Howdy do everyone! Hope everyone is having an amazing 2021. And if not, things can only get better (I think).
That's enough of that. Thank you to everyone who has been following, faving, and reviewing this story thus far. You guys do honestly help encourage me to write and improve in my writing. Reading over everyone's reviews when they come up really helps me see how everyone is receiving this story. So once more, I whole-heartedly, honestly say "Thank you."
Speaking of, thanks again to Trace Carter for being my beta reader for this fic and helping shape it up.
Disclaimer: Reki Kawahara is the owner/creator of SAO and its content. I own nothing of the franchise.
Now then,
LINK START!
Chapter 16
Dewdrop
The group spent the night at the church the sister they rescued attended, whom they learned was Sister Sasha. At the church, there were dozens of kids that resided in the church. Many of them looked similar in age, being close to 10 by the group's guess, though there were younger ones mixed in among the bunch. They met up with Sister Sasha the following morning to share a meal with her as she watched over the kids. Yui had gotten better since her episode yesterday, and she didn't seem to freak out around Alice now. But that didn't answer why she freaked out at Alice when all she did was take care of the army grunts.
Looking at all the kids gathered in the dining hall, Eugeo commented, "There sure are a lot of kids here. And they are under your care, Sister Sasha?"
"Please, call me Sasha," she replied. "I'm not an official sister of the church. But yes, I take care of all the kids here. Well, they are all orphans really. Most, if not all, of them lost their parents to this place at one time or another. And because they are so young, they can't fend for themselves. I have friends who patrol the other floors looking out for them, and they send them here so I can watch over them until they are ready, or they get adopted by a family. Mostly it's the former."
"It's not too surprising," Kirito pointed out. "Considering most people are just trying to survive, taking in a kid is pretty low on their priority list. Heck, I only know one person who adopted a girl even a little older than the ones you watch over."
Shifting topics, Sasha asked, "By the way, is Yui doing any better?"
"Well, she did get plenty of rest last night, so you tell us," Asuna responded, directing her to the little girl that was eating a piece of bread. Much like the ones Eugeo and Kirito used to get after Alice and Asuna were taken by the Integrity Knight.
"Has Yui had that kind of episode before?" Sasha questioned. "She acted like she was possessed."
"No, that's not what was wrong with her," Alice spoke up. She was sitting with her arms crossed next to Eugeo, her face tight as if peeved. "She was honestly scared of something. What, we don't know. But it never happened, even when we found her."
Asuna took over, explaining, "We found Yui wandering the woods on floor 22. She appears to have lost her memory." Sasha seemed devastated to learn this but didn't interrupt. Asuna, however, was distracted when Yui held out some bread for her to take. "We brought her down to floor 1 to begin looking for her family. Tell me, has there been anyone living on this floor that has lost a little girl like her?"
"I'm afraid no one has mentioned anything like that," Sasha told them. "And I go around looking for lost children to take in. But this is the first time seeing Yui." This disheartened the group. It seemed they would have to move on.
But before they could leave, they heard a loud knock on the door. Alice stood to answer it and found someone peculiar. A woman with grey hair tied in a thin, high ponytail, wearing a green shirt and a black covering around her shoulders. She had on black pants and boots, and gave off an air of authority. Judging by the coloration, Alice surmised this woman was from the Aincrad Liberation Army, along with the notion she was a high-ranking member in the guild.
"Greetings," she spoke once the door opened and Alice appeared, "my name is Yulier. I am with the Aincrad Liberation Army."
Narrowing her eyes, Alice looked on and questioned, "Are you here to discuss our actions with your soldiers yesterday? Because I do not have any more time for this nonsense."
"Goddesses no," Yulier immediately replied. "In fact, I wanted to thank you for what you did, putting those men in their place. I actually have need of your assistance." Looking behind her, Yulier brought up, "Forgive me, but I thought you had some more people with you."
"Follow me, and I will take you to them," Alice instructed. She invited her in and brought her to the table where the others were. After she explained herself, Yulier began to tell them her situation.
"When the guild was first formed long ago, the intention was to distribute information and food to everyone in Aincrad equally, to help them survive in this wretched place," she began to explain. "Every leader who takes over the guild has to swear our oath of providing for even the lowest born. That was the intention, at first."
