Beater and the Black Cats of the Full Moon
Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online
Chapter 7
Two Demons of Promise
In the virtual world Sword Art Online, there existed an entity that was closest to the meaning of 'God' in that world. Heathcliff, otherwise known as Kayaba Akihiko, has locked himself in his private room and watched the event in the underground floor unfolded. Towards his supposed second in command, Asuna's pending demise, he was confused as to what to think of the situation.
Asuna has great potential for many things, even futures herself was not aware of. She has further pleased him with her potential when she had stubbornly refused to join his guild but instead 'revived' the Black Cats of the Full Moon. It was as if she was destined to be the heroine of the game. Heathcliff has anticipated the day when the Black Cats of the Full Moon would be the one standing before him by the last floor.
Simply speaking, he does not want Asuna to die yet. Asuna was the lifeline of the newly revived Black Cats of the Full Moon. If Asuna fell here, it was possible Kirito might broke as well. Both were dreaded outcomes to Heathcliff.
Of course, he is 'God'. He could initiate an emergency override the program of The Fatal Scythe and saved her. He really could.
The scythe was swung and cut Asuna in two. It was too late for his decision anymore.
'Kayaba-san, is this alright?' A voice message spoke in his mind. It was his assistant Rinko. She must have been watching the event from the outside world as well.
"This is a reality, tragedy happens all the time. The fact that she fell here just meant she was not meant to be the heroine I anticipated from her….It's a pity."
Heathcliff sighed. Looks like he has to go to the stage himself. There was still a minor chance he could turn Kirito's despair into hate. The Kirito immediately after Sachi's death was strong, at this rate, he might literally turned into a demon himself.
A demon. Heathcliff smirked, there was still some entertainment potential left. He wondered what kind of face Kirito would show him at the final stage.
Would it be a face of rage?
Face of Sorrow?
Or none?
There may be more to gain from Asuna's death than I thought. Heathcliff thought gleefully as he prepared to leave the room.
"Hm? The door is not opening."
A bug?
Whatever, I need to teleport there anyway.
Heathcliff activated a teleportation crystal but nothing happened.
'Kayaba-san, what's wrong?'
"Nothing. Probably just a bug-No wait. Run a scan of the status of the room."
'Your room? Got it… …Kayaba-san, the room has turned into an Anti-crystal area!'
"Change it back to its Area status immediately."
'It's not working. Cardinal is not responding.'
"…Rewrite the program for my room manually. Make it as fast as possible."
'Will do.'
The voice call ended and left Heathcliff alone in the room. Activating his monitor from before, Heathcliff sat and stared at his monitor which only showed a static screen. He then closed his eyes and went into deep thought of the cause of the situation. His room was hacked and the communication with Cardinal was cut. These were no easy feats.
As if feeling he was staring at the culprit himself, he hardened his gaze on the screen and asked. "Just who are you?"
The screen replied with static in return.
Even before Kirito reached the end of the dungeon, he knew he was too late. It was all too familiar to him, the colour of the name on the top of his guild's member list. He hoped it was he got it wrong and read Sachi's instead, whose greyed name was still below his. He read it again, wishing he got it wrong.
It was Asuna's name in grey, her empty health gauge could only mean one thing.
This was the first time he felt so alone. The voices in his head were gone and Asuna was not here anymore. He wanted to break down and just cry and gave up. What was the point of continuing this anymore? Everyone around him kept dying, why should he keep on going on this godforsaken game!?
Even if I die, you keep on living okay?
Why?
Live to see the end of this world, and to see why it was born.
WHY?
Live to see why a weak girl like me ended up here…And the reason you and I met.
Kirito gritted his teeth in frustration against the memory, it was not the voices, it was his memory of Sachi's final words. He wanted to give up, he wanted to join her but-
The demon born by the promise inside him would not let him go.
The moment he entered the end of the dungeon, there was a large Reaper at the opposite end waiting outside the safe Area. It was as if he was waiting for the players hiding inside to come out and meet their doom. From the signal on his map, it was Argo.
Kirito stepped forward and summoned his twin blades, Elucidator and Dark Repulser, into his hands. His footsteps echoed loudly in the deafening silent dungeon. The Reaper turned around slowly, as if with irritant of who had disturbed his hunt.
