Chapter 14: Moonlit Skies


Monday, July 6, 2026

5:10 PM, RATH

"Are you ready for this?"

It's a little late for Miss Aki to be asking that question. Asuna and I had already changed into our hospital gowns and had the saline IV hooked up. At this point, it was too late to back out.

"Yeah," Asuna and I said together.

Asuna didn't flinch as she continued, "Ready as we'll ever be."

"Okay, Asuna, Kana."

Asuna and I looked up at the intercom that Higa's tinny voice had just come through.

"A couple reminders before I log you in. You're using superuser accounts. Asuna, you'll be using superuser account 01, Stacia, the Goddess of Creation. Kana, yours is account 05, Lunaria, the Goddess of the Moon. Stacia's account gives Asuna admin privileges that include unlimited manipulation of the landscape, but be careful with it. When you change the terrain, the flow of the mnemonic data between your STL and the Underworld's Main Visualizer is gonna be massive. I'm talking, overloading your Fluctlight massive. It should be fine if you change the terrain up a few times. Just, try not to overdo it. You'll know you are if your head starts hurting. If it does, stop. Got it?"

"Got it," Asuna said firmly.

I get the feeling she'll ignore that warning. I remember her SAO days.

"An' what about me? Do I get any cool toys ta play with?"

Higa chuckled. "Well, Lunaria doesn't have anything like that. Instead, you can use commands that will generate objects. The trick is, you don't need to specify any parameters. Just picture it in your mind, and the commands will pull the mental image from the STL connection."

I grinned. "Cool. Sounds like a neat party trick."

Once Higa was finished, Miss Aki looked at us. "All right. It's up to you two now. Go get them."

Asuna and I looked at each other and shared a confident grin. "See you in a bit," Asuna said.

"The boys'll be in good hands," I said.

I leaned back and got comfortable in the shell of the STL. For the second time in as many days, the hatch slide over my head and I closed my eyes, quietly glad I really wasn't claustrophobic. It clicked into place and then started humming with power as it started up.

Nyeheheh. "Link Start!"

"You really don't have to say that..."

Before I could shoot back with another joke disappoint Asuna more, the STL finished its start up sequence and my consciousness was yanked away.

...

November 7th, 380 HE

Dark Territory, Underworld

"Laaa-"

"Yer power's pretty loud, A-chan. Wonder if mine comes with a built-in chorus too? Nyeheheh."

Asuna puffed her cheeks out. "I didn't choose this. It's pretty, though."

I grinned. "Sure is. Pretty lights fer a pretty gal."

"E-Enough out of you!"

The Greek chorus finally died away and we turned our attention down to the people that had been watching the show in the sky. Two young girl in simple grey tunic stared up at us, one with tea-colored hair tied into small twin-tails and one with long red hair. A bunch of soldiers with swords drawn were right behind them. Their mouths were all open after the show Asuna put on. And, with her arms around the twin-tails girl...

I grinned. "Hey! That's Ricchan! Higa got us in the right place after all."

"We should - nngh!"

Instantly, I looked at Asuna with concern. The girl was still glowing a little bit so I couldn't exactly tell if she was pale at all, but the grimace of pain and the way she pressed her hand to her forehead told me everything I needed to know.

So, I thwapped her gently on the shoulder. "Already? Can't ya take it easy fer like, five seconds, A-chan?"

"Sorry... But, I guess I overdid it on the first try," she said.

"Maybe makin' two huge chasms like that was a bit much."

The two of us descended towards the ground rapidly. Partially because it was safer than staying up here in the air when we were shining like nice, juicy targets; and partially because the sooner we could see Rythin and Kirito, the better. C'mon, Ry, Ritsu had better know where you are...

Our shining auras finally disappeared as we landed, leaving us illuminated solely by the aurora that Asuna had created earlier. It cast a green tint over everything it touched.

"Lady Stacia?"

The hesitant voice came from behind us. Asuna and I turned around to see the twin-tailed girl looking at us with wide eyes. "Are you... her? The goddess?"

We weren't, but it made sense. We were using the avatars of the goddesses, after all, and they came with special equipment for us to use. Asuna had a beautiful white dress on that seemed like it was sewn together from a bunch of silky strips of fabric, along with a few wing-like decorations around her head. Me, on the other hand, had a silky blue and silver dress that rippled in the wind, along with a fancy ribbon that wrapped around my shoulders and twisted freely in the air like one of those fancy statues.

