"Don't! Stop!" Kirito rushes towards the members of his guild, the Moonlit Black Cats as one of the members, Ducker, opens a treasure chest. The room around the four within turns red as a trap is activated and a horde of Granite Elementals and Dark Dwarf Miners rush in and surround the four players. Kirito can only watch in horror as Ducker, Sasamaru, and Tetsuo are brutally murdered. He tries to reach out to Sachi, but one of the stone monsters punches her back and her life.

"You were a beater." Kirito kneels down as darkness surrounds him, then appears the guild's leader, Keita as he stands on the edge of a building. "You never had any right to get involved with us!" Keita jumps back, disappearing and committing suicide. Kirito's great horror...the one that he has never spoken of, the one not even Jaymes, close friends of Sachi and her guild, knew the truth of, or at least never spoke of if he did. How could he tell his best friend that the deaths of the Moonlit Black Cats were his fault?

"No more! I don't want to see any more! I don't want to hear any more!"

Diavel, who barely survived the first floor thanks to Jaymes's intervention, fell later on the fifth floor to save Kirito, Asuna, Jaymes, and other members of the small gathering after accidentally activating the boss fight. Kuradeel, Asuna's unwanted personal guard who, after many encounters with Kirito and Jaymes, tried to kill the former and Asuna, only to die himself by Kirito's hand. Then the raid on Laughing Coffin, and the two who fell at his blade. All of them torment Kirito's mind in the darkness. "I don't want to remember anymore. I don't want to know what happens next."

Sugou, who Kirito confronted in ALO to rescue Asuna and struck down mercilessly. XaXa, then as Death Gun, who Kirito shot and cut down. Genesis, back in Sword Art: Origins, who Kirito goaded into a digital drug high and brought him down to prove there's only one Black Swordsman… And the ax against a tree, and the blond, blue-eyed boy who he saved from such a wasteful task only to have him die at the hands of a god.

Kirito sobs at the latest torture as Eugeo's death fills him with grief. "I… I'm the one who should've died!" He grabs his clothes and rips them, then punctures his skin with his hands, hoping to claw his way to death.

"Kazuto."

"Kazuto"

"Kirito."

"Big Brother.

"Kirito."

Kirito, chest open, and bleeding looks up to Asuna and Joshua in their school uniforms. Shino stands to Joshua's left, Suguha, and Koharu to Asuna's right. As yellow light surrounds them, Kirito looks at them in sadness. "But… I don't have any right to receive your forgiveness. Sorry." He reaches back into his chest, searching for his heart. "I'm sorry, Asuna. I'm sorry, Joshua. I'm sorry, Sinon. Sorry, Sugu. Sorry, Koharu… I can't stand anymore. I can't fight anymore. I'm sorry."

"Why," Higa shouts in frustration. His plan has borne nothing but a single spike in Kirito's Fluctlight, same as before. "How come, Kirito? This still isn't enough? Just one more person. If only there was one more person with deep ties to Kirito, who'd accumulated a strong mental image of him!" Something appears on Higa's screen, a strange connection not originating from an STL. No, it comes...from the Underworld?

"Kirito."

Kirito gasps and raises his head as Eugeo stands before him. "Eugeo… You're alive, Eugeo?"

Eugeo shakes his head. "This is the memory of me that lives inside you. And the fragment of memory I left behind."

"Memory?"

"That's right. Have you forgotten already? At the time, we were both certain. Memories," Eugeo reaches up and touches his heart, "are right here."

Kirito shakily smiles and repeats the gesture. "Yeah… Right here forever."

"We're always connected to you," Asuna says.

"No matter how apart we may be," Shino continues, "no matter if we have to part one day."

Suguha nods. "Memories and feelings will stay connected forever. Isn't that right?

Joshua steps up next. "I know best that not all memories and feelings are good, but the ones that are with us keep us moving forward."

"So no matter what you think, Kirito, all of us are with you, always."

After Koharu's words, Kirito tightens his bloodied hand. "It's okay, Eugeo? It's really okay for me to start walking again?"

"Of course, Kirito. So many people are waiting for you." Eugeo reaches his hand out. "Now, let's go, together, to wherever this takes us." Kirito nods and takes Eugeo's hand. The hands of the girls and Joshua land on top of his and they all nod to Kirito as light overtakes him."

Asuna

"Kirito…" Asuna reaches out for Kirito, but a foot stomps on her hand. Hearing Koharu halfway call her name before she cries in pain, Asuna looks up to a red player with a dense black aura. He holds his sword up, ready to impale her...and then...the scent of roses?

