Floor 1

Nov 6th, 2022 1730

City of Beginnings

She looked to the ground in shock, horror etched on everyone else's face.

"That ends the tutorial. Welcome to Sword Art Online." The cloaked figure slowly turned to blood as the sky took back his form to the floating red field.

"No!"

"He's joking right?!"

She looked and seen a girl break down in tears.

'This is real...I can really...die...here…'

"NO! THIS CAN'T BE REAL!"

She then noticed a boy of fourteen dressed in black running for an exit. 'No! He can't…'

She rushed after him. 'Please be alright…'

When she got to a small alley she was surprised.

"-as will soon be hunted clean. If you want to come with me then-"

"I can't...there's some guys from a different game that came on here with me...I can't abandon them."

"Ok…see you later Klien."

"I'll go with you…" She couldn't believe she had just said that.

The boys just looked at her.

"Man...you're lucky. Take care of him." The guy in the red bandana turned and left.

"Come on then."

"What's your name?"

"Kirito. You?"

"Sinon."

xXx

Floor 1

Nov 20th, 2022 1456

Kobolds mining camp

The small child's health bar was in the red. Her light Brown hair would've had all sorts of things in it if it was real life.

The woman aimed her blunderbus in the general direction of the child player.

"You don't want to do that." She felt a musketoon barrel against her shoulder.

"Why not, it's just a game." She turned her red eyes to look at a girl with brown hair and eyes with her musketoon pressed against her.

"We saw some players enter a dungeon, we tried to save them all. But we saved one. Those people that were in her party was deleted from her friend list." A swordsman walked up dressed in black armor, grey shirt and brown pants, his leather boots not making a sound, he also had a claymore. His black eyes looked sharply to the woman's red ones.

He nodded and the girl pulled the trigger, instantaneously the woman's health bar showed that she was at ten percent.

"The creator of this game made it to where a point blank shot won't kill you on the main body. I'm not sure about the head though." The swordsman dropped a health potion and walked to the child.

The girl that had just pulled the trigger rushed to him and helped him with the girl. "Kirito, you're too trusting."

"If she fires her gun, there's a chance it could explode, killing her in the process. So let's get out of here while we can Sinon. What's your name?" He looked into the child's red eyes.

"Silica…"

"I'm Kirito and this is Sinon, your new best friends." He looked thoughtful.

Sinon was dressed in a white shirt with green armor and black short shorts, her leather boots going past her knee. She had a metal shoulderguard extending down her left arm ending in a gauntlet.

When they were away from the PvPer did she stop to reload.

The small girl was dressed in a white shirt, pink armor, a pink miniskirt and short leather boots. Her dagger was on her belt. "My new friends?"

"Yes. A blunderbus is the most inaccurate weapon one could pick up, she would've been better off keeping the flintlock musket she started with. I see you have a dagger, so your main stats are agility and stamina?" Kirito looked to the young girl.

"Y-Yes…"

"Don't intimidate her." Sinons brown eyes bored into his.

"I'm not…"

"What l-level are you?" Silica was expecting to hear at most level ten.

"Honestly...twenty-five." Kirito looked away.

"Twenty-three." Sinon completed her reloading.

Silica's eyes were like saucers.

"I saw how you took out that kobold, you had to get in close. What you need to do is keep on moving, I have to step twice as fast, friendly fire never is."

"I said I was sorry…"

"You shot my leg."

"Let's go." Sinon moved in the direction of a new village.

"Would you like to be our third?" Kirito looked to Silica with a smile.

"Third?"

"For a guild. Minimum members for a guild is three." Sinon waited for the blade users to catch up to her.

"Can I think about it?" The brown haired child looked to the ground.

"Sure."

"He's saying that you have potential, and I think with a great partner, you could do great things." The brown eyed girl smiled to the young red eyed girl.

"Besides...you remind me of my sister." Kirito walked with Sinon and Silica.

At that Silica burst out laughing, her giggles bringing a smile to the older players faces.

"Drink up." He handed her a health potion.

"A-Are you sure?"

"It's what friends do."

"Thank you." Silica downs it, her health bar slowly rising to full.

"Let's go hunting tonight, and let's see where your at."

"I-I'm level nine…" She looked down.

"Great, you'll level up with us in no time." Kirito's smile surprised her.

"B-But I'll be a burden-"

"No you won't." Sinon held her musketoon on her shoulders.

They entered the village and headed to the inn.

