Chapter 20
Alice, Selka, and Cardinal were tucked inside their sacred arts bubble. Around them, the once lush forest was now a frigid tundra. One in which was growing ever larger.
Sweat broke out along Cardinal's brow. It was taking everything she had to maintain it. In addition, she needed to keep it hovering. If it were to drop, they'd all be dead, touched by the deadly power that was running rampant. She could feel the pressure of the cryogenic sacred arts pushing against her bubble, cracks already forming.
Selka was on her knees, simply staring at the candle, watching as its flames flickered softly.
Alice was scanning through the scroll, looking for anything that could help. Did she read something wrong? Pronounce something incorrectly? Were she and Selka not in perfect sync as they recited the Incantation while lighting the candle? For as confident as Alice usually was, she felt doubt and worry creep into her mind.
"Synthesis Zero was originally enslaved by the Pontifex," Selka murmured.
"All Knights are bound to her," Alice replied brusquely. "What of it?"
"Well, what if they fought back?"
"Ridiculous," Alice retorted. "The Pontifex was always in control and afraid of no one."
"But there was always the possibility," Selka pressed. "I wouldn't think she would want the world destroyed should one of her Knights get out of control."
"Hmmm," Alice murmured. "That is true. In her strange way, Pontifex did actually care about the Underworld. Then again, there is the Blue Rose Sword. That is where Synthesis Zero's soul was bound originally. Perhaps we should…"
"We cannot destroy the sword," Cardinal said stiffly. She knew it was connected to Eugeo, in effect keeping his soul alive until extraction into the real world. His survival meant their survival. "There must be another way."
"What are we missing?" Selka wondered in frustration.
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Asuna bolted upright in her STL bed. She tore herself from it, nearly crashing into Sinon.
"Hey?!" Sinon said, clearly startled.
"Mommy!" Yui cried, popping up on the screen of Asuna's phone. She pressed her hands up on the glass. "Where's Daddy?"
Asuna tried to be assuring for the young fairy, going for a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Daddy is busy right now."
"What's going on?" Sugu asked anxiously. "Is Kirito alright?"
Seeing crocodile tears form in Asuna's eyes, Sinon frowned. "What did that idiot do now?"
"Kirito…" Asuna whimpered. Who she met in the Underworld clearly wasn't the man she fell in love with. Even so, she knew he had to still be in there. After all, she'd seen a small glimpse back on the stairs of the Cathedral. She didn't want to give up hope, but to walk in on him not once, but twice, sexually engaged, when they had made a promise. For on their wedding night, they would share their bodies, souls, and the rest of their lives together.
Sinon raised a brow, then looked over at the girl laying prone on the other STL bed. "Forget someone?"
Asuna turned towards Alice, bitterness washing over her. Kirito had always been passionate about the Underworld and its people. People like Alice, and soon, Eugeo. Sure, Kirito had met lots of people, both through Sword Art Online and Alfheim Online, but not once did Asuna feel…
"Are you feeling threatened?" Sinon said, breaking into Asuna's thoughts.
Sugu's eyes widened. She glanced over at Sinon, then leaned in, placing her hand on Asuna's shoulder. "Tell us what happened."
Asuna blinked. Was that it? Or perhaps, it was more along the lines of jealousy. Shaking her head, she'd have to sort through her feelings and thoughts later. Then have a serious talk with Kirito. For now, she took a deep breath and began, "Once Alice and I got into the Underworld…"
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Pontifex lazily circled her finger along Galen's bare chest. He lay next to her, the two entangled in the silky sheets of her bed. She looked at him, seeing the young twenty-seven-year-old he was, at least physically. His lashes were long and dark against his cheeks, his flaxen colored hair soft and tussled. His features relaxed, his face softened, but Pontifex knew, that even asleep, she'd have to be careful around her first Knight. For lately, he'd been rather…problematic. Frowning, she once again tried to extract the piety module from his forehead. Sighing heavily, she got the same result she always did, which was nothing other than a few sparks. Lying back down, she rolled to her side, her arm reaching underneath the bed to withdraw a black box from underneath it. She flipped open the lid, light illuminating her face. "This cannot go on," she murmured. "But what to do…."
