And here's the second chapter that I promised to upload. Due to some internet connection difficulties, and a temporary sudden change in my daily schedule, this and the previous chapter were delayed, but here you go. Also, I should note that I'll be taking a short break for a while due to school related reasons, but that should hopefully not take too long.

Anyways, it's finally time for the second round between our two favorite Black-themed combatants, Kirito and Black Lotus! ~ DragonKing0117

Rematch

"How do you know about Master's «Vorpal Strike»? How do you know about his «Starburst Stream»?"

Unexpectedly, Kirito heard something that shouldn't be possible. Here, in this blue world that was almost frozen in time, Kuroyukihime suddenly said something extraordinary.

"Well, disregarding «Vorpal Strike», what do you mean your master's «Starburst Stream»?" Kirito asks with a sudden coldness that makes Kuroyukihime flinch. "I'm sorry to say this, little black snow princess, but that skill should only be known to me. After all, it was part of the «Unique Skill» Dual Blades. It should be impossible for anyone else to be able to use them besides me."

Kuroyukihime twitched at Kirito's remark before responding angrily.

"If it was impossible for anyone else to learn, why did Master know it, and why was he able to teach me? In addition to that, what do you mean 'disregarding «Vorpal Strike»?"

"«Vorpal Strike» isn't that much of a rare move. After all, you can learn it just by practicing the One-Handed Sword skill set. Because of that reason, it's understandable if somebody else learns it, since I know at least fifty others that can use it too."

"I can understand that reasoning," Kuroyukihime said begrudgingly. "But you didn't answer my first question."

"There's no need to," Kirito said while his eyes narrowed. "No one else should be able to use it unless I personally taught them."

"But that's just it! Didn't you say yourself that you came here from twenty-two years in the past? How do you know that you wouldn't have passed the move down by then?"

Kirito froze at that remark.

"That's true," Kirito thought to himself. "How would I know if I didn't teach anyone the move in the future? Although right now I still haven't been able to replicate «Starburst Stream» using the Original Sword Skill system in ALO, but if someone here in the future apparently knows it, then that must mean I at least managed to succeed at making it into an OSS."

As Kirito thought this, he had a sudden revelation.

"A monster..."

"What?" Kuroyukihime gave Kirito an odd look as he started saying random words.

"I must have been a monster," Kirito turned towards Kuroyukihime with an excited look in his eyes. "In order to register an OSS, you have to be able to replicate the move with a speed that surpasses the «System Assist» which is normally extremely hard to do. It becomes even harder to keep that speed as the number of consecutive hits increases. Back in my current time, I only managed to replicate up to 8 hits for the «Dual Blades» Sword Skills, but if in the future I managed to keep that speed for at least 16 consecutive hits..."

Kuroyukihime looked at Kirito in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ah," Kirito realized what he was doing before calming himself with a cough. "Sorry, I just got a little excited after hearing that piece of information. I'll just make sure to save it for later."

"Doesn't that mean what I said was true?"

"Most likely," Kirito said with a shrug.

"Then you'll tell me where you learned the skill?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you can just ask Haruyuki."

Kuroyukihime had a shocked expression on her face. To Kirito, it was quite funny.

"You told Haruyuki but not me!?" she exclaimed.

"Well we are living together Hime," Kirito chuckled. "Besides, I don't feel like saying anything to a girl wearing a revealing butterfly outfit despite being too young to pull it- oh fuck."

Kirito realized his mistake of going too far too late, and now Kuroyukihime looked furious.

"Fine, I'll just make you tell me! I'm challenging you to a duel!"

While Kuroyukihime manipulated the Brain Burst menu, Kirito let out a sigh.

"Why am I feeling a sense of déjà vu?"

―○●○―

Kirito stood approximately twenty meters away from Black Lotus with nothing but a barren plane between them. This time the stage was «Wasteland», and up on a nearby cliff somehow the rest of Nega Nebulus plus Scarlet Rain were up there watching.

"Why are you guys even up there?" Kirito shouted to the people above. "I thought she said this was a private match?"

"The princess invited us!" Scarlet Rain shouted back.

"Typical," Kirito muttered to himself. "What's up with her and witnesses to a slaughter?"

[DUEL START!]

