"For Lievre alone, I'd make you suffer, but for all the pain you and PoH have caused today, I'll make sure you get close to what you want, what you desire, what you dream, to reach out for her soul," I raise my sword as all seven stones within it start to glow, "and never reach the truth!" I look down towards Alice, saying nothing but my eyes say all that needs to be said. Bercouli's dying wish, Eydis' parting favor, and my ultimate goal here… I will not let Subtilizer stop me here.

I then glare back at Subtilizer and charge the one-armed man. He raises his hand again, shooting black lighting at me. I parry each bolt and hold my shield up as one comes from above, descending me a few meters towards the ground. After holding off the strike I morph the shield into the UFG, firing the plasma hook towards Subtilizer. He telekinetically holds it away from him and pushes it back with an annoying smirk. I attempt to wipe it off with another swing of the UFG's hook, this time with a metallic beam connected to it. but he dodges by moving that four-eyed bat of his backward. Damn that thing.

I fly back up, dodging more dark energy projectiles, and let my left fingertips glow. "Aerial Element. Cryogenic Element. Fusion Element." I project freezing airblades towards Subtilizer as I chase after him, striking the bat and causing it to freak out. Subtilizer stays on, but it's all I need to make it to his front and punch him. "That one's for Lievre." As Subtilizer stumbles, I sheathe Falchion and grab him from behind, wrapping my right elbows around him for a headlock, similar to the position he once had on Sinon. "This is for Kureha and Sinon, and you can fall the same way." Subtilizer struggles to get out of it, and I feel him starting to slip as I apply more and more pressure until a piercing pain erupts from my left leg. In shock, I release the hold and get kicked in the gut. As I nearly roll off the bat, I remove the dark object in my thigh and glare at Subtilizer, who is catching his breath.

"Fight as hard as you want, but you won't stop me." Dark tendrils reach out to me, wrapping around my arms and neck. I struggle in their hold as Subtilizer approaches, replacing his missing limb with an extension of the tendril. The next thing I consciously know is that my body feels like a swarm of bullies had beaten me down, not the one man in front of me, nor do I remember him touching me. That's when I remember his power can cause one to lose themselves momentarily, and he did it just so I'll feel everything all at once.

"Arggghhhh!" I crunch up as I'm dropped by tendrils, still on the bat's back. Subtilizer quietly paces back, drawing his sword and silently taunting me. The nerve of him… "I'm...not done yet…"

"I know." Another tendril wraps around my wrist and throws me towards the ground. As I land on earth and to more excruciating pain, I barely escape Subtilizer's attack to split me in two. Rolling up to my feet, I see my enemy has finally decided to put his feet back on the ground. Here, however, I have the advantage. I stomp the ground, producing a crystalline javelin by Subtilizer that almost pierces his throat. I run and leap off the javelin, change the UFG back to Medina's gifted shield, and take on Subtilizer in sword combat.

With our hands, he's superior, and he bested me in bladed combat in GGO. But this is the Underworld. I created this world, lived in it, and warred in it far longer. I know how it works, and I know I can win. And now that I have both a sword and shield, I'm far more comfortable in this fight than I was in previous duels. Subtilizer quickly learns that my shield is just as dangerous as Falchion when used offensive as he nearly loses his head twice when I swung it in tandem with the sword. Twirling my sword back, I place the blade on top of the shield and step forward, thrusting low but accidentally getting it caught underneath Subtilizer's armpit. I pivot on my heel and bash Subtilizer in the face, regaining my sword and my previous stance.

He licks the blood on his lips and swallows. Yeah, that's just a taste of what he'll be getting.

He charges his sword with power and I follow suit. Explosions bombard our ears, dust clouds our sight and settle on our faces, but it doesn't stop our swords from finding each other. In a swing Subtilizer forces me out of the debris cloud and charges his sword again, channeling electricity from it to me. I throw my hand out and yell "Thoron," pouring all of my might into sending my electric attack against his. The power between both attacks collects and implodes, throwing us both back with great force.

