I finally finished it! After soooooooo many words it's finally done! And I kinda just went right through this chapter without stopping-ish. So I'm a bit happy with this and yet not. I will warn you right now. I. SUCK. AT. ROMANCE. So...I'm sorry if I wreck it really bad near the end of this chapter. Like...REALLY bad. But, anyway, Yes, this is the last and final chapter to "The Two Swordsmasters". It's been a fun and depressing ride but now, the stage is finally set for the Prince of Aincrad.

Thanks to Sn0wk1tty, Mayuko-chan (from chapters 1, 3, and 4), and IronRainDrops (from chapter 1) for reviewing last chapter! And to everyone who favorite and followed this story to the end, thank you very much! :D You guys are all very much loved.

After all the trials, all the struggles, all of the hardships, it was finally over. He had done what he set out to do, now he stands and watches. Safeguards the world in which he sacrificed so much to save and protect. And he continues even now, outside of time, in a different space, in this timeless place.

~winkleralexander1 (YouTube)

The Two Swordsmasters

._._.~Five Years After Asuna's Return Home~._._.

The trees ruffled slightly as a teal haired young man slowly made his way to an old, burned home in the middle of the forest. His skin was lightly tanned and his arms were a bit muscular compared to a decade ago. Calloused hands were loose as he gripped a bow with an arrow already stringed. His arms were covered with bracers and wore a pair of slightly worn traveling boots. He wore an open black leather vest with an off-white ranch shirt underneath and dark brown pants. A small black clip secured a small bit of his bangs out of his eyes. His cerulean eyes were sharper than they were fifteen years ago as he observed the area around him. The forest was no longer its usual lush, vibrant self, but rather, a dull, dreary place. It made him wonder if it was really worth it coming back here. He sighed and said a single word with his mature high tenor voice. "Dead."

"Ahahaha…as much as I hate to admit it…." began a voice similar to his own behind him. The young man turned around to see his dirty blonde, twin brother scratching the back of his head with a disappointed look. His build was still slightly bigger than his brother and his height was just a centimeter taller. A sheathed silver sword was attached to his belt at his left side with a hand holding the handle. He wore brown leather fingerless gloves with two yellow gold feathers attached to the wrist and an off-white ranch shirt with his brother. Instead of a black vest, he wore a dark leather brown version. His pants were the same as his brother's. Apparently, they didn't have much to actually wear, but it worked one way or another. "It really is dead. I wonder if this has anything to do with him."

"…Maybe…" came his brother's answer. The both shared a grim look before continuing into the forest. They walked in silence, neither knowing what to say. After several long years, they had finally returned home. They never intended to leave in the first place, but at the time they were given no choice in the matter.

"It's been fifteen years…Yukio, do you think that pesky brat will remember us?" the older twin asked. The teal haired one, Yukio, shrugged as he stepped over a thick root.

"Eugeo, he was only four. I kind of doubt that he would." he said. Eugeo hummed in understanding. Over the past ten years, Yukio had gradually gone from speaking in short, one word answers to…a normal person…ish. Eugeo was overjoyed by the fact that he could finally hear his brother's voice more often than not.

"Maybe if we call you 'Yui-nii', then he would." Eugeo chuckled. Yukio sent him a glare.

"Shut up." he snapped. Eugeo just laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Ahahaha, if you say so~!" he sing-song voice. The younger twin glowered at him and decided to ignore him. It really made him wonder just how in the world did he manage to last this long with his annoying brother? Were the older ones usually this annoying?!

"S-setting that aside," Yukio said, changing the subject. "We should find that old woman who took care of Kirito a long time ago."

"You think she's still alive? I mean, it has been fifteen years…" Eugeo stressed, frowning a bit. The younger twin shrugged his shoulders.

"It's always worth a shot." he said. Eugeo stared at him for a moment to mull over the thought, before answering.

"Alright, Yu, let's go." He agreed.

"Now, let's just hope she isn't dead yet."

"…optimistic, aren't we…?"

._._._._._.

Kazuto cursed silently as he shot through the village. He just finished his duties at the farm nearby and he really needed to go back home. The animals on the farm were a bit of a handful, chickens somehow getting out of their pens, and causing mayhem for the cows and goats. He barely got five buckets filled with milk because of the mishap, and now, he was seriously late. He was a whole hour late.

Over the course of five years, he had grown up. He was taller than Asuna by a good three inches. All of the years old wounds have healed completely, leaving nothing but scars marring his body. He didn't mind it though. It served as a constant reminder of what he had gone through, of all the things he had learned. It was his only anchor to his brother.

His skills with Elucidator and Dark Repulsor had adapted a style that was just as good as his brother's. He had no teacher, other than Lady Ellonie and the swords themselves. As odd as it sounded, it was the swords that truly taught him how to properly wield them. He also learned that they had a personality. Elucidator was kind and patient yet stern. The Dark Repulsor was impulsive and blunt, but merciful...ish.

