Hello there, everyone! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all :D!
Well, with this, it has finally been a bit over a year since I started writing SAO fics. They say time flies when you're having fun, but still, woah. Thanks a lot to you all that have been reading my crazy stories since the beginning, and also to you all that came along the way. You're the best :3
Also, this story has gotten over 35000 views and surpassed the 400 followers! I can't believe it, is certainly something I didn't expect from this little project when I started it while finishing OPG. Again, thank you all for this :)
Now then, without more delay, let's get on with this! I don't know about you and me, but Kirito and company certainly are going to have a very crazy New Year's Eve…
Enjoy!
PS: Chapter currently Un-Betaed, sorry for the trouble ^_^
Disclaimer: SAO and its characters don't belong to me, but to Kawahara Reki. If they did, I would make 'There is But One Ultimate Way' the official canon epilogue of the series so as to everyone could be happy.
Chapter 10: Warrior vs. Soldier
December 29h, 2024. Authea, Requiem Universus Online. Beyond the Sky, 11:00…
Kirigaya Suguha, 'Celestial Swordswoman' Leafa in that moment, found herself wondering if she should be feeling as happy as she was.
After all, her life and that of those around her weren't exactly normal or in the best of times. The threat of murderous aliens that may or may not unleash the metaphorical Apocalypse on their world aside, there was also the matter of she and her adopted brother not being quite human anymore, and how they were hiding it all from their parents (With their father being at home for the first time in forever). Not to mention the other thing they were hiding from them, the not-so-innocent feelings and the subsequent relationship that had bloomed between them among the madness of Cosmic Powers and Alien Gods.
Also, there was how she had become friends with 3 of his brother's SAO friends, all of them girls that were in love with him as well, and that she was pretty sure still were even after the 'debacle' of their situation had stabilized and been explained. Hell, she could even say that she and Asuna were getting along better than she had with any other friend she ever had in her whole life (And she secretly suspected the older girl felt the same way)! What kind of girl did that with the one that was by all accounts her greatest romantic rival and a possible threat to her relationship?! Anyone with common sense or even remotely normal should be a wreck of nervousness, worry, hysteria and maybe even a bit of sadness!
And yet…she didn't feel any of that.
Quite the opposite, as she stared out of the 'window' at the seemingly endless void filled with shining 'dots' with a look of wonder on her face, the young kendoka could only think of how much greater than ever her life was.
She was in love, and her dearest person loved her back. She had amazing friends that were closer to her than she could ever have imagined, Asuna most of them, and she didn't find anything wrong with it. Hell, even Yuuki-chan, Aiko-chan and Sinon-san, despite how little they had known each other, were starting to warm their ways on the heart of their crazy group, and the last one proved that it wasn't anything their 'Anchor Link' was forcing them to do, as a part of her had at one moment feared.
And also…she was probably the closest to her wildest dream in that moment that she had ever thought she would be, as she fantasized about it while flying through ALO's skies what seemed like a lifetime ago, but in truth had been little more than half a year.
After all, while it may not be herself doing it but the craft they were in, reaching out and touching the observation window of the Aurora Prime, Leafa felt as if she was just a step away from truly touching the stars.
"Beautiful…"
"Isn't it?" agreed a familiar voice even as the young kendoka felt someone softly hugging her from behind, Kirito's face pressing against the back of her head.
"Ah…Onii-chan…" whispered the blonde girl while closing her eyes in content for a moment, a notorious blush spreading through her face. "Weren't you trying to learn how to drive the ship…?"
"Yeah, but I decided to let Yuuki and Sinon try it out after getting the basics down, they looked really eager for it, even if the latter hid it well. And given that we didn't go wildly out of control after the first 30 seconds of them in the controls, I decided to come looking for you." explained the gamer while letting go of his adoptive sister and softly squeezing her hand, both teens smiling at each other before once again looking out of the window. "…is everything you dreamed about?"
"No...it's even better. You weren't at my side when I dreamed of flying through the stars for the first time, after all." happily answered Leafa while slightly leaning onto him as her head rested on his shoulder, the boy happily enjoying their closeness. "And it almost feels as if I could just jump out there and start flying among the stars myself…"
"Well, one step at a time, okay? We are barely halfway between Authea and its satellite…which I can't even remember how it was called, to be honest, and that's about how much this 'Beta Area' is right now." pointed out the black-haired boy while smiling at her again. "Maybe, in the future, they will get a full update that allows you to do that with your regalia…"
"That would be awesome…but for now, I think this is more than I could have ever asked for." whispered the blonde girl as she squeezed his hand a little tighter, Kirito easily realizing she meant more than just the breath-taking view of outer space and even, when they did an unexpected turn, of the whole planet of Authea seen from out there. "…I love you, Onii-chan."
"…I love you too, Sugu." replied the gamer as their gazes turned to meet, feeling his heart incredibly lighter at the easiness in which he could now say it.
Slowly, both of them drew closer, their eyes closing as the distance separating their lips became…
"Hey, Kirito-kun, Leafa-chan, are you he…?" stopping in place upon entering the observation area, Asuna found her cheeks flushing a scarlet red as she saw both siblings frozen on the spot, their lips inches apart and their eyes shooting at her as she looked away. "Ah…"
"A-Asuna?!" shouted Kirito while taking a step away from the young kendoka, his own face gaining an unhealthy crimson color.
"So-sorry, I-I didn't mean to interrupt you! Just, uhm, w-we got a message from Yui-san saying we should start heading back, that they got enough data to start polishing the Bugs and such and…uhm…"
"I-it's okay, Asu-chan, thanks for telling us!" cheerfully replied the blonde girl with just a small stutter, seemingly unaffected by the interruption. "…woah, we have already been over an hour up here? Time surely flies when you're having fun…le-let's head back to bridge, okay?"
"Oh, ye-yes, let's do that…" quickly nodded the rapier-user while spinning around and walking away with quick steps, definitively not trying to run away from the scene.
"Wait for me!" happily called out Leafa…before turning around and quickly giving the still shocked gamer a quick peck on the lips, winking at him as she rushed after her friend. "Let's go Onii-chan; last one has to help mom with dinner tonight!"
The black-haired boy still needed 5 seconds before fully processing what just had happened, his gaze still fixed upon the door through which both girls had disappeared while his hand slowly went up to his lips.
"…okay…I'm definitively not imagining how WEIRD that is…" muttered Kirito as he started to walk towards the bridge too, his mind spinning with the thoughts that had been 'bothering' him lately.
Sugu and Asuna had become friends. Really good friends. That was supposed to be a good thing, right?
Of course, what truly bugged him in an almost scary way in which both the girls closest to him had bonded, especially because it had seemingly begun after they almost killed each other over him.
If anyone were to observe how the young kendoka and the former sub-commander acted with each other, they would probably think the girls were lifelong friends that had befriended for years through many and very close interactions. Instead of two people that had known each other for less than a month and that had almost murdered each other with swords summoned through cosmic powers, and that were in love with the same boy (Had been, in Asuna's case? God, he hoped that was the case or…).
Honestly, most people would think the gamer was being paranoid and that he should be happy about such a positive, if strange, development, but, at this point in his life and after everything he had gone through, could anyone blame Kirigaya Kazuto for being like that? As far as he knew, this was an indirect and unexpected reaction of the Anchor Link being applied on humans, or maybe something that had happened because of the girls' fight, or…
Kirito's overly paranoid thoughts were harshly interrupted when he felt the entire spaceship suddenly take a sharp and unexpected turn sideways, making him squeak as he lost his footing and slammed against the wall, even as the ship kept inclining towards an unnatural angle.
Using his honed reflexes and skill to stabilize himself, the gamer was able to stand halfway between the ground and the wall of the hallway before rushing towards the door leading to the control bridge in time to witness a bizarre scene.
Basically, every one of his friends (Maybe just acquaintance in Sinon's case?) trying to hold to something for dear life and failed as they were sent flying around because of the spaceship's crazy movements, most of them screaming even as a teary-eyed Yuuki held the controls for dear life and moved them crazily from side to side.
"ImsorryImsorryImsorry…!" endlessly repeated the Multi-Sword Wielder as she kept making the Aurora go out of control, like e never-ending chant of guilt.
"Okay, Yuu, we get that you're sorry, but please let go of the controls!" pleaded Ran while trying to hold to one of the bridge's secondary seats for dear life.
"No! If she does that we're going to lose all control and burn or crash on atmospheric reentry!" shouted Sinon while trying to keep herself stable by 'stabbing' Hecate's rifle mode through one of the decorative handle-like parts in the back of the bridge. "Yuuki, stabilize it!"
"I-I don't know hooow!"
"Isn't that exactly why we are like thiiiiis?!" screamed Silica as she finally was unable to maintain her grip and went flying out of control, the ship now almost literally spiraling downwards as Pina cried out for her…and a pair of strong arms closed around her, making her eyes widen. "Ki-Kirito-san?!"
