Yo, sorry for the slightly late update. I was busy moving to Australia on a credit transfer, so I didn't have much time to work on the chapter.
Heck, I didn't even have time to read any of the stories I follow, so I had to balance between writing the chapter, read the new ones I follow, and all other shit.
But it's done now. So cheers!
So, to NeonGamer973Fa, thank you for the review. I didn't have the time before, but now that I do, I'll look up what you've written! XD
To Saint Saber Fang, thanks man, I pm'd one of em, not sure if he's interested, but maybe you should also ask some of them if you want ahaha.
To Saifani Tri, nope. That's not Eugeo, nor his former incarnation. Not even close. His hair is blonde, and has blue eyes. Not sure what you mean by black things, though. Although, I mentioned the identity of that 'brother' at the end of this chapter, so just read and find out yourself. XD
So yeah, here's the newest chapter of the story. Enjoy!
XXX
That night, the Integrity Knights were fully briefed on what had happened, and they decided a celebration was needed for the return of Cardinal and Quinella.
Now, as the male knights were stuffing their faces with food and booze, Alice looked out at the streets from a window, a glass half filled with wine in her hand.
The blonde sighed, glancing at Kirito as he goofed around with Bercouli, Cu Chulain and Tanjiro.
She was brought out from her thoughts when she heard a voice, "What's got you so down?"
The blonde turned to see Nero, grinning brightly as usual.
Alice smiled softly, "Its nothing."
Nero went to stand beside her, raising an eyebrow, "You sure?"
The younger knight nodded, "Yes."
The former emperor studied the girl's face for a moment, causing Alice to stare at her awkwardly, "Ermm, is there anything wrong, Nero?"
The rose knight grinned, "Yep, I see the problem! You have boy problems! "
Alice blinked, feeling a blush creeping up her face, "W-what!?"
Nero grinned, "So, who is it?"
The knight in red scanned the area, "Hmm, Emiya, too old. Bercouli, Fanatio'd kill you before you even thought of him. Gilgamesh, no way. Tanjiro, Tsuyuri'd kick your ass first. Siegfried, nope. Giyuu, too dumb. Zenitsu, too wimpy, same for Renry. Gawain, possibly, but age gap again. Lancelot, too playboy-ish for your tastes. Cu Chulain, nope. Deusolbert, too old. Eldrie, he's like your annoying brother."
The red knight then grinned, "So, that leaves Eugeo and Kirito. Who is it?"
Alice sighed, trying hard to suppress her blush, "Can we just drop this?"
Nero grinned and shook her head, "Nope!"
The flamboyant blonde stared at Alice's face for a while before she grinned, taking a guess, "Its Kirito, isn't it?"
This time, Alice couldn't hold in her blush, "W-what?!"
Nero grinned, "Bingo. So, what's the problem?"
The blonde frowned lightly, "Do I have to say it?"
The older knight grinned, "Yep! I won't leave you alone until you do."
Alice sighed, "Fine..."
Nero grinned in triumph, "Good. Now let's hear it."
The younger blonde sighed, before she glanced around to make sure no one was near them, "Kirito... already has a girlfriend, and there's also another girl in the academy that wants him."
Nero's grin vanished, and she nodded, "I see, you fear you will be the third wheel, or in this case, the fourth wheel."
Alice didn't respond, but she gave a slow nod.
The former emperor giggled, before she patted Alice on the shoulder, "Well, I won't tell you exactly what to do, but keep this in mind. All is fair in love and war."
Alice blinked, "Wait, you're telling me to just go ahead and ruin their relationship?"
Nero shook her head, looking at Alice seriously, "No, I'm telling you to live your life to the fullest, do what you want. You're my descendant, you're also Artoria and Jeanne's descendant, although none of them come close to me in terms of awesomeness."
Nero paused, before she smiled and shook her head, "Well, that's beside the point."
She looked at the younger blonde, "Point is, you should do what you want, just as we all had."
Alice looked at her glass of wine, before Nero grinned, "Besides, Kirito is basically Lord Kazuto, and last I heard, there aren't any rules where a god cannot have a harem."
