Editing Forum:The Black Swordsman (Renovated)

{{forumheader|Fan Fiction}}<!-- Please put your content below this line. Be sure to sign your edits with four tildes: ~~~~ -->
{{Tabbed infobox
|title1=Main
|content1=
{{Character infobox
|variant=Taken
|nameBG=black
|BG=darkblue
|sectionBG=purple
|lineBG=green
|name=The Black Swordsman
|othernames=Kazuto Narusaka <br> The Shadow Emperor <br> Blade of the Winnower <br> Chosen by the Winnower <br> Bringer to [[Light]]'s End <br> Champion of the Black Fleet <br> Annihilator of Light <br> Murderer of [[Lightbearer]]s <br> King of Darkness <br> End of Worlds <br> The Gilded Hero <br> Gamemaster <br> The Second Coming of [[Skira, the Watcher|Skira]] <br> Kirito-kun {{c|[[Forum:The White Angel (Renovated)|The White Angel]]}} <br> Papa {{c|[[Forum:Yui Narusaka|Yui]]}} <br> Dad {{c|[[Forum:Tatsuyi Kirigaya (Renovated)|Tatsuyi Kirigaya]]}} <br> The False God {{c|[[Eris Morn]]}} <br> [[Zavala|The Big Man]]'s Killer {{c|[[Anastasia Bray]]}}
|image=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c9/1a/8a/c91a8a1930e3c375991fc4f91f5dea66.jpg
|homeworld=[[Earth]] {{c|Pre-[[Collapse]]}} <br> [[Forum:Aincrad (Renovated)|Aincrad]] {{c|Rebirth}}
|birth=October 7th, 2008
|death=
|species=[[Human]]/[[Forum:Avatar (Renovated)|Avatar]] hybrid <br> Artificial Intelligence {{c|Briefly}}
|gender=Male
|height=172 cm
|mass=59 kg
|hair=Black
|eyes=Black
|affiliation=[[Forum:Moonlit Black Cats|Moonlit Black Cats]] {{c|Formerly}} <br> [[Forum:Knights of the Blood|Knights of the Blood]] {{c|Formerly}} <br> [[Rasputin]] {{c|Formerly}} <br> [[Forum:The Black Fleet|The Black Fleet]] <br> [[Forum:The Shadowkeepers|The Shadowkeepers]] {{c|Leader}}
|rank=Shadow Emperor
|class=[[Warlock]]
|sn=
|notable=Leader of the Shadowkeepers <br> Mastermind of the [[Forum:Second Collapse (Renovated)|Second Collapse]]}}
|title2=Hero
|content2=
{{Character infobox
|variant=Human
|name=Kazuto Kirigaya
|othernames=Kazuto Narusaka <br> Kirito-kun {{c|[[Forum:The White Angel (Renovated)|Asuna Yuuki]]}} <br> Papa {{c|[[Forum:Yui Narusaka|Yui]]}}
|image={{tabcontainer|title1=Real Life|content1=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7e/31/94/7e319490d24eb59d5f3329d982bf01fd.jpg|title2=Sword Art Online|content2=https://p2.pstatp.com/origin/pgc-image/27ef3612e4d944b0b779c5feeb8a97f6.jpeg|title3=ALFheim Online|content3=https://gamek.mediacdn.vn/133514250583805952/2021/6/14/-1623686142465163983296.jpg|title4=Gun Gale Online|content4=http://www.anime-evo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/SAO2_13_3.jpg|title5=Ordinal Scale|content5=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dkvaprtP6L8/maxresdefault.jpg|title6=Alicization|content6=https://images.alphacoders.com/100/thumb-1920-1003482.jpg}}
|homeworld=[[Earth]]
|birth=October 7th, 2008
|death=November 6th, 2027 {{c|Presumed}}
|species=[[Human]]
|gender=Male
|height=172 cm
|mass=59 kg
|hair=Black
|eyes=Black
|affiliation=[[Forum:Moonlit Black Cats|Moonlit Black Cats]] {{c|Formerly}} <br> [[Forum:Knights of the Blood|Knights of the Blood]] {{c|Formerly}}
|rank=Black Swordsman
|class=
|sn=
|notable=Part-Time Tester for Rath}}
|title3=Boss
|content3={{Boss infobox
|nameBG=black
|BG=darkblue
|sectionBG=purple
|lineBG=green
|name= Kirito, Blade of the Winnower
|othernames=The Fallen Hero <br> Subjugant to None <br> Master of Nightmares <br> Conquerer of a Million Worlds <br> Will-Destroyer <br> Emancipator of Broken Souls <br> Deepest in the Final Shape <br> Clarity's Advocate <br> Beater <br> The Boy Who Broke the Traveler <br> Emperor of Nothing {{c|[[Empress Caiatl]]}} <br> The Blackest Soul {{c|[[Forum:Hannah Ciel|Hannah Ciel]]}}
|image={{tabcontainer|title1=Masked|content1=https://static.wixstatic.com/media/40f875_89dc7838b0334096b19d606b13b17b47~mv2.jpg|title2=Revealed|content2=https://static.wixstatic.com/media/40f875_e22a189271f5443191929dbe391f51f4~mv2.jpg}}
|homeworld=[[Forum:Aincrad (Renovated)|Aincrad]]
|birth=
|death=
|species= [[Human]]/[[Forum:Avatar (Renovated)|Avatar]] hybrid
|faction=The Shadowkeepers
|rank= [[Ultra]]
|class=
|gender= Male
|height=
|mass=