Galen stirred, sensing Pontifex shifting around him. "My lady?" he asked, instantly awake. Sensing no immediate danger, he propped himself up onto his elbow. "Your sacred arts box again?"
"My box, irregular as it may be," Pontifex began, "Is how I control the Underworld."
"You?" Galen asked, brows furred. "What about Stacia?"
Pontifex chuckled softly, then dismissed the topic. "Hmm…." her lilac-colored eyes floated from the screen to around the room. There wasn't much on the top floor of the Cathedral other than her bed in the center, and Galen's sword, which he never had far from his reach. "Now there's an idea," she thought slyly to herself.
Galen was watching her gaze roam the room, his eyes narrowing as it zeroed in on his sword. His hand went for the hilt, but she had beaten him to it.
"It really is a beautiful weapon, isn't it?" she purred, stroking it in a seductive manner.
Galen's reflexes had his hand around Pontifex's throat, his fingers tightening with the slightest of pressure. "That is my sword. Never touch it."
"See?" Pontifex tsked. "This is what I'm concerned about."
Galen frowned.
Suddenly, Pontifex's long tendrils of hair turned to whips as they encircled Galen's limbs and neck, pushing him away from her to a safer distance. She stared hard at him, placing her hands on her hips.
Galen grit his teeth. He'd never seen this trick from the Pontifex before. Her hair was like steel and it had him strung up like a ragdoll. He strained against his bonds.
Pontifex surveyed her view. "You always had a fantastic body." She kept him at bay while she paced back and forth in front of him. "Unfortunately, it has reached the point where your disobediences can no longer go unpunished. You see, Bercouli and Fanatio are my perfect soldiers. You, on the other hand," she walked up to him, cupping her hand along Galen's cheek. "Are not so compliant."
"They do not think for themselves," Galen bit out.
"That is the point," Pontifex smirked.
"They are fools," Galen snapped.
"Now, now," Pontifex scoffed. "You would be the same way, if only…" Pontifex rubbed her thumb along his cheek. If only she knew. Since the piety module's reintroduction into Galen's memory, it had caused him to become violent and unpredictable, his mind rapidly deteriorating. He fought her control every step of the way. But why? She'd wanted to re-examine his piety module, but was unable to gain further access to it. She supposed she'd have to cut her losses. Leaning in, she slid her lips across his. Her body soon followed, her ample chest pressing into his chiseled one. Goddesses, he tasted good. It was a shame this would be the last time. Pulling back, Pontifex had a strand of her hair encircle the Blue Rose Sword, and brought it directly in front of Galen. "You love this sword so much," she began. "And so, I will bind you to it. Now, and forever."
Peeking from the door, Chudelkin gave a cruel grin. It was about damn time.
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Renly had reached the ninety-nineth floor with Tiese in tow. "Access the floating platform to the top floor," he commanded.
Tiese gulped. She didn't have any such access. "Well, I…" she began, attempting to stall him.
Renly loomed over her, and she wilted beneath his heated stare. What was she going to do? Sweat broke out along her brow and she nervously wrung her hands. "System Call," she began weakly. Before she could go further, a humming sound filled the room as said platform descended from the ceiling. Her mouth formed an 'o' in surprise. If she didn't call it, and Renly didn't, who did?
"Come on," Renly pulled the redhead onto the platform. As it began to ascend, Tiese fell against the boy Knight, who caught her in his arms. She took the opportunity to reach around, holding onto one of the twin winged blades that hung at his hip. It was so heavy, is this what it was like to wield a divine weapon? She had some sword experience, but her level wasn't near that of Renly's. She'd just have to make sure he didn't know that. With her other hand, she took hold of his cape, concealing her intent. There was still time to stop him.
It took just seconds for the platform to become level with the floor above. Tiese and Renly looked around. It looked like a typical office setup with a desk, bookshelves, papers, and books. But there was a strange black box sitting on a pedestal directly in front of them. Tiese squinted at it. Her memory of it was hazy, but yes, she had definitely seen one like it before.
Renly took her hands from around him, depositing them at her sides. White tendrils pulsed across his body, and his eyes glazed over. Stepping around her, he headed straight for the black box. With deft hands, he opened it, a soft light reflecting off his face and armor.
