Ame Infinite

 

Chapter 21

There was a group of obviously high-level players waiting in the 75^th level's teleport gate plaza in Collinia, so I figured they must be the boss party. As Asuna and I stepped out of the gate and headed towards them, they all closed their mouths and sent a tense glance our way. Some of them even gave us a guild salute.
I stopped walking as surprise overwhelmed me. But Asuna saluted in reply and then jabbed me on the side.
“Come on, Kirito-kun, you're a leader now, so you have to greet them properly!”
“What...?”
I saluted them awkwardly. I had taken part in numerous boss parties up until now, but this was the first time I had received so much attention.
“Hey!”
Someone thumped me on the shoulder, and I turned around and saw the katana-wielder, Klein, smiling under his bandana. Surprisingly, Agil's huge build also stood beside him, fully equipped with a two-handed axe in his hands.
“What......? You guys are taking part as well?”
“Why are you surprised!? Aren't you taking us a bit too lightly!?”
Agil shouted indignantly.
“I even left my shop because I heard that you guys were having a hard time. To think that you don't appreciate my selfless sacrifice....”
I hit Agil's arm as he declared with overstated body motions.
“I understand your sentiments very well. So we can count you out when we share the goods right?”
When I said that, the giant shook his bald head and gathered his eyebrows into an eight (八) sign.
“Well. Tha-That's a bit....”
As his faltering voice trailed off, Asuna and Klein simultaneously burst into laughter. It quickly spread to the other players and seemingly washed away everyone's anxiety.
At exactly one o'clock, several new players arrived at the gate. It was Heathcliff, dressed in his red overcoat with his huge cross-shaped shield in hand, and the elites of the KoB. A tense atmosphere overcame the players once again as they saw the newcomers.
If we were to compare only levels and stats, the only person who would be higher than Asuna and I would probably be Heathcliff himself. But their coordination projected the strength of their teamwork. Other than the red and white guild colors, their armor and weapons were all completely different; yet the strength of the bonds between them was far superior to that of «The Army» unit we had seen.
The paladin and his four subordinates walked straight towards us, which split the group of assembled players into two. Klein and Agil were both forced to take a few steps back, while Asuna calmly exchanged a salute with them.
After coming to a stop, Heathcliff nodded towards us before he spoke to the entire group:
“It seems that everybody is here. Thank you all for that. I think that everybody understands our current situation. This will be a hard battle, but I believe that with your strength we will prevail. We shall fight for our freedom from this game—!”
As Heathcliff shouted in a powerful voice, the other players joined in with an inspiring roar of their own. I was surprised at the charisma which drew others to him like a magnet. It was surprising to see a person with such leadership qualities amongst the hardcore gamers that usually lack social coordination, or maybe it was this world that nurtured his talents? I wondered what he did in the real world...
Heathcliff turned my way as if he had felt my gaze, and then said with a smile:
“Kirito-kun, I look forward to your efforts. I hope you'll use your «Dual Blades» to its fullest.”
Neither pressure nor fear could be heard from his low and soft voice. One couldn't help but be amazed at the fact that Heathcliff maintained such a laid back attitude despite facing a difficult battle ahead of us.
After I nodded silently, Heathcliff turned back towards the players and raised his hand up into the air.
“Then we start. I will open a corridor that leads directly to the area in front of the boss room.”
He took out a navy blue crystal from his pouch as he said this, sending murmurs and awe through the other players.
Normal teleport crystals can only transport the user to a chosen city's teleport gate, but the item Heathcliff had taken out was a «Corridor Crystal», which could open a teleport gate to any location that the player marked. Needless to say, it was an exceptionally useful item.
But since it was so handy, it was also extremely rare and wasn't sold in NPC shops. It could only be acquired from labyrinth treasure chests or as a drop from monsters, so few players were willing to use it even if they had one. The reason that the players voiced their surprise was not because they had seen a rare item, but because Heathcliff was willing to use it.
Heathcliff raised the crystal, oblivious to the stares of the other players, and yelled:
“Corridor open.”
The exceedingly expensive crystal shattered and a blue whirlpool of light appeared.
“Then, everyone, follow me.”
After he swept his gaze across the whole group, Heathcliff leapt into the blue light with his red clothes fluttering behind him. His body was immediately engulfed by the light and disappeared in an instant. His four KoB subordinates then followed him without delay.
At some point, many people began gathering around the plaza. They must have heard about the boss battle and had come out to see us off. The warriors walked into the light one after another amidst cries of encouragement.
Asuna and I were soon the only ones left. We looked at each other and exchanged a slight nod before we held our hands and jumped into the whirlpool of light together.


