Chapter 29- Reclaiming What Was Lost
April 20th, 2057
"Sei!" Kirito shouted as his swords clashed against Seiji's bare arms, with Excalibur leaving a deeper cut than his black sword.
"Gah!" Seiji exclaimed in pain as his HP gauge went down by 20 percent. He quickly jumped back and held his left arm (which was the arm Excalibur had slashed) in his other hand. "I'll admit that gold sword of yours is pretty impressive. Just one attack took a chunk out of my HP."
The Black Swordsman simply chuckled. "Well Excalibur shares the same stats as Lunara and Solaris, so it makes sense that it hits hard. I doubt even your Incarnate attack can stop it."
Seiji's eyes narrowed in frustration. "We'll see. This battle has only just begun." His right arm soon morphed into the familiar tentacle armament he used against Marth and Leafa while his left arm changed into what seemed to be a blaster of sorts.
"Is he attempting to attack from a distance to stay out of Excalibur's range?" Kirito questioned. "I would have expected him to use his Incarnate attack after that exchange rather than this. Just what is he up to?"
It was clear that when it came to melee combat, Kirito had the advantage over the dusk avatar. Not only was Excalibur magnifying his power, but he had refined his skill in Dual Blades for years. He knew every single Sword Skill tied to the Extra Skill, and of course the Skill Connect exploit, the latter of which was a technique only he and Marth were capable of doing. Kuroba was able to perform the exploit once with just one sword, but it was largely thanks to luck that she managed to do it successfully. Once Seiji is dealt with, Kirito and Marth agreed to advance Kuroba's training to the Dual Blades fighting style that they had mastered in Aincrad.
Seiji soon aimed his blaster arm at Kirito and half a second later, shot flames at the swordsman from the short gun barrel. It wasn't a physical bullet, nor a beam of light, but extremely dense, near-liquid fire. It was like the breath attacks from dragons in fantasy games.
"Hng!" Kirito grunted from between gritted teeth as he rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the attack. However, he still felt the fierce heat beat down against his back.
"Gah! Everyone, move!" Asuna suddenly shouted.
Kirito turned around and saw that a pond of molten liquid, about five meters in diameter, was now between him and several of his friends. That all but confirmed that this Enhanced Armament was a flamethrower, one that was capable of reaching terrifyingly hot temperatures. If he took a direct hit from that thing even once, the ground below him would without a doubt melt, leaving him unable to move before he would be burned to a crisp.
The Black Swordsman then glanced at his partners, who were locked into their own battles, and saw that they didn't seem to be affected by Seiji's flamethrower, which was a relief. Kirito returned his gaze to his opponent, who was sneering over the damage his attack caused.
"How do like my Pyro Dealer?" Seiji asked snidely. "I never got a chance to use it yesterday during my battle with Furuta, but I found out that it works very well with the powers of flight. Shall I show you what I mean, Kirito?"
"Don't get so confidant!" Kirito snapped back at the dusk avatar. "I've dealt with attacks like that before!"
He then charged at his opponent, who readied another blast from his flamethrower and fired again. However, rather than dodge again, Kirito instead activated the defense skill, Spinning Shield, with Excalibur, blocking the attack, however his advance was halted as the defense skill cannot be executed while moving. He still felt the scorching heat from the fire, especially in his left hand, but he pushed through the sensation. As if in response to his willpower, Excalibur engulfed itself in a golden aura, repelling the flames from it and its master.
"What?! Impossible!" Seiji shouted in shock.
Even Kirito was surprised. It seems that he didn't know everything about the Holy Sword after all. Just what else was this sword hiding within it?
In the meantime, Marth was locked in combat with Lisbeth, his former comrade. His twin blades struck against her shield, knocking the pinkette back a few feet, but she quickly recovered and ran at the dual wielder again. As she ran at her former friend, Lisbeth's mace became incased in black lightning before swinging at Marth's left side. However, Marth was able to block it with his swords, but the impact from the attack was greater than he expected and found himself struggling to move.
"Black lightning?" Marth questioned in strained tone. It reminded him of the black lightning attack that had saved him and Kirito from the Skull Reaper two days ago. It couldn't possibly have been Lisbeth who saved them back then, but that particular color really stood out to him. Then there were those red eyes of hers, instead of their usual blue. They were definitely not natural and almost resembled the color of human blood. In fact, seeing that color brought back a memory from Aincrad that he had buried deep within his subconscious, a memory that he regrets the most. It wasn't a memory of the lives he claimed during the Laughing Coffin raid, but something far worse. It was a memory that only a handful of people knew about, which were the ones who were present at that terrible time.
"Liz, what happened to you? What have you done to yourself?"
The mace-wielder simply sneered. "I guess I could tell you. Arcanos transferred demon essence into me through a special ritual, magnifying my powers and allowing me to enter this world without the Brain Burst program. However, it also changed my eye color to bloodred, but that's a minor issue."
Marth gritted his teeth as he attempted to push the mace back. "What? But how can that be?"
"You remember how Zarc managed to summon all those monsters from SAO, ALO and GGO during the Demon War? Well it's a two-way thing. Monsters from his era can use a simple spell that can transport their souls into the virtual world, but that does come with its own risks."
