I just couldn't wait. I just loved writing this chapter. Enjoy :)

Chapter 44

Fly to the End

I ran up to the dragon, wrapping my arms around his neck. It got onto its back legs and lifted me off the ground, letting out a low noise which was supposed to be a chuckle. "It's been too long Jocund. I hope you haven't been eating too much."

"You have a dragon?" Holly asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, this is Jocund." I patted his neck as he let me down. "Bercouli organised him for me once I was allowed down from the Central Cathedral."

We were almost all ready for our venture into the Dark Territory. Bercouli had given us Hoshigami for Kirito and Eugeo to ride, while Alice was riding Amayori, her dragon from when she was an Integrity Knight. Ishkan and Sheyta were on her dragon, while Leafa was taking a ride with Renly. Eldrie had tried to insist on coming with us, but Bercouli wanted everyone possible defending the Human Empire just in case we couldn't get into the Dark Territory before the barrier fell. We would be cutting it extremely close.

I looked back towards Kimiko, Luna, Lord Grant and Lilith. I pulled them into a hug, praying this wouldn't be the last time I saw them. In fact, I refused to believe it. We were all going to sit down in a world after the War and laugh and smile. I didn't hold them for long, but I hoped all my love for them came through.

I got on the back of Jocund, offering my hand to Holly. She took it and I pulled her up onto the back. Her hands rested on my hips. I looked over everyone else. They were all ready and in position. I checked over Kirito, Eugeo and Alice more thoroughly. Alice no longer knew how to fly, and Kirito and Eugeo had never been flying before. In such a time sensitive mission, it would require them to get used to it very suddenly, at speeds most Knights hadn't experienced. I took a deep breath, gently patting Jocund.

Bercouli looked up at me. "Keep each other safe."

"Yes sir!" I put my fist on my heart.

"We'll do our best." Holly smiled.

Bercouli nodded, heading to the front of the group, raising his hand. I took in a deep breath, ready for the initial lift off. Holly wrapped her arms around my stomach in anticipation. As soon as Bercouli dropped his hand, Jocund leapt forward and spread his wings, beating the air away as he lifted us into the sky. Gravity tried to pull us back, but I kept a tight grip on the reins. Soon enough, we were flying straight at the barrier.

When Kirito and Eugeo were mere feet from hitting the barrier, Holly clasped her hands together and pulled the barrier apart, opening a pathway for us to fly through, and for the Dark Territory to attack through. I looked down, seeing the Ogres and Dark Knights pouring through. I let out a sigh of relief, glad they weren't targeting us with their crossbows.

"Up ahead!" Ishkan called from the front. I created a crystalline element, using it as a makeshift telescope. I could see what was awaiting us. A hundred or so Minions, creations of the Dark Mage guild.

Kirito looked back. "Alice and the rear guard, dive! Front guard split!"

"Roger!" Everyone yelled back.

I looked back at Holly, making sure she was ready. She simply gave me a smile, no sign of fear clouding her confidence in me, or rather Jocund. I returned the smile, drawing my sword ready just in case. As the Minions came straight at us, barely a few mel away from them, Sheyta and Ishkan went left, Kirito and Eugeo went right and the rest of us dived down.

The swarm of Minions seemed confused who to go for, but several broke away to chase each group. I heard Holly take out her spear, using the last few moments of the night to concentrate the moonlight into the spear, beams of it firing from it and tearing the Minions apart. One got close and I slashed at its stomach as it made a swipe for head. The two halves fell to earth, amongst the burning remains of other Minions from Holly's Moon Beam.

Alice managed to slip through most of them thanks to Amayori, but I noticed a few still on her tail. One made a swipe at the dragon's tail, barely missing. I spurred Jocund on, wanting him to catch up. Suddenly, a Minion was in my face, snatching me off Jocund and lifting me into the swarm. I heard Holly cry out my name, but Jocund was already hidden by the mass of clay bodies. I tried to swing my sword, but when I cut down the Minion grabbing me, another just took its place. I could feel claws dragging along my back, tearing at the chestplate that was keeping my heart in my chest.

A golden explosion ripped through the Minions, tearing them apart. I found they were no longer the biggest threat to my life, as gravity dragged me down. I felt a hand grip my wrist, halting my fall. I looked up, my eyes watching the thousands of golden flower petals tearing through the Minions, freeing everyone from their grasp, and holding my hand was Renly, barely keeping a grip. I reached up with my other arm, grabbing the saddle and pulling myself up. There was barely enough room with the three of us there, but it would be only temporary, as I could see the others breaking out the end of the ravine and into the Dark Territory.

The moon dipped below the horizon, barely a second after I saw Jocund break through the border between the Human Empire and the Dark Territory.

The others waited for us to join them. I let out a long sigh of relief. For a moment, I thought that was it. At that moment, my nerves seemed to catch up with my body, as I felt the sting from a claw mark on the back of my left shoulder.

Holly looked at me, both relieved and worried. "Are you okay…?"

"Yeah, I am. Sorry to worry you." I gave her a pained smile.

I felt two soft hands on my back. I turned slightly, looking back. Leafa was putting her hands on the cut. "System Call, Transfer Unit Durability, Self to Left." A soft glow came from her hands, and the pain seemed to leave the cut.

"Thanks…" I looked back in surprise.

"No problem." She smiled, but I could tell that whatever she did, it had hurt her. Almost like the pain I had experienced had been transferred to her.

Sheyta flew her dragon close. "We should get moving. Something's following us."

I looked back, and sure enough, something was coming. A huge black dragon was following. Using the crystalline element, I could see two figures upon it. One was a Dark Knight clad in purple armour, his face uncovered and an evil grin on his face. The other was wearing a black crown with the same blood red jewel that I had in my pocket. That could mean only one person…

"It's Emperor Vecta…" I climbed back onto Jocund. "Let's go!"

