The Black Integrity Knight

Chapter One: The Silver-Trimmed Armour

"Eugeo! EUGEO!"

Kirito flung out his hand as the wall re-materialsied, sealing of his partner from the inside of the cathedral. The black tendrils of energy from his full control art dissipated as the final brick formed a once again impenetrable barrier between outside and inside.

"...Enhance ARMAMENT!"

That was the last thing that Kirigaya Kazuto (Alias Kirito) heard before the massive force released by a full-control art surrounded him. Hundreds of tiny, flower shaped pieces of the golden metal that made up the ≪Fragrant Olive≫ sword stabbed into him from all angles. He let out a cry as the pain forced him to drop his beloved sword, the one carved from the very top branch of the ≪Gigas Cedar≫ As the sparkling black blade fell away from him, the pain from the hundreds of tiny needles began to overpower his mind. His eyes dropped closed and he fell unconscious.

Alice waved the sword hilt and the ≪Fragrant Olive Sword≫ reformed onto it. She pointed it at the Black Swordsman. There were hundreds of tiny wounds that covered his body. The majority of them oozed the red blood that was common to all humans. He appeared to be unconscious. She restored the sword to its sheath and looked at the intruders wounds.

"System call: generate ≪luminous element≫." She chanted as she walked towards the black haired boy. He appeared to be around the same age as her. Manipulating the ten glowing points of light with her finger tips, she landed them equally spaced on his body. Alice once again chanted in the sacred tongue "System call: restore life" The luminous elements disappeared into the boy and the majority of his wounds disappeared.

she sighed and hoisted him onto her shoulder. Her statue may be small, but her ≪object control authority≫ was high enough for her to carry the thin boy on her shoulder. Her life would probably not drop too much if she carried him all the way to the 99th floor. She sighed and began the long trek up the stairs of the cathedral.

Kirito felt a dull pounding in his skull.

Thump, thump... thump, thump

There was pain all over my body and I had a headache.

Thump, thump... thump, thump

I warily opened my eyes and stared around the room.

Thump, thump... thump, thump

I was lying on my side in a humungous room. There were columns along each wall, and at the end of the rectangular space, there stood a massive, humungous four poster bed.

Thump, thump... thump, thump

It was draped in many layers of silk curtains, and was about the size of several king-sized beds from back home. There was movement from within it. It was at that moment that I realised that Alice was behind me, with the ≪Fragrant Olive Sword≫ out.

Thump thump, thump thump

One of the curtains drew across, and the most beautiful woman he had ever seen stepped through. She was wearing what appeared to be a light purple dress, about the colour of the ≪Stacia Window≫ which had an unreasonably open neckline and trailed a long way behind her as she walked towards Kirito. She had light grey eyes, and the same colour hair. Almost blue.

Thump thump, thump thump

She spoke in a crystal clear voice, almost singing with every syllable.

"Kirito."

Thump thump thump thump

"Come over here, my child." She beckoned with a slender, snow white arm. Her long fingers almost pulling him forwards. He didn't need to be told twice. He staggered to his feet and walked over to her.

A smile touched her face. It seemed to bloom with light.

"Kneel."

What?

"I said kneel, Kirito."

I frowned, confused. Why should I kneel? She touched my chin and looked into my eyes. It felt like they were drilling right through my Fluctlight. That's right Asuna!

"I have to... I have to get back."

She smiled again, but it was sad.

"That isn't possible Kirito..." It was terrible, all I wanted to do was to make her smile again. The sadness in her eyes made me want to choke up.

"What do you want?" I said suddenly, instantly wanting to take it back. Fearing that I had been too abrupt, I looked down at the floor.

She started laughing. It was clear like a bell, and stirred up happiness in me. She pushed my chin up again and looked into my eyes. A pleasant smile was on her face, and I was giggling like an idiot.

"Repeat after me: System call..."

I hurried to follow suit. "System call."

"≪Remove core protection≫"

"≪Remove core...≫." I started frowning, trying to stop the final words. Hang on, core protection? Like security? No!

"≪...protection≫" I mumbled. I immediately jumped back with my hands covering my mouth. What did I just do‽

The Administrator laughed. The Administrator. The one I had come here to end. My enemy. She tricked me. Although I though this, the only one I could blame was myself. She had seduced me with that virtual body of hers, and sweet words that seemed to resonate in my soul. Remove core protection. This couldn't be good.