Kirito and Black Lotus charged towards each other, both covering their respective half of the twenty meters in an instant. After the initial clash between blades, Kirito jumped to the side to launch a slash at her left side only for Black Lotus to parry it with her left arm. Immediately, she thrusted her bladed right arm at Kirito's torso only for the blade to be knocked to the side, thanks to Kirito using the momentum from her parry to spin his body around and launch his left sword, «Dark Repulser», into her attack and knock it to the side. From there, Kirito spun both swords with all his strength into the now unprotected right side of Black Lotus' body, the impact causing her to be launched about ten meters away.

Black Lotus, after skidding the ten meters, swung her right foot behind her to stop her movement before pushing against it to launch herself back at Kirito. Kirito, who had continued into a second spin, launched both swords at Black Lotus again and the resulting clash between both of their blades sent them both flying backwards. While Black Lotus skidded back to her last spot, Kirito did a back flip while throwing his two blades into the ground. Landing behind them, he dashed forward once again, grabbed his swords in mid-dash, and thrusted both blades at Black Lotus, who managed to block using both her arms, at high speed. The resulting clash launched her back skidding almost thirty meters before crashing into a cliff wall and creating a big dust cloud.

While Kirito got himself out of his attack position, a purple beam of energy suddenly flew out of the cloud at Kirito. Hastily raising his swords to block, Kirito was blasted from his position and sailed nearly fifty meters away.

"That," Kirito exclaimed in surprise as he got himself off the ground. "That was-"

"«Vorpal Strike»!"

With a slash from her arms, the entire dust cloud dissipated while Black Lotus shouted the name of her technique to Kirito.

"What the hell?" Kirito thought to himself as he prepared to charge. "The power and range of that «Vorpal Strike»... it's already surpassed mine by a lot!"

"Seems like I'll have to get a bit serious, Lotus!" Kirito shouted as he charged towards his opponent. While dashing, he dragged his two swords along the ground before raising them to his sides and executing a complicated series of movements. Black Lotus, seeing her opponent charge towards her, prepared to charge herself before stopping in surprise. Kirito had stabbed himself with his two swords while still continuing to run. Instantly, a black surge of energy surrounded him as he continued towards Black Lotus.

"What the hell?" Black Lotus could only stare in surprise as the black surge of energy continued towards her before fading away. "Wait, where is he?"

After the energy disappeared Kirito was no longer there.

"«Fairy Dance»."

A voice suddenly spoke behind her and Black Lotus turned around as fast as she could to see...

"What?"

Right behind her was a black-haired youth with spiky hair, pointed ears, and a great sword as tall as he was in mid-swing. Black Lotus immediately raised her arms to block, but the heavy sword hit her with a force strong enough to send her flying with a sonic boom into the cliff face on the other side.

Kirito looked up at the two Health Gauges. His was was at around 50%,half due to Black Lotus' «Vorpal Strike», the other half due to using «Fairy Dance». As for Black Lotus, her health was down to around 40%.

"My strength and speed in this form is the same as in my SAO form but," Kirito looked at his sword. "Due to how heavy this sword is, although it doesn't impact my speed, the force of my attacks double."

Kirito looked up and saw that Black Lotus was charging at him again. Preparing to charge himself, he stopped when Black Lotus did at twenty meters away.

"What is that form, Kirito?" Black Lotus asked.

"Nothing much, just an avatar that I used in the past."

Black Lotus gave Kirito a once over before speaking again.

"How formidable. Despite you're strength and speed not changing, you're still able to move as fast as before with such a heavy sword. It's because of that sword that you're capable of doing so much damage so quickly, isn't it?"

"That's basically it."

"I see," Black Lotus went back to her fighting stance. "You're past is starting to interest me more. This time, I'll get serious and make you talk after I win."

"You'll have to do that first." Kirito said as he also got into a fighting stance.

The two looked at each other for a moment, before both disappeared, dust clouds spreading from where they once were. The two dashed towards each other and the twenty meter distance between the two of them turned to zero in an instant before their blades started to clash once again.

Black Lotus furiously sliced at Kirito with her bladed arms, however Kirito kept on blocking her attacks by taking advantage of the large size of his sword. After her attacks were blocked six times in swift succession, she jumped back before quickly dashing to the boy's right side. In response, Kirito swiped at her only for Black Lotus to backflip over the sword and quickly slice Kirito's chest with her bladed legs, knocking him back a couple meters. Taking advantage of this brief opening Black Lotus immediately charged one of her bladed arms with purple energy and thrust it at Kirito.

"«Vorpal Strike»!"