Subtilizer gets up, looking almost unscathed. I try to do the same, but then my body grows heavy and drops down. I haven't had time to rest since we began fighting this morning, right before the red soldiers appeared. As Subtilizer approaches, I try to conjure Thermal arrows, but before I can mentally invoke the spell words, the power dies out, and now I realize what just happened to me. Alfheim, the Incarnation that allows me to perform the formal arts without consuming resources, has reached its limit. As I desperately try something, anything, lightning flies toward me, and I use my remaining strength to hold my shield against it, ignoring the streaks that bypass it and make contact with my skin. But I know I won't hold out for long...

Medina

Medina breathes heavily as she desperately holds herself on the Mirage Blade. She doesn't know how much longer she can last, but she's still giving it her all. She doesn't know what's driving her. Her honor as the ninth head of Orthinanos? Her life as an inhabitant of the Underworld? No, there's something deeper than that...it is the endless will to fight he once demonstrated on her behalf. Jaymes almost gave his life once for Medina and the Underworld, a price she once paid to aid him, and a price she'll pay again.

Something irks her mind though, and it has the feeling she felt back on the top floor of the Central Cathedral. But it is not her soul resonating with her ancestors...it feels like it's Jaymes, and he's in pain. He cannot fall now, wherever he is struggling, not while she has fought with Leafa against an endless army. That's not the Jaymes she knows, not the one who fought and killed Hersyrian and Administrator. And if it can lend any aid, she points the Mirage Blade to the south, watching the green gem glow again. "Jaymes… If there are allies here that hold strong connections with you, let them join Scarlet and aid you now!"

Eydis

Something feels wrong. Well, that's nothing new to Eydis, she's had bad feeling after bad feeling all day, but something personally feels wrong. It's almost as if...Jaymes is in trouble, and if he's in trouble, that means Alice is as well. Yet there's nothing she can do about it. She's at the Eastern Gate, he's...far away, and even if she called Kirimai to fly her to him, that'll take more hours. If only she could reach him…

Incarnation. In the Underworld, there's no greater power than one's willpower, and she summons the willpower to join Jaymes. It may not be a physical joining, but if she can reach out to him and spur him on, she must try, for his sake, for Alice's sake, and the Underworld's. "Jaymes…"

Sinon

"Joshua…" Sinon turns her head to her left, looking in the direction both he and Subtilizer left. He must have finally caught up to the villain, but from what she senses, he's losing the fight horribly. If only she hadn't exhausted herself as she did, she could have aided him more.

She looks down at her treasured Hecate II. It was gained from a new boss in a dungeon with a low spawn rate that a "friend" of Sinon's told her about, and coincidentally, Jaymes was with her at the time. She was interested upon hearing the best drop was a powerful sniper rifle, so of course she had to get her hands on it. He accepted her offer to back her up, and together, tough as the fight was, they took the beast down and Sinon got the drop.

"Sinon, you are strong." She heard it from the "friend" many times before, but when Jaymes told her that, somehow it felt like he truly meant it more than anyone. And in the following months, from the third BoB and Itsuki incident to now, he's believed in her strength. As she told him back then, ever since they met, he's had her back and supported her.

Now she wishes to support and have his back fully, not just as Sinon, his trusted sniper, but as Shino Asada, a girl who secretly fell for a boy. "Fight, Joshua, fight!"

Kureha

"Master… Master!" Kureha nearly jumps out her skin as Rei suddenly stands up and stares off to the south. She looks in the direction for any sign of Jaymes, but he's nowhere to be found. Eyes back on Rei, she reviews the tone of the Arfa-Sys. She wasn't excited...that was fear and worry, a tone Rei hasn't taken with Jaymes since their fight against The GM.

"Rei…"

"Master, he's in trouble… I have to go to him!"