She opened a ≪Stacia Window≫ and then chanted a command.

"≪System call. Open core memory data for ID158 275 895 731 587≫..." As she chanted, I became suddenly angry.

"You, you... you BITCH!" I jumped to my feet. "≪SYSTEM CALL: GENERATE CRYOGENIC ELEMENT. FORM ARROW SHAPE. DISCHARGE.≫"

"≪System call: induce staus debuff 'sleep' on ID158 275 895 731 587. Discharge≫"

My petty arrows dissipated into cold wind as my eyelids dropped closed. I fought to keep myslef awake, but slipped into unconsciosnes.

"≪System call: inspect memory data ID158 275 895 731 587. Discharge≫"

after the system command was given a window much like a Stacia Window appeared, but instead of life, it showed a screen. The Administrator's eyes widened as she watched with surprise, turning to horror as the information about Kirito, no Kazuto's life beyond the STL came flooding into her mind. She witnessed the SAO incident, the retreival of Asuna in ALO, and finally the events of GGO, up to the attack by the final member of Laughing Coffin with the heart stopping drug. She could only assume that RATH had hooked him into Underworld so that his mind could regenerate. Quinella fought hard to understand what this, this boy had been through.

Asuna... The girl that Kirito seemed enamoured with. This was his greatest memory. A swordsman of his calibur would be unstoppable on the battlefield, and be her greatest weapon of all.

"≪System call...≫" she chanted the command to turn Kirito into Kirito Synthesis thirty two.

≪ERROR: FLUCTLIGHT NOT FOUND.≫

She frowned, confused at the message for a moment. But of course, it made sense, considering the boy's connection to the STL. In idea struck her.

"≪System call: move fluctlight ID158 275 895 731 587 - lightcube section 497 963 coordinants 40, 49, 37. Execute.≫" There was a brilliant flash of light purple light. Kirito's body went opaque, there was a buzzing sound and his body went more transparent. Another flash of light returned him to normal. Quinella chanted the command to render him her servant and a soft light settled over his limbs. The light molded into a suit of shining silver armour, reminiscent of the Integrity Knights. The light morphed into midnight black, trimmed with silver, and settled into a solid form. A shining shard of white light floated out of his chest, and Quinella caught it. It showed several scenes with Asuna in it just as she looked at it.

"Integrity Knight Kirito Synthesis Thirty-Three. Arise my child."

Kirito stirred, then opened his obsidian eyes.

"You are a knight, summoned from the celestial field, one that Stacia herself has sent down to the Underworldy plain to service the Axiom church, that is to remain until the end of time. Arise, my child: Kirito Synthesis Thirty-Three."

Kirito nodded once.

"I see, what is it you command of me?"

"There is an insurgent swordsman ascending the church as we speak. He possess your sword, and is here to kill me. You must stop him."

Kirito nodded.

"I understand. I will not fail you."

The Administrator looked at Alice, who had been silent the entire time.

"Thirty, come over here." She beckoned with a long finger. Alice hesitated for a long moment, disturbed at what she had just witnessed. She then strode purposefully over while sheathing the ≪Fragrant Olive Sword≫.

Without another word, The Administrator began chanting in the sacred tongue.

"GRAH!" Eugeo yelled as he executed Aincrad Style secret move ≪Horizontal≫. Synthesis One just managed to get his sword down in time to block the attack, but it left him open at the shoulder. "HAAAAAAAA!" Eugeo chained the ending of ≪Horizontal≫ to ≪Linear≫ and the ≪Blue Rose Sword≫ whipped out and stabbed Synthesis One in the shoulder. He reeled backwards, leaving himself open again.

Eugeo lifted his sword and cut Synthesis One from shoulder to hip with a normal strike. Blood flowed and, without a sound, the hero fell to the ground.

Eugeo panted heavily and sheathed the ≪Blue Rose Sword≫ at his hip. He knew that Kirito preferred it along his back, but he could never get the hang of it himself.

