Sword Art Online Alicization Alternative: War of Underworld

Chapter 1: In the Far North

October 21st of the year 380 of the Human Empire, leaves were a red and orange color, Fall making things look beautiful. Solus was hidden in the trees when a young man looked onward. He had soft-looking, flax-brown, slightly wavy hair, green eyes, and a cream color skin. Wearing a light coat over a blue outfit, he kneels to a basket and picks some vegetables in the garden he stood in. He looks from his right, seeing someone in the garden with him. Long blonde hair tied in a braid, her hair covered by a white scarf. A blue dress she wore with a long skirt that reached past her knees. While one blue eye was visible, her right eye was covered by a black wrap. She pulled from the ground a ripe turnip and put it in the basket, where several carrots and turnips were also in it. She got up and dust herself off, giving a light sigh.

"Eugeo, I think that's enough for today!" she called to her right. The flux-blonde looked to his left, getting up to face her.

"Okay." he nodded, "I feel our garden has grown well, we might have plenty for a stew tonight."

"I agree." The blonde girl responded, before looking back to their home and the leaves on the trees, 'I can't believe it's been half a year already."

"Alice, Eugeo!" a girl's voice called out to them, catching the two off of their trains of thoughts. Turning around, a young girl light brown hair and eyes of the same color. She wore a slightly oversized black habit with a white collar and has her hair braided into a ponytail and happily towards them. "Good morning you two!"

"Selka!" Alice replied, Selka coming over and hugging her older sister. Eugeo walked closer to the part, Alice greeting the young girl, "Welcome, Selka."

"Welcome Selka, how are you doing?" Eugeo greeted the girl as well.

"So what brought you here today?" Alice asked her as well. Releasing Selka, the blonde looked to her sister, Eugeo standing beside her.

"Since it's so nice out, I wanted to go to the eastern hill," Selka replied cheerfully to the pair. She looked to the cabin still holding her elder sister's hand, "and Kirito can come too, right?"

"I guess it will be alright." Eugeo said, hands behind his back with a light smile, "It is a nice day out after all."

Alice's lips pursed into the smile too, her still seeable eye looking to the cabin, where Kirito should be. "You're right. It's such a lovely day." she smiled, closing her left eye, "It's a shame for him to be left inside."

In the center of the little wooden cabin's main room, which combined living space with a dining room and kitchen, there was a plain unfinished wooden table. Seated at one of the matching chairs (a wooden wheelchair) was a young man with black hair. His eyes were sullen and blank, his arms to his lap. The clothes he wore were the clothes he used to wear as a villager. There was no smile or expression on his face, but a look of emptiness. His eyes, black as his hair, were empty. They reflected no light and suggested his mind was distant, completely shut off from the outside world. He wasn't solidified built, to begin with, and by now, he was noticeably thinner even than Alice or Eugeo was. His bony structure was visible through his loose clothing.

"Shall we go, Kirito?" Alice asked for the direction of the cabin.

Returning to the cabin, Alice grabbed a tan coat and put it on Kirito, before now wrapping a black scarf around his neck. Eugeo stood with the pair, grabbing some prepared food they could have for lunch with Selka. He looked to Alice wrap the scarf around his neck what seemed to be many times for him.

"There's a light breeze today, best you don't feel cold," she said to him. Kirito didn't respond. Eugeo looked at them and his heart sunk deep seeing Kirito like this and Alice making sure he was okay for them to depart. He never tried to bother her or correct her, it was to her, a duty to keep him safe.

'Sure you shouldn't give her a hand?" a young girl's voice spoke in his shook his head reluctantly.

'No. When it comes to caring for him. I don't get in her way unless asked. Of course, you know that it's you, Alice.' Eugeo replied mentally to the other Alice.

'You have a point on that, Eugeo.' Alice Zuberg admitted with a giggle.

'Since that battle, I've carried Alice's memory fragment with me since then. Although Alice there is as much of her person as the one I've spent months with. Just a few awkward things like I kissed Alice in my mind and tried desperately to not let my feelings get the better of me.' Eugeo thought, hiding a blush as Alice Synthesis 30 had finished wrapping the scarf around Kirito's neck.

"Alright," she said, standing straight with a smile before walking behind him. Suddenly, Kirito tilts his head and to the east wall with his left hand, fingers trembling.

"Aaaah… Aaah." They were no more than guttural vocalization, nowhere close to words. But Alice and Eugeo could sense what he wanted, even if he couldn't speak.

"Just a moment, we'll get them for you." Alice answered, looking at Eugeo, " Eugeo, can you get your sword for me?"

"Sure." Eugeo nodded and looked at the wall where three swords hung. Kirito's pitch black sword he used before the on the left of the wall, the night sky Blade. Alice's golden longsword, Olive Fragment or Osmanthus Blade, which hung on the right. And lastly, Eugeo's matterless white sword, the Blue Rose Sword hung in the middle.

First Alice picked up the Night sky Blade from the wall, holding it from its black scabbard, and put it beside Kirito's legs. Eugeo picked up his Blue Rose Sword from the wall, looking at it for some time. It was a possession that meant so much to him. The many battles he faced, from cutting Humbert's arm to going up against Bercouli. The same sword he used to cut down the Gigas Cedar and finally free from his calling. The same sword he merged with to destroy the Sword Golem. If anything, this sword matters so much to him. Giving it to Alice, she placed beside Kirito's legs and moved his left and right arms to hold it safely. The pair looked at Kirito, his expressionless face made their hearts ping in distress. Alice kneels, adjusting the swords to his person.

"Hold them, so they don't fall off," Alice told him with a tiny smile. The feelings of six months ago are still throbbing in their hearts. The painful memories of what a struggling battle, watching the loss of Cardinal and her companion Charlotte. Now it was the aftermath, defeating the pontifex, they thought they would be okay, but Kirito and his condition….

"Alice…" Eugeo spoke up, putting a solemn hand to her shoulder. Alice shook her head, smiling at the former tree cutter.

"It's nothing. Come on, Selka is waiting," she replied. She grabbed hold of the handles of Kirito's wheelchair and pushed it out through the doorway, Eugeo following in tow.

Instead of stairs, the porch had a thick slab leading to the ground, Down in the garden, the soft breeze was a bit chilly, but the gentle sunlight wrapped around them. The Log cabin was located right in the middle of a little clearing deep in the woods. Alice and Eugeo had down the tree themselves (Eugeo having the experiences of being a former tree cutter, so it was natural for him as it was his original calling), stripped the bark, and put it together. It wasn't pretty, but they'd used the highest-quality trees they could find, so it was sturdily made to home three young adults. Old Man Garitta had shown the pair how to build it from the ground up, and the entire time, he'd remarked about how he'd never seen such a strong girl. This clearing had been Alice's and Eugeo's secret playground during childhood. Maybe it was why Eugeo picked this point, it was important to him and Alice, or rather, the Alice he now holds her memories more than the Alice who only has so much the young man has told her. Alice was told all about herself that Eugeo could tell her. All the time they would spend in this place when Alice was doing her Sacred Arts training and would come to see Eugeo and Kirito amid their calling. While she learned herself of all her forgotten memories, it made her sad. The Synthesis ritual that had turned her into an Integrity Knight had robbed her of all her memories before that point. Eugeo wanted to give her back her memories but he worries Alice would lose herself. The Integrity Knight would be gone and it was what Kirito knew. It would be better to not do this to her, she's already upset enough about everything, why force her to give up her life? She was an imposter living in Alice Zuberg's body, Eugeo should hate her for it. But Eugeo, he stayed by her side for this long.

"All right, let's go." They set forth, Alice pushing the wheelchair onward to drive away from the moment's recollection.

Nearly all of the meadow, circular with a diameter of thirty mel, was covered in cushy undergrowth, but an abundance of withered grass lay stacked up in a section in its east. It appeared like the nest of a gigantic creature, or rather, it truly was, but the master of that nest was absent. Alice glanced at it and pondered where it could have gone to play today while exiting from the small path heading northwest from the meadow into the forest. The road split into the east and west fifty mel ahead. A village named Rulid was in the west, but Alice had no desire to visit without purpose. Eugeo either, even to check on his family. Entering the eastern path, They set out while stepping through the filtered sunlight sparkling on the ground, Selka walking with them. She slowly continued through the forest progressing from autumn leaves to that of fallen leaves with the tenth month soon meeting its end. Amayori stirred awake seeing her owner and Eugeo leave once again with Selka and Kirito in tow.

Walking with Eugeo and Selka, the trio bathed in the colorful leaves in the rays of sunlight that would peek through the trees. Eugeo looked back up at the leaves before looking at the trail, his left eye to Alice wheeling Kirito

"You don't think he's still cold?" Alice asked Selka and Eugeo. Eugeo gave a light chuckle, is she concerned that much?

"You're such a worrywart Alice, he's fine." Selka assured her, "You piled enough clothes on him, you're going to make him sweat. Right, Kirito?" asking the not responsive Kirito, "Didn't you help her?" eyeing Eugeo as they walked, giving the younger sister a sheepishly look.

"Alice would get mad at me if I corrected her, you know?" he responded.

"Fine." Selka smiled looking away, knowing there's a real reason and the young man won't reveal it. "He does look to be much thinner, you sure you've been feeding him well Alice?" she asked the blonde-haired sister.

"I've fed him plenty, Eugeo can vouch for me on that fact," Alice said a slight smile on her face.

"I can vouch you made me taste test most of the food the first few weeks after we built the cabin because you felt cautious about your food," Eugeo replied after the fact. Selka giggled.

"He's right. Well, Kirito might end up running away someday due to the food you make, after all, Sister!" Selka laughed

"Now you've said it! You know, I am capable of cooking pancakes without burning any now, at least!"Alice replied while smiling as well.

"I wonder if that's true, you did turn them into cinders when you tried cooking them with thermal elements at first and all." Selka pointed out.

"And the ones that didn't turn to cinders, you fed them to me. You trying to kill me, Alice?" Eugeo joked and the two laughed, even Alice joining in on the joke.

The trio left the canopy of trees and into the clearing. Straight to the east was the blue surface of

Lake Ruhr. And the extensive marshes deep within it. The forest continued indefinitely to the south. A look to the north revealed the mountain range at the edge, covered in pure white snow, towering as though to pierce through the sky. Alice looked on with a sadden days she easily flew over those peaks astride her flying dragon seemed like a distant dream now.

She did long to look upon the beautiful landscape with both eyes. The abundant energy in the earth and sun here should be capable of healing the right eye she lost on the outer wall of the Central Cathedral. However, she had no desire yet to eliminate only her injury through sacred arts. After all, the youth's hollow eyes could only continue their vacant stare towards mid-air even with the late-autumn scenery endlessly spreading out before him.

For Eugeo, it was still hard to believe any of this was real. He remembered two years ago meeting Kirito, fighting goblins, finishing one calling for another, traveling to Zakkarita, his first year at the Swordcraft Adcammy, his two months with Ronye and Tiese, fighting a full day against the Integrity Knights and having survived his battle against the Administrator after she forced Synthesis him to be an Integrity Knight. He would pinch himself to see any of this was a dream, that he died and stood in the afterlife with young Alice. But this was real, a reality. And still, he didn't feel this was real, without one of his friends not standing beside him, not in a wheelchair.

Shaking the thoughts from their heads, Alice and Eugeo looked onwards at the lake and to the scenery before them, the past a distant memory.

"How beautiful. More so than any of those art pieces hung on the cathedral's walls." She called out the youth's name with a smile. The bangs of Alice's hair from the wrap and Eugeo's hair blow lightly in the breeze. "…This is the world you two protected, Kirito." A single white waterbird made ripples on the lake's surface as it glided and soared away.

It felt so long ago, when the three friends from Ruild Village, reunited and fought together against the Administrator Quinella, saw the lives of Charlotte and Cardinal give up their lives for them and with their support, defeated Quinella and saved the Human Realm. But they were both battles warned from their fight, Eugeo, the former woodcutter, and Alice Synthesis 30, the body of Alice Zuberg, thought they could finally rest easy… if only it was so easy…

"Kiku-san, cutting off the main electric wiring now will cause a surge! The Light cube Cluster's safe… but there'll be a spike at the Subcon where Kirigaya-Kun's STL is… it'll fry his fluct light!"

The sleeping forms of Eugeo and Alice Synthesis 30 were behind the black-haired Kirito, who was talking to a module to the real world. Alice's single eye opened up, realizing she was on the far side of the room anymore. Eugeo as well. Eugeo woke up as well, his eyes wary but he could see, it looked like he was talking to someone, the thought they heard was a voice, very muffled but hard to make out.

Their vision was focusing on Kirito, hearing more of their conversation, "I'll lock this place down! Higa-Kun, you get Professor Koujiro and Asuna-Kun, retreat to the upper shaft, and keep Kirito-Kun safe!"

"Asuna?" Kirito repeated, not seeing Alice and Eugeo wake up. The pair still on the ground, could only raise their bodies only a few inches off the ground.

"Kirito," Alice said, seeing Kirito before her.

"Kirito?" Eugeo asked softly, unsure of anything.

"No… the power's cut! The propeller's stopping, all hands, brace for impact!"

At the very end of the fierce battle at the Axiom Church Central Cathedral...

Having suffered enough injuries to drain her Life away, Alice lay on the marble floor, immobile, vaguely aware of the flow of the battle. After assisting Kirito in defeating the Administrator, even talking to Eugeo for only a few minutes, everything that happened, flash before their battle to the death between the Administrator the highest minister, and Kirito who wielded two swords. The highest minister's annihilation, incinerated in the flames of Chief Elder Chudelkin's captivated delusions. They thought it was all over, that all that matters was how the others will take the news of the Administrator's death.

