, Edward received a message from Shouzou.

I knew it would work! I knew giving you that copy was the right thing to do! Yes, you have an administrative copy, but I need to know how Asuna is. Anyways, I told your CO and he told me everything. I understand what you have to do, just make sure Asuna stays safe. If you have to, teach her everything you know. Be careful, and look out for yourself. Don't do something that you'll regret. Anyways, how's Asuna doing? Her mother and I are worried sick about her. However, when I told her about Kayaba being the one responsible for trapping her in there, she lost it. I also told her you were in there, and that you were gonna take Kayaba down, no matter what happens. When I said that, she had a tear in her eye. Don't make me turn out to be a liar. Tell Asuna I said "Hi," and that I miss her. Get some sleep, and update when you can.

Edward smiled and Asuna looked at him.

"Is everything alright?" Asuna asked.

"Everything's fine," Edward said, looking at Asuna, "your dad says 'Hi,' by the way." Asuna widened her eyes in shock.

"You can contact the real world?" Asuna asked.

"Only your dad," Edward said, "but yeah. He's worried about you, and so is your mom. She lost it when your dad told her Kayaba was responsible, but your dad assured her I'm gonna take Kayaba down, no matter what happens. She teared up at that. They miss you." Asuna smiled and hugged Edward.

"You'd better get some sleep," Asuna said, "got a big day tomorrow."

"You know it." Edward said.

"Night, Edward." Asuna said.

"Night, Asuna." Edward said. Asuna then left and Edward locked his door. He then got out of his pajamas and went to bed. He then turned the light off and started to drift off.

'Kirito, Asuna, and I are gonna clear this game,' Edward thought, closing his eyes, 'and we're going to survive!'

To Be Continued...