Diary Entry Number 1: May 11th 2025, 09:18am
"Hello... I guess this is my audio diary, hang on let me check... Audio diary of SAO survivor number 1373, through this diary I will be recording my thoughts of how I lived two years inside of a virtual world and my progress in re-entering society, including thought process and any reactions that I have... from now until I am told otherwise by my designated doctor. Right, now that's out of the way I guess I should at least say something to put on the end of that. Umm... ah, I know. I knew that my life had changed forever the day we were all trapped inside of that game, without realising I had traded realities in a change that was easy and painless for not only myself, but for everyone else who was trapped with me. I have to admit that when that happened I was a little overjoyed with the whole situation, leaving a world that was bleak and angering one that opened up all sorts of opportunities".
"While I was inside of that virtual world I felt as though I could achieve anything, that I had endless possibilities within my grasp, but without my consent, I was unkindly ripped from new home and thrown back into the cold night that is reality. According to the people around me, my name is Ryousuke, but to me that is a name that has been lost for over two years while I was trapped inside of that beautiful world. But now when I look out the window, all I see is imperfection and I have come to realise that compared to Aincrad, the real world is nothing more than a bad joke. There, that sounded pretty good, should leave an impression. Well... I'll probably update this thing in a few days I guess, umm... goodbye?"
Diary Entry Number 2: May 15th 2025, 14:44pm
"Right, I have a bit of time to kill so I've got something good to say today, it might give whoever's listening to this something interesting to enjoy, anyway... I remember my time inside that world with nothing but fond memories, with the enjoyment from the thrills and excitement that I received in bountiful amounts. Before I entered the game I wasn't anything that special, I was just someone who moved with the system. My grades were average and I had a few friends but that was it, nothing that draws attention in an infinite routine that was my life. In a way, I was someone who was easily forgotten and perceived as nothing more than an insignificant nobody, never the centre of attention, just another person lost in the crowd. But in Aincrad, I was a king, well... sort of. Up on the 75th floor of that castle stood a mighty colosseum that took up most of the available space on the floor, it was here where champions and monsters would fight from dusk until dawn for the entertainment of the other players and NPCs. And out of all of those who competed, I was by far the strongest as I never lost any of my matches against either man or beast. This earned me the prestigious title of the "King of the Arena", which allowed me to rule with steel in my hands and the sweat on my brow. It was inside of this arena where I earned my title and like all champions, I relished in every moment of my glory like a flower basking in the sunlight".
"But that was all taken away from me when that world came to an end and I suddenly found myself dazed and lying in a hospital bed with monitor pads that were stuck to my chest and tubes filled with colourful liquids that were being pumped into my body, I had returned to reality where I was nothing more than a peasant whose kingdom had fallen into nothing more than a dream. I remember the first thing that I felt when I woke up was the heaviness of my body and how I struggled to lift myself into a sitting position to get a better look at the room I was in, I was so weak it felt like my body was a piece of stringy meat that was barely attached to my skeleton, which now felt as brittle as glass. It took me ten minutes but I was eventually able to stumble out of bed and by using the IV stand for support I slowly made my way towards a mirror that hung on the wall on the opposite side of the room. At first I did not recognise the man who was staring back at me, but as I continued to gaze back into the dark eyes that were fixed on me I soon realised who the man in the mirror was and I looked down and started to inspect my body. My frame had shrunk significantly and I could see the edges of my bones protruding to form lumps in my pale skin which looked as though with was turning to the colour of milk. My hands had become bony and unsightly, and they delivered an unnatural cold to my skin when I began to touch my face while I starred at my reflection. My skin was sagging and dark around my eyes while my hair had grown to the point when I could feel it on my lower back and its once golden blonde had become darker and now looked as lifeless like the rest of my body. I was partially in shock and I was dumbfounded by what I had turned into, where I had once been a proud warrior with a strong body and firm grasp on life, I had now become what I could only describe as a walking corpse. When I grew tired of looking at myself I returned to my bed to rest my aching body, I lay back down and gently maneuvered my body until I found a comfortable position, but as soon as I did I felt myself slipping into the warm embrace of sleep and I gently closed my eyes as I drifted off, but with what consciousness I had left, I found myself hoping that I would wake up once again in Aincrad and that waking up in reality had been nothing more than a bad dream. But to my disappointment, I found out quickly how wrong I had been".
