Sword Art Online/ソードアート・オンライン Sword Art Online: Shattered Memories

Sword Art Online: Shattered Memories

Chapter One: No Looking Back

* * *

**Beginning A/N:**

**THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN!**

**I got a lot of votes for publishing this early, so here it is!**

**This is the sequel to The Kendo Club, though it can be read as a standalone. I began writing this around the same time as chapter six of said story, so you may notice a decline in quality in this first chapter, but only if I improved after chapter six of TKC. Which reminds me, Chapter eight of TKC will be published VERY soon! Look out for it in the next couple of days!**

**Because I was watching Episode One of SAO in English dub while writing this, there'll be a LOT more informal dialogue (mostly just taking the "g" off of -ing).**

**That said, hopefully this will still be acceptable. By the way, this will NOT be a harem… AHAHAHAHA! Sorry, I couldn't keep it together! But seriously, this one might be almost as confusing as Misperception in the first few hundred words, so watch out. Also, an old character will be making a surprise appearance! :3**

**Keep in mind that, though this _is_ a harem, there will be ONE main ship throughout the entire thing. I'm not going to tell you which one it actually is yet, but I'll tell you this: you probably won't expect it!**

**Oh, just one last thing. I'm switching back to my battle style from ESR, BCR and TLoB, just because sword skills are easier to write out that way. (Well, partially. I decided to write fight scenes the way I do in FESR, which is a combination of The Kendo Club's style and the style of the original ESR.)**

**Anyway, with all that in mind, have a fun read!**

* * *

I sat in my computer chair, anxiously waiting for the clock to turn to 1:00. While I waited, I occupied myself with watching the MMO Stream channel, as well as reading a newspaper article about a genius inventor who surpassed all others.

Kayaba Akihiko.

He invented the MMORPG _Sword Art Online_, and he got millions of players in just a few short months. But he wasn't satisfied with that. He created the first device that could be used to immerse yourself into a virtual world: the Nerve Gear. But still he didn't finish there. He recreated his first success, the ultra-famous _Sword Art Online_, as the first VRMMORPG.

One thousand lucky people got selected as players to test the beta version of SAO, and they all loved it, even though most of the testers had no previous gaming experience.

_I got really lucky scoring a slot in that thing. They even let me pre-order one of the official copies of the game. And today, the start of the virtual reality adaptation of the famous Sword Art Online has its official launch._

I heard the sound of my alarm buzzing on my desk, notifying me that the official launch was about to start.

I put down my magazine and turned off the TV.

I reached under my bed, pulling out the helmet that would let me escape my troubles once again.

The Nerve Gear.

I had already loaded the software from my copy of SAO into my Nerve Gear, so I didn't have to worry about loading it now right before the launch.

I plugged the Nerve Gear into the wall and put it on my head, noting that the time was displayed on the top left of the inside of the helmet.

_Convenient._

I counted down, waiting for the numbers to change from 12:59 to 1:00.

_Three… two… one…_

"Link… start!"

Sideways pillars of red, blue, green and yellow light started to pass me by. Then, I saw blue circles with the English words for my five senses come flying at me, two at a time. Once each circle finished checking its particular sense, they all moved to the right side of my vision. They all turned green, and they all scrolled to the left at different paces until they left my field of vision.

It asked for the language I would use, and I chose Japanese.

* * *

_Account: *********_

_Password: ******_

_Beta test data still available. Would you like to use it?_

_Kirito (M)_

_Yes/No_

* * *

I hit yes.

The words, "Welcome to Sword Art Online!" appeared before me, and soon went straight past me as sideways pillars of various shades of blue did the same, until my entire field of vision was a tunnel of blue.

Eventually, the tunnel turned to countless polygons that flew up into the system-simulated sky, signaling that my journey into the virtual world of «Sword Art Online» was complete.

Suddenly, I felt a jarring sensation, and I soon became surrounded in red and orange static.

Something had gone wrong.

_What the hell is going on here?!_

I saw a girl through the static, with long dark violet hair and perfect features. She walked up to me, saying, "Hello, Kazuto!"

"What? Yu… Yuuki?!"

She turned around with a smile on her face, running away and saying, "Catch me if you can!"

However, I couldn't even move, let alone catch her.

"Yuuki! Wait! No!" I shouted, tears forming in my eyes.

_Come back…_

With every tear that fell, I felt like something important had been taken away from me. The strange thing was that I couldn't remember a single one.