Alice spluttered, "W-what?!
The former emperor from the west giggled and turned to rejoin the party, "Well, just think about it. I doubt Kirito will reject your feelings, and given that you're an Integrity Knight, it won't be hard to convince those girls to share him with you."
Before the younger girl could respond, Nero had already walked away, leaving the girl alone yet again.
The girl considered the words her ancestor departed to her, and once again, her eyes landed on the one young man that had caused these thoughts in her.
Alice's eyes softened, staring at her childhood friend as he drunkenly screamed random stuff with Cu Chulain and Bercouli, with Eugeo and the other more somber knights laughing with them.
The girl let out a soft smile, before she decided to deal with her feelings at a later date, and went back to join her friends.
(linebreak)
The next day, Kirito, Alice and Eugeo were in the Great Library.
Cardinal had decided to put the entrance accessible in the cathedral from there on, that is, until there is a need to remove it
Now, Kirito looked at Quinella, "Hey, Quinella, can we go visit some people?"
The silver haired woman stared at the reincarnation of her brother with a raised eyebrow, "Why are you asking me?"
Kirito blinked, "Eh, I thought us knights aren't allowed to interact with normal civilians?"
Quinella chuckled, "Ah, that old rule. I've been thinking about it, and I believe its time we took that stupid rule away, no?"
The three knights visibly brightened, and Eugeo lowered his head slightly, "Thank you, Lady Quinella."
The silver haired goddess nodded, "Think nothing of it."
A memory then popped into Kirito's mind, and he groaned, palming his face, "Now how do I face Liena and Ronye?"
Quinella stared at her brother's reincarnation amusedly, glancing at Alice's suddenly stoic face.
The goddess smiled and spoke, "Oh they're not the only ones you'll have on your plate."
Kirito blinked, rather confused at her words, "What do you mean?"
Quinella gave Alice a subtle glance, something that the blonde obviously caught, and fortunately, something the two young men had missed.
The blonde blushed, and fortunately, she was standing behind the two males, so they couldn't see her expression.
Quinella smiled amusedly again, looking back at Kirito, "That's for you to find out yourself. I've given you quite the hint already."
Again, she only received confused stares from the two males in the room.
Quinella shook her head amusedly, "Never mind then... So, is there anything else you need?
Kirito thought about it, before he shook his head, "No, that's about it."
Quinella nodded, "Alright."
The three young knights quickly excused themselves, before they left the library, leaving Quinella alone.
(linebreak)
With Kirito, Eugeo and Alice, the three of them were at the dragon's den.
The blonde girl asked, "So, where do you two wanna go first?"
Kirito tightened the saddle on Kurogane, "I think I'll go visit the academy first."
Eugeo nodded, mounting Aogiri, "I'm okay with that.
Alice nodded as she mounted Amayori, "Then we go visit the village after that, right?"
Kirito nodded, "Yeah."
The blonde girl nodded, before they headed for the launch pad, shooting out of the cathedral on their respective dragons.
As they soared through the skies, Alice glanced at Eugeo, "Hey, Eugeo, your Valet, that red haired girl, how are you gonna answer her, now that you can see her again?"
Eugeo looked at Alice, and he let out a breath, "I'm... not sure, but... I want to accept her feelings."
Alice nodded, "I see."
The blonde girl considered his answer for a moment, before she spoke, "Just to let you know, Selka has a huge crush on you. Not sure if she still does, but just to let you know."
Eugeo blinked several times, before he sighed, nodding silently.
Hearing the two blonde's exchange, Kirito thought about Liena and Ronye. He loved Liena, and saying that Ronye hadn't grown on him would be a flat out lie. He also couldn't bear to see his Valet heartbroken, not after what she told him the last time they saw each other.
That placed him in a very troublesome position, at least for himself. And then, if what Quinella told him was right, there was a third girl that liked him.
Kirito let out a sighed as the North Centoria Sword Mastery Academy came into view, he'd figure out something sooner or later.
The young man turned his focus to the academy, feeling rather nostalgic upon seeing it again.