"Right, I have to go now. My parents are arguing again, I think it might be about me seeing as they never argued before I was trapped, or maybe I just didn't notice it before. I'll update again when I find somewhere a little more quiet".
Diary Entry Number 3: May 15th 2015, 15:08pm
"Sorry for the interruption, I'm now sat in the garden now where it less noisy so you might hear the occasional bird song, but it's a major improvement from what's going on inside the house. Family life is something that I've been having to get used to again, seeing as for two years I only had the people I would occasionally talk to when I wasn't fighting with or against them. Mum and dad seem to be the same people, they argue a lot which is new to me but maybe that's something that I didn't notice like I said earlier. The other family members who I have seen haven't changed much either, they all fit with the memories that I have of them. But of course I had to meet some of the new members and learn about who has left us. But perhaps the biggest change that I've noticed is my little sister, she was twelve when I traveled to Aincrad, a sweet and innocent child without a care in the world. But now she was something different, always off doing her own thing and never giving a glance to anyone who didn't interest her. I have spoken to her a few times since I have awoken, but even with that I'm getting the feeling that she seems to resents me for some reason. Maybe it's because I left her alone in this world, leaving her vulnerable to the things that her big brother should protect her from. Even if that is for that reason I would like to talk to her more, maybe I should try harder, or maybe I should just give her some space. I don't know, I'm starting to think that people are harder to understand in this world, they all seem so much more delicate than the other players who I met in Aincrad, there is something that makes them weaker but I just can't understand what".
"It looks like everything's calmed down now, I'm going to go back inside as I have chores to do. I'll update this again when I have something interesting to talk about... hopefully".
Diary Entry Number 4: May 21st 2025, 16:00pm
"I'm going to attempt to complete this entry as best I can, I've just got back from physical therapy and I'm exhausted. Hmm... seeing that I'm on the subject I might as well talk about it. Like everyone else who has been evicted from Sword Art Online, I am being rehabilitated in order to settle back into my old life. This is being done through countless hours of physical and mental therapy that are designed to strengthen both my body and my mind, there's no doubt that I can feel my life slowly but surely returning to the way it used to be before the events of SAO. But even though they want to make me normal again, to put me back into their system, I have recently found myself becoming quite nostalgic for that digital world I called home for two years of my life, and with all of the information that they have drip fed to me, it has simply passed me by quietly while I remember the battles I fought and the glory that I received. I will admit that I am gaining something through these sessions, a few weeks have passed since I started them and I have grown strong enough to stand without any need of support, this did brighten my mood as I did not feel as weak as I had been when I had woken up. But recently the happiness has been slipping away, it started to disappear when I once again looked in the mirror to monitor my progress. But instead of seeing a healthy man on the road to recovery, all I saw was a shadow of my former self. The shadow of a man who had fought monsters, dueled players and earned the title of King, the man who I had once been. But I had been removed from that body, and all I was now was weak man who couldn't hold his own in a fight, a creature that should be ashamed of its mortal form with no reason to belong inside of the arena. I broke the mirror earlier today... I smashed it in when I saw my reflection, when I saw that creature looking back at me. That's seven years bad luck for me then I guess, but to be honest I can't imagine it getting any worse than this. I am trying to adapt to this world as best I can, if I did it in Aincrad I should be able to do it here. But no matter how hard I try to fit it, to be normal, there's always a part of my mind that wants to go back to that digital world".
