Deep within the uncharted core of Aincrad — a place no player had ever seen, nor even imagined existed — stood a chamber built of pure light and code. The architecture was unreal, as if the system itself bent to a higher will. At its center sat a man draped in a white coat, his expression calm, his gaze fixed upon countless hovering screens that filled the air like constellations.
Kayaba Akihiko.
The creator of Sword Art Online.
The god of this floating world.
He sat upon a digital throne, one leg crossed over the other, as golden lines of code streamed past his fingertips. His eyes reflected the chaos of Floor 49 — the explosion of light, the clashing forces, the unmistakable resonance of power that should not exist.
He watched Kirito — the black swordsman — locked in combat against a being that he had never coded. Enkidu.
"Fascinating…" Kayaba murmured, his voice echoing softly through the chamber.
He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, the faintest trace of a smile forming. "To think the relic of a mythic simulation could manifest here, inside my system… It's beyond impossible."
One of the screens zoomed in, showing the crimson-gold swirl of Ea's unleashed energy, countering the divine chains of Enkidu. The data around the impact points glitched, rewriting faster than the system could stabilize. The power being exchanged wasn't just breaking rules — it was redefining them.
"The Sword of Rupture… and the Chains of Heaven." Kayaba whis,ered, eyes gleaming. "Two forces that never should have met in this world — yet here they are, rewriting my reality."
He tapped his finger against the armrest, bringing up another window. It displayed Kirito's player ID, health, stats… and then, something deeper. The underlying script that composed his avatar. Within it, nestled between the ordinary parameters of an SAO player, was something foreign.
A fragment of golden code pulsing like a heartbeat.
"So that's it," he said softly. "A corruption of divine data. The resonance of the Fate construct experiment…"
He smirked. "So, you're the one who inherited Gilgamesh's power."
He stood from his throne, his white coat swaying as he walked to the edge of the platform. Below, the abyss of code shimmered endlessly. His hand hovered above the void, and the system responded, manifesting a holographic sword beside him — the Game Master's Blade.
"You've gone beyond my design, Kirito," he murmured, eyes distant. "You've turned my dream of a perfect world into something even I can't predict. Perhaps that's what I truly wanted all along."
He raised his hand again, and new screens flickered into view — showing Asuna, struggling through the wreckage below, searching for Kirito amidst the storm of battle. Showing Klein and Agil rallying players to evacuate civilians. Showing the system AI, Yui, hiding among the data streams, trembling with uncertainty.
Kayaba's gaze softened. "They're all evolving. Learning. Not just to survive — but to transcend."
Then his tone shifted, calm but carrying a weight that made the chamber itself hum.
"But even evolution must be tested."
He pressed his palm to the air — and the code beneath Aincrad trembled.
"Initiate Event Protocol: Heaven's Judgement."
A system alarm blared across the world. Every player froze as crimson light filled the sky.
⚠ WORLD EVENT TRIGGERED
'Heaven's Judgement: The Chains of the King'
Back on Floor 49, Enkidu stopped mid-attack, their eyes glowing brighter.
"He awakens…" Enkidu whispered. "The god of this realm interferes."
Kirito staggered slightly, gripping Ea tighter. "Kayaba…"
The ground cracked beneath them, the castle trembling as divine energy surged from the sky. A colossal golden sigil began to form over Aincrad, spiraling with impossible runes.
Kayaba's voice echoed through every floor, calm yet commanding.
"Players of Aincrad… the time has come to decide. Will you fight for freedom — or ascend beyond humanity itself?"
His image appeared above the world — a ghostly projection towering over the floating castle, his eyes fixed on Kirito.
"Show me, Kirito," he said, his voice cutting through the storm. "Show me if you truly deserve the title of King of Heroes."
Kirito looked up at the sky, the golden light reflecting in his eyes. Ea pulsed in his grip, the voice of Gilgamesh whispering from the depths of his soul.
"So… even the god of this world wishes to challenge you, boy. Very well. Then let us make him kneel."
Kirito's coat whipped in the wind, his aura flaring like a burning star.
He raised Ea toward the heavens.
"Kayaba… if this is your world—then I'll tear it apart and build one where no one ever has to die again."
The crimson energy spiraled skyward, colliding with the golden storm. The world shook.
And for the first time, Kayaba Akihiko smiled — not as a god, but as a man witnessing his creation finally come alive.