Chapter 2 - Sentence


5/26/380


As I stepped off the elevating disk, I was met with quite a marvelous sight. There were so many knights gathered around a large table – and a few of those faces were a bit too familiar. There were all the knights that Eugeo and I had fought against before we were separated on the 80th floor, along with Alice, Bercouli, and two others I didn't recognize. Everyone's heads turned towards me at once, and I saw Alice's eyes widen. The surprise apparent on her face put a small smile on my own, as I raised my arm to wave at her. Then I realized I was carrying my own right arm in my left hand… I imagined how strange that would look from Alice's perspective and immediately lowered my arm back to its original position.

"Hey, can someone help me with my arm?"

I nonchalantly joked, wanting to lighten up the now stiff mood in the room. Alice stood up from her seat, her chair scraping against the floor, and took a few steps before turning back to Bercouli, who motioned for her to continue. She made her way over to me before stopping about a foot away. I could see a mixture of relief and disbelief etched in her face, probably happy that I was alright but at the same time irate considering my sorry state after fighting Administrator. With a bit of a strained smile, I handed my arm over to her.

"Sorry about leaving you up there in the room all alone."

"That's alright. What matters is that you're fine."

Alice took my arm, placing it at the stump near my shoulder, and began chanting. After a few short sentences of Sacred Tongue, a wave of light washed over the jarring wound, sending a shock of electricity through my body. As if I had suddenly unlocked the use of another limb, I felt sensation flowing through my now reconnected right arm. I tried wiggling my fingers, then turning my wrist, bending my elbow, and finally rotating my shoulder. Everything seemed to be working fine.

By this time Bercouli had also gotten up from his seat and had walked over to where the two of us were. Seeing him standing up for the first time, I finally noticed just how intimidating the man truly was. He was massive, with his broad shoulders now dominating much of my vision. His thick, muscular arms almost resembled the branches of the Gigas Cedar – gnarled, stiff, and powerful. I couldn't believe that Eugeo had fought and defeated a man like this. My partner truly was amazing, being able to pull that off. But just thinking about him caused my chest to tighten up, aching at the memory of the one I had just lost.

"Kirito, it is my pleasure to truly meet you for the first time. I had heard some words from Eugeo, your partner, about the lessons he had learned from you. If he was such a formidable foe, then even I fear thinking about your level of skill. I am incredibly sorry to hear what has happened to him. My deepest condolences."

Bercouli stretched out his hand, and I returned the gesture, grasping his hand and shaking it. His hand was truly a swordsman's hand. His fingers grasped at my hand gently, but I could sense the explosive power they held. The thick calluses at the base of his fingers roughly scratched my palm as our hands moved. I couldn't imagine the countless times he had drawn his sword whether in practice or in battle. This man… he was truly the greatest Integrity Knight. The one who had been alive for 300 years, wagering his life for the sole purpose of protecting the Human Empire. Everyday, he fulfilled his duty, waking up and travelling to the ends of the Empire, destroying any and all dangers. As my eyes met his, I grasped his heavy hand, experiencing the indomitable will of the man who was the Integrity Knight Commander.

"Likewise."

I couldn't believe just how speechless I had become, only managing to squeeze out a singular phrase. Bercouli directed me to take a seat at the table, the table filled with Integrity Knights. Was I even welcome at that table? I was the one who had destroyed the order of their Axiom Church. Were they even aware of what I had actually managed to accomplish? Alice naturally knew, which meant that Bercouli likely knew as well. That, compounded with the fact that I just walked into a meeting of Integrity Knights was probably a good indication that everyone had already been informed of my exploits. I quickly glanced at the other knights sitting at the table, trying to gauge their reactions to my presence. Fanatio didn't seem to be giving me a death stare like she did after I broke her helmet, and I couldn't even see Deusolbert's face. Linel and Fizel didn't even seem to care that I was there, and the Four Whirling Blades seemed to match the atmosphere of their master. Of the two knights who I didn't recognize, one had a perfectly neutral look on her face, and the other looked rather confused.

There was, however, one knight who looked at me with anger in his eyes. Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One. Well, that was to be expected, since Eugeo and I had toyed around with his memories, trying to free him from Administrator's mind control. I tried to sit as far away from him as I could, but even then one swipe of his sword would be enough to send my head rolling. Even as I was taking my seat, I could feel his gaze burning onto every inch of me, making me internally sigh with relief that we were not alone in the room, or else I would most likely have my organs plastered across the walls at this very moment.

As soon as everyone took their seats, Eldrie immediately rose to talk. I could understand his frustrations considering that we were sitting at the same table, but I was still slightly shocked as he immediately decided to take action. Somewhat perturbed, I just leaned back in my seat, with a bemused look on my face, as I waited for the predictable words he was about to throw out to the members present at the table.

