I can remember the events of that day two years ago with absolute clarity, like a film reel playing before my eyes.
"You cannot log out on your own. Furthermore, any attempt to destroy or remove the NerveGear is impossible."
"The moment your HP reaches zero, your virtual avatar will vanish forever. Simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain."
"I created this world—I created Sword Art Online—for one purpose alone: to build a world of my own and observe it. Now, everything I desired has come to pass."
That man stated his goal was to "observe this world." He wanted a high vantage point from which to look down, watching ten thousand players risk their lives in the miniature garden he built with his own hands. Indeed, since that day, the self-proclaimed creator of this world never attempted to communicate with us. Not once did we feel him directly interfering in the world's affairs. This meant that for the past two years, he had been watching quietly—perhaps sipping a fine drink while he followed our struggle.
However, Sword Art Online is not just a monotonous game of defeating bosses and climbing floors. Its vast fields, intricate dungeons, and hidden corners clearly show the developer's passion and deliberate attention to the smallest details. He poured his heart and soul into this world.
Had we acted like machines—grinding levels and clearing dungeons without a second glance at side quests or hidden crypts—and had we adopted the logic that since we wouldn't starve, we should settle for the simplest meals to save money for gear, how would he have felt? How would it feel to see the world he painstakingly built explored through such a narrow lens? Would he have appeared again in those red robes to politely tell us to "enjoy this world more"?
Regardless, I don't intend to ask him for those answers; I have no need for them. The question of Akihiko Kayaba's whereabouts and his actions over these two years has finally been answered. He stands right before me.
"Tell me, for my own reference—how did you realize the truth?"
Standing among the survivors of the Seventy-Fifth Floor Boss battle, Kirito and I faced the Holy Paladin in red armor.
"The first sense of unease hit me during our duel. In the final moment—specifically that moment—your movement was far too fast. It defied logic."
"Hmm... but I find that a somewhat weak reason to launch a direct attack on me."
"No, I had conclusive evidence."
I took over for Kirito, confronting the man with the greatest contradictions I felt during the last battle.
"Actually, I could have barely convinced myself regarding your movement against Kirito. I could have assumed the 'Holy Sword' skill granted you a passive like 'Instant Guard Recovery.' But you made two fatal mistakes. First, in your duel with me, you dodged my final strike rather than blocking it. If 'Holy Sword' gave you that much durability alongside supernatural evasion, it would be completely unbalanced. No matter how powerful 'Unique Skills' are, I don't believe Sword Art Online—which is built on a core principle of fairness—would allow a skill that breaks the game's balance so blatantly. Well, perhaps that was just a guess mixed with wishful thinking."
"... and the second mistake?"
"That's simple. In the battle we just fought, you didn't use that insane speed you showed before. Had you used it, you could have tracked the Boss's movements at the start of the fight, and perhaps minimized the casualties. A person doesn't hold back like that in a life-or-death situation unless they already know the enemy's full capabilities."
"I see... I considered that a regrettable slip on my part. It seems I underestimated your intelligence. You should be proud of cornering me and forcing me to use 'System Over-Ride' to correct my movements."
A wave of noise and confusion erupted among the players as they heard these strange technical terms. Heathcliff looked at the surrounding players, then confidently revealed his true identity.
"Indeed, I am Akihiko Kayaba. And if you require further clarification, I am also the Final Boss of this game, who was supposed to wait for you on the top floor."
With Heathcliff's—or Kayaba's—words, the doubts lingering in the air solidified into a shocking certainty.
"... Your taste in roles isn't exactly great. To think the man who was supposed to be one of the three pillars of hope for the Clearing Group—the strongest pillar among us—is actually the most evil and lethal Final Boss."
"Isn't it a fine dramatic plot? I planned to reveal my identity when the Clearing Group reached the Ninety-Fifth Floor... but I didn't expect to be exposed this early. I've considered you both 'irregular elements' for a while, but I never imagined you would come this far. Especially you, Mitsuki—standing before me in this form is entirely outside my predictions. You exceed Kirito in being an element that breaks all probabilities."
