The battle lasted for an hour.
When this seemingly endless battle to the death finally ended, and the huge body of the monster leader scattered in all directions, none of us had the extra strength to cheer. Some of them sat on the obsidian floor as if they had collapsed, while others lay on the ground and panted heavily.
Is it over?
Mm-hmm-it's over--
After this conversation ended, the 'connection' between Asuna and I seemed to have been severed. Suddenly, a strong sense of fatigue hit me, and I couldn't take it anymore and knelt on the floor. Asuna and I sat back to back. Neither of us could move for the time being.
We've survived together-even if we think so, it's not the time to be happy. Because there were too many sacrifices. After the three people who died at the start of the battle, the ear-piercing sound of objects shattering could be heard at a certain speed. When I counted to the sixth person, I gave up counting.
"How many people were sacrificed in total...?」
Klein, who was squatting on the ground on my left, raised his head and asked me in a hoarse voice. Ajeel, who was lying on his back beside Klein, also turned his face towards me.
He waved his right hand and called out the map, counting the green dots on it. From the number of people who set off, the total number of sacrifices was calculated.
"A total of fourteen people have been sacrificed.」
Although I had personally confirmed the number of people, I still found it hard to believe.
Each of them was a top-tier player who had experienced countless battles. Even if he couldn't escape or recover instantly, he shouldn't die immediately as long as he fought in a way that prioritized survival.
[You must be lying...]
Aguirre's voice had lost its usual liveliness. The survivors were shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.
It was not easy to conquer three-quarters of the floor, and there were still twenty-five floors above. Although there were still thousands of players, there were only a few hundred players who were at the front line. If there are so many sacrifices in the first level, then we will face the dilemma of only one player being able to face the final boss.
And under such circumstances, I think the one who survived should be that man…
I looked into the depths of the room. Amongst the crowd that was sprawled on the ground, there was only one man in red who straightened his body and stood there resolutely. That person was, of course, Heathcliffe.
Of course, he was not completely uninjured. He aimed his gaze at him and let the arrow appear. He could see that his HP bar had decreased a lot. Asuna and I had to work together to block the bone scythe with great difficulty, but he managed to last the entire battle alone. Under such circumstances, other than receiving numerical damage, it was not an exaggeration to collapse from exhaustion.
However, his leisurely figure made it impossible for anyone to feel that he was mentally tired. What an unbelievable tenacity. It was like a machine, like a battle machine equipped with perpetual motion machinery…
I kept staring at the side of Heathcliffe's face as my consciousness became hazy due to exhaustion. This legendary man's expression had always been so calm. He silently looked down at the KO members and other players lying on the ground. His warm, compassionate eyes-it was as if-
It was like watching a group of white mice playing in an exquisite cage.
At this moment, a terrifying feeling of trembling ran through my entire body.
He regained his consciousness in one breath. From his fingertips to the center of his brain, he began to feel a chill. I began to have a premonition. The tiny seed of inspiration kept expanding, and the tree bud full of questions began to extend upward.
The look in Heathcliffe's eyes, the steadiness. That was not the expression of someone who cared for their injured companion. He doesn't stand on the same level as us. It was the expression of the Creator, who gave us pity from a distant height...
I remembered his terrifying reaction speed when I fought against Heavencliffe. It had already surpassed the limits of human speed. No, it should be said that it had surpassed the fastest speed that the SAO allowed players to use.
In addition to his usual attitude. Although he was the leader of the strongest guild, he had never given any orders. He only handed everything over to the other players while he watched from the side. What if it wasn't because he trusted his subordinates, but because he knew information that ordinary players couldn't possibly know?
An existence that was not bound by the rules of the game of death. However, he was not an NPC. If it was just a program, it was impossible for it to show such a compassionate expression.
It was neither an NPC nor an ordinary player. There was only one possibility left. But how could he confirm this possibility? Currently, there was no…way.
No, there should be. There was a method that could only be done at this moment and in this place.
I stared at Heavencliffe's HP bar. After the harsh battle, it had been greatly reduced, but it had not fallen below half. His HP bar, which was barely maintained at around 50%, was still displayed in blue.
This man, who had never fallen into the yellow alert zone, had an overwhelming defense that ordinary people could not hope to match.
When we were fighting, it was only when his HP was about to drop below half that his expression changed. And that shouldn't be because he was afraid that his HP bar would turn yellow.
Not afraid of turning yellow--I think it's--
I slowly gripped the sword in my right hand again. He slowly moved his right foot back with extremely small movements. Then, he pulled his waist back slightly and prepared himself for a low-altitude sprint. Heathcliffe didn't notice my movements. His calm gaze only landed on the dejected guild members.