"What risks?" Marth questioned. He immediately thought about what happened to Cyan Demon after his death in the Accelerated World. "Are you saying that they can die for real here?"
"I think I'll leave that to your imagination," Lisbeth answered with a sinister grin. "Now let's continue our battle." She began putting more force into her attack, inching it closer to the Blade Eater's chest.
The Dark Swordsman let out a strained grunt before finally repelling the silver mace. Lisbeth was a lot stronger than she was back in Okinawa and in Alfheim Online. It seems that she was telling the truth about that ritual. There was also the possibility that it also granted her other abilities that she was keeping secret. This whole thing left Marth in a terrible predicament. He can't afford to hold back against Lisbeth, otherwise it would lead to his defeat, but if he goes all out, there is the risk that he could kill the girl for real. Even though the blacksmith player had changed sides and was fighting for his enemy, Arcanos, Marth didn't want to kill her over it. He may have done some things in his past that he hides away, but this was a line he didn't want to cross. What can he do to stop this insane battle?
"Brother! Look out!" his sister, Thorrnn, cried out in warning.
Marth snapped out of his thoughts as he saw more black lightning bolts soaring towards him at high-speed. He pushed aside the hesitation in his mind and quickly fired back with his purple lightning bolts, which met the opposing attack midway. The two blasts cancelled each other out and resulted in a powerful explosion of energy that pushed the swordsman back. Lisbeth then charged at him once more, prompting Marth to do the same. Their weapons clashed loudly as they attacked each other rapidly, with neither one backing down.
"This is insane," Klein said through gritted teeth, his palms clenched so tightly it hurt. "I can't believe Liz would betray us like this. Did our friendship mean nothing to her?"
"I don't know," Agil said slowly, his arms folded across his chest as he and the remaining members of Nega Nebulus watched the 3v3 battle. "Lisbeth took Celina's death pretty hard, so much so that she snapped at Marth and blamed him for it. Still, I never would have thought that she would side with Arcanos and his forces over it."
Thorrnn was silent as she watched her brother with bated breath, her hands intertwined in front of her chest. It was no secret that the siblings were very close, but that wasn't always the case. When their birth parents were murdered nearly forty years ago, Marth became very distant, even after the Furutas took them in. The only person he ever fully opened up to was Kirito, someone who like a brother to him. It wasn't until Marth got out of the death game that was Sword Art Online that he began to reconnect with her. However, even then, Marth has yet to fully open himself to her, something she hopes will be rectified soon.
Not to mention that even though she was not one of her brother's Drivers, she felt that something was wrong with him. This sensation surfaced ever since Marth had returned from Okinawa. Nothing seemed off to her on a physical level, making the rapier-user wonder if it was an internal issue. She hoped desperately that it was nothing severe as she couldn't bear the thought of losing her only remaining family member. Such a thing would tear her apart and remove her will to live. What would be the point of living in a world without her beloved brother?
Suddenly Thorrnn felt slight nudge on her right shoulder. She turned in that direction and saw none other than Sinon, otherwise known as Aqua Sniper, who had a sympathetic look in her eyes. While Leafa was Thorrnn's best friend, the bluenette was a close second as she could easily relate to the fencer's traumatic past.
"Hey, don't worry, Thorrnn," Sinon said before embracing the teen in a comforting hug. "Marth will be just fine. He won't leave you all alone."
The sniper always seemed to know what the greenette was thinking. Thorrnn choked back a sob as she buried her head into Sinon's shoulder while wrapping her arms around her sides. "I can't help it," Emerald Fencer said slowly. "Marth's my only family left. I can't lose him too."
"It's okay," Sinon muttered soothingly as she rubbed circles on her friend's back. "Kirito and Kuroba will ensure nothing happens to him. Plus, they've got us for help too. Everything will be just fine."
Thorrnn didn't respond and just stayed where she was. Sinon then glanced over at Leafa, was facing them with a concerned expression. The sniper gave the blonde Sylph a reassuring nod that she's got this handled, prompting Leafa to continue watching the battle. There was an unspoken agreement between the two of them that one will always be there for Thorrnn when she was in this worried state. This role would largely go to Sinon as she knew what it was like to lose family due to tragedy, but even then Leafa would try her hardest to support her dear friend.
"For both our sakes, I hope nothing bad happens to Marth," Leafa said to herself. "There's no way Thorrnn would be able to handle it, even with our help."
The Emerald Fairy then turned her focus back on her brother's battle with Seiji. Neither one had taken to the sky nor were using Incarnation. Seiji attempted to ensnare the dual-wielder with his tentacle arm, only for Kirito to cut them to ribbons with his swords. Seiji then retaliated by firing another blast from his flamethrower. Rather than dodge or use the Spinning Shield skill to block the attack, Kirito instead chose to summon a small black void, which managed to absorb the scorching flames. It was the Dark Magic spell, Null Void. It was a medium level spell that absorbed all magic spells in its area of effect, which depended on the skill of the caster, for about 10 seconds. Such a spell seemed overpowered, but it did take a long time to prepare as the incantation for it was exceptionally long, with it containing around 30 words, which were all very complex and difficult to say. Not to mention that said spell also requires a large amount of mana to even cast, and that there were some spells it couldn't even absorb like the Unison Spells and some high-level spells, making it a very situational spell.