The Reaper towered over Kirito, casting his shadow over him. Kirito stood before the Reaper without a shed of fear and looked up, silently staring face to face with the Reaper. Now that he is close enough, he could finally ask the question in his mind.
"Shinigami, are you the one who took away Asuna from me?"
"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"
The Reaper responded with an inaudible cry that shook the entire dungeon. Any sane man would have been overwhelmed by the sheer power of intimidation the Reaper's cry has and gave in to fear. It was not just game mechanics, fear was human instinct and therefore intimidation was a weapon. Grim Reapers were the embodiment of Death itself. It was humans' natural instinct to fear death, hence it was natural that any player would fear the Reaper. Intimidation itself was the Reaper's strongest weapon at its disposal.
However, the man before it stood his ground, his eyes betrayed nothing as they glared face to face. If the Reaper has sentience, he would have no doubt wondered why was this man not down, what was the will which drove him to stand before it without a shed of fear and more importantly, did he understand?
"I understood you clearly, Fatal Scythe."
"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"
The Fatal Scythe was nevertheless not sentience. It was the embodiment of the Grim Reaper, it needed not to have sentience but existed to serve one purpose. Its movement was instantaneous that no man should have stood a chance to notice the scythe curving in an arc towards them. The move was supposed to be an imitation of unpredictable death itself.
Unpredictable death, that concept never stood a chance against the Beater, the strongest player in Sword Art Online.
Kirito pumped in all his STR stats to his legs and leapt directly towards the Fatal Scythe's mask. Even in the air, Kirito positioned himself and initiated his swords into Ivory white and void Black blades. Right before the embodiment of Death itself, he unleashed an attack in its face as if to challenge death.
"SWORD SKILL: THE ECLIPSE!"
Kirito's roar and the Fatal Scythe's cry clashed and threatened to overwhelm each other. Kirito blazed Black and White against its crimson eyes twenty seven times, using the sheer pulling force of the skill to keep himself in the air directly before the Reaper. Kirito ended his attack with a twenty-eighth combo, pumping all his STR into his legs again and kicked the Reaper in the mask, propelling himself away from the Reaper at the same time.
"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"
The Reaper let out another cry as if enraged by the Kirito's defiance towards death and immediately swung its scythe back towards him. Kirito managed to catch it between his swords in mid-air but was blasted away by the pure strength behind the blow. He hit the wall all the way at the other end and dropped to the ground. It was pure luck that he still retained a chip of health left after suffering that blow.
Luck? How will luck save anyone in the face of death itself?
Despite the pain he just experienced, Kirito stood up immediately and drank a full-health position. With recovered health, Kirito brandished his twin swords and faced the Fatal Scythe. Despite taking the full blow of his strongest skill, it was still labelled 'Unknown' and refused to show him its health. Although just blocking one blow almost killed him, Kirito could not help but thought that it was a fair fight.
"I cannot see your health, likewise you cannot sense the will driving me to keep standing up no matter what. This is a fight to the death, are you programmed to be as ready as I am?"
"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▅▅!"
The Fatal Scythe charged in response to the challenge. Kirito propelled himself and met the Fatal Scythe head on, his battle cry clashed with the Reaper's, signalling the start of the death match.
A programmed monster with one sole purpose and a broken human with one last will. Despite their different origin, they both have reached the same critical stage where they were controlled by one purpose, be it one was merely a program or the other was a superior human being.
Kill
Bloodlust filled the room and hysterical laughter echoed. With both sides engulfed in madness, a bloody duel between a demon and a grim reaper took place. Unknown to majority of the players, a battle which would drastically change the outcome of their fate has just begun.
Inside the safe Area, there were two players but three avatars. Yuuki typed fervently into the keyboard of the console in the room, each time the screen popped up an error sign she typed faster as if to vent her frustration. Argo stood beside her, staring at the screen and the avatar on the console itself.
The avatar lying on the console used to be none other than Asuna's. However even though Yuuki managed to save her avatar, there was one more problem left. One problem which no matter what she did, only one same popped up replied.
Error: Respawn of Players is forbidden.
She had it. She punched the keyboard with all her frustration. What's wrong with this world!? Why is it standing in her way from seeing her sister again!?
