November 5, 2022 – Tokyo, Japan

  Outside Higashi-Nagasaki Station, Thiago Montalvo stood in awe, taking in the streets of the famous city of Tokyo. Compared to the dusty roads of Silver Creek, his hometown, it looked like a postcard from another world.

  The sidewalks were spotless, lined with rows of narrow, quiet houses. A bicycle rolled past him in complete silence. In the distance, the soft rattling of the Seibu-Ikebukuro line reminded him just how far from home he truly was.

  The air smelled of bread and freshly watered flowers. Children in uniforms crossed the street in a neat line in front of a bakery... and a white cat stared at him from a rooftop. There were no flashing billboards or noisy neon lights. Just a calm he hadn't expected from such a bustling city.

  Thiago walked at an easy pace. For reasons he never quite understood, his flight to Japan had been moved forward two days. That gave him more time to spend with his sister and to look around before attending the tech fair on behalf of his university. His only merit, though, was that his brother-in-law worked at the company sponsoring the event.

  He followed the streets until he reached the address. Pressing the doorbell, he watched as the automatic gate opened. Halfway through the garden path, he heard the rapid footsteps he could recognize after a lifetime of listening to them: his sister Valeria. The moment she saw him, she hugged him tightly, standing on tiptoe just to kiss his forehead.

  —You've kept growing. You're huge —she laughed.

  —Six-foot-one and still going —he answered with his usual smile.

  —And didn't your coach give you any trouble over this trip?

  —He was annoyed, but he wasn't about to argue with the dean of sciences —Thiago replied without losing his grin.

  —We weren't expecting you until the day after tomorrow. But Renji will be thrilled you arrived early. He's got a favor to ask.

  —What kind of favor?

  —I don't know, something about his video games. You know how he is. He'll tell you when he gets home.

  —Val... you know basketball is my thing, not video games.

  —There's no harm in hearing him out, Thiago. It's important to him. Besides, you still owe him a free trip with all expenses paid —she winked, stepping inside the house and motioning for him to follow.

  Thiago tilted his head back toward the sky and let out a tired smile. He had never once won an argument with his sister—and today wouldn't be the first time. He walked in slowly and followed her inside.

  That night, Renji Shunsuke—his brother-in-law—greeted him warmly, welcomed him to Japan, and asked if he'd had a good trip. Thiago nodded. Over dinner, while they talked about anything and everything, Renji finally said he had a favor to ask. Thiago listened.

  —Tomorrow is the launch of the most anticipated game in history: Sword Art Online. The first to truly make use of full-dive technology. It lets you step inside and play as if you were really there. I reserved a NerveGear months ago, and thanks to a few connections, I managed to secure a copy of the game. This is a historic moment for gaming—and for technology in general. It's set in a floating castle of one hundred floors that—

  —Uh-huh —Thiago interrupted, showing zero interest in his brother-in-law's passionate explanation. —And what exactly does that have to do with me?

  —Because being online at the very moment of launch will be something people remember for generations! But I have to work tomorrow. My boss wouldn't budge —Renji spoke as if it were unthinkable that his job wouldn't recognize such a monumental event.

  —I still don't see what that has to do with me.

  —Thiago... —Renji's tone grew solemn. —I need you to use the NerveGear to log into the game right at launch, create my character with the name and look I'll give you, and stay connected until I get home so I don't miss out on any missions, events, or special items.

  —Renji... you know I don't play video games. I wouldn't even know how.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  —That's the beauty of this game —Renji said, eyes gleaming. —In SAO, you don't need gaming skills—you just move as if it's your own body. That should be easy for you since you train every day. It's only for a couple of hours.

  —Come on, Thiago. It'll be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You'll be able to brag about it back home —Valeria tried to encourage him. —Don't make him get down on his knees to beg, because he will. And then you'll have to see me mad like you've never seen me before.

  —...Fine. Just this once —Thiago said at last, defeated.

  November 6, 2022 – 12:58 p.m.

  Thiago lay on his sister's bed with a ridiculously large helmet strapped to his head. He looked at Valeria pleadingly, but she only smiled.