Soon, the three knights landed on the ground, the exact area where Kirito and Eugeo had been taken away by Alice and Eldrie to the cathedral.
The three dismounted their dragons, and Kirito commented, "Man, this really brings back memories."
Eugeo nodded, "Yeah."
Alice merely smiled innocently, "Well, sending the two of you crashing onto the platform was quite fun."
Kirito sighed, shaking his head, "For you maybe..."
Eugeo nodded in agreement, before he spoke, "Alright, let's go walk around. Maybe we can find Miss Azurica or something."
The other two nodded in agreement, and they started walking around, leaving the three dragons to their own.
As they walked, chatters could be heard as the students saw the three Integrity Knights. Some of the older students recognised Kirito and Eugeo, but none of them dared to talk to them and only talked amongst themselves.
Though even as they walked, Kirito and Eugeo had yet to see any of their friends.
That was, until they came across Azurica.
The woman blinked, not believing her eyes as she stared at the two very familiar young men, clad in armor of their signature colours, accompanied by the very same knight that took them away.
The instructor blinked again, rubbing her eyes, before staring at them again, "Kirito, Eugeo? Y-you're... Integrity Knights?"
Eugeo smiled sheepishly, something mirrored by his brother, "Yeah, things happened, and here we are."
The woman blinked several times, glancing between the three knights several times before she sighed, palming her face, "Never mind, I should have expected something similar."
No wait, actually she had expected them to run to the Dark Territory, so that counted, probably.
Azurica looked at them again, "So... I suppose I should address you as Lords, now?"
Kirito blinked and laughed lightly, waving his hand quickly, "Oh no! Just call us as you usually would."
Azurica nodded, glancing at Alice for confirmation, seeing as the blonde girl obviously held seniority amongst the three of them, and received a nod.
The instructor then asked again, "So, what brings you here? There isn't another case of the Index's violation, is there?"
Alice shook her head, speaking up this time, "No, we've recently settled some problems in the church, and Kirito and Eugeo have been given permission to visit the academy and their home. I'm merely accompanying them."
Azurica nodded respectfully at her answer, "Then is there anything I can help you with?"
Kirito took on a thinking pose, before he noticed the stares they were receiving, "Ermm, how about we talk in private?"
Azurica glanced around and nodded, "Yes, of course."
The woman turned, "Please follow me."
The three nodded, and they were quickly led to Azurica's private office.
As they entered the room, Kirito asked, "So, Miss Azurica, how's things been?"
The instructor smiled softly, "Not much has changed. Well, Sortiliena and Ran are back though, they're helping me out with tutoring the students."
Her smile turned to an amused one, "Although, I've heard rumors that she's waiting for Ronye and Tiese to graduate."
Kirito nodded with a smile, "I see."
Eugeo then asked, "So, they're still here, right? Can you get them to come here?"
Azurica nodded, "Of course. Please wait a moment."
The instructor excused herself, more to Alice than her two former students, before she headed out to retrieve Liena, Ronye and Tiese.
As the woman left, Alice smiled softly, "So, how did it feel?"
Kirito and Eugeo stared at her confusedly, the latter voicing it out, "What?"
Alice looked out through the curtained windows, where a small crowd of students were looking at them, "The students, I'm sure they didn't act like that before, right?"
Kirito understood what she meant, and he answered, "It felt weird, to be honest. Just weeks ago everyone'd talk to us, now they keep a distance, like they don't know us anymore."
Eugeo chuckled, "Well, can't blame them, we left as criminals, and came back as Integrity Knights as all things. Its just like when we found out Alice was one."
Kirito grinned, "I wonder what'd happen if they found out about me being a god?"
Alice smiled amusedly, "Well, they'd probably worship the ground you walk on."
Said reincarnated god shuddered at that thought, "Let's...not ever reveal it to the public."
Before they could continue, however, the door opened again, revealing Azurica, followed by three very familiar young women.
As soon as they entered, the three women froze.
Kirito grinned, "Hey."
Eugeo smiled awkwardly at his brother's nonchalant greeting, "First thing you see them and you say hey?
The black knight glanced at Eugeo with a judging gaze, "And what would you say?
