Klein was yelling how he’ll never forgive PoH, crawling towards him even as he was impaled by many weapons. PoH got tired of hearing Klein running his mouth off, and was about to order the Korean and Chinese players to kill them all. Teiza then sprung up from under Renri and tried to attack PoH. PoH dodged, with Teiza only managing to stab his cloak. PoH brought out ‘Mate Chopper’, the cursed blade that ignores all defence stats and armour, and then brought it down onto Teiza. Sparks flew, and PoH’s blade was deflected away from Teiza right before it smashed her head apart. PoH was interested in this outcome, and attacked several more times with the same result. Teiza wasn’t the one that deflected PoH; Ronie recognized the technique as an Incarnation Blade, the ability to attack with only your mind and not needing your weapons. It was one of the ultimate techniques of a Synthesis Knight. Asuna thought it can’t have been Renri, he was too far back… then she had a feeling who it might be, and turned her head towards him.
Asuna gave a exclamation, and now her tears are shed because of happiness instead of despair. Next to where PoH is, Kirito on the ground moved his right hand. His hand had regenerated, and a flash of light had flown out of that hand to intercept attacks. PoH noticed this as well, but only scornfully looked at Kirito instead of trying to stop him. Kirito’s left hand grabbed onto the Blue Rose sword, and he unsheathed the sword. The broken blade was also regenerated after a flash of blue light. Asuna croaked out Kirito’s name, and he shot up high into the air with everyone watching. He did multiple back flips, and when he landed he suddenly unsheathed his black sword. Kirito flourished both blades to the side, and then a even more apparent change begun to wash over him; Kirito’s black and dusty clothes became as good as new, and his emaciated body was restored to a muscular form. A black coat formed out of nowhere to cover Kirito, and his hair grew back to normal. The Japanese side, not just Asuna, gave an involuntary sob of happiness that Kirito, the Black Swordsman, Dual Wielder, is now back.
Kirito then turned to Asuna, and gave her a smile just like how she remembered he was. Asuna was overwhelmed with emotion that he’s back, and with that all her sadness and despair seemed to vanish and no longer feel the pain from countless wounds she had received. Asuna felt she could fight another 10,000 players with no problems in her current state. She did not move however, instead tried to record everything she is seeing now into her memories. Everyone else here was in a similar state, only able to look at this development.
The first person to break the silence was PoH. Acting like he had forgotten all about trying to kill Teiza earlier, PoH said now the ‘hero’ have finally woke up, and it would not have been good otherwise. Now PoH can finally have his scheduled scenario, breaking Kirito down himself. PoH planned to sever Kirito’s limbs, and then force Kirito to watch him completely wreck Asuna in ways that the morality code had forbidden him to do back in SAO.
PoH than gave the command for the rest of the players on his side to kill everyone, and focus on Kirito as he’s the culprit of ‘hacking the grassroot server’. Tens of thousands players roared, and then charged. The dozens of players close by raised their weapons and was on the verge of delivering the killing blow to the downed Japanese players. Even in the countdown to this tragedy Asuna had faith Kirito can get them out of this. Kirito casually twirled the white sword in his left hand, and embedded it into the ground. Then, he spoke softly:
“Release Recollection.”
The colour vanished from the world, a blue-white flash enveloped everything. A hemisphere of light originating from the Blue Rose sword covered everyone, even the 30,000+ players. The hatred and killing intent Asuna had felt from the masses has now vanished like it was never there. The light faded, Asuna breathed in a breath of cold and clear air, and then gasped. The world has frozen and turned white as far as they can see, with speck of frost floating in the air. Any breath they exhaled became like a white fog. All sound vanished, regardless of it being the almighty roar the players had, or their heavy footsteps as they charged. Asuna took her eyes off of Kirito, and looked her with Ronie and Lizbeth in her arms.
