The Black Swordsman

Chapter 2: Asuna's Smile

2 Years. That's how long it took to beat the death game Sword Art Online. 2,457. That's the number of players, who were killed and had their brains fried because of the very same game. The number was over half of the players that were trapped in SAO at the very beginning when the game's creator, Akihiko Kayaba, made his chilling announcement.

In all honesty, it should have taken us longer to clear the game. During one of the boss raids, though, I made a shocking discovery. I had noticed that the Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, Heathcliff, was actually Akihiko Kayaba, himself. The only way I figured this out was that during the boss fight, I noticed that after his health reached the halfway point, it stopped moving when he was taking damage. He had set it so that his character was unable to lose more than half of his health which is how he became the most powerful and looked up to player in SAO. It wasn't hard work or skill...it was a cruel trick. Nothing more. All of the players that had participated in the raid were shocked, after learning the truth but, instead of shock, all I felt was anger. Anger and hatred. I then made the rash decision to challenge Heathcliff to a one-on-one fight. If I won, he would end the game early but if he won, then the best player in SAO would be gone. In hindsight, it was a completely selfish act. If I died, then all of the remaining players in the death game would be down an extremely powerful player and be forced to clear the game without me helping them. Plus, Asuna would be left all alone if I disappeared and I couldn't even imagine how it would affect her mentally. No, that's wrong. I did know how it would affect her but, in the moment, nothing else mattered to me except for wiping the shit eating grin off of Kayaba's face and making him pay for using all of the other players for nothing but entertainment.

Asuna was pissed at me...rightfully so but...just like the rest of the players other than me, Kayaba had paralyzed her so she could do nothing but lye there and watch me throw my life...no, our life away, for my own selfish reasons. If fought well when I clashed swords with the game's creator but of course, I was no match for Kayaba. Before Kayaba could cut me down, though, something unexplainable happened...it happened so quick, that there wasn't anything I could do but watch as Asuna took the hit from Kayaba's blade...a strike that was for me and me alone. The strike was so powerful that the only thing Asuna could say after getting hit was "sorry", before she shattered into tiny blue polygons right before my eyes. I, pathetically, attempted to gather all of the blue polygons while Kayaba watched over me with a sympathetic look on his face but the shit eating grin returned to his face. I'd never forget what he said next.

"How did she beat the poison status effect? Could her will have been that strong? Oh well, it's unpredictable moments like these that make MMORPGs so exhilarating, isn't that right, Kirito?"

The words were a reminder to me that all of the bullshit that all of the players had gone through...the loss of Asuna's life...it was nothing more than a game to that piece of shit. Instead of giving up, I picked up both of my swords and continued to fight Kayaba, this time fueled by nothing but rage and hatred as memories of Asuna and I's time with each other flowed through my head. As the memories grew more sentimental, my attacks only became fiercer. I thought I had the bastard beaten but right as I dealt the last blow on him, he also, stabbed me right through the chest with his giant, steel sword. As both of our eyes met, the shit eating grin on his face finally left and was replaced with a look of contempt and relief.

"Good job, Kirito. You and Asuna both...proved to be quite entertaining. Thank you for making my dream come true."

I thought that was it. How my life would end. A noble sacrifice that assisted in clearing the game of SAO, permanently, but, instead, next thing I knew, I was sitting on a platform, above the clouds of Aincrad, watching as the world of SAO crumbled before me. I didn't know why there were tears in my eyes as I watched the world that I had been a part of for almost 2 years turn into polygonal shards. Was it because I had grown accustomed to the beauty of the world...was it because whether I hated to admit it or not, I had actually enjoyed being part of the death game or was it because of the hole that I had in my heart from watching Asuna die in front of me? It was impossible to tell. The pain in my stomach was unbearable and so was the sadness. More than anything I wanted to...