Chapter 1 - Council

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Light. That was the first thing she recognized when she opened her eyes. The bright rays of Solus streaking down into the damaged 100th floor of the Central Cathedral.

Alice felt disorientation, confusion; then the pain hit. Her body ached, violent trauma assaulted every inch of her body. Her head throbbed as if she had been slammed through countless stone pillars. It had been silent since a while ago, and it seemed she had passed out at some point.

She reached around, hands patting around her body to check the extent of her injuries, making sure that there was nothing which would severely damage her Life. There were no open wounds draining her Life, so it seemed she didn't have any immediate worries. She then turned her head, eyes scanning what was left of the room.

"Kirito…"

Her eyes met the black-haired youth who had convinced her to go up against the Axiom Church, now lying on the ground motionless. Her eyes widened noticing his sorry state: everything was in tatters, cuts and bruises marked his entire body. To top it all off, she spotted his right arm halfway across the room. Quickly, Alice scrambled to her feet heading over to Kirito.

She wasn't on her feet for long, a torrent of pain bearing down on her body, causing her to let out a cry of anguish amidst the tears welling up in her eyes. It felt like each of her 206 bones were being crushed in succession, as she broke out into a cold sweat and crumpled back onto the floor. Her chest heaved uncontrollably as she tried to catch her breath waiting for the pain to recede.

I have to heal myself first, or else there's no way I can get Kirito any help.

Alice thought of nothing but to heal the boy's grievous injuries, but knew that she was absolutely powerless if her own two feet could not bear her weight. Reluctantly, she chanted Sacred Arts feeding on the sparse Sacred Power which was now just beginning to be replenished sluggishly by Solus. As she cast them on herself, a warm feeling enveloped her very being, mending her fractured bones, reconnecting torn muscle, replenishing her very blood supply.

As soon as she felt she could move without falling, she stopped the casting and quickly rushed over to Kirito's side. The first step still caused her to double over from the immense discomfort, but Alice grit her teeth and kept moving. Her wounds were nothing compared to what that boy had suffered through, so her own well-being could wait until after she made sure Kirito would not die.

Looking down on his form, she shuddered as she noticed the amount of damage he had taken, only serving to hasten her moves as she hurriedly opened up the Stacia Window to check on his Life. After seeing that the number didn't appear to be decreasing, she let out a breath containing all her pent-up tension. She slowed down her tempo and restarted her Sacred Arts chanting.

Wave after wave of healing washed over Kirito's battered body, slowly restoring his Life. His wounds slowly closed, colour gradually returned to his face, and the bruises began to fade from his skin. Through long, gruelling minutes of chanting, Alice managed to heal up most of his injuries.

There was still the issue of his missing right arm… though the concentration of Sacred Power in the room was now scarce after the battle, not quite high enough for her to attempt to reconnect his lost limb. It didn't seem that leaving it missing was any major detriment to his Life, so her work seemed to be done.

He was alive, at least. Cardinal had perished during the fight against Administrator. And Kirito's friend, Eugeo… Alice swallowed at the thought of the other boy. He had died too, hadn't he? Alice realized she only knew about half of what had happened after she had been knocked out trying to protect Kirito, as she tried to recall exactly what had happened yesterday.

After she was hit by Administrator's attack, she had collapsed to the marble floor, just barely aware of the flow of the battle: the struggle to the death between Administrator, the highest minister, and Kirito who wielded two swords. The highest minister's annihilation, incinerated in the flames of prime senator Chudelkin's captivated delusions. The death of Kirito's best friend, Eugeo, whose flesh was split apart alongside his cherished sword. Kirito, who had been caring for Eugeo had vehemently cried out to a mysterious crystal plate that appeared on the north edge of the hall. At the end of the exchange that Alice hardly understood, Kirito's entire body crumpled, and he fell onto the floor – with that, the world sank into silence. Soon after, she drifted off in a state of complete exhaustion, waking up only to the penetrating rays of Solus.

She gazed around at the cracked pillars, the fractured ground, the scorched ceilings and walls. This was a battle, though restrained to a singular room within the center of the Human Empire, which would undoubtedly change its entire history. As she recalled the previous day's events, she herself was shocked at the impact her actions had made on humanity.