"Enhance Armament." Ice suddenly sweeps the area, freezing PoH and the red soldiers, though Asuna cannot discern if it is all of them or just the ones under PoH's influence at the moment. Those words, she's only heard about it once from the girls back at camp, when they spoke of Jaymes breaking down an invulnerable wall. Renly used a similar command earlier during the fighting. Something called Perfect Weapon Control...but who could have--

"Asuna, look." Asuna follows Koharu's finger and her jaw drops as she sees Kirito's left hand holding the broken Blue Rose Sword. As she gets up, she tries walking to the boy, just for PoH to break out of his prison.

"I've waited so long for you. Now, let's dance, Kirito!"

"No!" Sortiliena tries to protect her former student, but is pushed aside and caught by the goddesses. PoH leaps up and attempts to attack them, but a barrier forms between them and PoH. Asuna gasps and faces Kirito, who rises up to his feet and walks towards the barrier. Regenerating his right arm, he places his hand on it and pushes PoH away. As the barrier vanishes, Asuna stands and walks up, a genuine smile forming on her face for the first time since Lisbeth and the others arrived in the Underworld. He's here, standing, in front of them all.

"Welcome back, Kirito."

"Long time no see, Kirito."

"I'm back… Asuna and Koharu."

Kirito

The revived swordsman turns his head away from the girls and steps up to their tormentor, who seems to be the happiest one here to see Kirito up and walking. "So you're finally awake, huh? Seriously, you're the best, Kirito." As PoH summons black lighting, Kirito reaches his right arm out, calling for the Night-Sky Sword. "All right, let's pick up where we left off. What got put on hold back in Aincrad. The continuation of 'showtime!'"

Kirito looks to the south, smirking slightly, "Thanks for holding things, Jaymes. We'll see each other soon enough." He turns back to PoH with a serious glare as the enemy attacks. With only one functional sword (more than enough for him) Kirito takes the defensive against the more aggressive PoH.

"Come on. Don't let me down, all right?" PoH trips Kirito and the boy only has half a second to roll out of the plunge of Mate-Chopper and flip away to create some space that PoH lessens quickly. "I've been waiting almost two years for this day!" PoH grabs Kirito's collar and throws him aside. Kirito slides on his feet along the ground, barely managing to stand. PoH's aggressive nature is not something Kirito can't handle, but it's been a while since he's fought anyone. It's impressive Koharu and Asuna have stood against him as long as they did with all the fighting they've done. Yet PoH proves to be a formidable enemy as he brings Kirito to his knees. "Just throw away that crappy sword and use your left hand. Those guys you froze killed a ton of your comrades."

"I know how you do things. Turning people on each other, sowing the seeds of hatred, and inciting the next battle. You really messed with us in SAO, but you won't get away with that in this world! No way!"

"Yeah? Then what will you do? Once the ice melts, those guys are going to massacre all of your precious friends. The only way you can stop that is to kill those guys first. Go on, give the order to slaughter them all… Well, if you want to be stubborn and die, that's fine. Don't worry. After I kill you, I'll put Lightning Flash, Kindred Assassin, and the others, every last one of them, into the ground. Then wherever the Crimson Warrior has gone, I'll find him and put an end to his misery."

Kirito grunts as PoH's blade digs into his neck, but the vile murderer's blade begins to be pushed back by the Night-Sky Sword, yet not by Kirito's strength. He looks to his hand, seeing another on top of his, and the body that joins him in the fight.

"Let's do this, Kirito!"

"Eugeo…" Kirito spends a moment in tears, then grunts as he musters his strength and knocks PoH back. He and Eugeo raise the Blue Rose to the red sky and unleash the power of the sword. "Release Recollection!" As the Blue Rose is reforged, thorns appear around each ice capsule, blooming flowers and exorcising the trapped red soldiers, building a reserve of resources in the air.

PoH is unhappy about this development. "You bastard, you've got to be kidding me!" He raises his sword to absorb the resources, but not a single molecule is collected. Not because PoH can't, but because the lives of those now gone do not want to kill another as he desires.

Kirito raises the Night-Sky beside the Blue Rose and glares at PoH. "Release Recollection." The two blades begin absorbing the resources, just as its previous form, a branch of the Gigas Cedar, used to do back in Rulid, and how the Pontifex created and used the Cathedral Cedar and its Clamps to draw resources for her revival. His form changes, replacing his clothes that he stole from the Central Cathedral's armory to something more familiar, something more symbolic, some more...Kirito. A part of him he once hated, but the part of him he has learned to embrace.

The Black Swordsman.

"You really are the best, Kirito," PoH states as the dark aura returns around his body. "You're the only one who's made me want to kill of my own free will this much. It's a shame to end this now, but no venue could ever top this one. Now, let's have some fun, Black Swordsman!"