Alice sighed and nudged her two friends in the ribs, shutting them up effectively
It was also then that the three girls recovered from their shock, and they spoke, shock still evident on her face, "K-kirito/senpai? Eugeo/senpai?"
The knight grinned, "Hey-"
Before he realized it, he found himself in a tight hug with both Liena and Ronye, with Tiese hugging Eugeo.
At that sight, Alice felt her chest tighten, a feeling of discomfort growing within her, moreso when she saw the two girls hugging Kirito. But she forced it down, looking at Azurica instead, "Let's give them some time alone."
The instructor nodded in agreement, before the two left the room silently.
With Kirito, he blinked as he was embraced by the two young women, and his gaze softened, "I'm back."
Liena pulled away, something followed by Ronye, and the older brunette asked, tears of happiness glistening in her eyes, "H-how?"
Ronye nodded, "I thought you were taken away for...
Kirito grinned, "I'm just that awesome."
Ronye smiled, wiping away her tears, "I doubt that, but I don't care about that. You're here.
The other woman nodded in agreement, before she took the time to look at Kirito's armor, "But, an Integrity Knight, I'd never think you'd go and become one.
Ronye smiled, nodding, "Yeah, we were thinking you'd run away to the Dark Territory and live there.
Kirito blinked before he laughed, "Yeah, that pretty much sounds like what I'd do."
The two girls smiled, before Kirito glanced at Eugeo, who was kissing Tiese on the lips.
(linebreak - earlier at the same time)
With Eugeo, as Kirito talked with Liena and Ronye, the young blonde and Tiese were caught in their own little world.
The redhead spoke softly as she burried her face into Eugeo's chest, "I thought I'd never see you again."
Eugeo smiled, "Well, things happened..."
Tiese nodded, "And you're a knight now, an Integrity Knight."
The blue knight nodded, "Yeah... Well, at least that means my position is more than enough to match yours, right?"
Tiese blushed, "E-eh?"
Eugeo smiled, "You remember what you told me when Alice took us away?"
The girl felt her cheeks heating up further, but nodded regardless, "Y-yes..."
The blonde nodded, "Would it be too late if I said yes now?"
If Tiese's face could get any redder, it definitely would have at this point.
The girl stared at the blonde in the eye, nervousness very much evident on her face, "R-really?!"
Eugeo nodded, "Of course."
Tiese beamed, before she blushed again, "Umm, can we, you know, kiss?"
The blonde knight blinked, before he chuckled, "Of course."
Then he proceeded to do just that, catching the redhead by surprise, before Tiese slowly melted into the kiss, and they stayed in that position for a short while.
(linebreak-now)
The supposedly romantic moment quickly ended, as Kirito spoke up, amusement evident in his voice, "Hey bro, you done kissing your new girlfriend yet?"
The pair quickly realised that they weren't alone in the room and quickly separated, their faces as red as Tiese's hair.
Eugeo blushed, glaring at the other knight in the room, "Staying silent doesn't mean you're mute, Kirito."
Kirito merely grinned, and Ronye smiled at her friend, "Good for you, Tiese."
The redhead stammered, "Umm, that's... Umm..."
Liena smiled, "Well, let's stop teasing her about this, we should probably get going, I doubt Miss Azurica would prefer us using her room for so long."
Everyone nodded, before Eugeo spoke up, "Yeah, before that, I suggest Kirito and I get changed first."
The three girls glanced at the two knights, and quickly understood. If the girls were seen walking and talking casually with two Integrity Knights, it'd raise a lot of questions and suspicion, especially considering they were nobles as well.
They nodded, and Liena said as she opened the door, "Got it, oh, and they put your stuff back in your apartment, so your clothes should still be there."
Kirito and Eugeo nodded, following the three girls out of the room, doing their best to ignore the stares they were receiving.
(linebreak)
Meanwhile, with Alice, the blonde knight was on a balcony overlooking the entrance of the academy with Azurica.
The academy instructor spoke up, "Lady Knight, if I may, what happened to have Kirito and Eugeo instated as Integrity Knights?"
