A/N: Wow, this chapter took awhile to finish. Had a lot of ideas floating around for this battle and took me a bit to decide on some. I'm sure you will all like the result. Enjoy the chapter.
Ren and Kirito walked together down a long hallway. They could see the doors at the other end, most likely leading to where Kira was.
"This is it. Kira's last stand." Ren said.
Kirito nodded his head. "Yeah, but the fact that he's challenging both of us at once concerns me. Kira's never been one to take defeat lying down, but he's not stupid enough to go into a fight he knows he can't win. He's planning something."
"Well whatever it is, we'll find out soon."
The two trainers opened the door and walked into the next room. Inside, they were greeted with a large battlefield. The walls were all pitch black, while the field itself was the same color of red as blood. Black torches were standing on the side edges of the field with flames burning on them. Sitting across on a large throne on the other end of the room was the one Ren and Kirito had come to face.
"I'm glad you both were able to make it." Kira greeted. "Welcome to your final resting place."
"I've heard that line before, Kira." Kirito said as he grabbed a pokeball from his belt. "You've lost to us before and you'll lose now too."
"I admit, you've bested me in the past on occasion." Kira said as he stood up from his throne. "But this time, I've got something special planned for you." He held a pokeball in his hand and tossed it up. "Allow me to introduce you to the pokemon that will kill you both!"
Ren and Kirito watched as the pokeball opened up and a massive bird pokemon came out from it. The two trainers gasped, recognizing it as the legendary pokemon Yveltal.
"Yveltal…" Ren said, barely able to speak. "That explains why he wasn't afraid to fight us both at once."
"The legendary pokemon that symbolizes death. Quite fitting, don't you think?" Kira chuckled. "And to think I have that oaf Kagutsuchi to thank for it."
"I can't believe you. Why would you team up with the psychopath that trapped us all in this game in the first place?!" Kirito asked.
"Why? The reason is quite simple." Kira said. "I wanted revenge. I wanted to watch as the one trainer that's always stood above me loses and the life fades from his eyes. I joined Kagutsuchi, because it would allow to do what I wanted more than anything in the world. TO KILL YOU KIRITO!"
"You're insane." Ren growled.
"Oh don't think I've forgotten about you, Ren." Kira added. "Our battle that was supposed to happen in Shalour City never came to pass. So now is the perfect opportunity to do what we couldn't back then." He let out a chuckle. "Now then, let me show you my trump card. Yveltal! Mega Evolve!"
The large red and black bird became cloaked in light. Ren and Kirito watched as Yveltal transformed, becoming more powerful than ever. When it was finally finished, Yveltal was born anew. It's body was pitch black, with the exception of its red talons and claw on its tail. It's eyes were a piercing crimson color, as if the flames of hell burned inside them. The scarf around its neck was ablaze, burning with an intense heat.
"So this is… Mega Yveltal." Ren muttered. He could feel the intimidating presence the legendary pokemon had just by standing near it. But even still, he knew he couldn't back down now. He grabbed a pokeball from his belt, as did Kirito.
"Let's do this, Ren." Kirito said.
Ren nodded his head. "Right."
The two trainers each threw out a pokeball. Emerging from them were Ren's Charizard and Kirito's Hydreigon. Ren and Kirito both tapped the key stones on their wrists. "Mega evolve!"
Charizard and Hydreigon let out powerful roars as the two of them mega evolved. Charizard turned into it's fire and dragon form once again. For Hydreigon however, this would be it's debut battle for its mega evolution since obtaining it. And Kirito couldn't wait to show off what tricks it had.
Hydreigon's mega evolution clearly wasn't lacking in power. It's body was much more sturdy, standing on its now two powerful legs instead of hovering in the air. The jet black armor on it now stretched down to the start of its legs. The six small wings that had once been on its back were replaced with two powerful ones. The transformation showed that Hydreigon wasn't as fast as it had once been, but it could definitely take a hit and dish it back tenfold now.
"This is going to be fun." Kira grinned. "Yveltal, use Hellfire Wing!"
"Dodge it!" Kirito and Ren yelled simultaneously.
Charizard and Hydreigon quickly got out of the way as Yveltal's attack blasted across the battlefield. Ren and Kirito both jumped out of the way to avoid being hit by it. When the debris cleared, the line of Yveltal's attack was clear to see by the trail of destruction along the battlefield.
"What power…" Ren gasped, slightly shaken from the attack.
"I've never even heard of that attack…" Kirito said.