Asuna shook her head. "No. I'm sorry. We're definitely not goddesses."

"But you... I mean, you just performed a miracle! Everyone owes you their lives! You've saved the guards, and the priests, and me, and Rythin too," the girl said.

"Ronie... I know it's hard to believe, but these two aren't gods," Ritsu said.

I grinned. "Heya, Ricchan." She blinked a few times in surprise at the affectionate nickname I gave her. "That gal just said Rythin, right? Is... We've come to see him. Where is he?"

Ritsu nodded. "He's in the wagons nearby. I'll take you to see him."

"Y-You know Lady Stacia and Lady Lunaria, Ritsu?" the now-named Ronie gasped.

"Like A-chan said, we're not the real deal," I said to the girl. She squeaked. "But since you know his name, ya must be... lookin' out fer him. Thank you. Thank you for keepin' him safe."

Tears beaded at my eyes and I took a second to dab at my eyes with the flowing sleeves of my robe. Asuna might get upset if it were any other situation, but I can deal with a lack of manners right now. Since she didn't say anything, I think even Asuna was okay with letting it slide this time.

The soldiers that had been staring at us slowly dispersed, though I definitely heard the whispers starting as we walked through their little camp. "I hope this isn't all of the army," I whispered to Ritsu.

"It's not," she replied. "This is just the Supply Corps. I'll explain later, okay?"

"Y-Yeah."

Ritsu, Ronie, and the red-haired girl led us to one of the wagons near the edge of the camp. It was made out of wood and covered with a tarp, but there was light shining from the windows of the entrance in the back. I climbed up the rough wooden steps, but stopped before I let myself open the door.

I'll admit it. I'm scared. I'm scared of what I'll see. Is he going to be hurt? Afraid, scared, lonely? When he was lying on the ground of the real world and not breathing, my stomach felt like it had vanished. I don't... I don't want to see him hurt like that ever again.

"It's okay, Argo."

Asuna's comforting embrace wrapped around my shoulders.

"He'll be fine. Once you get in there and talk to him, he'll come right back."

"...Yeah, you're right." I sniffled. "W-What am I doing, getting worried like this? Yer Big Sis Argo has ta set the example."

Asuna nodded. "That's right. So let's go see him."

The iron handle turned under my hands and I pushed the door open. I stepped inside, followed shortly by Asuna and the other two. It was a little hard to see in the gloom, but there was a figure in the back of the wagon. My eyes adjusted and...

Oh.

Oh, Rythin.

The sight of my beloved sitting in the wheelchair wasn't the worst thing it could have been. He was dressed in a simple red tunic and brown pants, but they were made from nice materials and looked soft. Grey blankets were carefully tucked around his shoulders and legs, and his hands were under the covers. G-Good, that's good, because his hands are always super cold... And he didn't seem emaciated or injured in any way at all.

But his eyes. The empty, blank stare that didn't react when I stood right in front of him. That hurt more than I could have possibly expected.

"Ry."

My quiet voice slipped out of me without intent, but -

His hand twitched. Something about my voice must have reached his soul, deep in the Fluctlight. When I called him, he reacted. That proved it. No matter what, he was in there.

He straightened up just a tiny amount, leaning his head back to stare at me with those empty eyes. And... And Rythin's mouth worked without making sounds, like he was trying to sound out my name. Ah-r-go.

When a single tear trickled down his right cheek, splashing onto the blanket and disappearing, I couldn't stop myself. I crossed the distance between us in an instant and hugged him with all my might.

"Ry, ya did yer best," I said desperately. "It's okay. Ya did yer best an' I'm not mad at ya at all."

After a second, I collected myself and backed up. Asuna had been waiting patiently for me to finish so she wouldn't interrupt, but now that I'd had my private time with him she could say hello to the guy she thought of as a brother. And, still loved a little bit.

It wasn't like she was obvious about it, but I knew the little signs. The way she looked at him and ran her fingers through his hair, how she sighed with fond irritation when he was acting particularly irritating... I knew 'cause I liked doing that, and I sighed the exact same way when he was being annoying.