If the prediction was wrong, then I would be labeled as a criminal and receive merciless punishment.
At that time…I'm sorry…
I glanced at Asuna who was sitting beside me. At this moment, she just happened to raise her head, and the two of us looked at each other.
[Kirito…?]
Asuna looked surprised. She only moved her mouth but didn't make a sound. But at this moment, my right foot kicked the ground.
I was about ten meters away from Heathcliffe. I sprinted as fast as I could and covered the distance in an instant. The sword in my right hand spun as I stabbed upward. I used the basic one-handed sword skill [Angry Stab]. Because the power was not strong, even if it hit, it would not harm his life. However, if it is as I expected-
With astonishing reflexes, Heathcliffe noticed the tip of the sword approaching from the left, dragging a pale blue flash behind it. His eyes widened in shock. He immediately raised the shield in his left hand and prepared to block.
But I've seen this move of his many times in duels, so I still remember it very clearly. My sword turned into a ray of light and changed its trajectory at a sharp angle in the air. It grazed the edge of the shield and stabbed at Heavencliffe's chest.
Just as the sword was about to stab into his chest, it hit a wall invisible to the naked eye. A strong impact was transmitted from the sword to my arm. A purple flash exploded, and a message appeared between me and that fellow, which was also purple, which was the system's color.
「ImmortalObject」。An undying existence. For weak and limited players like us, this is an attribute that is impossible to possess. During the battle, what Heavenscliffe was afraid of was exposing this god-like protection to everyone.
" Kirito, what are you doing?"
When Asuna saw my sudden attack, she screamed and ran over. After seeing the message, she instantly stopped moving. Heathcliffe, Klein, and I, as well as the gamers around us, didn't move at all. In the silence, the system message slowly disappeared.
I put down my sword and lightly leaped backward, pulling away from Heavencliff. Asuna took a few steps forward and stood beside me on my right.
[The system won't die...?] What's going on…Guild Leader?」
After hearing Asuna's confused voice, Hitzcliffe did not answer. He only stared at me with a rather grim expression. I lowered the swords in my hands and said,
" This is the truth of the legend. The system seemed to be protecting the man's HP and not letting him fall into the yellow alert zone. Other than NPCs, only system administrators could possess the undying attribute. However, there shouldn't be an administrator in this game. Except for one person…"
I stopped and looked up at the sky.
"... Actually, I've always had a question since I came to this world... where exactly is that guy observing us and making adjustments to this world? However, I have always forgotten a simple truth that every child knows.」
I looked straight at the red-robed Holy Knight and continued,
"That is,'Nothing is more boring than standing by and watching other people play role-playing games.' Am I right…Hayaba Akihiko.」
The surroundings were filled with a silence that froze everything.
Heathcliffe stared at me without expression. The surrounding players did not move. No, it should be said that he couldn't do anything.
Asuna, who was beside me, slowly took a step forward. Her eyes seemed to be staring at some empty space without any emotion. Her lips moved slightly, and then a hoarse voice came out.
[Guild Leader…is that really the case…?]」
Still not answering her question, Heathcliffe tilted his head slightly and said to me,"
"…Just take it as a reference. Can you tell me why you noticed this…?"」
"At first, I found it strange because you were too fast at the last moment of the previous duel.」
[As expected. That was indeed a mistake that I regretted. Because I was suppressed by your attack, the system's extreme support took effect.」
He nodded slightly, the corner of his lips slightly raised, revealing a bitter smile. This was also the first expression on his face.
"I originally planned to announce this when I reached the 95th checkpoint.」
The red-robed Paladin slowly looked at all the players, and after the smile on his face turned into a detached one, he announced in a dignified manner,"
[Indeed, I am Hayaba Kyoko.] To put it another way, they had to wait for their final leader at the top.」
At this moment, I felt that Asuna was showing signs of instability. I continued to stare at the thatched cottage and supported her with my right hand.
"…Your taste is too bad. The strongest player had directly turned into the fiercest final leader?」
"Don't you think this is a very good script? I had thought that this would create a rather large climax, but I didn't expect that it would be seen through by someone when it was three-quarters of the way through. I thought you were the biggest uncertainty in this world, but I didn't expect you to have such destructive power..."
