Sword Art Online Alicziation: War Of Underworld

Heartless Choice

*Flashback*

"Have you ever has a premonition about death?"

"A premonition about death? When I was less experienced, and either the previous dark general or the one before him easily defeated me, I thought that might be it for me." Bercouli said

"But you brought back his head quite some time ago. You haven't had any since?" Quinella said

"You know, I can't really remember. But why would you ask me that so unexpectedly? Surely Your Eminence is free of such sensatioms."

"You don't understand, do you, Bercouli? It's evey day. Every day, I sense death. Every morning when I open my eyes... No, even in my dreams. And why is that? Because I still don't control everything. Because I have enemies who are still alive. And because the possibility of a new enemy emerging at some point in the future is always looming." Quinella said

"Well, well... Being the pontifex certainly isn't easy, huh?"

*End Of Flashback*

*Present*

"Your Eminence... I think I finally understand what you meant now."

"Here, Senpai."

Ronie was feeding Krito while Alice, Asuna, Sonic, and Serlut were all earting together peacefully.

"You look a bit healthier today, Kirito. And you have a good appetite!" Ronie said

"Perhaps sleeping beside four beauties did him good. Minus Sonic."Alice said

"Hey... I was sharping and cleaning up my swords." Sonic said

All of them heared noises coming from outside.

*Later*

Asuna, Alice, and Sonic had their armor and clothing on as they catched up with the other Integrity Knights.

"The enemy from the real world really has some unique strategies. Emperor Vecta is taking a risk."

Alice summon's binoculars and noticed ropes across the giant hole.

"This is war. Unlike the outsiders, Little Asuna and armor kid, this is no time for us to feel sorry for the forces of darkness. We have to take this chance." Bercouli said

"Chance?"

"That's right."

Vassago's soldiers and the Fugilists were holding on to the ropes to try to go to the other side.

"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"

The rope was shaking a lot and caused soliders and fugilists to fall straight down into the hole.

Before...

"Have your people climb acriss ropes cast over the chasm to reach the other side. I don't care if there are casualties. You're enforce the tightrope walking no matter what."

After...

"They're dying in vain! Not for the five tribes of darkness's long-cherished goal, the invasion of the Human Empire... but for something called the Priestess of Light! Hurry! Hurry up! Before something else comes to get in your way! Just make it over, all of you!"

Soon enough, the enemies made it across but Iskahn noticed his comrades were all tired and the Integrity Knights, Sonic, and Asuna charging at them with horses.

"Enemy attack! Protect them! Protect those ropes at all costs! They're only a small force! Don't let them get near the ropes!"

Bercouli charges and slashes on of the soldiers. Then, Sheyta slashed mutple fugilsts with multiple quick attacks.

"Stop!"

Renly throw's his Shuriken but not at the enemies. Instead, the shuriken rip's one of the ropes and caused several fugilists to fall straight down into the hole.

"So this... So this is war, huh? How can you call this a battle? No way did they endure all that grueling training just to die like this!"

The Knights, Asuna, and Sonic continued to slash the fugilists in half that made it across.

"Forgive me. Forgive me, all right?"

"Just as I suspected, the AI of the Human Empire units appear to be slightly superior. No. Strictly in terms of adaptability, they're in a different class. Don't mess up, Critter."

*Tuesday, July 7, 2026 12:05 AM Ocean Turtle*

"Syncing of the Underworld and the real world times is complete!"

*Someplace Else*

"What? Hey, is this for real? Are they crazy? A PvP with life-like human avatars AND realistic violence? You mean we can like, cut off arms and heads and stuff? No way! No restrictions? Hell to the yes! The developer adventurous! I'm so signing up for this beta!"

*Back To Ocean Turtle*

"I'll let you have the dark knight accounts. Go on and massacre the Human Empire Army to your heart's content!"

*With Asuna, Sonic, and Kirito's bodies*

"Oh, no! Daddy, Mommy, and Brother are in danger!"

*Tuesday, July 7, 2026 3:02 AM Shino's Apartment*

Asada's phone started to rumble. She check's on who is calling her and noticed it was Kazuto Kirigaya calling her. Asada answer's th call.

"Sinon! It's Yui!"

"Y-Yui?"

"I'll explain later! Get ready to go out right now, leave you apartment, and get into a taxi! I'm sending the address and the fastest route to get there to your phone!"

Asada changes her clothes, leave's her apartment complex and run's.

"A-A taxi! To where?"

"Please hurry! Daddy, Mommy, and Brother are in danger!"

*July 7 2026 3:02 AM Kirigaya Residence*

Sugu enter's the a taxi as she got Yui's call as well.

"Um... can you take me to Minato Ward in Tokyo, please?"

The taxi driver take's Sugu to Tokyo.