"Got you!" simply answered Kirito as he held the young girl bridal style and crash-landed against one of the now almost-vertical seats, ignoring her blushing face (And any implications behind it) in favor of looking towards the panicking girl on the pilot seat. "Yuuki, pull the third lever to your left all the way down; then drag the controls back as hard as you can!"
"Ro-roger that!" desperately shouted the youngest of the Konno twins while doing as he said no, not even questioning his order for an instant even as she pulled the lever and then used all her virtual strength to grip the controls and try to drag them towards her body.
For a fleeting second, even as Leafa and Asuna saw with wide eyes how the exterior of the ship seen through the windows became tinted by fire, it seemed that they were going to have to apologize to Yhmos' daughters about destroying their new ship on its inaugural trip…when the crazy spiraling stopped as the Aurora spun over itself and pulled upwards, everyone hitting the metallic ground awkwardly as Yuuki gasped and stopped pulling at the controls like crazy, the vessel stabilizing itself just at the atmosphere's edge.
"…okay…we really didn't need that…as part of our first space exploration experience…I think I'm regretting not doing like Liz and staying down until 'We had confirmation everything works perfectly'." groaned Asuna as she shakily stood up, before blinking and deadpanning towards the two people closest to her, who were still on the ground. "…really, Kirito-kun? Can't you learn to land in a less awkward way?"
The girl's words came to be because, somehow, the gamer in black had managed to fully take the fall for Silica to ensure she wouldn't suffer any harm as if by instinct (Despite there had been no real danger or possibility to feel pain for her in this virtual world). In doing so, though, he had somehow managed to let the young girl with her face inches from his, their bodies pressed together as he held her close.
"Eh?" commented the boy while opening his eyes, looking with relief at Silica's frozen and crimson face. "Oh, you're okay, Silica. That's great." softly letting go of the paralyzed girl and standing up, looking as the gasping Yuuki finally let go of the controls. "Good job, Yuuki. You did it."
"I…I did…heheheh, tha-thanks for the advice…" muttered the young girl while raising a hand his way in greeting, before promptly catapult herself towards her sister and gripping her legs as if she was a deadline, almost making her fall down again. "Please, Aiko-nee, never let me near the controls of a vehicle again!"
"The-there, Yuu, don't worry…I wasn't planning on doing so even if you didn't ask." awkwardly smiled Ran with all the sincerity only a sister could put in such words.
Yuuki smiled as Asuna deadpanned their way while helping Silica stand up, Pina flying back to his master's head and confusedly trying to make her react.
"…wonder why Kirito-kun only attracts people that are so…?"
'Non-normal?' politely asked Hecate while her partner finally recovered her from where she lay across the room, sending the virtual weapon an annoyed look at her words. 'What? It's just the truth, Shino! Besides, even you and I totally fall under that cate…'
"Is everyone okay?!" suddenly asked Yui's concerned voice as the bridge's secondary screens came to life, the AI's face image soon replacing whatever every single monitor was showing, and unknowingly saving the weapon-possessing alien suit from a harsh tongue-lashing. "We just got a ton of warnings in our screens and then we detected the Aurora going all out of control!"
"You could say we just had some…driving problems." muttered Leafa while awkwardly scratching her head, even as everyone sweatdropped (Sans Yuuki, who was still firmly fixed on her sister's leg).
"Understatement of the century, but true nonetheless." sighed Sinon while looking back towards the bridge's main screen. "Also, I think you should tone down a bit on the realism of this future Update, and also tweak some things about your spaceships…"
"An Auto-Pilot would be good, together with an on-board guide to learn how to pilot it." recommended Asuna with surprising professionality (Despite the way in which she was shaking her head with an exasperated expression), remembering those present what her 'part-time work' had been lately. "And the internal gravity-control could use a boost in extreme situations."
"And don't recommend anyone wanting to pilot anything in real life to try and use any vehicle here as real practice." pleaded Ran while finally helping her twin stand again, after reassuring her endlessly she wouldn't be put on the driver seat again. "As in, actually put a warning for them not to do so in the game or something."
"Yeah, we would have all experienced a burning death and lost the ship if it wasn't for Onii-chan's quick-thinking!" happily commented Leafa while pointing to the boy, but blinking at hearing no answer and turning to look at him. "Onii-chan…?"
"…you know, Ran? That's really discouraging to hear for someone who actually wants to get a bike license soon…" glumly muttered Kirito while looking down, making everyone look at him with confused stares.
"But…you can fly…"
"And teleport."
"And bend space between to places to…"
"Yeah, I get it, but I can't do those things out in the open, okay?!" shouted the gamer with an embarrassed face, the girls actually having to hold back laughter at the unusual sight of the gamer's red face. "Plus, Yhmos theorized they may have found a way to track my powers' energy signal, and as I don't know how to control them well enough to protect me against that…"
"Yes, Onii-chan, we get it, no need to be so flustered over a joke." Comforted him Leafa while putting a hand on his shoulder. "Right, Silica?"
"…eh?" answered the aforementioned girl while blinking, finally aware of Pina biting one of her pigtails and hitting the other with his tail, having been trying to 'bring her back' from her shocked state from before for a while now. "Ky-kyaaa! What are you doing, Pina?!"
"Kyuru!"
"Wha-what do you mean my brain wasn't working?!"
"…how is it that I feel safer and more at home than ever before in my life around these lunatics?" philosophically wondered Sinon as she saw everyone chuckling at Leafa's embarrassed declaration, she herself cracking a small smile at this.
'Well, partner, either you aren't as -normal- as you used to think…or you're just realizing what having friends truly means!' quickly finished Hecate through their mental link at feeling the sniper's eyebrow twitching in annoyance. 'And…I got to say that it's a very nice feeling…'
"…yes, it certainly is." whispered the blue-haired girl with a small smile, before turning her attention back to Yui when she saw Kirito doing so.
"I think that's more than enough for a test run, don't you agree?" questioned the gamer while giving a quick glance around the bridge, receiving several nods in return and smiling as he looked back to the MHCP-001. "We're coming back down now…but we may take it for another round soon when Liz is available, if you don't mind."
"…heh, no, of course we won't, we already told you that ship is yours now." smiled back Yui as she waved it off. "Also, I think I can see now why Liz-san was so confident when she made that bet about you…"
"Wait, bet?" asked a confused Asuna while everyone exchanged confused looks. "What bet?"
"Oh, Haru said that she was sure you were all going to screw up and make the ship explode or something, then Liz-san got this challenging look on her face and said 'Wanna bet about that?'. So Haru accepted…and lost." Kindly explained Yui while looking to the side for a moment, as if she was looking at a sudden pop-up, and raising an eyebrow at doing so. "…in fact, I was really weirded out when she didn't go with you all up there. I know she wasn't as eager as Leafa-san or Kirito yesterday, but it was still surprising…"
"Yeah, now that you said it, the way in which she said that about wanting to take the chance to learn a bit more on how to build her own Exangel from Ivy-san was a bit strange…and she was acting strange since we Logged In too…" muttered Silica while putting a hand under her chin.
"Now that Silica-chan mentions it, since this morning, Liz did seem a bit…overexcited, I guess…?" added Asuna while looking to the side.
"Well, she DID spend most of the time with Ivy, asking more about the Exangel-Construction protocols and about her Metatron, but I could almost swear she seemed distracted by something…and you may be about to find out what." as she said the last words, the virtual girl pushed an invisible button and turned one of her personal windows visible before flipping it open towards the screen. "She just Logged Out and told me to tell you all this."
'Yui-chan, sorry but I have something really important to prepare, so I'm going. Please, tell everyone that can to meet me in the Dicey Café in one hour. Love, Liz'
'PS: Give Kirito (Because I'm sure HE was the one who stopped the ship from exploding somehow) a 'thank you' kiss for me, okay? Thanks to him I won an entire supply of High-Grade parts from your overly aggressive little sister!'
"…I think we didn't really need to read that last part." muttered a once again red-faced Kirito while facepalming, even as Asuna shook her head while muttering about her friend's antics and Leafa sighed. "…but well, this has certainly picked my curiosity. It's not often Liz has any 'surprise' prepared…shall we go see what that's about?"
"Uhm, sorry, but I can't go." apologized Sinon from her place on the controls (As, apparently, she had taken the wheel at some point to start moving the ship back to its temporary hanger in Astemeri Palace) while looking at them with a slightly…resigned (?) look. "I and the girls are going…shopping."
"We're going to get some much needed Christmas decorations for the apartment!" cheerfully exclaimed Yuuki with a raised hand, actually making everyone smile at how quick the girl's mood could be lifted. "I mean, the actual party is already over, but there is still New Year's Eve to come, and we want the first one we spent out of the hospital in so long to be as special as we can!"