"With all due respect, Knight Commander, you cannot simply allow a criminal like him to sit at a table with us Integrity Knights. He is a traitor, a rebel… a scoundrel! He killed the highest minister! There is nothing for us to discuss; we should simply demand that he pay for his sins with his life! There is no other suitable punishment besides that of death. He does not deserve to sit here, he does not deserve to have a voice, and he absolutely does not deserve to live. He must die for what he has done; that is the only solution."

Well, I expected some slanderous words to come out of his mouth, but even I didn't expect a call for death. I suppose that Eldrie really was attached to the highest minister, and the fact that I had killed her had been the final nail in the coffin for him. I hoped that the other more level-headed Integrity Knights wouldn't have the same feelings as Eldrie, but as I looked around, I saw no resistance to his words. I began to panic. My own heartbeats gradually dominated my hearing, and I could feel my chest nearly bursting with its fervor. Would I actually be executed? If that was the case, I couldn't possibly fight against so many Integrity Knights all at once, especially after my very recent near-death experience. No, I had to hope that this possibility wouldn't become a reality. I hoped that at least one Integrity Knight would take my side, but the one who was most likely to do that only stayed silent. Alice didn't even say a single word, as she purposely avoided my gaze. Before I could feel any sense of betrayal, Bercouli finally spoke up, breaking the dead silence.

"Integrity Knight Eldrie, what you have stated is by no means wrong. But we must also consider the fact that Kirito's crimes have brought us salvation. You cannot deny that the passing of the highest minister has prevented the biggest sacrifice in the history of the Human Empire. His crimes have instead brought about a greater possibility of peace. Consider what would have happened had Kirito not committed those crimes. What will happen then, when the Dark Territory invades, and Administrator announces her plan to transform the peoples into Sword Golems? What do we, as Integrity Knights, as the protectors of peace within these lands, do? Assisting her in those plans would be contrary to our duties. Then naturally, wouldn't we band together to fight against her? No matter what, Administrator must be stopped in the name of peace, in the name of justice. However, I do not intend to discount his initial crimes. I will not dismiss his crimes of treason against the Axiom Church. But we must not overlook the good he has done for the Empire. Kirito, please make a stand for yourself. You may speak – of your motivations, reasonings, plans, anything to help us understand your actions."

I was stunned. Not only was Bercouli defending me, but he had given an invitation for me to speak. Naturally, I absolutely could not relinquish such an opportunity. I stood slowly, not sure of what to say. Should I just lay it all bare? Admit the stark reality of this world and its creation? Or perhaps tell it all from the beginning in a way that they would understand? I took a deep breath, and gradually found the right words to say.

"To all the Integrity Knights present, I will explain my crimes from the start. Yes, I will admit that I did kill third-ranked noble Raios Antinous. But there was a reason for that. At the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy, I, along with Eugeo, Raios, and another student named Humbert Zizek, were all elite disciples with our own pages. Eugeo and I received word from our pages that Humbert was ordering his page to perform indecent acts. After we confronted him and his roommate Raios about it, nothing changed, so our pages went to talk to them directly. The two claimed that our pages were being disrespectful, and used their noble privileges to force themselves on the two girls. The crimes Eugeo and I committed were simply to protect the innocence of our pages."

As I continued to speak, my anger reached a boiling point. Every time I thought back to that day, inexplicable feelings of rage would completely torment my entire body. My fingers point accusingly at the knights present in the hall, wondering how they would have reacted if they had been in my shoes.

"Those two guys were just using their so-called noble privilege to abuse others. What should I have done instead? What would you have done instead? I, for one, was always taught to do the right thing. Would allowing two girls to experience that count as doing the right thing?"

Silence covered the hall as I finished my last words, my voice echoing throughout chamber as it rose in anger. I hoped these knights could understand the reasoning behind my actions. Besides, I technically hadn't killed Raios – his Fluctlight broke down on its own, but this was a fact better left unrevealed. Other than that, there was nothing else to say about what brought me here to the Cathedral. But Bercouli also wanted me to talk about my motives for the things I did during my stay at the Cathedral. I didn't know if any of them knew about where the Integrity Knights came from, or the origin of this world. Would it be appropriate for someone like me to overturn their knowledge of themselves? Rather, would they even trust any of my words? But I couldn't explain why Eugeo and I broke out of the cell in the basement without touching on the lost memories of the knights. I ran my hand through my hair, feeling the frustration slowly building up within me. My throat constricted, as I searched the recesses of my brain for the correct words to say.

