The long-awaited day of the duel had finally arrived. Collinia Stadium, the grandest arena on the 75th floor, was packed to the brim with spectators eager to witness the clash between two titans: Heathcliff, the undefeated leader of the Knights of the Blood, and the mysterious challenger, Shadow. The anticipation in the air was electric, as fans from all over the game world gathered to see the most epic fight in Aincrad's history.
Standing at the center of the arena was Sachi, the day's appointed anchor. Her voice echoed through the stadium, charged with excitement. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the greatest duel Aincrad has ever seen!" she announced. "Introducing first, the undefeated champion, the mighty Heathcliff!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as Heathcliff stepped into the arena, his imposing figure a beacon of strength. His signature shield and sword gleamed under the light, and his calm demeanor only heightened his aura of invincibility.
The crowd's roar was deafening, but as they waited for Shadow to appear, a hush of suspense fell over the stadium.
Sachi's voice rang out again, "And now, the challenger, Shadow!"
From the far side of the arena, a figure emerged from the shadows, stepping into the light. It was Kirito, disguised as Shadow. His hood was drawn low over his face, his black cloak billowing behind him. The silence from the crowd was palpable; few knew who this mysterious fighter was. Some jeered at him, throwing insults and discouraging words his way. Others simply stared, unsure what to make of this enigmatic figure.
Heathcliff, unaware of Shadow's true identity, stood at the ready. "Are you prepared?" he asked, his voice steady and unwavering.
Kirito, maintaining his disguise, nodded. "I'm ready."
As the countdown began, Kirito's thoughts flickered back to the hackers' plans. The safe zone had been deactivated, turning the once-secure stadium into a deadly battlefield. Heathcliff knew this, but the crowd remained blissfully ignorant of the danger surrounding them.
The duel began with a thunderous clash of metal as Kirito charged forward, his single sword meeting Heathcliff's shield with a resounding impact. The fight was fierce, with both fighters moving at breakneck speed. Each strike from Heathcliff was met with a swift parry or dodge from Kirito. The crowd, initially hesitant, began to stir with excitement as they realized this was no ordinary battle.
Minutes passed, and the duel's intensity only increased. Though Heathcliff held the advantage with his indomitable defense, Kirito's skill with the sword earned the respect of the audience. More and more, the people of Aincrad began to see Shadow as a worthy opponent.
As the ten-minute mark approached, Heathcliff's experience and strategy began to show. He pressed forward with powerful strikes, and Kirito's HP dropped to 50%. Sensing that the tide was turning, Kirito reached into his coat and drew his second sword—the familiar Dual Blades.
The crowd gasped in shock, and Heathcliff's eyes narrowed in realization. "Kirito?" he murmured under his breath.
The revelation sent a shockwave through the arena. Kirito's dual-blade technique was legendary, known only to a few who had witnessed it firsthand. Now fully revealed, Kirito fought with renewed vigor, his two swords flashing in the light as he unleashed a flurry of attacks. Heathcliff, though powerful, was visibly straining under the assault.
Just when Kirito seemed poised to expose Heathcliff's immortality, Heathcliff signaled with a grin. From above, Shino—masked and winged—appeared, descending like an angel of death.
In a flash, Shino unleashed a barrage of arrows, raining them down on the arena. The crowd gasped in horror as the realization dawned: Collinia was no longer a safe zone. People scrambled to escape, panic spreading through the stands.
Heathcliff raised his shield to protect himself, but Kirito was forced to dodge and deflect Shino's relentless attacks. The arrows struck the ground with deadly precision, but Kirito, with his incredible agility, managed to avoid most of them. However, the sheer force of the onslaught left him with minor injuries, though he remained standing—much to the shock of the crowd and his enemies alike.
Outside the stadium, the rest of Shadow Garden had launched their assault. Asuna, also masked, led the charge. With her newfound powers and enhanced abilities, she moved like a boss monster, cutting down Shadow Garden members with terrifying efficiency. Her strength was overwhelming, and it seemed like no one could stand against her.
But within the stadium, Kirito continued his fight. He leaped high into the air, attempting to strike down Shino, but Heathcliff intervened, blocking the attack and forcing Kirito back. The duel between Kirito and Heathcliff raged on, the two warriors matching each other blow for blow.
Meanwhile, Shino, frustrated by her inability to land a fatal shot on Kirito, turned her attention to the panicked audience. Arrows flew toward the fleeing players, and the terror in the stadium reached a fever pitch. People screamed, running for their lives as they realized the full extent of the danger.
At that moment, Shino spotted a familiar figure standing atop the stadium—the real Shadow. Her mind flashed back to the humiliation she had suffered in their last encounter, and her rage boiled over. Without hesitation, she attacked him.
Shadow welcomed her challenge with a smile. Their fight was swift and brutal, a dance of arrows and strikes that carried them beyond the stadium and into the city's buildings. But Shadow was ready. As the fight wore on, the God Butcher buff—a secret weapon created by the hackers to counter immortality—activated.
Suddenly, Shino's wings disappeared, her once-mighty powers failing her. In a desperate moment, Shadow sliced through her bow arm, severing it with a clean stroke. She fell to the ground, crippled and defeated.
As Shadow looked down from the building, Shino lay broken in the middle of the streets. She wanted to move but she couldn't. The red danger alert blurs her vision. Her HP is very close to zero. She laid back and began to remember the good ties she had with others. When she thought about the evil things she did to all of them she even started to think that she deserved to die. She closed her eyes and waited for Shadow to finish her off. But as time passed nothing was happening. She opened her eyes to see Klein standing in front of her. She was shocked.