As the developer of this game, and the man who imprisoned the minds of 10,000 players, Kazuhiko Hayaba shrugged as he revealed a familiar smile. The paladin Heathcliffe looked completely different from the real Hayata. However, it gave off an inanimate, metal-like, cold atmosphere, just like the faceless avatar that descended upon us two years ago. Mao Chang continued with a smile on his face,"
"... I predicted that you would be the last person standing in front of me. Among the ten unique skills, the Two-Blade Style skill was given to the player with the fastest reaction speed, and that person would play the role of a hero against the Demon King, regardless of whether he won or lost in the end. However, whether it's attack speed or observation ability, you've already displayed power that exceeds my imagination. However…this unexpected development can also be considered as an epiphany for online role-playing games…"
At this moment, a player who seemed to be frozen and unable to move slowly stood up. He was one of the officers of the Blood Alliance Knights. Her small eyes, which looked firm and wooden, revealed a tragic and distressed emotion.
"You bastard…you bastard…how dare you ruin our loyalty and hope!」
He gripped the huge axe spear in his hand tightly and roared as he rushed out.
We couldn't stop him in time. He waved his heavy weapon and smashed it at the thatched cottage.
However, Mao Chang was a step faster than him. He waved his left hand and quickly manipulated the window that appeared. As a result, the man's body immediately stopped in the air and fell to the ground with a loud sound. His HP bar was flashing with a green border. It was a state of paralysis. Mao Chang's hands didn't stop because of this and continued to operate the window.
[Ah…Kirito…]
He turned around and saw Asuna kneeling on the ground. I immediately checked the situation of the surrounding players and found that other than me and Mao Chang, everyone was lying on the ground in an unnatural position and moaning.
After I put my sword back on my back, I knelt on the ground and picked Asuna up, holding her hand. Then, he raised his head and looked at the thatched cottage.
[…What do you want?] Kill all of us?」
"How can I?" I wouldn't do such an outrageous thing.」
The man in red smiled and shook his head.
" Since things have already reached this point, there's nothing we can do. I can only advance my reservation and wait for you at the top level of the Red Jade Palace. Although it wasn't my intention to abandon the Blood Alliance Knights and the players from the Strategy Group that I had nurtured along the way so that the players would have the strength to fight against the powerful monsters on the 90th floor and above, I believe that you should be able to reach the top with your strength. But…before that…"
After Mao Chang stopped talking, those eyes that made people feel like they were filled with overwhelming willpower stared at me. Then, he gently stabbed the sword in his right hand into the obsidian floor. The sharp and clear metallic sound tore through the surrounding air.
" Kirito, I have to reward you for seeing through my true colors. I'll give you a chance. I'll give you the chance to fight me one-on-one here. Of course, I'll remove the undying attribute. If you win, the game will be completely conquered and all players will be able to log out of this world. What do you think?"
Upon hearing his words, Asuna, who was in my arm, desperately moved her numb body. She shook her head and said to me,
[No, Kirito…!] He wants to destroy you now…for now…we should retreat first…!」
My rationality also tells me that this opinion is correct. That guy was an administrator who could interfere with the system. Although he said that he wanted to have a fair duel, he did not know what would actually happen. They should retreat first and then exchange opinions to come up with a corresponding method. That was the best choice.
But…
What did that guy just say? He said that he had nurtured the Blood Alliance Knights? He said that they would definitely arrive…?
[Stop joking…]
Subtle sounds unconsciously escaped from my mouth.
This guy had locked the minds of 10,000 people into the world he had created, and not only had the consciousness of 4,000 people been burned by electromagnetic waves, but he himself was also watching the players struggle foolishly and pitifully according to the script he had written. For a game administrator, this should be the most enjoyable experience.
I remembered Asuna mentioning her past on the 22nd floor. I remembered the tears she shed when she leaned on me. The man in front of me had hurt Asuna's heart countless times and bled a lot for the pleasure of creating his own world. No matter what, I couldn't just retreat like this.
[Alright then. Let's fight it out."
I nodded slowly.
[Kirito…!]
Asuna's sorrowful cry sounded again. I looked at her in my arm. Although I felt a piercing pain in my chest, I forced myself to smile and say to her,
[Sorry. I can't…escape at this time…"
Asuna opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but she gave up halfway. Instead, she forced a smile.
"You don't intend to... sacrifice yourself, do you?」
[Of course…I will definitely win. I will end this world with my victory.」
[I know. I trust you."
Even if you are defeated and destroyed, you must live on---Although I really want to say this, I still can't say it. I had no choice but to hold Asuna's right hand tightly to replace her words.
After letting go of her hand, I placed Asuna's body horizontally on the obsidian floor and stood up. As I slowly walked toward the thatched yard, which was silently watching, I drew my sword with both hands.
[Kirito! Stop…!"
[Kirito-!]
