(Kirito)
An hour later
I was sitting on the ground, leaning against Asun'a back while she leaned against mine. I was tired and exhausted, and so was everyone else. Of all the boss raids that I've participated in, that was by far, the most difficult one. Although I wasn't as close to dying as I was with The Gleam Eyes, The Skull Reaper certainly isn't a pushover.
"How many did we lose?" Klein asked in disbelief. I checked the list of people in the raid group and counted.
"Fourteen people died." I muttered. Everyone gasped, shocked at how much we lost.
"You're kidding." Agil cried. He couldn't believe that we lost that much, nobody can.
"There are still twenty-five floors left." Klein stated. Twenty-five floors, and we would be losing this much people all the way.
"Can we even make it to the top?" Agil asked us. Nobody answered since nobody knew if we could. I looked around me.
Everyone was either sitting down or lying down. But then I saw Heathcliff. He was the only standing up amongst the entire raid party. Even after the fight he still stands and keeps a straight face. How can you do that when you just fought a difficult boss and saw fourteen people die, right in front of your eyes? Whoever is able to keep a straight face after all of this is no longer human. In fact, the way he looked off into the distance, it was as if he was looking down on us, like a god. And then I looked at his health bar, which was barely above the half-way mark.
Asuna and I could have handled the attacks of The Skull Reaper, at least for a little while, but the man decided to not come out of the battle unharmed. Then I had a flashback of our battle. That last moment right before I lost, where he moved a little too fast. I've been wondering about it ever since it happened. If my hunch is wrong, then I'm going to live my life here as a criminal player. But if it isn't…
"Asuna I'm sorry about this." I whispered to her as I picked up my sword.
"Kirito?" she asked. I stood up and readied my sword. Then I charged at Heathcliff.
He quickly turned around and saw me coming right at him. Surprised, he didn't have enough time to raise his shield as I closed my eyes and stabbed him. At least that's what I think I did. I slowly opened my eyes and noticed that my blade was stopped by the air right next to Heathcliff's shield. It seemed to create a barrier which my sword could not pass. A purple hexagon appeared above Heathcliff, and two words were written on it. Immortal Object. I then flashbacked to the time when Yui had saved us from The Fatal Scythe. Those same exact words had appeared above her, as well as the same exact protective barrier.
"Kirito, what are you do-" Asuna began to say but her voice failed when she noticed the purple hexagon on Heathcliff. Everyone was now looking at us to see what was going on. "Immortal Object? C-Commander… What's the meaning of this?!"
"The system ensures that his HP will never drop into the yellow zone, no matter what happens." I began explaining to her and everyone else who was listening, "If he happens to be caught in a surprise attack, a barrier will form to protect him. Or he can activate an over-assist system that can help him fight better. I've been wondering about something ever since this death game started. Where is that man observing us from? Where is he ruling this world? That's when I forgot about the simple truth. It's so simple, that every kid who was played an RPG knows what it is. The truth? There is nothing more boring than watching others play an RPG. Isn't that right, Kayaba Akihiko?"
Everyone gasped as they looked at Heathcliff, who looked around blankly. He looked down on the ground, closed his eyes and sighed. He then spoke with a voice that sounded far different from his usual voice. The voice that spoke right now was just like the voice of the Game Master from SAO's launch day. This is the voice of the real Kayaba Akihiko.
"I am very curious on how you managed to find out." Kayaba spoke.
"I was first suspicious during our battle. You just moved a little too fast at that last moment." I replied.
"Indeed, that was a terrible mistake on my part. I was overwhelmed with your attacks, and so I had to use the system's over-assist mode, as you explained earlier." He admitted, "Indeed I am Kayaba Akihiko… I am also The Demon King, this game's final boss. I await you all at the Ruby Palace, on the 100th Floor of Aincrad."
The whole entire room went into an uproar. Asuna was utterly shocked at the discovery. Everyone was now standing up, shouting at the Living Legend, for lying to them.
"I can't say I like the idea. The strongest player becomes the game's final big boss. Very cliché." I told him.
"What? Don't you think it's a great scenario?" he asked me, "I had imagined that you, Kirito, would be the one to stand up before me on the 100th floor. The Dual Blades skill is a Unique Skill given to the player with the fastest reaction time in this game. The one who wields this ability is also destined to face The Demon King at the very end of the game. You Kirito, have exceeded my expectations quite well, as shown in our previous battle. However, this year, I have recently discovered multiple bugs in this game, as well as the fact that there is a slight problem with the Dual Blades skill… Kirito-kun. Asuna-kun. I believe you know what I am talking about."
Everyone looked at the two of us, looking for answers but I didn't have anything in my mind. However, I flashbacked to the memory of the cloaked man helping us defeat The Fatal Scythe back at the hidden dungeon on the 1st Floor. He too wielded Dual Blades and used Sword Skills meant for that specific Skill.
"Dual Blades is a Unique Skill, which means only one person may have it. The bug that I came across is definitely a problem that I did not imagine would occur, but did. The system seems to have found two players with reaction times exactly the same as the other's. The system couldn't decide who to give it to and so it gave the skill to both you and that other player. That means there are currently two wielders of the Dual Blades skill."
The room went into another pandemonium. Jealous players complained about how they couldn't get the skill as well, while others celebrated as they now found out that I am not their only hope in this death game, and that there is someone else out there who has the same Unique Skill as me. From the looks of it, the other guy also seems to be much, much stronger than me.
"Kirito, is this true? Is there really another person with that Unique Skill?" Klein asked me.
"It happened not too long ago." I started saying, "We learned that there was someone else who had Dual Blades. Just like me. The person had saved us a dungeon by fighting an extremely powerful boss solo. He handled the boss just fine while Asuna and I took considerable damage just trying to block a single attack from it. Which means, that the other user is a lot stronger than I am."
"Why didn't you recruit him then?" a nearby player shouted at me, "We could've asked him to join the Front Lines and help us clear the game!"