Alice glanced at the woman, knowing that the woman in front of her knew more about the church than the norm, and answered carefully, "Their actions were judged to be reasonable, and our knight commander deemed them worthy to join our ranks."
Azurica nodded, "I see..."
The woman then asked, "By the way, I remember Kirito and Eugeo wanted to go to the cathedral to look for one person, would that be you?"
The thirtieth Integrity Knight blinked, "Yes, how did you know?"
Azurica smiled, "Teaching those two have taught me a lot of things, and they happened to tell me their reasons for joining the academy."
Alice nodded slowly, "I see."
The instructor studied the knight's face, before she commented, "Forgive me if I am speaking out of line, but is there anything troubling you?"
The knight blinked, "W-what?"
Azurica paused, contemplating if she should pry, before she nodded, "You seem troubled, if only a bit."
Alice closed her eyes, "It's nothing."
The instructor nodded, "I see. If there's nothing else, may I excuse myself?"
Alice glanced at her, before giving the woman a nod, allowing her to leave, leaving the knight alone, watching the students in the academy compounds.
After a short while, the blonde knight turned and left, heading to look for Kirito and Eugeo.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile, Kirito and Eugeo had changed into more simpler clothes, the same ones they had worn when they left Rulid.
Now, the brothers were with Liena, Ronye and Tiese, strolling along the streets.
As they walked, Liena spoke up, "Hey, Kirito, can we talk in private?"
The knight glanced at the woman and nodded, "Sure, of course."
Liena smiled and looked at Tiese and Eugeo, "Sorry, this will just take a while."
Tiese nodded with a knowing look, and Ronye followed the two to a more quiet area.
Kirito noticed Ronye with them and asked confusedly, "I thought we were gonna talk alone?"
Liena nodded, "Yep, and this concerns her too."
The knight glanced between the two young women and nodded, "Okay, so what did you wanna talk about?"
Ronye spoke up, albeit a bit nervously, "Umm, Kirito-senpai, you remember what I told you before you left, right?"
The man nodded, having a slight idea where this was going, and he was getting nervous, "Y-yeah?"
The taller brunette saw his face, and managed to resist the urge to laugh, "Ronye and I talked about it, and I want to be fair, Kirito."
Kirito nodded, before he asked, "Okay, but what does that mean?"
Liena smiled, "You'll date the both of us for the next few weeks, and then you'll choose."
The man blinked, he blinked again, "What?"
Ronye looked at her former mentor in the eye, "Kirito-senpai, we both like you, and I... We don't want to regret anything."
Kirito stared at his former Valet, before looking at his former mentor, "Are you sure?"
Liena nodded, something mirrored by Ronye.
The knight let out a breath, scratching the back of his head, "Alright..."
Liena and Ronye both smiled, before they glanced at each other determinedly.
Kirito shook his head exasperatedly, before he spoke, "Alright, let's go. Eugeo and Tiese are waiting."
The two girls nodded, the tension between them lightening up almost immediately, something Kirito didn't bother to question for the sake of his sanity.
The three then walked back to meet up with Tiese and Eugeo, before they spotted Alice walking to them, her presence garnering attention from all around her.
Eugeo smiled forcefully, "Hey, Alice, you think you should put your armor away?"
The blonde blinked, before she noticed the stares and whispers around them, nothing she wasn't used to, but she still nodded, "Of course."
In the blink of an eye, her armor vanished, revealing Alice in a normal blouse.
Kirito blinked, "Woah, how did you?"
Alice smiled proudly, "When you study sacred arts for your entire life, changing your clothes is but child's play."
The two young men nodded, while the three other girls just decided that it was an Integrity Knight thing.
Before they could continue however, they were interrupted by a loud growl.
Everyone glanced at Kirito, and he chuckled shamelessly, "I didn't eat breakfast... much."
Liena, Alice and Ronye all sighed at the same time, "Let's get lunch then."
The three girls looked at each other, before they laughed. Alice smiled, "I have a feeling we're gonna get along just fine."
Liena and Ronye both smiled, forgetting the fact that Alice was an Integrity Knight.
