Level 100 - Sword Art Online [OC x Kirito]

Chapter One: A Whole New World

~from Author's POV 3rd person~
Kirito tucked his blades away, taking a minute to catch his breath as he shakily made his way to his feet, the resounding cries of victory arising all over the boss room.
"Level 99! We're almost there!" someone shouted just as Klein came up behind Kirito and looped his arm around Kirito's neck, nearly cutting off his air supply.
"We made it, man!" he shouted into Kirito's ear. As Kirito protested, he pulled away, but he didn't leave. Instead, with awe-filled eyes that looked like they might start shedding tears at any moment, he stared blankly at some point past Kaneki. "We beat level 99. We're so close now...to getting back to our lives, to our world, to escaping this place. Just one more level..."
"I wonder what the final boss is going to be," Kirito said, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed in concentration. It was too early to celebrate. It was always too early to celebrate.
"C'mon, man. Lighten up a little," Klein tried, noticing Kirito's tenseness. "You've pushed harder than any of us-" He stopped and started again. "You're the most powerful player in the realm, Kirito. Always have been, but since-"
Kirito sent Klein a warning with his glaring eyes, and Klein put up his hands defensively.
"Ever since then, you've led the attacks, and our casualty rates have been minimal. I'm just trying to say that you've done a great job." He paused. "How are you doing?" he asked softly, not wanting anyone else to listen in.
"I'm fine," Kirito said brusquely, turning away and barely sparing a glance at the players around him as he passed through the doors.
Level 100, he thought. It's nice to meet you, although I doubt I'll be here long. I'm going to destroy you at the first available opportunity.
***
A little message popped up on his screen as he was transported into the final level.
WELCOME TO LEVEL 100! THIS IS THE FINAL LEVEL OF SWORD ART ONLINE. IF YOU DEFEAT LEVEL 100'S BOSS, YOU WILL PROCEED BACK INTO REALITY AND RECLAIM YOUR FORMER LIFE, ASSUMING YOUR BODY CONDITION HAS NOT DETERIORATED TO THE POINT OF INSTANT DEATH. THERE IS ONE MAJOR DIFFERENCE ABOUT THIS LEVEL FROM THE OTHERS: ONCE ACCESSED, LEVEL 100 RUNS ON A TIME LIMIT. AS OF TODAY, YOU HAVE EXACTLY ONE MONTH TO LOCATE AND DEFEAT THE BOSS. IF YOU FAIL TO DO SO, PROGRESS WILL COMPLETELY RESTART AND WILL HAVE TO UNLOCK EACH LEVEL AGAIN, WHICH WILL CONSUME TIME, RESOURCES, AND UNDOUBTEDLY PLAYERS' LIVES AND MORALE. WITH THIS IN MIND, BEGIN YOUR FINAL EPIC ADVENTURE!
The message deleted from his inbox automatically once he'd finished reading, and even as he was processing the new limit of time, his eyes rose to check out the scenery, and he gasped at the intricate beauty of the virtual - and for now his real - world. He was standing on what looked like a wooden dock that connected with countless other docks spread out all over the realm, which appeared to be one huge lake. It was already dusk, and set at intervals along the pathways were ornate lanterns, illuminating hundreds of tree houses standing at the edge of the lake, each lit up with a cozy glow. As he walked along the dock, he glanced at the lamp and suddenly realized that it wasn't fireflies or candles that were creating a light source; inside of the glass prisms were little fairies of all different hues and colors. He looked closer, afraid that they were trapped and suffering, but he realized that the top of their spheres was open, and on the bottom of the lamp laid a leaf or something similar, which provided a bed and shelter for their softly glowing bodies. As he passed a globe, a female fairy waved at him excitedly, and he gave a hesitant wave back.
Just then, he saw what looked like a shimmer in the sky and realized it to be a small flock of fairies all flying in a closely nit formation that expanded and contracted as they flew and settled in their lamps to rest for the night, providing soft illumination over the docks.
"They're amazing," he heard himself whisper, but he frowned and shook his head. "My only mission is to get out of here." But I can't deny that it's beautiful, he thought to himself as he walked towards the tree houses. When he approached the nearest one via the dock pathway, a small fairy flew past him, waving, and Kirito waved back, suddenly realizing that he had a question. "Wait! Come back!"
The fairy did, looking at him curiously. "Yes?"
"I..." It's so hard to think of them as NPCs and not real beings. Damn this high-quality VR. "I was wondering what the existence of fairies means to SAO."
"I'm not sure I understand what you're saying," the male fairy said apologetically, and Kirito clarified himself.
"I mean, SAO functions without magic, right? So, do fairies mean that magic is now a part of SAO? Is there an acquirable skill set or something?"
The fairy shook his head. "There is no magic involved, or at least, none available to players such as yourself, but us fairies can give out special items as quest rewards. No sparkling wands, I'm afraid," he said, smiling as he apologized, and Kirito returned his with a half-smile.
"Just one more thing," he said, speaking slowly as he took a step closer. "Do you have any information on the location of the boss or its attack patterns?"
The fairy tilted his head. "I'm not sure I understand what you're saying."
Kirito shook his head. "It's fine. Thanks," he said, waving as the fairy flew towards the docks. Of course an NPC can't distribute information they may not even have. But still...spending so much time in this world...they feel real, just as real as Klein or As-
He stopped himself before he continued his thoughts, shaking his head and moving into the tree house. One month. Then my time is up.