--- Akira ---
Kirito had already drawn his second sword, ready to give it his all.
Normally, people would have questioned why he was dual-wielding, but given the despair my words had already inflicted on everyone, they didn't even realize it.
It's not like I can't understand, though.
There had been hope before.
Kirito, while not the strongest, had something peculiar about him that people recognized.
He was a solo player who still managed to compete with the best players in here, earning their respect.
But now, the opponent was me, the one who had challenged Floor Bosses alone.
Most players were feeling hopelessness. But I didn't really care about them.
I never said everyone would die if Kirito lost.
It's mostly their misunderstanding.
All I need is...
Tasks:
Defeat Kirigaya Kazuto on the 75th Floor(0/1)
.
.
.
Although I could've simply used my administrator priviledge to achieve this task, I have no need to do something like that.
After all, I am confident in dealing with him.
No, it could even be said this whole fight was pointless.
Compared to Akihiko Kayaba who mostly relied on the System, I have never needed such a thing to progress in this game, and right now the situation will not change.
If there was someone who stood out from the crowd was... Asuna.
I didn't allow her to move, because I know she would put herself between us immediately.
There was no need for unnecessary drama.
Ironically, since she had opened up to me so much, I had a precise idea of the thoughts running through her head.
In the end, all I can say is that she's a foolish girl.
What use is there in putting so much trust in me?
Either way, since Kirito was ready to fight, I needed a weapon.
I could have called forth my spear, but before I could, I felt something.
It was a small calling from my consciousness.
'...Oh, right.'
How did I not think about this?
In this world, I can create whatever I want now.
As such, would I not be able to replicate my sword?
At least, that is what I thought.
But after trying my hardest, I came to the conclusion it just was not possible to even create a proper replica.
The sword in my consciousness is not special for no reason.
Today, I've learned this.
But even though the sword in my hand can't even be compared to a replica, it does not mean it's not powerful.
One characteristic the Cardinal System was able to replicate was the faint aura the sword exuded, an amalgamation of the talents and authorities that had fused with it.
Although it was nowhere near what I felt in my consciousness, it was still enough for me. Unlike the sword currently in my hands, the sword in my consciousness was not something I could hold, as it was stuck into the ground. This was a good opportunity to learn what kind of effects it would have when used in reality.
...If this can be called as such, that is.
Before we could fight though, Kirito interrupted me.
Weren't you ready to pounce on me?
"Why...are you doing this?"
Sigh.
Do I have any reason to explain?
Both Kirito and Asuna really can't stomach someone actually betraying them.
His words full of doubts made it clear.
He couldn't understand what could have pushed me to do this.
But even so, was it the priority when you're about to die? Seriously...
You should strike first, then ask questions later.
People would call you a third-rate MC if they could see you.
I mean, not that I was any different from any of them.
"Moreover, if you had administrator powers, was there even a need for me? Why hadn't you achieved your aims by dealing with him yourself?"
I smirked at his words, a touch of sarcasm in my tone. "If you want answers, Kirito, just force them out of me. Think you can?"
It wasn't arrogance, but absolute confidence.
If he wanted the truth, he'd have to make me spit it out—
Kirito's face twisted in anger. "Since you want to fight so badly, I'll give you what you want. And then I'll force you to explain."
I nodded, satisfied. Although I didn't directly say it, it was obvious that I wouldn't use any administrator powers.
I would fight Kirito with only the stats I had accumulated as a normal player.
[Status]
[Name: Haru]
[Level: 73(67%) ➔ 90(1%)]
[STR: 128 ➔ 158]
[AGI: 90 ➔ 111]
[Skills:
Spear(Lv. 462(10%)) ➔ (Lv. 702(26%)),
Threefold Piercer(Lv. 478(17%)) ➔ (Lv. 684(33%)),
Fighting Spirit(Lv. 442(23%)) ➔ (Lv. 647(77%)),
Burst Speed(Lv. 379(17%)) ➔ (Lv. 620(22%)),
Battle Healing((Lv. 120(70%) ➔ (Lv. 395(65%)),
Acrobatics((Lv. 82(64%) ➔ (Lv. 304(70%))
Spear Throwing((Lv. 39(72%) ➔ (Lv. 103(39%))
]
[Extra Skill:
Demonic Spear(Lv. 206(0%)) ➔ (Lv. 600(88%))]
[You have 2 ➔ 4 Skill Slots left]
Kirito lunged at me with his dual swords, both glowing as a skill was activated.