"Ah! Good afternoon, Kazuto, just the person I wanted to see." Lady Ellonie greeted, slightly shocked to see him. Kazuto spared her a glance as he ran up the stairs.

"Sorry, mother! I'm late to meet Asuna and the others for the Hunt!" he called over his shoulder. Lady Ellonie blinked in surprise as she heard a bunch of racket upstairs. She winced when a crash...then something like a body falling somewhere and a cat screeching.

"Meeeoooow!"

She looked at the stairs as Kazuto's voice called out. "I'm okay!"

*Crash*

"I'm still okay!"

Lady Ellonie sighed and returned her attention back to the parchment in front of her. "…Young people."

A full minute didn't even pass when Kazuto leapt down the whole height of the stairs in one go. She froze when she gave herself a second to take in her "son's" appearance. Kazuto had a black coat that greatly resembled the Restorer's old one. Elucidator and Dark Repulsor where strapped securely on his back. When he turned his head, an image of Kirito making the exact same action flashed through her head. Lady Ellonie felt her heart twist. For that moment, she wanted to take back what was taken from her, but she knew that she couldn't. Kirito was dead. Kazuto was just his little brother.

The teen paused at the door and gave Lady Ellonie a quick wave with his brown gloved hand.

"I'll be back before sunset, Mother!" he said as he opened the door. Lady Ellonie couldn't give a reply as he shot out the door, scolding himself about how late he was. She hid a flinch as the door slammed shut behind him. She blinked her eyes and felt her breath catch in her throat. There, was an image of Kirito standing in front of the doorway with a small smile on his face. He placed a hand on his hip and shifted his weight on one leg. She could hear his smooth, yet childish voice clearly in the room.

"Ahaha, don't you worry about a thing, Mother. It will only be a short while."

She bit the back of her bottom lip and turned away, forcing the image out of her head.

"Kazuto will come back."

._._._._._.

"Yooouuuu'reee LATE!" Lisbeth cried as she stomped her foot and jabbed a finger in Kazuto's face. She was furious. He said he wanted to join them for the hunting party and promised to show up on time, but he didn't. In fact, he was over an hour late! "I told you to be here at sun high! What took you so long?!"

Kazuto held his hands up, palms facing in defense. He took a few steps back. "The chickens escaped!"

"What?" Lisbeth question with a look of disbelief. "You expect me to believe that?!"

"Well—it's the truth! Chickens are hard to catch…" Kazuto said. Asuna laughed a little behind Lisbeth with a hand covering her mouth.

"Wait a minute," she began as she stood next to Lisbeth with a hand on her hip. "You mean, the reason you were late was because you let the chickens escape?"

A tall dark skinned man barked a laugh behind them while a red haired man grinned cheekily.

"You? Chasing chickens? Now that would be a sight to see!" said the red haired man. Kazuto grinned.

"Klein, seeing you running around like a headless chicken would be a sight to see." He said cheekily. Asuna shook her head while Lisbeth still fumed.

"Well, is everyone ready to go? We can still make it to the northern forest and back before sunset if we leave now. Right, Agil?" Asuna asked with a smile on her face. The dark skinned man nodded in agreement.

"And get some game enough to feed the whole village for a few days." he said. Kazuto nodded in agreement and everyone instantly gathered in a circle. He held out a fist and made sure to look at everyone (although, he avoided Lisbeth's eyes).

"Alright, everyone. Agil, Asuna, Lisbeth and Klein will go and hunt. I'll take care of the horse that'll help us bring back the game." He said. Klein frowned.

"Wait, you haven't hunted for a while, Kazuto," he said, "You should go hunt and one of us will watch the horse."

Kazuto gave him a look. "I did make you guys wait for an hour."

"I'll do it," Asuna said as she raised her hand.

"But—" Kazuto began, but Lisbeth cut him off.

"Oh, shut up. It's true and you know it, Kazuto. Besides, can't let the next leader epically fail at hunting." she said with narrowed eyes. "Etra knows how much you suck at it."

"I do not suck at it! I have been keeping up with my training!" Kazuto said, his fist faltering. Asuna laughed and held out her fist with Kazuto.

"So, do chickens count as training?"

Kazuto's face flushed in embarrassment. "S-shut up!"

"Looks like your ego took a hit there, Kazuto." Klein said as he, too, stuck his fist out. Kazuto sent a glare in his direction.

"Not helping."

Agil held his fist and smiled. "So, everyone's fine with the plan? Asuna's on watch duty and the rest of us hunt?"

Lisbeth was the last to join her fist with the others with a smirk. "You guys better not slack off today. Especially you, Kazuto."

Kazuto grinned. "Who said I would? To the Northern Forest Grounds!"