Anyway, I was totally fine with it, honestly. As long as everyone involved asked permission and didn't hide secrets, it was fine!

While Asuna had her private moment with Rythin, I turned to look at the two girls behind me. Ronie was watching with wide eyes as two 'goddesses' hugged an Integrity Knight, but Ritsu's gaze held something a little bit more bittersweet.

...Hmm...

"Thankies, both 'a ya," I said gently. "Fer keepin' him safe, and lettin' us see him." I ignored the way Ronie wiped at her eyes out of consideration for the younger girl. "Hey, Ricchan? We gotta talk 'bout somethin' later."

Ritsu blinked once and nodded. "Sure! Let me know when you want to talk, Argo."

"Um..." the red-haired girl - who, according to Ritsu, was named Tiese - said slowly, "if you two aren't Lady Stacia and Lady Lunaria, then who are you? And where are you from?"

"I'm Argo, nice ta meetcha. Th' cutie behind me is Asuna. Right, A-chan?" I grinned at Asuna as the taller, beautiful girl gracefully stood next to me.

Asuna smiled and nodded. "Thank you for looking after my brother," she said. "Like Argo said, my name is Asuna. We're human, just like you. And, we come from the same place as Rythin and Kirito. Not from this world... another one."

Ronie blinked. "You're not from here? And neither is Rythin... or my mentor, Kirito? But... What world? The only other one is Heaven! Is that where you're from? The home of the three goddesses of creation, the gods who control the elements, and the angels? If Rythin is your brother, then does that mean, he's a god too?"

I grinned. "Nya hah hah! Nothin' like that. Though, we do come from a world outside 'a this one."

"I'm sorry," Asuna said, and sighed. "It's kind of complicated to explain. Maybe the best thing would be for us to talk to whoever's in charge here. Can you take me to them?"

"Y-Yes, of course. Please follow us. We'll take you right to him." Tiese slipped right back into polite formality as she gestured towards the door.

Asuna followed them, but I took a split second to dart back to Rythin's side and press a small kiss to his cheek.

"Ya better come back soon, got it? Yer rackin' up punishments by the second fer makin' me worry..."

If he heard my quiet whisper, Rythin didn't show any sign of it.

I stood up and stretched. This dress was pretty, but it was so fancy I kept feeling like I was gonna tear it if I moved the wrong way. I bet A-chan's was way more comfortable.

Speaking of Asuna, she was waiting for me to finish my goodbye to Rythin at the door. When I nodded, she opened the door and stepped outside -

The glint of something golden barreling towards us was the only hint of the instant attack waiting, but A-chan didn't get the name Lightning Flash for nothing. I had barely enough time to duck back into the safety of the wagon, but that was enough time for Asuna to see the golden light, jump from the wagon's steps, and draw the rapier sheathed on her waist.

She barely parried the blow, and the golden light resolved itself into a flurry of... petals? They formed back into a golden blade in the hands of a long-haired blonde girl wearing a knight's golden and blue armor.

Goldilocks swung her sword again before the sound of the first clash of metal had stopped ringing through the air.

*Clang! Clang!*

Asuna didn't back down, though. She blocked the attack and countered with some thrusts of her own. After the blur of motion and speed ended, Asuna and Goldilocks were matched more or less evenly, their blades struggling between their bodies. Behind them, Ronie, Tiese, and Ritsu could only watch.

I wasn't just watching from the safety of the wagon. (No matter how much I wanted to just sit and watch Asuna go to town.) My hands reached towards the shining claws hanging from my right hip, and slipped into the familiar feeling. I wasn't going to let her fight alone -

"Alice, wait!"

Both Goldilocks and Asuna's eyes widened.

Wait, this was Alice?

Wait, that voice was -!

""Kirito!"" Asuna and 'Alice' exclaimed at the same time. Then, their eyes met again and I could swear I saw sparks flying between them.

Our faithful boy in black was running towards us. He was dressed pretty similarly to Ronie, though in a fancier, male version of what the twin-tailed girl was wearing. Naturally, it was black, and lined with white along the edges.

"These strange women went near Rythin!" Alice said. "Who are they!?"

"Alice, stop, it's fine, I know them!"

Kirito slid to a halt and leaned over with his hands on his knees, panting for breath.

