Chapter 9- Myriad Heaven

September 30, 2056

The sounds of metal grating against each other filled the air. A rusty, metallic texture covered the floors and walls around the demon prince. The pillars twisted and became ridged while several protrusions that somewhat resembled eyeballs popped out from the ceiling. The whole hospital had become something one would see in a cyberpunk nightmare.

The theme of the stage unnerved the dual-wielder. He's never quite seen something as disturbing as this before, even in Eternus. Even though nothing was known about the creators for Brain Burst, they did deserve some praise for being able to get a reaction from someone as stoic as Marth.

"Sheesh, this is nasty," a familiar voice spoke up in disgust, breaking the silence. "I didn't know there was a stage like this."

Marth turned around and saw that there were two figures beside him. One was a metallic black avatar wearing a black overcoat with silver trimming as well as a helmet that resembled the old NerveGear models. They had a light black face plate underneath with something that resembled a nose but no mouth. Their eyes were hidden as well. Strapped to their back were two swords, one black and the other a light blue. That had to be Graphite Edge, given its male build, Kirito's duel avatar.

The next person was rather strange. It was a feminine model and was colored a beautiful sky blue. She had a face mask as well, with yellow lenses for eyes, a pale blue dress and white hat, and long teal hair. The only thing ruining the ephemeral beauty was that she was sitting in a silver wheelchair. The wheelchair didn't look like a match for the female player, plus it severely limited her maneuverability, which can be deadly in a fight. It was clear she only had it because she was missing her legs, but how can that be? This was a virtual world. Even if Brain Burst was the harshest game he ever played, Marth found it hard to believe that it would have a permanent injury mechanic. With it being a fighting game, that just sounded like such an unfair mechanic that could be easily abused in the wrong hands.

"Fuko," Marth finally spoke up. "Is that you?"

"Yes," the sky blue avatar said with a slight nod. "This is my duel avatar. I'm sorry that you had to see me in this broken state."

Marth simply shook his head in dismissal. "It's fine, but how did this happen?"

"It's a long story, but now isn't the time for it. Your opponent is here."

The demon prince turned in the direction she was looking at and saw what she and Kirito saw. Standing at the end of the slimy hall was a large menacing blue duel avatar. It was slightly taller than Takumu, who stood out at 175 centimeters. The girth of Cyan Pile's body was rather impressive. His muscles bulged like that of a pro wrestler, his entire frame wrapped in a close-fitting, metallic blue bodysuit-type armor. On his feet were rugged dark blue boots.

Cyan Pile slowly turned to the left and stared at the demon prince. His head was covered by a stylish teardrop mask with several slit-shaped gaps opening up horizontally on his face while a single brace pierced them vertically in the center. It kind of resembled a kendo mask. Behind those slits were two bluish-white eyes, which glowed in the dim light. He took one hard step, making a heavy sound as soon as contact was made.

Marth narrowed his eyes as he intently examined the figure. Cyan Pile had a metallic glove on his left hand, but his right hand was covered by a strange blue pipe that was about a meter long and had the tip of a metal pole protruding from the opening.

If he remembered right, Cyan Pile's attribute was close-range blue, similar to that of the pure black attribute. That strange pole shouldn't be a flying weapon by that logic, but Marth knew better than to lower his guard. He was very much aware that appearances can be deceiving.

Cyan Pile approached Ashen Wolf slowly, step by step. It was almost like the bulkier avatar was trying to intimidate his lower level opponent. Soon he came to sudden stop before finally locking eyes with the demon prince. His voice was full of glum, but it was still the clear voice of Takumu Mayuzumi, the friend of Kisara.

"So we got a Purgatory stage. Been a while since I've seen one of these. Now if I can just remember the attributes for it again."

"Takumu," Marth said slowly.

Suddenly the metal rod on Cyan Pile's right arm bit into the metal wall of the hallway, creating a nasty tear. Slime and pieces of steel went flying into the air while the crushed bodies of tiny insects dropped onto the floor.

Cyan Pile then turned towards the dual wielder, his voice regaining some cheer. "It's definitely solid. Might be a little hard to destroy this stage." He started walking again, right towards his opponent. "I'm impressed by your reaction speed, Marth. I was just about to push the duel button before you sucked me in. I'm surprised that you're a Burst Linker. I didn't think you were interested in video games that much. You always seem so uninterested in the world around you. I really don't see why Kisara thinks of you so highly."

"Says the guy who put a backdoor virus onto her Neurolinker so you could use her to challenge Burst Linkers at her school," Marth said menacingly, eye lenses narrowing at his target. "She trusted you enough to direct with her and you abused it for your own personal gain. I absolutely despise people like you, who do whatever they want even if it involves taking advantage of others."

The slits on Cyan Pile's mask may not have changed visually, but Marth could sense the sneer hiding behind it. "Do you have to call it a virus? I got from my guardian, who's a high-ranking member of the Blue Knights, and also my captain in the kendo team. Besides, directing is basically offering up your Neurolinker to your partner, accepting whatever happens, like a certain file getting looked at or some program getting installed. You did the same thing after all. You directed with Kisara and dug through her memory without her knowing. Sure, you're her brother but wouldn't that be considered an abuse of trust as well by your logic?"

Marth clenched his teeth tightly. "Choose your next words very carefully, Takumu," he warned coldly. "Depending on what you say next, I may leave you in pieces by the end of this."

"Spoken like the demon prince you are." The other three Burst Linkers gasped in shock, while Takumu simply laughed. "Yeah, I know the truth about you and your sister. I overheard you all discussing it a month ago, all by accident of course. I never would have imagined that demons really exist. Needless to say, I was shocked."

"So you know the truth," Fuko said slowly. "That…complicates things, but only a little."

"What do you intend to do with that information, Taku?" Kirito added, his voice sounding much more serious.

Cyan Pile simply shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't decided yet. Why? You all afraid of what would happen if that got leaked out?"

"Not really," Marth said nonchalantly. "We have ways of ensuring our secrecy, but I'll leave that to your imagination."

That seemed to take the blue avatar by surprise, in fact, he even seemed a little scared, but quickly hid that behind a mask of arrogance. "Oh please. I'd love to see you try to stop me from leaking it. Maybe I can even use it as blackmail to get Kisara to do what I want."

