Asuna

"Will he be okay?"

Asuna hears Kirito's concerns as he and the knight apprentices overlook Asuna healing Jaymes inside the Orthinanos manor. His concern is pointed at Medina, who just woke up from her unconscious state. She nods her head and looks away from Asuna and Jaymes to the people gathered in the meeting room. "I believe so. He regained his sense of self...though I did little to help in that regard. Your friend, the blacksmith, protected him." Asuna smiles, keeping the comment to herself as she stands up and takes the seat beside him, facing Kirito.

"If Liz is helping him, then I don't think we have to worry any longer... Now we can focus on the enemy. How much time do we have remaining?"

Kirito shrugs. "The seven o'clock bells haven't rung, and I left at the top of the hour, so...enough?"

"We'll have to go with the 'we need to quickly figure out a plan' amount of time, then." Asuna's eyes dart to Ilia, Ronie, and Tiese. "You three have met with the First Children or someone associated with them. Do you know what they're planning?"

Ilia nods. "Yes. As a matter of fact, I was going to tell Lady Medina before this all happened. The three otherworlders fighting and killing one another was the primary plan. Eydis says the backup is a simultaneous assault on Obsidia and Centoria. Problem is... If you just left Centoria, Delegate Kirito, then there's no way a massive army could be there. If there was... we would sense something wrong, right?"

Kirito shrugs again. "Maybe... And now that you remind me that we are on a clock, Medina, have you been in close contact with Primus? I know the likelihood is low, but he claims that he returned my sister and our friends back to this world and is holding them hostage."

"No. There's no way that happened considering I haven't seen Primus since the matter in Rulid. I do know Jaymes and I spoke of the possibility, that it may be possible, yet I haven't tried. And, just to put it out there, Cardinal modified it so my power can only be used at my command, so no one else can call forth wayfarers."

Asuna feels a burden fall off her shoulder, and sees Kirito's relief. "That's great. We all fell for a lie, and look where it got us. I'm feeling the need for some payback."

"Yes, Asuna, and we'll get to that. But first, I have to ask a question. Medina, in the Windcutter's Ridge, you say a barrier was created that cut off communications and sensations from anywhere out the ridge and vice versa, right?"

"Yes. It was the reason Jaymes and Ilia couldn't help me against Eydis at first and why we were unable to communicate with one of his subordinates later. At the same time, his mage thought something was wrong because he wasn't being sensed, right?"

"Yes. Also, you say Primus almost used Perfect Weapon Control with Falchion within moments of stealing it, correct."

"Yes."

Kirito crosses his arms and bows his head in silence. Asuna wonders what he's thinking about, while at the same time, she goes over the questions herself. Eva's barrier... It sounds familiar in function to an instance field used in RPGs. She learned from Kirito and Jaymes that, when an instance is entered, only the people in the field can access it. No one else can enter the same field unless they're in a party together. So when Jaymes left Eydis but couldn't return, that was when the first barrier was raised. The second came sometime after Jaymes and Ilia rejoined Medina. Then there are Stella's arrows. Both Kirito and Ilia report feeling a sensation in which they feel unfocused and disconnected between their minds and bodies. In real life, that'll be a proprioception issue, but in VR, that sounds like non-conformity. It wouldn't make sense for Ilia to feel that, but from her experiences, non-conformity is the only thing Asuna can compare Stella's ability to.

"Kirito, are you trying to figure out the First Children's abilities?"

He looks surprised by Asuna's deduction, then smiles with a nod. "Yeah. You think of something?"

"Yes. Eva's ability is similar to an instance field based on their description, and I'd say Stella's is like non-conformity of sorts."

"I... I can agree with that, though I'd say Stella's is a little more than non-conformity. Ronie and Tiese say Noxium not only accessed Jaymes' memories but changed them...no, corrupted them to his design. Since memories here are not as we would say they are, let's say the memories in the Underworld are strictly data. What Noxium did would be considered data corruption, right?"

"Yeah. Which leaves Primus... From my understanding, it takes time to use Perfect Weapon Control?"

Medina shakes her head. "Not necessarily time, but you're definitely not doing it the moment you pick up a sword. It took me a week or two with the enhancing phase, longer with the memory release."