It was then that I realized what I was losing with each tear, which only served to make me cry harder.

My memories.

_I can't remember anything!_

Then, just as I shed the last tear I could, the static cleared up to reveal the «Starting City».

_No… I can't remember anything but what happened in the beta!_

I quickly realized that I could still use this to my advantage.

_Yeah, I can get a lot of stuff done with my beta knowledge. Then I can log out and find a doctor to ask about my memory loss. Then again, I don't know where a doctor would be anymore… what if I live somewhere where there isn't a doctor? Still, I want to get as much grinding in as I can before I log out, just so I don't have to start at the beginning when I finally get back from the inevitable rehab._

I began to run through the streets, heading for the fields to the west of the «Starting City». I heard a voice calling someone I assumed to be me, telling me to slow down.

I slowed down and turned around, finding myself face-to-face with a tall, red-haired player who sported a headband.

He was leaning forward on his legs, catching his breath, when I said, "Yeah, what is it?"

"Whew… you sure run fast. Well anyway, you seem to know your way around. You're from the beta, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"Cool!" the player said. "Today's my first day, so could you give me some tips on the lower floors?"

"Y-yeah, I don't know if—"

"Aw, come on, please? I'm beggin' you!" the player cut me off. "Look, my name's Klein. Good to meet you!"

_I might as well, but I'd better not tell him about the bug I experienced. It might freak him out._

I sighed. "All right, I'm Kirito."

* * *

«West Plains»

"Aagh!" Klein shouted after a «Frenzy Boar» hit him in the groin.

He flew back, landing on the ground with a thud. He immediately grabbed his manhood, writhing in imaginary pain.

"Oh come on, you can't feel any pain," I said with a hint of amusement.

He raised his head in realization. "Oh yeah, you're right. Sorry, habit."

"Remember what I said? The first move is the most important."

He slouched over. "Yeah, that's easy for you to say… but he won't stand still!"

I picked up a pebble from the ground, holding it behind my head in a throwing motion. "If you do your initial motion right, and activate a sword skill at the right time…"

The pebble began to glow, and I threw it, launching it at the boar with the speed of a shotgun. It hit the boar and made a red mark on its behind, signaling that I had done some damage.

"The system pretty much guarantees you'll always hit your target."

I saw a look of contemplation on his face. "Initial… motion?"

"Here's an easier way to look at it," I said, evading the boar's charge.

It charged again, and I blocked its tusks with my sword.

"Right after you start your move, wait for a little bit. When you feel the skill start to activate, drive it home!"

He looked to the side, saying, "Drive it home?"

A look of realization came across his face, and he started to move into the proper position to activate «Reaver», a Curved Sword type skill.

He held his blade over his shoulder, and it started to glow.

I pushed the boar up with my sword and kicked it, turning it around so it faced Klein. It started charging.

He released the skill and came speeding forward, slashing straight through the boar's side.

The boar's HP dropped to zero, and it shattered into countless polygons. A victory window showed up.

* * *

_Result_

_EXP: 24_

_Col: 30_

_Items: 2_

* * *

Klein turned around and looked at the victory window, suddenly yelling, "YEEEAAAAH!"

"Congratulations."

I walked over to him and gave him a high-five, saying, "That was nice, but that boar's about as strong as slimes in other games are."

I sheathed my sword.

He looked at me incredulously. "Holy crap, you've gotta be kiddin'! I thought that thing was a mid-level boss!"

I stifled a chuckle.

"Yeah, as if!" I said, pointing to two of the boars he just defeated as they spawned up on a hill.

Already having gotten over it, he unleashed another sword skill. "Whoa!"

"Addictive, isn't it?"

"I'll say!"

He jabbed the air.

_Jabbing is a bad move for curved sword users. That might kill him one day._

"So these skills. There's a tone of 'em, like «Blacksmithing» and stuff, right?" he said while continuing his foolish jabs.

"Uh huh. I heard the game has an unlimited number of them. Well, except for magic, though."

He started charging another «Reaver». "An RPG without magic… that's a bold decision, man!" he said, gliding quickly above the ground after the activation of the aforementioned skill.

I smiled. "So, what do you think? It's kinda fun to move your body around as you fight, isn't it?"

"Hells yeah!"

I nodded my head in agreement. "You ready to move on?"

"Yeah, man! Let's get goin'!"

* * *

Later in the evening, we were sitting on a grassy plateau, overlooking more of said plateaus.