"The reason Eugeo and I broke out of the prison in the basement… well, we intended to come to the Central Cathedral long before we were arrested. It was Eugeo's idea. See, he intended to come to the Central Cathedral in search of a friend he had lost nearly 8 years ago, when an Integrity Knight had taken this girl away for the crime of trespassing into the Dark Territory. That girl had blond hair and blue eyes, her name was Alice Zuberg."

The knights began to shuffle at this new bit of information. Some of them even looked towards Alice. It seemed like they were catching on… Alice herself shied away from those glances, dropping her head to her lap, shifting away from the curious and confused looks directed at her. Honestly, I felt bad for putting her on the spot like that, but there was no way for me to explain our reasons without bringing Alice into it, since without her, Eugeo would have never had that initial goal of making it to the Central Cathedral, and with that my role in all this would have likely been non-existent.

"Ugh.." Bercouli palmed his face, and then gave me an intense glare. He likely already learned about the knights' origin from Alice and didn't want to reveal it to the others yet. I threw him an apologetic look as I continued with my story.

"As some of you may have guessed, Alice Zuberg is in fact Alice Synthesis Thirty. This was a fact that we were unaware of when we initially planned to come to the Central Cathedral. All we knew was that Alice Zuberg had been taken away to the Cathedral many years before for breaking a law of the Taboo Index. But when the knight designated with arresting us was the person we had been looking for, we realized that she had been changed. She was a completely different person, with no memories or recollections of her past. It became obvious that she had been brainwashed, with her memories stolen from her. We broke out to steal back her memories, hunting for a way to return her to the girl she once was."

I looked to Bercouli for help. I didn't want to be the one to spell out the truth of the knights' own origin, especially not in front of a group of them. Judging from his reaction I was sure he already knew what I was talking about, and even if he didn't, Alice knew the full story already. Bercouli let out a fat sigh, while shooting a glare in my direction, before he started talking.

"I didn't want to discuss this now, but I guess you've forced me to. Yes, what the boy speaks of is the truth. The highest minister also lied about where we came from. Because we weren't summoned down from the heavens, but rather we are just regular humans. As Kirito has said, our memories of our past lives have been stolen from us, so we know nothing of the people we once were. By removing our memories of our pasts, Administrator could create the nonsensical lie about us being summoned, while retaining full control of us, since she could easily manipulate our memories at any time. In fact, each of us has a human past, and I guess Alice's past was with that Eugeo boy."

I could sense the confusion and shock in the room after Bercouli's assertion. The same kind of shock from finding out your parents were dead and that you had been adopted by your aunt. At this moment, I realized that I really could relate with the knights, finding out that something so integral to your very being was in fact a complete lie.

Several minutes of silence passed, with only the sounds of heavy breathing. They were all in shock, now knowing their origin was the same as the ones they themselves protected. The only one who didn't seem to be at a complete loss was Deusolbert, though it was unclear to me what he felt since he still had his helmet on. To be fair, I had already told him this after our fight down on the 3rd floor just outside the armoury. Having that fact now confirmed by his own Knight Commander looked as if it was more of a relief rather than a cause for disturbance.

"If no one has any further questions or concerns, shall we continue with our meeting?" Bercouli finally broke the long, uncomfortable silence. It appeared that none of the knights were in any mood to further discuss that subject, so no one spoke.

"Very well. The boy has spoken. Does any knight have any opinion to offer?"

This was what I dreaded. I counted the knights who might potentially take my side. Of course, there was Alice, seeing as we had already fought side by side. Bercouli didn't look and sound like he held any negative feelings towards me, but his stone face wore upon it a perfectly neutral expression, so I had no idea what he truly felt about me. I glanced at the two other senior knights, Deusolbert and Fanatio. I had spared the former and helped heal the latter, so I certainly hoped that they both saw me as someone whose goal wasn't to pillage and destroy.

"If I may say, after my fight with Eugeo and Kirito, I was quite injured. Out of honour, I had asked them to put an end to my life instead of returning to the highest minister as a disgrace. Instead, Kirito decided to spare me. I do not believe the boy has any ill will towards any of us. In fact, I believe his goals align with ours – he simply wishes to protect that which he holds dear. I am not in favour of taking his life."

Deusolbert's voice, though muffled behind the visor of his crimson red helmet, struck a chord in my heart. I was so glad to have at least one knight standing up for my actions, affirming that I wasn't some invader from the Dark Territory like Adminstrator had claimed.

"I agree with Deusolbert. From what I know, Kirito saved my life. What kind of person saves their enemy's life? I would not believe that someone wishing to cause chaos and destruction would try preventing even a single loss of life. He is certainly no danger to the Human Empire."