|mission=[[Forum:Future in Darkness|Future in Darkness]] <br> [[Forum:Shadows of the Night|Shadows of the Night]] <br> [[Forum:The Coming Nightmare|The Coming Nightmare]] <br> [[Forum:Rise of the Shadows|Rise of the Shadows]] <br> [[Forum:Reckoning for the Wicked|Reckoning for the Wicked]] <br> [[Forum:Life in Illusion|Life in Illusion]] <br> [[Forum:Divided We Fall|Divided We Fall]]
|weapon=[[Stasis]] Devourer Rifle <br> [[Forum:Fusion (Renovated)|Fusion]] Scorch Launcher <br> [[Void]] Entropy Katana <br> [[Arc]] Lightsbane Dagger <br> [[Stasis Boomer]] <br> Darkness Cannon
|ability=Deathburst Stream <br> Infection of Eternity <br> [[Ultra]] Smash <br> Teleportation <br> Initial Immunity <br> [[Darkness]] Bolt <br> Suppression Bombs <br> [[Forum:Wicked Servitor, House Shadows|Wicked Servitor]] Bond <br> Dying Star <br> Darkness Smash <br> Darkness Lift <br> Crystal Shield <br> Eye of Darkness <br> Shadow Vanish <br> Summon [[Forum:Avatar (Renovated)|Avatar]]s
}}
|title4=Journey's End
|content4={{Boss infobox
|nameBG=black
|BG=darkblue
|sectionBG=purple
|lineBG=green
|name= Kirito, the Shadow Emperor
|othernames=
|image= https://static.zerochan.net/VRMMO.wo.Kane.no.Chikara.de.Musou.Suru.full.1829764.jpg
|homeworld=[[Forum:Aincrad (Renovated)|Aincrad]]
|birth=
|death=
|species= [[Human]]/[[Forum:Avatar (Renovated)|Avatar]] hybrid
|faction=The Shadowkeepers
|rank= [[Ultra]]
|class=
|gender= Male
|height=
|mass=
|mission=[[Forum:Journey's End|Journey's End]]
|weapon= [[An Answering Chord|Kirito's Splinter Rifle]] <br> Five-Seven Torment <br> Shadow Elucidator <br> [[Shock Cannon]] <br> [[Shieldbreaker]] <br> Ascendant [[Molten Welder]] <br> [[Scorn Repeater Pistol]] <br> [[SIVA Charge]] <br> [[Soulfire Rifle]] <br> [[Vex Laser Rifle]]
|ability=Deathburst Stream <br> Grasp of the Emperor <br> Timebreaker's Surge <br> Devouring Bloodlust <br> Favor of the Darkness <br> Release Recollection <br> Darkness Dimension <br> Smite of the Emperor <br> High Levitation <br> Eternal Immunity <br> Perfected [[Solar]] Slicer [[Super]] <br> Burning Effect <br> Perfected [[Void]] Shield Super <br> Slowness Effect <br> Perfected [[Arc]] Wrath Super <br> Shocking Debuff <br> Enhanced Quake Attack <br> High Durability <br> Rapid Movement <br> Summon [[Pyramid]]ic scales <br> Summon [[Fallen]] <br> Summon [[Hive]] <br> Summon [[Vex]] <br> Summon [[Cabal]] <br> Summon [[Taken]] <br> Summon [[Scorn]] <br> Summon [[Forum:Avatar (Renovated)|Avatar]]s <br> Summon [[Light-Eater Ogre]]s <br> Summon [[Light-Eater Knight]]s
}}
|title5 = Reflection
|content5 =
    {{Boss infobox
|nameBG=black
|BG=darkblue
|sectionBG=purple
|lineBG=green
	|name = Reflection of Kirito
	|othernames = 
	|image = https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sD9decWizkk/X2A81dXrF-I/AAAAAAAAntI/QImjzzvhhF8idp8pz38EqTaw16rnMu7xACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/image027.jpg
	|species = [[Taken]]/[[Forum:Avatar (Renovated)|Avatar]] hybrid
	|faction = [[Forum:The Shadowkeepers|The Shadowkeepers]]
	|rank = [[Ultra]]
	|class =
	|mission = [[Forum:Living Nightmares|Living Nightmares]]
	|gender =
	|height =
	|mass =
	|weapon = [[Forum:Soulbreaker|Soulbreaker]]
	|ability = Darkness Blast <br> Grasp of the Swordsman <br> Emperor's Decree <br> Burning Effect <br> Will of the Swordsman <br> Cabal Flame Jets <br> Poison Effect <br> Teleportation <br> Rapid Flight <br> High Durability <br> Summon Blights <br> Summon Taken <br> Summon Avatars
    }}
}}
{{Quote|[[The Guardian|Guardian]], is it? I’ve heard of your so-called legendary accomplishments. Sending [[Oryx, the Taken King|Oryx]] back into the [[Ascendant Realm|Ascendant Plane]], destroying [[SIVA]], [[Red War|and]] [[Hunt for the Scorn|so]] [[War of Salvation|much]] more… But that ends here. No matter what you do, how hard you try, you’ll always fall. Even if you get back up, try to rise against the threat… this one will be too much for even you.|Kirito, introducing himself to [[The Guardian]].}}
'''The Black Swordsman''' (alias, original name '''Kazuto Narusaka'''), also known as '''Kirito, the Shadow Emperor''', is the partner and husband of [[Forum:The White Angel (Renovated)|The White Angel]], the father of [[Forum:Yui Narusaka|Yui Narusaka]], [[Forum:Tatsuyi Kirigaya (Renovated)|Tatsuyi Kirigaya]], [[Forum:Yuji Kirigaya|Yuji Kirigaya]], and [[Forum:Konno Yuuki|Konno Yuuki]], and the [[Darkness]]-affiliated doppelgänger of [[Forum:The Star King|The Star King]].

