this is the final chapter of this story. Thanks to eberyone for reviewing, and letting me bounce ideas off you guys! You were such a big help!

"Kill…..Death Gun" I sputtered, and died. I was enveloped in blackness, much like where I was before dying. I saw red words in front of me, saying 'You are dead'. A countdown appeared, '5:00 until data dump'.

'Hrmph, five minutes until I die. Well, at least I get to think for a while'. And I sat cross legged. 'Argo is going to be pissed' I mused. 'Yeah, I hope I have enough money in the bank to get her on her feet, maybe go to college and get a good paying job…'

4:22 until data dump.

'I did all I could. In the end, I wasn't good enough. Not even in the damned world I spent months in' I sighed. 'Damnit!'. I closed my eyes, and lay back on the black ground. 'Shit, what about Shino? She lives in my house…. Argo will let her stay, but what if she needs to sell?'

3:59 until data dump.

'Well, I was the Shadow Reaper, the unbeatable swordsman. And I was beaten by the enemy I swore to kill a long time back, and I though I succeed.' My thoughts floated. 'At least Yuuki will be happy. She can surf online, going anywhere, seeing anything. She can occupy her thoughts while I am gone'.

2:00 until data dump.

'Wait' I thought. I swiped my hand down, opening my menu. I flickered through my inventory, looking for the ring that saved Yuuki. I had hope, that I could see my friends again, that I could see Argo again. It wasn't there. I blinked, and felt anger rise in my chest. 'Why in the hell don't I have it?' Then I remembered that Yuuki kept it on. 'I died before Death Gun… so my real body will before his as well!' It took me a while to put this together in the void.

0:56 until data dump.

'Damnit! I was the best, and I am fucking beat by a countdown timer? I refuse!' I started wracking my brain, trying to figure a way out.

0:47

0:46

0:45

'Why? All I want is for my friends to be safe! Why can I not get that, you stupid world?'

0:35

0:34

0:33

'Ugh! How to beat the system….' I sat and pondered all while the timer clicked away, taunting me.

28

27

26

25

24

23

22

'Maybe….' and once again, I tried thinking, remembering how I defeated everything else.

19

18

17

16

15

'No! I cannot win with my brain, I have to win with my heart!' This came to me suddenly.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Data dump complete.

Argo sat in front of her beloved, crying. As she sat there, people filed in, starting with Silica and Angelica, then Shino, and Liz with her phone out. Argo looked up piteously, as thoughbegging for Tryn to awake. They all had solemn expressions on their faces. A nurse came in, and tried to pat Argo's back, but she slapped the hand away, wanting nothing but to be with Tryn.

"Argo" whispered Liz. "He is still breathing"

Argo looked up, and surely enough, his chest was rising and falling gently, and rhythmically. She wiped her eyes, and stood, glaring at the nurse.

"Wake…..him….up" she growled.

"I am sorry" she said. "There is nothing I can do!"

Argo moved swiftly, and gripped the nurse's shirt collar, repeating her demand. "Wake him up, goddamnit!"

Angelica used her slightly higher strength IRL to pry off her friend off of her intended victim. "No, she can't" said Angelica in her friend's ear. "You should just hope that he wakes up, there is nothing else we can do"

"No! You don't understand!" Said Argo. "He died for nothing!" She slumped in her friends arms, and stopped struggling. "He died for nothing! He is gone!"

"What do you mean?" Asked Angelica.

Argo couldn't answer through her tears, so Shino spoke up in her soft manner. "He went before Death Gun, his timer will run out first, and then nuclear winter"

The only sounds in the room were the heart monster and Argo's sniffing.

"Goddamn" said a weak voice. "Why are you gals so sad, it's like there is a funeral or something going on"

The whole room turned towards me, as I sat up, barely able to think. I spoke again. "Too soon?" Argo looked up at the familiar voice, and tackled me before I left the bed. I fell backward, unable to support her.

"Baka! Baka! Baka! Baka! Baka! Baka!" She emphasized each word with a slam on my torso with her fist, the other holding me down so I couldn't escape the assault.