Tiese softly crept up behind him, though a thundering army of Knights wouldn't distract Renly from his task. She peered around him, her eyes widening as she saw people staring back at them.
"You're not Kirito," a man with glasses frowned from the box. Leaning in close, he studied Renly, then pulled back away. Crossing his arms, he shifted his stance off to the left.
Tiese gasped. Lying on a cot behind him was someone who looked eerily like Eugeo. And next to him, another slender body, though this one had his head covered by a large metal machine of some type. Wait…did that man just say Kirito? And why was Eugeo out there when he was in here? Suddenly, something clicked, and she remembered seeing something similar when she found Cardinal…
Renly's hands came up, his fingers flexing. He placed them above some strange letters that looked like they were from the sacred language. He was about to start pressing down on them when Tiese quietly withdrew Renly's blade and held it level at him. "Not another move."
Renly's golden eyes slid over to her, his eye twitching. He brought up an armored fist to deflect the blade away. Tiese hopped awkwardly back a few paces, her knuckles white while holding on fast to her weapon.
"Renly, don't do this," the redhead pleaded.
Renly ignored her. His fingers flew across the keys, the screen beginning to flash.
"Kikuoka, there's an attempt being made to hack into our system," a young man said in surprise from the box.
"Take care of it," Kikuoka said through clenched teeth.
Who were these people? And whatever a hack was, it sounded bad. Tiese had to stop Renly. Taking another swing, she brought his blade up once again. As she swung it around, Renly caught it deftly between his fingertips. Flicking it from her, he then slammed a fist into her stomach. She staggered backwards, clutching her midsection. "Oww…." Tiese mewled.
"Stop it before you seriously hurt yourself," Renly said flatly.
Tiese set her mouth into a grim line. She'd show him. Ignoring the pain, she lunged at Renly, crashing into him. They both tumbled from the black box, which bounced atop its pedestal, coming precariously close to the edge.
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I held onto Eugeo, my arms wrapped around him from behind despite the winds and ice kicking up around me. I had been protected before, but the intense cold was beginning to seep into me. I could feel my fingers starting to go numb, my body temperature dropping, my dark hair whipping about. Eugeo was merely staring as he watched the world turning into a frozen valley of death. With his attention off of me, I slowly began to move one hand up towards his neck. My fingers sprayed across the leather on it, searching for a latch, hook, something to get it off. Eugeo looked over his shoulder back at me, icy blue eyes narrowing. I could swear though I saw something pass through them, could it be trepidation? It seems Eugeo was right, there was something to this collar. And Synthesis Zero knew it.
Rather than struggle, Eugeo slumped over, his back rippling before icy vines shot out from it. I attempted to dodge, the vines grazing my right cheek, but burrowing through my chest on the left side. They pushed me back away from him a good distance. I gasped, trying to take in air. Damn, it hurt to breathe. The vines soon shattered to the ground, lasting only a brief moment. I dropped to my knees, trying to draw breath. I could hear Eugeo's footsteps as he stalked towards me, the rush of sacred power as the Blue Rose Sword materialized in his hand. He stopped in front of me, placing the tip of his sword under my chin to raise it up.
I could feel my heart beating rapidly, a tightening in my chest. Ignoring it as best I could, my hand went to my hip, withdrawing my Night Sky Blade. Slapping it against Eugeo's sword, I shoved it hard to the side, then rolled away from him. Wheezing, I got to my feet, using my sword to help keep my balance. Even those small, quick movements had me short of breath, which frustrated the hell out of me. I'd been injured before, but not like this. I knew I needed to be treated, but I had a job to do first.
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Sinon and Sugu listened attentively to Asuna's tale, neither speaking a word. What Asuna had experienced and what was happening in the Underworld, it was all so incredible. Their friend's voice had begun to crack when she was about to mention Kirito's betrayal when suddenly, her phone pinged with I Kirito's vitals on it. It was flashing red, and they were dangerously low. At the top, a stopwatch was counting down, getting precariously close to zero.
"What the hell?" Sinon muttered.
"Daddy's in trouble!" Yui cried.
"We need to get back to the cave where Kirito is," Asuna said anxiously to Sinon.
