[182 days until the Final Load Test…]
"That was frickin' intense. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Sugu. Your brother's a badass."
Suguha gave a wan smile. Shini wasn't wrong, not at all. Kazuto was a certified badass, a point unanimously agreed upon by many denizens of the internet. Not many people would be able to go toe-to-toe with the game's equivalent of a demigod and win, let alone fight after having their arm cut off.
Her brother and his friends were made of the sternest stuff, it would seem.
"Six months, though…" Trish frowned. "There's no way that the Assault Team is going to agree to that. In that time, they could clear the rest of the floors and reach Kayaba the regular way."
"But what about the Underworld?" Selka asked. "That would mean they'd be defenseless! They'd get wiped out!"
"They don't know what that means, though." Mr. Yuuki chimed in. His son was nodding sagely in agreement while his wife remained silent, but noticeably invested in the conversation. "The Expeditionary Force has been effectively cut off from the Assault Team ever since Liz's capture. Every revelation that we witnessed never made it back to the other players. To the Assault Team and the rest of the playerbase, the citizens of the Underworld are just NPCs. They have no reason to be invested."
"They have to convince them somehow." Suguha realized. "Not only will they have to convince them to stop climbing floors, but they're also going to have to convince them to fight in a war where pain and bodily injury is possible."
"That's… deep stuff." Shinichi commented. He looked over at Ren. "Hopefully some of them will understand when they drop the whole "descendants of the first 2,000 casualties" bit."
"Maybe." Ren shrugged before looking up at the screen again. "We'll have to wait and see."
[172 days until the Final Load Test…]
Liz gulped. How in the world did she get roped into this?!
She took a deep breath. Maybe backtracking a little would help her understand this. Tracing one's steps was always a good plan when figuring out where to go next, and frankly she wasn't entirely sure that she was the right choice for this.
Almost two weeks ago, she'd been rescued from the clutches of Administrator by Kirito and the more elite members of the Expeditionary Force. At the time, she wasn't surprised to see them mount a rescue effort, but she was surprised to hear they weren't stopping there. They were going to defeat Administrator and free the Underworld from her tyranny.
At the time, it sounded like a quest chain, but oh how wrong she was.
Learning the truth about the Underworld was staggering. Earth-shattering. Mind-boggling. Paradigm-shifting. It was like learning for the first time that the Earth was round, not flat. Suddenly, everything down there carried weight. Lives were at stake.
And not just their own.
Kirito, like the absolute badass he was, single-handedly destroyed Administrator in a spectacular duel to the death. He'd also lost an arm in the process, which was why he wasn't here taking care of this instead of her. According to Cardinal, the process of reattaching a limb was lengthy and resource intensive, needing hours upon hours of Sacred Arts usage and physical therapy. Asuna was naturally at his side the entire way through, as was Yui.
The other officers and authority figures of the Expeditionary Force were still down there assisting with the drastic and sudden shift in power. With Administrator gone, there was a power vacuum that needed to be filled. Cardinal had been convinced to fill the vacancy, but she'd insisted on involving the Integrity Knights in the new hierarchy. She would be a figurehead and would ultimately act on the wishes of the Integrity Knights, who were beholden to the people directly. Cardinal had no interest in hogging all the power to herself, apparently.
Good.
Alice and Eugeo had called most of the KoB down to assist with recruiting and training a proper army from the civilian populace to help defend against the Dark Territory. Even with the Integrity Knights and the Expeditionary Force, Cardinal estimated that a handful of incredibly strong and skilled individuals would eventually be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Training efforts were underway, but that also meant that the KoB and its leadership were otherwise preoccupied and could not be here.
Yuuki and the Sleeping Knights elected to stay as well. With the discovery that Aiko was alive – albeit brainwashed – they wanted to spend as much time as possible with their lost guild member. Progress in bringing her memories back was slow, but there was some progress being made.
'Progess' being the fact that Aiko no longer wanted to burn them at the stake like the 'heretics' they were, but small victories, she supposed.
Unfortunately, that meant that Liz and a handful of volunteers found themselves with the dubious honor of trying to persuade the players topside that they needed to stop clearing floors and help with the war effort down below.
And Liz drew the short straw.
"You've got this." Sachi smiled, patting the blacksmith on the back. "Just think of it as trying to sell your weapons at market."
"Yeah, except I'm trying to sell them a story that sounds ridiculous at best and insane at worst." Liz scoffed.
"Okay, when you put it that way, it does sound pretty bad." Ducker chuckled. "But have a little faith! Yeah, some of the people up here can be selfish, conceited, dickwads…"
"Not helping your case there, Ducker." Dale said.
"... but there's some good people out there too." Ducker finished, shooting Dale a quick glare. "Even just a little help goes a long way. Just channel your inner Asuna."
"Ya mean dotin' and overprotective?" Argo snickered.
"I still don't understand why you're not the one doing this, Argo." Liz pouted. "People trust you."
"I'm also not one for public speakin', Liz-chan. Small Assault Team meetin's are one thin', but this…" Argo trailed before she sighed. "I'll back ya up, but I ain't about to stand in front of thousands and tell 'em they should fight in a war like this. I sell information, not opinions."
Liz grumbled but ultimately relented. "Fine, but I do this under protest."
"That's the spirit, Liz-chan!"
Several minutes later, she stepped out onto a stage she'd seen Kirito, Asuna, and the other Assault Team guild leaders seated at before. It was the standard press conference setup on the 1st floor, but this time instead of a table with chairs set up like a panel, it was an open stage.
Thousands of familiar, yet unknown faces stared at her in the crowd. Familiar in that she spent the past three years among them… fighting for them. Yet, they were – most of them, at least – unknown. The vast majority of these players spent their time behind the front line, living comfortable lives in relative safety.
It was nerve-racking.
"The floor is yours, Liz." Thinker said, his eyes full of pity and sympathy. He'd been briefed about what this was about, and he'd agreed that it was going to be a tough sell.
Liz took a deep, shaky breath. Asuna could do this; she'd mentioned on a number of occasions the necessity of putting on a mask when dealing with the public. To hoist up a false image that presented confidence and surety so that your message was as well-received as it could be.
"What I'm about to tell you is not some kind of prank. As some of you have probably already heard, there is a place under Aincrad called the Underworld. You might think that it's just another floor that needs to be cleared and conquered, and you'd be right… but not for the reasons you think."
She spared a glance at Thinker, who gave her a faint smile of encouragement.
"The Underworld, like every other floor here in SAO, is populated by NPCs, but not NPCs like you're used to. These NPCs are more like Kizmel, the Dark Elf that used to fight on the front lines with the Assault Team as a member of my guild, the Resolute Renegades. They're real."
The crowd began to mutter, the claim that an entire floor of NPCs like Kizmel existed causing more than its fair share of shock and controversy. She waited for the murmur to die down a bit before continuing.
"Kirito once explained to me the concept of a bottom-up AI. Bottom-up AI aren't built with one particular objective or purpose in mind. They are created as a blank slate, and learn lessons about how to exist and conduct themselves over time. Just like real people as they grow up and grow older. Just like us, and that's what the people of the Underworld are."
"If I might interject here…" Thinker interrupted, drawing the attention of the crowd to himself. "...what makes you certain that these NPCs are bottom-up AI? That's a bold claim to make, and I'm sure I speak for many of us in that I fail to see the relevance."
That was a lie. Thinker knew exactly why that was relevant. Just as they'd planned, he was spurring the conversation onward; his involvement lent credence to the argument and would probably get people to listen instead of just writing her off as some loony.
"Because while we were down there, we learned how they came to be."
To call the next fifteen minutes of explanation controversial and polarizing would be an incredible understatement. The existence of pain, learning magic, meeting Cardinal, the revelation that the Underworld residents were descended from the first 2,000 casualties of SAO. The very idea that these people were not only sentient and human, but worth protecting from the oncoming war. All of it sounded outlandish, and the suspecting and dubious expressions of the crowd were evidence enough that they didn't believe her.
"Just what proof do you have?" Lind asked; he and other notable leaders were seated nearby in plain sight, but not so much as to divert too much attention away from Liz. "Forgive me, Liz. I know you're a trustworthy person. Frankly, I trust you and the rest of your guild with my life, but even you have to admit how this sounds. We need proof."