"Rei! Stop it!" Kureha grabs the Arfa-Sys and holds her back. Rei tries to fight against Kureha, a first in her own right. Is Jaymes in that much trouble that even Rei, who usually follows Kureha's orders, ignores her? Furthermore, has Kirito, Koharu, and Asuna not reached him yet?

"Let me go!"

She turns the AI girl around and hugs her tightly. "Rei, calm down, you can't help him… Even if you could, you know he wouldn't want you to come into danger."

Zeliska comes behind Rei and joins the hug. "There's nothing we can do for him here, but he's your Master, our leader. Whatever he is going through, he can overcome."

"But what if he can't?"

"He can," Itsuki says as he places a hand on Rei's shoulder while looking to the southern horizon. "He's the hero, and heroes do not and can not lose to evil. All we need to do is have hope in him, and he'll feel us cheering him on. Until Kirito and the girls make it to him, we'll have to cheer him on. Remember Crimson Squad's motto, meaningless as the words are. What are they, Rei?"

She sniffs. "High thrills, high risk, heartless game." Kureha nods and looks up to the sky. She doesn't know what is going on, but she can only spur her captain, her first and best friend, and her first love on forward from where she stands.

Lisbeth

Lisbeth, as much as anyone else, heard Rei's cries for Jaymes. It makes her more worried than she was before coming here, and until the trio left earlier, she had mostly forgotten about him. Now hearing his AI and squad, she cannot help but wish she could help him. She tightens her grip on her mace and lets a tear fall as she glances up at the sky.

"Liz." She turns to Rain, who holds her hand out.

"Rain?"

"I… I want to cheer him on as well. To give him the same encouragement he gave me to become an idol, to meet my sister again, and to live in SAO. He's done so much for us, so I want him to know that we're here and have his back."

"Me too," Strea says. "I want him to know that I want to hug him forever because he's to me what Kirito and Asuna are to Yui. Someone I love and cherish, someone who takes me on adventures, and like you and everyone else, he's my family."

Lisbeth drops her head and looks off to the side. "Love, huh? How easy it is for you to say that, Strea."

"But she isn't far from the truth. He has to win." Lisbeth and the other two girls look up in shock to Sanya, who takes Strea's free hand. Did she, of all people… "Yeah yeah, but I'm doing this for Koharu, and paying him back for what he did in SAO. It'd be embarrassing to say I know the Crimson Warrior, fought with him as a party member for a while, and he loses now."

Rain chuckles. "That's not how you really feel, Sanya. Try being honest for once."

"...He better not lose or I'll unfriend him forever."

"Better… Lisbeth?"

"That's right," Klein shouts to the skies, holding hands with Silica and Agil, "we came all this way to save Kirito, and he's already stolen my glory! Don't let him steal yours!"

"Protect Alice a little longer!"

"Don't give up, not when we just got Kirito back!" Even the Underworlders have done the same, holding hands and shouting as they look south, calling for the "Hero-King". Lisbeth sighs and relents, taking Rain's hand...and her other, shockingly filled by Philia.

"Philia?"

"He won't fight unless you say something, Rika. He's your knight in armor too, is he not?" Philia turns and chants, "Please hold on. Kirito, Asuna, and Koharu, they're coming to you. But if you're the Jaymes I love...then be the Crimson Warrior I fell for and fight!"

Lisbeth looks to the horizon. She can't confess any more than she has in the last two years, but Philia's right. He's her red knight who has never given up the fight. "Keep fighting...Joshua…"

Jaymes

"Master! You can do it!"

"Master Jaymes, Master Kirito is coming!"

"Are you going to let Koharu rescue you now? That's not you, so get up!"

"Joshua...fight!"

Voices...all these voices filling my head...is this...everyone? They're telling me to get up, to keep fighting, but I can't… I can't hold on. I can hear my shield beginning to crack as Subtilizer's power increases. Once it shatters… I can't…

"Jaymes… I left everything to you, and years later, I know you can do it." D...Diavel?