"One room, three beds...and three baths." Kirito transferred the col to the npc innkeeper.

"Thank you for your patronage."

xXx

Floor 1

Nov 21st, 2022 0133

Goblin Hills

Silica ran for her life as four Dark Goblins chased her, the mobs in question where only level five, but what made them dangerous was their numbers. Two of the mobs smiled and pointed their blunderbusses and fired, one shot completely missing the intended target, the other hit a friendly mob, half of its health-bar all but evaporating.

Then she turned and rushed the wounded goblin, activating a sword skill and planting her dagger in its chest. As it shattered one of the goblins health-bars hit thirty percent, the loud bang was the identifier of who it was that did the deed.

Kirito dropped in on the other blunderbus using goblin, and in two hits became shattered pixels. He then turned and hit the one that was at thirty percent, and in one hit it disappeared.

"Silica, last one is all yours."

She launched herself at the lone goblin, it brandished its Rusty Shortsword and Rusty Buckler. Quickly she got behind it and activated another skill, stabbing through its leather armor and dropping it to seventy percent. She dodged out of the way when it slashed at her and she strafed in a line putting its back to Sinon who was reloading. The goblin rushed her, but she jumped over its head and after landing, planting two more backstabs, each taking thirty percent of its health. The goblin rushed her again, the Rusty Shortsword biting into her side taking twenty percent of her health, but Silica stabbed the goblin in the neck. A small white rectangle appeared with experience earned and a drop.

[Congratulations Silica! You have leveled up!]

"Flintlock Dueling Pistol?" Silica looked confused.

"You made the kill, you get to keep it." Kirito nodded to her.

"I'll teach you how to use it at the firing range. For now buy the prepackaged blackpowder." Sinon walked up to her.

"Thank you…"

"And now more mobs are spawning." Kirito handed her a health potion. "Remember, keep moving." He rushed a group of five goblins and in two hits dropped two of them to twenty percent.

Sinon aimed and fired, but hit nothing. Silica rushed in and planted her dagger into one already wounded, making it shatter.

"DUCK!" She did as she was told and felt more than seen the claymore that Kirito was using drop the other wounded goblin.

"I'll distract, you backstab." She nodded and maneuvered herself behind the one that Kirito was in front of.

It rushed him with a Rusty Two-handed Sword, as it clashed with Kirito Silica dropped in behind it and stabbed its neck, dropping its health-bar to sixty percent. Two rushed at her with Rusty Dagger's, each looking for an opening. She jumped away as she seen them stab the friendly mob, dropping its health-bar to forty percent.

Sinon fired again, hitting one of the dagger wielders, dropping its health-bar to forty percent.

"A hit is a hit."

Kirito pushed hard and swung, making his opponent disappear.

"As long as it's them, I don't care." Then Kirito took seventy-percent damage as a cannon ball went through him, a loud cheer from two more goblins at the emplacement got Sinon's attention.

Silica dodged the dagger wielders and sunk her own blade into the undamaged ones neck, dropping it's health-bar to sixty percent.

The one that was already wounded tried to get behind her, but a claymore to its midsection turned it into shattered pixels. Silica feinted right, but went left as she activated a skill and sunk her blade into its spine, dropping it's health-bar to twenty percent. She kept her blade in and gave it a twist. It turned to pixels as Sinon fired again, she hit her target and the barrel of black powder went up, taking out the Dark Goblin Cannoneer's. Kirito rushed the remaining goblin, and in two slices, it was no more.

[Congratulations Silica! You have leveled up!]

[Congratulations Silica! You have leveled up!]

[Congratulations Kirito! You have leveled up!]

[Congratulations Sinon! You have leveled up!]

"You have some skill points to put where you need them…" He pulled out a health potion and downed it.

"If you would've been lower in level…"

"I know."

"Since you got that pistol, I'd put two points into accuracy." Sinon then looked at the drop window. "Wow...I just got the Rusty Cannon."

As his health-bar was slowly rising he sat down.

"Ok...let's head back." They took out their teleportation crystals.

"Transport: Flint!" And they were gone.

xXx

Floor 1

Nov 21st, 2022 0730

Village of Flint

Sunlight kissed the early teens and tween. Kirito slowly opened his eyes and got up making his way to the bath. 'Last day for this, better get my monies worth.' He got undressed and filled the bath.

What he forgot to do was lock the door...which opened to reveal a shocked Sinon. He froze and she froze. She closed the door blushing. After his bath he came out again fully dressed and blushing.