"I can watch Alice," Sugu interjected. "Although…" she thought to herself, looking longingly over at the now empty STL bed. She was so worried about her brother. She'd do anything to help him.
"Rinko promised she'd watch the boys for us," Sinon cut in sharply.
"Can we trust her?" Asuna said, worry creasing her brow.
"Here," Sinon replied, trying to stay calm as she reached for Asuna's phone. "Let me see if I can get a hold of Rinko." She scrolled through the list of contacts, finding the doctor's number. She hit dial, then placed the phone up to her ear.
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"Kikuoka, something's happening!" came a female voice.
"Now what?" Kikuoka narrowed his eyes over at Rinko. Turning back to the screen, he no longer saw the young man with green hair or the young woman with red hair. All he saw now was what looked like an office, generally themed in black. Typical Kirito. Before he could study anything further, Rinko tugged hard on his sleeve.
"Something's happened to Kirito in the Underworld," she said fretfully.
Kikuoka followed, and was surprised when he saw Kirito. Although he couldn't see his head, already his extremities were turning blue. Turning to the screens of his vitals, he saw he had an increased heart rate. His oxygen levels tanked, and his intake of breath was raspy and pained, as if he struggled for each one.
"What's happening?" Kikuoka demanded.
"I used my portable ultra sound device and discovered that his left lung has been punctured," Rinko explained.
"He uses swords," Kikuoka said stiffly. "He knows the hazards."
"I understand that," Rinko replied calmly. "But why is it affecting his real body?" She narrowed her eyes at her colleague.
"What do you suggest we do?" Kikouka dodged her questions.
"We should pull him out immediately." She waited a beat, then sighed heavily. "However, I know you, Kikuoka. This wouldn't be enough to do so." She went to the box of equipment under Eugeo's cot to remove a few more items. Heading back to the STL machine that covered Kirito's head, she ducked under it as best she could to rip at his shirt. Once she had enough skin exposed, she made a quick incision with a small knife on Kirito's afflicted side between two of his ribs. Taking the plastic hollow tube she now held, she inserted it into the opening, stitching it into place. Kirito's body flinched, a painful moan escaping from his lips. "I need to get rid of this excess pressure so Kirito's lung can expand again. Gravity will have to drain out any air and fluids from his lung. This could take hours, or even days."
"I'm sure you have it all under control," Kikuoka waved a hand dismissively. His stare turned hard at her disapproving look. "Kirito understands the risks involved."
"He would have, if you'd told him all of them," Higa murmured quietly.
Kikuoka gave Higa barely a glance, before cutting in with, "What is Eugeo's status?"
Rinko ran a hand through her hair, glancing at the blonde laid out on a cot next to Kirito. "Not so good. His blood circulation is slowing down, his oxygen levels are dropping, his breathing is becoming erratic. This body is continuing to shut down and is now entering the final stages of dying. Death is not far now."
"That is not acceptable," Kikuoka snarled.
Crossing her arms, she said to Kikuoka, she returned his harsh stare with one of her own, "I could really use a fully operational and functioning facility to do things properly."
"We must make do," Kikuoka took a calming breath. "How much time do we have left?"
"Two, maybe three hours," Rinko replied tensely.
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"You are persistent, I'll give you that," Synthesis Zero said, using Eugeo's voice.
After my first attempt to wretch the collar from my opponent's neck yielded nothing, it seemed what Eugeo told me earlier truly was the only way to remove it.
Eugeo leveled his sword at me. "You do realize no matter what you do, there is no hope for this world."
"There is always hope," I panted out.
"Look around," Synthesis Zero gestured with one hand. "My sacred power is unstoppable. Soon after, Renly will hack into your system, and restart the world." He began to circle me, like a predator does to its prey. "Maybe this time, it'll be done properly."
He was using a lot of words from the sacred tongue, and yet, I understood it all. "Enough talking," I said, sliding into an attack position. "Let's do this."
Darting towards him, I attacked with a Horizontal. Swinging my sword from left to right, Eugeo deflected it, our swords clanging. He grunted, pushed my sword away, and hopped backwards.
He brought up one hand, palm out, fingers extended, and began with "System Call…" His fingers glowed blue as three sharp, jagged ice arrows fired at me.