"I have been transferred to a new school which was going to be the main topic of this entry before I got sidetracked , it's a school for all of the survivors of SAO so at least I won't be bothered by the people at my old school constantly asking me about the last two years. In fact today was actually my first day so you'll be the first to hear how my day went seeing as there isn't anyone else around for me to talk to, honestly I'm not even sure where my family is at the moment. Anyway... at first I didn't really want to go as I knew that it was only another method to return us to the way we used to be, besides, I never really enjoyed the academic side of my life before I went into SAO. But eventually I was made to go just so I could stop my parents bombarding me with orders to attend. The school isn't too far away from where I live but I have to take a short bus trip to get there, with the addition of walking to and from the bus stops it takes me about 20 minutes to get to school, where I spend roughly about six hours of my day. The building is fairly new but it is lacking in equipment for students due to its rushed opening, but there is enough for the teachers to relay the important information. The day went by quite slowly now that I think about it, all I did was sit there at my desk and listen to my teacher who droned on about what we are going to learn and what he expects from us despite the fact we have been out of education for an extended amount of time. I was glad when lunch break came as I was able to get out of the small box that we call a classroom, I ate my lunch in the cafeteria where I was able to see the other students who were not in my class. I did see a few people who I was familiar with, I only saw them as they made their way passed me and over to the tables where their friends were eating while I was seated by myself before I was joined by a small group that payed no attention to me at all. In fact, nobody in the room was noticing me, I knew that some of these people had been defeated by me when they had challenged me to a duel. But now everyone was just passing my by, not even giving me a second glance when they saw my face. I admit that when I first entered the cafeteria I was sort of expecting people to recognise me at first sight, coming over to greet me and wanting to be my friend. Although everyone in my class had their own little groups that didn't include me, I was sure that there must be someone in this school who would know who I was, who I am. But now I realise that I was only a fool, a fool for thinking that and while I sat in that cafeteria my hopes soon began to die as I watched as others around me talk happily to one another while they shared fond memories. But during that entire break, not once did anyone come to me with tales of nostalgia or any excitement of meeting the man who filled a stadium with hordes of excited players, I just sat there, eating my lunch... alone".
"The rest of the day continued in a similar fashion and I watched as the hours went by as though time itself had slowed down, by the time the bell chimed for the end of the day I almost found myself rushing out of the front gates, eager to get ways from that dull and dreary place. Although I was making the commute home by myself while my classmates traveled in their little groups, I was given the opportunity to reflect on my day and what had happened in the cafeteria, allowing me to think about why no one had talked to me or taken any notice of me at all. With all of my brain power I have been constantly thinking about why this has happened to me, why have I been forgotten? Why does nobody know who I am? Why... do the not remember the king who ruled the arena? But it's come to the stage where it's useless thinking about it now, no matter how hard I have tried I am still struggling to picture any ideas that might proved me with a form of answer. That's it... I can't talk for much longer, my fatigue is catching up to me so I am going to get some sleep. Maybe afterwards I'll have the answers, who knows".
Diary Entry Number 5: May 25th 2025, 11:42pm
"Well I can tell you now that sleeping isn't helping my problem with these questions, I've been trying this for days now and I'm still as confused as I was when I started. They are there when I wake up and still there when I go to sleep, even at school I think about them constantly and I have watch the other students interact with each other in an attempt to find the answers. It feels like these questions have turned rotten inside of my mind, it's like they are always nagging my me to find the answers that they crave. But no matter what I do the answers are never there, like I have caught myself in a loop that will NEVER END. Sorry, but these unanswered questions have been on my mind for so long I think I might go insane, no... no that won't happen. Where was I... oh yeah, every time I cannot think of the answers it feels as though the questions are not satisfied, always asking for what they desire over and over again. It's almost like they are unable to accept that there is no answer to why I have been forgotten by the other players, maybe... maybe that's how I actually feel. If only the had the answers, I could make the questions go away and put a stop to this agony. But... but it's not just during the day now, my state of mind has now progressed to the point where I am now thinking about the questions in my sleep. Some, in fact all, would call this a form of obsession, that I was fixated on the task of finding these elusive answers. It's not so much of a bad thing, the longer I think the quicker I will find the answers or something like that. But... the only downside... is the dreams".