After the dizzying sensation of teleportation had passed, I opened my eyes and saw that we were already in the labyrinth. It was a remarkably wide corridor, with two rows of thick pillars and a huge gate at the end.
The labyrinth of the 75^th floor was built from some type of faintly transparent obsidian. Unlike the crude and rough labyrinths of the lower floors, the stones here were smoothly polished and stacked together with no gaps in between. The air was cold and damp, and a thin layer of mist covered the floor.
Asuna covered herself with both arms as if she felt cold and then spoke:
“......Somehow...... I have a really bad feeling...”
“Yeah...”
I agreed.
In the two years up until now, we have cleared 74 labyrinths and defeated an equal number of boss monsters. After gaining so much experience, we can roughly guess the strength of the boss just by looking at its lair.
The thirty players around us were all opening their windows and checking their equipped items; their expressions were all very serious.
I led Asuna behind a pillar and put my arm around her thin body. The anxiety that I had been holding back burst forth now that the fight was near. My body had even started shaking.
“...Don't worry.”
Asuna whispered into my ear.
“I'll protect you.”
“No... It's not that I'm afraid of fighting...”
“Fufu.”
Asuna gave a small laugh and continued:
“So... You have to protect me as well, Kirito-kun.”
“Yeah... Definitely.”
I squeezed my arm around her once more before breaking apart. Heathcliff, who had now gotten his cross-shaped shield out, spoke with his equipment clanking.
“Is everyone ready? We have no information about the boss' behavioral patterns. The KoB will be in charge of holding back the enemy's attacks; everyone should take this chance to analyze the enemy's attack patterns and counterattack accordingly.”
Everybody nodded silently.
“Then— let's go.”
Heathcliff said softly. Then he walked confidently over to the obsidian door and placed his hand in the middle of it. This caused everyone to become extra tense.
I tapped the shoulders of Klein and Agil, who were both beside me, and told them as they turned around:
“Don't die.”
“Heh, worry about yourself instead.”
“I have no intention of dying before I make a fortune with the rare items I'll get from today's fight.”
As they gave their arrogantly-humored responses, the door began to open with a heavy sound. The players all readied their weapons, so I drew both my swords from my back as well. I glanced at Asuna, who had her rapier in hand, and then nodded to her.
Heathcliff drew his sword from his shield last. He then raised his hand up into the air and shouted,
“—Begin battle!”
Then he walked past the wide-open gates and into the room, with everyone else following right behind him.
The room's inside was shaped like a huge dome. It seemed about as wide as the arena Heathcliff and I dueled in. The dark walls soared into the air and curved high above our heads. Right after the thirty-two players entered the room and got into formation— the doors behind us closed with a boom. Now it was impossible to open unless either the boss died or we got wiped out.
The entire group fell into silence for a long moment. Although we kept our watch on the surrounding floor, the boss still hadn't appeared. Time held our nerves tight as one second slowly passed after another.
“Hey—”
Just as someone couldn't endure the tense silence any longer...
“Above us!!”
Asuna shouted next to me. I looked upwards in surprise.
On the ceiling of the dome— It was there.
It was exceptionally huge and long.
A centipede—!?
That thought passed through my mind the moment I saw it. It was about ten meters long. But the body that was divided into numerous parts reminded me more of a human spine than an insect. Sharp legs made of bare bones could be seen protruding from every joint. As I shifted my glance down the body, it became thicker until the hideous skull came to sight. It wasn't the skull of a human. At the end of the smooth skull, there were two pairs of sharply upturned eye sockets with blue flames smoldering inside. The jaws jutted outward and were filled with a row of sharp teeth, while two massive arms in the shape of scythes were attached on either side of the skull.
When I focused my gaze on it, the monster's name appeared along with a yellow cursor: «The Skullreaper» — the skeletal hunter-killer.
As the shocked players watched the skeletal centipede crawl along the ceiling on its numerous legs, it suddenly spread its legs wide — and then dove straight into us.
“Don't just stand there! Scatter!!”
Heathcliff's sharp voice cut through the frozen air. The players finally came to their senses and began to move. We hurried to get away from the estimated landing area as well.
But the three people who were positioned directly under the skeletal centipede's dive were a little slow. They simply stood there and looked up as if unsure of which direction to move in.
“This way!”
I shouted in a hurry. The three players then became unfrozen and started running towards me—
But in that moment, the centipede landed behind them and the whole floor shook violently. The three lost their balance as a result, just as the centipede swung its right arm —which was shaped like a huge bone scythe that was as long as a person— and cleaved directly into them.
The three players were sliced once in their backs and sent flying simultaneously. Their HP decreased quickly as they flew through the air— straight past the yellow area and into the red danger area—
“—!?”
Then they all reached zero, and the three bodies that were still in the air shattered into countless shards and scattered. The sound effects of death overlapped one another.
“——!!”
I heard Asuna hold her breath beside me. I could feel my body becoming rigid with shock.
They died— in one hit—?!
In the SAO system, which used both levels and skills, one's maximum HP rose with level, so a higher level meant it was harder to kill regardless of one's fighting skills. The party here today was composed of only high-level players, so even if it was a boss, everyone should still be able to withstand at least a short combo attack— that's what everyone had thought. Yet in just one hit—
“This... is impossible....”
Asuna muttered in a forced voice.
The skeletal centipede that had taken the lives of three people in an instant raised its upper body and charged at another group of players with a thunderous roar.
“Ahhhh—!!”
The players in that direction screamed in panic. The bone scythe was raised high up into the air once again.
In this critical moment, a figure jumped in right beneath the scythe. It was Heathcliff. He raised his large shield and blocked the attack, sending out an ear-rending sound of impact and a shower of sparks.
But there were two scythes. While its left arm continued to attack Heathcliff, it raised its right scythe and swung down at the frozen players.
“Dammit......!”
I ran in almost subconsciously, quickly covering the distance as if I was flying, and flung myself directly in front of the scythe. Then I crossed my swords and blocked its attack.
The tremulous force of impact struck my body. But— the scythe didn't stop. As sparks flew from it, the scythe pushed back my swords and came towards me.
It's too powerful—!
At this moment, a new sword flew in with a trail of white light and struck the scythe. A clashing noise resounded. As the scythe weakened during this moment, I immediately pushed with all my might and managed to force the bone scythe back.
Next to me, Asuna glanced my way and said,
“If we both hit it at the same time— we can block its attacks! If it's us, then it's possible!!”
“Okay— let's do this!”
I nodded. Just knowing that Asuna was next to me gave me boundless strength.
As the scythe swung horizontally towards us once again, both Asuna and I swung towards the lower right to parry. Our swords struck the scythe head on in perfect unison, and this time it was the scythe that was knocked back.
I strengthened my voice and shouted:
“We'll stop the scythes! Everyone else attack its sides!”
It was as if my voice finally freed everyone from some spell. The players shouted, raised their weapons, and charged at the body of the skeletal centipede. A number of hits cut deeply into the enemy's body and the boss' HP finally decreased a bit.
But immediately afterwards, I could hear the screaming of several players. I risked a glance after countering the scythe again and saw a few people get knocked down by the long, spear-like bone at the end of the centipede's tail.
“Argh...!”
I gritted my teeth. We should help, but Asuna and I, as well as Heathcliff who was guarding against the left scythe by himself only a little further away, already had our hands full.
“Kirito-kun...!”
At Asuna's voice, I turned my gaze over to her.
—No! If we get distracted we'll be hit!
—Yeah, you're right... It's coming again!!
—Block with a left vertical upward cut!
We spoke to each other with only exchanged glances and blocked the scythe with perfectly synchronized movements.
We forced ourselves to ignore the screams that could be heard from time to time and concentrated on blocking the enemy's powerful blows. Amazingly, we didn't need to talk or even glance at one another. It was as if we were directly linked to the other. The enemy attacked so fast that it didn't even leave breathing room, but we still managed to counter it every time by activating the same skills at precisely the same instant.
Just then— as I fought at my limits for my very life, I experienced a feeling that I had never felt before. It was a totally surreal experience— as if Asuna and I had fused into one person and were swinging one sword. Our HP continued to decrease bit by bit due to the aftershock of the enemy's strikes we blocked, but we were already beyond caring about such things.