Kirito wasn't particularly skilled at magic, though that is largely because of his reliance on his sword skills to win his fights. He only began learning Dark Magic at the insistence of Leafa and Marth, and even then, he didn't start taking it seriously until the Demon War. Once their memories began to return back in September, Kirito started to resume his Dark Magic training and has since grown very competent at it. He could even perform some of the high-level spells without saying the incantation, though Null Void was an obvious exception. That spell was practically impossible to fully master.
"You can do it, Kazuto," Leafa muttered to herself. "I know you can defeat Seiji and end his blackmailing days for good."
Meanwhile Kuroba was holding her own against the mysterious tile avatar that was Black Vise. Vise was keeping his distance from her while constantly throwing black panels at her from his right shoulder. Barely any of them managed to hit their mark as most were cut to pieces by the Black King's four swords. The entire time this was happening, a gray aura was coiling about Vise's shoulder. Earlier today, Kuroba had gone into a little more detail about the Incarnate System and told her Legion members that a continuous light-emitting phenomenon, otherwise known as Overlay, was proof that the Incarnate System was being used. In other words, these panels were the avatar's Incarnate attack. This was actually a good thing as that allowed Kuroba to finally unleash her full power. Now that her friends are aware of the Incarnate System, the only thing stopping her from using it is the unspoken rule of using it only when being attacked by another Incarnate attack.
The Black King pulled her right sword arm back, which began glowing with a purple light from the tip to the elbow. It was none other than her Death By Piercing special move. Normally this lunging skill's range was only 5 meters, similar to the one-hit skill, Vorpal Strike, a skill that she learned from the boy she loved. However, just like him, she can use the Incarnate System to boost its range by ten times that.
"Death By Piercing!"
She thrusted her right arm sword forward, plunging it into the first panel. But that wasn't where the attack ended. A blade of purple light shot out from her sword, piercing through the other black panels. The mental image in Kuroba's mind was the desire to strike her opponent from so far away and was exactly what was happening.
"Whoops. Now this, this is an issue." She heard the gentle voice. Followed by, "Static Pressure."
That was an attack name call.
Abruptly, the remaining panels began rumbling. What was previously mere millimeters thick, the panels grew wider before her eyes. Five centimeters, then ten centimeters, until at some point they were more appropriately referred to as lumps rather than panels. The change in size caught the Black King off-guard, weakening her mental image, which rendered her Death By Piercing attack unable to continue its path towards the layered avatar.
"Damn it," she cursed under breath as she was forced to end her Incarnate attack. It wouldn't take her very long to recreate the mental image she needed to try again, but that didn't dismiss her frustration at the moment. Such frustration quickly passed through Kuroba as she took on a fighting stance.
Two massive rectangular solids, black as the night sky itself, crashed into the Black King with a pressure that rivaled Gandora's attacks.
"Hngh!" Kuroba groaned as she used her arm swords to hold the squares back, both blades screeching in protest. It was times like this she was glad her resonance with Marth increased the durability of her swords. If that wasn't the case, the only way Kuroba could ensure that her swords wouldn't break from the strain was to use her Mode Green ability.
"Lotus!" Asuna shouted in worry.
Kuroba couldn't afford to turn around, but she cried out, "I'm fine! Don't worry about me. This guy's going to learn what happens when you cross a King."
"You sure are confidant, Black Lotus," Vise said emotionlessly. "Or should I address you as Kuroba Yukiko?"
"What? Gah!" Lotus said in surprise before finding herself struggling to keep the squares back, which were inching ever closer to her. It was getting more painful by the second.
So they know her real name too. It made sense since Arcanos and his forces knew it, so it's possible that Vise's organization learned it from them. But there was also the possibility that they learned it from another source, but that was extremely unlikely.
It's highly possible Vise may launch another panel at the Black King while she was rendered immobile, which meant she needed to break free immediately. If the circumstances were different, Marth and Kirito would destroy the squares trapping her themselves, but they were both locked into their own battles. She could order Asuna and the others to destroy them too, but it would be risky as she doesn't know the extent of this avatar's abilities or if there were any other enemies lurking in the shadows.
Thanks to the conflict of their imagination output, Kuroba could sense what was unfolding within the layered avatar. It was darkness, but not the gentle kind she'd associate with Marth, her beloved protégé and partner, nor was it the starving emptiness that threatened to devour everything like Seiji's Incarnation. Instead it was a rejection of all interference and had no energy; thus, it gave none and took none. No, it wasn't even an active refusal. It was isolation. It was an absolute alienation, a state that seemed impossible for a human heart.
"You know, you could just give up," Black Vise offered. "I was only hired to keep you from interfering. I've got no interest in fighting you. If you agree to stand down, this will all stop."
