Sword Art Online (Novel) Vol. 18: Alicization Lasting

The second day of the Final Stress Test rages on. Having defeated Sinon and Leafa–even with the added might of their godly super-accounts–Gabriel drives Alice into a corner. Meanwhile, in another corner of the battlefield, Asuna is pushed to her limits as she defends Kirito from the army of Darkness. But just when all seems lost, a voice cries out in Kirito’s heart, urging him back into the world. Grabbing hold of that light in the darkness, the black swordsman awakens…

By Reki Kawahara