A chorus of agreements rang as everyone threw their fists up. "Yeah!"

._._._._._.

There was barely a sound from Kazuto's boots as he slowly walked through the dense forest. He had a dagger held loosely in his hand, ready to be thrown at a moment's notice. Kazuto had his knees bent and his dominant hand near his waist. Even though he hadn't been on a hunting trip for a few weeks, his movements were precise and gracious.

*Snap!*

He paused in mid-step and closed his eyes, listening carefully for any other sounds. Just faintly, he could hear a medium sized animal (or monster) nibble on a leaf nearby. Kazuto didn't dare to hesitate as he quickly threw the dagger with ease in a blink of an eye. The poor rabbit never saw it coming as the dagger buried itself in its plump body. Kazuto lightly sighed in relief and retrieved his first catch.

"…Well…this is gonna make Lisbeth run for her money." Kazuto said as he pulled out his dagger from the dead rabbit. The white fur was stained with its blood and he couldn't help but feel sorry for it. So, he placed a hand over the wound and closed his eyes, muttering a prayer to Etra. Once he was finished, he tied the feet together and wrapped the abnormally large rabbit in a cloth and stuck it in a bag he had attached to his side.

He continued deeper in the forest and caught about six more rabbits in a few hours. His load gotten heavier and he decided that it was enough. He grinned. "Looks like I still go it."

*Crack!*

As soon as he heard that crack, Kazuto spun on his heel and threw his bloodied dagger in a flash. He watched with narrow eyes as the dagger flew past four or five trees before pinning itself on a tree trunk several feet away.

"Holy—Ow! By the Goddess! Freaking—ugh…The boar ran away!" cursed a voice. Kazuto blinked when he took a good look at what was ahead of him. There, wiping a trail of blood away from a scratch near his chin, was a grown man with teal hair and sharp cerulean eyes. A bow was gripped tightly in his hands. Kazuto could tell that the bow was a well-crafted and well-used. The bowstring was broken though. Kazuto was quick to piece everything together.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break the string! I thought you were something else…" Kazuto apologized as he rushed over to the injured man. A blond haired man was standing next to the man with a happy-go-lucky smile on his face. Kazuto was shocked to see how much the two resembled each other. If anything, he just knew they had to be twins.

"Ahaha, no that's my fault, I stepped on a branch while Yukio was aiming for our lunch." said the blond haired man as he scratched the back of his head. Kazuto immediately turned to the teal haired man with an apologetic frown.

"I'm really sorry! I should've looked first." Kazuto said with a bow of his head. The teal haired man just stared at him with wide eyes when Kazuto lifted his head. The blond haired man grinned.

"Oh hey! Look what we found!" he said. Kazuto gave him a confused look.

"E-excuse me?" he asked. The teal haired man dropped his bow and grabbed Kazuto by the shoulders.

"Kirito…?"

The name suddenly felt like a slap in the face to Kazuto, but he was quick to recover. He placed a hand on the man's hand and shook his head. "No, I'm not him. Onii-chan's been long gone. I'm Kazuto."

The teal haired man blinked once and released his shoulders. "R-right. Sorry."

Kazuto watched him pick up the broken bow and couldn't help the feeling of nostalgia. He just knew he met them before, but he just couldn't remember where. So, to save all the worry, he asked directly. "I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

The blond man smiled sadly and placed a hand on his hip. "Sorry, we should've introduced ourselves first. I'm Eugeo."

The teal haired man didn't look at him as he removed the broken string. "I'm—"

"Yui-nii!" Kazuto said suddenly. When he saw how the teal haired man held the bow, he remembered that there was someone extremely quiet who held the bow the same exact way. The blonde man burst out laughing hysterically, clutching his stomach. The man, Yui-nii, faltered horribly at the mention of the name. With a twitching smile, he verified it.

"…Yes. I am. Although, my name is not Yui-nii." he said through gritted teeth. "I'm Yukio. Yu-ki-o, damnit!"

"Yugioh?"

"No! Yukio!"

Kazuto felt his jaw drop. "…You mean…"

Eugeo laughed and patted Kazuto's head. "Yup! When you were small, you couldn't pronounce the 'k' and the 'o' in his name. Boy, you should've seen the look on his face when you first called him that. It was priceless!"

Yukio glared at his brother. "Shut up, Eugeo."

"So, then, you both are really the same Eugeo-nii and Yui—" (Yukio glared at him here) "—I mean, Yukio-nii that I knew back then?"

Yukio confirmed with his arms crossed. "Damn right we are."

._._.~A Few Hours Later~._._.

"...A-ano... Kazuto..." Asuna stammered as she stared at the said teen. Agil uncrossed his arms.

"Don't tell me you caught them while hunting." he said as he pointed at the two men standing behind Kazuto.

