Okay before we get started, I need to let you all know that I've retconned all of the remaining Code Geass reference characters, as well as Artoria and Mordred. C.C. has been replaced by a character from the SAO Universe, mainly because I felt that this character was a better fit for the role than C.C. was. It's a bit of a shame but I just didn't feel comfortable using Code Geass characters in this story despite me being a fan of the series. As for why Artoria and Mordred got cut, with Alice and the Integrity Knights thrown into the mix, there was just no point in their inclusion. I've already rewritten any chapters that mention them to fit the new continuity (if you're worried that things have changed massively, all that was changed was just a handful of sentences). To save you all time, I'll just tell you the new changes right here. Excalibur was wielded by Kaito but he was unable to fully control it, so he later replaced it with the Blue Rose Sword after Eugeo died. It was later wielded by Zane during the final battle against Zeta but was then returned to its resting place in Arun afterward.

I'm really sorry about this, but after deciding to use more of the characters from the SAO Universe and potentially the Accel World roster, some of the reference characters have to be cut. Even my sanity has it's limits.


Chapter 19- Scarlet Counterattack

November 3, 2056

What a lovely day. That was the thought that crossed Rias Morningstar's mind as she took a sip of her afternoon tea within her apartment in Shanghai while browsing through her virtual interface. Shanghai was a rather beautiful city as not only did have Chinese elements integrated into its business and architecture, but also western trait, one of the most notable being remnants of the British Empire. This made it quite the tourist attraction, along with its various museums, skyscrapers as well as historical landmarks like the City God Temple.

A shame that she wasn't here for pleasure but rather for her job. One would think that someone like her would find working in a human business corporation to be beneath her, but Rias honestly didn't care. After all, just being a demon lord wasn't going to put food on the table, not for herself, and certainly not for her children. She needed a job in order to provide for them, so she looked for ones that offered the best pay and a slightly flexible work schedule. She was certainly no idiot either, as Altena saw to it that the Lust Lord received the best education when the Eternian heir took her in. Any company would be lucky to have Rias within their ranks.

However it wasn't entirely thanks to her intellect that Rias was able to obtain her current position. The company she worked for was rather lucrative and performed thorough background checks on all of its employees. Naturally as demon who hadn't set foot the lands of humans for seven millennia, the Lust Lord had no job background. To circumvent this obstacle, she had to use a bit of her mental magic and manipulate the company head to giving her the job. If asked if she regretted using such dirty tactics to get her way, the answer would be a resounding no. After all, she saw it as necessary to ensure the wellbeing of her children. Altena certainly wasn't going to judge her for it. Rias was a demon, so naturally her morals weren't fully aligned with that of humans. Even the person closest to her heart had a few skeletons hidden in their closet.

"Altena," she thought in longing, taking a pause in her work to gaze out of her window and admire the afternoon sky. It's been ages since the death of her dearest friend and yet the wounds in her heart as fresh as ever. Both Elaine and Medusa had helped to make those long years more tolerable for the demoness, but honestly there were times Rias found it hard to keep going. Such is the curse of immortals.

Mankind is divided into several categories: humans, fairies, demons, and twili. Out of all of them, only the human race was the one that lived comparatively shorter lives. Both the fairies and demons, as well as their mixed offspring twilis, possessed longevity, making it impossible for them to die of old age, no matter how many decades or even centuries pass by. Rias may look like a woman in her mid-twenties, but she's looked like this for thousands of years and was still as strong as ever. Of course, one would be foolish to bring up her true age unless they wanted to face her ire. It is rude to bring up a lady's age after all.

Naturally, longevity only protects the three races from death by old age. There were still various other ways for them to die, mainly in battle, illness, and even poison if not treated properly. In a way though, longevity itself could be viewed as a curse. Rias recalled a conversation she had with Altena regarding the subject. Altena described the human race's short lifespan as their greatest strength. Because of their limited time, the humans strove to make their marks in the world, doing whatever they could to stand out from the rest. As to whether those efforts were either good or nefarious in nature, well that's not something that concerned either demoness so long as it didn't directly affect them. As for fairies, because of their longevity, they never strove to make massive changes in the world. Instead, they were content with maintaining the status quo. In regard to demons, it was a mix of the two cultures. You'd be surprised to hear how hard it is for demons to live past their mid-fifties, and that's because of how harsh a land Eternus was. Monster attacks, disease, famine, all these prevented the demon race from flourishing like it should. This caused the children of Sinestra strive towards an era of advanced technology, all powered by their magic. Even from her isolated life on the Shapeless Isle, Rias could safely say that the demons were far ahead of humans when it comes to technology. A pity that they lived in separate realms, but that in itself was a can of worms even she was hesitant to open.