"But then the guild got too big, and some of the members began to extort the guild's generosity," Kirito surmised.
Yulier nodded, then continued, "We've tried reining in some of those people who would abuse our authority and power, but they always seemed to pop up out of nowhere. The worst of it is a current officer named Kibaou."
"Wait, Kibaou?" Eugeo interjected. "Kirito, Alice, and I came across him when we first came to Aincrad. He told us how to get to the other floors and even gave us Teleport Crystals."
"I'm afraid he's not been very good at doing that for others," Yulier revealed. "Kibaou isn't the first though. His unit would monopolize hunting grounds and rob most people of food or spots to train. This kind of behavior didn't sit well with our current leader, Thinker. To get back into his good graces, Kibaou sent his best men to the front lines to spearhead an attempt at clearing one of the floors." The four remembered Corvatz and his platoon, and the massacre that arose from it. Not to mention three of them were reminded how that battle forced one of their own to nearly sacrifice himself to kill the Dungeon Master.
Yulier went on, "After word of the massacre got out, Thinker announced that Kibaou and his men would be booted from the guild and sent to another floor so they would not terrorize this one. In a last-ditch effort, he asked to negotiate the terms so he wouldn't lose his place in the army. That was three days ago."
"So what happened?" Kirito inquired.
Dipping her head, Yulier answered, "Kibaou lured Thinker into a trap. Beneath this floor, there is a mysterious dungeon that houses monsters far stronger than any we had seen before. Stronger than any on this floor. Thinker went into that dungeon unarmed, as per Kibaou's request. But he hasn't come back, and Kibaou has been spreading rumors and lies to keep anyone from going to help him. Even going so far as barring me, Thinker's second in command, from requesting aid." Shooting to her feet with tears in her eyes, she begged, "When I heard that four powerful swordsmen were in town, I thought this was my chance. So I must ask, no I beg you, help me rescue Thinker."
The four looked at each other after hearing her story, but it wasn't an easy thing to decide. In all their encounters with the army, the people were so prideful and cared little for anyone but themselves. And after hearing Kibaou, a member who did help three of them starting out, was just as corrupt, didn't sit well with them. For a while, they had thought the Aincrad Liberation Army was too corrupt to associate with. That was until Yulier showed up and gave her request. The boys looked at her and were reminded of themselves. How they felt when their friends were taken while they stood powerless to stop it.
That was when Eugeo spoke up and said, "I think we should help her."
"Eugeo, hold on," Alice advised, "we can't guarantee this story is legitimate. For all we know, it could be a ploy. We haven't exactly had good dealings with the army before."
"I'm sorry," Yulier said suddenly, voice breaking as she cried, "I know you have encountered the worst of my people and I have done nothing to prove my honesty. But, when I think of Thinker down there among all those monsters, I can't help but… but…" She couldn't finish her sentence. Filled with compassion, Asuna went over to help comfort her, as did Sister Sasha. That was when the group noticed something on her finger: a ring, much like the ones Asuna and Alice had, paired with a band.
Before anyone could voice an agreement to help, Yui told them, "She's telling the truth. It's alright." They all looked to the little girl, who was smiling as brightly as ever.
"Are you sure Yui?" Eugeo asked. "How can you tell?"
"I'm not sure how, but I know she is," the little girl replied.
Kirito smiled as he affectionately rubbed her head, saying, "Well I was thinking of helping her anyway. I know what it's like to be powerless to protect someone you care about. I mean, that's what started our whole journey here. Right Eugeo?"
"Yeah, it sure is," his friend returned. "I can't just sit by and let her go through this. We'd be glad to help."
"Don't leave me out of it," Asuna retorted with a smile. "I'm coming too. I have as much of a stake in this as you do." Alice seemed to be in an internal debate, but she seemed to have lost with everyone's decision.
"I suppose we can all go," she finally relented.
Hearing their affirmation to her plea, Yulier bowed and said, "Thank you so much. You four must be blessed by the goddesses."
"I wouldn't go that far," Kirito replied. Then he turned to Yui and told her, "You stay here until we get back."
But then, Yui shot back, "No, I'm coming too." Her attitude caught the four off guard, as she hadn't ever behaved like this before.