Crap. She should have brought proof, maybe even brought an Underworlder up with her. That would have been only mildly successful, now that she thought about it. There were so many players here that anyone could have passed themselves off as an Underworlder, and everybody knew it. But how exactly was she supposed to prove herself with just her words? How…?
"Perhaps this shall be proof enough." A familiar, dignified voice called out.
Liz's eyes buggered out as she spun in place. Kizmel, Orlando, and Shivata stepped up on stage to the hushed gasps of surprise of the audience. Immediately there was a flurry of activity in the crowd, some people bringing out recording crystals as if to document and prove that the dead were again amongst the living.
Lind gaped, his eyes locking onto the Dark Elf. "...Kizmel?"
"In the flesh, so to speak." Kizmel nodded. "Frankly, I'm surprised you did not notice Shivata first. Yes, he's much older than when you last saw him, but regardless, I figured you would have spotted him first."
Shivata waved awkwardly. "Hey Lind. Long time, no see."
"Shivata…?" Lind muttered out, falling out of his chair and onto his knees. "...How?"
"Like she just told you all." Shivata shrugged. "We're alive again. Well, sort of. It's a little more complicated than that, but we need your help. Our families are down there, and I don't want to lose them."
"Your families?" Lind asked, still in shock.
Shivata nodded before looking over at Orlando. "Yeah. Many of us settled down. Probably wasn't a good idea to do so while we were fighting the establishment, so to speak, but it happened. We could really use your help, boss."
After a brief moment of stunned contemplation, Lind stood up. "I can't speak for the rest of the Divine Dragon Alliance, as that's ultimately their choice, but I'll fight. I'll never forget how you pushed me out of the way of that ettin's club on the 25th. You died so that we could live, Shivata. I'd be a poor leader if I wasn't willing to put my life on the line for you and yours as well."
A beat of silence passed as many in the audience vocally agreed with the sentiment. Unfortunately, there were still those among them that were hesitant, if not outright objecting to the notion.
"I think yer a bunch of damned fools."
Liz fought back the urge to roll her eyes. Kibaou.
Thinker frowned. "And why's that?"
"Look, I get that we've got people down there that are in danger, but there's thousands and thousands of strangers mixed in with 'em. I say we grab our friends and their families and bring them back up here where it's safe." Kibaou suggested.
"Should that not extend to the other Underworlders, too?" Thinker asked.
"No, why should it?" Kibaou replied. "It sounds heartless, but we don't know them. They don't know us. Why should we stick our necks out for a bunch of people we don't know?"
"Isn't that what the Army's mission is?" Liz countered, her eyes alight with challenge. "To protect those who can't protect themselves? Since when did you decide who was worthy of your protection and who wasn't?"
"I…"
"These people are descended from the 2,000 players that died during the first month, Kibaou. Now, I wasn't there during the first strategy meeting, but Leonn was." Liz pressed. "From what he told me, you made a big deal about doing right by the 2,000 people who died. Well, this is a chance to do right by those people, by saving their families. We can't save the 2,000 who died, but we can save their legacies."
Kibaou stood there, mouth gaping like a fish as he struggled to find some sort of retort.
Liz stood tall as she found her figurative footing and her confidence. "Cardinal explained to me that Project Legacy was created to ensure Kayaba's legacy through the first bottom-up AI, but I think it's more than that. Those people represent our legacy. The legacy of pain and struggle and the legacy and joy and love that we've had to go through so that we can one day be free. What kind of people would we be if we found our freedom, but at the cost of thousands of innocent lives? What does that say about us? Are we worthy of our freedom? As far as I'm concerned, choosing to abandon them makes us no better than Laughing Coffin."
Oh, and wasn't that controversial. The comparison immediately struck home, the general feeling of anger washing off of the crowd in waves.
"Like it or not, this is our new reality." Liz continued. "What we do in here will carry over into real life. I don't mean that literally; it's not as if the outside world knows what we're up to in here, but our feelings will carry over into the real world. We laugh and we cry, we make friends and build relationships and bonds and memories with others here. Isn't it like that for you?! We pour our hearts and souls into this world because the people here are worth it! If it's all just a stupid game, then nothing we've built here is real either; all of it is fake. I guess what I'm trying to say is… I want to protect the Underworld. Because everything I've felt here is real, and those people down there? They're just as real as I am… as we are."
She felt herself tear up. Mustering up her confidence and shoving down her pride, she bowed. Bowed for the sake of the Underworld, but most of all for the sake of her friends who'd already committed to fighting to save it.
A scuffle of footsteps behind her was enough to tell her that her volunteers had joined her in bowing, in pleading for help.
"So please… help us."
[169 days until the Final Load Test…]
"Think it worked?" Asuna asked Liz, her attention squarely fixed on the teleport pad Cardinal was creating in one of the major plazas in Centoria. A sizable crowd was assembled around its perimeter as they watched their new Pontifex perform what was, in their eyes, a miracle of the gods. Not many people had that level of System Authority, after all.
Liz sighed. "I hope so. I haven't been able to get a wink of sleep for the past couple of days, it's stressed me out so much. I know I reached Lind, so he might bring some of his guild with him, but I have no idea if Kibaou is going to go along with it. And what about the regular non-combatants? I doubt they're going to suddenly decide to go to war."
"Didn't you say Thinker offered up the idea of non-combatants helping with the infirmary and supply chains?"
Liz shrugged. "Well yeah, but there's still that level of danger there. The Town of Beginnings is safe, Asuna. No one in their right might would willingly give that up to help with a war that doesn't concern them."
"What do you call us, then?" Asuna smirked.
"Not in our right mind." Liz shot back.
"...That's fair."
"Oh!" Liz almost shouted, startling Asuna. "Sorry, unrelated question, but I've been meaning to ask… how's your new weapon treating you?"
She'd almost forgotten about that. As it turned out, clever use of Sacred Arts and regular skills were able to clue Liz in on what the soulbound items they found in the Central Cathedral made. Once the identities of the new weapons were determined, the soulbound items were handed out to select individuals who were voted on as having the best qualifications for using them properly.
Sinon was the owner of ((Annihilate Ray)), a bow that made her deadly and devastating at range. Enhancing it augmented her armor and allowed her shots to pierce targets, while Releasing it… well…
Suffice it to say that they had their own artillery in this coming war now.
Nautilus's was an oddity like Yuna's in that it wasn't a weapon. Instead, it was a piece of armor – a belt, actually – that he put on called ((Ordinal Scale)). Each stage of Perfect Weapon Control increased his strength, speed, and reflexes by increasing increments. Not particularly flashy, but still incredibly useful in combat.
Klein's ((Firestorm Blade)) was the fire equivalent of Sachi's ((Maelstrom Trident)). Perfect Weapon Control allowed him to release gouts of flame to augment his strikes. Alternatively, he could project those flames in a cone and attack at range. Despite his initial objections to using magic in combat, even he had to admit that his new katana was awesome.
Liz actually had one for herself, a warhammer called ((Volcanic Forger)). Perfect Weapon Control here allowed her to cause her weapon to increase to molten temperatures, causing additional damage to enemies struck. Releasing it gave her the ability to turn entire patches of land into molten pools of magma, which gave her incredible zone denial ability.
Asuna's own weapon, ((Radiant Light)), was a rapier forged from a meteorite rumored to have come from the goddess Stacia herself. Like Leonn's, her weapon's Enhance gave her new armor for added stats, but it was the Releasing of the weapon that was truly impressive. It was mentaly taxing to do so, but it allowed her to sculpt the land to her whims.
Kirito was supportive but more than a little jealous, she suspected.
"It's great!" Asuna answered, realizing she'd left Liz unanswered. "Still working on how best to make use of the Release Recollection, but it's a strong ability that will really come in handy during the war."
"Speaking of, did Kirito ever figure out what his did?" Liz asked.
Asuna shook her head. "He's still going through physical therapy with his arm. Cardinal doesn't want him straining himself until he's back to 100%."
"Probably for the best."
"What about Leonn?" Asuna asked in kind.
Liz shook her head and sighed. "He was going to try it out, but Kizmel insisted that he go with her to visit the elves first. She believes his weapon will have special meaning to her people."
"She does know that her people aren't real, right?" Asuna bluntly asked. Hopefully Kizmel wasn't backsliding.
"Oh she knows. She's hoping it will trigger some quest that might bring us some more reinforcements."