"Oh he just signed his death sentence," Kirito said suddenly, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

"Indeed," Fuko nodded. "It was nice knowing him, even though he's now totally obsessed with Brain Burst."

Before Takumu could even speak again, he found himself slammed into the wall with the force of a speeding train. He was then pulled off of the wall but didn't get a chance to relax as he felt a sharp kick impact his stomach, damaging the armor located there. Finally he was grabbed by his left arm and thrown down the hall, slamming and indenting another wall.

"O-ow!" was all he could say as he struggled to catch his breath. He fell limply to the ground. He heard footsteps slowly approach him and the smell of ozone gathered in the air. Cyan Pile looked up to see a menacing pair of red eye lenses staring down at him.

Marth casually popped his knuckles, something he doesn't normally do unless he's in a really bad mood. "Wow, I can't believe that you're stupid enough to make a threat like that in front of me, Takumu." The way he said it so calmly added to the menacing presence around him. It wasn't quite like what it was when he confronted Araya, but it was very close to that level. Sinon was right. Marth did become a different person when Kisara is threatened. "You humans never learn. Hope you have a god to pray to."

Takumu let out a grunt in irritation. "Don't underestimate me, Marth!" He swung his legs in a sweeping motion, using a speed belying his bulky form. However, he wasn't quite fast enough to connect.

The demon prince backflipped away, effortlessly evading the attack. He watched as Cyan Pile hastily got back up and charged at him with that same speed. Marth's options for dodging were limited. The hallways of the hospital were a bit too narrow for his liking. As a fighter who relies on his speed to dodge enemy attacks, especially if said enemy was very strong, this terrain was rather unfavorable.

Given that Takumu was a level 4 Burst Linker while Marth was still at level 1, the former would have a higher health gauge, more powerups and probably a few other tricks the demon lord didn't know about. Ashen Wolf, while did have most of the skills and powers of Marth Umbris, didn't quite feel the same as his real body. Having fought tough opponents like his mentor and elder sister, Marth was keenly aware of the level of his abilities. As much as he hated to admit it, Ashen Wolf did not move as fast as his real body, nor had quite the same physical strength. This will probably change as Ashen Wolf levels up, but right now, he wasn't confident that he could overpower someone as bulky as Cyan Pile without his speed.

That left only one option. Move the fight to a bigger area where the advantage will be his. And Marth had just the place in mind. The hospital's roof.

With his plan of attack decided upon, Ashen Wolf drew Lunara and used it to block a thick iron rod that came out of Takumu's pipe, causing sparks to dance in the air as the impact caused Marth to slide backward a few inches. So that's what it did, and with a decent attack range too. Since the word "pile" could mean "stake", it made some sense. It would seem Brain Burst took its name generation very literally. Does that mean he could switch to his wolf form in this world?

Never mind that. The collision caused Marth to lose an eighth of his health. Was this the difference of three levels, or was this the actual strength of Cyan Pile? Marth gathered his strength into his right arm and managed to repel the rod away from him, causing it to strike the roof and leave another nasty gash.

Not losing his momentum, Marth took off running down the hallway, with Kirito and Fuko close behind him.

"Running away so soon?" Takumu cried out cynically. "Didn't know you were the cowardly type, Marth!"

The young demon lord simply grunted at the provocation. "Fool. Kirito, do elevators work in this world?"

Graphite Edge was silent for a few seconds to collect his thoughts as the trio ran (or in Fuko's case, rolled, though it was a mystery as to how she was capable of keeping up with the dual wielders given her handicap) ran down the hallway. "Depends on the stage," he answered finally. "The Century End stage doesn't allow players into the buildings so naturally the elevators wouldn't work in it. As for this Purgatory stage, given the acute detail of this interior, its possible that the elevators would be operational."

"That's all I need to know. We're heading for the roof. If that doesn't work, we'll just take the stairs."

"Right!" his friends acknowledged.

They quickly found an elevator, the door to it resembling a cage, and Kirito hit the skull-shaped button beside it. Sure enough, the door opened with a metallic groan. Cyan Pile's footsteps were getting closer by the second. With not a moment to spare, the trio hurried inside the elevator and hit the button for the roof.

As if to stress them out, more so Marth since Kirito and Fuko didn't have health gauges of their own since they had logged in through the Gallery, the door starting closing at a sluggish pace. Suddenly a sharp iron rod slammed into the door, just barely fitting between the gaps.

The space in the elevator was more constrictive than the hallway outside, especially with three people and a wheelchair inside, so Marth options to evade were very limited. The metal stake shot forward, just barely scratching Ashen Wolf's abdomen before detracting. Conveniently enough, this was also when the elevator finally started to ascend, leaving behind a manically laughing Takumu.

When Marth got outside, he was greeted by the eerily yellow sky covered by dark gray clouds. All the buildings of the Suginami ward had been changed into bizarre forms of reddish-black things that looked somewhat alive. Far in the distance, he could make out what he assumed to be the government building in Shinjuku, as well as a few skyscrapers.

"Just how far does this world go?" Marth wondered to himself.

"Marth," Fuko suddenly spoke up, her voice on edge. "We're not alone."

The former member of the Black Legion was right as upon closer inspection of the nearby buildings, the gray avatar could see other Burst Linkers gathered there. Their levels were all around 2 or 3, but just like his companions, they were all logged into the Gallery, meaning they won't interfere with the duel.

But how did they get here? This duel should be isolated within the hospital's local network. Kirito and Fuko were only here because they had added Marth to their watch lists, which causes them to automatically accelerate whenever he duels and they're in the same area. Then it all clicked together. Takumu must have connected to the global net right before the duel started. Sounds a bit risky since that left him open to getting challenged, but his actions did open the stage to the outside world, allowing the Burst Linkers who had Cyan Pile or Ashen Wolf in their lists to be automatically accelerated into the Gallery.

The location cursor for his opponent changed directions, indicating that Takumu was using the elevator as well. He had maybe thirty seconds or so before Cyan Pile would catch up.

"Now this is a better battlefield for you, Marth," Kirito spoke up confidently as his best friend drew his second sword, Solaris. "This is nowhere near as confining as that hallway."

"Indeed," Fuko said in agreement. "You have ten meters off empty roof to use. No options for any cover, but with your speed, you might not need any. You know what Cyan Pile's weapon does, but still be careful. He might have another special attack that you don't know about."

