01x24 - Gilded Hero

[bunniefuu]

Yui, use this.

Transcribing code.

It's going to teleport us.

Daddy, your hand!

Daddy...

Daddy!

Yui?

Where are we?

I don't know.

There's no mapping data.

Do you know where Asuna is?

Yes.

She's close...

Very close.

This way!

This is the top of the World Tree?

There's no Floating City up here...

Some Grand Quest!

Everything was a lie.

I won't let him get away with this!

Oh, right...

Gotta save Asuna first.

Gilded Hero

Mommy!

Mommy!

Mommy!

Yui-chan!

Mommy...

Yui-chan...

Mommy...

Mommy!

Kirito-kun.

Asuna.

I'm sorry I'm late.

No, I knew...

I knew you'd come to save me.

Now, let's go home.

Yeah.

Yui, can you log out Asuna?

Mommy's status is locked down by complicated codes.

We'll need a system console to dispel them.

I think I saw one in the lab.

What?

Yui...

What is this?

Daddy! Mommy!

Be careful...

Something bad is coming.

Yui-chan!

Yui!

Asuna...

What a surprise...

I didn't expect to see

a cockroach in my little bird's cage.

You're...

Sugou?

I'd prefer you not use that name in this world.

Call me His Highness, Fairy King Oberon!

Kirito-kun!

Well?

You can't move, can you?

This is gravity magic, coming out in the next patch.

Maybe it's a little overpowered?

Stop it...

You coward!

That said, Kirigaya-kun...

Or do you prefer Kirito-kun?

How did you get up here?

I saw a strange program running.

I flew with these wings...

It doesn't matter.

I can just ask your mind directly.

What?

You didn't really think

I set this entire thing up for fun, did you?

Three hundred former SAO players...

Thanks to their cooperation,

the fundamental technology for emotion and thought control

is already eighty percent complete.

I'll achieve what no one ever has, control of the human soul!

The power of a god!

And soon, that power will be mine!

Three cheers for virtual reality!

Sugou!

You'll never get away with this.

Never!

Who's going to stop me?

Sadly, there's no god in this world.

Except for me!

Now, before I begin altering your souls,

let's have a fun party!

You bastard, what are you...

Yes!

Great! I love it!

NPC women can't make that face...

I love this smell.

Replicating your scent from the real world was hard.

I hope you appreciate how much work it took

to get an analyzer into your hospital room...

Stop it.

Sugou...

My, my...

You need to stay on the ground...

Writhing!

Kirito-kun!

System command!

Change pain absorber

from level to level .

Hurts, doesn't it?

I'll gradually let the pain increase,

so you have something to look forward to.

Of course, below level ,

it will start to affect your physical body.

Now, then...

Stop it, Sugou...

I'm okay, Kirito-kun.

This won't hurt me.

That's what I hoped you'd say...

How long will you maintain your pride?

Thirty minutes? An hour?

Try to hold on to it as long as you can!

Shall I tell you what I'm thinking?

Once I've had my fun here,

I'll go to your hospital room.

I'll play a recording of today on a big monitor,

and we can enjoy ourselves.

With your real body.

S-Sweet...

So sweet!

Sugou, you bastard!

You bastard!

You bastard, I'll k*ll you!

I'm going to k*ll you!

Is this my punishment?

For thinking that I was the game's strongest hero?

That I could save Asuna alone?

Even though

I have no power at all...

Are you going to run away?

Are you going to run away?

No...

I'm going to accept reality.

Then you give in to it.

To the power of a system you once denied.

I don't have a choice.

I'm a player, and he's a GM.

Those words make a mockery of our battle.

Our fight showed me the power of the human will.

And the possibilities held by the future.

You're...

Stand up, Kirito-kun!

Your att*cks have no soul...

The blades in that world hit harder...

They hurt far more!

I guess some odd bugs are still left.

System login...

ID Heathcliff.

Wh-What?

What is that ID?!

System command.

Enable administrator privileges.

Set ID Oberon to level .

Your ID outranks mine?

That's impossible!

I am the ruler!

The creator!

King of this world!

Its God!

No, you're not.

You stole this world...

And its people.

You're a king of thieves,

alone upon a stolen throne!

Y-You stupid kid...

How dare you

talk to me like that?!

System command!

Generate object ID Excalibur.

Listen to me,

you piece of crap!

These...

These are God's orders!

Just wait a little more, okay?

This won't take long.

System command!

Generate object ID Excalibur!

So, a single command is all it takes to summon a legendary w*apon?

It's time to finish this fight.

Between the king of thieves

and a gilded hero!

System command.

Set pain absorber to level .

Wh-What?

Don't run away.

He never did, no matter what happened!

Not Kayaba Akihiko!

K-Kaya...

Kayaba!

I see...

That ID was...

Why?

Why do you interfere with me, even after death?!

You're always this way!

Thinking you know everything!

Taking everything I want!

Sugou...

I understand how you feel a little bit.

I also lost to him,

and then I had to work for him.

However, I never wanted to be him.

Unlike you...

You stupid kid!

Damn it all!

That hurt!

Painful, isn't it?

But you've hurt Asuna

far more!

My hand!

My hand!

I believed in you.

No, I still do.

I always have and always will.

That you're my hero.

That you'll always save me.

That isn't true.

I...

I don't have any power at all.

But I'll do my best to be that way.

Yeah.

Now, let's go home.

It's probably night at home.

But I'll go to your room soon.

I'll be waiting.

You're the first person I want to see.

It's finally over, isn't it?

We can return to the real world.

Logging out will terminate all services.

That's right.

You'll be surprised how much has changed.

Let's go to all kinds of places,

and do all kinds of things.

Yeah, we will.

Everything is over now.

Isn't it?

You're there, aren't you, Heathcliff?

It's been a long time, Kirito-kun.

You're alive?

You could say that,

or you could say I'm not.

I am an echo of the mind that was Kayaba Akihiko.

An afterimage.

You never did make much sense.

Well, I guess I'll thank you.

No need for thanks.

Why?

We aren't so close that we'd do anything for free.

There is a price.

Always.

What do you want me to do?

What's this?

The beginning of a world.

It's called The Seed.

Once it buds, you'll understand what it is.

I'll leave what to do then up to you.

You can delete and completely forget it.

However,

if you have any feelings left for that world besides hatred...

I'll be going, then.

I hope we meet again, Kirito-kun.

Yui!

Are you okay, Yui?

Daddy!

You're safe!

I'm so glad...

Yes.

I took shelter in your NerveGear's local memory.

Where's Mommy?

She's back in the real world.

Really?

That's great!

I'm so glad...

I really am!

We'll be back to visit soon.

But what will happen to this world?

My core program is inside your NerveGear.

We're always together.

Then I'll be going to see Mommy.

Okay, Daddy!

I love you!

Are you sure you want to log out?

I-I'm sorry...

You didn't come back, so I got worried.

Sorry it took so long.

Is it all over?

Yeah, it is.

Everything.

That's great!

Thank you...

Thank you so much, Sugu.

If it hadn't been for you, I couldn't have done anything.

No...

I was happy

that I was able to help you in your world.

You got Asuna-san back, didn't you?

Yeah, finally.

She's finally back.

Sugu, I...

Go.

I'm sure she's waiting for you.

I-It's cold...

Snow.

Be careful.

Say hi to Asuna-san for me.

Yeah, I'll introduce you for real soon.