"Yeah. I had the Night-Sky for a month before I knew the existence of Perfect Weapon Control, and only with Cardinal's assistance did Eugeo and I know how to do it, and it was in a tense situation that it worked."

"Same for Mia and I," Ilia states.

"So, how did Primus do it? We all seen Falchion in that phase, it glows bright, and we saw the same with Primus."

"Cardinal..." All eyes turn to the formerly unconscious warrior, the boy holding his side as he joins the conversation. He winces as he sits up straight and faces the group. "I've been listening, and at first I thought it was an incarnation, then it hit me: The abilities of the other children, those are things that a system would do. I don't know how to explain it to you guys, but Kirito, Asuna... Think about it. Data corruption, instance creation, and non-conformity, the Cardinal System manage those in VR games. And the backstory to Primus is that he was told he was to oversee the Underworld, to interfere when necessary. He might've taken it to the extreme, but for a while, that's what happened."

"Which means?"

"Remember how this began, Medina. The Ancient Apostles, no, all Divine Beasts were considered threats to Administrator's rule. She forbade all human competition to her power. But there were four others who were her match, and she put them in Deep Freeze...except that no one knew about them. I was here for three years, I didn't meet them once. Somehow Quinella found them, and it can only be explained by their powers. Aside from Falchion, the Night-Sky, and the Blue Rose, Quinella created all Divine Objects during her reign. Their weapons are not like ours."

"They're like me," Asuna infers, Jaymes confirming with a nod. "So their powers are granted by the system at large, but you're specifically saying Cardinal for Primus. Why?"

He shrugs. "I mean, it's a weak guess, but he's so dedicated to overseeing the world just like Quinella, and possibly destroying it just like Cardinal."

"You may be right," Kirito adds on. "Cardinal sought to recreate Aincrad and destroy the world once before itself. So he could be another manifestation of Cardinal like Administrator was?"

"Possibly." Jaymes stands up and, still nursing his torso, begins to head out the room. "There's only one thing we can do." He stops at the doorframe and, with a sigh, turns to Medina. "Can you four Underworlders clear the room?"

"What for?"

"I need to ask Asuna and Kirito something privately." The pair have a short, silent conversation with their eyes before Medina stands up and escorts the apprentices out of the meeting room. Closing the door behind her, He places his hand on the door before facing Kirito and Asuna, though his eyes are unable to meet them.

"...I'm sorry."

"It wasn't-"

"My actions weren't my fault, but the things used to make them, they are... Ever since you two reacquainted and we started on that murder mystery, I admit that a part of me hated the closeness you two were slowly exhibiting. I hated myself for using Lisbeth as a replacement of sorts for Koharu, and not just her, Philia and maybe Rain and Strea were victims. Sinon and Kureha too. For years, I...looked for Koharu, and at the same time, I grew resentment for the both of you."

"Because we came out of Aincrad together," Kirito declares. "Yeah, I heard you before, and somewhat knew that too when we went to rescue Asuna. I just... I just never knew how to address it. Then when you started dating Lisbeth, I said something wrong, that I thought you'd be better off with Philia. I... I didn't mean that. I think I meant that, if you were looking for another Koharu, it wasn't in Lisbeth. Maybe in Sinon and Kureha, but as you said, you know it'd be wrong."

"I... I know. Yet what I did to Liz, she shouldn't forgive me at all, or even love me still. I betrayed her trust, yet she's been there for me far more than I have for her. She...was protecting me even now. It's a debt I can never repay."

Asuna takes the time to speak out. "You owe Medina a lot too. This entire time, she watched over you and looked for ways to save you until she did."

"Is that so? Then she's done more than I thought...and I really don't know how to repay her. I'll figure it out...but first, I had good reason to seek you two out. How did he convince you to fight me, Kazuto?"

"He claimed he brought Sugu and the others into this world again. I knew it was unlikely when I heard it, I know why they logged out in the first place, but when I saw them...it overrode those thoughts. But Medina said her power wasn't used, Primus claimed."

"I see...yet I believe it is possible, for a short moment. Medina still has her powers despite the acceleration, and I bet Yui is still somewhere in the...wherever she goes. I've thought about it, and if there's a chance, the time, in real-time, is now."

Asuna crosses her arms. "Liz and the others may be unlikely, but Sinonon, Ko, and Leafa... You're thinking of something cruel, aren't you? Using the 'parents' of the First Children against them, huh?"