"...You gotta work on your stamina, Kii-boy. An' I won't even charge ya fer the tip."

"Thanks, Argo," he grumbled sourly. "It's good to see you too."

Alice and Asuna had backed off as soon as Kirito arrived, but both of them had their weapons at the ready. "Who is this, Kirito?" Asuna asked. "And why is she speaking to you so familiarly?"

"Excuse me?"

Kirito opened his mouth to speak, but Alice beat him to the punch with her snapped retort. She continued.

"What do you mean, familiarly? Who are you, why do you know his name?"

"Why, you ask? Because Kirito is mine, understand?!"

Asuna's reply came directly from the heart. What love~. Kirito, for his part, just sighed and rubbed his head.

"Alice, do you remember the people we talked to in Cardinal's tower, about weeks ago? And the message from Charlotte, about the Rat and the Flash coming to help? These are Asuna and Argo," he said. "Asuna, Argo, this is Alice."

Alice stared at him, then turned to Asuna and me. I raised a hand. "Yo," I said.

Alice's eyes widened, and then she slid her sword back into her sheath. "...My apologies," she said. "I heard that there had been an ambush at camp, and assumed the worst. Rythin is like a younger brother, and..."

"Nya hah hah! No harm done. An' I'm glad ya were worried 'bout my boyfriend," I said when she trailed off. A younger brother, huh? Well, he said he'd always wanted a big sis.

"Kirito...!"

Asuna whispered his name right before she jumped forward into his arms. Kirito let out a quiet grunt but returned the embrace as Asuna buried her face in his shoulder, nuzzling into the little gap between his neck and his shoulder.

"Wha- Get away from him! Don't act so familiarly!" Alice protested.

"I missed you so much," Asuna whispered.

Kirito tightened his hug. "I missed you too, Asuna."

Alice glowered at my friend, and her hand twitched like she wanted to grab Kirito and tug him away. Before she could do that, though, someone spoke up in a gruff voice.

"Well, well, well. That was a quick turnaround, kiddo. You really spoke with these two before?"

We all turned to see an older, grizzled man with short-cropped blue hair walking towards us. A blond boy about Kirito's height wearing armor similar to Alice's, except in blue and white, walked next to him. "Eugeo, Uncle," Alice said. Eugeo must be the blond kid. "Yes, with the aid of Lady Cardinal. They were part of the group we spoke with, that told us about this world."

He nodded, eyes closed. "Hmm, I see. Well, it's good you showed up when you did, or I wouldn't be standing here right now."

"Sir Bercouli, what happened?" Ritsu asked.

He cracked one eye open to look at the purple-haired girl. "I have this young lady to thank for saving my life, because just as I was about meet my untimely demise in battle she created this... rainbow. When it hit the ground, it cracked it open for a hundred mels, and made the gap so wide those pugilists couldn't even jump it." Bercouli shook his head. "We were this close to being wiped out, and she stopped it. There's no denying that. We owe this lady our thanks."

Alice puffed her cheeks out as she digested his words, then pointed at me and Asuna. "Then, why did you choose to dress like a divine entity depicted in holy art?" she asked. "There is no way she is the goddess Stacia, and the one next to her can't be the goddess Lunaria."

"Didn't say they were," Bercouli said with a grin. "Think about it. If these little ladies were real goddesses, they'd be scarier than the pontifex."

"You don't know her well enough," Kirito muttered. Then, he yelped.

Asuna drew her elbow back primly, and he rubbed at her ribs. He'd made the two mistakes of commenting loudly enough for her to hear, and standing within elbow range when doing so.

I nodded. "Yup, despite appearances we're human, like the rest of ya," I said. "But we've got some info ya prob'ly wanna hear."

Bercouli rubbed his chin, then looked at Alice. "We should hear her out. In fact, I guess it's about time the other knights and the unit captains learn what's going on," he said. "Let's discuss it over some tea."

Eh? My nose twitched. I could smell a scoop from a kilometer away, and this definitely smelled tasty.

"Right. As you wish," Alice said, still glaring at Asuna.

I sidled up to Ritsu as Bercouli started giving orders to Ronie and Tiese. "So, what's up with Alice?"

"She's very close to Kirito," the purple-haired girl replied. "Um... What did Asuna mean, when she said Kirito belongs to her?"

