A/N

This story will have a lot of deviations from canon, so I might as well list some of them here. Ok...

1.) Kirito and Asuna were really good friends, but had not evolved into a romantic relationship.

2.) Yui was never discovered in Aincrad.

3.) Kirito DID duel Heathcliff to give Asuna a break, but nothing more.

Without further ado, here goes Chapter 1... Please Review!

Kirito watched in horror as dull ebony shards of metal exploded into the air, the pieces glowing a pale blue in the dark chamber as they slowly disintegrated in to nothingness. His Elucidator, which once exuded a torrent of power from its ominous midnight blade, was now too, nothing but a pale grey stick of metal, cracks lining on its fragile surface. Kirito collapsed to the ground, holding his lifeless Elucidator in one hand, in the other his Dark Repulser. Kirito took one last look at the man in front of him, still a bit unbelieving of his identity. That armor, the armor of Kirito's allies on the battle field, had become something entirely different in the seventy-fifth boss room. That crimson plating, lined with white accent marks… on any other day, the presence of this man would give strength to the clearers. Now he was the most hated, and at the same time, most feared.

Heathcliff, commander of the Knights of Blood, was Kayaba Akihiko, creator of the deathtrap Sword Art Online. Kirito felt as if everything had been in slow motion ever since the reveal. Yes, he had suspected that Heathcliff could indeed be an administrator, but to have the closure from the man himself, in this dark chamber of death… there were no words to describe the intense, surreal feeling of it all. Heathcliff's… no, Kayaba's face was shadowed, the fluorescent torch light on the wall granting little visibility in the murky air of the stone room. Kirito was sure though, that the man was smiling at him, taunting his failure once more to save lives, and now, Kirito was losing his own. However, when Kayaba spoke, it was not with the assumed happiness in his voice.

"Well, Black Swordsman, I suppose this is the end. It was an honor to fight you."

Was that… sadness? No it couldn't have been. Kirito instead focused on the blade that was now looming above Kayaba's head. He looked around the boss room at the players he had known since the beginning of this game, for what would be his last time. Asuna, the strong-willed sub-leader of the Knights of Blood; although it had taken awhile, she had become a dear friend of Kirito, her strength in both battle and in sense of person never failing to keep Kirito afloat in this world of misery. Kirito saw her tear-stricken chestnut eyes, a feint pinkish tint around her irises so that her eyes mirrored a sunset, Kirito's final sunset. Kirito's eyes to were starting to feel heavy with tears, but he clenched his teeth and fists, refusing to succumb to grief now.

Kirito reluctantly looked away from her and focused on Agil, the item vendor who had defended him at the start of the game, as well as the one who supported the weaker players with his services. Agil's face was contorting painfully, and Kirito was sure that Agil's eyes were glossy with unshed tears. Nevertheless, the man maintained his faith in Kirito, and aimed a strong, meaningful look towards Kirito.

"KIRITO!"

Said man gazed through the darkness of the chamber, his eyes finally resting upon his first friend in the world of Aincrad. Klein was shaking, slowly extending his arm out in front of him to push himself up. You could see the fury on Klein's face, the pure willpower it was taking from him to get his body to move. Klein's other arm was reaching for his katana, the motion filling Kirito's chest with guilt. The pain that Klein was going through, both physically and mentally, had mirrored Kirito's own not too long ago, and it pained Kirito to cause this to his friend. No, I will not go back there, not too those memories! I'll… have plenty of time … to think about them… later. Just as Klein had started to raise himself, he feel back to the ground with a hollow thud.

"D-damn it…" Klein whimpered quietly, his body unmoving in the dark curtain of the boss room. Kirito's lips curled up just barely as a tear fell from his eyes… and then another, and another. At least he had friends who had stuck with him until the end. He looked up at Kayaba wearing that pitiful expression, and Kayaba returned his look just barely enough for you to see his own sadness in the exchange.

"What more… could I have asked for… Kayaba? I hope… you're ready… when they come… because my friends… are far stronger… than I. They'll end you… and beat Aincrad." Kirito whispered these words between ragged breaths, and was met with a small smile by Kayaba.

"Goodbye, Black Swordsman…"

The cold steel plunged into Kirito's body, finally surfacing out of his backside. Kirito felt nothing as he watched his vision grow blurry and his health bar rapidly decrease. Just as his heath bar vanished completely, a weight was retracted from his left hand; his Elucidator was broke asunder with a violent shattering, scattering its onyx fragments into the air, before they vanished from existence in a ghostly blue light. Kirito's grips went slack on his Dark Repulser, as he too, was bathed in the same eerie light of death, his eyes closing in final acceptance of his fate. And everything went dark.

Kirito… you can't die…

A gentle, pleading voice rang out through the cold darkness, broken apart by its sniffles and light sobbing.

