Kirito burned the sight of Asuna and Alice going up the marble stairs into his memory, and thought this is farewell, he’ll never meet them again. He doesn’t believe he can log off before the acceleration reaches x5,000,000. If he told them about the acceleration thing, then both girls would stay to fight with him against this enemy. There would be no way all three of them can make it out in time even if they win, so Kirito decided to make sure Asuna and Alice can leave. Apart from that, nothing else mattered to him.
Kirito then met Gabriel, though by this point Kirito can tell even if he’s in human form he’s something more than that deep down.
===(Translation starts)
After a second of thinking and observation have ended, I opened my mouth and asked:
“… Who are you?”
The reply came immediately. The man used a voice as smooth as some kind of metal to say:
“The one that seeks, steals, and plunders.”
The black-blue squirming darkness that enveloped him grew even stronger. My face can feel some kind of faint wind. Air, no, ‘information’ of some kind is being sucked into that darkness.
“What do you seek?”
“Souls.”
With this exchange of questions and answers, this sucking power is growing stronger. It’s not just information that makes up this area. It feels like my consciousness is also being absorbed by the gravity of this void bit by bit.
The man showed expression around his mouth for the first time. It was a smile like a thin gas.
“And who are you? Why are you here? On what grounds do you stand before me?”
He turned around and asked me questions instead.
So – who am I?
The Hero that has descended onto Underworld? – Impossible.
A Knight that protects the Human Kingdom? – No.
As my mind is bringing up words of denial, there was the sensation of something being sucked out of my body, being stolen away. But for some reason my thoughts just won’t stop.
The Hero that cleared SAO? – No.
The Strongest VRMMO player? – No.
The ‘Black Swordsman’? ‘Dual-wielder’? – No, and No.
No matter which of these names, none of them are the existence I desire myself to be or are they one that accurately describes me.
Then… just who am I?
In the instant my consciousness grew faint,
A dearly beloved voice called out my name from the bottom of my heart.
I raised my face that I didn’t know when I had let facing down, and spoke out that name that was called.
“I am Kirito. Kirito, the Swordsman.”
*Bachii!!*
A white spark flew out and severed the dark tentacles that had been wrapped around me. My mind regained clarity instantly.
What was that phenomenon just now?!
This man – could he manipulate my consciousness through the two STL?
I spread out a defence wall of Incarnation and gazed into the man’s eyes. There was only the void in that man’s eyes. A bottomless darkness which can absorb other people’s minds and souls.
This battle will be decided, it seems, by how you define yourself to be powerful, and how your opponent defines himself.
“And what is your name?”
I subconsciously asked that question out loud.
The man thought for a brief moment, and then spoke his name.
“Gabriel. I am called Gabriel Michael.”
===(Translation End)
Kirito instinctively knew Gabriel was talking about his real name. As Gabriel said that, his body became thinner, colder, and the dark atmosphere around him grew in size. Kirito then noticed Gabriel’s right arm was only a mass of darkness, and the sword he drew was just as ethereal as his arm – a one metre long blade of darkness covered in blue-white flames. Kirito then placed some distance between himself and Gabriel, and drew both his swords. In his left hand he held the Blue Rose Sword, and in his right hand the Sword of the Night Sky. The dark colour between their two blades are about the same, though Gabriel’s one seemed more like a hole in the world than merely something that absorbs resources like the Night Sky sword.
Kirito bravely roared out his challenge, and charged. He crossed the blades in front of him, and gave the System Command “Generate All Elements”. Dozens of missiles from all elements appeared, forming into ice lances, flaming swords and such, and upon Kirito’s command of “Discharge!” they all shot at Gabriel. Then as if to catch up to his projectiles, Kirito shot forward with his blades. Gabriel merely smiled, and stood there letting all attacks impact onto him.
Kirito shot passed him, his right hand slashing down while his left hand stabbed at Gabriel. A cold feeling was felt by Kirito as he passed. Kirito kept flying forward, and looking back it was as he thought; Gabriel was unharmed by all those attacks. Gabriel’s type/element was ‘Drain’; a type that can absorb damage from slashing, stabbing, flames, freezing, whirlwinds, stone bullets, steel arrows, crystal blades, light beams and darkness curses.