"Understood," Marth said simply as he patiently watched the elevator.


Kirito and Fuko moved to the side, mostly to stay out of their friend's way. They both hoped that the demon prince will prevail as they knew he wanted to redeem himself to Kuroyukihime. If he somehow loses to Cyan Pile, then one of them would have to challenge him immediately after to keep him from challenging the still comatose Black King given that a single loss for her would take away her remaining burst points.

"Hey Fuko, what do you think Marth did yesterday after we showed up at the hospital?" Kirito suddenly questioned. "There's no way he went out on a simple walk."

"I've been wondering that myself," the veteran Burst Linker mused. "If I had to guess, I'd say he went to settle the score with that Araya fellow. The police may have locked him up, but nothing they have is a match for Marth."

Kirito let out a heavy breath. "I think so as well. Given Marth's history, it's highly likely he killed Araya out of revenge. I can't fully blame him for that given the situation, but sometimes I think he goes a little too extreme sometimes."

"Perhaps but remember that Marth isn't a human like you or me. Demons have different morals and codes than us. Marth, Kisara and Rias may be some of the good demons, but they're still demons. They're not gonna handle things the same way as us. Cross a demon, and they will make you pay for it, always."

She did have a point. The possibility that Marth killed a human didn't really impact Kirito that much. He knew that it would inevitably happen from the day he learned his friend's lineage. Demons are not quick to forgive. They are a vengeful race. The foster son of Scathach had witnessed for himself the bloodbath Marth would ensue should the situation allow it. Heck, sometimes Kirito would even help out just to help protect his dear friend.

Even if the world, no all the realms, was against them, Kirito will still stand by his friend. His thoughts soon ended so he could focus on the battle before him.


Cyan Pile soon emerged from the elevator, Marth watching him carefully as he stepped outside onto the roof. As soon as he got into the yellow light, Takumu's eyes lit up.

"I see now. You moved us up here so you can use your speed for hit-and-run attacks. Not bad Ma—I mean, Ashen Wolf."

"Gold star for you," Marth replied coldly. "But no matter. I will make you pay for abusing my sister and for your cowardly attack on my guardian."

"A-ha-ha! We'll see about that." As he was still chuckling, Takumu started his mechanical advance.

Marth crouched before carefully measuring the distance between them. Takumu got a taste for how fast Ashen Wolf is from that stunt below. In hindsight, that might not have been a smart move on Marth's part, but hey, Takumu threatened to blackmail his beloved sister. He couldn't just ignore a statement like that. For some reason, Marth has had this intense drive to protect Kisara. He's been like that for as long as he can remember. If someone harmed even a tiny hair on her head, he would hunt them down to make them atone.

It must have been because Lucia died during the War of Light and Shadow. Marth must have inherited Zane's drive to protect his sister in this life when he failed to do so during the Age of Chaos. Eh, good enough for him. Besides, it's not like Kisara wasn't the same way. There were quite a few stories at school about any of the bitch girls who took advantage of Marth getting strange burns or sudden injuries.

Anyway, Takumu might not be fully accustomed to Ashen Wolf's speed, so Marth will use that to his advantage. If he managed to land enough hits, he might be able to end this with a special attack. A lot of his high-level spells were locked, likely requiring higher character levels to use, but all of his Sword Skills were all accessible.

Right before Takumu could take another step, Marth kicked off the ground, hard. Cyan Pile moved his right hand accordingly, targeting the advancing swordsman.

"Now!"

Marth suddenly bolted to the right as the loud roar of a metal spike shot out at his previous position at high-speed. Even with his impressive reaction time, the young demon lord was unsure if he could dodge the spike from such close range upon seeing it launch. However, if he could predict its trajectory, then the odds will be more favorable for him.

He circled around his target once before closing in yet again. He slashed in an arc on Cyan Pile's left arm, leaving a small gash in the blue body armor. Once that was done, Marth went back on the move just before Taku could hit him with that metal spike.

Marth would continue this strategy for the next few minutes. He would sometimes move in circles, sometimes in a zig-zag manner, even occasional straight charges. All to make himself harder for Takumu to track as he slowly whittled down his opponents HP, with minimal damage taken to himself.

"Not bad," Takumu said through gritted teeth, no doubt feeling some pain from the multiple gashes on his body. "You're a total newb in this game, Marth, but you fight like a seasoned warrior."

"I've been in battles like this for most of my life. It's all second nature to me."

Ashen Wolf closed in for yet another attack, readying a Sharp Nail with Lunara, aiming to strike Cyan Pile's chest area to some major damage. Suddenly, Marth sensed danger as Takumu flung his arms wide and revealed at least ten stakes that suddenly appeared from chest and stomach with a grinding noise.

"Crap. I can't dodge while using a Sword Skill. This is gonna hurt."

All the motions for Sword Skills were preregistered. The moment one is activated, the user's body leaves their control until the skill is concluded. That truth applied to both the real and virtual worlds. If one was skilled enough, they could activate another Sword Skill using a secondary weapon just before the post-motion delay of the first one kicked in, allowing for consecutive attacks. However the timing of which was very finicky since you only have barely a second to move the secondary weapon to the correct position to activate another Sword Skill. Only Marth, Kirito, and Scathach could pull this off, even though it was possible with just one weapon, but even they had trouble doing it.

However, not even this Skill Connect could help Marth right now as he can't activate a Sword Skill while one is still going on. Needless to say, he was a sitting duck for this coming attack.

"Splash Stingerrrrr!"

The sounds of machine gun-like fire filled the air as the multiple stakes shot into Marth from point-blank range.

"Gaaah!"

Somehow he managed to avoid damaging his head, which would have been a critical hit, but he took some serious damage around his chest, shoulders and arms. The special attack also sent the dual wielder flying, his back landing hard against the roof.

"Ngh!" Marth grunted as he struggled to catch his breath. He could hear his friends calling out to him, but he couldn't respond back. His vision was hazy and his body hurt like hell. So this was what damage felt like in Brain Burst. Marth was accustomed to sharp pain thanks to his training and missions, but that still didn't make it fun to get hit.

Nonetheless, he managed to lift his upper body up, his hood falling down to reveal his face and black hair, and see Cyan Pile slowly make his way over. Well at least his opponent was still reeling from the injuries Marth inflicted. That brought some satisfaction to the dark prince.

