Disclaimer: Reki Kawahara is the owner/author of SAO. I own nothing aside from this idea.
LINK START!
Chapter 30
Fault and Misery
Alice and her friends stood on one side of the Great Hall of Ghostly Light, swords drawn and ready to face off against their foes. The Vice Commander of the Integrity Knights, Fanatio Synthesis Two, as well as her Four Whirling Blades stood opposite with visages that would terrify most fighters. But Alice was unaffected, as were Kirito and Asuna. They had faced more horrifying foes than them back in Aincrad, human and monster alike. Alice expected Fanatio to call out for the duel to begin. But rather than confront them, the leader of the group spoke in a way that surprised Alice.
"Before my students and I deal the goddesses' judgement upon you, I must ask something, Number Thirty," Fanatio spoke. Her head seeming to dip, she asked, "Why? Why do you betray the order that you swore yourself to? You would dare sully yourself, you and Number Thirty-Three, for an ignoble cause that would ruin the Human Empire?"
Tired of the label, Alice retorted, "First of all, we are not numbers. I am Alice Zuberg first and foremost. And she is Asuna Yuuki." With that out of the way, she answered, "To help you understand, we do not challenge the Pontifex blindly. A forgotten agent of hers had found us and told us the truth about the world we live in. You may not believe me, but it is true. We Integrity Knights were fed a lie upon our awakening. We were told we were called from the heavens to protect the humans that live here. That our memories before our summoning were wiped so knowledge of heaven would be protected from foes like the Dark Territory. But this is only so the Pontifex can control us. We never came from heaven. Each and every knight is a human from this world.
"Call me a heretic or a blasphemer, but I speak nothing but the truth. I never underwent the Synthesis Ritual like you all have, but I saw how it was done. Asuna surrendered to Administrator so that our friends and I would be spared. The ritual was horrible. I still remember hearing her cry out as her mind was forcibly altered to fit the idea of what an Integrity Knight was meant to be. You and Uncle are no different."
"You hold to this claim of yours?" Fanatio inquired, sounding as if she was reprimanding Alice for her words.
But Kirito stepped forward and told them, "In all the years I've known Alice, lying was never something she would do. Honesty is a principle she holds highly. So I ask you this: if Administrator was honest and upstanding, why doesn't she tell you why she chose you knights specifically to come down from heaven? How did she summon you? Why does she not simply say she asked the goddesses for heavenly warriors to serve her? She's never told you any of this. Why?"
"There is no need for an Integrity Knight to know how they are summoned," Fanatio reasoned to him. "We only have one purpose upon our arrival: to fight the forces of darkness."
"And then what?" the boy challenged. "What will you do once the Dark Territory has been repelled? Do you go back to heaven? How? And if not, do you live among the people here? What happens after Fanatio?"
"It is of little consequence," the Vice Commander returned. Pointing her sword at them, she declared, "We have spoken enough. We are under strict orders to not let you leave this place alive. Now have at thee!" With those words, the Four Whirling Blades rushed forward. Alice and Kirito dashed to meet them, both parrying their strikes as best as they could.
While they were preoccupied with them, Asuna zipped past like a bolt and went for Fanatio. She apparently expected such a tactic, meeting Asuna's rush of stabs with her sword. The two women went at it while Alice focused on the two Integrity Knights she was forced to face.
She jumped back from one attacking her, and nearly missed blocking the second one that tried to strike from her blind side. Glancing to the other side, she saw Kirito was having to roll and duck under their attacks, not being given the time to counter. But as Alice blocked another strike, she noticed a pattern in their attack. They were all using horizontal slashes. She deduced it might be due to them fighting in a group, so each would successively strike with a horizontal slash at their opponent. If they could somehow disrupt their attacks, they might be able to knock them aside.
Just as she thought this, one of the knights fighting her was knocked aside by a comrade coming from Kirito's direction. He looked to have managed to get past their guard, throwing one of them at her attackers. This allowed Alice to slip under and bash at a vulnerable spot near the hip, causing her opponent to stagger. She then looped her arm around the shoulder so she could throw her foe into the path of the last knight, who was about to strike at Kirito. This maneuver caused the knight to stop her attack lest she hurt her own comrade, giving Kirito the chance to knock her out with a hard smack with the pommel of his sword.