"... What do you mean by that?"
"Originally, the one meant to face me at the end was the swordsman with the 'Dual Blades' skill. With that skill, granted only to the player with the fastest reaction time, they were to play the role of the 'Hero' who defeats the Demon King. I expected either you or Kirito to be chosen. But when the cards were dealt, I never imagined a 'Double Spear' hero appearing to stand side-by-side with the 'Dual Blades' user."
Kirito and I frowned in confusion. We didn't fully grasp Kayaba's point. As the Game Master and creator of this world, everything here was made by his hand. The "Dual Blades" and "Double Spear" skills shouldn't have been outside his programming.
"Very well, let's verify my theory. Mitsuki, as long as your 'Double Spear' skill is equipped, the system's 'Auto-Accuracy Correction' never functions—is that correct?"
"... Yes, that's right."
"Your precision in hitting targets with Sword Skills using full manual control, without any system assistance, is truly impressive. Now for the next point... when you successfully dodge an enemy attack and launch a counter-attack within a specific window, you receive a massive Critical Hit bonus, don't you?"
"... Yes."
"That factor was the primary reason you could repel the Skull Reaper's scythe. By merging your counter-attack tactic with the extra Critical power, you changed the scythe's trajectory by striking its side. And finally... when you meet certain conditions, the Sword Skill you use—if it's a single-hit type—ends without the 'Post-Motion Delay' that prevents a player from moving for seconds after execution. Correct?"
"...!"
Kayaba took my silence as confirmation and began to laugh softly.
"Just as I thought. I didn't think that minor glitch I ignored back then would grow into such a magnificent entity."
"What are you talking about?! If you intend to waste our time with more nonsense, then──"
"I'll give you the summary—when I designed Sword Art Online, I don't recall ever putting a skill named 'Double Spear' into the game's rules."
Those words, spoken calmly after interrupting me, sent a violent shock through everyone in the hall.
"What nonsense...?! Then how does this skill exist? I shouldn't have even been able to use Sword Skills with it!"
"I will explain in order. On the day official service began, after you all finished the tutorial... I noticed a minor, unknown programming glitch in the system. This error was within the 'Infinite Spear' skill, one of the ten Unique Skills I designed."
Kayaba's story was hard to believe at first.
He had decided then that the glitch in the "Infinite Spear" skill wouldn't negatively impact game balance. Indeed, the Cardinal System responsible for maintaining the game reached the same conclusion. During the process of rebuilding the corrupted data, a strange transformation occurred. Kayaba described it as a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces fit together, but the images on top don't match. Through a series of coincidences, "Infinite Spear" became "Double Spear." Those powerful effects he mentioned earlier were merely remnants of the original "Infinite Spear" skill.
"Unique Skills were supposed to appear for eligible players gradually after the Ninetieth Floor, with the exception of 'Holy Sword' and 'Dual Blades.' I thought 'Infinite Spear'—or 'Double Spear'—would follow the same rule. But its appearance alongside 'Dual Blades' on the Fiftieth Floor was a major surprise. Therefore, you are a hero who was not supposed to exist in this scenario. At the same time, I can say you are the person I must be most wary of."
"Damn it... so what will you do? Will you strip the 'Double Spear' skill from me now? As the GM, you're certainly capable of it."
"Impossible—on the contrary, such unexpected developments are the heart of the fun in an MMORPG, don't you agree?"
"Stop this nonsense──"
Alice stepped forward, shouting those words and glaring directly at Kayaba. She drew her sword and pointed it at him.
"Akihiko Kayaba. If you are the Final Boss of this game, then combat is inevitable. This means defeating you here will free every player from this cruel world."
The other players took note of Alice's words, standing up one by one and readying their weapons.
"No matter how strong 'Holy Sword' is, you cannot stand against our numbers. We can surround you right here and force you to deactivate your Immortality through sheer force."