"Yeah. Let's end this." Auras clash and the swords follow. Kirito takes a defensive stance and retreats from PoH, leading him away from his friends and allies. PoH chases him down and forces Kirito into the air, who counters by firing a Burst Element. In the debris cloud, Kirito attempts a sneak attack, only for PoH to kick him in the gut and drop him to the ground. As he rolls back to his feet, Kirito grits his teeth as PoH multiplies into three. He fends off the clones and finds the real PoH. Glowing red blades light the battleground as the fight intensifies and energy flies around them, yet only one's will can win the fight...and Kirito's eventually wins out as the Night-Sky begins to crack Mate-Chopper and Kirito impales PoH.

An explosion rocks the Dark Territory, leaving a bigger wound in PoH's chest, yet somehow he still is alive enough to spit blood. "Impressive. That's more like it. But it's not over yet. Even if I log out of this world, I'll never stop coming after you four. Until I've slit your throats and ripped out your hearts, I'll just keep coming!"

"No, it's over now." The Night-Sky flashes, sending sacred power through PoH, and he removes the sword and turns away as PoH begins to scream in agony while roots sprout from his body. "You'll never log out of the Underworld. This sword was originally the Demon Tree in Rulid Village. A giant tree the villagers couldn't chop down even after swinging their axes for two hundred years. I just sent the memory of this sword into your body. I don't know how many years or decades it will take in this world before you're let out of the STL, but you'd better pray it's not too long. The only person I know who can save you now is Jaymes. This was the fight he waited years for himself. You've fought his best friends and hurt people he cares for... so unless Jaymes decides to be merciful, this may suit his revenge."

Kirito looks up to the sky and raises the black sword. "System Call: Transfer Durability, Right to Area." Sacred Power from the black sword rains down on the area as he approaches his friends.

"Kirito… Kirito, bro." Klein steps up and lightly punches his shoulder. "You're always stealing the spotlight, way too much!" Klein kneels and weeps, and Kirito is surrounded by all his friends. As he acknowledges them all, he faces the black-haired, emerald-eyed girl who stands in the back and walks up to her with a tearful smile.

"I don't even care how this is possible, I'm happy to see you again, Koharu."

"K-Kirito!"

He looks around, from the soldiers of the Human Empire that kneel, to the players of the various races of Alfheim, the members of Crimson Squad, and their GGO allies, and bows to them all. "Everyone, thank you. I definitely won't let your feelings, or all the blood and tears you shed, go to waste. Truly, thank you." As he rises, he stands face to face with Asuna.

"Kirito, Emperor Vecta and Alice are…"

"Right. It's hazy, but I remember the situation. Jaymes has gone after them, correct?" Kirito reaches his hands out to Asuna. "Let's go help Jaymes and rescue Alice. I'll need your help, Asuna." Asuna nods and hugs Kirito. He wipes the tears from her face, then looks to the girl nearby. "Koharu, you too."

"M-Me?"

"You're Jaymes' partner, aren't you? Something tells me he needs you more than me and Asuna now."

"But… Ah!" Koharu stumbles towards the pair and looks back to Lisbeth, who pushed her forward. "Liz?"

"...As a friend once had words for me," Lisbeth says as she glances at Philia, "I have words for you. Stop waiting. He's waiting on you, his hero. So go with Kirito and Asuna. The two, no, the four of you began this fight… The four of you shall end it."

Rei suddenly runs up to Koharu, grabbing her hands. "Miss Koharu... Master was very sad when he couldn't save you last time he saw you, though he didn't let it show for us. But I'm his Rei, so I know when he's unhappy. So this time… I think, if nothing else, it will make him happy to see you again."

Koharu looks around, seeing the nodding faces of those close to Jaymes agreeing with Rei. How can she deny them now? Nodding, she turns to Kirito. "Okay. I'm with you."

"Before you go," Kureha says as she steps up and looks south, "there may be another problem if Sinon and Jaymes haven't encountered it already… Lievre's Master is here as well, and she's gone after him. You may not understand the significance of it, but they do."

Kirito nods. "Okay, we're off. Hang on tight, girls." Asuna and Koharu hold on to Kirito as they're lifted off the ground and take flight to the south.

"Hang on, Jaymes. We're coming."

Ocean Turtle

"Fluctlight Acceleration rate safety limiter disengaged. Fifteen minutes until maximum-acceleration phase. For any personnel in the Soul Translators, please initiate disengagement protocol immediately."

"What does maximum acceleration mean," Rinko asks at the sudden onset of the alarm and associated message. "Isn't the FLA rate limit 1,200?"

Higa explains. "1,200 is the safety limit factoring in the lifespan of a real world human's soul. 5,000 is the limit at which we can observe the Underworld. Neither are the hardware-limit imposed by physical constraints."

"Th-Then what is the hardware-based limit?"

"During the maximum acceleration phase, the FLA rate will be just over 5 million. The three STLs in Roppongi connected by satellite will disconnect automatically once they can't keep up with the speed, but in the case of Kirito, Asuna, and Jaymes, here on the Ocean Turtle…"

"Are you serious? Then hurry! Hurry, we have to get them out of those STLs!"