Asuna blinked. "Huh. That would definitely help. Well, let me know how that goes."
Several flashes of light interrupted their conversation, all coming from the teleport pad. Many native Underworlders gasped in shock and awe as a handful of individuals came through the gate. Asuna immediately recognized Lind and Kibaou coming through, along with a small entourage of their guild members.
"Welcome to the Underworld, gentlemen." Cardinal greeted politely as Asuna walked up alongside her. "Thank you for coming."
"Incredible." Lind gaped, looking around at the city. "This is Diavel's legacy…"
"Thanks." Kibaou huffed. "It alright if I bring my guys down here? We wanna get straight to work on training up your recruits."
"Of course." Cardinal nodded. "You are welcome to bring as many as you'd like and feel are necessary. We've already set up a recruitment and training area just outside the eastern gate. Both Alices are overseeing the recruitment efforts as we speak, so you may need to coordinate with them."
"Both Alices?" Lind and Kibaou echoed, looking absolutely flummoxed.
"It's a long story." Asuna interjected. "Though our Alice – the KoB commander – also answers to "Ali" now. She didn't want to be confused with the other Alice and she didn't think her doppleganger would be so easy to rename. Very different personalities, let me tell you."
"Thank goodness for that…" Liz mumbled under her breath.
"Why am I already regretting this?" Kibaou snorted, looking amused at the situation. He went to go pull up his menu and blinked. "Uhh…"
"Draw an "S"." Asuna instructed.
Kibaou complied and immediately looked like he had a headache. "Oh gods, this is already confusing. At least everything's here… but what the hell are these new stats?"
"Did you not read Argo's manual?" Lind asked, already working through the new menu on his own.
"No?" Kibaou… asked? His shoulders slumped. "Fine, I'll read the Rat's manual. Think I'm gonna need it… that and some good hooch tonight."
Lind gave a friendly pat on his back and led him away from the teleport pad. "You and me both. Now, we've got work to do."
A few minutes later, what looked like half of the Army and most of the Divine Dragon's Alliance came through the teleport pad, causing quite the ruckus in the plaza. Already Asuna could hear the rumors circulating about the origin of these strange soldiers.
"Do you think they're new Integrity Knights?"
"Are they here to invade?"
"Of course not! Why would the new Pontifex invite invaders? Do you even hear yourself?"
"They look strong. Perhaps the Pontifex summoned them to deal with the Dark Territory?"
"That makes sense to me. I mean, look at them!"
Asuna sighed and exchanged an exasperated look with Liz. Hopefully Cardinal would fully explain the situation to her new subjects soon.
[165 days until the Final Load Test…]
"KEEP THOSE KNEES UP, MAGGOTS! YOU THOUGHT YOU'D JUST BE SWINGING SWORDS ALL DAY?! WELL THINK AGAIN!"
Bercouli chuckled at the sight before him. A platoon of about 100 Underworlders were going through rigorous exercise drills to improve their overall fitness, each and every soldier looking winded and exhausted beyond all belief. This "Kibaou" was quite the taskmaster, if his training regimen was anything to go off of. It was certainly effective, though. The Aincraders (a natural reversal of the term the above-worlders used to refer to the Underworlders) made good on their promise to bring reinforcements to help train the Underworld civilian populace, and already their army was showing signs of potential.
In truth, Bercouli and the other Integrity Knights were still trying to adjust to the new status quo. The revelation that Administrator didn't have anyone's best interest in mind – save her own – was jarring, to put it mildly. Realizing that they were fighting for the wrong side this entire time? A crisis of faith was to be expected, but everyone seemed to be doing their best to adapt to the new normal.
"Hello, uncle." Alice – his Alice, not the Aincrader – greeted as she approached. Stacia above, it was a good thing the other one was flexible enough to give herself a nickname to avoid confusion. "How fare the recruits?"
Bercouli nodded at the girl he considered a niece. "Well enough, I guess. They're still green, but Kibaou's running them through the grinder. They'll be fit soon enough."
"Fit?" Alice asked. "They've yet to pick up a sword."
"Mhmm." Bercouli hummed a confirmation. "The Aincraders suggested something they call "boot camp" to get the recruits into shape and then start getting them trained with handling a weapon of their choice."
Alice frowned. "I was under the impression we would be providing generalized training. Is that not the case?"
"Nope." Bercouli said. "These Aincraders have some pretty strategic minds with them. They showed me their plans to have certain soldiers specialize and I have to say… it's clever. Having the front line specialize in thwarting attacks while the back line fighters specialize in dealing the most damage possible is efficient and surprisingly simple. Your sister and Asuna are quite skilled in tactics and warfare."
Her frown deepened. "My sister?"
"Your double. The other Alice. Ali." Bercouli explained. He gave her a careful look. "You don't like her, do you?"
"It's not that I don't like her, uncle." Alice huffed. "It just feels… odd. Wrong, somehow. Cardinal explained the nature of her – or, rather, my – existence, but it is strange. To know that I am a duplicate, copied at the instant of what should have been her death? It defies everything I have come to know in my life."
"You may technically be a duplicate, but you are your own person, Alice." Bercouli assured her, laying a consoling fist on her shoulder. "I suppose we have Administrator to thank for that. She gave you a clean slate. You are not your sister; you are your own woman."
"I… suppose." Alice looked hesitant, but willing to listen. "Thank you, uncle. I think I needed to hear that. My mind is not quite at ease, but I believe I am willing to get to know her at least. Perhaps having a… sister, would be a good experience for me."
"Anytime, kiddo."
Alice turned to leave, but paused in her step. "I have a meeting with my sister and the other guild leaders, but before I leave… I believe I overheard that Nautilus was looking for you. Something about training."
Bercouli couldn't keep the grin off of his face. The man who bested Fanatio wanted to train with him? He'd have been lying if he said he wasn't interested in testing the kid's mettle. Yes, Bercouli knew objectively that he was the highest ranked Integrity Knight for a reason, that being that every duel issued by other Integrity Knights thus far led to conclusive defeats on their part, so Fanatio was technically weaker than him, but still, this kid took on an Integrity Knight with a Divine Weapon and won.
Hell, maybe he'd go around and test the other Aincraders, too.
Maybe all this waiting around for the Final Load Test wouldn't be so boring after all.
[119 days until the Final Load Test…]
"I don't get it. How are you Aincraders so strong?" Volo Levantein asked, visibly panting as he held his sword aloft.
Kirito smirked, thankful that his physical therapy was over with. There was no way he would have been able to block and parry Volo's powerful strikes with a lame arm. Still, this was more than just a friendly spar. This was practice and training to get the Underworld's forces into fighting shape.
"Aincrad is far more dangerous than the Underworld is." Kirito explained. At Volo's offended expression, he relaxed his posture and sheathed his swords before holding up a hand. "Let me explain. We're due for a break, anyway."
Kirito gestured for the man to follow. After a brief moment of consideration, Volo complied and followed him to a rocky outcropping that the soldiers had taken to using as a rest area. The two took a seat, immediately drawing the attention of the other dozen or so recruits who were already present.
"In the Underworld, you learn to fight by going to school and learning from teachers, right?" Kirito asked, earning a round of nods from everyone assembled. "We didn't have that in Aincrad. Now, before you get offended and start claiming that we think we're better than you, we don't. We just had to learn under different circumstances."
"He's right." Liena added, walking up and joining the group. "Entirely different."
"How so?" Volo asked, a single eyebrow raised almost dubiously. "Without a teacher or mentor, how did you come to be the skilled warriors you are today? Many of you have the same strength and skill as an Integrity Knight."
"Experience." Kirito answered simply. "How many of you have ever seen a goblin?"
About half of the recruits raised their hands, some looking rather proud of the achievement.
"How many of you have fought one?"
Every hand went down.
"Why not?" Kirito asked. "I'm not accusing, I'm legitimately asking."
"Trying to attack a goblin with no formal training is suicide." Volo explained; many of the recruits murmured in agreement. "You would also have to be in the right mindset. A rookie is likely to freeze up in the face of battle."
"Exactly." Kirito confirmed. "Now imagine if you had no other choice and you had to fight something you weren't prepared for."
"Why in the world would you have to fight?" One of the recruits asked. "If you're not ready, have someone more experienced take care of it safely."
"That's just it." Kirito shook his head. "Have any of you read our story? About us Aincraders?"
