Wolf In Sheep's Clothing(1)

--- Kirito ---

Sweat trickled down my cheek as I gripped my sword tightly, its blade glowing with the activation of a skill. The normal players around me were confused, their voices rising in question.

"Why is he activating skills now? The Boss is already dead."

"Right. What's he doin?"

I ignored them, my gaze locked on Heathcliff, my target.

This was a huge gamble, but I had no choice. Silently, I apologized in my thoughts as I lunged at him.

My sword quickly approached him, but before it could hit, I saw it.

His shield moved at an irrational speed as my attack was completely deflected, despite me timing it perfectly.

...That's weird.

The players all around us were left in awe, but that feeling quickly turned to shock and suspicion.

They started questioning me, accusing me of being like the PKers the Death Reaper had crushed before.

"This b*stard is one of them!!"

"How dare he!!"

Some even called out to Haru, asking him to deal with me.

Don't give him weird ideas, please.

But before anything escalated further, Heathcliff raised his hand, silencing everyone, his expression showing no deep emotion.

"How did you know?"

His voice was eerily calm, filled with nothing but mild curiosity. The players around us fell silent, sensing that something was not right.

But to me, someone who already had suspicions, it was like answering the question nudging on my mind.

Just now, that couldn't have been a movement executed by a human.

I had attacked Heatcliff from his blind spot. Even if he's a trained, high level player, it would've been impossible to have such an inhumane reaction.

Thus, I was certain.

He was the real deal.

I scoffed.

"I don't need to tell you anything, Akihiko Kayaba."

It cannot be anyone else but him.

My words hung in the air, causing a ripple of confusion and disbelief among the players. Some who recognized the gravity of my statement shouted that it was impossible, but they didn't have time to elaborate. Heathcliff cut them off, a hint of regret in his voice.

"It's a shame. I wanted to have this fight on the 100th floor, but since I've been found out, there's no point in hiding it any longer." He extended his hands grandly to the players, explaining,

"You see, this kind of thing was originally meant to be 100th Floor content, but I've changed my mind. The one who discovered me, Kirito-kun, will duel me. If he wins, the game ends here. If not, the game continues."

Anger erupted from the crowd.

I mean, it was understandable.

The one tasked with the fate of everyone still alive would be put onto someone who was nothing more than a slightly stronger climber from the frontlines.

If it was Haru, I'm sure there wouldn't have been much of an opposition, as everyone knew what kind of monster he was.

But honestly, it was a problem for me as well.

I don't want to do it!

But if I don't, everyone will die here, including myself.

The collected anger caused several different reactions.

One of the quickest players tried to rush at Heathcliff, only to be immediately stopped in his tracks, unable to move. The former dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"Side characters should stay as such. Only the proud warrior may have this opportunity. No one else shall interfere."

Bro, are you high?

That's cringy as fuck.

Moreover, you can just use your system. How am I supposed to even beat you?

Doubt gnawed at me.

By all accounts, Haru was stronger than me. He could have attacked first and then requested my help, if that was even necessary, but he chose not to. His actions made me feel like I was being used.

It's not like I can do anything about that, though.

I ended up glancing at Haru, as his face still radiated unending confidence.

"You have the potential to beat an administrator, Kirito"

I'll be honest, given the way he talked, it all seemed like some kind of joke to him, so much so I thought he was really just kidding when he said this. 

But if he left such an important task on me, there must be a reason.

From my own understanding, Haru would never sacrifice his own life so uselessly.

That means I really have a shot at this.

...Alright, I'll trust you on this matter.

I hope I won't die because of this, or else I'll haunt you in your dreams!

Anyway.

My first skill attack was a probe, and it had the effect I wanted.

In a way, it went even better than expected.

Heathcliff pretty much spilled the beans himself, confirming my suspicions.

There was no need to hesitate.

Now, I knew there was no way I could win using sword skills.

It's a logical conclusion.

Skills were just predictable attack patterns, and as an administrator, Kayaba could easily counter them.

The only way to defeat him was through sheer swordsmanship.

The movements of a player, a human, cannot be perfectly predicted by the System, no matter what.

If it could really achieve such a level, it would be beyond an artificial intelligence, and more like a God.

Realizing this, I charged at Kayaba without activating any skills. My heart pounded in my chest as I closed the distance between us, my mind focused solely on the battle ahead.

We exchanged blows, our swords clashing with a metallic ring that echoed through the Boss chamber.

I aimed for the gaps in his defense, targeting his sides and under his guard. Kayaba's movements were fluid and precise, his shield and sword working in perfect harmony. He parried each of my attacks with ease, his eyes cold and calculating. The other players watched in stunned silence, their faces reflecting a mix of awe and fear.