"When I look around, I can't believe it. We're inside a game, bro! Whoever made it is a genius! This thing's amazing!" Klein said while admiring the view. "Makes me glad I was born when I was, you know?"

"It's not that big a deal."

"Cut me some slack, it's my first «Full Dive»!"

"You've never used a Nerve Gear before today, huh?" I queried. "This is your first time ever?"

"Uh huh. As soon as I got the money together, I rushed out and bought all the hardware to play SAO. Stood in line and scored one of the ten thousand hard copies. Guess you could say I was pretty lucky."

He looked up at me. "Although, you sir, were ten times as lucky gettin' to beta-test it."

"Huh?"

"Dude, only one thousand people got the chance!"

_Something tells me that my score wasn't just luck._

I rubbed my neck, deciding to play along. "Yeah, I guess I was lucky."

"Hey, mind if I ask how far you got in the beta?"

I sighed. "Two months and I couldn't get further than floor eight. But now, I think I can get there in a month, easy."

"Sounds to me like you're really into this!"

I drew my sword, holding it out in front of me. "Yeah, you could say that."

"During the beta test, SAO was the only thing on my mind, day and night."

_Half true, since I only remember things from my days and nights in the beta._

"In this world, a single blade can take you anywhere you wanna go. And even though it's a virtual world, I feel more alive in here than I _ever_ did in the real one."

_Again, half true._

"Anyway, you wanna go do some more hunting?"

"You know it! But the thing is…" a loud growl cut him off. "I'm really hungry. I have to log out."

"Too bad the food you eat here only satisfies your hunger virtually."

"Yeah, for reals! That's why I ordered a pizza for five thirty!" Klein said, giving me a thumbs up.

I smirked. "Wow, you're so prepared."

"You know it! Besides, the game can wait until I get my pizza on."

I frowned, not liking the thought of my new friend logging out.

"I guess."

_Wait a second, I have to log out too! I have to see a doctor about my memory loss! I'll wait until he's gone, though._

"Hey, I was gonna go meet up with some people I know from another game. I dunno what you're up to after this, so, if uh… you know, if you want, you could friend them and hang with us," Klein offered kindly.

I looked down.

_I might not be able to get back to this game until the memory rehab is over…_

"No, it's cool if you don't want to, no pressure. I can always introduce you to them another time or somethin'."

I looked at him sadly. "Yeah, sorry… thanks anyway."

"No way! I should be doing all the thanking! Hey, one of these days, I promise I'll pay you back for all your help!" He added, "Virtually, that is!"

I closed my eyes. "Yeah, right."

"Thanks for everything man. Really. Guess I'll see you around, then," Klein said, outstretching his hand.

I shook it, saying, "If there's anything else you wanna know, message me."

"Sweet! I'll do that."

He walked a few feet away, opening the menu with his right hand.

I smiled, starting to walk away, when I heard, "Huh? Where'd the log out button go?"

"It should be there," I assured.

_Hopefully this isn't another one of those bugs._

"Nope, it's not there."

I walked over, opening my own menu. "It should be at the bottom of the main menu."

I looked where I said, and lo and behold, the log out button was missing.

"See, not there!"

"You're right, it's not."

"Oh well. Today's, what, the first day out of the beta? There's bound to be some bugs!" Klein said optimistically. "I bet the server people are freakin' out right now!"

"You will too," I said.

"Huh?"

I pointed to where the time was displayed on the menu. "Look. It's five twenty-five."

He gasped. "Oh my god! My teriyaki mayo pizza and Ginger Ale!"

"Why don't you just contact the game master?"

"Yeah, I did that, but nothing's happening! He's not picking up!" Klein said in frustration. "Do you know if there's another way to log out of this thing?"

I looked at the ground. "No. Whenever a player wants to log out of SAO, the only way to do that is by going through the menu."

"That can't be right! There's gotta be _some_ other way out."

He started making weird motions while saying, "Return! Log out! ESCAPE!"

Clouds started covering the system-simulated sun. "See? I told you. And there was no emergency log out in the menu."

"No way, you're kiddin'… I know, I'll just rip the Nerve Gear off my head!" Klein said foolishly, grabbing his head and trying to do the impossible.

"Don't bother. Once you're hooked in, you can't move your body in the real world anymore. The Nerve Gear intercepts all the commands you give from inside the game, using an interface built into the rig."

"Seriously…? So now we gotta wait 'til someone gets around to fixin' the bug?!"