"Ahahaha...I kinda did." Kazuto said as he scratched the back of his head. Yukio scowled.

"He broke my bowstring." he deadpanned.

"With a well-aimed dagger." Eugeo said with a smile. Everyone gave him a questioning look.

"'Well-aimed dagger'?" Klein asked as he turned his attention to Kazuto.

"It was unintentional, I swear!" Kazuto said, quickly defending himself.

"Who are you people?" Lisbeth asked them. Eugeo gestured to himself.

"I'm Eugeo, and this—" he patted Yukio's shoulder, "—is Yui—nurk!"

Yukio elbowed his brother in the ribs with gritted teeth. "It's Yukio, Damnit!"

"Yugioh…?" Asuna and Klein asked in unison.

"It's Yu-KI-o!" the teal haired man threw his hands in the air with an aggravated groan. "What is wrong with you people!?"

Kazuto laughed quietly and muttered to himself; "I said the same exact thing earlier…"

"Sorry, sorry," Asuna apologized. "I was just making sure I heard that right."

"A-anyway! How was hunting?" Kazuto asked the others.

"Pretty good. I got something decent for a family or two." Klein said with a grin. Agil placed a hand on his hip.

"I ran into monsters, but they were eating poisoned mushrooms beforehand. It felt like I cheated though." He said. He gestured to a brown wolf. "That one attacked me out of nowhere. No sure if it's safe to eat."

"We'll find out later." Asuna assured.

"I got a boar big enough to feed three families! Can you beat that, Kazuto—Eh?!" Lisbeth felt her jaw drop when she noticed Kazuto's hand. He carried at least three rabbits of different colors and a rope tied to a dead deer's neck. That deer was partially held up by Yukio and Eugeo. Of course, Kazuto was tilting his head innocently.

"Huh? Beat what, Lisbeth?" he asked her. She pointed at the white ragout rabbit in his hand.

"Th-that's-that's—!" she began. Everyone's eyes widened when they actually took a look at the rabbit.

"A Ragout rabbit?!" they exclaimed. Yukio humphed and turned away while Eugeo laughed at them.

"Um, yeah. I guess I just got lucky." Kazuto said with a simple shrug of his shoulders. Yukio watched as everyone began to tell Kazuto that it wasn't something to just brush off and such. He quirked a small, barely noticeable smile.

"If he was still here, then he would be proud." Eugeo said softly so only Yukio could hear. The teal-haired man gave his brother a side glance. They stared at each other for a second before Yukio looked away, closing his eyes. In his mind's eye, he remembered one of the very last conversations he had with Kirito.

"When he grows up strong and healthy, I'll be very happy. Think you can do that for me, Yukio?"

Yukio opened his eyes and watched as the others began to load their game onto the horse cart. He took a good look at Kazuto and took note of his actions. Sighing, he shook his head and looked past the tree tops to the sky.

"Sorry I couldn't keep our promise." he muttered. Eugeo patted his shoulder.

"Let's go help them, Yu." he said as he moved to help them. Yukio nodded and followed a step after.

"Yeah."

._._._._._.

To say that Lady Ellonie was happy would be the wrong thing to say. She was beyond speechless when not only did Kazuto and his hunting group brought back enough game to feed the whole village for a week, but also brought back two people she never thought she would ever see again. At the current moment, she was sitting in her living room with the twins sitting across from her. Eugeo had his normal, polite smile on his face while Yukio had his usual observing stare.

She immediately gave Kazuto and the others a job to occupy themselves for the evening. After all, she didn't want Kazuto to hear any of this.

"By the Goddess," Lady Ellonie began as she placed her hands in her lap. "After all these years, I thought both of you were dead."

Eugeo shrugged. "Well, our house was burned down—"

"—and our lives were wrecked." Yukio finished nonchalantly.

"Byakko told us that he would take care of Kazuto until he found you." Eugeo said. "We knew that everything would be fine since you practically took care of every child that came your way."

"Why didn't you take Kazuto?" Lady Ellonie asked. Yukio frowned.

"We simply couldn't. Kazuto is bounded to the very land of his country. Even if we wanted to, we would've killed him." he said. "I never wanted to leave without him, but…our duty…"

"…is to...what were we supposed to do again?" Eugeo asked. Yukio's expression quickly darkened.

*SMACK*

"Idiot." Yukio snapped.

"Well, whatever that is, you guys certainly sucked at it pretty bad." Lady Ellonie bluntly said.

"That is our duty as Wardens." Eugeo said with a shrug.

"You don't even know what our duty is!" Yukio exclaimed. He huffed and crossed his arms, focusing on Lady Ellonie. "Our duty is to protect the seal to the Realm of Dreams. Before Kirito…died, the other Warden that protected the seal was murdered."

Lady Ellonie sat up straighter in surprise. She never knew that one of the Wardens were gone. "I…see. That explains it then. You were both whisked away before it all happened."