"I don't think you would want to find out who the other user of Dual Blades is. Especially you, Kirito-kun." Heathcliff stated, "However, it seems that the other user is already here, along with the rest of his friends. All of them just happen to be this game's most wanted fugitives."
Heathcliff pointed off to the boss room entrance, which was now wide open. A group of ten players walked inside, all of them wearing familiar black cloaks. They all pulled off their hoods, revealing their faces. Once I saw his face, I became shocked and infuriated at the same time. It was Mortifer and his Reapers of Sorrow.
'I-It's the Reapers of Sorrow!" a player yelled, causing everyone to draw out their swords and get into a messy formation, facing the small guild of ten.
"Mortifer-kun. I'm happy you joined us." Heathcliff greeted him as he approached the guy, "I was just about to tell them how you were the other Dual Blades user along with Kirito-kun."
"What!" every other player in the room shouted in unison, "He's the one?!"
"Wait, Kirito-kun… If he's the other user, then that means…" Asuna began whispering to me.
"Yeah… He's the one who saved us before Yui deleted The Fatal Scythe." I finished her sentence.
"I already know why you are here Mortifer. You wanted to expose my true identity in front of all the players here since everyone would be fatigued including myself." Heathcliff stated, "However, I knew that you were outside the window when Kirito-kun and Asuna-kun reported to me earlier today."
"Wait, he's been following us this whole time?" Asuna whispered to me.
"It seems so… He was there at the 1st Floor dungeon, and Heathcliff just said he was outside the window. I also saw him before we entered the corridor to the dungeon…"
"You don't have to worry about exposing me anymore since Kirito-kun has already done the honors. However, because of that, I want some revenge and so I shall expose you, Reaper of Sorrow. Better known as the Reaper of Laughing Coffin. You who wields the third Unique Skill in this game that has been given to someone."
The room went silent at his words. Did Heathcliff just say there was another Unique Skill out there? So far, all I am aware of is mine and Mortifer's Dual Blades, as well as Heathcliff's Holy Sword. If Mortifer is the third user of a Unique Skill and it isn't Dual Blades… then that must mean he has two Unique Skills in total!
"I must say, I never expected someone to be able to get the Darkness Blade in the first place." Heathcliff admitted, "I never thought that I had created the MHCPs to be that advanced in reading a player's mental levels."
MHCP… Mental-Health Counceling Program… Yui…
"Why…" Mortifer asked Heathcliff with a serious and demonic voice, "Why did I obtain this Unique Skill… I have a general idea from my past experiences, but I want to know the reason coming from the creator…"
"Originally, the Darkness Blade is given to the player with the most Player-Kills in the game once the 95th Floor is reached. But I decided to change it up a bit to better fit the name of the Unique Skill as well as create a rather interesting questline. I'm sure you despise me for putting you through that hell inside that cave… Anyways, I programmed the Cardinal system to ask the MHCP AIs to give it to the first person they detect an extreme amount of dark, negative emotions. If they can't find one once the 95th Floor is reached, then it is given to the player with the most Player-Kills. Although, you seem to be at the top of both of those lists. From the information you gave us during your imprisonment, I've deduced that the MHCPs detected your darkness during the Night of the Forest. Those Voices inside your heard we also an unexpected outcome, although it seems that it is not the game but your own mind."
"How do you know about the Voices…" Mortifer asked him, slightly pissed off.
"We fought and butted heads. That moment I saw something rather extraordinary. It was very surprising." Heathcliff stated, "Anyways, I never thought that someone would be able to obtain Darkness Blade, or be able to wipe their own memory. But then again, these things do tend to happen. Since it doesn't hurt too much anymore, the Darkness Blade gives the user the power of the night and darkness. Their Hiding, Straining and Tracking skills are automatically Completed and given a slight boost. As some of you may know, Mortifer is capable of turning invisible, as stated in his wanted posters. My favorite part about the Darkness Blade however is the one you hate the most Mortifer… The Yami no Saji. I am quite jealous towards you Asuna-kun, as you had experienced it close up."
I looked at Asuna, confused as to what the man was talking about.
"I think I know what he is talking about…" Asuna whispered to me.
"The day of my execution." Mortifer interrupted, "I warned you of what was going to happen if you try to kill me, yet you kept going. When my health reached the red zone, I tried to tell you to kill me right away but my voice failed me. You unleashed a power that the Darkness Blade gives to the user when severely injured. The Yami no Saji. Other than the execution day, I've only used it twice before that. The consequence of using such a skill is the loss of self-control. However, I became powerful enough to go against both you and Heathcliff and still managed to win, for the most part."
"Yes, I was most impressed with that feat." Heathcliff praised Mortifer, "I didn't know how much I should set the power spike to be, and so I made it so that the Yami no Saji would quadruple the strength of the player who uses it."
"Wait so… All of those people you killed, was from loss of self-control?" Klein asked Mortifer. Mortifer shook his head, denying the statement.
"The people I killed during my execution day was indeed due to the Yami no Saji activating. The people I killed during my time in Laughing Coffin was a terrible accident that I couldn't have prevented as I had lost my memories. As for the rest of the people I have killed, they were all intentional." He replied, looking down to the ground in shame.
"So you're still a murderer! I can't believe I teamed up with someone like you during the 25th Floor boss raid!" Agil yelled.
"Are we done with this revenge thing Heathcliff?" Mortifer grumbled, "I am getting impatient."
"Hmm… Not quite done yet…" Heathcliff stated, "You and Kirito-kun still have one more secret to share. Why don't you guys discuss it? A brother to brother talk?"
The whole world seemed to stop at that moment. My eyes grew wide in rage at Heathcliff's words. I don't care if he reveals to everyone Dual Blades, or Darkness Blade. Revealing to everyone that we are brothers? He has gone beyond that just crossing the line. He's gone deep into enemy territory.
"Shut up!" I yelled out to Heathcliff, "How do you find out about that!"