"In all honesty, I am one of those people who just doesn't dream at all. Like I will go to sleep and nothing will happen until I wake up the following morning, it's a little boring but I guess that's just how it is for me. But the other night that changed for me and I experienced something truly wonderful, yet terrifying at the same time. They came to me under the cover of darkness and like hellish demons from another world, images danced before my eyes as thought they were making a mockery of me for not being able to dance with them. The images were pretty but impossible to make out, yet I saw terrifying shapes that filled and refracted all around the world my dream existed in, sending me into an absolute terror before I woke in the night covered in my cold sweat. I have attempted to remember the images that I was shown, so that I can make a clearer guess of what they were. But each try has resulted in the same fruitless result, as every attempt to remember what I have seen only caused these blasted headaches that hurt like hell. The worst of it isn't that it was just that one night... no, the dreams have returned every night like clockwork with the same images to show my sleeping mind. Although they all wake me at an ungodly hour of the night, I have never been able to fully remember them and it feels at though I'm watching a video but the footage has been corrupted by something... something inside my head".
"To keep my brain working I have stopped trying to fully remember these dreams and only think about what comes to me without any effort, but with nearly four nights of little sleep I am starting to feel the effects of sleep deprivation. If I was to describe what I feels like, it's like having a heavy weight inside your head that blocks all forms of concentration, but I'm sure there's a more scientific way of describing it. Right, I think I better try to get some sleep if I can. Hang on, I forgot to mention something... what was it... aah. I have decided to administer myself a sedative that was given to me in one of my early therapy sessions, I am hoping that I will get some sleep tonight so I can think more clearly tomorrow. Even with my lack of sleep I have worked out that there is very little risk to what I am going to do, with the correct dosage I should be able to achieve a deep enough sleep that will not be disturbed by the dreams. With this drug in my system I should be able to make it through the night and wake in the morning with a rested mind and body, with those I will be able to think about these dreams and the questions with a clearer and more rational mind, I may even be able to make some progress with them so I am putting a lot of faith into what I'm about to do. Right, that's this entry done for the evening, I am going to take the drug now and go straight to bed so I will be ready for when it's takes effect. I will update this diary in the morning to record whether this test was a success or not... goodnight".
Diary Entry Number 6: May 26th 2025, 06:10am
"I'm going to record this now before I forget what I saw last night, that way I can make this as detailed as possible. I just need to know where to start, umm... last night was probably one of the most weirdest moments of my life and that's including the two years I spent in that game. Just as I predicted, the dosage I gave myself was enough to put me under a deep sleep enabling me to make it through the whole night without waking, what I did not foresee was that the dreams would still be there... waiting for me".
"The images appeared in their usual fashion, dancing before my eyes while they twisted and bended into their complete forms, but this time they became much more detailed than they have been in the previous nights. Instead of seeing the blurry illusions that caused me nothing but pain, what I saw stood perfectly still as though I was looking at a large painting that was being held in its space by an invisible frame. With the clear image now in front of me I could easily make out and see what I was looking at. Within the painting I saw the shapes of trees, houses, long fields full of lush grass, animals roaming freely without and care in the world... and when I looked up to gaze at the sky I instantly knew where I was because what I saw an unmistakable ceiling that domed itself over the world I was looking into. As my eyes moved around the large image my eyes were suddenly caught by a large structure that reached up and kissed the sky with it architectural beauty, looking as though it was holding up the entire roof and everything that lay above it. With these simple observations I knew exactly where I stood and there was no mistaking it, I was back in Aincrad... and it was as beautiful as ever".