Chapter 22

The fighting continued for over an hour.
It felt like an eternity had passed before the battle finally finished. When the boss monster's huge body shattered into countless shards, no one had even the energy to cheer. Everyone either collapsed into a sitting position on the obsidian ground or laid down completely with their breathing ragged.
Is it— over...?
Yeah— It's over—
After we exchanged these thoughts, it felt like the «link» between Asuna and I also severed. Fatigue suddenly overwhelmed my body and I knelt down onto the floor. Asuna and I sat with our backs against each other, feeling as if we wouldn't be able to do anything for a while.
We were both alive— But even when I thought of this, I just couldn't be happy about the situation. Too many people had died. After the first three deaths at the start of the battle, the grim sound effect of people shattering continued to resound at a steady pace and I had forced myself to stop counting at the sixth one.
“How many— died...?”
Klein, who was sitting to my left, asked in a wheezing voice. Agil, who was lying on the floor next to him with his arms and legs spread out, also turned his head this way.
I waved my right hand to open the map and then counted the green dots on it. I subtracted the tally from the number of people who had been present when we first set off.
“—Fourteen dead.”
I couldn't believe this number even though I had counted it myself.
They were all high-leveled, skilled warriors who had experienced countless battles. Even if we couldn't escape or heal instantly, we should still be able to avoid suffering too many deaths if we fought in a manner that put survival first— That's what we had all thought, but—
“...Impossible...”
Agil's voice didn't carry a hint of its usual brightness. A depressing gloom pressed down on the survivors.
We were only three-fourths of the way there— There were still twenty-five floors left to clear. Even though there were thousands of players here, only a few hundred were still serious about clearing the game. If every floor generated as many fatalities as this one, then it was highly possible — that only one person would face the final boss.
If that happened, the last one standing would probably be that man...
I shifted my gaze further back into the room. Amongst everybody who sat on the floor, a single red-clothed figure continued to stand straight. That person was Heathcliff.
Of course, he wasn't unscathed. As I focused on him, the cursor appeared to show his HP, and I could tell that he had taken quite a bit of damage. He had blocked the bone scythe, which Asuna and I had barely managed to keep at bay, by himself until the end. It wouldn't be strange if he collapsed from exhaustion alone regardless of his HP.
But I couldn't feel even the slightest hint of tiredness from his calm figure. It was a toughness that was hard to believe. It was as if— he was a fighting machine...
Because my mind was hazy due to the fatigue, I continued to stare at the side of Heathcliff's face. The legend's expression was composed. He was silently looking down at the sitting KoB members and the other players. His eyes were warm and full of mercy— as if—
As if he was looking at a bunch of white mice playing in an inescapable cage.
Just then, a shudder racked through my body.
My mind became clear in an instant. My body grew cold, starting from the tips of my fingers and spreading all the way to the center of my brain. It was a strange foreboding. The impossible idea infested my mind like a seed and suspicion grew from it.
The expression within Heathcliff's eyes, the calmness it showed, it wasn't a look that consoled his wounded comrades. He wasn't standing on the same level as us. His expression was offering mercy from some faraway place high above us— It was the expression of a god...
I thought of the inhuman reaction speed that Heathcliff had shown during our duel. It had far surpassed the speed of a human being. No, I said that wrongly; it had far surpassed the limits that SAO had set on the players.
Add his usual behavior on top of that: he was the leader of the strongest guild, yet he never gave any orders and simply watched the other players take care of things. Maybe that wasn't because he trusted his men— Maybe he was holding himself back because he knew of things that normal players didn't!
He was a being that wasn't bound by the rules of this game of death. Yet he wasn't an NPC. There was no way that a program could be able to make such a merciful expression.
If he was neither an NPC nor a normal player, then there was only one possibility left. But how on earth do I confirm this? There was just no way to... Not even one.
No, there is. It was a way that I could try only right here and right now.
I looked at Heathcliff's HP bar. It had been greatly reduced from the hard fight. But it hadn't dropped to 50%. It was barely, just barely in the blue zone.
No one had ever seen this person's HP go into the yellow zone. He had an overwhelming defense that nobody could even compare with.
During his duel with me, his expression had changed the moment his HP had neared the halfway point. It shouldn't be a fear of his HP turning yellow.
It was— most probably—
I slowly fixed my grip on the sword in my right hand. I pulled my right foot back with the tiniest movements. I bent my hips back slightly and got into a low dash position. Heathcliff didn't notice any of my movements. His warm gaze was currently directed only towards his tired guild members.
If my guess is wrong, then I would be branded a criminal and be punished without mercy.
If that happens...I'm sorry...
I glanced at Asuna, who sat next to me. She raised her head at the same time and our eyes met.
“Kirito-kun...?”
A surprised expression overcame Asuna, whose mouth moved yet gave off no voice. But at that moment, my right foot had already kicked off against the ground.
There were ten meters between me and Heathcliff. I sped towards him at full speed with my body almost touching the ground and reached him in an instant. Then I tilted my sword and stabbed upwards. It was the basic one-handed sword skill «Rage Spike». Since it was a weak skill, it shouldn't kill Heathcliff even if it made a critical hit. But if my guess was right—
The blade rushed in from the left, leaving a trail of bright blue light. Heathcliff reacted with surprising speed, and an expression of shock appeared on his face. He immediately lifted his shield in an attempt to guard.
But I had already seen him perform that motion many times during our duel and remembered it clearly. My sword dissolved into a streak of light, changed its course in midair, and scraped along the edge of his shield before continuing to pierce towards his chest.
But just before the sword struck him, it was stopped by an invisible wall. A powerful shock coursed through my arm. A spark of purple light flashed and a message of the same colour appeared— a system message between us.
[Immortal Object]. It wasn't a status that weak beings like us players could have. What Heathcliff had feared during the duel must be the revelation of this godlike safeguard to everyone.
“Kirito-kun, what are you—?”
Asuna, who had shouted in surprise at my sudden attack and ran after me, suddenly stopped and froze in place after seeing the message. Me, Heathcliff, Klein, and all the other players around us were completely motionless as well. The system message faded slowly in the midst of this stillness.
I lowered my sword and jumped back lightly, widening the distance between Heathcliff and myself. Asuna took a couple of steps forward and stood next to me.
“Immortality granted by the system... How's this possible... guild master...?”
Heathcliff didn't respond even after hearing Asuna's confused voice. He simply glared at me with a severe expression. With both of my swords in hand, I opened my mouth and spoke:
“This is the truth behind the legend. His HP was protected by the system and wouldn't fall into the yellow zone no matter what happened to him. The status of immortality... other than NPCs, only system administrators could have it. But this game didn't have any administrators, except for maybe one person...”
I stopped talking at this point and glanced upwards into the skies.
“...I had always wondered after my arrival in this world... Just where he was watching us from as he manipulated this world. But I forgot one simple truth, one that even a little kid should know.”
I looked straight at the red paladin and continued:
“«There's nothing more boring than watching someone else play a game». Isn't that right?...... Kayaba Akihiko?”
There was a stunned silence, as if everyone had just frozen over.
Heathcliff was glaring at me with an emotionless expression. The players around us didn't move even a muscle. No, it was more accurate to say that they couldn't move.
Asuna took a step forward from beside me. Her eyes didn't contain a trace of emotion, as if they were bottomless voids. She opened her mouth slightly and spoke in a dry and barely audible voice.
“Leader...... Is this...... true...?”
Heathcliff ignored her question. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and asked me:
“...Just for reference, could you tell me how you figured it out?”
“...The first time I thought that something was off was during our duel, because your speed during that final moment was simply too fast.”
“As I expected. That was a grievous mistake on my part. I was so overwhelmed by your speed that I ended up using the system's assistance past its normal limits.”
As Heathcliff nodded, his face finally revealed another expression; his lips moved slightly to form a bitter smile.
“I originally expected to reach the 95^th floor before this would be revealed.”
His smile turned into one of authority as he slowly swept his gaze across the players. Then, the red paladin stated confidently:
“—Yes. I am Kayaba Akihiko. I am also the final boss of the game who awaits you all on the top floor.”
I felt Asuna sway slightly beside me. I extended my right hand to support her without turning my gaze.
“...You've got some strange tastes. To think that the strongest player would suddenly become the most malignant final boss.”
“Don't you think that this is an interesting scenario? I had originally thought that this revelation would incite a wave of shock throughout Aincrad, but I had never thought that I would be found out only three-quarters of the way through the game. I knew that you were this game's most unpredictable factor, but I never imagined that you would have such potential.”
As the creator of this game who imprisoned the minds of ten thousand players, Kayaba Akihiko smiled in a way that I could still remember and shrugged. Kayaba's expressions were totally different from those of Heathcliff the Paladin. But that impenetrable, steely presence was somehow similar to that of the expressionless avatar which had descended upon us two years ago.
Kayaba continued with a bitter smile:
“...I had expected that you would be the player who would stand against me in the end. Out of the ten unique skills, «Dual Blades» is given to the player with the fastest reaction speed, who would then act out the hero's role against the final boss, regardless of whether he wins or loses. But you have shown me strength beyond my expectations, be it your speed or your insight. Well... I suppose that such unpredictable developments are part of the essence of online RPGs....”
At this moment, one of players who was frozen stood up slowly. He was one of the KoB leaders. His seemingly brusque eyes were filled with a tormented agony.
“You...... You...... How dare you take our loyalty — our hopes...... and... and... completely defile them—!”
He raised his huge halberd into the air and launched himself with a scream. There wasn't even any time to try to stop him. We could only watch as he swung his weapon down at Kayaba—