"Heh-heh-heh-heh!" Takumu cried out. Did one of those attacks cause a screw to come loose, or was Takumu always like this? "Heh-heh-heh! You really…got in some good attacks in there. But in the end, you're just an annoying little bug. Thanks to you, I managed to build up my special-attack gauge."

"Special…attack…" Still grimacing from the pain of his wounds, Marth checked the gauges located at the top of his vision.

Cyan Pile's health was hanging at around 55 percent, showing that Ashen Wolf did land some solid hits. As for the gray avatar, his health was around 40 percent, all thanks to that point-blank shooting he got caught in.

Just below the health bars were bright blue bars. Cyan Pile's was stretched to 70 percent while Ashen Wolf's was completely full.

"Now, now," Takumu said confidently as he continued his advance. "I'm sure you've heard those words before, Ashen Wolf. The give-and-take of special attacks is the best part of any duel. Splash Stinger comes right before my level 2 special attack. It's perfect for dealing with insects like you. Yours is full now. Come on. Show me what you got."

Marth clenched his teeth in frustration as he struggled to pull himself back on his feet. Most of his current special attacks were his Sword Skills, mainly the Dual Blades skills. They all required getting in close to his target. Even his favorite attack, the sixteen-hit Myriad Heaven, couldn't be used from a distance. Not to mention that using Sword Skills can leave him wide open, especially at the end with the post-motion delay. With his HP so low, he couldn't afford to take any risks. One wrong move and it's over.

"Come on, Marth," Fuko muttered under her breath, her hands clenched tightly together in her lap. "Get up, please."

"I can't let it end this way. I'm supposed to be one of the Seven Demon Lords, and the son of Altena Umbris. A guy like him…he should be nothing." Somehow Marth managed to stand back up but before he could do anything, Cyan Pile slammed his right hand into his stomach, sending him back into the floor with a pierced stomach.

"It's over now, Marth," Takumu said quietly as he stood over the demon, one foot right on the latter's chest. "A monster like you is no match for a human. This is where your kind belongs, on the ground beneath mankind's heel. You don't belong in this world."

"Maybe you're right." Talking was hard to do, but somehow Marth managed to find his voice. "This isn't my home, my world. I'm not here by choice. Why would I stay in a place where I get bullied a lot by your kind? I'm only here to protect my sister, namely from scum like you."

"That's some big words you got there. Too bad you can't seem to back them up. Now, time to end this."

Cyan Pile raised his launcher skyward, drawing something with the tip. As he did so, the launcher began glowing with a bright blue light. The weapon then expanded by three times its original size with a loud noise. Some sort of hammer popped out of it, the striking surface poised towards the downed Marth.

"Goodbye. Spiral Gravity Driver!"

Marth tried to evade, but he was still pinned by the heavy blue boot. The massive hammer came down on his chest, crushing his armor, and was sent crashing into the floor below. He didn't have the strength to cry out thanks to where the attack hit him, his breath taken away from him. He fell about five floors down before finally coming to a stop.

His vision was black, barely able to see anything. The most he could see was the flashing red gauge for his health, which stood now at 10 percent. The hammer in his chest stayed wedged in for a while but eventually retracted, ascending back up the hole Marth had made.

"So you managed to hang on to just a sliver of health left!" Cyan Pile cried out, his voice sounding faint because of the distance. "Whatever. We've only got about five minutes left. Time will be up before I can get to you. Once I'm done here, I'll get to why I'm really here. The boss battle."

Takumu then started shouting over to the players in the Gallery, boasting about his strength. He mentioned something about an "unlimited field" and making them regret tossing him aside because he used too many points.

It was hard to even sit up. Nearly all of Ashen Wolf's body was badly damaged. It was a miracle he hadn't fallen apart. Was this really how it would end? Him lying here broken until the timer ran out, unable to stop Takumu. It was his fault this situation even happened. If he hadn't been so distrustful of Kuroyukihime, actually believed in her kindness, this never would've happened. She would still be fine and have all of her burst points.

So much for his atonement. In the end, he was still a failure, no matter the era.

"Sorry, Kirito, Fuko," he said slowly. "It's up to you guys now."

His vision went dark as he braced for the end.


Suddenly he found himself back on that bloodstained hill from that dream where Brain Burst scanned his subconscious to create his duel avatar. His outfit was the same from the dream as well, as well as the environment. It was clear that a mighty battle happened here, one that cost him his life, but who did he fight against here?

"Zane!"

Marth weakly turned his head to the left. There he saw a pale-blonde haired girl dressed in a sterling silver battledress rushing over to him. She was in rough shape as well, her dress practically falling apart with all the cuts in it and sparkling red blood gushing out of her open wounds. She was clearly not in any shape to even walk, yet somehow she still found the strength to run.

"Sorry…Celine…" was all he could say as his strength failed him. All he could do was simply kneel where he was and prepare for the end.

The princess of the fairies slid next to the demon prince, pulling him into a warm embrace. Black blood stained her clothes and her wounds clearly caused her discomfort, but she didn't care. Tears were just pouring out of her beautiful silver eyes, almost like waterfalls.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she sobbed out as she held the dying demon in her arms. "I knew you were hurting from Lucia's death, and I should have been there to help you through it. I'm so sorry. I failed you."

"Don't…blame…yourself… I'm…just glad…that you're…alright. Where's… Edna?"

"Right here."

Out of the corner of Marth's eye, he could see a girl with flowing brown hair and dazzling blue eyes clutching his right hand tightly in her own. She was dressed in a sky-blue bodysuit with padding on her chest, arms and legs. She was heavily injured as well, blood staining her otherwise flawless face.

"I'm sorry. Erika and the others didn't make it. It's just us and Kaito. He's on his way right now."

"I…see." Marth felt a sharp pain deep in his heart. He was the cause of his friends' deaths back in Age of Chaos. They all met a brutal end because they were trying to find him.

"Don't talk, Prince Zane," Edna pleaded, her eyes full of desperation. "We'll get you some help. Just hang on."

It was wishful thinking, and they all knew it. The prince of Eternus's wounds were too deep, too much blood has been lost. He had minutes at most.

Marth heard a new set of footsteps approach him. His vision was going in and out, but he could sort of make out the outline of a black-haired young man that greatly resembled Kirito from their SAO days. Strapped to his back were a strange black sword that seemed to absorb light and an icy blue sword with beautiful blue rose in the hilt.