Kirito who was caring for them both had vehemently cried out to a mysterious crystal plate that appeared on the north edge of the hall. At the end of the exchange that Alice and Eugeo hardly understood, Kirito's entire body suddenly stiffened up, and just as she thought so, he fell onto the floor… with that, the world sank into silence.

"Kirito!" they shouted, finally having the Life to move their worn-out bodies, ran to his aid, Eugeo trying feverishly to wake him.

"What's wrong? Wake up! Kirito! Kirito?!" Eugeo shouted.

"You saved our lives, so now you must see things through. Kirito!" Alice cried, her single blue eye tearing up.

But three was no response. If he died, he couldn't be. They just saw him, risking his life fighting the Administrator, with their help and was talking to someone, to end up like this? Eugeo felt warm tears slide from his face. Kirito gave him a chance to keep living, this can't end like this? Behind them, a familiar face was climbing up from the hole from the other floor. He had a masculine, bulky, muscular build and is nearly two mel (meters) in height. He had short, iron-gray hair, tinged with blue, that exposed his rather thick neck, sturdy chin, and a short beard that grew from it. He also had abnormally broad shoulders and his forearm was similar to a log in size. He had a firm look that matched his low, deep, worn-out, and crude voice, which sounded more appropriate for a peasant than a knight. A wrinkle engraved near his mouth and countless old wounds, caused by blades and arrows, running across his body. His attire consisted of a blue robe, matching pants, but lacking footwear. Bercouli Synthesis One, the leader of the Integrity Knights, who Eugeo fought only hours before.

He looked around the area, pieces of golden scattered, what was Administrator's sleeping quarters were not in a state of disarray, and the only known people in the room, Alice Synthesis 30 (who Alice calls uncle), Eugeo (the boy he battled before), and the other rogue, whose name he never got but remembered it was the student from the Academy, Kirito.

Bercouli walked behind the crying pair, Eugeo clutching at Kirito's hand while Alice held him up off the ground. The pair felt a presence, looking to see the stern look and calmness of the Integrity Knight leader.

"Hey, Kid. And Eugeo was it?" he greeted.

"Bercouli…" Eugeo spoke. He was certain he was deep-frozen by the Prime Senator's Sacred Art, did it wear off now that the caster wasn't alive?

"Uncle…" Alice spoke, her voice hoarse from her crying.

"What happened?" Bercouli asked, looking at the pair and their unconscious comrade.

"It's a long story, most of it you aren't going to believe. Are the other Knights okay?" Eugeo asked. Even if his time as an Integrity Knight was short, at this time, they are not enemies anymore. He thought no ill will against Eldrie, Deusolbert, or Fanatio. Linel and Fizel were just misguided children used as part of the Administrator's experiments, so he shouldn't feel hate for them, now pity. He shook his head, his time with Kirito fighting and everything changed his outlook on Integrity Knights. Maybe it didn't help besides that module that controlled him, he was an Integrity Knight by title now.

"Yes. I feel they should. We should inform them of everything. I should also seal this room away from them. Better they do not reclaim their memories just yet." Bercouli said and that line shocked them.

"Uncle, you knew?" Alice asked.

"For quite some time. I had a feeling but never confirmed." he explained, "In any case, rest your comrade on the floor below. After the meeting, you can find a place to keep him safe."

"But what about…?" Eugeo asked, but Bercouli held out a hand to stop him.

"Don't worry about your status as rebels. As far as I am concerned, you had a reason to fight, and it wasn't a fight to kill."

"Thank you, Bercouli. I guess I should call you sir now." Eugeo said, feeling it be more formal now. Getting up, Eugeo walked across the room to one of the pieces of the Sword Golem. This monstrosity was going to be used to combat the Dark Territory and used half of the population to create them. But with the prototype destroyed and the Administrator destroyed, these things will not be made and the lives taken can rest easy. But it didn't feel right. He can't get the idea out of his head that lives were taken: The knights, Alice, the people used in Quinella's experiments. He wasn't going to let any more lives be puppets anymore. These pieces, which still had enough life, could be useful…

A sword to carry the lives lost…

Eugeo never thought he would be seeing the knights he fought before again, but standing with Alice and Bercouli he felt anxiety swell in him. They gathered the integrity knights to the Grand Cloister of Spiritual Light on the fiftieth floor, beginning with Deputy Knight Commander Fanatio who was somehow fully healed and asleep in the middle of the rose garden despite losing to Kirito and Eugeo, and continuing with the others who were similarly bound by petrification, such as Deusolbert and Eldrie, then disseminated the facts they could. The Three Knights were also taken aback seeing Eugeo again, but neither wanted to attack or cause a scene in front of their leader. Present was a new knight, one Eugeo nor Kirito thought before or seen, a shock it was a girl no older than them. Her hair a harbor gray, it was long behind her back tied in the back by a black ribbon. Her armor was gray with a matching grayish cape. Her pants black and whitish gray boots. Her expression while a smile turned to concern with everything she was told, as she didn't leave to deal with so-called rebels.

That after a battle with two swordsmen-in-training from North Centoria Sword Mastery Academy, the highest minister, Administrator, was defeated and erased. That the highest minister was working on a horrifying plan to transform half of the people into monstrous weaponry with bones made from the Chamber of Elders, superior to the Order, was effectively Chief Elder Chudelkin alone and he, too, had died alongside the highest minister.

"You mean those boys defeated the Administrator?" spoke up Linel Synthesis Twenty-eight.

"Hold on? That Chamber was all Chudelkin? Were the decisions all by him?" asked Fantio Synthesis two, who was still taken aback seeing one of two boys again.

"Hey Eugeo, are you serious? She was going to turn half of the human Empire into Golems?" asked Fizel Synthesis Twenty-nine.

Eugeo didn't blame their questions, it was the shock of knowing The Administrator's true plans and what their purpose was, either as guards against Cardinal, or being future tools for her experiments as these golems.

"Correct. But there's a lot more so I think Sir Bercouli should explain it better than I could." Eugeo replied and they were taken aback but calling him sir.

"Yes, now to explain much farther. As Eugeo confirms, this is the gravest emergency since the Axiom Church was founded. The pontifex was defeated by the two elite disciples, Eugeo and Kirito, and has left the Human Empire." Bercouli explained and like before, they were shocked by the truth.

"And that is true, how can they defeat her?" Fanatio asked.

"It's complicated for the reason, but The Administrator had safeguards prevented on herself so she couldn't be defeated. The first: the creation of the Integrity Knights and second, immune to metal weapons like swords. But her body can still be pierced by nonmetal crafted weapons." Eugeo explained, remembering what Kirito told him that he was told by Cardinal and what he learned.

"But how is it possible you two could defeat her?" asked Deusolber.

"No normal swordsman could ever defeat the pontifex. Is this not a trick Sir Bercouli?" asked Eldrie. A part of him in disbelief.

"It's not. And I saw it too. Administrator, Prime Senator Chudelkin, died before my own eyes. And the Senate, it ceased to function." Alice explained. Before the Knights could react, Eugeo bowed.

"I am sorry for that. We had no idea, I had no idea of his connection to the Senate. We only wanted to fight because what the Axiom Church views as a crime was wrong. What the church and the taboo index views as a crime were wrong. What we did wasn't murder. We didn't kill Raios, but it doesn't mean I enjoyed it. I hurt someone, I even hurt my friends, but the reason I am here is that there are other matters. You can view Kirito and me as rebels or criminals, but know that we never wanted to hurt anyone."

Fanatio, Eldrie, and the others could tell his words had meaning. The Rebel that fought all of them, had changed from their bouts with him. Eugeo looked up at them. He was sure they understood. All the three kept hidden was the origin of the integrity knight. no, their conception. Bercouli withstood the impact of the truth, bearing doubts over the words the highest minister used about them summoned from the Celestial World from the start but decided it should only be communicated to the other knight in progressive steps. Nonetheless, Eldrie, Fanatio, and the others were visibly shaken. That was only natural. The highest minister with power comparable to the gods, the absolute ruler who reigned for hundreds of years, had died; it should be no easy task to accept that reality.

"Still, how do we accept that her Excellence had such a hideous scheme right under our noses?" Eldire asked, slightly shaken he was.

"Unbelievable," Deusolbert said in disgust.

"But what now. No Administrator, or her plan against the Dark Territory. How are we going to deal with them?" The new knight spoke up, "Oh, we never met before, I didn't leave my room unfortunately when we were supposed to confront you. I am Edith Synthesis Ten. nice to finally meet you Reb- I mean, Eugeo-Kun." Despite her cheerful demeanor, she still held herself like a knight.

"We'll find a way eventually. Right now, Solus has fully risen, I'm sure both Alice and Eugeo would like some rest." Bercouli informed.

"And where the other rebel, the one who murdered her Excellence?" Eldrie asked. Eugeo flinched, was he still angry that Kirito killed her? Burying the hatchet, as they say, this is not the time.

"He's…?" Alice spoke, but Eugeo stopped her.

"He needs to recover, the fight took a lot out of him." Eugeo lied abruptly, not wanting the Knights to fully know his state yet.

"What do you think is going to happen if they find out the pontifex is gone?" asked one of Fanatio's knights.

"The number of Integrity Knights is half of their ranks with the earlier battles with the two swordsmen and the Dark Territory. If we were to be attacked by the Dark Territory in this state, we wouldn't be able to defend against them." Bercouli continued.

"So what are we going to do?" Fanatio asked again.

"First, we are going to restore the decimated Order of the Integrity Knights. Next, we'll rebuild the Imperial Knights of the Four Empires. They need to be retrained. Since there are not nearly enough Integrity Knights. I'm sure some of you are unhappy about this, but saving the people is our top priority. I ask you to lend me your strength." Bercouli added once more.

"Sir!" the three knights responded. Eugeo sighed, at least the trouble with him and Kirito will be fine with the knights, but now what to do about the Dark Territory is still another issue.

"I didn't expect to be in such a meeting like that, but glad that's over with." Edith sighed, walking with Eugeo and Alice through the 50th floor.

"For now, but I do have something to take care of, so Edith, can you keep an eye on Eugeo for me?" Alice asked.

"Are you sure Alice? We haven't had a chance to talk much. I was wondering if we could get to know each other." Eugeo said, feeling like he should get to know this Alice more since he really shouldn't force her memories back.

"I'll be back. Don't worry, we'll talk as long as you like." Alice and walked away from Edith and Eugeo. Eugeo sighed, feeling Alice was trying to avoid her now. He put his back against the wall and looked at the ceiling.

"Does Alice hate me or maybe how she treated us is still on her mind?" Eugeo asked herself.

"Alice is just being Alice. She'll come around." Edith said chipperly, standing beside Eugeo with her arms behind her back.

"I guess. I spent two years hoping to finally find Alice again. I ended up attacked by her, captured by her, fighting her, and never getting to talk to her after she and Kirito fell from the tower and climbed it, I think that's how." Eugeo took out the memory fragment of Alice Zuberg and held it in his right hand. "I want to make friends with Alice Synthesis 30 and make amends. I guess she doesn't want to."

"I don't know about that Eugeo, besides my friendship with Alice, I wouldn't classify us as 'friends' comrades, maybe, but friends I don't believe in. We were Integrity Knights summoned by the gods themselves… or so I believe myself." Edith's tone became more serious than upbeat.

"Wait, you mean…?" Eugeo asked and Edith nodded.

"Do I believe our memories are all lies, yeah? I wasn't certain but sometimes, I had memories of someone, a girl who was my friend... She was excellent with a sword, almost like a sister. I don't know what happened to her. It was four years ago, at least when Alice was a Knight." Edith said, stretching out her arms, "But I want to remember my past. So don't worry, Alice will want to get to know. That's what I like about her."

"I see… Heh, thank Edith… I never thought in my wildest dreams I would have a simple conversation with an Integrity Knight." Eugeo replied, giving the tenth knight a little laugh.

Walking back up to the next floor, Alice stopped and told a hand to her breastplate, a solemn frown on her face.

"Why am I feeling avoiding him makes my heart hurt… I'm sorry, Eugeo…"

Two days since the battle at the top of the Cathedral (May 28th of the Year 380 of the Human Empire) and the news of Adminstarot's death rang through the tower. The cause of their deaths was the two rebels who escaped days prior and fought the Integrity Knights but no casualties were made except the deaths of pontifex and Prime Senator. Eugeo, who has enjoyed his time now living in the tower, wasn't revealed to be the other rebel, to everyone and thanks to quick rumors, reveal a new Knight was christened by the gods themselves and the other rebel perished in battle against the Administrator. To him, it was better this way. All the knights (except Eldrie who was still coming to terms to working with one of the rebels), have accepted Eugeo as one of them, despite as Eugeo revealed, the powers he had as a Knight was only because she had him under a spell. Despite Eldrie, the awakened Knights did put him to some work, it wasn't just living in the tower. He would assist Fanatio and Deusolbert outside the tower and helped Bercouli on training soldiers for the Human Empire army. Alice would finally stop trying to avoid Eugeo and started conversations with her, wasn't hard to avoid now that he shares a room with her

The nuns in the tower were able to give him sleepwear for the time, unaware he was one of the rebels. One of the nuns, who he has interacted with, went on and on about the situation.

"Honestly, with the whole death of our Excellence, a new Knight has no clothes except ones on his back," she said, giving him the sleepwear that reminded him of his clothes from the academy.

"I hope it's not too much trouble," he said, feeling awful. It was no different from Ruild or the Academy.

"Nonsense Sir Eugeo, it's the least we can do in this time of need," she responded, a sweet smile on her face. Eugeo felt a little guilty, she wouldn't be helpful if she knew he was one of two rebels, "It's, unfortunately, you came all this way and no place to stay. I'm sure Lady Alice won't mind the company, she's always to herself beside Lady Edith and Sir Eldrie, her disciple."