Prior to the events of ''[[Destiny]]'', he was chosen as one of 1,000 beta testers for a new state-of-the-art virtual reality MMORPG called [[Wikipedia:Sword Art Online|Sword Art Online]], a game that he and Asuna completed on November 7th, 2024. Raised by his foster parents as a son, he originally trained with his cousin in the neighborhood kendo dojo under their grandfather's tutelage. Due to his aunt's influence as an editor for a computer systems magazine, he fell in love with computers and dropped kendo after two years of training. He has immense skill as a programmer, managing to build a computer from parts during elementary school, finding his erased records in the national registry at the age of ten, as well as managing to stop the SAO server from deleting Yui by converting her program into an object and storing her into his Nerve Gear as environmental data.<ref>'''Reki Kawahara (2014/8/26)''', ''[[Wikipedia:Sword Art Online|Sword Art Online]] Light Novel: Volume 2, [[Wikipedia:Dengeki Bunko|Dengeki Bunko]], [https://swordartonline.fandom.com/wiki/Sword_Art_Online_Light_Novel_Volume_02#The_Black_Swordsman The Black Swordsman]''</ref>

First reintroduced to humanity as an a-life program once in service to [[Rasputin]], designed and modeled upon an ancient Japanese military program known as A.L.I.C.E., for the development of better weapons and defense protocols for the betterment of humanity during the [[Golden Age]], he would become corrupted by the [[Forum:The Black Fleet|Black Fleet]] during the [[Collapse|First Collapse]] and go rogue, losing all trace of his former identity and reverting to what he knew: killing or be killed.

He went dormant throughout the majority of the [[Dark Age|Dark]] and [[City Age|City]] ages until the Black Fleet reawakened him in preparation for their [[Forum:Second Collapse (Renovated)|assault]], restoring his memories and abilities at full capacity and reuniting him with his partner in the process.

As the dark leader of a notorious organization called the [[Forum:The Shadowkeepers|Shadowkeepers]], he commands the [[Forum:Avatar (Renovated)|Avatar]] army, along with numerous elite factions of various enemies that lingered in the atmosphere of the Solar System, infecting the surfaces of humanity's worlds with the Darkness. While the minions of the Darkness look up to him, there are a special few within the inner circle who hold him in high regard as their savior.

He is the main antagonist of the ''[[Forum:Paradox|Paradox]]'' expansion, having corrupted [[Forum:Mallory Bertha (Renovated)|Mallory Bertha]] with the Darkness, killed countless [[Guardian]]s, one of them being [[Vanguard]] Commander [[Zavala]], destroyed both [[The Last City]] and the [[Traveler]], and enshrouded the [[Solar System]], which earned him both the favor and respect of the [[Darkness]] as its champion.
==Biography==
===Childhood===
Born to Yukito Narusaka and Aoi Narusaka on October 7th, 2008, Kazuto Narusaka was adopted by Midori Kirigaya, his aunt; Minetaka Kirigaya, his uncle; and Suguha Kirigaya, his cousin. Throughout his childhood, he grew fond of computers and gave up kendo. When he was 10, he managed to find out the identities of his biological parents.
===The Death Game and Beyond===
{{Quote|[[Forum:House of Flame|Our people]] remember a time when [[Humanity|humanity]] looked up to him as many things: bright kid, player, protector, and savior. Numerous myths, legends, and tales spoke of him as the Black Swordsman, the hero of Aincrad and liberator of a thousand innocent souls. If only they were able to help him find his way back towards the path of the noble morality... the path of the [[Great Machine]].|[[User:Koriks, Kell of Flame|Koriks, Kell of Flame]] to [[The Guardian]].}}
''See the full chronology surrounding Kirito's history [https://swordartonline.fandom.com/wiki/Kirigaya_Kazuto#Chronology here].''

On November 6th, 2022, Kazuto Kirigaya, now known as Kirito, was among the ten thousand players who got trapped in Sword Art Online by Akihiko Kayaba, his idol and the creator of said game who adopted the identity of Heathcliff, the leader of the Knights of the Blood guild. Despite all the sufferings and traumatic nightmares that came his way, he, along with Asuna, Klein, Agil, Lisbeth, and Silica, managed to defeat the creator and beat the game, freeing all the surviving players in the progress.

Two months after the end of the SAO Incident, Kirito enlisted the help of Suguha and his daughter Yui, along with his other good-hearted friends, in order to defeat Sugou Nobuyuki and save Asuna and the other 299 kidnapped players within the heart of ALFheim Online.

Some time after Sugou's arrest by the police, Kirito accepted Seijirou Kikuoka's request to enter the world of Gun Gale Online to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding the GGO players' deaths. Along the way, he teamed up with Shino Asada to defeat Death Gun, who was later revealed to be Shouichi Shinkawa, Kyouji's older brother, and avenge their deaths. At some point, he caught a glimpse at Excalibur, the rumored Holy Sword that once belonged to King Arthur, and gathered Asuna, Lisbeth, Silica, Klein, and Shino for an expedition to Jötunheimr to retrieve the sword before anyone else could steal their chance. Following the success of this mission, he encountered Yuuki Konno and later teamed up with her and the Sleeping Knights to beat the boss of the 27th floor several days before paying tribute to her at a funeral in New Aincrad.