"I have an assistant who can track everyone's connection to the game, and their location. I was curious to find who the two of you were, and I was utterly surprised when both of you had the same name." Heathcliff explained
"I don't care if we have the same name. I don't consider him as my brother, and he doesn't consider me as a brother." I declared. Even though I showed my hate towards my relationship to Mortifer, Klein still asked me about it.
"Kirito, are you really brothers with Mortifer? Like biological?" Klein questioned me.
I looked at everyone around me, who also seemed to be curious. Asuna also looked at me, because she also didn't know of this secret. The only ones that weren't shocked was Mortifer and his guild. Mortifer seems like the type of person to tell, and Violet already knew ever since the first time we met. I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the Reapers knew about my relationship to their leader.
"Yes… He is my brother… My Onii-san…"
Everyone gasped, shocked at the revelation. Who wouldn't be shocked? I, Kirito, one of the most famous and strongest players in the game, is the sibling of the game's most infamous player.
"Although he is my brother, I wished that I had never met him and that I was not his brother at all, let alone someone related to him. He is nothing like me. He just happens to look like me and apparently has the same reaction time as me."
I looked at Mortifer, expecting a blank expression, or possibly one with a smug look. Instead I saw a face filled with remorse. Why does he look so sad? Did I hurt his feelings with my words? Why should my words hurt him? He never cared for me, and I never cared for him. It makes sense for him to not care about my words, not be sad about them.
"Well, that concludes our wonderful conversation." Heathcliff stated. He opened his menu and selected multiple options that I couldn't make out. I didn't know what it was until Asuna fell to the ground.
"K-Kirito-kun…" she whispered as she fell to the ground.
She couldn't move her body. I looked at her health bar at the corner of my screen and saw a yellow lightning bolt symbol. Paralysis. I crouched down next to her and rested her head on my lap. Soon everyone in the room except for myself, was paralyzed.
"What are you planning on doing, Kayaba?" I grunted, "You planning on killing us all of for discovering your secret? Just so you can prolong this game even more?"
"I won't be that unreasonable." The man answered, "Since you have discovered my secret, I will be waiting for you all at the Ruby Palace on the 100th Floor. Originally I was going to part on the 95th Floor and reveal to you guys my true identity, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. I hate to part from my Knights of the Blood Oath and the other Front Liners so early. Before I leave however, I must reward you Kirito, for figuring out my true identity. So now, I offer you a chance…"
"A chance?" I questioned him.
"Yes… A chance to fight me one on one. Of course, my Immortality will be disabled. If you win, the game will be cleared and all players will log out. What do you say, Black Swordsman?"
His face showed that he was serious. Kayaba just handed me the fastest end-game possible on a silver platter.
"Don't do it Kirito! He plants on removing you so then only Mortifer can face him." Asuna persuaded me, "For once… For once just don't do it and run away!"
My mind was in conflict. I wanted to fight him but at the same time, I didn't. I wanted to end the game as soon as possible, but I also wanted to live and see the other side again. I began recalling all of the terrible memories I had in this world. All the memories of the people I've seen disappear. Diavel, Keita, Sachi, Corvatz, Godfree, and Yui. I've seen other people die as well, but their names are devoided from me. But the last memory that went through my head was the memory of me and Asuna talking. It happened earlier today, after we reported to Heathcliff.
I tried telling her not to come with me to today's boss fight, but refused, saying that if I had died on her, she would kill herself since there would be no point in living on if she wasn't with me. I remember her crying as she told me that she wanted to date me in real life, and get married. I remembered just how much she wanted to see the other side again, and see me there with her. Recalling the memories started to make me cry, and I couldn't stop myself from remembering it. I promised Asuna that I would get her back to the real world. I can't refuse this fight now…
"Okay then… Let's settle this, once and for all, Kayaba." I answered Heathcliff.
"Kirito!" Asuna cried, trying to move her paralyzed body to stop me.
"I'm sorry Asuna, but I can't run away from this."
"You're not going to die on me, are you?" she asked me, tears forming in her eyes.
"No… I'm going to win. I'm going to win and end this death game." I declared. Even though I said that with determination, I still had some doubts.
"Okay… I believe in you Kirito-kun." She whispered softly.
I took Asuna's hand and put it on her stomach. I slowly moved her head from my lap, and placed it down on the cold, stone floor. I stood up and unsheathed my beloved blades Elucidator and Dark Repulser. I then made my way over to Heathcliff, who kept standing there, smiling.
"Kirito, don't do it!" Agil cried out to me.
"Kirito!" Klein also shouted. Before I continued on with the battle, I stopped in front of Heathcliff and faced my friends.
"Agil…" I started saying, "Thank you for supporting the swordsman-class players during the mid-levels. I know you spent almost everything you had earned in order to train them."
Agil was left speechless, since he had wanted to keep it a secret from me but Asuna had informed me about it during our honeymoon. I was happy when I heard about it. Happy that he cared for others and is generous enough to give money despite wanting every single coin each of his customers bring. I then turned to face Klein.
"Klein… I'm…" I started saying but hesitated, "I'm sorry for leaving you behind that day. I've truly regretted it."
"God, damn it Kirito!" Klein sobbed, "Why the hell are you apologizing to me?! Don't you dare apologize to me now! I won't forgive you! Until you treat me to a meal on the other side, I will never forgive you!"
"You got it Klein… I'll see you on the other side." I promised him. And then I heard one voice that I didn't think would hear at all.
"Kirito…" Mortifer's voice called out to me. I turned to see him lying on the ground, paralyzed, "Don't do this Kirito. Listen to what Asuna said. For once, just let this one go. If you want this game to end now, then let me battle him in your place."
"I'm sorry Mortifer, but I don't take orders from you." I told him. He then let out a long sigh.
'So be it then…" he muttered under his breath. I then looked over to Asuna, who managed to turn her body so she could face me. I smiled at her then turned back to Heathcliff.
"Sorry, but I have one last request before we duel." I told Heathcliff.
"Hmm? What is it then?" the man wondered.
"I don't plan on losing to you easily, but if I do happen to die now, make sure that Asuna can't die or kill herself. At least for a while…" I requested him.