  —Val... do you really want me to do this for your husband? Or do you just want to see me humiliated?

  —Maybe a little of both.

  —...Let's just get this over with —he took a deep breath, trying to pump himself up as Renji had explained. —... Link... Start!

  The instant Thiago spoke the command, his vision turned white. Then came flashing lines of color, glowing green circles... and darkness. The game menu appeared. He chose English as the language. Then he selected a small avatar with pink hair and an almost feminine look—his little way of getting back at his brother-in-law for dragging him into this.

  Next came the name selection. "Dark Knight." Taken. "Black Hawk." Taken. "Sky Dragon." Also taken. Thiago frowned. What kind of lunatic wanted the same ridiculous names Renji had wanted? He kept trying, but every option was already in use.

  Then, without thinking, his mind drifted homeward. The word "Silver" came to him. He caught himself halfway through the thought—but the system registered it.

  [Name accepted. Welcome to Aincrad, Silver.]

  Thiago barely had time to process his surprise before everything went dark again. Then light flared, forcing him to close his eyes. When he opened them, he was standing in the middle of an ancient-looking city. Instinctively, he glanced at his hands, then his feet, then his body. He took one step. Then another. He moved his hands. All around him were hundreds of people. He smiled—maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

  The sun felt real. He could even sense the warmth on his neck, hear the crunch of dirt beneath his boots. A light breeze lifted dust from the streets. Voices of other players echoed in the distance. But what struck him most was that he didn't feel the helmet anymore. He felt the world.

  He followed some players who seemed to know where they were going and left the town. Out in the fields, he tested his movements. Jumping, running, punching, spinning, shifting his pace. The game's body responded exactly like his real one.

  He had no idea how much time had passed when suddenly everything blurred, and in the next instant, he was back in the plaza where he had first appeared. The place was filling up as people materialized in bursts of light. Then the unexpected happened.

  First, a red signal in the sky. Then it spread like a dome, sealing the entire city. He felt something was wrong—until a player behind him said this must be the opening event. Relaxing a little, Thiago recalled what Renji had mentioned.

  A bloodlike liquid began to drip from the sky, shaping itself into a giant humanoid figure. It introduced itself as the game's creator: Kayaba Akihiko. He told them there were no errors in the game. That the logout function had been intentionally removed.

  Many players scrambled through their menus. Thiago clumsily did the same, confirming it was true.

  [From this day forward, Sword Art Online is no longer just a game.

  If your hit points drop to zero, your avatar will die—and so will you.

  There is no way to leave this world until you reach the 100th floor of Aincrad and defeat the final boss.

  If anyone tries to remove the NerveGear from your head in the real world, the device's microwave transmitters will activate and destroy your brain. Several cases of death from attempted removal have already been confirmed. Unfortunately, these are unavoidable features of the system's design.]

  Each of Kayaba's words struck the players like a crushing weight, and Thiago was no exception. The speech sounded like the most absurd thing he'd ever heard—but the heaviness in his chest told him it might be true. His thoughts were cut short by the GM's next announcement.

  [I have given you all a special gift: a mirror in your inventory. Use it.]

  Thiago pulled the mirror from his inventory and looked into it. A flash forced him to shut his eyes. When he opened them again, the sight took his breath away. It was his face. Dark brown eyes. Short hair, slightly wavy at the ends. He blinked and moved his mouth, testing to make sure it really was him—that his mind wasn't playing tricks.

  Screams erupted all around. Everyone had transformed. Even some of the stunning girls from moments before were now guys. Kayaba's voice echoed once more.

  [That's right. This is your real-world appearance. You no longer have any reason to hide behind a character. This is how you will live... and fight.

  Enjoy this new reality.

  Sword Art Online... has begun.]

  The giant then vanished, the sky clearing as if nothing had happened. But the plaza was left full of desperate screams and crying. No one knew if the announcement was real or just an event. But the fear was real. Others, more determined, were already running off to grow stronger and survive.

  Thiago remained standing in the middle of the plaza. He covered his face with both hands and let out a bitter smile. He had never wanted to be in this place.