"Nifty, isn't it? It's an attack called Hellfire Wing, an upgrade to Yveltal's Oblivion Wing attack. Not only is it more powerful, but if you get hit by it then you get hit by burn status too."
Kirito and Ren were left speechless by the unbelievable power behind that attack. I they got hit by it, it would not be pretty. They had to end this quickly before Kira got a chance to hit them with that attack.
"Hydreigon, use dragon pulse!" Kirito called out.
"Dark pulse." Kira countered.
The two pokemon both unleashed their attacks simultaneously. They clashed in the center of the battlefield, with neither one giving in.
"Now's your chance Ren!" Kirito yelled.
"Right!" Ren nodded. "Charizard, use blast burn!" Obeying it's trainer's command, Charizard took off into the air. It took a deep breath before unleashing a devastating fire attack on the legendary bird pokemon.
Yveltal let out a cry of pain, losing its focus on its attack, which allowed Hydreigon's dragon pulse to break through and land its mark.
"Not bad." Kira said. "But it wouldn't be any fun if you didn't put up a fight." He gave out his next command to his pokemon. "Yveltal, use hurricane!"
Yveltal quickly whipped up a powerful windstorm that blew to the other side of the battlefield. Charizard and Hydreigon did their best to endure the powerful storm hitting them, but their HP levels were slowly decreasing.
As Kirito and Ren braced themselves against the storm, Ren took notice of something. Yveltal was slowly regaining its strength bit by bit. "What's going on? How is it recovering?!"
"Oh did I forget to mention Mega Yveltal's ability? My mistake." Kira chuckled. "It's called Dark Ruler. Whenever your pokemon take damage, Yveltal recovers half that amount to its HP."
"What?!" Kirito exclaimed.
"This is bad." Ren said. "We can't let this continue." He tried to think of a way out of their situation. "Charizard can't aim properly in this windstorm. It's all it can do to keep from getting blown away."
"Let me try." Kirito suggested. "Mega Hydreigon's sturdy body and high weight should give us enough footing to get a shot in." He called out an attack to his partner. "Hydreigon, use dragon pulse!"
Hydreigon dug its feet into the battlefield as it tried to endure the powerful hurricane attack. It let loose a blast directly at Yveltal. The bird pokemon quickly dodged out of the way, but it was forced to stop its hurricane attack.
"Use flamethrower!" Ren called out. Charizard let loose a stream of fire that slammed into Yveltal. While the damage it took wasn't much, the fire blocked it's field of vision, not allowing it to see Charizard fly up close to it.
"Dragon claw!"
Charizard's claws became veiled in light as they both slammed into Yveltal. The legendary pokemon fell to the ground with a thud.
"Don't give in Yveltal! Push it back!" Kira shouted.
Yveltal came to its senses just in time to avoid the next dragon claw attack from Charizard. It let out a screech as it blew Charizard back with a mighty flap of its wings.
"Now hit it with Hellfire Wing!"
Once again, Yveltal unleashed its attack, both of its wings becoming engulfed in flames as it charged up a blast of energy and fired it directly at Charizard.
"Charizard, get out of there!" Ren called out.
It was too late however, as Charizard was hit by the attack and sent flying back, crashing into the wall behind them.
"Charizard!" Ren exclaimed as he ran over to his partner. The fire and dragon type had taken a lot of damage from that attack, and now it was inflicted with burn damage, sapping away more of its health. And Mega Yveltal's ability turned the pain of its opponents into power for itself.
"You know, this reminds me of the last battle we had." Kira smirked. "When I blasted you off the side of that cliff. I remember you used a pokemon then that I haven't seen since that day. What was it? Oh right, it was an Infernape! Where did it go? Did it die perhaps?"
Ren curled his hand up into a fist. It was true that Infernape had died that day. But it had been reborn as the Charizard that fought alongside him now. But against this overwhelming power, was it going to happen again? Was he going to lose his closest partner?
A roar from Charizard shook Ren out of his thoughts. He looked at his pokemon as it stood back up, a fierce determination burning in its eyes. "Charizard…"
Charizard growled as it glared towards Kira. Ren could understand what Charizard was feeling. Its rage from back then. This was their rematch they they had both wanted. Complaining that the odds were against them was pointless. The odds had been against them for as long as they could remember. But they had triumphed back then too. And they would do the same now.
"We haven't lost yet Kira." Ren said as he turned back to face the trainer. "You've caused countless suffering in this game. You've even had the nerve to team up with the madman that trapped us all in here. But all that ends here! We're taking you down once and for all!"
