Chapter 02: The Truth Untold

<<Location: 1st Floor, The Town of Beginnings, Aincrad>>

When Vergil regained his vision, he found himself standing at the central square of the Town of Beginnings by looking at the familiar large stone-paved roads, surrounded by streetlights around him.

Vergil: (Force teleportation?! Why? The Developer must have something to tell us. The question is what is it and why do I have a bad feeling about this?)

Looking at his surroundings, Vergil found he is not the only one here since he was 100% sure that all players that log in today are here judging by the sea of humanity pressed in around him.

Vergil then had to turn around when he heard his name being called and a relieved expression was formed on his face when found the person to be none other than Kirito with Klein standing beside him.

Kirito: Are you okay, Vergil?

Vergil: Yes, I'm fine.

Vergil can hear the mutters and murmurs broke out everywhere, steadily rising in volume. Shards of conversation could be made out above the din.

Random Player #1: What's going on?

Random Player #2: Can we log out now?

Random Player #3: Hurry it up!

Soon, everyone started to get frustrated at their unanswered question but abruptly, someone screamed, cutting through the noise.

Random Player #4: Up there!

Instinctively, everyone raised their heads and was shocked at what's happening in the sky. The bottom of the second floor hanging a hundred yards above everyone was bathed in a red checkerboard pattern.

Suddenly, an enormous drop of blood started to come out from the gap and it started to form a giant person at least sixty feet tall, clad in a robe with a crimson hood. Vergil try to looked at the giant face only to shock and slightly scared him when he found it has no face.

Random Player #1: Game Master?

Random Player #2: Why is he hiding his face?

Random Player #3: Is this an event?

Female Couple Player: I'm scared.

Male Couple Player: Don't worry. I'm sure it's just a continuation of the opening ceremony.

With a swift of its right hand, the murmuring stopped and the cloaked person started to spoke up in a man's calm, deep voice cut through the din.

???: Attention, players. Welcome to "my" world.

Vergil and Kirito: MY world?

Vergil and Kirito stared at each other with confused expressions plastered on their faces. What did the GM mean by his world? As if it read their minds, the robed figure lowered its arms and continued speaking.

Kayaba: My name is Kayaba Akihiko. As of the moment, I am the only person who can control this world.

Everyone looked at the cooked figure that identified himself as Kayaba Akihiko completely shocked. I mean who can blame them, the person hovering over them is none other than the creator of this SAO game. Seeing everyone's shocked faces, Kayaba continues to speak as if he tries to explain his reasoning for trapping them.

Kayaba: I'm sure you've all already noticed that the logout on the main menu has been removed. However, this is by no means a mistake. I repeat this is not a mistake, but a feature of the True Sword Art Online.

Klein: F-feature...?

Kayaba: You are unable to log out of SAO and nobody in the real world can remove the NerveGear or interrupt its operation. Should it attempt, a powerful burst of microwave radiation emitted from a transmitter in the NerveGear will destroy your brain, thus ending your life?

Everyone looked at Kayaba and thought he was bluffing and it was just a mischievous act. Some of them didn't pay him any mind and try to get out of here but for some reason, they can't escape the place.

Klein: Haha... What he's blabbering about? He's out of his mind. That's not possible. The

NerveGear's just a game system. It can't possibly, like… destroy our brains or whatever. Right, Kirito, Vergil?

Klein looked at Kirito and Vergil and found their eyes set on Kayaba with a shocked face judging by their expressions.

Kirito: No... It's not impossible... The signals emitted by the NerveGear transmitter are really the same as microwaves.

Vergil: That's right, Klein. If what Kayaba said is true, then by disabling the safety system, frying a brain wouldn't be impossible.

Klein: Then...

Kayaba then continued his proclamation.

Kayaba: Unfortunately, it's certainly possible that a player's family or friends would ignore this warning and attempt to forcibly remove the NerveGear. As proof, 213 players have retired from both this world and the real one.

When they heard that, everyone stared at Kayaba with a shocked and terrified expression. A single shrill scream rang out from somewhere in the crowd as Vergil turned at the source and found it was a young girl fall to her knees.

Vergil and Kirito: 213 people?!

Klein: No way...

