"All right, let's settle this." They're in the seventy-fifth floor's boss room. Kayaba stands a couple of feet away from him. Posture straight, ready for the fight ahead of him. No trace of concern on him.

"Kirito!" Shinsou screams. Worry evident in his voice, his eyes are pleading him to not do this. Body paralyzed like the rest of the players around them. Izuku knows, that if Shinsou could move right now, he'd be trying to hold him back.

Putting on a brave face, he tries to seem reassuring. He knows it doesn't work though. Shinshi knows him too well, knows when his smiles are fake.

"I have to do this. There's no turning back now." He says resolutely. Trying to convey the determination he's feeling.

Shinsou looks like he wants to protest but seems to think better of it. Instead, the boy meets his gaze seriously. A distressed smile forming on his features. "Don't die, okay? Whatever happens, you have to survive." He says, as tears leak down his face.

"I'm not going to die, okay? I'm going to win. I'm going to bring an end to this world."

Shinsou doesn't respond to that. He just looks at him, eyes conveying an unspoken message. A soft 'I believe in you' that only he can understand.

Squeezing his hand one last time, Kirito stands up. Knowing that no matter what, he would try to finish this. Even if it means dying in the process. He'll bring Shinsou home.

H walks towards Heathcliff, drawing both his swords in the process. He needed to give it his all if he wanted to win.

"Kirito! Don't do this!" Klein's voice reaches his ears, a reminder of the people he was leaving behind.

"Kirito!" Yashi pleads from his place next to the katana wielder on the ground.

Turning slightly, I see them. Both of them seem to be trying their hardest to move. To stand up and stop him. They can't though. No one can. Kayaba made sure of that.

His eyes fall on Yashi first. "Thank you for everything Yashi. For the help and support you've shown me and the rest of the players in the game. For being a constant pillar for me to rely on." I smile at him, noting the tears that fall down his face. The first sign of weakness he's seen on the man. The hero that has worked so hard for the players to have some sort of hope throughout the game.

His gaze then turns to Klein. His best friend is looking at him with pleading eyes. Begging him to stop. To think about this. "Klein, you were the first friend I had in this game. I just want you to know that I don't regret staying with you that day. You're my best friend." His breath gets stuck in his throat as he tries to continue. Not letting himself break down right now.

"Don't you dare die on me now! Do you hear me Kirito?" The man shouts, crying harder with each word. "I still owe you a dinner when we get back to the real world!"

"It's a deal then. I'll see you on the other side." He tries to smile, but he knows it doesn't quite reach his eyes. It feels like he's walking into his grave.

With one last gaze at the boy who's helped him feel for the first time in two year. He takes a second to memorize his features. Make sure to nod once at him. Conveying a silent 'I'm sorry'.

Before turning back towards Kayaba. Facing whatever fate had in store for him.

________________________________________

"K-Klein." His voice wavers as he whispers the name. The words, hanging in the silence. His heart-rate picks up, nerves fraying with the possibility. It's not him. It can be, right?

The man jerks slightly. His shoulders seem to tense at the sound of Kirito's voice. He moves as if to turn around, but stops. His head drops back, eyes facing the sky for a moment. As if wishing for something.

Izuku thinks he might be wishing for something too.

His shoulders rise, taking in a deep breath, before dropping back slightly. Losing some of their tension.

That's when he finally does it. That's when he turns around.

Their gaze meets and it feels like this isn't real. Like it's not really happening. Like they're back in the game somehow and this is just a dream. Maybe, Izuku subconsciously wants his best friend back. Wants to see him again.

However, it's real and he's really here. In all his scruffy black-haired, grinning charm.

"Yo." The jerk says simply. Hand rising in a small wave. As if it's not a time-shattering thing. To find each other.

"Y-Yo?" Izuku can't help but repeat dumbly. A teary smile forming on his face involuntarily. "That's all you have to say?" His voice is rising. He doesn't really mind though. Can't get himself to care for the red-haired classmate that's witnessing this whole interaction in silence. "How did you- Why are you here?" He asks, even though he doesn't actually need an answer. All that matters is that Klein is here. Standing right in front of him. His best friend.

The bastard just smiles at that. As if expecting the question. "I owe you dinner, don't I?" He laughs, tears also streaming down his face by now.

He doesn't know who makes the first move. Who takes the first step.

But, he does feel arms wrap around him a moment later. His arms snaking around the man's torso in return. His head pressed against his chest.

He feels the other man's warmth, hears his heartbeat. Feels the heat radiating from his skin. It makes everything feel all too real.

It's proof. Proof that they made it. They got out. They found each other.

