Chapter 22

The fight lasted for an entire hour.

At the end of that limitless stretch, when the monster finally

split into pieces, no one left had enough strength to muster a

cheer. We all sat or fell to the obsidian floor, panting heavily.

—Is it…over?

—Yeah, it's over.

With that final exchange, it seemed the connection between

Asuna and me was broken. A powerful fatigue enveloped my entire body, and I sank to my knees. We sat back-to-back, unable to

move.

We had both survived, though these were not circumstances

for open celebration. A dear price had been paid this day. Starting

with the three deaths on that first blow, our forces had suffered

steady losses, the horrible shattering sounds popping off left and

right. I'd counted six before I gave up.

"How many did we lose?" Klein asked in a hoarse voice,

slumped over to my left. Next to him, Agil lay flat on his back, his

limbs spread apart. He could only turn his head to look at us.

I waved my right hand to bring up my map, counting the green

dots. I subtracted the total from our original number.

"Fourteen are dead."

Even as I totaled the number, I couldn't believe it.

These were all experienced, top-level players. Even without an

escape route or instantaneous healing, careful combat that prioritized survival should have kept the number of fatalities lower.

And yet…

"You can't be serious…"

There was none of the usual edge to Agil's voice. A dark pall

hung heavily over the survivors.

We were at the three-quarters mark—there were a full twentyfive floors ahead of us. Even with several thousand players remaining, there were only a few hundred capable of truly tackling

the endgame. If we lost this number on every floor from now on,

there might only be one player left to fight the final boss.

And if it's going to be anyone, it'll be him…

I turned to look to the back of the chamber. While everyone

else slumped on the ground, one man clad in red stood straight

and tall: Heathcliff.

He wasn't totally unharmed, of course. I focused on him to

bring up his cursor, which showed that his HP bar was significantly lowered. It'd taken everything Asuna and I had to continue

blocking one of those giant scythes, and he'd managed the other

all on his own. Numerical damage aside, the mental fatigue alone

should have been enough to knock him down.

But his proud, calm bearing showed not the slightest hint of

exhaustion. He was unbelievably tough. Like a machine—a battle

machine with a perpetual engine…

I continued gazing blearily at Heathcliff's profile, my mind

hazy with fatigue. The living legend's face stayed calm. He silently

stared down at the KoB members and others who lay on the floor.

His gaze was full of warmth and compassion…just like…

Just like he was watching little mice, playing in a cleverly constructed cage.

I felt a tremendous chill race through my entire body.

My mind raised into motion. Everything froze, from my fingertips to the center of my brain. A premonition had awoken inside of me. The tiny seed of possibility grew and grew, sending

out roots of doubt.

Heathcliff's gaze, his implacability—it was not the face of a

man congratulating his fellows. It was the expression of a merciful God, gazing down from a great height…

I suddenly remembered the incredible reaction time he'd exhibited during our duel. It surpassed the speed of humanity. No,

let me rephrase—it surpassed the maximum speed SAO allowed

its players to move.

Not to mention his regular attitude. He was the leader of the

strongest guild in the game, but he never gave orders. He let

other players handle all matters and chose to observe. What if

that wasn't a sign of trust in his subordinates…but the self-control not to act on things that other players could not know?

Someone unbound by the rules of this game of death, but not

an NPC. No program could create that merciful expression.

If he wasn't an NPC or an ordinary player, that left only one

possibility. But how could I confirm it? There was no way.

Except there was. One available right now, and only now.

I checked Heathcliff's HP. It was quite diminished after the excruciating battle, but still not to the halfway point. In fact, it was

just barely still in the blue.

This was a man who had never once fallen into the yellow

zone. He possessed an insurmountable defense.

The only time I'd seen Heathcliff's expression change during

our duel was when I was about to knock his HP under 50 percent.

But it wasn't being knocked into the yellow zone that he was

afraid of.

No, it was more likely…

I slowly gripped my right sword. Gradually, ever so gradually,

I drew my right foot back. I lowered my waist, assuming the position for a low-altitude dash. Heathcliff hadn't noticed me. His

calm gaze was trained only on his battered guildmates.