"Plus, Sinon needs to get some cuter clothes." kindly smiled Ran in a very 'matter-of-fact' way, making the aforementioned girl stiffen on her seat. "Last time, when we went to get our own new wardrobes, she managed to get out of it with excuses, but we're not accepting a 'No' for an answer this time, heheh…"
"I-I already told you I don't need any of that!" shouted Sinon without turning to look at them, probably so as the rest couldn't see her burning face. "My clothes are perfectly fine!"
'To be honest, partner, even I that am basically a being whose function has been to be all-black and plain metallic -clothes- my whole existence, think that your tastes in dressing habits are a bit plain for a girl your ag…'
"I DIDN'T ASK YOU, HECATE!"
Suppressing a small chuckle as the small 'discussion' between the twins, the alien suit and the sniper continued, Kirito turned around and looked towards the other girls that didn't live with him.
"What about you two? Are you coming?"
"I-I would love to, Kirito-san, but I can't…" sadly muttered Silica while caressing Pina's head. "I promised my dad I would help out with some of the preparatives for New Year's dinner…"
"Oh, yeah…better if you keep your promise, then, I'm sure Liz will understand." assured the gamer while putting a hand on the girl's head, making her beam happily at him even as he sweatdropped at remembering her overly-protective father, forcing himself not to gulp at imagining how the man would react if he saw him with his daughter right then or if he knew she l…aaand he quickly suppressed that train of thought again as he let go of Silica with a nervous smile, turning to look at his closest friend and fellow former Front Liner. "And you, Asuna?"
"…believe me, Kirito-kun, if it was for me I wouldn't miss an invitation from Liz for anything, but…ugh, I need to prepare for a fancy party me and my family are going to tonight." sighed the chestnut-haired girl as she shook her head, clearly showing her feelings on the matter. "Why can't we have a 'normal' New Year's Eve for once? I hadn't realized how superficial and boring these parties were until after SAO…"
"We-well, at least you're not spending New Year fighting for your life, so that's a plus, right?" nervously asked Leafa, eliciting, to her surprise, some strange reminiscent looks on her and her adopted brother. "Di-did I say something wrong?"
Last New Year's Eve in Aincrad…hadn't exactly been the best time for anyone. Between the messes that were the 5th Floor Boss and the 'birth' of Laughing Coffin…
"N-no, Sugu, it's nothing." answered back the black-haired boy while suppressing a shiver at remembering his first meeting with a sinister hooded man that always said 'It's Showtime'.
"Ye-yeah, now that you say it, I think there could be worse ways to welcome a new year…" finally answered Asuna while shaking her head, before throwing a look a longing at their siblings. "Doesn't mean I wouldn't wish to celebrate it with any of you instead…"
That made both Kirigaya siblings subconsciously smile softly while also exchanged a slightly awkward glance.
Certainly, none of them (Not even Kirito, who had known her for almost two years), could really imagine what Asuna's 'fancy' definition exactly meant, as they only knew the girl by herself and their interactions on virtual reality, as the happy if frustrated girl or as the strong yet sometimes sweet former sub-commander. The idea of her actually being a 'rich girl' never fully registered on their minds, as the girl never really acted in the way both of them associated with such a concept. The fact that she mentioned she would very much prefer to spend New Year with them (Who only had planned a simple but special dinner with their parents, given that their dad was going back overseas in two days) than in an 'elegant party' with her family was both heartwarming and confusing. It made them wonder if the rapier-user perhaps wasn't really in the best terms with her family, or maybe just a specific member of it.
In that moment, in the middle of looking over some of the latest and, to her annoyance, qualified as outstanding by the people of RECT, reports of her daughter's part-time 'work', Yuuki Kyouko froze and sneezed loudly, sending the PDA she was using to the ground and breaking its screen.
The woman's cry of frustration echoed through the entire Yuuki manor.
Back in Authea, though, Sinon finally landed the Aurora on its hanger and, after saying goodbye to everyone (And even sending a half-hearted wave towards Kirito, which he considered a lot given their previous interactions), Logged Out together with the Konno twins, they eager to decorate and get her something 'cute' while their flatmate kept trying to think of a way to get out of that. After that and saying goodbye to Yui and Strea (Who promised they would review and fix all the Suggestions and Bugs they have made/encountered through the Aurora's Beta flight), Asuna and Leafa briefly joining forces with the oldest AI to stop her younger sister from giving a 'Goodbye Tackle-Hug' to a sweatdropping Kirito while Silica awkwardly stood beside him 'just in case', the teens said their goodbyes and Logged Out as a whole, promising they would come back tomorrow evening if nothing else came up
Standing from where he had been lying on his bed, Kirigaya Kazuto sighed softly as he took off his Nerve Gear, staring at the ceiling for a moment before smiling and standing up, heading to his closet for clothes to go out while already hearing Sugu changing in the next room (And suppressing any too 'dangerous' train of thought that those mental images could lead, as their parents were home).
They had to head out and see what 'surprise' thing Liz wanted to show them, after all…
Lieutenant Rarun-Konik oversaw with a serious look on his helmet-covered face as several technicians finished preparing the Aura Scouts with the necessary adjustments for the upcoming 'Operation: Power Off', even as ten platoons of infantry soldiers looked over every single of their weapons and equipment just behind him, making sure everything was in order. The tension in the base camp of the 'Star Hunters' had never been higher.
Of course, given that they were risking the highest stakes since they arrived at that planet in their success, this was only natural.
Even in their best 'predicted' (Between magicians' spells and technicians' simulations working together) scenario, they would probably end up losing most of their Aura Scouts even if they succeeded, which more than likely would lead to a confrontation against the ignorant humans, but that wouldn't really worry the officer if it came to happen, as they would have achieved their objective and rid this Multiverse from the unspeakable threat that was the Tyrant. At best, they would go down in a blaze of glory before blowing themselves and all of their tech up, to make sure none of the Earthlings got it, as they would more than likely use it for even father destruction and conflict.
…there was also the worst-case scenario, though. That in which they failed, all the soldiers actively participating on the Mission dead and the Tyrant managed to recover enough power to just wipe out all their survivors before they could even mount any counterattack, before proceeding to take over Earth and, from there, this whole primitive Universe.
They couldn't allow that to happen, no matter what…even if it cost this whole planet.
If worst came to worst, he would have to convince Elysium of using the…
"Everything in order, lieutenant?" called out a voice near the 4-armed alien, making him turn around to see the figure of Elysium Syrom Revenant walking towards him, a mix of seriousness and tense anticipation visible in her gaze, despite the helmet that was in the way. "Are all preparations done yet?"
"They will be in a little less than 10 Mini-Cycles, captain." informed the lieutenant while making a small military salute upon seeing her, before looking silently at her as she stopped beside him. "…also…permission to speak freely for a moment, Captain Revenant?"
"Permission, granted, lieutenant." answered the pink-haired girl while looking at the technicians working.
"…Ely…Hear me out, if something goes wrong tonight…"
"Nothing will go wrong, uncle Rarun." swiftly cut him off Elysium while staring directly at his eye, somehow seeming much more determined and threatening than him despite their clear height difference. "It CAN'T go wrong. One way or another, we're ending this tonight."
"…and that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." sighed Rarun while suddenly feeling very old, as if the weight of every Mega-Cycle he had lived was suddenly catching up to him as he stared at the daughter of a man he had considered a brother, that had called him 'uncle' since she was a little girl, now his superior officer and trapped in a situation from where none of them would get out alive, no matter what. "Elysium, if the plan fails…you will have to use the Core."
As if by instinct, the young woman's right hand shot towards her neck, stopping just short of touching her armor when she remembered at the last second that she was wearing her battle-claws, only for her eyes to narrow as she felt the warm weight of the small 'necklace', the jewel that hung from it bringing forth memories she hadn't recalled in a long time.
"…I won't." she softly whispered, making her fellow alien clench his teeth.
"Dammit, Elysium, this is no time to be sentimental! I know it's the last memento you have from your mother in this Fate-forsaken Universe, but that's not…!"
"That has NOTHING to do with this, lieutenant Konik." coldly interrupted him the captain, her diamond-shaped pupils suddenly reminding him of her father. "When my mother sent this to me, she did it as a sign of trust, as a sign that she finally accepted the path I had chosen to follow in my life, even if that had me away from her for probably the rest of my life…and because she trusted me to never use it. We're in a desperate situation, yes, but I'm NOT releasing a Galactic Spirit in an innocent planet, in a primitive universe, unless I see with my own eyes the Tyrant having reached Planetary-Level in power at least!"
