When she woke up, she found herself in an incredible place.
There was a setting sun that almost set the entire sky on fire.
He stepped on the thick crystal floor. Under the transparent floor, clouds dyed red by the setting sun slowly flowed past. Looking up, one could see the sky dyed red by the setting sun stretching into the distance. The boundless sky changed from bright red to blood-red, and then to purple. There was also the sound of wind.
There was nothing in the sky except for the clouds that were shining with golden red light. A small crystal disc floated in the sky, and I stood on the edge of the disc.
…What was this place? My body should have shattered into countless pieces and disappeared. Was he still in SAO…or had he come to the afterlife?
He tried to look at his own body. The fur coat and gloves were no different from what he wore when he died. However, everything seemed to be somewhat transparent. In fact, it was not just the equipment. Even the parts of the body that were exposed outside the clothes had become translucent like colored glass, emitting a red light due to the sunset.
He stretched out his right hand and tried to wave his finger gently. A familiar sound effect appeared at the same time as the window. Then, this should still be inside the SAO.
However, there were no equipment figures or menu options in the window. There was only a small text on the blank screen that said,"The final stage is in progress. Current progress is 54%." In Gaze, the number rose to 55%. He had thought that when his body collapsed, his brain would die, and then his consciousness would be destroyed. But what was going on now?
When I shrugged and closed the window, a voice suddenly sounded behind me.
[Kirito...]
It was like the sound of nature rushing through me.
She prayed that the voice she heard just now was not an illusion as she slowly turned her head.
She stood there with her back facing the sky that seemed to be on fire.
Her long hair fluttered in the wind. Although her gentle smile was within my reach, I could not move at all.
I felt that as soon as I left her, she would immediately disappear-so I could only stare at the girl wordlessly. Like me, the other party's entire body was in an illusory translucent state. The figure that was dyed in the color of the setting sun was more beautiful than anything in the world.
I tried hard to hold back my tears and forced a smile. He whispered to her,"
[I'm sorry. I died too…"
[Idiot...]
The girl laughed as large tears fell from her eyes. I opened my arms and quietly called her name.
[Asuna...]
I tightly hugged Asuna, who was glistening with tears as she pounced on my chest. I swear I will never let go again. No matter what happens, I will never let go of my arm again.
After a long kiss, our faces finally separated and our eyes stared at each other. There were too many things he wanted to tell her about the last battle and apologize to her. However, I don't think any words are needed. I turned my gaze towards the boundless sky that was dyed red by the setting sun and said,
[This place…what is this place?]」
Asuna looked down wordlessly and then stretched out her finger. I looked in the direction she pointed.
Far away in the sky from the little crystal plate we were standing on-something could be seen floating. The object had the shape of a cone with the front end cut off. It was made up of countless overlapping floors. Upon closer inspection, one could see that there were many mountains, forests, lakes, and towns between the layers.
[Ain Grand…]
Asuna nodded after hearing my muttering. There was no mistake, it was Ain Grand. A huge floating castle floating in the endless sky. We spent two years fighting in that world of swords and battles. And it's right under our feet now.
Before coming here, he had seen its appearance in the information released in the real world. However, this was the first time he had seen it from the outside. A feeling of awe filled my body, making me hold my breath.
This steel giant city was gradually collapsing.
Under our silent gaze, part of the lower floor had already disintegrated into countless fragments, some flying and some peeling off. When he pricked up his ears, he could hear some heavy rumbling sounds mixed with the wind.
[Ah…]
Asuna let out a small cry. A large part of the ground floor collapsed. Countless trees and lake water mixed with the building materials and fell continuously, finally sinking into the red sea of clouds. That should be near the place where our forest home is. Every floor of Floating City that had been imprinted with our memories for the past two years was slowly crumbling like a thin film being peeled off. Every time a layer fell, our chests were stung by the feeling of mourning.
I carried Asuna and sat down on the crystal island.
He was unbelievably calm. Although he didn't know what kind of situation we were in or what would happen next, he didn't feel uneasy at all. I did what I was supposed to do, and I lost my life because of it. Now, I'm watching the end of this world with the girl I love the most. That was enough-there was a sense of satisfaction.
I think Asuna should be like me. In my arms, she stared at the crumbling Ain Grand with her eyes half-closed. I slowly stroked her hair.