But it wasn't all just my actions, now was it, Kirito?

Alice looked at the still unconscious youth who had convinced her to rise up against everything she once trusted. Following the struggle in this room, and the revelations of Administrator's plans, she became even more convinced of the truth behind Kirito's words. The plan to turn half the Human Empire into those disgusting Sword Golems… Certainly, that would be successful in staving off the coming invasion of the Dark Territory, but at what cost? Half of all life in this beautiful land would be lost just so that the other half could live. This… this would be like asking a mother and father to choose between their two children.

But Administrator was now dead; this horrid plan would not come to life. But now, the entire Human Empire was at risk of being annihilated, if this invasion by the Dark Territory could not be prevented. Somehow, without the highest minister, the strongest person in all the Underworld, the Human Empire would have to defend against the unknown. Only some of the most senior Integrity Knights would know even the slightest about the Dark Territory, and even fewer would know how to defend against their impending attackers. Alice silently mused over these facts, weighing them in her mind; though they had now defeated the one who wished to sacrifice half of humanity, they had also destroyed its greatest weapon.

Now it surely fell to the Integrity Knights, tasked with defending the peace within the Human Empire, to turn their eyes beyond the borders. She had to tell Knight Commander Bercouli about all of this, considering his vast knowledge and experience fighting with numerous Dark Knights, and his countless ventures deep into the Dark Territory.

She had to go back down to where Bercouli was… but what about Kirito? Should she leave him here to sleep, allowing him to rest and recuperate after a true fight to the death? That was surely the most logical action. Luckily, as she looked around, she found a scroll and a feather pen on the nightstand next to Administrator's now torn and broken bed. Alice ripped a piece off the scroll to write a note to Kirito, leaving it on the floor next to him when she was finished.

"Kirito, I have healed up your wounds. The Sacred Power restored by Solus' might was not sufficient for invoking the spell which would repair your severed arm. I have already confirmed that the injury was not further reducing your Life, so I left it as is. Until you get to some place possessing more Sacred Power, you will not be in any danger. Nothing much has changed since you fell asleep, I believe, though I myself had also drifted off.

I've gone down to talk to Integrity Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One, since this matter of the fate of the Human Empire, as well as the origins of the Integrity Knights, are two topics which must be relayed to him immediately. I apologize for leaving you like this, but these are urgent matters which I must attend to.

He should still be on the 90th floor, in the Great Bath. Hopefully the petrification art which prime senator Chudelkin had cast on him has now worn off after his death. It is likely that when this information reaches him, he will gather all the Integrity Knights for a council meeting on the 50th floor. When you do awaken, please visit us on one of those two floors.

I must thank you for allowing me to join you in the fight against Administrator. Had you not opened my eyes, I would still be blindly following the highest minister in her devious and misguided plans of salvation for the Human Empire.

See you soon, Alice Synthesis Thirty (Alice Zuberg)"

Alice wasn't sure how to sign her name – as the Integrity Knight who she had become, or the girl she once was. In the end, she wrote both names down to respect the knowledge that Kirito had given to her regarding her past. She left the note next to the still unconscious Kirito, and then headed to elevating disk separating the 99th and the 100th floor.

Perhaps due to the death of its master, the plate didn't respond when Alice activated it, so she unsheathed her sword and slashed through it. Soundlessly, it broke, and the pieces tumbled onto the floor down below. Alice followed the shards down, landing on the floor with a short grimace. Evidently, her wounds were still bothering her, but she ignored her injuries and continued her trek downwards.

Going down the long staircase, she walked past the elders who continued chanting arts, and reached the grand staircase. From there she headed straight towards her master in swordsmanship, Integrity Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One, whom she had left in the large bath. It was as if none of the chaos which had just occurred a few floors above had affected anything about the elders' lives. They continued aimlessly performing their duties… perhaps Administrator had also tinkered with their minds, causing them to be her mindless slaves.

Alice shuddered thinking about all the atrocities which she had been oblivious to until now. The number of lives which were ruined, the number of families torn, everything which had been stolen and pilfered all for Administrator's own selfish desires – Alice was thankful that the highest minister was now deceased. She promised herself to give her all in restoring the lives of these elders, at least allowing them to experience some of the joys of living.

