The Untold Truth: SAO Fatal Bullet Prequel

That Day

November 14th, 2022

Kaito Sato

I was sitting down in Horunka Village, the closest village to the Town of Beginnings. It's been at least a week since Kayaba told everyone that SAO was now a death game. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that statement.

"There's no way I'm getting out?" I thought while staring at the sword in my hand.

I stood up from the bench and started to walk to the borders of the town. I managed to reach level 3 since the start of the game. The hunting fields near the Town of Beginnings had been hunted clean. It was a smart move to go on to the next town.

"What about my real body?" I thought while staring at the setting sky.

I can still remember the red hexagons in the sky. The dreaded system announcement that informed me that the world I loved was now hell. The words of Akihiko Kayaba still echo in my mind.

"Hey, did you hear?" someone asked.

"No, what?" another person responded.

"Someone jumped."

"What do you think they were planning?"

"I think he was trying to get back to the real world."

"Did he make it?"

"No one knows, but there's a monument in the Town of Beginnings. His name was Arvin and it was crossed off the plaque."

I couldn't believe people were starting to get desperate. There were 213 people who died before Kayaba mentioned SAO being a death game. That means there were around 9,787 people still logged into the game. Well, more like 9,786 because that player killed himself. 

I neared the border of the town. The only weapon in my inventory was the beginner's dagger. I pulled out my sword with the intent to inspect it when...I lost consciousness.

Daichi Yamamoto

I stared down at Kaito's body. A female medical officer was removing the NerveGear's power plug from the wall of the dorm room.

"Where do you plan on taking him?" I asked her.

"We're planning to spread the SAO players all over the country," she informed me.

"But do you know which hospital?"

"Most likely, Yokohama General Hospital."

She placed Kaito's lifeless body onto a nearby stretcher. I watched her accomplice wheel the stretcher out shortly after. 

Kaito Sato is my best friend. We met in Elementary School and the rest is history. I knew he was one of the lucky few to cop a spot in the Sword Art Online closed beta. We would alternate who got to play but Kaito wanted to play first when the official game came out.

"Does he take any important medicines?" the female officer asked.

I glanced back at her and shook my head.

"Nothing more than multi-vitamins ma'am," I responded.

"Okay, we'll be able to provide that at the hospital. Does he have any parents or relatives?" she continued.

"Yes, they live in Kyoto."

"That's good. Tell them about this whole situation please."

"I will."

She left the dorm room and I closed the door. I looked at the NerveGear box on one of the shelves. The TV was constantly covering the SAO Incident ever since November 7th. There was a new task force created to combat the situation, the SAO Case Victims Rescue Force. I heard the engine of the ambulance start. I was all alone at this point. 

"Hopefully this is resolved soon," I thought.

I knew something like this won't just disappear overnight. The world will never forget about the Sword Art Online Incident.