Overwhelming, Never-ending, Reckless, Kind of Love

In a room somewhere deep within the building of Head quarters Micheal King was being held. The room was sparse, just a mat, pillow, and blanket on the floor to sleep on and a semi private bathroom, with a sheer curtain and cameras inside ever since he tried to kill himself.

The door to the room rarely opened for anything other that his meals. Once they got what they thought they could from him they kept him in isolation.

With less than twelve hours left until the demon players are executed Gabriel King, after being defeated by a Fruit of the Spirit Knight, continued to do the next brave thing he could and see his uncle. The door slammed open, surprising Micheal who had been staring at the ceiling thinking about how badly he wished to be in heaven now.

"You bastard!" Gabriel flew into the room and none of the agents that guarded this particular room stopped him from jumping on his uncle and punching him. "How could you use her face?! You blasphemous piece of shit!" Tears are streaming down his face as he continues to slam his fists as hard as he can into the monster with the blank expression.

Several minutes passed before Gabriel's assaults slowed and his breath rasped. "How could you use my mother's face for your twisted game?!"

Micheal hadn't winced for a single punch, but at the mention of Gabriel's mother he did and the young man paused his next contact. After spitting some blood to the side the older gentleman turned to look at the clueless young man on top of him and smiled as blood continues to fall from the corner of his mouth. "Because I'm not your uncle Gabriel."

The young blonde grabs the criminal's shirt and pulls him up. "What do you mean?!"

" I loved your mother before the man you knew as dad even realized she existed. She was my first love, but when he visited me during our last semester of college and he gave her the time of day it was like I stopped existing to her." The way he avoided his own brothers name and sneered any reference to him made Gabriel's stomach twist and he slams the psycho back to the ground before getting off of him.

"How does that make you not my uncle?" His glare never leaves the man in question.

Micheal sits up, his face actually conveying emotions for the first time since his captivity. "I told you, she was my first love— and I was hers... she started dating my brother right after, and when she found out she was pregnant they just assumed it was his. She made her decision and never changed her mind, but I knew the truth. I knew from the moment they announced they were engaged and pregnant that you were mine."

Gabriel shook with rage."No! No you don't!"

Micheal laughs as he stands. "Haven't you ever wondered at how easily we bonded and connected? How similarly we think. You're so much like me Gabriel."

Gabriel's fists clench tightly, ready to begin punching again. "I'm nothing like you Micheal. You're sick in the head. I'd ask for a DNA test to confirm everything, but in less than twelve hours, if they can't convince the NPC with my mother's face, it won't matter because I will be dead."

Micheal gasps. "You chose to play as a demon?!" There's a moment of silence as Micheal's dread grew and overflowed and Gabriel's resolve sinks and settles into his core.

Gabriel smirks and a low chuckle erupts from him before he answers in a low tone. "After you executed the players, I set up a second account to fight what you put in motion." And with that he left the room and headed toward the next brave thing he could do.

Back in the game the teams are still fighting Self-Control, and as they do Kirito witnesses teammate after teammate get cut down. Nine hours pass and the knight is finally down to it's last bit of health. Suguha is performing curses to heal Shino and the knight goes to attach them by throwing two small axes towards their heads but before the weapons reach their targets Lizbeth jumps in front of them, fatally wounded, turning to smile at Suguha before crumbling into a pile of glass. Shino stands and draws her bow but before she can release another set of axes hit her and she is also finished in this battle.

Suguha pulls her sword from her side and begins to charge the knight. "Aaahhh!" She yells as she swings her sword down and the knight blocks her strike with his own sword while preparing to punch her in the lungs with his other fist. She spins away in time to avoid the punch and goes to make a second attempt to attack. Kirito charges to his sister reaching her just as the knight's blade slashes across her back. "Suguha!" Kirito screams as he watches her fall to the ground with a confident smile and turn into shards of glass in defeat. Just before he reaches the knight a blur of black and blue swooshes past him and blocks the impending fatal blow that would have hit him. "Asuna?" He nearly yells her name.

She turns with a smirk. After jumping back from the knight. "Looks like you can still call me 'Lightning Flash.' Come on, let's finish this." She smiles confidently before grabbing his hand. They both crouch before running as fast as they can towards the last knight. When they reach their opponent they finish him off with one strong upswing with their blades through his ccenter, breathing hard as Self-Control bursts into sparkling glass shards around them. As the shards settle on the ground and disappear the entire throne room erupts in cheers. "We did it! We beat the game!" One of the remaining players shouts.

The laughter from the Holy Spirit breaks through the cheering and the players stop as chill runs through them. The ultimate NPC stands from her thrown and begins to descend the stairs as she speaks. "You think that because you've made it past my knights it changes anything? Demons are still unworthy of salvation and there is nothing you can do to convince me otherwise."

One of the American players steps from the crowd. "Then we will just have to take it from your head!" She yells before charging forwards. Before the demon player reaches the Holy Spirit the NPC reaches her hand out and when she closes her outstretched hand the player immediately bursts into shards and sighs as they disappear. "Your sin was fun for a time, but that time has nearly come to an end, accept the price of your choice."

The door behind them opens, in the doorway is Esther with her shield on one of her arms. "Holy Spirit. I have come to prove that demon players are worth saving."