If my guess was completely wrong, I would instantly be labeled a criminal player and suffer extreme punishment.

Sorry if it comes to that…

I looked at Asuna, crouched next to me. She looked up at the

same time and our eyes met.

"Kirito…?"

She looked startled, but she only mouthed the words. It was

too late—my right leg was already pouncing.

I crossed the thirty feet to Heathcliff in an instant, low to the

ground, then burst upward, twisting my right thrust: Rage Spike,

a basic one-handed charge attack. It was weak, and wouldn't

come close to killing Heathcliff if it hit, but it would serve to

prove my suspicions…

Heathcliff didn't fail to notice the sweep of pale blue that approached from his left, and I saw his eyes widen with shock. He

abruptly raised his left hand, trying to block with his shield.

But I'd seen that habit several times during our duel. My blazing sword angled sharply in midair, clipping the hilt of the shield

and striking—

—An invisible wall, just before it hit Heathcliff's chest. I felt a

powerful impact travel up my arm. Purple sparks shot everywhere, and the space between was similarly purple—the color of

all system messages.

IMMORTAL OBJECT. A system designation that was not afforded

to human players, frail and limited that we were. This is what

Heathcliff was afraid of during our duel—the possibility that his

so-called divine protection would be exposed for what it really

was.

"Kirito, what in the—?"

Asuna started to shout in surprise as she chased after me, then

stopped short when she saw the message. Heathcliff, Klein, the

other players—no one moved. The system message blinked out in

the silence.

I removed my sword and leaped backward to maintain distance. Asuna took several steps to reach my side.

"He's designated as a system-level immortal object? Wh…what

does this mean, Commander?"

Heathcliff did not answer her confused query. He simply

looked at me, a severe frown on his face. I spoke, my swords lowered.

"This is the truth behind the legend. The system is designed to

prevent his HP from ever falling into the yellow zone. The only

things that can be labeled immortal objects are the environment,

NPCs, and system managers, not players. But there aren't any

more GMs in the game—except for one."

I cut off and glanced upward.

"There's something that has stuck in the back of my mind ever

since I came here. I figured he had to be watching us from somewhere, managing and fine-tuning the world. But I forgot a basic

psychological fact, something that even a kid knows."

I trained my gaze directly on the crimson paladin.

"There's nothing more boring than watching someone else

play an RPG. Isn't that right, Akihiko Kayaba?"

The entire chamber was full of frosty silence.

Heathcliff just looked at me, his face still placid. No one else

moved. They couldn't.

Next to me, Asuna took a step forward. Her eyes were devoid

of emotion, like two empty voids. When she spoke, it was in a dry

whisper.

"Commander…is this…true…?"

Heathcliff did not answer. He tilted his head and finally spoke.

"…Will you at least tell me how you figured it out?"

"I first noticed something was off during our duel. You moved

too fast in that final moment."

"I should have known. That was a painful failure for me. I was

so overwhelmed by your attack, I had no choice but to use the

system's assistance."

He nodded slowly, finally showing his first sign of emotion—a

twisted corner of the mouth, the faintest hint of a wry grimace.

"My plan was to not reveal myself until the ninety-fifth floor

had been reached. But alas…"

Heathcliff turned to gaze over the group, his grin looking more

and more aloof, then he finally announced himself.

"Yes, I am Akihiko Kayaba. And I am this game's final boss,

the one who should have awaited you on the top floor."

I felt Asuna swoon slightly. I propped her up with my right

hand, my stare never leaving him.

"I don't think much of your taste. The greatest player in the

game turns heel and becomes the final boss?"

"But it's a compelling scenario, is it not? We had fun, but I

wasn't expecting to be exposed just three-quarters of the way

through. I had you pegged as the biggest wild-card element in the

game, but even my estimates were off."

Akihiko Kayaba, the developer of the game and jailer of all ten

thousand prisoners, gave off his recognizable dry smile and

shrugged. Heathcliff's physical appearance was a far cry from the

real Kayaba. But that mechanical nature, his metallic disposition,

was the same as that of the faceless avatar that had descended

from the ceiling on that fateful day. Kayaba continued, the smile

still playing over his lips.