With the Four Whirling Blades down, Alice looked to see Asuna still on par with Fanatio in terms of speed. Not once had she been able to slip through and land a blow on the Vice Commander. Perhaps they had underestimated Fanatio's ability to counter them. But when she and Kirito join in, they might be able to overwhelm her enough that she will falter and provide them a means to incapacitate her.
That was the thought, until Alice saw the Integrity Knight point her sword at Kirito, and saw something extend from the blade at him. But she realized too late it hadn't extended, it fired off light. Its Perfect Weapon Control. After it pierced near Kirito's stomach, he grunted and fell to his knees.
Hearing him, Asuna turned with a worried look. But doing so left her open to a helm-splitter strike. Alice willed herself to make it, using the Vorpal Strike to lunge past Asuna before quickly shifting to block the sword meant to cleave her friend in two. Their blades rang out as they met, shocking Asuna back to the fight.
"Kirito will be fine," Alice grunted in assurance, holding back Fanatio. "Focus on this fight Asuna. We cannot afford any mistakes, or it will spell our end."
"This is true," Fanatio spoke, still wrestling against Alice's sword. "If you let yourself be distracted by something like a comrade being injured, you will quickly be struck down. If you cannot trust they will be well, how will you aid them in a battle that neither can win alone?"
Alice shoved Fanatio back, calling, "Switch!" With the cue given, Asuna hurried forward and prepared her Neutron sword skill. Five quick stabs raged down on Fanatio, though only two landed and broke apart the pauldrons on her shoulders. But due to the pause, the girl from Rulid was now a sitting duck as Fanatio brought her blade up and prepared to fire another light beam. Asuna just had enough time to bring her rapier across to cause Fanatio to miss entirely, striking a part of the ceiling on the other side of the room. Asuna darted back even as Alice rushed forward to use Vertical Arc. Her attack never carried as Fanatio fired a beam very quickly, nailing Alice in her left hip and throwing off the first swing of the sword skill.
The battle paused following that attack, and the three were not faring very well this time around. Kirito was still recovering from the shot he took, Asuna was panting from her earlier onslaught to keep Fanatio from preparing the Perfect Weapon Control art, and Alice grimaced as she pooled sacred energy into her own wound. In addition, the four knights recovered and fanned out behind them to keep them from retreating.
As they were boxed in, Fanatio muttered aloud, "For a hundred years the commander has scolded me for my habit of boasting. But even with all you have accomplished, I cannot help but marvel at how you were all brought down by my Heaven-Piercing Blade. In truth, you all look foolish to even try and oppose it."
Staying firm, Alice retorted, "You should not be so presumptuous. Injured we may be, but even Solus's light won't be enough to deter us."
"I had forgotten you two knew the true nature of my Divine Object," the Vice Commander remarked. "I wonder if the boy is equally aware of such a tale."
"We don't need the exposition," Asuna interjected. "After all, this is a battle."
Pointing the blade at her head, the knight replied, "Indeed. And you should beg the goddesses for forgiveness so this light might wash the stain of your treachery."
Asuna grit her teeth, waiting to move out of the way to dodge. Alice thought she saw the girl look back for the briefest moments, but she didn't like what it implied. If Asuna was going to worry about Kirito throughout their battles, they would not get far in stopping Quinella.
But to her surprise, she heard Kirito cry out, "Burst!" And at that, Asuna ducked to the side before Fanatio fired another beam. Directly behind her friend was Kirito, holding up what looked like a mirror. Then she realized he had made it using metallic and crystal elements to redirect the light from the Heaven Piercing Blade. It didn't block all of it, and Kirito had to move before most of the beam destroyed his makeshift shield. What had been reflected went straight back to Fanatio, and she didn't have enough time to get fully out of the way. The beam ended up striking her helmet and destroying it.
As her mask fell, the Vice Commander covered her face with her free hand. Her hair, nearly as black as Kirito's, pooled down her back to her shoulder blades and shone in the midday sun. Thus it was revealed to the only one not knowing this particular Integrity Knight that the second in command was a woman.
