Amayodie was flying above Rulid and Alice was looking down at what was happening, she saw some people crowded in the village square and others trying to defend themselves and the entrance of the village. As Amayodie circled around the village from above Alice finally saw who was attacking Rulid, "Goblins," she said with disgust at the ugly green monsters of the Dark Territory that invaded the Human Empire she could also see some Orc piggies with them. Alice saw that the villagers were not fleeing south, "Why don't they head south where it is clear?" She asked herself, "Alice are we heading down there?" Eugeo asked, the blond knight nodded, Alice got up from her spot the boys followed. "Amayodie stay here," Alice said as she and the boys jumped down from the dragon.
*In the village square*
"If the enemy branches our defenses we are the only ones left who can hold them back." The Elder said, "You hear that stand your ground!" Barbosa cried then they heard a crash when they turned around they saw 3 figures one being, Alice the last person they wanted to see everyone gasped well except for Selka. "Alice?" she questioned a little confused on why Alice was there, "You must evacuate at once!" Alice ordered, "We can just leave my mansion, this village is our home, and it's our job to defend it." Barbosa argued, "What is more precious: your belongings or your lives?" questioned Eugeo as he stood by Alice's side, "He's right we must stay. That is what Zink our man at arms ordered, and we can't go against him even I the village elder must obey him." the elder said sadly, "They're right father," said a voice, everyone looked to see Selka walking to the front of the group. "Selka," Alice said, "Our lives are more important than our things since they can be rebuilt." Selka said, "You're just a child, what would you know so if I were you I would mind my words." Barbosa yelled in Salka's face, then everyone felt a powerful aura coming from where Eugeo was.
Everyone looked to see Alice looking like she was about to hurt someone for talking to her sister like that, Barbosa looked as if he was going to wet himself and there was sweat on his face as he looked into Alice's eye. "Oh I get it this was your doing, they wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you Alice! Back when you were a child and you trespassed onto their land you're a witch!" Barbosa yelled, "I am a knight and I revoke the man at arms order!" Alice said, "You can't be a knight, there's no calling for that here, what if a knight from Centoria heard this?!" Kirito rolled his eyes as he looked at the chubby man in front of Alice. 'He's so skewed!' Kirito said to himself as he knew that things were about to go down.
Alice grabbed her cloak and threw it away and she grabbed her sword before putting it into the ground, "I am one of the 3 knights that oversee Centoria, an Integrity Knight Alice Synthesis Thirty." Everyone gasped they were not expecting that at all, "Why didn't you tell me?" Selka asked as she walked closer to Alice, "To be honest I was afraid to, you see the knighthood is not only my duty but also my punishment." Alice said sadly, then she ordered. "You should all evacuate to the south road me those baring weapons will take the lead me and these two boys will take care of the invaders." Barbosa was not happy even when he found out that Alice was a knight but before he could do anything the Elder fell to his knees then spoke. "I shall do as the lady knight commands." He says before getting up and looking at the rest of the villagers. "Everyone will evacuate to the south gate at once those of you bearing weapons shall take the lead and once everyone is there head a little further south of the clearing!" He ordered then the villagers started to head to find the wounded, the elderly, and other people so that everyone could get to the south gate.
'Alice I knew you weren't a sinner.' Selka thought, "Keep them safe father, Selka, and mother." Alice said the Elder nodded, "Yes my lady you be safe as well." Alice smiled before looking to the sky calling the name. "AMAYODIE!" then a roar was heard in the distance Alice and the boys went for the entrance.
Goblins and Orcs made their way to the entrance of the village not knowing what was coming, as they approached all they saw at first was the defense force of the village. "Kill them, kill them all!" One Goblin said before an order was heard, "BURN THEM!'' The next thing those creeps knew, a beam of burning blue and white beam came from a dragon who happened to be Amayodie, Alice's dragon. "Alice has a dragon?" Selka asked herself before she followed her father to the south gate.
