Sword Art Online - Volume 18 - Chapter 21.8

Chapter 21.8
A red-armored boot stamped down upon the hand that Asuna reached towards Kirito.

She looked up, deep into the visor of the crimson knight, into the eyes blazing with fierce hatred, as he raised his longsword high in a reverse grip.

The longsword thundered down, accompanied by an earsplitting stream of jeering.

She was completely deprived of any remaining fighting strength, but the least she could do was stop herself from closing her eyes. With this resolve, Asuna stared down the steel that was about to impale her chest.

Clang.

The stiff ring of metal. Beige sparks.

The knight’s sword bounced backwards into the air, as if it had been deflected by a colorless, transparent blade.

“Uh…?”

Making a confused noise, the knight swung the sword downwards again. But again, sparks erupted and the sword remained unable to strike Asuna.

A third, and fourth attempt produced the same result.

But there was no fifth try. Sortiliena had come running and blown the crimson knight off his feet with a large sword-hilt knockback Sword Skill, «Torrent».

Sortiliena helped Asuna stand, while asking in a voice filled with barely concealed surprise:

“That «Incarnation blade» just now… Was it your doing, Asuna-san?!”

“Incarnation…?”

Hearing the word for the first time, Asuna faintly shook her head.

“No, it wasn’t me.”

“Then… Renri-dono…?” Sortiliena asked, looking behind her. Asuna followed her eyes, but the heavily wounded young knight was currently delivering orders to the troops to counterattack the oncoming crimson legion. He really did not seem capable of affording any peripheral effort to protect Asuna.

Instead of searching for the cause of the phenomenon, a better use of their time would be rescuing at least one more Underworld resident.

Rising to her feet with Sortiliena’s help, Asuna spared no effort in draining her exhausted willpower and began surveying the situation around her.

Then she felt renewed despair sinking into her heart like icy black water.

More than 80 percent of over 20000 Chinese and Korean players were embroiled in internecine conflict, but the pro-war faction appeared to be wielding a crushing advantage in morale. Blue light columns signalling the destruction of player avatars could be seen rising up throughout, and with each beacon would come a savage roar.

Worse, a portion of the pro-war faction — a legion numbering well over 2000 — was slowly pressing closer and closer to the Japanese players and Human Empire Defense Army, who were both concentrated at one spot. The Japanese were almost completely out of any remaining fighting strength, and the Underworld residents led by Integrity Knight Renri were riddled with injuries. Even with their edge of Sacred Arts and Sword Skills, there seemed no way to repel the enemy.

Speechless, only able to lean on Sortliena’s arm, Asuna heard…

The layered, echoing guffaws of PoH.

With a giant hole in his chest as he stood over Kirito’s sprawled frame, the reaper arched backwards in laughter with his arms in the air, the now vast Mate Chopper gripped in his right hand, and his left splayed open. A gargantuan vortex of black clouds had formed unnoticed above him, and his body was absorbing the Life Resources spilled onto the battlefield; he resembled a tornado touching down.

To be precise, the demon sword in his right grip was performing the actual absorption of resources. If they could destroy that sword, the source of energy it was providing to its owner would also be severed, and without his heart the reaper would immediately perish.

But things had progressed to the point where merely defeating the enemy commander would not be enough to bring the situation under control. Provoked by PoH’s distressing words and malicious aura, the pro-war faction would only view their commander’s departure as more fuel for their fiery rage. The battle would drag on until every single Japanese and Underworld citizen was massacred.

What to do?

What to do———

Hanging her head in distress and despair, Asuna suddenly noticed something inexplicable.

Up to a moment ago the ground had consisted of starkly exposed black gravel, but it now lay underneath a wispy yet unbroken layer of white mist.

Sliding and drifting like ribbons of thin silk, the mist glided between the feet of Asuna and her friends, then expanded to fill the space behind them. Simultaneously, a refreshingly sweet fragrance tickled their nostrils.

Roses………?

Asuna and Sortiliena’s eyes followed the movements of the misty ribbons.

Then, the instant they found its source, a faint sigh escaped both their lips.

“Ahh………”

And again.

“Ahh.”

The source of the mist was one young bone-thin adolescent, stretched out on the ground a few tens of meters away.

More precisely, the source was the bluish-white longsword griped within his left hand. The blade had been snapped down the middle, but its mist-wrapped form seemed to confer upon it a muted glow.

“Kirito-kun…”

Just as Asuna uttered in a quavering voice the name of the person she loved above all else.

“That Incarnation… It’s Kirito’s…” Sortiliena murmured, almost overcome with emotion.

Before they knew it, the white mist had already permeated the space around the feet of the allied Chinese-Korean forces and was continuing to expand. Locked in battle, they seemed not to notice, but everything below their knees was gradually being consumed by pearly-white ribbons.

Finally noticing this unusual spectacle, PoH ceased his laughter at last.

His eyes first went to his feet, then sprang like bullets onto Kirito behind him. PoH’s tall figure immediately began to shake violently as the Mate Chopper in his right hand spun once before slapping into his fist, and he advanced with large strides.

One step. Two steps.

But no third.

Almost like a whisper, almost like song… yet very definite, a voice reverberated across the entire battlefield.

Enhance armament.

