The Last One Standing

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Ch 8

Kirito headed up the stairs to a certain large hall in Grandum that served as the guild hall for the most influential guild in SAO, the Knights of the Blood Oath.

The player standing guard at the entrance let Kirito through because he was expected.

"Well Kirito I must say. You're a hard man to find when you want to be." Heathcliff said from behind his desk in his large office.

"I just had a few things to work out. I hear you wanted to see me." Kirito answered and stated.

"Yes I hear that you have acquired a unique skill like myself." Heathcliff stated. "I wish to test myself against you in a duel. As there's nothing else to be gained from it seeing as we're two guild leaders in respectable guilds."

"Is that all this will be? Just you wanting to pit yourself against me to prove your superiority?" Kirito asked blandly. "Then I refuse."

"You will fight me, wouldn't something to happen to your wife and daughter now would you?" Heathcliff asked a gleam in his eye.

"I guess I'll have to accept, if that's how you're going to play it." Kirito said with a smirk. "Since you challenged me I set the conditions. Am I right?"

"That's usually the way it works." Heathcliff answered his expression dropping into a scowl.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." Kirito said as he turned to leave. "How does Collinia on the 75th floor sound?"

"That is acceptable." Heathcliff answered slowly unsure of himself.

OOooOO

Outside Kirito ran into the five girls that were at the guild hall.

"How's Yui doing today?" Kirito asked happily picking up the little girl who buried her face into the crook of his neck. "I see." Kirito said with a smile. "We'll discuss more in private. Where the walls don't have ears." Kirito said at seeing the looks of curiosity.

OOooOO

"Explain something to me. How is it that you two were gone for a month and y'all have a five year old? The only thing that makes sense would be time travel like yourself." Asuna surmised.

"You would be right to a point." Kirito answered wryly. "This girl has been my daughter in all of my previous lives. This is the first time this particular scenario has occurred though." Kirito went on to explain Yui's nature as an AI and what appeared to be occurring this time.

"I see." Silica said crossing her arms as her ears twitched and her tail lashed behind her in irritation. Pina was sitting on Kirito's head because he thought he was better company at the moment.

"Well then we should be prepared for anything tomorrow." Leafa said as she started going through her menu to put together her best equipment.

"I'll get in touch with Agil and Argo then." Asuna said as she sent a few messages.

Kirito stood there being amused and Liz was trying to sort everything out.

OOooOO

The next day dawned bright and clear, at least on the 75th floor. A floor modeled after ancient Rome every building looked to be made out white marble including the coliseum. The structure they were headed for right now.

"Are you kidding me?" Agil asked as he looked around the coliseum which was packed. "I should of gotten in on the action by bringing something."

"If everything goes right we won't have to worry about it after this match." Lizbeth said trying to calm the big man down.

"But you should be prepared for all outcomes." Agil moaned.

"Do you think so little of me?" Kirito asked with a look of mock horror.

"Geez man you'll have to not let so much get to you." Agil bantered back.

"Well wish me luck." Kirito said with a grin as he headed off into the arena where Heathcliff was standing.

"Good luck Daddy." Yui called earning a wave and a wry grin from Kirito.

OOooOO

"I see that you were able to get a rather large crowd together on such short notice." Kirito commented.

"Not to surprising seeing as the leaders of the two most powerful guilds are testing their mettle against each other in a duel." Heathcliff said looking around the Colosseum.

"Well let's get down to business then." Kirito said a serious look on his face.

"Might as well." Heathcliff said giving a shrug. "State your terms."

"A fight to the death." Kirito said drawing a gasp from the crowd and his guild gave a shocked look towards Liz who had a look of serious anticipation as everyone else looked back toward the combatants.

"What prompts you to give these terms?" Heathcliff asked with a frown.

"Because it makes the most sense to take out the final boss when it presents itself." Kirito answered. "Isn't that right Akihiko Kayaba."

"I see." Heathcliff mumbled smiling darkly. "Yes I am Kayaba the final boss of the rose palace." The crowd gasped even louder than the previous shock. "Tell me how did you determine that it was me?"

"Observations and conjecture mostly." Kirito answered. "Your health bar has never dipped into the yellow even during boss raids. So I thought who would the system be trying to protect other than its creator."

"Well this is the hidden element of MMOs the human element. I was planning on standing with the players till we entered the ruby palace and present myself as the final boss." Kayaba said nostalgically. "But I guess because you found out the ruse early I can give you a reward. If you beat me here the game will be beaten and the remaining players will be released. Second I won't be using the system assist."

Nodding at this Kirito set the type of duel and sent the request to Kayaba. "Well it'll be interesting to say the least."