Eyes glaring between her fingers, she accused Kirito, "You dare to see me like this?!" Pulling her hand away, she reprimanded, "Even someone like you behaves the same as all the others. You will not fight a woman, won't you?"
In response, Kirito rushed past the girls and locked blades with Fanatio. As she glared down at him, he responded in a barely audible voice, "Why should it matter what you are? You are a knight, a warrior. To fight at any less than my best would be disrespectful and dishonorable to a knight as virtuous as you."
Enraged, she shouted, "Don't patronize me! You are like the rest. My fellow knights, even the dark knights, they all hold back when they learn I am a woman. You are all the same!"
Voice level, Kirito replied, "If that were true, would you be struggling to hold me back as you are now? I could care less whether you are a man or a woman, and I know Alice and Asuna are the same. You are a swordswoman, and I shall treat you as such." Fixing a steely gaze at her, he added, "You're the one doing this to yourself, getting caught up in your femininity. I won't hold back, and I don't want you to either."
"Shut up!" Fanatio shouted. But her loss of composure gave Kirito the chance to push her in such a way that she stumbled a bit. Breaking the lock, Kirito went for a lunge, but the knight recovered quick enough to parry it aside. She then used the fumble to get some distance, but Kirito pursued. They exchanged a flurry of blows, Kirito relentlessly engaging Fanatio with all the strength and skill he could muster. Fanatio herself met each strike in turn, keeping the boy from nailing any attacks regardless of what came.
Alice and Asuna watched on, amazed to see these two go at it like they were. Alice herself wondered why the Four Whirling Blades weren't confronting her and Asuna right now, but she figured they were probably just as gobsmacked about what was happening right now. Whatever the case, she didn't let her guard down for a minute. Kirito would slip at one point, allowing Fanatio to regain her advantage. If that happened, she and Asuna had to be ready to jump in. But with how the two furiously went at it, it became more of a question of would there be a need to intervene.
As Alice looked at Fanatio and Kirito's face, she thought she saw expressions indicating they were enjoying the fight. Kirito made sense, as he always seemed to enjoy finding a good opponent to test his steel. But Fanatio was a surprise. But considering how sensitive she was to her gender, the girl couldn't blame the Vice Commander for reveling in the moment. No doubt she never had the chance to truly go all out against anyone.
As Kirito batted another of Fanatio's thrusts away to return a slash, she commented, "Amazing. You are the first man who has looked upon me and truly attempts to kill me. I commend you, despite your sins against the church."
"I wouldn't throw that label around too much," Kirito warned, smirking. "Especially 'cause, for someone who hates being a woman, you keep yourself well groomed."
Ignoring the remark, Fanatio deflected another strike as she replied, "There is one man with whom my love pines for. I desire for him to see me not for my skill or the heads I bring, but for something more about me. But I have hidden behind a mask for so long, I doubt he even realizes who I am anymore."
This statement gave Alice pause. She had remembered talking to Asuna about this matter back in Aincrad. Bercouli had even confided in her in private with regards to Fanatio, that he was worried about her because she felt the need to hide who she was. He confessed that he wanted them to not be ashamed, so he would be able to see the beautiful woman he wanted by his side. He clarified he didn't want a partner on the battlefield, but rather someone to pledge his life to like what he saw with her pining for Eugeo.
Deciding to step in, Alice rushed forward and took over, exchanging blows with Fanatio for a moment. When she locked blades, she addressed, "Vice Commander, you say the man you love does not notice you. That your mask has hid you so well you are no longer seen for who you are. But you are mistaken, for I have spoken with him during my imprisonment in Aincrad. He has expressed concern over your situation and how you deal with the matter. And he yearns for when you discard such a mask. You cannot live behind a façade forever, afraid to face what may lie before you.
"It is the same with the Pontifex. We seek to dethrone her because she holds everyone in ignorance of the truth about the world. Her truth is nothing more than a twisted tale spun to make herself appear as the ultimate authority, and that has warped the Axiom Church to stand by her actions. We must be willing to shed the protection of complacency so we might move forward and embrace what really exists."
For a brief period, Alice thought she saw Fanatio's expression falter at her words. She had hoped what she said would wake up the true Fanatio buried by Quinella's corruption. But it faded just as quickly as it appeared.