But Kayaba was a step faster. He waved his left hand and quickly manipulated the window that appeared; the man immediately stopped in midair and then fell to the ground with a loud noise. A green outline flashed around his HP bar, indicating paralysis. However, Kayaba didn't stop there and continued to move his hand.
“Ah...Kirito-kun...!”
I turned around and saw Asuna kneeling on the ground. It wasn't just her either, as all the players except Kayaba and I were on the ground, groaning from awkward positions.
After sheathing my blades, I knelt down to prop up Asuna's upper body with my arm and held her hand. Then I looked back at Kayaba.
“...What are you going to do? Are you going to kill us all to hide the truth...?”
“Of course not. I would never do something so unreasonable.”
The man in red smiled and shook his head.
“But since the situation has gotten to this point, I have no other choice. I will move my schedule forward and await for your arrival in the «Scarlet Jade Castle» on the top floor. It's a shame that I must desert the KoB, as well as the other front-line players, that I had carefully cultivated to fight against the powerful mobs on the 90^th floor and above. But I believe that all of you should have enough strength to reach the top level. But... before that...”
Kayaba suddenly stopped talking and turned his eyes, which were full of overwhelming will-power, to focus on me. He then drove his sword softly into the obsidian floor, and a sharp yet clear metallic ring resounded across the air.
“Kirito, since you figured out my true identity, I will reward you with an opportunity: you can have a one-on-one duel with me, right here and right now. Of course, I will negate my immortality status. If you win, the game will be cleared immediately, and all the players will be able to log out. What do you say...?”
As soon as she heard this, Asuna began to squirm in my arms, trying desperately to move her paralyzed body as she shook her head.
“No, Kirito-kun...! He's trying to get rid of you first... Right now... Right now you have to back down...!”
My instincts told me that was the best course of action. This guy was an administrator who could intervene with the system. Even if he claimed that it would be a fair fight, there was no way to know whether or not he was somehow manipulating the system. The best choice would be to retreat now and come up with a countermeasure with the others.
But...
What did that guy say? That he raised the KoB? That we would surely be able to reach...?
“What a load of crap....”
I unconsciously muttered in a dry voice.
This guy confined the minds of ten thousand people in a world he had created, where he had already killed four thousand with electromagnetic waves. He had been watching the players struggle foolishly and pitifully according to the script he had written. This must be the most enjoyable experience available to a game master.
I thought of Asuna's past, which she had shared with me on the 22^nd floor. I remembered the tears she had shed while clutching me. The man before my eyes had created this world for his own joy and hurt Asuna's heart countless times, making it bleed profusely; there was no way I could just back down from this.
“Fine. Let's settle this.”
I nodded slowly.
“Kirito-kun...!”
At Asuna's stricken cry, I dropped my gaze to the figure in my arms. Pain pierced my heart as if my chest had been stabbed through, but somehow I managed to force a smile.
“Sorry. But I can't... run away right now....”
Asuna opened her mouth to say something, but then gave up halfway and tried her best to smile. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
“You weren't planning... on sacrificing yourself...?”
“Of course... I'll definitely win. I'll win and put an end to this world.”
“Okay. I'll trust you.”
Even if I lose and die, you must live on— although I wanted to say that, but I still couldn't force it out. I could only hold Asuna's right hand firmly in its stead.
After I released her hand, I laid Asuna's body down on the obsidian floor and then stood back up. I slowly approached Kayaba, who was silently looking upon us, and drew both my swords with a sharp sound.
“Kirito! Stop—!”
“Kirito—!”
When I turned my head towards the source of those voices, I saw Klein and Agil shouting and trying desperately to lift themselves up. I focused my sight upon Agil first and nodded slightly towards him.
“Agil, thanks for supporting the warrior class players up till now. I know that you spent most of the money you had earned to help the players on the middle floors.”
I smiled at the huge guy whose eyes were wide open before shifting my gaze again.
The katana warrior, with a simple bandana and fully-bearded cheeks, fumed on the floor as if he was still trying to find the words to say.
I gazed straight into those deep eyes of his and took a deep breath. This time, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't control my faltering voice.
“Klein. That time... I'm really sorry... about leaving you. I've always regretted it.”
As soon as I finished this short line in my hoarse voice, something twinkled at the corners of my old friend's eyes, and tears soon began to roll down one after another.
With tears still coming out of his eyes, Klein struggled to stand up while shouting loudly with a coarse voice that was about to break:
“You... You bastard! Kirito! Don't apologize! Don't apologize now! I won't forgive you! Until you invite me to a meal in the real world, I definitely won't forgive you!!”
I nodded at Klein, who wanted to continue shouting.
“Yeah, I promise. Next time, I'll see you on the other side.”
I raised my right hand and gave him a thumbs up.
Finally, I turned my gaze back to the girl who had allowed me to say the words that had been buried deeply within my heart for two years.
I looked upon the smiling Asuna whose face was covered by tears—
I muttered an apology to her inside my mind and turned back around. I faced Kayaba, who still had an expression of absolute superiority, and opened my mouth:
“...Sorry about this, but I have one thing to ask.”
“What is it?”
“I don't have any intention of losing, but if I die — can you prevent Asuna from committing suicide, even if only for a short period?”
Kayaba raised an eyebrow in surprise, but calmly nodded to my request.
“Okay. I'll set it so that she won't be able to leave Salemburg.”
“Kirito-kun, no!! You can't, you can't do this—!!”
Asuna screamed tearfully from behind me. But I didn't look back. I shifted my right foot backwards, brought my left sword forward while lowering my right sword, and entered my stance.
Kayaba manipulated the window with his left hand and readjusted our HP bars to the same level. It was just before the red zone, where a single, strong hit would decide the fight.
After that, the system message [changed into mortal object] appeared above his head. Kayaba then closed the windows, pulled out the sword he had dug into the ground, and raised it behind his cross-shaped shield.
My mind was completely calm and clear. Thoughts like Sorry, Asuna bubbled away and scattered as I sharpened the fighting instinct within me into a razor's edge.
Frankly, I had no clue what my chances of winning were. If we were only talking about sword skills, then he wasn't any better than me based on the last duel. But that's only if he doesn't use his 'overassist', during which only he would be able to move while I would be completely frozen in place.
It all depended on Kayaba's pride. Based on what he said, he was planning to defeat me with only the strength of «Holy Sword». If that was the case, my only chance of surviving this was to defeat him before he used any special abilities.
The space between me and Heathcliff tensed. It felt as if the air itself trembled under the pressure of the murderous intent pouring out of us. This was no longer a duel; it was a fight to the death. That's right— I'm going to—
“Kill you...!!”
I shot forward with a sharp shout.
I swung my right sword horizontally as the distance closed. Kayaba blocked this easily with his shield. There was a spray of sparks and our faces were lit for a second.
It was as if the metallic clashing noise signaled the start of our fight; our weapons immediately accelerated to breakneck speeds and dominated the space around us.
This fight was the strangest, yet the most human fight that I'd partaken in up until now. Both of us had already shown our skills to each other. Furthermore, this was the person who designed «Dual Blades», thus he easily saw through any common skill combinations. That was why he had blocked all of my attacks during our last duel.
I couldn't rely upon the combos offered by the system; I had to depend on my own skills and instincts to swing my swords. Of course, I couldn't receive the system's assistance this way, but I could still move my arms at high speeds with the help of my accelerated senses. I could even see the afterimages, and it looked almost like there were several dozen swords in my hands. But—
Kayaba was blocking all of them with stunning accuracy. He also countered immediately whenever I showed even the slightest opening. The situation showed no sign of changing. I concentrated on Heathcliff's eyes in an attempt to read even a bit of the enemy's thoughts and reactions. We ended up exchanging glances as a result.
But Kayaba—Heathcliff's bronze eyes were cold and desolate. There wasn't a trace of the human emotions that he showed last time.
Suddenly a chill ran down my spine.
My opponent was someone who had mercilessly killed over four thousand people. Could a normal human being do such a thing? The deaths of four thousand, the resentment of four thousand, he could withstand such a pressure and still remain perfectly calm— He was no human, he was a monster.
“Aaaaaaah!”
I screamed to eliminate the small fragment of fear that had appeared in the depths of my mind. I accelerated my movements further and rained down countless blows upon him per second. But Kayaba's expression showed no change. He blocked all my attacks with his cross shield and long sword at speeds the naked eye couldn't even see.
Is he just toying with me—!?
My fear became nervousness. Was it possible that Kayaba only stayed on the defensive because he could actually counterattack whenever he wanted and was confident that he could survive even a direct hit from me?
The suspicion overtook my mind. He had never even needed the overassistance from the beginning.
“Damnit......!”
In that case— How about this—?!
I changed my attack pattern and activated «The Eclipse», the highest level Dual Blades skill. Like the tips of an enveloping corona, my swords sent twenty-seven consecutive attacks towards Kayaba—
But— Kayaba had been waiting for me to use a combo skill designated by the system. His face revealed an expression for the first time since the start of the duel. It was completely opposite to the one he had shown last time— It was the smile of someone certain of his victory.
I realized my mistake as soon as I launched the opening attacks of the combo. In these final moments, I had relied on the system instead of myself. But it was already impossible for me to stop the skill, and once the attacks finish I would be subjected to a short delay. Furthermore, Kayaba saw through all my blows, from the start of the combo all the way to the last attack.
As I watched Kayaba swing his shield at blinding speeds, deflecting my swords with knowledge of exactly where each blow would land, I muttered in my mind:
Sorry— Asuna.... At least you must— stay alive—
The twenty-seventh attack struck the middle of the shield, sending out a shower of sparks. Then, with the shrill scream of metal, the sword in my left hand shattered.
“Well, this is goodbye— Kirito-kun.”
Kayaba raised his sword high above me as I stood stunned. A deep red shine glinted off the blade. The blood-red sword was then swung down at me—