Our swords clashed again, and I felt the impact reverberate through my arms. Sweat trickled down my forehead, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

'Damn it, I'm out of fuel here.'

I had already fought a boss before this, and my energy was waning, but I had to keep going. I couldn't afford to lose now.

I pressed on, trying to find an opening in Kayaba's impenetrable defense. My mind raced, searching for a strategy. Finally, I saw a chance. I feinted to the left, drawing his shield out of position. It was a small gap, a fleeting opportunity, but I had to take it.

My sword reached for that small gap, a glimmer of hope shining at the end of a dark tunnel.

But...just before my strike landed, Kayaba's shield moved with an unnatural speed, blocking my blow. His reaction was too fast, too precise.

He had used the System's automatic defense.

...You damn cheater.

Caught off guard, I found myself open and vulnerable. Kayaba seized the opportunity, his sword thrusting forward with deadly accuracy. I barely had time to react as his blade pierced my chest.

I gasped, my vision blurring as my HP bar plummeted.

The room was silent, the other players frozen in shock. Faces twisted in horror, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Kayaba's expression remained calm, almost serene. There was no satisfaction, no joy in his imminent victory.

Tch.

I was hoping I'd at least be able to use that against him, damn it.

I fell to my knees, the strength draining from my limbs. My HP bar flashed red, warning me of my imminent death. I looked up at Kayaba, his figure towering above me like a god of death.

So easily, I was already about to lose.

...Is there nothing else I can do?

He entrusted this to me, and for that reason...!

Kayaba merely shook his head

"You were nowhere near ready to face the 100th Floor Boss, Kirito-kun. I do acknowledge you for revealing my true identity, but deciding to attack me so out of the blue was unwise." 

Do you think I'm some genius strategist or something? Get real.

My HP was about to hit zero, but all I could feel was anger, that emotion burning in my heart far more than the fear of death.

But just as I was about to twist my arm in another small attempt to do something, anything...

A spear easily went through Kayaba's neck, until the tip of the blade could be seen on the other side of the wound. The sheer force of the attack was horrifyingly effective, the blade perforating the other side of his neck in what would normally be an instant kill.

For the first time, Kayaba's face showed surprise and even a hint of horror as his HP, from the clear shape of green, instantly disappeared, leaving only a tiny slice of red. I was even more shocked.

'Nobody was supposed to be able to move due to Kayaba's authority. So who...?'

Turning my head sideways, I saw Haru standing near us, a creepy smile on his face that gave me goosebumps. His smile was monstrous, more unsettling than anything I'd ever seen.

"Got you, motherfucker," he uttered.

"H-How..." Kayaba's voice trembled as he tried to understand how Haru could even move. His neck was pierced through in a devastating way, yet he was focused on using his administrator's power to heal himself. In his mind, he could only be killed by me. Knowing Kayaba's personality, he wouldn't be able to accept an ending like this.

"Quickly deal the final blow!!"

I urged him, but Haru's smile never left his face. No, it only intensified.

I was confused, but soon, I understood why.

Despite Kayaba's frantic attempts to use the Cardinal System, his face morphed into an expression of pure horror, unlike anything I had ever seen on a human.

I have no idea why, or how, but he must've realized his connection with the System was severed, and he could not use it anymore.

Although he had shown surprise at first, he never really reached this point. After all, he had the System on his side. No matter what, he was God, and no one could truly defy him.

To be forcefully pushed out of that fantasy must've broken something inside of him.

Good.

This was the final straw. Kayaba went mad, trying desperately shouting for the System, but he was powerless.

Frankly, he looked so pathetic I had instinctively wore a disgusted expression.

Haru merely laughed before stopping him in his tracks, twisting the spear deeper into his neck.

The blow was fatal, and Kayaba soon froze and turned into a shower of pixels, along with the weapon that was stuck in my chest.

As a result, I fell to the ground, my HP bar heading to the red zone. Without a potion, I would die soon.

Frantically, I searched my inventory for one, but Haru stopped me with a simple movement of his hand.

To my shock, I found my HP had returned to green, and the injury on my chest was completely gone.

Wait.

"Y-You..."

To be able to pull off this kind of trick...

There's no mistaking it.

He had administrator powers.

This was beyond shocking—

Just.... what's happening?

I don't understand anymore.

---

Author's Note:

This is the last of Kirito's POVs.

Although no one had anything to say about this, it's already the 3rd chapter with his POV, lmao.

Anyway, if you want, please vote on discord for the 4th Trial, the poll is about to end!