"In my dream I had returned to the world where I had thrived, where my name was cheered by all and never forgotten. It was the world where I had made a name for myself and the world that had been taken away from me, it's sure did feel good to look at it all again. I can't quite describe it, but after living there for two years it felt as though Aincrad was my real home and reality was the world that I was trapped inside without any hope of escape, but that's just a silly little thought of mine. Even though it was wonderful to look at, the dream was very short lived and was suddenly ended when I took a few steps forward so I could touch the image before me. Without any form of warning I felt the floor disappear within an instant and like a stone I was plummeting through the endless void with no sign of a stopping, I was wrong. With a vicious smack I collided with an invisible floor like a bullet and with the impact I awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed with the sunlight glaring on my face. From what I can understand... I think that the drugs allowed the visions to merge into their true form, the process that alway woke me in the night. But even with the small dosage I had taken, it was enough to form the images into that still picture. However, it was nothing more than that and it was a far cry from becoming anything close to what I had experienced in Sword Art Online".
"But, none the less I was able to get a decent night sleep which was the intended result, now I need to get up and start my day. I think I'm going to be needing this diary a little more from now on, if these dreams keep returning I'm going to need to record them somehow. Although these experiences may be nothing more than my imagination, I am starting the believe that I might have stumbled across something relevant to what I have been looking for, to stop the questions inside my head".
Diary Entry Number 7: May 26th 2025, 7:29am
"I decided that I'd walk to school today, the bus has recently gotten a little too crowded for my liking, maybe I'll walk more often. I been able to get a good look at this city that has been improved over the last two years and I just saw something that made me a little nostalgic. While I was walking through a quieter part of town I passed a small cafe that smelled of warm tea and hospitality and when I looked upon the smells source I saw that it looked just like a cafe that I enjoyed on the 32nd floor of Aincrad, that cafe had served this delightful sweet tea that I would drink at the end of each day, it was the only thing that could relax me and without I didn't feel the same at all. Maybe I'll visit that cafe one day, it might bring back some memories. But I don't have time for that now, in fact... oh shit I'm going to be late".
Diary Entry Number 8: May 26th 2025, 16:35pm
"I did make it to school in the end, but not without some serious running, I'm glad that the physical therapy has paid off otherwise I probably would have injured myself going at that speed in a weaker body. I did stop by that cafe on the way home seeing that I had more time to kill, I just took a quick look inside to see if it was the same as in the game. Although it looked a little shabby on the outside, inside it was well furnished and it appeared to have a calming atmosphere. I sat at the bar and a large man handed me a menu asking me what I wanted with a cheerful grin on his face, it must have been literally seconds after that moment when the door opened again and a large group of people wearing my school uniform entered the room, all of them talking loudly in happy voices. Although I can tolerate my classmates while at school, I had gone to that cafe to relax without having to listen to the constant chatter, something that I was no longer able to do. So I put down the menu and quietly left without anyone knowing, after that I continued on my walk home. I would like to go back there some time, it did seem quite a nice little place. But I don't know about the crowds though, I might go back in a less busy time but I can't be sure when that'll be. Anyway, I have homework to do, so I guess I'll talk to you again later".
Diary Entry Number 9: May 28th 2025, 17:13pm
"For the past few days my school life has become a little more bearable, the people there aren't too annoying and the work is fairly straightforward. Although I find history to be very boring, with its countless dates and trivial facts that pass through my head without leaving a mark. History was more fun when I was in Aincrad, the lore that had been well written was enough to get anyone interested, with its tales of warriors and monsters. But here it's like someone has torn all the good bits out of the history books. The others still don't interact with me, they're too busy with their own little groups that they formed both inside the game and in the real world, I even saw what appeared to be a couple... a boy with black hair and a girl with large hazel eyes, they were holding hands while they ate their lunch. That must be nice, someone close to hold in a world that's against you... but I digress".