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

Klein looked at me and said, "Well I live alone… you?"

"… I can't say." I said. "But don't you think this is weird?"

"Yeah, totally! But it's just a bug."

I looked to the fields. "This isn't just a bug. If we can't log out, it's gonna cause some serious problems for the game."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I wonder if the developers even know what's happening. 'Cause they could just shut down the server and log everyone out. But why haven't they made an announcement?"

After a few seconds of silence, I heard the nighttime bell from the «Town of Beginnings» start to ring.

We got up, waiting for something to happen, and then…

All of a sudden, we were surrounded by a blue light, and when it subsided, we found ourselves in the "Plaza" of the "Town of Beginnings".

More and more people were being teleported to the «Plaza», and soon enough every one of the ten thousand players found themselves in the small area.

Then, I noticed a red flashing hexagon in the sky. Upon closer inspection, I saw the word, «WARNING» in English on it.

"Now what?"

Then, another hexagon appeared straight above it. This one said, «System announcement».

More and more of the red hexagons appeared until the entire sky over the «Plaza» was covered in them.

Then, out of the cracks in between the hexagons, a red liquid poured down and stopped at a certain point in the air. It started to build up, and blue lightning started to crackle around it.

Klein and I looked on in awe. Klein said, "What the hell is that thing?"

The liquid mass started to take shape, forming into a giant red robe with gold trim. It had no face, and the only thing close to limbs that it had were two white gloves with no arms to fill them.

_Something is wrong. Horribly wrong._

The robe started to raise its arms. **"Attention, players. I welcome you… to my world."**

"What does he mean by that?" I whispered.

**"My name is Kayaba Akihiko, and as of this moment, I am in control of this world."**

I gasped in shock.

Most people had more positive reactions than I did, saying how that was a nice entrance, among other things.

**"I am sure most of you have already noticed an item missing from your menus… the log out button."**

He used his left hand to open the menu, showing us that even his own log out button was missing.

_I wonder if that's just for show…_

**"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."**

As I looked up in anger, I heard Klein say, "He's… kidding, right?"

**"You cannot log yourselves out of SAO, and no one on 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 Nerve Gear will discharge a microwave signal into your skull, destroying your brain… and ending your life."**

Various sounds of disbelief were heard, and I noticed a couple walking towards the edge of the "Town Square". They tried to get out… but an invisible barrier blocked their way.

_Huh. Figures._

Klein looked my way, saying, "Are you listening to this crap? He's gotta be nuts, right? Right, Kirito?"

"He's not. The transmitter's signals in the headgear work just like microwaves. If the safety's disabled, it could fry your brain."

Klein, optimistic as ever, said, "Couldn't someone… just cut the power… er—"

"That won't work. The Nerve Gear's got an internal battery."

Klein grunted angrily, saying, "This is crazy! It's totally crazy!"

**"Despite my warning, the families and friends of some of the players attempted removing the «Nerve Gear», 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?" I whispered in shock… but not disbelief.

Klein, however, reacted the same way most players did. "No way… I don't believe it!"

Many windows opened that showed news channels and internet articles featuring the incident.

**"As you can see, 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 «Nerve Gear» being removed is minimal at best. I hope this brings you a little comfort as you try to clear the game."**

I gasped in shock when I saw a family crying. With contempt, I looked to this… thing… claiming to be Kayaba Akihiko.

**"It is important to remember the following. There is no longer any way to revive yourself within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be deleted from the system… forever. And the «Nerve Gear» will simultaneously destroy your brain."**

The word brain echoed for several seconds, as if attempting to force the harsh reality upon the unbelieving players.

I gasped yet again, remembering a time during the beta when a mere «Frenzy Boar» killed me because of my low «Vitality» stat.

I clenched my fists in barely restrained rage.

**"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 one hundred, and you will clear the game."**

I heard lots of confused voices saying things like, "What's he talking about?" and "I don't get it!", but I paid them no mind. All I could focus on was my rage for this man… for Kayaba Akihiko.

Klein looked on with the same disbelief as everyone else. "We can't clear all one-hundred floors… that's freakin' impossible… even the beta testers never made it that high!"

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

_Should I really do that? What if it's some kind of trap?_

As everyone immediately went through their inventories, I did nothing but sit and watch. Then, I realized…

"Klein, don't!"

Too late.

A hand mirror materialized in his hands, and he soon became enveloped in a blue light, just like everyone else around me.