"Problems, my lady?"

The familiar voice snapped Rias out of her reverie. She gently placed her cup on her table and watched two steady hands refill it with more tea from the kettle. Those two hands were attached to a beautiful young woman with pale white skin, shoulder length hair that was color of flames as well as dazzling amber eyes. She was dressed in a velvet maid uniform with a white apron. Everything about her appearance was well-kept with not even a single hair out of place. One would think that her outfit was unbecoming of one of her station, but she didn't mind. These were the clothes that her mistress provided for her, and she was more than happy to wear them. Besides, it was quite easy to conceal things like weapons within her outfit, not to mention that there were those who misjudge her power because of it, so there were other benefits to wearing it.

"No. Just reminiscing on the past."

"I see. We have seen a lot in our long years together. If you need anyone to talk to you, I am always available."

Rias cracked a gentle smile. "Thank you, Elaine. You truly are a loyal servant. I'm grateful to have a familiar like you by my side."

The phoenix bowed her head in respect. "Your words honor me, my lady. No matter what happens, I will always be by your side."

Elaine had just returned from her latest mission in Eternus, which was to locate one of the divine weapons that was used by the Harbingers of old. As luck would have it, that mission would turn out to be a great success. Rias gently traced her finger upon the icy blue blade that lied on the table, admiring the beautiful rose decorating its hilt. At her feet was the weapon's platinum leather scabbard.

The Blue Rose Sword. It was one of the oldest divine weapons in existence. Supposedly it was created when a beautiful rose sprouted upon the frigid peaks of the Goldoan Mountains, which is now located in the center of Eternus, serving as a border of sorts between the north and south. Some of the ice melted to provide the rose with water to survive, but the terrible chill was wearing its lifeforce thin, so it asked to be encased in ice to preserve itself. Eventually that ice would become the longsword that it is now and would be wielded by the human swordsman, Eugeo who was one of the original Harbingers. A shame that he died by fusing with his sword like he did. It guaranteed that he could never reincarnate as the ritual he performed practically destroyed his soul. Not even a god can undo that kind of damage.

Still, Marth and Kirito will be glad to have this weapon back in their possession, especially Kirito. After Eugeo died in the battle against Quinella, the Blue Rose Sword was inherited by the Black Swordsman, his own Night Sky Blade serving as its perfect partner. Kaito would use both swords for the remainder of the War of Light and Shadow, giving Excalibur to Zane, and when he disappeared to search for the demon prince. No one had been able to locate either weapon since then, with many believing them to be lost forever. However, Elaine was rather talented at locating lost items, all stemming from her life with her mistress and with helping to look after Altena's children prior to the war. The phoenix familiar located the Blue Rose Sword within an elaborate cave system in the Goldoan Mountains.

According to her report, the path was rather treacherous with many traps and hordes of monsters lurking within every corner, no doubt put in place by Kaito to ensure that his best friend's beloved sword did not fall into the wrong hands. However, Elaine wasn't classified as the third strongest familiar for nothing. As a phoenix, she was immortal, impossible to fully kill. Any fatal blow she took, whether by sword, magic or poison, would cause her body to burst into flames before then rising from the ashes, good as new. This ability made her a rather annoying opponent to fight against as it made fights with her a war of attrition as she could only regenerate so long as she had a sufficient supply of mana. Then there was her skill in fire magic. There were horror stories of Elaine setting an entire forest on fire just because the enemies of her mistress were hiding within, but as to whether or not the stories were true, well Rias preferred leaving that to people's imagination. The phoenix also served as a mentor to Kisara, with her teaching the demoness how to properly control her flames and some of the advanced fire spells.

"This sword really is quite beautiful," Rias said slowly as she brought her cup to her lips and took a sip. "What a shame that must be called into action again if Marth's plan is to succeed."

"It truly is a sight to behold, my lady. If I may be allowed to speak my mind, I believe that the Blue Rose Sword wants to be used by Master Kirito again. When I placed my hands upon its hilt to retrieve it, I felt a foreign presence within it for the smallest of moments. It gave me bit of a scare at first."

Now that was interesting. As far as she knew, the Blue Rose Sword was not one of the divine weapons that had a spirit residing within it. In fact, she could count all the weapons that did have spirits on one hand, the most notable being Lunaris and Excalibur. She did not believe that Elaine was lying to her, nor could it have been a figment of her imagination. The phoenix's senses were too sharp for the latter to be a possibility. Perhaps she should do an inspection on the sword to make sure it hasn't been tampered with. In order for Marth's plan to succeed, he needed as many divine weapons that he could get. If the Darkfallen had somehow corrupted even one of them, then the entire plan would be jeopardy.

