Sword Art Online: Takumo's Story

One: Nerve Gear

Me and my friend can't log out. Wait, wait, hold it. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about or even who I am. I should start from the beginning. Like, the very beginning. Before I even put on the Nerve Gear and got stuck in this God damn world.

My name is Taru. Taru Hashira. I live in Tokyo and I live a pretty boring life. In fact, I don't think that my schedule will ever change:

Start the day by my younger brother, Tanoku, slapping my face awake for school, getting up with difficulty then eating breakfast. I take a quick shower and get dressed so I won't miss the bus. Of course, I end up missing it anyways no matter what I do.

So I result to the next choice: walking. Most of the time it's running. I'd always forget to go pick up my friend Kazuto since he is a legendary bus misser as well. I have to run all the way back so I'd grab him and run by his side to school as fast as possible.

You'd call us irresponsible for missing the first class but no, the problem is the school. They start too early and finish too late. I guess that's how it goes everywhere huh?

After school me and Kazuto would go ahead and do homework on our way back. Kazuto and I aren't lazy, we're just always multi tasking for some reason. At some point, I'd be trying to study for a test while keeping up my record on League of Legends on my computer. I know, it is kind of that complicated.

Kazuto and I are a lot like each other: we're both kind and take a gentle approach to people when we're talking since sometimes we get pretty shy and stumble over words. He has black hair but mine is a shade of blonde.

He for some reason is always wearing black (yeah thank God the school uniform is black or else he'd be the only one looking like a gangster) while I'm wearing white.

Total opposites like the north and south poles maybe. But we still share a lot of interests. As an example: we are just as epic in League of Legends and Call of Duty as missing the bus and forgetting Homework assignments.

Me and him are as people call it: inseparable.

But it didn't last all that long with the normal 'get life over with' schedule that long. In fact, it was probably the only thing that left my life very wonky. More wonky than it is I mean.

Believe me, you'd expect a video game to be a cool play-it-when-you-have-some-free-time activity but this was different. I would spend thousands (if I had) to put it on and complete my full game face:

It's called Nerve Gear.

Completely safe—as they say—and very special. It isn't some VR that buzzes whenever you get hit or die in a game, no no. It was actually like you're there. I don't know what happens when you die though.

You can see, taste, touch, hear and smell everything in the game you're playing with Nerve Gear. Basically another life. And when it came out, you can tell how me and Kazuto reacted.

The two of us are gamers. We love video games more than studying. I guess that goes for everyone. We would die playing games. Especially with this new gear out in the store.

Our Moms won't agree grabbing a few hundred to spend for us though. It isn't every day you hear your child wanting to spend all his savings on a helmet that can transport your mind somewhere else.

So after school, as me and Kaz agreed, will go with our money combined to the game store and buy a set for the two of us to share. And that is how the day started:

"Big brother!" My brother screamed, shaking me and jumping over me to get my attention, "Are you after a world record of missing the bus?! Get up so you won't have to go sonic all the way to school!"

You can tell I replied with something really intelligent like, "Muh..."

"Get up, Taru!" My mother called, "Or I'll disconnect the WiFi!"

"OH HECK NO!" I yelped, shooting up like an arrow, "NOT THAT THREAT AGAIN!"

I leapt over my books which littered my room floor. My feet took my down to the table downstairs and I slid into my chair, grabbing my chopsticks and swallowing my food constantly.

Shooting up again so fast, I almost threw up, I leapt two stairs at a time to get to the bathroom. I showered and dressed all at once inside and burst out to the open with my hair still dripping wet.

I grabbed my school bag and picked up a handful of books, dropping them inside and zipping it shut. I threw it down the stairs and grabbed a few tissues, trying to dry my dripping wet hair as fast as possible then I sprinted forwards to the stairs again fast enough to make me trip and fall until I hit the bottom.

"Ow..." I grunted, shaking it off and grabbing my school bag again, yanking the door open.

Of course, I missed the bus.

"Dammit," I muttered, "Plan B I guess."

I ran across the road and jumped over Kazuto's fence, banging on his door. Please be home, Please be home, Please be home...

A sound came from inside which sounded like a goofy guy tripping halfway to the door. Yes, he is also home. Kazuto opened the door, leaning on it like he's trying to hide the fact that he nearly broke a neck getting to me.

"Plan B?" He asked me.

"Let's move," I nodded.

And so, the day has gone. We forgot a lot at home. Maybe it was because I randomly grabbed textbooks for another day or homework I wasn't supposed to bring today. But I did my best.

"Okay, okay...how much have we saved within the past few weeks?" Kazuto asked me as we headed to the game store.

"I have ninety—"

"THOUSAND?!" He interrupted.

"No just ninety," I said in a tight voice, punching myself to try and stop my snickering.

"Oh, oh yeah okay...I have...five hundred," he said, counting on his fingers.

"Now where'd those come from," I asked him.

"My little sister gives me ten every time I manage to not forget a textbook and I have been doing much ya know," he explained.

"So that's why you've been suspicious!" I said, gasping dramatically, "I thought you were a clone!"

"Me too," he laughed, "You ready?"

"VIDEO GAMES!" I battle cried and he copied, running alongside me to the game store.

Being inside of a Game Center is cool but this is cooler. Because I purchase all my CDs from here.

"One...Nerve Gear set...please," I panted.

"We have...five hundred and ninety...sir," Kazuto said, twice as exhausted.

"Sorry kids the thing got sold out since it got here," the guy at the counter said, "We'll have it arriving in two weeks' time."

Me and Kaz groaned so loud, people outside looked through the glass window to see what the fuss was about.

"But we start exams in two weeks!" I complained.

"Yeah, what will we do?" Kazuto asked.

"If I were you, I'd go ahead and order it online," he advised, "They don't get ordered frequently through the internet."

Of course, it was back to running all the way home. Me and Kaz discussed it and we decided that we'll use our Dads' credit cards to pay. This will be great, I thought.