"That is an odd request, but I shall grant you your wish. I will make it so Asuna won't be able to leave her home in Selmburg."
"Kirito, no! You can't do that to me! How could you!" Asuna screamed at me.
I'm sorry Asuna, but I had to. I would never forgive myself if you committed suicide, let alone die with me. Heathcliff opened his menu and disabled his Immortality, causing the purple hexagon that said Immortal Object to disappear. He drew out his sword and held his shield up high, prepared to fight. Asuna cried out my name one final time before I put my full concentration on this duel. All ambient sounds that could be distracting were muted, and all thoughts in my head except for this duel were erased. No… This is no ordinary duel. It's a fight to the death… I will kill Heathcliff, and end this game once and for all!
(Violet)
Kirito rushed towards Heathcliff and began a continuous barrage of attacks coming from both of his blades. The way Kirito moved and the way he fought reminded me a bit like Mortifer's. Reckless, fierce, and terrifying. Everyone watched in awe as Kirito kept striking Heathcliff, attack after attack. Although he was fast, Heathcliff managed to keep up with him, flawlessly blocking each and every attack. As they moved around, they would create dust clouds with all of the dirt they are kicking beneath their feet. Both of them we equally skilled, but after Kirito launched a barrage of sword swings, Heathcliff managed to cut Kirito's face.
Suddenly, out of rage, he activated a Dual Blades Sword Skill. However, it was not just any ordinary Sword Skill. It was the most powerful one for the Dual Blades category. I've only seen Mortifer use it once before, and it was devastating. The twenty-seven-hit combo called The Eclipse, the Dual Blades's ultimate Sword Skill.
"That idiot…" Mortifer growled.
I didn't understand what he meant until I saw Heathcliff give Kirito an evil grin as the man raised his shield. Although Kirito's speed made the attack look much more devastating, Heathcliff showed little to no effort in blocking it. That's when I realized why Mortifer had called his brother an idiot. Heathcliff had created Dual Blades, thus he knows all the possible combos that one can do with The Eclipse. Because he knows, he can easily block each attack even before Kirito begins his movements.
After a couple of seconds, Kirito finally ended his combo by thrusting his sword, Dark Repulser, at Heathcliff who blocked it with his shield. The blade shattered completely, shocking everyone watching. Kirito then stumbled and stood there frozen, suffering the Post-Motion Delay.
"Farewell, Kirito-kun…" Heathcliff bid him good bye.
At that moment, time seemed to slow down for me. I looked over to Mortifer to see his reaction, only to find him gone. In fact, I couldn't see him anywhere. I then turned to watch the fight again, only to see Asuna jump in the way of Heathcliff's blade. I could see the surprise in Kirito and Heathcliff's face. Even though he saw Asuna, Heathcliff couldn't stop his attack, and so he swung his sword and slashed Asuna right across her chest. She fell into Kirito's arms with ere eyes closed, causing every to gasp. But there was just one problem. Neither Asuna nor Kirito received the attack, therefore neither of them took any damage.
Heathcliff's face suddenly grew alarmed and backed away from his current position, confused as to what just happened. Heathcliff couldn't have missed that swing. Even the sound of a blade cutting through something reached my ears when Heathcliff had swung his sword. It should have hit either Asuna or Kirito, but both of them were unharmed from the powerful Sword Skill. If it didn't hit them, then what did the blade hit?
"I-I'm sorry…" I heard a voice sound throughout the entire room. It was Mortifer's, "I just had to do it Violet… Forgive me…"
My eyes grew wide as I noticed a slight shimmer in the space between Heathcliff and Kirito. The shimmer became increasingly noticeable until you could form a slight silhouette out of it. The shimmer then began gaining color until it fully revealed itself as Mortifer. That's when I became aare of what just happened. Somehow, Mortifer must've escaped his paralysis, like Asuna, through sheer willpower or by an antidote. He had turned invisible, which is why nobody, not even Heathcliff had seen him. My heart shattered as I watched the love of my life become surrounded by darkness, and fell to his knees. Knowing exactly what was going to happen, Kirito picked up Asuna and ran away as Mortifer's body released a wave of darkness across the entire room.
(Mortifer)
My vision was red with blood and fury. All of my senses were sharpened as I felt an extraordinary power coursing through my body. My hunger for blood was once again unbearable, and I wanted to satisfy it so bad. However, I tried my best to resist the urge to go for my friends. Instead, I went and focused on one specific person and smacked my lips, wondering how he would tatse: Heathcliff.
I pulled my hood over my head, and moved my heads to my swords. I unsheathed the twin Legendary Weapons, and showed them off to everyone watching, especially to Heathcliff. Unlike earlier today, the Sword of Light was radiating such a bright light, it looked like a second sun. The Sword of Darkness grew large shadowy tendrils that wrapped around my body, slightly covering my vision. I forced the two blades to calm down and they did so. Although I could have just been hallucinating, I saw Cloud standing right beside me, next to my left arm where I held the Sword of Light. Sephiroth stood on my right, next to the Sword of Darkness.
"You asked us to guide you through one more journey… So here we are, Mortifer…" Sephiroth stated.
"Let's have one last fight together Mortifer." Cloud said, smiling. I smiled back and the two of them were absorbed back into the blades. I stuck the Sword of Light to the ground and pointed the Sword of Darkness at Heathcliff.
"One final fight… A match against The Demon King, and The Reaper of Sorrow…" I yelled at Heathcliff in a voice I couldn't even recognize, "It's time to end this… now!"
I picked up both of my blades and charged straight to Heathcliff, who raised his shield to block. The sounds produced as my blades hit the shield made it seem like I was listening to a symphony of metallic instruments hitting against each other. I could feel Heathcliff stressing out from the power of my attacks, and so, I put even more power into them.
"Using over-assist now will show everyone that you are a true coward, Kayab! Not that you can even activate it in the current situation you're in." I taunted him, "Even if you do manage to activate it, I will kill still rip you to shreds."