At that moment, a strong, vibrant voice rang within my head.
I— will protect— Kirito-kun!!
The silhouette of a person charged in between Kayaba's red sword and me at an incredible speed. The long, chestnut-brown hair danced in the wind before my eyes.
Asuna— How—!?
She was standing in front of me even though she should be unable to move because of the paralysis. She bravely straightened her chest and opened her arms out wide.
An expression of shock exposed itself on Kayaba's face. But nobody could stop his attack now. Everything moved as if in slow motion as the long sword ripped its way down, through Asuna's shoulder and all the way into her chest before it stopped.
I reached out with both hands towards Asuna as she fell backwards towards me. She collapsed into my arms without a sound.
As her gaze met mine, Asuna gave a weak smile. Her HP bar— was depleted.

Time had stopped.

The sunset. The meadow. The gentle breeze. The slightly cold weather.
We were both sitting on a hill and looking down upon the lake as it shone with the deep golden red of the setting sun.
The sound of rustling leaves. The sound of birds returning to their nests.
She held my hand softly, then rested her head against my shoulder.
The clouds drifted by. Then the stars began to appear one by one, twinkling in the evening sky.
We gazed on as the world changed its colors bit by bit.
Then, she finally said something:
“I'm a little tired. Can I rest on your lap for a bit?”
I answered with a smile.
“Yeah, of course. Rest well—”

The Asuna in my arms now smiled at me just like that time, her eyes filled with endless affection. But the weight and warmth of that time had completely vanished.
Bit by bit, Asuna's body was slowly engulfed by a golden light. The small shards of light began to collapse and scatter.
“This is just a joke, right...? Asuna... this... this is...”
I muttered with a trembling voice. But the uncaring light got brighter and brighter and then—
A single tear rolled down from Asuna's eyes, which sparkled for a single moment before disappearing. Her lips moved slightly, slowly, as if she was trying to force her final voice out of them.

S o r r y
G o o d b y e

Her body began to float—
The blinding light exploded in my arms, transforming into numerous feathers that drifted across the air.
And not a trace of her body remained.
I screamed silently and tried desperately to gather the scattering light back into my arms. But the golden feathers flew up into the air as if blown by the wind, where they scattered and vanished. Just like that, she had disappeared.

This wasn't something that should have happened. It couldn't happen. It just couldn't. It just—
I knelt on the ground as if I was about to collapse, as the last feather floated down into my right palm and then disappeared.

Chapter 23

Kayaba pursed his lips and flaunted his arms dramatically.
“This is really surprising. Isn't it just like a standalone console RPG scenario? It should have been impossible for her to recover from the paralysis... So things like this really do happen...”
But his voice didn't even register in my mind. It felt as if all my emotions were being burnt out, as if I was falling into a bottomless abyss engulfed by despair.
There was no reason for me to do anything anymore.
Whether it was fighting in this world, returning to the original world, or even continuing to live on, all of them had lost their meaning. I should have killed myself in the past when my inability and lack of strength led to the death of my guild mates. If I had done that, then I wouldn't have met Asuna, nor would I have made the same mistake again.
Prevent Asuna from committing suicide— what a stupid and careless thing to say. I hadn't understood anything at all. Just like this— with my heart filled with emptiness, how could I possibly keep on living...
I stared blankly at Asuna's rapier, shining as it laid on the ground. I reached out with my left hand and grabbed it.
I sought to find a trace of Asuna's existence on that thin and nimble weapon, but there was nothing. There wasn't a thing left on that expressionless shining surface that would hint at its owner. With my own sword in my right hand and Asuna's in my left, I slowly stood back up.
Nothing mattered anymore. I only want to go find her with the memories of the short period we spent living together.
I thought I heard somebody call me from behind.
But I didn't stop and continued to walk towards Kayaba with my right sword raised. I took several unsightly steps towards him and stabbed with my sword.
Kayaba looked pitifully upon my movement, which could neither be called a skill nor an attack— he deflected my sword easily with his shield and sent it flying, while the long sword in his right hand pierced straight through my chest.