A voice Asuna was certain belonged to Kirito echoed through her mind, but it seemed to overlap with another voice; one she had never heard before.

The next instant.

A stupendous phenomenon, the scale of which was difficult to estimate — one could say it rivalled Stacia’s geographical manipulation — engulfed the entirety of the battlefield.

Transparent, sapphire tendrils of ice stretched from within the white mist and wrapped themselves around PoH and each and every one of the 20000 Chinese and Korean players. The tendrils appeared quite delicate and fragile, looking as though they would shatter at the slightest touch, but the movements of the battle-frenzied players stopped cold in the blink of an eye, as if some sort of time-bending magic had been applied to them.

A short silence was followed by sounds of shock and anger, but those voices immediately faded too. Ensnared by the ice vines, the players were swiftly cocooned in frost and frozen solid in a matter of seconds.

Asuna stole a glance at the crimson knight who had rushed over to help Klein, but he too had been transformed into an icy sculpture. He seemed not to feel any pain, however; the eyes behind his visor were calmly shut. It was not meant to cause pain or suffering, merely a technique to restrict movement—

Turning her head back around, Asuna saw that PoH had been frozen snow-white as well. She looked to Sortiliena’s face and nodded at her.

“Thank you, Liena-san… I’m okay now.”

The female Guardian leader silently withdrew her hand and Asuna bolted across the frost-covered ground with utmost urgency towards Kirito. Sortiliena was close behind, and a Guardian girl, Ronye, also came scrambling from the ranks of the Human Empire army.

Kirito remained prone and motionless on the ground, his left arm hugging the broken sword. But Asuna understood.

This was the moment in which Kirito’s heart was about to be revived. She only needed to grasp his hand, embrace him tightly and call his name, and he would return for sure. For sure. For sure.

That distance of 10 short meters seemed as far as the ends of the earth. That duration of 10 or so short seconds, seemed as long as an eternity. But with each step of her overworn feet, the figure of her loved one would grow just a little closer. Look, just a tiny, tiny bit further, and her hand would touch—

Right when Asuna’s fully outstretched right hand was about to touch the black hair she so sorely missed.

An deafening shattering noise roared behind her.

She immediately spun her face to the right and saw…

The form of the reaper, ripping apart the icy vines and frost, taking a violent step forward.

The hem of his black poncho whirling like demonic wings, PoH screeched a thunderous roar.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this…!! Now, let’s dance… KIRITO!!”

Bellowing his name for the first time since SAO as far as Asuna could remember, PoH brandished the Mate Chopper in his right fist while leaping into the air like an outlandish bird.

Swathed in a reddish-black aura of death, the dreadfully thick blade screamed down from above. It was heading not for Kirito, but Asuna and the others.

“No…!”

Sortiliena rushed forward and raised her scarred longsword to her head, preparing to take the reaper’s blow.

But the demon blade, swollen to nearly three times its original size, needed not even make contact with her sword; the aura wrapped around it was enough to blow Sortiliena’s weapon in half.

The impact threw the Guardian leader off her feet. Asuna and Ronye desperately supported her from behind.

The fatal slash roared directly towards the trio, huddled together on the ground—

Shiiiiiiiing!!

A tremendous crash brought Asuna and the other two collapsing onto their bottoms.

The Chopper’s blade did not strike them. It was trembling above them as though it had smashed into a transparent barrier. Just like moments ago, when the same phenomenon had saved Asuna from the hands of the crimson knight.

Asuna truly felt it this time. The feeling of protection by the pair of warm, dependable arms she had so dearly missed.

She was able to glimpse a certain faintly glowing object in front of the barrier. Contoured in midair by golden particles was a right hand with all five fingers splayed open.

A faint crunch was heard.

Asuna looked to her left as though her eyes were being drawn by something.

Face down on the ground, Kirito had inserted the broken white sword into the soil with his left hand.

Then, using it for support, he slowly, slowly pushed up his emaciated body.

The empty right sleeve of his black top fluttered in the wind. No, that wasn’t it. It was gradually inflating, pointing straight ahead — approaching the phantom hand supporting the barrier.

The instant his sleeve joined the hand.

An explosion of golden light instantly dissipated the reddish-black aura swirling behind the barrier. The barrier collided violently with PoH’s body, throwing his whole body backwards.

As the light dimmed, Asuna’s eyes reflected a fully restored, corporeal right hand. Her line of sight followed those slender arms upwards, past his shoulders — and she saw him.

Slightly lengthy bangs fluttering in the breeze. Lips curled into a calm smile. And two black eyes, gazing back at her from the same height.

The lips moved, and his voice called her name.

“I’m back, Asuna.”

Tears. They fell uncontrollably from her eyes, as irrepressible shrill sobs escaped her throat. Asuna clasped her hands tightly at her chest, earnestly attempting to articulate her overflowing emotions into words.

“………Welcome back, Kirito-kun.”

Then Sortiliena and Ronye called in unison:

“Kirito…”

“Kirito-senpai.”

After smiling and nodding at them both, Kirito looked back in front of him. His profile turned stern.

Having been thrown more than ten meters, PoH was slowly ascending to his feet as though he were no longer bound by the pull of gravity.