The same recruit nodded. "Yep, read it in the paper the other day. That man you call Thinker is quite gifted at writing."
Kirito chuckled. "Yeah, he is. Anyway, when we Aincraders were brought to Aincrad, none of us had any experience with a sword."
Liena gave him a deadpan stare.
"Okay, most of us had no experience, but even those that did didn't have very much of it."
Liena acquiesced with an accepting shrug.
"Now imagine that you've been kidnapped against your will, placed in an unfamiliar place, given no proper teaching or tutelage, and told that if you want freedom, you're going to have to fight your way to the top of a 100 floor castle, with each floor being the size of Centoria and filled with monsters like goblins… and worse."
Their faces paled, and Kirito knew the message of the story had been received.
"Many of us died." Kirito's face grew somber. "In the first month of our captivity, 2,000 people died just trying to survive."
"Our ancestors…" Volo muttered.
"Yeah…" Kirito trailed, his gaze now on the horizon. His mind naturally wandered to the thousands of people he'd failed to save, but the knowledge that they went on to live (mostly) content lives helped to ease his conscience some. Yes, they'd been forced to live here in a sort of pseudo-afterlife, but at least they died comfortably among those they loved. Cardinal had informed them that no, dying does not constitute a revival in the Underworld anymore, so no one had that luxury nowadays.
"To answer your question, Levantein…" Liena added, picking up where Kirito left off. "Our strength and skills were forged in fire. It was kill or be killed, and Kirito was fighting for our freedom from the beginning."
"How long?" Volo asked.
"Three years."
Volo looked contemplative. After several seconds of silence, he abruptly stood up. "Sir Kirito, I have a request of you."
Kirito looked up and raised an eyebrow. The "Sir" title was new, but it was the request that threw him off. Volo was a proud fighter, so this must have been serious.
"I would like to visit Aincrad."
[87 days until the Final Load Test…]
"I can't believe this is working."
Klein stared, slack-jawed at the scene before him. When Kirito proposed the idea almost a month ago, he thought his bro was going crazy. Bring the Underworlders to Aincrad? What was the point?
He watched as a small squadron of Underworld recruits faced off against ((The Bullbous Bow)). Now, the Underworlders were incapable of gaining levels from fighting Aincrad monsters. That had been tested time and time again, not to mention confirmed by Cardinal. The Aincrad system and Underworld system were compatible, but it wasn't a complete fit. Whenever Underworlders fought against Aincrad creatures, they seemed to automatically have just the necessary level of strength necessary to attack and defend, meeting the bare minimum for any given encounter. By all rights, they had no reason to be here in the first place.
But that's where Kirito came in with one of his cockamamie ideas that seemed to work.
While the Underworld recruits gained no physical benefit from fighting Aincrad monsters, they stood to gain something far more important: experience.
"Remember!" Klein shouted through cupped hands. "Communicate! Rotate! Watch your friends just as much as you watch your enemies!"
"YES SIR!"
Practical experience always trumped regimented training. If there was one thing that Aincrad was an excellent teacher in, it was how to work as a team. When the Dark Territory invaded, that was what was going to ultimately save their hides. Not their armor, or shields, or even their battle formations – though Klein had no doubt that those would be incredibly efficient too. No, when it came down to it and these soldiers came face to face with monsters, it was their trust in each other that would see them through to the end. Knowing that your buddy to your right had your back, and knowing for certain that you would do the same for him…
…that was what was going to keep them alive to see the end of the war.
"Reminds me of the old days." Harry One said, coming up from behind and laying a comforting hand on Klein's shoulder.
"Yeah it does." Klein sighed. He couldn't believe it, but he missed those days. The days when all the original six bros of Fuurinkazan had to worry about was fighting monsters and inter-guild politics. The 25th changed that irrevocably, and from then on SAO seemed more… serious. The stakes became much more dire, the consequences more tangible. "Hey, mind if I ask ya something?"
"'Course, boss." Harry One rumbled, his more mature voice much more gravely with age. "Any – HEY! REMEMBER YOUR POTIONS!"
Klein whipped his head over to the fight to see one of the recruits was visibly wounded but still fighting. "Not feeling pain up here isn't an excuse to get careless! Watch yourselves!"
"YES SIR!"
"Like I was saying… 'course you can ask me something, boss. What's on your mind?"
"It's gonna sound like a frickin' cliche, but…" Klein groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. He gave his friend a sheepish expression. "How's life treatin' ya?"
"Now? Better." Harry One admitted. "It's nice not having to hide my family in the Library to keep 'em safe from Administrator now, but even then… life's been nice. Hey now, don't look so sad. I'm happy, boss. Sure, I might not ever get to return to the real world and see my folks again – and gods, would that be a strange conversation – but I'm happy with what I got."
"Good, that's good." Klein said, glad his buddy was living his best life – all things considered – but not really sure where to go from there.
Instead he focused his attention on the battle in front of him just in time to see the recruits finally defeat the massive bull. A round of cheers echoed in the otherwise empty glade, and Klein could see the bonds of camaraderie already beginning to form. Yes, they would be fighting in formation, but having that trust and instinctual knowledge of how your allies fought would help them with synergy during a fight. Already several of them were discussing getting drinks when they returned home.
"What about you?" Harry One asked before throwing a cocky grin. "Gotta say, never thought I'd ever see you with a girlfriend."
Klein rounded on him, eyes wide but slightly amused. "What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Oh, you know, just how you'd always hit on anybody with a uterus."
"Okay, that is a gross exaggeration – "
"You practically threw yourself at Kirito when you learned he had a sister."
"How was I supposed to know she was younger than him?!"
"But look at you now!" Harry One laughed. "You managed to land a badass ninja for a girlfriend. Not too shabby, my dude."
"Thanks." Klein chuckled sheepishly. "We're pretty happy, and I can't wait to get to know her when we're out of here. I get the feeling she's gonna be totally different on the outside, and I won't lie… that kind of excites me. I get to see this whole other side of her."
"Sounds to me like you're in love, dude. Take it from a married man."
Klein shrugged, but ultimately plastered a genuine smile on his face. "Yeah. Maybe I am. I'm really happ – "
His head whipped to the side, instinctively sensing danger. What he saw was the squadron wrestling a smaller bull monster to the ground, with at least one of the recruits trying to climb atop it.
"HEY!"
The entire squad froze, still holding the monster in place but paralyzed with fear of disciplinary action from the Aincrader assigned to watch over them and train them.
"You're doing it all wrong." Klein laced his fingers together and inverted his hands, stretching his arms out in front of him and listening to the melodious sound of his knuckles cracking. "Jalos, move over."
He looked back and grinned at Harry One, who only shook his head with amused exasperation. He strode forward and produced a rope from his inventory.
"Here's how you do it."
[75 days until the Final Load Test…]
"I'm surprised it took you this long to reunite with your people, Kizmel."
Kizmel gave Liz a somewhat pained smile. In truth, she'd put this off largely because she wasn't sure how to go about meeting with her people. So much had happened since she'd spent any notable length of time around other elves.
Her existential crisis. Her participation in the raid on Laughing Coffin. Her death. Her subsequent resurrection into the Underworld. Her recruitment into Cardinal's Resistance. Her years of struggle, trying to find any advantage to press against the Axiom Church. Finally, her reunion with the Renegades and following defeat of Quinella.
To her, it had been literally decades since she'd last spoken to one of her people.
And she wasn't sure how they would respond.
"In truth, it has been partially reluctance on my part." Kizmel admitted. "I know not how they will react to my presence. The Underworld and its nature will be such a foreign concept to them, and I do not know if their… err, limited programming will allow them to truly react to it. I do not know what to expect, and that frightens me."
"I'm sure it'll be fine, Kizmel." Leonn's hand came down on her shoulder in a comforting grip. "If they don't understand, they'll just assume you were gone for a year and came back. It'll be like it never happened."
"I do not know if that is truly better, or if it is worse." Kizmel frowned. "I grew up with them, Leonn. It would be like going through this whole struggle here in Aincrad to return to your family afterwards, only for them to not even acknowledge what you went through and act as if nothing had occurred at all."
Leonn winced. "Okay, I'll admit it sounded better in my head. Sorry."
"Do not be." She assured him, despite Liz giving him a light smack to the shoulder. "No, he's fine. He was only trying to help, Liz."