First Deusolbert, and now Fanatio. Two of the other senior knights had both taken my side. The other previously hesitant knights now seemed to be in some sort of agreement. Even Eldrie, who had just minutes ago called for my death seemed to be contemplating where he himself stood. But after realizing that Administrator truly was the greatest con artist in the world, and hearing about what I'd done and why I'd done it, he began to calm down. It surely helped that Deusolbert and Fanatio had also taken my side.

"If no one else has an opinion to offer, then we shall vote. All in favour of not executing Kirito?"

Instantly, Bercouli and Alice raised their hands, quickly followed by Fanatio and Deusolbert. The Four Whirling Blades hurriedly followed the lead of their master, and soon the room was filled with raised hands from all except one. Eldrie, of course. He had his hands clasped together against his forehead, staring down into the beautiful chestnut-coloured veneer of the table. But tentatively, slowly – he straightened his right arm, until it was clear that he too, was raising his hand.

I finally exhaled, letting go of the breath I had been holding. At least now I knew that my life was in no immediate danger. I could still fulfill that mission of getting Alice to the World's End Altar. And I wouldn't have to fight my way out of here. Eldrie did stand and speak, however. I guess I wasn't totally out in the clear yet…

"Though it may be inappropriate to execute him, he still is a criminal, and I believe that a criminal deserves discipline in some form. I do not believe he should be allowed to walk away without some penalty on his shoulders."

There it was… Well, regardless of what punishment I may face, it would be infinitely better than being put to death. Even being locked up forever, I would still be in the Underworld, with a chance to make a difference. But if I was dead, I couldn't even guarantee a return back to this world if I was forcefully logged out with my death. Whatever my sentence was, I would have to accept it, but hopefully it wouldn't involve me being trapped behind bars. I turned to look at Bercouli seeing as he was in charge, but all I saw was an impish grin on his face. I shuddered. What did this man have in store for me?

"I believe I have a suitable punishment for Kirito."

Bercouli, after declaring this, turned to face me. At that very moment, he held the grin of someone who had concocted some sort of genius plan. There was certainly no way for me to predict what he would say, and I felt needles of sweat piercing my scalp.

"Kirito, we plan on recruiting volunteers to increase the size of the Imperial Guard. It will be your duty to train them up, to make them into capable fighters. This will be your mission. Every day, from when Solus' rays first enters our eyes, to when it finally becomes dark, you will create soldiers. Teaching them the way of the sword, transforming them into protectors of our Empire. How does that sound? Those in favour of this sentence, raise your hand."

Huh… Did I just hear that right? This was nowhere near what a punishment should be, but rather it was Bercouli giving me a chance to prove that I only wished to protect this world. Even if I wasn't given any discipline at all, I felt like I would have ended up doing something very similar to this. As I continued staring at Bercouli in utter disbelief, I saw a twinkle in his eyes. He… he was just looking out for me. He had no doubts or suspicions towards my motivations and desires, and really didn't want me to be punished. So instead he concocted this task to be my punishment; one I would have taken up regardless. If the knights agreed to this, then this would only really be a punishment in name.

It didn't take long for all the hands in the room to be raised. Even Eldrie seemed satisfied with the conclusion reached here. At last, it seemed that both my life and my future were safe. Now I could concentrate on the three remaining missions I had: protect the Human Empire, get Alice safely out of the Underworld, and log out of here myself. At last, it seemed like I could manage all three. I felt a small smile taking over the corner of my mouth.

"Then, as the Integrity Knight Leader Bercouli Synthesis One, I hereby sentence Kirito for the crimes he has committed. He will be forced to train the soldiers of the Imperial Guard from dawn till dusk, every single day. That is all."


8/28/380


"When you swing your swords, it needs to flow better. You can't just swing once and then become completely rigid. If the enemy dodges that first blow, then you're completely exposed. When you swing, you have to think about the next step, and the one after that. A fight usually won't be decided in one instant."

I walked a couple of paces up towards the training dummy. By now it was nearly unrecognizable, destroyed by the countless sword swings it had endured every single day.

"Often, it's not about the strength of the swing, but the placement of the strike. If you hit the right spots, then you can neutralize the enemy's attack, while setting up your counter. You please, come forward."

I called upon one of the new recruits to help me demonstrate my point. The guy who stepped up was a shy, skinny young man. He couldn't have been much older than me, but every single time I saw him training he looked quite impressive. If I remembered correctly, his name was Noran. He was probably the best prospect of this latest group of volunteers. I continued talking as I positioned his sword and arms in the proper locations.