There ought not to be any new Spatial Resources since each of the Chinese and Korean players waging fully fledged massacre against each other had been ensnared and frozen by tendrils of ice, but the black cloud above PoH continued to tumble and warp organically as his Chopper continued to absorb. It became apparent that if that demon blade was not destroyed, there was no stopping this reaper.

Standing up a little later than PoH, Kirito stumbled for a second, but immediately regained his footing. Asuna frantically restrained herself from bolting over to support his body. Since she no longer had the strength to walk properly on her own, she would only be a hindrance to him. Now, she had to trust Kirito. She needed only to remain intent on trusting him, and that would become strength.

Kirito raised his regenerated right hand and the jet black sword lying faraway exited its sheath of its own accord, silently floated up, and arrived in his palm.

It was shaped differently than the «Elucidator», his beloved sword from the past, and the white blade in his left hand had snapped down the middle, but as he gripped both blades of black and white his appearance was exactly that of the one who had protected, guided, and given Asuna the strength to fight ever since the day she met him: The «Black Swordsman».

The white sword in his left hand continuously radiated glittering light like diamond dust and wave after wave of freezing cold. Even while he ought to be maintaining his incredible technique of instantaneously freezing over 20000 players at once, Kirito’s calm profile displayed no such sign. It was as if there was someone standing next to him, granting him power.

PoH’s eyes glinted red as he stared closely from the depths of his hood at the two swords, and at Kirito, who was slowly walking towards him. He threw open his arms as if to welcome him, while exposing the large hole in his chest:

“…Finally awake, are you? I wonder how long it’s been since I’ve gotten to speak face-to-face with you like this…”

The reaper’s voice ground like rusty metal against rusty metal, and was met with a response from Kirito that resembled his floaty, yet chilly voice from back in Aincrad:

“Who knows? I’ve forgotten. But what I can be sure of is that this will be the end.”

Whiuu. PoH whistled.

“Amazing… You really are the best, Kirito. Come on… let’s continue. Let’s continue our showtime that got interrupted in Aincrad.”

With a flick of his right hand, he raised his Mate Chopper ─ swollen to three times its original size, resembling a giant cleaver. The black clouds above him swirled even more fiercely, and the thickset hunk of iron crawled with reddish-black lightning.

Standing opposite him, Kirito held his own black longsword aloft.

But the moment the sword arrived at its zenith, his emaciated body shuddered again, appearing unable to withstand the weight of the weapon.

Asuna already understood that Underworld was not merely a VRMMO world created with The Seed. Every object was a «Mnemonic Visual» — a memory itself, and could be interfered with by way of imagination.

According to Integrity Knight Alice, Kirito had spent nearly half a year’s time in this time-accelerated world in an unconscious state. It was unclear whether he had memories of this period, but he ought to have realized that he had been asleep. Perhaps Kirito’s own impression of “I’ve grown weak” had caused his physical body to diminish for real.

No, perhaps that was not all.

Higa Takeru from RATH had explained the reason behind the destruction of Kirito’s main body — his Self-Image.

—Kirito-kun seems to have had several colleagues, and by that I mean he had friends. Nearly all of them perished in the battle against the Axiom Church, and as a result, when he successfully opened a connection to contact us, he felt guilty to an extreme degree. In other words, he attacked his own Fluctlight. Right at that moment, those guys dressed in black cut the power line and an electrical short caused a power surge that instantaneously spiked the STL output. Consequently, Kirito-kun’s self-destructive impulse became reality, and his «self» became immobilized.

It was not information she could immediately understand, but the gist of it was that Kirito had lost someone important to him in this world. His spirit had broken from overwhelming grief. Asuna already knew that person’s name. That night when she had chatted with Alice, Ronye, and Sortiliena until the sun came up, she’d heard that name many times over: Elite Swordsman-in-Training Eugeo.

Even though Kirito had, by some miracle, taken back his spirit, he remained unable to accept Eugeo’s parting. The unhealed sorrow had cast his spirit… and his body in shadow.

—Kirito-kun.

Asuna called in her mind, gazing at his figure with black sword raised.

—Right now, I… find it impossible to imagine just how much pain and suffering you have experienced. But there is one thing I can be sure of.

—Your important friend lives on in your spirit. Just like how Yuuki lives on in mine. These memories will give you strength. The strength to take up your sword again and fight.

Asuna’s thoughts seemed to become a voice, reaching out─

Kirito’s right hand kept the black sword aloft, his left raising and pressing the snapped white sword to his chest.

Appearing to view this as an opening, PoH moved.

His tall frame swayed forward as he ran the 10 meter distance in an instant, seeming to glide above the rubble-strewn ground. The mammoth, thickset cleaver swung as cleanly down as if it were weightless.

Kirito did not step out of the way. He readied the sword in his right hand to intercept the blow. But as Asuna saw it, his slash was already lacking the sharpness he had in the past.

The longsword smashed into the cleaver and narrowly avoided being sent flying, but the blade lock was not evenly matched; instead it was being pressed directly downwards from above. Kirito’s kneecaps buckled as his entire back arched. Pressed tightly against the ground, his boots skidded over 30 centimeters backwards.

“…Hey, hey, don’t disappoint me. I’ve waited nearly two years for this day…”

Muttering dejectedly, the black ponchoed reaper then placed his left hand in addition to his right on the Mate Chopper’s hilt, which had expanded just as big as its blade.