Kayaba seemed to understand Alice's intent, as he shrugged helplessly.
"Such violent words—they don't sound like they belong to a noble 'Princess Knight'."
"Shut up! Because of you... because of you, all of this happened!"
"── You mean because of me, he suffered deep wounds in his heart... is that it?"
"Ah──!!"
In the next instant, Alice raised her sword and dashed across the black floor with lightning speed. Her silver blade aimed for his neck—she lunged with such momentum that she didn't seem to care where she hit him as long as she struck home.
Kayaba didn't even try to raise his shield to block the raging knight. Instead, his left hand moved with the speed of a thunderbolt.
"Ah──?!"
Alice's body froze in a strange position, and she collapsed from her own momentum. A yellow icon appeared next to her HP bar as she groaned in pain—it was the Paralysis state.
"Alice!"
As I ran toward her, Kayaba was manipulating a GM window he opened with his left hand, casting Paralysis on the rest of the players. Although we appeared as equals on the surface, a vast chasm separated us from him in reality. As if to remind us of this fact, players began falling one after another—Klein, Agil, Sarnya—even Asuna was paralyzed. Only Kirito and I remained standing.
"... What do you plan to do? Will you kill everyone here to hide the truth?"
Kirito asked as he supported the fallen Asuna. Kayaba laughed softly.
"Rest assured, I won't do anything so unjust. Since things have come this far, there is no other way. I will await your arrival at the 'Ruby Palace' on the top floor. Although I don't wish to leave the Knights of the Blood Oath and the rest of the Clearing Group halfway after training them to face the monsters of the Ninetieth Floor and beyond... it's fine. I am confident you will eventually reach me. But before that──"
Kayaba slammed his cross shield into the ground with a resounding thud, then looked at Kirito and me with a challenging smile.
"Kirito, Mitsuki. I must grant you a reward for exposing my true identity. I will give you an opportunity."
"An opportunity...?"
"Yes. An opportunity to fight me right here, right now. Naturally, I will deactivate my Immortality. As Miss Alice said, if you defeat me here, the game ends, and all remaining players can exit this world in peace. What do you say?"
"... Do you think you can face both of us alone?"
"I am not that arrogant. If you attack me together, I will take appropriate measures to face you. System call: Generate enemy ID 'Graphite Edge'."
Through the voice command, a bluish-white light similar to a teleport effect appeared next to Kayaba. From within the light, a black shadow of a person standing quietly emerged.
The figure was covered entirely in black, with two red eyes visible behind a visor. Its general design suggested a robot-like appearance. Most strikingly, two sword hilts protruded upward from its back.
"I present to you── 'Graphite Edge.' He was meant to be the floor boss waiting for you on the Ninety-Ninth Floor. The plot dictated that two swordsmen using 'Dual Blades' would face each other in a man-to-man duel as a prelude to the Hundredth Floor, to determine who the true hero is. I believe he is a fitting opponent for the two of you, who didn't take a single step back against the Skull Reaper."
The Ninety-Ninth Floor... this entity represented the pinnacle of power among all monsters in Aincrad. Was it possible this human-shaped virtual shell hid a power none of us had ever even grazed?
"Now, what is your decision? If you choose to challenge us, I will modify Graphite's data. Thus, defeating him will be enough to end the game, just like defeating me. Two swordsmen using 'Dual Blades,' each knowing the other's style, against the 'Holy Sword' and the 'Double Spear'── the conditions are perfectly matched. Of course, you can retreat and postpone this battle until the Hundredth Floor. The choice is yours, and I will respect it."
"Don't do it... he intends to finish you here... retreat now──!"
Asuna's words made perfect sense. Even if the system's immortality was deactivated, this man possessed that terrifying ability to intervene in the system. Fighting here was not like a training duel protected by the system. In this situation, if he used that ability, we could receive fatal injuries that would lead to our actual deaths.
