Hey everyone! With another chapter of Sword Art Online Parallel.
Bit of a slow chapter this time. Those that have read the LN or seen the anime might know some of what's to come, minus the changes in this universe involving who is present. But we'll get back to the action by the next chapter, I guarantee it.
I hope everyone has been enjoying this series so far. Review numbers and faves say so, and I pray that continues down the line as we advance for some of the more intensive arcs like the War of Underworld.
Once more, disclaimer: Reki Kawahara is the owner/author of SAO. I own nothing aside from this idea.
Now then,
LINK START!
Chapter 28
Missing Pieces
Cardinal ended up leading the three from Rulid into an alcove hanging over the greatest assortment of books and tomes they had ever seen. Alice marveled at the sheer size and scope of the library they were in, completely in awe. From the ceiling high above to the floor down below were books and different levels to reach them. Looking at them all, she thought how Eugeo would be beside himself, wanting to read as many books as he could gather in this enormous room. Coming from Rulid, books were a rarity to come across aside from the laws and Taboo Index that governed their lives. And with what he told her back in Aincrad, Eugeo took every opportunity to read when he could. This place would have given him more than enough opportunities to build on such a skill.
She was drawn out of her gazing by Cardinal clearing her throat, indicating to a table she sat at with Kirito across from her. Asuna had also been looking around at all the books gathered, and hastily came beside her betrothed while Alice set herself on Kirito's other side. On the table was an exquisite tea set with freshly brewed tea. Alice wondered if Cardinal had expected them to be prepared as she was. The strange girl poured a cup for each member before setting them before each of the warriors. Once she took her seat, she began to address them.
"I know you have defeated Nobuyuki," she began telling them. "To which I must thank you. Hopefully, with his passing, the fairies there will reach out to Underworld and begin to form a close friendship with its people. But such an act will be doomed to fail with Quinella in power. No doubt she is preparing to encourage the paranoia the humans have of beings that are non-human, and will no doubt use her Integrity Knights to lay waste to Alfheim should they make contact."
"All the more reason to get to the top of the Central Cathedral and take her out too," Kirito spoke pointedly.
"A brash course of action will only worsen the matter," Cardinal chided. Then she told them, "It is not so simple a task. Aside from Eugeo being turned into her loyal Integrity Knight like Asuna had been, she has taken no chances after you took down Kayaba. Her best Integrity Knights will be waiting for you. You already fought against two of them. The ones called Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-Two and Eiji Synthesis Thirty-Five."
"Yeah, what happened to Eiji?" Asuna asked. "Even when I was made an Integrity Knight, I don't remember getting so much stronger from it. But he seemed in a league of his own."
"No joke," Kirito commented. "His movements were so fast, and his sword strikes more powerful than anyone I've faced before. It was even stronger than General Eugene."
Taking a sip, Cardinal informed, "It was a Sacred Art Quinella was experimenting with that she intended for one of her newest knights. Essentially, it enhances a person beyond their normal abilities, making them beyond human. I believe she is hoping to use this art once she perfects it to further enhance the Integrity Knights beyond human capabilities." While the shock of the news set into the group, she redirected, "But aside from that, she also has other Integrity Knights, most of whom you all know, waiting to capture or kill you. But capture will be her goal."
"Because of Asuna being a vessel?" Alice guessed.
"As much as she claims clairvoyance, even she isn't aware of that fact," Cardinal pointed out. "She wants to capture you to make you into her Integrity Knights. Especially because you and your friend exist outside her realm of control."
"What do you mean by that?" Asuna asked worriedly.
But Alice concluded first, stating, "What Yui said about us. Ever since we came into Underworld, we have been different from everyone else. We regard the world differently."
"And that is what Quinella fears most: people that don't behave the way she wants for her ideal world," Cardinal told them. They listened in as she elaborated, "Yui wasn't able to tell you everything about her, but Quinella is a being that desires control. Ever since she was little, learning everything she could about the Sacred Arts, she wanted things to behave the way she viewed them. Humans, subservient to her world, were what made the ideal society for her. For 300 years, this was the case. The biggest threat to her rule were the goddesses and their chosen vessels. And in her search, she discovered all of you."