"By the way, Lady Rias," Elaine spoke up, snapping the demoness from her line of thought. "Lady Medusa has informed me of what has transpired in Tokyo during your absence. It would appear your intuition with that 'Tomoko' girl was correct and she was no threat to Prince Marth and Princess Kisara. She was actually a Burst Linker who sought to use them to hunt down this 'Chrome Disaster' that's been plaguing the Accelerated World."

"I see." A wicked smile graced the Lust Lord's lips. "Ah, I wish I was there when they caught on to that girl. Her face must have been priceless when Marth's fury was unleashed. He does not like those who try to take advantage of others."

"Oh, it was from what Lady Medusa told me. Prince Marth is the master of Cynthia after all. Speaking of which, she also told me that Cynthia has been recalled from her current mission early to assist the prince in his meeting with a new transfer student at his school. I believe her name is Elie MacDowell."

Elie MacDowell.

Why did that name sound so familiar? The answer was at the tip of her tongue and yet it stayed just barely out of reach. She was half-tempted to end her business trip early and return to Tokyo to assist her adopted son, but she chose not to give into the temptation. If Cynthia was there, then Marth's safety was a guarantee. The Spider of Despair will not allow any harm to befall her beloved master while she was around. Not to mention that Medusa and Scathach are also residing in Tokyo, easy to be called upon for assistance should the need arise. Any danger that could befall the Wrath Lord was minimal at worst.

Still, Rias had this strange feeling that her adopted son was in danger right now. Call it a mother's intuition. Should she hurry back to Tokyo to protect him, or trust that his friends will keep him safe? She couldn't bear it if she lost one of her precious children. How would she ever face Altena if something happened to either sibling?

"It will be fine." Two warm hands suddenly wrapped themselves from behind Rias's neck. The close contact caused her to audibly gasp, as did the voice, which seemed to echo within her mind. "My…or rather our son is stronger than you think. He will pull through. Just believe in him…just as I do…"

Hearing that voice brought tears to her eyes. That warmth. That kindness. It's been ages since she heard that voice. Forgetting herself, she placed her hand on the arm atop her left shoulder. It was faint, but she could feel it. That presence. There was no mistaking it.

"Altena." The came so naturally to her lips. Just saying her beloved's name brought so much warmth within her chest. Rias had always loved the Demon Queen. That love and affection was far more than that of a sisterly bond, but something more. And of course, the true ruler of the demon realm loved her the same way. Unfortunately, Altena's political position prevented the two from being wed, as was Rias being of common birth. Then there was the matter of Altena's weak father marrying her off to that stupid King Lambert of Arcadia. Just thinking of that scum of a man infuriated her. Did he even know how much pain he had caused Marth by forcing him to become the Wrath Lord? Did he even care? Wherever he is now, Rias hoped was suffering ten…no, a hundredfold of what Marth has suffered.

"My lady. Are you alright?" Elaine asked in concern.

"Huh?" The warm arms that had been embracing the Lust Lord had vanished. Could that have just been her imagination? She probably looked like a lovesick fool in front of her familiar just now. "Oh, yes. I'm fine. I just spaced out for a second. By the way. How did that other matter I asked you to look into go?"

There was a secondary task that the Lust Lord assigned to the phoenix maid. In a way, it was more important than locating the other divine weapons or even Marth's castle, Balduq. It happened two weeks ago during a training mission with the Umbris siblings in Farondis, otherwise known as Western Eternus. Marth and Kisara were tasked with exterminating a pack of orcs living on the Almian Mountains by themselves. Compared to the siblings, orcs are practically cannon fodder, but Rias went to supervise in case anything were to go wrong, albeit from a distance away.

As expected, her beloved children easily dispatched the humanoid monsters, not even getting a scratch in retaliation. However, right when the battle ended and the demons lowered their guard, a rockslide from a nearby cliff suddenly fell upon the siblings, threatening to bury them. Rias was about to hurry to her children's aid when she felt it. A terrible wave of darkness and destruction.

It took tremendous discipline in order for the demon prince to resist the dark impulses of his curse. Even just getting a little angry risked bringing that terrible power to the surface. That was why Rias and Scathach made sure his first lesson was how to control his emotions, especially on the battlefield. He almost always kept those emotions hidden behind a passive mask, even when he was alone with his friends. It was for their own safety that he had to keep his true feelings hidden.