At the entrance, the worriers were trying their best to keep the goblins back but the ugly things got through the barricade. "Fall back retreat!" Zink ordered but as he looked back a goblins sword was heading right for him only to be caught by Alice. "What are you doing here?" He asked, "No time get out of here." Zink nodded and went to join the others, Alice turned her attention back to the goblin in front of her, Alice crushed the sword by making her hand into a fist.
The Goblin stepped back when Alice did that, and the boys decided to have some fun with their swords by taking out some idiots. Kirito drew his sword and said, "Enhance Armament!" Kirito's sword grew as it activated the memory within and he swung it taking out a good amount of the ugly green dudes and the piggies. Eugeo went next, "Enhance Armament!" Eugeo said as he stuck his sword into the ground and he activated the memory of his sword and he froze some of them as well so that Alice could step in. Alice could feel that they were getting closer so she took off her eye patch then she opened her eye, even though it looked red she had her right eye back. 'I am alright now, I need to fight for the ones I love and for this world that Kirito and Eugeo worked so hard to protect and save from the Pontifex.' Alice thought then she used incarnation to get the redness out of her eye.
Alice drew her sword and said, "Halt do not come any further, My name is Alice I'm an Integrity Knight Alice Synthesis Thirty! As long as I live I will not let any of you destroy this world!" Alice said then she held up her sword to the sky and said, "Enhance Armament!" When she released the memory of her sword the blade turned into thousands of tiny flowers that she made go super sharp. "Attack my flowers!" Alice said as she brought down the handle of her sword and watched as the flowers attacked the Goblins and Orcs she was even able to take out the leader who was leading that raid.
Once Alice did enough damage to the invading army she called back the flowers and they reformed her blade, she then said. "Hear me, you have a choice: either step forward and drown in your blood or retreat to your land of darkness." The enemy decided to play it safe so they went back in the direction of their homeland. Alice, Eugeo, and Kirito let out a sigh of relief that they saved Rulid. Amayodie saw that everything was ok that she let out a happy roar, Amayodie flew lower so that Alice and the boys could get on and they could head back to the cabin.
Selka watched the sky for any signs of Alice and her dragon, she was starting to get worried for her sister's safety. Then she heard a roar in the distance and she saw Amayodie coming closer to them, "She did it!" Selka cried happily, and the crowd cheered since their village was safe again.
*The next day*
In a clearing on the outskirts of Rulid, Amayodie was laying in the grass back in her integrity knight gear. Eugeo and Kirito were loading up their belongings while Alice was talking to Selka who came to see them off. "Father wanted to come to see you off but with repairs being done," Selka said, feeling a little sad that her father couldn't come but Alice shook her head. "No, it's ok Selka, after this is all over I will come back but not as a knight but as Alice Zuberg then maybe I can say I have come home, father." Selka nodded and she watched as Alice got on her dragon with the boys following behind, Alice hit the Raines and got Amayodie into the sky as they were flying away Selka ran after them waving. Alice looked back and waved at her sister then they were out of sight yet no one noticed Kirito daydreaming about his beloved Asuna. 'I will find my way back to her or maybe she can come to me. I miss her. I hate being away from her, she is my everything and I hope that I can see her again.' Kirito thought as he kept recalling all the fun times he had with Asuna.
*Real world; Ocean Turtle: 7/6/26: During the attack:*
Without anyone knowing a black submarine pulled up to the submarine deck and the door opened and men started flooding out, these men rushed into the facility armed and ready to attack anyone in their way. They reached the man control room and one of them started firing at the RATH staff that was inside. As the attack was happening RATH staff that weren't helping protect the control room were being evacuated to the bale block while Higa was locking down the system so that he and the team inside could get to the upper shaft with the rest of the staff but before that could happen, 2 of the men headed to the electrical room where the power was. Once they were in the 2nd man went straight for the main power, by that time the RATH staff was already in the sub control room.
"Where is everyone?" one of the men asked, "Hiding duh." said a cocky blond who was sitting in front of the computer, "Locate them," the leader said, then the cocky blond started to work while the rest of the team ether guarded the entrance to the control room or waiting for the leader's orders. "I found them, they're in the sub control room." He said with a smirk.