As everyone turned to leave however…a curtain of red began to descend from the heavens, between the supply unit and the incoming Emperor.

"What the hell…?" Kirito stared back in horror.

Eugeo gripped his shoulder. "There's no time! We need to get out of here!"

I looked to Alice, her face wearing a look of pure terror. "Why…? I never…wanted this…" I climbed across to Amayori, sitting behind her. "Light…? Why me…?"

I gripped her shoulders, making her look into my eyes. "I don't know. Life is cruel, often sending the most challenging obstacles to those with the purest hearts." I took her hand and gently placed it on her heart. "Humans are breakable…but within us is the power to overcome anything the world throws at us. It can beat you down, try to tear you apart. But you can stand there, against all the odds."

"How?"

"Don't break."

She looked at me, a thousand questions riddled with uncertainty dancing in her eyes. But they were soon replaced with conviction. "As long as I have all of you here…I'll be able to do it…"

"We're not leaving your side." I gave her a smile. "Now let's go!"

As if Amayori was commanded by me, she beat her wings against the air. Everyone took their formation, Jocund briefly flying alongside Amayori to take me back on his back. I sat back on his saddle, Holly letting out a sigh of relief. "You really know how to give me a heart attack, don't you?"

I smiled a little, before concentrating fully on the flight ahead of me. Ishkan was leading the way, ignoring the dark dragon slowly gaining on us.

I felt something warm in my pocket. I took out the crystal, the cold eye staring at me. "I'll only give you one chance to turn around and give A.L.I.C.E to me. Your reward will be a swift and merciful death."

"Sorry, but I don't think so." I looked back. No matter what, he would catch up to us soon. Our dragons were beginning to tire, yet his seemed to still be flying with no sign of giving up.

A joyous laugh came from the crystal, yet it was so evil, a shiver went down my spine. It was a laugh I had heard before, but from a different set of vocal chords. It wasn't joy from happiness. It was joy from hurting others…killing others. "Looks like this will be fun after all bro!"

Kirito suddenly shot up, his back straightening. "I know that voice…" His onyx eyes turned to me, fear in them. "No…it can't be…not here…"

Silence came from the crystal for a few tense seconds, then that evil laugh returned. "Oh this has to be fate… Lady Luck certainly has blessed me today!"

Kirito shook his head, refusing to believe whoever was on the other end of the crystal existed. "No…it can't be… You…you have to be dead…"

"Long time no see, Kirito."

I looked between the crystal and Kirito, confusion settling in. Whoever this was, it had to be someone terrible to cause that look on Kirito's face. Even when facing something like the Administrator or the Sword Golem, he barely showed fear, But that wasn't fear on his face. It was pure terror.

"Last chance." Vecta interrupted.

"We're not taking it." I put the crystal in my pocket, cutting off the conversation. I looked at Kirito, the hole in my heart growing every second I had to look at his terror. "Kirito…who was that?"

"His name is PoH…the leader of Laughing Coffin…"

Only Leafa seemed to react to that name. "Like Death Gun…?"

Kirito shook his head. "Worse than XaXa. He manipulated so many people all for his lust for killing. Even XaXa was a puppet to him." He gripped the reins of Hoshigami, his hands shaking. "Every single drop of blood Laughing Coffin spilt…it's on his hands…"

I looked down, knowing his pain. Back in The Land Beyond, there was a murder guild called the Cold Gazers. I swear I saw my sword glow, as if Crystal's memory was reminding me that she was part of it. Like I needed reminding…

"What are we going to do?" Renly asked, looking behind them. "They're catching up."

I looked back at Holly, who just smiled and nodded. I returned the smile, feeling the memory tug at my heartstrings. "We stand and build a wall. Vecta on one side, Alice on the other. We aren't letting him get to her." I looked at them all one by one. "No one dies."

Kirito smiled a little. "That's a plan I can get behind." He took a deep breath. "I'll deal with PoH."

"Not alone you're not." Eugeo said assertively. "I'll be right by your side."

"Eu…geo…" Kirito looked at him, stunned for a moment, before giving the brightest smile I'd ever seen on his face. "Right. We're partners. Partners until the end."

Our dragons dived towards the ground. They landed on the rock, stained red from the crimson sky. We all leapt off. I turned to Jocund and patted his neck. "Stay out of sight, okay Jocund?" He purred a little, before running towards a small hill with the other dragons.

Emperor Vecta's dragon hovered over us. The man stood up so we could all see his cold gaze staring down at us. Stoicism was the only thing I could make out on his face. It was chilling, staring into that icy stare.

But then…the red curtain started to descend around us…

I just loved writing that. PoH is by far my favourite villain, and I can't wait to write more with him in the following chapter, especially with Kirito. I'll never forgive the massive screw up the anime did with PoH. If you've only seen the anime, you'd think he's just a shoplifter who just hates the Japanese. But in reality, he's an assassin who went into SAO to kill a target. And his bond with Kirito comes from his hatred of his half-brother. PoH is so much deeper than the anime made him out to be, and I'm extremely disappointed with that...

Mini rant over. I just loved writing this chapter. I didn't want to just throw away the Minions by saying "Bercouli killed them, we just didn't see that". In this version, the Dark Mages held them back, which gave Gabriel enough time to start his pursuit. Now Alice is moving away from the Human Empire, he no longer cares about that conflict. And he can use the Americans to fight our heroes. How will they get out this? Well...maybe a certain pixie is sorting that out as we speak.

We're heading towards the finale at a rapid pace. Hopefully soon, we'll be there. The Final Battle for Underworld begins now!