"Come and try it then!" Kira shouted with a mad grin. "I'll be sure to dash those hopes of yours and watch you all die!"
Ren and Charizard walked together. The brown haired trainer stood next to Kirito. "You ready?"
"Let's do this." Kirito nodded.
"You two can't win this! I will crush you and send you both to hell!" Kira yelled. "Yveltal, Hellfire Wing! Finish them!"
Ren watched as Yveltal charged up its attack once again. He glanced over at Charizard and the fire and dragon type nodded.
"Let's show them real fire power!" Ren said. "Charizard, use blast burn! Give it everything you've got!"
Charizard flew out onto the battlefield and let loose a blast of intense heat. Yveltal unleashed its own attack and the two blasts of fire clashed in the middle. The heat from the clash could be felt around the room, causing the three trainers to sweat.
"Don't let up Charizard! We can do this!" Ren called out to his partner.
"Kill them Yveltal! Show them your power!" Kira yelled.
Ren could see Charizard slowly being pushed back. The power of a mega evolved legendary pokemon was just too much. "Damnit… it's not gonna be enough."
"Hydreigon, use dragon pulse!" Kirito ordered.
Out of nowhere, Hydreigon blasted it's dragon pulse attack, meeting in the center of the clash between blast burn and hellfire wing. With the added power of Kirito's pokemon, Yveltal's attack stopped its advance.
"Kirito…" Kira growled. He looked up at his pokemon. "Increase your power even more Yveltal! Don't let even their ashes remain!"
The clash between the three attacks continued its battle of push and shove. Whichever side won this would be the victors, that much was clear. If the attacks didn't explode altogether and kill them all at least.
"GO!" Ren and Kirito shouted together.
Charizard and Hydreigon increased their power even further, digging into their last reserves of strength. Just barely they managed to start pushing back Yveltal's attack. Further and further, the legendary bird began to lose ground. Finally, the combined attack of blast burn and dragon pulse broke through, shooting forward and smashing into Yveltal. The legendary pokemon let out a cry of pain as it fell back.
"Yveltal?!" Kira gasped.
"We can't give it a chance to recover! Let's end this now!" Kirito yelled. "Hydreigon, use crunch!"
Kirito's Hydreigon flew forward. It bared its fangs and bit into Yveltal's neck, causing another cry of pain to escape from the bird. Hydreigon let go and moved out of the way, only for Charizard to come flying down.
"Mega punch!" Ren shouted.
Charizard let out a roar as it swung its fist down, smashing Yveltal into the ground. The legendary pokemon laid on the ground, letting out one last moan before shattering into fragments.
"Damnit… This can't be happening…" Kira growled.
Ren and Kirito walked forward, the battle finally over. "You've lost Kira. Now accept your fate." Kirito said.
Kira stepped back, bit by bit. It couldn't end like this. He couldn't let all of his hard work be for nothing. But the strongest weapon he had at his disposal was gone. There was no way for him to win this fight.
"KIRA!"
Out of nowhere, Ren and Kirito's path was blocked off by a new arrival. Everyone's eyes widened as Izumi appeared in the room, shielding Kira from the ones set to kill him.
"Izumi… so you've made it here…" Kira grinned. "I take it this means you succeeded in killing the Lightning Flash?"
Kirito's eyes widened in fear, afraid for the worst. "No… Asuna…"
Izumi lowered her head. "I'm sorry Kira… but no. I failed to win my battle against Asuna and her friends." Izumi's words cause Kirito to breath a sigh of relief while Kira's expression turned to a scowl. "But I'm here now. And I won't let these people do anything to you." A smile came to her face. "I'll protect you Kira. Even until my dying breath."
Kira looked at the back of Izumi. The girl that had been at his side for so long. One of his most trusted subordinates. As she had said, she would do anything for him, even give up her life.
'And that's exactly what you'll do.' Kira thought with a grin as he reached for a pokeball. With Izumi in front of him, Ren and Kirito wouldn't be able to see him going for another pokemon. His Bisharp would surprise them all, ripping through Izumi before making a beeline for Ren and Kirito. He couldn't beat them in a battle like this, but if they died to his pokemon, then it wouldn't matter.
"You've served me well Izumi." Kira said.
"Yes Kira. I would do anything for-" Izumi turned and her eyes widened as she saw Kira about to open up a pokeball right in front of her. "Kira…?"
"Jolteon, quick attack!"
Out of nowhere, a speeding Jolteon appeared, tackling Kira and knocking him away into one of the walls of the room. Kirito and Ren turned towards its origin, the same place Izumi had come from, where Asuna, Liz, and Silica ran in.