"Well anyway, hopefully bringing Leonn's weapon here will trigger something." Liz shrugged.
Kizmel nodded. It still felt odd, bringing Leonn and his weapon to her people in the hopes that they would recognize it. Apparently, it had been forged from a seed of the Sacred Trees and just happened to fall during her own funeral.
It was still strange to refer to events pertaining to her death in the past tense.
Much like the rest of her friends, Kizmel felt angered that her death warranted the doling out of some kind of "reward" in the form of a soulbound item, but she'd since made her peace with it. In fact, it brought her some comfort, knowing that the item that was meant to be salt in the wound would now serve to protect him and make him the best warrior he could be. It was as if a part of her was within his weapon. It was a silly sentimentality, but it brought her comfort nonetheless.
Soon enough, the trio found themselves at the gates of Aestar ath Suor Shantar, otherwise translated as the "Union of the Sacred Trees." Ironically, the place where she was laid to rest would be where she reunited with her brethren. Hopefully, it would also be where she would convince the elves to join the fight for the Underworld.
Hopefully.
"Halt! Who goes… by the Sacred Trees!" One of the guardsmen gasped. "Lady Kizmel? Impossible! She is dead!"
"Imposter!" The other guardsman on the other side of the gate accused, pointing his spear towards the trio.
"Please!" Kizmel pleaded, raising her hands placatingly, hoping to defuse the situation before it came to blows. More for their safety, really; Liz alone could swat them away with no effort if she felt so inclined. "I realize how this looks, but I assure you, I am Kizmel of the Resolute Renegades, former Pagoda Knight of Lyusula. I seek an audience with her Excellency. Much has happened since my demise, and it concerns the fate of us all."
"Prove it. If you truly are Lady Kizmel, prove that you are no imposter."
Kizmel cocked an eyebrow. "And how would you suggest I do that? I lost all of my belongings when I died."
The two guardsmen exchanged a hesitant glance, clearly not having thought this through.
"Is the fact that I am escorted by Liz and Leonn of the Resolute Renegades not proof enough in itself?" Kizmel gestured to her friends. "Surely you recognize them, at least?"
True to their rather simplistic AI, they seem to just now recognize that she had company. She bit back a sigh. She'd been spoiled these past couple of decades by the people of the Underworld. They were just as intelligent and sapient as she was; seeing her less-sophisticated brethren was a painful reminder of the lie she used to live.
"Our apologies!" The guardsmen spoke in unison, directing their attention to the two Renegade tanks. One of the guardsmen flagged down a messenger from inside and spoke hushed words to them before the courier ran off. "We have sent word. Fortunately, the King and Queen are attending a meeting inside, so you should not have to wait long."
She would have thought it fortuitous at one point. Now, she recognized it as plot convenience and had to fight back the urge to facepalm. It would seem that the system recognized their approach and constructed a quest for them.
Wait, if Cardinal was busy in the Underworld, who – or what – was running the system in Aincrad?
Questions for later, she supposed.
"You are permitted entry." The guardsman on the right said abruptly.
"That was fast." Liz commented.
"I suspect we have triggered a hidden quest." Kizmel surmised as the trio headed inside. The tunnel leading into the main chamber was just as quiet and moss-covered as she remembered. Granted, the last time she'd been here was when they were storming it to stop the Fallen Elves from winning the war. "It is little wonder that it was so expedited, in that context."
"Sometimes I forget just how special you are, Kizmel." Leonn smirked.
Kizmel smiled. It was good to be back with her friends… her family. Though the hope of going with them to the real world was still a pipe dream, as they say, it was nice to know that she would be appreciated in what little time they had together.
For the first time in ages, she stepped into the grand chamber that housed the two sacred trees. Now free of the influence of the Fallen Elves, it was beautiful. The canopies of both trees flourished and freely intermingled, the colors of the two trees mixing and blending into a stunning arboreal mosaic. She had no doubt that this reflected the relations between both elven peoples; even gazing upon the small assembly before her, she could tell that they were all one people.
Queen Illise stood up from her seat at the meeting table rather abruptly. Her eyes began to water with poorly restrained emotion, which was more considerable than it sounded. Kizmel knew that, as royalty, Illise was trained to keep her emotions in check, to not betray any of her inner thoughts and emotions while in diplomatic meetings. Whether her emotional state was the result of relief and joy upon seeing Kizmel or how relaxed relations were with the Forest Elves, she did not know.
"It is you." Illise softly gasped. "Lyusula's lost daughter returns to us. How?"
"It is… a long story, your majesty." Kizmel said, subconsciously falling back onto court etiquette in the presence of her queen. "Suffice it to say that my return is a result of Aincrad's magics and Akihiko Kayaba's influence."
Huh. So this is what the others felt like when they had to translate game lingo into lorespeak. She had a newfound respect for her friends' willingness to adapt to her unique situation.
Illise looked thoughtful. "Never did I expect I would be indebted to that man, but here we are. Please, be seated, my child. I wish to hear the whole story."
"But your meeting…?" Kizmel hesitated, glancing at King Erlan.
Erlan smiled and waved her off. "Think nothing of it. We were nearly done with this meeting, anyway. I must confess, I too am curious to hear how and why you have returned to us. Please."
Three chairs were quickly retrieved and placed at the table, and soon enough Kizmel found herself recounting everything that had happened since her death at PoH's hands. Liz and Leonn sat dutifully nearby, only interjecting once recent events came to light. All the while, Erlan and Illise drank it up with surprising alacrity. Perhaps, because of their narrative importance, they had higher-functioning AI compared to the standard guardsman.
By the Trees, she was starting to sound like Kirito.
"I see…" Illise hummed pensively. "I suppose you are here to ask for the aid of the Elven Alliance in the coming war in the Underworld."
Kizmel nodded. "I am. Should we prevail, then the humans will have a shot at defeating Kayaba himself, not to say that the lives of the Underworlders are less important."
"Hmm." Erlan also looked thoughtful. "While I sympathize with the plight of the Underworlders, and I certainly understand the value of winning this battle and confronting Kayaba… I am hesitant to send our forces into what is most certainly a deadly battle. I believe we will also have difficulty recruiting for the effort."
"Recruiting?" Kizmel asked. Why would they need to recruit?
"Ah, I see the confusion." Illise interjected with a sigh. "It has been years since we have experienced any degree of conflict in our lands, either with what remains of the Fallen Elves and with each other. As such, our standing armies have been reduced considerably. As a result, our economy and culture has seen newfound growth."
"A renaissance." Leonn said.
"Pardon?" Kizmel asked. She was familiar with most gaming terms; this one was new.
"The Renaissance was a period of human history – well, European history, at least – that was known as a period of cultural, artistic, political, and economic rebirth, so to speak. It followed a period that was known for its turmoil and strife." Leonn explained. "Since then, the term "renaissance" has been given to any culture that experiences something similar."
Ah, Europe. The land that encompassed the countries of Britain, France, and Germany, among many, many others. According to Asuna, much of Aincrad's architecture and culture was based loosely off of Europe's, or at least based on the culture portrayed in its fables and mythologies. It was a place Kizmel very dearly wanted to visit, should she ever get the chance to enter the real world.
"Any soldiers we bring to bear would have to be volunteers." Erlan sighed. "Either that or conscription, and I am hesitant to draft soldiers during what, to us at least, is a period of peace."
"We would need to find a way to convince them to join, I'm afraid. I, too, am reluctant to force my people into a war they have no personal investment in." Illise added.
Kizmel thought hard; what would convince the Elven Alliance to fight? While both peoples got along well (as far as she could tell), their cultures were notably different. Literally night and day. It was only the threat of a common foe that brought them together in the first place. To have the Fallen threaten the Sacred Trees themselves…
Oh. Oh, that might work.
"Perhaps they may be interested to hear that the chosen champion of the Sacred Trees will be fighting in this war as well?" Kizmel asked with a coy smile.
Illise gave her a skeptical look. "I have no intention of lying to my people, Kizmel, and frankly I am surprised you would claim such a thing."
"I am not lying, your majesty." Kizmel retorted, her eyes flitting over towards Leonn. "In fact, he is among us as we speak."
Leonn met her eyes for a second before realizing she was talking about him, leading to an amusing double-take. "Huh? Wait, you mean my weapon? Sure, Liz might have forged it from that seed, but…"
Erland and Illise perked up at that, glancing at Leonn before looking back at Kizmel with expecting gazes. "Explain."