"Why is it forbidden!? I just want to be with Asuna again. Why!? Why is this world so unfair to me!?" She cried, all that weight of the reality was too much for her.
A hand landed on her shoulder, turning around she saw Argo's expressionless face. She looked so 'wrong', Asuna was dead so why was she so calm?
"How can you keep a cool-head with all that has happened? Asuna is dead!"
"I am an information dealer, I know more deaths than anyone." Argo tried to smile. "I am used to it already."
Give up.
That was the meaning behind those eyes that had experienced reality and given up hope in this world. Yuuki turned to look at the avatar on the console again. It was Asuna yet if her 'soul' was not inside, it was merely an empty shell. To retrieve back a dead soul, was it really out of her intelligence and clearance level? Was it really impossible?
Error: Respawn of Players if forbidden.
The error popped up and shook her from her thoughts. Her hands had unconsciously tried to input a command to bring Asuna back. Since it just instinctively input a used command, it obviously did not work.
However just has that made Yuuki realized something important. This was not about whether it was impossible or not. She has just came to this world and she does not know a lot. However she knew one thing she could confirm with her heart.
Asuna made her happy, she wanted to see Asuna again.
The frenzy typing sound started again as Yuuki began with new-founded motivation. That's right, everything would be meaningless if she was not here. As long as there was still a one percentage possibility, she would bet on it and bring Asuna back.
However Argo has differing opinion. This was not the first time she saw someone clinging on to a small hope to bring someone back. In fact, Yuuki reminded her of him.
"Do you know you are just like Kirito?"
"Kirito?" Yuuki asked while continuing to focus on the screen and keyboard.
"The leader of Black Cats of the Full Moon, the same guild Asuna wanted to invite you into."
"He must be a horrible leader then. Asuna is dead and he is nowhere to be seen. I will be sure to take away Asuna from him the first chance I get."
"If you manage to revive Asuna, that is." Argo chuckled at the thought of the relationship between Yuuki, Asuna and Kirito. "I wouldn't say he is nowhere to be seen though. He is the one challenging the Reaper outside one on one right now after all."
"What!?"
Yuuki abruptly turned back and looked beyond the barrier of the safe Area. She has been too preoccupied with reviving Asuna that she did not notice what happened outside. True enough there was a duel taking place. However it was like Argo said, there was only one man and he was really taking on the Fatal Scythe all by himself.
"What is that man thinking!? Does he have a death wish!?"
"No it was the opposite. That guy wants to live. Or else he would not be standing up after every time he falls after all."
"Does he think he stands a chance? No matter how inhumanely fast he seems right now, the Fatal Scythe is clearly beyond his caliber alone. He is just being a suicidal idiot."
Yuuki heard Argo chuckling and turned to look at her. It was then she realized Argo was smiling. Just what made her smile?
"I could say you are an idiot yourself too. Both of you try your hardest for something impossible. Can you say you are really that much different from him?"
Yuuki couldn't reply to that.
She stared at the man called 'Kirito' got blown away and rose up again. Because of Argo, she could not help but wondered if she would act like Kirito did if she was in his place. She had not thought too much about the Fatal Scythe ever since she managed to bring Asuna's avatar into the safe Area. What would she have done if she did not have a way to save Asuna?
It was then Kirito's deafening cry shook her heart, seemingly unlocked an emotion buried inside her ever since she entered the safe Area. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest-plate, excited by the new growing emotion.
That's right…just like Kirito, there was one thing she'd want to do too.
Kill
Thank you. Goodbye.
Asuna and Sachi's voices overlapped and echoed inside Kirito's mind, driving him deeper into despair and madness.
He should have followed Asuna and Argo. He should not have let them go alone.
He promised to not let history repeated again. Yet he was here standing up against the Fatal Scythe, not to save anyone but to satisfy his own desire of vengence.
Live to see the end of this world, Kirito
I will, Sachi, Asuna.
Sliding across the ground and dodged the scythe, Kirito leapt up on to the arm of the Reaper and ran. Plugging both his swords deep into its arm as a support, Kirito launched himself up higher than the Reaper and landed on the ceiling. Initiating his swords into blazing Azure and bloody Crimson, Kirito plummeted towards the Reaper with a power jump against the ceiling and activated his skill.