"While everyone else is off doing their own activities, I have been using a majority of my time on a little research project. When I'm not in class, I spend my time in the school's library, where I read the books that are written on the workings of the mind so I can understand my dreams a bit more as I have continued to have them both with and without the sedatives in my body. Although at this point in time I'm no closer to answering those questions, I am learning about how dreams are formed and how they interact with my consciousness which I am finding quite interesting. The dreams haven't changed much since I last described them, they still remain a still image that I can't touch without waking before I get close enough. The sedatives do help a great deal though, they allow the image to form. But... I'm starting to think that my body is working against the them, this is mainly because it feels like they are becoming less and less effective... last night I even woke before I saw the images... I think that I might have to increase the dosage if I want to continue having peaceful nights of sleep".
"With what I have learnt so far and the images that I have seen in my sleep I am still struggling to narrow down what is happening to me exactly, so at the moment I can only make an educated guess of what is going on within my subconscious. My first guess is that I'm going mad, but I'd rather turn to that option only as a last resort. My second and more practical guess is that my mind is in some sort of state of rejection of what we call the "real world", seeing that these dreams are occurring all by themselves it seems like a valid assumption... although I'm not entirely sure why. The third guess which ties into the second one is that the questions are one of the causes of the dreams, with the sudden shock I received from not being recognised by my classmates might have led to something in my brain wanting to recreate the place where I was well known, the world that was Sword Art Online. I realise... that what I am saying probably sounds crazy to... well anyone, but with little other evidence the theories I have come up with seems like the only viable options. Although for all I know, I could be completely wrong about all of it. Tonight I am planning on increasing the dosage of the sedatives, without them it is likely that I won't be able to sleep until the morning and I'll be right back to square one. In fact I need to get myself some more, after tonight I'll be down to my last box and if I keep up this new dosage they won't last long. I'll update this'll diary again in the morning, maybe I might see something new tonight, but with little change to the dreams... I'm not holding my breath".
Diary Entry Number 10: May 29th 2025, 06:05am
"Last night I thought that the stronger dosage wouldn't have any effect on the dreams, so imagine my surprise when the images in my head became responsive than ever before. Like before the images came to me, but instead of staying completely still... they began to move after they had taken shape as though someone had pressed a play button to allow the images to flow like a video, allowing me to watch the world go while birds flew in the sky and the wind caused the trees to gently sway. As I continued to look around I saw the wildlife in fields in the far distance and I could hear the sound of nature in the air and like always... what I saw can only be described as simply beautiful. But just like the previous nights, before I could step any closer... I fell through the world and woke up when I collided with the invisible floor with a splat".
"I'm going to be stopping by the chemist on the way to school, or maybe on the way home... it depends on how I feel. I want to see the moving images again... they were just so pretty, so much more wonderful than this world... sorry, I got a bit carried away there. The only side effects of the increased does age is that I am far more tired than before, in fact, making this diary at the moment is proving to be quite tiring. But I think that it has to be done if I'm ever to see that world again... I mean... to continue my research, I'm not sure... why I said that. If I continue with this amount of medication, I have a feeling that I will be making a step in the right direction".
"Another thing I wanted to talk about was... so thing I saw this earlier... while I was awake. When I woke up this morning I was still feeling incredibly drowsy from the remains of the sedative in my system and my vision was slightly blurred, when I looked around I saw something in the corner of my vision... it was a HP bar. In a quick movement I got out of bed and stool before the new mirror in my room so I could look at myself, and what I saw simply astounded me. I saw myself, but it wasn't the me from this dull and boring world... it was them man I had been in Aincrad. There he stood all noble and resplendent with his sword at his side and his amour shining in the morning light while he stared into my eyes from the other side of the glass, smiling when he saw me. But... but he wasn't smiling for long. As his gaze continued his smile turned into a frown and his whole body turned so he was looking at me the way someone looks at an ant".
