Prologue: Primordial Fire

Back again with a new story to make. I do not own anything from SAO or Rurouni Kenshin.

2022… The year in which humanity has achieved a breakthrough in technology. It was a full dive into a virtual world. Unlike a VR headset, the participant has his/her consciousness transferred in the virtual world. The company that created the technology was called Argus. A device called the NerveGear was used to transport the consciousness to the virtual world. A participant's five senses would be stimulated as though the world around them is real. The headmaster, Kayaba Akihiko, designed a new form of MMORPG game called Virtual Reality MMO or VRMMORPG for short. The new game was called 'Sword Art Online'. Many video game enthusiasts in Japan all waited for the game's release. There was a beta trial for the game, allowing future players to have a scope of the game system itself.

One such youth was an average boy of 14. His hair was ultramafic black, appearing shiny in lighting. The hair was smooth on the front but spiky at the end. He appeared svelte, yet he looked fit in spite of his appearance. His eyes were a gray color, with a faint yellow ring shown in the iris. He was wearing a black shirt, matching trousers, black sneakers with dark red soles, and a dark grey vest with a hood. His name is Jin Fukuhara.

"I'm lucky enough to buy the new NerveGear during the beta test trial. Time to test it out to see how it works." Jin said to himself.

Rushing his way to his home, Jin moved quickly with hidden excitement. He doesn't show much of his emotions unless otherwise.

######

Back in his home, Jin quickly plugged the NerveGear and equipped it. The device was shaped like a helmet, leaving the front section of the face uncovered, save for a visor. He then pressed the power button to activate the device.

"Here goes… Link start!" Jin said.

Immediately, his sense of self was absorbed into the virtual world. The settings for his five senses were scabbed and measured okay. Jin was able to log into his account. He was then making a name for himself.

'Homuro sounds like a good name to me, but I'll stick with the original…' Jin thought, typing his actual name.

A bright flash of light encompassed his sight. Before he knew it, he was in the virtual world.

######

Jin opened his eyes and was amazed on what he saw. The area looked similar to a medieval region. He then noticed a map on his HUD and read the region on where he is. He then accessed the menu to see what he looked like. He was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt with red flame designs. The pants matched the color of his shirt, flame designs included. A black-red vest was on top of his shirt.

'So this is SAO… This must be the City of Beginnings in Floor 1 of Aincrad for new players. From what I know about this, the whole game takes place in this floating castle, where 100 floors of different regions separate it… I have to admit, almost everything about this world feels real.' Jin thought.

Seeing the different players in the city, Jin was amazed of what he was seeing. He kept himself quiet, not wanting to suddenly interact with others.

'Might as well start level grinding. I need to get strong to complete this whole game. I need a sword though…' Jin thought, walking calmly across the town.

Nearby, a male was about to purchase a weapon from a blacksmith shop He had long red, flowing hair reaching beyond his shoulders with a red-yellow bandanna. He was wearing a brick red vest and a white-long sleeved shirt. He noticed Jin and went to him, asking for help.

"Excuse me. I just need some help. You look like a beta tester so I need some advice." The person said.

"Okay, but what kind of advice do you need?" Jin asked.

"I need to learn the basics. I haven't got the grasp of the sword skills. That's all I need help with." The man requested.

"All right then. I can help with that request." Jin said.

"Thank you. My name is Klein." The man named Klein said in a good guy pose.

"I'm Jin." Jin answered.

By then, a nearby male noticed Jin and Klein talking. He went up to them in curiosity. He was wearing a blue long sleeved shirt with a dark peach leather vest with brown pants with matching shoes. His hair was long and had a dark blue luster. In appearance, he looked ridiculously handsome.

"Oh, you guys must be new here." The person said.

"Not really. I was a beta tester but only for a day." Jin said.

"Ah, I see. I didn't had a chance to introduce myself. I'm Kirito." The boy said.

"I'm Jin. There's a way for us to grind and learn the basics at the same time. The open fields are teeming with frenzy boars. Perfect for us to train ourselves and learn how to fight." Jin said.

"Okay, I'm in." Kirito said.

######

The group made their way to an open field called the West Fields from the City of Beginnings. Unfortunately for Klein, a stray boar rammed him on his gut. He took a knee since he lost his breath.

"Ouch… That felt like taking an SUV head on." He said comically.

Jin sighed in response. He decided to explain on how to use sword skills. Kirito watched with interest as he saw Jin interacting.

"Calm down, Klein. The pain is there, but not as intense as it should be in real life. Sword skills rely on motion input. For instance, the Reaver skill. Lower your sword stance and place the blade on top of your shoulder. The sword will glow an orange color, indicating the skill is ready. Just charge forward and make the sword impact the enemy." Jin explained.

Klein nodded and lowered his stance. His sword began to glow and he immediately charged to the boar. The boar had little time to react before it was sliced clean from Klein's sword. The boar disappeared in blue polygons.

"I did it… That was awesome!" Klein said in pride.

"Congratulations, Klein. Now that you got the gist of sword skills, let's try this out with the other boars. You need to make sure you master this skill to the point it becomes second nature to you." Kirito said.