"I'd always expected that you would be the one to confront me

in the end. Out of the ten unique skills in the game, Dual Blades is

the one given to the player with the quickest response time. That

player should have been the one to stand before the final villain,

whether triumphant or beaten. But you exhibited power beyond

my expectations. Both in the speed of your attacks and the sharpness of your observation. But…I suppose having one's expectations betrayed is one of the best features of an online RPG."

One of the frozen players had finally risen to his feet. It was

one of the Knights of the Blood. His naive, narrow eyes were filled

with anguish.

"You…you bastard…We actually swore our loyalty to you…We

put our hopes in you! And you betrayed us…"

He lifted a large halberd.

"You evil, twisted—!!"

And the man screamed and charged. There was no time to

stop him. He took a huge swing at Kayaba—

But Kayaba was faster. He swung his left hand instead, opening a window and manipulating it instantly. Suddenly, his attacker's body froze in midair, then fell with a clatter. A blinking

green border surrounded the man's HP bar—paralysis. Kayaba

kept tapping commands into the window.

"Oh…Kirito!"

I turned to see Asuna kneeling on the ground. From what I

could see, everyone in the chamber aside from Kayaba and me

was collapsing unnaturally, groaning.

I put my swords over my back, kneeling to lift Asuna up and

hold her hand. Kayaba turned to look at me again.

"What are you doing? Killing everyone here to cover up your

evil deeds?"

"Hardly. I would not be so cruel," he said, smiling and shaking

his head. "But I am left with no other choice. I must accelerate my

plans and await your visit at Ruby Palace on the top floor. I have

been building the KoB to handle the powerful foes of the ninetieth floor and above. It is not my first choice to abandon you partway like this, but I think you've shown that you have the strength

to make it on your own. However, before then…"

He stopped and trained his gaze on me, twin beams of pure

willpower. He stuck the tip of his sword into the obsidian floor. A

sharp, clear, metallic tone rent the air.

"I believe you deserve a reward for exposing my true identity,

Kirito. I will grant you the opportunity to fight me in a one-on-

one duel, right here and now. No immortality, of course. If you

beat me, the game will be over, and all players will be able to log

out of this world. What do you choose?"

The instant she heard those words, Asuna struggled futilely in

my arms, shaking her head. "You can't, Kirito! He's trying to get

rid of you…We should pull back and think this through…"

My conscience agreed with her. He was a game manager, able

to bend the system to his will. He might claim a fair battle, but

there was no telling what he might do. The best choice here was

clearly to retreat, share opinions, and come up with a plan.

But…

What did he say? He built the KoB? We could make it on our

own…?

"You sick bastard," I muttered before I knew what I was doing.

He had kidnapped ten thousand people, fried the brains of

two-fifths of them, and watched in person as we struggled, ignorant and helpless, to play along with his own pet narrative. There

could be no greater enjoyment for a game master.

I thought back to Asuna's past as described down on the

twenty-second floor. I remembered her tears as she clung to me.

How could I stand before the man who created this world for his

own pleasure, who had ripped Asuna's heart to shreds over and

over, and simply back down?

"All right. Let's settle this."

I nodded slowly.

"Kirito!" Asuna screamed. I looked down at her. It felt like I'd

been shot through the chest to do this, but I forced a smile all the

same.

"I'm sorry. But this has to be it. There's no turning back

now…"

Asuna opened her lips, about to say something, then stopped

and gave me a desperate smile. Tears trailed down her cheeks.

"You aren't going…to die, are you…?"

"Nope…I'm going to win. I'm going to win, and I'm going to

bring an end to this world."

"All right. I believe you."

Even if I lose and turn to nothingness, you have to live on. I

thought the words but couldn't say them. Instead, Asuna

squeezed my hand, long and hard.

I let go, then laid her body on the obsidian floor. I stood and

walked over to Kayaba, loudly drawing my swords.

"Kirito, don't do this!"

"Kirito!"

I turned and saw Agil and Klein desperately trying to push

themselves upward. First I met Agil's eyes and nodded to him.