"After a minute of silence we were still looking at each other until the silence was broken... by him... when he spoke the words "no more" in his deep and terrifying voice. When the words had left his lips he broke down in pain and fell to the floor while he hid his face from me while writing with every second that passed, but when I bent down to look at him he suddenly raised his head and showed me what he had become. I was now looking at my true reflection, the weakened body I now inhabited was now wearing that armour which had now become dented and discoloured while the sword looked as rusty as an old nail. Then... in his shame he looked down and so did I, ashamed of looking at the weakened being I had become compared to what I used to look like. When I plucked up the courage to look up again I was surprised to see that he had disappeared, only to be replaced by the real me who was still wearing his pyjamas... the HP bar was gone too... what did I see this morning?"
"Anyway, my day has already gotten pretty weird. But I don't have much time left to contemplate on why it happened as I am already running late in getting ready for school, if only this could have happened to me on a weekend. I will be back later after I have thought everything through, maybe I'll find something useful in the library today but now... all I can say is that I think there might be a few side effects from taking these sedatives every night for the last few weeks. Anyway, I'm going to school so... speak to you later".
Diary Entry Number 11: May 29th 2025, 15:37pm
"Despite my weird experience this morning I left the house in hope that the rest of today would go smoothly without anymore surprises, but my optimism was wasted when the things took a turn for the worst on my way to school. Even though I was still in a drowsy state of mind I was still alert enough to make the easy route I take when walking to and from school, but today it wasn't easy and I wasn't at all prepared for what happened to me when I walked into an ally that harboured something terrible. Because of the way the streets have been built, the two openings to the alleyway don't align, meaning that there is a part of it that is horizontal and hidden from anyone who looked down from either street. Because of its handy location I regularly walk through the alley to cut a few minutes off my journey so I can arrive at school on time even if I left the house late, it's usually peaceful without any disturbances... but today... it was within that hidden gap where I faced my first enemy after leaving SAO".
"As I was making my way down the ally I started to hear the faint sound of laughter coming from around the corner and I though that I was nothing more than someone else from my school talking the same route, enjoying the company of a fellow student who walked beside them. But as I turned to continue walking I discovered that the laughter had a much more sinister origin and I saw the scene of large muscular staring down upon a young girl who was frozen to the spot with fear with what sounded like a hushed cry for help trapped inside of her. She looked no older than myself and she was wearing the same school uniform, making her a fellow SAO survivor. Appearance wise she had light auburn hair that looked like autumn and she wore glasses that windowed here eyes that were filled with nothing but fear and tears".
"The man who was confronting her was larger than myself and was dressed in a scruffy uniform of a different school that was situated on the other side of town. Along with his sheer size I saw how his hands were huge like deadly weapons that could easily crush the girl with enough pressure, but I was relieved to see that he was only using them to stop her from running away, but who knows what he could have done to her if I had not been there at that very moment. You could say that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that begs the question as to who else would have intervened in that situation. Yes... you heard me correctly, I threw myself into what was happening without a second thought. I don't regret what I did after I saw him, I only wished that it had not hurt as much when he retaliated. But even with my weaker body I would gladly do it again if I had to".
"Before the brute even saw me I was already swinging my arm towards him and I watched my fist collide with his face with a force that knocked him away from the girl, but it wasn't enough to put him to the floor which I could have done in my stronger SAO body. While he was stumbling the girl made a scream and quickly fled out of the ally, leaving me alone to face the creature that was picking itself up with hatred in its eyes. I don't remember what exactly happened after he hit me, he struck my face with great strength that quickly caused my vision to fade out to black, the last thing I felt was my body collapsing against a brick wall and a sensation as though I was breaking like porcelain doll. When I regained consciousness I felt a wetness on my face and the area of skin where he struck me was sore to the touch, making it difficult to move the muscles in my face. I didn't move from that spot for ages and while I sat I only though about how I had fallen from being one of the strongest players in Aincrad to a man who had been cast aside like he was nothing at all, it was as though I had been beaten in life itself, the one impossible game. Maybe that's why it's all so unfair, maybe it's been designed so that it can never be won... so that it'll always find new ways to beat you down into the dirt. At least it wasn't like that in Aincrad, everything was fair and everyone had a chance of achieving victory".