I stared emotionlessly at the shining piece of metal buried deeply within my own body. My mind no longer thought of anything. All that was left was the blank resignation that everything had ended.
From the edge of my vision, I could see my HP bar slowly reducing. I don't know if it was the continuation of my accelerated senses from the battle, but it felt like I could see each dot disappearing. I closed my eyes, hoping that the image of Asuna's smile would resurface as my mind went blank.
But even though I closed my eyes, the HP bar still didn't disappear. It was flashing red and getting smaller at an unrelenting pace. I felt as if the god called the system, which had tolerated my existence up until now, was waiting for the final moment. Only ten dots left to go, now five dots, now—
Then, I suddenly felt an anger that I had never experienced before.
It was this bastard. It was the one who had killed Asuna. The creator Kayaba was merely a part of it. The one who had ripped apart Asuna's body and extinguished her spirit, it was the presence which surrounded me right now— the will of the system itself, the digital death god which mocked the stupidity of the players and swept its scythe mercilessly—
What the hell are we? Are we just a bunch of idiotic puppets controlled by the inviolable threads of the SAO system?
My HP bar vanished completely as if mocking my anger. A purple message appeared within my vision: [You are dead]. It was the command from the god to die.
An icy coldness permeated my body. My senses dulled. I felt the innumerable blocks of code unraveling, severing, and destroying my very being. The cold crept up my neck and into my head. Touch, sound, sight, everything became hazy. My entirely body was starting to dissolve— becoming shards of polygons— before scattering in all directions—
You think I would let that happen?
I opened my eyes widely. I could see. I could still see. I could still see the face of Kayaba, whose sword was dug deeply into my chest, and the expression of surprise on him.
Perhaps my accelerated senses returned, as the death of my avatar, which normally happened within a single moment, felt like it was slowing down. The outline of my body was hazy, and particles of light broke off and disappeared here and there. But I was still existing. I was still alive.
“Hiiiiyaaaa!”
I screamed with all my strength. I screamed and resisted. Resisting the system, the absolute god.
Just to save me, the shy and spoiled Asuna had shaken off the incurable paralysis with her willpower and thrown herself against an attack that was impossible to block. How could I fall now without doing anything. I couldn't fall now, absolutely not. Even if I couldn't avoid death— I had to— at least—
I tightened the grip on my left hand. I took back my senses as if pulling them back with a thread. The feeling of holding something in my left hand returned. Asuna's rapier— I could feel the determination she had. I could hear her telling me to be strong.
My left arm slowly began to move. Its shape was distorting and chunks of it broke off with every bit of movement. But it didn't stop. Bit by bit, it consumed my very soul in order to raise itself.
Perhaps it was the price of my insolent resistance, as an unbelievable pain was coursing throughout my body. But I gritted my teeth and kept on moving. The distance of merely tens of centimeters felt unbelievably far away. My body felt like it was frozen. Only my left arm had any feelings left, yet the coldness was quickly enveloping that part as well. My entire body was like an icy statue with shards of it continuously breaking off.
But at last, the silver rapier reached the center of Kayaba's chest. Kayaba didn't move. His expression of surprise had already disappeared— a soft, peaceful smile had taken its place.
My arm covered the remaining distance, half propelled by my determination, and half moving by some inexplicable force. Kayaba closed his eyes and received the blow as the rapier pierced his body soundlessly. His HP bar had also vanished.
For a moment, we simply stood there, with swords that penetrated each others' bodies. I used the last of my strength to force my head up and look at the sky.
Is this— enough...?
Although I couldn't hear her answer, I could feel a slight warmth wrap itself around my left hand. Finally, I released my body, which was about to shatter completely.
As my mind sank deeper into the darkness, I could feel my body and Kayaba's body breaking into thousands of pieces at the same time. The familiar sound of two objects being destroyed rang out and overlapped one another. As everything pulled further and further away at an incredible speed, I could hear faint voices calling my name. I figured those must be the voices of Klein and Agil. Then, at this moment, the emotionless voice of the system announced—
『The game has been cleared — The game has been cleared — The game...』

