Loud chatter was audible as confusion spread among the crowd. It seemed the players who bought the game converged into this area. A mass meeting perhaps? Regardless of location, they didn't have a choice on the matter. No one may leave either, barriers barring others from exiting.

An announcement?

A greeting?

Congratulations for playing the game by the creator himself?

The answer came to not meet any of these conclusions. A failed attempt at rationalizing.

Oh no, the grand scheme far more elaborate than what one might arrive at.

A game.

Yes, a simple game since the creation of man.

Who wields the strength to survive this cursed ordeal?

The mysterious figure in the scarlet robe expressed the wishes on Sword Art. Barring facial recognition and disguised voice, no one knew the true identity. A hacker calling the shots?

He planned this all along.

The ten thousand people that bought the game had been trapped the second they rested the nerve gear on their heads.

A certain outcast clenched his jaws, distraught by the news.

Forced to play a game he didn't sign up for?

To add if he loses he'll die?!

What twisted prank is this?!

Unfortunately, none of this has been brought to stage a comedy. It wasn't a joke or a ruse

This was reality.

One question lingered on the teen's frazzled mind.

How did this began?


Visions of darkness clouded the adolescent's eyes, a yawn leaving his mouth. The classic traits on slipping from R.E.M. sleep. Once the lids barring sight timidly open, all that could be taken in was the sky. Rays of sunlight shining overhead, sparse clouds formation. Looks to be noon to add. Chalk this up as a normal day.

Except this wasn't right.

The problem stemmed from where the teenager had been prior to waking up.

The figure groaned, blinking a few times as he sat up slowly. The environment a one eighty from his local city. The lazy blue eyes soaked up the meadow he resides in. Just outside the starting town and village. A perfect place to relax and sleep. Again, the predicament was this player's origin. Hands reached back to scratched at his pumpkin shaded hair, at a lost for words.

Why? Out of all the places to be, he was here? In a game?

The very hyped game, Sword Art Online, crafted a fuss around Japan for its advancement in male newcomer was interested. However, he had other things on his plate than waste his time playing a MMO. He posed, speaking to himself thanks to the solitude given.

"Why am I in Sword Art Online?" The boy stared down at the ground, thinking carefully. "I can't make sense of it at all. It seems easier to move than I thought it'd be. Seemed like a hassle to move and run but I guess I was wrong." He clenched his fist before opening them in demonstration.

Despite not being interested in video games, knowledge of the game had entered his mind, even viewing screenshots of actual gameplay.

He figured there'd be setbacks and yet those claims vanished at a first hand view.

Slowly the teen paced around, even trying a kick waist high to test the game's mechanic. The results resembled his own body moving. The figure stilled for a moment, in admiration until realizing he's in a game.

Ah yes, a game he hasn't signed or purchased for.

Knowing there were things that could be put to use than waste time, he refocused his efforts.

"Hmph, it looks nice and all but it's not worth staying for. There are more important matters than waste time playing a game with no benefits." Even if he hadn't played much, he knew the system quite well thanks to the hype.

Quickly a hand reached up, using the motion sensor to hit the main menu button. A screen popped up for him to view. It even displayed his name.

Neku Sakuraba.

Did he do that? No matter.

The hand pressed on the screen, scrolling down past multiple options until he found his selection. The log out button.

Or rather, the slot that had the choice for what he was looking for. It was barred off, a void option to make.

"What?! I can't log out?! This has to be a joke!" A grumble escaped his mouth, lips curling downwards into a frown. Some games needed a patch in case of the event something went wrong. Nothing is perfect on day one.

"Alright, just call or message the support team." The thought of staying longer in the game than needed was not in his mind and he rather leave as soon as possible. Scrolling until the brought a small smile, finding his own solution. His fingers pressed down on the option hoping to get the situation resolved.

It didn't work.

This was draining the boy's patience by the minute. An exaggerated sighed heaved from his lungs, displaying his frustration at the lack of support.

'Alright, take a few breaths.' Closing his eyes, the agitated player tried to relax his mind and create a different solution.

In seconds, his concentration erupted. Growling was present and he turned his head to the source.

A rabid wolf.

He's still in a game and computers do not wait on a player when the action's in real time.

Neku did not wish to fight, doesn't even know the controls. First instincts were to repeatedly create distance. Only to have the wolf follow in his steps.

It was a computer so it only had one purpose, no negotiation.

"E-easy there doggie..." Lack of battle experience made the player timid. The wolf snarled, baring it's sharp canines. The enemy attempted to drive his sharp teeth in its lunge. Neku moved his feet, dodging the implied bite.

