Sword Art Online: Takumo's Story

Four: First Party

It's been three weeks since the Game locked us inside. There's already been more than a thousand deaths. So far, no one took down the Boss on Floor One. It was weird.

How the game seemed to get more difficult when the announcement was made. Me and Kirito have been training day after day, all the free time we have.

My mom, my brother...

I will not fail. Because today, as Kirito said, was the day a meeting will be held about defeating the first boss. We walked through the road, Kirito concealing himself in the shadows (as usual) while I walked beside him silently.

You would expect us to be grim since all this hellish training was going to pay off soon—as we hoped. We've learnt new sword skills over the time and I and he were progressing pretty well using them.

"Think you're ready? It's our turn to die—I mean win," I asked him, watching my words. I couldn't help saying the last part though, knowing it will be true.

Kirito shrugged and looked ahead as we turned the corner and sat on a few steps along with other players in our group.

These people were willing to give up their life to be together and fight to the end. None of them were people I knew from the real world. Probably a good thing because I never want to have the responsibility of taking care of more than one person now.

[OW WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!]

Sorry Kirito hit me. Anyways, we looked around and didn't see a lot of familiar faces. No one we haven't met but still, strangers. Even so, we were still in this together, all of us, stranger or not.

I saw people sitting in groups, looking grim yet prepared for battle. They new well of not to keep their hopes up too high. I didn't. I kept myself well on determined. I was going to win this thing with Kirito.

Because we swore to each other and ourselves that for the rest of this game we will not die. Not by a long shot. We'll do whatever it takes to clear all hundred floors and make it out alive.

"Excited?" I asked in a low voice.

"Not really," he shrugged, "Who do you reckon she is?"

I looked over to where Kirito was looking and a few inches away sat a girl in a hoodie. She wouldn't meet anyone's eyes and she had a concealed sword in her sheath.

I blinked. Have I seen her before? Have we met? I'm not sure but she looks a lot familiar. Streaks of brown hair extended slightly over her right shoulder from within the covering and I exchanged glances with Kirito.

For an average gamer, she looks a lot like the rebels from Star Wars. Some guy began clapping for attention and I looked down to the floor as his voice echoed: "Okay! Okay! Settle down now people! Let's get started!"

Me and Kirito sighed as he continued. This will not go well.

"Thanks for coming everyone! The idea that you're here to win is a great motivator for other gamers out there who are too afraid of coming forth to defeat the boss," he continued, "I am Diabel. And I like to consider my 'Job' as a knight!"

People started to snicker and Kirito muffled a snort. I also sort of giggled but I shook my head and snapped out of it, Focus...

"Right," he said gravely, making people all around quiet down, "Today, our party has discovered the Boss Room at the top of the tower."

From laughs, came the gasps. I looked at Kirito with a brave smile but he looked me in the eye with a flicker in them that said: "I know you're still as scared as hell."

"We need to take down the boss, reach the second floor and tell everyone waiting there in the Town of Beginnings," Diabel told us, "That it really is possible to beat the game."

I nodded at the thought. Everyone here has a duty. They might seem different but it all comes down to the same outcome: beat the boss.

"Alright then, let's start planning! First off, begin dividing yourselves into parties of six!" Diabel instructed.

And that shattered the glass. Me and Kirito are only two. Everyone else began running over to each other and talking, agreeing with themselves and forming parties. I shared a look of help with Kirito and he looked just as horrified.

We were like: 'oh heck...we have no friends.'

We desperately began searching for some empty Raid Group parties but almost everyone got taken. See, this is exactly what happens whenever me and Kirito are playing Dodgeball back in the real world. Everyone forms a team, leaving out the losers, including us, and splits.

This gives me vivid flashbacks of those horrible Gym Classes. Then, I looked to the left and saw the same girl. She didn't look all that desperate. She didn't move at all from the last time I eyed her.

She must have also been left out.

I shared another nod with Kirito and together, the two of us scooted over towards the girl and sat beside her.

Kirito opened his mouth and I gave him the 'not yet' signal with my hand. "Ahem."

She didn't look over but I felt her take a glance at us from the corner of her eyes. Kirito hit me in the shoulder and I flinched. Luckily I held myself together instead of hitting him back as usual.

"So you got left out too?" I asked.

"I didn't get left out," she muttered, taking me by surprise since I didn't know she could reply that fast, "I only stayed out of it because I knew that everyone here knows each other already."

"So you're a solo player too?" Kirito asked.

She gave a nod and I looked at Kirito before going back to the girl and saying, "Maybe us three could be in a party together? How about it?"

Hesitating, she looked down for a while before Kirito started again, "Diabel said that we can't beat it on our own. You need to stick with others at times like these."

"Please?" I smiled, "Just this once?"

Without a word, she nodded and I smiled, sending her and Kirito a party request. I never liked to take the lead on something. In fact, taking leadership was the worst option my ego can find but this is a video game.

I knew what I was doing. The banners appeared infront of them and of course, Kirito accepted and so did she.

Asuna? I thought as I saw her username.

"Okay, let's get to it!" I said, giving Kirito a fist bump, "Oh right, uh, I'm Takumo by the way."

"And I'm Kirito," he told her.

"Asuna," she said slowly, getting up, "Well? Let's get to it."

(A/N: sorry I left out the part where Kibau starts yelling at Beta Testers for cheating but I have to cut it short okay?)

I nodded and tapped Kirito's hand twice so he'd get up too. Together, we walked as Diabel explained.