Everyone, attack!
The End of the World
How many did we lose?
Fourteen died.
No way.
We still have twenty-five floors.
Will we really be able to reach the top?
Kirito-kun?
Kirito-kun, what are you...
"Immortal Object"?
Wh-What's going on, Commander?
The game ensures that his HP will never
fall into the yellow zone.
Something has always bothered me,
ever since I arrived here.
"Where does he hide while he watches us
and adjusts the world?"
But I'd forgotten a simple piece of psychology.
Something any kid knows.
There's nothing as boring
as watching someone else play an RPG.
Isn't that right, Kayaba Akihiko?
Would you be so kind as to tell me how you figured it out?
The first time I felt something was wrong was during the duel.
In that last instant, you were far too fast.
I suspected as much.
That was an unfortunate mistake.
You overpowered me to the point
that I needed to engage the system's over-assist mode.
Yes, I am Kayaba Akihiko.
And if I may add,
I am the game's final boss, who would have awaited you at the top floor.
That's pretty bad.
The strongest player betrays us to become the last boss?
Not a bad storyline, is it?
I always thought that you would be the one to stand before me at the end.
Dual-wielding is the skill given to the player
with the fastest reaction time, who will then act out
the part of the Hero that challenges the Demon King.
But your power exceeded my expectations.
Well, these unexpected events
are part of the fun of an MMORPG.
Our loyalty... Our hope...
How dare you... How dare you?
How dare you?!
Paralysis?
Kirito-kun...
What are you going to do?
Kill us all, and cover it up?
Of course not.
I wouldn't do anything so unfair.
Very well, then...
I shall await you on the top floor,
within the Ruby Palace.
I've put a lot of time into developing the Knights of the Blood Oath
and the other front line players,
so it's a shame I have to leave them partway.
However, I'm sure that with your power, you'll reach me eventually.
But first...
Kirito-kun, I must reward you for deducing my identity.
I shall give you a chance.
A chance?
The chance to fight me one-on-one.
Naturally, I'll deactivate my immortal status.
Defeat me, and you beat the game.
And all the players will be able to log out.
How about it?
No, Kirito-kun!
For now... For now, we should fall back.
Don't insult me.
That's fine.
Let's finish this.
Kirito-kun!
I'm sorry.
But I can't run away here.
You aren't going to die here, right?
No, I'm going to win.
I'm going to win and end this game.
All right.
I believe in you, Kirito-kun.
Kirito, don't!
Kirito!
Egil...
Thanks for helping to support the swordsman class.
I know you spent nearly all the money you made
helping the players during the middle zones to level.
Klein...
I really am sorry
for leaving you behind that day.
D-Damn it, Kirito!
Don't apologize...
Don't you dare apologize to me now!
I won't forgive you...
I won't forgive until you buy me a meal on the other side!
Got it.
See you on the other side.
I'm sorry, but I have a request.
What is it?
I don't plan on losing.
But if I die here,
I want you to make sure that Asuna can't kill herself, just for a little while.
Very well.
Kirito-kun, no!
You can't...
You can't do that!
Kirito-kun!
This isn't a duel...
We're fighting to kill.
That's right.
I'm going to kill him!
He was the one who designed the dual-wielding skill.
He'll be able to block all of the pre-programmed combos.
I have to defeat him with my own power,
without using the sword skills!
Faster!
I have to go faster!
I'm sorry, Asuna...
You, at least, need to live.
Farewell, Kirito-kun.
No, Asuna...
This can't...
This can't be...
I'm sorry.
Goodbye.
That was a surprise.
I don't believe I programmed a way to neutralize paralysis on your own.
I guess these things happen sometimes.
It's over now...
I believe in you, Kirito-kun.
Not yet...
Not yet!
Is this good enough?
As of 14:55, November 7,
the game has been cleared.
The game has been cleared.
Where am I?
Initiating Final Phase
Kirito-kun?
Sorry.
I died, too.
Dummy...
Where are we?
Quite a view.
Kayaba Akihiko...
The SAO mainframe, within the fifth-level basement
at my corporate headquarters, is deleting all
data on its storage devices.
In ten minutes or so,
everything in this world will vanish.
What about the people down there?
You needn't worry about them.
Just a moment ago,
the remaining 6,147 players were logged out.
What about the ones who died?
What about the 4,000 who died?
Their minds will never return.
In every world, once you die, you're gone.
Why...
Why did you do this?
Why, huh?
I forgot a long time ago.
I wonder why...
When I began developing the full-dive environment system...
No, long before that,
I dreamed of nothing
but creating that castle, a world that surpassed all our laws
and all our restrictions.
And now I have seen
someone surpass even my own world's laws...
How old must I have been,
when I was obsessed with the fantasy of a steel castle
that floated in the sky?
I wanted to leave the ground,
to fly to that castle.
For a long, long time, that was my only desire...
You know, Kirito-kun,
I still believe
that in some other world, that castle truly exists.
Yeah, I hope it does.
I forgot to say this.
Congratulations on winning the game,
Kirito-kun, Asuna-kun.
Now then, I must be going.
This is goodbye...
No...
No, it isn't.
We're going to disappear as one.
So we'll be together forever.
Before we do, tell me your name.
Your real name.
Kirigaya. Kirigaya Kazuto.
I think I turned sixteen last month.
Kirigaya Kazuto-kun...
You're younger than I am?
My name is Yuuki Asuna.
I'm seventeen.
Yuuki Asuna...
Yuuki Asuna.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
I promised I'd send you back to the other world...
But I... I...
It's okay.
I'm happy I was able to meet you, Kazuto-kun...
To live with you.
It's the happiest I've ever been in my life.
Thank you.
I love you.
I love...
I love you.
Asuna...
Next Time: Return