As she arrived at the bath, she noticed some ice remaining, which must have been from Eugeo's Armament Control Art. Bercouli's body remained sprawled out, floating in the mostly thawed bath having been freed from Chudelkin's petrification art. Alice quickly pulled his large frame out of the water, laying him on his back, the still icy water splashing all across the floor. She tried to shake him awake but to no avail, and resorted to slapping his cheeks while calling out "Esteemed Uncle" until the man opened his eyes and let out a great sneeze.

"Oh, is it already morning?" Bercouli asked her. "Hope I didn't miss too much. Anything interesting happen yesterday?"

Bercouli still managed to keep up his joking demeanor despite knowing well that yesterday, the Central Cathedral had been invaded by two former students of the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy. He had even been attacked and defeated by one of them.

Alice ignored his comment, only giving a short sigh as any indication of acknowledging Bercouli's words. Taking a deep breath, Alice began to relay her new knowledge to Bercouli.

"Esteemed Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One, here is my report. The highest minister, Administrator, has been killed. Prime senator Chudelkin has also perished along with her. As such, you are now the highest-ranking person in the entirety of the Human Empire. I have also discovered two other pieces of information. First, it was discovered that the highest minister had in fact planned to turn half the population of the Empire into Sword Golems, ridiculous monsters which would help defend against the Dark Territory's invasion. The other is concerned with the origin of the Integrity Knights. During the battle against Kirito and Eugeo, Administrator herself admitted that all the Integrity Knights are in fact just humans, from whom she had stolen memories. These memories have been stored within the ceiling of her chambers, in the form of crystals. Thus, she was able to create the lie concerning our origin. This concludes my report."

"Hoh, is that so?" Bercouli frowned and paused before continuing. "Good work there, lil' miss."

"I must apologize, Esteemed Uncle, for I had in fact sided with the rebels, Kirito and Eugeo. On the 80th floor, I had met them, and somehow the clash of our weapons in their enhanced mode destroyed a hole in the side of the Cathedral. I was convinced by Kirito of the evildoings of the highest minister, and thus I had stood by their side in that battle. After bearing witness to her own confessions, I absolutely believe I had taken the right course of action. As an Integrity Knight, I trust I have fulfilled my duties of keeping the peace within the Empire. However, I have in fact rebelled against the Axiom Church of my own accord, and will be prepared for any punishment to be meted out against me."

"Hmm… that won't be necessary, lil' miss. I would've done the same thing if I were in your shoes. I've been skeptical of the highest minister for a long while myself, but I couldn't come to the truths. You've done well to uncover the truths of this world. As now the highest rank, I'll promise nothing of harm will come to you."

Bercouli pulled his large frame up, grabbed his towel, then proceeded to tousle Alice's hair with his hand.

"What of Kirito and Eugeo, then? Surely they're the real heroes for liberating us all from such a dictator. That Eugeo kid really was something, his Release Recollection art was crazy. If there was another student just like him, then it's no wonder that Administator was defeated. Honestly, I kinda want to meet these kids and have a chat with them, I'm sure we'd just get along fine. Kirito was the black-haired kid that came with you to check up on me, right?"

As he said this, Bercouli looked around at the bath, noticing the ever-present aftereffects of his battle with Eugeo. He truly was impressed by that boy's skills, considering his excellent use of his environment as well as his quick decision-making ability.

Silence fell for a while as Bercouli noticed that Alice was downcast. She stood motionless with her head turned towards the ground, but even from that angle he could notice that her face was of one bearing grave news.

"Kirito is currently asleep on the 100th floor of the Cathedral. After the fight, he had lost a large portion of his Life after losing his right arm. I have already healed him and allowed him to remain resting up there. He should be recovering soon and will likely come down to meet us at a later time. Eugeo…"

After saying the name of the flaxen-haired youth, Alice paused, took a deep breath, and swallowed audibly. At this, Bercouli understood the fate of the young, promising boy who had provided him such an entertaining battle.