"I-I'm sorry-"

"Better be." Sinon looked annoyed to him.

"I...I want to be your third." A timid voice came and brought them back to reality.

"Great! What are we going to call ourselves?" He was glad that Silica changed the subject.

"I would say The Three Musketeers, but you don't use one Kirito." Sinon inspected her musketoon.

"S0l0?" Kirito looked thoughtful.

"A good name for now." Silica giggled.

"Fine."

"I'll head to the City of Beginnings and get the charter." Kirito got up to leave.

"We'll be at the range after we get some powder and shot." Sinon got up and moved to Silica.

"Transport: City of Beginnings!" In a flash of light, Kirito disappeared.

"Let's get you used to your new weapon." The girls left the room. In thirty minutes the room reset.

"Load." Sinon commanded.

Silica looked to what was assembled before her. She took the prepackaged black powder and wadding and looked to Sinon questioningly.

"That's step one."

Silica than put it in the muzzle and used the short ramrod to pack it down. She picked up the ball next and Sinon nodded. She then put the ball down the muzzle and rammed it down.

"Now it's dangerous. Point it at the target." Silica did as she was told.

"Fire!" Silica pulled the trigger, the hammer with the flint struck the steel causing the spark that ignited the powder, causing the ball to bounce down the barrel and down range. Silica didn't even hit the target.

"There's no rifling, so it doesn't spin the ball. When you spin an object it makes it more accurate. What you have there is more accurate than a blunderbuss, but less accurate than early twentieth century guns."

"So it's hit or miss?"

Sinon nodded. "I have to reload, but what you can do is get in close and use it, if you don't hit anything you still have your dagger."

"But don't you have a blade?"

"It's a bayonet. But this thing here is great at shooting large target's."

"You're the distance, I'm the midrange and Kirito is-"

"The melee."

"Will we go hunting tonight?"

"Yes. We'll hit the Hill again and you can try out your new pistol."

"Ok...but I won't point it in Kirito's direction if I can help it."

"At least the creator did add friendly fire...just think if it wasn't around?"

"Then everyone would-"

"Exactly."

"Now to test out this." Sinon pulled out her cannon from her storage. She rammed the charge down the muzzle and then the cannon ball. "Stand back."

She fires it and noticed that it's durability depleted a little bit. She reloads and fires again. Same thing happens. She noticed that it's close to the red zone and reloads. She fires again and gets knocked back with a tile that says immortal object. The cannon's barrel looked destroyed and then it shatters.

"Well...we now know how many shots before we can't use it again." Silica helped up the other girl.

"If we weren't in the village, that would've dropped me to ten percent." Sinon looked shocked.

"Does it always drop to ten percent?"

"Initially yes, but if another shot hits you…"

"I get it…but the goblins-"

"There were secondary explosions from the other barrels. That's what killed them."

"You should have this then-"

"No...it's yours…" Silica saw a look of panic in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" The tween pulled the older girl into a hug.

"...I shot a man...in real life…"

Silica knew she heard right, but Sinon sounded haunted. "What happened?"

"We were at the bank...and a man came in demanding money...when the teller wasn't moving fast enough he aimed at my mom. I didn't think, I just acted and I bit his hand. He dropped the gun and stumbled, kicking it toward me...I picked it up as he jumped at me then…"

"It's ok…" Silica knew where this was going.

"...I pulled the trigger, killing him. It's why I wanted to play this game...I thought by using the guns in here…"

"That you would get stronger...what you did was heroic...my reason for playing this game is...so that I can be seen as mature…I know it's a selfish reason…"

"It's not…"

"My, my...so that's why you don't use pistols." Kirito's voice came from behind them.

When he hugged both of them, that surprised the girls. "You're strong enough to use the firearms here. And I'll help you when I can to get you over it."

He looked to Silica. "And you don't have to force yourself to grow up...your great just the way you are." As he let go of them he handed them the charter. "Now to make this thing official."

They each signed and then he hit the confirm button.

[Congratulations on creating the guild known as S0l0!]

The icon maker appeared in front of him. "Our symbol?"

"A '0' will work…" He set the icon and it appeared on her peppel and shoulderguard, Silica's and Kirito's armor on the left breast.

"Now, let's save up enough money to get a house, inns can get expensive."

"One with a bathroom for each room."

"Let's start small...and make sure we lock the bathroom door." He looked away.

xXx

A/n: An Idea I had, so I'll run with it. Ja ne.