"I must have been sat there for about 30 minutes before picking myself up, but during that time nobody came to my aid. Not even the girl who I had saved, just like all the others she probably just forgot about me, I was just a nobody who had been forgotten by the citizens of the world I loved and cast aside in a world that was governed by chaos and lawlessness. I didn't continue my walk to school, instead I turned myself around to make my way home and I have been lying on my bed for the past few hours. The moisture on my face turned out to be blood that had come from my nose, but fortunately it wasn't broken but it was bleeding heavily which took a while to stop and clean up myself and all of the surfaces I had bled on, I even found red puddles of blood on the floor forming a trail that led from my front door to the bathroom. Since then I've just been lying here with a sense of self-loathing resting on my mind... I hate myself... I hate this body... I hate this word and everyone in it... the ones who have forgotten me. I wish I could go back to Aincrad, instead of playing this unfair game everyone calls real life. How could this be real... a world where everything is against me... and I can't do anything to protect myself... unlike when I was in Aincrad. I... don't want to play this game anymore, I want to go home".
Diary Entry Number 12: May 30th 2025, 12:36pm
"I haven't gone to school today, home was closest to the alley so I decided that it was my best chance of seeing to my injuries that I received from that monster of a man, I'm on my own today as well... everyone has gone off on their own little adventures while I wait for them to return. The only thing that I've accomplished is moving from my bed to the sofa in the front room. I've even slept a little, allowing me to dream of Aincrad again. It's weird though... I don't usually sleep in the middle the day. My head is in a huge amount of pain though, it's probably a repercussion of being punched into a wall, in fact... I don't really remember what happened after I got punched... I remember that he hit me but everything after that a blank space in my memory. I've actually been feeling dizzy throughout the day too which is why I haven't moved much... but with every haze of my vision... I can see the HP bear from the other day... showing me how low my health is. I'm not exactly sure why I am seeing it... I'm not inside a game am I? This is supposed to be the real world... I've been trapped here ever since I woke up... that's right... I'm trapped".
"I... I need to know... I need to know what world I'm in... whether I'm in still trapped in a game. But how? How can I tell? Everything about this two worlds is so similar it's impossible to tell which ones real... no... not everything. I didn't bleed in the game, nobody did. Whenever I was cut or stabbed in the game, the only thing that game from my body was a stream of red polygons meant to look like blood... but it wasn't actually a liquid. I need to know, I have to know... I... I think there's a sharp enough knife in the kitchen".
Diary Entry Number 13: May 30th 2025, 17:41pm
"Nothing... not a drop... only a red haze made up of those little shapes that emerged from my body... when I cut my wrist... this means that... I'm in a game... it all makes sense now. I can see the HP bar... I can see the polygon blood... I need to go back home... to Aincrad. But how? I've been swiping my hand down constantly but I can't bring up the menu. How am I going to get home? I don't want to stay here anymore. Wait... the pills... they... they showed me my home... maybe they can take me there too".
Diary Entry Number 14: May 30th 2025, 17:50pm
"I've got them... it sounds like there's a lot in here. How many should I take? All of them? Let me think... a normal dosage gave me an image... double gave me something moving... but I want the full effect... I want it to last, I think all of them is probably best. But I don't think I can take this diary with me though... I guess I should say something for a final entry. Umm... My name is Ryousuke, I am eighteen years of age and after all this time... I think that I'll finally get to go home".
"I've taken the pills and my vision is starting to fade... but I can already see it... I can see the arena. I need to log out of this world first... if I want to disconnect properly. I... I can see the menu, it even made that sweet chime when I opened it. Now, where is it... ah, there it is. Right, I'm going to log off now, maybe I'll come back and visit sometime... that might be nice".
"Goodbye and... thank you for showing me the way".