T R A P P E D

Chapter Two - Ukiyo

The next day, Akiko and I actually arrived early for once, at the SCR. Staff in strange uniforms helped us don VR headsets, and together, as a class, we entered the world of SAO.

It was quite an experience, entering virtual reality for the first time. Pixels painted together the scene of starter town, level one. Around me, the familiar faces of my classmates appeared, as well as some boys. Wait. There were boys? This experiment immediately got a lot more dangerous than before.

Proving my theory, two boys started fighting right in the middle of spawn town.

Sighing, I wiped my palms on my pants, planning to whip out my basic sword and stop the fight.

Wait. Pants? All the other girls had different clothes from me. My clothes more closely resembled... the guys' clothes.

What the heck, game? I understand that everyone always says I behave like a boy, but you don't have to rub it in!

Even Akiko was wearing a feminine dress which complemented her long, caramel hair and honey golden eyes.

I walked over to her, saying, "Hey! Akiko-chan!"

But she regarded me with a cold stare, and I was momentarily stunned. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"Akiko... it's me, Ukiyo!" Even my best friend doesn't recognize me. Wow.

"But... but you have short hair now! You look just like a guy!" That can't be that true... everyone else looked similar to their real selves, with the same hair colour and eye colours. And genders.

"..." I narrowed my eyes at her and huffed.

"Okay okay sorry! But we better start hunting now, or the areas around here will be cleared soon," she said, looking around.

My purple eyes scanned the Town of Beginnings near to us and found that many people had already left.

"Wait... this place looks familiar. I can't exactly remember, but I think I've watched a documentary about this game before. This game must have been very well-known." I said, as a wave of deja-vu hit me.

"Follow me!" I shouted to Akiko, before leading her on a chase through the narrow streets of the Town of Beginnings. It turned out to be a shortcut to the fields, where the first, weakest monsters spawned. We had made it there, faster than the other players who were taking the long way.

"Yay! Ukiyo-chan, you are amazing!" Akiko gushed, drawing out her sword and eyeing a Frenzy Boar.

She quickly destroyed it, with a variety of quick slashes.

I turned to the huge herd of boars in the field behind us, and smiled.

This was all I was good at.

By the time the other players caught up to us, Akiko and I were already level 6. We moved on to the higher areas, working in tandem to take out one enemy after another.

That was when I was struck with a great idea.