"Let's say you're faced with an enemy soldier who's slashing down at you like this, from the top left down to the bottom right. This is a rather common swing since it allows the attacker to threaten their opponent's entire body while almost fully protecting their own from any frontal assault. If you try to defend by blocking the point of the sword, that turns into a contest of strength. If you are confident that you can overpower your enemy, then this is not a bad choice. However, keep in mind the enemies you will face are the residents of the Dark Territory: orcs, goblins, giants. They are far stronger than we humans are in terms of brute strength, so we'll have to fight smart. When they swing down, we instead should step forward into a swing, and aim for the bottom of the blade."

I motioned for Noran to demonstrate the swing, and I proceeded to prepare for the block. He really did have all those fundamentals down. His swing was pure and crisp, his footing perfectly aligned. He swung down with vigor, tracing out a beautiful arc in the air. But then came my block. As I stepped into my swing, I aimed my sword to travel slightly upwards, perfectly contacting the base of the blade. Not only did his blade miss my body entirely, but the wooden sword also flew out of Noran's hands. I quickly followed that with a thrust, stopping just short of his sternum. Sounds of surprise came from the other recruits, quickly followed by applause.

"So, what happens when you hit their blade at its base? It becomes nearly impossible for them to hold on tight because of all the vibrations. Even if they manage to hold on to their sword, your strike forces the enemy's blade to completely miss your body. Then, at the end of your swing, you're in perfect position to stab at their undefended midsection. Let's practice this technique now. Pair up, one person as the attacker, and the other the defender, and then switch roles. Try to get a good grasp of aiming your sword point correctly."

I quickly grabbed Noran's sword and returned it to him, thanking him for his participation in my demonstration. I then headed over to a slightly elevated outcropping, so that I could see how everyone else was managing the newly taught technique. There were clearly some standout soldiers in the making, but even the ones who were on the lower end of the skill spectrum weren't bad at all. If they volunteered to be part of the Imperial Guard, then they surely would have at least some confidence in their strength and ability to learn new techniques.

"Three months already, huh?"

A voice from behind me broke through my concentration, which I instantly recognized as Bercouli's. He had probably just returned from touring the land outside the Great Eastern Gate, searching for possible locations that the Human Empire could use to our advantage when defending against the invasion. The man had been quite busy since that first Integrity Knight meeting had ended.

After settling on my punishment, Bercouli decided that the exact assignments of the knights could be decided later, as there needed to be more precise planning behind who would be most effective at certain locations of the battlefield. The higher-ranking knights were most likely going to be stationed to defend the east, while lower ranking knights who lacked explosive power would be tasked with staying at the End Mountains or patrolling the vast Human Empire. In the months following, eventually the lineup for the Great Eastern Gate Self Defence Team, a name which I proudly presented to Bercouli only to be immediately shut down, was set to be Bercouli, Fanatio, Deusolbert, Kaito, Scheta, Petula, Rian, Tian, Warrick, the Four Whirling Blades, Renri, Linel, Fizel, Alice, and Eldrie. The decision to bring Linel and Fizel over to the main battlefield was hotly debated, but the knights soon realized they couldn't leave the patrolling of the Empire in their hands. Besides, they had a serious knack for killing, which would make them useful on the frontlines.

Another important discussion was what information to reveal to the general public. It was unnecessary to tell everyone about the origin of the Integrity Knights, or the plans of Administrator. Those two pieces of information would likely cause mass panic without resulting in any positive effects. Even the death of Administrator was to be kept secret to everyone but the Integrity Knights and myself. The only thing that the public was told was the fact of the impending Dark Territory's invasion, and the call for volunteers to help increase the size and strength of the Imperial Guard.

As for me? I couldn't stay in Centoria for long. Since the workers in the Cathedral were kept unaware of the pontifex's death, they only saw me as an enemy who had no business being within the capital's walls. So, I was carted off to the east as quickly as possible. Bercouli himself decided to oversee the defensive effort at the Great Eastern Gate, and also served as my "guarantor", keeping a watchful eye over me.

Some knights were tasked with recruiting, whether from within the cities or from their guards, and spreading the news of the impending invasion from the Dark Territory. They actually managed to be awfully efficient, keeping me extremely busy every single day. It almost seemed like there was a batch of new faces arriving every week or so, which meant that every few days I would have to teach them basic swordsmanship. Other knights were in charge of checking on the state of the corridors through the End Mountains. We needed to ensure that the Dark Territory wasn't going to attack from any of those places, or else our plans would go up in smoke. They also closed up the passageways, so that any small raiding force would be stopped, protecting the citizens closest to the borders without having to be too active along the frontiers.