"Leonn is in possession of a rather unique weapon called ((Vandor Gisir)), a weapon forged from the seed of the Sacred Trees." Kizmel explained, taking delight in the flash of recognition on their faces.
"The Forest Guardian…" Erlan said with awe. "Are you truly their champion?"
"Uhh…" Leonn stammered, looking at Liz and Kizmel with a pleading look. "...maybe?"
"There is a way to prove it, if the legends of old are to be believed." Illise said, motioning for her attendants to remove the table and clear a space in the middle of the chamber. "It is said that when the champion of the trees invokes Vandor Gisir, that they become an instrument of the Sacred Trees, bringing the might of the forests themselves to bear upon their foes."
"I think she means your Release Recollection, babe." Liz supplied with a giggle.
Leonn looked confused for a moment before shrugging. He wandered over towards the open space before turning around and facing them. He hefted his maul out and held it before him, the head of the hammer pointed skyward while the haft was aimed at the ground.
"Been curious myself about what this does." Leonn smirked. He raised the weapon up slightly before slamming the butt of the maul down onto the ground. "Release Recollection!"
Were Kizmel still in the dark about the nature of her existence, she would liken what came next to a religious experience of sorts. To see the will of the Sacred Trees made manifest was an awe-inspiring experience. Much like how Kirito's ((Night Sky Sword)) channeled the gluttony of a voracious tree of evil and Eugeo's ((Blue Rose Sword)) channeled the unforgiving winds of an arctic wasteland, Leonn's ((Vandor Gisir)) was the embodiment of nature itself, an avatar of the forest.
"Limina sobter akaj phe noti." Leonn chuckled, his voice sounding like shifting leaves, crackling bark, and groaning wood.
"Is that Elvish?" Liz asked, looking up at her boyfriend with wide eyes.
"No, that is Sylvan, the language of the forest itself." Kizmel smiled before her attention fixed on Illise and Erlan, who stood there slack-jawed at the spectacle before them.
"Spread the word." Illise announced once she'd recovered. "Our allies require aid, and the forest itself marches to war. The elves will heed the call."
[10 days until the Final Load Test…]
"Ready! And…. shield wall!"
In complete unison, a line of about 20 soldiers brought their tower shields to bear, overlapping their edges with well-practiced precision. They let out a bellow in time with the synchronized movement; it looked like the recruits were just about ready for real combat. An instant later, without any command given, a line of spears poked out in between the shields, forming a perfect shield and pike wall.
Asuna walked past, giving Liten a light pat on the back in greeting and as a silent "Good Job." The Renegade tank had done a fantastic job at training the shielders; her work alongside Sachi gave the Underworlders a formidable first line of defense against charging infantry and potential cavalry. Shivata, who was standing nearby, gave her an appreciative smile as well.
Thankfully, the awkwardness that existed between the two seemed to have evaporated in the past few months. Whether it was a sense of professionalism that was to blame or a heart-to-heart, it was easy to see that the two had grown close again, this time without the romantic undertones. The other day, she even spotted the two laughing over lunch, a scene that brought some warmth to her heart. It was good to see Liten no longer bogged down by the past.
Still, Asuna vowed to find her a boyfriend – or girlfriend; she didn't know the tank's preferences – when they got out of here. Poor girl needed some good in her life after the constant bad hand Aincrad always gave her.
Continuing on her way, Asuna finally found the tent she was looking for. It was the largest tent in the camp, so it wasn't as if it was particularly difficult to find, but she was almost running late. As one of the designated leaders, it wouldn't be proper if she was late to her own meeting.
The two men standing guard outside the entrance noticed her approach and pulled back the flaps. Giving them a quick "thank you," she hurried inside.
Inside and gathered around a map sprawled out on a war table were the assembled leaders of the three main forces that made up the Underworld army. The mood in the room was tense and faintly solemn, as if there was bad news that needed to be addressed. Asuna had a feeling she already knew what that was, but opted to wait for the official briefing.
Representing the Underworld forces themselves were Bercouli Synthesis One, Fanatio Synthesis Two, and Alice Synthesis Thirty. The Integrity Knight trio stood on the far side of the table, opposite the entrance. Alice stared intently at the map and the various figures and markers resting atop it, her eyes furiously darting to and fro as if trying to decipher some sort of puzzle. Bercouli looked mostly calm and relaxed, but in the months she'd gotten to know the head Integrity Knight, Asuna could see the undercurrent of unease the bluenette kept hidden.
Kizmel and Leonn stood to their left – her right – and represented the forces of the Elven Alliance. Apparently, between Kizmel's momentous return to her people and the realization that Leonn's weapon was some legendary artifact, it was decided that those two would be responsible for the bulk of the elven forces. Leonn hunched over the map, looking just as invested as Alice was, while Kizmel was content to make idle conversation with Fanatio.
Lastly, and rounding out the trifecta of forces participating in the battle, was Lind, Kibaou, Ali (thank the gods for the nickname), and Kirito, with their respective vice-leaders standing nearby. Thinker was also present, but his portion of the army were non-combatants, largely relegated to maintaining supply lines and responsible for operating the infirmary.
As her eyes adjusted to the lower-light conditions inside the tent, she realized that many others were also present. Most of the guild officers across all four frontline guilds were seated towards the back, as were a number of Integrity Knights and Underworld squad leaders. Good; having multiple levels of leadership present would avoid miscommunication.
"Sorry I'm late." Asuna whispered as she drew up alongside her husband.
"It's fine." He waved her off, flashing her a small smile. "Kibaou arrived just before you did, so it's not that big of a deal."
"Now that we're all here, should we get started?" Bercouli drawled, his lackadaisical tone somehow still commanding attention. "Fanatio, if you would?"
"Yes, commander." Fanatio replied, walking over and taking center stage, so to speak, as she loomed over the map. "We have considered many different strategies over the past few months and have concluded that, at our current strength, it would be difficult to repel a full assault."
Kibaou grimaced. "How many?"
"50,000."
"Fuck." Kibaou cursed, looking to the side with a scowl. "We've only got, what, 4,000 on our side?"
"That is correct." Fanatio nodded before pointing to the area of the map where the gate was located. "We hold a distinct advantage, though. If we engage them in this narrow ravine, immediately next to the gate itself, we can funnel their forces, absorb their charge, and wind them down."
"A bottleneck." Kirito commented. "A chokepoint like that levels the playing field by a lot."
"This will be the basic strategy we'll be following, with any necessary changes made as developments occur."
"I have a question." Thinker interjected with a raised hand. "If things go south – and this is war we're talking about, so it's likely to happen at some point – how will you quickly communicate between the different platoons?"
"As per Kirito's recommendation, we've created a central command position on one of the cliffs behind the battle lines, which provides a decent view of the battlefield below. We were thinking of keeping Asuna, Ali, and myself posted at the command center to observe and make quick tactical corrections. We've already secured Argo the Rat as the main communications officer. Apparently, her ability to communicate efficiently between multiple contacts at once is considerable."
"Makes sense to me." Lind agreed. "If she's relaying messages and commands via private and group messages, our lines of communication will be damn near perfect."
"Indeed." Alice said. "This also means that squad commanders can communicate information regarding any injuries quickly so that the infirmary teams can quickly extract them from the battlefield, thereby minimizing casualties."
"Exactly." Fanatio nodded. "Before we go any further, are there any questions? Yes, Eldrie?"
The whip-wielder stood from his seat. "I have a concern. The enemy has ogres and longbows, not to mention dark mages of untold numbers. We may have long ranged units of our own thanks to the Aincraders' tutelage, but they pale in comparison to the enemy's in number. How are we going to counter the enemy's long ranged attacks?"
"I have an idea on that, actually." Fanatio said, glancing at Alice. The blonde Integrity Knight looked taken aback. "There is no sunlight in that ravine, even during the day. Not even the grass grows. Sacred Power is sparse there at best. But, in theory, if we absorb the power from the battlefield first…"
"Their mages wouldn't be able to use it to attack us." Asuna finished the thought, earning a nod from Fanatio. "That's a bold plan, but couldn't they do the same to us?"
"They could." Fanatio admitted. "Between us Underworlders and the Aincraders, we only have about 150 proficient enough with the Sacred Arts to be useful. If we let the battle come down to our wielders versus theirs, they will use far more power."