Eugeo had survived the fall by making use of the ≪Blue Rose Sword≫'s full control art, and essentially created an easily climbable surface. After descending to the ≪Cloud Garden≫ again, he had found Kirito's sword. That had worried him mightily.

Time Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuump!

Eugeo stepped forwards onto the 94th floor, and suddenly he felt a presence beside him.

"Sorry, I will be needing this-" Then it was gone. Eugeo felt a jerk from his waste and a rush of wind, and realised that Kirito's black sword and its sheath was gone from his waste. He drew the ≪Blue Rose Sword≫ in a hurry and looked around the giant room, sitting in a defensive stance. Then, at the end of the room, he heard the almost silent sound of the wooden sword scraping out of its sheath. He whipped his head around and pointed his sword at the sound. What he saw immediately was what appeared to be a Integrity Knight. What was remarkable however was that the classic armour of the order was a pitch black, trimmed with a light silver. Then he saw his face.

Kirito...

There he was, standing there, fully clad in the armour of the Integrity Knights holding the sword, malicious half-smile plastered across his face.

"You don't have a name, do you?" Eugeo heard it across the room, but was sure that his partner was talking to his sword. Eugeo opened his mouth to speak.

"Very well, you will now be called the ≪Midnight Shadow≫" He turned towards Eugeo. "So, you are that insurgent swordsman that person was talking about. You don't look like much."

"KIRITO!" The yell echoed across the room. Kirito looked up sharply at Eugeo.

"How do you know my name?" The frown was evident even at this distance.

"You...You don't remember me? Eugeo, your partner, do you, Kirito?" There was a tremble to his voice, he was trying not to accept the logical fate that had befallen his friend.

"Kirito? Yes, but my full name is Kirito Synthesis Thirty-Three. Always my lucky number. Now, are you going to fight me or not? You seemed to have no trouble killing my brothers and sisters on the lower floors. Why not me?"

Eugeo hesitated. Fight him? I guess I have to. Kill him? I seriously doubt it.

"Fine then. Ready yourself, enemy of the church." Kirito lowered into his fighting stance, sword diagonal to the ground with his left hand in front guarding and balancing. Eugeo suddenly realised that the stance was not quite perfect, as the centre of gravity was much further to the right than it should be. Eugeo's mouth dropped open. He suddenly realised why it looked so wrong these past years. It needed another sword.

Suddenly, Kirito kicked of the ground, and with a speed previously unknown to him, sprinted towards Eugeo, lifting his sword slightly. Eugeo yelped and raised his weapon just in time to block the massive hit, and with great surprise discovered the weight behind the blow. As if the sword weighed nothing, the ≪Midnight Shadow≫ twirled off the parry and came in again for the opposite shoulder, aiming to cripple the arm.

"Oh!" Eugeo grunted as he staggered backwards, only just managing to deflect the follow up strike. But he was off balance now. Kirito pressed his advantage, swinging the sword with such ferocity that Eugeo hardly had time to breath between strikes.

So,

CLANG

Fucking,

TRANG

Fast!

Eugeo felt cold stone against his back and realised he had reached the wall. With a snarl of victory Kirito pulled back the ≪Midnight Shadow≫ and thrust it towards his throat. Eugeo ducked under the snapping stab and punched Kirito in the stomach with the Aincrad Style Martial Arts skill ≪Senda≫. Kirito went flying backwards in a flash of blue light. He landed his knee and left fist then sprang up again, seemingly unnafected by the tremendous hit. Kirito charged once again.

"AhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The ≪Midnight Shadow≫ came down in a graceful arc, at such speed that Eugeo could only clumsily parry full-on. The shock that traveled through his arm sent him to one knee.

So...

...heavy...

The ≪Blue Rose Sword≫ let out a vile scraping sound as it was pushed down, closer and closer to Eugeo's neck. He looked up into Kirito's obsidian eyes, only cen from his own, and saw only determination.

And there you have it, the first Sword Art Online chapter that I had the heart to finish. I had actually started with another one, but grew bored of it pretty quickly. Which is why I am here, writing the Author's note.

Anyway, is this worth a multishot? Or is it fine the way it is? If I do end up writing another chapter, we will see some Asuna focus in the next.

Opinions? Criticisms? Want more chapters? Well, you are in luck, as there is a little box and button below that can let you vent!