Sasha tried to offer, "Yui, don't you want to keep the kids company here with me? They might like to play with you."
Once again, Yui argued, "No! I'm staying with Mommy and Daddy."
"Hey, this is dangerous Yui," Asuna chided. "You need to stay where it's safe." To further her refusal, Yui clung onto Kirito's arm. This put them in a precarious situation. She had no means to protect herself and she was still very young. Her Life was much smaller than theirs, so even small attacks could be disastrous. But she was insistent on coming regardless of what they said. Thus, they had no other choice.
The dungeon where Thinker was had been under the palace structure in the central courtyard, which Yulier explained was called the Black Iron Palace. It was here where the entrance to this ultra-powerful dungeon lay. No one knew of its existence until a few decades ago, when the people on the front lines got so far into the castle. As such, not even they knew of its existence. But the four followed Yulier inside, all geared up for fights that would inevitably come.
Yui was on Kirito's shoulders as they went, the two she considered her parents talking with her and each other about different things. Alice, who was a bit of a ways back, kept her eye on Yui. She behaved so strangely to anyone she had known, even for a child of her age. It unnerved her. Mostly since Yui had the strangest circumstances revolving around her and what happened to her. Things felt off.
Beside her, Eugeo noticed her gazing at the little girl, and asked, "Why are you so bothered by Yui?"
Not breaking her gaze, Alice replied, "You don't think it's strange how a little girl just happened to be in the forest on the floor the four of us were living on? I think she might be something far more sinister."
"Alice, you need to loosen up," Eugeo urged her. "Yui is just a child. Until she regains her memory, we need to help her."
"I was once a child Eugeo," Alice retorted, "and an Integrity Knight deemed me dangerous enough to remove me from my home and bring me to the Pontifex. Do not be too caught up in appearances. Some things are often hidden that hold dangerous secrets." Eugeo decided not to argue the point further. If Alice was going to be this skeptical, there was no deterring her.
Partway through their journey, the group encounter monsters that looked like large toads. Kirito and Eugeo surged forth, cutting them down with ferocity. Yui watched on with glee as she watched the boys work, while their partners stayed behind with Yui and Yulier.
"I should be helping them," Yulier spoke up, "seeing as how this is my mess I brought you all in."
But Asuna reassured, "Don't worry about it. Those two may not look like it, but they were trained at the Imperial Swordcraft Academy not too long ago. This is basically just a warmup for them."
"Besides, those two work best on their own at times," Alice added. "They move with each other as if united in mind and spirit. So it's always best to step back when they get like that." Yulier consented to that notion, and they watched as the boys finished slaying their opponents. Their movements in sync, they flicked the green blood from the toads off their swords before putting them away. Then Kirito broke away when he seemed to have spotted something. Eugeo watched on questioningly while the ladies soon joined them.
"Kirito, what in Stacia's good graces are you doing?" Alice asked. Before long, Kirito stood up and held what looked like a piece of the toad's meat. Unnerved, Asuna asked, "Kirito, what the hell is that?"
"Toad meat, what else?" Kirito replied as if this was a nice find. "Think you could cook it up for us back home."
"Not on your life!" Asuna shrieked as she took the meat he had and chucked it to the other side of the corridor.
"What the hell was that for?!" Kirito exclaimed. "That was some good meat." Asuna didn't change her demeanor at this, and the boy went down and brought up an armful of the meat, much to her disgust. "Come on, we can't waste good food," he argued. From there, the two fought intensely over the efficacy of eating toad meat. Eugeo and Alice watched on, the former nervous and unsure while the latter looked on with a deadened expression. Although, Yulier watched the scene play out and let out a small laugh.
"You're smiling," Yui pointed out, drawing everyone's attention. She looked up at Yulier, and told her, "You look much better when you're smiling." This seemed to allow her to let down her guard and give a healthy laugh. The others couldn't help but smile at seeing Yulier so relaxed. Considering she had been a bit uptight to this point, it was nice to know she wasn't always so serious.