"Thanks for all your support of the swordsmen in the game,

Agil. I know what you've done. You've spent nearly all of your

earnings helping to outfit players in the mid-level zones."

I smiled at Agil, whose eyes were wide with surprise.

Klein, ugly bandanna, stubble, and all, was breathing in and

out rapidly, trying to find the right words. I stared straight into

his sunken eyes and took a deep breath. Try as I might, I couldn't

stop my voice from trembling.

"Klein…remember when we first met? I'm sorry for what I

did…leaving you behind like that. I always regretted it."

That was all I could scratch out, but the instant I finished, the

corners of my old friend's eyes sparkled and began to drip. After

several moments of silent tears, he struggled anew to get to his

feet, his throat ripping with anger.

"D…don't you dare apologize to me! Now is not the time!

You're not going to do this! I'm not gonna forgive you until I've at

least had the chance to buy you a dinner back in the real world!!"

He tried to keep shouting, but I silenced him with a nod.

"All right, it's a deal. We'll meet up on the outside."

I flashed him a thumbs-up.

Then I turned to the girl who'd helped me say the words I

couldn't say for two years and gave her one last gaze.

One last gaze at Asuna, her face smiling but tearstained…

Inwardly, I told her I was sorry, then spun around. I looked at

Kayaba, still imperious and implacable, and opened my mouth.

"…I have just one request."

"And that is?"

"I don't intend to go down easily, but if I do die, ensure that

Asuna can't commit suicide right away."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise but nodded assent.

"Very well. I'll see to it that she cannot leave Selmburg."

"Kirito, you can't! No…you can't do this!!"

Asuna's teary cries echoed behind me. I didn't turn around. I

drew my right foot back, pushing my left sword to the front and

my right sword down.

Kayaba hit a few more commands on his window that equalized our HP bars just at the edge of the red zone—enough that

one clean, heavy hit would finish the battle.

Next, a system message appeared over his head reading,

CHANGED INTO MORTAL OBJECT—Kayaba had removed his artificial

defense. He closed the window, then pulled his sword out of the

ground and hunched behind his giant shield.

My mind was cold and clear. After my inner apologies to

Asuna had risen and dissipated like soap bubbles popping, only

my instinct to fight was left, freezing and sharp.

To be honest, I didn't have a foolproof plan for victory. In our

previous duel, I hadn't gotten the sense that my sword work was

clearly inferior to his. But if he chose to use the same system assistance—as he called it—that had caused me to freeze for a second while he reacted, there would be nothing I could do.

It was only Kayaba's pride on the line that would keep him

from using it. Based on his statements, I had to conclude that he

would try to defeat me within the limits of his Holy Sword ability.

My only hope for survival was to catch him off guard and finish

the fight quickly.

The tension rose between us. Even the air seemed to tremble

with the weight of the situation. This wasn't a duel. It was a fight

to kill. That's right—I was going…

"…to kill you!!" I spat, charging forward. I brought my right

sword in for a long horizontal swipe. With his left hand on the

shield, Kayaba blocked it easily. Sparks flew, illuminating our

faces for an instant.

As though the sound of metal clashing was the opening bell of

our fight, we instantly accelerated into a full-blown sword battle.

Out of the countless fights I'd experienced in this world, this

was the most irregular, the most human. We'd both exposed our

secrets to the other before. My Dual Blades skill was Kayaba's design, so I had to assume that he knew all of my combos. It certainly explained how he'd stopped all of my attacks in the previous duel.

I didn't use any of the system's combination attacks—I swung

my swords freely, using only my instincts. I wasn't getting any

help from the game, but it seemed like my accelerated consciousness made my every move much faster than normal. Even my

eyes couldn't keep up with the speed, my swords waving into afterimages: one, five, ten, twenty. But…

Kayaba deflected each of my blows with easy precision. When

he had the opening, he would dart in with a sharp stab of his own.

Instantaneous reaction speed was the only thing that kept me

from being hit. The battle maintained an uneasy stasis. I focused

on Kayaba's eyes, trying to read his thoughts, his actions. Our

gazes met.