As if he trying to scared everyone furthermore, multiples digital screens appeared around Kayaba and it shows the real-time news and articles about the death of a player in the SAO.

Kayaba: As you can see, news of my warning and the numerous victims are being spread worldwide. Thus, it should be safe to say that the danger of removal attempts has been minimal. I hope you will all be at ease and focus on completing the game. But I'd like you all to keep this in mind. From this point on, all methods of revival in the game will no longer function. If you're HP hits zero, your avatar will perish for eternity, and at that moment... the NerveGear will destroy your brain.

When Kayaba said that, Vergil and Kirito looked at each other in disbelief. They then turned at Klein who standing behind them and saw him shaking in fear and just clenched his fist.

Kayaba: There is only one condition you must meet to be free. The completion of this game. You are all currently on the first floor, the lowest point in Aincrad. If you conquer a floor dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss, you may continue up to the next one. Assuming you manage to defeat the final boss on the 100th floor, the game will be considered cleared.

Klein: All 100th floor...? You're joking right, even a beta tester couldn't make it anywhere near that...

Once again, as if he read the thoughts of all present, Kayaba sweeping his white-glove and continuing in a voice devoid of emotion.

Kayaba: And lastly, I've prepared a present for all of you in your item storage. Please, take a look.

Even though everyone hesitated, they opened their menu and opened the open the inventory section. Everyone looked at the item with a confused and relieved expression as it was just a hand mirror.

Vergil and Kirito: Mirror?

Then, without warning, brilliant white light enveloped Klein and other players nearby and soon everyone found themselves got enveloped by the same brilliant white light.

Vergil: (What's going on?!)

When the vision is returned, Vergil's expression turned into confusion when he looked at the person beside him because the one beside him is not Kirito but a young man probably the same age as him. But for some reason, Vergil got the same feeling he got from Kirito on the black-haired boy.

The black-haired boy has a soft, rounded face that can make people confused for him a girl instead of a boy. Well... Vergil or Shiro is more or less are the same as him.

Vergil: Um, may I ask who you might be? Did you see my friend Kirito? He was an adult probably around 20. He has black-haired as you.

???: What are you talking about Vergil? I am Kirito.

Vergil was shocked when he heard that the black-haired boy beside him is the same loner anti-social guy Kirito. Without warning, Vergil threw a straight punch to Kirito in the face as the black-haired boy fell straight onto his rear and looked at Vergil with an angered expression.

Kirito: What was that for dude?

Vergil: Oh, sorry. Reflexes.

Vergil then held out his right hand to which Kirito accept and stand up back on his feet.

Vergil: Is that really you, Kirito?

Kirito: That's right, Vergil. This is my real face and you look the same?

Vergil: I just my real face. I'm too lazy to change it. Still... I thought you were a girl with that face.

Kirito: Say the guy who has a more beautiful face than me!

Vergil: Hehehe.

Kirito: Anyway, where's Klein?

As if their question was being answered, he heard someone called them by their names. Well... not their real name but their in-game name.

???: Kirito! Vergil!

Kirito and Vergil turned their head at the source and found the one who called them are spiky reddish hair guy. He also had a hooked nose, a slight beard on his cheeks and chin.

Klein: That voice... Kirito! And Vergil! Wait a minute, Vergil. You look the same just shorter than before.

Kirito: That voice... Klein?!

Vergil: As I told Kirito before, I'm too lazy to change my appearance. The only thing I change is my height.

Klein just nodded in understanding before throwing a question about their in-game appearance change into their real-life appearances.

Klein: I don't get it... How are we like this?

Kirito looked down for a moment before a realization hit him as he looked at Vergil and Vergil nodded at him.

Kirito: The scan...

Vergil: Look like you realized it too, Kirito. The NerveGear got those transmitters all over the underside of the helmet, including the part that covers your face. So not only can it read your brain, but it also re-creates your facial details.

Kirito: That explains it...

Klein: But what about my height… and my weight?

Vergil: When we first got those NerveGear, didn't you remember that we need to do that calibration thing.

Klein: Calibration...?

Kirito: The calibration process was a measurement of how far the user needed to move to touch his or her body, such that the system could re-create the proper surface area digitally. In essence, it was enlisting the user's help to build an internal measurement of the user's body.