(linebreak)
A short moment later, the group were having lunch at a nearby restaurant, more importantly, with Yuuki and everyone else.
As they ate, Tecchi exclaimed, "Seriously, of all things, the two of you became Integrity Knights. How is that even possible?!"
Nori chuckled, taking a bite of her food, "You forget that word doesn't apply to Kirito and Eugeo."
Siune nodded, glancing at Alice, "But to be honest, I never thought we'd be eating lunch with an Integrity Knight..."
Alice smiled slightly, "Please treat as you would a normal person, I'm not here as an Integrity Knight, just following Kirito and Eugeo to visit their friends."
Sumeragi smirked, "Of course, still cannot believe how the two of them will fit in with your knights."
The thirtieth Integrity Knight smiled, "Oh they're fitting in pretty well."
Talken spoke up, albeit a bit nervously, "Umm, if its okay, can you tell us why they could become Integrity Knights? I thought you were all created by the goddess Quinella."
Alice's smile dropped a bit, "The part about us knights is classified, but about Kirito and Eugeo, let's just say our knight commander saw potential in them and decided to convince Lady Quinella to knight them."
The people all nodded in understanding.
Kirito grinned, "Well, we're just awesome like that."
Eugeo smiled and nodded in agreement.
Alice huffed playfully, "More like the commander took pity on your cases and decided it'd be a waste of space to put you in prison."
Everyone laughed as Kirito and Eugeo both deadpanned at her, who just smiled innocently.
After that, the whole group continued their lunch, catching up with Kirito and Eugeo most of the time.
(linebreak)
After lunch, Alice, Kirito and Eugeo were planning to leave Centoria to visit the village of Rulid.
Now, as the trio of knights, along with the group, were heading back to the academy to retrieve their dragons.
As they walked, Alice thought about what Nero had told her. She admitted it, she loved Kirito, and she wanted him. At the same time, she didn't want to hurt Liena or Ronye, not after actually meeting them.
The girl glanced at the two girls again, and she made her decision.
As they entered the academy compound, Alice spoke up, "Hey, Kirito, do you mind if Liena, Ronye and I talk, in private?"
Kirito glanced at the blonde knight before looking at Liena and Ronye, "Umm, sure, why not, if you two are okay with it?"
Liena and Ronye glanced at each other, before the former shrugged, "Sure."
Alice nodded, "This'll only take a minute."
The female knight looked at Liena and Ronye, "Is there an empty room available?"
The youngest swordswoman nodded, "Yes, follow me."
The two older women followed the shorter brunette, until they reached a small room.
Liena glanced at Alice, "So, Lady Alice, what did you want to talk about?"
Alice smiled softly, "Please, just call me Alice."
The two brunettes nodded, before the blonde spoke again, looking out the window at the trees surrounding the academy, "I want to talk about Kirito."
Liena raised an eyebrow, "What about him? He's not in trouble, right?"
Alice chuckled softly, "Nothing like that. The two of you, you like him, right?"
The question caught them off guard slightly, but they both nodded, albeit Ronye slower than Liena.
After a short silence, Ronye asked, "Yes, why, may I ask?"
The next words that came out of Alice's mouth surprised the two girls.
"Because I love him too."
Alice looked at the two girls, her mask of the thirtieth Integrity Knight instantly coming up, perfectly masking the nervousness she was feeling.
Ronye looked at the blonde knight, unsure what to say, and also scared that she might offend the Integrity Knight.
Liena, on the other hand, merely looked at Alice with indifference, "And? You're not gonna use your authority to order us to stay away from him, are you?"
Alice blinked, before she smiled, shaking her head, "No, he cares for the two of you a lot, I can't do that."
The knight took a breath, "Kirito is an Integrity Knight, and there isn't a rule that forbids him from having multiple lovers."
Ronye blinked, before she said slowly, "So... You're telling us...that you want us to share Kirito-senpai?"
Alice nodded, "Yes, its ridiculous, but its an option."
Liena stared at the knight blankly, before she sighed, "That's... something I need to think about..."
The taller brunette looked at Ronye, "What do you think about this?"