"Eh? Oh, didn't Ry tell ya? Kii-boy an' A-chan are engaged."

Ritsu blinked at me, then looked at Asuna and Alice. "...Oh. Hmm."

I tilted my head and hummed in thought at the look of regret on Ritsu's face, and then snickered. "Ohhhh, I get it! Alice here's another bona-fide Kirito Gal!"

"Kirito... Gal?" The golden knight repeated my comment with a bemused expression. "What... does that mean?"

"Nyeheheh, it's pretty simple. Ya hang out with Kii-boy a bunch, right?"

Alice nodded slowly. "He's my childhood friend. Of course I want to spend time with him as much as possible."

Ooh, even better! "Mm hmm, like I thought~. An' Kii-boy hasn't done anythin' weird ta ya, right?"

"Hey!" Kirito protested. "What kind of guy do you think I am?"

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I dunno, Don Juan?"

"N-No, of course not. Kirito has done nothing but be a proper gentleman. After he saved my life and restored my memory, of course."

"There ya go, all the pre-reqs for yer class change ta Kirito Gal, Alice." I grinned at Kirito. Oooh, this was gonna be fun~. Beside him, Asuna groaned quietly and pinched her nose. Eugeo just sighed and shook his head.

Off to the side, I heard a plaintive little, "But Kirito's my mentor..." When I looked over, Ronie and Tiese had already started hurrying towards one of the supply wagons. Hmm~...


By the time Ronie came back to lead us to the meeting, both Alice and Kirito had a healthy blush on their cheeks and Asuna was shaking her head in resigned acceptance at how her husband had probably accidentally convinced another girl to fall for him. In other words, my job was done. So, I happily followed the trainee to the assembled knights and soldiers.

Fortunately for me, Asuna was here and so I left all the talking to her.

"It's, nice to meet you all. My name, is Asuna, and this is Argo."

"Heya."

I waved to all the knights from my seat.

Ritsu was seated on my right. To my left Asuna stood next to me, and then Kirito beside her. There had been a small scuffle over who got to sit next to his other side, but Alice had won out over Ronie and the elegant-looking older girl with long hair. Bercouli, beside Alice, stared into the fire. I didn't recognize any of the other soldiers, but two of them had the same kind of fancy armor as Alice.

"We come from a world outside yours," Asuna continued. "The human world. You can't physically get to it. My home, the real world, and yours, the Underworld, are two totally separate planes of existence."

Her words caused a small stir among the gathered men and women. One woman, a silent woman with sleek hair and an expressionless face, didn't react at all, though.

"As we speak, there's a battle going on in the real world. It's between two groups, and they're both fighting for control of the Underworld. We're here on behalf of one of the groups. They're called Rath."

"Is that why you're here, then? To take over our world, and rule over it?"

The question was posed by a man with large shoulders and a green tunic.

Asuna shook her head. "No, not at all. My group and I, we want to protect the Underworld. The people we're fighting against don't care about this place. They just want one of your people. And when they find them, they'll capture them and bring them into our world, then destroy yours."

"That's monstrous," the man breathed while some of the soldiers whispered to each other. Their mutters started to spread louder, too.

"I don't believe this."

"How do we know she speaks the truth?"

Asuna didn't answer right away, because Bercouli lifted a jug of what was probably some sort of alcohol and took a swig before he said, "Because it's possible. The Dark Territory surrounds the Human Empire. It's basically a whole 'nother world from ours, a place with folks who just want to invade and destroy us. Few of us have ever seen it, or been to it, but it's as real as our side of the mountains. And now we find out there's another world out there. I say sure, why not?"

"Huh. Yer takin' this a little calmer than I 'xpected," I noted.

Bercouli grinned at me and lowered the jug. "Sorry to break it to you, young lady, but this isn't a total surprise to some of us." I glanced at Kirito and Ritsu. Kirito shrugged, and Ritsu gave me a smile. "Thanks to the Lady Pontifex, a select few Integrity Knights knew about the existence of this 'outer world'."

Since Alice called this old guy 'Uncle' earlier, I get the feeling he might know a little bit more than that, but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth! His words had calmed down some of the soldiers that disagreed with Asuna.