I brought up my sword, setting up a fast rotation to form a shield, causing his arrows to ricochet away.
Synthesis Zero readied another sacred arts attack, though this time, it yielded nothing. Confusion etched his face as he looked at his hand. He made another attempt, but that too, came up empty. I could hear him growling, see his fangs glinting. He knew what was happening and so did I. It seemed that with his sacred power flowing out into the Underworld destroying everything, it left him with only a small amount to use personally. That played to my benefit seeing as we could only use our swords now.
I took off again, headed right for him, slashing with swift and direct strikes. He took my attacks in stride, and we struck each other's blades as if in a scripted dance, neither of us gaining the upper hand. Frustrated, I continued my onslaught of attacks, only to be stopped abruptly as more stabbing chest pains raced through me. In my momentary pause, Eugeo flipped the sword in his hand, slamming the side of my head with the hilt of the Blue Rose Sword. I staggered, but somehow managed to stay on my feet. I began wheezing, panicking at how hard it was to draw breath and how painful it had become. Looking down at myself, I began shedding the extra weight of my armor. For some reason, it actually felt refreshing not to have the restrictions of it on me.
I was about to ready my sword again when Synthesis Zero drew close, our positions from earlier reversed. He now held me, one hand at the collar of my armory clothes while the other held my chin, his fingers careful not to touch the blood that leaked from the heavy gash along the side of my forehead. The hand on my armory clothes slowly pulled them down, exposing my chest just enough until his fingers touched the hole in it. "You know, a few inches to the side and you would've been dead," Synthesis Zero stated as if discussing the weather.
"Why didn't you kill me then?" I panted out.
"You interest me," Synthesis Zero replied vaguely. "Here you are, fighting so passionately for this world. And yet, you are not of it. You are…," he paused as if searching for the right word. "…irregular."
I hated being called that.
He angled my face towards his. "Or perhaps you fight more for someone…"
Gritting my teeth, I went to swing my elbows behind me, though he had already backed away.
"Ah, touched a soft spot," Synthesis Zero mused.
"I do not need to justify myself to you," I gritted out.
I wiped at the blood at now flowing freely down the side of my face, careful to keep some at the edges of my fingertips. My eyes shone gold seeing the crimson liquid. Perhaps my obsession with blood since I entered the Underworld was leading me to this one moment. All I needed was to get close enough….
Looking back at Eugeo, I saw he was consistently keeping himself at least an arm's length away from me as we battled. My eyes narrowed. This wasn't going to be easy and I was running out of time. Glancing between my opponent and the bubble that held the girls, an idea began forming in my mind. Taking off at a run, I headed towards them. Peering over my shoulder, I could see Eugeo pursuing me. Good.
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"Cardinal," Selka looked up from the candle.
"What is it?" the young mage ground out.
"Kirito and Eugeo are coming this way."
"What? Where?" Alice squinted her eyes, doing her best to see through the blizzard of ice and snow. "I need to help Kirito." She pressed up against the bubble. "Let me out, right now!"
"Don't be a fool," Cardinal hissed. "You'll die."
"How is Kirito not being affected by the frigid temperatures?" Selka wondered.
"He is," Cardinal replied gravely.
"What?" Alice and Selka replied at once.
"He's running on adrenaline," Cardinal said sharply.
"Adrenaline?" Alice furred her brow. "That is not a word I recognize from the sacred tongue."
"It is allowing him to fight," replied the young mage, "at least for now,"
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"Care to explain why Asuna is calling you?" Kikuoka asked flatly.
Rinko replied with a cool stare. "How should I know?"
"Maybe she's concerned about Kirito?" Higa piped up.
Kikouka gave Higa a dark look.
The younger man flinched slightly. "She is his fiancée…"
"I wonder for how long," Kikuoka stroked his chin. He balanced Rinko's phone on his fingers, until he let it slip between them, crashing to the floor.
Rinko's eye twitched.
"That phone is nothing compared to this," said Kikuoka, running the back of his hand along Eugeo's cheek.
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Renly and Tiese landed in a tangle of limbs.
The compulsion Renly was getting from Galen was incredibly strong. White tendrils throbbed along his skin, urging him to complete his task. The pain he experienced when he deviated from it was crippling. He grabbed the sides of his head, teeth gnashing.