However, even with all the discipline in the world, no one can fully shut off their emotions. There are always faults in a person's psyche that are able to bring those feelings out. Marth Umbris is no exception. While he doesn't say it much, he cares deeply for all the Harbingers. He will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. However, there was one particular person that was capable of bringing out all sides of him, including the ones he tries so hard to keep buried deep within his heart.

Kisara Umbris, his beloved little sister.

Whenever Marth feels that she is in danger, his reserved personality completely shifts into a cold-blooded killer. Even a stranger making a lewd remark towards the fire mage was enough to make him snap. Marth was always at his most dangerous whenever Kisara was under threat. There were even times where he came awfully close to unleashing his curse just to keep her safe. Whenever he was in that state, only Kisara was able to calm him down, with anyone else not being able to reach him.

However, what happened during that training mission was different from all previous incidents. Not even the time when Marth used his curse to kill Araya could properly compare to what Rias witnessed that fateful day.

A blood thirsty roar. A miasma of darkness. A large Lemure rampaging, destroying everything it touched. The mountain side covered in flames. Just thinking about it made her skin crawl. It's been a long time since she felt this sensation.

Fear.

None of the other Harbingers learned what transpired on those mountains. Heck, not even Rias fully understood what happened and she was there. It was risky to tell them when there were so many unknowns. The only ones the demons told were Elaine, Yuna, Cynthia and Scathach, as they would have an easier time investigating what happened. It was never fun to keep secrets from the other Harbingers, but it was too soon to tell them everything. There was no telling how they would react when they learn the truth. There was even the possibility that they might try to change the path that Marth was preparing, jeopardizing everything. As much as Rias hated to admit it, not even she can change the outcome of what is to come. Seeing what happened on the Almia Mountains made her realize that her efforts were hopeless from the start, a naïve dream.

The phoenix maid looked away from her mistress, her eyes hidden behind her scarlet bangs. Rias could already tell that it wasn't good news. After a few moments of dead silence, Elaine finally spoke up, her voice no louder than a murmur.

"It is as you suspected, Lady Rias. The magical signatures were a perfect match. In all my years, there is only one instance where I recall seeing flames of that nature which was seven thousand years ago. It was during the climax of the War of Light and Shadow, the final battle against the God of Destruction."

Rias clenched her jaw tightly in frustration, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest. That was when she last recalled seeing those flames as well. She wracked her brain trying to find an explanation as why they were in this era. It just wasn't possible. Those flames should have vanished for good when its master died seven thousand years ago.

If those flames really have returned, then their timetable was much smaller than they thought. There was only one thing that could help keep the Wrath Lord's plan on schedule, a secret trump card that even he was reluctant to use. After all, in order to acquire it, they will have to travel deep into dangerous territory, a realm where the children of darkness are hated.

Steeling her nerves, Rias raised her firm eyes towards her familiar. "Elaine, I order you to locate Aranor Lake and retrieve the holy sword that slumbers in its depths. You will make this mission your top priority. Failure is not acceptable."

"Are we truly so desperate that we must venture into Queen Anthiese's domain? Forgive me for my tone, but you and I both know the consequences for using those sister swords at the same time. It's too dangerous."

"I know, but time is not on our side anymore. If Marth's plan is to succeed, we cannot afford to play it safe. At least confirm that Excalibur is still in the lake, but be careful. There's no telling who might be watching."

It's been seven millennia since the holy sword was last called to arms. There was even the scary possibility that it might not be there anymore. No, Vivian would never allow such a scenario to occur. Still, it would be wise to investigate Aranor Lake before making any plans to retrieve the holy sword. Given that Elaine is a phoenix, thus making her practically impossible to kill, she was the best person to send as a scout.

"Very well. I will depart at once."

"Good. Contact me when you reach the lake. If things turn sour, I will come myself and we will investigate together."

Rias snapped her fingers and opened a red portal to the fairy realm behind the maid. She had the coordinates set to be as close to Aranor Lake as possible. Thankfully Centoria was nowhere near it, so there was a strong chance that Anthiese won't notice the teleportation. Still, that didn't mean the Fairy Queen didn't have eyes and ears across her domain. In order to maximize this mission's success, Elaine will have to avoid confrontation with any of her agents. She watched as her loyal familiar dutifully dashed into the portal with no hesitation. She could only pray to Sinestra that everything will be alright.


Silence came to the crater as all shots from the outer edge came to a stop. The only sound that could be heard was the howling wind.

Like everything in Brain Burst, long-distance attacks from Burst Linkers had their limits. Light beams ran the risk of overheating if overused, the number of bullets limited to the amount of live rounds the avatar possessed. No one can maintain a continuous stream of fire forever. Still, it was odd to see the enemy this quiet. They must be caught up in the simultaneous deaths of Cyan Pile and that unnamed Burst Linker.