Later on, he and his friends would test out Ordinal Scale. Expecting to immerse themselves into a new world, they instead came face-to-face with Dr. Tetsuhiro Shigemura, who sought to harvest memories from all of the SAO players in order to resurrect his daughter Yuna; fortunately for them, Eiji showed up to help them thwart the doctor's plans, restoring the memories of those players.

Some months later, he was recruited by Kikuoka to help Rath with its experiment known only as Project Alicization. When he woke up in a forest, he met Eugeo and Alice Zuberg and became friends with them. Upon returning to the virtual world, he reunited with Eugeo and Alice, teaming up with them and a few other friends, including Selka, Ronye Arabel, Tiese Shtolienen, and Cardinal, to overthrow Quinella and return to the real world. However, upon defeating Quinella, his return was intercepted by Gabriel Miller and his allies Vassago Casals and Critter, all of whom launched an attack on the Space Turtle at the behest of the National Security Agency in order to retrieve the Soul Translator technology. However, he later returned to help his friends defeat Gabriel's forces and protect Alice.

A few months after the end of the War of Underworld, Kirito teamed up with Asuna and Alice to defeat Mutasina and the Virtual Research Society in order to beat the Unital Ring game.
===Fall From Grace===
{{Quote|Accept this lifeblood that I have now granted you, and you could use it to achieve so much more than I ever did. Become more than just a hero beyond your wildest dreams. The power to strike down death itself, life eternal, the grand miracle at your command. Save the entire world and live. Have all you want and more. All you have to do is choose it... choose this [[Darkness|power]]... the power to become a God of the world.|The [[Forum:Eldritch Witch|Eldritch Witch]] to Kirito.}}
Following the end of Unital Ring, Kirito and Asuna accepted a mysterious request from the Overworld Village to prevent a growing disturbance from engulfing the Ancient Forest, culminating in their encounter with the Eldritch Witch, who would later be revealed as the first ancestor of [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen|Savathûn]]. Upon defeating her and bringing her to justice, they would earn the respect and honor of the Overworld Village's denizens, along with a fabled [[Sword]]. However, before leaving the village, Kirito visited the Eldritch Witch again within a nearby prison where she spoke to him about a prophecy, explaining that his life would never be the same again upon his return to the real world, revealing that he would soon be destined to steal for Asuna, to lie for her, and to kill for her. Before being enshrouded into a huge crystal, the Eldritch Witch told him to do her and the entire world a favor: to savor the darkness within him.

Upon returning to the real world, he began having simultaneous nightmares, seeing himself walking over a destroyed city while numerous united hordes of the [[Fallen]], [[Hive]], [[Vex]], [[Cabal]], [[Taken]], and [[Scorn]], led by the dark commanders, launched a cataclysmic attack against numerous innocent villagers and royal members and set fire to various buildings. Towards the end of the nightmare, he saw himself standing next to a corrupt Asuna, who pulled his hand holding the [[Thorn|gun]] directly at a broken, weakened, and now mortal [https://injustice.fandom.com/wiki/Superman Superman], who pleaded for him to stray from his current path and end the nightmare to restore truth and justice, claiming that he still has some good left in him. His eyes suddenly glowing red, he asked Superman how his [https://injustice.fandom.com/wiki/Jonathan_and_Martha_Kent parents] were doing shortly before shooting bullets all over him, laughing as a bullet laced with a weaponized blend of a fatal variant of [[Wikipedia:Suxamethonium chloride|succinylcholine]] and [[Wikipedia:Kryptonite|Kryptonite]] sped into the Kryptonian's head, waking him up from a nightmare, covered in sweat and panting uncontrollably.

Feeling pangs of despair and guilt, he was comforted by Asuna, who immediately engaged with him in a romantically toxic relationship after promising to help him keep his nightmare a secret, not knowing that Alice was watching them. Some hours later, he and Asuna, along with their friends, received a surprising reunion with Suguha, who claimed that she had escaped from the clutches of Rosalia, Johnny Black, the Shinkawa brothers, and Critter, along with the resurrected Kuradeel, Vassago, and Gabriel, all of whom had been planning to exact their revenge on Kirito for what he did to them. Knowing that he fought her kidnappers before, he promised Suguha that he'd beat them again, but upon leaving the Dicey Cafe, he and Asuna were immediately surrounded by a group of anti-SAO protesters, led by Kosaka and his lackeys, who called them out for everything that happened ever since the SAO Incident began. However, just when Kosaka's lackeys were about to kill Asuna, Kazuto lunged towards them and stabbed them with a dagger shortly before impaling Kosaka in the chest with Shino's gun, saving Asuna in the process. Before Kosaka died, he told Kazuto that he was only just the first of many and that a savior would come to cleanse the world of its true enemies, starting with Kazuto, using up the last of his breath to send compromising information about him to his old foe, but when Kazuto asked him who he sent it to, Kosaka mockingly retorted that he thought that he knew who it was. Startled by this revelation, he and Asuna burned the bodies and weapons of Kosaka and his lackeys and dropped them into a nearby waste bin, while she told him that what he did was out of self-defense and that he didn't have to worry about it.