"Sorry…Kaito. I leave the rest…to you," Marth said slowly, turning his gaze to his black and red sword, the legendary Lunaris. For some reason, he felt like there was someone also grieving for him, but their presence was too faint to identify.

"Alright," the Black Swordsman responded, his voice filled with sorrow. "I'll return the Lunaris to the Darkwood Forest, just like when I returned Excalibur to Aranor Lake."

"We'll find you again, Zane," Celine assured, still struggling to control her sobs. "No matter how many years go by, we will meet again. The next time we meet, we'll stand by each other, just like before."

Marth found himself chuckling, his vision getting darker by the second and his limbs going numb. "I'd like that. Maybe we'll all meet again, in another life." As he felt his last breath approaching, he wondered if he would be able to protect his friends if they were all able to reincarnate in a new era.


Marth found himself back in the Purgatory stage. No time seemed to have passed as the timer was not done yet. So was that…all a dream? He turned his head to the left, half-heartedly expecting to see the pale blonde fairy, but instead he saw something more unexpected.

Lying on a bed framed by wild black roses was a slender figure garbed in a dress as black as the night sky. Her hair was a brilliant black and her snow-white skin shone in the dim light. Her eyes were peacefully closed. Leaning next to her was a familiar black parasol.

"It couldn't be."

Using Lunara to prop himself up, Marth was barely able to stand. Slowly, he painfully made his way over to the bed of black roses. This must be the room the real Kuroyukihime was in. This was the nanomachine room where she was fighting for her life even now. The only reason her avatar was here was because her Neurolinker is connected to the hospital's local net and Ashen Wolf is registered on her watch list.

He set Solaris against the bed and reached his hand out to her face, only to reluctantly pull it back.

"Sorry, Hime," he muttered hoarsely. "I failed to protect you. It took too long for me to find out who you were and it's my fault you got so hurt. I really do seem to put my friends in danger, no matter the era. I know how badly you wanted to discover the true purpose of Brain Burst. Sorry I couldn't be more help."

Just as he was about to resign himself to defeat, Marth heard the faint cries of Kirito and Fuko. They were still on the roof, but they were begging him to keep fighting, to not give up. But did he even have the strength to do that?

Don't give up.

Marth let out a gasp in shock. He looked around, trying to see if there was anyone nearby, but it was just him and Hime, one of whom wasn't even conscious. Finally he lowered his gaze to Lunara, which was flashing with a dazzling purple light.

"What the?"

The Lunara was the incomplete form of Lunaris. Due to the erosion of time, the tale of the Blade of Darkness became fragmented and mixed with other myths. Eventually the Cardinal System of Sword Art Online would recreate the sword, but in a weaker form. Solaris didn't even exist in the real world. It was simply created from a story of Zane wielding Excalibur during the final battle of the War of Light and Shadow.

But why was Lunara glowing like this? Marth didn't have his full memories back, but something about this felt familiar. He knew this voice, but who could it be?

Fight on, Master. The voice was clearly female, and it sounded familiar, but who was she? You're more than strong enough to end this. Show this world your power.

The mysterious purple light then went away, as if nothing had ever happened. Still puzzled as to what just occurred, Marth lifted his gaze back to Kuroyukihime. The sleeping king still looked as peaceful as ever, oblivious to the world around her. For some reason, he felt his spirit reinvigorating.

"I can't believe I nearly forgot myself. This world is cold and merciless. It's hard to trust anyone. I feel like whole world is against me. I'll never know peace, no matter where I go." Marth suddenly clenched his hands tightly. "But I don't care. As long as Kisara, Fuko and the others are safe, that's all that matters to me. No matter what happens to me, no matter wounds I suffer, I'll fight on. That is how a demon lord lives. My wrath will know no end!"

Almost as if responding to his voice, Marth heard a faint thumping sound. It was the sound of a heartbeat. Kuroyukihime's heartbeat. Could she have heard him in her comatose state? He wanted to say otherwise, but there was still much he didn't know about Brain Burst. This program always seems to surprise him.

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain gathering in the small of his back. It felt hot, like an inferno had been set ablaze there. It nearly caused Marth to lose his balance had he not caught himself on the bed. Then they emerged.

Sprouting from his back were two pairs of dazzling wings of translucent purple. They seemed to give off an ethereal glow, lighting up the darkened room. The two pairs stretched out to their full length, their splendor shown off to an empty building.

"So I can fly in this world," Marth said slowly, a smirk decorating his face. "Good to know. And they even function the same way."

Time was running out. If he wanted to launch a counterattack, he had to do it now. Marth quickly retrieved Solaris and made his way back to where he landed, his gaze turned skyward. He could feel it calling him. The sky, his domain.

He got down on one knee and spread his wings out, channeling all his strength for one big burst. For a final time, he glanced over at the sleeping Kuroyukihime. He wasn't going to fail her, not like Celine, not like Y****. This time, he'll protect her.

"Raaaaa!" With a powerful roar, Marth kicked off the ground and shot straight up, almost like a cannon.

The sounds of air boomed loudly as the demon prince found himself soaring all the way to the clouds. He then came to a stop and gazed down at the world below. It was incredible. Just below the clouds was a sprawling city, spreading as far as the eye could see. He saw a wooded area that might be the Imperial Palace far in the distance, even Mount Fuji and the Pacific Ocean.

"No way," Marth said in disbelief. "This world… It's endless…"

He was hovering just thirty meters above the hospital, but he could faintly hear the murmurings of his peers. If he narrowed his eyes, he could barely see the shocked expressions of Fuko and the others.

"No way," Sky Raker said in disbelief. "Marth is…"

She didn't get to finish as there was a sudden roar from within the Gallery.

"H-he's not falling!"

"That wasn't a jump? It can't be. He's flying?!"

"An aviation ability," a certain tin avatar spoke up. "It has finally appeared. Ashen Wolf…is the first Burst Linker to be able to fly!"

All this uproar over him being able to fly? It was a bit weird to see, but Marth could understand why. After all, the ability to fly, especially in a world where others can't do so, gave one a major advantage in battle. And the one who took this fact the hardest was…

"No! No no no no no noooooo!" Cyan Pile screamed in outrage. He aimed his launcher at the winged demon. "Don't look down on meeee!"