"Ow! Argo seriously!" I exclaimed. Before she could hurt me any more, I used one of my hands to bend her elbow, causing her to collapse on top of me.

She lay there, crying. "Baka" she said one last time.

A week later, I was released from the hospital with a clean bill of health. Many government officials came in to k terview me, but I refused to answer their questions. This did anger them, but I didn't care. They put me through this mess, so I deserve a little break from them. After I collected my clothes form the counter lady at the fornt desk, I changed in the men's bathroom.

After I came out, I walked through the doors that freed me from the all-too-familiar walls of that hospital. Outside, stood Argo.

She had blonde highlights in her aburn hair, and a little bright green dress on. She had some high heels, raising her almost to my height. She had her hands clasped in front of her, and a slight blush to her cheeks that did not come from makeup.

"Wow" I said, breathtaken.

She got a little angry. "I got all dressed up, and actually did my makeup, and all you can say is 'wow'?" She walked up to me, her face now flushed in anger. "You better have a good excuse!"

I hugged her. "I haven't seen the real you in forever, and you are too breathtaking to put into words, so 'wow' was all I can come up with"

She unstiffened in my arms. "Good enough".

I let her go after about fifteen seconds of embracing her, and asked, "So where are we going, m'lady?"

She looked at me with a superior look in her eyes. "To the Dicey Cafe!"

She walked on, me duitifully following. We walked into the little bar owned by a fellow SAO escapee. Once inside, we went to the bar area, chose our seats, and sat in comfortable silence. The tall dark skinned man came up, polishing a glass cup.

"So what do you want today?" He asked, his deep rumble of a voice making me feel calm. "Something strong?"

"Nah" I said. "Can't have alcohol with the drugs the hospital gave me. Besides, I'm too weak to hold any of that in"

He laughed at this. "Okay then, orange soda it is!"

"Same here" said Argo. He dilivered the drinks in tall glasses, and walked over to another spot at the counter, to replace the glass he was wiping, and took another.

After taking a sip of the drink, Argo spoke.

"Should we talk about it?" She asked.

I put my glass down, and thought. "I don't know. I can try" I nodded.

"How did you do it?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Escape from… dying" she said.

I sighed. "I don't know." I said honestly. Her eyebrows scrunched slightly. "I sat in a void, alone, watching a countdown timer. It is hard to stay sane, knowing exactly when the world was going to end. It was hard. I sat there, yelling at myself. I felt that if I didn't wake up, you would die, and I focused all of my mind on figuring out a way to wake up form that void…" I leaned back. "And then… I just woke up to you guys standing there, silent."

"Well, I thought you should know, Silica was the one to beat that bastard"

I raised my eyebrows. "Well, that I did not see coming! I thought Yuuki and Angelica would be able to take him, and I trained Wraith as a last resort, teaching him just how to play as a dps player."

Argo scooted her barstool closer to me, and lay her head on my shoulder. I put my cheek against her hair, taking in her faint lavender scent. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and sat there.

"Don't leave again" she whispered.

"Don't worry, I won't."

"Promise?" She looked up at me.

Instead of answering, I kissed her deeply, and long, allowing my actions to put her at ease.

"Ooooh, Tryth-kun! Not in front of the little one!" Shouted Liz, as she walked in with Silica, and Angelica. Liz had her phone out, and in her hand, camera end at us.

"You better not be recording this!" I roared. I may have been weak, but I can use my vocal chords when I need to.

"No! I am not, I swear!" She hurriedly said. "Alesha, Bronts, and Yuuki are looking through the camera!"

I sat down, not realizing I stood up. "Oh" I said.

"Yeah, dumbass!" Said a voice from the phone. "Get it right!"

"Ugh" I sighed. "Can I not have a date with my wife without you people butting in?"

All of the girls looked at each other, and said in unison "Nope!"

That was a happy ending. I hope you guys like it! Please post a review, whether it be "this story sucked ass" or, "omg, I am crying after that". I will be writing another sao story, Named: Cleave. Here is the link: s/12428270/1/Cleave