"SWORD SKILL: STARBURST STREAM!"
With Kirito's superior position above and falling momentum, the Azure and Crimson exploded against the Fatal Scythe with such power that they brought it down to its single knee. Seemingly fusing together, the two swords raged against the Fatal Scythe's mask, threatening to break it once and for all.
"-▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▄▄▅▅!"
For the first time, the Fatal Scythe howled in pain, unable to withstand the intensity of all that sheer power. However it was the Reaper, it would not back down from pain.
The moment Kirito leapt upwards to cool down from his skill, the Fatal Scythe growled and launched its hand forward towards Kirito. Barely hovering, the Reaper looked as though he was going to grasp Kirito and dragged him down into the depths of hell itself.
Just when Kirito was gritting his teeth preparing for another hell of pain, he saw someone else coming up faster than the Reaper's hand. Flying past the Fatal Scythe was a young girl in purple. As she came close to him, their eyes met and they noticed the same thing.
Their eyes burnt the same will for vengeance.
"Switch!"
Kirito grasped her extended hand and propelled her towards the rising Reaper. Shooting down past its hand like a comet, the absolute sword brandished her ablaze Violet sword and unleashed judgement.
"SWORD SKILL: MOTHER'S ROSARIO!"
The Violet packed with unrivaled force plummeted the Fatal Scythe back and cratered the ground below. Each hit powered by raging will, the Violet shook the entire dungeon and cracked the Reaper's mask, signaling the prologue of its end.
"Switch!"
"SWORD SKILL: DEADLY SIN!"
Kirito landed beside Yuuki and unleashed another skill of green. While it was a short seven-combo hit, it came with a convenience.
"Switch!"
"SWORD SKILL: VORPAL STRIKE!"
Switch.
"SWORD SKILL: DOUBLE CIRCULAR!"
Switch.
"SWORD SKILL: NOVA ASCENSION!"
Switch.
"SWORD SKILL: STARBURST STREAM!"
With perfect coordination, the two demons switched around with each other and unleashed a rapid ascension of hell. Crimson, Azure, Verdant, Cyan and Amber flashed across the dungeon, each colour rendered the Reaper paralyzed and drove it to its impending end.
"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▅▅▄▄▅▅!"
At the end of Azure and Crimson Starburst Stream, the mask of the Reaper finally broke apart and revealed the void within. From it came a roar so deafening that it could break any humans' mind.
However both players were in the state of demonhood, its roar overwhelmed by the caring voice of its victim in their minds. Falling straight into the void, this was it.
"SWORD SKILL: THE ECLIPSE!"
"SWORD SKILL: MOTHER'S ROSARIO!"
"▂▂▃▃▄▅▅▅▃▃▄▄▅▅▂▂▃▂!"
Within the dark void inside the Fatal Scythe, Black, Violet and White blazed brightly. As Kirito and Yuuki fell, light pierced through the void from the end. Landing side by side, the darkness around them started to fade and vanished. Having taken down their enemy, the lights faded back to their original sword form, no longer fueled by the demons within their wielders anymore.
For a while, no one said anything as if there were doubtful of the Reaper's death. It was Yuuki who made the first move.
Already anticipated the attack, Kirito parried and countered. Yuuki dodged instead, pulling back and drawn some distance between her and Kirito.
The Absolute Sword and the Black Swordsman glared at each other from a distance, both suspicious of each other's motive. It was as though their perfect cooperation just now was forgotten and now they want the other dead.
"...You let Asuna die, didn't you?"
"That's my phrase. Not being there when she needed help the most, you are not worthy to be with Asuna."
Kirito and Yuuki growled at each other and brandished their swords. Their duel however was quickly interrupted by the entrance of Argo the Rat standing between them.
"Go away Argo." Yuuki said. "I need to teach this guy a lesson."
"A player of your caliber actually let Asuna died. You are suspicious no matter how I look at it." Kirito voiced.
However Argo grinned in response instead. Kirito recognized that look, it was the look when she has information she could sell to the right person.
"Your information does not matters here Argo. I will buy it after this is over."
"Even if the information is the way to save Asuna?" Argo grinned like a Cheshire cat, this is her spotlight now.
