Sword Art Online: Eclipse

Oneshot Special: Kazuto's Birthday

That was it? Was that really all there was? Kirito looked down at his «Emancipator», a dark double-sided blade that only he could use, sticking out of the gut of the monster of «Floor One Hundred».

Akihiko Kayaba looked up at his opponent, a dry smile on his face, "Congratulations. A linked skill..." the boss referred to Kirito's defeating blows, that technically, weren't allowed, "after all this time. I should have known that's how I would have been ended."

"Now," Kirito's voice was shaky, his iron nerves now loosened by the battle, "let us go. SAO is over."

Kirito could see the fragmentation start as the game registered the final player death in its system. Kayaba looked at the young man and wondered if he would have made it, if he hadn't stopped the Eclipse from happening. His smile soured slightly, in the end, he could not create the perfect world.

Asuna grasped her partner's hand, together they had defeated the king of «Anicrad». She didn't like seeing Kirito shaking so badly, her thoughts only lingered on the safety of the person next to her. So much so, that she only registered the last sentence of two players' conversation.

Kayaba's face was weighed a calm stone-like expression, "Now then, I'll be on my way."

Swoosh! In a pale swirl of mist, the creator, director, and creative lead of «Sword Art Online» was gone.

Thud! Kirito fell to his knees, a shakey exhale leaving his body as his sword clattered to the floor next to him. Asuna let a small yelp escape her as she also fell to her knees next to him.

"Yayyy, we did it," a half-croak-half-laugh exhaled from the player, he wiped his face and leans on Asuna's shoulder, "I guess we had to share after all."

"I thought you would be more excited," she laughed through some tears.

"I am excited and tired," he remarked. For a moment, the two enjoyed each other's company.

"Hey."

"Hi, are we starting over?" Kirito tried to ease the shock of recent events.

"What's your real name?"

Kirito blinks, for a moment he felt the urge to lie or tell her to bug off, basic gamer instinct from meeting people online, but he didn't, "Kirigaya Kazuto."

"Kirigaya Kazuto," she tries out the name.

With some nervousness, he pops, "What's your name?"

"Asuna."

"Har-har, I am being for real."

Twick!

"Ow!" Kazuto rubs the front of his forehead where Asuna smacked him.

"Stop overreacting, I am being for real, my name is Yuuki Asuna."

"Oh," he sat there for a moment, "well, that's my new favorite name."

Asuna rolled her eyes, but she gave him a warm smile and leaned in close to his face.

A sudden announcement rings into the massive halls in the «Ruby Palace»:

"ON OCTOBER 7th at 2:55 pm, the Game has been Cleared! Repeat, the Game has been Cleared!"

"Oh my god," a sharp voice calls from behind the couple, who look back at their friends, now un paralyzed. Kirito looked behind him to see Suguha looking at him, "Kaz-er Kirito its-"

"It's my birthday," he finished. His friends, just starting to collect themselves, look at him.

"Jesus dude, what a fucking sick happy birthday present," Klien gulped with an attempt at a smile.

Asuna gawked at him, "You never told me your birthday," she realized.

He looked to the side slyly and muttered to himself, "You never asked."

"You want to say something?" Asuna grabbed his cheek gently and made him look at her.

"I love you."

She let him go with a sigh, "Whatever."

"Sorry guys," a soft voice croaks, Yukki looks at her friends from the tall Agiel to the small Silica and Argo, "I should have fought harder." She shakes her head and her bad attitude, "At least we are going to leave the game..." None of them notice her own sideways glance as she smiled.

"Hey Yuuki, it's okay," Lisbeth soothes, "how about we all get together and join up for a party, yeah?"

Yuuki looks at her with a bittersweet look, "I can try to make it," she says with a laugh.

"Great, we can go to my place," Agil states proudly, "drinks will be on the house!"

A murmur of tired and happy agreement goes around the group. Suddenly, without warning, Leafa fades into small rounded pixels. The group looks over, "We are leaving!" Argo realizes, "Y'all folk ready?"

Not a second later Argo also vanishes into a haze. Frantic good-byes were starting to be made, not just by the Assualt Team, but also everyone else in the guilds who had joined them on the blood-red castle. Promises of meeting in real life were made, some tears were shed, and those who managed to find love embraced their partners. While those who were alone, sat quietly in the back, emotions swirling in a typhoon of confusion.

For one last time, Kazuto took Asuna's hand and makes a vow, "I promise I will find you in the real world."

"I'll try my best to wait, don't keep me though," she says through a laugh weighed with an edge of worry and sadness.

They hold each other as the system starts to shut down, kicking the players offline and logging them out.