This was the perfect opportunity to escape. Takumu sacrificed himself to create this chance. But for some reason, her body refused to move. She was still on one knee, unable to stop her avatar from trembling.

A swirl of emotions surged within her chest. Helplessness from being unable to help her friends. Rage towards the Yellow King for his cowardly tricks that toyed with other people's emotions. Overpowering the others, however, was the worry towards the gray avatar hanging limp in her right arm.

"Brother," Kisara squeezed out. "Snap out of it. I need you now."

"It's pointless, Purple Flare," Niko muttered. Her footsteps rang loudly as she came to stand directly in over the downed demoness. Both Graphite Edge and Argent Flash stood right behind her, keeping a close watch on the enemy forces at the edge of the crater.

"Like Lotus said, the signal output between Wolf's soul and his avatar as at zero. When a Burst Linker loses the will to fight, they can't move their avatar. If you don't have the strength to face the wounds in your heart, you won't be able to even stand up. I'm sure he knows that deep down, but hates all the same. Meanwhile, Lotus is lucky to even remain conscious. Regardless, there's nothing any of us can do."

"So what now?" Kirito muttered quietly. "Now would be a good time for us to make our escape. We might not get another chance like this again."

"Sorry. I know that Cyan Pile sacrificed himself to buy us time, but…I can't bring myself to run away. I haven't been fighting all this time just to run with my tail between my legs. You guys are good. Take Marth and Kuroba and get out of here."

The little girl's crimson avatar was burning up. It was no illusion. Around the foot that stepped forward, there appeared to be faint flames rising.

This was beyond reckless. The enemy battalion was still largely unscathed. There was no way the Red King could actually win. Despite her instincts practically screaming for her to run, she couldn't move even an inch. If the Black Legion used Yuniko as a distraction, they could easily get away, but was it worth the cost? If Yellow Radio succeeds, then Niko will lose Brain Burst forever while he himself will be one step closer to reaching level 10.

She lowered her gaze and stared at her brother's face. What would he do in this situation? Marth had made it clear from the start that he didn't care for the Red King. Whatever she did was no concern for him. However, would he really be okay with leaving her to die to save himself and his friends?

"No, he wouldn't. Despite what he says, my brother would never abandon someone in need. Heck, he saved Fuko from those traffickers despite not knowing her at the time. There's no way he'd sacrifice Yuniko, especially in this manner."

"I won't run. I will not leave a friend behind to save myself," she whispered, her eyes narrowing.

"Kisara," Kuroba muttered in surprise.

"Friend…Talk about being a hardcore idiot," Niko muttered after a brief moment of speechlessness. "Fine. Do what you will. What about you two?" She said the last sentence while glancing over at the Burst Linkers beside her.

"We'll fight too," Asuna affirmed calmly. "It may be stupid, but this is a fight we can't run from. We can't let Yellow Radio get away with this."

"Yeah," Kirito agreed, nodding his head. "What do you think, Kuroba? You're technically our leader right now. What are your thoughts on us staying?"

The Black King shook her head with difficulty. She still hasn't been able to fully shake off the Zero Fill to be able to move properly. "It's not like I can do anything to stop you at the moment. Besides, I want to pay Radio back for that little gift he gave me and for what he did to Marth. Just give me enough time to recover and I'll handle the rest."

"As you wish," Kisara replied with a smirk.

Meanwhile the Red King turned around and stretched her right arm straight ahead, jabbing her index finger at the yellow clown standing at the western edge of the crater. She took a breath and shouted, "Yellow Radio! I'm guessing that little show of yours totally exhausted your special-attack gauge. Now it's my turn to put on a show. Don't forget, if I take you out, then you'll be banished from this world forever!"

As if in fear, the clown avatar retreated by a half step. Niko took another step forward and threw her arms open. "Let's go! Enhanced Armament!"

An inferno raged suddenly, and small avatar engulfed by it floated up gently. From the surrounding sky, armament containers covered in flames sprang up one after another before converging on the girl from all sides. The shoulder missile pods, the thick armor skirt, the thrusters on her back, not to mention the huge cannons in the place of her arms.

This was the true form of Scarlet Rain, the Immobile Fortress. The Red King struck the center of the crater with a heavy shock. White gas plumed from her entire body.