I stopped attacking with my blades and quickly roundhouse-kicked Heathcliff's shield, sending him sliding backwards from the amount of force I put into the attack. After that, I continued barraging him with a fiery dance of white and black. I could tell that every one of my attacks were slowly tiring him, which is why I can't stop now. He tried going on the offensive, and so I switched to being defensive. I can't let him hit me even once, or else I'll die with the insanely small amount of health I have left.
Right now, the first thing I need to do is to get rid of that gigantic shield of his. If I can constantly hit the shield with as much power as possible, I can slowly wear it down to the point where I can break it. And so, I began focusing on hitting just the shield but Heathcliff also noticed my tactic. He began dodging my attacks now or trying to parry them with his sword, but it was a lost cause for him,
"Your attempts at stopping me is futile…" I told him.
I went on the offensive again, forcing him to go back to being defensive. I swung both of my blades at made them strike the shield at the same time. The combined forced caused Heathcliff to bounce back as he didn't brace himself enough. A few more hits like that and his shield would be destroyed. However, Heathcliff was beginning to get tired and he decided to rely on the system by using a Sword Skill. I easily dodged the skill and knocked the sword out of his hands, disarming him.
"My turn…" I told him as I activated the same skill Kirito used just now: The Eclipse.
My blades got excited and so the light they radiated as well as the tendrils it formed grew even bigger. The Sword Skill locked onto Heathcliff and I began my merciless attack. With his blade gone, Heathcliff can't counterattack. Even if he does manage to block every single attack, in the end it won't even matter because I want him to block the attacks. I continued my merciless attack and finally jabbed his shield with my Sword of Light. Instead of my own sword breaking like Kirito's it was Heathcliff's shield that broke. Shards of his large shield flew everywhere, and I set him flying back from the force of the combo. The man was now completely defenseless, and lacking his blade, which was a meter away from him.
I slowly walked up to him, and he just sat there on the ground, showing no fear. I stopped a meter away and turned to face everyone else. I saw faces full of fear and awe. Kirito and Asuna were shell-shocked, and so was my guild. And at that moment, I felt a warm sensation on my beck and felt something enter my body and come through the other side. I looked down on my stomach and saw Heathcliff's blade sticking through my body, covered in blood which my mind had covered the blade with.
"No!" I heard Violet scream.
I am such a fool for turning my back from the fight at hand. I wanted the moment to last and this is my punishment for wanting too much. How did Heathcliff move so fast? I don't know… But for some reason, it felt like everything was going to be fine. I looked towards my guild, who was extremely shocked at the sudden change of tide in the battle. Even Zed, who hates me, is showing fear of losing me. I then faced Kirito and Asuna. Both of them were surprised they didn't die and speechkless that I was just stabbed by Heathcliff. Finally, I turned to Violet, who were crying tears of sorrow.
"I promised that I would get you out of this game. No matter what the cost…" I told Violet. She looked up and looked straight into my eyes. Her face was now filled with fear.
"No Mortifer… Please don't!" she pleaded.
My health dropped to zero, and I felt my body dissolve as the system begins to remove it from the game. Right before my eyes, I could see the words painted in red across my eyes: You Are Dead… Even so, I continued fighting back. I remembered every good memory I've experienced in this world and every bad one. Using those memories, I turned them into my resolve, and refused to leave this world. I can't leave the world until the deed is done. The feeling of my body came back, and I turned around and faced Heathcliff, who was utterly shocked as to why I wasn't dead yet. I pushed out the blade which was still in my stomach, and it fell to the stone ground. I crossed my arms in front of my chest, holding my twin so that it crossed each other.
The darkness of the room seemed to be getting absorbed by my body, revealing all of the dark spots which I couldn't see before since it was far too dark. My Sword of Light became covered in white flames while my Sword of Darkness became covered in black ones. I raised both of my blades and looked at Heathcliff, letting him have a taste of how powerful my bloodlust is.
'This… is… The End..." I told Heathcliff.
The man simply smiled and closed his eyes, knowing full well that he had been defeated. I then unleashed the one and only Sword Skill of the Darkness Blade: The End. It was a thirty-hit onslaught of light and darkness. All you could see was a blur passing through Heathcliff again, and again, and again as I simply moved too fast for people to see clearly.
"Die…" I said.
I dashed past him and made a huge slice on the man's body.
"Die" I repeated"
I dashed past him again and made another huge slice, creating an X-shaped scar on his virtual body. I then stepped back ten meters and pointed both my blades at him. I then rushed at him and pierced him with both blades at once. The shadows that my body absorbed quickly exited my body and began surrounding both me and Heathcliff.
"Just die!" I yelled.
I felt my body be torn apart as an explosion of darkness and shadows covered the whole entire room.
(Kirito)
The explosion of darkness was massive. The black smoke covered the room in an instant and is starting to make me cough. In fact, everyone else was coughing along with me. I stood up but I couldn't see where I was going since it was pitch black.
"I'm not paralyzed anymore." She told me. I started hearing the shuffling of the clearers as they got out of paralysis.
All of the clearers began talking, wondering what were the results of the fight. Nobody could see anything in the room, as it was pitch black, which made a few people panic. However, amidst all of that darkness, I spotted a small light in all of it. The light was shaped like a sword, so I assumed it was the sword which Mortifer had wielded. I grabbed Asuna's hand and dragged her over to the sword. I picked it up and began glowing like a sun, just like how it was when Mortifer first pulled them out. We were still in the boss room. Everyone was here except for Heathcliff who had disappeared. I dropped the sword and hugged Asuna.
We're still alive. I didn't lose her, nor did she lose me. Everybody began cheering and celebrating. Amongst all the noise they made celebrating, crying could also be heard. Everyone became quiet as they tried to locate the origins of the crying. We then saw that the Reapers of Sorrow were gathered in a circle surrounding someone. I saw Rizer who looked at me. His face filled with grief and sadness, but no tears.
"Guys make way for Kirito." He commanded them.