Kuroba simply lowered her head, her jaws clenched tightly together. So this person is just as selfish as Seiji. That isn't too surprising, but it still infuriated her, nonetheless. Whatever this organization is, none of them have the right to call themselves Burst Linkers.
"Tch," Dark Cerberus muttered to himself in frustration from her inactivity as he watched from behind a pillar. "Are you gonna fight back or not, Black Lotus? You're disgracing the title of King by just standing there doing nothing."
As she continued to struggle against the black squares that were pressing down on her, the Black King looked over her shoulder and saw her two partners still in battle with their opponents. Kirito and Seiji had taken their battle to the air, with Seiji abandoning his Enhanced Armaments and was now using his Incarnate attack, which the group had dubbed Nihilistic Fluctuation, with both of them clashing at high-speed. Somehow Excalibur was able to resist the deletion the shadowy attack caused. If the Holy Sword is like the one from the Arthurian legend it is based on, it is a sword of light that forged by the ancient Fae from a bygone era. It also had another name, actually it was more like a title, the Sword of Promised Victory. According to legend, anyone who wields Excalibur and possesses its scabbard, Avalon, would be invincible. Obviously, Kirito didn't own the scabbard as such a thing would be outright broken in a VRMMO, but maybe the holy power contained within that sword would be enough to repel the void that was Seiji's Incarnate attack.
Marth, on the other hand, was still fighting Lisbeth on the ground. He had switched to his SAO form, likely to better reach the mace-wielder, and to give him the mental strength he needed to win. After all, survival is the embodiment of the Dark Swordsman. It is a persona of Marth that couldn't afford to lose, otherwise he would lose everything he held dear. However, even with that mental image, Lisbeth was still holding her own against the Blade Eater. Kuroba never recalled the former Alfheim Warriors saying that the blacksmith was this strong, which meant she only acquired this power recently and likely did so she could fight Marth in a head-to-head battle. But that didn't matter. Kuroba believed in her boyfriend and knew he'll be fine. It will take more than what Lisbeth has for him to fall.
"Both Kirito and Marth are giving it their all in this fight," Kuroba thought. "If I can't do the same, then I have no right to be their other partner. I'll cut down anyone who opposes us! No exceptions!"
Suddenly a golden aura flared to life around the Black King as her eyes became a storm gray. Her shadow, which was created from the light of her aura, briefly had the wings of her customized Black Swallowtail Butterfly avatar before it vanished. It was something that only Rias noticed, despite the distance between them.
"Has Kuroba tapped into the power in her blood?" Rias questioned before shaking her head. "No, she doesn't know how to, plus her blood hasn't fully awakened yet. This power is the result of her bond with Marth and Kirito. Very impressive."
The demoness was planning to go to Kuroba's aid but now it looks like things are turning around for the Black King. However, Rias did not relax and continued monitoring the battle closely. While she wasn't particularly worried about any surprise attacks against her son, that wasn't the case for the girl she viewed as a daughter, Thorrnn, who had since calmed down and separated from Sinon, who was still next to her as a precaution. There was a good chance that either she or any of the observing Nega Nebulus members will be targeted by a surprise attack in order to distract the ones that were fighting. But the demon lord will ensure that such an attack will never hit its mark. She won't stand idle ever again.
"What are you doing?!" Black Vise exclaimed, his voice sounding surprised, finally breaking the monotone he has been using throughout the battle.
"Haaaah!" Kuroba spun around, slashing the squares as she did so, severing them with ease. She had just performed the AoE Dual Blades skill, Double Circular. While Kuroba still hadn't begun her Dual Blades training, she had seen Marth and Kirito use the Double Circular technique multiple times, so she knew the movements of it by heart. What she did was more of an imitation of the skill as her swords did not have the blue light effect that would normally be present had the AoE skill truly been activated.
Her gold aura then died down, but her eyes kept their stormy gray color. She faced Black Vise with a serious expression on her face and pulled her right arm sword back as far it would go.
"Vorpal Strike," she said firmly as her sword gained the familiar bloodred light effect. She was still too far away to strike Vise directly, but that hardly mattered if she used Incarnation. Last time her surprise weakened her mental image, therefore weakening her Incarnate attack, but now the image was unwavering. It will not be swayed again.
Black Vise must have realized what she was planning to do as he arranged dozens of thick panels, one in front of the other, as a barrier.
"That won't work," Kuroba cried out. She was Black Lotus, an avatar that embodied absolute severing. She'll cut through those panels like a hot knife through butter. She thrusted her right sword forward, launching the crimson blade at her target. The blade of light struck the first panel and tore through it with ease. It did the same with the other panels before finally striking Vise in his left arm, severing it near the shoulder.
"You actually managed to hurt me," Black Vise said, his voice returning to its calm monotone as his arm regenerated. "I guess I should have expected as much from a King."
"You made the mistake of underestimating me," Kuroba replied. "Now why don't you tell me more about this group you and Taker are a part of."
Black Vise was silent for a few moments before finally breaking it. "We are members of the group known as the Acceleration Research Society," he brought his right arm to his chest and bent at the waist to bow, "And I am its vice-president. Please to make your acquaintance."