The Yellow Legion attack force all looked nervous at seeing the intimidating fortress, and for good reason. The Yellow Legion was based on the east side of Tokyo, so they didn't have many opportunities to meet with the Red Legion, which was based in Nerima and Nakano in the west. In fact, the majority of them had not even watched Niko fight in the gallery, much less fight her themselves. The enormity of Scarlet Rain's true form was large enough to strike any duel avatar dumb. Kisara was largely unfazed when she first witnessed it during her duel with the Red King because she was more impressed seeing such intensity from such a small girl. Judging from the gaping looks on Kirito and Asuna's faces, they too were impressed by the monster they saw.

The sound of Niko's quiet voice, which had strong effects applied, reached the remaining Black Legion members. "Edge, Flash, Flare. I need you three to take care of any close-range opponents who try to climb up my ass."

"Understood," Kirito replied. "But what about Marth and Kuroba?"

"They'll be fine. These jerks will want to take me out first. If I'm defeated, then you all should get away."

By defeated, she obviously meant the forced uninstallation of Brain Burst from her Neurolinker. Before any of them could respond, the Yellow King looked down at them from his position and cried out with even more venom, "There's no need to panic! That thing is just one big and immovable fort! Get close enough and its nothing more than a lump of metal. Close-range team, move in. Long-distance team, cover their advance!"

Despite her negative feelings towards him, Kisara had to hand it to the Yellow King. He certainly knew how to rally up his troops if their war cries were any indication. Soon around fifteen duel avatars surged forward from the outer edge of the crater.

At the same time, the missile pods on Niko's shoulders deployed with a crisp metallic clack. Dozens of seeker heads poking out shone red and fired, leaving a trail of white smoke behind. Fanning out in a semicircle, the missiles flew straight up before spreading out and raining down upon the enemy forces. Some of them pulled up in a dash while others took on defensive stances, likely trying to minimize the damage. Either way, the enemy advance slackened a bit.

Not losing her momentum, Scarlet Rain aimed one of her main cannons on two frozen avatars. A ruby-colored heat beamed fired out with shrill resonance, swallowing the poor dears whole. The lump of energy then briefly swelled into a sphere before quickly destabilizing into a fierce explosion.

The subsequent detonation erupted into a pillar of flames, with light matching the colors of the avatars' armors rising into the sky. Their HP had been completely annihilated, with just one shot! How fitting for one of the strongest players in the entire game. If they could keep this up, they might just be able to pull out a win.

Of course, it was too early to celebrate. The long-distance avatars had all finished recharging and were now launching a new bombardment from their positions outside the crater. Because of her enormous size and immobility, there was no possible way Scarlet Rain could evade their attacks. Instead, the crimson fortress was forced to endure every single shot that struck her. Multiple explosions coalesced around her body, but Niko didn't even flinch. She answered with a continuous barrage of her four machine guns and a rain of missiles.

Meanwhile the close-range fighters were continuing their advance towards the smaller group. Clenching her teeth tightly, Kisara gently laid both Marth and Kuroba down. She even placed Lunara by its master, hoping that somehow, it would protect its defenseless master. She then rose to her feet and turned her attention to the oncoming enemy.

Niko mentioned that a Burst Linker can't move until they heal the wounds in their heart. The demoness had faith that her beloved brother will be able to do just that. After all, he promised that he would always protect her, and he was not one to break their word. All she had to do was buy him and Kuroba the time they needed to recover. Once that happens, then victory was theirs.

"Watch yourselves," Kuroba warned, just barely having the strength to rise onto one knee. She was already starting to show signs of recovery. "Here they come!"

The three Harbingers moved to intercept the enemy forces. Kirito charged at an olive-green avatar that was trying to get onto the Red King's back. Strangely, they had these thick arms made of a U-shaped metal. His opponent notice his advance and turned the U of its left arm towards and shouted out, "Magnetron Waaaave!" Purple lightning gushed out of the U and quickly ensnared Graphite Edge. However, rather than damage him, it instead yanked the slim avatar with incredible force and snapped him onto the U with a harsh clanking. It was a magnet!

"Ha-ha! You metal colors are so easy to deal with," he shouted as he began pummeling the dual wielder with his right hand.

Growling in frustration, Kirito grumbled, "Don't get cocky. Sonic Leap!" The black sword in his right hand flashed green before slashing at the arm binding him, cutting it clean off by the elbow. The magnet clattered onto the ground as Olive Green was knocked backward, his special move ending prematurely.

"Uh, can we talk this out?" he asked nervously.

"No," was all the Black Swordsman said before unleashing Horizontal Square with his left sword, canceling the post motion delay of his first attack. All four hits made their mark and the olive avatar was swiftly defeated before he even had the chance to counterattack. In just a second, an olive green pillar of light shot into the air.