"No." Eugeo admitted, shaking his head. "We were there when our house went up in flames. I tried to save them, but that's when we were taken forcibly."

Yukio averted his eyes to look out the window. Just outside, he could see man of the villagers dancing around a bon fire they lit in the plaza. Kazuto was smiling brightly as he danced with Asuna, spinning her around and strutting in step to an up-beat, joyful song.

"Tell me, what has happened while we were gone." Eugeo's voice came. Lady Ellonie smiled sadly.

"Millions. Byakko kept Kazuto for a few years before handing him over to me. He sealed off Kazuto's memories of his brother to prevent him from doing anything reckless when he got older, but…five years ago, Kazuto was nearly killed."

Yukio tore his gaze away from the window with wide eyes. "What? Why?!"

She frowned. "Heathcliff took one of our own and used her against us to murder him. He tried to kill him for being the Restorer's brother." She raised a hand to stop the twins from interrupting her. "Though, his plans back fired. Because of the fact he was injured severely, he remembered about Kirito. According to Asuna, they encountered the demon that possessed Heathcliff. The demon said that it was a servant of Goddess Amire."

"By the Goddess, Amire?" Eugeo asked, a tone of seriousness clear in his voice. "Are you positive?"

"Yes." Lady Ellonie confirmed. "The demon even claimed that he cursed Kirito before he died."

"Cursed?" Yukio asked. It sounded more like a statement than a question. He curled his hands into fists. "Do recall what the demon said?"

"Well…I wasn't there, but I can tell you what Asuna informed me." Lady Ellonie admitted. Yukio nodded for her to continue. "The demon said, 'Your time will never move again. Your time will be frozen. Not a second more, not a second less. To the child you hold dear will pay the price of your mere existence in the worlds. For the rest of eternity, you will suffer the chains of the Cardinal.'"

Yukio blinked rapidly, hardly believing what he heard. Eugeo licked his suddenly dry lips. "A-are you sure those were his words?"

She nodded firmly. "I am certain of it."

"Oh, Goddess Etra…" Eugeo muttered as he placed a hand over his mouth. His teal eyes glistened as tears threatened to fall. Yukio felt a piece of himself shatter when he understood the meaning of the demon's words; of the demon's curse. All the hope he had over the fifteen years crumbled in a mere second. Lady Ellonie tensed.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked. Eugeo looked away. He couldn't answer her as she continued. "I understand that Kirito is trapped somewhere, but I believe that there is a way to free him from the curse, right?"

She received no answer, so she tried again.

"Eugeo, Yukio, what is it? Is there something I'm missing?" she asked. Yukio gritted his teeth and looked at her. She was taken aback by the amount of grief and sorrow she saw though his unguarded eyes.

"Yes…" Yukio's voice was nothing more than a whisper as he continued. "The child he held most dearly at the time…"

It suddenly clicked. Her eyes widened in disbelief and denial. "No. No, that—no! I refuse to believe it!"

"You can't deny it, Ellonie. No matter how hard you try, you can't hide that truth from yourself." Eugeo forced. He couldn't look at her as she stared to tear up.

"There must be a way to—"

"There is no way!" Yukio snapped, harshly as he stood up suddenly. Lady Ellonie flinched at his tone. He towered over her with an expression that was unreadable. With a subdued voice, he went on. "The way you would be looking for can't be done. It'll take years, centuries to save them both. We wouldn't be alive by then."

There was a heavy silence as he paused. Eugeo closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Even though Yukio and I are Wardens, it's beyond our ability to break it."

Yukio sighed lightly and knelt down to look at Lady Ellonie's face. Tears were streaming down her face, uncontrollably. Without thinking, he hugged her. On a normal day, she would've smacked him, but she couldn't. Though she was the Elder, the Head of the village, she was still a woman with a heart. She was still a mother.

He knew that better than anyone else. Over the years that he had lived, he learned that no matter how far up a person goes, or how strong a person is, or how fearless, or stubborn they are, they will still crack. Yukio gently patted the old woman's back to comfort her as her shoulders shook silently. Eugeo got up and sat next to Lady Ellonie, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

The twins shared a look as they tried to be strong, but they knew they would break eventually. They seemed to have a silently agreed on something as they nodded to each other.

"We'll stay." Yukio said softly. "We'll stay until our time here is done."

Lady Ellonie never answered. She only wept.

._._._._._.

True to their word, the twins stayed in the village and helped out as much as they could. Yukio hunted down animals to skin and eat and (as odd as it sounded) taught the children of the village with a scary smile on his face. It never looked like it, but he tried to make his smile less scary. He really did. The children, especially one named Silica, decided to call him "Scary". He never really liked it, but he gave up when Kazuto switched from "Yukio-nii" to "Yui-nii" to "Scary-nii" for the sake of the children. Despite his great dislike for the nickname, he was on pretty good terms with everyone.