True enough, she caught both Kirito and Yuuki's attention. Lowering down their swords, the two asked at the same time.
""Tell us now!""
Argo chuckled at the same synchronized response while the two glared at each other. Both made a note to settle this with swords one day.
Even though they really don't like each other for some reason, Asuna came first above everything. The duel would have to wait.
"First let me introduce both of you to each other." Argo smiled, now this feels like a guild. "This idiot girl here is none other than the unique skill Absolute Sword herself. She calls herself Yuuki and because she is an AI, she hacked the game and saved Asuna's avatar. Isn't she awesome."
"What do you mean 'saved Asuna's avatar'? What is Asuna's state now?" Kirito asked. However this time it was Yuuki who answered.
"I managed to keep her avatar here so that her 'conscious' can return back here. However no matter what I do, I cannot respawn her and bring back her conscious. Argo, you should have known that already."
"Yup. Basically she is under the state of dead but still remains in this world right?"
"How does that summary matter?" Yuuki asked in annoyance. Beating around the bush was not going to ask Asuna after all.
However Kirito understands. He remembers.
State of dead but still remains in this world.
"Where is Asuna?"
With a relieved smile, Argo pointed towards the end of the dungeon where the safe Area was.
That was all the information he needed.
Kirito shed his swords and ran. The demon within him woke up again and dug through his memory. The demon was not just born from a promise. There was one more factor which brought about its birth.
Trying to revive someone, this was not the first time I wanted to do that.
There was a time he clung on to a false hope.
To bring back Sachi to hear her final words, I challenged an event boss for that.
However all he got after that was despair.
It has a time limit of ten seconds, it can't revive Sachi who died months ago.
But.
Kirito stopped before the console. On top of it was Asuna, she was dead.
However she is still here with him. He can do it.
A blue stone was summoned into his hand. There was no need to hesitate, if Asuna was in the state like Argo and Yuuki said, then it has to work!
Standing beside Asuna, Kirito wrapped his hands around Asuna's. Together, he actived the divine stone.
"Revive Asuna! Bring her back!"
[ITEM: DIVINE STONE OF RETURNING SOUL]
Revive Asuna! Bring her back!
"Kirito!?"
Asuna looked around but found nothing. It was then she realized she was starting to fade.
Ever since she died, she came to a place she did not understand and wandered. It was then a girl found her and accompanied her until then.
"...Looks like he is calling you back now." Opposite her, the girl smiled. "This is farewell then."
"Going back? I was dead."
"No, you were just lost." The girl said. "I stopped the death mechanism of your nerve gear for you. You are still alive and going back to that game."
Asuna has questions on how did the girl manage to stop the nerve gear but she realized she does not have enough time. She could only thank her.
The girl chuckled instead.
"There's no need to thank me. I need you to do something in compensation after all."
"That is?" Asuna quickly asked, she is fading fast now.
Sachi smiled. Asuna has shown herself to be a great person during this short time together. She knew she could trust her.
"Please stay with Kirito until the end of the world."
"I will."
"Asuna!"
At the sound of Kirito's voice, Asuna slowly opened her eyes.
"...Ki...Kirito?"
Asuna felt heavy, as though she has been in a long sleep.
... ...She couldn't remember what happened after she 'died'.
"...Aren't I dead?"
That's when Kirito could not control himself anymore
Kirito took Asuna in his arms and embraced her. He held her tight, treasuring the warmth and touch he almost lost.
"Kirito...are you crying?"
"Huh?"
Asuna wiped Kirito's tear away from his face. It was such a simple touch. However that touch defeated the demon that had overpowered the Grim Reaper itself. Defenseless, he could not hold it anymore.
The lock his demon has been guarding went lose and the emotions started pouring out. Wrapped in Asuna's arms, he cried.
Anger
Despair
Lost
However at the end of all his emotions, there are hope and happiness.
Without anger, despair and lost, he wouldn't be able to reach here, he wouldn't be able to get the divine stone, he wouldn't be able to achieve the hope and happiness he is experiencing now.
"You tried hard and finally succeeded Kirito."
Embracing Kirito lovingly into her arms, she secretly shed a tear. A new emotion seemed to rise within her. With that, she made a promise.