"But the Sacred Arts are not just used for combat." Deusolbert, having long since abandoned his helmet, spoke up. "This will undoubtedly impact the infirmary's ability to heal the wounded without the Sacred Arts."
"We've thought of that." Fanatio said. "The Aincraders have brought a surplus of healing potions, and we plan on having Silica's dragon Pina posted nearby to supplement with her healing breath."
"What about Yuna?" Lind asked. "Wouldn't she be placed there as well?"
Kirito shook his head. "No, it makes more sense to put her among the main forces, somewhere in the back line. Her passive healing helps, but works too slowly to help in triage situations. The passive healing she provides would be better suited among the combatants to help top them off, and that's not even counting the buffs she can provide our fighters."
Lind nodded, but said no more.
"We've set up continuous supply runs between here, the capital, and the Town of Beginnings to make sure we don't run out of healing potions if the fighting drags on over multiple days." Thinker added. "So you won't have to worry about a battle of attrition."
Fanatio smiled. "We never would have thought to include non-combatants to keep the supply lines running, so thank you, Thinker."
"There is one more issue." Alice interjected. "While Solus and Terraria's blessings are sparse there, with each and every warrior who falls in battle, more and more Sacred Power will be released than accumulated. How can we hope to absorb all those extra resources with what limited Sacred Arts wielders we have?"
"We can." Fanatio said. "Or, more accurately, you can, Alice Synthesis Thirty. Perhaps you haven't realized it yet, but your power surpasses that of all the other Integrity Knights in the land. You are ready to use it – a godlike power to split heaven and earth."
"Sacred magic shenanigans aside, how are we on formations and leadership?" Kibaou interrupted.
Fanatio's eye twitched, likely annoyed at how brash Kibaou could be. "We were able to revive Scheta Synthesis Twelve and bring her to the frontline. Mito Synthesis Thirteen, Koharu Synthesis Fifteen, and Nergius Synthesis Sixteen were also revived, but were deployed along the other three gates to the north, west, and south, respectively, in case the enemy attempted to flank us with smaller forces."
"Good call." Kibaou crossed his arms and smirked with approval.
"We will have Alice provide long-ranged support from the air while Ran, Eldrie, and Bercouli command the first three formations at the front. Deusolbert will command the ranged squadron, while Scheta and Renly will command reserve platoons in case the forward formations begin to falter."
"Where do you want us?" Lind asked.
"With your permission, we would like the Divine Dragon Alliance, the Knights of the Blood Oath, and the Army to reinforce the front. We know that while your members are fewer in number compared to us, they far outstrip our foot soldiers in experience and skill. We would ask that you provide support and bolster the front lines."
"Done." Kibaou nodded tersely. "We'll give your guys backup. We'll also assign the independent guilds to areas that need them. Where are the Renegades going to be, though?"
"Sir Kirito." Fanatio said, surprising many in attendance with the formal title. "As someone who has faced your members first hand in combat, I believe I can safely assume that your specialties are diverse."
"That's a fair assessment." Kirito agreed. "What did you have in mind?"
"Since we are already splitting up your support-oriented members, and Leonn will be part of the Elven Alliance forces, we would like your members to reinforce existing units or act as a roaming squad to aid and provide support where necessary. Sinon, for example, would best be suited assisting Deusolbert with our archers."
"Agreed." Kirito said, glancing at Asuna. She gave him a nod, already on the same page. "We'll put Sinon with Deusolbert's unit. Nezha's good ranged support as well, but he doesn't have the reach that Sinon does. He'd be best suited elsewhere. We'll spread out some of our members among the front lines as well, but we'll keep our more mobile players on the move."
"And where would you have us?" Kizmel asked.
"In the reserves, but ready to deploy at a moment's notice." Fanatio suggested. "I am given to understand that the elves are swift and agile fighters, so they would be ideal if we need to quickly flank, push, or reinforce as needed."
"Sound strategy." Kizmel said. "Very well. We will be on alert and ready to deploy where we are needed."
"Wait, hold on a second." Kibaou said. Asuna held back a snicker as she saw more than a few eyes rolling. "Cardinal's this super strong Sacred Arts user, right? Why isn't she here nuking the bastards into orbit?"
"Since the Dark Territory monsters have fluctlights too, she can't attack them." Kirito explained. "It goes against her core programming to harm a fluctlight like that. She was only able to help with Administrator because she wasn't considered human at that point."
"That's awfully convenient." Kibaou grumbled, but ultimately sighed. "But I guess it couldn't be that easy for us, huh?"
"Never is." Lind smirked.
Kibaou shrugged. "Eh, wouldn't have it any other way."
"Any more questions or concerns?" Fanatio asked, her gaze sweeping over the leaders first, then those seated around the room. "Very well. Take the next week to inform your forces of the plan. In 10 days, we are at war."
[1 day until the Final Load Test…]
Silica was nervous. She tried petting Pina and Fafnir to distract her, but it wasn't working.
Sure, she'd fought in the Elf War almost three years ago, but this was something else entirely. Back then, those had been NPCs with a predetermined questline. Back then, there was the theoretical option of retreating and trying again with more preparation.
That wasn't the case here.
Defeat or retreat, both led to the same outcome. The destruction of the Underworld. The loss of millions of innocent lives, not to mention six months of preparation wasted. They had to win; yes, there was a contingency plan in place to evacuate Centoria and the surrounding villages and relocate them to Aincrad, but what was stopping the Dark Territory from following them up? There was no alternative.
The sound of someone shuddering nearby was enough to tell her that she was not alone in her nervousness and apprehension. She peeked her head around the tent and found that Integrity Knight with the green hair huddled in the shade of the tarp, hidden from view. He looked absolutely terrified.
Renly, if her memory was right.
"Hiya." Silica greeted, waving at the boy. Her rather abrupt greeting seemed to startle him more, however, as she saw him hop a couple inches into the air in surprise. Whoops. "Renly, right?"
"Y-yes, that's me. R-renly Synthesis Twenty-seven. You're Silica, right?"
"Yup! Hey, I wanted to apologize for how rough I treated ya when we met." She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "I thought you might be trying to get reinforcements. I had no idea you were just trying to run away."
Renly froze. Ooh, she must have struck a nerve. Maybe she could have worded that a little better.
"Sorry." Silica apologized. "I didn't mean to say you were a coward or something…"
"No, you're right. I'm terrified."
Silica gave a wan smile. "That's okay. It's normal to be afraid of stuff like this. It's not everyday that – "
"No, you don't understand." Renly hung his head. "I'm an Integrity Knight. I am supposed to be fearless, ready to fight legions of enemies in the name of the Pontifex. Yet… I'm not. I am a coward and a pathetic excuse for an Integrity Knight. Every other Integrity Knight is fearless and courageous, and I'm… not."
"Hey, stop that." Silica snapped. "First things first, you've got something mixed up."
"Huh?"
"You said fearless and courageous. They can't be both of those things; they're opposites."
"What?" Renly blinked. "No they're not."
"Yes they are."
"No, they're not."
"I'm telling you they are." Silica held a hand up and cut him off before he could retort. "Fearless means to be without fear."
"Yes…" Renly trailed, looking at her like she was crazy. "And so does courageous."
"No it doesn't. Courageous means having courage. Courage does not mean not having fear, it means doing something even though you're afraid." Silica explained. "You can't act courageously if you're not at least a little afraid."
His eyes went wide, and she could see the gears turning in his head. Like Liz would say, time to strike while the iron is hot.
"One of my friends used to get so afraid that he would literally freeze up, even in the middle of a fight." Silica said, remembering Naut's previous affliction. "You know what they call him now? Nautilus the Intrepid Knight."
Renly cocked an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to be an imitation of Integrity Knight?"
"What? No!" Silica exclaimed. "He got that title because one day, when the people he cared about were in danger, he broke free and fought against his fear to save them. He'll be the first to tell you that he still gets scared. He told me once that the only way he's able to fight the fear is by remembering that if he lets that fear paralyze him, then those he cares about will die."
"They would die…" Renly parroted, pulling out a pair of incredibly beautiful blades. They reminded her of a pair of bird or butterfly wings.
"People are probably going to die anyway." Silica frowned. "But we have the power to keep that number as low as we can, but only if we overcome our fear. What are you going to do, Renly Synthesis Twenty-seven?"