"But Ely…!" stopping mid-sentence, the 4-armed alien forced himself to remember their station again and adopted a more respectful even if urgent tone. "Captain Revenant, reconsider! If we were to fail tonight…"
"Then there would still be hope for those that stay behind here to do something! Maybe we would leave the Tyrant's vessel damaged enough to delay him for them to use the another weapon or strategy to finish him off! We DON'T know for sure, lieutenant…" as she said that, Elysium turned away, her eyes settling over the horizon and looking at a small group of birds flying over the forest's trees as she slowly used her right hand to point in her neck's direction. "But what I know for sure if that if I unleash this thing I'm dooming this entire Star System. Even if only this planet has life in it, as the humans apparently 'know', that's still almost 8 billion lives, not counting non-intelligent animals or similar lifeforms. And you're telling me I should just doom them all without exhausting every other option…?"
Lieutenant Rarun-Konik remained silent as he realized the girl's inner turmoil, wondering how long since they arrived there had she felt like that.
"Elysium…"
"I have seen my planet give planets for lost before, being forced to bombard them from space. You and I have participated in battles whose objectives sometimes involved the destruction of entire nations beside him, just so we could gain an edge in the war against the Tyrant's forces…but that was all for the sake of our Universe. That was all with world's that knew what was at stake, or whose inhabitants could no longer be saved." looking back at him, Rarun felt for the first time in a long time that he wasn't staring at the soldier that had gone through a metaphorical hell willingly just to stand beside her father, but at the laughing little girl that liked to run through the gardens of her mother's palace. "Our Universe is safe now. This 'mission' was something my father and us all took for ourselves, without the Alliances' consent. We could have been in our homes celebrating victory with our families by now, but we decided not to because we wanted to make sure everything was truly over. Even if the Tyrant truly can recover his full power and go back to our Universe, it will take thousands of Deca-Cycles before he can. All those we know and countless generations more will have lived and died by them."
"…and you're saying you want to risk the future of those just because of these Earthlings?" softly asked the 4-armed alien with an emotionless and judging tone.
"It's not about the humans in themselves. It's about denying innocents, even children, of an entire species a future without even trying first. I'm not forfeiting this 'Earth' until there is truly no other option left…even if that costs me my life." eyes closing, Elysium recalled the image of her parents once again, idly aware of how Konik released a deep sigh. "…feel free to recover it from my corpse and use it yourself if that happens, though. I just hope you take what I have told you into consideration before doing so."
"…I still think it should be me out there tonight instead of you."
"Heh…you know very well I'm the only one who has a 'chance' of pulling this off, uncle. Plus, I need you to stay behind and take charge in case the worst does happen. Someone needs to keep Moria in check." sharing a chuckle at the last declaration, the two officers exchanged one last look. "…I'm retiring to my room to rest. Call me when the preparations are ready, lieutenant."
"…as you order, captain." answered the lieutenant with no more hesitation.
As they walked away, none of them noticed (Or, most likely, didn't really consider as important) the form of the silent man idly leaning against one of the buildings halfway across the camp, out of earshot and not really looking in their direction.
Turning off the alien communicator, which he had been able to tweak enough to use as an amplificatory for distant 'sounds', Kayaba Akihiko grimaced before standing up.
Too many variables, too many things that could go horribly wrong despite what anyone wished…and no time at all to properly act.
Certainly, trying to save lives was much harder than imprisoning them inside a Death Game…
It was a little over midday when Kazuto and Suguha arrived at the Dicey Café, greeting Andrew as they entered before looking around and spotting Rika's impatient form sitting in one of the farthest tables, fidgeting with something in her hands as she constantly looked out of the window.
Exchanging a confusing look, the Kirigaya siblings shrugged and headed towards the brown-haired girls, her face shooting towards them and a bright smile appearing on it as soon as she saw them.
"Hey, Liz!" greeted the black-haired boy with a small smile. "What did you want to…?"
He was unable to finish talking as the eager blacksmith suddenly put a black material that he recognized as a fist-sized piece of coal in front of his face, one that, judging by her dirty hands, she had been holding tightly for quite some time.
"Kirito, quick, use your powers to turn this into a diamond!" demanded Rika with unusual seriousness…and eagerness.
"…eh?" was what came out of the blinking gamer's voice.
"She says she want you to go full alchemist on that piece of coal, boss!" 'helpfully' clarified Elucidator, his transformed form's 'head' peeking out from Kazuto's pocket.
"Wha…?! Luci-san, you're here?!" half-shouted the surprised Suguha, before shaking her head as the confused teen grabbed the coal and the phone-bot jumped to the table, the girl quickly looking straight at the excited Rika. "No, forget that! Li…uhm, Rika-san! What are thinking?!"
"Uhm? Oh, well, you see, diamonds are basically just ultra-high pressure allotrope of carbon, something which coal is mostly made of, and while the old claim of 'diamonds are just high-pressure coal' is complete bullshit, I thought Kirito's powers should be enough to bypass the…"
"Tha-that's not what I was talking about!" harshly interrupted the young kendoka, though she shushed her voice as best as she could so as not to alert Andrew over at the bar. "Why do you want Onii-chan to give you a diamond?! I know he has the powers, but don't you think that's taking advantage of him?!"
"Gasp, how could you, Lisbeth?!" added a 'scandalized' Elucidator…while filming the whole thing. "And with how much the Boss trusts you!"
"What?" blinked the seemingly surprised girl, before her face flushed as she stared at the serious-looking Suguha and the filming phone-bot. "Yo-you think I want the diamond for myself?! O-oh! N-no, Suguha-chan, you got it wrong, I just want to…!"
"Done." spoke the half-forgotten gamer while shoving his arm between both girls, palm open and freezing them in place as their eyes fell upon the THING he had in there. "And it was way easier than I thought! I mean, I know about the whole coal and diamond joke, also how it couldn't really work for real, but just concentrating in changing the way its elements were arranged was…!"
"Onii-chan…" stopped him Suguha with barely a whisper, her eyes unable to leave the peerless jewel in her boyfriend's hand. "That diamond is blue."
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, well, I noticed, but I read somewhere that there can be some of that color too, so it's not stran…"
"And it's glowing." added Rika while shakily touching the thing, which was warm to the touch and emitted an otherworldly pale light, thankfully weak enough for Kazuto's body to block it and prevent their barman friend from coming over to ask what were they doing with 'something shining'.
"I…think that may be a side-effect of using Cosmic Energy on it?" awkwardly excused the black-haired boy even as his blacksmith friend grabbed the diamond with a shaky hand, everyone's gaze still fixed on what probably was one of the most precious and valuable gems Earth had seen in all its history.
Then, without hesitation, Rika put in on the table and SLAMMED a hammer that she brought seemingly out nowhere over it, Elucidator almost jumping as she did so.
Surprisingly, though, no sound like that of a hammer striking something seemed to echo, neither did the table break apart under the girl's inhumanly enhanced strength, but both paralyzed siblings could see how a bright white light covered the jewel and the top of the girl's hammer.
Recognizing the phenomenon as something he had seen several times before, the gamer let his eyes widen to its maximum and, without turning around, weaved and unleashed his by now standard Time-Altering Mystery upon more than half the café behind them, including the unaware Andrew, whose head had just started to move towards the source of the unnatural light. Now, unless the Mystery was undone before, it would take him almost an hour to finish moving his gaze towards them, likewise with anyone trying to enter through the front door.
Inwardly apologizing to Agil for that, Kazuto let once again his gaze fall towards Rika's concentrated expression, a mix of seriousness, determination, and purpose filling her excited gaze, a combination he had seen in her eyes before, back in the Floating Castle where they had been trapped.
Reaching through their Link, the black-haired boy connected with his dear friend and Anchor, the sound that reality was lacking finally making itself present, for it was echoing into her soul.
The melodious rhythm of hammer striking anvil, of a forge burning in the background. Sounds that made the famous blacksmith felt at home.
A gasp coming from Suguha made the gamer realize she had probably felt it too, and she slowly squeezed his hand as she lost herself in the strangely relaxing, even if solemn, 'melody' of the 'soul forging'.
"Sweet creators…" whispered Elucidator from where he was standing almost beside the 'phenomenon', watching how the diamond's form 'dissolved' and then changed shape, turning long and sharp, growing a handle and a guard…
Two more loud 'CLANKS!' echoed from Shinozaki Rika's, from Lisbeth's, soul at the same time her hammer came down, before the otherworldly light vanished in a shower of harmless blue-white sparks, the girl wiping sweat from her forehead as she let out a content sigh, the 'Anchor Mark' on the back of her hand stopping glowing as her hammer dissolved and she grabbed her creation, slowly and carefully raising it, like a mother with a newborn.
The One-Handed Sword wasn't beautiful...but gorgeous. It wasn't perfect, but immaculate. It wasn't magnificent, but almost divine.
