Kirito

NOTE: All battles involving Kirito, will involve his game avatar's weapons and appearance, however, they may operate on "game logic" or "real logic" depending on the opponent."

WARNING: This page contains spoilers

Kazuto Kirigaya was a normal teenager in 2020s Japan, who was selected to as a beta tester for the virtual reality MMORPG Sword Art Online, for the new Nerve Gear console. After a month of beta testing under the screenname "Kirito", a portmanteau of Kirigaya Kazuto, his name by Japanese conventions (family name, then given name), Kirito logs on to Sword Art Online for the official release. Kirito quickly makes friends with a new user under the screen name "Klein", who discovers that the log off button is not in the menu like it was in the beta. Kirito, Klein, and all of the other SAO users are then teleported to the starting city, where they are met by a mysterious entity claiming to be game creator Kayaba Akihiko, who tells them they he has trapped them in the world of Sword Art Online by incorporating a microwave emitter in the Nerve Gear. Any attempt to remove or destroy the Nerve Gear from the user will result in the activation of a microwave pulse that will literally fry the user's brain, killing them. If the user's avatar is killed in the game, they will also die in real life. Akihiko states that he will not release the users until the game is completed- all floors of a 100-story monster-filled dungeon are cleared. To prove his power, Akihiko changes all users into their real-life appearance- achieved by using biometric data gathered during calibration of the Nerve Gear console.

Over 2000 died in the first month, and the first floor was yet to be cleared. During his fight to clear the first floor, Kirito teams up with a girl named Asuna Yuuki. Together, they defeat the boss of the first floor, then go their separate ways, however, Kirito would meet Asuna again later, eventually becoming in-game "husband and wife", and boyfriend and girlfriend in real life after they escape Sword Art Online.

After meeting Asuna, Kirito goes on to join a guild known as the Moonlit Black Cats, and become friendly with a girl named "Sachi", though never sharing her feeling for him. Sachi is traumatized by the sheer gravity of her situation- literally being in a game of life and death, even contemplating suicide by jumping off a cliff in game and activating the microwave device upon the death of her avatar, however, Sachi is too cowardly to do even that. After several months, the Moonlit Black Cats gain enough money to by an in-game house. While the guild leader goes to buy a the house, Kirito, Sachi, and the others go to the "front lines"- the unexplored parts of the dungeon, and fall into a trap baited with a treasure chest. All except Kirito are killed by a horde of monsters. Kirito is affected by Sachi's death in particular, and becomes depressed for several months, on Christmas Eve, he fights an event boss, Nicholas the Renegade, who was said to possess and item that will revive a dead player. Kirito defeats Nicholas, almost dying himself, but discovers the item can only revive a player ten seconds after their avatar's death- by preventing the activation of the microwave. Kirito returns to his room at the inn in despair, where he remembers a gift Sachi game him and told him to open on Christmas. In this package is a voice message, where Sachi tells him to remain strong even if she dies and to escape and live again on the outside.

His resolve strengthened, Kirito fights his way to the 75th floor, joining an elite guild along with Asuna, the Blood Knights. On the 75th floor, he discovers that the leader of guild, "Heathcliff",  is actually Kayaba Akihiko himself. Kirito challenges Akihiko to a duel, discovering that Akihiko has turned his avatar into a non-destructable object, effectively making him invincible. Akihiko reduces Kirito's HP to zero, however, he does not die due to a glitch in the game, and Kirito is able use the same glitch to to kill Kayaba. After Akihiko's death, Kirito and all but 300 Sword Art Online players are released from the game. 