Klein nodded, giving a high five to Kirito and Jin. The trio kept themselves training for 3 hours. Jin was able to level up after training alongside Kirito and Klein.

"Let's take a breather for now… We've been training nonstop." Klein said.

"Okay. Bear in mind of this, Klein. All monsters have unique attacks so you may want to use their attacks to counter them. Remember those boars charging at you? You sidestep to avoid and counter them. All monsters have an opening that could lead to critical damage, if played at the exact moment. Sharpen your senses once you see new monsters." Jin lectured.

"Thanks. You're acting like a dojo sensei to me." Klein joked.

Jin chuckled in response, alongside Kirito. They then decided to part ways.

"I got some business to take care of in the City of Beginnings. We'll meet each other later on." Kirito said.

"Okay. I'll go take a rest by walking around the town. It's still a new experience for me." Klein said.

"I got some stuff to take care of as well. However, it's completely different from Kirito. I'll meet you guys later." Jin said.

Jin took off, deciding to do some quests for himself to grow strong.

######

Three days have passed in the game. Jin was able to complete enough quests to level up rapidly, reaching level 12. He was now outside in the South Fields of the City of Beginnings.

"All that quest hunting and level grinding paid off. I can feel myself getting stronger." Jin said to himself.

Jin then noticed a strange glint, almost like a fiery spark at a nearby cave. His curiosity getting the better of him, Jin went to explore the mysterious cave. The cave was unusually hot, indicating by his sweat pouring from his face.

'This feels like I'm exploring inside a volcano… I don't think this cave is connected to one.' Jin thought.

It was dark and hard to breathe due to the humidity mixing with the heat. Before he knew it, a sudden hole formed under his feet, causing the ground to crumble. Jin had no time to react and fell.

"Aaaaaahhhhhhh!"

Jin's screams echoed as he fell into the hole. Eventually, he fell at the bottom.

"Ouch… I guess even fall damage is as real as it is here…" Jin muttered.

He took note of the overwhelming heat in the cave. It was hotter than it was before falling in the hole. Jin noticed what appeared to be a lantern and slowly walked to it.

'Wonder if someone lives in this infernal cave? Only way to find out is if I were to take a look.' Jin thought.

Walking to the light, he didn't expect to see what looked like a Japanese style home. The heat from the cave was more concentrated as he got closer to the house. He called out to see if anyone was there.

"Excuse me… Is anyone here?" Jin said.

"Oh? I certainly didn't expect someone to drop in this cave. You probably were lucky enough to discover my home." A male voice said.

Jin traced the voice and noticed a figure. He appeared heavily bandaged from head to toe, like a mummy. His hair was sticking out from his head in tuffs. The man was wearing an indigo kimono, leaving his right arm exposed. Jin took notice of the man's face appearing brown-red and cracked. The man's eyes were a piercing red color, something that intimidated the young player. The man was smoking a kiseru.

"What do you mean I was lucky to find this place?" Jin asked nervously.

"Not many players dared to explore this cave. This cave has been heated due to my presence being in here." The man said.

"Wait… Are you the one heating this cave like a sauna?" Jin asked.

"Yes. This cave has gotten too hot because of my body temperature influencing it. This body of mine has been burning with the flames of hell. Only .1% of players were able to find me." The man said.

"Oh man… Talk about having an immense fortune… In regards about the heat… That would explain why you have bandages all over your body… You were burned alive to the point your sweat glands were burned off." Jin deduced.

"Precisely. Since you have discovered this cave, I'll grant you a blessing to teaching you a unique sword style for your bravery." The man said.

"I've heard about different weapon attacks based on a person's preference in weapons. However, learning a new style is completely surprising." Jin said in shock.

"Are you intending to learn this new style or are you just going to stay there?" The man asked rudely.

"Sorry. I want to learn this new sword style you speak of." Jin said.

The man chuckled sadistically, unnerving Jin. He could tell this person living in the cave was a bloodthirsty person.

"The sword style is a form of battojutsu. However, because of my body's condition, I'm capable of using fire-oriented techniques. They are called the Secret Swords, for they are the result of this blade I possess." The man said, showing his sword.

Jin looked at the sword, noting the excellent craftsmanship. What caught his eyes was the sharp edge. It was not from a typical katana. The edge was serrated, having small, fine teeth like a chainsaw. Jin smelled a foul odor from the blade, only to realize it was the blade emitting the smell.

"This sword… It's no ordinary sword…" Jin said.

"Quite a sharp eye there… This blade is known as the Mugenjin, my personal sword. This sword is designed to never lose its edge and absorb the blood and fat from humans with each cut made. This acts as the fuel needed to execute my techniques." The man said.

"Whoa… A sword made like that can be used without repercussions." Jin commented.

"In any case, we shall begin for your training. What is your name?" The man asked.

"Fukuhara Jin." Jin introduced himself.

"I'm known as Makoto Shishou. I will be training with you for at least 15 minutes. After that, you must learn the techniques on your own, apprentice." Shishou said.

"Very well. I promise to be the best." Jin said.

"Welcome to Hell then, Jin." Shishio said.

Thus, a new legend was a born. The legend of the Blaze Swordsman.