I blocked his first attack, feeling the impact reverberate through my arms.
His eyes narrowed. "Sword skills work on you?"
I was slightly offended by the question. "Of course they do. I'm not a piece of scum like Kayaba."
Well, props on you for not rushing into it mindlessly.
Kirito's expression hardened. "Fine then. [Starburst Stream]!"
He unleashed his strongest move, a 16-hit complex skill that only someone like him could use.
I smirked, recognizing the skill pattern not from the game, but from my memory as a novel reader. I apologized silently to him, swiftly countering his moves with my own.
Kirito's blades blurred, but I moved with precision, deflecting his strikes. He was relentless, but I held my ground.
Despite my efforts, Kirito's dual swords gave him an edge. He thrust forward with his right sword, and I couldn't fully protect against it.
My HP dropped slightly.
The crowd around us cheered for Kirito, seeing my HP bar dip just a little.
Kirito's rage was palpable as he stepped back. "Are you kidding me? You haven't used a single sword skill!"
I shrugged, "I'm actually a spear user. No way I could've learned sword skills in this game."
In fact, I don't think I can use sword skills even if I forced the System to give them to me, reason being..
[Your Talent, Sword, is watching this fight]
I was under the impression the System was useless in here, since it had fused with the Cardinal System after giving me the Trial Quest, but it doesn't seem like the sword cares about that.
Kirito's face reddened with anger, thinking I was mocking him. But that wasn't it at all. I was starting to understand even more how the sword truly worked. The aura it exuded, the weight in my hands—it was becoming clearer.
[Your Talent, Sword, is satisfied with the increased understanding]
[Awakening: 15.5% ➔ 17%]
Good.
Our blades clashed again, the sound of metal ringing through the air. Kirito's attacks were fierce, each strike aimed to break my defense.
But I met him blow for blow, every impact growing easier for me to parry, for some reason.
The players around us watched in awe, their earlier despair turning into hopeful cheers for Kirito. They wanted to believe he could win, that he could end this nightmare.
Kirito's left sword came at me in a horizontal slash, but I parried it away, stepping inside his guard. He spun, bringing his right sword down in a powerful overhead strike. I sidestepped, my blade moving in a fluid arc to counter his momentum.
To be able to execute this kind of skill flawlessly, spoke volumes of Kirito's ability.
He's not the protagonist of this world for no reason.
With a final clash, we both stepped back. Kirito's eyes were filled with frustration.
It must feel ridiculing to be dealt with in this manner, but really, who cares about that?
The crowd's cheers grew louder, a mix of hope and excitement. They believed in Kirito, now that he had shown he was able to actually stand against me.
Some even began questioning how he was executing sword skills with two swords, but those doubts were soon drown out.
Still, the fight was not over.
--- Yui ---
It seemed like Haru was successful.
I had been incredibly anxious about this. What if something went wrong? Even with Haru's incredible powers that defy reality, it didn't mean everything would work out just because of that.
The reason I now knew Haru had such powers was because of something that happened back when we were heading toward the Hidden Dungeon.
---
As expected, thanks to Haru's high level, we easily cleared all the monsters there like they were mere flies, reaching the Safe Room where the administrator console resided.
I was a bit doubtful about using that console. The moment he attempted to do anything to Sword Art Online's source code, the system's defense mechanism would activate, flagging both of us for deletion.
Of course, Haru was well aware of this danger.
Hehehe.
Not to brag, but he's my best student. I taught him everything I knew.
No human would be able to absorb all that knowledge in a few days!
After some time spent with him, I knew he wouldn't do anything that could potentially put him in danger.
When he touched the console, he gave me a reassuring smile,
"I won't let anything happen to us, so you don't have to worry about me. No, I'd rather prefer if you worried about yourself first"
It's nice to see someone worried about me, that's all.
I managed a smile, nodding in agreement.
Haru patted me on the head, a gentle gesture that always made me feel safe. "I'll start now," he said softly.
---
Author's Note:
Now we'll go a bit backwards and explain what happened, and how, before concluding the fight with Kirito.
I'm sorry if I didn't post for a few days, I was really busy :O