He got a decent amount of space but his mind raced on fighting this thing. Then a quick and logical thought came to mind. Opening hte menu and searching the inventory, his assumption was correct.

Inside held a beginner's sword, knowing that players were given basic necessities upon starting.

"Perfect." The weapon materialized into his hand, gripping it hard below the hilt.

The wolf prepared to strike once more. The canine attempted to lower his health and maybe defeat him.

Neku's response came from an uppercut swing, striking the wolf from the neck up. The blow lifted the enemy off the ground and land on its back. Neku smiled at quick thinking and not acting as a newbie who died on the first level.

His self contained victory lasted a few seconds, the wolf gaining its footing once more and attacking with a simple direction. Intercepting the path, he sidestepped the assault and followed up with another strike from the ground up.

As first enemies are, the wolf was weak and so, laid defeated on the ground, curling in a limp fashion. The killed foe turned blue, exploding into data that became invisible to the naked eye.

Wishing not to find another enemy, the Shibuya teen walked away in hopes of finding a group of players or a town. On the way, a soft jingle rang in his menu, making him stop as he tries to investigate.

"Is the the level up screen?" One enemy got him to level up, draw money and some items that can be used for blacksmith or trading. Maybe.

Once finished, the teenager walked until a nearby town came into view.

Neku stepped through the inhabited area and shortly his eyes took in the sigh of other players having such a merry time. Everyone's clothes seemed so medieval and looking down at himself showed he fitted in. A grimace rested on his face. He would never be caught dead in this.

He wasn't one for fashion or care in the slightest, but even then he wouldn't be caught dead in these in public. The player simply wished that some warning or announcement would be made for not being able to log off.

"This game is awesome. Didn't think something like this could happen" a person passing by had exclaimed.

"Want to join my guild?" The person possibly talking to a friend for recruiting. The pointless chatter was perfect for the anti social teen to have some headphones to block out the noise. A ray of hope made him tune in to conversations. He wanted, no, wished to hear someone say why can't they sign out. Everyone seems to be so immersed in the game that the thought of signing out didn't even occur to them.

"Idiots" was the teen's response. Everyone resembled a pawn to him, a pawn to this game really. No one realize they have no control? He couldn't complain much on this though, he's a pawn like the rest. He just hoped he was more lucky than others. He was smart, even if his attitude didn't show it, solving puzzles if given the time.

As he progress and marched forward, he was forced to endure hearing what others had to say, not having his distinct headphones to cancel the sounds. A small desire of his would be if an item had this sort of teen quickly discarded the thought, knowing that the time spent on the game would be short once the bug would be fixed.

finding this hopeless, Neku retreated to a bench near a water fountain, ignoring everyone else but seeing a sea of players maneuver from one place to the other. A more pressing matter came to his mind.

"How did I get here?"

Home, laying down on a nearby bed within the confines of his room was Neku, listening to one of his favorite songs using his purple limited edition headphones. The high quality, background noise cancelling headphones was his personal favorite. He could dive into the world of music and when not playing, he was able to close off anyone's voice and hearing only his own voice. He was the first person to leave his school, not joining any clubs or sports.

Eyes closed and head nodding along to the beat of the song, everything was normal. Surprisingly the sound of the door bell rang once the song had ended. A little groan came out as he stood up from his bed, exiting his room. A few steps were made until stopping shortly at the door. A hand grabbed at the door knob until opening it, trying to see who was on the other side. He vie-

His train of thought ended quickly when he felt his body change. A glance downward confirmed his suspicions. Like the wolf earlier, his body materializing to data and leaving He closed his eyes and everything fell silent. Not hearing people. That sounded like a lullaby to him. Hesitantly, his eyes opened, sinking the sight in before widening brightly.

Recalling how he arrived, the ten thousand players were in a trance, unsure to respond or if this is a joke. The robed figure made one last statement.

"Ah yes, I have one last gift for you. Look inside your inventory." Despite all the things that came out of his mouth, what he said couldn't be worse than what was inside everyone's inventory. Neku quickly opened the menu looking inside and noticed a mirror. As he selected it, the mirror appeared in his hands showing the reflection of the owner.

'Why is this so important?' He was going to speak up before his whole body brightened up and he closed his eyes to shield them from the sheer brightness. Once the light died down, Neku looked at himself through the mirror. The spiky orange hair. purple sleeveless shirt matched with his white shorts and shoes matching the design of his shirt. It is the attire he'd wore normally.