"Such actions will doom us all, making us vulnerable to the Dark Territory that amasses its forces outside our borders," she returned. "While you and your companions may think yourselves virtuous, my duty as a protector of this realm must be my absolute. Nothing else, not even my feelings, matter in the face of this duty."
Gritting her teeth as she pushed back, Alice returned, "We share the same duty, yet our swords must cross regardless. I will not let you throw your life away for a lie!"
But Fanatio pulled away before Alice could pursue. Raising her blade, she cried out, "Hidden light of the Heaven-Piercing Blade, cast off your shackles."
"Release Recollection!"
As the blade flashed a blinding white light, dozens of beams radiated out from it in all directions. The three friends took cover so they could avoid the onslaught, seeing how devastating the beams were when they hit any of the surfaces. But Alice and her friends saw that even the wielder of the blade was not safe from its full might, as her armor and body was punctured by beams of light. She was willing to sacrifice herself for her mission after all.
No words needed to be said among the three. They knew she needed to be stopped before she killed herself or destroyed them all. Starting with halting that attack.
Holding her sword to the side, Alice cried out, "Enhance Armament!" The blade glowed before flower petals flew into the air. She directed them with the hilt towards the blade to smother the light and halt the attack. It did the trick, as the attack finally ceased thanks to her blocking the light.
While Fanatio was startled by this turn of events, Alice shouted, "Kirito, Asuna, now!"
The two went at once. Asuna hurried towards the four knights behind them, Lambent Light poised. "Enhance Armament!" The rapier glowed a brilliant white light as she charged at the four knights. The charge and the energy knocked them all aside before they could respond in a way to dodge. Once she was past them, Asuna stopped herself, keeping the art going as she turned to face Fanatio. Said Integrity Knight gazed at the duo and pointed her sword, ready to fire one more attack.
But Kirito stepped in, sword held aloft, and cried out, "Enhance Armament!" At that, a light-sucking darkness overtook the room as the sword pulsed before forming into a spear-shaped object that shot forth, even as Fanatio fired her biggest and final flash. The two forces collided in the center, their power radiating out as they clashed with each other. It looked to be almost even, with both sides being of equal strength.
That is until Asuna and her shooting star came alongside and merged its power with Kirito's. Light and darkness coalesced, winding as the power grew from the pairing. Gradually, the light from the Heaven-Piercing Blade was pushed back. At that moment, Fanatio seemed to have realized she had lost. She seemed to have resigned herself to what was about to happen. And as the energies reached her, she and her sword were sent flying. And when she landed, she did not get up.
Alice swung her sword as the blade reformed from the petals before sheathing it. She then saw Kirito collapse to his knees again, having spent so much energy fending off Fanatio. She and Asuna went over to him and patched him up, but the loss of Life he sustained wouldn't be mended with light elements this time.
Holding his hand with her right, she recited, "System Call. Transfer Durability from Self to Right." Asuna looked like she was about to intercede, but the process was already underway. And they both knew Alice was the best at Sacred Arts out of the four of them anyway. She only transferred enough of her Life to get Kirito on his feet again, though it still took a bit out of her in the process.
The three then looked to the knight they had defeated, and concern fell over them. Fanatio wasn't moving after the last attack, her face appearing almost too serene after what happened. While Kirito went to her, Alice went back to the apprentice knights that dragged her friends here. She bent down and pulled the daggers coated with poison before tossing them up. In one swift motion, she destroyed them with her sword, causing them to disappear into motes of light. She then brought out the antidotes for the paralysis, and worked to administer it to them.
"You might think knowing how to kill makes you strong, or you might believe Divine Objects are the only way people like Kirito, Fanatio, and I are as powerful as we are," she told them in an almost motherly tone. "But you would miss the point. There was a guild in Aincrad whose sole purpose was to kill. They practiced and perfected the nature of killing much like you had, but they still lost when those trying to free everyone confronted them. You can be strong without needing to take another's life. It's never about skill or power. It's about spirit and will. The desire to fight for something beyond yourself. I hope, one day, you two will understand this."
Fizel and Linel seemed adamant about not meeting Alice's eyes, but it hardly mattered. She knew, down the line, they would come to terms with what she spoke of. Whether that be some time soon or a long ways off, she hoped her words might cause them to rethink what they knew about the world and about themselves.