Kirito goes on to play other VRMMORPGs and to privately investigate other cyber-crimes occurring within such games. The first such instance occurs just days after Kirito escapes Sword Art Online, when he discovers Asuna has not been logged off of the game. Kirito discovers that, in spite of Asuna's continued comatoseness, Nobuyuki Sugou, a high-ranking employee of the company Asuna's father owns, intends to marry Asuna. Kirito discovers soon after an image suggesting Asuna is trapped in the VR MMORPG Alfheim Online, on top of the "World Tree", the final dungeon of the game. Allied with a player named Lyfa, who is later revealed to Kirito's own sister, Suguha, Kirito makes it to the top of the central "World Tree" in Alfheim Online, and discovers that the "Fairy King Oberon" at the top of the "World Tree" is none other than Nobuyuki Sugou himself. By this point, it is revealed that Sugou is also holding 300 Sword Art Online survivors as human test subjects in his experiments in using virtual reality technology for mind control. Sugou almost defeats Kirito using his control of the system commands, however, Sugou is defeated when a saved AI copy of Kayaba Akihiko's personality overrides Sugou's systems authority, freeing Asuna and Sugou's other prisoners. Later, Sugou attempts to have Kazuto assassinated in real life, however, he fails and is arrested, convicted, and imprisoned for his crimes.

Kirito is a short while later paid by Kikuoka Seijirou, a Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Technology agent, to investigate a mysterious player calling himself the "Death Gun" in the game "Gun Gale Online". The "Death Gun" possesses a weapon of the same name that can kill a player when they are defeated in the game in a manner apparently similar to that of Sword Art Online, in spite of the fact that the design of the new AmuSphere console should make this impossible. Kirito joins Gun Gale Online and enters the "Bullet of Bullets" tournament, which "Death Gun" was known to compete, along side a female player named Sinon. They later discover that "Death Gun" does not kill his victims in game at all, rather, he had an accomplice inject his victim with a poison in the real world when he defeats them in game. Kirito and Sinon, however, manage to defeat "Death Gun", really a man named Shoichi Shinkawa, who is arrested along with his brother and accomplice Shinkawa Kyouji for their murders.

Battle vs Sayaka Miki (SPARTAN 119])
Note: Due to lack of turnout, this battle will be an "exhibition match".

Kazuto Kirigaya look around him. He was in the virtual world of an experimental next-generation VR device he was being employed as a beta tester of. But something was odd. His body was that of his old Sword Art Online avatar, but for some reason, he also had his FN Five Seven from Gun Gale Online, and some of his powers from Alfhiem Online.

The area surrounding him looked a deserted train station in a large city. The sign said "Mitakihara Station". Kirito had an experience like this once before, with the very same experimental quantum computer VR device. The designer said something about it getting interference from other universe.

Suddenly, Kirito heard something whoosh past his head and embed itself in the wall right next to him. The object turned out the be a sword blade. Kirito was about to turn to the direction the sword flew in from when the blade exploded in a ball of fire. Kirito felt a sharp pain in his side. He was still alive, but even with his regeneration skills, it would take a while to recover from these wounds.

Kirito turned the face his attacker, who turned out to be a girl dressed in a blue outfit like a stereotypical anime "magical girl".

"Who are...", Kirito asked, but the girl simply recreated her sword blade by inserting some kind of magazine into the hilt and lunged at Kirito, appearing as little more than a blue blur.

Kirito drew his sword, Elucidator, and swung it as the blue blur that was Sayaka Miki was less than three feet in front of him. Steel met steel, and Sayaka's lunge was brought to a stop. Kirito and Sayaka traded blows, but Sayaka's rapid attack were to much to block with one blade.

Sayaka's sword cut a deep gash in Kirito's side. Kirito screwed up his face in pain as the wound slowly regenerated and, with his free hand, drew his other sword, Dark Repulser. Now it was Kirito's turn to go on the offensive.

Sayaka drew back, against the wall. As she was cornered, Sayaka turned her sword into a chain whip and used it to trip Kirito up, causing him to fall backwards as Sayaka retracted the chain and pointed her sword at Kirito, she was going to use that exploding ballistic blade again.