The Korean and Chinese players clad in black were all frozen, a 2cm thick layer of ice enveloped them. That were not all; vines made of ice grew up in a spiral from their legs, reaching all the way up to their heads. Buds grew at the players’ chests and heads, and then bloomed. Blue petals opened, showing these flowers to all be roses. Not even the blood red sunlight of Dark Territory can taint the beauty of these blue flowers. White sparkles began to be emitted out of the flowers, and a clear sweet scent filled the area. Ronie realized these are energy being emitted, and Asuna found these rose are draining the HP from the players and turning them into mana for the area. This garden of blue rose had sealed away the foreign players, and will drain them until they log out without any violence done to them.
Asuna was in awe of this sight – even if they gathered the power of all three Super Accounts logged in right now they wouldn’t be able to recreate this level of power. The people not frozen could only look on in this mournful yet beautiful scene. Asuna then noticed the flow of energy was acting up in one particular area, spiralling down and taking form in front of Teiza. It was a teenage boy, in a similar uniform to what Ronie and Teiza is wearing. Teiza’s expression changed immediately, and she sprang right his embrace as she said something that Asuna couldn’t hear. The teenager held Teiza tightly for a moment, whispering something into her ears. Then, the teenager turned to look at Kirito. Both of them nodded at each other, and then this teenager vanished. Teiza sank down onto her knees, knelt onto the blue-covered earth and sobbed quietly.
PoH ruined the moment by swearing loudly in English and asked Kirito just what the &@#$ did he do? He was the only one spared from being attacked by the ice. Kirito explained it was the ‘Complete Control of Weapons’ technique the Synthesis Knights have developed over 300 years, which PoH only understood it to mean cheating the system. PoH shouted for Kirito to just kill them all already, and Kirito replied that was not necessary. The blue roses will eject the players out of UW after their HP have been drained to 0. The pain, hatred, and conflict PoH hoped for will not come to pass.
PoH was enraged, and he tapped into Incarnation abilities without knowing so. PoH’s blade grew into a large guillotine blade, and his eyes and mouths began to spew out hellfire. This world of blue was dyed red by a attack PoH launched at Kirito, the giant blade descending. In his movement PoH’s uncovered face was shown to SAO players for the first time, and it began to morph. PoH grew fangs, two black horns rose out of his head, and his body and poncho grew in size; PoH now looked like his namesake, a Prince of Hell. Kirito blocked his attack with the invisible ‘Incarnation Blade’, and the resulting clash melted all the ice around Kirito. PoH told Kirito to go die, and Kirito responded with a smirk. It was the same smile Kirito showed to bosses and strong players when it came down to a decisive battle. Kirito raised his black sword to the sky, and chanted again “Release Recollection”.
With a loud BOOM, the black sword was enveloped by a black tornado. Energy from all the roses on the battlefield was being gathered into the sword, and it began to glow gold deep within the sword. Like what you might see looking at the sun through a shard of obsidian. Asuna figured out Kirito’s combo was a simple one, depriving their enemies of energy and then absorbing it – simple, but by no means ineffective. Asuna also knew instinctively the white sword’s owner was that teenager who had appeared moments before, and that he was no longer alive. Kirito brought down his black blade, onto PoH’s sword that was locked against a invisible one from Kirito. PoH’s sword broke, and Kirito’s attack bisected PoH’s demon form. The LC leader was pushed back, reduced back to his normal appearance. PoH snarled, admitting Kirito had won this time as well, and told Kirito to kill him already; he’ll be back again soon outside of UW, and he will make Kirito and Asuna pay. Asuna tried to convince herself she was not scared by the curse-like laughter and hatred coming from PoH.
Kirito responded with no change of expression on his face, and asked PoH did he not realize why he was spared from the ice? Kirito did not plan on killing PoH, or even what Kirito did to the foreign players; following the SAO Frontliners’ directive against Red Name players, Kirito plans on making PoH powerless and lock him away with no time limit on being imprisoned. PoH snarled again, and tried to fight back, but Kirito tapped PoH in the chest with his black sword. Asuna had expected PoH to burst, but instead dark tendrils – like branches – began to wrap around PoH. Kirito explain how his Sword of the Night Sky came to be, from a great tree that limitlessly absorbed nutrients and resources. Kirito explained this attack right now goes beyond how branches and roots pierce through obstacles, but imitates how things stuck inside a tree’s trunk or roots are dried up and became one with the tree.