With that, the group ventured on, going deeper and deeper into the dungeon. They were only fortunate Eugeo had the foresight to bring materials to draw up a map with, but the dungeon was far different from the ones on the higher floors. This one had levels that went further down as compared to what they normally traversed. He had to adjust what he drew as they descended to indicate the different layers to this dungeon that existed. They would run across more monsters that festered down this area, but they were surprisingly easy to deal with.
Eventually, they reached a corridor that had a brightly lit room up ahead. Yulier looked on, and informed, "There's someone inside that room. I think it's Thinker."
"That does look like a safe zone he's in," Asuna figured.
Yulier didn't listen, running on ahead of the group to get to Thinker. The four followed after with Eugeo giving Yui a piggyback ride.
As they got closer, the two heard Thinker call out to Yulier, who then called back, "Thinker!"
But then,
"Stay away!" The group heard Thinker shout.
And an ominous feeling arose from within the corridor, causing the four to tense. Acting on instinct, Kirito rushed forward and grabbed Yulier, drawing his sword. It was a fortunate thing he did, as a gigantic scythe dropped down where Yulier would have been had he not acted, making contact with his sword. Then the owner of the scythe revealed itself as the floor seemed to change in appearance, becoming like the night sky. The creature wielding the scythe was a cloaked being floating off the ground, with a head like some bizarre skull.
Kirito rose to engage this monster, exclaiming, "What the hell kind of monster is that?"
"It's nothing I have ever seen before," Alice commented, drawing her own sword to stand alongside him. "I doubt even the heads of the tribes in the Dark Territory could ever compare to this." She then drew up the Stacia Window for it while there was a lull in battle and discerned its identity. "It's called the Dread Scythe," she relayed. But when she saw its Life value, she exclaimed, "This thing has more Life than even the Gigas Cedar. More than the Central Cathedral." This shocked the group. If it had so much Life, how were they to fend it off?
But they had bigger priorities, as Kirito instructed, "Asuna, get Yulier and Yui to the safe zone." Asuna complied without a fuss, while the three readied themselves to engage.
The Dread Scythe spun its weapon before rearing for an attack. The three jumped out of the way and Eugeo rushed it while it was stalled. With a great cry he leaped up and swung at it. But his sword, for whatever reason, phased right through it. He didn't understand how he could have missed. As the Dread Scythe turned around, Kirito tried using Vertical Arc to attack. But his sword didn't even land a single blow.
Backing away, he called out, "What the hell? Our swords aren't doing anything."
Raising her free hand, Alice commanded, "System Call. Generate Luminous Element, Arrow Shape." Once they formed, she barked, "Discharge!" And the arrows launched at it. But they too went right through it. "It's not just swords," she reported. "This monster seems to be untouchable."
"Then we need to retreat," Eugeo called out. He pulled out his Teleport Crystal and proclaimed, "Teleport: Town of Beginnings!" But nothing happened. The crystal was inert. Eugeo tried once more with the same result, not being aware of the Dread Scythe looming over him. Alice, seeing this, rushed over and managed to tackle him out of the way of the next attack. However, the scythe still managed to graze her shoulder where it was exposed. As they collapsed, Alice seethed with pain and used her hand to apply pressure on the wound.
"This injury," she muttered to Eugeo, "it's not like anything I have felt. It's almost as if the monster struck something deeper inside me." Eugeo looked up as the Dread Scythe came over, but three ice shards shot through its head. This drew its attention back at Kirito, who had tried using other elements to attack it. Asuna had joined him, rapier ready to confront this phantom.
"Eugeo, Alice, Yulier and Thinker are taking Yui back to the Town of Beginnings," she informed them. "The Teleport Crystals only work in the safe zone here."
Hearing this, Eugeo returned, "We need to get in there and escape ourselves. Alice says this thing hurts more than just our bodies. We need to retreat." Just then, the Dread Scythe wound up for an attack. Asuna and Kirito brought their blades forward to attempt to block it. But they were overpowered and sent flying over to the safe zone entrance. Rattled, the two struggled to get back to their feet as it floated over to them. That was when Yui came in between them.
"Yui, get out of here!" Asuna cried out. But the girl didn't budge.
Instead, she assured, "It'll be alright, Daddy, Mommy." The Dead Scythe moved to attack while the girl held out her left hand. "System Call. Nullify." Somehow, the scythe bounced off something protecting Yui, shocking the four.