Chapter 24

When I regained consciousness, I found myself in an otherworldly place.
Here, the sunset made the entire sky seem as if it was burning.
I was standing on a thick crystal floor. The orange clouds rolled past slowly beneath the transparent tiles. When I raised my head, I could see a sky dyed by the sunset reach as far as the horizon. As it spread outwards, the endless skies faded from bright orange, to a bloody red, then to a shade of purple. I could also faintly hear the wind blowing.
It was a small, round disk of crystal which floated amongst the clouds in the empty skies; here I stood on its edge.
...What is this place? My body should have disappeared after shattering. Was I still in SAO... or did I arrive in the afterlife?
I examined my own body. The leather coat, long gloves, and all my other equipment were the same as before I had died, except that everything had become somewhat transparent. It wasn't just my equipment either, as even the exposed sections of my body shined with the sunset colors as if it was made of semi-transparent glass.
I raised my right hand and waved a finger about. A window appeared with the familiar sound effect. So, this place was still inside SAO.
But the window contained neither an avatar nor a menu list. The blank screen showed only the message [Executing the Final Phase, 54% completed]. As I stared at it, the number went up to 55%. I had originally thought that my mind would die alongside the destruction of my body, but what was going on here?
As I shrugged and closed the window, I suddenly heard a voice behind me.
“Kirito-kun...”
It was like a voice from heaven. Shock coursed through my body.
Please don't let this be my imagination— I begged as I slowly turned around.
She stood there with the burning sky behind her.
Her long hair was drifting softly in the wind. But even though her gentle, smiling face was within my arms' reach, I could not move the slightest.
It felt as if she would disappear if my gaze left her even for a second— so I simply kept staring at her in silence. She was also semi-transparent, and was the most beautiful thing in the world as she stood there, shining in the light of the setting sun.
I forcibly held back my tears and managed to form a smile. In an almost-whispered voice, I said:
“Sorry. I died as well...”
“...Idiot.”
Tears ran down her face as she said this with a smile. I spread my arms wide open and gently called out her name:
“Asuna...”
I held her tightly as she flew into my arms and cried. I swore that I wouldn't let go again. No matter what happened, I would never ever let go again.
After a long kiss, we finally managed to pull our faces apart to look at each other. There were so many things about the final battle that I wanted to talk to her about, that I wanted to apologize to her about. But I felt like there was no longer any need for words. Instead, I shifted my gaze towards the endless skies and opened my mouth:
“This... Just what is this place?”
Asuna silently turned her gaze downwards and pointed with her fingers. I looked in that direction.
Far below where we were— something floated in the skies. It was shaped like a cone with the tip cut off. It was made from numerous floors overlapping one another. As I focused my eyes, I could even see the small mountains, forests, lakes, and cities.
“Aincrad...”
Asuna nodded as I muttered this. There was no mistaking it. It was Aincrad. The huge floating castle drifted amongst the endless skies. We had spent two years fighting within that world of swords and battles, yet now it was below us.
I had seen the outside of Aincrad before I came to this world in some information about SAO. But this was the first time that I saw its outside with my own two eyes. I held my breath as an awe-inspiring feeling overcame me.
The steel castle— was being destroyed.
Even as we watched silently, a section of the lowest floor scattered into countless shards. As I focused my ears to listen, I could still hear the thunderous noise dispersing amongst the winds.
“Ah...”
Asuna exclaimed softly. A large portion of the lower floors broke off, and the countless buildings, trees, and rivers all fell off and disappeared into the sea of clouds. Our house was somewhere in that area. I felt a bittersweet sorrow pierce my chest each time a floor of the castle that held two years' worth of memories disappeared.
I sat down at the edge of the platform with Asuna in my arms.
I was feeling unusually calm. Even though I didn't know what had happened to us or what was going to happen now, I didn't feel the slightest bit of anxiety. I had accomplished what I had to do, and for that I lost my virtual life and was now watching the end of this world with the girl I loved. This was enough— my heart was content.
Asuna must have felt the same way. Within my arms, she watched Aincrad collapse with her eyes half open. I softly stroked her hair.
“An impressive sight.”
Suddenly I could hear a voice beside us. When Asuna and I turned to the right, we saw a man standing there.
It was Kayaba Akihiko.
He appeared not as the red paladin Heathcliff, but in his real form as the developer of SAO. He wore a white shirt with a necktie and white overalls on top. Only the two metallic eyes on his sharp face felt exactly the same. But those two eyes were filled with a gentle light as they looked upon the disappearing castle. His body was also semi-transparent like ours.
Even though I had fought to the death with this man just minutes prior, my calmness continued to persist after seeing him. Maybe we had left behind all of our anger and hate in Aincrad before we came to this place. I turned my gaze away from Kayaba and back onto the castle.
“What exactly is going on?”
“Perhaps you can call it... a metaphorical rendering.”
Kayaba's voice was also quite peaceful.
“Currently, the SAO mainframe that's stationed in the 5^th basement floor of Argus headquarters is in the midst of erasing all data from its memory banks. In another ten minutes, this world will be completely erased.”
“What about the people who lived there... what happened to them?”
Asuna suddenly asked.
“There's no need to worry. Just a moment ago—”
Kayaba moved his right hand and took a glance at the window that appeared.
“All of the remaining 6,147 players have been successfully logged out.”
Then this meant Klein, Agil, and all the other people whom I had come to know during these two years had managed to return safely to the other side.
I firmly closed my eyes and allowed my tears to flow before asking:
“...What about those who died? Both of us are already dead, yet we continue to exist here. Doesn't that mean you can return the other four thousand dead to the original world as well?”
Kayaba's expression didn't change. He closed the window, put his hands into his pockets, and then said:
“Life can't be recovered so easily. Their consciousness will never return. The dead will disappear— this fact remains true in every world. I created this place only because I wanted to talk with you two— one last time.”
Was that something that somebody who had killed four thousand people should be saying? Although I thought that, I didn't feel any anger for some strange reason. Instead, another question popped into my mind. It was a fundamental question which all the players, no, everyone who knew about this incident would have asked.
“Why— did you do this...?”
I could feel Kayaba smile bitterly. After a long silence, he finally spoke:
“Why—? I had forgotten a long time ago. Just why did I do it? Ever since I found out that a FullDive system was being created— No, even before that, I had wanted to build that castle, a place that exceeded the limits set upon the real world. Then, in those final moments... I saw even the rules of my world being surpassed as well...”
Kayaba first turned his peaceful eyes towards me, and then immediately shifted them away.
Kayaba's overalls and Asuna's hair fluttered as the wind grew stronger. Half of the castle had already been destroyed. Algade, a city full of my memories, was being scattered into the wind and absorbed by the clouds.
Kayaba continued to speak:
“Don't we all have many dreams since the time we were kids? I have already forgotten how old I was when the image of a steel castle floating in the skies began to enrapture me... it was a vision that didn't fade from my mind no matter how much time passed. As I grew older, the image became more and more realistic, more and more expansive. Leaving the real world and flying straight into this castle... that was my only dream for a long time. You know, Kirito-kun, I still believe— that in some other world, this castle really does exist—”
Suddenly, I felt as if I had been born in that world, where I dreamed of becoming a swordsman. The boy would one day meet a girl with hazelnut-brown eyes. The two would fall in love, finally get married, and live happily ever after in a small house in the middle of a forest—
“Yeah... That would be be nice.”
I murmured. Asuna nodded in my arms as well.
Silence returned between us. I turned my gaze towards the distance again and saw that other parts of the castle had begun to collapse. I could see the endless sea of clouds and red skies being consumed by a white light far away. The erosion began in all directions and was slowly coming this way.
“Ah, I forgot to mention this. Kirito-kun, Asuna-kun... Congratulations on clearing the game.”
We looked up at Kayaba when he said this. He looked down upon us with a calm expression on his face.
“Well then— I should be going now.”
The wind blew and seemingly swept away his figure— by the time we noticed, he was no longer anywhere in sight. Only the red setting sun continued to shine through the crystal plate. We were alone once again.
I wonder where he went? Did he return to the real world?
No— He wouldn't have. He would have erased his own mind and left to find the real Aincrad in some other world.
Only the top part of the castle remained now. The 76^th floor that we never had a chance to see started to collapse. The veil of light that was erasing this world gradually approached us. As the wavering aura touched the clouds and the skies, they disappeared and returned to nothingness.
I could see the red palace and its magnificent spires on the highest floor of Aincrad. If the game had proceeded as planned, we would have fought there against the final boss, Heathcliff.
Even as the foundation of the top floor disappeared, the ownerless palace continued to float in the air as if resisting its fate. The red palace that was left in the middle of the orange sky seemed like the heart of the floating castle.
Eventually, the destruction engulfed the red palace as well. It broke apart, starting from the bottom and travelling upwards, and scattered into innumerable fragments before disappearing amongst the clouds. The highest tower disappeared at almost the same time as when the veil of light consumed its surroundings. The enormous castle of Aincrad had been completely destroyed, and all that remained in this world were a few clouds and this small platform where Asuna and I sat.
We probably didn't have much time remaining. We were using only the short period of time that Kayaba had given us. With the destruction of this world, the Nerve Gear would carry out its final function and erase all that remained of us.
I placed my hands on Asuna's cheeks and slowly pressed my lips over hers. This was our final kiss. I sought to use up every last second and engrave her very being onto my soul.
“I suppose this is goodbye...”
Asuna shook her head.
“No, it isn't. We'll be disappearing together. So, we'll be together, forever.”
She whispered in a clear voice before turning around in my arms to stare straight at me. Then she tilted her head a little and smiled.
“Hey, can you tell me your name Kirito-kun? Your real name?”
I didn't understand at first, but then I realized that she meant my name in the other world which I had left behind two years ago.
It felt as if the days where I had lived with another name and another life were tales from some distant world. I spoke my name as it drifted up from the bottom of my memory, feeling somehow emotional.
“Kirigaya... Kirigaya Kazuto. I should have turned sixteen last month.”
At that moment, I felt time started ticking for the other me. The mind of Kazuto, which had been deeply buried within the swordsman Kirito, drifted up slowly. I felt the hard armor that I had surrounded myself with in this world fall off piece by piece.
“Kirigaya...Kazuto-kun....”
Asuna voiced my name, concentrating on every syllable, then laughed with a slightly perplexed expression.
“So you're younger than me. I'm... Yuuki... Asuna. Seventeen this year.”
Yuuki... Asuna. Yuuki Asuna. I repeated these five syllables in my mind over and over again.
Suddenly, I became aware of the tears rolling down my cheeks.
My emotions began to shift at last in the middle of this perpetual sunset. A painful feeling coursed through my whole being, as if my heart was tearing apart. For the first time since my arrival in this world, tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I felt a lump in my throat, clenched both my hands, and began to cry loudly like a little kid.
“I'm sorry... sorry.... I promised...to send... you back... to the other side... but I...”
I wasn't able to continue. In the end, I couldn't save the person who was most precious to me. Because of my own weakness, her once bright and sunny path had come to a close. My regrets took the form of my tears and poured down endlessly from my eyes.
“It's alright... It's alright...”
Asuna was crying too. Her sparkling tears rolled down endlessly like small jewels before evaporating.
“I was really happy. The time I met Kazuto-kun, and lived together, was the most enjoyable time in my entire life. Thank you... I love you...”
The end of the world was right in front of us. The steel castle and the endless sea of clouds had all been erased by the bright light, leaving only the two of us behind.
Asuna and I hugged each other tightly, waiting for the final moment.
It felt as if our emotions were being purified by the light. All that remained inside of me was my love for Asuna. I continued to call out her name even as everything was being unraveled and scattered.
Light filled my vision. Everything was being covered by the pure white veil and disappeared after becoming tiny particles of light. Asuna's smile mixed in with the overflowing light that engulfed this world.
—I love you... I love you—
Her voice rang out like the sweet chiming of a bell as the last of my consciousness disappeared.
The final line that separated us disappeared and we became one.
Our souls seeped into each other, combined, and then scattered.
Finally, we disappeared.