When the light dissipated, I found a man with short, dark-red hair, light facial hair, small eyes, and a red and yellow headband not very different from the one Klein had on.

"W-who are you?" I queried.

_Wait… everyone's appearance changed! Does that mean… this is what Klein really looks like?_

"Is that what you really look like, Klein?"

"What, you mean my avatar… HUH?!" he felt his face, noting the facial hair. "This means… why hasn't your appearance changed, Kirito?"

"I didn't open my inventory and take out the item… and I don't plan to. Not yet, anyway."

"But… how did this even happen?!" Klein shouted.

"The scan! There's a high-density signal device inside the «Nerve Gear» rig. It can see what everyone's faces look like… but how does it know everyone's height and body type?"

Klein replied, "When you first put the «Nerve Gear» on, it had you do this… calibration thing. It asked you to touch your body all over like this, remember?"

"Oh yeah… y-you're right. That's where it got our physical data!"

"B-but… this is… what's the point?! Why would anyone do this to us?!"

I pointed to the red cloak. "I think he's about to tell us."

**"Right now, you are probably wondering why… why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of «Sword Art Online» the «Nerve Gear», 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!" I growled.

**"As you can see, I have achieved my goal."**

I clenched my fists, desperately trying to keep my rage under control.

**"This marks the end of the tutorial… and the official launch of «Sword Art Online». Players, I wish you the best of luck."**

His cloaked form started to flicker, then it turned into a red mist. The mist soon floated upwards into the cracks of the hexagons once more.

The hexagons all disappeared at once, showing a twilight sky.

All was silent.

I looked down at my hand, imagining blood running down it and onto the ground.

I blinked, and saw that there was no blood. Still…

_It's not a game… it's real…! Kayaba Akihiko created a virtual world. He designed the «Nerve Gear» 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!_

I clenched my fist in my ever-growing rage.

_If I die in the game… I'll die in real life!_

For three more seconds, all was silent. Then, a riot broke out, with people screaming in vain to be let out.

I heard a strange noise coming from the edge of «Plaza».

_The barrier must have dissipated! We've got to go!_

"Come on, Klein!" I said quietly, grabbing his arm and leading him out of there.

Once we got to an alleyway, I stopped to let him catch his breath.

"Okay, listen! I'm heading our right now for the next village. I want you to come."

"Huh?"

"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," I explained. "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. Don't worry, I know all the paths and places we should avoid. Even if I'm level one, I can get there easily."

"… thanks, but… you know those friends of mine I was tellin' you about… we stood in line for a whole night to buy this, and…" Klein's face donned a look of shock. "They're back at the «Plaza», somewhere… and I can't leave 'em."

_If it were just Klein… but two more… or even one more…_

"Sorry."

I looked up in shock.

"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," Klein reassured me.

"Get your ass to the next village. I'll be fine! Last game I played, I ran a guild, so I'm more than prepared."

Klein gave me a thumbs up. "And with all the stuff you taught me, I'll get by, no sweat!"

I faltered. "… Okay. If that's what you want, I'll get going. But if you're in a jam, message me, okay?"

"Sure!"

"I'll be seeing you, Klein. Take care."

I started to walk away, but then I stopped.

"That's right… I never showed you my real face, did I?" I asked. "Here… just in case we meet again, I want you to be able to recognize me."

I opened my menu and pulled out the mirror, watching the blue light shine around me. When it faded, I turned around to see a shocked expression on Klein's face.

"Well… I'll see you around," I said, immediately running away afterwards.

I never looked back.

* * *

I ran past the shopping area, out of the gates, and into the field, until I noticed a «Wolf» spawn a few meters in front of me. It began to charge at me.

I unsheathed my sword, screaming a battle cry.

_I've got this… I can do this! This world can't beat me!_

I unleashed a Sword Skill on the wolf, destroying it in one hit. I ran past it, not even looking back to see the level-up window left in my wake.

_I will survive!_

"AAAAAAAH!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Well, that was a total rip-off of the first episode, wasn't it? (Well, there were still some major differences, though.) If you're wondering, I tried to get as close as I could to the English dub lines, so that's why there's so much street slang.**

**By the way, you may be wondering if and how Yuuki is actually alive. Well, I'm just going to do what all the good writers do and not tell you until it fits into the story.**

**So, with all that, I only have one thing left to say:**

**I don't own the Sword Art Online series or anything I use from it!**

**See ya!**


End file.

Sword Art Online/ソードアート・オンライン, Adventure, Romance