The world of Aincrad had never seen such fury.
Floor 49's sky — once a serene canvas of blue — was now drenched in crimson and gold, two storms colliding in a symphony of creation and destruction. Data rain fell like fire. The code of the world shuddered, rewriting itself every second to survive the battle of gods it was never built to contain.
At the center of it all stood Kirito, his black coat tattered, hair whipping in the gale. His eyes burned with golden light — the inheritance of Gilgamesh — and in his hand, Ea pulsed with energy that fractured reality itself.
Across from him, in midair, stood Kayaba Akihiko. His human form shimmered, flickering between man and system, his white coat flowing like a divine mantle. He held no sword — he didn't need one. The entire world was his weapon.
"Magnificent, Kirito," Kayaba said, voice echoing through the trembling air. "To think the spirit of a hero from another world could manifest through my system's residual mythic data. You truly are… beyond expectation."
Kirito narrowed his eyes. "You talk too much."
With a twist of his wrist, Ea began to rotate — three concentric layers spinning in opposite directions. The world howled as its edge split open.
"Enuma Elish—"
The attack screamed like the universe tearing apart. The beam of crimson-gold ripped through the air, distorting space, erasing everything in its path.
But Kayaba only smiled.
He raised a hand — and the sky itself turned white. A system barrier materialized, composed of endless lines of command code. Ea's strike crashed into it, shaking the heavens, but the barrier held — shimmering, pulsing with raw algorithmic will.
"I built this world," Kayaba said, his voice calm even amid the chaos. "Every sword, every player, every fragment of light. You cannot destroy what I have become one with."
Kirito snarled, his aura surging. The Gate of Babylon burst open behind him — hundreds of weapons emerging, suspended in golden light. Each blade hummed with history — replicas forged from memory, myth, and defiance.
"Then I'll destroy you instead!"
The weapons fired all at once — a golden storm of divine projectiles. Spears, swords, halberds, and axes screamed through the sky, each carrying fragments of Kirito's rage and Gilgamesh's pride.
Kayaba raised his arm again, and the weapons froze midair.
Every single blade stopped inches from his body — suspended in digital stasis.
"You've learned much, Kirito," Kayaba said softly. "But power without understanding is just noise."
He clenched his hand — and the golden weapons shattered, disintegrating into raw code.
Kirito's eyes widened, but only for a moment.
Then he grinned.
"You think I don't know that trick by now?"
Behind Kayaba, space twisted. A second volley of weapons appeared — these forged outside the system's detection range. They struck from blind angles, bypassing Kayaba's control net and detonating against his shield. The blast shook the entire floor.
Kayaba staggered slightly, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Adapting even faster than the code allows… impressive."
He snapped his fingers.
The floor below Kirito split apart, revealing an endless ocean of data beneath Aincrad — glowing streams of binary cascading into the void. The true core of the floating castle.
"Then let's see how far you've really come."
The two vanished.
They reappeared in the World Core — a cathedral of code at the heart of creation. The walls pulsed with data streams like blood vessels. Each pulse rewrote reality above.
Kayaba floated effortlessly above the abyss, eyes gleaming.
"This is where I built everything. The laws, the sky, the pain. Do you still wish to challenge me here, boy?"
Kirito's boots touched the shifting floor. His golden aura flared, pushing back the oppressive weight of the system.
"You said this was a world of freedom. That every sword swing was real. Then prove it."
He raised Ea, its hum deepening into a thunderous growl.
"Fight me — not as a god… but as a man."
For the first time, Kayaba's smile softened.
"Very well. As a man, then."
The system dissolved around them — the command lines falling away until nothing remained but a battlefield of pure white. The System Authority symbols vanished, leaving only the two swordsmen.
Kayaba raised his hand — and a crimson blade materialized, glowing with the power of admin rights.
"The GM Blade — the first weapon ever created here. Let us see whose creation stands taller."
They clashed.
The sound was not of metal on metal — it was the roar of data colliding, of reality itself groaning. Every strike bent gravity. Every parry fractured the horizon.
Kirito moved with blinding precision, chaining attacks that no player could ever perform — blending sword skills and divine energy into seamless motion.
Kayaba countered effortlessly, reading his every strike, predicting even his fakes.
Their blades locked, sparks of golden light exploding between them.
"You've become something more than human, Kirito," Kayaba said, eyes fierce. "But you still fight for them — for the weak."
Kirito's voice was calm, steady.
"No. I fight because I'm human."
He twisted his blade and shattered Kayaba's guard. In that instant, Ea roared again — and the world split open.
A fissure of pure creation energy tore through the World Core, ripping the data fabric apart. Kayaba staggered, his coat shredded by the blast, his body flickering with system instability.
But instead of anger — he smiled.
"Yes… that's it. That's the answer I sought."
Kirito stood panting, his blade glowing with fading light.
"What… are you talking about?"
Kayaba's form began to dissolve into golden fragments.
"You surpassed me, Kirito. You made this world more than a game. You gave it… a soul."
He extended his hand — not in defiance, but in peace.
"Take the throne. But remember: to rule isn't to dominate. It's to bear the weight of every soul who dreamed here."
Kirito stared at him — the man who had once been his enemy, now fading like a ghost. Slowly, he reached out and clasped Kayaba's hand.
The system flared. Every light in Aincrad pulsed once, then calmed.
[System Override Complete]
[Primary Authority Transferred: Kirito]
Kayaba's last words echoed like a whisper of data.
"Now, King of Heroes… make this world your own."
Then he was gone.
The silence that followed felt infinite.
Kirito lowered Ea, his reflection shimmering in the fading glow. The world was still, waiting. He closed his eyes, letting the storm of energy fade from his body.
"Kayaba…" he murmured. "I'll end what you started. But not through fear… through freedom."
As the light dimmed, the golden aura around him softened. The throne at the heart of the Core began to take shape again — waiting for its new ruler.
And far above, on Floor 49, Asuna looked up at the sky — now calm, the storm gone.
She felt his presence through the link they shared and smiled faintly.
"Welcome back, Kirito."