"You're right, Asuna, but only as a last resort if even possible. But if you're against it-"

She shakes her hand and presents Jaymes with a smile that's sure to invoke chills down Kirito and Jaymes' spines. "No. Normally I might be above such pettiness, but they've done something unforgivable. They tried splitting me from the two most important people from me, and I cannot let that go unanswered. No one hurts my family."

"That goes second for me," Kirito states as he stands up and walks around the table towards Asuna and Jaymes. "But if we're going to do this, we do this right. Whatever Primus has in store, it begins at seven, in about twenty or so minutes? Asuna, we'll assemble the knights and defend the Human Empire. Jaymes, the Dark Territory."

"We should prioritize getting rid of Eva first. We don't know enough to know what Primus is up to, but if Eva isolates us from Jaymes and anyone else while fighting Primus, our fight will be harder. Best to take her on first."

Kirito nods at Asuna's suggestion. "Alright. Jaymes, your plan with Stella and Noxium?"

"Easier said than done. One way or another, I'll present their heads to Primus. We take him together."

"Alright then. Sounds like a plan of ours." Kirito smiles and places his hand out between them. Asuna and Jaymes place their hands on top of his, and they just linger there in silence until Asuna breaks the silence again.

"It's not right without a fourth hand, isn't it?"

"Don't worry, Asuna. We'll see her again in 198 years. Right, Jaymes?"

"Yeah...and though I can't explain how, she says 'Win this game, as you three players always have. And then, once this game is over...player four will be ready to join in.' And not just Ko, but for everyone back home...let's win this for them."

"Right... As always, we do this together."

"As one."

"And for all."

xxxxxxxxxx

Jaymes

I watch as Kirito, Asuna, Ronie, and Tiese take a new way of using the wind elements back to Centoria, waving goodbye to my friends. In the meantime, two sets of footsteps approach me. I face the younger of the two first, my eyes dropping to the new weapon at her waist. "So...you got a new sword. Is it the dagger?"

Ilia nods. "It is. It...changed when I wished it so, I guess."

"Willpower is an amazing thing, huh? Good job, Ilia, we'll need your power in the upcoming fight." I look away from the blonde to the redhead, and words are stuck in my throat. I know what she's done, and how she risked life and limb for it. I remember what she said within my consciousness, yet I don't know what to say to any of it.

So instead of using words, I use actions. I take a step up to her, and in a move that she'll kick me where it hurts later, pull her into a hug. "J-Jaymes?"

"I'm sorry for always causing you trouble, Medina."

She slowly relaxes and places her arms around my neck, holding me tighter than I am her. "...You should be, you...you idiot!" I feel my shoulder get heavy with moisture, and it is not from the sprinkles of rain. I raise one hand to her head and pat her gently. allowing her to weep for a moment while I think of how to approach the First Children. Whatever I do, I have to assume Mia has already laid the groundwork and Iskhan taking all possible actions. But the First Children are not someone I can handle alone, despite my priority levels being high enough now to surpass Quinella's. If one got the jump on Eydis and put aside my mindset at the time, she bested me, how can I confidently say I'll defeat Noxium and Stella? It's best I steal from Asuna and Kirito's plan. At the worst, I confront the two on my own. At best, Mia and I get one of them, Medina and Ilia get another.

Not wanting to be too late, I hold Medina back and address her and Ilia. "We best get to the Dark Territory. We have fifteen minutes until Primus' honor runs out, and I want his comrades' heads gift-wrapped for him."

Medina wipes her eyes and nods. "Right... Ilia, you're a knight of the empire. You don't need to come."

"But...I'm still your student. I go where you go, Medina." Ilia places a hand on her heart and another on her sword, resolute in her words. "And...Mia's in the Dark Territory too. I... I want to help my friend save her home." I raise an eyebrow. I never thought Mia's energetic personality would resonate with the grounded Ilia, but I guess something happened when I wasn't looking. I await Medina's response. She smiles at her student and looks at me.

"Before we go... Eydis. Eydis is freed, so we don't need to worry about her." That's the first I hear of it, and I unconsciously exhale in relief. I bet I'll see her soon, if she joins the fight as I would think she would, and glance towards the east.

"Then let's not tarry any longer..."