Looking at the source of the voice, I can see Ajir and Klein struggling to prop themselves up while calling my name at the same time. I turned around to face them as I advanced. After meeting Ajir's gaze, I lowered my head slightly and said,
[Aguirre, thank you for helping the Swordsman class all this time. I know that you spent almost all the money you earned on nurturing players in the mid-tier area.」
After smiling at the big man who had his eyes wide open, his face moved slightly.
The Sword Envoy, who was wearing a low-level patterned headscarf, shook his bearded face as if he was looking for something to say. He kept breathing rapidly.
I looked straight into his sunken eyes and took a deep breath. At this moment, no matter how hard I tried, my throat began to choke. I couldn't control myself from making intermittent sounds.
[Klein. At that time…I'm really sorry for abandoning you. I've always regretted it.」
After saying this short sentence in a hoarse voice, a small glowing object appeared at the edge of his old friend's eyes and dripped down.
Klein's eyes instantly flowed with tears. He struggled to stand up again and roared with his almost torn throat,"
[You…you bastard! Kirito! Don't apologize to me! Don't apologize to me now! I won't forgive you! If you don't treat me to a good meal in the outside world, I will never forgive you!」
I nodded at Klein, who wanted to continue shouting, and said,"
[I know. It was decided that they would meet in the outside world next time.」
I raised my right hand and gave him a thumbs up.
In the end, I stared at the girl again. It was her who allowed me to say the words that I had hidden in my heart for the past two years.
Asuna, who was smiling at me with tears streaming down her face-
After muttering 'I'm sorry' in his heart, he turned around. He said to Mao Chang, who had maintained a detached expression,
"... I'm sorry, but I have a request.」
[What request?]
"Of course, I don't think I'll lose, but if I really do lose, I just need some time. I hope you can restrain Asuna so that she can't commit suicide.」
Mao Chang looked very surprised as he raised an eyebrow and agreed to my request.
"Alright, I'll make it so that she can't leave Selmbrook for the time being.」
[Kirito, no! You can't, you can't do this!」
Asuna cried behind me. But I didn't turn back. However, he pulled back his right leg and put the sword in his left hand forward while the sword in his right hand hung down. He was in a battle stance.
Mao Chang's left hand operated the window and adjusted my HP bar to the same length as his. It was close to the red zone. As long as he took a full hit, the outcome would be decided.
Then, a system message appeared above the guy's head: " changed into a mortal object ". Mao Chang closed the window, pulled out the sword from the ground, and placed the cross shield behind him.
My consciousness was very calm and clear. " Asuna, I'm sorry…" This thought popped up in my mind like a bubble, and after it dissipated, my heart was enveloped by my battle instincts and began to become as sharp as a blade.
To be honest, I don't know how much I have to win. In the previous battle, he did not feel that he was inferior to him in terms of sword skills. However, the prerequisite was that that guy didn't use the " Ultimate Support " he mentioned, the kind of system interference skill that made me stop and only he could move.
It all depended on Mao Chang's self-esteem. Judging from the content of his words just now, he should be prepared to use the Holy Sword ability to defeat me. From the looks of it, the only way I could survive was to decide the victor before he used his special ability.
The tension between me and the thatched cottage grew. It felt like even the air was trembling because of our murderous aura. This was no longer a duel, but a simple killing battle. That's right--I'll take that man--
[I'll kill you…!]
He exhaled sharply and kicked the ground at the same time.
When there was still some distance between them, the sword in his right hand swept out. Mao Chang used the shield in his left hand to easily block it. Sparks flew and lit up our faces in an instant.
The impact of the collision of metal was like a signal that the battle had begun. The speed of the blade and sword between the two began to suppress the surrounding space.
This was the most irregular and humane battle I had ever experienced. Both of us have seen each other's moves before. In addition, the Two-Blade Style was designed by that guy, so a simple combo would definitely be seen through by him. Thinking about it this way, it was easy to understand why all of my sword skills were blocked during the battle.
I didn't use any of the combo skills that the system had set up. I relied solely on my battle instincts to continuously swing the swords in my left and right hands. Of course, he couldn't get the system's assistance, but with the senses of being accelerated to the limit, his arms easily surpassed his usual sword swing speed. Even my eyes could see several, or even dozens of swords in my hands due to the afterimages. But…
Mao Chang's accuracy was astounding as he continued to deflect my attacks. Furthermore, as soon as there was a gap in my attack, he would immediately counterattack. And I could only rely on my instantaneous reaction to block it. The entire situation was in a stalemate. In order to obtain more information about the enemy's thoughts and reactions, I focused my consciousness on the two eyes of the thatched cottage. This caused our gazes to cross.