Alice was sent off to the edges of the Norlangarth Empire, in the section which also happened to house Rulid. I'm sure she herself insisted on being stationed there, just so that she could go and possibly see the life of the Alice Zuberg who she knew nothing of. But I could tell she was scared, visiting that girl's family as someone completely unknown to them. I promised her that one day, when this whole war was over, I would head over to Rulid with her and help her out with some introductions. I didn't say it out loud, but in my heart, I vowed that on that day, I would also be bringing Eugeo back to his home too.

As I turned around to greet the Knight Commander, I also stopped to think about my world – the Real World. For some reason, Asuna was in the Rath lab, along with Dr. Koujiro, Higa, and of course Kikuoka. From the last time I called, Rath sounded like they were under attack, thought I was unsure as to why that would be the case. Hopefully Asuna was alright, and it really wouldn't do me any good by worrying about her. Getting out of here quickly wasn't going to help either, since I was really just a powerless boy in the Real World. I could only focus on the Underworld, the only place where I could make a difference.

"Feels a lot longer than three months honestly. It definitely doesn't help when you wake up every new day only do the same old things over and over again."

"Hey, to be fair, this is your punishment. It's not supposed to be enjoyable in the slightest."

Bercouli's retort to my joking complaint was a snarky comment of his own. Over the last few months, since his task was to "watch over me", he and I had spent a lot of time together, slowly getting to know each other. Even though we were 300 years apart, the overlap of similar interests we had was still striking, especially our mutual love of the sword. Almost daily we'd have a sparring match, much to the delight of the recruits. This was when I really experienced the monster that was Bercouli. His strikes were precise, and each swing was filled with lifetimes of experience. Though I may have been nimbler, his perfect positioning and almost freakish predictions were the cause of countless consecutive defeats I experienced at his hands. Even with a couple months of practice, my record would only improve to a measly 11 wins and 52 losses. It honestly took me nearly 20 battles before I finally recorded my first win against him. The idea of sparring was initially his, since he wanted to see my raw skill with the sword, without the special abilities of our blades. But over time, I think both of us had so much fun sparring that it just became almost a regular routine which both of us were more than willing to initiate.

"How was your trip? Find any nice spots that we could use?"

"Just the ones we already knew about. The land out there is pretty desolate, so it might be best just to stay stationed within the Gate."

I looked back at the recruits still hard at work practicing their technique. Sure, the Imperial Guard had exploded in size from a mere 2,000 to just over 7,000, but even with these numbers we still might be outnumbered at a daunting ratio of 5 to 1. It would definitely be in our best interest to choose a battlefield which would mask that massive disproportion in size between our army and theirs. If we were to fight on an open field, our army would quickly be surrounded and then promptly hacked down from all sides. It didn't matter how skilled our troops were, that was a case where not even the Integrity Knights could escape from, let alone protect the entire Empire.

"How long do you think we have? I wonder how many more waves of recruits I can train up into soldiers."

"Well, judging by its Life, at most it's two and a half months. At the rate that the Gate's Life is decreasing, that's all the time we've got. If the Dark Territory decides to launch a pre-emptive strike to break down the Gate before it expires, then we've got even less time."

The only thing separating the Human Empire from the invasion of the Dark Territory was the Great Eastern Gate. As with everything in this world, you could check on its condition by opening the Stacia Window. It had a Life value in the millions, but that value had been deteriorating for no reason since a long while ago without any external influences. It was simply a constant, steady drop in Life, and when that value hit zero, the Gate would crumble and disappear, leaving the Human Empire at the mercy of the Dark Territory. This was the main reason why the Integrity Knights had predicted that the brunt of the attack would be from the east. It was the largest of the four corridors through the End Mountains, and considering that it would fall without any work, a pristine opening would present itself, perfect and ripe for the taking. Of course, it was possible for the armies of the Dark Territory to come and destroy the gate before it fell by itself, but that would cause them to sacrifice a significant portion of their army destroying something that would fall without any action in the near future, a costly but pointless use of resources and effort. Of course, it would benefit them to attack earlier since the more time we had, the more well-trained soldiers we could have stationed. But I doubted that this information would be known by those on the other side of the mountains, so it only made sense for them to wait until the gate simply expired.

"How many volunteers do you think we'll get?"

"Who knows… it all depends on the words of the knights tasked with recruiting. We didn't force anyone, and we told them about the cruel and harsh reality of this war to come. So only the bravest and most confident would come to the front. Hopefully we can bolster our numbers to at least 10,000 before it all starts. Honestly, we don't even know how many troops the Dark Territory has, but they might even have over 50,000."