"I'm sure Lady Alice just needs someone to talk with. We fought for our lives the nights before." Eugeo said, holding his new sleepwear. He returned to Alice's sleeping quarters, on the 80th floor, the same floor he met her days prior. Even being in her room, it was lavish. Even as Elite Disciples, their room wasn't as impressive as Alice. A large queen size bed was on the east side of the room, where a large closet on the west wall. Alice's golden sword hung from the north wall by the window. The carpet was a blue and golden color, fitting Alice's colors. There was also a bookshelf, with more books than he could count, Alice must have been reading on as a book was absent. The thirtieth knight and body of her friend Alice greeted the young boy with a wave. Her gown reached to her ankles, a pale blue with a dark blue collar. With the bathe of the moonlight, her features glowed with the moonlight

"Welcome back." she greeted.

"Thank you. Sorry, Sir Bercouli and the others have been keeping me occupied these two days. And, thank you, I wasn't sure you would want me sharing a room with you. I don't know you, but you accepted me." Eugeo said, keeping his hands to his sides, holding his sleepwear to his left arm.

"But you know me, you're… my friend, both of you. So, I want to know everything, before I become an Integrity Knight. That's why I don't mind it at all." Alice replied, her hand on the book she was reading, "I'll turn around so you can change."

"Thank you," Eugeo replied, seeing Alice get up from her bed, put the book back to the bookshelf, and turned around. Eugeo made sure Alice didn't look back with her single eye and removed his armor, his clothes from the armory, and into his sleepwear. The pale blue shirt and pants felt nice to his body, albeit the shirt felt a little big on his body. Alice turned around, seeing Eugeo was decent, and returned to her bed, Eugeo climbing into sleep beside her.

The awkward silence between the two once villagers of Rulid was all Eugeo thought. They were alone now, what to say. They were also in the same bed, he never shared a bed with another girl. Of course, he shared a bed with Quinella, his face turning red. He let her use his feelings and his past to control him. Then there was one of the first few weeks Tiese was his page and she didn't get back to her room and went to Eugeo's to get out the rain. It was awkward, her clothes were still to her body, she was soaking wet. He had to let her borrow a pair of his and stayed warm in his bed. When she returned them her words was:

"Please don't let anyone know about this. Ronye and Frenica might get the wrong idea. I have never really been with a boy in his room before!"

'What did I do to deserve this?!' he screamed mentally before Alice finally broke the silence.

"Eugeo? About two days ago, you gave something to Uncle, those pieces of the Sword Golem. What did you want him to do with them?" she asked, her single blue eye looking at her ceiling. Eugeo broke out of his internal screaming and spoke up, looking at the ceiling.

"I wanted to have a sword forged from the. I'm sure it can make a strong sword, maybe stronger than my Blue Rose," he explained and Alice turned her head to him like he just violated a rule.

"Are you insane? You remember what that was, what it did to us. Kirito and I would be dead if it wasn't for Cardinal. Why would you think something like that?" she berated, her tone much more serious and strict.

"A lot of things. The Administrator experimenting on people, how all the Integrity Knights' lives were taken from them? How she used my memories, my past with you and Kirito, my parents and sister, all of that to control me, to make me feel what love was to her. Knowing what that golem, I had to make up for everything, letting Quinella use me, hurting Kirito, and you? I just can't let this be something to sweep under the rug of what she's done." Eugeo removed his left hand and held it up to the sky, clenching it into a fist, "six years ago, I couldn't do anything to save you, that seal prevented me from even acting. Two years later, I was going to be forced to watch my pages, my friends, be assaulted by Humbert and Raios. No, I had to break free, I had to protect them. Did I regret it, yeah? I was no different than those goblins, hurting people. But I understand why. A part of them wanted to protect them, to save them. I think Kirito thought the same way. We never wanted to hurt them, only to protect Ronye and Tiese. We were branded criminals by rules that never stopped them. They hurt Frenica and tried to rape Ronye and Tiese, what could have I done to prevent any of that?" he dropped his arm down and kept looking at the ceiling, "When I held those pieces, I felt the living beings that were made into that puppet. All those experiments she put them through, their hopes to see their families again, I knew I could do something for them. So, taking the pieces and a rare flower from the garden, I asked Sir Bercouli to take this to a blacksmith, to make a sword out of it. I asked to not tell him what these pieces were, no one should know."

"I see." Alice said, hearing Eiugeo finish his explanation, "You wanted to honor those lives because you know it's the only way to make things right. I see, you are a particular person, Eugeo…" and a frown was on her face, remembering what she did to the two boys before learning the truth and breaking the seal as, "I never got a chance to say this. Will you forgive me for what I did: hurting you at the Academy, taking you away from your friends… having the body of Alice Zuberg…" only for Eugeo to grab her other hand with his right, making her jump. It felt so warm, so gentle, looking at Eugeo's smiling face.

"I forgive you. Because no matter what you matter much to me. I will always protect you, regardless if you are Zuberg or Synthesis 30… You are Alice, no matter what." and closed his eyes with a bright smile.

"Eugeo…" she said softly.

With his hand holding hers, Eugeo went to sleep, looking quite peaceful now than ever. Alice rose to see the sleeping boy's face, smiling at him. Even without her memories yet, these were her friends, one of two who protected the Human Empire. Treated as a criminal by the Axion Church, he fought for his life with Kirito. At the end of it all, He is alive now, and this boy mattered to her, the same with Kirito. Smiling at him, she looked at him and then to the other side of the room, where a familiar black-haired young man was sleeping.

"Pleasant dreams, Eugeo... Pleasant dreams, Kirito…"

Two weeks passed since the battle with the Administrator and Kirito's condition hasn't improved. Even then, Eugeo was getting the hang of working alongside the Integrity Knights and becoming close with Edith. They would spar when either isn't helping the other knights, going along with Alice and her sharing the bath. He got embarrassed at Edith inviting him and Alice to join her in the large bath on the 90th floor. He persisted, he never wanted to ever think of the idea of sharing a bath with Alice, never sharing a bath with any girl. Edith was interested in the idea, as she wanted to feel close to her new friend. Eugeo gave in and the first week after it was fixed, Eugeo shared a bath with the two Integrity Knights. He never saw Alice so exposed with her armor before seeing her again: her smooth skin, her blonde hair loose from her braid, she was beautiful. It was just hard not to be entranced by her. Solus vanished from the horizon and the many stars shone in the night sky.

"Wow, look at the sky!" Edith exclaimed, "I always enjoyed when Solus sets and the stars come out, it's beautiful."

"Yeah, sure is, seeing the sky so high up, It's hard to believe we fought here, Sir Bercouli and I," Euugeo said.

"That's right, you fought our leader in this room, but you had to make a mess of it Eugeo-Kun?" Edith asked, frowning at him.

"It's not like we had anywhere else Edith," he replied and the tenth knight gave the young man a pout of disapproval. Eugeo laughed before looking at Alice, the blonde (whose body was covered in a towel), looking sad and not joining in the conversation, "You alright Alice, you seem lost in thought."

"Oh, It's nothing," she replied, shaking and looked on at the sky, her frown present. What was going on in her head?

'Kirito might enjoy this, yet he hasn't recovered. What happened after the battle with the pontifex. Everything she said, what I saw, I don't know... What should I do…?'

Two days passed since that event and both Eugeo and Alice had left the tower during the two weeks after the battle with Quinella. June 9th of the year 380. Soldiers trained, supervised by Deusolbert Synthesis Seven in the Cathedral makeshift training ground. Alice and Eugeo (the lad holding onto Alice), we're onto her dragon Amayori and were returning to the Cathedral. Flying and landing into a room for the Dragons owned by the Integrity Knights, Eugeo jumped off with Alice back on solid ground.

"Two weeks, still getting the hang of actually flying on a dragon and not chained." he said before patting Amayori's armored plated head, "Thanks Amayori." and the dragon gave a low growl and nuzzled his hand. Alice was impressed by how quickly Amayori took a liking to Eugeo, the dragon at first would first turn from Eugeo who wanted to touch its head.

Alice as they walked, knew that their time, her time, was going to be limited now. Even once a few people who knew of the truth, there were pressing matters. Bercouli decided to securely seal the thirty swords that formed the sword golem and all of them over three hundred crystal prisms on the hundredth floor of the cathedral and to temporarily hide the death of the highest minister from all but the Order. To prioritize the impending, extensive invasion from the Dark Territory over the recovery of the integrity knights' memories, including his own. Eugeo at least could still hold onto Alice's memories, now wearing it as a necklace he keeps under his clothes. This allowed him very close connections to Alice Zuberg, who could see and hear everything while with Eugeo. Eugeo chooses to keep that from Alice, better to not alarm her.

"Kirito… I wonder if he's hungry?" Alice asked.

"We were to always grab food for him, hoping maybe he could recover… but it's like he's there, but not," Eugeo said. They walked through the hallway and overheard a conversation.

"Hey, is it true the rebel swordsman is still alive?" a monk asked in the church area in the tower. Eugeo and Alice listened in, they weren't talking about Kirito were they?

"Yeah, but I heard he was in a coma. The other boy lost his life by Eugeo Synthesis 32. I can't believe such a new knight chosen by the gods brought down one of the rebels. I'm impressed." the other monk said.

'Right, they never revealed our names, and I wanted my name to never be brought up, said I died in the battle. Didn't think they said I killed me.' Eugeo thought. With his hands to Alice's shoulders, both made sure they weren't seen.

"But it's important that we prepare for the Dark Territory's invasion, but shouldn't we execute the rebel that defiled the Axiom Church?" the other monk said and Eugeo went pale. This was bad, this was very bad. The traitor who turned a sword towards the Axiom Church now ally to the Church, the unconscious Kirito, in other words, should be executed; that view was expressed by some of the ascetics who were unaware of the highest minister's death. If it wasn't for Bercouli, he would be in trouble instead of an ally.

"What is Commander Bercouli thinking?" the first monk asked in disappointment. Without a word, Alice and Eugeo walked away….

This wasn't safe anymore, as the time of peace they have was given after all they've been through, keeping Kirito here under the watchful eyes of the Axiom Church would only risk not only their lives but Kirito's life.

'Kirito isn't safe here anymore.' Alice thought, the pair returning to their room, where Kirito slept in his coma. Grabbing clothes, their swords, they would leave when Solus sets, and they disappear into the knight. No integrity Knight would find them. They left a note for Edith, telling her that they were sorry and had to go. When they rode on Amayori's mount, in Alice's room, the young Integrity Knight finds a parchment addressed to her and cries, knowing her two friends were leaving the Cathedral. Preparing to take flight, Alice with Kirito on her front and Eugeo behind her, Eugeo felt a ping of guilt for leaving. It felt like the third home he left: Ruild, the Academy, nowhere. Cloaks covering their Integrity Knight garb, they flew silently in the air, Alice's thoughts on where to go.

"Alice… I feel awful, leaving everyone, Edith too… But I want Kirito to be safe. Have you decided where to go?" he asked, talking to her through the wind.

"Ruild… It was our home. I'm sure Kirito will be happy there. It was where the three of us were born. I'm sure they'll accept us" she replied.

"Right." he nodded. Two years was it not, that he left there after completing his calling? Does he wonder how his mom, dad, and sister are like now? Looking back at Centoria, he wished he one chance to see Ronye and Tiese again, to apologize to the Academy for the trouble he caused to the school, his senpais, everything. But right now, he should focus on Kirito's well being first.

Holding on the ray of hope that its inhabitants might welcome them despite her lost memories since Eugeo and she were born there, Alice turned the flying dragon's reins towards the north. She flew while tending to Kirito's body, so the trip from the Norlangarth Empire to the small village at the very foot of the mountain range at the edge required three whole days. They descended into the forest a short distance from the village to avoid startling the villagers and ordered the flying dragon to guard their belongings there, before heading towards the village on foot with Kirito on her back, Eugeo following in tow. Upon reaching a path after passing through the forest and a wheat field, they chanced upon several villagers. However, they all looked upon them with surprise and suspicion, with not a single one calling out to them.

"Hold it, outsiders may not enter the village without permission!" a young guard approached them, holding his sword gripped to his waist.

Eugeo looked at him, a boy he knew from two years ago, who Kirito once shocked with his usage of a sword. The young guard who shouted so with his hand on the sword on his waist as though flaunting it, before doubt sank into his expression upon spotting Kirito's face while he was carried on Alice's back. He saw Eugeo, the boy's composure different than before. He muttered, "Huh, isn't this guy. Eugeo, you came back?" before staring at Alice again, his eyes and mouth gradually widening. "You… could you be."

Alice felt slight relief at those words. She talked to the guard who seemed to remember her despite the eight years that passed, paying caution to the words she used.

"I am Alice. Please call for the village chief, Gasupht Zuberg," she ordered.

It might have been best to name herself as Alice Zuberg, but she could not find it in herself to do so. Fortunately, it appeared that name was sufficient as the guard's face instantly turned blue from red while his mouth opened and closed repeatedly before rushing into the village. He did not mention anything about waiting, so Alice and Eugeo passed through the gate and walked on in the guard's trail. The village soon turned riotous, like a disturbed beehive, in that early afternoon. Tens of villagers filled up the sides of the not-so-wide road, shouting out in shock upon spotting Alice and Eugeo as they passed by.

Almost no face expressed gladness at her homecoming, however. Rather, they could be said to seem even doubtful, wary, and afraid of Alice, clad in unfeminine metal armor covered by a cloak, and Kirito, still asleep on her back. And Eugeo, who left with Kirito two years ago, turns up finally back. Like Alice, he was wearing a cloak over his clothes. The gently sloping road eventually merged into a round plaza. A fountain and well lay in its middle with a small church, a ringed cross on its roof, in the north. When Alice and Eugeo came to a stop at the entrance to the plaza and the villagers began exchanging whispers with uneasy looks from a distance.