The Reapers of Sorrow all looked at me. Some were crying, while others were on the brink of it. Only one person showed neither of those signs, and it was Zed. Even then, he showed sadness. They all tilted their heads down and parted. They revealed a crying Violet who held a dying Mortifer in her hands. I rushed over to them and Asuna followed me. Soon everyone, even the clearers has formed a circle around us. We all watched as Mortifer's body seemed to leak particles of darkness.
"Why? Just now, and when we faced The Fatal Scythe in that dungeon back at the 1st Floor, you saved my life. Why?! Why did you save me?" I desperately asked him. I just didn't understand. Out of all the people in this world who I know, Mortifer is the one who saves me. He started chuckling.
"Is something funny?" I asked him. He then started coughing out more darkness.
"You didn't expect that did you? I don't think anybody did." he laughed out, "I know you hate me Kirito. Everyone in the family hates me. I used to think I hated you guys, but I remembered something important during my time in this game which reminded me how much I care about you guys…"
Tears started forming in his eyes. Why is he crying?
"I'm sorry that I kept it a secret from you. How our parents died right after you were born." He muttered. My eyes stung from his words. He wants to apologize now? I felt a tear go down my cheek.
"Damn you…" I yelled at him. I punched the ground and Asuna rubbed my back. The clearers around us started muttering. Some, like Klein, looked devastated at what just happened.
"I saved you because…" he started saying, "I saved you because… I saved you because you are my brother. Other than our relatives, you are the only true family I have left. I was in the hospital when mother gave birth to you. When the doctors let me in the room, I remember I was so excited to hold you in my arms. I was happy that I got a little brother. When our parents died, I was so happy that you survived with me. You may not remember, but I took care of you just like how an older brother should. What I just did there, is me showing you that I still care for you. I just knew that Asuna would try to save you when something goes wrong. I knew that if I let that happen, not only would you be in pain, but I would have to see you in sorrow. That's the reason why I was able to get up, cloak, and save the both of you from witnessing each other disappear from your eyes."
I heard Asuna crying next to me. I turned to see tears run down her face. Seeing her cry broke me and I started crying too.
"Don't cry Kirito. Both you and Asuna have gone through a lot already. I know most of what has happened." I looked at him in confusion. What does he mean he knows?
"W-What do you mean?" I stuttered. I felt a hand hold mine. I turned to see Violet.
"After he escaped his execution, Mortifer decided to run solo for a bit." Violet began explaining, "He apparently ecountered you when you found a Ragout Rabbit at the 74th Floor. He began following you from there and watched as you used Dual Blades to take down The Gleam Eyes. After that, he apparently saved you guys from Kuradeel."
"That was you too?" I sobbed, looking at my brother. He simply nodded.
"When that happened… I had a flashback. To the very moment before our parents left our home and never returned. I remembered that I had made a promise to mother, promising her that whenever our parents were gone, I would protect you from all harm whilst making sure that I don't cause any harm to you. They were so proud to have you as their new-born child, and they trusted me completely that I would protect you… I'm angry at myself that I wasn't able to fulfil that promise…"
Mortifer began crying now. He was sobbing as tears streamed down his cheeks.
"I know of the demise of the Moonlit Black Cats. I watched as Kuradeel was about to kill you. And when I saw that he was about to attack Asuna, I interfered and stabbed him while I had my cloak on. I couldn't let either of you go through the pain of having to kill someone. I also know that you and Asuna took a break from the front lines. You went to the 22nd floor and saved Argo from the flying house. I met up with her and she told me about your marriage, which made me happy. I saw you enjoy your honeymoon at your log cabin. And then… I saw you two with Yui."
Asuna started crying even more as she clutched on to the amulet I gave her. Yui's Heart.
"She was an amazing daughter. Both of you loved her as much as she loved you. When The Fatal Scythe attacked, I tried protecting you guys but I failed and Yui had to do it herself. I was even more shocked to find about the truth of Yui. Then I saw you met Nishida. I saw you help Nishida reel the fish god that lived inside of the lake, and watched as Asuna killed it with ease. Even though I am wanted, I still followed you to Grandzam and eavesdropped on you guys through the window, as Heathcliff said earlier. And now, I find myself here dying… How unfortunate…"
Mortifer tried laughing but only started coughing even more. His body, which had only been leaking a continuous stream of darkness, is now beginning to fade, starting with his feet. Mortifer struggled to look up to see his face, and so Violet helped him by resting his head on her lap.
"I guess I'll see you again Kirito… But this time, it's in a better place… At least that's what I hope for…"
Mortifer let go of my hand, closed his eyes, and started smiling. That's when I realized that he can't go… Not yet…
"Mom and Dad… What were they like?" I asked him. Mortifer opened his eyes and he began shedding tears of joy as he began reminiscing about the past.
"Just like our family now, they didn't always like me." Mortifer began explaining, "I was always messing around not listening to them. But they cared for me just like how any parent should. As for resemblance, we looked a lot like our father. I had his eyes while you had Mom's. Speaking of Mom, when you were still in her belly, she would always sing a lullaby right before she slept. It was meant for you in case you also wanted to sleep but had trouble doing so. Dad would crouch down and talk to Mom's belly whenever he got back home from work, hoping his words reached you. They were so happy to see your face when you were born. In my mind, I was thinking they they wanted this one to be the perfect child for them, because I knew I wasn't the one they wanted. I was nowhere close…"
Mortifer's words effectively hit my heart, and it did the same for everyone else. Violet brushed off the tears on Mortifer's face with the sleeve of her shirt whilst letting her own tears fall on his forehead.
"The day after you were born, I made my promise to protect you and they left. Our promise was the last time I heard words come out from their mouths. This whole time, I forgot about that promise. And here I am, sixteen years later, remembering the exact words… I guess I really can't break promises that easily…"
Mortifer's legs have faded up to his knees now. He looked towards Asuna, who was right beside me, crying on my shoulder.
"Asuna… Promise me that you will keep my brother safe and happy. Promise that, okay?" Mortifer asked her. Asuna wiped the tears off her eyes and smiled at him, nodding.