"I thought you died," Klein whispers. "I saw you die. Twice." He says in a higher voice. "Don't you ever do that to me again. You hear me Kirito?" He shouts, tears leaking even faster onto his red-tinted cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I- I wanted to win. To get out and get you guys out. I wasn't- I didn't-"He stammers, mind not forming the words he wants to say. Sucking in a deep breath, he pushes himself out of his friend's hold. "I was supposed to win. I was supposed to either kill him or die trying." He speaks quietly. Not noticing the way Klein flinches at his words. "But then... then Shinsou took the hit for me and I didn't have anything else to lose anymore." He mutters quietly. "It was supposed to be me!" He says, looking the dark-haired man in the eyes. "I don't know what happened that day. I don't know how I'm even still alive. But all I know is that I am but he's not. He's dead and it's my fault."

The pain that erupts on the left side of his face is unexpected. It's only a moment later that he realizes what happened.

"Hey! What are you-"Kirishima calls from his place in the sidelines, body moving as if to interfere.

Klein just punched him in the face.

"Stay out of this Eiji," Klein calls out gruffly, halting the redhead in his tracks.

"The hell was that for?" Izuku shouts in turn, not knowing what to make of this. The hit wasn't hard, but it did take him by surprise.

"That's for being an idiot," Klein replies simply. "You had nothing else to lose, huh? Well, I hate to break it to you! But we did. We lost you! Do you think Shinsou would have wanted you to throw your life away like that? It wasn't your fault man. Shinsou chose to get in the way. He chose to save you. You shouldn't be disregarding his sacrifices like that! Without both of you, we'd still be stuck in the game! We would still be fighting for our lives right now!" The raw emotion in his voice shows just how much this affected him.

Silence follows his declaration, if not for their panting breath and racing hearts.

"Look, man..." Klein continues after a moment. "I don't know how you did it that day. How you beat the game's system in itself and managed to beat Heathcliff like that. But I honestly don't care. I only know that you're here. And you're alive. That's all that matters, really." He smiles, meeting his gaze with a new intensity. "I also know that without you, I wouldn't be here today. I wouldn't be able to come home every day to my family and my friends. I got to see my parents and my brother again because of you." He gestures at the confused redhead standing near them and suddenly everything falls into place in Izuku's mind. "Now, wanna go get that dinner we always talked about?"

The smile that Izuku gives in return makes both the Kirishima brother's smile.

_________________________________

The famous dinner turns out to be at a local pizza place.

It's such a Klein thing to do, that it makes Izuku happier than he'd be at some random fancy restaurant.

They sit at a small booth in the back. Izuku sitting on the opposite side of the two.

"So, you're Kirishima's big brother?" He asks even though, by now, he already knows.

"Yeah man, that's my lil'bro right here. Can't you see the family resemblance?" Klein grins slyly at the duel blade wielder.

"He looks more like your avatar than you, actually," Izuku notes, eying the red color of his classmate's hair.

"Ah, I dyed it like that, just before getting into UA." The teen in question exclaims. Getting a nod in return from the greenette.

"So, Kirito... The hero course huh?" Klein inquires casually, a knowing smirk playing on his features.

"Stop that." Izuku says instead.

"What? What did I do?" The man replies in false innocence. Still grinning madly.

"Stop making that look! I know that look!" Izuku finds himself smiling too, despite himself. "That's your 'I told you so' look."

"What look? Did I make a look Eiji?" Klein asks the teen next to him, wanting some form of backup. Kirishima, in turn, just promptly ignores his brother, electing to take a bite from his pizza instead.

In response, Klein fake falls off his chair dramatically. "Betrayed by my own little bro." His hand clutches at his heart in mock- hurt.

Kirishima just smiles in response, glad to witness the relaxed interaction between the two. He doesn't think he's seen Midoriya smile like that before. He's starting to see how close these two actually were.

"Well, I was right. I told you that you'd make a great hero." The older Kirishima says, the seriousness in his voice back at full force.

"Whatever..." Izuku mutters quietly. It's only then that he realizes that they haven't introduced themselves yet. "So, what's your name anyway? I know your last name is Kirishima but-"

"Kirishima Tsuboi, at your service." The eighteen-year-old winks as he says it. Offering a hand to the green-haired teen.

"Midoriya Izuku." He shakes the extended hand firmly. A grin mirroring the other's on his face. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"How can you guys not know your real names? I thought you were best friends." The redhead grumbles in exasperation. With everything he's heard about the two, he's honestly surprised.

"We didn't talk about the real world back there Eijirou. It wasn't a nice subject to bring up. Besides, it's basic gaming rules, not to give away personal information."

"That reminds me." Izuku says suddenly, turning to face Kirishima. "I know how you found out I was in SAO, but what made you think that I knew Klein?"

"I- uh- heard that villain call you Kirito, and Tsuboi had already told me so much about you. So I recognized the name." The redhead answers bashfully, a hand rising to scratch the back of his neck.

"One of the villains knew who you were?" Klein inquires hurriedly. Mind already putting two and two together.