"Damn it, Tiese," Renly snarled. "I have to do this."
"No, you don't!" she shot back.
Renly wiggled himself out from under the redhead, getting back on his feet first. Tiese quickly followed suit, before the boy Knight placed his booted foot on top of her right hand, grinding it into the ground. Her bones snapped, the sound echoing across the room. Tiese's eyes watered, but she didn't cry out. Renly stepped past her, only to be decked in the back of his knee with a strong kick. His body crumbled slightly, annoyance crossing his face. As he went to look over his shoulder, he saw Tiese leap up, and hurled herself at him. She held on firm, her arms crossing in front of his neck, when she began to tighten them. Renly brought his hands up, attempting to tear away the arms that were cutting off his air supply. Damn, she had a grip like steel. He fell to his knees, his vision going blurry and darkening. Renly refused to give in, whether it was due to Galen's command or the solider in him, he wasn't sure. He crawled on his hands and knees towards a wall. Once there, he turned, so he was facing the center of the office space. Rearing up, he slammed her body against the wall. She gasped; the wind knocked from her. Renly repeated the process twice more, and by then, Tiese's grip had loosened enough to where she finally slid off of him.
Renly took in a few deep breaths, then stood up. He could hear her shuffling behind him, when he turned, tossing out his Twin Winged Blades. They caught her in each shoulder, pushing her back against the wall, pinning her there.
"Let me go!" Tiese attempted to squirm against her bonds.
Renly cupped her chin in his gloved hand. "You know, it's not all bad. Resetting the world could give those of us who were always in the background a second chance. Just think, maybe next time around, you can have the one you truly desire."
As much as Tiese wanted Eugeo to be hers, she knew no matter what she did, it would never be. As a last-ditch effort, she brought her legs up, wrapping them around Renly's waist. She tugged him close to her as hard as she could, the blades that held her prisoner now sinking into him as well.
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As I sprinted towards the girls, I had to focus on not slipping and falling on the snow and ice that covered the ground. Eugeo, of course, had no trouble, being that ice was his element. Quickly, he drew up next to me, his sword aimed at my knees. Bringing his sword back, he took a swipe. I swerved away, darting off in a new direction. Eugeo once again caught up to me, sword level at my hips this time. Watching the rhythm of my run, he held his weapon still until after a few beats, when he struck at me again. I leapt back, his blade grazing my left hip. Thrown off balance, I swung my sword awkwardly in an attempt to stay on my feet. Eugeo ducked under it, then kicked me hard in the gut, sending me sprawling onto the ground.
My back hit hard. I was gasping as my hands and feet struggled to make purchase in the ice and snow. Eugeo hovered into view, before he plunged his sword near a very sensitive area. Namely, my crotch. "That's a cheap move," I muttered, eyes narrowing.
"Are you done yet?" Synthesis Zero asked, one brow raised.
"Never!" I hissed, kicking my foot out and catching him in the shin. Scrambling to my feet, I made a break for it.
Eugeo snarled, hobbling on his good leg. Calling upon the last of his sacred power, he dulled the pain. After making a quick grab for his sword, he continued his chase after me.
Approaching the girls bubble, I slid to a stop in front of it. Placing my hands up against it, I peered inside to see Cardinal, Alice, and Selka. They still had the scroll and candle. "Can anyone hear me in there?" I shouted over the howling winds.
The three women shook their heads 'no.'
I gestured for them to continue to light the candle and recite the Incantation until only one wick was left. I mouthed the words, "Wait for my cue." Alice and Selka nodded, though they were wary.
I heard Eugeo and felt the rush of air as he brought down his sword from a vertical attack. I did a quick one eighty just in time to block his strike. Our swords clanged against each other's a few more times, sparks flying. With the bubble against my back, I couldn't retreat any further.
"You fight valiantly," Synthesis Zero's eyes blazed. "But it's time for you to die."
My vision grew impeccably clear, narrowing and focusing on the tip of the Blue Rose Sword. He thrust it forward, me dodging out of the way at the last possible second, dropping under his sword arm. Momentum carried him until his sword entered into the bubble that held the girls. The trick here was that Eugeo's sword wasn't made of regular steel or iron, and it could pierce through anything with its special properties. I just hoped it didn't hit any of the girls.
