Reaching the Climax

Kirito swiftly took down his attackers. It was simple seeing how his stats are from sword art online accounts. He is surprised that he can access his sword and other abilities. Especially from Alfheim but he doesn't want to drag any attention to himself. He just used the lightsaber to defeat his opponent's. He felt himself getting tired. He guesses that since he is physically in the game, his body isn't used to the rapid movements. "Going to lay off my mid night snacks" he thought.

He noticed a large explosion happening in the distance. He wondered if that was Nautilus. Then again, he only knows that he is a swordsman. Not the type to cause explosions that massive. Kirito went with his gut and went in a different direction from the explosion.

OOO

"What do you think is going on?" Sinon asked Asuna.

They were both sitting at a table watching the tournament unfold. Asuna had her eyes glued on Kirito.

"Someone got into his head" Asuna states. "He looks too serious to be in the tournament for fun"

"True, that means he is trying to find someone," Sinon said.

"That's what worries me" Asuna said with a slight frown. "If the person he is after is related to that glitch, how dangerous is he"

OOO

Nautilus gripped his sword tightly. He dashes toward Yusei who started shooting rapidly. Nautilus quickly slices each bullet, not slowing down. He jumps and slices his sword down but gets shot by Apex, in the chest. The force of the bullet pushed Nautilus. Yusei saw his chance to strike. He quickly swung his lightsaber but to his surprise, Nautilus blocked it with his weapon.

The two were in close proximity. Their blades were pushing against each other. Yusei noticed a dark glow consuming Nautilus weapon that broke his saber. Before Yusei could move away, he felt the sword slice up his chest.

A pulse of pain spread in his body. He could feel the blade just cut open his chest. There is more to the pain than just physical. He started to remember his memory of his parents death. Yusei landed on his back. He felt paralyzied almost. Sound became distorted to him. He couldn't hear Apex or the footsteps Nautilus is making toward him. It reminded him of the time when he died or faced death. At that time he felt nothing or knew nothing. Just a boy in an empty shell.

"You lost" Nautilus states about to pierce Yusei but Apex fired a shot that caused an electric net to trap Nautilus.

A grenade is thrown at Nautilus that pushes him back. Apex quickly dragged Yusei to a safer place behind a wall.

"What's the matter with you!" Apex yelled at Yusei who couldn't speak. "Hey...are you listening to me"

Apex noticed his eyes were different from before. It is more empty. He looked back at Nautilus who had his head faced in their direction. Apex gave Yusei's a potion causing the wound on his chest to repair.

"You should go...it seems like you don't have the skills to fight" Apex said reloading his weapon that transformed. "Was going to save this for the final but I have no choice"

Yusei started regaining his senses. His head is still aching but not as bad as before. He gets up. Before he could say anything, Apex had the tip of his weapon against his chest.

"If you can't defend yourself by this..how can you defend yourself from him?" Apex exclaims. "You should be lucky I'm sparing you from early defeat"

Apex turned his focus to Nautilus. He is a different opponent than he is used to facing, seeing how he uses a sword than a gun but that doesn't mean he can't win. Yusei watched Apex make his way to Nautilus.

Yusei couldn't really argue with him. He had no words to fight against the truth. He bit his lip and started running away in frustration. He is angry that he is still weak. Nothing changed. The training he went through. The things he learned were for nothing. He slowed down when he realized he was far enough. There is just sand for miles around him.

"I don't understand it...why am I not stronger" Yusei thought looking up at the sky. He hoped for an answer from somewhere. He soon sees a big explosion in the distance. There is a flare of power that glitched a little. The place where the cut was started to burn a little. His legs started to move toward the explosion.

OOO

"What was that?" Kira said to herself after seeing the explosion.

She finally made it to the desert hoping to find Yusei if he is still in the tournament. The players she faced did have skill but not sword skills. She felt lighter making it easier to move. She has trained her body to master her swift technique but without her elemental power, it isn't strong like it should.

She keeps her head held high, determined to get through this tournament and world. This is part of her journey. In order to save lives and protect them, she must handle anything obstacle coming her way.

She flinches when she hears a loud explosion in the distance. A strong gust of sand came to her. She covered her eyes with her arms hoping the sand won't enter her eye sockets. "Please don't be a sand storm" she thought, hearing how difficult it is going through such a storm.