The youngest girl of the three blushed slightly, "Umm, I don't think its a bad idea... I mean, no one will get left out like this, right?"
Liena considered the idea again, "True... But, Alice, are you sure you want to share Kirito, with us?"
Alice nodded, "Yes, I wouldn't have brought it up if I wasn't."
Ronye glanced between the two older girls and said softly, "If you two are okay with it, I don't mind trying..."
The taller brunette furrowed her brows, "This is a lot to take in... I need to think it over."
The Integrity Knight nodded, "I understand, I'll come back here in a week, is that fine?"
Liena nodded, glancing at Ronye, "That's fine with you, right?"
The shorter brunette smiled softly and nodded, "Take your time, Liena-senpai."
Liena nodded, and Alice looked at them, "Alright, we should get back."
The two girls nodded, and they followed the Integrity Knight out of the room, to the small grasslands where Amayori, Kurogane and Aogiri were patiently waiting.
Upon seeing the dragons, Nori snapped her heads at Kirito and Eugeo, "You have dragons?!"
Eugeo smiled, "Yep."
Kirito grinned, nodding, "All Integrity Knights have one."
Liena glanced at Kurogane, the dragon staring at her and Ronye, before approaching the both of them.
The two brunettes glanced at Kirito, who only nodded, and they both reached out to the dragon.
Kurogane stared at their palms passively, before he gently nuzzled his snout into their palms, letting a small grunt.
Aogiri on the other hand, stared at Tiese, and blew a stream of smoke from her nostrils, colouring the redhead's face with black.
Eugeo chuckled at the Tiese's dumbfounded face, something shared by the dragon and everyone else.
Alice smiled as the others swarmed around Kurogane and Aogiri, and Amayori nuzzled it's face into the blonde's side.
The knight smiled, petting her partner's head, "Let them be, it's not everyday people get to see dragons up close."
After a short while, Kirito, Eugeo and Alice mounted their dragons.
Kirito looked at Liena and Ronye, smiling, "I'll be back in a few days."
Liena and Ronye nodded, and Alice gave the two brunettes a knowing nod.
As for Eugeo, the blonde smiled at Tiese, "Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it."
The redhead smiled, "You better..."
Eugeo merely smiled again, before the three knights took flight, leaving everyone else on the plains.
As the three knights ascended into the air, Kirito looked down at his friends again, before he looked at Alice and Eugeo, "Alright, now to Rulid, right?"
The two blondes nodded, and they shot towards the village.
(linebreak)
After a short flight, the three childhood friends reached the village.
The three shared a nod, and they landed right in the middle of the village square, immediately gaining the attention of all the villagers.
Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and gathered around the three Integrity Knights.
In less than a minute, Gasupht arrived, and he immediately spoke out respectively, "Lord Knights, may I ask what brings you here?"
Thanks to the size of the dragons, the villagers couldn't really see the knights' faces, and they were all surprised to hear a very familiar voice as the knights jumped down, "Hey, old man."
The chief gaped, speechless as he took in the sight of the three knights in front of him.
Alice let out a small smile, "Its been a long time, daddy, mommy."
Sadina was the first to recover from her shock, and she spoke, "A-Alice, Kirito, Eugeo?! Y-you're Integrity Knights?"
The blonde nodded, "Yes, many things happened, and Kirito, Eugeo and I are all Integrity Knights."
Selka walked to stand in front of the three Integrity Knights, silent.
Then, the young girl embraced the three knights, holding them in a tight hug.
Alice's eyes softened, and she looked up at everyone else, her persona as an Integraty Knight coming up, "There's nothing important that concerns all of you, we're just here to visit. Return to whatever you were doing if you wish."
The villagers would've been surprised by her rather serious tone, very different from what the villagers remembered, at least, the ones that knew her from her childhood, but the sight of the three Integrity Knights being held by a much smaller girl had helped them get over their shock.
Slowly, the villagers returned to their positions, leaving Gasupht, Sadina and Selka with the three knights.
Gasupht stared at the three, not really knowing what to say.