Fifty-thousand was a massive number. Just thinking about all the computer parts I could get for 50,000 yen would be enough to make my mouth salivate. But to think that there were so many soldiers waiting greedily to feast themselves on this fertile land within the End Mountains, filled with nothing but a lust and desire to plunder everything for themselves – that relentlessness frightened me to no end. The Dark Territory was so barren compared to the Human Empire, so any opportunity to gain anything from this bountiful land was like presenting solid blocks of gold to them.

I had asked Bercouli if peace would be possible, and he had said yes. But that was with a massive caveat. He said peace was only possible if the Dark Knights came to rule over the nine other races of the Dark Territory. As for the other ones, their near animalistic instincts running wild throughout their hordes meant they wanted nothing but death and destruction for the humans within the Human Empire who had kept all the riches of the Underworld for themselves. Only the Dark Knights were relatively level-headed, and Bercouli knew this from experience, having fought so many of them in the past. He was especially fond of their current commander, Viksul Ur Shasta, a man of great sword skill, but one who was not filled with a craving for conquest. It seemed that unless the Dark Knight Commander could come to rule the other races, which Bercouli affirmed was highly unlikely, war would be inevitable.

Many minutes passed as Bercouli and I both stared out from the outcropping down onto the field of practicing soldiers. Within the past months, a sophisticated base camp had been set up, with all the facilities anyone could ask for, including a bath, a tavern, and even an open market. Tents stretched out as far as I could see, being the housing for the majority of the volunteer troops. A small number were from the town just west of here, and they opted to travel to and from the camp for training, while keeping close contact with their family. As expected, the command post was the largest and most lavishly decorated of all the tents. It was where the Integrity Knights would meet with the leaders of the Imperial Guard, discussing things like equipment distribution and plans for battle. To the east stood, of course, the Great Eastern Gate. It looked regal and majestic, making it difficult to believe that such a structure was actually on its last legs, about to crumble and make way for a passageway fit for the marching of thousands of soldiers. At about 300 metres tall, the only ones who could see over it were the Integrity Knights riding on their dragons.

A glint of light from someone's armour distracted me from my daydreaming. Looking up at the sun, I realized it was about noontime. I scrambled down to the plain below and quickly called for lunch.

"It's about noon, so let's take our lunch break now. After lunch, we'll have some individual sparring sessions so you can practice some proper sword fighting. I'll see you all in about an hour."

I turned around as the many affirmations buffeted my ears. I walked back up to Bercouli where he was smiling coyly at me.

"Do I have something on my face? Stop looking at me like that. Let's go eat now, alright?"

"Just admiring your work, little boy. Seems like the recruits always do take a general liking for you."

"Quit it with that 'little boy' garbage. And what can I say, I'm just a really likeable guy."

As we joked around, we headed over to the commander's mess hall. Technically I was considered a commander, being the one responsible for training up the recruits from scratch. But overall, the commander's mess wasn't that different than the soldier's. Naturally it had more space, but it wasn't more lavishly furnished or anything. All the tables and chairs were of the same type and quality. Everyday we got served something different, but it was generally great food. As I sat down with my food tray, Bercouli found the seat opposite me. Nearly everyday we'd have lunch together, just enjoying each other's company.

"Hey, so when's Alice back from duty?"

"Oh, the lil' miss? I think she'll be back in a month or so. She always does a thorough job, so I think she'll probably take a lot of time with this assignment. I mean, I'm sure she'll also want to observe Rulid from afar. She might be too scared to actually interact with the villagers themselves, especially her family, but she's without a doubt so very curious about her past."

"What about you, Bercouli? You're also from Rulid. Aren't you interested at all to visit your hometown? After all, you are a hero. I mean, Eugeo even learned about your legend when he was a kid. So if you go back, you might even be worshipped as some kind of god, considering that you're the reason the village exists and you're the Integrity Knight Commander."

Bercouli responded to my question with a small shrug.

"Well, I mean, everyone I knew and everyone who knew me are already long dead. There's really no point of going back. I don't even remember how Rulid was back when I lived there. And I even helped found the village? Didn't even know that, honestly. Hah, for me to go and introduce myself to the village, that would be like the gods of creation coming down from the heavens to greet us. Utterly strange, and not a chance it would ever happen. Besides, I can't abandon my post right now. Maybe after the war is over, I'll go to Rulid."

"When that time comes, let's all visit together, alright? Me, you, Alice. I mean, I'm technically from Rulid too."

I pointed a beaming smile at Bercouli while saying that. Truth be told, I really did want him to go back to the place that he himself founded. In fact, I wanted to help all the Integrity Knights, especially the ones who still had living family, to regain their memories and return to where they came from. Maybe they couldn't reclaim their old life, but it would be fulfilling if they themselves were able to start afresh, allowing them to live out a normal, peaceful life without all the lies they had endured.