"A Sacred Art?" Alice questioned, stunned by what she saw. "But, I've never heard nor seen such an art anywhere in the church. Not even when I looked at the highest levels."
The girl then picked up what looked like a metal shard, and uttered, "System Call. Redefine Object. Sword Class." The shard quickly changed and became a sword far longer than any known to man, red in color with a large cross guard. "Generate Thermal Element, Whirlwind Shape." Then the sword became coated in flames. Jumping high into the air on some divine power, Yui brought her sword up and slammed it down. The Dread Scythe tried to block it, but this caused the flames to engulf it. Rapidly, it was being consumed in flame until nothing remained. After it was done, the sword in Yui's hands disintegrated into fragments as she floated to the ground. She then walked over to Alice, who was still too stunned to move. "System Call. Restoration Principle Delta to Unit ID 030." Her hand glowed before resting over the wound on her shoulder, sealing Alice's wound and restoring whatever damage the Dread Scythe had done.
Kirito and Asuna came up to their friends, battered but recovering. And it was then Yui told them, "Daddy, Mommy, Uncle, Auntie, I remember now. I remember everything."
Inside the safe zone on top of a slab of obsidian, the four faced Yui as she sat on the stone, waiting for her to tell them what she remembered.
Thus Yui began, "In order to explain who I am, I must first tell you about the origins of Underworld and Aincrad." With that, she told them, "About 450 years ago, before any records of the Human Empire could be found, the goddesses Stacia, Solus, and Terreria began to shape this world. Their adversary, the dark god Vecta, had begun to tarnish the land that existed, infecting it with his malice and corruption. They saved a small pocket from his influence, creating the End Mountains to act as a barrier between the land that would be the Human Empire and the Dark Territory. Then, Terreria created life from the earth in this land, which became the beasts, birds, and fish along with the plant life that would follow. Solus formed the sky and placed the sun to bring light to this land. But the land was incomplete, as one more important aspect was missing.
"So the goddesses decided to make beings in the images of the gods themselves. Thus she molded the first humans; the progenitors. There were four at first: two male and two female. Stacia and the other two taught them what they could to live, as well as laws they must abide by. These humans were children at first, so the goddesses lived among them until they were old enough to fend for themselves. Then, they returned to the heavens.
"But one of these humans came in contact with Vecta and became corrupted. He was taught of things the goddesses tried to protect them from: vanity, greed, and pride. This progenitor's children grew to start the idea of nobility. And it was in this lineage that three youths came to be that would reshape the world. These youths were born about 350 years ago, when the Human Empire was beginning to arise. Their names were Akihiko Kayaba, Sugou Nobuyuki, and Quinella Grace.
"Each of them had a Calling that involved studying the powers the goddesses granted to humanity, like the Sacred Arts. At first, they studied them separately. But one day, while experimenting with an aspect of her person, Quinella met Kayaba and Sugou. The three formed a fast friendship, and even made a pledge to always be friends no matter what happened. But as they grew up, learning as much as they could, a rift was created between them.
"Quinella, as a noble, desired power to control all life. She wanted to rule people and be the absolute authority. This clashed with Kayaba, who always dreamed of a floating castle with 100 floors, with towns, villages, and all kinds of environments. Both were ambitious and had the power to see their visions come true. But the third of their group, Sugou, became jealous of their prowess. While he was a great intellectual, he held no power like they did. He yearned for power, obsessed over it. He wanted to be equal or greater than his friends, usurp them in any way he could. But in his pursuit, Sugou lost his life. But in losing it, he was reborn in a new world, and became something else entirely.
"Almost 50 years later, the three began to create their ideal worlds. Quinella constructed the Central Cathedral and started the Axiom Church, ruling over the people by creating laws the goddesses had given them along with additional laws made by the rulers of the four empires. Kayaba created his floating castle by taking lands outside the Human Empire, revitalizing them with incredible Sacred Arts and further fulfilling his world. And Sugou remained in his world, dubbing himself its god. And they strayed apart. This was how the world we know came to be 300 years ago."
Taking a moment in the story, Eugeo pointed out, "But that's not what the church taught us. It said the goddesses created everything we see today. That includes Aincrad. And no one can live forever, but we know Kayaba is here."