As the blade lock screeched kin-kin, Kirito’s kneecaps continued to sink. If he could support his sword with both hands just like PoH… he thought, but his left hand continued to grip the white sword by itself. Moreover, since it was snapped down the middle, it could not be used to counter.

A sadistic, warped grin split the thick lips deep within the reaper’s hood. Slowly, but surely, he pushed the descending cleaver’s blade near Kirito’s neck.

“…Kirito…!” Sortiliena muttered hoarsely, grasping her own snapped sword, ready to stand.

But Asuna pressed down on her shoulders with conviction.

“It’s okay, Liena-san.” She murmured to the female Guardian Leader ─ Kirito’s own mentor in the Human Empire Swordcraft Academy ─ all while suppressing her own fear.

“Kirito-kun will be fine. He’ll never lose to… a guy like him.”

On the other hand, Kirito’s mentee Ronye nodded tearfully.

“Yep. Kirito-senpai won’t lose.”

“……You’re right.” Sortiliena replied, tightly gripping the hand Asuna placed on her shoulder.

But just then.

PoH’s Mate Chopper seemed to mock the trio’s prayer-like certainty as it sank much further downwards. Kirito’s left knee struck the ground. His right arm trembled nonstop while holding up the black sword, giving one the impression that he was already near the end of his tether.

As Kirito clenched his teeth, PoH brought his own face close and sneered again:

“…About time you tossed that shit sword and put your left hand to use. You realize that those Chinese and Korean players you froze have killed a lot of your friends, right? It shouldn’t matter to you if they decide to wage a massacre amongst themselves, now should it?”

The demon whispered ─ Kirito resisted the heavy pressure and replied coldly:

“I know your methods well. Making people fight amongst themselves, planting the seed of hate and causing the next conflict. It drove me crazy during the SAO era, but in Underworld… you’ll never get your way.”

“Oho… and what’re you gonna do about it? As soon as that ice melts, they’re gonna kill every last one of the remaining Japanese and those Underworld people you care about so much. The only way to stop ‘em is to kill ‘em yourself. Cut ‘em down while they’re still frozen. Your friends oughta be able to it. Come on, give the order… kill all of those Chinese and Koreans.”

“……”

Kirito said nothing to the venomous instigation.

Asuna was also distinctly aware of PoH’s vile plot.

Bound by vines of ice, the Chinese and Korean players seemed not to feel any pain now, but shattering those vines would cause them excruciating agony. That agony would bring about rage, causing decisive hatred towards the Japanese players.

By then, PoH, with the help of his Mate Chopper, would be able to absorb the immense swathes of resources ejected into the air following the deaths of the Chinese and Koreans. He would gain the power to defeat Kirito, and personally vanquish the entirety of the Japanese players and Underworld people combined.

Kirito ought to be aware of this. There was no way he was going to bend to PoH’s instigation, but to avoid a disastrous outcome, all he could do was maintain the large-scale freezing Art emanating from the white sword in his left grip; however, doing this plunged the showdown with his old enemy into an even worse situation.

With every tremor of his right hand from blocking the giant cleaver, sparks would burst from the intersection point. The cleaver’s blade was continuously and irrefutably descending, barely two fists away from Kirito’s left shoulder.

“…Well, it doesn’t matter to me if your stubbornness kills you.” PoH sniggered.

“Relax. After I kill you, I’ll send the «Flash», and everyone else into their own coffins, until no one’s left.”

Deep within the hood, the reaper’s eyes gleamed red like will-o-the-wisps. His mouth split open to his cheeks, exposing sharp teeth.

“C’mon… Lemme taste your blood and life, Kirito.”

His pointed tongue licking over his lips like a wriggling worm, PoH intensified his grip on the Mate Chopper. The black sword screeched shrilly as the fatal blade inched closer towards Kirito by the second─

Suddenly, the soft sound of prayer was heard behind Asuna.

“Please, Eugeo-senpai. Save Kirito-senpai.”

The three of them looked behind them and saw the redheaded girl with her hands clasped at her chest ─ Tiese.

In an instant, Asuna distinctly felt it. Tiese’s hair billowed softly as a breeze-like wave bloomed.

She looked back ahead.

Now a cleaver, the Mate Chopper made contact with Kirito’s left shoulder.

With only that, the fabric of his black shirt exploded open. Awaiting the moment when blood would come spraying out of him, Asuna could not help but hold her breath.

But─

Just then, the Mate Chopper ceased its descent.

Slowly, but surely, it was actually being pushed back. How would Kirito’s emaciated, exhausted right shoulder possibly possess this sort of strength…

“Ah……”

A soft cry from either Ronye or Sortiliena.

Asuna saw it at the same time. A second, golden, transparent hand was tightly gripping the hilt of the black sword.

A moment’s pause later, Kirito seemed to notice the hand too. His eyes widened and his face contorted. Tears slid from the corners of his eyes, the droplets dancing into the air.

His lips moved, but no sound was heard.

But then─

“Ohh… OHHHHHHHHHH!!”

A roar sharp enough to tear silk burst from Kirito’s throat and he violently forced back the Mate Chopper. PoH’s arms were thrown backwards; he staggered back, cursing.