Shoving Selka out of the way, Alice dropped to her knees, her hands going to either side of the Blue Rose Sword. Incanting, she immobilized Eugeo's blade using sacred arts, though it would be only for a few seconds.
Irritation crossed Eugeo's face as he tried to dislodge his weapon. "What the hell?" he muttered darkly.
With Eugeo's attention on his sword, my fingers slid along the cut he'd given me earlier along my forehead. Though most of it had clotted, there was just enough that still leaked from the wound. I ducked around Eugeo, coming up behind him, my bloodied fingers extended. With my other hand, I signaled to Selka. As she lit the last wick, and Alice chanted the last line of the Incantation, I ran my fingers along the collar on Eugeo's neck. Runes lit up along the weathered strap. Meanwhile, both the black candle and scroll turned to ash as their purpose was now complete.
Eugeo stopped dead in his tracks, eyes glazing over. Blue tendrils slithered up his skin disappearing into the collar. Synthesis Zero said, voice strained, "The world…will be reset…that..you cannot stop…" The collar continued to pulse and glow, until there was a soft click. It released from around Eugeo's neck and fell into the snow. His eyes closed, his body starting to collapse. The Blue Rose Sword dropped from his grasp, its blade plunging into the earth. Eugeo's body began to sway and I leaned in to catch him.
After taking note the coast was clear, Cardinal popped the bubble, the three women landing lightly on their feet. The area around us grew silent, winds, ice, snow, everything just stopped. All was eerily silent.
"Is that true?" Selka asked anxiously. "Is our world going to be reset?"
"I don't know," Cardinal replied nervously. "Until then, let us deal with what is before us."
Alice removed her cape, laying it on the snowy ground. "Kirito, lie Eugeo here."
I did as instructed, carefully laying him down. I then laid down next to him, not caring that I was on the damp snow. Ironically, it felt good against my hot, sweaty skin. With all the extra exertion, I'd forgotten how much it hurt to breathe. I began to drift, my eyelids fluttering. I just wanted to sleep as I was so damn tired.
"What is this wound?" Alice tore at my remaining armory clothes, exposing a large, infected hole that went straight through to the snow at my back. The ice from before had kept it in check, but it had started to melt, allowing blood to start flowing again. The pristine white of the snow was quickly turning into a dark, saturated pink. Alice bent down next to me. "Kirito? Kirito!" Alice was starting to panic. She was lightly shaking me, although they began to get more aggressive. I failed to give her much of a response.
Cardinal waved her staff, a sacred circle appearing in the air. From it, she withdrew a small, black box. She flipped the lid open, turning it on. A screen glowed, casting a pale light upon them. "Kikuoka?" she called urgently.
"Cardinal," Kikuoka said, mildly surprised.
"Kirito has been severely injured. He must return home."
"And what of Eugeo?"
"He is unconscious. Showing signs of exhaustion, fatigue, and mottled with wounds from previous fights," Selka cut in. "It seems that without Synthesis Zero to shield his body and constantly heal it, everything he's been through is resurfacing."
"Kirito, you better not die," Alice said stubbornly. "You either, Eugeo," she added grudgingly.
"Both boys are in rough shape," Cardinal summed up. She narrowed her eyes at Kikuoka. "You will help them."
"Of course," Rinko leaned into the screen.
"Have you successfully cleansed Eugeo's soul from that parasite?" Kikuoka asked flatly.
Selka bent down, cautiously picking up the collar. "Synthesis Zero's soul is now trapped in here."
"He is yours to do with as you please. But first, it is time for extraction," Kikuoka said, a slow smile spreading across his lips.
"What is this extraction?" Selka asked, panic gripping her.
"They will go to the Real World," Cardinal explained.
"Oh?" Selka's eyes grew wide. "When will they return?"
"About that…," Cardinal began hesitantly.
Selka suddenly grew angry. "They aren't coming back, are they?" Tears formed in her eyes.
"We will discuss this later," Cardinal said firmly. Turning back to the screen, she said flatly. "Are you ready?"
"Ready," Higa answered with a nod.
OOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo
End Chapter 20