Minutes later, a single man approached with firm steps, breaking through the crowd on the east side. Alice immediately recognized the man in the prime of his life with a neat, grayed mustache as Gasupht Zuberg, the chief of Rulid Village, and once a father to Alice. Gasupht halted a distance away, then gazed at Alice, Eugeo, and Kirito in turn without any change in expression at ten seconds passed before he let out a deep yet resonant voice.

"Eugeo, I didn't think you returned." Gasupht said before looking at Alice finally, a face of scorn present, "Are you, Alice?"

Alice answered the question with no more than a "yes". Yet the village chief neither walked closer nor reached out with his hands, questioning further in a voice sterner than before.

"Why are you here? Has your crime been pardoned?" he asked, "If not for Eugeo present, I wonder how you made it back."

Eugeo wanted to speak up but froze. How Gasupht was acting, it was clear he wasn't happy to see Alice again. Then his mind flashed, he did allow Alice to be chained up by the Integrity Knight that came to their village eight years ago. Alice had no immediate reply this time. She knew neither what crime she committed nor whether it was pardoned.

Kirito mentioned the explicit reason why Integrity Knight Deusolbert took the young Alice Zuberg to the capital was Trespassing into the Dark Territory. That was certainly a transgression of the Taboo Index. However, as an integrity knight, Alice was no longer bound by taboos. The highest minister's orders were the only law to a knight. But that highest minister was no more. She had no choice but to determine what were crimes and how to be pardoned from them, what was evil and what was good on her own… Alice stared straight back into the village chief's eyes as she replied with those thoughts in her mind.

"I have lost all of the memories from when I lived in this village as punishment for my crime. I do not know if I was pardoned through that. However, I can now go nowhere but this village." Alice said firmly. Those were Alice's unfeigned, true feelings.

"Alice doesn't remember what happened eight years ago. She doesn't remember even how she lost them." Eugeo lied, not wanting to reveal Alice was an Integrity Knight.

Gasupht's eyelids shut as deep wrinkles formed themselves at his mouth and brow. However, the village chief raised his face before long, and what he announced with a keen light in his eyes were grim words indeed.

"Leave. This village has no place for one who committed a taboo/" And both of them stood there in shock.

"S-sir! Alice came back to the village to see her family again, to see you, you can't just turn her away!" Eugeo shouted.

"Rules are rules, Eugeo. I can't believe you would allow a criminal in our village. I expected better from you after you completed your original calling." Gasupht admitted, and Eugeo gripped his hand tightly into a fist.

"But…" Eugeo spoke up but turned away, "Fine, if you don't take your daughter back, then I won't come back either." and the villagers gasped. Why would Eugeo say such a thing? From behind them, his father, mother, brothers, and sister looked concerned about why Eugeo would not want to come back home.

"Son, why are you leaving?" his father, Orick, his appearance as Eugeo remembered the farmer, spoke up at once.

Eugeo paused and stopped in place, gripping at Alice's cloak with his other hand. He didn't look back, the very father who wouldn't accept his child back, after all these years. "Because I committed a taboo, one at first I hated being worse than the goblins: for harming someone to protect my friends…" and the village gasped again, Eugeo harmed someone? "It was an accident, I never meant to harm them, but what they did, assaulting and defiling my friends, I'll never forgive them. Let's go, Alice…" and the young former tree cutter, walked away from his home once more, Alice following suit.

Outside of the village, Alice still carried Kirito on her back before stopping for a moment and put him down beside a tree looking solemn at Eugeo. She held her hands together and held them close, looking at Eugeo.

"I'm sorry Eugeo, it's my fault for all of this. You should go back to the village, maybe my father can allow you," she said before Eugeo embraced her. Alice was taken aback, her single eye widened in shock.

"I'm not going to leave you and Kirito on your own. I promise to keep you safe. I'm not going to let the two of you be away from my life again. We're both criminals of crimes, we'll live for our sins for the rest of our lives. You're important to me Alice, don't ever forget that." he said, bring her hand from her back and put a hand to her head, their eyes meeting.

"Why are you nice to me, even after we aren't allowed in our home?" Alice asked, wondering why he would go out of his way? His life after leaving Rulid was to see her again, he fought the Integrity Knights to meet her, he saved Alice Zuberg's memories just to be with her. He loved Alice, he did all of this for her. How can someone like this care so much for her?

"Because I'm going to not let someone down again… I almost failed Ronye and Tiese, I won't abandon you, not now, not ever. My life belongs to you now, Alice..." and he made her shock, a smile pressing her lips. Although it sounded more like a confession of love than devotion. But Eugeo wasn't going to let go of a promise. A faint tint of pink rose from her cheeks, feeling Eugeo's words make her feel a little better.

"Thank you… Eugeo…"

Selka's face rose, perhaps sensing that instant Alice's body stiffened up, and inclined her neck slightly. Eugeo caught the look on her old friend's face, feeling the ping of concern for her expression.

"Alice?" both said at once. Alice showed a smile as she responded to her little sister's anxious whisper and Eugeo too.

"It's nothing. Now, it is about time we return," she responded to them.

"…Okay." After nodding and freeing herself from the embrace of her little sister, Selka spent a moment looking up towards Alice, but her bright smile returned straight away.

"I'll push until we get to the fork!" She proclaimed and immediately stood behind the wheelchair Kirito sat upon and grasped its handles with her small hands. The wheelchair itself was rather heavy, not to mention how a single person, though skinny, along with two swords at the rank of sacred tools weighed it down. That load was too much for one who was merely fourteen years old and served as a sister apprentice that did not involve physical labor, or so Alice and Eugeo thought the first time Selka tried, but she leaned forward with her legs standing firm, the wheelchair began moving, though slowly.

"You're doing good Selka!" Eugeo cheered on.

"Be careful, we are going downhill," Alice warned her. Selka had never let the wheelchair fall yet, but she still could not help but to call out in a slightly nervous tone which made Selka reply with, "It's fine, you're such a worrywart, Alice." It seemed that when Alice was still living in Rulid, she showed a little too much concern for her little sister despite going through all those adventures and experiments with Eugeo.

Was her basic personality preserved even with her memories lost, or was it a simple coincidence? She pondered while walking beside Selka who pushed the wheelchair on with a serious expression. Eugeo has helped her piece her broken memories, most of those pieces have filled in even without her memories. Six months gave a lot of time to understand her home. While she didn't remember it, Eugeo would remind her of where they played together with Kirito, where they would get into trouble. There was a time when they were young, not long after Eugeo and Kirito received their calling, that he and Kirito got very dirty coming back to the village. The chief scolded them for it, that they should have some decency and bathe.

"So the chief scolds us, you got dirty too and made us take a bath together at your place," Eugeo explained one morning.

"I see. You always feel awkward when we bathe together, why?" she asked.

Eugeo blushed, looking away at her, "We were only eleven. You got more... Adult, and I shouldn't look at you in such a matter." and it was Alice's turn to feel red.

"Oh… I mean, It's not I don't want you to see me as an adult..." she mumbled, tracing her hand to the table.

"You say something?" Eugeo asked if he was sure he heard her say something. Alice's face went redder than before.

"It's nothing."

Upon reaching the foot of the hill, the gentle slope turned into a flat path. Selka earnestly continued despite the wheelchair's increase in weight. While staring at her little sister's profile, Alice's thoughts switched back to the past once more.

It was Selka who called, from under a grove of trees' shade, for Alice and Eugeo to stop after they left Rulid Village, dejected and crestfallen, on that day she was denied from returning to the village and Eugeo banishing himself. If it was not for Selka's courage, acting how she did despite aware that her actions disagreed with the thoughts of her father, the village chief, and the goodwill of the elderly Garitta she introduced Alice too, Alice would have been still wandering about without a destination even now. Eugeo was grateful for Garita's assistance, and they had a home now, even if it wasn't the village the three of them were born from. It could not have been an easy story to swallow for Selka either.

Her elder sister who finally returned to her hometown had lost all of her memories. Kirito who left a deep impression on her through their conversations in mere days two years ago had fallen into a coma. Eugeo revealed he almost died if it wasn't for Kirito grabbing the Blue Rose Sword. He wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him. Still, Selka's chest felt heavy of all the news of what happened to her sister and her friends. Eugeo kept the secret of Alice's memory module, better Selka did not worry about it just yet. He wasn't going to force Zuberg back, even for Selka's sake. She could not help but feel gratitude and wonder at the depth of her mental toughness and thoughtfulness anew with each passing day. She felt that strength was more precious and mighty than an ascetic's sacred arts, or even a knight's sword.

And at the same time, she was reminded daily of how powerless she was, without the Axiom Church. Eugeo has been there for her, his promise and words echoing her heart. But was it enough, were words enough? Having built the small yet firm cabin just two kilolu away from the village, deep in the forest, with the help of the elderly Garitta, what Alice and Eugeo set out doing straight away was an extensive healing art on the still-unconscious Kirito.

Within the vast forest where Terraria's grace was most bountiful, she chose a day without even a single cloud in the skies to obstruct Solus's light and coalesced ten luminous elements with the plentiful sacred energy granted by the earth and sun gods to that space, converting them into healing energy and pouring it into Kirito's body. Eugeo would take care of errands outside, leaving Alice with Kirito. The healing art Alice devoted all of herself to applying had the potential to fully heal even the massive amount of Life a flying dragon had, let alone that of a human. She was confident that regardless of how grim Kirito's injuries were, he would immediately recover and open his eyes as though nothing had happened.

Yet… Right after the blinding spiritual light left, Kirito's eyes did open but those jet-black eyes lacked any light of reason. She remembers how Eugeo shook him, wanting him to respond with his name, but nothing, he wouldn't say his name. Though Alice repeatedly called his name, shook his shoulders, and even shouted at him while embracing him, he merely looked up at the sky blankly. Alice felt defeated, not even she could recover him. Eugeo had to carry the sleeping Alice to their bed with Kirito, letting her sleep, wiping away tears from her eye. When Solus set, Eugeo heard Alice speak hoarsely at the flux-brown haired boy.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Four months have passed since that day, but there was no sign of Kirito's mind returning.

Selka kept supporting the pair by insisting that Kirito would recover to his old self someday since they're putting their all in nursing him. Still, Alice secretly feared it was impossible for herself. Eugeo's usage of healing arts was no way as strong, he hesitated to give a part of his life. But he didn't. Instead, he kept taking care of him alongside Alice. He felt Alice wasn't herself more and all, she was no more than an existence created by the highest minister, Administrator.

Selka who had been silently pushing the wheelchair so far came to a stop while saying, "Let's take… a break," waking up Alice from her musing once again. Her left hand gently touched her little sister's back while she panted with sweat glistening on her brow.

"Thank you, Selka, I will push from here on," Alice said.

"I wanted to push, all the way, until the fork…" Selka insisted.

"You sure it's still too much for you Selka, he is quite heavy with the chair and our swords," Eugeo said as he was concerned for her.

"You already pushed a hundred mel more than the previous time, didn't you? That helped out a lot." Alice said, looking at her.

She found out from the village that situations like this would be where an elder sister, older by many years, should give her little sister some spending money, but unfortunately, she did not have even a single copper coin in her pockets. Losing even a mere shear would be horrible in her current financial situation, so she carries around money only when out to the shop. To make up for that, she brushed Selka's bright brown hair. Eugeo stepped back to the young sister and put a hand on her shoulder. Alice's little sister smiled with her breathing calmed down, but Alice noticed faint gloom on her expression and tilted her head.

"What is it, Selka? Is something bothering you?" Alice asked.

"Something on your mind?" Eugeo asked again.

She asked while holding the wheelchair's grips and Selka opened her mouth after a brief hesitation.

"Erm… there's another request to deal with the trees at the cleared land from uncle Barbossa for you, big sister, Eugeo too if needed," Selka said, the pair blinking at their message she delivered to them.

"What is that all? There is nothing for you to worry about, thank you for delivering the message." Alice replied with a smile, but her sister's crestfallen expression lifted with a discontented pout.

"If it's to cut down a tree, we won't mind. It was my original calling to cut down the Gagas Cedar. There wouldn't be more land if it wasn't for me." Eugeo reminds Selka. Selka nodded, she knew it was his calling for a long time, even when she was small.

"But… those people care only for themselves. Don't you think so too, Kirito?" Selka questioned Kirito, sitting in the wheelchair, but the youth looking downwards gave no response, naturally. Still, Selka's tone turned increasingly intense as though he agreed, "Neither Mr. Barbossa nor Redack-san bothers trying to let you stay in the village, so how could they still get you to help out when they're in trouble? I know I am the one delivering the message, but you don't have to accept it if you don't want to, Alice, Eugeo. I will be sure to bring food from home for you."

After letting a giggle escape from those words, Alice pacified her sulking little sister. Even Eugeo couldn't hold back a small laugh. He patted Selka's head, just to cheer the young girl up.

"Though your feelings make us happy, there is no need to be bothered over it, Selka. I like the cabin and We feel blessed enough, staying close to the village. We'll go immediately after Kirito is done with his lunch. Where is it?"

"…The cleared land in the south, he said." Selka softly replied and spent a short while silently walking beside the wheelchair.

"That shouldn't be hard to navigate there. The area changed since I cut down the tree, but we can easily find it. We'll go see Mr. Barbossa. Don't worry Selka." Eugeo grinned at the girl, 'selfishness we can handle, right Alice?"

With just a little more to the fork heading towards the log cabin, she suddenly spoke in a firm tone.

"Sister, Eugeo, my time as a sister apprentice will end next year and I will receive some wages, even if it's not that much. When that time comes, you can stop helping those people, okay? If it's for you, big sister, Eugeo, and Kirito, I… I will always…"

Alice gently hugged Selka whose voice came to a stop there. Eugeo came behind the two Zubergs and joined the hug, keeping his hands to Alice's back. They felt her tawny hair on her cheeks and his chin, a sensation much the same despite the different color, and whispered.