Marth's eyes widened as he saw the remaining 40 percent of Takumu's special attack gauge drain. He was preparing to launch another special move, likely his final one. It was time to end this, and the demon lord knew just how to finish this scumbag.

"Gooooo! Lightning Twin Spikes!" Takumu shouted loudly.

A steel needle shot from the launcher, transforming into a beam of light. It rapidly began making its way to the ashen avatar, but it was doomed to fail. With incredible agility, Marth flew down in a rapid descent, easily avoiding the special attack. It was almost like the world became still.

"Too slow, Takumu!" Marth cried out.

His speed was incredible, easily allowing him to close the distance between him and Takumu. Marth landed just in front of the blue avatar with a powerful boom, who was left frozen in horror. Not letting up on his momentum, Marth's swords flared to life with purple light as his special attack gauge fell to 20 percent.

"Myriad…Heaven!" he called out in a harsh tone.

With the declaration of its name, Marth unleashed the devastating sixteen-hit Dual Blades attack. It consisted of a variety of slashes and thrusts, paired together with a few spins for dramatic effect, with each hit making their mark. The final hit, which was a diagonal slash with the left sword, concluded the skill by severing Cyan Pile's right arm by the shoulder, causing it and his launcher to fall to the ground.

"Aaaaah!" Takumu howled in pain as he fell backward, no doubt feeling all kinds of torture from losing a limb. His body armor was pretty much trashed given all the deep gashes in it. And yet despite it all, he managed to survive with barely 1 percent of his health left.

"Wow, you managed to survive my Myriad Heaven," Marth said, sounding slightly impressed, but his eyes were as cold as ever. "But that won't be for much longer."

He stabbed Solaris into the roof and slowly made his way over to Cyan Pile, picking the bigger player up by the throat. It was very tempting to just squeeze and end the fight then, but he had a better way to end this. A fitting punishment for scum like Takumu.

Without saying a word, Marth pulled Lunara back and readied to throw his limp opponent in the air.

"Stop! Marth! Stop!" Takumu pleaded desperately, his eyes wide with fear. "D-don't do this. If I lose to a level 1 player like you, my points will drop to zero. I'll lose Brain Burst!"

Marth lowered his head, his long bangs covering his eyes. "Am I supposed to care? You abused my sister's trust to place a virus on her Neurolinker and used that same virus to harass my guardian for months. Then you came here, hoping to steal all her points." He lifted his head towards the weeping mess before him, his bloodred lenses full of fury, with some small specks of yellow forming. "Do you think I forgive that easily?! You're nothing more than a coward. Goodbye, Cyan Pile."

"That's enough, Marth."

Suddenly Ashen Wolf felt a hand grab his sword arm, holding it tightly in place. Out of frustration, he turned in that direction and saw Fuko keeping him back by the wrist. She seemed determined not to let go.

"What are you doing?" Marth asked in annoyance.

"Your opponent has lost the will to fight," she answered calmly, unbothered by his harsh tone. "There's no need to continue. I know that you're not afraid with staining your hands with blood, but even you need to show restraint sometimes."

"Am I supposed to just let him go then?"

"I never said that." Fuko suddenly tossed a hard look at Cyan Pile. It was rare to see such a face from her. She looked ready to kill him herself. "Takumu Mayuzumi," she said firmly. "You have abused the trust of the Umbris family for your own selfish wishes and have attempted a cowardly attack on Marth's guardian, my former Legion Master. Out of respect for Kisara and my old friend, you may keep Brain Burst, but your life now belongs to the Umbris family."

Oh, now Marth knew what she was getting at. If he had a mouth on his face plate, he would probably terrify Takumu with the cold grin he imagined having. "I see. Poor, poor Takumu. You really picked the wrong family to mess with. I think I have the most fitting punishment for you. You will spend the rest of your pathetic life protecting my sister, with your life if you have to, and I'm not talking about in some virtual world. I'm talking about the real world."

"You can't be serious," Takumu said in horror, struggling in vain to escape the demon's iron grip.

"Nope, Marth's serious," Kirito spoke up, arms crossed against his chest. "This is actually mercy from him. This is your chance to atone for your crimes. I suggest you take it, that is if you want to keep Brain Burst."

Takumu was rendered speechless, his body going limp. Eventually, after what felt like eternity, his eyes finally fell to the cold-hearted prince of the demons. "If I swear to serve your family, will I retain my free will?"

"Naturally," Marth replied half-heartedly. "We're not really into the whole 'hypnotizing slaves' thing. Even we have some morals. If you do your job well, we might even give you back your freedom." He honestly didn't care what happened to Takumu, but this did give him the opportunity to give Kisara some extra protection.

"I see." Another moment of silence passed among them. "Very well. As of now, my life is yours, Marth Umbris."

"And don't you forget it." He let go of Cyan Pile's neck, causing the bulky avatar to fall to the floor.

There was still some time left in the timer so Marth used that to damage himself ever so slightly to get his HP equal to Taku's so that they'll tie, which means no points will get transferred.

"Well done, Marth," Fuko suddenly spoke up, her facing pretty much beaming at him. "You fought well."

"Yeah. You had me worried there for a few seconds, but you really turned it around at the end," Kirito added.

"Thanks guys," Marth said honestly. "I mean it. I can't imagine what I'd be like without you and the others in my life."

The trio shared a laugh, enjoying their reverie, which came to a halt by the metallic sound of the elevator. They all instinctively stiffened, with even Kirito reaching for his swords. Was it a new enemy? It couldn't be. Time was almost up and both fighters would have to consent to the new addition for that to happen. Was it someone who had logged in through the hospital's local net? If so, who could it be?

Marth's hopes and fears were dashed as he saw a familiar black avatar emerge from the shadows. Long, lustrous black hair flew in the light breeze. A black parasol rested against the foreign floor.

Fuko could be heard gasping in surprise and Kirito reeled back. It couldn't be.

"Kuroyukihime?" Marth said weakly.

He lost his grip on Lunara, the black blade clanging against the rooftop. Overwhelmed by unknown feelings, Marth made his way over to his guardian, who was now wide awake. She hurried over to him as well, her heels clacking in the air. They wrapped their arms around each other, neither one willing to let go.

"You're alright," Ashen Wolf said in relief as he cradled Hime's head with one hand. "Thank Sinestra you're alright."

