Like two venomous snakes, both sides were searching for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal bite.
Lillian had stopped attacking five seconds earlier. His opponent's defense was flawless—impeccable to an almost absurd degree—and it was clear that he was intimately familiar with Lillian's attack patterns. Though slightly inferior in raw speed, he maintained perfect parity through what seemed like a form of foresight.
"I've analyzed all of your combat patterns," Kayaba said, standing perfectly still. Even under such an intense, high-density battle, he maintained an elegant posture, clearly having trained extensively in physical endurance.
"I now fully understand your attack trajectories and have constructed a counter-system specifically for you," Kayaba continued. "Of course, you can't see it. In my eyes, all of your movements have been datafied. The personal system automatically generates defensive strategies for me. I only need to react…"
"You won't break through this wall of steel."
"If you're cheating, just say you're cheating," Lillian replied bluntly, though inwardly he was already thinking through his options.
His previous assault had been executed at full power—both strength and speed pushed to their absolute limits. While Kayaba was slightly inferior in these aspects, he had "technology" on his side, creating perfectly optimized defensive movements. Just as he said, it truly was a defense like an iron fortress.
If only he could land a single hit…
The rule was simple: one-hit empty HP. He only needed to deal one effective strike. The question was how to break through that defense.
Instinctively, Lillian stopped thinking in terms of technique alone—it was far too difficult. The trope of suddenly changing fighting styles to win, as seen in movies and dramas, was far too risky. Combat habits, once formed, couldn't be altered instantly without causing stiffness or hesitation. In a duel of this level, even a moment of sluggishness would be fatal.
Lillian couldn't afford that gamble.
So… what other options were there?
In a flash of inspiration, he opened his inventory. His fully upgraded bag was filled with all kinds of swords.
Having maxed out his forging skill, he had crafted numerous weapons for different situations. Late-game monsters often possessed special attributes, and using specialized weapons made clearing content far more efficient. Unknowingly, he had accumulated more than thirty greatswords.
"Have you given up?" Kayaba asked when Lillian didn't move, waving his longsword casually. "Or are you out of stamina? In that case, it's my turn to attack."
The moment he started to charge forward, a massive sword suddenly flew through the air toward him.
Kayaba instantly raised his shield at an angle.
Clang.
The flying sword hit the ground. He frowned slightly, glanced down, then looked up—only to see that another sword had appeared in Lillian's hand.
"Have you ever heard of 'Unlimited Blade Works'?" Lillian said. "Of course, mine can only fire one at a time, and the number is nowhere near infinite… but tell me—does your automatic defense system account for a 'throwing swords' skill?"
"You—!"
Kayaba truly hadn't expected this. Sword throwing was a mid-range attack with less than perfect accuracy, rarely used in real combat. Most players only used it while hunting in the field.
"It's impossible to hurt you with this alone," Lillian said, hurling another sword as he charged forward. "But as long as it causes even a little interference, that's enough!"
Kayaba's expression grew serious. Lillian's stamina showed no sign of decline—he was still at peak condition. And just as Lillian said, the flying sword did disrupt Kayaba's automated defense, if only slightly, making it less elegant and less perfect.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Bzzz—Crack!
Lillian unleashed a storm of relentless attacks, mixing in thrown swords to interfere with the defense system. He didn't charge sword skills—he simply threw them raw, using them purely as disruption.
And then, by sheer force, he created an opening.
When Kayaba's shield deflected a thrown sword, it shifted off the centerline of his chest. In that instant, Lillian's blade flashed forward like a streak of starlight!
Just like in boxing—when a fighter's hands leave the centerline, a single hook can knock them out cold. That's why boxers rarely target the torso while standing, instead unleashing everything once the opponent is down.
Now, Kayaba's shield had lost centerline coverage.
At the same time, Lillian had already discarded the Dark Knight greatsword and secretly switched to a +15 fully-enhanced attack-speed weapon—a lightning-fast blade!
Fall…!
Buzz—Buzz—!
The sword tip froze in midair, along with the look of shock on Kayaba's face. Lillian felt the air suddenly solidify, as though his body had plunged into a massive block of gelatin. His movements slowed dramatically.
That single moment of interference was enough.
His speed faltered.
Kayaba, seemingly unaffected, executed a rapid backward step and slashed Lillian's arm.
Damn it…
The instant the damage calculation triggered, Lillian watched his HP plummet—emptying to zero in less than a second.