"No way." A tone of disbelief was made, not knowing how the game could mimic or know the appearance of the player.

"Now this is more like it." the boy responded smirking at his usual and preferred appearance. This was something he hoped was permanent. He placed the mirror away and looked around to see how it had affected everyone else. The players were dressed in the outfit they were in before or were toned down and different. Why was he the only one with a different set of clothes? Or better yet, his own clothing from the real world? This game wouldn't just walk around retail stores and designing the clothes after real life. Nor subject to the player's whim to what they want to wear.

The ominous figure that had stated the dangerous rule of the game continued. "Why would I do this? I already achieved my goal. Think of this as a little bonus. Shows you who actually plays this game. I wish you good luck." As the last word was made, the ghost like figure that steadily floated in the air dissolved into red dust vanishing upwards towards the sky.

For a short moment was silence.

Followed by panicking screams. Players was yelling, giving that vibe that a riot was going to ensue if the players couldn't exit the game faster. The teen knew that this was certain and there was no changing the game's fate.

"I got to get out of here. Fast." Everyone is in midst of trauma but not him. Looking for a route to pick and not get bumped into seemed a tedious task. The thoughts stopped once something caught his eye.

A player was dashing off somewhere. 'Possible beta tester' he thought as he knew about the beta and the reviews that were spoken through the internet, Reading magazines and information on players that had experienced Sword Art Online during it's early development gave him more insight on what to do and who to follow.

Neku weaved through standing players trying to catch up to that quick figure. He truly hated people that gets in his way. Literally. Turning the corner let the spiky haired teen see a duo of players until stepping back wanting to hear what the two was going to do.

"I'm heading to the next village right now" the black haired teen spoke. The spy could sense the tone in his voice of not being effected greatly. The black haired teen was taking action now. The lone player resumed speaking.

"Experiences and money are limited to everyone that plays. If people get their hands on it before anyone else, they'll get less and possibly nothing. We have to act fast. I know the next village and despite my level I can get there safely. The resources here in this town will be used quickly. Come join me." He spoke like a true expert. The red haired teen that was his companion had to turn down the offer.

"Sorry, I can't do that. I have friends who joined the game. I can't just leave them here. They need me. Sorry Kirito." He looked back at the plaza knowing that his buddies were there together and would be a good idea to stick together.

Neku continued to eavesdrop on them and if he was going to jump in, now was the time. He preferred to be solo, but if the chance of being with someone that knows his way in this game was even 1 percent. Neku would take that chance. He walked out of the corner gaining a gasp from the two surprising Kirito and his friend.

"Mind if I tag along then? I honestly would prefer to work alone but seeing as though you know how to get to the next village sounds like a well thought out plan." He eyed the two and both of them were looking at him. Kirito looked down as if thinking about it, even going with a sudden new player that had just spied on him and his friend.

"Do you know how to fight? I don't want anyone slowing me down." He gazed at the newcomer and he responded with a nod.

"Yes, I know how to fight and use a skill. I won't slow you down. The fact that someone knows what to do make it a better option than to go at it alone. We can split after the next village and not see each other afterwards." He could tell that Kirito wanted to go alone and he wanted to show him that he was willing to do the same. That and if Kirito could tell him some tips that he can pick up, he could be passing through floors without any help.

"Sounds like a plan?" The question loomed over the air, awaiting a response from the beta player. Even if he wouldn't admit it, Neku was only using him for his knowledge. Then again, that's how he saw everyone else in the world. Only worth being used than making an actual bond. Kirito sighed after time had passed.

"Let s see how it goes, What is your name?" He would prefer to be solo as well but extra help could make things a lot easier than it were alone. The orange haired boy coughed before speaking up.

Name's Neku. Neku Sakuraba. I already know your name." Kirito gave a small nod remembering the name before looking towards his friend. "Klein, I wish you the best of luck with your friends. Send a message if anything happens." The player heading back chuckled in response before heading back to the plaza with the rest of the stunned or rioting player. Neku looked back at him until changing his attention forward seeing Kirito running on ahead

'He sure doesn't waste time.' Neku started running after him. He made a new ally. Someone that had already played the game when it first came out. If that wasn't just beginner's luck he didn't know what was. He wanted to keep it brief. The less people he knew the better his outcome. He only had one question in his mind though and it was consistently popping up.

'What does this game have in store for me?'

Unbeknownst to everyone else, A certain figure was swinging their legs above a hill, observing the sudden path Neku and Kirito took. A smile shined and was followed by an amused statement.

"Let the games begin."