[Great scenery, right?]
Suddenly, a voice sounded beside me. Asuna and I looked to our right and saw a man standing there.
That person was none other than Kazuhiko Hayaba.
His face was not that of Heathcliffe, but his original appearance as an SAO developer. He was wearing a white shirt and tie, and a white robe. On his weak and thin face, only his pair of metallic eyes gave people the same feeling. His eyes were now filled with warmth as he looked at the gradually disappearing Floating City. His entire body was translucent like ours.
I had just fought this man to the death ten minutes ago, but I was still quite calm after seeing him. Could it be that I left my anger and hatred behind in Aingrunt before coming to this world where it was always dusk? After I shifted my gaze away from Mao Chang, I looked at the giant city again and continued,
"Then what's going on?"
"It should be said to be... a symbolic performance.」
Mao Chang's voice was also quite calm.
"Right now, the SAO mainframe installed on the fifth basement floor of the ARGUS headquarters is using all of its memory to completely delete the files. In another ten minutes or so, this world would be completely destroyed.」
"What about the people inside? How are they?」
Asuna murmured.
[Don't worry. Just now-"
Mao Chang moved his right hand and continued to look at the window that was called out.
[All the surviving players, a total of 6,147 people, have logged out.」
In other words, Klein and Egil's friends from that world, as well as the people who had survived the past two years, had all returned safely to the real world.
I closed my eyes tightly and wiped away the oozing liquid.
"Where are the dead? The two of us are also people who have died before, but we can still stay here. Does that mean that we can also send the 4,000 people who died back to their original world?」
Mao Chang's expression did not change. After he closed the window, he put his hands in his pockets and said,
"Life isn't something that can be restored so easily. They would never regain their consciousness. The dead were destined to disappear. This principle was the same in any world. As for your words--I have made this time especially because I want to say something to you at the end.」
Even though I was thinking in my heart," How can someone who killed 4,000 people say such things?" I was surprised to find that I wasn't angry. Instead, I had even more questions. Perhaps all the players, no, everyone who knew about this incident, had this basic question.
"Why did you do this...?」
I felt Mao Chang smile bitterly. After a moment of silence, he said,"
" Why? I've forgotten about it for a long time. What was the reason? When I found out about the development of the complete stealth environment system-no, it should be said that it started even earlier-I lived to create that city, that world that surpassed all the rules and regulations of the real world. Then, at the last moment, I saw something that could surpass the laws of the world I created…"
The thatched cottage's eyes, which were filled with quiet light, first looked at me, then immediately moved away.
The wind began to grow stronger, shaking the white clothes of the thatched cottage and Asuna's hair. More than half of the giant city had collapsed. The town of Argate, which had many memories, had also disintegrated and been swallowed by the clouds that connected the peaks. Maochang continued,
"We've always had many dreams since we were young, right? I had also forgotten how old I was when I started being entangled by the fantasy of this floating castle in the sky…No matter how much time had passed, the scene in that fantasy would remain vividly in my mind. As he grew older, the image became more and more realistic and expanded. Fly up from the ground and go straight to that castle…For a long time, that has been my only wish. Listen, Kirito. I still believe-in some world, that castle really exists-"
Suddenly, I felt as if I was born in that world and had always dreamed of becoming a swordsman. One day, the young man met a girl with light brown eyes. The two of them fell in love and finally got married. They lived happily ever after in a small house in the forest.
"Ah ah... If that's really the case, that would be great.」
I murmured. Asuna nodded quietly in his arms.
Silence returned between us. Looking into the distance again, he realized that even the parts outside the Floating City had begun to collapse. The sea of clouds and the red sky, which were originally endless, were gradually swallowed by the white light and disappeared. The Erosion of Light was happening everywhere, and it seemed to be slowly approaching.
[I almost forgot to tell you guys…Kirito, Asuna, congratulations on completing the game.]」
After hearing this, Asuna and I looked up at the thatched cottage on the right. He looked down at us with a calm expression.
" Then-I should go too."
The wind picked him up as if it were carrying him away-by the time we noticed him, he was nowhere to be seen. The red light of the setting sun shone through the crystal board, shining slightly. Once again, there were only the two of us left.
Where did he go? Did he return to the real world?
No-I don't think he'd do that. He must have erased his consciousness and set off to find the real Ain Grand.