"It's alright, I get it. You don't need to say it. Regardless, we must gather all the knights together to discuss the future of the Empire. For the highest minister to resort to such a tactic regarding the invasion from the Dark Territory, she must have feared it greatly. It would be wise for us to treat it as an invasion on proportions we have never seen before, one that may very well endanger all corners of the Empire. With the highest minister gone, we have an even larger hole to fill. This is a matter of the highest importance."

Bercouli then turned around and smiled at Alice.

"Come, lil' miss. We'll have to ready the war council. Maybe it would be best to hide the truth of our origin for now. I feel like that might crush our morale a little much with all that confusion about this huge lie Administrator fabricated about all of us. We'll find some other time that's better to break it to them. Also, congratulations on breaking the seal. Three-hundred years and I can't do it, I go take a bath and you get it done."

Bercouli pointed at the patch over Alice's right eye with a bright smile. With those words, Bercouli picked up his sword from the ground and walked out of the bath. Alice swiftly followed him, and they headed down towards the 50th floor together. The two knights descended the stairs, with only the sound of Alice's armour and Bercouli's slippers. Neither one had the heart to speak, with one just finding out about their leader's demise, and the other having borne witness to it firsthand. Both remained deep in thought, but their minds wandered worlds apart.

Alice still feared for Kirito's wellbeing. After all, he technically was a criminal. First arrested for the murder of third-class noble Raios Antinous, he then committed the crime of escaping his cell. In order for him and Eugeo to reach her at the Cloudtop Garden on the 80th floor, they must have attacked, wounded and defeated numerous Integrity Knights. That was another crime, adding to his already marred record. With all these felonies well documented, there was valid argument for him to be executed on the spot.

Upon reaching the 80th floor and travelling down the elevating disk, the two knights reached the 50th floor. The sight that welcomed them was not the pristine beauty of the Great Hall, but rather a large battle-worn area. Walls pitted with holes, the floor cracked and torn. It almost seemed as if a giant earthquake had hit the 50th floor only, without affecting the rest of the Central Cathedral. At the room's center, four heavily armed knights were kneeling in a circular formation, blocking sight of what they were surrounding. Immediately, Alice recognized them as the Four Whirling Blades, the direct subordinates of Deputy Knight Commander Fanatio Synthesis Two. When they heard the clinking of armour, they turned towards the source of the noise.

The sight of their commander Bercouli procured sharp breaths from all four kneeling knights. A shuffle of feet could also be heard in another corner of the Hall, belonging to two small children, who though seemingly harmless, were in fact Linel Synthesis Twenty-Eight and Fizel Synthesis Twenty-Nine. Shock passed through Alice's mind as she wondered why six Integrity Knights would all be gathered on the same floor of the Central Cathedral. But the Four Whirling Blades soon moved apart to reveal a seventh knight lying on the ground.

Alice very rarely saw this knight without a helmet, but their appearance was unmistakable. Long, dark, silky hair, paired beautifully with a wonderfully round jawline which pointed towards a pair of soft and petite lips. With the purple armour she donned, the knight was easily recognizable as Fanatio, the master of the Four Whirling Blades. She seemed to be lying unconscious on the floor, but besides the wear on her armour, her pristine condition seemed out of place in a room filled with destruction.

Next to Alice, Bercouli quickly stepped towards the knights still kneeling on the ground, with a face full of concern for them and his deputy.

"Report please. What happened here?"

Bercouli's sonorous voice echoed throughout the chamber, snapping everyone's focus onto him.

"Yes sir. Yesterday, Integrity Knights Linel Synthesis Twenty-Eight and Fizel Synthesis Twenty-Nine carried criminals Kirito and Eugeo up to this floor with those two in a paralyzed state. However, criminal Kirito had managed to free himself unbeknownst to Twenty-Eight and Twenty-Nine, and managed to paralyze them with their own weapons. Afterwards, we, the Four Whirling Blades, fought against him at the command of Fanatio, but with criminal Eugeo also becoming freed from his paralysis, the two managed to use the Release Recollection art to overwhelm all of us, and even Fanatio herself. In that clash, we were all severely injured, and the Deputy Commander was fatally wounded. But the criminal Kirito stabbed some sort of a magical tool into her, and then she disappeared. The two criminals then left and headed further up the Cathedral. We were all too injured from the battle to give chase, but a few hours later, the Deputy Commander suddenly reappeared in the middle of the hall, without any trace of her previous injuries other than her damaged armour. We have already confirmed that her Life has been completely restored, and she is simply in a state of rest. This concludes my report."