"But the initial acceleration phase has already begun! If we pull them out of the machines now, it will damage their Fluctlights!"

"Then start the disengagement protocol right now!"

Higa turns to Kikuoka. "Mr. Kiku, I'm going down there again."

"All right. I'll go with you this time. I should have enough stamina to carry you down that ladder on my back."

"It's too risky, Lieutenant Colonel! Allow me to undertake that mission--"

Kikuoka denies the request of one of the subordinates. "No, I need you all to defend the stairs, since we'll be opening the bulkhead again. And you'll be engaging the enemy directly, so the danger will be greater for you. Even so, I must ask you to go."

"Understood."

"Mr. Kiku, when I was operating the STL earlier, I secured a communication channel with Kirito! You can reach him on line C-12!"

"Why do I need to?"

"Have him, Jaymes, and Asuna escape from inside!"

Kirito

"Kirito!" Kirito jerks in shock and pauses the trio's flight as a worried voice rings in his ears. "Kirigaya! Can you hear me! Kirito!"

"...Kikuoka? There's no system console, so how--"

"I don't have time to explain. The situation is dire. The time acceleration rate...they disengaged the rate limiter."

"Limiter?"

"Listen, according to Higa's calculations, no matter how fast we disconnect the STLs, two hundred years will have passed in there."

"Two hundred?"

"Listen, Kirito. You have ten minutes. You, Jaymes, and Asuna have to reach the console by then, and log out manually. You can't log out by depleting your HP. If you die after the maximum-acceleration phase starts, you'll spend two hundred years there in a state of total sensory deprivation!"

Kirito nods. "Got it. I'll find a way to get out through the console. Of course, we'll bring Alice with us, so be ready for that."

"Thanks, but I want you three to prioritize your escape over securing Alice now. Koharu will be automatically logged out, so don't worry about her or the others. Listen, even if we can delete your memories after you log out, two hundred years is far longer than the life span of the human soul. The odds of you regaining normal consciousness...are almost zero!"

"Don't worry. We'll definitely get back. And Mr. Kikuoka, six months ago...no, last night, sorry for the harsh things I said to you."

"No, we certainly deserved to be criticized. Look, Jaymes is in proximity of the World End's Altar, seems Alice and the enemy are as well. So hurry."

"Okay. I'll see you in ten minutes, Mr. Kikuoka."

"Kirito, did Mr. Kikuoka contact you? Is something wrong?"

"No. Time acceleration's resuming in ten minutes, so he wants us to hurry up. We have to catch up to Jaymes."

"Right, we can't stay like this, or it wouldn't be fair to Alice."

"Come on, let's go help Jaymes!"

"Right. I'm going to fly again, so hold on."

Alice, five minutes prior

There it is, her destination, floating high in the sky. The World End's Altar, the path between the Underworld and the Real World. As she looks down, she pets Amayori and speaks to both her and Takaguri, formerly Eldrie's. "Amayori and Takiguri. This is farewell. This my final order. Fly back to the Human Empire and return to the dragon nests in Wesdarath, Amayori, find a husband, and Takiguri, find a wife. Have many babies and raise them to be strong. Strong, strong children who will someday be able to carry knights as they fly."

As Alice drops off the dragons, she looks up to them. "Now, go!" She shares a glance with Amayori, seeing tears well in the dragon's eyes, but the moment is cut short as both dragons growl and take flight...towards a black object coming in their direction. And the presence that comes with it… Oh no. "No! Don't!"

Takiguri and Amayori shoot blue fire at the emperor, who blocks it with his power. They begin to growl as Vecta's power overwhelms and stuns them. Alice, fearful for their lives, runs as fast as she can to them as Vecta aims to bring the dragons to their death. "Amayori!"

"Vindica: Enhance Armament!" An explosion rocks the sky between Vecta and the dragons, but as it clears, Alice can see golden walls vanishing from the space between them. Something protected the dragons...no, someone did that. But who...Alice spots a red figure standing in the clearing cloud, gasping as he lowers his left arm. "Jaymes!"

"I found Lievre discarded like an unwanted doll. She waited endlessly for you, only accepting my offer to watch over her in the belief she would reunite with her Master...and you treat her like trash. No wonder you search to collect souls, you don't have one yourself. So instead of chasing you down, I decided to wait for you here. And now that you're here..." Jaymes clangs his strange sword and the shield on his left arm together, generating a large amount of power around him as a red aura surrounds his body. His clothing morphs back to what he wears as the Hero-King, with Falchion and a shield, the thing he called Vindica. "For Lievre alone, I'd make you suffer, but for all the pain you and PoH have caused today, I'll make sure you get close to what you want, what you desire, what you dream, to reach out for her soul," Jaymes raises his sword as all seven stones within it start to glow, "and never reach the truth!"