"You promised me you'll watch over the little one. It's not like you to forget such things." Bercouli?

"You have to keep going. That is what you once taught me, old friend." Matthew? I try to ponder on what is going on just as the load on my shield-arm gets lighter. I haven't gotten stronger, and no one is coming. I can't even fight the guy who caused Kureha, Rei, and Crimson Squad so much trouble. I... I frown as I see a faint black and red arm help me hold the shield against Subtilizer's lightning. I look up, my jaw slacking momentarily. "Rei?"

"You can do this, Master!" Still unsure how she's here, my surprise grows as Subtilizer ceases the lightning attack. That comes with the faint form of a girl with pink hair and a pink and white soldier's outfit landing in front of me, along with other males and females surrounding us. Twelve of the fifteen members of Crimson Squad, eyes drawn to our adversary. I don't know how, but I have a feeling it is the result of this red aura around me, not the one that surrounded me earlier. Only one person I know can enable this, and I'll have to thank her later for the assist.

But I turn my attention now to the girl standing in front of me. "This is the third time you've come to save me, right, Momiji?"

"I can't take responsibility for this part, nor the entire thing as a whole, but...since we're keeping count, yeah, it is, Joshua. And can you explain why that bastard is here?"

I groan as I stand up and by Kureha. "He's with the terrorists, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Crimson, that is indeed Subtilizer, winner of last month's BoB, but he is also the one we've searched for. He's Lievre's Master."

"Oh, this makes me jealous we're so far apart. I'd love to get a piece of him...but that is the job of our captain, isn't it?" She faces me and smiles. "What happened to that crybaby I was bestfriends with? The little rich boy who would crawl into my bed and hog almost half of it? The spoiled brat I had a huge crush on?"

"I don't remember it that way. I do remember a possessive little girl with a mean temper who I liked for some reason...but I haven't gone anywhere, Momiji, neither have you. We've always been there for each other...so can I ask that of you for a moment longer?"

"Mhm. Not just me, but all of Crimson Squad, your pals in Integral Factor, Lisbeth and the others, your people in Underworld… Asuna, Koharu, and Kirito. We're all behind you, pushing you forward. So as your vice-captain, your friend, and all that we are to each other... Here are your orders: Give him hell for a moment longer. Enjoy the high thrill, take only the highest risks, and fight this heartless game."

I nod as I look down at Vindica. "Release Recollection!" Yellow restorative light surrounds my body and weaponry. But while Vindica can restore my vitality and the durability of my equipment, nothing can be done about the lack of sacred power. Yet I sense just a little more in Falchion...maybe just enough to do a secret art. "Thank you, Momiji… Everyone." I grip Falchion and Vindica and lock my eyes on Subtilizer's blank, half-burned face. Oh, it pisses me off that he doesn't show a little annoyance.

"Did you see them, Subtilizer? Those are the people who you've hurt in GGO and Underworld. I'm not going to fail them. I won't fail those who care about me. These voices in my head, those standing around me, cheering me on… I survived with them in SAO, I flew with them in ALO, I wasted bullets with them in GGO, I explored with them in SA:O, I revisited memories in Ordinal Scale, I live my real life with them, and I traveled the realm with them in the Underworld. In my opinion, I'm no hero...but for every one of them, I'll be one." As a light cascades down my body, giving me the form of the heroic Crimson Warrior, in a great burst of wind, I soar forward, creating a shockwave as our blades collide again.

"You continue to fight?"

"I may not be able to beat you alone anymore, but I'll fight with my sword all the same! I will protect Alice!" Flipping, I kick Subtilizer in the chin, sending him flying up towards the heavens. Using whatever power remains in Falchion, I call on the Aerial Element and chase after him, slashing him up higher and nearly cutting him. He tries to catch me with the tendrils again, but I hold my shield in front and call upon its power. "Trojan Horse!" Dark power scatters around me as my shield glows yellow, perfectly absorbing Subtilizer's attack power and multiplying it for my next skill while I feel my body weaken from the attack itself.