As she finished, Asuna called, "Alice, we need you over here." Resting a hand on the two to reassure them, Alice hurried back to where Kirito and Asuna had been. As she approached Fanatio, she found the Vice Commander in tatters. Holes in her torso and legs from the lights puncturing her were evident, her right arm was badly damaged from Kirito and Asuna's combined attack, and she even seemed to have suffered some burns from either their attack or her own. If that wasn't enough to convince Alice of her condition, blood was pooling beneath her. Worst of all was the deep gouge in her upper stomach where the Night Sky and Lambent Light attacks impacted. Her skin was growing paler by the minute. Alice hurriedly brought up a Stacia window and saw Fanatio's Life was dropping fast. It was already past ¾ of lost Life, and dropping like a rock. Even if the three shared their Life with hers, it would not entirely stop the plummet. They had little to no resources to heal, and they were exhausted from the bout alone.
None of the three needed to vocalize what they were thinking. Enemy or not, they weren't going to let Fanatio die here. They weren't going to let someone who had to go through so much heartache die just because she stood opposed to them. And if they fought Bercouli, Alice knew he would be merciless if he learned Fanatio perished.
Jaw set, Kirito looked up and called out, "Hey Bercouli, get off your dumb ass and help her! Your Vice Commander is dying. Are you just going to sit there and watch her bleed out like this!" No answer came to him, so he raged on, "What about the other Integrity Knights? Don't any of you care about your comrade? Monks, priests, anyone!" But only silence fell upon them.
Even Alice was beyond miffed at the notion. Here they were, three traitors and heretics, trying to save an Integrity Knight who tried to kill them just a few minutes ago. And where were Fanatio's allies? Her disciples were unconscious and against the walls, and the apprentice knights wouldn't bother if Alice's perception of them was accurate. Deusolbert was in no shape to do anything now, and who knew where Eldrie and Eiji were. Was the order truly so lamentable that they wouldn't raise a hand to aid even one of their own who still fought for the church?
But then, as if struck by an epiphany, Asuna fiddled with her uniform before pulling out Cardinal's dagger. Before Kirito or Alice could question her intentions, she stabbed it into Fanatio's thigh.
A little after, they heard Cardinal's voice ring out, "Honestly. Your capacity for empathy towards even mortal enemies is astonishing. But, considering where you come from, I shouldn't be surprised."
"Cardinal, can you save her?" Asuna asked urgently.
"It is within my power, yes. But I will need to bring her here to do it," the sagely girl informed. Once she did, a ring of light appeared around the Vice Commander and lifted her into the air. Then, in a flash, she disappeared. In her place came three small bottles of tonic. As they came down, Cardinal relayed, "Listen well. From what I have gathered, Quinella isn't in a waking state right now. If you can defeat her remaining Integrity Knights and make it to the top, you might be able to deal with her without resorting to using the remaining daggers. But you mustn't dawdle. Now go" And with that, the connection to the library she took refuge in was gone.
The three friends took the bottles and pulled the stoppers off them. "Well, better not let this gift from Cardinal go to waste," Kirito suggested. He was the first to begin guzzling the tonic, with Alice and Asuna following. It was not a pleasant taste. Sour, yet still refreshing for one who had been engrossed in combat as they had. As she drank, she felt her vitality and energy rise back up. It felt wonderful to have her full strength back. Her friends also looked to be getting back to full strength from the tonic Cardinal gave them.
Revitalized, Kirito got to his feet and proposed, "Well, if Quinella isn't awake at the moment, best use the opportunity to get the jump on her."
The girls nodded before following him out the doors into the next room. And if Alice remembered things right, the next room would aid them more than they would have hoped.
Entering the next room, the first words out of Kirito's mouth were, "Where are the stairs?" In truth, as Alice and even Asuna knew, there were no stairs for the next few floors. While the room was about the size of an entrance hall with black and white tiled flooring, the only thing present in the room was a large cylinder taking up the most space in the center. This was their only way up, and thankfully it would get them past most floors on their way to the 100th floor.