Fortunately, it wasn't. The sand departed. Another good thing happened. She spotted Yusei a couple of minutes away from her. He turned his head to her direction. To Kira, he looked deep in thought, not present. Part of her feels like he doesn't see her. She was going to change that.

"Hey! Seems like you're still alive" Kira said jokingly.

No response came from him. He just stared at her showing no care of emotion. This irritated her.

"Oi!...Can you hear me...hasn't your parents told you it's not polite to ignore someone talking to you" Kira exclaims.

There is a slight twitch of his eyebrow. Yusei blinked a few times and felt like something deep within him wanted to come out. He starts walking to Kira but not by his free will. His legs moved on their own. Kira sensed trouble.

A lightsaber appears in Yusei's hand. Kira pulled her own out. "So you don't want to talk..fine" She thought, getting pissed even more. She prepares herself by getting in her stance. She placed one foot in front while the other right behind it. She keeps her sword pointing at one direction while having her free hand behind her back.

Yusei started remembering the times she was in that stance whenever they were spared. He started replaying it in his mind. Every session with her, he observes how she moved, trying to find a way to combat it.

"I'm surprised your weapon of choice is that...from our matches it seems like you have poor coordination with it. Making it easier" Kira said the last part slowly until dashing quickly adding force into her strike.

To her surprise, Yusei used his sword as a shield blocking the piercing attack. Their eyes met. This is the closet Kira has been with Yusei.

"...your technique is good...I'll give you that" Yusei spoke. "However.."

Kira started blocking the barrage of swings Yusei kept dealing with his sword. They were random and poorly executed and yet, Kira felt herself being pushed back. It felt like the force of each swing increased.

"It's all about the power in the attack" Yusei said, swinging down, clashing with her sword causing her to jump back.

"Having power isn't what makes the attack stronger" Kira said, breathing heavily noticing a change in Yusei.

It isn't a good change. She is actually getting goosebumps every time she makes contact with his eyes. She increased the power in her blade and got into a different stance. She widened her legs and pulled her sword like an arrow. She placed her free hand gently at the end of the blade.

"Arghh" Kira said dashing to him with speed making it appear that she was going to attack him head on.

However, this stance gave her the ability to quickly change the direction of her attack and give a more accurate aim.

Yusei kept his eyes on her. He is ready but got distracted when a voice spoke in his head.

"Kill" the voice is deep toned and sounded like him almost.

OOO

Smoke lingeries on the battlefield. One person is seen standing while the other had his feet off the ground.

"Guh" Apex said, having trouble breathing.

Nautilus had his sword right through Apex that was holding him in the air. Apex couldn't move. His body felt paralyzeid.

"so..I guess...this is the end...for me" Apex said slowly.

Nautilus quickly slices upwards splitting Apex in half. His body shatters into crystals. Nautilus starts walking while his sword gets consumed by darkness.

OOO

Yusei quickly blocked the attack coming to his side with his lightsaber and started swinging repeatedly. Each blow was strong, pushing Kira back. The contact of his swings to her sword made it difficult to swing so she jumped back and pointed her sword to the ground. She dashed again and quickly made a slash that Yusei almost became a victim to. A small cut appears on his cheek and a smirk on Kira's face.

Yusei's eyes widened and quickly dashed to her and swung more violently. Kira had to retreat back. His swings were moving randomly. "You never learn," She thought, breathing in and swiftly attacking from underneath, slicing his side that was wide open but that was on purpose. Kira felt a slash against her back.

"Gruh" Kira said quickly, trying to hold in the sharp sting made from the attack.

Her sword quickly meets the powerful blow from Yusei's sword. She kept her stance, pushing back against the force that Yusei is asserting. The two were staring off. Kira could see the emptiness in his eyes. It didn't feel like he was looking directly at her.

"What are you thinking about?" Kira ask softly.

"Kill" the voice kept repeating itself in his head. The image of slashing Kira started popping in his head. There is another fight he is fighting while facing Kira. The feeling of hate and anger were fueling his actions. The flashback appears again on the night of his parents with Max.

"Argh!" Yusei shouts, pushing Kira back with a mighty swing.

Kira is off guard and notices his lightsaber getting consumed by a dark energy. Yusei started coming at her with speed and the swings became even more unpredictable. She started getting cuts and feeling every last one.