The room was silent as Bercouli and Alice tried to absorb the information they'd just been given by Dakira Synthesis Twenty-Two, one of the Four Whirling Blades. Finally, Bercouli spoke up to break the silence.

"Thank you for the report. So you're saying that Fanatio is only alive due to the actions of the criminal Kirito, who transported her away so that she could be healed."

"Yes, that is what we believe to be the case. Had she been left here in this room, there is no doubt that she would have perished without external intervention."

Bercouli wordlessly nodded as he headed in the direction of the elevating disk.

"Alice, gather the Integrity Knights who have been stationed below this floor. You need not tell them anything, but just the order for a council meeting. Dakira, you and the Whirling Blades will set up this room to fit a council of all the Integrity Knights present in Centoria. I will go and awaken all the sleeping knights. Go."

"Yes, as you command."

Two voices sounded in unison receiving their very different commands, as Bercouli's figure began to shrink with the rise of the elevating disk. Alice and Dakira glanced at each other, nodding as they made eye contact, then moving swiftly to complete the tasks given to them by their Knight Commander.

It was a lonesome walk down the stairs of the Cathedral, accompanied only by the sounds of clinking metal and her steps against the floor. After all, Alice had to check every room of every floor to make sure there wasn't any knights present. Though she knew the general positions of the Integrity Knights tasked with protecting the Central Cathedral, everything was thrown into chaos with the passing of yesterday's events.

Twentieth floor… empty. Nineteenth floor… empty. As Alice monotonously checked over 30 floors, it became nothing more than a routine of looking through the floor and finding no sign of anything or anyone. As she neared the eighteenth floor, she heard the slow, laborious clanking of armour. Instinctively she drew her sword, but slowly noticed that the sound of the armour was very familiar to her. Gradually, something bobbed up into her vision, as she arrived at the eighteenth floor. A red helmet, with horns on both sides, followed by a Y-shaped mask. Bright red armour soon followed, as well as a gigantic, crimson red longbow. At this sight, Alice finally relaxed, recognizing the man in the armour.

"Deusolbert Synthesis Seven, it is good to see that you are well. I come in announcement of a decree by Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One. All Integrity Knights are to gather in the Great Hall for a council meeting. Do you happen to know if there are any other Integrity Knights who may be on the lower floors of the Central Cathedral? I had asked Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One to stand guard outside the Cathedral itself on the chance that Kirito and Eugeo would escape their prison."

Deusolbert nodded, his thick helmet bobbing a bit, before responding.

"Yes, in fact, I had rescued Eldrie from their grasps previously. He was being tortured by those two who had manipulated his mental state using some odd memory tricks. After that they disappeared, so I sent him back up to the highest minister so she could help him recuperate. Other than him, I was the only other Integrity Knight tasked with staying down at these lower floors."

Deusolbert looked as if he wanted to say something else, but then held himself back from making another sound, all while looking at Alice skeptically.

"Now then, should we head back up to the Great Hall, unless the Knight Commander has entrusted you with some other task?"

He turned away and briskly headed up the staircase, while Alice stared at the back of his armour, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Did he want to ask me something?" Alice muttered this under her breath, turning and walking in the same direction as Deusolbert, retaining a gap of a few steps between them.

As the two knights returned to the Great Hall, they first noticed the long elliptical table placed at the center of the room. Alice was pleased to note that Fanatio was no longer lying comatose on the ground, but was rather up and about helping ready the room for the large gathering. When she noticed the two knights returning from the lower floors, she gave them a curt nod before motioning for them to help bring out and set up the chairs.

There was one chair at the end of the table, with 9 on either side. This arrangement would allow the Knight Commander to be at the head of the table, with the other 18 Integrity Knights currently within Centoria sitting on either side, in order of their numerical designation. Even only considering these knights, it would already be the largest single gathering of Integrity Knights in the history of the Empire. Even those present who did not yet know of the highest minister's demise could sense the gravity of the situation at hand.