All of it the same strange dark blue, slightly see-through, and yet clearly 'deeper' in the parts of the handle and the guard, as if only the blade was meant to allow its wielder to look beyond its edge, uniform and pristine, like someone wouldn't expect of something apparently carve from a jewel. The hilt had several markings on it, decorative and yet carefully placed to allow an easier grip for its wielder, while the guard had an otherworldly shape that, if looked at the right angle, seemed like a 12-pointed star.
"THIS is why I wanted a diamond." softly whispered the brown-haired girl while 'caressing' the sword's blade, doing a visible effort to just hold it. "…heh, back in SAO, the system decided for me, but here I can have that privilege." after muttering that, Rika let her gaze met the mesmerized one of Kazuto, offering the blade to him. "This is Azure Vanquisher, the first sword I can truly say I have made and named myself entirely. Please, take it, Kirito."
"…how…?" muttered the shocked Suguha while her stunned brother grabbed the blade with shaking hands, noticing its inhuman weight as he did so, so much no normal person would be able to use it properly even with both hands.
He swiftly moved it through the air with just one, a marveled look in his face as he executed a gracefully practiced slashing motion. Heavy, yet small and durable. His preferred type of blade.
Just like Lisbeth knew.
"Yesterday, I 'discovered' I could do this by chance." explained the proud-looking blacksmith to the young kendoka, reaching into her clothes and, somehow, bringing out a multi-colored and round shield, which reflected the light in an almost blinding way and had a hammer-like insignia on it middle, the weapon being slightly bigger than her head. "See this thing? I made it with a necklace of cheap jewelry that I never used, and it's strong enough to take half an hour of our 'super human hits' without a scratch. I figured I could do a bit better with something of better quality."
"Yo-you can use the pocket-dimension trick, like Onii-chan?!" gasped an awed Suguha as she touched the pristine shield.
"E-eh? Well, I'm not sure…I just wished to put the thing away like I usually do in the virtual world, and it did. I figured it was like an Inventory option that my time as a blacksmith made real through the powers or some…"
"Liz, I could kiss you right now." Kazuto's words cut through the air with more power than any laser cutter could, freezing both girls in the spot and causing the elder's cheeks to flush scarlet as they looked at him, an almost childish awe in his face as he raised Azure Vanquisher high in the air. "This is the most awesome thing anyone has ever given me."
"Do-don't exaggerate!" quickly waved it off the blushing Rika while laughing awkwardly, Suguha looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I-I only did it because, well, we wouldn't want those aliens to catch you off guard with just those crappy projected weapons on you, right? Bu-but feel free to praise the great Liz-sama more, i-if you want, ahahahah…s-so, could you two please tell the others about this when you have time? I-I'm sure it will be fairly easy with Elucidator-kun's help, heheheh…"
"…you're not fooling anyone, Rika-san." thought the young kendoka with a deadpanning look. "…well, except maybe Onii-chan, but he's too busy acting like a kid on a sugar high. Sigh, boys and their toys…"
Strangely, though, the surprising younger Kirigaya found that the obviousness of the blacksmith's feelings didn't bother her as much as it would have some time ago. In fact, she almost felt a sense of…kinship (?) towards the awkward-looking Rika.
Maybe it was because she had also once thought of her feelings towards Kazuto as hopeless, and the girl beside her had gone through that for months, but there was no real anger or resentment in her directed to the blacksmith, just like there wasn't any when she and Asuna spent time together and she noticed the longing looks she sometimes aimed towards the boy in black, when she thought she wasn't looking…
Deeply pondering what all of that could mean, a thoughtful look on her face, Suguha didn't really pay any mind when Elucidator made a zoom on her face with his camera-head, neither did the awkwardly laughing Rika or the childishly sword-playing Kazuto.
"…I'm so uploading this on my personal site later." silently decided the phone-bot with his mental equivalent of a grin.
Lazily resting on Suguha's bed and counting the remaining time before her master's parents once again weren't in at home most of the time (Thus allowing her free reign to not be 'hiding' in there all day), Fuu suddenly froze, the blinking cat-plush-thing feeling the strange need of smacking Elucidator on the head.
It seemed like it was going to be a long day for everyone before New Year's Eve celebrations started…
As she politely bid farewell to another group of richly-dressed people, in which a boy had been doing not-too-subtly attempts of 'getting her attention, Yuuki Asuna had to resist the urge to scream murder for the thousandth time in the last hour. Sadly for her, the time was barely 11 PM, so she had at least another hour of 'suffering' before she could use the commotion of New Year's countdown to 'get lost' for the rest of that damn party.
Honestly, if it had been just the annoying rich people trying to butter her up, praising her for being such an 'upstanding example of her family' or even encouraging her for her 'amazing recovery against the adversity of her earlier tragedy' (Being trapped in SAO), the chestnut-haired girl may have been able to endure it calmly through it all. After all, such nuisances were nothing compared with the things she had to go through and endure while being sub-commander of the Knights of Blood. More than once having been at the border of tearing her hair out in frustration while managing her duties in the Front Liner-guild, the rapier-user couldn't help but remember the almost Saint-like patience of their leader and commander, which always drove her to keep doing her best in such tasks.
But no, as previously stated, she could have done it if it was just that…but not when no less than 4 different boys, some several years older than her, had 'subtly' gotten closer to her and tried to engage in quite 'friendly' conversation with the Yuuki Heiress.
She was SO killing her mother for this…or at least having a serious discussion with her the next day, as there was no doubt in Asuna's mind that this was her fault, or at least indirectly instigated by her. The chestnut-haired girl had already been very clear in the fact that only herself would choose her future, and that she would take no part anymore in retarded things like arranged marriages meant to further the name or status of the family or the like.
Her father and brother had apparently gotten and respected it after the first time! Why couldn't her mother do the same?! Besides, the only person she would consider marrying or anything close right now would be…
Feeling her cheeks flush, the former sub-commander sighed and grabbed another glass of the soft red wine some waiters were passing around, drowning almost half the drink in one go without blinking.
Being already 17 aside, the girl ('Sadly') knew that her inhuman metabolism wouldn't let her get even the slightest bit drunk from something like that, which just made her sigh.
Asuna knew she had to stop. She loved Kazuto, that was a fact, much more strongly than she had ever thought, but her chance with him had passed, and she HAD to accept it.
Sugu-chan was a great girl, amazing even, and despite being younger had many things the former sub-commander admired, like her vibrant drive and her determination in the sport she practiced, kendo, something that the youngest Kirigaya had apparently had since she was very young, and to which the heiress knew she could have never compared to before SAO.
The young kendoka was certainly someone that deserved the boy in black, not to mention how truly and dearly she loved him, despite their unusual situation.
She, on the other hand, had been little more than a 'doll' back then, a girl who was only worried by whatever her mother said should worry her, who never really thought too much of how superficial her 'friends' were, who was 'content' with letting her life being planned for her…until her 'curiosity' drove her to try on her brother's Nerve Gear and Log Into Sword Art Online that fateful day. And even with that, she would still have just died a meaningless death if it wasn't…
"…godammit, I'm coming full circle." mentally growled Asuna while downing the rest of her drink, barely savoring the wine as she left the glass empty. "How is it that my every thought seems to begin and end with him?!"
As 'sad' as it was, though, the part-time GM was forced to accept it was her reality. It was because of Kirito, of Kirigaya Kazuto, that she hadn't drowned in despair back then, that she had survived and become the strong and will-driven woman that people in Aincrad acclaimed as 'The Flash', someone that the 'old Asuna', that which Yuuki Kyouko seemed determined in forcing to come back, would have never imagined.
The chestnut-haired girl not only loved the Black Swordsman, she literally owed most of what she was today to him, even if she would never admit it to his face. If she had been braver and more determined, more honest with herself and her feelings, then perhaps they could have been happy together, maybe even closer than he was with Suguha (Though she doubted it)…but that hadn't happened, and life didn't work on 'What Ifs'. As painful as it was, she had to move on…
'Or have you?' whispered a low voice in the back of her mind, a very small, forbidden part of the girl's self, one that had been getting strangely stronger the last month. 'Liz and Silica-chan certainly aren't going to, not anytime soon at least. And Sugu-chan seems to mind less and less how close you are with him lately…who is to say there can't be something -more- between you two?'
Asuna was barely able to move her other hand in time to catch the falling glass that her suddenly nerveless fingers had let go, saving herself from making a mess and an awkward scene.
What the hell?! Had she gone mad?! Was a part of her mind suggesting that she betrayed her new best friend, that she tried to seduce HER boyfriend away from…?!