And as Kirito flew past, Gabriel’s Void Blade had ripped apart Kirito’s shoulder, passing through Kirito’s coat and flesh with no effort. Blood flew from his shoulder in that instant.
Gabriel judged that by Asuna and Alice’s speed it will take them 5 more minutes before they reach the Altar. He had thought Kirito was just a brat like Sinon, or maybe even weaker as Gabriel couldn’t absorb many thoughts from him, but after Kirito turned his coat into wings and used all elements of magic Gabriel changed his mind. He thought Kirito was someone that has adjusted fully to UW. Gabriel decided to steal the knowledge of this from Kirito, so when he backstabs US and steals Alice away he can use it for himself. Gabriel told Kirito he’ll spend 3 minutes to play around with him.
Kirito replied that was generous of him. By this point Kirito knew Gabriel can be this relaxed because he can absorb everything Kirito throws at him. The damage done to him previously by Sinon was by a gun, which as a soldier Gabriel thought conceptually it was something dangerous. Kirito can’t copy that damage style, as Sinon could do that only because the Hecate II was like a part of her. Even if Kirito imagines up a gun it won’t be that powerful. He’ll have to find another way to deal damage. Despite this, Kirito was confident he can win.
Gabriel doesn’t know where Kirito is getting his confidence from. He concluded Kirito is just here to buy time for Alice to escape, and 3 minutes is too long to waste on him. Gabriel stabbed his void blade into his mount. This winged creature was a jetpack in GGO, and it turned into this form when Gabriel transferred his ‘Subtilizer’ account into UW. The creature was absorbed into Gabriel, and he grew wings. Not the bat-like ones like what Kirito has, but bird-like ones that suited the angelic name of Gabriel more.
Kirito hesitated. He was planning on attacking Gabriel’s mount to deny him the air advantage, but now that isn’t going to work. Gabriel took this chance to charge in to attack Kirito with his sword, and Kirito blocked with both his swords. It felt like trying to hold back a dimensional fissure, and this has a heavy strain on Kirito’s swords. The two exchanged sword strikes, and Kirito took a opening to kick Gabriel in the head. Kirito thought Gabriel was a soldier, so his conception will probably include physical blows as being damaging. However, Gabriel was only slightly damaged – by his conception, fancy attacks like that were just for show on TV and movies. Gabriel then charged at Kirito, with his Void blade parrying the Blue Rose sword and his darkness form arm took no damage from Kirito’s Night Sky sword, Gabriel had Kirito in a hold with his right Incarnation arm. Then with no effort Gabriel’s darkness tentacle hand dislocated Kirito’s left shoulder, telling him real martial arts was something like this.
Gabriel then went on the offensive, dealing multiple shallow wounds on Kirito. Kirito flew backwards, to try and get some distance between them and to buy time for healing his arm. Gabriel raised his left hand, and ten beams of light shot out towards Kirito (TL note: Basically, think of AW’s 6th generation Chrome Disaster firing multiple dark Laser Lances at once, a upgrade of Silver Crow’s version). Kirito gritted his teeth and brought up an Incarnation barrier, but half his willpower was directed to healing himself. The lances pierced through the barrier, three of them hit his torso and both legs and started devouring Kirito. Kirito gasped, and it took all his willpower to remove the void lances Gabriel had stuck into him. After the lances are dispelled, blood spurted out from the wounds.
Gabriel laughed, though the joy on his twisted face did not reach his eyes. His eyes were filled with a whirlpool of desire and hunger. Gabriel crossed his arms in front of him, and focused. He then spread his arms out wide, and he grew another two pairs of wings. With now six wings, a dark halo, and his wavy blond hair spread out behind him, Gabriel looked like an angel of death. His eyes were no longer human too, but two sockets of blue light. Kirito looked at where Asuna and Alice were, and he wasn’t sure he can buy the remaining 3 minutes before they reach the altar.
