The Day the World was Painted Red

Prologue

Kirito POV

Kirito was standing still inside the guild's throne room, sitting on its chair. His eyes standing still on the darkness of the far end of the chamber, his hands gripping and relaxing the armrests. He was furious and unable to achieve the clarity of mind he needed to continue strategizing. He observed the room, its banners, its flags, it's perfectly shaped columns to cool off but he couldn't. A voice in his head continued to repeat to him that it was his fault. He shouldn't have left her alone. She was his responsibility and he had let her down twice now. It was as if a black hole swiped all his thoughts and left him blank. Able only to curse himself for his inadequacy.

After an hour or so he let go to the memories that flooded his head. His past in the game. The good, the bad and even worse the present.

It has been a year since the launch of the new VRMMORPG game Sword Art Online in which he was a beta tester. He knew the game inside out from the beginning to the end so he had no fear against this new revolutionary technology. Something he regrets dearfuly now given the fact that he got stuck in a game where game over is equivalent to real life death. Gives new depth to the word hardcore gamer now doesn't it. When he got in for the first time, he logged in together with his little sister and they both chose the elf swordsman class. Although they couldn't cast magic since there was no magic in SAO but Kirito just saw them as really noble for some reason. His sister on the other hand, chose them because she wanted to be able to fly. She was sorely disappointed by the fact that there was no such mechanic as she had no muscles to move in order to control wings.

Yes those were the good times. He thought.

Flashback

If just once Suguha could do what she was told that would be great but no such luck!

Kirito just stood in the center of the Plaza of the beginnings and stared at the tall blonde elf girl he had in front of him who just asked him to show her the ropes. He would have no issue with that if at the end of her sentence she hadn't added the word brother. It didn't take too long for Kirito to figure it out but what he managed to utter was just

'Suguha?'

The girl smiled impishly and said

'The one and only.'

'But how... and most importantly why?' He said still not certain he wasn't hearing things. Maybe it was a side effect of the Nerve Gear. His thoughts were stopped by her answer

'As for the how just an all night camp outside the store. The why, would be spite!' She said playfully

'Spite?' He asked now more curious than surprised as that sounded like something she would do. She could set her mind for the most ridiculous reasons and she would meticulously plan it out. He was really puzzled by her drive since he didn't have anything close to that.

'Well ofcourse. I wanted to see the world that had you not getting out of your room for days on end except eating. I wanted to see what was so fascinating and judge it on my own.' She said with awe in her voice but something else too... sorrow maybe or regret... he wasn't certain. Kirito sighed.

'Okaaaay I got it. So what now?' He asked in a cold tone. He really didn't want to stay with her any more than he had to. She was a painful reminder of the lies he had been told most of his life. Add that to the guilt he felt for indirectly making her train in swordsmanship with her grandfather in order to take his place and her person was loaded with too much negative emotion. He didn't like being rude to her but it was the lesser evil.

'Now, as I asked, you show me how this game works.' She said patronizingly.

'Fine but after today you are on your own.' He said. Suguha's face flashed with disappointment for a second but it was gone just as fast as it came. It gave a powerful pung of regret to Kirito but he didn't show. He really didn't want to do this but he couldn't stand the feeling he had when he was near her. He turned his head to the grass fields where the boars were. He would need some grinding anyway before he started playing seriously.