Everyone, attack!
End of the World
How many did we lose?
Fourteen people.
You're kidding.
We still have 25 floors left.
Will we even be able to reach the top?
Kirito-kun?
Kirito-kun, what are you—
You're an Immortal Object?
What's the meaning of this, Commander?
The game's system ensures that his HP bar will never turn yellow, no matter what happens.
I've been wondering about something ever since I came to this world.
About from where that man is observing us and administering this world.
However, I had forgotten a simple truth.
It's something any kid knows.
There's nothing more boring than watching someone else play an RPG.
Isn't that right, Kayaba Akihiko?
I am very interested in how you figured it out. Could you tell me?
I first became suspicious when we had that duel.
You were impossibly fast in that last moment.
I should have known.
I deeply regret having done that.
I was overwhelmed by your attacks, so I used the system's over-assist mode.
Yes, I am Kayaba Akihiko.
I was supposed to be the final boss, the one waiting for you on the top floor.
I can't say I'm a fan of the idea.
So the strongest player is revealed to be the big, bad final boss?
Don't you think it's a great scenario?
I had imagined that you'd be the one who'd stand before me in the end.
The Dual Wield skill would be given only to the player with the fastest reaction time.
That player was supposed to be the hero who faces the demon king.
But your strength surpassed my expectations.
Well, I guess unexpected developments like these are why we play MMORPGs.
You took our loyalty, our hopes, and...
How dare...
How dare you...
How dare you?!
Paralysis?
Kirito-kun...
What are you doing?
Are you planning on killing everyone here to hide the truth?
Of course not.
I'd never do something so unreasonable.
Since it has come to this, I'll be waiting for you all in the Ruby Palace on the top floor.
I hate to part ways with my well-trained Knights of Blood and the other front-liners this early,
but I'm sure you will all manage to reach me.
But before I leave...
Kirito-kun, I must reward you for figuring out my true identity.
I'll give you a chance.
A chance?
A chance to fight me one on one.
Of course, I'll deactivate my immortality.
If you win, the game will be cleared, and every player will be able to log out.
What do you say?
Don't, Kirito-kun!
You... you have to refuse him for now!
Screw it.
Fine, let's settle this.
Kirito-kun!
Sorry, I can't run away from this.
You aren't going to die, are you?
No, I'm going to win.
I'll win and put an end to this world.
Okay.
I believe in you, Kirito-kun.
Kirito, don't!
Kirito!
Agil.
Thank you for all the support you've given to swordsman-class players.
I knew that you invested almost everything you earned into training players on the middle floors.
Klein.
I'm...
I'm sorry for leaving you behind.
D-Damn it, Kirito!
Why the hell are you apologizing?
Don't you apologize for anything right now!
I won't forgive you!
I won't forgive you if you don't treat me to a meal in the real world!
You got it.
In the real world.
Sorry, I have one request.
What is it?
I don't intend to lose easily, but if I die here...
I want you to ensure Asuna can't commit suicide, at least for a while.
Very well.
Kirito-kun, no!
You can't...
You can't do that!
Kirito-kun!
This is no duel.
It's a deathmatch.
That's right.
I will kill this man!
He's the one who designed the Dual Wield skill.
He knows all of the combo moves that can be generated by the system.
I must avoid using sword skills and use my own strength to defeat him!
Faster!
I need to be faster!
Sorry, Asuna.
Please live on!
Farewell, Kirito-kun.
No way...
Asuna, you...
You...
I'm sorry.
Goodbye.
What a surprise.
I don't remember creating a way to negate paralysis on your own.
I guess these things happen sometimes.
This is it...
I believe in you, Kirito-kun.
Not yet...
Not yet!
Will this do?
As of November 7th, 2:55 PM, the game has been cleared.
The game has been cleared.
Where am I?
Executing Final Phase
Kirito-kun.
Sorry.
I guess I died too.
Idiot.
So... where are we?
Quite a view, don't you think?
Kayaba Akihiko.
Right now, at the SAO mainframe located five floors below Argus's corporate headquarters,
all the data is being erased from the memory drives.
Everything in this world will be destroyed in about 10 minutes.
What happened to the people still in the game?
There's no need to worry.
Just a moment ago, all 6,147 surviving players were logged out.
Executing Final Phase
And the ones who died?
What happened to the four thousand that died?
They will never regain consciousnesses.
The dead disappear, no matter what world.
Why?
Why did you do this?
"Why," you ask?
I forgot that a long time ago.
Why indeed...
When I started developing the Full-Dive environment—
No, it was long before that.
I wanted nothing more than to create that castle,
a different world transcending the laws and boundaries of the real world.
And now I've lived to see someone transcend the laws of my own world.
I wonder how young I was when I started obsessing over a steel castle floating in the sky.
I wanted to fly up and reach that castle.
That was all I ever desired for the longest time.
You see, Kirito-kun...
I still believe that the castle exists in some other world.
Yeah, I hope so too.
Oh, I forgot.
Congratulations on clearing the game, Kirito-kun, Asuna-kun.
It's time for me to go.
I guess it's time to say goodbye.
No, it isn't.
We're going to disappear as one.
That's why we will always be together.
But before that, can you tell me your name?
Your real name.
Kirigaya.
Kirigaya Kazuto.
I think I turned sixteen last month.
Kirigaya Kazuto-kun?
So you are younger than me!
I'm Yuuki Asuna.
I'm seventeen.
Yuuki... Asuna.
Yuuki Asuna.
Sorry...
I'm sorry!
I promised to send you back to the real world...
But I... I...
It's fine.
It's all right.
I was happy.
Meeting and living together with you was the happiest time of my life, Kazuto-kun!
Thank you.
I love you.
I love...
I love you.
Asuna...