The spear-like blast of energy swiftly fired at Kirito. At the last moment, before he could get pierced at the near point-blank range, Kirito stabbed his giant sword in the ground and used the momentum of being knocked back to swing him around the blade and out of the range of Black Lotus' attack. The moment he got out of range, Kirito dashed to his opponent's side and smacked her away with his sword. While she recovered from the attack, Kirito called out.

"You're using the incarnate system, aren't you?"

Black Lotus didn't respond, nor did she need to. After all, her Special Gauge hadn't gone down even once during their fight despite using such a powerful move as «Vorpal Strike» twice. Kirito was just confirming it.

"No wonder you wanted a private battle," Kirito sighed before dashing once again.

This time, when Kirito noticed Black Lotus charging at him as well, he waited until he was within range of her blades before swiftly maneuvering behind her. While Black Lotus tried to turn around, Kirito unleashed a strong upward slash, knocking her into the air and towards one of the higher parts of the opposite cliff face. As Black Lotus flew, Kirito crouched down as four glowing, black, insect-like wings materialized on his back and, with a flap, he boosted his leg power to take off after his opponent in the air at high speed.

Black Lotus flipped in mid-air and used her bladed legs to pierce the cliff face before jumping to the side as Kirito made it to the place she once was. Noticing that he flew, she didn't get a chance to question him before he started to attack her while running along side the cliff face. The two exchanged blows as they danced horizontally across the vertical surface, Black Lotus using her bladed legs to pierce into the rock, Kirito using his wings to help remain attached to the cliff face.

The two continued to fight up the cliff face until unexpectedly, they rose above the cliff edge... and the spectators that were standing on it.

"How the hell did they get up here?"

"Kirito's got wings! How'd that happen?"

"He's flying! He's flying!"

The shouts had come from Scarlet Rain. Cyan Pile, and Lime Bell while Silver Crow and Sky Raker continued to watch in silence.

Now in mid air and no longer connected to any surface, Kirito gained the advantage and used his wings to zoom past Black Lotus before hitting away from the cliff edge. Another burst of speed, and he passed her again, but before he could land another blow, Black Lotus managed to deflect the attack with her arms. At the same time, Kirito's wings stopped glowing.

"Crap, I ran out!" Kirito exclaimed as he glanced at his Special Gauge, which had been modified after using «Fairy Dance». The extra portion that had been gained after sacrificing his health had emptied itself.

"Ha, now we're both falling, Kirito!" Black Lotus shouted as the two continued to clash their blades while falling in mid-air. "Whoever hits the ground first is definitely going to die!"

"You forget," Kirito shouted back. "I can still use my wings even if I can't fly!"

"As if I'd let you do that!"

While Kirito tried to push away from Black Lotus to use his wings, Black Lotus kept him in place by using all four of her bladed limbs to help keep him in place.

"Fine, have it your way!" Kirito exclaimed as he managed to get his sword above his head and quickly swung down. Black Lotus quickly got her arms up to block and as a result was launched into a portion of the cliff face closer to the ground. After a crash she bounced off the cliff and fell that last few meters to the ground. Meanwhile, Kirito managed to slow his descent but still crashed into the ground.

Both fighters slowly got off the ground, both breathing heavily, only a dozen meters apart from the other. Checking their Health Gauge revealed that both were down to around only 5%. The two combatants glared at each other, not needing to say that the next attack would definitely be the last one, and they both charged. The twelve meter distance disappeared in a flash. Both stopped in front of the other. Both swung their blades.

In the end, everyone could only stare in shock as one of the combatant's heads flew into the distance before it and their body disappeared in a flash of light.

―○●○―

Seijirou Kikuoka put down his phone as he let out a sigh. It had been 27 hours since he had talked with Asuna and the others. During that time, he pulled strings and called in favors in order for the group to be able to access the area where the kept the STLs. Meanwhile, they had also discussed the matter on who would be able to go and help Kirito. In the end, they had come to a decision based on how many STLs there were available and the final result was one adult and three minors.

As he laid back in his office chair, Kikuoka looked at the phone he had just placed down and smiled. Now that the hardest part was out of the way, there was only a little bit needed to be done before they could put their plan in motion. Turning towards his computer he proceeded to type the necessary information to the four participants.

"Don't worry Kirito," Kikuoka said to himself as he pressed send. "Soon, this whole ordeal will be over with."

Yes, I know. Sorry for being evil. :P ~ DragonKing0117