"Look, there isn't much time left," Asuna said. "Alice, I know you didn't want to go to the real world, but now there's only one way to keep the Underworld safe, and that's for you to return to the real world with me as quickly as possible. Once the enemy finds out you're not here, they'll give up and leave your world alone."

Alice climbed to her feet. "Y-You must be joking! My answer is the same as before. I am an Integrity Knight, and I will never run away to the 'real world' and abandon my people when they need me the most!"

Asuna frowned. "It's too dangerous. I'm sorry, I wish there were a better way. But if the enemy from the real world finds you, they'll take you. And then everything here, the people, the land, the sky, everything! They'll erase it all. We have to go right now before they find you."

"Easy, Asuna," Kirito murmured. He reached out and grabbed her hand in his. Asuna blushed, and on the other side of him Alice puffed her cheeks out for a second. "There might still be another way."

"The boy's right. Your information's a bit out of date, little lady. We also know a little something about the force that's intent on destroying this world. The enemy from your world... Yeah, they already found her. The Dark God Vecta who leads the forces of the Dark Territory... He's one of them."

Asuna's eyes widened, and she looked at me. I blinked back. But... how had they... Wait, the "Dark God"? Could the Dark Territory have a superuser account like me and Asuna? They haven't been locked.

"Ritsu suspected it when he declared his interest in the Priestess of Light," Alice continued. "Your account lines up with her deductions."

I turned an impressed look on the girl sitting next to me. "Ya figured it out, Ricchan? Way ta go," I said with a whistle.

Ritsu smiled cutely. "Since we knew Alice was the enemy's target, his single-minded intent on capturing her was a clue. And, the dark knight that attacked me and Ronie was using words not from this world. Like, 'player killing' and things like that."

"PKers, huh?" I kissed my teeth. "Gross."

"That's right," Ritsu said. "So, if we need to make sure that Vecta can't take Alice without leaving the Underworld... then we just have to kill Vecta! That way we've taken Alice's feelings into account as well."

...Whew. For such a cute girl, some strong words come out of her mouth.

"Um, m-may I ask something?"

The tension that had been building was suddenly broken by the young voice that came from the green-haired knight. "Regarding this Priestess of Light... I've never heard of it before. So, why do these invaders from the real world want Alice, of all people, so badly?"

"She broke the Seal of the Right Eye."

Asuna and I hadn't answered. It was the woman who had been listening silently up to this point.

"Y-You know about that, Lady Sheyta?" Alice asked. Eugeo, sitting beside the grey-haired woman, raised a hand to his eye like it hurt him. "And the seal? But how?"

"The Central Cathedral is indestructible. Made of the hardest material here. I think how fun it would be to slice through it... And all of a sudden, I feel a horrible pain in my right eye." As she talked, Sheyta put a hand up to her right eye.

"...You'd prob'ly get along well with Ry," I said. Because c'mon, how else was I supposed to react to that kind of statement? Even the other soldiers and knights were staring at her with uneasy expressions. "He says stuff like that sometimes too."

Bercouli cleared his throat. "Heh. I wonder, how many of us here have experienced the same thing as her? I'm sure at some point you had doubts about the pontifex, or some of the church's laws. You saw flashes of red light in your right eye, and then... you felt the pain. It hurt so bad it made you forget what you were thinking about, didn't it? You know what happens if you keep thinking those blasphemous thoughts? The pain gets worse, and worse, until it's searing your brain. And then..."

There's something creepy about how he's pointing at his eye with a finger!

"...Your vision turns red, and your right eye explodes," Kirito said. "The same thing happened to Eugeo about six months ago, when we saved Ronie and Tiese."

Asuna turned to him. "Wait, there's another? But... how would Kikuoka have..."

"Prob'ly just rushed fer time," I told her. "'Member, thanks ta th' acceleration 'bout six months would have been right when we were bein' attacked. Easy ta miss somethin' like that."

"Then, did your eye..."

Alice nodded and turned to the green-haired knight. "To put a stop to Administrator's rule, I knew I would be confronting Chudelkin, as well as her. To muster the resolve to do so, I had to lose my eye." She inhaled sharply. "Come to think of it... I remember Administrator saying something. Something about the seal of the eye... Code 8... That's it! Code 871!"

"Wait, what?"

Kirito had jumped to his feet with a yelp. Alice nodded to him. "She looked right at me, and that's what she called the Seal of the Right Eye. I think she also said it was installed."

