The truth was, Kayaba Akihiko might have been an outstanding figure in quantum science, a pioneer of virtual reality games, and even a world-class genius, but he was definitely not a top-tier virtual game expert. He had not even played many games before creating the Sword Art Online virtual world.
Kayaba Akihiko, who had displayed the formidable skills of a top player by using SAO administrator privileges and shamelessly resorting to bug-like methods such as forced analysis and acceleration during combat, was now left with only the equipment and skills of his "Heathcliff" identity after his supreme administrator privileges were temporarily isolated. Even his locked health state, which would forcibly activate below half health, was cleared. He then faced the combined assault of a top-tier team of nineteen players, including Morin, Asuna, Kirito, Diavel, and Agil.
Frankly speaking, facing such a luxurious lineup of players, even if Kayaba Akihiko had the attributes of the eightieth-floor boss, in addition to his own level 80 plus player stats and top-tier equipment, he would only last a little longer. There was absolutely no chance of victory.
Kayaba Akihiko seemed to know this as well, but he made no move to surrender or beg for mercy, instead holding out until the very end.
"SHLICK"
In the center of the dimly lit battlefield, Kayaba Akihiko, wielding his shield in a final desperate act, saw the one-handed longsword held by Morin completely pierce through his abdomen. At the same time, the last sliver of health vanished from his empty health bar.
"So I failed after all"
Kayaba Akihiko did not look at his health bar, which had been completely depleted and turned from green to grayish black. Gazing at the wary Asuna, Kirito, Diavel, and the other players around him, he finally let out a sigh filled with loss and lament. In the next second, the body known as "Heathcliff" dissolved into countless specks of light and vanished.
Did we succeed?
Seeing Kayaba Akihiko dissipate into light, Morin was more concerned about this question than anyone else.
In the next instant, Morin, Asuna, Kirito, and the other players still inside the floor boss's room heard the sound of bells seemingly coming from all directions.
At the same time, across all the floors of Aincrad, countless players who were previously grinding monsters, resting, or training their skills all heard the sudden ringing of bells throughout the world.
The clear chimes, as if a giant bronze bell was ringing right next to their ears, directly caused all players to involuntarily look up at the sky. Then, all players stared blankly at the very top of their current floor, at the bottom of the floor above, where rows of gigantic text appeared before everyone.
"What is that"
"Wait... system... is that a system announcement"
"No way"
Seeing the somewhat familiar situation, many players, after a moment of confusion, quickly recalled when they had seen a similar scene before.
It was over a year ago, when SAO had become a death game. In the central plaza of the Town of Beginnings, ten thousand players simultaneously saw the announcement from the game developer Kayaba Akihiko, once called a "genius" and a "national treasure," declaring that the first full-dive virtual game had become a death game.
Could that madman be planning something new again?
Before the still uninformed players could panic and prepare to react, all players noticed that the clear ringing of bells suddenly stopped, and then a soft female voice sounded.
"Emergency announcement to all players"
Hearing the gentle female voice, the players' expressions froze, and then their faces showed a variety of emotions.
For over a year, players had only heard the game system's voice for interactions with NPCs or notifications about their own status and quests. This sudden appearance of a female voice reminded all players that they were indeed inside a game.
"Currently, the game is operating in forced management mode. All monster activity and item trading have been suspended. All NPCs have been withdrawn. All players' health points have been fixed at the maximum value"
Before the players could react, the suddenly high-pitched female voice caused all players' blood to rush to their heads with excitement.
"Aincrad Standard Time, Year One, May Eleventh, 17:50. Game clear successful"
Silence.
Upon hearing this news, the first reaction of all players was stunned silence. Players on other floors stared blankly at their surroundings with stiff expressions, as if doubting their ears. However, after hearing the next words announced by the female voice, almost all players jumped up with ecstatic expressions.
"We will now begin the process of logging out players in sequence. Please remain in your current location and wait. Repeat"
With the announcement of the female voice, Aincrad instantly transformed into a boiling ocean. Players on all floors, seeing the surrounding NPCs disappear and the monsters stop moving, directly shouted "Banzai" "We can finally log out of this game" "Great" and other cheers. Some even excitedly hugged each other or rolled on the ground to vent their incredibly excited feelings.
It had been too difficult.
Having endured over a year, even the most optimistic players had been under the pressure of the SAO death game. Even with the rumors that the clearing group was about to break through to the eightieth floor, most players estimated that they would still have to wait another year or two before seeing the clearing group conquer Aincrad's one hundredth floor.
However, this sudden good news immersed all players in joy, and not many questioned why they could suddenly leave this death game.
The eightieth floor of Aincrad, the floor boss's room.
"We can finally leave"
"Great I really want to see Mom. I wonder how worried my family is"
"Me too, my family must be so worried about us"
"That is right"
Seeing Kayaba Akihiko disappear and hearing the announcement made by the female voice, Kirito, Klein, Diavel, and Agil in the room all wore happy expressions. Even some top players who had experienced countless battles had red eyes and looked like they were about to cry tears of joy.
Especially as the figures of individual players began to fade and disappear, the other players wore joyful expressions, anticipating their return to their friends and families in the real world.
"Mommy... Daddy"
In the blink of an eye, after realizing that only Morin, Asuna, and herself remained, Yui, in her pixie form, clutched Asuna's clothes, looking very reluctant.
"Yui, I have already set your AI data to the local disk of your helmet. You will just sleep for a bit and then you can see Mommy and Daddy again, okay"
Knowing Yui's worry about separating, Morin gently reached out and tapped the little pixie's head. He then saw the adorable Yui being comforted and turning to wink at Asuna, teasingly smiling.
"Asuna, I will go directly to find you in the real world. Do not forget we are husband and wife"
"Morin"
"Why is Mommy blushing"
Along with Asuna's embarrassed exclamation and Yui's innocent question, the two beautiful figures, one tall and one small, vanished before Morin's eyes. Then, the entire room was left with only Morin.
In the next moment, Morin's own figure also disappeared.
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Try Other Fics I Have
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