"Sorry, Mom, I promise that I'll rescue Big Brother, okay?"

*Ocean Turtle*

Everyone one was sleeping inside the Sub Control. Expect Higa and Kikuoka.

"It's already been twn hours since Ms. Asuna logged into the Underworld, huh? Which means that about a year should have gone by over there."

"Was the World End's Altar that far from the Human Empire?"

The phone started ringing.

"M-Mr. Kiku! The phone!"

Kikuoka quickly answers the phone.

"Sub Control Room. This is Kikuoka."

"U-Uh, that's the Rath main location STL Development headquarters, right? This is Hiraki at the Roppongi Branch. We have a problem, or should I say, something odd is going on. Someone from outside Rath just showed up with an appointment."

"Outside? You mean clients?"

"No. It has nothing at all to do with cilents. And they don't look to be anything but hogh school girls. And there's two of them."

"D-Did you say high school girls?"

"Yes. And they asked me to contact Seijiro Kikuoka of Rath headquarters right now, to tell you to check the Underworld FLA rate immeditaley."

Higa quickly check's on the Underworld FLA rate was at 001.00x.

"I-It's the same? Since when?"

"N-Names! Did thise girls give their names?"

*Tuesday, July 7, 2026 4:34 AM Rath Roppongi Branch*

"Uh, yes! Actually... This is going to sound crazy, too, but... There's no way it's their real names. Uh, let's see. They told me to tell you that it's "Sinon" and "Leafa." I mean, they look totally Japanese to me, but..."

Asada and Sugu entered a room where two STLs were open.

*Tuesday, July 7, 2026 4:40 AM ALO New Aincrad Floor 22*

"For crying out loud. Damn them, they had to go off on their own and get mixed up in some trouble again? A virtual world created by the SDF, and an honest-to-goodness AI named Alice? But that's so beyond the realm of a game!" Klein said

"Not only that, but they're going to load her into a fighter jet and make her wage war?" Silica said

"Apparently, for now, Rath intends to use that technology in demonstrations both domestically and internationally. But my guess is that the attackers occupying the Ocean Turtle have a more specific application in mind." Yui said

"Who the heck are these attackers, anyway?"

"It's extremely likely that the U.S. military or a U.S. intelligence agency is involved." Yui said

"Th-The U.S. military? You mean the American army?" Lizbeth shocked

"If Alice were to fall into the hands of the U.S. military, in the not-so-distant future, she'd most likey be deployed in battle as an unmanned AI weapon. I'm sure Daddy, Mommy, and Brother want to prevent to that, if nothing else. Because... Because Alice... is proof that all VRMMO worlds, beginning with SAO, and the people who lived in them, really existed, and she's also the fruit kf massive amounts of time, material, and mental resources! I am convinced beyond a doubt that the true objective created by the Seed package is none other than the birth of Alice. Throughout countless connected worlds, so many people have laughed, cried, grieved, and loved and becaus ethe radiance of their souls resonated, a new form of humanity was born in the Underworld. Daddy. Mommy. Brother. Leafa. Klein. Lisbeth. Silica. Agil. Sinon. As well as so many other people. It was from the cradle woven by your hearts that Alice was born!" Yui freaking out

"Yeah. That's true, isn't it? We're connected to all of it. Time, people, and our hearts, too. Like a huge river." Lisbeth said

"Don't worry... Yui. We'll go save Kirito, Asuna, and Sonic. We're definitely going to save them. So please don't cry." Silica said

"You heard her! You should've come to us sooner, Yuippe! There's no way we'd ever abandon Kirito nor Sonic!" Klein said

"We owe thise guys big time, after all. We should pay them back a little now, at least." Agil said

"Everyone, thank you so much! Thank you so much."

"Still, 30,000 VRMMO players diving from America? It could even be 100,000. And they'll all side with enemy against the Human Empire, huh?" Klein said

"What if we exposed the experiment or the attck on the American VRMMO sites, and asked them not to take part in the fake beta test?" Lisbeth said

"The reality is that this is war for a secret between the U.S. and Japanese militaries. If we were to give off any hint of that, it could very well backfire." Yui said

"Posting "Your opponents are real humans, so please don't kill them," wouldn't help, huh?" Silica said

"Well, then all we have to do is take a page from their book! By making our own notification site for the beta test. If the Rath guys give us accounts of equal level, we can drum up 30 or 40,000, just like that!" Klein said

"But there is one problem, you know." Agil said

"What problem?"

"The time difference. Right now, it's 4:30 AM in Japan, meaning the period with the fewest connections. On the other hand, in the U.S. it's 12:30 noon in LA, and 3:30 PM in New York. There are way more active players over there." Agil said

"Agil is right about that. We couldn't hope to gather anywhere near 10,000 people right now. If we were to use accounts if the same level as the enemy, our chances of holding our own would be extremly low, I'd have to say." Yui sais

"But aren't any more of the god account that Asuna used, are there? Not that we have time to level up from scratch like Kikto amd Sonic did." Lisbeth said

"So it's game over, huh?"

