Disclaimer: Ged565 does not own SAO or any of its characters, nor does he own any other characters used from other anime/manga.

Warning: Contains characters from Bleach, Kaze no Stigma, Angel Beats!, and Fairy Tail.

Here it is! The beginning of the end! Enjoy while you can!

Episode 23: The Golden Legion Falls

All members of the Golden Legion began running around doing different things- either getting into a battle position or panicking.

"What do we do?" Asuna yelled.

"This is the first time the Kingdom actually launched a frontal attack on us instead of the other way around, but we fight no matter what." Zack said.

"I gotta take down Percival, I'm the only one that can." Kirito said.

"You can't do it alone." Ginrei said.

"There's only one of us who could help you fight Percival and they're absent."

"I beat him before, I know I can beat him again. I can't just stand by and let him destroy the guild."

"Listen to me, Kirito. The last time you beat Percival, they weren't absent. They helped you. The prophecy states that when the two Wanderers combine their powers, only then shall the Kingdom fall."

"The other Wanderer? Last time...Asuna gave me the letter…" Kirito thought back.

"I don't think that can be it. I'm definitely not a Wanderer." Asuna said.

"Then…"

"You told me that you met him then, remember? You told me all about it." Zack said. A light bulb went off in Kirito's head.

"It's Wukong!" Ginrei nodded.

"But...he's a statue right now, isn't he?"

"Kirito, use the genius mind of yours. Where are we currently? In the game, correct?" Ginrei asked.

"Yeah, so that means…" Ginrei nodded.

"Once in the game, a player cannot leave that easily."

"So he's still here somewhere, but where?"

"He's stuck in the world between worlds. You must free him."

"I see. I think I can make it through there alive, but who knows how long it'll take me to find him. Last time, I had Asuna, Reyna, Elliot, and Geminorum with me."

"It's okay, you'll be fine. Just take her." Yui smiled as she flew over to Kirito.

"I can send you there, Kirito. Are you ready? Wukong is the Golden Legion's last hope." Kirito nodded, but hesitated a second.

"What about the cleaner? Last time…" He trailed off. Ginrei gave a small laugh.

"Oh you won't need to worry about the cleaner. Kanade took it out in one hit."

"What?! Even I couldn't do that…" Kirito sulked, but became serious again.

"I'll definitely find him. And when we get back, we'll beat Percival and the Kingdom once and for all." Ginrei nodded.

"Let the operation commence then." He put his hands up and Kirito's entire body glowed green before he found himself in the world between worlds.

"You there, Yui?" Yui flew in front of his face.

"Alright. Let's go!"

"Hai!" The two of them ran off.

The Kingdom began coming in from all sides, relentlessly attacking and pushing the Golden Legion back.

"We're surrounded!" Elliot said.

"I can turn us upside down." Geminorum offered.

"We'll still be surrounded." Reyna pointed out.

"We just have to hold them back. Fire pillar!" Ren yelled.

"He's right." Zack said. Suddenly, Percival came bursting through.

"KIRITO!" He yelled.

"Hey, look who it is." Suguha said, taking out her sword. Percival's eyes narrowed.

"It's you. Taking out his sister first will be good enough." Percival took out his sword and charged straight at Suguha.

"You lost to me once. There's no way you can beat-Gah!" Suguha yelled as the force of his attack hit her into a wall.

"Yah!" Asuna yelled, slashing at him rapidly, but his HP bar didn't go down a bit. He laughed.

"The two of you cannot defeat me!" The two of them raised their swords and ran at him, who ran to meet them.

"Knightwalker! I'm getting my revenge now!" Reyna yelled as she held her golden daggers and ran at her.

"You think you can beat me? After all this time, you're still that weak, pathetic girl I first imprisoned." Knightwalker lifted her Ten Commandments and let Reyna come at her.

"Huntress' blessing!" Reyna side dashed and lashed at Knightwalker, but it was easily blocked and she was hit backwards a little. Reyna ran around Knightwalker before jumping up and slashing down with a deadly strike.

"You're too predictable. Change, Velocity spear, Silfarion!" Knightwalker easily side stepped and knocked Reyna down with the back of the spear.

"Ah!" Reyna fell to her knees, but quickly turned and slashed at Knightwalker's legs. Knightwalker jumped in the air to avoid the attack, and spun her spear as she slashed at Reyna. Reyna backflipped away.

"Hunter's stealth!" Reyna turned invisible and she silently dashed at Knightwalker from the side. Knightwalker's eyes narrowed and she lifted her spear.

"Change, Gravity spear, Gravity core!" A giant black hole appeared, which began sucking everything in it.

"Too slow." Reyna said as she ran at Knightwalker and slashed her arm with a dagger at the same time as kicking her backwards into a wall.

"Gah! You insolent little brat!" Knightwalker yelled furiously as she got up. Reyna, who was now visible, threw one of her daggers at Knightwalker. The daggers split and one lodged itself in Knightwalker's other arm, but she ignored it and walked straight towards Reyna.