...Except Asuna.

No matter how hard they tried, they just couldn't get along with each other. They constantly argued over the littlest things for some completely stupid reasons. Although Kazuto found it humorous, the two couldn't ever get on the same terms. Almost every other week they challenged each other to see who was better at anything. But, of course, Asuna always lost to archery and teaching. Yukio always lost to swordsmanship and leadership. He sucked at it since Eugeo was better at it.

Eugeo spent his time teaching the warriors-in-training swordsmanship with Asuna. He taught the important things to know when it came to the battle field and how one should act in and out of battle. He trained those who wanted to learn and did it well. Out of all the teachers, many of the teens turned to him for tips and practice spars. He was better known for his long-enduring patience with all sorts of people. Unlike his brother, he was around the adults, helping with everyday chores and monster hunting. Of course, he got along with everyone. And (odder than Yukio) the children preferred his brother, even though he was very easy to approach.

To put it bluntly, the twins were a great help to the village. For some strange reason, Kazuto just knew his village was in better hands than it was before.

._._.~Three Months Later~._._.

Kazuto waited patiently not too far from the edge of a cliff for Asuna, laying on the lush grass to watch the clouds. Elucidator and Dark Repulsor were no longer with him. Earlier that day, he had returned them to where they belonged. Where his life started will be where they end will be; in the middle of the scorched clearing in the forest far east from the village. He buried them there, not because he wanted to, but because he was asked too. Elucidator had asked him to bury them there. Dark Repulsor said that it would be the closest place they could get to his brother. Kazuto, of course, didn't want to let them go, but, what choice did he have? He respected the swords wishes and did what he was asked.

Just a few days ago, Yukio and Eugeo gave him a letter that they found in the old, burned down house they once lived in, or better known as the scorched clearing. Surprisingly, the paper was slightly singed at the edges and yellowed with age. It made Kazuto wonder how in the world the letter survived a fire and fifteen years of neglect.

The letter was tucked in his inside coat pocket. He read its content over and over and until now, he was still pondering over it. Seriously, how in the world did it survive? Those words on that paper…they were addressed to the twins, but he was glad that they gave it to him. Everything he knew was confirmed. All that he wanted to know was there. And now, there was nothing more that he wanted.

"Kazuto!" called a familiar voice. Kazuto sat up to see Asuna running up to him with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I made you wait."

He shook his head as he got up. "It's fine, Asuna. It's not like I'm in a rush or anything."

Kazuto took her hand into his and held it tightly. "Just as long as you come."

Asuna smiled warmly as she squeezed his hand slightly. "I'll always come, Kazuto."

They stood there for a moment, looking at the sky, before Kazuto began to lead her to the edge.

"Hey, Kazuto," Asuna began as she followed him to the edge of the cliff. "What do you want to do for your nineteenth birthday?"

Kazuto paused for a moment and gave her a small frown, "Hmmm, you know, I never thought about that." He turned away and looked up at the sky. A gentle breeze blew by them and he closed his eyes to enjoy it for a second. Although it seemed peaceful, he could sense the change in the atmosphere. Just faintly, he could hear a clock ticking in the distance. Keeping his eyes closed, he answered her question, "I'm going to send a letter."

"...To who? Yukio-san? Eugeo-san?" Asuna asked. He shook his head and turned to her, opening his eyes. A gentle, and hopeful smile appeared on his face.

"I'm going to reply to a letter that was never sent."

"Could I write to that person, too?" Asuna asked as she was pulled into a hug. Kazuto gently laughed into her hair.

"Of course, you can." he said as he ran a hand through her hair. The wind was starting to pick up and he knew there wasn't much time left. Honestly, he didn't have any regrets, but he didn't want to let go of everyone just yet. Especially Asuna.

Over the years, they had grown so close to the point that everyone was sure that they were dating. Neither of them wouldn't deny it, but they never made it official. In fact, they only stayed near and never strayed too far from each other, but, they both knew.

Time was never by their side.

Kazuto pulled away from Asuna and lightly touched his lips on hers before taking a step back. Asuna stared at him with wide eyes and her cheeks flushed red. "K-Kazuto..."

"Asuna," Kazuto began, still holding her hands, "I'm sorry."

She shook her head as tears gathered in her eyes. "No, I'm sorry. This whole time you knew when it'll end. I'm sorry you had to act. It has hard, doing the same as you."

Kazuto smiled hopelessly. "So, you knew, then, that I was only pretending that I forgot about the demon."

Asuna stared at him. "Yes."

"...Then, you know what will happen next." he said softly. Asuna bit her lip and didn't answer, but it was clear that she already knew. Kazuto will never be able to write that letter.

"Asuna, can you do me a favor?" Kazuto asked her. She looked at him with confused eyes.