A few days later, he and Asuna, along with their daughter Yui, bought a futuristic house with the help of Argo's closest friend and accommodated to this new life, unaware that Sugou had broken out of prison with the help of Future Tech Industries, a shady corporation that had arranged for his release and established plans to make major changes to all of Japan. During this moment, they entered the world of [[Forum:Destiny Online|Destiny Online]], an [[Wikipedia:Xbox|Xbox]]-exclusive [[Wikipedia:Virtual reality|VR]][[Wikipedia:Massively multiplayer online role-playing game|MMORPG]] where players can experience and control their in-game characters with their minds and controllers. Having already migrated their accounts into the game through their [[Wikipedia:Xbox Series X and Series S|shared console]], they adjusted to this new gaming style and, at some point, through their [[Guardian]]s, managed to kill the united alliance led by [[Lisknis, Devil Enforcer]] and [[Lisknis, the Devils Executor]]. Believing that Sword Art Online had gotten too old for them, they began to live their own lives, but that feeling was interrupted when Alice sent a distress signal to them, telling them to turn on the news. Once they did, they saw a recent photo of a nurse, which was taken hours before her death, distressing Kirito when he recognized her as Nurse Aki, but that feeling soon turned to horror when he saw a note that was sewed up on her uniform, which read ''"To the Swordsman: Your life for theirs,"'' along with photos of Sasha and the children players, whom she cared for during the SAO Incident. Vowing to rescue them from the clutches of their kidnappers, Kazuto and Asuna went to the Ocean Turtle and consulted with Kikuoka, who helped them out with the investigation, only for them to receive more disturbing news regarding Underworld. Entrusting their friends with that task, they, along with Alice and Takeru Higa, went to the Axiom Church, where they spoke with Iskahn and Scheta, along with the Supreme Sorcerer, Emerald Archer, and Bronze Titan, the elite commanders of their respective armadas of the Integrity Mages, Bandits, and Knights, who spoke about the unsettling return of the Star King, who had now sought revenge for what happened to his Queen. Aware of his previous time as the Star King, Kirito, Alice, and Asuna traveled to the Star King's castle, where they fought off his army and managed to neutralize his powers long enough for him to get through to his counterpart and help him turn good again, which proved to be a perfect moment when a trio of monsters cornered them, seeking to avenge The Gleam Eyes's death. Having seen their movements the same way The Gleam Eyes performed its attacks, Kirito, Asuna, Alice, and the Star King formed the ultimate attack, utterly penetrating through the monsters' defenses and destroying them for good. Knowing that the Star King can finally be at peace, they thanked him for helping them and protecting Underworld shortly before logging off.

Upon returning to the real world, Kazuto encounters his aunt and uncle, who greeted them with good news regarding new developments towards the case about his biological parents' deaths, explaining that the police had finally found the identity of the person who killed them. Relieved and happy that he can finally be able to rest easy, he went with them to the police station, where Officer Saito, a prominent and kind-hearted policeman who called them about the case, discussed with them about his birth parents' killer and the events that impacted his life after their deaths. Promising to send the full details of the killer's identity, he gave them the short version, explaining that it was indeed Suguha, even though she appeared much older than her current self, and that his birth parents can finally rest in peace, knowing that she will have been brought to justice. Feeling betrayed by his own cousin, but also comforted by his promise, he thanked Saito for the news and went back home with them shortly before leaving with Asuna, which unknowingly resulted in an enraged and deranged Suguha visiting the police station, where she, having embraced the [[Forum:Maleficent|evil presence]] within her and adopted the Mistress of Evil's embodiment, murdered Officer Saito in cold blood and burned everything related to the murder case, managing to wipe off any and all prints that could implicate her in the intrusion.

A few days after visiting the police station, Kazuto and Asuna transitioned into their pleasurable lives, suddenly sporting their punk wardrobe looks and gaining so much popularity that they appeared on various late-night shows, revealing plans to leave their Sword Art Online career behind for a chance at a special life, including an exclusive ten-star wedding. Believing that everything had been going so well for him and Asuna and that it can go on the way he liked it, he ignored various things that bombarded his moments, including the news regarding Saito's sudden death and the [http://pm1.narvii.com/6551/958791c6a7ded78d761b986636710ac926120228_00.jpg continually-expanding intensity] of the kidnappings, which also led to Argo being kidnapped. Suddenly realizing what had happened to her when he tried to call her, he and Asuna went back to the Ocean Turtle, where they helped Kikuoka and the rest of his friends continue with the investigation. At some point in time, he and his friends heard a signal coming from the main computer, leading to good news from Kikuoka, who told them that he'd just got a hit on the location of Argo and Sasha, along with the other people who had been kidnapped; however, while the Ocean Turtle scouts were able to safely retrieve Sasha and the younger SAO players, Kazuto was saddened that they couldn't find Argo, but suddenly felt pained by the news that Argo's entire records were erased, implying that she had never existed to begin with, although things eventually take a worse turn when he finds out from a malicious sender that Argo's death was the first consequence of his selfish decision to defy the threat message and that unless he turned himself in, many others would suffer for what he did. Still trusting of Asuna, he decided to ignore the second threat, asserting that whoever sent the threat message had no idea who he was messing with.

However, his assertion turned out to be wrong during the fifth annual Bullet of Bullets tournament festival, where Kazuto and his friends came under attack by an armored assailant and a masked teenager, both of whom had come to assassinate him. While he was able to deflect their attacks, he found himself unable to apprehend them due to their abnormal strengths and agilities; however, the attack was interrupted by Shino, who helped Kazuto escape with his life shortly before confronting the armored assailant, who immediately overwhelmed and captured her shortly before he and the masked kid left the scene, but not before mockingly asking him how many more people he will kill.