"How…?" Lillian gritted his teeth and looked at Kayaba.
Kayaba also looked surprised—because that interference hadn't been his doing. He seemed to realize something, glancing thoughtfully up at the ceiling before turning back to Lillian.
"You lost."
In Sword Art Online, when HP reaches zero, there is a ten-second death countdown. After ten seconds, the NerveGear emits a lethal microwave burst, destroying the brain—true death.
10… 9… 8…
"I can stop the game's time right now," Kayaba said rapidly. "On the condition that you answer my questions. If you agree, nod. Otherwise, I won't interfere with the system."
6… 5…
Lillian neither nodded nor shook his head. He simply stared at Kayaba coldly.
"I see…" Kayaba said with regret. "In that case, farewell. I don't know how you entered the game, but since you aren't using a NerveGear, your life won't be in danger. Don't think about coming back either. Once you leave, I'll seal the server completely. No one will ever be able to enter again…"
3… 2… 1…
At the very last second, the ceiling above their heads suddenly turned transparent and vanished. Yui appeared abruptly in midair. Her long hair and the hem of her clothes fluttered despite the absence of wind as she extended her hand toward Kayaba.
"Freeze!"
Kayaba's expression changed instantly. His body locked up as if frozen in time. At the same moment, on the other side, Lillian, who was just about to disappear, suddenly found a strange crystal in his hand.
[Sacred Revival Crystal] — an item that can be used within ten seconds of the death judgment.
Use!
Whoosh—!
A brilliant, radiant light burst forth from the crystal and surged into Lillian's body. In an instant, the cracks spreading across him began to mend, and his HP rapidly recovered. Though the recovery couldn't quite keep pace with his forward momentum, in the very next moment, the sword in his hand pierced straight into Kayaba's body—who was immobilized by Yui's interference.
Lillian had not died, so the "one-hit empty HP" condition had not yet ended. In the following second, Kayaba's HP was instantly drained to zero.
Yui, suspended in midair, lost her strength and fell. Lillian rushed forward and caught her in his arms.
"Yui…"
"Lillian-nii… I'm sorry…" Her small face was deathly pale. "This is my fault… I queried the unknowable area, and that caused the interference…"
"Don't say another word!" Lillian shouted. As he watched her body slowly becoming transparent, his heart clenched painfully. He suddenly looked up at Kayaba.
Kayaba was now able to move again. He looked at Yui and let out a bitter smile.
"Your authority… was only enough to interfere with me for one second," he said quietly. "The price of that one second is being completely erased by the underlying program. Was it worth it?"
"Kayaba!" Lillian shouted sharply for the first time. "You can stop time in this world, can't you?! Then do it—right now!"
Kayaba shook his head. "I don't want to." His own body began to crack and gradually turn transparent. "You defeated me. My physical death is unavoidable, but my consciousness can still—"
"Shut up!" Lillian cut him off harshly. "You created this world because of a dream, didn't you?" His words came rapidly now. "The other world you saw in your dreams—you wanted to make it real. But no matter how realistic this broken game is, it's still fake! It's still a toy! The people inside are nothing more than puppets!"
He stared straight at Kayaba.
"But I can tell you this—other worlds do exist. Real ones. Don't you want to see them for yourself?"
Thump—thump!
Kayaba's heart pounded violently. The despair on his face was abruptly replaced with renewed intensity. Almost reflexively, he raised his hand and performed an operation.
Everything froze.
The world itself came to a complete standstill. Even Yui, cradled in Lillian's arms, stopped breathing—her heartbeat gone, her body like a perfectly crafted doll.
Only two people could still move and think.
"What… did you just say?" Kayaba stared at Lillian in disbelief. "You said… other worlds… truly exist?"
"They do." Lillian fell silent for a moment.
"Didn't you want to know where I came from? Then I'll tell you."
He met Kayaba's gaze calmly.
"I come from another world."
"How… that's impossible…" Kayaba took two steps closer. His eyes gleamed with an almost dazzling intensity as he examined Lillian. "You clearly… look like an ordinary human."
Lillian let out a mocking laugh. "And humans can't exist in other worlds?" He glanced down at Yui in his arms, then looked back up.
"Kayaba, let's make a deal."
"A deal?"
"End this game. And give Yui and Kizmel their freedom. That's my demand." His eyes burned with conviction as he stared at Kayaba. "In exchange… I'll take you to another world."