Prologue - Sword Art Online (1)

"How... are you holding up, Akihiko-kun?" Rinko said empathetically as he looked Akihiko with concern.

Although he had his usual calm expression that he always had throughout the years, there was a slight trace of exhaustion that lingered in his eyes. He had hidden it well, but as someone who has known him for years and been at his side almost everytime as they fulfill their goal of advancing virtual reality technology to a whole new level, she still noticed it.

Akihiko sighed slowly, his shoulders slumping for a split second that did not go unnoticed by the petite woman. "I'm fine, Rinko-san... Losing my sister has been hard for me. But I'm slowly finding the strength to carry on..."

Akihiko's words trailed in the air, as he glanced at the boy beside him, 'Especially now that he's here...'

Rinko nodded, understanding the weight of his grief. "Take all the time you need, Akihiko-kun. We're here for you, and we'll support you in any way we can."

Akihiko managed a faint smile, appreciating her words of encouragement. "Thank you, Rinko-san. Your support means a lot to me."

She didn't intend to draw out the matter as she knew it could make Akihiko uncomfortable, and possibly, the boy beside him too, to which she already had a guess on who he might be. And so, she just nodded and returned his smile. "Mhm."

Before they entered a state of awkward silence though, Rinko attempted to change the topic, and st the same time confirm the boy's identity. "By the way... is he...?" she asked as he gave Ryuji a glance.

"Ah, yes. Rinko-san, meet Kiryu Ryuji-kun. My nephew." Akihiko introduced, gesturing to the boy.

And she was right, it was Akihiko's nephew. The son of his deceased sister. The boy he had said he adopted when she called him in the phone before out of worry.

"I see..." Rinko muttered. She walked and went in front of Ryuji who looked on with curious eyes. She crouched to his height, a smile adorning her face as she spoke, "Hi, Ryuji-kun. My name's Koujiro Rinko, nice to meet you."

"Un." was all the reply he could muster. If it was the Ryuji from before, his zestful self wouldn't be feeling uncomfortable in her direct approach and instead returned her greeting, but... he wasn't exactly back to what he was before...

Rinko just gave an awkward smile at his short reply. Seeing this, Akihiko decided to join their interaction.

"Ryu-kun, she's a lot older than you, so don't hesitate to call him Aunt Rinko." Akihiko said, as he sent a teasing smirk to the raven-haired woman.

"Hey! I'm not that old! I'm only 20 years old." Rinko retorted as she looked at Akihiko with annoyance evident in her expression. However, inwardly, she was actually happy to see that he actually had the vigor to joke around with her after what happened recently.

She rolled her eyes at him, before she placed her attention back to Ryuji. "Ryuji-kun, don't listen to this man. You can call me Nee-san, okay?"

Ryuji, who was amused at the two adult's exchange, nodded his head, and this time, he said more words than one, "Yes, Rinko-nee-san."

"Good!" Rinko exclaimed so, as she flashed him a smile.

~

"Akihiko-kun, why did you bring Ryuji-kun here? Are you planning to show him SAO?" Rinko asked the petite man as she gave a brief glance at the kid in question, who was sitting on a free bench in the corner.

SAO, the abbreviation for Sword Art Online. It is a virtual reality game that is currently in the making. A groundbreaking and monumental project, as she would describe, as through technology that has never been seen before, players would be able to step into a fully realized virtual environment.

This technology is called the NerveGear. It is a revolutionary piece of technology that will serve as the gateway to the virtual world of SAO. It is a virtual reality headset unlike anything that has come before. Through the NerveGear, players will be able to fully immerse themselves in the game, with their senses directly linked to the virtual environment, transporting them into a digital realm where their physical limitations cease to exist.

With its advanced neural interface, the NerveGear can accurately interpret the user's thoughts and intentions, enabling natural and intuitive interactions within the game. It tracks movement, senses, touch, and even replicates the sensation of pain, all in real-time. It is the epitome of immersive technology.

These are all kept in secret for now though. Even then, Rinko wasn't worried that a 10-year-old kid would spoil the world of the new technology's majesty, when it's still in the making. She was just asking, that's all.

"I couldn't just leave him alone in my house. And well, that's also part of the reason. I think the kid's quickly recovering, and maybe distracting him in the form of games could enhance the process." Akihiko replied.

"I see. Do you want him to test out the game?"

"Mhm." Akihiko nodded as he glanced at Ryuji's direction and exclaimed, "Ryu-kun!"

Hearing his name being called from a distance, Ryuji glanced at Akihiko, who said, "Come with us! We have something to show you..."

~

Following the lead of Akihiko and Rinko, Ryuji entered a room where there were three beds separated in a wide space. Nothing looked amiss inside the room, except for the weird gray helmets, connected to a power outlet, that rested atop the pillows.

His uncle proceeded beside a bed on the right, as he gestured to Ryuji, "Take a seat here, Ryu-kun."

Taking a seat, Ryuji looked on with confusion at the two adults, wondering why they brought him here.

Noticing so, Rinko opened her lips and started, "So do you like playing games, Ryuji-kun?"

The boy's head tilted on the side cutely, not knowing where she was going with this. His mind didn't take in the idea that they were going to let him play games as he saw no console or even a computer here. Despite so, he still answered. "Uhm... I play sometimes."

This time, it was Akihiko who spoke, "You see, Ryu-kun. Me and Rinko-san are actually making a virtual reality game. In a few years, it will be completed."

Virtual reality? Did he mean those heavy helmets they put on people's head so they can play the game with their full perspective? He played one of those before, when he borrowed the VR headset of his classmate.

"I can guess what you're thinking. No, it's not like the ones you've seen in TVs or have played before." Akihiko denied what was on his mind.

"I think it's better to just show him, Akihiko-kun." Rinko suggested.

"Yes, I agree. Anyway, Ryu-kun, we want you to play the game and tell us what you think about it, okay?" Akihiko asked Ryuji.

"Okay." Ryuji nodded.

"Good." Akihiko went beside Ryuji as he grabbed the helmet that was on the bed. "Here put this on, Ryu-kun." he said so as he wore the helmet, which was actually the prototype of the NerveGear, on his nephew's head. He tied the straps and urged Ryuji, "Now, go ahead and lie on the bed."

Ryuji did what he was told to do, but... he wondered. Can this black transparent screen really display the game? If so, how will he move in-game if he's laying down? Furthermore, where's the VR controller?

"Close your eyes, Ryu-kun." Akihiko added.

Ryuji closed his eyes, resisting the urge to ask how's he going to play when his eyes are closed, as his he heard his uncle speak once again. "When you're ready, Ryu-kun, speak the words [Link Start] out loud. And when you do, the game will start. And when it does, you will find yourself in a new place. Remember, don't panic. I can talk to you inside the game, alright? If you want to stop, just tell me."

Now Ryuji was feeling skeptical. Why would his uncle assume he would panic? Despite so, he still said,"Yes, Akihiko-nii."

Akihiko smiled. The world of SAO was already simulated. The servers are open. He already warned his colleagues that his nephew will enter the game so they would stop tinkering with it for the time being. It was his power as the development director. And so, with that being out of the way, "Well, see you in there, Ryu-kun. You can start now."

"Un. Link Start!" Ryuji said, as the NerveGear's voice recognition started. The boy didn't notice but his consciousness started slipping from the real world. His vision abruptly turned into white, as countless glowing lines spread through his sight...

— • — • —

A/N: I changed Akihiko's age to 22 years old in the second chapter. I accidentally wrote 27. Don't judge me, I write in a phone.

By the way, no chapters for the weekends.