"No. Accounts do exist. Accounts far more powerful in terms of level and equipment than the default accounts being used by the enemy." Yui said

"Wh-Where are they?"

"The very accounts you're logged in with at this moment! Data conversion! All of you, as well as scores of other VRMMO players, must convert the characters you've trained throughout the Seed Worlds into Underworld accounts." Yui said

"I get it! Never thought of that!"

"That said, this particular method does have a few problems."

*Tuesday, July 7, 2026 5:02 AM ALO Neutral City Arun*

A huge crowd gather around inside to listen to Lisbeth's important announcement.

"This is neither a lie or a joke. Soon, tens of thousands of American players will unknowingly dive into the Underworld, a virtual world based on the Seed created by a certain Japanese research company, and they're going to massacre everyone who lives there! The residents of the Underworld aren't mere NPCs! They share the same emotions and souls as us! Please lend us a hand to protect them! Eveyone, please convert your existing character data to the Underworld!" Lisbeth said

"Lisbeth, I know that you and your friends wouldn't joke around this early in the day, and the fact that Kirito and Sonic haven't logged in for more than ten days means this is no trivial matter. But... To be honest, I find it hard to believe. AIs with the same souls as humans, with the U.S. military out to seize them? Both scenarios are far too unrealistic. Moreover, didn't you also just say that there's be several problems with conversion? Would you mind explaining what those issues are first?" Sakuya said

"Yes. The Underworld.. isn't being operated as a normal VRMMO game. Which is why diving into it will present some problems. First of all, the Undeworld has no opeational UI. In other words, you can't log out of your own accord. The only way to log out is to "die" in-game. But that would trigger yet another problem. The Underworld has no built-in pain absorber. If you take enough damage to drop your HP to zero, you're likely to feel the most excruciating pain. And finally... at this time, the developers are unable to operate the Underworld. Which means that once you've converted your character data, there's no guarantee it can be converted back to the original game. In some cases, it may even end up in character loss."

"Hold on a second. What's up with that?"

"Loss?"

"Give me a break!"

"D-Don't give us that! Charcster loss, you say? So if they're lost, are you guys going to make good? Or is this just a trap to weaken us, tribe by tribes."

"I'm sorry! We won't be able to compensate you. We're keenly aware that money can't buy the characters you've raised until now! That's why we're pleading with you! To help us. To help our friends who are despertaley fending off the American attack in the Underworld, even as we speak!"

"These friends you're talking about, you mean SAO survivors, don't you? You can't fool us! We know that you former SAO players all secretly look down on the rest of us!"

"What do we care about invasions, artificial intelligence, or souls!"

"Don't waste our time with all this talk about bringing the real world into a VRMMO!"

"You guys can deal with that kind of thing yourselves! Just you survivors, celebrated even in real life!"

"It didn't work. My words weren't enough to get through to them at all."

All the memories Lisbeth has with Sonic and Kirito with their virtual world adventures. Has Lisbeth with a solution.

"That's right, this is happening in the real world! Like you said, those of us who came from SAO might have the tendency to blur what's real and what's virtual! But I swear to you, we don't think of ourselves as heroes, or anything special! This girl and I... we attend a school made up of only survivors. The students there have to undergo counseling once a month, no matter what. We get asked all th se uncomfortable questions. And they make a lot of kids take meds against their will. We're all part of the government's potential criminal watch list. And it's not just the students at the returnee school who are being treated that way. All VRMMO players are looked upon that way, more or less. As if we're dead weight that doesn't contribute to society. People who refuse to face up to reality, not paying taxes or social securtiy. Some people even argue that the military draft should be reinstated, so we can be forced to serve. But there's one thing I know! And I believe it! That reality is right here! This world, as well as the countless virtual worlds connected to it, in no way are they make-believe refuges! For me, this world is the reality where I have a real life, real friends, real encounters and partings, and real smiles and tears! Don't you all feel the same way? Aren't you all doing your best because this world is your alternate reality? And yet, if it's just a game, if you abandon it because it's nothing but a virtual fake, then tell me, where is our truth? All these worlds that we've grown came together just like this World Tree and started to bud. And caused this flower called the Underworld to bloom. Well, I want to protect it. Please! Please... help us."

*Dark Territory Northern Chasm*

The shuriken cut's another rope and sending the enemies down into the giant hole.

"All right! On to the sixth rope!"

While they were fighting, the sky started to glow. They noticed beams coming down from the sky and hitting the ground as a bunch of players started to log into the Underworld.

To Be Continue...

"Next Time: Ray Of Light."