Kirito blocked the attack with Elucidator, sending the ballistic blade flying across the platform, where it exploded, blowing apart a vending machine. Kirito drew his FN Five Seven in his right hand and fired about half a magazine into Sayaka's chest.

The mahou shoujo was riddled with bullets, but, within seconds of the wounds appearing, they regenerated. Kirito was shocked as Sayaka lunged at him again. Sayaka's saber met Elucidator with a clashing sound when suddenly... Everything went white.

Kirito found himself back in the lab, with the experimental VR device removed. Someone had clearly pulled the plug.

DRAW

Experts Opinion
As there were no votes, I created this "exhibition match" ending. I may do a rematch at some point.

Battle vs Link by SPARTAN 119
Kirito logged into the experimental virtual reality device that it was his part time job at RATH Software to test. Immediately, he found himself in the middle of an open stone-walled building, with a dome on the roof, and several columns to either side. He immediately recognized it: The interior of the Black Iron Castle from Sword Art Online.

Kirito realized he was using his old Sword Art Online avatar again... and what was more, where the Monument of Life was in the SAO Black Iron Castle and the Monument of Swordsmen in the ALO version, there was only figure clad in green, the only other person in the building.

"Wait a minute", Kirito said to himself, "Is that Link from the Legend of Zelda".

The man in green turned to face Kirito, who saw clearly that he was indeed Link, or at least an avatar designed as a cosplay of him...


 * Background music changes to this.

Link got turned the face the Black Swordsman, and deciding he was a threat, threw his boomerang in his direction. Kirito ducked, evading the projectile and got out stick shuriken and tossed it in Link's direction.

The Hero of Time raised shield and blocked the shuriken, before holding his sword at the ready. At the same time, Kirito drew both Elucidator and Dark Repulsor. Kirito immediately leaped at Link, before making a downward slash with Elucidator, the "Sonic Leap" sword skill.

Link blocked the downward strike with his shield, then sidestepped a diagonal slash from Kirito's Dark Repulser, and the countered with a thrust with the Master Sword, followed by an upward diagonal slash.

Link's diagonal strike was blocked by Kirito. Kirito's two swords then began to glow orange, engulfed in flames, as Kirito thrust at Link with Elucidator. Link backflipped to avoid the thrust, then sidestepped a thrust with Dark Repulser, and blocked the next three thrusts with his shield, and well as a downward slash.

On the seventh strike of the "Howling Octave" combo, however, Kirito caught Link with two low strikes, Elucidator and Dark Repulser slashing into his side, while the fire elemental affinity of the attack set fire to his tunic.

Link rolled on the ground, extinguishing the flames. As he got up, he saw Kirito's swords start to glow blue.


 * Background music: Here*

Kirito lunged at Link, preforming his ultimate attack: The Eclipse, a 27-hit combo. As Kirito approached him, Link raised his hands into the air, a glowing blue ball appearing over his head. Link was then covered in a glowing blue "crystal of energy".

Elucidator and Dark Repulser danced through the air, making repeated thrusts and cuts with such force that Link was launched into the air, culminating in several hits the knocked him into the walls so hard that he cracked the stone.

After the 27th hit, Link fell to the ground in front of the wall.... and immediately got up, unharmed. At that point, Kirito remembered, that blue glow was a powerful defensive magic. He couldn't touch him until the spell wore off.

Link held the Master Sword out straight, channeling magic into the blade, making it glow first blue, then, after a few second, orange. Link spun the sword in a circle, releasing a powerful shockwave of energy in all directions, knocking Kirito on his back and cutting a gash in his torso.

Link then lunged at his downed opponent with a final jumping slash. As he struck Kirito...

He was disconnected from the virtual reality device, finding himself back in the real world. Between this and his fight with that winged man in silver armor, it seemed like this new virtual reality technology was trying to screw with him.

Expert's Opinion
Link won this battle because of his more powerful weapons and magic, as well as his greater combat experience and physical strength.

Original battle, weapons, and votes here