OOooOO

The battle had been going back and forth for at least two minutes though looking at the combatants it could have been going longer. The spectators were quietly cheering on Kirito after the revelation that Heathcliff was Kayaba.

Heathcliff was annoyed with his current opponent. This was because he wasn't using any of the attacks that Kayaba had built into the dual wielding skill. No he had to give his grudging respect to Kirito because the boy was pushing him back with his own power. A power that spoke of a lifetime of training in the art of the sword, intentionally not using the system assist.

Kayaba came to a decision and decided that this battle was to one sided and using his shield threw Kirito halfway across the arena and with system assist over-clocked himself the max speed that could be achieved at the level cap of level 140. Kirito was surprised at Kayaba's sudden jump in physical ability and was unable to protect himself effectively dropping his HP from about just into the yellow to a sliver of red before empty.

"It appears that our contest has come to an end with myself the victor." Kayaba said offhandedly as he stabbed Kirito to the horror of all present. Lizbeth only being restrained from entering the fray because of something Yui whispered to her.

"You think that I would fall so easily?" Kirito asked his voice straining keeping Kayaba's sword from penetrating by the hold Kirito had on Kayaba's blade his battle healing barely keeping him alive. With a yell of defiance Kirito's physical presence changed throwing up a cloud of dust. Everyone within the coliseum stood and sat shocked at what appeared before them as the dust from the sudden displacement of air settled. A dragon with fur so black a kaleidoscope of colors rippled over the sleek surface. Its head was easily 3 meters long dwarfing the man that was before it impaled on its claws.

"So, you're one of the dragonblooded. A race that was fully dragon and fully man long thought extinct." Kayaba said with a smile on his face as he lay his hand on Kirito's snout. "I knew from the first time I laid eyes on you would be the one to defeat me but I never imagined that you were a living legend. I can rest easy knowing that humanities protection is in your hands." With that Kayaba shattered into a million blue polygons.

"It is November 15 2024 at 1:06 in the afternoon. The game has been cleared. I repeat the game has been cleared."

His guild ran out to him as he sat there in quiet contemplation still in his dragon form.

"I was so scared that you weren't going to make it." Liz said in tears as she hugged Kirito's snout.

"Well Rika Kirigaya I made it and I'll see you on the other side." The dragon said as his and every other players avatar came apart into blue polygons. Yui's data heading over to another game instead of the real world.

OOooOO

Kirito appeared on a platform, Aincrad far below him starting to break apart. "So Kayaba, has the conclusion of your game been satisfactory?" He asked the man in a lab coat that appeared next to him.

"In a way yes I'm satisfied." Kayaba answered melancholy evident. "In our modern world there was no way for true warriors to be produced. Sure we have soldiers and they can be classed as warriors but I believe we have lost what it truly means to be a warrior. When I was a little boy I came to this realization as I started dreaming of a giant floating castle in the sky. Thus came my ambition for the game. Some more than others but at least mentally the death game was able to create 6000 protectors for the human race." Turning to Kirito Kayaba looked at him with a wane smile. "You were the greatest surprise, because of your alternate form you could have cleared the game with little difficulty."

"I just learned of it myself actually." Kirito replied.

"Well it appears that my time is up and you have a wife and family to comfort." Kayaba said as he walked away before he disappeared.

"Well this is a first." Kirito mumbled before he too vanished.

OOooOO

Kirito opened his eyes and blearily looked up at the white ceiling that was too white and symmetrical to be anything other than a hospital IRL.

He sat up removing the helmet that had been his prison for almost two years. He looked over to his left and saw that his sister Suguha was there. He mulled over this as he looked at her. He may be her cousin, he may be adopted as her brother but he truly saw her as his sister. He heard movement the other direction and slowly and deliberately because his neck muscles hadn't been used for almost two years. Next to him closer than his sister's bed was a girl with long pink hair coming out from under the nervegear helmet as she removed the helmet letting it drop into her lap. Slowly she looked up toward him seeing his face her eyes lit up and with a smile spoke in a voice that was scratchy from disuse but carried a love that he had only ever heard within the death game.

"Welcome home Kirito."

Kirito laboriously stood in the space between their beds tears streaming down his face as he used the IV stand to support himself while he kissed Lisbeth for the first time in the real world "Yes. I'm home." Kirito answered, smiling before giving her another kiss.

Proving to all, that in a battle to protect those dear to you, your convictions and strength of will can assure that you just might be. The Last One Standing.

OOooOOooOO

And thus ends the Aincrad arc. It may not be what everyone was expecting but I for one am satisfied with it.