"But then, if we are such a big threat to her rule, why hasn't she done something about it?" Kirito questioned. And it was a legitimate question of his. If the four of them were a threat to Quinella's rule of controlling humanity, why hadn't she taken them when they were born? Why did she allow them to live their lives until nine years ago?
Cardinal fixed him with a hard stare while answering, "Because, to maintain her control, she can't act outside of the laws she had established for the world. Had she sent an Integrity Knight to seize you four when you were born, there would be an uproar from the people. They would wake up from their mundane lives and realize the Pontifex was a tyrant and attempt to dethrone her. She would be forced to destroy them, and her perfect world would be destroyed."
"Somehow, that sounds like a better alternative to waiting," Alice pointed out. "If she did steal us as infants, wiping the world clean, she could have used the four of us to start a new civilization with her as its god."
"Such a civilization would die young, if you remembered what Yui told you," the little girl pointed out. Then she muttered, sounding exasperated, "It seems you are all more troublesome than I would have hoped."
At the sound of her condescending tone, Kirito perked up and said, "Now I remember. You were the one who spoke to me after I fought the Gleam Eyes. And when we tried to rescue Yui."
Seeming grateful for the change in topic, Cardinal responded, "Yes. I was not keen on losing someone who might overthrow Quinella and Nobuyuki. And since you all were pooling so much sacred energy to save that little girl, I opted to lend my expertise to create her heart as I did."
"But how?" Asuna questioned.
"With Charlotte's help," Cardinal replied. When she did, a small creature, barely bigger than a speck, came down in front of Kirito on the table. Closer inspection would reveal this to be a spider. The sight of which unnerved the group a bit, but especially Kirito when Cardinal went on, "She had been with Kirito since he and Eugeo left their village. She watched over you from your time on the road to now. She even helped nudge you down the right path from time to time, helping to break Quinella's hold over you."
Once Kirito got over his surprise, he then began to think of when Charlotte might have helped him. Then he remembered when a voice told him how to save his destroyed zephilia flowers and when Quinella tried to entice him in Aincrad.
The little spider hopped into Cardinal's offered hand, and the girl told it, "Thank you for your faithful service little one. Now go and rest." Charlotte then disappeared into a nook behind some books on a nearby bookshelf.
"Did you use a life-altering art to keep Charlotte alive all this time?" Alice questioned, striking on a notion.
To which the girl replied, "I did, though not just for Charlotte. It was necessary to have eyes and ears throughout Underworld, looking for the vessels."
"And what about Yui?" Kirito came in, with a slight edge to his voice. "Can you use the Sacred Arts to restore her?"
Looking at him with a look, almost like a glare, Cardinal told him, "Her reformation in Alfheim helped speed up the process thanks to the mana there. But it will still take a considerable amount of time for her to be stable enough to live here in Underworld again. I can't say how long that will be, but I will give her everything she needs. After sparing her from that reckless action, it would be unfair not to restore her now."
She then stood up and went for the door to the alcove. "I will leave you three to consider whether you wish to lay siege to the Central Cathedral and defeat Quinella," she informed. "You may be inclined to agree, but know that this mission might have you cutting down those you consider friends. And I am afraid that includes Eugeo now. So, you must be certain you will carry out this mission. I will return in a few minutes to hear your thoughts." And she left them to their thoughts.
It was clear to them the gravity of what they were agreeing to, storming the Central Cathedral to kill Quinella and free Underworld from her oppression. But what weighed on them most of all was Eugeo. Even if Cardinal said they may need to cut him down, they couldn't commit to that. Alice in particular felt conflicted by the notion that she or her friends may end up claiming the life of their friend at the end of a sword. She removed her gauntlet to look at the ring Eugeo gave her. She still remembered that day in Aincrad when she accepted his proposal fondly. But such recollection also brought her no end of anguish.