You promised that you would live… so why…

Kirito couldn't see anything, couldn't feel anything. The only thing he could do was listen to the pleading of the familiar voice.

You never give up… that's your strength…

Kirito wanted nothing more than to stand back up. He wanted nothing more than to end the death game then and there. That was just not to be, though. He had failed everyone, and there was nothing he could do.

You helped me… when I didn't think I could go on…

Salty tears rolled down his face once again, as he felt an intense longing burn within the depths of his soul. This voice, it couldn't be. Was this Kayaba's final cruelty… to toy with his ultimate despair, his ultimate failure!

You never lost faith in me… and I've never lost faith in you, Kirito.

Kirito choked out a sob. He didn't deserve to have this person's faith, not after what he had done to her. He couldn't save her when it counted, so why did she believe in him?

You… are my strength…

How could he have let them die? Why did he live? Kirito felt something else bubbling up inside him, a long forgotten anger; an unyielding rage towards the creator of this world, the world that mercilessly took lives.

So now… let me…

Kayaba would not get away with this. Kayaba would not be allowed to walk free any longer. Kirito couldn't give up yet, not when he was so close to ending this hell… and avenging his friends. All he wanted was one more chance. Please, he begged, just one more chance.

LET ME BE YOURS!

"I WON'T LET YOU GO!" Kirito felt a warmth wrap around his entire body, and a piercing bright light engulfed the area around him, with the intensity of the resolve burning in his soul.

Heathcliff watched as the Black Swordsman became nothing but a dull glimmer in the air, the final essence of his being finally doused in a chilly breeze.

Everything was silent.

He looked at the faces of the players lying on the ground, and noted that during his long period of working with them, he had never seen them quiet like this. The faces of the strongest players in Aincrad, the forty men and women who were strong enough to lead the less than 10,000 trapped players to salvation… their eyes were closed, their teeth clenched, their heads bowing one by one. The gruesome execution that had just been carried out shook all the players to the core, and nobody had a voice left to speak with, until…

"K-Kirito…" Asuna whimpered quietly, before wailing in sheer agony. The empty echoes emitted slow reverberations throughout the boss chamber. It was hard for Heathcliff to look at his vice commander, the Lightning Flash reduced to the rain that poured down during a thunderstorm.

"I couldn't even…" Klein whispered to himself, wallowing in his self pity, recollections of his uselessness in his best friend's final moments haunting his every thought. His breathing was torn, and as he listened to Asuna's wailing, he too couldn't help but letting his emotions loose.

"Damn you, Kayaba! I swear… YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" Klein then gave in to his despair, letting his head fall to the floor.

Kayaba turned his back to his former comrades, and opened a menu with a slide of his finger.

"This is farewell, for now. I expect to see you all on the hundredth floor of Aincrad. Until then, may you carry on the example of your Black Swordsman…"

"KAYABA!" The knight's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. Even though it was filled with hatred and rage, it was no question as to whom that voice belonged to. Some of the cries had subsided at the startling outburst. The shrouded smog of the boss room was filled with a fierce gold light, causing Kayaba to see his shadow extending out in front of him, shaking and rippling as if it were being devoured.

Kayaba slowly turned around and was shocked to see Kirito, illuminated by a vibrant golden light, standing behind him, Dark Repulser in hand. Kirito's avatar appeared to be made out of fire, its blazing inferno wrapping together to form Kirito's body, constantly warping from furious flames to the spirit of Kirito. Kirito continued to glare with pure rage into Kayaba's eyes. Without warning, the Black Swordsman dashed forward with a speed faster than Asuna's rapier, and swung. Kayaba raised his sword in a desperate, sloppy defense, but the force of the Dark Repulser disarmed Kayaba.

"YOU'LL PAY!" Kirito pulled back his Dark Repulser, and with one great thrust, embedded the bladed within the heart of the monster. Despite having lodged the sword into Kayaba's chest, Kirito continued to exert pressure on the blade as he leaned closer to Kayaba's ear.

"Th-This, this is for Sachi!" He hissed, before both he and Kayaba faded in a flash of white light.

"As of 14:55, November 7, the game has been cleared."

A/N

I wanted to write more for this chapter, but decided to end it here. It was just to fitting an ending, and it's my first short chapter ever. This story will probably strike you as odd, since it was derived with the Divine Comedy in mind, but I'm really excited to see how I can continue this. Of course, I already know where it's going, but it's just a matter of how to handle it. Now, I'm trying to write a story that feeds a lot off of emotion, so reviews on how I carry out emotion and character interaction would be nice now and throughout the story. With that being said, please give me what you got. I know it's a bit short for anything too good, but I'm hoping you enjoyed this little exposition. See ya next time!