"When did you-" Kira said, unable to figure out how he was getting this power.

The power of his swings increased that made her push back even more. There was no holding back with him. It felt like he had an intent to kill her. She pointed her saber to the ground again but this time, increased the power of it.

"I don't know what got into you...put you need to calm down!" Kira yells and dashed to him.

She started striking in a zigzag pattern. Yusei had his eyes covered by his hair. Kira's eyes widened, noticing he wasn't protecting himself from the attacks. She slowed down her pace.

"...whats the matter.." Yusei said in a low tone the moment he realized, her movements slowed along with her power.

"Guh" Kira said with her mouth opened, feeling Yusei's saber go right through her.

Their heads were right next to each other but facing in opposite directions. Kira's health bar entered yellow while Yusei was already past that.

"W-why-" Kira said, shifting her eyes to him. "W-whats..w-wrong with you-"
"...we are enemies in this battlefield...it was your own fault for forgetting that" Yusei said in a cold hearted tone. "You decided now...whether you lose...or...die"

Kira never imagined this outcome. Yusei didn't sound like the same person. Her legs were shaking. He had her in a corner. There is no way she could win this.

"Tch" Kira said, kissing her teeth with her hair covering her eyes.

She quickly disappears by forfeiting. Yusei waited a few seconds before walking toward the explosion he saw before.

OOO

Kira makes it back to the room she was before the match. She fell back against the wall hugging her torso. The hole Yusei made in her healed completely but the pain lingers. She couldn't believe what he did. All the time they had together didn't seem to matter to him. That pain in her chest was much worse. Tears were forming in her eyes.

OOO

"That...looked personal," Sinon states, seeing the match between Yusei and Kira.

"He looks dangerous," Asuna said, not liking how he was fighting.

"Could that be the guy Kirito is trying to find?" Sinon asked.

"If so...judging by his sword skills, he won't stand a chance against Kirito" Asuna said with confidence.

"True...it looks like he was swinging to swing but not thought or skill behind it" Sinon exclaims.

Kira walks into the bar with red puffy eyes taking a seat behind the counter. Asuna and Sinon were next to her.

OOO

"What happened here?" Kirito said in shock seeing the massive crater in the sand.

There was a sign of a battle here but didn't look like it was caused by players in this world. He sensed it coming behind him and turned blocking the sword attack and started rolling into the crater. He reaches the center of it and looks up to see Nautilus.

"Nautilus" Kirito spoke glaring at him, rising from the sand.

"Kirito...we finally meet" he spoke, raising his sword. "Are you ready?"

Kirito pulled his other sword out from his back. He slowly releases his breath, calming his nerves. There is a lot of risk in this fight. He needs to be focused if he is going to survive.

OOO

"That guy...looks different," Asuna said, seeing Nautilus on the screen with Kirito.

"Your right...he doesn't look like a regular player in GGO" Sinon states.

"Two swords?" Kira spoke softly surprised seeing someone able to use it. "Is he a show off or something-"

"Excuse you?!" Asuna said, raising her voice and getting up from her chair, looking at Kira who sensed that she touched a nerve.

"What did i say?" Kira asked, confused at her reaction.

"Calm down Asuna" Sinon said, trying to calm the beast then look at Kira. "Sorry...that swordsman is actually her boyfriend"

"Oh?" Kira said with a slight blush feeling embarrassed. "I didn't know...sorry about that, not feeling myself"

Kira softly chuckled. Asuna notices a small frown forming on Kira's lips. She let out a breath and sat back down.

"sorry..I'm not feeling myself too" Asuna said in a kind tone.

"Hm...so your name is Asuna...and yours?" Kira asked, looking at Sinon.

"Sinon, what about you?" Sinon asked back.

"Kira" She answers.

Loud gasp came out of everyone. The three girls looked at why that was. Asuna's eyes slowly widen with fear.

"KIRITO!"

OOO

Each attack was planned perfectly. Kirito thought he had the upper hand but didn't account for the increased speed of Nautilus. The only damage he could do was cracking his visor. As for him, he was pierced by three electric rods. One was planted on each arm and another in his right leg. Kirito was paralyzed on the ground while Nautilus stood.

Kirito was trying to speak but he couldn't even move his mouth. His vision was becoming dark.

"This is...game over" Nautilus states.