Progressive Factor

The Tale Begins

“You know, it’s been two years, and none of you have ever told me about SAO.” Suguha looks at Kazuto, Asuna, and Joshua as they sit around a table at the Kirgayas’ residence. It is one of the few times Kazuto’s home is the place to hang out, not Joshua’s much more spacious house. But since it is easier for guests to come to the Kirigayas than for Kazuto and Suguha to hope their newest resident, the artificial fluctlight Alice Zuberg, to act normal and make the trip to Asuna and Joshua’s part of town.

“It’s not exactly something we just talk about amongst ourselves either,” Kazuto responds. “I mean, we do have good memories, but there are many bad memories. Besides, that information is out there.”

“But… I mean, I’ve read the book, so of course I know some things, but… What about you four?” Suguha glances at Joshua, then at the girl sitting on the other side of him. “You didn’t really talk much about Koharu, neither of you did, but especially you. But now that she’s alive, now I’m curious about the four of you.”

Alice nods her head. “She has a point. Your sister not knowing an important part of your life after this long is just cruel.”

Joshua folds his arms. “Oh, so you told Selka about yourself, Miss Integrity?”

“Will you stop calling me that? By Stacia’s mercy, why do people like you?”

“I have a great personality.”

Koharu snorts and giggles. “Not at first. You were mean to everyone except to me. As a matter of fact, Alice, you have never seen Joshua and Asuna argue. Suguha, you may have. But compared to back then, this is nothing.”

Kazuto chuckles. “Right. Koharu and I had a bet on who would kill each other first. I technically won that bet since Asuna did ‘die’ in SAO.”

Joshua erupts in laughter. “You bet on me surviving longer and potentially killing Asuna? And I won? Suck on that, Lightning Flash!”

Asuna clenches her teeth and furiously turns on Kazuto. “What? You bet against me! I would have Joshua praying to let me have mercy on him! As a matter of fact, you weren’t all like yourself either, jerk!”

“So,” Alice says as she looks to Koharu, “only Koharu was a decent human being in this place called Aincrad. Somehow, that seems correct.”

Asuna sighs. “Well, she wasn’t the ‘Kindred Assassin’ for nothing. But you couldn’t help but be kind if you had two jerks around you for several weeks.”

Koharu smiles. “That, and a stubborn Asuna… And now that I think about it, Kazuto, Joshua, and I started similarly. We knew each other on day one, split, unknowingly worked with Argo, and didn’t meet again until the raid meeting. But Asuna, besides the one time we did encounter you, we don’t know much of you before that meeting.”

Kazuto raises his eyebrow. “Wait, you met them first?”

Asuna sighs. “Yes, though not officially. Well, I guess I better start then. The story of four of SAO’s best players, and how they came to be.”

Suguha gasps and clasps her hands. “Yes! Finally!”

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In terms of ambition, this might be the most ambitious story I'm writing since my first one seven years ago.