"Hmph, not a Legion but a 'group', hmm? Quite elaborate, no?"
"Apologies. Society policy."
It was clear she wasn't going to get much more out of the layered avatar, but at least she got the name of this group he's a part of.
"Now all that's left is to beat him and get the rest of my questions answered."
Kuroba charged at Vise once more, who proceeded to hurl more black panels at her, but she cut through them with ease as she continued her advance. However, she failed to notice that some panels had snuck passed her before splitting towards two targets. One was a certain greenette and the other was a swordsman dressed in a black leather coat.
In the meantime, Kirito was locked in a stalemate with Seiji. Excalibur was holding its own against the dusk avatar's Incarnation, just like he expected it would. Just like the Demonic Sword Gram wielded by General Eugene of the Salamanders in ALO, Excalibur had a unique ability. It was called Sacred Light, which powered up Kirito's sword skills and gave them the Divine attribute, which has no weaknesses. However, Kirito couldn't help but feel that there was more to the Holy Sword's ability than just that. But that can be saved for another day.
"So, did you ever give that technique of yours a name?" Kirito asked calmly.
"Haa!" Seiji responded with a laugh like a long sigh. "I do not give names to my techniques! I'm told that, without a name, it takes a moment longer to activate, but I'll have no part of that sort of gamer business! And really…" the two opponents backed off of each other, allowing Seiji to throw his arms out to the sides as they simply hovered in the night sky. The pulsing light left hazy lines lingering in space. "Is there any point in asking something like that when you're about to lose Brain Burst?"
Kirito simply chuckled. "That's cute. You still think you can win against me. The reason I asked is that I want to remember the opponent for whom I performed last rites," he returned coolly. He suddenly held out his right hand and held up three fingers. "You've got three minutes to take me down. If you fail to defeat me within the designated timeframe, then I'll end this once and for all."
Seiji let out a mad cackle. "Hahahaha! You sure are bold to make a statement like that! I'll pummel you in half that time."
The Black Swordsman maintained his smirk and readied his swords. "Then by all means, prove it."
"I shall. And I'll even amuse you by making this a sword fight."
Seiji took a standard ready posture with his hands seemingly grabbing something in front of him. Suddenly the fluctuation slithered out and took on the form of a long sword.
"So he can change the shape of his Incarnate attack," Kirito thought to himself. "Interesting."
The two opponents flew at each once more, their clashes echoing in the air.
Back on the ground, both Marth and Lisbeth were locked in a fierce battle. Sparks danced in the air as their weapons clashed and explosions rang as their lightning attacks canceled each other out. The Dark Swordsman unleashed Vorpal Strike with Lunara, aiming for Lisbeth's chest. As expected, the traitor blocked it with her shield, however, the momentum of the sword skill caused Marth to slide passed her.
Lisbeth attempted to strike Marth in the back while he was locked in his post-motion delay with one of her mace skills, only for her eyes to widen in shock as Marth suddenly turned around, his left sword glowing blue as he blocked her attack with the two hit skill, Savage Fulcrum.
"Tch. I forgot about that Skill Connect exploit of yours," Lisbeth said in annoyance. "You really are a cheater through and through."
"Someone's a sore loser," Marth retorted calmly. "It's just a simple exploit. Besides, you know it's not easy to do. Kirito and I are only able to do it so well because of how much we practiced it."
"Whatever," Lisbeth replied. "You're going to pay for Celina's death! I'll make sure of that."
"Celina wouldn't want you to do this, Liz. She'd want you to move on. Stand down and let's talk about this."
"Not a chance! Thirty years ago, I swore I'd avenge Celina and I intend to keep it. The only way you'll stop me is if you kill me, but do you have the guts to do that?"
Marth found himself hesitating again. While there was still no guarantee that if Lisbeth's HP reached zero in this world that it would kill her in real life, it was still something he needed to consider. Could he bring himself to kill another person, one who is a former friend?
He wasn't able to answer that question as he suddenly sensed an attack coming at him from the right. He quickly jumped back, narrowly avoiding a collision with a black panel that ended up crashing into the wall. Marth didn't have a chance to process what just happened as he sensed another attack coming from the same direction, this moving even faster than the first one.
Thanks to his impossible reaction time, Marth was able to block the second panel with Lunara however, the first panel managed to pull itself out of the wall it had embedded itself in and charged at the swordsman again. Unable to move in time to dodge it, Marth was forced to block it with Solaris, effectively leaving him pinned.
"What the hell," Marth said through clenched teeth as he struggled to repel the black panels. "Where did these come from?"
"Aaahhh!" Thorrnn cried out in pain.
Marth glanced over at his sister and with widened eyes he saw that she was being pinned down by several black panels while other panels were keeping the other observing Nega Nebulus members from reaching her to help.
"Thorrnn!" Marth shouted in worry. He tried to knock back the panels holding him down so he could go to her, only for a black lightning bolt to strike him, halting him in his tracks. "Gaahh!" he exclaimed.
"I don't think so," Lisbeth said smugly. "You're not going anywhere!"
Both Kuroba and Kirito also heard the greenette's scream.