"Thank you… But I feel blessed enough simply with you close to me, Selka…" Alice said softly, hugging her sister tightly.

"Me too… I'm glad, I kept my promise and we all came home." Eugeo said softly.

Seeing off Selka, who waved her hand endlessly in reluctance to part, Alice returned to the log cabin with Kirito and Eugeo and quickly prepared lunch.

"Selka's a good girl, even when the chief rejected you, she still accepted you. We owe Garita too, helping us have a home. The villagers gave us more food and tips on gardening. A lot of people do care for criminals like you and me." he said before Alice turned to him, finishing with what their lunch should be, "Alice, what's wrong?"

"I just want to say, thank you." Alice said, hands to her front, "You've been a good help for me these past few months. I'm eternally grateful for that, Eugeo." she took Eugeo into her arms and a tight embrace, Eugeo's face to her chest, a sincere smile on the young woman's face. Eugeo, taken aback, then hugged her back, feeling her embrace. He took his arms, hugging her tightly so that Alice's memory module separated them.

'I should be happy… but Kirito. he's still not awake…' Eugeo thought, nuzzling into her chest.

'He will, you just to believe he will. I know it!' Alice Zuberg said brightly, her cheerful voice echoing his mind.

'I hope so, Alice. I hope so.'

Though she had become somewhat capable of housework recently, her skill at cooking alone remained stubbornly lacking. And making Eugeo eat most of her creations that didn't burn up, the young boy was lucky his Life didn't decrease. Compared to the Fragrant Olive Sword, the kitchen knife bought from the village's general store seemed as unreliable as a toy, and twenty or thirty minutes would pass in the blink of an eye as she nervously sliced the ingredients.

"You can do it Integrity Knight Alice-chan!" Eugeo joked one day watching and supporting the blonde knight. Alice's cheeks were scarlet from that comment.

"S-S-Shut up!"

Fortunately, Selka had delivered that freshly baked pie today, so she cut it into smaller portions and fed Kirito. By bringing the pie to his mouth with a fork and waiting patiently, his lips would eventually open slightly, accepting it into his mouth. With that, Kirito would slowly, slowly chew as though replaying his memories of how he used to eat. Eugeo watches the two, eating his piece of the pie, seeing Kirito's jaw move ever so slowly. While Kirito's mouth moved, she would eat the pie filled with apples and cheese herself, savoring its taste. It was likely Sadina Zuberg, the village chief's wife, who made it. Mother to Selka, and Alice. When she still lived at the Central Cathedral, she could freely dine on the rare delicacies from around the Human Empire squeezed on the table in the large dining hall. Sadina's homemade pie both looked and tasted humble in comparison, but it seemed several times more delicious. Alice did feel a little peeved that it seemed to get more reaction out of Kirito than her cooking, however.

"I don't know how to feel my own mother's cooking makes him react more than my own," she said, only for Eugeo to hold back a chuckle. Alice Zuberg was laughing more than it was a Goddesssend Alice Synthesis 30 couldn't hear her.

Upon finishing the meal and the cleaning up, she sat Kirito in the wheelchair once again and placed the two swords on his lap.

"Eugeo, let's get moving," Alice ordered the young man. Eugeo nodded, following Alice out the door of their cabin.

The front garden shone golden in the afternoon sunlight as they left the cabin. The days were growing shorter lately and it would swiftly turn to dusk should her mind wander. Reaching the southern fork at a quick pace, she pointed her feet towards the west this time around. The forest came to a stop shortly after they walked straight, with the wheat fields ready to be harvested stretching out. The densely packed village of Rulid could be seen beyond the heads of grain, swaying excessively under their weight. The spire shooting noticeably high up in the middle of the red-bricked roofs, erected in rows, was that of the church where Selka lived. Neither Selka nor Azariya, the sister entrusted with the church, knew the Central Cathedral managing the Axiom Church organization in the Human Empire's four empires was now no more than a fanciful illusion with no master. Still, the small church that served also as an orphanage stayed in operation without issue.

Even with the cathedral descending into chaos with the death of the highest minister, there was no apparent impact on the lives of the masses. The Taboo Index functioned as always, still constraining the masses' awareness. Could they truly take up arms and fight to protect the Human Empire?

They would likely obey if ordered by the Axiom Church or the emperors. However, that alone could not bring them victory against the forces of darkness. Knight Commander Bercouli must be aware of that grave reality at the very least.

"We are the only ones that the Taboo Index doesn't have control over. But everyone, they still must obey it. Like we once did." Eugeo said to her, covering his eye to show where the seal once stopped him eight years ago and once before six months ago.

What would decide the course of the battle, in the end, was neither the priority level of weapons nor the usage authority of arts, but the strength of one's will. Kirito's struggles as he upset that hopeless difference in battle potential, defeating numerous integrity knights, Chief Elder Chudelkin, and even Highest Minister Administrator, served as proof for on the looks given by the villagers laboring in the wheat fields, entwined with vigilance and anxiety, with her chest puffed out, Alice whispered to her master in swordsmanship in her heart.

"Uncle, for the masses living in the Human Empire, peace might not be something to protect but something granted for all of eternity." Alice said, speaking to Bercouli, "And the ones who nurtured that idea must be… the Axiom Church, the Taboo Index, and us, the Order of the Integrity Knights."

Even at this very moment, Knight Commander Bercouli should be toiling away, training the forces of the four empires in Central Capital Centoria, and producing their equipment. Or perhaps he was already mobilizing troops to the Great East Gate, the frontier of the Eastabarieth Empire where the fighting will be fiercest. He must be wanting for even an additional knight around, both as an assistant with practical experience and as military capability after war breaks out.

'That said, I am now…'

Going through the wheat fields while sunken in her contemplation, she exited at the cleared land spreading out towards the south of the village. Stopping the wheelchair right before the dug black soil, she scanned through the vast plot of land. It was said that a massive forest larger than the one in the east, where Alice, Eugeo, and Kirito lived in, stood here until a mere two years ago. However, thanks to Kirito and Eugeo felling the Gigas Cedar, the demonic tree towering above all else as it ruled over the forest and endlessly absorbed sacred power, the village's men could now engross themselves in expanding the fields, or so Selka had said with an exasperated look.

"You and Kirito helped two years ago. We wouldn't have more land if it wasn't for you!" Selka said excitedly.

"I owe Kirito the most. He taught me how to use a sword. I would be still chipping away at that tree if it wasn't for him." Eugeo replied.

"A single sword swing, I'm impressed as well," Alice commented with a small smile on her face.

A gigantic pitch-black stump remained right in the middle of the cleared land and to its south, vigorous chopping noises rang out from the axes of tens of villagers. The pot-bellied man standing in a corner, issuing booming instructions all about without an ax in his hands, was the master of the largest farm in the village, Nygr Barbossa.

Though somewhat reluctant, Alice still pushed the wheelchair over the narrow, beaten path. Kirito made absolutely no reaction even as he passed along the stump, the vestiges of the enormous tree he once fell; his head remained hung down as he held the two swords. Eugeo still had the memory of using his Blue Rose Sword to cut down the tree and finally released from his calling and picking his own and leaving for the Swordcraft Academy. The first to notice the approaching trio were young men from the Barbossa family, resting atop the trunk of a freshly fallen tree. The trio, seemingly fifteen or sixteen years old, watched Alice, who had a scarf wrapped over her blonde hair, without reserve before shifting their gaze towards Kirito in his wheelchair and Eugeo beside him. Eugeo wore an open coat over a blue uniform that looked like an academy attire. They knew Eugeo from two years ago, the same boy who finally cut down the Demon tree two years ago. Unfortunately, they never discovered how Eugeo did it but Eugeo was carrying a sword on his person with the lost child of Vecta present at the celebration. Deep jeering could be heard as they exchanged words in ignoring them and passing through them, one of the youths shouted out in a drawl.

"Uncle, they're here."

Nygr Barbossa, who was screaming everywhere with his hands on his waist, vigorously spun around at that and showed a smirk on his greasy, round face. His large mouth and narrow eyes reminded her of Chief Elder Chudelkin somewhat. Eugeo could unsee that clown from the tower. A reaction would make him take up his Blue Rose and cut the man down, but he held back being reminded of that face. Still, Alice returned the best smile she could muster and gave a slight nod. Eugeo kept a curt nod, keeping cool as Kirito taught him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Barbossa. I heard you had worked for us, so…" Alice greeted.

"Oooh, ooh, if it isn't Alice and Eugeo, I'm glad you're here." His two hands spread out, approaching haltingly, as his round tummy quivered; Alice was convinced he desired an embrace, but after a look at the wheelchair before her, he, fortunately, gave up on that. Eugeo took a moment to shake his hand, with no wheelchair to stop him anyway.

"So what do you need us to do Mr. Barbossa? Selka told us you needed Alice, so came over from home." Eugeo explained to him. In exchange, Nygr stood a mere fifty cen on Alice's right before spinning his huge frame and pointing at a towering, large tree between the forest and cleared land.

"Look, you can see it, can't you? We've spent all our time on that frustrating platinum oak since yesterday morning, but this pathetic amount is how much progress was made even with ten adult men swinging their axes at it." Barbossa explained before addressing Eugeo, "I'll never understand how you made it so far cutting the Demon Tree two years ago Eugeo, that's why I asked for your help."

The index finger and thumb on his right hand formed a smallish semicircle. The large white and brown tree with a trunk of mel and a half across had spread its roots deep into the earth, stubbornly rejecting the laborers. Two men swung their large axes in turn even now, but the notch carved in its trunk was shallow indeed, at less than even ten cen. Sweat poured down the men's bare upper bodies like waterfalls. Their chests and arm muscles were developed well enough, but their handling was rather stiff, perhaps due to the lack of need to wield an ax in their daily activities. His Calling allowed him to wield the DragonBone Axe and making his Weapon control high enough, he was able to properly swing the Blue Rose Sword. Seeing them struggle, their weapon control wasn't very high, and he coughed to hide a laugh.

One of the men had his right leg slip as they watched and struck a wrong spot at an angle. The ax snapped at the middle of its handle and unrestrained laughter from the man's co-workers immersed him as he fell hard on his buttocks.

"Good grief, what are those blockheads doing…" Nygr moaned and looked at Alice and Eugeo once again, "At that rate, I have no idea how many more days it will take for that one tree. And while we were stuck here with that, Redack's men have already expanded the land by twenty mel in every direction!"

After uttering the name of the next most influential farming household after the Barbossa's, Nygr kicked away a pebble at his feet. His breathing had grown distraught, but all of a sudden, a full smile appeared on his face as he let out a wheedling voice.

"And that's how it is, I know our agreement was for once a month, but could you treat it as an exception just this once and lend me your strength, Eugeo, Alice? You probably don't remember, but I was spared… no, treated you to sweets time after time when you were young. You were such a cute little miss back then, you see, no, no, of course, that's not to say that's any different now…" Alice interrupted Nygr's words while holding back her sigh.

"Goddess, why do you think sweet-talking is going to make us go back on our original deal?" Eugeo sighed disappointed, before shaking his head, "But we'll look past this just once."

"I understand Mr. BArbossa. I will treat this one particular time as an exception." Alice said before looking at Eugeo, "Right Eugeo?"

Getting rid of trees and rocks, like the platinum oak before her eye, obstructing the land clearing was their current sacred task, no, their temporary source of income. Naturally, it did not work officially assigned to her. There was an incident about a month into her peaceful life on the outskirts of the village where a gigantic fallen rock sealed the road towards the cleared land to the west. The episode of Alice rolling that rock away on her own as she came across it spread through the village as a rumor and before she knew it, they depended on her for assistance on tasks like this. As this was Eugeo's original calling, Eugeo had to assist Alice on this, to make sure things went smoothly with Barbossa.

It was a fact that money was necessary if she were to continue living with Kirito, so she was thankful for the offers. Still, as Selka was worried that the men would bother her with an endless stream of requests if she took on the physical labor without complaint, she decided to limit her help to once a month for each farming household. Eugeo accompanying her was also as Selka put it, 'the husband looking out for the wife.' The two weren't married by any means, but three nineteen years old live together, it was an eye-raising question, on why the lost child of Vecta couldn't walk and Eugeo's demeanor changed. But the thing Eugeo wondered was Baross himself.

Nygr should be bound by every single rule laid in the Taboo Index, the fundamental laws of the Norlangarth Empire, and those of the village, but it came as no surprise to her that he would send two requests within the month despite that being a violation of the agreement. Though he had not broken through the «seal of the right eye, what was Code 871 according to the highest minister's words—like Alice or Eugeo, it was likely he simply felt Alice be beneath himself. He must have felt no need to naively abide by some agreement made with an ex-convict living in some hut on the outskirts of the village. Eugeo already felt sick to the idea Nobles doing what they want, Raios and Humbert's faces burning deep in his heart, the blood that spread the sheets and floor where their arms laid. He hated it, knowing now the Nobles could abuse the Taboo Index rules.

Even with those thoughts in her mind, Alice nodded at Nygr once again before parting from the wheelchair with Eugeo following her. She took note of Kirito's status, but he seemed unconcerned by the clamor in the surroundings. After telling him that she would be right back in her heart, she walked towards the large platinum oak. The men who noticed Alice showed smirks or blatantly cluck their tongues. However, there were now few unaware of Alice's strength, so they distanced themselves from the tree without a word. They also know Eugeo was the cause of the Gigas Cedar falling two years ago, but how strong was the young man compared to Alice.

Taking their place before the great tree, Alice quickly drew a seal of sacred letters with a finger on her right hand and brought out its Stacia Window. Its quantity of Life was quite a figure, as expected of one that ten adult men would have trouble against. Using a borrowed ax, as usual, would prove ineffective against that priority level.