Vergil: These might be digitalized bodies, but they look like us, and Kayaba knows that this will force us to think of all this as real... That cheeky bastard, he sure got us really good.

Klein: B-But, Kirito, Vergil... Why? Why would he do something like this?

Vergil: Who knows? Maybe he hit his head at the wall very hard and make him crazy.

Kirito: Well... can't say I disagree with you but... Just wait. He's about to answer that, I'm sure.

Kirito said, pointing his finger upward at Kayaba as a solemn voice continued a few seconds later, ringing out from the bloodred sky.

Kayaba: Right now, you're probably all wondering why? Why would I, Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do such a thing? I have already achieved my goal. I created the world of Sword Art Online solely for my personal enjoyment.

Vergil and Kirito: Kayaba...

Kayaba: And now the preparations are complete. This concludes the tutorial for the official launch of Sword Art Online. Players, I wish you the best of luck.

After saying his last words, Kayaba's avatar then disappeared, leaving no traces along with the giant wall of messages plastered across the sky disappeared as abruptly as it came.

The area fell into silence before it turned into an uproar as thousands of players started to screams in rage, pleading for their lives and many more.

Random Player #1: This can't be happening… You've gotta be kidding me!

Random Player #2: Screw this! Let me out! I want out of here!

Random Player #3: You can't do this to me! I'm supposed to meet someone tonight!

Random Player #4: No! Let me leave, let me leave!

Random Player #5: Yahoo! I mean, no!! Let me out!

Vergil sweatdropped when he heard someone cheered but recollect himself as he started to grab Klein and Kirito's hands who were standing beside him all this time.

Vergil: Come with me, Klein, Kirito.

Without waiting for their responses, Vergil quickly led the two into one of the town streets radiating out from the square and stepped behind a stationary carriage.

Vergil: Klein. Kirito. We need to head to the next town as soon as possible.

Kirito: Good idea. If everything he said was true, then we need to survive in this world and we need to get stronger. Money, EXP, and items are gonna be limited. Monsters here are going to be wiped out soon. So we need to head out to the next town as soon as possible.

Vergil: So, Klein what do you say?

Klein then looked down.

Klein: Sorry... But my friends from other games are here and I can't just leave them so I'm gonna decline.

Kirito: (Even with the two of us, I don't think we are that confident to protect Klein and his friends.)

Vergil: It's okay, man. We understand. Right, Kirito?

Kirito: Yeah.

Klein: Don't worry about me and head to the next town. In the last game I played, I was the leader of my guild. I'll be fine with the tricks you guys teach me.

Kirito: I see... Then we leave now. If anything happens, send me or Vergil a message.

Klein: Yeah.

Kirito: Then... See you, Klein.

Vergil: Take care dude. Make sure to survive because the next we meet, I'm gonna kick your ass.

Klein: Keep dreaming. I'm gonna become stronger than you.

Vergil chuckled as he and Kirito turned around started to walk away from Klein but after five steps, Klein suddenly shouting making the two stop on their tracks.

Klein: Hey, Kirito! Turns out you look pretty cute after all! Just my type! You too, Vergil! With that look of yours, I bet you can make straight male fall over heels for you!

Even though they knew he didn't mean it, or maybe he did mean it, Kirito and Vergil looked at Klein with a small smile.

Kirito: That unkempt face of yours suit you ten times better!

Vergil: Woah, dude. That's homo. And that's not the first time I've been told. I'm more into busty and thick-thigh MILF rather than a male. Well... unless you're Astolfo, I might consider it.

Klein looked at them with a smile as the two continued to march forward without looking back.

Klein: (Good luck you two. The next time we meet, it gonna be on the front line.)

Klein then leave the alleyway and went to search for his friends. At the same time, Vergil and Kirito just passed the northwest gate of the Town of Beginnings, then a vast field and deep forest. As they were running, they saw two wolves stood in front of them.

Without hesitation, Vergil and Kirito drew their respective, a sword and a katana, and perform sword skill <<Horizontal>> which consist of slashing horizontally at their opponent. When Vergil and Kirito ran past the wolf, they shattered in a glass.

Vergil: (We're... We're going to survive until the end... in this world. I'm gonna make sure to come back home... To my family!)

///To Be Continued///