"Why you?!" Kirito said in anger. "Leave Thorrnn out of this! She's got nothing to do with this!"
Seiji simply cackled in amusement. "Good work, Vise! Now they'll lose the motivation to fight. If you all agree to be my dogs, then Furuta's torturing ends. Oh but that excludes you, Kirigaya. You'll need to forfeit the duel and lose Brain Burst forever."
"You bastard!" Klein shouted in outrage as he and Agil were trapped by black panels. "Leave her alone!"
Marth, despite feeling constant pain from Lisbeth's attack and from the pressure of the panels pushing down at him, gritted his teeth so hard it hurt. "You cowards!" he declared. A black aura began to surround him while his eyes turned bloodred.
The aura in question caught the mysterious girl's attention. "Hmm, so he's the one you were telling me about?" She then cracked a light smile. "Now I'm intrigued. How will he get out of this?"
Suddenly a familiar voice cried out, "That's enough!"
Black and red lightning suddenly came down from the sky, destroying all the panels that were targeting the observing Black Legion members and freeing Thorrnn, who had promptly collapsed. Lisbeth even stopped her spell out of pure shock.
"Who did that?!" Seiji called out.
A red magic circle appeared next to the greenette before Rias materialized from it. She knelt down beside the teen and cradled her in her arms.
"Who…are you?" Thorrnn struggled to say. Her body was still reeling from Vise's cowardly attack that it was hard to think, much less speak.
"It's okay," Rias said soothingly. "I won't let any harm come to you, Meg. I promise."
The very action caused Marth to forget his anger, causing his aura to fade and his return to their usual blue. "That voice? Can it be?"
Rias sent a death glare at Seiji, causing the freshman to flinch. Even he could tell that she was someone not to cross.
"You are lowest human I've ever seen," Rias said coldly. "To torture my son's friends just to get what you want. You've just condemned yourself to a life of eternal torment!"
"Son?" Kuroba questioned in a stunned look. "No way. It's Rias. But why's she here?"
"I don't know," Kirito replied. "But I'm not complaining. It looks like she's on our side after all." He then called out, "Hey, Mrs. Hagino, can you protect Thorrnn and the others?"
"Of course. That's why I'm here. All I ask is that you make that boy suffer for what he did."
"I can handle that!" a new voice spoke up.
A black blur rushed at Black Vise, slamming the layered avatar into the ground.
"Now who's attacking us?!" Seiji exclaimed.
Kuroba stared wide-eyed at the figure before her. It was a male duel avatar with a muscular build. It had black armor that resembled a kimono with green outlines and a helmet that resembled a dog with green eye lenses. He also had long spikey gray hair and a black tail.
"Who are you?" Kuroba demanded.
"You may call me Dark Cerberus," the avatar replied. "Normally I wouldn't help you out after what you did to my friend, but these guys have angered me with that cowardly attack. I'll take it from here. You just stand back and watch."
Kuroba still found herself feeling confused, but she could tell that this person was here to help. She simply nodded and hurried towards her boyfriend, who was still pinned by Vise's panels.
As she did so, Dark Cerberus turned to face the layered avatar, who was picking himself up. Cerberus popped his knuckles as he glared fiercely at his opponent. "So you think it's cool to take people hostage during a battle? I'll make you regret that dearly!" He then ran at the black avatar, punching and kicking through multiple panels as if they were nothing.
"Hold on, Marth!" Kuroba called out as she ran to her protégé. "I'm coming!"
Suddenly Lisbeth intercepted her, holding the Black King's swords back with her mace. "I won't let you! Your boyfriend's gotta pay for what he did to my best friend!"
Kuroba let out a growl in anger. "I don't care about your stupid vendetta. I won't let you hurt Marth!"
"Suit yourself. If you choose to side with him, then I'll take you down too, Dawn Remnant!"
Marth, on the other hand, was sick of being pinned down. Luckily, Dark Cerberus was strong enough that Black Vise needed to focus most of his concentration on fighting him so the pressure from the panels was weaker than ever. If the Blade Eater got enough vertical thrust, he might be able to break free, and it just so happens that he has the perfect tool. The Enhanced Armament that Sky Raker gave him.
"Equip, Gale Thruster!"
Two streaks of sky-blue light streamed from the sky before colliding with Marth's back. The light then produced streamlined boosters about 80 centimeters long and 10 centimeters wide. The tips of the square thrust openings tapered slightly, and on the ends, there was a total of four small stabilizers around them, two horizontal and two vertical. They weren't actually boosters, instead they were more like having two small cruise missiles strapped to your back.
Kuroba let out a gasp. "It can't be. Gale Thruster?!"
"Raaaa!" Marth howled as the Enhanced Armament flared to life. He kicked off of the ground with all his might and soon found himself shooting up into the sky at much faster speed than his wings could ever give him, leaving everyone, except Kirito, speechless.
"When did Marth get that thing?!" Klein shouted in shock.
The Dark Swordsman descended back to the ground, landing right next to his Legion Master. He had the biggest smirk on his face. "A friend lent it to me," he answered simply.
