It would be an abbreviation for Sword Art Online, an
anime where in the year
2022, virtual reality has progressed by leaps and bounds, and a huge online role-playing
game called Sword Art Online has been released. With the help of "NerveGear" technology, players can control their in-
game avatars using only their own thoughts. Kazuto Kirigaya, nicknamed "Kirito", is among the few lucky enthusiasts who got their hands on the first shipment of the
game. He logs on to find himself, with ten thousand others, in the elaborate, scenic world of Aincrad, a world full of fantastic medieval weapons and horrific monsters. However, in a cruel turn of events, the players soon realize they cannot leave; The
game'
s creator has trapped them in their new world until they complete all one hundred levels of the
game. To escape Aincrad, Kirito will now have to interact and cooperate with his fellow players. Some are allies, while others are enemies, like Asuna Yuuki, who commands the leading group trying to escape the relentless
game. To make matters worse, Sword Art Online isn't all fun and games: if they
die in Aincrad, they
die in real life. Kirito must adapt to his new reality, fight for his survival and, with luck, free himself from his virtual hell.