"Asuna!" Kirito called out.
"Kirito!" Asuna called back, happy to see the one she loved was alright.
"Ren! Kirito!" another voice called out. The group turned and saw Misaki and Ryota run into the room as well.
"Ugh…" Kira groaned as he laid painfully against the wall Asuna's Jolteon had knocked him into. "Damnit… Ju failed too?"
Kirito glared back in Kira's direction. "Kira, this ends now. It's time for you to pay for everything you've done up until now." He grabbed a pokeball from his belt and tossed it out. "Aegislash!"
Out of the pokeball, the sword pokemon appeared. It flew at Kira, with the tips of its bladed body pointed directly at the Laughing Coffin leader.
"KIRA!" Izumi cried out.
Kira let out one last chuckle as Aegislash pierced his body. His HP instantly hit zero and he shattered away, leaving behind the virtual world he had caused so much terror.
"Kira… No…" Izumi muttered as tears formed in her eyes. She fell to her knees. "Kira… How could this happen… We were going to be together…"
Asuna took a step forward towards her old friend. "Megumi…"
"SHUT UP ASUNA! I HATE YOU!" Izumi screamed. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! MY LIFE IS A WRECK ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU'VE STOLEN EVERYTHING FROM ME! IT'S NOT FAIR! WHY DO YOU GET EVERYTHING WHILE I GET-"
Izumi was silenced out of nowhere as Asuna slapped her across the face. The sound of the slap echoed throughout the room, with everyone else completely silent.
"Wake up Megumi!" Asuna yelled at the ice-type trainer. "You can't go blaming me for all your problems! I didn't make you cheat on that test back in school! I didn't make your parents disown you! I didn't get you trapped in this game! I didn't get you involved with Laughing Coffin! And I didn't make Kira almost kill you like he was about to!"
Izumi stared up at the chestnut haired girl looking down at her. "Asuna…"
"Megumi, Kira didn't love you! Maybe you loved him, but he didn't feel the same way. You were just a pawn to him. He was about to kill you simply because you had outlived your usefulness to him." Asuna told her. "Kira wasn't a person who felt love. He was a monster that didn't care about anyone other than himself."
Izumi stared down at the ground. She didn't want to hear this. She wanted it all to be a lie. But that look Kira had as he was about to kill her. It was the same look he had to all of the other members of Laughing Coffin that he killed when they failed.
Izumi slammed her fist into the ground. "Then what the hell am I supposed to do now?! Kira was my whole reason for living! Without him, I have nothing left!"
"Yes you do!" Asuna told her. "You can live to go back to the real world!"
"Why?! What's there for me?! My parents hate me because I couldn't live up to their expectations! My future is gone! And now the one person I cared about is gone! What reason is there left to live?!"
"You can start over." Asuna told her. "Megumi, you've done lots of bad things. You're going to have to answer for them. But you can work at it, one step at a time. And once you have, you can move on. Find some new meaning to life."
"Well aren't you sweet?" Izumi said bitterly. "You have your whole life figured out. You get everything you want. Grades. Boys. Heck you even became one of the best in this game. We can't all be like you, can we little Miss Perfect?"
"I'm not perfect." Asuna said. "And my life isn't either." She looked down at the ground. "Everything in my life is decided for me. My parents don't give me one ounce of freedom. My mother is even trying to decide who I spend my future with." She shook her head. "But I've realized that I don't want to be that way. I've grown strong in this world, thanks to all of the people I've met." She kneeled down and reached out her hand to Izumi. "And I don't ever want to abandon a friend again, like I did with you. So let's start over, Megumi. Together."
"Asuna…" Izumi stared at the girl for what seemed like forever. Slowly, a smile came to her as tears rolled down her eyes. "Alright. If you'll really have me as your friend again, I'll do it."
Asuna brought her friend in for a hug and embraced her as tears ran down both of their eyes.
Ren and the others looked at Asuna and Izumi, happy to see that they had made up, and that no one else had to die in this fight. There was only one person that deserved death now, and he was waiting for them up ahead.
Liz and Silica had gone back to the start of the floor they were on, telling the rest of their friends that it was ok to proceed now. Once everyone had gathered, the group prepared to move on ahead.
"Izumi, there's something I want to know." Asuna said. "Kira said Kagutsuchi told you guys to kidnap Yui. Why? Did he want to lure us here using her as bait?"
Izumi stared down as they walked. "No… Kira was the one that planned on you guys coming after Yui. Kagutsuchi was solely focused on Yui."