"Recognized my sword skills. Even called me the black swordsman." He states quietly, watching as Klein's eyes widened at the implications. "We know he was with a Laughing Coffin member. We even suspect he's the main leader."

"Wow, you mean that group of red players you told me about?" Kirishima asks Klein, surprise written all over his features.

"Yeah. in SAO, we had a code. Never let a player's HP drop to zero. That was an unwritten rule. But Laughing Coffin... They didn't care. They killed hundreds of people in cold blood. Only one of them escaped when we went after them. The leader. He never showed up at the raid that day."

"I told the detective about it. We don't know what his game in all of this is but we do know that he's the one who orchestrated the attack on UA."

"I can't believe this is still happening. We were supposed to leave all this behind when we cleared the game." The anger in his voice is palpable. It mirrors the anger that Izuku feels. His voice is heavy with emotion and unwanted memories. Izuku can understand it. He's feeling it too. "If he hurts Eiji..."

"He won't," Izuku says before Kirishima gets to voice his objection. "I won't let them. You know that." Kirito's voice is decisive. No trace of doubts in his tone.

"I know." The katana wielder says quietly. "How are you feeling about this man? Eijirou told me what happened at the USJ." He has a knowing look on his face as he says that. Knowing all too well what Kirito must have felt. Knowing what it was like, back in the game.

It's both a blessing and a curse to understand each other on this level. To have this kind of bond with someone.

"I'm fine," Izuku mumbles quietly, knowing that Klein is probably not buying it. "I'm just glad that no one got badly hurt." He continues. "That Nomu reminded me way too much of Gleam eyes. The sword, the attacks, all of it."

"Oh, man... that fight was nuts! I remember you almost died back then too."

"You really are a trouble magnet, aren't you Midoriya?" And just like that, the tension dissipates. They spend the rest of the evening, telling Kirishima stories about some of their adventures in SAO. Although, they do skip over some morbid details. They do try and show the teen some of the positive things they experienced in the game.

They also talk about their lives outside of the game, since they got out.

It turns out that Klein got into the third year's general education course at UA. He's aiming to be a police officer in the future. This also meant that Izuku could see him more often at school.

When they stand up to leave and Klein goes to pay the bill. Kirishima takes it as an opportunity to speak to Izuku alone.

"Hey bro, while Tsuboi isn't here. I wanted to talk to you about something." He starts, looking back at his brother to make sure he's still busy.

"What's up?" He doesn't know if it's the redhead's relaxed personality. Or the fact that he's Klein's brother, but Izuku feels a lot more comfortable around him now.

"Look, Klein told me how you helped him when the game first started. How you stayed and taught the players the things you knew. Despite the fact that you could have taken the information you had to your advantage and gone off on your own. He also told me about everything you've done for him and the other players..." He seems to gather himself for a moment, standing a little straighter when he continues. "Anyway, I got my brother back because of you. So, I just wanted to say thank you. For everything." He finished earnestly. A sharp-toothed grin aimed at him. It reminds Izuku of the sun. Bright and blinding.

"I-uh- It's no worries man. You don't have to thank me..." Izuku thinks it's starting to become a habit. People thanking him for things like this. "Besides, I wasn't always with him. I spent most of the time playing solo."

"No, you don't understand," Kirishima replies, a little desperate for Izuku to get just how much this means to him. "I got him the Headgear as a birthday present! I got him the game. He got stuck there because of me!" The redhead whispers hurriedly. His voice rising with every admission.

"Hey, if your brother heard you say that, you'd get a punch to the face just like I did." Izuku tries to convey his sincerity through his gaze as he speaks. "Your brother doesn't and would never blame you. And you shouldn't blame yourself either." Izuku states plainly. Knowing he was right. "Sword Art Online was two of the hardest and worst years of my entire life." Kirishima flinches at that. "But you know what? They also were two of the best years of my life." The quiet admission comes just as much as a surprise to him as it does to the teen facing him. "I got to meet so many good people, made so many true friends. Your brother, being one of the most important ones." He says earnestly. "I even got to fall in love..." That last bit is murmured, fondness and grief coating his voice. "Your brother went through a lot. We all did. But we also got to experience things that no one could ever see or do in the real world. So, chin up Kirishima. Sometimes, even if bad things happen. They happen for a reason."

The redhead has tears in his eyes by the end of his speech. A soft smile adorning his face nonetheless.

"You're really manly Kirito," Kirishima says finally. "I'm glad met you in that game."

A hand wraps itself around his shoulder suddenly, interrupting whatever reply he was going to say. It makes his body stiffen under the added weight. His heart only calms down when he hears the familiar voice. "So, what did I miss?" Klein singsongs as he walks them towards the exit.

As they walk back to the train station, Izuku thinks that maybe things would be looking up for him from now on.

He has his best friend back after all. And maybe, a new person to add to the list of people he can trust.