"Okay… I promise…"
Mortifer looked upwards to see Violet's face. She was holding both of his hands tightly, kissing the silver ring he wore around one of his fingers whilst letting her tears fall on his hand.
"I told you that I was going to get you out of here… I love you Violet, but I don't want to see you die, just like Kirito." He said whilst smiling. He then looked towards the guild and gave them a stern expression, "All of you… Take care of Violet for me when I'm gone… You guys better not do anything to hurt her."
The Reapers of Sorrow… The most feared guild in all of Aincrad after the fall of Laughing Coffin, is now saluting and crying as their leader died right in front of their eyes. Mortifer started coughing again and pointed to a certain place. I followed where he pointed and saw his two swords. Klein and Agil both had the same idea and fetched it for me.
"Thanks you guys." I told them. They went back into the crowd and continued watching.
I gave the swords to Mortifer who held it gingerly. A light grew from one sword, while a darkness oozed out of the other. They both clumped together by Mortifer's feet and began forming a silhouette. The silhouette then started gaining some color until it became a person. Well, it was more like a ghost as the man was slightly transparent and had a white aura. The man had spiky blonde hair and carried a large sword on his back. For some reason, I recognized him.
"Hey Mortifer. That was one heck of a battle we had just now." He laughed. Both he and Mortifer were laughing. How can they be laughing at a time like this?
"Yes… It definitely was Cloud." Mortifer laughed out. "But there was less light in the dungeon than in here. Everyone, this is Cloud Strife, a super-advanced Artificial Intelligence, just like Yui. Cloud is my mentor and is also the person who trained me to fight this well. You may all think I'm nothing but a dark monster. I probably am, but Cloud taught me one thing…"
Mortifer's chest was starting to glow and a small ball of light came out from his heart.
"No matter how dark the darkness is, there is always a light to guide you your way."
Mortifer slowly reached for the light and touched it, unable to close his hand on it. Cloud put his hand on Mortifer's light and grabbed it. He motioned for us to do the same. Violet, Asuna, Cloud, and I all held onto Mortifer's hand. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Klein holding my shoulder, then Agil did the same. Everyone, even the clearers who despised Mortifer, touched each other on the shoulder or back, making some sort of connection to Mortifer's light.
"I love you little brother. Always have, always will. I just wished I had shown it to you sooner." Mortifer whispered to me.
He was crying. Half of his body has faded. Only his upper body remains. He looked towards his guild who all looked at him.
"I've only been with you guys for such a short time, but it feels like forever to me. And Violet…" Mortifer continued speaking. Violet looked at him in the eyes, "We've come a long way ever since we met. And now, I'll tell you all about the things we've done together when I see you again."
A tear ran down Violet's cheek and Mortifer caught it with his spare hand. We all watched in silence as my brother faded away.
"The voices…" he muttered, a pained expression growing in his face. "They just… won't stop..."
He let go of the light and his arms went slump. He closed his eyes as he burst into a million pieces. The death animation in Sword Art Online. Those pieces then faded into darkness. The light that we were all connected to faded, along with the darkness that leaked out of Mortifer's body. Violet broke down completely and Asuna rushed to her side. The Reapers of Sorrow made a sign of the cross and got down on one knee and bowed. The clearers didn't move or speak. I was completely frozen. Unable to process what just happened. Cloud then grabbed Mortifer's two swords and held them.
"He finally found his light." He said.
I looked at him and he looked at me. He gave me a quick smile and his ghostly appearance was sucked into the two blades. The blades hovered and spun in circles until they both faded away. Then we heard a loud ringing noise that came from every direction. Everyone stood up, wondering what was happening. Then we heard a voice announcing something.
"As of November 7th, 2:55 PM, the game has been cleared." It said. "The game has been cleared."
At that moment, the whole world turned white.
(Violet)
I opened my eyes and found myself in some weird place above the clouds. I was standing on a floating glass platform. And then I heard a voice.
"Violet?" the voice said. I turned around to see Kirito and Asuna standing right beside each other, and holding hands.
"W-Where are we?" I stuttered.
I looked around and saw nothing but the sky. But then Asuna pointed downwards and I looked over the edge of the platform we were on. I witnessed the Floating Castle Aincrad as it began falling from the sky, each of its floors slowly breaking down. I saw the Island that we lived in fall into nothingness. I had so many memories in that island. But why do I not feel any sadness?
"Impressive view, isn't it?" I heard another voice say. I turned to see someone in a white suit standing there.
"Kayaba Akihiko?" Kirito gasped.
This is Kayaba Akihiko? This guy is the creator of Sword Art Online? Although I should be angry at the man, I wasn't. I felt like I was in complete peace, except for the fact that I just lost Mortifer.
"Right now, in the basement of Argus Headquarters, the memory banks of the SAO mainframe is being deleted. Every single byte of data will be gone. In a couple of minutes, the whole world will be deleted. All the six-thousand remaining players are being successfully logged out." Kayaba declared.
"What about the dead people? What happens to the four thousand who lost their lives?" Kirito asked the creator.
"They will never regain consciousness ever again. Even if it is a Virtual World, the dead do not return." Kayaba answered.
"Why did you do all of this?" Kirito asked
"Why you ask? For a long time, I've forgotten why I made this world. When I began developing the Full-Dive Environment System… No, even longer before that happened... I longed for nothing but to create a floating castle. A new world that surpassed the laws and boundaries of the real world." Kayaba said. As we listened to him talk, the three of us sat at the edge of the platform, "And now, I've borne witness to someone who surpassed even my own world's laws and boundaries. Your brother, Mortifer, managed to break the boundaries of my world."
We all tilted our heads, remembering that we lost Mortifer just now. Although I remained in peace, I felt a tear run down my cheek.
"I wonder how old I was when I became fascinated with that steel castle floating in the sky." He started to recall, "I wanted to leave the world, and go to that floating castle. It was my only desire, for a long time. You see, I still believe that this castle is out there, in some other world."