Kuroyukihime snuggled closely to his chest. He could picture the smile on her face. "I was…surrounded by darkness. I didn't know where I was. But then I heard your voice, and then I remembered. Somehow, some way, some of my memories have started to return, memories of an old life." She pulled back a little, her eyes watering up. "It's me, Zane. I'm Celine."

"I know. You actually found me." Suddenly his eyes darkened. "Hime, I'm sorry, for everything. This is all my fault."

The reborn princess of the fairies simply shook her head. "Don't blame yourself. I knew the risks when I decided to use that forbidden command. If I had the chance to go back, I would do it all over again. Besides, you kept me safe, despite all the damage you've taken." She then took notice of her protégé's wings. At first she looked amazed, but then she smiled once more.

"Incredible," she mused as she reached out to touch one of the purple wings. Surprisingly enough, they were in fact solid despite being made out of light. "I shouldn't be surprised. The sky was always your domain, Marth. I hope you understand what a big deal this is. There's never been a Burst Linker who could fly before. You really are the one who can change this world."

"I see."

"Hello, Hime. It's been a while."

The reunited duo suddenly separated as they remembered that they were not alone. Fuko and Kirito were behind them, while Takumu was still lying on the ground, too exhausted to move. Was it Marth's imagination, or did the air around Fuko seem more irritated than usual? Eh, probably his imagination. He was mentally exhausted from all that fighting, and that strange vision from earlier.

"It can't be," Kuroyukihime said in disbelief. "Fuko? What are you doing here?"

"It's a small world it seems," Sky Raker replied, her tone sounding somewhat forced. "To think that your protégé would be the friend I made two years after we went our separate ways."

The Black King looked completely shocked, a rare sight to see. "Marth is…I see. This can't be a coincidence. Listen, I'm…"

"You don't have to say anything," Fuko interrupted calmly. "What happened back then was no fault but my own. My only regret was not being there when you needed the support."

"I think we were both victims of our hubris. Now then, Marth, I believe it is time I leave the safety of my cocoon and reach for the sky, just like you did." She then turned her gaze to Takumu, who simply staring at her in awe. "Cyan Pile, I owe you an apology as well. I kept staining our duels, which should have been full of honor. To atone for that, I will show you my true form. If you so wish it, I will even engage you with all my might."

Kuroyukihime raised her right hand and began fiddling with her virtual console. Suddenly her fairy princess avatar became surrounded in surges of black lightning. Her silhouette, engulfed in bright purple light, began to change shape before the eyes of the accelerated world. Her skirt that once reached the floor shortened and split into sharp notches. Her hands and feet snapped to perfectly straight lines, the tips converging into needles. Her long hair dissolved, replaced with a mask shaped like a bird of prey. Finally, one last, powerful bolt of lightning struck, causing all the effects to disappear.

Standing before the group was a dazzling duel avatar, one that appeared to be made of black crystal. Her form resembled that of Ashen Wolf, but she was a bit taller. Her body was encased in flowing, seemingly transparent black body armor with a straight line at its core, decorated with a skirt resembling a black lotus. The striking feature of her avatar was that she didn't have hands or feet. Instead she had long, razor-sharp swords that looked like they could cut through anything. Her head was angular, with the front surface shaped like a visor of sorts with two bluish-purple eyes behind it.

"Whoa," Marth said in awe. "You look awesome, Hime."

"No kidding," Kirito added. "That avatar totally fits a king."

"Really?" Her voice was the only thing that didn't change. "But I can't even hold someone's hand…"

They were interrupted by the sounds of the Gallery members shouting in disbelief, and they were right to do so. The Black King, Black Lotus, otherwise known as the Greatest Traitor in the Accelerated World, has returned to the accelerated world.


October 5, 2056

Marth was standing outside of a certain hospital room in a certain hospital, carrying a bouquet of black lilies. Today was a good day. It was the day Kuroyukihime would be moved from ICU to a general ward. Normally it would take a person at least three weeks to recover from wounds as severe as hers, however, thanks to her fairy blood, Hime was able to recover much faster than normal. Naturally this meant that she could receive visitors sooner as well.

He wasn't alone however as he was joined by Fuko. For some reason the brunette has been acting weird since her reunion with her old Legion Master. Marth did ask about it once, but she said it was nothing. Was she sick or something?

Regardless, Marth took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in," said a voice on the other side.

The door opened on the other side, allowing the duo to enter. Sure enough, sitting on that hospital bed in a pair of pink sleepwear was none other than Kuroyukihime. Her eyes lit up upon seeing the demon prince, but it dampened a little when she saw Fuko was with him. Weird, but it's probably because she was still beating herself up over what happened to them in the past.

"Hey Hime," Marth said casually. "I brought you some flowers to congratulate the occasion. Fuko decided to join me too to give her remarks as well."

Now that he knew who Kuroyukihime really was and that she was trustworthy, Marth had become much more relaxed with her. There were still things about himself he kept secret from her, but that was for good reason. He just reunited with an old friend from his previous life. He didn't want to lose her so soon.

"Thanks, Marth. They look lovely," Hime said kindly, pointing to a vase for him to put them in. She then turned her attention to Fuko. "Hello again, Fuko. Have you been well?"

"Yes, I have," the brunette confirmed. "Congratulations on clearing ICU. We all knew that you'd pull through."

"Thank you. Why don't you both take a seat?"

Conveniently enough, there were two chairs sitting beside the bed, which the duo naturally sat in. Although, Fuko curiously scooted her chair a bit closer to Marth's, even though it wasn't necessary.

"So what's been happening out there?" Kuroba questioned, her eyes narrowing at the closeness between her protégé and old friend.

"In regards to Takumu, me and Kazuto managed to help him recover enough burst points that he can afford taking a few losses," Marth explained. "He even takes well to Scathach's training, probably thanks to his kendo training. I think he'll come in handy. That virus he used is now unusable thanks to the latest patch and the player who gave him it lost all their points. A fitting end to this situation."

"As for word about the return of Nega Nebulus," Fuko added, "It's been spreading like wildfire. It won't be long before the other kings take notice of us."

Kuroyukihime nodded in acknowledgement. Right before the duel between Ashen Wolf and Cyan Pile ended, she had announced to the accelerated world that she and Nega Nebulus are returning, once more emerging from the shadows. "Good. About what I expected. Have either of your memories started to return?"