Kirito immediately stood up from his genuflecting posture, raised the broken sword in his left hand high in the air, and cried:

“RELEASE RECOLLECTION!!“

An indescribably blinding light exploded and bleached the world white. PoH threw a hand in front of his face and continued backing away, as though he couldn’t stand the brightness.

Even as she squinted her eyes, Asuna saw it.

The light itself was concentrating on the body of the horribly snapped sword, regenerating it, as if it were crystallizing.

Restored to its original form in a matter of seconds, the sword blossomed an even greater light─

Swoosh! The flash expanded outwards.

After a moment’s silence, there came a clear, grandiose sound heard throughout the entire battlefield, like thousands or tens of thousands of bells. Turning to look, Asuna and the other three’s eyes grew large.

Innumerable flowers were gradually blooming atop the bodies of the Chinese and Korean VRMMO players, frozen white. They looked to be carved from glass; roses exuding a transparent azure.

Blooming proudly, the large-petaled roses began to disperse silver particles from their bulbs. Asuna instinctively knew that they were pure Life Resources ─ the players’ HP.

These players who not ten minutes ago had been blazing with rage and ready to massacre each other, were one by one, as though they were simply asleep, wrapped in a column of light and vanished. There was no pain or suffering whatsoever; it could be said that they were being force-logged out in the most tranquil way imaginable.

The seeds of hate that PoH wanted to plant within the hearts of the Chinese and Korean players should not sprout anymore.

“Motherfucker… Don’t fuck with me…!”

The reaper cursed, his vile plot foiled, but he immediately regained his complacent smile and raised the immense Mate Chopper in his right hand.

Seeing PoH’s movements, Asuna realized what he was planning.

This battlefield was currently filled with Life Resources released by the innumerable blue roses ─ in Underworld terms, the air was thick with Sacred Power. PoH was plotting to claim it for himself with his Mate Chopper, using its ability to absorb Resources.

“Kirito-kun…!”

Dazed and trembling, Asuna called out the name of her beloved.

Just by absorbing the lives of the Japanese players killed in the recent battle, almost 2000 people, PoH’s cleaver had swelled to thrice its size, displaying a power even exceeding that of Stacia’s GM equipment. If it were to absorb ten times that, the lives of 20000 people, PoH would become a true demon… No, he would become Satan himself. If Kirito could not take action while he was using a large-scale Art, then Asuna had to help him─

But, just as she urged on her paralyzed feet in an attempt to stand.

It’s all right… Look.

She thought it had gone, but Yuuki’s voice blew past her ear once more like a soft breeze.

Then Asuna noticed it. Silver light amassing in midair like many sinews of ribbon, completely ignoring PoH’s Mate Chopper. No matter how the reaper brandished his demon sword, the light showed no signs of approaching it.

Again came the faint voice.

You said it yourself, Asuna. Life carries and passes on your spirit.

These people gathered from all the countries in this world don’t really want to kill each other.

Everyone has the same wish. To head for a thrilling, exciting world… a beautiful, happy, and joyful world like the fairy kingdom where I met you, Asuna… That’s it, really.

“…Yup. That’s right, Yuuki.”

Asuna’s inaudible murmur seemed to become the turning point for what happened next.

Kirito kept the fully restored white sword raised high, then brought the black sword in his right hand straight above as well.

The rotating black cloud summoned by PoH spun backwards while expanding. A ray of golden sunlight peeked through a sliver of blue sky in the direct center, making the body of the black sword gleam like dark crystal.

“Release recollection.“

Almost reflectively this time, Kirito incanted the same command from before.

At that very moment─

The countless silver ribbons slowly undulating about the sky above the battlefield seemed to blend together, becoming absorbed into the black sword.

“Suck!!“

Cursing in English, PoH brandished the Mate Chopper in apparent defiance to Kirito. But the ribbons seemed to act of their own accord, evading the demon sword and continuously melding with Kirito’s sword.

“…Eugeo-senpai told me before. Kirito-senpai’s black sword was originally a huge cedar tree that grew at the northern edge of the Human Empire.” Tiese said in a trembling voice from behind Asuna. Immediately, Sortiliena nodded as though she had understood.

“I see… That’s why it has the ability to absorb Sacred Power…”

As her words blended with Yuuki’s murmurs just now in Asuna’s head, Asuna finally realized the meaning behind the events unfolding before her eyes.

Even if Kirito’s black sword had the ability to absorb Resources, why was PoH’s Mate Chopper unable to completely absorb the Resources released by the blue roses, since it had the same ability? It was because the cleaver’s true ability was not to «absorb life», but to «absorb death».

PoH had said it himself. The more players… The more people Mate Chopper killed, the stronger a weapon it would become. If its wielder’s imagination was granting the demon sword the ability to absorb Resources, then even if it could absorb the «Death Resources» released from the gruesome murders, it would not be able to absorb the «Life Resources», which, with the help of the white sword, could be released without the need for death.

However, Kirito’s black sword was different. Since it was originally a tree surviving off the power of the earth and sun, then both sword and wielder should have imagination powerful enough to absorb life.

The white sword in his left hand froze a wide range of targets and released their life into the air.

The black sword in his right hand absorbed the life from the surrounding air and converted it into energy.

It was an extremely simple, yet consequently peerlessly powerful synergy. The perfect pairing. The best partnership.

