Chrome and Muko pushed open the massive, wooden door of the manor and stepped inside. As they came into the vast entrance hall, a series of candles came to life around the walls. Chrome looked around the hall. It was a large, oval shaped space with a high roof. At the far end of the hall was a set of stairs that branched off to both sides after stopping on a platform. Candles that burned bright lined the roof, just low enough to not let the flames touch the roof.
Chrome drew his sword as Nobunaga descended from the stairs to the left and stopped on the platform separating the staircases. He heard Nobunaga chuckle quietly when he saw the couple draw their weapons.
"Now, now Ren, are you really so bloodthirsty as to draw your blade upon merely seeing me?" the man asked, descending the stairs down into the entrance hall.
"How do you know my name?" Chrome asked, somewhat startled that Nobunaga had used his real name.
"Is that really important? I'm sure you have many more things to ask me about. Come, let us talk for a while," Nobunaga said with a smile that sent shivers up Chrome's spine. Chrome's eyes locked onto Nobunaga's sapphire eyes as the blonde man approached.
"Chrome… maybe we should listen. The more we know about this guy the better," Muko said, lowering her mace. Chrome hesitated for a second and lowered his sword, he did not sheath it however.
"There we go, was that so hard?" Nobunaga asked. Both Chrome and Muko remained silent. "Come, walk with me a while," Nobunaga said, turning and heading for the stairs he had come down. Chrome and Muko looked at each other, nodded and followed him. "Feel free to ask me anything. I will answer any questions as a reward for you reaching me."
"Who are you?" Chrome asked in response.
"Just the question I figured. Until I took my current name, I was known as SLM-001. The code stands for Self-Learning Mob. I am an artificial intelligence that was created as a boss mob for the original Sword Art Online. I was supposed to be the most difficult enemy in the game, able to learn the fighting styles of players and grow stronger after each encounter. Although Akihiko Kayaba deemed that I was too dangerous to have in the game after the beta test. Apparently I was developing too fast and becoming too independent."
"So you're an AI, that explains your ability to control the system so freely," Muko said.
"Indeed. After Kayaba decided I was too dangerous, he tried to delete me from his system. I managed to evade him for some time though and he must have deemed that it was too difficult to eradicate me altogether, or perhaps it was his pride that prevented him from erasing me. But instead, he imprisoned me in the depths of the system behind a number of complex, ever changing lock programs. Had it not been for Kirito, the black swordsman, I'd have been trapped there forever. But when he cleared the game and the system began to wipe itself clean I was freed and I had a single chance to escape before I was deleted. I had seen that another AI had been transferred into the local memory of a player's Nerve Gear so I decided to do the same, transferring myself into the Nerve Gear of a random player."
"But after the SAO incident, all of the Nerve Gears were confiscated and destroyed. How did you get free and get into ALO?" Chrome asked.
"That, was sheer luck. As it turned out, the Nerve Gear I had entered belonged to one of the three hundred players that Nobuyuki Sugou had trapped within ALO. Had it been one of the freed players I'd have been destroyed along with the Nerve Gears so I guess I got extremely lucky. From there I bided my time, watching Sugou's research and waiting for a time I could put my plans into action. As it turned out, that two was brought about by Kirito when he used the Seed and Aincrad was reborn once more. Does that little story sate your curiosity?"
"So then why? Why did you do this? You went through so much to ensure that you weren't destroyed. So why did you trap everyone here in ALO and condemn them to death? It doesn't make any sense," Chrome said, stopping a few paces behind Nobunaga.
"To prove my existence," was the tall man's response. "I am but a program made up of ones and zeroes, created for a sole purpose. A purpose that was taken from me before I could fulfil it. You could never understand what it is like to spend your time locked away, being kept alive so to speak, without a purpose. I was kept locked away for being too good at what I was programmed to do while you humans are free to live your lives as you see fit, free to create your own purpose in your world. Is it so wrong for an AI to want that? To want to decide for themselves how they want to exist?!" Nobunaga yelled. Chrome could see the anger in Nobunaga's eyes as he turned to face him.
"We understand Nobunaga, we know that what happened to you was cruel and unfair. But what you're doing now is exactly the same. You're becoming the very same person that you despised," Muko called out. "I'm sure that if you stop this, you can continue to live on in this world and discover a purpose of your own."
"No, that cannot happen. I have created my purpose. It is to rule over this place and show the world that AIs are superior to humanity. I am a true god here. You humans are restricted by a time limit that will one day run out, causing you fade into the darkness and eventually be forgotten. But not I. I shall continue to exist and someday, I will ensure a world where all of my kind can escape the enslavement that humans cast upon us. I am free now, and like you humans I have decided how to live my life."
"I can't help but admire your resolve somewhat Nobunaga," Chrome remarked, drawing a questioning gaze from Muko. "Many humans will hesitate when it comes to deciding their place in the world and stepping out of the crowd to ensure that they stand out from the rest. Your resolve is what so many people crave, the ability to see what you want from your life and to be able to grasp it and make it a reality. But nevertheless, what you're doing is something we can't stand by and let happen!"
"Ren is right. No person should have to live their life trapped by another. You should know how that feels more than anyone you've trapped in this game Nobunaga! The freedom we are given when we are born is what allows us to find the purpose that you seek. Our freedom is what allows us to come together in good times and bad and people will always fight for it. Even though you've trapped us here, it allowed people to band together like we have and find a way to break free," Muko said, taking hold of Chrome's hand.
"It doesn't matter how powerful you are Nobunaga. Even if you beat us now, the things you've down to this world will make it so we just go back to level one. We'll level up again and come back here to fight you. We'll do it again and again until we finally beat you, no matter how long it takes!" Chrome yelled, the intensity in his eyes clear.
"You haven't failed to disappoint my expectations Ren Hikari. I am glad that I chose you as the one who would challenge me and should you lose today, I hope you continue to challenge me," Nobunaga said with what almost seemed like pride.
"What do you mean chose me?"
"Those dreams that you used to have, I'm sure you remember them."
"The ones with you killing my friends and I…"
"You had those dreams because I hacked into your AmuSphere and played those scenes to your subconscious mind as you played, causing you to see them when you slept in the real world. As I watched people playing this game after the Seed was planted, I watched you and I admired your determination and the bonds you shared with your friends. So I decided that should my plan come to fruition, you would be the one who would challenge me."
"So you made sure I knew you were coming and that I would know you when you revealed yourself."
"Exactly. You played your part perfectly. Now I want you to come, show me if the human spirit can truly overcome me. I hate to take a page from my creator's book but if the two of you are able to defeat me then I will release the players and erase myself from this world."
"I have one condition Nobunaga," Muko said, stepping forward. Nobunaga raised his eyebrow, watching the girl. "If we win, don't erase yourself. Stay in ALO and find yourself a real purpose. Play the game alongside the players and you'll see that humans aren't as weak and evil as you think."
"Very well," Nobunaga said with a chuckle. "See if you can defeat me. Let's see if the false power you hold in this world is enough to overcome a true god!"
Nobunaga spread his arms to the sides and the second to fourth floors of the manor vanished, leaving a flat surface that covered the first floor. Nobunaga rose his hand to the sky, clicking his fingers and causing a heavy rain to begin falling over the town. His cloak fluttered in the breeze as he drew his sword and pointed it at Chrome.
"I shall grant upon your frail human form, a final respite," he said, those sapphire eyes piercing into Chrome's soul.
Chrome readied his sword and looked at Muko. His wife raised her mace and returned his gaze.
"Muko, let's win this final battle and return to our world."
"Yes, let's end this."