The present knights began to settle in their designated seats, all while remaining completely silent. Only the occasional scraping of metal armour or the squeaking of chairs could be heard in the unbearably strained atmosphere. It was as if each one was afraid to speak up, not knowing the words to say. Eventually, a soft whirring could be heard in the distance, finally breaking the silence. As all the knights turned towards the source of the sound, they noticed the elevating disk carrying only five people: the operator, Bercouli Synthesis One, Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One, and two additional knights.

Instantly the ambience in the room darkened. Knowing that the Knight Commander had tasked himself with awakening the remaining knights, seeing him return with only two others behind him was a great shock to their already reduced morale. The three approaching Integrity Knights, seeing the melancholy atmosphere in the Great Hall, took their seats quickly and silently. After taking a breath to calm himself, Bercouli cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Let us begin in haste, and discuss the recent happenings within the Central Cathedral. First of all, the highest minister, Administrator, has been killed along with prime senator Chudelkin. As such, I, Bercouli Synthesis One, the Knight Commander of the Order of the Integrity Knights, am now the highest-ranking authority within the Empire."

Alice heard sharp breaths from around the room, from everyone excluding herself, who already knew the news. Flashes of uncertainty scattered among the room, but no one dared to make any noise, despite their urges to ask for more details. When the knights refocused their eyes on Bercouli, he continued.

"The highest minister and prime senator were both defeated in battle by the rebels who invaded the Central Cathedral yesterday, Kirito and Eugeo, along with the help of Alice Synthesis Thirty."

Alice instantly felt the piercing glares of anger and betrayal bearing deep within her soul from the other knights present. Sharp whispers filled the hall as the other Integrity Knights shifted in their seats, disbelief tinting the already heavy air. Before she could speak up for herself, Bercouli erased any doubts of her loyalty towards the Empire.

"At ease! Integrity Knight Alice had made this decision for the good of the Empire. It was discovered that Administrator, knowing of the impending invasion by the Dark Territory, had planned to convert half of all human life in the Empire to create monstrous Sword Golems, which would help protect the Empire. Having learned this, Alice decided that it was her duty to protect these people as an Integrity Knight and defy the highest minister. I am certain that if any of us had learned this fact, we would have followed in her footsteps as well. As such, though the two are rebels, Kirito and Eugeo have worked to save the Human Empire from the highest minister's abomination of a plan, with the help of Integrity Knight Alice."

At Bercouli's declaration, the animosity directed towards her began to fade, but Alice still worried about the knights' feelings towards her now knowing her involvement in a revolt against the Axiom Church itself. Instead, the knights sat in a disturbed stillness, now knowing the truth of Administator's plan. But still, some refused to believe the truth of the highest minister's deceptions, speaking up without hesitation.

"But wouldn't that mean the highest minister was lying to us? How could she ever do that? Administator is our Pontifex, the leader of the great Axiom Church… she couldn't possibly be a liar like that! As soon as we were called down from the heavens, we were put under her care. So now what will happen to us when our leader is dead?"

Eldrie stood and raised his voice in utter confusion, his sharp tone slicing through the scattered murmurs within the large hall. Seeing as he was the most junior out of all the knights, Alice could understand his completely disoriented state. There was not enough time for him to become aware of any issues in the Empire, planting that little seed of doubt within his heart. On the other hand, the more senior knights such as Bercouli, Fanatio, and Deusolbert surely had these qualms, and for a long time they had already lost some faith in the highest minister. Alice understood Eldrie's position well, considering her relatively junior status. However, she had been taken under Bercouli's wing, and was able to experience the world from his eyes, eyes which had long since doubted the absolute rule of the Axiom Church.