Clenching her hand into a fist, Alice told the others, "I know what Cardinal said about what opposition we will face. I know that Eugeo will be loyal to Quinella and attempt to strike us down. Even so, I—"
"We're not going to abandon him," Kirito interrupted. When she turned to him, expression of astonishment on her face, he reminded, "We were born in the same year, and we would be together to our last. That oath means nothing if we don't all make it out of this alive. You were the one to remind me back in Aincrad."
"And besides," Asuna added, "Eugeo is bonded to you because of the goddesses blessing our unions. I wager that will undermine Quinella's attempt to control him, just like it did for me with Sugou. We're going to get him back, even if Cardinal says otherwise."
Her friend's faith in getting Eugeo back revived Alice's hope. They were right. They had their oath holding them together. And the union ceremony helped Asuna not be taken over while in Oberon's custody. They had a chance to save their friend. And even if it seemed impossible, Alice was not going to give up on Eugeo. She owed him too much for that, especially if she wanted to show him how important he was to her and the others.
Renewed by their words, Alice said gratefully, "You both are right. Kirito, Asuna, we have to get him back. We'll fight the other Integrity Knights, but Eugeo being rescued will be our highest priority."
The two friends nodded at her, equally committed.
"Now that just leaves our decision to storm the Central Cathedral," Kirito brought up. "I think we're all agreed we still want to do this."
The two girls nodded, and Asuna mentioned, "We knew we might end up facing the Commander and everyone again. However, I don't think we need to necessarily kill them to get through. If we can simply defeat them, we might be able to get by without taking their lives."
"Fight smarter, not harder," Kirito figured. Whatever the case, they would ascend the Cathedral without having to take the lives of the Integrity Knights.
Just then, Cardinal walked back in without warning, moving to the seat opposite of them. She seemed to be smiling, but the group couldn't be sure.
"I overheard your little conversation shortly after I left about your companion," she informed them. "And I must say I am glad. You are right in that the union ceremony endowed you with the goddesses blessing. Which means there is a chance to recover Eugeo." Her face stern, she added, "Still, your everlasting commitment does get bothersome at times."
"You'll have to get used to us like that," Kirito mentioned.
"Yes I will," Cardinal replied. With that settled, she began to explain, "One thing you'll need to master is Perfect Weapon Control. The girls have all mastered its use, having been Integrity Knights already. But Kirito will need to learn it for both himself and Eugeo."
She then brought out a scroll from within her sleeves, unfurling it and placing it before the three. Written on it were words written in the Sacred Tongue, which Alice recognized to be commands for Sacred Arts. Further, most of these commands were to unlock the Perfect Weapon Control for Divine Objects. There were some of the later parts that were not as familiar to Alice.
"I am aware you girls have at least delved into the basic applications of Perfect Weapon Control, and that Alice has taught Kirito some of it in Alfheim," Cardinal mentioned. "But to properly utilize the art, you'll need two things. The first is the command itself, which you have before you. Best to memorize it while you are here."
The three did so. Then Cardinal continued, "The second is more integral. You will need to connect with the Divine Object."
"Connect how?" Kirito inquired.
To which Cardinal explained, "To release your weapon's hidden potential, you must release its memory. What it was before it became what you wield. Such as the Osmanthus tree, the shooting star, or even the Gigas Cedar. You need to envision what it was before you forged it into your blade."
With this in mind, Kirito took a breath and began to think back. Alice watched him do this, seeing him not struggle as much like when she was teaching him back in Alfheim during their rest stop. She decided to reconnect her mind to her sword while Kirito did so with his.
As she reached for the memory of her blade, she envisioned herself standing amongst numerous trees with golden flowers. It was becoming that time of year where the flowers would fall, shedding their petals on the path between the two rows. She felt her own flowers begin to taper off from herself, floating in the breeze and covering the road. But she wasn't worried about losing flowers. Rather, it felt necessary to her. It was a rather difficult thing to describe, even after trying this multiple times before. But she was calm through it all, at peace.