"Sure," she said, "what is it?"

Kazuto paused and looked up at the sky again. "One day, when the three traits that reflect his heart appear, my brother will return to this world. I want you to tell the twins for me."

"...Scary and I don't get along, Kazuto." she deadpanned. Kazuto laughed lightheartedly.

"Hahaha, it doesn't hurt to try, Asuna."

There was a long silence as they continued to stand there, holding each other's hands tightly. Asuna clearly didn't want to let him go.

"...But…does that mean you'll come back again, too?" she asked silently.

"No." Kazuto answered, "I'll already be there."

Asuna tilted her head, not understanding anything. "Eh?"

In Kazuto's head, he could hear the clock ticks ring louder and louder. Already, he could feel himself slipping away. Every tick and tock felt like a new knife digging into his skin in several places with each passing second. His knees were beginning to weaken and it wouldn't be long until they could no longer hold his weight.

He was fading.

'So this is how I'll go...?' Kazuto thought to himself. He brought Asuna closer and just held her. He would've kissed her, but then he would run out of time faster than he could blink.

"Nee, Asuna," Kazuto began as he felt her tense in his hold.

"Yes, Kazuto?" Asuna asked, not wanting to step back. She loved the warmth that Kazuto gave her, making her cheeks heat up and her heart flutter. She felt safe and guarded, as if there was nothing to worry about. Nothing to fear. It was only her and the one she had grown to love. He forgave her for the things she had done to him. He gave her a second chance to become friends again. Kazuto never

"When we meet again, would you still love me?" Kazuto asked. Asuna didn't answer him as she reached up to place a hand behind his head and pulled him to her, kissing him on the lips for a good long ten seconds. Though the excitement and the joy, she could feel the love and sorrow that plagued Kazuto. His body was slowly getting colder and soon she could hear bells chiming in the distance. Reluctantly, she pulled away and looked into his obsidian eyes. His face was red from blushing in surprise.

"Does that answer your question?" she asked him. Kazuto couldn't help the smile that appeared on his lips. It wasn't sad, or hopeless; it was a genuine smile of pure joy.

"Yes. Yes, it most certainly does." he told her. The bells were loud now. Asuna hugged Kazuto tightly as she felt the warmth of his body fading away. His hands were as cold as winter's bitter wind and his arms were loosening. The heartbeat in his chest was gradually slowing, and his breathing became shallower. Slowly, Asuna sank to the ground before Kazuto could collapse on her. She was strong, but she most certainly didn't want to drop him.

Kazuto's strength began to slip away. He knew for a fact that someone or something was taking it from him. All nineteen years that he had lived had finally paid the price for Kirito's existence. The curse was finally completed.

He leaned against Asuna and found it harder to stay up. His body felt sore and completely drained. He could no longer feel his legs or arms. The magic that flowed through his veins seeped out of him and dissipated into tiny shattered glass floating in the air.

The sky was still blue as the world around him zoned out. Just faintly, he could hear Asuna singing softly, running a hand through his hair. The words were lost to him, but he knew the tune. They used to sing it many times to cheer each other up when they were children. He remembered one of the lines:

"This isn't good bye. It's just another adventure until we meet again."

He looked at Asuna and noted the tears in her eyes. He felt them fall on his cheek as he struggled to lift a hand to touch her cheek one last time.

"I'll see you soon, Asuna."

His eyes slipped closed and all he heard were the sounds of a clock suddenly stopping.

Kazuto's time…was over.

._._._._._.

Yukio, Eugeo.

I could've sworn that these days would never end. With the amount of fun that I had with you two and my little brother, it was hard not to forget that it was all just a break. A bliss of freedom. These past four years had reminded me of what the world is like. But, of course, this peace that I have found will end. We all must choose a path at our crossroads. One path can pull you back several feet, and then suddenly launch you into the air. But, I do not have the luxury to aim at my goal, like an arrow hoping to hit something. The other path could lead you to many open opportunities, and yet you're completely restricted. A Goddess-damn double-edged sword. Four years ago, I was given two options very much like those crossroads.

I don't know about you two, but I have finally made my choice. I have decided to make my own path. My will to fight has not fled me. You both know as well as I do that I will never go down without a fight. I have chosen to keep fighting to find those better tomorrows. I have dreamed of days were there was no bloodshed, no demons, no swords covered in blood.

I…I wish to see it. I want to see that future, where the days are brighter and the nights are slightly warmer. I want to believe that one day, all of us will get there. I'm sure Kazuto would love a world like that.

But, I honestly don't think I will ever be there to see that day, with you guys. No matter which path I choose, it'll eventually lead to the same place.