Taking his question in stride, Yui explained, "The three friends did learn of a special Sacred Art that would reverse their aging, making them live forever. Thus they are immortal. Further, to solidify her power, Quinella destroyed any records prior to her ascension, only retaining those telling of the goddesses creating the world. In this way, she would be unchallenged as the ultimate figure in the Human Empire." Eugeo backed down after that explanation, allowing Yui to continue her story.
"Sometime after they created their respective worlds, a prophecy came forth from a seer. She said that the Dark Territory would one day invade and raze their world. But hope would come when the goddesses returned, selecting vessels to house their power and allow them to walk amongst the very beings they created. They said that the vessels would come from the line of humans uncorrupted by Vecta's influence. Children born from the progenitors that maintained their faith and practices given to them by the goddesses.
"Hearing this, Quinella became spiteful and paranoid. So she immediately summoned every child she could find to discern who would be the vessels. But she found that none of the children she summoned were the chosen vessels. It was then that Sugou, whom she told of the prophecy, proposed a dark and dangerous plan: that they would find the vessels and steal the goddess's powers when they came. In essence, they would become gods themselves, usurping all power in the world.
"For an entire century they searched but found nothing. Whether the goddesses know of their scheme or not, they would not be easily found. For the lineage Quinella seeks lies not in the capital or noble cities, but a village on the outskirts, far away from her reach and protected from her pursuits. In this day, it would be called Rulid."
The three were shocked at this news. Their little village was part of the lineage of the faithful progenitors? But then, who were the vessels of the goddesses? But Yui pressed on:
"One attempt was to create a second agent like herself, with her authority and power, to seek out these vessels. Thus Quinella brought in a girl to remake. This child was, sadly, of Kayaba's bloodline. Breaking the truce between the three, Quinella underwent a ritual that would share her power in this child.
"But she wasn't able to complete it, as Kayaba came upon her in outrage that she would do such a thing. Some of the transfer succeeded, however, leaving the girl a blank slate. In their conflict, Kayaba's words reached her, telling her to dethrone Quinella and protect the vessels. With her directive, the girl awoke and fought alongside Kayaba. Even with the two of them, they were outmatched. Especially when Sugou interceded and sided with Quinella. They were forced to retreat, in a place hidden from even Quinella. Having lost a child to her, Kayaba took this one under his wing and taught her all he could, as well as using the life-extending art he used on himself. And he gave her a new name: Cardinal.
"Cardinal then became Kayaba's eyes and ears in Underworld, using arts that allowed her to use small creatures like insects and other animals to observe the world and find those that would be potential vessels. For 200 years she did this. And then, 20 years ago, the first of these vessels was found. Cardinal informed Kayaba, and he went to the village to find them. Keeping himself hidden, Kayaba found the one who would be Stacia's vessel."
Looking up at Asuna, Yui revealed, "That child was you, Asuna Yuuki."
Asuna was in shock. She backed up against the wall, horrified by what she learned. "I'm… a vessel?" she gasped.
The others were just as stunned. Their friend was chosen to house the power of one of the goddesses? The goddess of creation, no less. They didn't understand. But they didn't dare refute what Yui told them, seeing as she seemed to know so much already.
Yui continued, "Kayaba knew someday, in this era, the Dark Territory would invade our world. And when they do, Stacia would come upon you and endow you with her power. But he also knew there was a risk. For when she comes, along with the other goddesses, she may very well overwrite your soul. And you would disappear forever.
"This was something Kayaba wanted to prevent, but he knew that the prophecy must be fulfilled to save our world from destruction. And so he watched over you when he could, tasking Cardinal with supervision when he had to return to Aincrad. On one visit, he saw something he thought he'd never see. The four of you making an oath, an oath in the sacred tongue."
"But we made that oath because we wanted to be together forever," Kirito tried to reason.
"What you did isn't wrong," Yui assured them. "Far from it. What you did, making that oath, has set the four of you apart from all humans. Everyone in these worlds submits to the way it runs. Its laws and rules are absolute to everyone.
"But you four, making that oath, broke you free of its influence. That is why you feel differently from those around you. And it also influences the people you encounter. Your very presence reshapes this world, returning it to what the goddesses intended. A world full of life and love, freed from Vecta's corruption."