"I guess we might need to borrow his sword today. Think you can manage this one, Alice?" Eugeo asked, seeing the Stacia window vanish.

"It shouldn't take long," she replied to him. Returning to the wheelchair in a jog for the moment, she bent down and whispered, "I apologize, Kirito. I would like you to lend me your sword for a little while." She gently touched the black leather sheath with her right hand and felt his left arm tense up slightly as it held the sword.

However, after patiently looking into his blank eyes, the strength eventually left his arm and a hoarse voice escaped his throat.

"…Aah…"

This was likely a fragment of his memories rather than her feelings getting through to him. What controlled Kirito now were not his thoughts but the memories resident in his breast.

"Thank you." Whispering so, she slowly brought up the black sword from under his arm. After affirming that Kirito remained docile, she returned to the platinum oak.

But still, this was a splendid tree. Though it could not compare to the great ancient trees rising around Central Capital Centoria, it must be over a hundred years old. Eugeo took distance behind Alice, watching her with arms crossed and with a smile on his face. Alice gave an apology in her heart before stabilizing her footing.

Her right leg forward and her left leg back. She gently placed her right hand on the grip wound with black leather of the Night Sky Sword unevenly set on her left hand. She measured the distance to the tree with her left eye.

"Hey, hey, you think you can break platinum oak with that thin sword?" One of the men shouted and the crowd went into an impromptu frenzy. That sword's gonna break; the sun will set before that; while the jeers flew in one after another, Nygr Barbossa's concerned voice mixed in.

"Aah, Alice, if possible, I would rather you do something about it within an hour, you know?"

She had fallen over ten trees since she started this job, but required around thirty minutes almost every time. The reason behind that slowness was due to her having to keep her strength in check to avoid breaking the axes she borrowed. Eugeo barrows his Blue Rose Sword to help out, asking to do this on his own, to hide his strength. But Alice did not need that worry today. The Night Sky Sword was a sacred tool boasting a priority level equal to Alice's Fragrant Olive Sword.

"No, I will not require that long," Alice assured Barbossa's concern for the girl. Replying with a near-murmur, Alice gripped the sword's handle.

"Don't worry too much sir. Don't forget who took down the Gigas Cedar two years ago knows she can do this." Eugeo commented, confident Alice can do this.

Alice held the Night Sky Sword tightly by the handle and the sheath in her other hand. Eugeo Eugeo watched eagerly to see this. Let the others be stunned by this effort.

"Haaaa!" A short yell. A cloud of dust whirled up from beneath her right foot, dug firmly onto the ground, like some sort of explosion. It had been a while since she swung an actual sword, but fortunately, she had yet to forget her techniques. The horizontal slash from the left in the same motion as drawing it from its sheath ran through the air like black lightning. A light breeze blew past Eugeo, his coat jacket blowing slightly. He let out a slight smirk, the memory of taking down the tree, and that horizontal slash that he used to cut the tree from the trunk. The surrounding men appeared to have been unable to follow the slash itself. Even as Alice rose from her final posture, with the sword swung completely to the right in front of her, they continued scowling questioningly. There was no more than the meager notch made by the men on the platinum oak's smooth bark; it had suffered no other damage—or so it appeared.

A "What, she missed?" eventually came from somebody and a number of them laughed. Alice glanced at the person to whom that voice belonged to and spoke as she sheathed the sword.

"It will be falling that way," Alice announced calmly.

"Hah? The heck are you…" The man's two eyes opened wide with shock upon getting to that point in his words. He saw the platinum oak's trunk slowly begin to tilt. A scream grew from him and those around him as they ran behind. The huge tree fell with a terrific tremor where the men were until three seconds ago.

Alice moved to the front of the stump as she warded off the rising thick cloud of dust with her right hand. Fine tree rings were visible on the newly-made cross-section and shone as though it was polished, but a single section on the edge was slightly frayed. Perhaps her skills have dulled, or perhaps her unavailable right eye was to blame, Alice pondered as she turned herself about. Her upper body unconsciously straightened up in the next instant.

Eugeo put a hand to her shoulder, smiling at her. "You did well with that sword. But I guess you are a little rusty."

"You would have done it better," Alice answered, although she couldn't hide her smile too.

Nygr Barbossa had a full smile on his face and was rushing towards them with heavy steps, his arms spread out. She instinctively lifted the sword in her left hand and Nygr came to an abrupt stop at the clink made by the guard. Still, his smile remained and he put his spread out hands together in front of his body as he shouted.

"B-Bri… brilliant! What skill! Jink, the guard chief, couldn't even hope to match that! It's practically divine! I shouldn't expect any less from a friend of the boy who took down the Gigas Cedar. I guess you taught her well, Eugeo!" Eugeo held his arm behind his back, the idea he taught Alice was beyond him. Alice was way stronger than her. He wasn't going to deny it. He went another mel closer and continued his words with an expression filled equally with admiration and greed.

"H-H-How about it, Alice, I will double your fee, so let's not make it once a month, help us out once a week… no, once a day!"

Alice lightly shook her head at Nygr who was rubbing his hands together fast, "No, the fee I am currently receiving is plenty." she said.

"Sorry Sir Barbossa, it would go against our deal. Besides, This is mostly Alice's task, not just mine." Eugeo said, shaking his head.

If Alice were to wield the Fragrant Olive Sword and make use of the armament full control art, it would not be on the scale of one large tree a day; it would be possible to change this forest to nothing more than barren land as far the eye could see in mere minutes. But if she were to do that, their requests would stretch on to tilting the plains, smashing rocks, and even making it rain.

"Nuhnhnhnhnh," Nygr moaned in agony before finally snapping out of it, blinking, after an "our pay, please" from Alice and Eugeo

"O-Oh, that's right, that's right." Sticking his hand in his pocket, he pinched out the agreed hundred Shear, a single silver coin, from a leather bag that sounded heavy. Dropping that into Alice's palm, Nygr still stubbornly added some words.

"How about this, Alice? I will pay another silver coin, so how about you decline those under Redack this month if they ask for help…"

It was then when Alice and Eugeo held back their sighs and was about to reject his offer once more. A heavy clunk reached her ears. Her face sprung up and saw the wheelchair sprawled on its side with Kirito thrown onto the ground a distance away.

"…Kirito!" Both Alice and Eugeo screamed out, both gave a hoarse shout and rapidly slipped past Nygr.

Alice could sense desperation from Kirito as he reached out with his left arm with his stomach lying on the ground. Ahead of him were the previously resting young men, two who now supported the long sword sheathed in white leather on the ground as they cried out in excitement.

"Uhh, Woah, this is heavy as heck!"

"That's why even that girl can bring down that platinum oak in one blow, huh?"

"Shut up and hold onto it properly!" The third youth shouted and held the Blue Rose Sword's handle with both hands to draw it.

Alice heard her teeth gnashing as they ground together. Released next from her throat was a sharp yell.

"You bastards…!"

"What are you doing?!" Eugeo shouted as well, seeing the boys trying to lift the Blue Rose Sword from its sheath. Because of how low their Weapon control was, no way they could even remove the sword from its blue sheath. Seeing how Kirito was trying to leave, reaching out like that, it meant one thing.

The youths' mouths opened wide upon hearing that as they looked at Alice and Eugeo. They ran through the remaining twenty mel in an instant and came to a stop with the dust whirling up. The three looking at Alice's and Eugeo's faces backed off haltingly.

Somehow restraining the emotions threatening to burst out with a deep breath, Eugeo first helped up the fallen Kirito with Alice's help. While sitting him in the wheelchair once again, she ordered with a stifled voice, "That sword belongs to my friends. Return it now."

Defiant expressions instantly showed up on the trio's faces. The lips of the one with a large build and about to draw the Blue Rose Sword grew crooked and he pointed at Kirito.

"We did ask that guy if we could borrow the sword, you know?" Eugeo's hands balled into fists, a part of him ready to strike. His teeth gritted with anger, how can he… not in his state?

Back in the wheelchair, Kirito's left arm was still reaching out towards the pure white sword while his feeble voice leaked out. One of the youths holding back the sheath warped his lips in ridicule as he continued.

"And then, he generously lent it to us. With those cries of aah, aah, you know?"

The last went with the flow and laughed with a "yep, yep".

Alice could not help but tighten her right hand's grip on the wheelchair's handle. That hand was unmistakably seeking to draw the Night Sky Sword hanging off her left would have sliced off those six hands touching the Blue Rose Sword without even a hint of hesitation half a year ago. Integrity knights were above the Taboo Index and its prohibition on hurting others. And in the first place, with the seal on her right eye currently broken, there were no longer any laws capable of keeping Alice's actions in check.

Still…

"Don't, it's not worth it. Trust me, I would love to make them regret it, but we can't hurt them." Eugeo mumbled in a low voice.

"But that's your sword, aren't you furious?!" Alice asked in a hushed voice.

"I am… I am angry that they took it from him, but we shouldn't react. Calm down, Alice." Eugeo replied, his hand brushing the hand she held the Night Sky Blade. Eugeo's green eyes stared at them, the boys seeing his dark stare, "That sword is mine and Kirito's let go of now, you took it from a young man who couldn't respond."

Alice grinds her teeth so hard it hurt as she fought against the impulse surging through herself. These youths were part of the people of the Human Empire that the boys put their lives on the line to protect. She could not hurt them. Neither of them would wish for that.

Alice remained silent without moving a cen for several seconds. But she likely failed to conceal the blood lust emanating from her left hand. The trio wiped off their smiles and averted their eyes, afraid. They were serious, Eugeo looking to take the sword from Alice's hand and cut them down without a second longer.

"Fine, no need for that scary look, Eugeo, M-Ms. Alice." The larger one eventually stammered and took his hands off the sword's grip. The remaining pair let go of the sheath with faces that appeared relieved, probably already at their limits in supporting it. The Blue Rose Sword laid down heavily where it was.

Eugeo approached without any additional words, stooped over, and used his right hand to lift the white leather sheath. After a glare at the brats right after turning about, he returned to the wheelchair with Alice standing with Kirito. Eugeo wiped the soil that got on the sheath with the cuff of his overcoat, then placed on Kirito's lap both the white and black swords which he firmly hugged before coming to a stop.

Alice glanced at Nygr Barbossa, seeing him paying that commotion no attention and engrossed in directing the men. The pair slightly bowed towards his back as he continued his shouting, and then pushed the wheelchair back north on the narrow path.

"Are these the people Kirito is in this state we protected?" Eugeo asked himself.

'I… I don't know...' Alice Zuberg's voice rang in his head, as upset as her older self.

The anger raging in Alice's breast for the first time in a while had turned to a cold sense of futility. it was not her first time thinking so since she began living in the forest near Rulid. Most of the villagers avoided even talking to Alice and as for Kirito who lost his sense of self, they would not even treat him as a human. Despite Eugeo;'s words, the village wanted to accept the young boy again. Alice had no plans to condemn them. Alice was likely still a criminal who violated the Taboo Index to them, after all. Eugeo too knows he's still a criminal too, he couldn't harm anyone either. They felt thankful enough for them giving their silent consent for Alice to stay close to the village, and selling her food and daily necessities.

Still, she pondered in a corner of her mind... What for? Exactly what did she suffer so much and fight against the highest minister, Administrator, for? The other highest minister, Cardinal, and the intelligent black spider, Charlotte, lost their lives; Kirito lost his speech and emotions; exactly what was protected after all that? What did she fight for, did Eugeo fight for? That line of thought ended up on a question that she could never utter. Was there truly a need to protect people like those from the Barbossa's? That doubt was partly what made Alice abandon her sword and live in this remote land with Eugeo.

The tremendous military forces of darkness were drawing closer, moment by moment, beyond the Great East Gate at the end of the Eastabarieth Empire even now. It was dubious if the reborn Human Empire Defense Army fostered by Knight Commander Bercouli could even be deployed in time. As Alice was not relieved of her integrity knight duties, the only one capable of doing so was the deceased highest minister, perhaps she ought to be rushing towards the Great Gate to join them as soon as she could.

However, the weight of the Fragrant Olive Sword was now beyond what Alice could handle. Something she finally told Eugeo, which saddened him. The same Integrity Knight fought him and then they fought together and lost the will to fight. The Celestial World she believed to be her origin was a deception. The Axiom Church she swore her fealty to was smeared in lies. Not to mention she now knew the ugliness and vulgarity of the Human Empire's inhabitants far too vividly. The time she could swing her sword without doubts over her justice and pray to the gods was of the distant past.

Those Alice now truly wished to protect numbered a mere few. Her father; her mother; Selka; the elderly Garitta; Eugeo and Kirito. If nothing would befall them, what issue would there be turning her back to her knight duties and continuing her peaceful life in this land? Leaving the cleared land, Alice's feet stopped just as they reached the path beyond the wheat fields, and she whispered to Kirito.

"Could we go shopping in the village seeing as we are here? I will not allow some insolent child to harass you this time." Alice spoke up.

There was no reply, but judging the lack of response as consent, Alice pushed the wheelchair on towards the north.

"You are like his older sister talking to him like that." Eugeo joked to her, only for Alice to give him a side pout. When did she become a sister to him now?

The skies were dyed in the shades of sunset by the time they bought a week's worth of food and essentials with the hundred Shear silver coin earned and returned to the forest cabin. She was on the way up the cabin's porch when she noticed a low whoosh approaching. Descending slightly with the wheelchair, she awaited the origin of that sound near the meadow's middle. What made its appearance before long, skimming the treetops, was a gigantic silver beast with two wings, a long neck, and a tail, a flying dragon. Alice's flying dragon who brought the three here from the central capital. With the name, Amayori.

The flying dragon circled through the skies above the meadow twice before gently descending. Tucking in her wings and stretching out her neck, she first touched Kirito's chest with the tip of her nose, allowing Eugeo to pet her, before rubbing her large head against Alice. Upon scratching the faintly bluish fuzz under the dragon's neck, a low kururu rang out from her throat.