Meanwhile Asuna let out a fierce cry as she pierced the back of a drill avatar that tried to jump Niko with her rapier. She kicked the avatar's back, sending him straight towards Kisara. The demoness followed suit by slashing her opponent's neck, cutting his head clean off, a critical hit, turning him into a pillar of light.

Not wasting a single second, the girls spread out to take on as many enemies as possible. A sudden blow to the right cheek sent Kisara tumbling to the ground. A fierce pain flared throughout her mouth, feeling as though her jaw had broke, but she quickly collected herself. She's felt way worse pain than that.

Her new opponent was a pale-blue avatar in a karate uniform. They looked to be made of stone and their mask resembled the statues from Easter Island. Honestly, they looked kind of funny, but she knew better than to laugh. The threat of those rocklike fists was all too apparent. This one might cause a bit more trouble than the others.

Without saying a word, the karate master went after the demoness, delivering a right front kick. Naturally Kisara was experienced in the martial arts thanks to Scathach so she knew just what to do. With no time to dodge, she instead the blow with the flat of her rapier. Sparks shot into the air as the attacks clashed, her HP dropping slightly from the impact. She countered with a left-handed punch, only for it to be blocked by a massive right arm. It felt like she had just struck a boulder.

Thank goodness it was her fighting this guy instead of Kirito. Kuroba had mentioned weeks ago that metal avatars are weak to blunt-force attacks. With his avatar being based on graphite, Kirito's defense was already abysmal. Fighting this guy would just be salt in the wound. Of course, that didn't mean he was totally useless against such opponents. With the right strategy, anyone can be defeated. Her elder brother taught that.

"Hiyaaah!" The karate avatar let out a thick battle cry and lunged out another punch, which was encased in a blue aura.

Steeling herself, Kisara let herself fall backward, ducking under the approaching fist and slammed her right foot into the enemy's stomach. At the same time, she summoned her wings gave them a hard flap. Combined with the force of her kick, the thrust generated from her wings acted like a catapult, sending the blue karate master soaring into the air.

"Now, Niko!" she cried out. In an instant, missiles fired from Scarlet Rain's shoulders converged on the airborne avatar, swallowing him in multiple, reddish-black explosions. A light blue pillar briefly flashed through the following smoke before vanishing.

"Not bad, Purple Flare. I should have expected as much from a Burst Linker who held her own against me."

"Why thank you," she called back in amusement.

As she and her friends continued to engage the enemy, Kisara tossed an occasional glance towards the black and gray avatars stuck on the ground. Kuroba was slowly regaining control of her avatar, with her now being able to move the swords of her arms slightly. The light in her eyes was growing in intensity as well. Just a bit longer and the Black King will soon rejoin the fight.

As for Marth, his condition still hasn't changed in the slightest. The scars on his heart were still holding him prisoner. However, she refused to give into despair. The immense adoration she held for her brother was not without merit. Marth's strength came from his willpower, the determination to never back down against any adversity. That was why she knew that he would stand up again. Kuroba was trying to overcome the trauma of her beheading the previous Red King, her clear motivation being to protect the boy she loved.

"If Kuroba can overcome her own mental scars, then so can you, Brother. I believe in you. I always will."

For a brief moment, she heard a faint chuckle from within the recesses of her mind. It sounded familiar, yet she couldn't quite identify it. That brief pause left her wide open for an enemy Burst Linker to strike her, only for Kirito to block the attack with his dual swords.

"Now's not the time to space out, Flare!" he said in haste. "Focus on the fight instead."

He was right. The battlefield was no place to get distracted by idle thoughts. Talk about making a rookie mistake. She brushed the thought aside and returned her attention to the battle. The enemy legion's assault was growing fiercer by the second. The remaining close-range fighters didn't even reach ten, but they were charging from all directions. Not to mention the long-range barrage to support them fell like heavy rain.

"Is that all you got?!" Niko roared, deploying all the weapons she had at her disposal. The cannons, the missile pods, the machine guns, they all fired at the same time. However, just before they did, Kisara heard a strange noise fill the air. It was a high-frequency sound, almost like static.

Suddenly Scarlet Rain's missiles abruptly went into a tailspin and struck the wrong places. Her main weapon beams that were targeting the long-range fighters missed as well, striking a nearby building instead.

"Damn it! They're jamming me!" the Red King cried out in frustration. "This isn't Radio's doing. It's one of his yellow subordinates! Find them and take them out!"

"On it." Kisara spread her wings, kicked hard on the ground, and flew up. However, she didn't get very high as two wires snaking up from the ground suddenly wrapped around her ankles. With a sudden yank downward, she slammed into the ground hard. The impact knocked the breath out of her, but she swung her rapier down to cut the wires binding her.

"Shock Therapy!"