"I'm done playing around now. Change, Double dragon spear, Blue crimson!" Ice and fire gathered around the double spears and the combining blast aimed straight at Reyna.

"You think you can hit me with a move like that?" Reyna taunted as she easily flipped over the attack. Just then, ice energy blasted her feet as she touched the ground and froze her in place.

"What the?" She looked up just as a shot of fire blasted her backwards.

"Ugh!" Reyna rolled back to her feet, but Knightwalker was already stabbing at her. Reyna just had time to fend off her blows. After a few trades, Knightwalker began overpowering her and knocked her dagger away.

"I should have done this a long time ago!" Knightwalker laughed maniacally.

"Change, Destruction spear, Explosion!" She lunged rapidly at Reyna, who was weaponless.

"Reyna!" There was a loud cling as Elliot appeared in front of her, deflecting Knightwalker's attack.

"E-elliot? You...saved me." Reyna said in shock.

"D-don't think anything of it."

"That's my line! But seriously, though, you saved my life! Thank you, thank you!" Reyna stood up and squeezed Elliot in a hug

. "Ahh! Save my life, Reyna!"

"You...little...pesk! How dare you!" Knightwalker was shaking with rage as she stood. Elliot slowly walked over and put Reyna down in a chair.

"Elliot…?"

"Leave her to me." He said.

"You can't beat me all by yourself. Get ready to be destroyed!" Knightwalker yelled as she charged at Elliot. Elliot rose his sword and deflected her attack, however as soon as the weapons made contact, they exploded. Elliot slid backwards as his sword glowed.

"Golden crescent!"

"Sealing spear, Runesave!" Knightwalker cut through the attack and reflected it back at Elliot.

"Paladin's charge!" Elliot charged forward, ignoring the golden crescent.

"Vacuum spear, Melforce!" Knightwalker shot blasts of wind at Elliot. Elliot's sword glowed golden once more and he shot out more crescents, resulting in a bunch of explosions.

"This way! No, this way!" Yui said, leading Kirito around in a circle.

"Um, Yui? I don't think we're getting anywhere."

"There's no way...I'm not lost!" Yui said, looking around frantically.

"It's fine, Yui. Everyone gets lost at some time."

"Yeah, but that some time can't be now, otherwise all the others are going to die!"

"Calm down, Yui. We'll definitely find Wukong. Maybe, we're going about it in the wrong way."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, maybe I can sense him somehow since we're connected." Yui nodded slowly.

"I just have to concentrate." Kirito closed his eyes.

Kirito opened his eyes to see a bunch of random stairs and doors.

"Woah, where am I?" He looked around.

"Yui? Where are you? Yui!" He waited a few minutes, but she was nowhere in sight.

"I couldn't have lost her and she wouldn't just fly off...how did I end up here? Well, I'm not going to get anything done by just standing here. I'll have to look for both of them then." Kirito determined as he began walking up a random staircase.

"Heheheh!" He heard as he saw a tail disappear through a door.

"Oi! You, wait up! Who are you?" Kirito asked as he ran through the door he saw the tail go through. Just as he got through the door, he saw it disappear through another door, which was down quite a few set of stairs.

"Damn it! I said wait!" Kirito jumped down to the door and pushed it open. Pretty soon, it became an all out chase after the tail, which Kirito had to jump up and down many flights of stairs and open many doors.

"Hey! I could use some help! Stop!" Kirito yelled, panting, but not giving up the chase. When Kirito would slow down for a breath the tail would stop to tap the wall a few times and when he started chasing again, the tail took off.

"He's just toying with me. Fine, if that's how you're gonna be." Kirito reached for Elucidator and raised it.

"You're not getting away this time!"

"Ahh!" Asuna and Suguha yelled as they were hit into the wall.

"Now, perish! Sword of suffering!"

"No!" Zack yelled, teleporting and hitting Percival into another wall.

"Gah!" Percival yelled, quickly dusting himself off.

"Fine I'll deal with you, too, Zack."

"Yeah, but you're not going to win." Zack held out his hands and his two gauntlet blades came together to form a large black scythe.

"Yah!" They yelled as they charged each other.

Elliot slid backwards. He looked around.

"Kanade's dueling with Rin. Toshiro and Ren are doing their best to hold off Ymir. Zack is fighting Percival until Kirito returns. That means I have to do my best and hold off Knightwalker." His sword glowed once again.

"Golden cannon!"

"Eisenmeteor!" Knightwalker yelled as she shot a purple blast at Elliot at the same time. There was a large explosion.

"Sword of desolation!" Percival yelled as he slashed at Zack.

"Ah!" Zack yelled as he fell to his knees.

"Zack!" Elliot yelled, turning to him.

"Such a rookie mistake, paladin!" Knightwalker laughed as she shot another purple laser beam that shot Elliot through one arm.

"Ahh!" He yelled as he fell back into a wall. Elliot and Zack both opened their eyes slightly.

"Kirito…hurry…." They whispered.

YAY! Elliot and Reyna! Anyways, this is the first part of the ending. Enjoy while you can.