'I never said anything like that. I was suggesting that you became -closer- to him…with her consent, of course. You won't deny that he also seems interested, right? You have seen how he looks back when you lose yourself in his eyes, how he smiles at you when you talk…it may not be at the same level that he does with Sugu, but there IS -something- there…' continued the traitorous whisper inside the heiress' consciousness, making her shake her head repeatedly, as if to shut it up. 'Oh, don't try and act as if I'm just a bad voice that can go away. I'm you, and you are me. Just your deepest and darkest desires given voice. In a way, you're only -hearing- me because you want to, Asuna, and you know it. Out of all the things in this world, more than an understanding mother, more than a less stressful life, more than not wanting to be in the middle of aliens and Space God's problems…you want him to love you back, even if just a little. Right?'
"…yes, I do." muttered the chestnut-haired girl with an almost nonexistent voice, idly aware that the whisper in the back of her mind had vanished as she did so.
Asuna didn't know what made her feel more embarrassed, the fact that she literally had just argued with her subconscious about her intense and messed up feelings towards Kazuto or that she was actually considering what her traitorous thoughts had suggested.
Trying to vanish that line of thought from her mind, at least for the remainder of the annoying party, the Yuuki heiress forced herself to smile again as some distant relatives of her father came by to greet her and praise her 'tenacity and determination' to 'overcome the adversity in her life', inwardly trying to concentrate on happier and more important things, like Liz's newfound 'powers' and promise to get them all actual real life weapons (Which excited her quite a bit, to be honest)…when she felt IT, her face twisting into a mask of absolute shock.
In that moment, all the lights went out, plunging the entire party hall into darkness and causing senseless panic to spread through most of the guests.
Weaving her way through the panicking people in the nigh-absolute darkness, her inhuman sight barely hindered by the lack of light, Asuna arrived at one of the nearby windows in time to look outside, her eyes widening with shock.
All across the horizon, darkness had covered it all; only the lights of cars and what she assumed were smaller illumination systems that ran on batteries or similar still shining in the suddenly darkened Tokyo.
Without hesitation, the former sub-commander brought out her phone, scrolling through the first social media app she could find and opening it.
-Lights out everywhere!
-What's going on?!
-This sucks, I was in the middle of downloading a game…
-It's happening in Saitama, Chiba and Yamanashi too! What the hell?!
-Holy shit, people! I'm in Yokohama, and I think I just saw something moving outside! It looked like people in sci-fi armor!
-LOL, troll detected.
-This is a serious talk man, there is a Prefecture-wide loss of energy!
-I'm serious! They are outside and…I think one of them goes on all fours?!…OMG, is that some kind of tank?! I think…!
The ominous words stating how the user that had said those words had Disconnected appeared on the chat-box, making it sink deeper into chaos. Asuna had heard more than enough, though, and was already moving her hands to tear apart the lower part of her expensive dress, letting her legs free movement as she started dialing a certain number and, without hesitation, jumped off the window, the chaos behind her making sure no one noticed.
Like a supernatural phantom, though, the chestnut-haired girl just turned into what seemed like a streak of lighting and ran down the building's side, arriving to the ground in a second and, without losing any momentum, impossibly changing from vertical to horizontal movement, shooting through Tokyo's chaotic streets like a true Flash, heart hammering in her chest as the call started to be made.
She realized she was too late, though, when a cry of anger and indignation echoed through the Anchor-Link even as the burning core of it 'moved' away, changing locations by moving through Space at will.
Elucidator's words when answering her only made her run faster, even as she heard the phone-bot grabbing at something for dear life.
"The boss went alone!"
It had been being a quiet, simple and happy night for the Kirigaya family.
For the first time in forever, Suguha got to help her mother with preparing the New Year's dinner. Kirigaya Midori couldn't remember the last time she had spent so much time with her daughter smiling so much.
Likewise, Kirigaya Minetaka couldn't remember when was the last time he and his son had actually done something together while enjoying it. Probably before he discovered the truth about their real relationship, back when Midori's father was alive.
And despite this, Kazuto seemed to be truly and fully enjoying himself as they helped setting everything up and even buying the ingredients. The man couldn't remember seeing the gamer seem so happy while doing chores in…ever.
And as they sat on the table when night fell and started eating the delicious meal Suguha and Midori had prepared, Kazuto complimenting them for how great it was while a blushing Suguha shot back that the only reason he said that was because he was unable to cook anything for his life, making them all laugh…Minetaka felt as if, for the first time in years, they were once again a true family.
It made him feel even sadder about the fact that he would be going back the next day, especially with how great those short vacations with everyone had been, but it was sadly how life and his word was. After all, such things couldn't be magically 'fixed' or changed by just waving your han…
Kazuto and Suguha stiffened at the same time, their eyes widening, as they were finishing washing the dishes as their parents, still sitting on the table, exchanged some light conversation. Them, without warning, all the lights in the house went off, and even outside an almost unnatural darkness seemed to cover everything, which, given that it was less than an hour away from New Year, caused a chaotic reaction.
"What the…?! A power outage?! Now of all times?" groaning, Midori fumbled for her phone as she illuminated her equally perplexed husband, a wry smile on her face. "Well, let's hope it doesn't last or we will have to spend the countdown in the darkness."
"I wouldn't worry about that, these kinds of problems are usually solved very quickly." calmly assured the Minetaka, looking to the side as he realized he could still hear water running. "Ah, Kazuto, Suguha, you better stop with the dishes until the power comes back or…"
The older member of the Kirigaya family was unable to finish his sentence, as a field of Altered Time covered him, his wife and the whole table in that instant, essentially slowing him down to a crawl when compared to the rest of the Earth.
"Sorry." whispered Kazuto with a truly apologetic voice as he closed his eyes, Cosmic Energy flaring around him as he concentrated, searching for whatever the 'wave' he and apparently Sugu had felt before the power went out.
"Onii-chan, what's going on?!" worriedly asked Suguha after sending a guilty glance towards her parents. "It seems as if the power went out in the whole town and that thing we felt…"
"Sugu-chan, Kazu-kun!" called out a worried Fuu as she came down the stairs much faster than her plushie form would suggest, Elucidator 'riding' on her back. "Something is VERY wrong!"
"Fuu is right, boss, this isn't good at all!" added the phone-bot with a worried tone while looking towards the humans, the young kendoka shooting a worried glance towards their two unnatural friends/pets. "Whatever happened only seems to have affected energy on the ground, but several prefectures at once! Also, I'm getting some very weird reports in several websites about weird things being sighted on…"
"Yokohama." spoke the black-haired boy as his eyes shot open, his sclera seeming like the infinite cosmos and 12-pointed blue-white stars replacing his pupils.
He barely heard Suguha gasp in shock even as he saw beyond what any mortal could do, his gaze somehow zeroing in an eagle view of the city from which he had 'saved' Yuuki and Aiko.
Figures in strange and futuristic armor (Noticeably different from the Ghost Walkers', but still with a vague similarity in style) rushed around the streets near the hospital from where he had saved the twins while carrying alien-looking rifles, at least 3 dozens of them. Also, 2 honest to God TANKS, or at least mechanic vehicles very similar to ones, if smaller, floated a meter off the surface around them, the strange double cannons they possessed aimed high above.
And watching over them, standing in a nearby building that oversaw the scene with two dog-sized flying machines at her sides (Like drones with plasma guns or something), a female figure clad in magenta armor (Visibly better and more advanced than those of the foot soldiers down there) stood imposingly, an inhumanly sharp feel in her mere presence as the strange claw-like gauntlets she wore opened and closed menacingly…
She glanced upwards, as if feeling the gaze over hers. Emerald diamonds met blue-white 12-pointed stars.
Gasping as he was brought back to reality, Kazuto's suddenly tense body was caught by Suguha as she shouted his name with worry, only for him to tightly grip her shoulders and stare into her eyes with terror.
"Onii…?"
"They're in Yokohama. Those crazy aliens are doing this, they…they must have cut off the power to try and find me or something!" shouted the black-haired boy while fully standing up, pacing up and down the kitchen while biting his lips.
"Then it's a trap, no doubt about it." seriously muttered Elucidator as he stood up on Fuu's back, a strange glint on his camera-face. "Whatever happens, you can't go there. They must be preparing some way to catch you, or worse…"
"You don't get it!" the gamer's scream sounded almost hysterical, making the two small inhuman beings and his sister/girlfriend to flinch in shock. "They have cut off ALL normal electrical power of FOUR ENTIRE PREFECTURES! Do you have any idea what will happen if this goes on for even 20 minutes more?!"
"…oh heavens." whispered Suguha with horrified realization, the implications rushing through her minds.
All instruments within hospitals had stopped working, streetlights and traffic ones were off, most monitoring systems or non-specific ways of information wouldn't be active…
And it was least than an hour away from New Year, one of the busiest and most active nights of the country. A literal catastrophe that could end up with countless deaths and chaotic vandalisms was about to happen, and that was without counting the freaking aliens in the middle of it all.
"Holy hell, how much do these guys hate that Yhmos?!" snarled a terrified Fuu while jumping up and down in fear. "They're willing to cause national panic just to take him down?!"
