MIZURASHI, KOJI

Koji Mizurashi

16

Male

Japanese

Koji's Appearence

The user brings his sword to his side, blade facing away from his body and pointed towards the enemy, and stands as if ready to kick off. He then places on hand on the top of the blade, activating the sword art. The sword glows blue to indicate the activation of the sword art, and then the user dashes forward to come within 3 feet of the target. He then lunges with the sword, which shoots out like a spike and extends an extra two feet into the opponent.

For this sword art, the user stands with his sword held high and pointed towards the sky. The sword glows blue for a moment and then appears to have ice build up on the blade. The user then runs up and slashes the opponent, causing the impact area to ‘freeze’, and slowing the opponent for a short duration.

While outwardly shows himself as a kind hearted, active soul, inside Koji is nearly empty, feeling isolated from the world. He mostly does things in memory of his twin sister, and has all but erased everything that made him his own person. He tried to live up to his sister’s expectations and ambition, and holds her death as a dark mark on his soul. Because of that, Koji will be more hard-working than most, to live up to his sister’s memory, but tends to act reckless when it comes to his own well-being. Koji can be very observant to the world around him, but usually is too quiet to make mention of anything, and very few usually get through to his inner self. His lack of a sense of self allows him to be calm under pressure, but at the same time, this lack also make him very stubborn about what he should do.

Koji was born Japanese, and grew up in Saitama City, his parents sticking with their ancient heritage. Koji was a twin, his sister Kiyu being the same age and only about an hour older. The siblings grew up together, sharing everything. Kiyu was more of the popular one, Koji back then was more of a reader and athlete. When Kiyu took up archery, Koji did kendo. Other than those differences, the two were the best of friends, even for siblings.

That would change during the first year of high school. It was a time when they were starting to drift apart, as each one’s growth gave little time for the other. Their groups became separate, and their time was spent apart. It was a rather rainy night when Koji got into a fight with his sister, while the two were on their way home. While his memories of that night are hard to remember, by the end of it, Kiyu was killed in a car accident, loving Koji shocked and horrified, and felt responsible for her death. Koji tried to continue his life... but was unable to.

Koji abandoned almost everything that he did by himself. While he remembers his kendo, and occasionally practices, he’s stopped taking lessons. He’s gotten close to Kiyu’s friends, and has cherished her last gift to him, her camera.

Koji needed an escape from the world, especially from the pressures he placed on himself, and from that, started retreating more into his own little world of online gaming. It was nearly a perfect match for him, it was a way to be whoever he wanted to be, and perhaps the only time that he would be free to be Koji, and not just try to live up to Kiyu’s memory. There was no one here that could judge him based on her, and he was free to do anything... even die in the game, when he felt the darkness of his heart that blamed him for Kiyu’s death. The announcement of the NerveGear was exactly what Koji wanted, and needed. A way to completely immerse yourself into the world, and block out the one you were in. He didn’t make the beta for the game Sword Art Online, but he was one of the first in line to pick up the game when it was released.
His first experiences in the game were magical, in a word. He was free to act out his own fantasy life, and could do what he deemed necessary to relax him. He was only planning to be in the game a little each day, in order to still live a life outside. In fact, the day he logged onto Sword Art Online, he wasn't planning on staying in the game very long at all. He was supposed to meet his friend Mika, one of Kiyu’s best friends. Unfortunately, that would not happen, as he was one of the first to find out that the log out button was missing. Thinking nothing of it, Koji sent in a ticket and waited in a field outside of the Town of Beginnings, enjoying the world.
When he suddenly found himself teleported back to the square, he thought the GMs were going to help with the logout button, but instead, he was told he was stuck, and his life was at risk. Lucky for him, he named his avatar after his own name, but the appearance... that ended up changing to what he looked like. Realizing the danger he was in, Koji stayed in the square only for a moment before heading out and immediately going to gain experience. He couldn't die here, not when people expected things from him. And his sister.