"Amayori, you have gotten a little plump. You have been eating too many of the lake's fishes." Alice to her dragon. After being scolded with a vague smile, she breathed out from its nose as though embarrassed, turned her long body about, and walked towards her bed east of the cabin. She curled up atop her bed made from thickly laid dry grass, entwining her tail with her head.

"She wanted to stay with us only to gain weight. Dragons are mysterious creatures." Eugeo noted. Despite Alice wanting Amayori to be free, the Dragon remained with the pair. So, she had a hut for her close to the cabin. After telling Amayori good night as she began her low snoring atop the dry grass, Alice pushed the wheelchair into the cabin with Eugeo in tow.

For dinner, she made a stew from half-moon beans and meatballs. The beans were just a little hard and the balls were not all that consistent, but it seemed to have tasted rather decent. Naturally, it was not like Kirito gave any opinion through his words. He merely chewed and swallowed, as though from memory, whenever the small spoon entered his mouth. Eugeo watched the pair as he ate quietly. Does he wonder how long things will be like this? He looked at Alice, at least she was happy.

Alice considered how it would be nice if she knew his likes and dislikes at least, but realized she held a proper conversation with this youth for less than even a full day after thinking about it. It seemed Selka lived with him in the church for a while two years ago, but she only remembered him indiscriminately enjoying everything served. She thought that, too, was just like him. From what Eugeo told her, he would sleep in and have to be woken up by Selka or him, would jump out of windows, and sneak out for food. That gave her a moment to giggle.

It happened after she moved Kirito, who managed to finish the stew after some time, to the small stove's side along with the chair and was washing the cutlery in the sink, lining them up in the drainer. Amayori who usually slept until dawn suddenly cried out with a low rururuu outside the window. Her hands jerked to a stop and she perked up her ears. A noise unsuited to the season was mixed in the night wind passing through the forest, like a cold winter wind. A noise like thin, large wings flying against the wind.

"…!" Leaping out of the kitchen, they confirmed Kirito was staying quiet on the chair before opening the entrance with Eugeo following too. Straining her ears again, Alice judged the wind noise to be approaching, immediately went down to the front yard, and looked upwards into the night sky.

The black silhouette descending in a spiral against the backdrop of a sky filled with stars unmistakably belonged to a flying dragon. She looked towards the east of the meadow just to be sure, but naturally, Amayori was crouching on her bed as she looked up at the sky.

"Could that…" Alice asked.

The moment she was about to return for her sword, having thought it could be a dark knight from the Dark Territory who crossed the mountain range at the edge, she saw the dragon's scales gleam silver in the moonlight. She lessened the tension in her shoulders slightly. The integrity knights of the Axiom Church were the only ones to ride flying dragons with silver scales even if one were to search the world over. That said, it was still too early to be relieved. Exactly who would fly to a region this remote, and for what reason? Could it be that the debate regarding the execution of the traitor, Kirito, continued even throughout this half year and that the cathedral had finally dispatched someone to do the deed? And then there's Eugeo, the now-former rebel turned ally to the Axiom Church, they wouldn't choose now to change their minds. Perhaps sensing Alice's tension, Amayori crept out from her bed before lifting her head high and crying out once more. However, her menacing, deep tone soon faded away, replaced by a coy, high-pitched kyuun. Alice, too, knew why straight away.

The flying dragon that landed on the southern part of the meadow after circling another three times had fuzz in a shade much like Amayori's growing around its neck. That could only be Amayori's elder brother, a dragon named Takiguri. In other words, the one riding on him was…

Eugeo who felt tense, relaxed to greet the visitor. "It's been too long..."

Alice called out in a stiff tone towards the knight clad in full silver armor who landed on the ground in an elegant motion, "To think you would find out about this place. What business do you have here, Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-one?"

The one and only integrity knight possessing a number younger than Alice, who was thirty, did not speak immediately and instead, first gave a deep bow with his right hand on his chest. Straightening his body, he slowly removed his helmet. His lustrous light purple hair fluttered in the night wind and his good looks with a sense of urban flamboyance were revealed. With his high, smooth voice, rare for a man.

"It has been a while, my master, Lady Alice. Your beauty has not faded despite this change in dressing. I could not help but make haste to meet with you, master, with a bottle of alcohol from my cherished collection upon imagining the bewitching splendor your golden locks would have under this evening's glorious moon." he looks to Eugeo, took a moment, and spoke up, "Sir Eugeo, forgive me for avoiding you, it was a lot adjusting you working with us. Don't think I blame you for anything anymore."

The left hand held behind his back darted forward and in it was a bottle of wine. Alice held back a sigh as she answered the man who regarded her as his master. "…I am truly glad your wounds have healed, but I see your personality is as it had always been. I have only just noticed, but your manner of speech is slightly similar to Chief Elder Chudelkin's."

Turning her back to Eldrie who let out a mild ugh, she proceeded towards the cabin. "E-Erm, Alice..." Eldrie spoke up again to his master, Eugeo, looking from both of them.

"I will hear you out inside if it is important. If it is not, down the wine on your own and returns to the central capital." Alice said. Alice gave a glance at the siblings reunited after half a year, Takiguri and Amayori, who were happily nuzzling each other's heads, then returned to the cabin fast.

"Come inside Sir Eldrie, we have enough space for you," Eugeo said, following after Alice.

Eldrie, who docility followed along, scanned through the narrow cabin with curious eyes before his gaze fixated on Kirito looking downwards beside the stove. However, he mentioned nothing about the rebel with whom he had once crossed swords with and swiftly slipped to the table and pulled a chair for Alice.

"…"

It seemed ludicrous to thank him, so she sighed instead and sat straight down. Eugeo took his spot with Alice, already feeling the silence before him. Eldrie sat opposite Alice and Eugeo without asking and placed the wine bottle on the table. His face clouded over the moment their gazes met straight on, likely spotting the black bandage still covering Alice's right eye. That expression soon vanished, however, with Eldrie's nose twitching as he raised his face.

"There seems to be some aroma here Lady Alice. On another note, I have yet to make dinner due to this trip I undertook in haste." Eldrie said, "It's good to see you two are well. I hope you didn't do anything barbaric to my master, Eugeo." to which Eugeo flinch.

"Nothing Sir Eldrie. I've just been helping Alice adjust to being back at her home, that's all." he replied, "anyway, we left without anyone knowing. How is Edith doing?"

"Lady Edith was shaken up when you departed. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying all night." Eldrie explained and the ping of guilt hit both of them.

"We're sorry. We had to leave, and we chose to not tell anyone where we would go, in fear we were tailed." Eugeo explained.

"On another note? In the first place, what would spur you to bring wine instead of rations when flying to this remote region from the central capital?" Alice asked, seeing the wine bottle on the table he brought.

"I swore to the three goddesses that I will never have that dried, squirmy thing in this life. If I have to satisfy my stomach with that, I would rather starve and give my Life up…" Alice stood from the chair without listening to Eldrie's absurd excuses to the end. Moving to the kitchen, she served the leftover stew from the metal pot on the stove into a wooden plate and returned to the table. Eldrie stared at the bowl placed before his eyes with a mixture of delight and suspicion.

"Excuse my abrupt question, but could this possibly be made by your hand, Lady Alice?" Eldrie asked

"Why, yes, it is. What about it?" Alice asked as if it might have offended him by her cooling.

"No. I am merely overjoyed by this day, in which I could partake in cooking made by my master; more so than being endowed with some hidden sword stance," he said. Holding the spoon with a nervous expression, he brought beans to his mouth. Eugeo had a good idea Eldrie was very loyal to Alice, despite who he was, the 31st Knight did have manners to enjoy his master's cooking.

Alice asked once again towards Eldrie whose mouth moved as he chewed, "And so, how did you find this place? No art could reach this far from the central capital… and I hardly believe the Order could dispatch flying dragons to every area in search of me alone in its current situation."

Eldrie gave no reply for a moment, murmuring comments such as "so it's not that bad, after all" as he energetically moved the spoon, but eventually raised his face from the now-emptied plate, then wiped his mouth with a handkerchief he took out from one place or another before looking straight towards Alice.

"I came, following the bonds of fate linking us, Alice-sama… or so I would like to say, but unfortunately, this was an utter coincidence." His right hand flashed open in a pompous gesture.

"You sure you never found out where I came from? Alice and I came from Rulid village. But no one from the Cathedral would know that fact except us." Eugeo chimed in.

"You caught on well Sir Eugeo, but I don't think any of us knows where you came from, but there are things you know going on in this area." Eldrie said before taking a drink of wine, "Reports that the goblins and orcs were sneaking about late came from the knights going about the mountain range at the edge. The caves in the north, south, and west were all destroyed under the knight commander's command, but as there was still the possibility of them stubbornly digging through, I came to confirm the issue."

"…The caves…?" Alice knitted her eyebrows. Eugeo snapped in realization. The caves he, Kirito, and Alice went into eight years ago, where Alice by mistake crossed the Dark Territory by just her fingertips and branded breaking the taboo Index.

Among the four passages passing through the mountain range at the edge, the caves in the south, the west, and the one exceeding close to Rulid Village, the north, were rather narrow, denying access to the orcs and giants who formed the bulk of the dark forces. As such, she anticipated the enemy army would gather at the Great East Gate, but Knight Commander Bercouli had collapsed those three caves immediately upon assuming command as insurance. That was precisely why Alice and Eugeo built this secret home on this land, but the situation would change if the enemy were to dig through the cave. Rulid Village would flip from a peaceful remote region to the front lines where the battle would first break out.

"And so… did you confirm the movements of the dark forces?" Alice asked.

"Though I flew around the cave for an entire day, I saw not even a single goblin, let alone an orc." Eldrie lightly shrugged and continued. "Perhaps they mistook a pack of beasts for military forces."

"…Did you check inside the cave?" it was Eugeo's turn to speak up next.

"Naturally. I peeked in from the Dark Territory's side, but it was buried in rocks up to the ceiling. They would probably need a large force to dig through that. …Then Takiguri strangely kicked up a fuss when I pulled on the reins to return to the central capital. I left the flying to him and he descended straight towards here. Honestly, I am just as shocked. It's a huge coincidence… no, maybe it was the guiding hand of fate after all." Having left his flowery language behind some time ago, Eldrie showed the resolute face of a knight and continued, "I am obligated to report that I had come across this opportunity for an audience with you on this particular occasion. Lady Alice, Sir Eugeo… please return to the Order! Rather than the assistance of a thousand men, what we need now are your swords!"

Alice slowly turned down her eye as though avoiding the knight's forceful gaze. She took her gaze to Eugeo and saw the solemn look on his face before back at her disciple. She knew. She knew the crackling of the brittle wall shielding the Human Empire crumbling away. And of the hardships, Knight Commander Bercouli and the newly-formed Defense Army suffered as they propped it up. Alice could never repay her debt to the knight commander for his protection and guidance, and she had yet to lose her sense of unity with those in the Order of the Integrity Knights, including Eldrie. That said, that was insufficient to spur her to battle.

Strength is the might of one's will. Alice realized that truth through the battle at the cathedral. If willpower could allow one to overturn a devastating difference in battle potential, like Kirito back then, then it could dull the strongest sacred tool too—

"We cannot." Alice softly replied.

Eldrie's sharp voice rang out at once, "Why." Eldrie asked. Without waiting for a reply, his sight, keen like a whip, turned to the young man sitting on the chair next to the stove, "Is it for that man? Is your heart still led astray, Lady Alice, by that man who broke out of the cathedral's jail and turned his treacherous blade on many knights, the chief elder, and even the Esteemed Highest Minister? I accepted sir Eugeo as one of us as it was a direct order from Commander Bercouli, but not to the man who killed her Excellence! If that is so, I shall cut off the source of your hesitation for you this very moment."

Alice's one eye glared at Eldrie and Eugeo's green eyes were flared with anger as he put strength into his right hand holding onto the table's end.

"Stop it!" both shouted. Though that single line was at a suppressed volume, the knight still straightened up his upper body with a start upon hearing it.

"He, too, only fought for the justice he believed in. Eugeo as well, he would be here if it wasn't for him. Otherwise, how could he defeat all of us integrity knights, who are supposed to be the strongest, and even the knight deputy commander? You should know the weight behind his sword as well, having crossed swords firsthand." Alice said, going into defense for Kirito's safety. Even as wrinkles came together near his high nose bridge, Eldrie slowly released the strength in his shoulders. He lowered his gaze to the table while murmuring to himself, "Certainly, I, too, find it hard to accept Administrator's plan of changing half of the people into soulless soldiers with bones of swords. And without that youth… Kirito and his friend, Eugeo, it is unlikely anyone would stop that plan from being realized. Not to mention that if it is as Commander Bercouli said, that the one who guided that pair truly stood on a par with Administrator once, as another highest minister, Cardinal, I would hardly wish to point out Kirito's crimes. However… if that is so, I find it even harder to swallow!"

As though pouring out what he had always kept suppressed in his breast, Eldrie shouted.

"If the skills of the rebel, Kirito, overwhelm even those of us integrity knights as you have mentioned, Lady Alice, why does he not take up his sword and fight?! Why was he reduced to such a miserable state and continues to anchor you down to this remote region?! You fought with this rebel Sir Eugeo, why won't you fight and anchor yourself to him. Wasn't he why you fight, your own life in danger?! If he murdered the Administrator to protect the masses, then should he not be rushing to the Great East Gate at this very moment?!" and it was Eugeo's turn to finally snap, yelling at Eldrie like he was a completely different person.

