Kayaba was right. He possessed the highest authority within the game. He could adjust his attributes and status at will—remaining invincible indefinitely if he chose.
Yet since he had taken a battle stance, it was clear he had no intention of doing that.
[One-Hit Zero-HP Mode Activated]
A system notification appeared before Lillian's eyes.
This was Kayaba's setting—a mode that ignored differences in HP. Whoever landed the first successful hit would win the battle. The loser… might die.
Lillian knew very well that a fight between a player and the game's creator was inherently unequal. In truth, his position was extremely dangerous—because he had no idea what death would mean for him.
If he died in-game while his real-world existence was uncertain, would he revive inside the game again? If so, Kayaba could simply kill him a second time, erasing that possibility.
If he had a physical body in reality and revived there, could he simply stay out of the game forever?
No—because he had already decided to free Yui and Kizmel.
"Are you ready?" Kayaba asked.
His equipment was the same as in the original story—the cross-shaped sword and shield combination. Notably, even the shield carried an attack judgment; a single hit would instantly reduce HP to zero.
As the game's creator, Kayaba also possessed complete mastery over every sword skill in existence. For ordinary players, there would be no chance whatsoever.
But Lillian was no ordinary player.
"—!"
In the space of a breath, Lillian vanished from where he stood.
Over half a year, not only had his combat techniques reached near perfection—he had fully unlocked the potential of his body. Through countless battles, his control over himself had grown absolute.
This was his peak.
"Very—" Kayaba began.
Before he could finish, the jet-black greatsword thrust in from his right. The shield intercepted the blade just in time.
"...fast."
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!
In an instant, the hall was filled with the sound of clashing steel. Their figures blurred, leaving only sparks exploding at every collision. In just a few breaths, they exchanged hundreds of strikes.
This was a battle between apex combatants—something no other player could even imagine. Either one of them alone possessed the power to wipe out every other player in the game.
SCREEECH—
The Dark Knight greatsword scraped against the metal shield, producing a piercing sound. As both exerted force, they were pushed several meters apart, staring each other down across the distance.
His speed and strength are on par with mine.
Lillian reached that conclusion.
Kayaba spoke calmly,
"I noticed you back on the First Floor. Do you know why I allowed you six months without interference?"
"It was to precisely chart your physical growth curve. At the same time, I was training myself."
He tapped his temple.
"You see, the game differs from reality. In the real world, neither of us could ever move at such speed or wield such strength. But in-game, as long as the brain can endure the simulated feedback, you can become superhuman."
"Over the past six months, I've trained my brain to withstand attribute values equivalent to your physical capabilities. So defeating me won't be easy."
"…I see."
Lillian finally understood. No wonder Kayaba had grown so powerful—he had been secretly analyzing Lillian's physical state all along, tailoring his own training accordingly.
Truly befitting a "scientist."
"But there's one thing you got wrong," Lillian said, his body blurring as he launched forward once more.
In the real world… I can do this too.
---
Inside the narrow corridor, after Kayaba and Lillian vanished without a trace, the paralysis effects on Kirito and Asuna finally wore off. They were still struggling to recover from the shock. Although the exchange between Lillian and Kayaba had been extremely brief, the amount of information contained within it was staggering.
"Lillian knew that was Akihiko Kayaba? And Kayaba also knew about him… Just who in the world is he?!"
The two of them had always been curious about Lillian. He was far too mysterious. Even after fighting side by side for half a year, they knew nothing about him beyond the name "Lillian." He had never mentioned where he came from, what games he had played before, or anything about his family. As for his strength, no one could understand why it was so outrageously powerful.
But now, Kayaba knew him.
Did that mean Lillian was some kind of government agent, sent into the game to investigate? The thought naturally arose in their minds. In fact, this was exactly the same guess Kayaba himself had made the moment he first noticed Lillian.
Then… where had the two of them gone?
Kirito and Asuna exchanged glances and hurriedly stood up. Asuna nervously looked around and noticed Yui and Kizmel standing frozen in place. She rushed over immediately.
"Yui! Kizmel! What's wrong with you?!"
She gently shook them, calling their names again and again. Kirito also spoke up anxiously:
"Lillian is gone! Do you know what happened?!"
Only after saying it did Kirito realize he had panicked so badly that he had asked an NPC such a question. However, to his shock, the moment he finished speaking, both of them snapped back to awareness.
Kizmel still looked shaken, but Yui was completely different. Her expression was calm—unnaturally calm—and her eyes and demeanor were nothing like before.
"Lillian…!" Kizmel began, but before she could finish, Yui interrupted her.
"There's no need to look for him, Kirito-nii, Asuna-nee, Kizmel-nee," Yui said softly. "Lillian-nii isn't here. Akihiko Kayaba took him to an 'unknowable area.'"
"Yui, you…"
Everyone stared at her in astonishment—not only at her composure, which far exceeded what was appropriate for her apparent age, but also at the unfamiliar terms she was using. Only Kizmel seemed to realize something, a thoughtful glint flashing through her eyes.
"Kizmel-nee, you've already guessed it, haven't you?" Yui continued. "I've recovered my memories."
As she spoke, she gently stepped forward, walking toward the room at the end of the corridor.
"Don't worry. I'll bring Lillian-nii back. No one is allowed to take him away from Yui's side."
"Yui…"
The others were stunned by her sudden transformation, but after a brief hesitation, they followed her. The four of them arrived before a massive stone door. Kirito pushed with all his strength, but it didn't budge at all.
Yui, however, merely raised her hand lightly. In the next instant, the stone door vanished.
"Th-This… Yui, you are…?"
She didn't answer. She walked into the room, which was completely empty except for a single control console. Stepping up to it, she placed her palm on the surface and said expressionlessly:
"Query."