"Nope, not much has changed on that front," the demon prince answered, almost sounding disappointed. "I only have fragments of my past from both Zane and the Dark Swordsman. Who knows when they'll all return?"

"Yeah," Fuko spoke up. "It's weird that you and the others are from another era, but it's not totally unbelievable. I'm sure we'll find out how you guys ended up in this era eventually, as well as what happened to us during our first lives during the Age of Chaos."

Marth simply leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. "I agree. I just wish it will happen sooner." The two girls simply giggled at that. Marth's eyes then widened as he remembered something. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small journal. "Here, Hime. This is yours."

Amusingly, Kuroyukihime's face went red as a tomato and quickly snatched it from his hands, holding it close to her chest. "Y-y-you didn't read it, did you?" she stuttered out, greatly amusing Fuko in the process.

"Nah, not really my thing. It was drenched in blood from the accident but thankfully my mom was able to remove it all with her magic."

The Black King then sighed in relief. "I see." She paused for a moment. "Given our new relationship, I think it's time I reveal my true name to you, Marth. I'll even reveal it to Kisara and the others to make it more convenient. My name…is Kuroba Yukiko."

"So that's how you got 'Kuroyukihime'," Marth said in realization. "Well it's nice to meet you, Kuroba."

"The pleasure is mine." Kuroba's face suddenly reddened. "Um, Marth, after I get released from the hospital, do you want to…"

She didn't get to finish her sentence as there was another knock on the door. Frustrated over the interruption, she nonetheless allowed the person to enter. It was a young woman who looked their age. She had long silver hair tied up in a braid, bloodred eyes that seemed to have four light pink dots around her pupils, and a silver dress that complimented her curves and physique. All in all, she seemed like an ordinary human, but she was far from that.

"Welcome back, Cynthia," Marth greeted with a slight wave of the hand. The new arrival was a familiar like Yuna, one that served the demon prince. She was powerful for a familiar, allowing to complete most of the missions assigned to her. She was very loyal to her master and had been gone for past week working on her latest assignment.

The familiar bowed her head in respect. "I apologize for my sudden appearance, Master. I have news that I must tell you immediately. Can we speak in private?"

"Sure. Sorry, Kuroba, we'll have to finish this conversation later. This is something I need to hear. I'll be back soon."

"O-okay," Kuroba said slowly, still sounding a little bit frustrated as she watched Marth and Cynthia leave the room.

After a few moments of silence, it was finally broken by a certain brunette. "You do know that Marth doesn't remember your confession to him, right?"

The fairy princess bit her lip before grabbing her pillow and putting it in a tight squeeze. "You know about that?"

"I figured you did something like that given that you did have feelings for Zane back in the day. However, it would seem that due to the chaotic events that happened, it would seem that Marth forgot all about it. Back to square one it seems."

Kuroba tossed a glare at her old friend. "Oh yeah, Edna," she challenged. "Anyone with working eyeballs can tell you have feelings for him as well, yet your relationship with him hasn't changed at all. The only one who hasn't noticed is Marth himself."

"True," Fuko said with a smirk. "But now that I know there's competition for his affection, I think I'll be a bit more proactive in my approach. It also helps that I'm not confined to a hospital."

"Grrr. You haven't changed at all, Fuko. I can't believe we're fighting over the same guy."

"May the best girl win."


Marth and Cynthia had moved to the roof, which was totally empty, but the familiar still used magic to lock the door just in case.

"What did you find out?" he asked gravely.

"Nothing good, Master. It's as you predicted. The Darkfallen are starting to mobilize. I've seen them trying to recruit other demons into their ranks and gathering supplies, lots of them. They might be preparing for another war."

"Impossible," Marth refuted. "The Darkfallen may be numerous, but they're not stupid. Without a demon lord in their ranks, any plans they have are in vain. Wait…"

Cynthia simply nodded in confirmation. "Your hunch is right, Master. Both Lucius and Arcanos have been reincarnated among the Darkfallen and are beginning to plan something big. What it is, I do not know. I also couldn't confirm the presences of either Zarc or Morgan le Fay, but we cannot lower our guard."

"I see. Given that I fought Zarc in the Demon War thirty years ago, there's a good chance he's dead, but knowing him, there's a possibility that he survived. As for Morgan, if she has reincarnated, we need to know which side she's on. This might be a good opportunity to gain a powerful ally."

"Understood. I will keep my eyes and ears open for any news regarding the Demon Lord of Envy while on my missions. To conclude my report, I was sadly not able to locate Balduq in southern Eternus, but I did witness the military for the province beginning to mobilize."

That was strange to hear. The political situation of Eternus was far from ideal. Since only an Umbris can take the throne and there hasn't been a ruler there for thousands of years, the realm of darkness has fallen into chaos. The land has been rife with civil wars and bloodshed. The new viceroys for the western and northern territories were only appointed about fifty years ago, and they seem to have quelled the infighting, but the southern viceroy is what concerned Marth.

"Viceroy Matias is up to something," Marth concluded. He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Continue with your investigation. Find Balduq if you can. If war is indeed coming, then we'll need my old fortress."

"As you wish, my master." Cynthia bowed her head in acknowledgement briefly. "Anyway, that girl in the hospital bed. Was she the one you told me about?"

"Yes. Her name is Kuroba, and she's Celine's reincarnation."

"So we've finally located her. To think she was at your high school the entire time and we never knew. Regardless, I'm sure she will be of great help for us and your plan."

Marth couldn't help but agree with the being known as the Spider of Despair. As soon as Kuroba is cleared to leave the hospital, she'll need to start her training with Scathach. The Witch of Dun Scaith mentioned that she had a particularly brutal one planned for the princess to make up for the lost years since Marth's training had begun. He did feel sorry for Kuroba, but he had a feeling that she'll pull through. After all, she is a Harbinger. Now they just needed to find the others and the whole team will be back together. The greatest fighting force this world has ever seen. No one can defeat them, not even the Darkfallen and whoever allies with them.

To be continued


Okay, even by my standards, this is really long. The only reason I did this was just so I could this arc to end because I didn't want to write another chapter for it. Anyway, I'm keeping this short. It's really late when I'm posting this, so I'll end it here then get some sleep. See you guys next time!