However, using it slows down my ascent, but at that moment, I see a blue streak fly right past me. "Jaymes! Get ready!" I look around my shield, seeing Lievre of all people grabbing on to Subtilizer from behind. She's… She's helping me? Lievre looks at my stupefied expression and growls. "Hurry up! Do what you got to do to win."

"But--"

"High thrill, high risk, heartless game. That is what you, Master Kureha, and everyone always said...and I am one of you!" Her clothing shifts from blue and black to orange and red as she releases her limiters, enhancing her strength and shocking Subtilizer. She's never said those words before...and Master Kureha? Right, that's off-topic… Pushing forward, I ascend past the pair and glare down. I know the attack I want to use, but… No, she's doing all she can. I have to trust Lievre, as she's trusting me for once. I sigh and take a look at Vindica.

Like my Underworld clothing and sword, it is partially modeled after an item from the Fire Emblem series, the titular crest itself, and like Falchion, it has the same number of stones, each a crystallization of an element. But, as the Crimson Warrior, like Falchion and my overall appearance, it is now the shield created in SAO for me...and so far, it hasn't failed me like any other creation my one and only blacksmith has made. Forget that... Lisbeth has never failed me once, as a blacksmith, as a friend, as a lover.

"The sacred stones of the Underworld that bind and blaze this sword to my fate, awaken and give me the power to defeat the echoes of evil and trail a path of radiance for good!" I put Falchion flat against Vindica's face and let them glow with power. As two pairs of hands join me, I ask them only one question. "Are you two with me, Eydis and Medina?"

"Always, Mr. Mage Knight."

"Let's finish this together"

I put the image of the skill in my head. In the last four years, it has gone by many names. In SAO and Origin, it was my ultimate skill of choice, Dragon's Fury. In Alfheim Online, it's my Original Sword Skill, Koharu's Fire. I decide to call on that last choice, in honor of my partner. "Koharu's Fire!" Fourteen stones across the two weapons glow as I fly down like a dragon-shaped meteor. Falchion ignites with blue fire while slashing Subtilizer nine times, then I ram Vindica into Lievre and Subtilizer, driving them down to the ground for an enormous explosion that lights the red sky of the Dark Territory.

Once I'm able to see through the cloud that results from the explosion, it doesn't surprise me that I see Lievre fading away, giving me a salute. I expected her to be caught up in the blast...but where is Subtilizer? I don't see his body anywhere. Did… Did I defeat him? Did I do it? Taking a deep breath, I stand up..and feel a cold shiver down my spine.

"Jaymes!" On instinct and Alice's warning, I leap up and away, barely escaping a blast from above. Landing far in front of Alice, I slide on my knees and glance up, my jaw unhinged. Not only does Subtilizer live...he's completely the same as before. How did he… I would have noticed if he escaped Lievre's clutches...unless he did between when I rammed them and the explosion, a momentary lack of my vision and his opportunity to use his power to confuse both me and Lievre's minds. It's evident on the smirking man's face that's exactly what happened.

But I'm still between him, Alice, and the dragons. "You bastard."

"Your soul, it is very interesting. After Alice's, it might be the sweetest yet. A fine appetizer to the main course." Sutilizer discharges black lightning again just when a blue light light streaks across the sky and disrupts the attack. Lowering my arm from my eyes, I look up to see two figures standing by me.

On my left, an orange-haired girl in a white dress holding a rapier. "Jaymes, you're okay?"

On the right, a black-haired girl in a red and green tunic holding a dagger and extending her hand to me. "You look beat up."

"Asuna? Koharu?" Confused, I take Koharu's hand. "Yeah. You should see the other guy. But how are--" I look up and gasp. A black-haired boy in a black coat with two swords strapped to his back. I unconsciously smirk and sigh, possibly even holding back tears. "You asshole... Welcome back, Kirito."