After leaving the Hill of the Dead, Seiya checked the time and realized he was late. But he couldn't blame himself; Kuradeel and his accomplices had picked a perfect spot. The Hill of the Dead wasn't a small area, and after killing them, Seiya had to get out of the no-teleportation zone, teleport to the 55th floor, and then run from the main city to the Dragon's Nest, which took a lot of time.
Kuradeel was, without a doubt, killed by Seiya. He couldn't understand how a high school kid could be so ruthless. Before today, he had no personal grudge against Seiya, and it was their first time meeting. Even though he had thought about getting revenge in the future while he was begging, why did Seiya seem to know him so well and want to get rid of him for good? Kuradeel died with his eyes wide open, wondering if he had revealed his true nature somewhere along the way.
At the Dragon's Nest, Heathcliff, who had been suspected by the others and was contemplating using his admin privileges to find Seiya, was relieved when Seiya finally arrived.
"My apologies. I had some things to take care of and ended up being late. I didn't expect so many people to be here. Did you all sense that something big was going to happen today and came to watch?"
Asuna and Kirito, who had been worried about Seiya, sighed with relief. Asuna was annoyed by Seiya's carefree attitude and gave him a chop on the head. Then she grabbed his hand and went to Heathcliff.
"Heathcliff-san, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have been so quick to judge you. It's all Seiya's fault for not telling us he had something to do. He made everyone worry and kept you waiting."
Seiya had no idea Kuradeel would go after him. But it was true that he was late and had worried Asuna and the others. So, he let Asuna drag him around to apologize to everyone.
"Heathcliff-san, I apologize for being late and making you wait. I have a rare item here as an apology gift."
Seiya said as he shoved an item into Heathcliff's hand with unusual enthusiasm. Heathcliff, being the GM of SAO, was not easily impressed by "rare items." But out of curiosity, he looked at the item in his hand. When he saw that it was a familiar-looking mirror that was now glowing, he realized he had been tricked. He recognized the item as the Mirror of Truth, which he had created to reveal a player's real appearance. It was a one-time-use item that he had given to all the players on the first day to show them their real faces. He thought all of them had been activated and used. He never thought Seiya would have one and that he would give it to him.
"Wenren Seiya, when did you find out about me?"
The Mirror of Truth was activated the moment he looked at it. Even a genius like Kayaba couldn't write new code to stop it in such a short time. Asuna and the others were confused as they watched Heathcliff's body get covered in a white light. They didn't know what item Seiya had given him or why he was saying such strange things.
"Heathcliff-san, what are you talking about? I'm not sure what you mean by 'find out.' The item I gave you was a gift from Kayaba Akihiko to all the players on the first day of the beta. Everyone else's disappeared after it was used, but mine was a little different. It's not a very useful item, but it's probably the only one left in all of SAO, which makes it pretty rare, right?"
Kayaba was stunned by Seiya's words. Had he been wrong? Was Seiya giving him the Mirror of Truth just a coincidence? But then he saw the smirk on Seiya's face and instantly knew he had been played again!
The white light gradually faded, and Heathcliff—no, Kayaba Akihiko's true form was revealed. He had appeared as the "Grim Reaper" on the first day, but as a key developer of SAO, many players had seen his face on gaming forums. As soon as Kayaba was revealed, many players recognized him and shouted his name.
"Kayaba Akihiko! Heathcliff, the leader of the Knights of the Blood, is Kayaba Akihiko!"
"I've seen his face on the news! It's him, no doubt about it!"
"This bastard trapped us in this game and then disguised himself as a player to become our leader! Is he making a fool out of us?!"
The moment Kayaba was revealed, the entire crowd erupted. To the trapped players, Kayaba Akihiko was their enemy, the one responsible for the last two years of their lives. It was only natural that they would be so enraged to see him right in front of them.