*Sub control room: After the attack*
Higa was sitting at the computer and was logging into the system once he was in Asuna went into overprotective girlfriend mode. She walked forward and she grabbed Kekouka by the top of his robe and she pulled him down so that she could look into his eyes and he could see that she was not happy. "You better pray that Kirito wakes up again because if not I swear that I am going to make you pay for everything that you have put him through!" As Asuna was saying this she was tightening her grip on Kekouka's robe.
"We're doing everything we can to save him. I promise we will return him to you," Kekouka said then Asuna let go of him since she was feeling a little dizzy, Asuna stepped backward and bumped into Renko. "Asuna you need to stay calm you will get him back but this is not the way to do it." She said Asuna looked back at her and nodded, "Yeah I'm sorry about losing it, I just miss him is all, and I was there when he was attacked. All I want is to be with him again," Once Asuna was calm again, Kekouka walked over and sat down. Then the door to the control room opened and Nakanishi walked in, "Sir, they cut the main power so we are on the generators now, we have stable power throughout the ship, also all non combat personnel have been evacuated to the bale block." He informed, "That's good, how is everyone please tell me there ok?" Kekouka asked, "They're all ok some of them did get injured but they're minor yet a few major injuries nothing life threatening though, the ones who were hurt in the attack are being treated as we speak." He said Kekouka nodded, "How long will the bulkheads hold?" That was a question everyone had running through their heads well everyone but Asuna she was just wanting her man to be ok.
"If they have saws 8 hours, only a few minutes if they have explosives," Nakanishi replied, "But they won't go there not on the primary bulk head." Kekouka nodded then said, "It's too close to the light cube cluster, well they have main con, one of the STL rooms along with the nuclear reactor." That only made Asuna worry more, "Higa who are they?" Kekouka asked, "Well let's look and see," Higa said as he typed on the keyboard and he brought up a security camera shot of the men who raided them.
"Judging by their gear I'd say they were murks but by their average size they're definitely not Asian." Higa said, "Well at least we're not being raided by our own special forces, there not here to threaten us," Kekouka said as he looked at the monitor, "Well it's only a matter of time before the Asahi comes with back up then it's game over of those creeps game over." Higa said proudly but one thing was still running through Kekouka's head: where was the ship?
"We don't know if we're playing the game or being played, we're here, where's the Asahi?" While that conversation was going on Asuna was having thoughts about why she was never allowed to dive in and see Kirito. "Waiting sir the crew piloting Nokoska ordered her to keep her distance. They think that we have been taken hostage and are waiting for the attackers to make their demands," Nakanishi said, pulling the chestnut haired girl out of her thoughts. "But whoever these people are they know about Project Alicization." Kekouka said, "The idiots, they got us good," Nakanishi said, clenching his fist, "Once again it's all up to Kirito, once he gets Alice to the altar he can eject her to this control room through that hatch." Kekouka said as he pointed to the hatch on the panel.
"Higa, how is he?" Higa had a huge smile on his face, "He is doing a lot better than when we put him in there." Higa said as he typed on the computer to pull up Kirito's Fluctlight. "His neural network is healing but he's not fully healed yet it seems like he is waiting for someone special to him, to enter the underworld so that he can be ok, but other than that Kirito is doing rather well," Higa said, Kekouka let out a sigh of relief that Kirito was not hurt in that attack when the surge happened.
Asuna smiled since she found out that her beloved was doing better and then it hit her, he was waiting for her. Kirito wanted to see her and she was way too happy that she walked away from the control room so that she could be with Kirito in the STL room. When she entered Asuna went straight to Kirito's side, Asuna held his hand in hers. She looked at him and wished that she could see his face, 'I know you are waiting for me my love, I will make them send me since I am someone special to you.' Asuna thought, then she lifted his hand and she held it close to her heart before putting it back down and looking at the STL across the room and she tightened her grip on Kirito's hand. Asuna looks down at the ring on her finger, it was a gift from Kirito that he gave her after the Ordinal Scale incident. 'Hang in there my love I'm coming.' Asuna thought before looking at him again with a small smile on her face.