Kayaba's—Heathcliff's brass eyes stayed chilly. That hint of

humanity I'd witnessed in our public duel was nowhere to be

seen.

I suddenly felt a slight chill run down my back.

I was facing a man who had slaughtered four thousand people.

Was that even humanly possible? Four thousand deaths, four

thousand voices of vengeance. No man who can live with that

much weight over his head can be human—he's a monster.

"Raaahh!!"

I roared, trying to banish the tiny inkling of fear blooming in

my heart. I whipped my arms around even faster, striking multi-

ple times a second, but Kayaba never blinked. He wielded his

shield and longsword faster than the eye could follow, perfectly

blocking each and every blow.

Is he just toying with me?

The fear soon turned to panic. If Kayaba was able to defend

every single blow, he must have the ability to strike back and deliver a critical hit at any moment.

Doubt clouded my heart. He didn't even need the system's assistance.

"Shit!"

In that case…how about this?

I switched tactics, unleashing the Dual Blades' highest skill,

the Eclipse. My sword edges bore down on Kayaba with ultra

speed, flashing in all directions like a solar corona. Twenty-seven

consecutive strikes—

—But Kayaba was simply waiting for me to fall into the system's

preprogrammed combination. For the first time, his mouth displayed signs of emotion. But unlike our last fight, this was a smile

of certain victory.

After the first few swings of the combo, I realized my mistake.

At the very end, I'd relied on the system for help, rather than my

own instincts. I couldn't break out of the combo partway—it

would freeze me momentarily. But Kayaba knew each and every

attack in this string.

As blow after blow was parried easily by Kayaba's crucifix

shield, the only thing I could do was breathe a silent apology.

I'm sorry, Asuna…At least I know you'll still be alive…

The twenty-seventh and final left thrust struck the center of

the shield in a shower of sparks. The next instant, the sword in

my left hand gave a metallic screech and shattered into pieces.

"Farewell, Kirito."

Kayaba's longsword was held high over my head, glowing

crimson. It swung downward, a blur the color of blood—

In that instant, a voice, loud and fierce, echoed inside my head.

I'm going…to watch over you!!

With incredible speed, a human blur darted between Kayaba's

glowing blade and me. Chestnut hair flipped through the air.

Asuna…why?!

She should have been paralyzed by the game system itself. But

she stood before me, her chest held high, both arms extended.

I could see surprise on Kayaba's face. But no one could stop

his attack now. It all moved in horrifying slow motion, the sword

slicing Asuna from shoulder to breast.

I lurched forward desperately, reaching out for her as she fell.

She crumpled into my arms, soundless.

Our eyes met. She smiled faintly. Her HP bar was gone.

Time stood still.

Evening. Meadow. Breeze. A slight chill.

We sat on the hill side by side, gazing out on the lake, the reddish-gold setting sun melting into deep blue.

Leaves rustled. Birds called as they returned to their nests.

She slipped her hand into mine, leaned her head on my shoulder.

The clouds trailed past. Stars began to twinkle, one, then two.

We silently observed the colors of the world shift and blur.

Eventually, she spoke up.

"I'm a little sleepy. Mind if I use your legs as a pillow?"

I smiled and answered, "Go right ahead. Good night…"

Just like then, Asuna looked up at me from my arms, her face

beaming, her eyes full of love. But the weight and the warmth of

that previous time were gone.

Her body slowly took on a golden glow. Motes of light separated and scattered.

"This can't be…Asuna…why…? Why did you…?"

My voice trembled. But the light mercilessly glowed brighter.

A single tear fell from her eye, sparkled momentarily, then

vanished. Her lips moved, faintly, carving the sounds.

I ' m s o r r y .

G o o d - b y e .

Swish…

The light in my arms flashed, then burst, countless golden

feathers floating through the air.

And then she was gone.

I scrambled to regain the floating lights, a voiceless scream ripping my throat. But the golden feathers blew away as though on a

gust of wind, spreading out, evaporating. Disappearing. Forever.

This can never happen. It should not. It can't. It can't—

I crumpled to my knees. The final feather floated downward to

rest on my hand, then blinked out.