Kouichirou whispers her name as she walks to his side and slides her hand into his.

The Holy Spirit's head almost undetectably tilts. "My dearest Esther, demons only love themselves, they made the choice to be demons for themselves, what could they possibly have done to trick you into believing otherwise?"

Esther begins to take her shield off of her arm. "Because what you believe is not true. I've been loved by demons and loved demons as well. They are just like the angels you so openly love and support, please, please have mercy."

The Holy Spirit's eyes search the small crowd of demon players in front of her, as Esther turns to Kouichirou. "I didn't think it would be possible to open myself to love after Jay… Thank you." She presses her forehead to his. As she goes to hand him the shield his eyes squeeze shut and he presses his lips to hers and waits for them to disappear forever.

"WAIT!" The stain glass doors open again, this time revealing a male angel. In a white tuxedo. He flies into the room being carried by three layers of thick feathered wings. "Keep your shield." The new angel says before landing in front of all of the players.

Esther and Kouichirou separate and cautiously open their eyes, to afraid to smile yet.

The Holy Spirit approaches this new angel player and with a soft and pleasant look on her face lifts her hand to his cheek. "Gabriel, you've been away so long."

"Hello mother." Gabriel King smiles sadly at the NPC in front of him.

Kirito squeezes Asuna's hand as he whispers "mother?"

The Holy Spirit glitches a little when Gabriel calls her mother and looks stunned for a brief second. "What is happening?" She asks with a trace of ire.

Gabriel sighs. "Your base programming is not the Holy Spirit, it is Evelyn King, my mother. You were created by my uncle, Micheal, in order to be an emotional place holder for him, Micheal loved Evelyn to the point of insanity. Before entering the game in this avatar I found his original programs, with your original intent. Soon Micheal's AI version Evelyn King will erase the Holy Spirit NPC, but it won't be completed in time to save the demon players unless Evelyn takes enough control to give up the crown of thorns and remove the destruction programming in the micro-nano bots for good."

Another glitch from the Holy Spirit. This time she returns with the same face but her hair is now blonde and her eyes are sky blue, freckle dust her nose and cheeks. "Hi baby." The Evelyn King smiles. "I only have a few minutes but I don't have the power to move this body yet..."

Gabriel turns around to look at Kirito, Asuna, and Yui. "You three are a family right?" They all nod. "Yui, your AI, correct?" Yui nods yes with a smirk. "I am and these two are my mommy and my daddy."

Gabriel looks back to Evelyn. "Mom, you're an AI, but the Holy Spirit is not, she is pure NPC programming meant to never be changed. It's going to take a lot of emotional input for you to over power her in time. So, focus. Focus on everything that is about to happen and how it makes you feel. Can you do that for me mom?"

Evelyn blinks, a pained smile enters her face. "I will do anything for you Gabriel." He swallows hard and clenched his fists in response to her words.

Gabriel pulls his shield out of his inventory as he walks to Kirito and his little family. "Yui, after I give Kirito this shield… I need you to show my mom all of your memories with your parents." He glances at her to see the determined nod before she goes to his mother and grabs the other AI's hand. He smiles at Kirito, a little fear flashing his mind and face as he hands Kirito his Shield of Faith with a half smile and huff before closing his eyes.

Evelyn cries out as she watches her son get turned into thousands of pieces of sparkling glass just moments before Yui squeezes her hand and begins her data dump. Every remaining player watches Evelyn faze back into looking like the Holy Spirit again with some fear. When Yui was finished, the two minutes she just stood there without moving felt like agony to the players until she smiled and tears continue to overflow from her bright eyes. "Thank you Yui." She reaches up and grabs her crown. She approaches Asuna before handing over The Helmet of Salvation. "You have a beautiful family Asuna, don't ever let go of it. Micheal thought his programming could never be broken but by using Gabriel's mother as the base code, he left a door open. That door is overwhelmed with a mother's love, pain, and devotion." Just as the crown of thorns passes from The Holy Spirit's hands to Asuna's the entire room begins to shake. "You should all log out. The programs to kill you all are woven in to the fabric of this game. I have to burn it all to the ground, which as you all can probably guess will take a lot, what with it being an infinite map…"

Players begin logging out quickly. Asuna runs to her brother before her and Kirito log out. "I'll see you soon okay." She smiles before looking at the woman holding her brother's hand. "Thank you… You were willing to sacrifice your life…" She hugs Esther tightly. "I hope we get to meet IRL." Kirito squeezes Asuna's hand and after a loving nod they log out from the game.

Esther steps towards the Holy Spirit, Kouichirou's hand still in hers as she speaks with concern. "Will you be able to finish in time? They only have about an hour left…" Evelyn the Holy Spirit smiles and nods in response.

Esther turns to Kouichirou and walks closer to him. "My real name is Amelia Hendrickson. I live in New York." He smiles before speaking. "My name is Kouichirou Yuui. I live in Tokyo."

Esther turns one last time to Evelyn. "Can you rebuild it?"

Evelyn's head tilts and the building around them begins to dissolve. "I can leave the good pieces for someone to come back and try to rebuild it."

Kouichirou squeezes Esther's hand. "That's all we need." His eyes shift from Evelyn back to Esther once she's turned back to him. "Amelia… I'll see you soon." He pulls her close and kisses her one last time inside the death game where they met.