"I think they're willing to do much more than just that, Fuu…" muttered the young kendoka with a distressed voice…before her head snapped back when she felt the telltale sign of Cosmic Energy being gathered and weaved. "Wha…?! NO!"
"I'm sorry, Sugu. I can't let them do this." was all that Kazuto said before the Mystery finished forming and he vanished in thin air, Suguha's body crashing through the empty space he had been in a second before, even as a quick 'I will be back soon!' echoed into her mind.
The scream of frustration, rage, and fear emerging from the young kendoka's mouth was more than enough to make both Elucidator and Fuu cringe in terror.
"That…that…that selfish idiot! How could he do this?! He should have at least taken me with his!" tears mounting in her eyes, the youngest Kirigaya was quick in standing up and rushing towards the house's front door, not even noticing Fuu's plushy form racing after her. "How does he think I…and everyone else will feel if something happens to him?!"
"Sugu-chan! Sugu-chan! Dammit, she's not listening!" shouted the worried cat-plush-pillow before stopping and spinning around, throwing the surprised phone-bot in her back through the air. "Luci-kun, keep an eye on her!"
"WOAH! Fu-Fuu, don't throw me like that without warning!" screamed Elucidator as he was barely able to hang on from the girl's back, quickly sliding down towards one of her short's tight pockets as she exited the house and, not missing a beat, took flight, ethereal wings manifesting in her back as she shot to the heavens at vertiginous speed. "Aaah! La-lady boss, go a bit sloweeeer…!"
"When I find him…I'm so going to…beat the shit out of him!" growled Suguha as she kept going, seemingly ignoring the phone-bot's words, but she was unable to hide the feeling behind her words to him.
She was scared. Terribly so, of anything happening to the person she loved the most…
And that was when a familiar number started calling Elucidator's form, making him grimace as he answered Asuna's call and uttered the words she had been dreading to hear.
"The boss went alone!"
The moon was beautiful tonight.
That was the thought that briefly shot through the mind of Captain Elysium Syrom Revenant when she looked upwards with a sudden frown, having felt for an instant that someone was watching her…
"Is everything alright, Captain Revenant?" asked the voice of Rarun through the comm. channel of the alien girl's helmet, making her sigh and look once again at her soldiers, the relatively small group she had brought hurrying into position. "You seemed distracted for a second."
-The Energy Isolation Network created by the Aura Scouts is working within optimal standards through the designated human 'prefectures'. The local blockade of communications within the area known as 'Yokohama' is also working without issues- informed the mechanical voice of their main computer, giving the captain pause for a moment before she nodded and calmly answered the previous question.
"I'm okay, Lieutenant Konik. Probably just the nerves made me think I was being watched…"
"You sssure? It could very well be that the Tyrant already got hisss eyesss on you, dear captain." came the annoyingly serious voice of Gahul through the speakers, Elysium still being sharp enough to detect the slight mockery in the snake alien's tone. "Perhapsss you ssshould withdraw before thisss costsss you more than you would like…"
"Your 'concern' is appreciated, General Moria, but unneeded. I know what I am doing, and I know the risks." coldly stated the pink-haired young woman as she nodded towards one of her battle drones, the machine acknowledging the order and quickly flying away. "I will make sure that we accomplish my father's with to end this threat, no matter what."
Back in the Star Hunters' HQ, and despite the alien wearing a helmet, Kayaba Akihiko swore he could feel the frown appearing on Gahul's face at the captain's words, while Rarun was internally praising Elysium at the determination in her words. No one would say that she was in truth as full of doubts inside as when she had talked to him that evening.
She truly was a soldier at heart, when it came down to it. Every time, it was easier for her to put the warm little girl that was born a princess away, to the depths of her soul, in favor of her duty.
And this may very well be the last time she did…
"Your father wasss a Champion, Captain Revenant. And while I accept that you're a prodigy, you're still nothing compared to him." Gahul's words echoed through the control room like electricity through water, insecure looks being exchanged by the technicians, soldiers and droids presence, the conflicting feelings of outrage at an officer challenging his superior and shame because, deep inside, all knew his words were true, clashing inside of them. "Him, I would have no doubt would pull off this missssion. You, on the other hand…well, I guessss that, for our survival and the sake of this Fate-forsaken planet, I ssshould wisssh for you to prove me wrong."
"…do not worry, general, I will do so." sighed the alien girl with just a small hint of resignation in her voice, knowing that the veiled insult was probably the closest she was going to get in the way of 'encouraging words' from the reptilian alien.
Then again, given that, if this plan of theirs was a failure even just in its initial stage, they would at the very best be left without a single Aura Scout and lose their Detection Network for their enemy's energy, it may have been slightly justified.
After all, the start of it depending purely in that their assumptions of the Tyrant needing the human's energy for the purposes of his recovery (Or for his apparent followers, as they had seen the day Rarun engaged him) was right, and the wasn't hiding too far away from the area where they had encountered him last time.
If he could perfectly ignore the lack of energy and/or the chaos in which the humans would doubtlessly sink soon, or if he was hiding on the other side of the planet (Even just the country), then all their efforts would have been in vain…but she also wouldn't be forced to confront…
"Wait, we just detected a spike of energy! It seems to be coming from…!"
Before Flint could finish his words, the droid's warning became moot, as the sound of lighting crackling fiercely drew everyone's attention, the gathered Star Hunters raising their gazes as one in time to see a 12-pointed star made of blue-white electricity roaring into existence over the rooftop of the Yokohama North General Hospital.
On an apartment, two of the three worried teenagers that had been trying to contact two of their friends froze, Shino's eyes looking at the Konno twins' in confusion as they turned around, their Anchor Marks shining with ethereal light, making the bespectacled girl gasp.
In her house, Shinozaki Rika stopped halfway to the basement (Where she had been told to get candles from) and looked at her shining mark in shock, stopping her useless attempts to contact Asuna before running upstairs as fast as she could.
Lying on her room's bed, vaguely aware of her parents saying from the hallway that it seemed they would have to spend New Year in the dark, Ayano Keiko suddenly shot up, eyes wide with apprehension as her mark started to shine, Pina crying in anguish from his place beside her.
Inside the virtual world know as Requiem Universus Online, in the Throne Room of Astemeri Palace, Yhmos' eyes shot open, the fallen Ancient Ruler standing up and interrupting her daughters' worried report about a sudden power outage in several prefectures.
Back in the streets of Yokohama, Elysium Syrom Revenant cursed.
Well, it seemed that there was no point in trying to pretend the humans in the area hadn't seen them, after all. Their enemy had just blown all attempt of subtlety all the way to the depths of Unreality.
"It's him, it's him, it's…!"
"Enemy Signal confirmed, we need visual to…!"
"Captain Revenant, preparations are just 97% done and…!"
"Finish, right now. I will proceed with the plan and engage the target." Elysium's voice cut through the sudden chaos engulfing their communication channels like a superheated knife through butter, not even waiting for the battle drone at her side to react before she activated her armor's Warp Belt.
With a roaring sound, the young captain 'exploded' as she was thrown through a sudden 'cut' in Reality, reappearing the next second less than a hundred meters over the hospital's roof, where she had been staring at.
Landing with a loud crash that cracked the ground around her feet, the alien's eyes shot immediately towards their hated foe…and widened in surprise.
Standing there with clenched fists and staring at her with anger was the Tyrant's temporary form wearing mundane and simple human garb, no trace of the strange cloak he had worn when Rarun and the Ghost Walkers had confronted him in that same building.
Elysium was so shocked she barely paid attention at how the roaring 12-pointed star of electricity crackling like a beacon over them seemed to be interfering with her helmet's communications, if the strangled sounds coming through it were anything to go by.
Being forced to possess a human because he needed a new body was one thing, but why would the last of the Ancient Rulers 'reduce himself' to wear their…?!
"Turn the power back on. Now." snarled the black-haired boy with an icy-cold voice, snapping the alien girl out of her shock and making her curse inwardly as she adopted a sharper battle stance.
"We will do that once you're dead, Tyrant." emotionlessly replied the last remaining Captain of the Float that had been aboard the Star Hunter before moving forward faster than any being over the face of Earth, claws shooting to impale her enemy's chest and crush his arm at the same time.
Now, Elysium expected many things about the upcoming instants. She expected to be blasted back by an invisible shield, that the ground suddenly rose like a wall to hinder her charge or even that the 'star' shining over them suddenly exploded towards her like a beam of electrical death. She was ready and prepared to react to any of this, as futile as she knew it would be in the long run, just to give her men the necessary human seconds they needed to finish their preparations and enact the plan.
What she wasn't even remotely expecting was for the Tyrant to perfectly intercept both of her claws with uncanny precision with two swords that he had brought out of nowhere, one of them an unimpressive colorless thing (That cracked upon contact with her 'Crimson Reapers') and the other one of the most beautifully crafted weapons she had ever seen, with an almost see-through azure blade.