But the brass eyes of Hayden Heathcliff had been rather cold. The human emotions that had appeared for a moment during the previous battle had completely disappeared.
Suddenly, I felt a chill down my spine.
I'm facing a man who killed 4,000 people without mercy. Could a normal person do such a thing? To be able to remain calm under the heavy pressure of the death of 4,000 people and the resentment of 4,000 people was no longer a human, but a monster.
[Wooooo
In order to clear the tiny fear that had arisen in the depths of his heart, he roared angrily. I increased the speed of my hands and attacked several times in a second, but Mao Chang's expression didn't change. He waved his cross shield and longsword at a speed that was almost invisible to the naked eye, and indeed repelled all my attacks.
He was just playing with me!
The fear in his heart gradually turned into anxiety. Could it be that the reason why Mao Chang has been on the defensive is because he can counterattack at any time and is confident that he can withstand my attack and still survive?
My heart began to be covered by doubts. It turned out that he did not need to use Ultimate Support at all.
[Damn it…!]
In that case-how about this-!
I switched to my attack mode and used the highest level sword skill of the Nito Ryu, Solar Eclipse. The tip of the sword shot out in all directions like a sun's halo. It attacked Mao Chang twenty-seven times in a row at high speed.
However, Mao Chang had been waiting for this moment, waiting for me to use the consecutive skills set by the system. For the first time, an expression appeared at the corner of his mouth. This time, however, it was the exact opposite-a smile of certainty.
After the first few attacks, I realized my mistake. At the last moment, he did not rely on his intuition to seek help from the system. He could no longer stop his combo in the middle. When the attack ends, I will be stunned for a moment. Moreover, Mao Chang had a clear understanding of my attacks from the beginning to the end.
Seeing Mao Chang completely guess the direction of my sword, moving the cross shield to block all my attacks, I could only silently say in my heart:
I'm sorry, Asuna... at least you must... live...
The twenty-seventh left thrust hit the center of the cross shield, causing sparks to fly. Then, there was a sound of hard metal. The sword in my left hand shattered instantly.
[Goodbye, Kirito.]
The thatched cottage sword was raised high above my head. His blade emitted a dark red light. And then the sword came down on my head with a blood-red light-
At this moment, a powerful and violent voice appeared in my head.
Kirito-let me-protect!
A figure rushed into the red sword at an extremely fast speed, and stood between me and the sword. I could see chestnut-colored hair flying in the air.
Asuna-why-!
She should be unable to move due to the paralysis caused by the system, but she was actually standing in front of me. She bravely puffed out her chest and opened her arms wide.
Maochang also had a surprised expression on his face. However, no one could stop the slash. Everything happened in slow motion. The sword cut through Asuna's shoulder all the way to her chest and then stopped.
I desperately reached out my hands to Asuna, who was lying on her back. She fell silently into my arms.
When Asuna met my gaze, a smile appeared on her face. Then, her HP bar disappeared.
Time instantly stopped.
Sunset. The grassland. A gentle breeze. The weather was a little cold.
The two of us sat side by side on the hill, looking down at the golden red glow of the setting sun melting on the deep blue lake.
The sound of leaves swaying and birds returning to their nests could be heard all around.
She quietly held my hand. Rest your head on my shoulder.
The clouds in the sky began to move. One or two stars began to twinkle.
The two of us didn't feel bored at all as we watched the world take on another color bit by bit.
Not long after, she said to me,
[I'm a little sleepy. Can I sleep on your lap for a while?」
I smiled and replied,
[Yes, of course. Sleep slowly-"
Asuna, who was lying in my arms, had the same peaceful smile on her face. I gazed into her eyes that were filled with infinite love. However, the weight and warmth he felt at that time had disappeared without a trace.
Asuna's entire body was enveloped by the golden light bit by bit. In the end, they turned into light particles and began to scatter.
" You must be lying... Asuna... how could... how could it be..."
I murmured in a trembling voice. But the merciless light slowly grew stronger-
A teardrop fell from Asuna's eyes, which glowed for a moment before disappearing. Her lips moved slightly and slowly, as if she was going to leave behind her last words.
sorry
goodbye
She floated up gently.
After releasing an even more dazzling light in my embrace, it turned into countless feathers and drifted away.
Then, she disappeared from sight.
I let out a few muffled roars while using my arms to continuously collect the scattered light. However, the golden feathers seemed to have been blown up by the wind, and then spread out before finally evaporating and disappearing. She disappeared just like that.
This shouldn't have happened. It was impossible. It was impossible. No, I collapsed and knelt on the ground. The last feather touched my right hand on my knee and disappeared.
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