Tormented by this sickening revelation, Kazuto and his friends went back to the Dicey Cafe, where he attempted to track down Shino so that he could bring her back, but ran into Alice, who demanded to know why the two attackers were after him. Startled by her sudden approach, he replied that it was because of the death threats he had been receiving ever since Suguha's encounter with his old foes, which changed her angry mood into one of fear; sensing that he was telling the truth, Alice pleaded for him not to go after Shino's kidnappers, fearing that he could put himself in even more danger than he already was in. However, the conversation was interrupted by Andrew, who turned on the TV and told them to take a look at the broadcast that the police had set up; upon watching the live coverage, Kazuto and Alice, along with their friends, were horrified when they saw that the police had televised a montage showing off Kazuto's darkest secrets and the many unspeakable things that he had done during the SAO Incident to the public, which was followed by a speech by [[Forum:Diaval|Diaval Reitherman]], the director of the Intergalactic Peacekeeping Regime, who proclaimed that the videos that were previously leaked by an anonymous email were indeed real, explaining that Kazuto wasn't only a murderer and a beater, but also a corrupt sadist who didn't care about anyone other than himself. Kazuto's initial feeling of anger soon turned to dread when Diaval revealed that he and his wife, Dr. Malley Centius, had previously consulted with the Future Tech Industries corporation, led by Scheck; arranged for Sugou's release from prison in accordance with the reports detailing Kazuto's insane accusations against Asuna's ex-fiance and how he blackmailed the police into arresting the chairman of RECT Progress's Resarch Division, claiming that steps had been taken to ensure that Sugou's accuser didn't pose any more threat to the world ever again and that the civilians wouldn't have to suffer the traumatic nightmares they had endured during the Death Game Incident; and promised to help the authorities with restoring RECT Inc. to its previous glory and making Japan great again by hunting down the Black Swordsman to ensure that he answered for his crimes, which also included the recent murders of Kosaka and his group of anti-SAO protesters. Towards the end of the coverage, Diaval also assured them that the world would soon be safe again with his men around, not only declaring Kirito as the public's enemy, but also exposing his secret identity to the entire world, much to Kazuto's shocking dismay.

Now traumatized by Diaval's brutal revelation, Kazuto ran back to his relatives' house, where he retreated to his bedroom, struggling to take his mind off the fact that he was now a wanted fugitive, but works up the courage to get back up when he suddenly received another message, but this time, instead of it being a death threat, it was a challenge from the masked kid, who told him to adopt his original ALO avatar and meet him at the post office. Knowing that the kid was serious, Kazuto accepted the challenge and put on his Spriggan character before heading for the post office; however, upon arriving, he found himself depowered to his status from when he first played ALO, a limitation that the teenager had implanted into the challenge to ensure that Kazuto fought him fair and square. When Kazuto asked the teenager why he tried to attack him, he revealed himself as Takeru, the Fire Warrior and a faithful servant of the Mistress of Evil, proclaiming that he came to Japan to help enforce the will that had been set upon the world by [[Forum:The Overtakers|a ruthless group of powerful beings]] that he pledged his loyalty to in an ongoing plan to bring peace and order to the galaxy, and that Kazuto's very determination to save his loved ones would soon become his undoing shortly before engaging with him in a brutal one-on-one fight. During the fight, Kazuto deflected the many attacks that Takeru sent against him with initial ease, but soon found himself losing energy when he tried to deliver a blow against his opponent. Shocked by this abnormal amount of strength that Takeru possessed, Kazuto asked him if he was a devil, but Takeru called him out for being too ignorant, explaining that he wasn't a monster in the same way that Kazuto wasn't a hero, revealing that he should be honored to be dueling him in the same place where Shino shot the middle-aged robber when she was a child. Angrily calling Takeru out for uttering her name, Kazuto attempted to inflict as much damage as he could upon him, but ended up suffering from his own attacks. Suddenly finding himself almost depleted of his health and losing his memories about Shino, Kazuto asked Takeru why he was doing this and why he suddenly stopped remembering her, to which he responded that he did this to himself and that the Overtakers did the entire world a favor by making a minor change to the timeline, one that he wouldn't be able to remember ever again. Satisfied with Kazuto's early defeat, Takeru knocked him unconscious long enough to teleport his previous victims all over his weakened opponent before leaving the scene; when Kazuto woke up, he found himself surrounded from all corners by the police officers, who immediately placed him under direct arrest for the murders of innocent SAO players, members of Kosaka's group, and the people whose blood were found all over him, for deliberately hijacking the network servers from ALO to gain an unfair advantage against Sugou, and for many other crimes against humanity, despite his attempts to tell them that he was framed. Handcuffing his arms and legs and branding him as a terrorist, they took him to a court, where he was found guilty and taken to the Kibutsuji Florianius Penitentiary, a maximum security prison where he was cruelly placed on death row without any privileges for him to earn or any sources of defense to protect him.
===Descent into Darkness===
====Prison Break====
(TBA)
====Race Against Time====
(TBA)
====Fulfilling the Prophecy====
(TBA)
====Encounter from the Future====
(TBA)
===The Swordsman's Arrival===
====The Dreaming Heart====
Sometime after the First Collapse, the worlds of the Solar system partway drawn into Aincrad from various "[[Darkness Zone]]s" left behind, the a-life that would come to be known as the Black Swordsman was deposited at the foot of the Watching Tower. Confused and disoriented, Kirito demanded answers from anything that would speak to him, and received nothing. After many long and fruitless months of attempting escape, Kirito gave up all hope and resigned himself to his fate. It was then the Darkness spoke to him, promising rich rewards in exchange for lifelong servitude. The a-life agreed, and was rechristened the Black Swordsman, herald of the Darkness' coming and leader of its armies. 