"I'm sorry we can't! I thought all of us were on the same side, that Kirito branded as a rebel didn't matter anymore. We made up a story that I died and was cut in half by her Excellence! Do you think I'm happy to be dead to others in the Cathedral and walk around knowing I did terrible things and hurt others?! Instead of acting on feelings, understand how Alice feels!" Eugeo's voice raised from the table, surprising both Eldrie and Alice shocked by Eugeo's outburst.

Eldrie's words, as though spewing out a fire, showed no sign of reaching Kirito's heart either. His half-closed eyes reflected no more than the light from the wavering embers in the stove.

The heavy, lasting silence that descended was punctured by Alice's calm voice, "I am sorry, Eldrie. I am incapable of going with you, after all. It has nothing to do with Kirito's status… I have merely lost the strength to wield my sword. I doubt I could even get a point if I were to cross swords with you now."

"Look, as much as we want to, we would leave. I've known for months, it's like Alice lost the will to fight. What we felt back in that battle, it affected her. I'm sorry Eldrie, but we can't help." Eugeo bowed his head, "And forgive me for shouting, it's been hard for both of us. We just... want to live with Kirito, that's all I want."

Eldrie's two eyes flashed open as though he was taken aback. The prideful knight's face contorted like that of a young boy. That face showed a smile bearing resignation in time.

"…I see. Then I have nothing more to say…" Slowly stretching out his right hand, he started muttering a sacred art. The following quick incantation created two crystal elements and changed their forms into that of extremely thin wine glasses. Picking the wine bottle up from the table, he flicked the tough cork off with just his fingertip. He poured a little of the crimson red fluid into both glasses from the bottle before putting it down, "If I had known we would be bidding each other farewell with this wine, I would have brought along one that was aged for two hundred years old from the East Empire in my collection." Eldrie lifted one of the glasses, downed it in one go, and then gently returned it to the table. He took a bow and stood up, his pure white mantle billowing, "I bid you farewell here, master. Your guidance on my sword and arts shall remain unforgotten as long as this Eldrie lives." he said to Alice. Eugeo put his hands to his lap, looking sad, knowing he wished he could help Alice the way she is, Kirito's condition… He couldn't help the Human Empire again.

"…All the best. I pray you to stay safe." Alice said with a sigh, closing her eyes.

"Eldrie, I know you won't accept what happened, but Kirito did, what we did and I know a part of you would never accept me… But never let the anger and actions of the past affect you. A young foolish boy didn't think rationally, but the lives of his valets, his friends, in danger in more times he could count. Almost killed by goblins, forced to watch something horrible, my anger to the Integrity Knights that I was willing to hurt Deusolbert. But if we were as bad as you think Fanatio wouldn't be alive, Alice wouldn't be alive. Please, move forward, from the foolish boy who should ask to be dead than others knowing my mistakes." Eugeo said, twiddling his fingers unseen by Alice or Eldrie.

Lightly nodding back towards Alice and Eugeo who managed to get those words through her mouth somehow, the integrity knight scraped his boots against the floor as he walked away. Alice could not help but to avert her eyes from his backfilled with unshakable pride. The door opened and closed. A single shrill cry came from Takiguri in the front yard, followed by the sound of flapping wings. Amayori's voice, nasal from her reluctance to part with her brother, pricked Alice's breast.

Though the strong flapping vanished into the distance before long, Alice continued sitting without stirring.

"Alice…" Eugeo spoke up.

Right before the Life of the glasses made from crystal elements expired, she gently lifted one to her lips with her fingertips. The first wine she tasted in this half-year left an aftertaste more bitter and sour than sweet on her tongue. Eugeo took a drink from his glass, it could tell this was fine wine but, how he left things with Eldrie, made it feel bitter to his taste. The three empty glasses scattered into pale light as they disintegrated seconds later.

She pushed the cork back into the bottle, yet to be emptied, and stood up. Moving to the stove, she called out towards Kirito who still sat in silence.

"…I am sorry, you must be tired. It is long past the usual bedtime, after all. Now, let us go to bed. Come on Eugeo." she to the two boys.

"Right," Eugeo replied at once. Getting up from the table and followed Alice to their room. He grabbed his sleep and changed outside, allowing Alice to have privacy and change Kirito without issue. Eugeo changed into his sleepwear, walking to see Alice and Kirito ready for bed. She changed his black robe to his undyed sleepwear before laying him on the bed at the window. Eugeo took his spot on Alice's right, looking blankly at the ceiling.

Even upon bringing up the folded blanket at her feet and covering him up to his neck with it, Kirito's eyes remained half-open, still staring at the ceiling unblinkingly. Alice looked to Eugeo, who sat behind her, putting a solemn hand to her shoulder.

"Blow out the lamp for me please?" she ordered.

"Sure," Eugeo replied, getting off the bed and towards the lamp. The room was filled with pale blue darkness after he blew out the lamp on the wall. He sat beside Alice and Kirito and watched her softly caress his emaciated chest and bony shoulders for several minutes; his eyelids fell only then, as though some source of power he had was cut off. Hr felt sad, wondering how it would feel to have Alice hold him at night. He knows it's to make sure Kirito was okay sleeping but it still helps him feel left out.

She waited until the sleeping Kirito's breathing stabilized before leaving the bed and changing into white sleepwear herself (making Eugeo didn't peak but a moot point since they practically bathed together). Returning to the living room, she checked on Amayori from the window, then extinguished the two lamps and went back to the bedroom.

She lifted the blanket on the bed and slipped in beside Kirito as his faint warmth enveloped her body. Eugeo took his spot on Alice's right, turning over to stare at her. Though closing her single eye would have usually allowed her to flee into her sleep without delay, her drowsiness seemed mostly absent today. The blinding white of the mantle whipping on Eldrie's back as he left remained imprinted on the insides of her eyelids, stinging her eyes. That same pride should have filled her own back in those days. That unshakable resolve surging through her body as energy for protecting the Human Empire, its inhabitants, and the Axiom Church's authority with her, every last drop of that strength had left had a question for Eldrie—for her former disciple. Exactly what do you fight for, now that both the church and the highest minister have been exposed as falsehoods? But she could not ask. None of the integrity knights were informed of the entirety of the highest minister's horrifying scheme aside from Bercouli and herself and all that Eugeo told them was an abridged version of the plans. Not even Eldrie knew the fact that his memory fragment and his most beloved person, reduced to a part of the sword golem, remained on the sealed highest floor. As such, he still believed in the concept of the Axiom Church. He still waits, expectantly, for the day the three goddesses would send a new highest minister to the cathedral to bestow their infallible what should she do, as one aware that the goddesses and the Celestial World were both great lies?

It was perfectly understandable, but Knight Commander Bercouli had to hide half of the truths from the knights to have them prepare for the incoming war. The hesitation currently in her breast would certainly infect the other knights if she was in their presence. Nobody knew if the Defense Army established in haste could repel the coordinated assault from the dark forces. If they broke through the Great East Gate, the monsters thirsting for blood would march on to this remote village sooner or later. Was there no method to avoid that disaster—a certain voice replayed within Alice's mind every time she pondered that?

The two lines that came from that mysterious crystal plate after the battle with the highest minister, before Kirito for the World End Altar. Straight south after you exit the eastern large gate.

She had no recollection of this name, World End Altar in the Sacred Tongue. However, she knew what could be found upon exiting the Great East Gate. The wilderness of the Dark Territory: soil blackened like cinders and skies in the shade of blood reaching out. Neither advance nor escape was easy once one took a step never asked Eugeo if he heard of it, better not stress the young man on the idea of her leaving. Even if she surmounted the outrageous difficulties to reach the altar, what awaited her there? Was there truly someone—or something—capable of protecting the inhabitants of the Human Empire from the dark forces?

Alice tilted her head atop the pillow and stared at the youth stretched out on the other side of the bed. Creeping through the blanket, she moved to Kirito's side. Reaching out her hands after a slight hesitation, she clung onto him like a child spooked by a nightmare. Eugeo could feel it, Alice Zuiberg's words in his head, that Alice might have an uneasy heart in her wavered mind.

No matter how hard Alice drew his dismally thin body closer, the youth who made her heart waver with intensity on a par with flames showed absolutely no reaction. His pulse continued its sluggish pace; his lowered eyelashes remained utterly motionless. He… no, that might no longer be anything more than an empty shell with its soul utterly burnt out. If her sword was now in her right hand… She could bring an end to it all, stabbing their two touching hearts as one.

'I can't... Eugeo would be sad, losing both of us. But I… took him to death with us. We can be together again…' she thought, the idea of suicide, ending their existence, was fresh idea boiling. That momentary thought overflowed from Alice's eyes like tears and fell onto Kirito's nape. "Tell me, Kirito… Eugeo… What should I do…" And Eugeo then turned over to hold her stomach, brushing her hair with his other hand. No answer to her question came. Not from any of the boys, "What… should I…" She moved her eyelids back down and thought to rub Kirito's chest until he went back to sleep. However, Alice finally noticed the youth's abnormal behavior as his soft voice reached her ears.

"Ah… aah…"

"Kirito…?" both asked, getting up from the bed to look at him

Kirito, in his current state, possessed no extraneous needs. He should not awake due to the cold, his thirst, or any such thing. And yet, the youth's trembling grew stronger while his legs moved as though to leave the bed.

"Is something the matter…?"Alice asked. Alice quickly brought herself up, wondering if he had, by some chance, regained his consciousness, and generated a single luminous element as even the time required to light the lamp seemed too precious. Both breathed out a disappointed sigh as she saw only that usual hollow darkness within Kirito's eyes that showed up in the faint white light. But, then, what had. The sound that reached their ears this time came from outside the window.

"Kururu, kurururuu!"

Cries came from Amayori who should have been sleeping in a corner of the vacant land. Sharp, shrill reverberations as though advising her master to stay vigilant. Leaping to the floor, Alice and Eugeo ran to the living room from the bedroom and forced open the entrance door. The cold night air immediately blew in. A strange smell was mixed into the wind that normally smelled only of the forest. It seemed to prick into the depths of her nose; the stench of something burnt. Eugeo felt worried, Alice's memory fragment swings from under his shirt.

They jumped down onto the front yard still barefooted. Alice drew a sharp breath the moment she turned about, scanning through the night sky. The skies to the west were aflame.

The ominous vermilion glow was unmistakably reflected from some humongous inferno. She focused her eye and spotted numerous trails of black smoke across the starry sky, Eugeo as well as who stood with her.

"A bushfire!?" Eugeo exclaimed, looking at Alice

Alice retracted that thought an instant after it came to her. Aboard the burnt, pungent wind faintly reaching her was the noise of metallic clangs. and a clamor of screams.

"No, an enemy assault. From the Dark Territory," she confirmed. The Dark Territory forces were attacking Rulid Village. The two childhood friends screamed, but it wasn't just the former Integrity Knight and Eugeo but Alice Zuberg within Eugeo's mind. Their screams echoing the night sky, their concern for one person in that village who they wouldn't want to be hurt.

"Selka!"

Next Time: Raids

Micheal: It took some time since I started this but we finally start the War of Underworld properly with episode 1. Sadly both part 2 of the anime and Lycoris have been delayed until July and who knows if we still see in July. but despite that, I will still use this time to rewatch Alicization over and over again as I love this arc the most, and writing this what-if will be fun to see what will change with Eugeo along for the ride. Now Episode 1: In the Far North. Is roughly an Alice episode, seeing the former Integrity Knight and what she was doing six months after the fight with the administrator. It was to show this is the world that Kirito and Eugeo risked their lives for. Here, while Eugeo is more the observer to Alice, he sees everything and wonders what they fought for. Now Eugeo's Blue Rose Sword is intact, but Eugeo will give the sword to Kirito and have a new sword forged from the pieces of the Sword Golem. It sounds crazy but if you ever played any RPG, this isn't far-fetch. I haven't thought of a name yet but going off the names of the Divine Weapons, something like that.

Also, yes, Rising Steel fans, Edith is a part of the what-if and becomes a fast friend to Eugeo. And while the moments are small, Eugeo has seen Alice all-natural. It's fun with these small moments to have these two grow close in half a year. I will say before the war begins, they will be the Kirito and Asuna of the Alicization arc. I mean I had Eugeo say 'my life belongs to you', which Kirito said in episode ten of Season 1. So even if he's not doing much, he's there as a support to Alice who you see changing a lot with him and taking care of Kirito. Now Eugeo shouting at Eldrie, I have no idea where it came from but having him realize you should consider your master's feeling helps the scene before them a little more. Yes, Eldrie doesn't accept Eugeo but begrudgingly because of Commander Bercouli but he still must greet Eugeo as a fellow Integrity Knight. Now the status of Eugeo as Synthesis 32 is former because he broke out of the control of Quinella. But since he's one of the few besides the Knights with a Divine Object weapon, he and the Axion Church won't know, he's a new Knight summoned by the gods but no place to go. But it won't stop Eugeo from helping them in the war.

Now then, I already changed Eugeo's fate, but I want to save two others. It won't change the story much, but it does help in the second half of the war. So there's Fanatio's Disciple Dakira, who even has a scout in Rising Steel. Her getting saved won't change the story much but Fanatio won't have to lose two people in her life. Next are Lipia and Vixer from the Dark Territory. They were interesting characters who weren't as evil as the others of the Dark Territory (this role was later taken by the Pugilists and the Orcs). Their deaths were shocking but set up the kind of person Gabriel was. Remove their deaths, they still take part in the war but will defect to the Human empire side at some point. And thanks to Rising Steel confirming Edith knows Lipia, would be a good way to have her meet these two and learn they want peace and join them to defeat their former comrades and help with the American Players.

So a poll will be made after this chapter and the question is:

Who should get a bigger role in the War of Underworld sub-arc

Dakira

Vixer and Lipia

That's all, the next chapter might take some time since much of the episode is going between the real world and the Underworld. Episode 3 is the reveal of the other character in this what-if. And with that, see you next time!