The Black King stared at her boyfriend in amazement. "Marth, do you mean you've met…"
"Yeah, Kirito and I met Sky Raker. She's the one who taught us about the Incarnate System."
Hearing the avatar name of her dear friend and former Legion member struck a chord in Kuroba's heart. After this battle was over, Marth and Kirito had a lot of explaining to do.
"Well this is certainly interesting," a new voice spoke up. "I take it anyone can join in now. If that's the case, I would be interested to participate."
Everyone looked up and saw none other than a certain male red-haired demon descending from the sky with bat-like wings on his back. He was dressed in a silver coat with gold trimming, black gloves and pants, as well as silver boots. He also had a long-curved sword strapped to his back.
"Arcanos," Rias said bitterly as she glared at her fellow demon lord. "What are you doing here?"
The male demon lord kept a smug expression as he landed in the courtyard. "I heard from Lisbeth that you all were planning a little battle here in the Unlimited Neutral Field, so I thought I'd come and watch," he explained. "However, after watching such intense battles side-by-side, I find myself feeling eager to participate. So is there room in this battle royal for one more?"
"If you want a fight, I'll give you one," Rias said firmly as she stood up, only for Marth to get in front of her.
"I've got this, Mom," he said simply. "I need you to look after Thorrnn and the others. Can you do that?"
Rias felt hesitant to let her son fight against a demon lord. While she knew that Marth had defeated Zarc three times, the first two was when Zarc wasn't at full power and the third was only by chance and came at a great cost. Regardless, she also knew that she couldn't talk him out of it.
"Very well," she said reluctantly. "Be careful, Marth. Arcanos is a demon lord. His power nearly rivals Zarc's."
"I'll be fine. After this though, we're gonna need to talk."
The demoness couldn't help but find herself chuckling. "I'll make you a deal. Survive, and I'll tell you anything you want to know."
Marth cracked a smirk. "I like the sound of that." He then made his way over to the male demon, who had drawn his own weapon.
"So you'll be my opponent? Good," Arcanos said smugly. "I've always wanted to fight a Twilight Remnant." He took on a fighting stance, his wings still out. "Let's see how you stack up to Zane's legacy, Dark Swordsman."
"With pleasure." Marth, with Gale Thruster still equipped, summoned his own wings. However, what appeared on his back were not Spriggan wings, instead what appeared were two sets of black, more futuristic wings that were bigger and more powerful than ever before.
"Interesting. That Enhanced Armament merged with your aviation ability," Arcanos commented. "Very interesting. Shall we begin?"
"Yeah," Marth said firmly.
The two swordsmen charged at each other, using their wings to boost their speed before clashing fiercely. They engaged in a fierce dance of sword clashes at speeds that were beyond normal. It was almost like watching two blurs fighting each other.
"This is almost like a battle between two Kings," Asuna commented in awe.
"Yeah," Sinon added. "I knew Marth was fast, but not this fast. Those wings must be augmenting his speed."
Kirito simply smirked before turning to face Seiji, both of whom were back on the ground, while Kuroba began engaging Lisbeth to keep the pinkette from interfering with her protégé's duel. Cerberus, on the other hand, had summoned his Oblivion Blade and was wiping the floor with Black Vise, who could barely defend himself from such an onslaught.
"Well then Seiji," Kirito said as he morphed into his SAO form, while his swords remained the same. "It's been longer than three minutes, which means its time to end this."
Dusk Taker took a step back. How could his plan have gone so terribly wrong? Sure with Arcanos here, there was still the possibility of victory, but that Rias woman looked to be just as powerful as the demon.
"Hold it!" Seiji pleaded desperately as Kirito began marching over to him. "It's not my fault I'm this way. My older brother had made me his dog and forced me to give him my burst points. I got back at him once I got Demonic Commandeer, stole all his powers and burst points. If you need to be mad at someone, be mad at him."
"Do you really think that excuses you for everything that you did?!" Kirito retorted, his eyes growing cold. "You tormented my sister and countless other Burst Linkers. I don't care what happened to you back then. It's time you learn what happens to bullies like you."
Seiji gritted his teeth. "I won't lose to you, Kirito!" he charged at the Black Swordsman again, however his attacks were very erratic, making them super easy for Kirito to block.
Kirito then delivered a single vertical slash across Seiji's waist with Excalibur, cutting the dusk avatar in two, with both halves falling to the ground. The dual wielder planted his right sword into the ground before placing his now empty hand on his opponent's chest.
"Shadow Restoration!" he cried out.
A shadowy aura surrounded the two, leaving Seiji puzzled. "What are you doing? Wait… what's happening to my wings?!"
True to his word, Seiji's wings were vanishing, melting into the very shadows that surrounded him. When the demonic wings fully disappeared, the shadows that surrounded the duo coalesced around Kirito's right hand. He then stood up as the shadows faded, revealing an orb of green light in his palm.
"Sugu, I think this belongs to you!" the Black Swordsman declared.
The orb in his hand soared towards his sister, colliding with her chest and engulfing her body in green light. When the light faded, she had the biggest smile on her face. "Thanks, Kazuto!" she cried out in joy. Her wings have finally been returned to her.