Shino "Klein..... How..."
Klein " The hackers hacked my mind gear. They saved me."
Shino was happy for a split second but her doings came to mind after it. She looked down.
Shino "Go ahead. Finish it off."
Klein "I am not here to take my revenge. I am here to say thanks."
Shino "...."
Klein "Shino thanks for everything you have done for me. Back then you saved me and my friends from the monsters. That was the moment I fell in love with you. Then we get closer and closer. All that time meant so much to me. We had a great time together. So thank you very much for everything."
Shino looked surprised but she remained silent.
Shino "What are you waiting for? Finish me off..."
Klein "No, I am done with killing people. They will give you only sleepless nights."
Shino shouted, "Then are you here just to say thanks?"
Klein "Nope... There is one more thing that I want to say."
Shino "Go ahead spit it out."
Klein "Goodbye..."
Shino is shocked.
Klein " Let's end our relationship here and now."
Shino shocked. Tears started to form at the edge of her eyelids. "Wait..."
Klein "Before I leave, I have a request.... Please be a little more honest to yourself and others next time you get into a relationship." With that said Klein walked away.
Shino "Wait...Klein....." She was crying. She wanted to rush and apologize to him but the thoughts of her wrongdoings stopped her. She recognized that she didn't deserve him anymore. Regret filled her mind. Tears fell uncontrollably along her face. The sudden sense of loneliness filled the air. She slides down to the conclusion that she deserved all of it.
.......
Back in the city's outskirts, Asuna continued her rampage. Even after the God Butcher buff took effect, she remained an unstoppable force, cutting through her opponents with terrifying ease. But just as she was about to land the killing blow on Suguha, a shadowy figure emerged—Sachi.
With swift precision, Sachi backstabbed Asuna, the strike perfectly timed to stop her mid-attack. The surviving members of Shadow Garden seized the opportunity, swarming Asuna with blades from all sides. It was a brutal, unrelenting assault. One by one, they pierced her, covering her body with wounds. Finally, Keita stepped forward, delivering the fatal blow to her heart. "For… Silica," he whispered as Asuna's body fell to the ground.
Asuna lost the fight. She laid back hoping someone would finish her off. But nobody did.
Asuna " Finish me..."
Keita didn't.
Asuna shouted" What are you waiting for? Finish it."
Keita and others remain silent.
Then Sachi was about to thrust her spear into her heart. Just then Keita stopped her.
Sachi "Why are you stopping me? She killed Silica. She deserves to die."
Keita "That will only make you the same. Silica was indeed our best friend so is she. I won't let you make that mistake." Sachi's resistance dropped and she started to realize what Keita told her.
Asuna was shocked.
Keita turned to Asuna " We could kill you right now. But we won't. Do you know why?"
Asuna was shocked "...."
Keita "Because you are our friend too, Asuna." With that said he showed her a recorded video of Silica cheering for Asuna during the fight with Kirito. In another video, Kirito beat Silica in a training section and asked her why she was training so hard to which she replied that she wanted to fight with Asuna and prove herself that she was capable of standing beside her. The last video shows the members of the Moonlight black cats eating the cake Silica made for Asuna, while she is running around trying to get it back and claiming that she made it for Asuna.
Asuna's mind began to fill with regret.
Keita " Silica was very font of you. You were her role model. Every single day she was hoping to get stronger just to stand beside you. You let her die on your watch, Asuna. But I am dawn sure even at her final moments she was hoping that you would save her. But you never did."
Asuna mind filled with realization as she desperately remembered Silica's face during the last moments. Tears fell down her face. She was completely swallowed by sorrow and grief.
Asuna with a shaking voice" I... I..."
Keita "Does that hurt you more than the wounds that we gave you? I can read that from your face. But we are so sorry Asuna. This is what we intend to do with you. Your hands are stained with the blood of your best friend. You must live with this regret for the rest of your life."
Asuna cried heavily as she came to realize the depth of the sin she committed. Everyone else began to disperse leaving her all alone in the middle of the road.
........
Back in the stadium, the duel between Heathcliff and Kirito reached its climax. Both fighters were exhausted, their movements growing slower. Kirito, now down to just 10% HP, was on the verge of defeat. Heathcliff raised his sword for the final blow, but in a surprising twist, Kirito dropped his swords and switched to hand-to-hand combat.
The sudden change caught Heathcliff off guard. Kirito's punches and kicks came with a force he hadn't expected, and soon Heathcliff lost his weapon. Kirito unleashed a barrage of blows, driving Heathcliff to his knees.
In that moment, Heathcliff realized the truth. As a researcher, he had spent his life perfecting the virtual world of SAO, but now he understood the difference between theory and reality. Kirito's raw strength and martial skill had surpassed anything he could have anticipated.
With one final, decisive strike, Kirito retrieved his sword and delivered the killing blow, severing Heathcliff's head. The invincible leader of the Knights of the Blood was no more.
Kirito dropped to his knees, exhausted and battered. As he looked around, he saw the surviving members of Shadow Garden standing around him, their expressions filled with satisfaction. One by one, they began to glow, their bodies dissolving into light. Kirito closed his eyes, welcoming the peace that came with the end.
Slowly, the light engulfed him as well, and with a final breath, he disappeared into the blinding glow.