Sadina, on the other hand, merely smiled, "Come, let's talk more at home, okay?"
Alice looked at her mother, and she nodded with a smile, caressing Selka's head who still had the three of them in a hug, "Of course."
(linebreak)
After letting the dragons leave to do their own thing, Kirito, Eugeo and Alice followed Gasupht back to their house.
Upon entering the house, the three discarded their armor, placing them by the walls as they sat down, just as they would many years ago.
Selka and Gasupht sat down opposite of the three knights, while Sadina headed to the kitchen, "I'll go get some snacks, kay?"
No one objected, and Selka spoke up, "So, you're all Integrity Knights?"
Kirito grinned, "Yep, you know we went to Centoria for the academy, right? One thing led to another, and we're all Integrity Knights now."
Gasupht sighed, "I see... That's quite a bit to take in."
Eugeo smiled, "Please, we aren't any different from when we were kids."
Alice nodded, "Yep."
The elder man let out a breath, "So, what happened after that day?"
Gasupht looked at his long lost daughter at that question, right as Sadina came back into the living room with a tray of cookies.
Alice nodded, "After I was taken to the cathedral, the knight commander, Bercouli Synthesis One, found me, and decided to take me under his wing. So for the past few years, I've been serving as an Integrity Knight, but I just didn't have the chance to visit, until Kirito and Eugeo attended the academy. "
Gasupht nodded slowly, taking in the information.
Sadina on the other hand, merely smiled, "Then we owe the Integrity Knight Commander a huge debt now, don't we?"
Gasupht nodded, "Yeah, if he didn't take Alice in..."
Alice smiled, "Well, the commander won't probably care much."
Selka spoke up, "So, will you be going away again?"
Eugeo smiled softly and nodded, "Yeah, we still have our duties after all. But we'll definitely come back to visit again."
Kirito grinned, "Hey, who knows, we might just get assigned to guard the border near the icy caves nearby."
Gasupht considered the idea, before he shook his head, "No, I think its better if you were all assigned to better posts. It wouldn't do you any good if we tied you down here after all."
Sadina chuckled as she took a bite from a cookie, "Well, I think its better for them to do what they want, regardless of what they are. Besides, we have no authority over them anymore."
The three knights just smiled lightly at that, not commenting on her statement.
The woman then asked again, "So, will you be staying for dinner?"
(linebreak)
After chatting with Alice's family, bringing Selka on a ride on Amayori, Kurogane and Aogiri, visiting the icy cave with Selka, walking around the village, and having dinner with Alice's family, the three knights returned to the Cathedral.
As they landed on the platform, Kirito spotted Emiya waiting for them.
The white haired man glanced at the three with acknowledgement, before he spoke, "Good, you're back. Everyone's waiting for you."
Alice raised an eyebrow, "Did something happen?"
Emiya nodded, "Yeah, and Lady Quinella and Lady Cardinal are about to announce it, we're just waiting for you three to come back."
Kirito nodded, "Got it, let's go then."
Eugeo nodded in agreement, something shared by Alice as well.
The three quickly dismounted their dragons, allowing them to return to their den, before following the white haired archer to the training hall.
Upon entering the training area, Kirito quickly noticed that all the Integrity Knights were gathered, waiting for them, while Quinella and Cardinal were standing in front of them.
The silver haired goddess quickly noticed the four entering the hall, something shared by most of the other knights.
Cardinal nodded, right as Kirito, Eugeo, Alice and Emiya went to stand in front of them, "Good, everyone's here."
The aspect of wisdom looked at her sister, and they shared a nod, before Quinella spoke, "As of two hours ago, Cardinal and I detected two pulses of energy."
The aspect of life and creation's gaze turned serious, focusing on Kirito as she spoke her next words, "The Dark God Vector has awakened, and the path to the sister world to our own, the Elemental Nations, is now open."
XXX
DONE. So that is the 72th chapter. We are now officially entering the final stages of the Underworld arc, and by extension, the last part of the story.
Although I say the final part of it, it will probably still be a while until the story ends, so look forward to the next chapters.
So yeah, review please, and I'll see y'all next time.
