"This is... that's... Aincrad?!?"
After a moment of disorientation, Morin found himself gazing at a setting sun. The golden-red fiery clouds painted the sky in a breathtaking display of color. As Morin surveyed his surroundings, he saw a colossal island before him.
More accurately, the island resembled a truncated artificial cone, with its hundred different floors visible. Within those layers, he could make out diverse landscapes: mountains, forests, lakes, and even towns. This island was unmistakably Aincrad, the place Morin had been clearing for over a year.
However, as Morin took in the scene, he noticed that Aincrad, once magnificent even up close, was now in a state of collapse. Fragments of the massive cone were constantly breaking off. The Town of Beginnings, where Morin and the other players had fought for so long, had already crumbled at the lowest level. Morin even saw the area where he had established the Star Reavers guild headquarters in the Town of Beginnings disintegrating. The Star Reavers' golden flame banner and buildings detached from Aincrad and disintegrated, vanishing into the boundless sky.
"Senior Kayaba Akihiko, did you bring me here just to watch the final destruction of Aincrad?"
Seeing this somewhat familiar scene, Morin was initially surprised, but quickly regained his composure. The scene before him was clearly the ending of the Sword Art Online arc, where Kayaba Akihiko had taken the protagonist, Kirito, to watch Aincrad's end. Now, it seemed that Morin had replaced Kirito in this moment.
What concerned Morin most was what Kayaba Akihiko intended to do. Was it to chat with him like in the original story, or was it for revenge?
"Morin-kun, seeing this scene, what are your thoughts?"
Before Morin could fully ask his question, Kayaba Akihiko's voice echoed beside him.
Without Morin noticing, Kayaba Akihiko had already appeared less than twenty meters behind him.
Dressed in a white shirt, tie, and a researcher's white coat, Kayaba Akihiko was no longer the slightly adjusted Heathcliff figure but had returned to his original appearance. Unlike the nearly 1.85-meter-tall, strong build of Heathcliff, Kayaba Akihiko now appeared as a slightly taller, yet thin researcher. What stood out most were his eyes. Even behind glasses, they still carried a gentle impression, now focused on the collapsing Aincrad. He looked like a semi-transparent virtual projection.
"It's a very spectacular scene, and it makes me feel a lot of emotion and brings back many memories..."
Morin sized up Kayaba Akihiko, assessing his current state, before locking eyes with him and asking directly, "So, seeing the destruction of the work you poured countless efforts into, Senior Kayaba Akihiko, what are your thoughts?"
At Morin's words, Kayaba Akihiko's gaze shifted. His eyes, filled with complex emotions of reminiscence, recollection, and regret, briefly lingered on the disintegrating Aincrad, before he returned to his usual calm.
"It has already completed its mission. Perhaps this outcome is the most perfect situation for Aincrad..."
After that, neither Morin nor Kayaba Akihiko spoke again, both watching as Aincrad inched closer to its final destruction.
The once enormous Aincrad was now succumbing to its end. Different layers began to collapse rapidly. In just the few minutes of conversation, over ten of Aincrad's hundred floors had vanished, and the remaining ones were quickly following suit.
Neither Morin, who lacked the power to intervene, nor Kayaba Akihiko, who could have stopped it, moved. They simply watched as Aincrad fell apart before their eyes.
"What a pity..."
As the 22nd floor crumbled away, a hint of regret flashed in Morin's eyes.
"Pity?! Why would you feel pity? Don't you hate it? Just like those players who have already left!"
Kayaba Akihiko turned his head, his voice tinged with a hint of anticipation.
"Hate? Well, I do indeed hate this death game that used human lives!"
Morin answered without hesitation, revealing his disgust for the death game that was Sword Art Online. But his next words took a different turn, filled with nostalgia and fondness.
"However, I also really like this place! After all, while it brought me some unpleasant memories, it brought me even more beautiful ones..."
As Morin spoke, a look of reminiscence appeared in his eyes. He thought back to his experiences in SAO.
When Morin first entered SAO, his goal wasn't just to play a game. He entered the death game with a specific purpose, and though fear and resentment had crept in, he had been determined to become the strongest guild leader of Star Reavers. What set him apart from others was his understanding of SAO's unique nature and his ability to mentally prepare himself to lead.
Over the course of a year, Morin had transformed Star Reavers, a guild not even present in the original story, into the strongest guild in SAO. He even reduced the number of player deaths in the original timeline and managed to snatch Asuna, Kirito's girlfriend, before they even met. Throughout the year in the game, he left his mark on Aincrad, with countless memories etched into his mind.
The clearing battles on the second, third, and fifth floors, the official formation of Star Reavers and its recruitment, clearing various quests and bosses, getting closer to Asuna, buying a house on the 22nd floor, stepping into Aincrad Cathedral with Asuna for their engagement, the sweet time spent during their honeymoon, discovering Yui and gaining a daughter... The joy of successfully tricking Kayaba Akihiko... These moments, filled with warmth and emotion, were precious treasures Morin would never forget.
Hearing Morin's words, Kayaba Akihiko remained silent.
He stared at Aincrad for a long while, his lips curling slightly upwards, before returning to his usual expression.
------------
Try Other Fics I Have
•SAO: I replaced him?
•Anime: I Want Harem
•DxD: I am Kanda Sorata
•Anime: Curse Of Immortality
•Genshin Impact: I have Broken System