Chapter 25

The air was a mixture of numerous odors.
The fact that I was still alive shocked me.
The air that flowed into my nose was bringing in an abundance of information. First came the stinging smell of disinfectant. Then came the smell of sun-dried cloth, the sweet aroma of fruits, and the odor of my own body.
I slowly opened my eyes. For a moment, it felt like two powerful white beams of light pierced deeply into my mind, so I quickly shut my eyes again.
Sometime later, I hesitantly tried to open my eyes again. A myriad of colors danced across my pupils. It was only then that I noticed that there was a large amount of liquid covering my eyes.
I blinked in an attempt to get rid of them. But the liquid kept flowing out. They were actually tears.
I was crying. Why? There was a fierce but deep feeling of pain and loss within my heart. Voices continued to echo within my ears, as if someone was calling my name.
I squinted my eyes against the strong light and finally managed to get rid of the tears.
It felt like I was lying on something soft. I could see something akin to ceiling tiles above me. There were rows of smooth, beige colored panels, several of which shined softly as if there were lights behind them. From the edge of my vision, I could see a metallic vent, where air was being blown out with a low sound.
An air conditioner... in other words, a machine. How could something like that be here? No smith could make a machine no matter how high their skill stats were. If what I saw was really a machine— then this place wasn't—
It wasn't Aincrad.
I opened my eyes widely. My mind was fully awoken from just that one thought. I hurried to raise my body—
But my body wouldn't listen at all. I couldn't apply any strength. Although my right shoulder went up by a couple of centimeters, it immediately fell back down.
Only my right hand managed to move. I raised it onto my body and then brought it in front of my eyes.
For a moment I couldn't believe that this emaciated arm was mine. There was no way I would be able to hold a sword with this. When I inspected the sickly white skin more closely, I could see countless tufts of body hair covering it. I could see the blue veins below the skin and the wrinkles at the joints. Everything felt frightening; it was so realistic, so biological that it felt abnormal.
On the inside of my wrist, a piece of tape held a needle in place, which had a long cord connected to it like it was used to inject something. My eyes followed the cord and came upon a transparent package that was held up by a silver stand. The pack was still two-thirds full with some orange liquid, which dripped away at a steady pace.
I moved my left hand and tried to grasp my sense of touch. It seemed that my entire body was naked and lying on top of a bed made of some high density gel material. Because its temperature was slightly lower than my body's, I could feel its coldness slowly creep up to me. Suddenly, a memory surfaced in my mind; I once saw on a news broadcast that this type of bed had been developed for patients who couldn't move. It had the ability to prevent infections to the skin and break down disposed bodily wastes.
I looked around at my surroundings. It was a small room. The wall was of the same plain white color as the ceiling. There was an extraordinarily large window to my right with white curtains drawn over it. I couldn't see the scenery outside, but I could see the yellow sunlight shine straight through the fabric. A four-wheeled metal trolley parked to the far left of the gel bed, and a rattan basket laid on top of it. A bouquet of plain-looking flowers was inside the basket, which seemed to be the source of the sweet aroma. Past the trolley was a closed, rectangular door.
Based on all of this information, this place should be a hospital ward, and I was the only one here.
I returned my gaze to my raised right hand and suddenly thought of something. I waved my right hand with my index and middle fingers pressed together.
Nothing happened. There was neither a sound effect nor a menu screen. I waved again with a bit more strength, then again. The outcome was the same each time.
So, this really wasn't SAO. Then was it some other virtual reality?
But the information flooding through my five senses already shouted to me that there was another possibility. This— was the real world. It was the world I had left two years ago and never expected to see again.
The real world— It took me a long time to understand the meaning behind these simple words. For me, the world of swords and battles had been my only reality for a long time. I still couldn't believe that the other world was no longer there, that I was no longer in that world.
Then, have I returned?
—Even when I thought of that, I didn't really feel happy or anything. All I felt was a bit of confusion and a sense of loss.
Was this the reward that Kayaba had mentioned for clearing the game? I had clearly died within that world and my body had been completely erased. I had accepted that. I even felt content about it.
Yeah— It would have been fine if I had just disappeared like that. In that bright light, dissolving, scattering, and then melting away with the rest of the world, together with her—
“Ah...”
I subconsciously made a noise. A strong pain pierced the throat that hadn't been used in two years. But I didn't care about that in the slightest. I opened my eyes widely and said one word, the one name that appeared in my mind.
“A...su...na...”
Asuna. The pain that was etched onto my heart flared up once again. Asuna, my beloved wife, who watched the end of the world together with me...
Had it all been a dream...? A beautiful illusion that I saw in a virtual world...? These confused thoughts suddenly appeared in my mind.
No, she did exist. There was no way that all those days we had spent laughing, crying, and sleeping together had been a dream.
Kayaba had said— “Congratulations on clearing the game Kirito-kun, Asuna-kun.” He had definitely said that. If he had included me in the list of survivors, then Asuna should have came back to this world as well.
As soon as I thought this, my love and my yearning for her overflowed inside me. I wanted to meet her. I wanted to touch her hair. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to hear her voice calling my name.
I strained all the muscles in my body and tried to get up. Only then did I realize that my head was strapped down. I fumbled around with my fingers before finding a belt clasp below my chin and undoing it. There was something heavy on my head. I used both my hands and barely managed to take it off.
I sat up and stared at the thing in my hands. It was a smooth, deep blue helmet. A wire of the same color stretched out of a long pad at the back and went all the way down to the floor. It was—
Nerve Gear. I had been stuck in that world for two years because of this. Its power had been turned off. My last memory of it had been that of a shining helmet; but now the color had faded. Bits of it had come off and you could see the metal alloy that it was made of.
All my memories of the other world were held within this— I was suddenly seized by this thought and caressed the surface of the helmet.
I suppose I would never be putting this on again. But it fulfilled its purpose really well...
I muttered in my mind before placing the helmet on the bed. The days when I fought together with it were already a thing of the past. There was something else I needed to do in this world now.
I was suddenly aware of the noises outside. When I strained my ears, I could hear various sounds, as if they were telling me that my hearing had finally returned to normal.
I definitely heard the voices of people talking and shouting. I also heard the sounds of hurried footsteps and the wheels of beds as they were moved.
There was no way to know if Asuna was in this hospital. SAO players came from all across Japan, so the chances of her being here were low. But I would begin my search here. No matter how long it took, I would definitely find her.
I pulled the blanket off of me. There were numerous cords spread across my weak body. Maybe they were electrodes placed to slow down the degeneration of my muscles. I managed to pull all of them off. An orange LED flickered on the panel at the edge of my bed and a loud alarm went off, but I ignored all of this.
I pulled the IV drip needle out and finally freed my body. Then I placed my feet on the floor and slowly applied my strength in an attempt to stand up. My body rose bit by bit, but it felt like my knees would give way any minute and this made me smile bitterly; my superhuman strength stat was nowhere to be found.
I grabbed onto the IV drip stand for support and finally managed to stand up. Looking around the room, I found a folded hospital gown on the same tray as the basket of flowers and put it on.
After completing these simple movements, my breath was already ragged. The muscles that I hadn't used for two years were already protesting with pain. But I can't complain so easily.
Quickly, quickly. I could hear a voice urging me to keep going. My whole being longed for her. My fight wasn't over until I had Asuna— Yuuki Asuna in my arms.
With a tight grip on the stand instead of a sword, I leaned my body against it and took my first step towards the door.