Only the top part of the Floating City in the imaginary world was left. As a result, the seventy-sixth level, which we were not fated to see, began to collapse weakly. The veil of light that had surrounded the entire world was getting closer and closer to us. The moment it touched the light that was like an aurora, the clouds and the sky that was filled with sunset shattered into countless tiny fragments and disappeared.
There was a huge red palace with a magnificent spire on the top floor of Aingrunt. If we played the game according to the order, we would be fighting with Demon King Heavencliffe there.
The palace that had lost its master continued to float in the air as if it was resisting its fate, even though the topmost layer of the foundation had collapsed. With the red sky as the background, the palace looked even more vibrant. It made people feel like the last remaining heart of Floating City.
Not long after, a wave of destruction mercilessly surrounded the scarlet palace. It began to disintegrate into countless red balls from the bottom and then fell into the clouds. The scattering of the tallest spire and the light curtain completely swallowed the space. It happened almost at the same time. The giant city of Aingrunt was completely destroyed. The only things left in the world were a few red clouds and a small crystal floating island under the setting sun. Asuna and I were sitting on the floating island.
I don't think there's much time left. We should be in the extremely short grace period that the thatched cottage gave us. When this world is destroyed, the final function of NERvGear will also be activated, destroying everything about us.
I placed my hand on Asuna's cheek and slowly pressed my lips against hers. This was the last kiss. I hope I can use all my time to carve all of her on my soul.
[We're going to separate…]
Asuna shook her head gently.
"No, we won't separate. We will become one and disappear. So we will be together forever."
After she finished speaking in a soft but extremely clear voice, she changed her body direction in my arms and stared straight at me. She tilted her petite head and said with a smile,
" Finally, tell me your name. Kirito, your real name."
I was a little confused. She finally understood that she was referring to the name of the world she left two years ago.
The fact that I had lived a completely different life under another name seemed to me as distant as if it had happened in some distant world. While feeling incredulous in his heart, he said the name that floated up from the depths of his memory.
[Kiritani…Kiritani Kazuhito.] She should have turned sixteen last month."
It felt like from this moment on, the time that had stopped completely in his other self began to make sounds and flow. Kazuhito's memories, which were hidden deep in Swordsman Kirito's heart, began to slowly surface. It was as if the armor he wore in this world was constantly peeling off.
[Kiritani... and people...]
After enunciating each word clearly, Asuna smiled with a complicated expression.
[So you're younger than me.] My name is…Yuki…Asuna. I'm seventeen this year."
Yuki…Asuna. the city was built tomorrow. He kept repeating these beautiful five notes in his chest.
Suddenly, hot liquid seeped out of my eyes.
The feelings that had stopped working in the eternal dusk began to move again. He felt an intense pain in his heart. Ever since he came to this world, it was the first time that he let his tears flow endlessly. I choked like a child, holding my hands and crying loudly.
" I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I promised... to bring you... back... to that world..."
He was speechless. In the end, I couldn't save the person I valued the most. Because of my lack of ability, the path of light that she should have taken was sealed. Now, this regret turned into tears that kept flowing out of my eyes.
[It's alright…It's alright…]
Asuna burst into tears. Tears that were like gemstones that sparkled with a seven-colored radiance kept falling from her cheeks. In the end, they turned into particles of light and evaporated.
" I feel very happy. Being able to meet and live with someone is the happiest period of my life so far. Thank you…I love you…"
The end of the world was approaching. The steel city and the endless sea of clouds had long disappeared in the chaotic light. In the white flash, only the two of us remained. The light continued to engulf the surrounding space, turning it into light particles that dissipated.
Asuna and I hugged each other tightly, waiting for the last moment to arrive.
I think that in the scorching light, even our feelings will be burned and sublimated. The only thing left in his heart was his love for Asuna. In the process of everything disintegrating and evaporating, I just kept shouting Asuna's name.
His vision was covered by a bright light. The white curtain completely covered the surroundings, and then turned into tiny particles that flew everywhere. Asuna's smile was also mixed with the light that filled the entire world.
I love you…I love you…
In the last bit of consciousness left, he could hear the moving voice like a silver bell.
The outlines that formed my existence and Asuna's existence disappeared, and the two of them became one.
Our souls fused together and spread out.
In the end, he disappeared without a trace.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]