"Integrity Knight Eldrie, I understand your confusion. However, as difficult as this is to accept, the fact is that Administrator was planning to do something to the Empire which would fundamentally oppose our duties as knights. We were called here, rather, our purpose is to protect the Human Empire. How can we protect an empire if half of these people must be sacrificed? Have we not simply hidden ourselves behind them, utilizing them for our own benefit? We cannot define saving an empire as using half the population as fodder so that the other half will live. What would we do? Rip families apart for the sake of saving their family? Retain the Norlangarth and Eastabarieth Empires while killing all those who live in the Wesdarath and Southacroith Empires? This plan of the highest minister would bring about the most unimaginable disaster and heartbreak to all peoples, while claiming to be saving everyone. There is no clearer evidence that the highest minister was flawed in her plans, and if she were alive, all of us would be forced to stand against her for the sake of the Human Empire's protection. We must understand her sins. Now that she is gone, this tragedy can be avoided."

Bercouli's declaration seemed to slowly work its way into Eldrie's head; as he returned to his seat, his downcast and distraught state was clearly expressed all over his visage. But as he was deep in thought processing Bercouli's words, he voiced another question.

"But Administrator's plan was to use these Sword Golems to defend the Human Empire against the invasion of the Dark Territory. How will we go about this task without her?"

"That is the main purpose of this council meeting. We are to determine the Human Empire's course of action in the face of this crisis of catastrophic proportions. Considering the departure of both highest minister Adminstrator and prime senator Chudelkin, we, the Order of the Integrity Knights, are now the foremost decision makers within the Empire. As such, all of us here are now responsible for the safety and the wellbeing of the Human Empire. Are there any other questions which need to be answered before we begin discussing our future plans?"

Bercouli's intense gaze swept across the room, looking briefly into each individual knight's eyes. Even Alice, who likely knew as much as Bercouli about the situation, was subject to this gaze which was cold enough to freeze fire. She shuddered with chills running down her spine as she stared into the eyes of a man who had lived over 300 years, experiencing more than 15 times her entire life's worth of memories. Even though Bercouli was like an uncle to her, Alice still feared him for his intensity and mystery.

Bercouli's voice dragged Alice's attention back to reality.

"Now then, let us begin. We have just lost the strongest member of the Empire, Administrator. This is a massive void to fill in terms of battle prowess. This is the situation in terms of manpower. As you can see, I have only brought down three other Integrity Knights with me: Scheta Synthesis Twelve, Renri Synthesis Twenty-Seven, and Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One. The remaining six knights are currently in a state of readjustment. This sacred art is only known by Administator and Chudelkin. Seeing as both have perished, it would be suitable to assume that the other knights cannot be retrieved in time for the war against the Dark Territory. So, including the other Knights on patrol throughout the Empire, we remain a force of 25 Integrity Knights. The question now is how we will split off our ranks. This is my proposal."

Bercouli unfurled the scroll sitting to the side of the table, revealing a large map of the Empire. Spreading the sheet flat, he first pointed to right-hand side of the map as he began to relay his plans, hands moving rapidly as he gestured at different strategic locations.

"The Great Eastern Gate is the Dark Territory's likely location of invasion, as it is the only location where they can push through a large army. As such, it would be wise to concentrate our defences around that area, leaving the other entrances to the Human Empire lightly defended in the case of an attack. Let us leave two knights at each entrance in the End Mountains, and one for each quadrant of Centoria. The remaining fifteen knights will travel to set up a defensive at the Great Eastern Gate."

At this, Fanatio raised her hand. When Bercouli nodded to her, she stood and began to argue for a different defensive setup.

"Considering the highest minister's extreme precautions, it would be wisest to assume that the Dark Territory possesses an enormous army. As Integrity Knights, we are certainly much more powerful than the average soldier, but we will be at a disadvantage facing against a nearly infinite number of soldiers. And due to their likely large numbers, it seems plausible that our foes will focus their entire resource on attacking from the east, considering that most of their territory lies in that direction as well. As it may be, we would likely benefit from concentrating even more of our forces at the Eastern Gate. If we spare only one Integrity Knight at each of the other entrances at the End Mountains, while retaining a force of four in Centoria, we can field a unit of 18 Integrity Knights. The Four Empire Imperial Guards can serve as our support, helping carry supplies and acting as a means of communication."