But!
Memories of the past two years flashed before my eyes like a rapid film reel—the terror and confusion at the start of this death game. The many players who fell halfway, leaving behind their last wishes and dreams. Those who violated souls and toyed with people's lives as if treading on the wills of the dead. Those who tremble from that hatred—and what manifested most clearly was the smile and tears of the most precious person to my heart.
All of this must end. This world, and everything in it. So that she can smile even a little, and so that her sadness might be lightened even by a small amount. I hope I can walk beside her in that future.
"... Stop this nonsense...!"
Kirito stood up, his voice raspy. I tried to stand as well; Alice, who had lost her ability to move, gripped the edge of my coat with a trembling hand.
"Stop... I'll fight instead of you! You── you shouldn't have to...!"
She put in a double effort to rise, but the high-level Paralysis cast by the GM was gnawing at her body mercilessly. No doubt she remembered my state when I was trembling alone back then. I wiped the tears streaming from her eyes, feeling immense gratitude for her feelings.
"... Thank you, Alice. But don't worry, I will fight."
"Mitsuki...!"
"This is the last time... I'll end everything here. And if it's over and you find me slipping back into frustration because of my unchanging nature, then please, reach out to me with your words then."
"Ah... I will never let you make a suicidal move that ends your life. And I will never let you lose... Swear to me now that you will definitely win...!"
"Who do you think you're talking to? I'm Alice's partner; remember that well. ── I will definitely win. We will win and all return to our original world."
I placed my hand over Alice's hand that was gripping my coat. As my feelings reached her through my touch, she quietly let go. I gently placed her limp hand beside her body, picked up my spear, and stood firm.
"Wait... stop, you fools!"
"Kiritoooo!"
"Mitsuki, stop this reckless behavior immediately!"
The cries of our companions, with whom we had spent so many days, tried to stop us as we advanced toward Kayaba. I thought for a moment and looked at Kayaba; he closed his eyes in silence—it seemed he would give us enough time to say our goodbyes.
Though I felt slightly resentful of this "generosity" from him, Kirito and I accepted it. We exchanged glances, and I nodded for him to go first. Kirito smiled faintly and began to speak.
"Agil. Thank you for all the support you gave to the warrior class. ── I knew you spent almost all your profits to develop players in the middle zones."
Then he turned his gaze to the fallen samurai beside him.
"Klein... I'm sorry I left you that day. I've regretted it this whole time..."
Since I felt the same as Kirito toward them, I spoke in turn.
"So, when you led the 'Fuurinkazan' guild and joined the Clearing Group, I was truly overjoyed. ... And when I heard you tried to help me along with Agil and the others back then... my happiness multiplied many times over. Truly, I am grateful to you."
"Damn it, Kirito... don't apologize now! I don't want to hear an apology at a time like this! And you too, Mitsuki! If you truly want to thank me, then pay for a luxury meal for me in the next world, or else... I will never forgive you!!"
"Yeah... we'll do that on the other side."
Then came my final turn—though my words to Klein were an intervention in Kirito's farewell, I would be the last to speak.
"Sarnya──"
"── I don't want to hear anything! I won't accept words that sound like a final wish, I...!"
"... I understand. Very well then── I will win, so watch us closely from there."
"Ah... I believe in you── please, never let those words be a lie...!"
Having said what we needed to, we faced Kayaba once more. He began operating the menu, marking "Final Boss" on Graphite standing beside him. Simultaneously, he adjusted the settings so that he himself could not be targeted. He then synchronized the four HP bars (ours and theirs) so that they matched the lowest value among us—my HP. The amount was right at the edge of the red zone. Given their levels, a single strong strike would be enough to end it all.
Finally, the system protection guarding Kayaba was deactivated, and a message appeared:
── Changed into Mortal Object ──
With that, all preparations were complete.
"── Don't die, Mitsuki."
Kirito whispered, keeping his eyes fixed forward.
"... Yeah. You too."
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