I stared at Heathcliff or Kayaba Akihiko as he did at me.

"Promise me something if I die." I said.

"What would that be, Kirito?" He asked.

"That at least for a while, Asuna cannot try to kill herself." I said.

Heathcliff's eyes widened and then he chuckled.

"I will see what I can do."

"K-Kirito NO! T-THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Asuna shouted.

I didn't respond to her or look at her, I just stared at Heathcliff as he switched himself to a mortal object and lowered his health to the yellow zone.

I took out my swords and he took out his.

"KIRITO!" Asuna yelled.

This was not just a game, it was a battle between life and death. That's right, I'm going to avenge the four thousand people who died playing this horrid game.

I charged at him, making a battle cry as I did so. I swished and I slashed, but every attack I made, he blocked with his shield. With every attack I made, an image of Asuna appeared in my head.

Her laughs, the time she was asleep under the tree, the times we spent with Yui, the times she cried, the promise I made to her.

Flashback

'I want to meet the real Kirito, I want to love the real Kirito, I want to marry the real kirito!' She yelled into my shoulder.

I wrapped my arms around her.

'And I want to meet the real Asuna, I want to love the real Asuna, and I too want to marry the real Asuna.'

Present

"HYYYYYAAAAA!" I yelled as I slashed again.

Heathcliff blocked and made a quick slash at me, cutting my cheek. Before I could react, I was kicked back ten feet. I stood up, breathing heavily.

'I can't give up… I will avenge everyone who died in this twisted game.'

Faces of the dead appeared in my head.

'Save them.' Diavel said.

'Goodbye.' Sachi said.

'I want to stay with you. Momma, poppa!' Yui cried.

Many other voices spoke in his head as he stood up.

"Ah good, here I thought you were out." Heathcliff said.

I charged at him and continued my attack.

'I have to be faster!'

Swish.

'Faster!'

Swish.

'NOW!'

STAB!

*break*

The sword Lisbeth made for me broke!

'I'm sorry, Asuna. Forgive me.' I thought to myself.

"As much fun as this was, it has to end. Goodbye, Kirito!" Heathcliff's sword glowed red and swung towards me.

I simply saw as it got closer and closer but it wasn't the realization that I was going to die that made my eyes widen, it was Asuna jumping in front of me.

*SLASH*

My world just crumbled as I saw Asuna's body land in my arms. Her health sunk to the bottom as fast as you could snap a your finger. She looked at me and weakly smiled as her body began to glow.

"A-Asuna? No… no it can't be." I said.

She shed a tear as she spoke.

"I'm sorry… goodbye…" she pecked my cheek before her body exploded into fragments.

My mind just vanished then… I stood up and tried to catch the fragments. I knew it was no use… Asuna was gone.

"My how that was a surprise. It should be impossible for someone to heal themselves of paralysis on their own but I guess there are some bugs now and then." Heathcliff said.

I looked at him and grabbed Asuna's sword and my sword. I walked towards him, slowly swinging my blade at him. I didn't care anymore, I had no more will to live.

Heathcliff sighed as he knocked my sword out of my hand. I just stood there, emotionlessly and lifeless. He pointed the sword at me and with one thrust, the blade was through me.

I looked at my life bar as it slowly drained.

'Avenge us…' he heard Asuna said.

'Don't give up.' Yui said.

'He's open.' Sachi said.

'Get him.' Diavel said.

I looked at him.

"Not…yet!" I yelled.

"What?" Heathcliff looked shocked.

I grabbed his sword and pulled it in, getting me closer.

"Impossible!" He yelled.

"HYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I yelled as I thrusted my sword into Heathcliff's chest.

*SSSSSLLLLK*

I saw his health drain to zero as did mine.

"T-That's all it took?" I looked at Asuna's sword and saw it sparkle.

I smiled as I closed my eyes.

Our bodies glowed and exploded. Our fragments flew through the air of Aincrad.

'As of November 27, 2024: the game has been cleared. The game has been cleared.'

In the real life

No one's POV

Suguha was watching her "brother" as he was in the hospital bed.

Suddenly she saw something. The helmet was starting to malfunction and within seconds, Kazuto's (Kirito) heart rate flatlined.

"DOCTOR!" Suguha yelled.

"Kazuto! Kazuto!" Suguha yelled as she held her deceased brother.

Back to Kirito

I woke up and saw I was… in the sky? I opened up the menu and saw the screen was covered by 'initiating final phase: 35% complete'

I closed the menu and sighed.

"Kirito?" I heard.

"Poppa?"

I turned and saw them… I saw Yui and Asuna were there. I couldn't believe it.

"Sorry… I died too." I said.

"You idiot." Asuna shed a tear and smiled.

We ran to each other and had a group hug. Asuna and I leaned in and kissed.

"Where are we?" I asked.

Yui tugged at my sleeve and pointed.

We looked down and saw Aincrad was being destroyed.

Asuna gasped as she saw our house by the lake begin to collapse as well.

"I guess it's over…" Asuna said.

"That is correct." We heard.

"Right now in an underground HQ, our servers are wiping out all data to Aincrad and sword art online."

I looked over and saw…

"Kayaba Akihiko." I said.

"Glad to know you remembered my name after these two years." He said.

"Hard to forget the name of the man who killed four thousand people." I replied.

"Sadly, it is now four thousand and two. You two may have beaten the game, but the rules apply to both of you too."

I wasn't mad for some reason, but instead I was curious.

"Why?"

"Hmm?" He asked.

"Why did you do this?" I asked.

"Why… it's been so long I have forgotten myself. When I made this world… no… earlier than that, I wanted to make a world that surpassed all laws of our world. When I was a little boy, I had the same dream over and over. A giant castle in the sky. I wanted to climb that castle and leave the wretched and corrupt world that is earth. It's funny, even at my current age, I still think that on some other world… that castle exists."

"…I hope that you find that world." I said.

He looked at us and smirked.

"I do too." He smiled as he walked away, becoming smoke and vanishing.

The three of us sat down, hugging each other tightly.

"I'm scared, poppa." Yui said.

"I am too." I said.

"But we're all here together, and nothing will seperate us now." Asuna said.

We hugged each other tightly as we embraced for what was to come.

In the real world

Asuna and Kazuto were being buried in the same grave. (Like the place where the tombstone is bigger)

"Kazuto or Kirito as we knew him… was a great guy. He fought for what was right… he sacrificed himself to save us all… we will never forget him." Agil said.

"Asuna was a dear friend of mine, we hung out in the game, helped each other in our times of need. And when I saw her and Kirito come into my shop… I knew they were meant to be together." Lisbeth said.

Everyone said their farewells to the two saviors of SAO as their coffins were placed inside.

As people began to walk away, a small group of people stayed. Agil, Klein, Lisbeth, and Silicia.

"We won't forget about you two for what you did for us." Agil said.

"You bastard, Kirito. You still owed me that meal." Klein cried.

"I'll never forget what you did for me." Silicia said.

"And I won't ever forget you two." Lisbeth said.

They walked beside the tombstone and hugged it, crying.

With kirito

I opened my eyes to see Yui and Asuna were waiting for me. They stood between a large door that showed our old house from SAO.

"Come on, kirito." Asuna said.

"We're going to miss the fish!" Yui yelled.

I walked towards them.

"Is this real?" I asked.

Asuna kissed me.

"Real enough?" She asked.

I stood in front of the door. Both of my hands were being held. I look to my right, Asuna is smiling at me. I look to my left, Yui is smiling as well.

"On three… one… two…"

Fin.