Fanatio finished speaking, bowed her head to Bercouli, and returned to her seat. Though Alice agreed with this new defensive plan, she still felt that the absolute numerical disadvantage was one which was likely insurmountable. It was impossible to fight quantity with simply quality, especially with such a disparity between the two. She raised her hand, waited for Bercouli's signal, then stood. She looked around with some hesitation still lingering in her heart. With her lack of experience, was she speaking out of turn? Was it better to let the other knights who had certainly served for longer to have a turn first? No, Alice knew in her heart that she probably knew the situation better than most of the other knights. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then proceeded to lay out her points.

"I believe it would be unwise to only have Integrity Knights battle. After all, even now we do not know how many soldiers the armies of the Dark Territory have. It would be in our best interest to gather more soldiers forming a larger defensive core. We have already seen just how accomplished Swordcraft Academy students can be. Should we not enlist them to aid us on this battlefield? After all, I am sure they themselves wish to protect the Human Empire with their own hands. Additionally, I think we should mobilize volunteers to join the ranks of the Imperial Guards, allowing them to fight alongside us. Regardless of how skilled we may be, it would still be impossible to fight against endless hordes of the Dark Territory's forces. No matter what, we need numbers to fight numbers. If we can recruit volunteers to bolster the size of the Imperial Guards, with the addition of a secondary force of Swordcraft Academy students, we would stand a much better chance at defending our borders."

Alice bowed, sitting down after voicing her thoughts. Sure, she had presented the notion of inviting the Swordcraft Academy students to aid with the Human Empire's defences, but even she herself was not in full support of this idea. Not all the students were like Kirito and Eugeo, who had enough skill to rival even those of the Integrity Knights. Most were much more ordinary, only with enough skill to be considered better than average. Asking them to fight on the front lines would potentially be a suicide mission, but then again, the volunteers would likely fare no better. The students had experience with the sword, but the adult volunteers would have higher Life and likely greater brute strength. Regardless, it would be improper to force anyone, student of the sword or not, to partake in this operation, but it was also a wager that desperately needed to be made.

Deusolbert was the next to raise his hand, while looking in Alice's direction. She felt her throat constrict as he stood to talk. Would he agree with her sentiment? Or expose her lack of experience with his much wiser words?

"Personally, I disagree with involving the students of the Academies in this situation. Frankly, not many of them are as skilled as the rebels who invaded yesterday. Oftentimes, these are young teenagers who are skilled with the sword, but unfortunately have no real fighting experience. Instead of becoming our assistance, they may in fact become our liabilities."

Alice was somewhat glad that her original suggestion was rejected, remembering the faces of two specific students. Watching them struggle to carry the swords belonging to a certain pair of criminals made her realize that it would be best if they never had to face the grip of death on a battlefield.

"I am, however, in accordance with Integrity Knight Alice's suggestion to enlist the cooperation of volunteers to reinforce the Imperial Guards. As she said, it would not be wise for us 18 knights to be in a battle against tens of thousands of Dark Territory soldiers by ourselves. No matter our superiority of skill, this would evolve into a battle of attrition; one which would surely end with our defeat. Let us instead leave the enlistment of Academy students as a last resort."

Bercouli and the other knights present muttered sounds of approval and nodded in agreement with Deusolbert's declaration. Alice too thought this was likely the best course of action, and was rather glad with his much more practical compromise. After a few beats of silence, Bercouli looked around to see that there were no other knights in disagreement with the proposition.

"Then, this will be the plan. Leaving one Integrity Knight for the End Mountain entrance to the Norlangarth, Wesdarath and Southacroith Empires, as well as one knight per quadrant of Centoria. The remaining 18 Integrity Knights will travel to the Great Eastern Gate. Meanwhile, we will announce the volunteer missive, allowing anyone with any Calling to join the defensive force. We will set up our base camp in the vicinity of the gate, where we will help train those of the Imperial Guard. As for each of our specific responsibilities, we – "

Bercouli was cut off by the unmistakable sound of the elevating disk. The other knights also turned towards the source in curiosity. Upon that floating disk stood a young man in black. In his one arm he held what seemed to be some strange foot-length stump of some sort; at closer inspection, it was clear that it was in fact, a human arm. Two scabbards were strapped to his back in an x-shape, one holding a light blue sword, and the other holding a pitch-black sword.

As the youth slowly approached the round table, Bercouli allowed a wry smile to appear on his face.

"Well, he might change our battle plans a little bit."