Gabriel’s laughing even more as he’s revelling in the newfound power; he feels he’s now omnipotent. Gabriel had taken a copy of all knowledge Kirito had on Incarnation into himself with his last attack. Before, Gabriel had thought Zast’s and Berculi’s skills were some hidden system skills, but now he knew it was just the power of imagination and willpower. As thanks, Gabriel thought he’d let Kirito buy an extra minute for the girls to run. And when this minute is up, Gabriel plans to devour Kirito and turn the kid’s strength into his own. Gabriel, wreathed in blue-purple lightning, charged at Kirito.
Kirito now feels Gabriel was an existence to be feared and feel threatened by. He felt his own resolve as not strong enough. And as if to show Gabriel was not immune to gun attacks, Gabriel’s arm had regenerated into flesh and blood once more. Then, Kirito realized he might have given up on victory from the very beginning, aiming to lose or drag it out to a draw so he can justify staying in UW; a VR world beyond even Aincrad, an alternate world that can be said to be the crystallization of Kayaba’s dream brought into existence. While Kirito had fought on despite his attachment to want to stay in SAO back then, because of his real body wasting away, that was not a problem here. With the acceleration, Kirito can spend the rest of his soul’s lifetime in this new world. Kirito have ignored how everyone might feel if he doesn’t make it back; Suguha, his mother/father, Yui, Klein, Agil, Liz, Silica, and everyone that has helped him.
Alice as well. And also Asuna. How they would weep, how painful they might feel, Kirito thought he had never considered that. Following his flashback earlier before he woke up to fight PoH and the foregn players, Kirito thought in the end he really doesn’t understand other people.
Eugeo, from within the Blue Rose Sword, refuted Kirito’s opinion. Eugeo said Kirito didn’t want to leave UW was because he loved everyone here in this world. Selka, Teiza, Ronie, Cardinal, everyone else they had met, and also Eugeo himself. Eugeo told Kirito he had love so vast he can shoulder an entire world of people. Eugeo then said Gabriel was different, he steals and destroys because he doesn’t understand the human heart – that Gabriel’s afraid.
Gabriel saw Kirito shed tears (from Eugeo’s words) and thought Kirito was afraid of dying. He loved the fear of death from his victims, it was like a stimulant for Gabriel. Gabriel then brought into existence countless small black balls of energy, and shot them into Kirito with those turning into laser bullets. The boy was peppered by the shots, and blood sprayed everywhere. Gabriel roared out his laughter, and came in closer to Kirito. He then stabbed his Void blade into Kirito’s stomach, and the resulting attack blew everything below that wound apart. Flesh and blood, bones, and organs sprayed down below them, dropping down towards the distant ground. Gabriel’s left hand then plucked Kirito’s still-pumping heart out of his ribcage, like it was some kind of large jewel. He brought that pile of flesh towards his mouth, and declared:
“Everything about your emotions, memories, heart and soul… I will be devouring them now.”
Kirito watched this scene with half-opened eyes, and saw Gabriel bite down on his heart like it was a large, ripe apple. Blood overflowed from Gabriel’s mouth – though it wasn’t Kirito’s blood. It was Gabriel’s, after Kirito spawned countless small Steel blades inside his heart and ripped Gabriel’s mouth apart. Kirito said hoarsely to Gabriel as he flew backwards choking on the blood, ‘that hearts and memories don’t reside in the physical heart. The body is only a container, and the memories…’
Are within your own self. Though this bit wasn’t verbalized. Kirito was on the verge of fainting from the pain, and he knew this was the last chance to attack Gabriel. Kirito roared out “Release Recollection!”, then blue-white light and pure black light exploded out of his swords. The Blue Rose Sword that was pointed at Gabriel wrapped him in several layers of icy thorns. The Night Sky Sword was pointed up, and a huge beam of darkness pierced through the heavens shot into the sky.
Then, the darkness began to spread. The blood red sky was overwritten, and day has been plunged into darkness. And it was not the darkness of the void…
… but the darkness of the boundless Night Sky.
(TL + Flere821 Note: Accel World, your Incarnation skills SUCK when compared to this stuff.)
2013-04-02, 04:29
I felt like I was watching an overpowered episode of Dragonball Z, and I'll be honest.......that's not a good thing. 