"Yeah… it'd be nice if it did exist." Kirito muttered. We all agreed that it would be nice if Aincrad was real. I could live in the island again. With all my friends. And Mortifer…
"That reminds me," Kayaba started saying, "Congratulations on clearing the game. Kirito, Asuna, and Violet. Mortifer was also a big help."
"Where is he?" I asked him, "If we are here then why isn't he here?"
"I'm sorry but I had trouble locating Mortifer in the system, just like how we had trouble determining him in the game. It seems that his files in the system were already deleted, long before I was able to send him here. Anyways, I'll be heading off now…"
Kayaba started walking away from us. A gust of wind blew by and his body quickly dissolved into dust. The particles of dust were then carried off by the wind. The three of us were now alone. We watched as the 100th floor of Aincrad, the Ruby Palace, crumble and disappear.
"I guess this is good bye." Kirito said.
"Before we do disappear, can we exchange our names? Our real names?" Asuna asked us.
"Sure, why not?" I said with a warm smile.
"Kirigaya. Kirigaya Kazuto. That's my real name." Kirito said "I think I turned sixteen last month."
Funny. I thought Kirito would be older. Seventeen at least.
"Kirigaya Kazuto… You are younger than me!" Asuna exclaimed with a smile. "My name is Yuuki Asuna, I am seventeen."
"Yuuki Asuna… You used your real name for your character name?" Kirito questioned her, slightly laughing.
"It was asking for my name and so I put it in! I didn't know anything about video games then!" Asuna yelled whilst blushing, "What about you Violet? What's your name?"
"My name is Yuzuki Ai. I am nineteen." I told them. Then I remembered about Mortifer. "Kirigaya-kun… What was your brother's name?"
"My brother…" Kirito muttered. "His name is Kirigaya Katsumoto. I believe he turned twenty January."
"Kirigaya Katsumoto…" I quietly whispered. I started crying now, this time the peace was gone, replaced with sorrow. Kirito and Asuna began to comfort me. "I never actually got to ask him myself, or told him my name. I wish I did."
"I can come and find you and tell you where he is." Kirito informed me.
"Or you can say it to him yourself." I heard a voice say. But that voice… Could it be?
We all turned around and saw Mortifer wearing his cloak and mask, standing there and smiling. I stood up and ran into his arms. We embraced for a long time until Mortifer spoke.
"Hello… My name is Kirigaya Katsumoto…" he greeted me, "What is your name?"
"My name is Yuzuki Ai. It's nice to meet you Katsumoto-kun." I said, smiling happily.
We both walked to Kirito and Asuna and sat back down the edge of the platform.
"Didn't Kayaba say that the system deleted you already?" Kirito asked him.
"I guess so. But my files were already corrupted way back when it first thought I was dead." Mortifer answered.
We then looked back at where Aincrad was supposed to be, only to see nothing. We sat there until we noticed that our platform was beginning to disappear.
"I guess we will see you on the other side Violet and Asuna." Kirito said.
We all smiled as the four of us waited for us to disappear. I leaned on Mortifer who brushed his hand against my hair. If he is here, then will he be able to log out like me? I hope so, because then I'll be able to meet him in the real world. If he's going to die right after this, then I might as well spend the last moment I have with him, here in the place where it all began for us. This is our Aincrad, and nobody can take it away from us…
"I love you… Yuzuki Ai…" Mortifer whispered into my ear.
"I love you too… Kirigaya Katsumoto…" I whispered back.
We then shared one final kiss before my entire world turned white with light.
(Mortifer)
I hear beeping, and voices… Why am I hearing voices? I feel so weak, and my eyes were heavy. I hear someone walking nearby. Their footsteps echoed, like they were in a hallway. I still hear the Voices. They are the same Voices that I heard in SAO. Am I still in the game?
I see a light going through my eyes and so I try to open them. At first it was blinding but then my eyes adjusted. I see a ceiling fan so that means I'm lying down. I see that something is covering my head so I touch it with my hands which took a lot to move. It was some sort of helmet. I slowly sat up and looked around.
I was in a hospital bedroom. I'm back in the real world. Somehow the NerveGear hadn't fried my brain and now I'm back. And then I remembered about what just happened earlier. Kirito. Violet. It took all my strength but I managed to remove my helmet and the wires connected to me. I held onto my IV since I can't simply remove the connection from it. I used my IV as a walking stick and walked to the open doorway. I looked at the rooms adjacent to mine. To my left, about two rooms away I saw the sign "Kirigaya Kazuto". Kirito… My brother.
I limped my way to his door and found it open. I heard voices inside, and then suddenly crying. To be polite I knocked on the door and staggered inside. A nurse confronted me, shocked to see that I was moving around.
"You shouldn't be here, go back to your room" she whispered quietly. She immediately came to my side and helped me. But I refused.
"No I need to see my brother." I argued with her.
"Katsumoto?" I heard Kirito's voice say. He's alive, good. I limped inside and saw Kirito, well in this case Kazuto, sitting up on his bed. He was smiling while Suguha was crying on his lap.
"Hey little brother." I answered smiling, "We did it." He shook his head.
"No… You did." He corrected. We were both back in the real world, and this time I can make changes to my relationships with my family. Suddenly the voices in my head grew loud and I clutched my head, "They are still in your head?"
"Yeah…" I sighed, "I guess I'll have to deal with it for the rest of my life unless I get help."
"Deal with what?" Suguha asked. Both Kirito and I started chuckling.
"It's a really long story."
/
/
/
Thank you guys so much for reading this story. I really enjoyed writing it (except for the Cave chapters), even if only a handful of people will read it. Anyways, it's been 1 and 1/2 years since I started this story, and I've enjoyed my journey ever since. It started off when my cousin had shown me the anime and it highly appealed to me despite all the hate it receives. It was what really brought me back into watching Anime and stuff. Unbelievably, I began writing this fan fiction on my iPhone 4S using the Notes app as my word document. I then transferred it to my cousin's computer, where it just took off from there.
If you want to continue the series, please read The Darkness Within Part 2 - Fairy Dance Arc
- Mortifer V