Alice then spoke up, "But what about you? How do you fit in with all of this? How do you know all of this?"
Eyes shadowed by her bangs, Yui answered, "Because I was someone brought before Quinella to see if I could be a vessel. Unlike the others before me, Quinella was convinced I was a vessel despite everything saying otherwise. So she cast a Deep Freeze art on me and sealed me in a vault. Cardinal and Kayaba found me while fleeing and took me with them.
"It took Cardinal centuries to undo the Deep Freeze, but about a year ago I was freed. Cardinal saw where you four went thanks to her agents, and waited for when you were reunited and restored. After the union ceremony you held, she sent me here to meet with you and bring you to her to fight Quinella. But something happened that robbed me of my memory until coming to this place and seeing you all in mortal peril.
"But really, that's all I am. An agent to help in the fight against the ones who ruined this world."
There was so much for the friends to take in, a lot of it jarring for both their beliefs and emotions. The world they had been living in had been corrupted for so long, dating back to the first humans. The leaders of the different places like Underworld and Aincrad had god-like powers and seemed to be seeking more. Not to mention that Asuna was supposed to be a vessel for Stacia, the Goddess of Creation. And even more startling was that Yui had been ripped from her parents and then released who knows how long after, simply to find them. It was tough to swallow all of this, considering how it rattled their world views.
But then, Alice went over and knelt before Yui. Taking a breath, she told her, "Yui, thank you for telling us these things. I can't say I believe everything you have told us, but too much of it is too bizarre not to believe in. But I can understand how you must be thinking, having to bear all this knowledge. But there is one thing you are wrong in." Yui looked up at her, looking dejected. The other three were apprehensive at what Alice was going to say next considering her disposition towards the girl for the past couple of days.
Then, Alice said, "You aren't just some agent for Cardinal. You aren't some suspect in a search for the vessels. You are Yui, a beautiful little girl with the brightest future in all the land. You are your own person, and as such you are free to decide things for yourself. So tell us; what do you want most of all?"
With tears streaming down her face, Yui muttered, "What I want…? I want… I want…" She reached out her hands to the four, and cried, "I want to stay with you. I want to stay with all of you." Moved to tears, Asuna hurried over and embraced Yui tightly. Kirito came behind her, wrapping the two girls in a tight embrace. Eugeo and Alice came after, holding everyone together.
"Daddy… Mommy…" Yui cried against them.
"We're here Yui," Asuna returned tearfully. "We're here with you."
"You're our child," Kirito contributed. "We'll always be with you."
"And so will your Auntie and Uncle," Eugeo added, with Alice nodding wordlessly. When he next looked down at Yui, he noticed something happening with her hands. It was almost as if they were deteriorating, turning into specks of golden light. "Yui, what's happening to you?" he asked, bringing everyone's attention to the occurrence.
Somberly, Yui informed them, "The Sacred Arts I used were beyond my Authority. I was only able to cast them thanks to my connection to Cardinal. The aftereffects have now caught up to me. Now I will fade away."
Horrified, Asuna protested, "You can't! You can't go. You have a family, a future. You're our daughter." The little girl looked up with a sad smile as the process began working up her arms.
"Mommy, Daddy, Uncle, Auntie, change this world," she requested. "You are the only ones who can make it what the goddesses wanted; what humanity was meant to be. Make this world what it was meant to be." Asuna clung to Yui, desperate to keep her from fading. But it was a futile gesture as more and more of her body began deteriorating. The boys were too stunned to move or think.
But Alice stood with her hand outstretched, commanding, "Asuna, step aside. I'm going to save Yui." Asuna didn't comply at first, but Kirito helped urge her aside. With the path clear, Alice called, "System Call. Target Unit Front." Immediately, circles and glyphs of an unknown origin circled around the girl. "Cancel System Destruction." The circles went up and down at her behest, somehow generating energy into Yui's body. But even with the Sacred Art working, her body kept deteriorating.
"Damn it all!" Alice swore. "It's not working. I can't stop the process."
Standing next to her, Kirito stretched out his hand alongside Alice. "I'll help," he told her. "The two of us should be able to do something."
