Sword Art Online Episode 14

The End of the World (世界の終焉) is the fourteenth episode of the Sword Art Online anime adaptation and the last episode of the Aincrad Arc. It aired on October 6, 2012.

Plot
Kirito and the others continue fighting, until Heathcliff notices that the boss' life is about to extinguish, so he tells everyone to attack, and after a fierce battle, they finally defeat The Skull Reaper.



Everyone is exhausted from the battle. Kirito informs Klein that 14 players had died. The players begin to have doubts about completing the remaining 25 floors. That's when Kirito notices that Heathcliff is standing without any sign of fatigue from the battle and, at that moment, he recalls their duel. He suddenly attacks Heathcliff, but the sword is blocked and an "Immortal Object" sign appears, just like when Yui was attacked. Everyone is shocked and confused. Kirito explains that the game ensures that Healthcliff's HP will never fall into the yellow zone and that, since the game started, he had been wondering where was "he" watching the players and adjusting the world from. Realizing that there's nothing as boring as watching someone else play an RPG in addition to Heathcliff's unusual mental state and the "Immortal Object" status, Kirito concludes that Heathcliff is in fact, Kayaba Akihiko.



Heathcliff admits that he is Kayaba, causing one of the Knight of the Blood to attack him in frustration, but the player is stopped when Kayaba paralyzes him and everyone else aside from Kirito. Kirito asks if he is going to kill everyone in order to cover up the fact that Heathcliff is Kayaba. Kayaba answers that it wouldn't be fair. Instead, he will be the last boss to wait for the players on the top floor of Aincrad in the Ruby Palace.

As a reward for revealing Heathcliff's true identity, he offers Kirito a chance to fight him in a one-on-one battle, with Kayaba's immortal status deactivated. If Kirito can defeat Kayaba, all of the players will be logged out. Asuna pleads Kirito not to accept the challenge and to fall back, but Kirito has flashbacks of all of those who have died and, not wanting any more deaths, accepts the wager. Kirito apologizes to Asuna that he will not run away and reassures her that he will win and end the game. Agil and Klein also beg Kirito not to battle. Kirito thanks Agil for helping the swordsmen from the middle levels level up, and apologizes to Klein for leaving him on the first day. Klein retaliates that he will not forgive Kirito until he buys him a meal in the real world. Before the start of the duel, Kirito requests that if he does die, he wants Kayaba to make sure that Asuna can't kill herself for a while. Kayaba smiles and accepts the request. Asuna cries out for Kirito.



At the beginning of the duel, both fight at extreme speed. Knowing that Kayaba was the one who designed the Dual Blades skill and that he will be able to block the pre-programmed combos, Kirito tries to use his own skills, without the help of any Sword Skills. Kirito starts to corner Kayaba, but he loses focus for a mere moment and activates Eclipse, a high level Dual Blades skill and is unable to cancel it midway. Kayaba easily blocks each and every strike. Dark Repulser breaks on Heathcliff's shield and, just as Kayaba is about to deliver the finishing blow, Asuna jumps between the two, blocking the attack but facing her demise. Kayaba is surprised that Asuna was able to neutralize the paralysis on her own.



In disbelief of losing Asuna, Kirito swings his sword with little effort allowing Kayaba to easily send his Elucidator flying and stab him. But, in the moment his life drops to zero, Kirito stabs Kayaba with Asuna's Lambent Light, killing him as well. Kirito asks if "it was good enough" before he and Kayaba shatter into thousands of pieces. A voice of the system announces, "As of 14:55, November 7, the game has been cleared."

Kirito opens his eyes and finds himself in the sky outside of Aincrad. Kirito is shocked to see Asuna and tells her that he is sorry for dying. They hug and share a kiss, while watching the destruction of Aincrad. Unexpectedly, Kayaba appears and tells them that in 10 minutes or so, Aincrad will completely vanish, and that the remaining 6,147 players were successfully logged out though those who have died are in fact gone forever. Kayaba says that he cannot remember why he created Aincrad but recalls his desire to create a castle, a world that surpassed all laws and restrictions for a long time. He congratulates Kirito and Asuna for clearing the game and disappears.

Kirito and Asuna  spend their last moments together, telling each other their real names as they see the last of Aincrad disappear. Kirito being the 16 year old Kirigaya Kazuto and Asuna the one year older Yuuki Asuna. Kirito cries and is apologetic that he was unable to send Asuna back to the other world. Asuna comforts him and tells him that meeting and living with him were the happiest moments in her life and that she loves him. Kirito and Asuna hug each other, waiting for the final moment. Both disappear along with Aincrad.



Kirito wakes up and finds himself in the hospital bedroom, while trying to make sense of where he is, he remembers Asuna, bringing tears and life back into his eyes. He takes off the NerveGear and grabs the IV drip stand for support and slowly walks out of his room to find Asuna while calling her name.

Inventory

 * Kirito
 * Blackwyrm Coat
 * Elucidator
 * Dark Repulser
 * Asuna
 * Lambent Light
 * Heathcliff
 * Liberator

Known Sword Skills

 * «Rage Spike» - Kirito
 * «The Eclipse» - Kirito

Locations

 * Aincrad Floor 75: 75th Floor Labyrinth - Boss room
 * The sky outside of Aincrad
 * Hospital in the real world

Adaptation Notes

 * Adapted Volume 1 Chapters 22-25


 * For a dramatic effect, the anime shows as if Kirito burst into polygons and then came back again, while in the next scene it shows the standing Kirito starting to glow. This is similar to how the anime portrays Kirito's finger bleeding in Episode 1, while in the next scene it was shown that he wasn't actually bleeding. In the novel, it was said that the flow of time slowed down for Kirito and he was able to move his arm while his body was slowly breaking down, giving him enough time to pierce Heathcliff before the former's body shattered into polygons.
 * In Volume 1 Chapter 21 and 22 of the light novels, while fighting "The Skull Reaper" in the 75th Floor, Kirito is still wearing the KoB's Guild Uniform, while in the anime he's wearing his Blackwyrm Coat.
 * The final part of "Warmth of the Heart", from Volume 2, and "The Final Promise" from Silica Edition are omitted in the anime. The anime does, however, portray the announcement being played over the game.

Quotes

 * "Something any kid knows. There's nothing as boring as watching someone else play an RPG." - Kirito
 * "Yes, I am Kayaba Akihiko. And if I may add, I am the game's final boss, who would have awaited you at the top floor." - Heathcliff/Kayaba Akihiko
 * "Damn it, Kirito! Don't you dare apologize to me now! I won't forgive you... I won't forgive until you buy me a meal on the other side!" - Klein
 * "This isn't a duel... We're fighting to kill. That's right. I'm going to kill him!" - Kirito
 * "I believe in you, Kirito-kun." - Asuna
 * "I wanted to leave the ground, to fly to that castle. For a long, long time, that was my only desire." - Kayaba Akihiko
 * "No, it isn't. We're going to disappear as one. So we'll be together forever." - Asuna
 * "I'm happy I was able to meet you, Kazuto-kun. To live with you. It's the happiest I've ever been in my life. Thank you. I love you" - Asuna

Trivia

 * There was a double animation error when Heathcliff is preparing to fight Kirito, a message appears that says, "Chaged Into Immortal Object". "Changed" was misspelled and "mortal" was accidentally written as "immortal".

Episodio 14