But then, as her mind began to wander, she found herself someplace else. The snowy peaks of the End Mountains. A harsh wind howled around her, making it frigid to even stand. What was she doing in this place? This wasn't the memory of her Osmanthus Blade. It was too cold for any plant to exist here, let alone grow and bloom. The sleet, the wind, it all buffeted her from every direction. As Alice began to wonder what she was doing here, she saw a lone, blue rose standing amidst the snow, its petals reaching out to bloom. Even with the harsh conditions around it, the blue rose found strength to spread its petals and stand proudly, even if alone.
Is this… the Blue Rose Sword's memory? Alice wondered, picking up on what the scene could mean. Then she figured, Just like Eugeo. He stands alone at the peak, having to show his radiance despite the world trying to put him down. She then remembered, when they were children, of times when Eugeo was so down and depressed because of something that happened. Whether it be because of his brothers putting him down, the village's man-at-arms flaunting his prestige, or even just the townsfolk giving him disapproving looks, Eugeo had little reason to really express himself, let alone be happy. It was only ever around her, Kirito, and Asuna that he was ever animated and determined. The thought alone dug at the guilt she already bore from knowing how Eugeo suffered.
"Alright," Cardinal called, bringing the three back to the library, "that should have unlocked your ability to use Perfect Weapon Control in its purest form." Looking between the girls, she added, "You both were forced to have access to Perfect Weapon Control by Quinella so you could be powerful Integrity Knights. But doing it this way, truly connecting to your weapon, has opened up more paths for you in its use."
Looking down at Lambent Light, Asuna mentioned, "It's strange. Before, I always had the vaguest sense of my rapier's origin. But now, I can picture the memory so perfectly as if I lived it myself."
"Yeah, same with me and the Gigas Cedar," Kirito brought up. "I just remember wanting to reach out to the other trees, wanting to be a part of them. But the more I grew, the further away from me they went. Until I was all alone on a hill."
Cardinal nodded in acknowledgement of these statements, then she looked over at Alice. Her expression changed when she saw her though, and she inquired, "Are you alright? What happened?"
Alice didn't know what she meant, until she felt something on her face. Brushing it away, she found a glistening droplet on her gauntlet. She was stunned to find she was crying. Why was she shedding tears? She had used them all up back in Aincrad. Why did she have them now?
"Alice…" Asuna began to say in concern.
"Please excuse me," Alice told them, straining to hold back the emotion threatening to spill out of her. Without another word and without pause, she hurried out of the room.
Finding a bare wall nearby, Alice slammed her fist into it, yelling, "Dammit! Why? Why now?!" She swore a couple more times, slamming her fist against the wall. She felt hot tears pooling beneath her clenched eyes, but she fought with everything she had to bar them from falling. She was done crying, she would not shed anymore tears. All her tears for losing Eugeo had been lost. She was done with all of that. So why? Why was she succumbing to her grief, her anguish, her despair all over again?
"I can save him," she struggled to say, holding back her emotion. "I can bring him back. I have the power to save him. I don't understand. Is something wrong with me? Am I so pathetic that I must cry over a memory? Why?" She fell to her knees as her strength left her.
As her anger at herself began to ebb, she looked to understand why she was so weak. She wanted to know why she let her emotions run rampant like this. As she did, the answer circled back to Eugeo. But this time, it was his absence that was affecting her. Before, when she and Asuna had been taken, she didn't hold out a lot of hope to see Eugeo, especially after losing Asuna to the Synthesis Ritual. She began to accept her life as an Integrity Knight. At least until Eugeo reappeared in her life, when she was about to execute him for violating the Taboo Index. And ever since, she had begun to draw closer to him. Was it out of fear of losing him again? Was it longing from when she was younger? Alice didn't fully understand.
But when he proposed to her after all they went through together, she thought it was then that Eugeo became so integral in her life that she couldn't live another day without him. He completed her in ways she could not fathom, filled a void in her heart that only he could reside in. And losing him took a crucial part of her own self away.