Alice walked up to the chute, looking for the platform that was manned here. But she wasn't seeing it anywhere. Was this going to be how they were stopped, or was an Integrity Knight going to show up to fight them? After Fanatio, Alice began to worry about her and her friends' ability to fight too many Integrity Knights. Especially if Eugeo was now among them. For all she recalled about the Central Cathedral, this was one thing her memory failed her on.
But it was alright, because a platform was descending towards them. Kirito was reaching for his sword, but Asuna stopped him. And Alice saw why she did that. There was only one person on the descending platform and they weren't even armored. They were a girl, maybe a little younger than herself, wearing a black dress with a white apron on her front with a unique patterning on the front. She had grayish brown hair cut short at around shoulder level, but her expression just seemed passive and lacking any emotion. She almost seemed inhuman in this lack of expression.
Once the platform settled before the three, the woman asked, "Thank you for the wait. What floor would you like me to take you to?"
This time, Asuna took charge. She stepped forward, and requested, "Take us to the highest floor you can. The Cloudtop Garden on the 80th floor."
"Certainly," the woman responded in a low voice. The three then stepped forward to prepare for their ascent. The operator then warned, "Please keep your hands and feet away from the guardrails at all times." Resting a hand on a podium next to her, she then chanted, "System Call. Generate Aerial Element." Ten green elements of wind appeared inside the podium, signaling her high proficiency in the Sacred Arts. After they were made, she called softly, "Burst Element!" And with that, their platform began ascending the Cathedral at a nice rate of speed.
Alice had been looking out the entrance, awaiting them reaching their destination on the 80th floor, when she heard Kirito ask, "So how long have you been doing this job?"
When Alice looked back, she saw the operator had a hint of surprise at the question. And come to think of it, she herself was curious how long this person had been manning this lift. She looked young, but the feeling the Integrity Knight got from her said she was far older. That was impossible, wasn't it?
But the operator answered after a moment's pause, "This year is the one-hundred-and-seventh since I received this Calling?"
That answer made Alice, Asuna, and especially Kirito do a double take. The chestnut-haired girl exclaimed, "107 years?! That's how long you've been doing this?"
Thinking more on it, Alice realized why. Her Life had been frozen as well, like Cardinal and Kayaba. Quinella must have done it to her after giving her this Calling. More and more, Alice detested the Pontifex and what she did to this world. And she thought Oberon was detestable, though he was still markedly despicable. It made her think more about what she might have done to Eugeo, but Alice calmed herself after brushing her hand against the Blue Rose Sword. She would reclaim him from this tyrant that ruled their world for too long.
But then Kirito asked, "What's your name anyway?"
Whatever she seemed to think on, the operator seemed perplexed by the question. So she answered, "It has been so long, I have forgotten what it was. Most everyone I've met call me the operator. So I guess…my name is Operator."
"How sad," Asuna mentioned mournfully. "Have you ever wanted to remember what your real name was?"
"No," Operator replied. "It does not concern my duty to manage this lift."
Asuna seemed even more disheartened by this response. Alice couldn't deny that part of her friend wanted to give this woman a proper name. She probably would have done so with Yui if the girl hadn't recalled her own name. Either way, she knew Asuna had the biggest heart to people like Operator. It was curious why she was never sent to be a part of the church rather than a swordswoman.
With that, Alice then informed, "Operator, listen. Our mission here is to take down the Pontifex and her rule in the church. When we do, you may be released from your Calling. Is there something you would like to do when you are freed?"
While she had taken moments to answer the previous questions from Kirito, this question seemed to cause her to take a while to respond. This time, Alice could understand why. If one had done the same task for as long as Operator had, not much else would matter. Especially having other ways of life.
When she did answer, she told them, "All I know is this lift. I could not even think of another Calling aside from this one. But…" She gave pause as she thought about something. Then she said, "If I had one wish, I would want to take this lift and fly wherever I want."
Alice and her friends smiled softly at that, seeing a light in the Operator's crystal blue eyes. Perhaps once they took down Quinella, allowing Operator to live a life of her own might be possible. Especially if Cardinal helped in that regard.
Before long, their lift finally arrived on the 80th floor: the Cloudtop Garden. After a parting exchange with Operator, the three went ahead and opened the doors to the room. As they went in, they heard a familiar voice say,
"I was beginning to wonder when you would arrive."