Taking Alice's other side, Eugeo added, "Me too. I want to save Yui as well." Asuna went next to Kirito, taking the same posture.
The circles included a combination of colors, including gold, purple, blue, and white. They all acted rapidly in the group's efforts to save Yui. But even with the four of them, it was only delaying the inevitable.
"It's no good," Alice said with a grimace. "There's too much damage."
Thinking fast, Kirito suggested, "Let's do something else. Rather than stop her from disappearing, we change her into something small. Something that can hold her essence. Her heart."
Striking on an idea, Alice instructed, "Follow my lead." Then she recited, "System Call! Reconfigure!" The circles wrapped around Yui's remaining body, causing it to glow and nearly blind the four with its light. They concentrated as hard as they could on their effort to save her.
In the midst of this, a voice spoke out among the four, one Kirito remembered hearing before;
You all are that set on saving her, aren't you? You people… Very well. I will help you preserve her.
After a while, as the light condensed into a smaller form, a small explosion knocked them all to the ground. None of them were hurt, but they were still rattled by the explosion. Upon looking up, they saw that Yui was gone.
"No," Asuna gasped, tears streaming down her face as she feared the worst. But then Kirito thrust his hand at her, closed around something. She held out hers to receive, and he dropped a small gemstone that looked like a dewdrop.
Seeing the end result, Alice explained, "We couldn't keep her from disappearing, so I had to preserve her essence in something small. Similar to a few results of memory capture high priests attempt."
Looking down and cradling the stone, Asuna voiced breathlessly, "Then this is—"
"Yeah," Kirito spoke up, "that's Yui's Heart." The chestnut-haired girl held the stone close to her chest, and her partner embraced her tightly.
After returning to town and finding Yulier and Thinker had returned safely, the four decided to head home while the leader and his Vice Commander assured them they would fix the corruption of the army, starting with Kibaou. The four returned to the forest on floor 22, making their way back to their home. Yui's Heart dangled from a necklace Kirito strung together that Asuna wore, its blue light gleaming in the sun.
Part way back, Eugeo brought up, "Hey Kirito, I think I have a name for your sword now."
As they all stopped, Kirito looked back and asked, "Oh? What brought this on?"
"Just something I remembered," he mentioned. "During your duel with Volo, I remember seeing little lights gather into the blade that seemed to enhance it. Those lights also made me think about that room with the Dread Scythe, the one that looked like a night sky. And it hit me, that's what your sword should be called: the Night Sky Blade."
Kirito looked over his shoulder to see the handle of his sword, uttering aloud, "The Night Sky Blade, huh?"
"I like it," Asuna voiced her approval. "It's a wonderful name, and it's unique to it and to you."
"I daresay there hasn't been a better name for a sword than that," Alice commented merrily.
Smiling back at them, Kirito declared, "Alright. Then this is my Night Sky Blade. The name of my sword." The three all agreed upon the name before resuming their trek.
As they walked, Eugeo trailed slightly behind while looking to his friend. Kirito had garnered so much attention and praise, and he more than earned it. But even now, Eugeo felt like Kirito was becoming someone everyone could look to. He himself knew he couldn't have left Rulid on his own. But it made him begin to wonder about himself and what he had to offer.
Kirito had developed a new sword fighting style in the form of Dual Wielding, something not even he would have attempted at the time Kirito first used it. Asuna had become the Vice Commander of a respectable guild in Aincrad. And Alice was a proud Integrity Knight with amazing skill over Sacred Arts. But him? What did Eugeo contribute in the grand scheme of things? Looking back, he could find nothing noteworthy compared to his friends. It seemed all he would ever do was exist in his friends' shadows. Perhaps that was to be his fate, to fade into obscurity. But looking back at Alice, he knew that as long as he did what he could for her, he needed nothing else.
Later Asuna asked, "Will we be able to restore Yui?"
"Perhaps if we find this Cardinal person, they can help," Alice replied. "Yui did say she was who sent her. If anyone can bring her back, it would be someone like her." Asuna nodded, holding the stone between her fingers. The heart of hers and Kirito's first child.
But one question did remain: Who was the person that spoke to them while they tried to save Yui? And where could they be?