"Kirito, let's stay together until the end of the world."
"...It's a promise. Let's live to see the end of this world."
Kirito replied with new determination and strength. All those sacrifices he made for that promise, it helped him to save Asuna. Everything has not been in vain.
The shackles of the promise loosen. With the weight lifted, the Black Swordsman laid the swords within him to rest. The Beater finally rested himself in his beloved arms to sleep, in preparation for another long journey.
A/N: Oh Carnival finally. I thought this chapter and this Absolute Sword/Fatal Scythe arc would never end. As special no cliffhanger this time, this story and I need some breathing space, I had a lot of headache on trying to revive Asuna, kill Fatal Scythe, kill Yuuki and end chapter.
Actually, I need to address some questions of the characters. No doubt some of you would have the same questions as well.
Yuuki: Where's my hug!? Where's my fight against Kirito for dominance over Asuna's hugging space!? Where's ME at the end of all this!?
Klein: What about me!? What happened to the explanation of the divine stone!?
Kiriko: What about me!? It's the season of GGO and I don't get to show up!? I should already be there to save Kirito Onii-chan!
Suguha: Urm...is it not my turn yet?
Satrizer: I barely have any action...even Pale Rider deserve more credits than me for teaching Kirito how to make full use of STR...is it even allowed in SAO?
A/N: Yuuki, you should be grateful you are alive. You have a death flag on you since two years ago chapter two and you grazed death at the last moment. Warning though, admittedly you are still on my hit list. Klein, it was emotional Asuna X Kirito back then, adding you would spoil the mood. And you are also on my hit list. Kiriko, while it is indeed your season and I hope to see more pictures of you, the War with Laughing Coffin is going to be a heavy topic I don't really want to venture into yet. Suguha, maybe. Satrizer, hell you are only mentioned in the novel. you'd only look epic because I write so.
...Am I too harsh on my characters? Personally everyone else did a good job. I had fun writing the fighting scenes. Everything else? Headache everywhere. That's why this chapter took so long after all.
Some quick answers to the readers!
-If you spot a mistake in SAO mechanics, its either because this is slight AU, or its for the sole purpose of making Kirito EPIC. (Except the spelling error 'Detention skill' anyway)
-Kirito vs Yuuki? They are like love rivals. They are actually kind of alike in some ways but they ultimate hate each other for some reason. That's how I feel when I read the novel in chinese version anyway.
-Unrealistic fighting scenes? It's either hack and slash or Gurren la Kill epic. I want to write some fun stuff too.
-Overpowered Kirito? Stats wise justified, he should have higher level than cannon SAO Kirito because he never forget Sachi. I had a headache on Yuuki being too high level to stay alive until I realized Kirito could even have higher level than her already.
FreeWeirdGal and other want Yuuki dead readers: Hell, I don't know how did she escaped death. I plotted her death for two years and suddenly Klein threw in the divine stone (never actually came to my mind until the moment I started writing on reviving Asuna.) Character development wise its not effective for Yuuki to die now anyway. Kirito barely knows Yuuki and Asuna is 'dead'. It would not be dramatic enough. She is still on the top of my hit list before Klein though. She just have that much 'potential'.
OKAY~Without that usual cliffhanger (usually done by Heathcliff), its time for some freedom of route picking. According to story we went on the Musketeer Route. Looking back at one of the chapters I realized that I actually promised for a pairing chapter at 100th review. Since I didn't do it, I will write a proper one for every character next time (it'd be short but sweet). Honestly, we are almost going on a hunt for Klein for the divine stone before I decided 'No, Klein ruins the mood.'
To be honest, I never thought much what next arcs should be. I am just going to let you all review some ideas and vote one of the below.
SAO route - Lisbeth/Silica/Philia(orange player from the SAO game. If you all want orange player route, vote her and SAO. Will not follow its game except her unique point of being orange player)
ALO route - Leafa/Suguha (maybe 2 different players)/ Yuuki
GGO route - Kiriko/ Sinon/ Musketeer X (Never knew she was hot until anime, I may need to change her description in one of the chapters one day)
...I rambled a lot. Stress maybe. It seriously isn't the easiest thing to write this chapter.
Please read and review!