My end is drawing near. The trees are already grieving for me. The winds are bidding me goodbye. Several creatures of the earth are giving me pitiful looks. The night is becoming sadder and the days are getting colder. Did you notice? I'm not saying that because it's nearing fall. Heck, even the waters are bidding me goodbye. They would always leave a bittersweet taste in my mouth.

I think…Kazuto subconsciously knew. It was quite unnerving, too. One day he told me something I couldn't believe a near four-year-old would say. He told me to never leave. It's like he knew.

Strange, isn't it? My little brother has already grown up (I blame it all on Yukio).

I don't know how much time I have left, but I do know that it's unavoidable. I could run away, but where would I go? I have no other place but in this country. Even if I tried, I'll never make it out on time. Kazuto needs to stay in this country. Both of us are bound here by our magic. It was originally this kingdom's gift from the Goddess Etra. We cannot leave. So it's pointless.

I don't want to die. I really don't. I want to see Kazuto grow up. I want to wake up every morning. I want to craft with Yukio and train with Eugeo. I want to teach Kazuto to use a sword. Not for killing, but for protecting those he will hold dear one day. I want to just live in truth and not a lie.

I don't want to die. I just don't want to die. If there was anything to change it, then I would've gone for it. "Heathcliff" will come for me soon.

Although…there is one way. If I kill the real "Demon", then it'll all end. All this pain and suffering. The pointless bloodshed will just cease. I will be freed from my duty as a "Restorer". But, you both already know it is impossible for me. I can never reach their level. But, as always, at the end of the day, I am just a human child with a gift of restoring.

I'm sorry for not telling you beforehand (and sounding like a babbling idiot).

I'm sorry for dying. Take care.

And farewell.

—Kirito

._._.~A Thousand Years (or so) Later~._._.

A small, black-haired boy placed a green leaf in his book as he grew tired from reading. He was sitting underneath a tree that shaded a small part of the garden he stayed. It was more than enough space for him. He leaned against the tree trunk and closed his eyes as he listened to the breeze that swept by him. There were faint voices in the air, but he couldn't make them out. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand it. Although, he knew they were only voices of comfort and assurance.

After a few minutes, he finally opened his midnight blue eyes and saw his father standing before him with a gentle smile. "Papa?"

His father gave him a smile. "There you were. I was looking for you, Kazuto. You made Ryoutarou panic when you weren't in your room this morning. He didn't like the little 'surprise' you left him with earlier either."

The little boy, Kazuto, grinned mischievously, "Well, I guess he doesn't like honey then."

"Kazuto…you should remember that you—" his father began, but Kazuto cut him off.

"—Are next in line to be the King of Aincrad," he said in a laughing tone, "and I should start acting like a Prince. Yeah, yeah, I know, Papa, but I just couldn't help myself! Ryoutarou was being so weird this morning!"

The King of Aincrad sighed at his son's answer. "Then do me a favor and try to stop that urge of yours please."

Kazuto smiled. "Never."

"...Just…don't make it too hard for me, okay, Kazuto?" his father said, giving in to Kazuto's antics. The little nine-year-old boy lit up as if his birthday came early.

"I won't!"

"Now, come along. You need to come back inside." His father held a hand and Kazuto immediately jumped up and took his father's hand. His small hand barely closed around his father's so he clung on to three of his fingers.

"Okay!"

As they began to head back into the castle, Kazuto heard a few voices call out to him. He kept walking and turned his head around to look at the tree. He smiled and waved good bye to it. Under the tree was an abnormally large white tiger sitting on its hunches with its tail curled around his paws. It dipped its head and watched as the boy and his father disappeared into the castle. A breeze blew by and in a blink of an eye, the tiger was gone.

I SUCK AT ROMANCE! But yeah! That's the end of it all! Tell me what you guys thought of this chapter! Did you guys like it, or hate it? Wish Kazuto had a better ending? Well, sorry. It was supposed to be that way. And...ah, did I suck at the romance part? I mean, it's my first time writing it so it would be odd. Okay it was VERY ODD writing it. Anyway! If you guys don't understand it still, I'll still place one more chapter (not really) explaining everything that happened throughout this whole entire story. With my jumping around here, I wouldn't be surprised if you guys were confused.

Haaaah...Wow. this is...my first completed story. Holy crap that's a milestone right there. Whoa. O_O Um...I'm at a loss what to say anymore...Ah...I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did writing it. And hopefully, this will be a good reference to look back on with the Prince of Aincrad. Thanks for all the support you guys gave me and all. It was greatly appreciated. :D And...did any of you guys notice that I got the quotes at the beginning of each chapter from YouTube while listening to "Most Emotional/Epic/Any other word that isn't "Battle" OST" videos? Hahaha...IronRainDrops is one of the best one there! Well, in the writing wise of course!

Um...I'll stop ranting. I hope to see you all again in the Prince of Aincrad! And once again, thank you for all the support you gave me throughout this story!

~CloudyLightning