As the sound of their weapons clashing echoed through the rooftop, the captain found herself in yet another uncharacteristic moment of shock while backing away. When Rarun reported the Tyrant had defended himself with a nondescript sword, they had thought nothing of it, chalking it to his weakness forcing him to rely on a mundane weapon for protection as he couldn't afford to use his most destructive powers carelessly.
But the parry she had just suffered was no clumsy or desperate attempt made to try and stop an attack through unorthodox means, no. It had been a perfectly skilled counter made by someone who knew perfectly how to fight with those blades.
"As I told your 4-armed pal the other day…" growled the dual wielder with narrowed eyes. "I'm not who you think I am."
The next moment, he vanished from sight, Elysium quickly turning around to meet his double swipe with her claws, instinctively deflecting them to the side and entering his range to try and rip off his neck and cripple his right hand in one move.
He sidestepped, at the last second, with uncanny precision, avoiding any harm by inches and quickly backtracking out of her range.
"No sense…"
Battle instincts driving her body, Elysium's mind was more and more chaotic with each second, claws and swords clashing so fast and with such force that sparks flew everywhere like a crazy lightshow.
"No sense…!"
Not staying still for even an instant, both combatants shot all across the rooftop, engaging in a deadly dance filled with inhuman speed and impossible counters, brutal clashes and unreal evasions.
It was a 'show' the likes this world had never seen before.
"This makes no sense!" screamed the uncomprehending thoughts of the pink-haired captain as she and her enemy disengaged for the thirtieth time, both backing away without losing track of the other.
The Tyrant wasn't supposed to fight like this! He was a monster, a creature of cosmic level, with enough power to blow up planets and destroy stars with just a swipe of his dark will, to subjugate galaxies in less than an Ultra-Cycle…
He wasn't supposed to be a skilled fighter. As a creature that relied purely on power or in his servants carrying out his will, the Ancient Ruler didn't know how to actually 'fight' like a trained soldier, as he had never needed it as far as they knew, having always possessed the ability to destroy anything which opposed him with raw power.
Even if his strongest and most feared weapon had been a 'sword', the accursed Nebula-Slayer 'Nephilim', no tactical genius had been needing to notice that, during the few times he had been seen using it in the past (Or in the long and crazed reports coming from his 'last stand' on his home planet), he just 'swung' the planet-sized weapon without care or any real ability, relying on its unholy power (Justifiably so) to do the rest.
But the being before her was nothing like that. He was a swordsman of the highest caliber, a master of the blades the like she had never seen before, swinging both of those absurdly heavy swords (Even if he apparently had to use his powers to constantly restore the simpler-looking one) with an style and precision that were as reckless as effective, leaving no openings and countering all of her attacks with an ability that only veteran fighters could achieve. Even if not at the level of her father, it was still leagues beyond anything the cosmic monster she was supposed to be facing should be able to do.
…and none of his attacks had been lethal, Elysium's numb mind realized. While she had been trying to kill the supposed Tyrant with each and every single one of her strikes, all of his had either been aimed to either unbalance her or to try and destroy her trusty Crimson Reapers (Futile attempts unless he suddenly fueled those blades with the strength of a Titan or the fire of a star, but still).
Then, there were also his words, those he had said a couple seconds before and also when Rarun had attacked him last time. About not being who they knew he was, when all their readings and the powers he displayed made more than obvious that it was a very stupid and pathetic lie…
But those eyes…despite the symbol and power of their eternal enemy glowing within them, she could still see it, deep inside. Those weren't the eyes of a Tyrant.
Those were the eyes of a warrior, the greatest and most feared kind of fool a soldier could ever face…even if all evidence pointed to this being nothing but a, somehow, very well crafted trick.
And despite that, despite the 12-pointed stars shining inside his eyes and above her and despite that fact that she never abandoned her fighting stance, Elysium Syrom Revenant couldn't stop the question that escaped her lips, her voice filled with a mix of tension and fear.
"Who are you?"
"…you can call me Kirito." answered the black-haired boy with a voice brimming with power, frustration, and barely restrained anger, unknowing of how, back in the aliens' HQ, Kayaba Akihiko let his eyes widen a fraction before suppressing a smirk. "And you have 10 seconds to restore the power to the prefectures before I'm forced to do something I regret."
Somewhere, in the depths of the Aether Core, the infinitesimal stain of blackness within the blue-white cosmos grew.
In the streets surrounding the hospital, no longer trying to not made any sounds or stay hidden at all, the alien soldiers exchanged shouts of preparation, even as the two 'tanks' they had brought with them changed position and aimed their cannons towards the top of the medical building.
Inhuman purple energy shining within them, the weapons charged their devastating shots.
In the dark side of the moon, the broken figure in golden armor twitched, frozen eyes somehow opening as its diamond-shaped pupils shook.
And deep within Elysium's claws, something that didn't Belong in this plane begged to be released, ready to vanquish all that Belonged…
Lesson 10: A Warrior learns to survive. A Soldier is trained to kill.
Next: Concept of Reality
Omake: Star Hunters' Log 6
Alliance's Basic Infantry Units
The foot soldiers of the Universal Alliance make the bulk and base of their ranks. Members of almost every species in our Universe, no matter the planet they hail from, start as this when joining the Alliance.
While being, obviously, the most numerous units in our ranks, they're also the one with the highest mortality rate, given that all of them carry the same type of basic equipment and are, as cruel as it sounds, considered 'expendable' when compared to other, more important, objectives or units.
Every single foot soldier in the Alliance knows this, and also that the only way of escaping such fate is to rise in the ranks…
Main Abilities: Basic Alliance-Combat Suit - Type Delta.
Weaponry: Laser Rifle GX800. Stun Baton R4.
Tachyon Tank (98 Remaining)
Basic assault vehicle of the Universal Alliance, with a standard capacity of carrying 4 to 5 soldiers inside (Number may be reduced depending on the soldier's species). Built mostly with an alloy of Karadium, a metallic alloy several times stronger but lighter than Earth's Titanium, there are almost no human weapons that can damage a Tachyon Tank.
Usually used for large-scale terrestrial assault. Not suited for fast or easy transportation.
Main abilities: Low Anti-Gravity System (Used for movement over all kinds of terrain, even water if needed. Doesn't allow flight capabilities, only allowing the vehicle to hover between 1 and 2 Earth meters from the surface over which it moves). Heat-Tracing Aiming System.
Weaponry: Retractable Lateral Machineguns HGX677. Tachyon Cannon - Vulcan Rider (Highly destructive, usually used to bring down especially reinforced enemy fortresses).
Author's Notes: And that's done, my dear readers. With this, we're one chapter away from the end of this 'arc'. And after that, the last arc of this craziness shall come.
As you can see, shit has gotten real pretty fast, but this has just been the prelude. Be ready for everything and everyone to change when the madness that will be next chapter comes (Hopefully soon, as I'm finally on my end of the year vacations!), and events to spiral towards the conclusion of it all that shall be the last arc. Next time, an unavoidable clash with world-changing consequences: Kirito vs. Elysium!
Also, hope you liked the small showing of Liz's very own 'power', even if it's not going to be more relevant until the next arc begins (Obviously, given current developments) and the part of Asuna 'struggling' with her feelings. This was, in a way, both a reference and a half-joke to canon, because, as you know, Asuna's feelings for Kirito had actually been there developing for a long time, but it was only the last events of the Aincrad Arc what pushed her to actually be honest with herself and make him notice and accept them. Said self-acceptation already happened, though in a different way, in this story, so we basically get an Asuna that's as in love with the idiot in black as the canon one (So, love on a level that many would say ranges from 'heartwarmingly sweet' to 'absolutely unbelievable') but that also knows she 'lost' her chance with him and has accepted how much Sugu loves him and he to her, plus becoming close friends with Sugu (With almost 'unnatural' easiness, as pointed out). All of this will lead to…things, which shall be seen in the aftermath of this arc. Just saying that you may expect her to be the main catalyst for…certain developments :P
And well, that's all from me for now, everyone…EXCEPT by a small surprise I have for you and everyone else interested, a 'Christmas Gift', if you must, from your humble and crazy reader for you all to enjoy and (Hopefully) laugh a bit: An SAO parody/AU one-shot about…Magical Girls (With Sugu as the Main Character :D!). It's called 'Fairy Guardian: Savior of Lovely Dreams!' and I'm uploading it at the same time than this chapter, so you can all go and enjoy as soon as you finish reading this, be it through my profile or from the SAO section of the site :P
Okay, now that's truly all. Hope you all have a happy and enjoyable time this end of the year, remember that I love you all because I wouldn't be here without your support :3
Till next time, this is Saint, signing off!