As it absorbed an astronomical number of ribbons, the black sword began to gleam gold at its center. Resources flowed through the hilt of the sword into Kirito’s hand.

Kirito’s body began to restore from bone-thinness to its original muscular form at a blinding rate. The rebirth was not limited to his body; even his black shirt, riddled with tears from the fierce battle, regenerated instantly; fingerless gloves wrapped themselves around his hands and his feet were covered by riveted boots.

Rays of light continued to reach over his shoulders onto his arms and descend onto his back, and a moment later, materialized into lustrous black leather. It was his trademark long coat from the SAO era. As the violently flapping hem settled, the two sword sheaths that had landed far away flew over and installed themselves on his back in a criss-cross pattern.

“……… Kirito… kun………”

A plethora of emotions welling up in her heart, Asuna beheld through teary eyes the fully revived form of the «Black Swordsman» Kirito with his two swords raised high. Glittering liquid flowed down Sortliena’s cheeks on her right, and Ronye’s on her left. Faint sobs from Tiese came from behind her.

Seconds later, having absorbed all of the life ribbons, Kirito slowly lowered both swords.

Most of the Chinese and Korean players cramming the battlefield full had been logged out. Asuna turned her head and sent a thankful gaze to the crimson knight helping Klein. Right afterwards, he too disappeared, and a barren silence enveloped the wilderness, giving one the impression that the multiple fierce battles in rapid succession had been nothing but a dream.

The only things audible were the dry wheeze of wind, and the cling, cling of hot metal rubbing against itself. The source of the noise was the black sword, concentrated with an astronomical amount of energy and brimming with a golden aura.

Finally giving up on absorbing Resources, PoH lowered his Mate Chopper in silence.

His chest was still perforated by the large hole that Asuna’s OSS Mother’s Rosary had hit him directly with. When the Resources remaining in his demon sword were exhausted, PoH’s life would end.

Even though he clearly ought to understand this, the reaper no longer let fly curses, instead standing silently. But he seemed not to acknowledge defeat at all; the bitter chill emanating from his entire body stung Asuna’s skin even as she merely watched from far away.

Deep within the hood, lips that curved into a lopsided grin began to move slightly.

“You really are the best, Kirito. You are the first and last guy I’ve wanted to kill so much of my own will. It really is a shame that we have to end it here, but there won’t ever be an occasion better than this…”

Smoothly readying the cleaver in his right hand, he put forward his left. Then, as though he were displaying the «Laughing Coffin» tattoo on the back of his hand, he beckoned with slender fingers.

“…Now, shall we properly enjoy ourselves, Black Swordsman?”

Faced with tempting words that seemed to be the ultimate concentration of evil, Kirito replied simply:

“Yeah, let’s end it all.”

He parted his feet, lowered his waist, and adopted a posture with his white sword in front and black sword behind.

Combative energy erupted from both of them at explosive speed, discharging violent sparks where they clashed in between.

Just as both of them had said: the next blow would end it all. With that premonition, Asuna watched with bated breath, eyes open as fully as possible.

A parched breeze rustled by; the Black Swordsman and the dark reaper moved at the same time.

Held aloft, PoH’s Mate Chopper was engulfed with viscous, reddish-black light. Next second, the reaper was running at blinding speed and split into three separate bodies. It was a Sword Skill of which Asuna had no knowledge.

Opposite, the sword in Kirito’s right hand remained pointed downward, while the white sword in his left hand took on a crimson gleam. This was a single-handed Sword Skill for the longsword: «Deadly Sins».

PoH’s slashes from left, right, and center were intercepted by Kirito’s combo attack. Every clash of giant blood-red cleaver and ruby-gleaming black longsword caused powerful tremors in the ground and the air.

The three PoHs struck twice for a total of six attacks; then the flanking clones vanished. Now alone, the original brought the thick blade thundering down from overhead. Kirito blocked the strike with a left diagonal slash, creating an impact akin to a detonating bomb.

«Deadly Sins» was a seven-hit combo attack. As the skill ended, Kirito was locked into a rigid state. If PoH had another attack coming, then Kirito would not be able to block it.

The blowback from his deflected overhead strike billowed the reaper’s hood, revealing for the first time since the SAO era his true face underneath.

That not-quite-Japanese, sharply defined face split into an savage grin — once more, PoH readied his giant cleaver, twisted with a reddish-black aura, ready to roar towards Kirito’s chest. The eighth hit.

But in that instant.

The black sword in Kirito’s right grip swelled anew with deep crimson light. A flamelike crimson deeper, hotter than the lighting effects of «Deadly Sins».

Breaking free of what ought to have been a second-long rigid time, the black sword let loose a lightning-fast stab. Activating multiple one-handed Sword Skills with one’s left and right hands was a special move that only Kirito alone was capable of — «Skill Connect».

With the thunderous, metallic roar of an external combustion engine, the single-shot heavy attack «Vorpal Strike» collided fiercely with the supposed last attack of PoH’s eight clone combo.

The strongest shockwave yet ripped through the ground in a radial pattern of cracks. A gale of sand and hot air blew past, but Asuna merely squinted slightly, intent on watching the final result of the duel.

When the wind settled, she could see the two of them immobile, black sword and giant red cleaver in hand, blade tips touching.