"Why? What does he want with Yui?"
"Asuna… Yui's not normal." Izumi said. "She's not like the rest of us."
"What are you talking about?" Kirito asked.
"You're about to find out." Izumi said as they approached a large set of doors. "Kagutsuchi… he did something to her… I could hear her screaming in pain before you all arrived."
Asuna's eyes widened with worry. She took off running to the doors. "Yui!"
"Asuna!" Sinon called out.
Everyone took off running after Asuna. The chestnut haired girl burst through the doors. She was met with a long staircase that led up to another door at the top. Everyone followed her as she ran upstairs.
"Yui!" Asuna called out as she ran. "Yui!"
"Kagutsuchi's waiting up there." Ryota said. "Seems this is it. Our final battle to settle everything."
"We'll save Yui and defeat that bastard Kagutsuchi once and for all." Kirito said.
"Count me in. I owe him some payback for brainwashing me." Kaede added.
Finally Asuna reached the top of the stairs. She barged into the next room and was met by the person she had come all this way to reach.
Yui stood at the edge of the room, looking out the window. Kagutsuchi stood next to her. The creator of PWO turned to see the new arrivals come in. He sighed as he shook his head. "Even with mega evolved legendary pokemon, those fools failed me. Good help is so hard to find these days."
"It's over Kagutsuchi!" Ren yelled. "This madness stops now!"
"Give us back Yui!" Asuna yelled. "She's innocent! She hasn't done anything to deserve this!"
To everyone's surprise, Kagutsuchi let out a chuckle. "Innocent, you say? I'm afraid nothing could be further from the truth."
"What are you talking about?" Kirito questioned.
"My word, are you all truly so dense? Very well then, I'll explain it to you." Kagutsuchi said. "This thing here next to me cut off my access to the main system, as well as my GM privileges not long after PWO started. As a result, it's become increasingly hard to do what I wish in this game. I've had to rely on the help of inferior beings."
None of them truly understood what Kagutsuchi was saying. Misaki was the first to speak. "Yui cut off GM privileges. How is that even possible?"
Asuna's fist clenched as she shook with rage. "Thing? You called Yui a "thing"? Where do you find the nerve… the audacity to treat a little girl like an object?!"
"Because that's what she is." Kagutsuchi explained. "Didn't you find it odd? A little girl with no memories in PWO? That's because she's no simple little girl." He looked down at Yui next to him. "Why don't you tell them what you are, Yui?"
Finally Yui turned around and faced Asuna and the others. Her eyes were hollow and her expression completely blank. "I am Mental Health Counseling Program 1. Code Name: Yui. Faithful servant to Lord Kagutsuchi."
Everyone gasped as they heard this and looked at Yui. Asuna covered her gasp with her hands. "Yui… what did he do to you?"
"I simply infused a little extra programming into her." Kagutsuchi chuckled. "She's been a rebellious little program. So I gave her a dose of loyalty, just as I did with a certain few other individuals."
Ryota and Kaede both glared at Kagutsuchi, still enraged at his invasion into their minds when he brainwashed them in the past.
"I am so lost here." Kaitlyn said as she tilted her head. "What exactly is going on?"
"Of course the overoptimistic idiot of the group wouldn't get it." Kagutsuchi sighed. "Yui isn't human. She's an AI program. One created by me."
"Yui's… a program?" Asuna said, still unable to believe it.
"Yes. And now she'll be your executioner." Kagutsuchi smirked. "Yui, dispose of them."
"Yes, Lord Kagutsuchi." Yui said obediently as she stepped forward. As she did, Kagutsuchi snapped his fingers and the floor around him began to rise up, leading to the ceiling above him, which opened up to let him through.
"Hold it!" Ryota called out, but he couldn't stop his father from getting away. "Damnit!"
Yui grabbed a pokeball and tossed it out. From the capsule device, her Zoroark appeared. The dark type and its trainer suddenly became cloaked in a dark aura.
"Yui… what's happening…?" Asuna gasped.
"Kill…" Yui spoke, her tone suddenly sounding demonic.
Clair shivered, recalling back to when she and Yui had battled Izumi. This darkness around Yui was just like what it had been back then. "No…"
A sadistic grin came to Yui's face as her eyes turned red with bloodlust. "I'll kill you."
A/N: Hope you all liked the battle against Kira. I know some of you were expecting the battle against Kagutsuchi to come up next, but that's gonna have to wait. For next chapter expect action, heartfelt feels, and finally the reason for PWO's creation. I'll leave you all with that to look forward to.