At Kirito’s words Asuna suddenly looked at PoH’s legs. It was replaced by tree roots. PoH raised his hand to try and punch Kirito, but it suddenly became branches and unmoving. PoH now have finally show fear as his body was becoming a tree, and Kirito said to him quietly: after the foreign players have all been drained, the US side will probably activate the acceleration rate once more. Kirito told PoH to pray his allies will drag him out soon, otherwise he will spend years here as a tree, until maybe one day this place will try and be settled and a kid will try and cut him down with a axe. PoH opened his mouth to respond, but then he was petrified completely. Bark and branches grew, until what was here is no longer a person but a strangely shaped tree.
Kirito planted his black sword onto the ground now as well, and gazed up at the remaining resource in the air. His left hand was raised up then, fingers moving like they’re playing like a invisible instrument. Kirito chanted a spell, and transferred the energy from the area into the bodies of the people still here. It began to rain white drops of energy, healing the wounds of the UW people and the remaining Japanese players. The frozen players that had held down the Japanese side had started to crumble away, their HP now depleted.
He then walked towards Asuna, who couldn’t even stand back up or speak right now; she felt if she did anything she might just find all that has happened just then was a dream, too good to be true. All she could do was look at Kirito with a smile.
Klein did not have this hesitation however, and got up. His arm has regenerated, and under his torn clothes it showed unmarred flesh. Klein hoarsely spoke out Kirito’s name, and accused him of always coming in at the best moment for heroics – Klein didn’t have any malice in his words however, and embraced Kirito fiercely and cried manly tears into his chest. Kirito returned the embrace from his close friend, tears flowing down his eyes. Ronie stood up and tackled Kirito, crying into his right shoulder.
The rest of the Japanese players have tears as well, distinct from this rain of energy. The UW people shed tears as well, and the UW people who are in sight of Kirito knelt down and placed their right fist to their chest in a salute. Renri walked to Asuna, saying he knows it’s Kirito and his two swords that had saved them all. Asuna nodded, and Renri then went to try and help Teiza up.
Of the foreign players here, over half have crumbled away. Kirito knew once they’re all gone the acceleration rate would start again, and removed himself from Klein’s embrace. Kirito thanked everyone for their efforts, and their blood, tears, and willpower will not go to waste. Asuna now remembered this isn’t over yet, as even though PoH and players from three other countries are gone the mastermind (Gabriel) is still around, possibly still have Alice and on his way to the World End Altar. Asuna finally stood up, and held back her impulse to just dive right onto Kirito and cry like a child. She tried to explain how Vector has Alice, and Kirito told her he roughly remember what had happened when he was inactive. Kirito’s expression tightened, and he held out his right hand to Asuna, asking her to come along and help Alice out. Asuna finally can’t hold herself back any longer, rushed in to Kirito and pressed his hand onto her face as she latched onto him. Kirito’s left hand went around Asuna and held her. In that instant of being in close proximity Asuna could feel they had exchanged a large amount of data between their souls.
Kirito then pointed with his left hand to the south, saying he found them. The two swords stuck into the ground floated up without any signs, spun back to Kirito and sheathed themselves onto the clips at the back of Kirito’s coat. Kirito said they’ll be off now, and after a pillar light rising from his location he and Asuna was gone.
Lizbeth sighed, saying she doesn’t know if Kirito is as impulsive as usual or just being carefree. Silica chuckled at those words. Klein shouted out Kirito’s just too damn hax and unbeatable, and hogs all the good scenes; Lizbeth knew however despite his harsh words Klein was moved to tears. And Klein had a hero worship of Kirito, likely all the way back from when Klein first met him. Lizbeth thought she’s the same way as well. When she leaves UW, she will go tell the rest of the Japanese players who had logged out in pain and misery their efforts were not wasted.
2013-03-31, 16:35