As time passed differently in Aincrad, or perhaps the Darkness had bent the passage of time around the a-life specifically, no sooner had the Swordsman agreed than it was revealed the Black Fleet had been mustering for its [[Forum:Second Collapse (Renovated)|second all-out assault]] upon a weakened [[Traveler]] and the small alliance of humans it had rallied. Kirito was sent out from Aincrad into the material realm, reawakening long dormant lieutenants of Darkness and cutting off avenues of escape; at some point, he would be reunited with his Angel, Asuna, who had been waiting patiently for his return.
====Birth of the Shadowkeepers====
{{Quote|You were right. Those people... they never understood us... what we've suffered. They abandoned us in favor of those monsters they call heroes, but you don't have to worry anymore. Everything's going to be okay.|Asuna to Kirito, moments after their reunion.}}
Moments after Kirito reunited with Asuna, she explained to him about how much had changed over the years following the [[City Age]], how the [[Traveler]] had led humanity to abandon their lives in favor of its false hopes and promises to safeguard all of existence, and how, while he was still trapped in Aincrad, she had harnessed the powers of Mal's birthright jewel and called out to numerous villainous teenagers and enhanced time criminals from throughout different timelines, including [[Forum:Totomaru (Renovated)|Totomaru]], a former member of the Phantom Lord guild and the manipulator of the [[Solar]] element; [[Forum:Eobard Thawne (Renovated)|Eobard Thawne]], the Reverse-Flash and a speedster responsible for the death of Nora Allen, Barry Allen's mother; [[Forum:Malcolm Merlyn (Renovated)|Malcolm Merlyn]], a former member of the League of Assassins and the Dark Archer who terrorized Oliver Queen's life by sabotaging the Queen's Gambit; [[Forum:Damien Darhk (Renovated)|Damien Darhk]], an immortal individual who defected from the League of Assassins and murdered Laurel Lance, the sister of Sara Lance; [[Forum:Tobias Whale (Renovated)|Tobias Whale]], a powerful crime lord and the man who murdered Alvin Pierce in front of his son Jefferson Pierce; [[Forum:Reign (Renovated)|Reign]], a Kryptonian survivor whose soul now resides in Sachi's body; [[Forum:Leopold Fitz (Renovated)|Leopold Fitz]], the ruthless leader of H.Y.D.R.A. from the Framework dimension; [[Forum:Anton Ivanov (Renovated)|Anton Ivanov]], a Russian cyborg who sought revenge against S.H.I.E.L.D.; [[Forum:Hiram Lodge (Renovated)|Hiram Lodge]], a notorious businessman who usurped his former wife's position as the mayor of Riverdale; [[Forum:Morgana le Fay (Renovated)|Morgana le Fay]], a powerful enchantress who formed a pact with Gunmar and his legion to awaken the Eternal Night and conquer Camelot; [[Forum:Zevon (Renovated)|Zevon]], the son of Yzma and one of the Villain Kids who was murdered by a corrupt Benjamin Florian's army during the [[Forum:Auradonian War|Auradonian War]] centuries before being resurrected with a new body; [[Forum:Fikrul (Renovated)|Fikrul]], the leader of the [[Scorn]] and a prominent Baron whose soul, embodiment, and abilities now reside in Eugeo's body; [[Forum:Uldren Sov (Shadowkeeper)|Uldren Sov]], the [[Awoken]] prince of the [[Reef]] and founder of the Scorn who was responsible for [[Cayde-6]]'s death; [[Forum:Djin (Renovated)|Djin]], the leader of the Numeros and a former M.A.T.A. agent who vowed to harness the powers of the I.R.I.S. to conquer the world; [[Forum:Sasuke Uchiha (Renovated)|Sasuke Uchiha]], a former member of [[Forum:Kakashi Hatake|Kakashi Hatake]]'s Team 7 and the surviving member of the Uchiha clan who attempted to use the combined powers of the Tailed Beasts to assassinate the Five Kages and become the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, but was stopped by his friend Naruto Uzumaki; [[Forum:Phoenixaro Uchihamaki (Renovated)|Phoenixaro Uchihamaki]], Kakashi's estranged older brother and the heretical threatmaster who was sealed away by his father Sakumo Hatake years before the Third Great Ninja War; and [[Forum:Ruby Hale (Renovated)|Ruby Hale]], the daughter of General Hale, rival of Daisy Johnson, and self-proclaimed Destroyer of Worlds who was murdered by Yo-Yo Rodriguez; promising them means of wealth, power, and immortality and a lifelong opportunity to avenge their deaths and rule the entire [[Solar System]] alongside them in exchange for their loyalty to them, revealing that the Guardians and saviors of humanity can't be trusted and that the Darkness alone can transcend the universe to its final shape.