The fight was not over. Each of them had concentrated an enormous amount of energy onto an infinitesimal point, trying with all of their might to push back the other’s attack.

If one were merely comparing the amount of resources stored in their weapons, then Kirito’s black sword having absorbed the lives of 20000 people, far exceeded PoH’s Mate Chopper without question. But the situation was not that simple. In this world, imagination… «Incarnation», as the knights called it, bore with it the possibility to overturn any numerical specifications.

PoH’s Incarnation was exceedingly simple, and was extremely strong for that reason. To murder… Bent on filling the world with discord and distrust, the reaper waged war with hostility and malice.

What was Kirito fighting for, then?

He had lost a special friend in this world. There had been external factors as well, but he had tasted enough grief to render him unconscious for half a year. Yet now he was standing up, gripping his longsword. What kind of Incarnation had given him such power…?

Asuna could not articulate the answer, but she did not see the need to do so. Kirito had shouldered much in his continuous battle until today. Whether in the old SAO, ALO, or GGO. And this moment was no different.

Bewilderment, pain, and grief could become strength. Tears could be transformed into light. That light would never lose to PoH’s darkness.

Isn’t that right?… Kirito-kun.

Asuna did not know whether her prayer reached Kirito, but in the next moment, a faint yet resolute sound was heard.

Crack.

PoH’s demon sword, the lethal weapon «Mate Chopper» that existed only for humans to murder other humans, began to split from tip to hilt like a crimson lightning bolt.

Next, the giant cleaver burst into innumerable pieces and scattered in all directions—.

Together with the sword, Kirito’s Vorpal Strike blew PoH’s right hand to smithereens, and continue to thrust forward more than five meters.

As a second gale stole away her vision, Asuna could not resist standing up. Tiese and the others beside her, along with Klein, Silica, Lisbeth, and all of the others who were released from bondage stood up as well.

At last, the dust cloud dissipated, and the tightly interwound figures of the two SAO players came into view.

Weaponless, PoH’s limbs hung uselessly as Kirito’s black sword plunged deeply into his chest. But since Asuna had blown a large hole there already, no fresh damage was dealt to his body.

Perhaps from the severance of the Mate Chopper’s resource supply, blood splattered from his mouth and the hole in his chest, but PoH’s confident smile remained wide.

“…Expected nothing less, that’s what I’m talking about. But… this ain’t the end. Even if you log out from this world, I will appear before you all, again and again. It doesn’t matter how many times I do it before I slit the throats and tear out the hearts of you and the «Flash»…”

Faced with this curse of a declaration.

Kirito’s calm reply seemed almost emotionless.

“No, this is the end. You will not log out from Underworld.”

Next second, the black sword emitted an instant flash of light.

Then, Kirito slowly extracted the sword from PoH’s chest and took a few steps backward.

Even without support, PoH did not fall. A gruesome smile was still plastered on his face as he seemed to want to say something.

But his gaping mouth froze with a squeak.

His arms and legs as well. Frozen in awkward positions, his limbs squeaked and creaked as they changed texture. Shining black leather became finely cracked fibrous material. Metallic rivets became swollen lumps.

Kirito spoke again to the bizarrely transfiguring reaper:

“…This sword was once a great cedar tree that the people of Rulid Village called the «demon cedar». The villagers’ axes couldn’t cut it down for 200 years. And now, this «sword’s memories» have flowed into your body.”

Just as he said, more than half of PoH’s body surface had transformed into tree bark, as black as charcoal. His feet fused together and began to sprout roots into the ground; his two hands twisted into twigs bent at queer angles; his hair was lengthening into sharp leaves… nothing was left of his eyes and mouth except for three tiny consecutive holes.

“When they find out that the Chinese and Korean players have logged out, your buddies are probably going to start the time acceleration again. I don’t know how many years will go by before they take you out of the STL… or how many tens of years, so I would pray for a smaller number if I were you. If some settlers build a village near here, maybe some axe-wielding kids will come cut you down.”

He did not know whether PoH had consciously heard him. The object before Kirito was no longer human, but a grotesque, two-meter tall cedar tree.

After gazing at it for a while, Kirito turned away from the tree and looked first towards Asuna and the others. He smiled slightly, nodded, then looked towards the wounded Japanese and Underworld residents.

Then, once more his right hand raised high the black sword, some golden light still remaining within—

“System call. Transfer durability, right to area.”

Vsssshhhh…

A faint, but ubiquitous sound filled the battlefield.

It started to rain.

Resources bursting from the sword materialized in midair, then fell back down as a soft rain of light. It was healing the bodies of the maimed, exhausted Japanese players lying on the ground, and the Guardians of the Human Empire Defense Army, enervated by continuous battle.

Perhaps, their spirit was being healed too—

Expending the last of their stored Resources, Kirito quietly inserted the black and white swords back into their hilts on his back.

Within the all-healing rain of light, Asuna did nothing but look fixedly upon the swordsman in black, taking step after definite step towards her.

She did not make a move, nor did she open her mouth to talk to him. She felt as though as soon as she said something, it would all become an illusion. So all Asuna did was keep her eyes firmly open, a slight smile on her lips, waiting.

Walking forward in her place was Klein.