But that still didn't explain why. Kirito did not cry for Asuna after she was taken by Oberon. He had been determined to get her back. He outright declared he would find her again. He acted upon that declaration without being deterred by anything or anyone. So why couldn't she do the same for Eugeo? Why was she so weak?
In her moment of anguish, she heard two sets of footsteps come up behind her. She figured it was her friends, but she couldn't face them the way she was now. "I must be so pitiful for you to find me like this," she spoke with mirth. Neither of the two responded, so she went on, "Go on. I deserve your scorn. You both have been so much stronger than me. I might know more of the Sacred Arts, but you both have never let circumstances affect you. I can—" But she was interrupted when Asuna came down and pulled her into a tight embrace. The action shocked Alice out of her stupor and melancholy, and even more so when she felt tears fall on her cheek. Glancing up, she saw Asuna openly weeping before her. Kirito came beside her, and he too was breaking down in tears.
"I'm so sorry Alice," Asuna cried. "I know how much you have been hurting, and I know you have held it in for our sake. But we shouldn't have made you bear this burden alone."
"Asuna…" Alice breathed, not sure she was hearing right.
"Alice, you are wrong," Kirito spoke, though his voice was breaking a little. "I wasn't strong. I've never been strong. When Asuna was taken, all I did was sit around and mope. I didn't know what to do, so I just did nothing for all that time. I was so fixated on rescuing Asuna that I didn't pay attention to what you had to be going through. I'm so sorry Alice."
Alice didn't know what to say. Her friends, they were crying. They were crying for her. She didn't understand why they were doing this. They had no reason to. They had nothing to be sad about. They had each other, Yui was being restored by Cardinal. So why would they cry for her and what she had been suffering?
But then she knew they did this because of her. Because she was never one to let herself appear vulnerable. She was always the strong one of the group, never seeming to falter. She just often evoked the image of integrity to others. And Kirito and Asuna knew that her doing so caused her suffering.
Letting herself rest against her friends, Alice allowed the tears to fall at last. But she didn't feel as afflicted with pain as she was before. Her friends, her family, having them with her brought immense comfort that she could express her anguish regardless of what anyone thought. Along with it, she also thought she felt another presence among them. One she hoped she would rescue at the end of this journey.
After taking solace in her friends, the three looked over as Cardinal walked over to them. "I will say, you three being the way you are can be a bit annoying," she commented. "But I can't help but find your commitment to each other endearing. You four certainly are luckier than most."
As they rose, Kirito replied, "That's just how we are. No two ways about it."
The little girl nodded, then informed, "When I return you to the Central Cathedral, you will start on floor 3. That is the highest I can take you. You should end up in the armory, so grab whatever you may need when you get there. I'll work on restoring Yui when I can." She then drew three daggers from behind her. Alice noted that they were far smaller than normal daggers, which made her doubt they could do any actual damage. They must have another use.
"These daggers are made from my hair," Cardinal explained. "Whatever you stab with them will be connected to me via a special Sacred Art I imbued into them. One is for Quinella, one for Eugeo. You can use the last one as more of a spare. Just be sure you use these wisely."
After being told all of that, the three friends each took a dagger. They looped the straps attached to them over their heads, stowing them in their armor to hide them.
With everyone all set, Cardinal then said, "I have imparted all I can to enable your success. The rest is up to you." And with a wave of her staff, she created a doorway much like the one the group used to get to the library.
Before they ventured forth, Alice spoke up, "Kirito, a moment." With his friends pausing to listen, she began to say, "If it is alright, would it be acceptable to hold—" But she didn't get her request out before Kirito took off the Blue Rose Sword and held it out to her.
Though stunned, Alice took the offered sword, and Kirito told her, "It belongs with you more than me. I'm sure Eugeo would want you to have it." After accepting his reasoning and the Divine Object, Alice strapped the sword to her right side. It felt slightly off-putting to have the added weight on her right, but it was also comforting to have some part of Eugeo with her. She uttered her thanks to her friend before donning her steely expression once more. Together, the three friends walked forward to lay siege to Quinella and her world order.