"Gah!"

A bluish-white lightning suddenly surged through Kisara's body, the shock assailing her immense. The source of the attack seemed to be a distant mechanical avatar that looked to be carrying an old electrical transformer. In terms of damage, it was barely anything. Even her brother's weakest lightning spell did more damage than this. However, its driving force was its stun effect. Despite her efforts, Kisara just couldn't get her body to move. She couldn't free herself from the wires ensnaring her ankles.

"Hee-hee-hee-hee!" the enemy avatar chuckled scornfully. "You just sleep there for a while, brat. That is, until we finish off peeling away every bit of the Red King!"

The close-range fighters were flying towards the red fortress that was Niko. Kirito and Asuna tried to intercept, but they were kept in check by the constant barrage of projectiles from the long-range fighters. The enemy forces exploited the blind spots of her guns and began peppering the joints of her Enhanced Armament with kicks and punches. Orange sparks flew, bolts popped before the thick armor plates began getting ripped off one after another.

This was bad. Really bad. If this kept up, Niko will be defeated. Thankfully the enemy wasn't attacking Kuroba, but she still wasn't in the condition to fight, though her rage was all too clear. Kisara tried to move, but the current refused to let up, making it impossible for her to even turn her head.

A sadistic laugh rang out from the outer edge of the crater.

"Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The fit of laughter came from none other than the Yellow King himself. Thin body and double-pointed hat shaking, he expressed his glee with pantomimes.

"What a pathetic sight! There's not even a shred of royal dignity. You two are unfit to call yourselves Kings. Red is just an upstart while Black is a cowardly traitor!"

"Radio! You'll pay for this. I swear it!" Kuroba cried out in rage, but that only seemed to amuse him even more.

Meanwhile the Immovable Fortress let out a metallic groan, the girl inside sounding in pain. From her current position, Kisara saw a large avatar standing on Niko's missile launcher, holding her left main weapon. Using their entire body to forcefully twist the enormous armament, sparks flew from the joint, almost like blood. Finally, with a gut-wrenching sound, the armament was torn off.

At the base, the left arm of Niko's real body dangled, snapped off at the elbow. Her scream poured out unchecked, elating the enemy forces with her suffering as the large avatar raised the weapon up high.

"Yessss! This is what the Red King is! Let's peel back every bit of skin and drag that kid out! We'll humiliate her plenty, right until her gauge runs out!"

Kisara clenched her teeth until they almost cracked. She scratched at the earth with the fingers of her left hand. Ahead of her was the Ashen Wolf avatar covered in dust, the light in his red eyes completely gone.

"Brother…Brother…" Her voice was hoarse, her throat tingling from the stun effect. Niko continued firing with her remaining weapons, a final but hopeless push. The vibrations from the explosions vibrated the air and ground.

"Please…Help me…" she pleaded desperately, tears threatening to well up in her eyes. "We need you. I need you. You can't let it end this way! This world is our best chance at regaining our memories. It's thanks to Brain Burst we reunited with Kuroba. Are you just going to let her die here?! The brother I know would never let anything deter him. He'd fight tooth and nail until his enemies were completely annihilated. Wake up, Marth!"

Boom.

Suddenly the air vibrated as the sound of thunder boomed. Storm clouds began to gather in the sky, purple lightning dancing everywhere. Time seemed to stop as everyone found their eyes glued to the gray avatar lying in the dirt.

Light began flickering within the red eyes of Ashen Wolf, growing in intensity by the second. Without a word, his body rose from the ground, as if pulled by an invisible thread. Once he was on his feet, he drew Solaris from his scabbard while Lunara flew to his right hand. The light in his eyes fully returned, the rage overwhelming.

"Well, well," the demon prince spoke up finally. "Looks like you did quite the number on my teammates. Tell me, did you think you could get away with that, Yellow King?!"

All of the Yellow Legion reeled back in fear. A menacing presence radiated off of Ashen Wolf. Despite knowing the clear danger this presented, Kisara couldn't help but smile with joy.

The Dark Swordsman was back, and the Accelerated World was about to bear witness to his unbridled fury.

To be continued


Okay, this turned out longer than I expected, but I think it worked out in the end. I'm sorry again for retconning more characters, but after thinking about it for a while, I concluded it had to be done for the sake of the story. Thankfully those particular characters either haven't made their appearance yet or barely had any scenes so it's not a huge issue in the long run. Although it does affect a few things that will happen very late in the story, but I've got plenty of time to figure it out. Heck, I've already got a new plot element for the overall story. What is though, you'll have to wait and see. Anyway, Marth's back in the fight! This arc is reaching its climax! See you guys next time.