His severed left arm and pierced body were completely healed, but the katana-wielder still clutched his chest in apparent pain, then hobbled forward.

“Kirito… Oh, Kirito.”

His normally lively voice carried a hint of wetness.

“You always… You always have to steal the spotlight, you little..”

His voice was a barely a whimper.

The lanky katana-wielder seized the black dual-wielder’s shoulders, and pressed his bandanna-less forehead to his chest. His back quaked, racking with thick sobs.

“Uhhh… Uhhhhhhhh….”

Kirito wrapped his arms around his weeping friend. His eyes were shut tight and teeth firmly clenched, and there was something glistening on his face as well.

“…Senpai.”

Ronye muttered from beside Asuna, then jumped up and broke into a run. Droplets flying from her eyes as she ran, she collided with Kirito’s right shoulder. Sortiliena was close behind.

Agil’s eyes were wet too. Lisbeth and Silica were embracing each other in hysterics. From the crowd of Japanese players gathering around them — the faces of ALO leaders Sakuya, Alicia, and Eugene, Siune and Jun of the Sleeping Knights, and numerous others were flowing with droplets of mixed rain and tears.

The Guardians and Ascetics of the Human Empire army watching from afar were red-eyed as well. All of them sank to their knees, heads deeply bowed and right fists pressed to their chests.

“……Ever since I first saw you, I knew. That person, and his two swords, will save us all.”

A calm voice suddenly came from behind.

Asuna turned to look and saw Renri the young knight, accompanied behind by his dragon. Both had been almost fatally injured, but the only wounds left now were the scratches on their armor.

Asuna’s chest was full; she was only able to nod once or twice. Renri returned her nod and walked to Tiese, who was still knelt on the ground, and sat down beside her.

Another sweeping look around them revealed that more than 20000 Chinese and Korean VRMMO players had vanished without a trace.

Once the attackers realize that they had logged out, they would cease their tactic of bringing in reinforcements from the real world and turn the time acceleration back up to maximum. By then, Klein and the others who had logged in via AmuSphere would be automatically disconnected.

Seemingly realizing this, Kirito patted Klein on the shoulders and moved away, then cast a look upon the surrounding Japanese players.

He bowed his head deeply towards them, and spoke:

“Thank you… everyone. I will make the most of the emotions, the blood, and sweat that you all have spilled for me. Really, thank you.”

Yes—

The battle was not yet over.

Although their arch-enemy PoH, along with the American, Chinese, and Korean attackers had been eliminated, the enemy mastermind Emperor Vector was still in this world. Having kidnapped the fruit of Project Alicization — Integrity Knight Alice, at this very moment he was flying far south towards the «World End Altar».

Asuna inhaled a deep breath, then stood up at last.

Beset by a hundred different emotions all at once, she passed through various players standing stock still, stepping gradually towards Kirito.

Kirito looked up, gazing straight at her.

In an instant, a wave of irrepressible emotion gushed up within her, and she stopped breathing.

Now. She wanted nothing more than to fly into her lover’s embrace. To howl like a little girl, to release all of her repressed emotion.

But Asuna suppressed her overflowing feelings with all of her might, and announced what was on her mind.

“Kirito-kun… Emperor Vector, he took Alice-san—”

“Yeah. I have some hazy memories of the situation.”

Kirito nodded with a stiff expression. Then he reached out his right hand.

“Let’s go save her. Please help me, Asuna.”

“………….”

She could not hold it in anymore.

Asuna trotted over, took his hand, and pressed it against her cheek.

Kirito’s left arm circled around her back and pulled her towards him.

It was only a moment’s embrace, but in that moment Asuna felt that their souls exchanged a great amount of information that which could not be expressed in words.

Kirito exchanged a close look with Asuna, nodded, then turned his eyes towards the southern sky.

He raised his right hand in that direction. His five fingers moved, seemingly searching for something.

“……Found them.”

“Huh…?”

Asuna blinked, but Kirito did not reply; he simply revealed a hint of a smile.

Surveying the crowd once more, Kirito gently patted Klein’s shoulders and Ronye’s head before saying:

“Well, here we go.”

And then—

***

And then Lisbeth watched as Kirito and Asuna were enveloped in bright green light and took flight at extraordinary speed towards the south.

She blinked her wide eyes a few times, then dragged out a long sigh.

“Good grief… Always going too far. Or maybe I should just call him reckless…”

Silica chuckled from aside.

Klein clapped his hands together loudly and bellowed.

“Wait one minute, goddammit… Is that bastard ******? Isn’t he unstoppable now? Goddammit, he always steals the show…”

The katana-wielder groused, his cheeks shining with renewed tears, uttering the name of the male protagonist from a very old manga. To him, Kirito must have always been that kind of person he had been enamored with, ever since they had first met in Aincrad. An unstoppable, absolute, eternal hero.

─And he’s the same to me.

Lisbeth turned her own tear-stained face towards the southern sky.

To burn this world into her memory, this world that they would log out of soon, that they might not ever return to.

And to convey the message to the many players who were disconnected in agony and humiliation, that our efforts were not in vain.

References
1. Kawahara made a typo and wrote “Seventh Day”. It’s been corrected here.

2. Korean, “stop”.

3. Korean, “traitor”.

4. Korean, “demon”.