Eager to inflict the same pain that he suffered upon the people of the Last City, he and Asuna led the Shadowkeepers into the gateway to the Time Nexus, where they laid waste to numerous civilizations within many dimensions, raising the deceased children from his past as a new army of undead humanoid phantoms to lead, which became known collectively as the Avatars. During their campaigns of destruction, vengeance, and terror, they recruited numerous soldiers and commanders from different races to their shared cause, including [[Forum:Kotrik, Bloodcrafter of Kirito (Renovated)|Kotrik]], the former [[Archon]] of the [[House of Devils]] and a master with weaponry who has stolen much Guardian tech; [[Forum:Zharves, Shadowcaster of Kirito (Renovated)|Zharves]], a surviving [[Deathsinger]] who defected from the [[Blood of Oryx]]; [[Forum:Hydrax, Mindkiller of Kirito (Renovated)|Hydrax]], an immensely powerful Vex unit who sought to cast humanity into a dark future and surpass [[Panoptes, Infinite Mind|Panoptes]] and [[Quria, the Dreaming Mind|Quria]]; [[Forum:Gha'arn, Crownforger of Kirito (Renovated)|Gha'arn]], a powerful Cabal warlord who formerly pledged his loyalty to then-[[Dominus]] [[Dominus Ghaul|Ghaul]] and the [[Red Legion]]; [[Forum:Thu'urg, Blightmaker of Kirito (Renovated)|Thu'urg]], a Taken Cabal commander and former member of the Red Legion; and [[Forum:Vayeriks, Fatesmith of Kirito (Renovated)|Vayeriks]], the first of the Scorn and a ruthless commander who previously led a surprise attack against the [[Tangled Shore]]. Promising them the honors and privileges of sharing in the powers that the Darkness had bestowed upon him, he united them and their armies under a singular banner consisting of the [[Forum:House of Shadows (Renovated)|six]] [[Forum:Shadow Brood (Renovated)|factions]] [[Forum:Shadow Divisive (Renovated)|that]] [[Forum:Shadow Legion (Renovated)|have]] [[Forum:The Reborn (Renovated)|dedicated]] [[Forum:Cult of the Scorned (Renovated)|themselves]] to destroying the Light and conquering the system for the Darkness and its [[Black Fleet]].
====Call to the Shadows====
{{Quote|[[Skolas, Kell of Kells|Skolas]] tried to unite the Fallen Houses as one, while [[Oryx, the Taken King|Oryx]] enslaved all races to his will, but they both failed. We expected that they would do such things out of desperation and strategy, but we never believed that two teenagers could actually succeed in uniting all our enemies against the Last City... and the Traveler.|[[Ikora Rey]].}}
Following their entrance into the heart of the Solar System, Kirito began raising countless deceased Lightbearers from the First Collapse as his personal army of [[Forum:The Dark Guardians|Dark Guardians]], even going on to recruit as many rogue Guardians and warmongers as he could find, including [[Forum:Mallory Bertha (Renovated)|Mallory Bertha]], [[Forum:Kaguya Narusaka (Renovated)|Kaguya Narusaka]] and [[Forum:Hendrick Yor (Renovated)|Hendrick Yor]]'s surviving daughter who survived the massacre on [[Eaton]] and slaughtered countless Auradonians during the Red War; [[Forum:Aethrox, Shadow's Hunger|Aethrox]], a powerful [[Psion Flayer]] and the self-proclaimed Mind Claimer who formerly served the [[Forum:Neon Wraiths (reworked)|Neon Wraiths]]; and [[Forum:Fang, Devoted to Zharves|Fang]], a Hive [[Wrathborn]] general who previously served [[Xivu Arath, God of War|Xivu Arath]].
====Rebellion of the Empire====
(TBA)
====Cataclysm on Earth====
(TBA)
===The Second Collapse===
(TBA)
===Retaking of Sol===
(TBA)
===Legacy===
(TBA)
==Gameplay==
(TBA)
==Personality and Traits==
(TBA)
==Family==
*Yukito Narusaka, biological father &dagger;
*Aoi Narusaka, biological mother &dagger;
*Midori Kirigaya, aunt and adoptive mother &dagger;
*Minetaka Kirigaya, uncle and adoptive father &dagger;
*Suguha Kirigaya, cousin and adoptive sister &dagger;
*[[Forum:The White Angel (Renovated)|Asuna Yuuki]], wife
*Yui Narusaka, daughter
*Konno Yuuki, daughter
*[[Forum:Tatsuyi Kirigaya (Renovated)|Tatsuyi Kirigaya]], son
*Yuji Kirigaya, son

==Trivia==
''See the rest of the trivia [https://swordartonline.fandom.com/wiki/Kirigaya_Kazuto#Trivia here].''
*He is based upon a [[Wikipedia:Kirito (Sword Art Online)|character]] of the same name from [[Wikipedia:Sword Art Online (2012 TV series)|Sword Art Online]].
*He is voiced by [[Wikipedia:Yoshitsugu Matsuoka|Yoshitsugu Matsuoka]] and [[Wikipedia:Bryce Papenbrook|Bryce Papenbrook]].
*The name Kirito is a contraction of his real name, Kirigaya Kazuto ("Kiri" from '''Kiri'''gaya and "to" from Kazu'''to''').
*He uses a self-made PC with a 24 GHz octa-core CPU and, by extension, [[SIVA]], which can be found within the lair room in Aincrad.
*His favorite dishes are brown stew chicken with mushrooms due to its similarity to Ragout Rabbit Stew from SAO and, due to Asuna's influence, teriyaki and mayonnaise hamburgers, shio ramen, and honey pies.
==Author's Note==
*The "Fall From Grace" and "Descent into Darkness" sections contain information from the [[Forum:Corrupted by Edge (Lore Book)|Corrupted by Edge]] [[Lore]] book.

==List of appearances==
*''[[Destiny 2]]:''
**''[[Forum:Paradox|Paradox]]'' {{1st}}
***''[[Forum:Season of the Inferno|Season of the Inferno]]'' {{c|[[Nightmares|Nightmare]]}}
***''[[Forum:Season of Deception|Season of Deception]]'' {{Mo}}
***''[[Forum:Shadows' Legacy Update|Shadows' Legacy Update]]'' {{c|Nightmare}}
***''[[Forum:Season of Dissonance|Season of Dissonance]]'' {{Mo}}
***''[[Forum:Season of the City|Season of the City]]'' {{Mo}}
***''[[Forum:Age of Legends|Age of Legends]]''
==References==
<references/>

{{BossD2}}

[[Category:Main antagonists]]
[[Category:Enemies]]
[[Category:Characters]]