"C'mon, don't smile with your mouth full of food. It doesn't make you look cute at all."

"Shut up, you old geezer. Can't you tell I'm trying to build this into a bit of a nostalgic mood?"

Bercouli covered his eyes as I grumbled back at him. Eventually both of us broke down into laughter, amused by the other's antics. It wasn't long before I choked on something and then started coughing, while still laughing. The others in the mess hall looked at us wondering about the cause of our strange cacophony.

"Well, when the lil' miss comes back, why don't we have a nice dinner together. The kids from Rulid."

"You hardly count as a kid. Even if you've been frozen in time, your body is still at least 40. But to be fair, you're still just a kid at heart."

"Of course I am. You only become old when you feel old."

"Oh? You guys also have a saying like that too? Well whatever. Sure, I'll take you up on that dinner offer."

I realized that I'd been talking for way too long, and I needed to get back out there to the training field for the second half of the day. I quickly wolfed down the rest of my lunch, then returned the silverware to the front. As I was leaving, I waved to Bercouli, who was still taking his time with his lunch.

"I'm looking forward to that dinner, it better be good."

As I walked away, I heard Bercouli one last time.

"Kids these days really don't trust their elders, do they?"


10/4/380


As the morning bells rung, I begrudgingly pried my eyes open. Even as I pulled my covers off of me, I could feel the difference in temperature that autumn provided as compared to the summer, the air smelling much drier and crisper. The leaves had begun to change colour already, from the radiant greens, to the varied reds, yellows, oranges, and purples. As I got out of bed, I began the day as I always did. In my tent, there were two sword mounts. One for my Night Sky Sword, and the other for Eugeo's Blue Rose Sword. Technically, now that sword wasn't just Eugeo's but it was Eugeo. Every morning I'd take care of his sword, wiping it clean and making sure it was well maintained. I didn't even care for my own sword like that, but I hardly ever used it since it was all wooden swords during sparring and training.

As I stepped out of my tent, I could feel the cool autumn breeze penetrating my clothes, prompting me to head back inside and get my overcoat. I yawned as I started heading towards breakfast. As I neared the mess hall, a large shadow passed over the camp. That sight sent a jolt through my body, as I reached my right arm behind my back, only to remember that I hadn't equipped my sword since the day I arrived here. But as I squinted my eyes and used my hand to block the sun's piercing rays, the sight that met me was the giant underbelly of a flying dragon, one that even seemed somewhat familiar. The dragon turned in the air, and I caught a glimpse of bright blond hair and shining golden armour. The radiance of the armour was enough to make me avert my eyes as it glinted in the presence of Solus. But I had seen enough to know who was on that dragon.

I smiled to myself. She was back.


A/N

Hi everyone! I'm super thankful for all who are reading this story!

The main reason I didn't write anything after the first two chapters I posted is just because I really didn't know what to expect, considering that this was the first story I've ever written. I had no idea if anyone would be interested in what I was writing (haha), but it was really awesome seeing the views slowly climb up.

I guess I never talked about why I wanted to write this story, but it's really just a genuine rewrite. SAO was the 2nd anime I ever watched, and the first light novel that I started following, even getting to a point where I barely slept for a whole week during my summer vacation in high school just because I was reading it on my phone in the middle of the night. But for me (and likely for many others), Alicization was by far my favourite arc. But I got really let down when I read onto Volume 15, when Kirito literally becomes vegetative and does nothing for a good three volumes. I've always thought about how that story would change if he actually did things when the Dark Territory invades, but every time I'd think about it I'd just get really sad because that's not what actually happened. And recently, I was talking with one of my friends (thanks jhunniethelegend) about how it would be really interesting had this been the case, and how I hoped that someone would write a story like that. Then they were like "why don't you just write it" and I'm like "huh, why don't I just write it" and then I did.

I was initially going to title this story "What if Kirito wasn't a Vegetable" but then I realized that a) that was a really spoiler-y title and b) it sounds like a big meme, so I'm glad my logic won over my heart, because that was so close to being the actual title of my fic.

I know not much has really happened so far, but I'm trying to somewhat mirror the way the actual SAO novels go, where there's a bit of a build-up before the actual war begins. And besides, I felt it was pretty important to set up everything before getting into the thick of it all. So don't worry, there will be a lot more action soon.

Also reviews are appreciated, so feel free to comment on anything!

P.S. Also sorry to all the American readers that are slightly weirded out by my spelling of some words. I'm Canadian, and I'm just way too used to spelling things with extra u's.