The other battles were wrapping up too, with Black Vise's body badly damaged while Dark Cerberus hardly had a scratch; Kuroba was largely unharmed, but Lisbeth's equipment was nearly in pieces because of the Black Kings swords; meanwhile both Marth and Arcanos hardly had any injuries on them and neither one looked the least bit tired.
"Screw this," Seiji said coldly. "I'm leaving. I'll spread all of your real identities and let someone else finish you off. I'm going to transfer schools and build my own kingdom. Vise, get me out of here!"
Kirito jerked his head towards the layered avatar, who was kneeling on the ground, with Cerberus looming over him.
"Such fury you possess," Black Vise said slowly. "They were right when they say you are just as strong as the Seven Kings. Sorry Taker, but I'm afraid that given the situation and all the damage I took from Cerberus, I won't be able to grant that request."
"Well put more effort into it! If I'm gone and I'm the main force, then the Research Society itself is in a bit of a spot, isn't it? The BIC information might even get leaked."
"Not exactly," Arcanos spoke up. "Your powers were definitely useful, but they aren't required for anything. We have plenty of heavy hitters that can take your place, whatever that was. As for your BIC, Vise, am I correct in saying that it will automatically deactivate the very instant they detect the user losing Brain Burst?"
"You are correct, sir," Vise confirmed. "The BIC will also dissolve into the cerebrospinal fluid and disappear, so tracing us is impossible. While we do have ways to grant non-acceleration users access to this world, I don't see the need in going that length for you, Taker."
Arcanos then teleported beside the layered avatar. "I agree, Vise," the male demon added. "Your comrade clearly bit off way more than he can chew, plus he revealed himself to our enemy. I was planning on dealing with him later so that we can keep ourselves hidden, but this works too. Lisbeth, time to go."
The pinkette obeyed and marched over to her master, ignoring the protests of her former friends. "You guys got lucky today," she said coldly. "Next time we meet, things will be different."
"Wait, Liz!" Asuna pleaded desperately. "Please don't do this!"
Lisbeth didn't answer and instead allowed Arcanos to teleport her and Black Vise away, likely out of the Accelerated World.
Meanwhile, the mysterious girl simply smirked. "That Marth sure is an interesting person. I wouldn't mind keeping a close eye on him. Maybe you do have a point after all." She then walked off and disappeared into the night.
"Well then," Dark Cerberus said as he, Kuroba, and Marth met Kirito in the center as the Black Swordsman stood before Seiji. "I take it you can handle the rest, Black Swordsman?"
"Yeah," Kirito said simply. "Thanks for your help."
"This doesn't mean we're friends. I only interfered because this brat and his allies have no sense in honor." Cerberus sent a glare at Kuroba. "You better watch yourself, Black Lotus. I'm coming for you next. You're going to pay for what you did to my friend, Red Rider!"
Kuroba let out a gasp. "Red Rider? You mean you're…"
Dark Cerberus didn't answer as he snapped his fingers to summon his Gates of Hell, which appeared directly behind him. He then walked through the gate, disappearing into its darkness before the gate itself vanished.
"Now then," Kuroba spoke up. "Shall we finish this and go home?"
Both Marth and Kirito nodded. "Yeah," Graphite Edge said as he switched Excalibur over to his right hand. "Let's put an end to this."
As soon as the trio set their sights on Dusk Taker, he began to scream, "S-stop! Okay! From now on, I'll pay tribute in points to you guys! That's not a bad deal, right?! I'll even join your Legion!"
"The Black Legion will never accept someone like you into its ranks, Seiji," Kuroba said coldly.
"Stop! No! I don't want to lose it! My power! My acceleration! No!"
"Yup. Just like Sugou," Marth said slowly. "Take his power and he becomes a sniveling coward." He glanced over at Kirito. "Do you want the honor, or should I do it?"
"Nah, I've got this," Kirito said. He bent down and grabbed Seiji by the neck before lifting him to eye level.
"No! Please!" Seiji kept pleading, but Kirito ignored him.
With a cold face, Kirito tossed Dusk Taker's top half into the air and as the half came down, he ran Excalibur through Seiji's head, finishing him off. A pillar of reddish-purple flames then shot up into the sky from the avatar's body. From inside the flames, countless ribbons of light were released into the sky, only to melt into the air and disappear. The ribbons were woven from detailed digital code. It was a phenomenon that accompanied the final annihilation of a Burst Linker.
Dusk Taker, the acceleration user that had threatened Kirito and his friends for the past week, was gone from the Acceleration World forever, never to return.
To be continued
And so Dusk Taker is no more. I'm honestly surprised at how long this arc was. It was kinda difficult to plan out because of how different Kirito and Marth are from Haruyuki so some things from the actual canon just wouldn't work without causing the characters to be out of character. I'm kinda glad this arc is almost over. Just one more chapter left and we can finally move on to the next one. See you guys next time.
Shadow Restoration- A high level Dark Magic spell that allows Kirito to reclaim an ability that was lost and return it to its original owner. It requires the special-move gauge to be fully charged in order to activate and can only be done from up close. It is the special move Kirito used to restore Leafa's wings.