Renly looked pensive, his brows scrunched up as he mulled over the question. Satisfied with the point she made, Silica stood up and brushed off her skirt. She gave him a smile before walking away, noting the subtle nod he gave in thanks as she did so.
Now she just needed to psych herself up, too. What was she going to do?
Simple. She would fight for her family.
[1 minute until the Final Load Test…]
Twenty years.
It took him twenty years of kicking, clawing, and killing for him to reach the top. Did he enjoy every second of it, free to sate his desire? Absolutely, but this… this was the endgame.
He'd been so shortsighted before, trying to manipulate others into fighting amongst themselves. In the end, it cost him and he paid the price for it. Now, having learned his lesson, he knew to aim higher and be far more direct in taking what he wanted.
And what he wanted now was to rule. Unequivocally, and without exception. There was no greater manipulation, after all, then having the power to keep everyone under your thumb, to have the authority of a god.
He pulled out his new blade with glee. It wasn't his old weapon – and he'd admit that ((Mate Chopper)) held some sentimentality to it – but it was a damn good blade. It had helped him earn his position of ruler.
He grinned as he looked at the massive barrier separating him and his forces from the human empire. A series of purple cracks began to spread along its surface, and his minions roared with anticipation.
[10 seconds until the Final Load Test…]
They called him the Dark Lord of All.
[5 seconds until the Final Load Test…]
They called him the second coming of Vecta.
[3 seconds until the Final Load Test…]
But by the time this was all over, they would know him by another name.
[2 seconds until the Final Load Test…]
A name that used to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies.
[1 second until the Final Load Test…]
PoH.
[Final Load Test has begun.]
"It's showtime!"
Omake 1 - Who's the real Alice?
[169 days until the Final Load Test…]
"Alright, we're here." Kibaou huffed, giving the training camp a scrutinizing glare. Not bad, but it could be better. The rest of the Army – or at least those he brought with him – came to a well-trained, abrupt stop behind him. He crossed his arms. "Now where's Alice?"
"Uhh…" Korbatz droned on, eyes darting to and fro. "Over there… to the left. Looks like she's training some recruits."
"Good. Come along, men. Time to find out where the KoB princess wants us."
Kibaou marched his way through the camp as if he owned the place. He might not be in charge here, but he understood the importance of presence among a platoon of troops. Authority was not only technical, but something one exuded in order to command respect. Act like you're in a position of authority, and others are more inclined to believe you are in one upon first introductions.
"Alice." He said, coming up behind her. "We're here."
"Oh good." She replied as she turned around. "Glad you could make it. We're going to need your help with – "
"Now hold on just a second." A second Alice came stomping up, almost glaring at the first. There was no outright hostility, but definitely irritation and exasperation. She poked the first Alice in the chest with an accusing finger. "I am Alice, and I'm in charge of this detachment."
The first Alice scrunched her face up before swatting the offending finger away. "No, I am Alice."
"I'm Alice!"
"I'm Alice!"
"So who's the real Alice?" Kibaou blinked. He flinched back when both Alices spun on him and pointed to themselves.
"I AM!"
"Don't let this imposter fool you." The second Alice said, gesturing towards the first. "She's been trained by Vecta himself to mimic my every move!"
"Is that…" Kibaou trailed, staring at the overdramatic second Alice before giving the first one a deadpan stare. "... Seriously, Toy Story?"
The first Alice cracked up with laughter while the second one visibly relaxed, but still looked slightly confused.
"I still do not understand why you asked me to participate in this deception, Ali." The second Alice grumbled.
"It's a long story." 'Ali' replied, wiping away a few tears. "Thank you for going along with it, anyway."
Alice – the second one, and boy was Kibaou feeling another headache coming on – rolled her eyes and walked away, muttering something about strange Aincraders and foreign ways. The first Alice straightened herself and smiled.
"Had your fun, Ali?" Kibaou huffed.
Ali offered a thumbs up. "Oh yeah. Worth it."
Omake 2 - NGGYU
[32 days until the Final Load Test…]
"C'mon Yuna, show us your Perfect Weapon Control!" Silica whined.
"I… don't think you'd like it." Yuna hesitantly answered. She looked around meekly, as if trying to figure out if the middle of camp was a suitable place to demonstrate.
Silica squinted her eyes, looking around as well. Sure, a demonstration of Perfect Weapon Control might seem a little odd right now, but if it caused damage to anyone Yuna would have said something and outright refused to do it. That meant that whatever the item did was not harmful in any way, which in turn meant that it was probably a buff of some kind. That could only help the troops! The players might also like a little tune to brighten their days, too!
Silica placed her hands on her hips. "Well, what's it supposed to do?"
"Well… I tried it once with Naut a few days ago. It gave him a buff…"
"That's it?"
"... and made him dance."
Silica attempted – and failed miserably – to stifle a giggle. Oh gods, the mental image of Nautilus dancing was too much! AH! Okay, Silica, get it together.
"Now I gotta see it!" Silica pleaded. "C'mon, Yuna! Just one time, and that's it!"
"Alright…" Yuna sighed.
Silica would come to regret that.
Yuna retrieved her Divine Object, ((Bardic Inspiration)), and began to strum it. She started to hum a tune before suddenly belting out the key phrase. "RELEASE RECOLLECTION!"
Sound – music, particularly – came from nowhere and everywhere as a whole new song sprang to life. Troops all around camp stopped whatever they were doing and looked to the skies with equal parts confusion and amusement.
Whatever song it was started out with a pretty neat drum beat. It almost sounded electronic, actually.
Silica looked down and giggled as she saw her body moving on its own. The Underworlders around camp looked just as amused as they, too, began to sway, shaking their fists back and forth across their chests and hips. More than a few of them started to clap rhythmically to the beat. The Underworlders looked happy! She didn't understand why…
Then she saw the few Aincraders around camp, who were dancing to the beat in an identical fashion, but with one notable difference.
They looked ready to riot.
Silica's eyes widened and her head shot over towards Yuna, who looked a curious combination of smug and apologetic. She had a slight grin tugging on the corners of her mouth and her eyes all but screamed 'I told you so'.
Silica was about ready to scream. She recognized this song! Yes, it was catchy, but gods, was that a double-edged sword. She was already starting to regret pestering her into doing this… even before Yuna started to sing. A rich, iconic male voice layered on top of hers as they together sang to the first line of the song that had driven so many to madness.
" ~ We're no strangers to love… ~ "
Silica slammed her eyes shut as she resigned herself to her footloose fate.
" ~ You know the rules, and so do I! ~ "
Mistakes were made.
A/N:
No, I'm not sorry.
Rick-rolling my readership aside, a few things I wanna say. More like gripes than anything else, but ones that can serve as a slight prelude to what to expect come next chapter.
Rant incoming… you have been warned.
First things first, why in the world did they not diversify their fighting force in canon? I don't know if it's the same in the LN or manga, but I kid you not, in the anime every SINGLE soldier in the Human Empire army is equipped with ONLY a single sword. Nothing else. No shields, no spears… nothing to construct anything remotely passable as a decent defense. A formation like that is begging for a chaotic melee, and in a battle where you're outnumbered, that is the absolute LAST thing you want.
I get that the anime is called SWORD Art Online, but come on! Not even any ranged units! Deusolbert, Renly, and Fanatio are literally the only people in that fighting force capable of picking off enemies at range, and that bothers me greatly. Yes, Bercouli's got his anti-air wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey sword attack that knocks out the enemy minions, but their ranged capabilities should not be limited to four people!
And that's another thing! Why, oh WHY would you put Deusolbert on the front line?! That's just asking to nullify his one advantage! You put that boy on the back line, on higher ground and let him napalm the enemy to oblivion… and above all else, you make sure he doesn't run out of ammunition!
It is entirely possible to write a compelling war arc with valid battlefield tactics.
Okay, rant over.
As you can probably tell, I'm revamping the way the war and engagements go going forward. There's going to be some more strategy and tactics in this iteration of the War of Underworld, including putting the three strongest strategists in a command position with clear and quick lines of communication courtesy of Argo and her nimble little fingers.
Also, in case anyone's wondering, the Sylvan used is translatable. It's not a perfect translation but you'll get the general gist of what's being said if you look up a translator.
Anyhoo, that's where I'll leave you for now. Next up, the war itself!
Til next time!