"It was installed, so it must be an inhibitor..."

"K-Kirito, what's wrong?" Asuna looked at her boyfriend when he stared at the blonde knight and started muttering. "When she says Code 871, you don't think...?"

Kirito nodded. "Yeah. I didn't hear it myself, but I think... when Quinella talked about getting it installed, she meant... someone from the real world."

"...Wait, Kii-boy, hold up. Yer sayin', someone from Rath put in th' seal? But if it forces ya ta obey the rules, then doesn't that defeat the whole point?"

"Of course it does," he said. "Which doesn't make any sense!"

After all, Rath's goal was to create a bottom-up AI, with real intelligence. That's why they did all that heinous stuff like copying a baby's Fluctlight, and raising a whole separate world. Kikuoka wanted them to think for themselves, and break the rules. But if there was a block on the sort of growth they'd need, then...

Ritsu raised her hand. "Korosensei taught us about something like this. If the action doesn't make sense, then we're not looking at it from the right point of view. Of course, he was standing upside down waving his tentacles in the air to make a point..."

"Korosensei's yer octopus teach, right?" I asked.

"Mm hm! And he was the God of Death, so I'm sure he knew what he's talking about."

"Huh. Ry didn't mention that part." God of Death, huh? Cool nickname. Bet it pissed Rythin off, nyeheheh. "But what kinda angle should we be lookin' at? I'm not standin' upside-down in this dress. That kinda view's only fer select guys an' gals."

"Let's think like the target," Ritsu chirped. "Who would benefit from something like this?"

Who would benefit? Well, definitely not Rath, that's for certain. ...The enemy attacking us, then? Was it sabotage?

If that's true, that's real bad. If there's a mole among the Rath staff, on our side of the bulkhead, we gotta tell Kikuoka right away. But how can we do that?

"Hey, sorry ta bother ya," I said. I realized a lot of the knights were staring at us, and blushed slightly. "But, where's Cardinal? Th' one who let us talk ta Alice and Kii-boy earlier? She around?"

Alice shook her head. "No. The pontifex stayed back with the main army, to treat... the badly wounded."

Yeah, there was a story there, but I wasn't gonna pry.

...Yet. Not yet. I'm definitely gonna. I have my pride as an info broker, you know!

"So we have no way to contact the real world without a system console..." Asuna murmured. "The closest one would be... at the World's End Altar, wouldn't it?"

I shrugged. "Probably. But 'close' is relative. Ya saw how big this place is when we were up in the sky."

"Is something wrong?" Alice asked.

Asuna shook her head and smiled. "No, we're fine. But... that Code 871 seal was put there by someone from the real world. And they're on the enemy's side."

"Hmm. How do we get rid of the seal? Is there a way to do it without blowing out someone's eyeball?" Bercouli asked.

"I'm sorry. I don't know of another way to disable it from inside the Underworld," was Asuna's reply. It was definitely not what they wanted to hear, but it wasn't like we knew any better. "Kirito, do you know?"

"Rythin would be the one to ask, not me," he said. "He's the one who actually worked on the systems."

Alice blinked. "Rythin did...?"

Bercouli rubbed at his chin. "Based on what we know about this enemy, they only want someone who's got the willpower to break the Seal of the Right Eye. But they don't know about little Eugeo... Why one of us? Do all the folks in the real world have a seal like we do?"

I shook my head. "Nope. We don't have anythin' like that. That's really the only difference between us real-worlders and the Underworlders, bein' forced to absolutely obey laws an' commands."

"Whoever's responsible for the seal in your right eye, doesn't want you having free will. They're afraid of this Priestess of Light, as you call her," Asuna continued. "Because someone like that could ruin whatever they had planned. If she appeared in my world, your Priestess of Light would be considered extremely valuable."

"I still don't get what the fuss is about," Bercouli said as he stared at the fire. "You said it yourself, there ain't a whole lot of difference between our kinds. The only thing is a Seal of the Right Eye. Except for little Alice, here. She broke her Seal, so according to you she's no different from a real-worlder now. You've got a world full of your kind already, so why are you and your enemies so obsessed with snatching up our cute Alice? And once you do get her in your world, what are you planning on doing with her?"

Kirito scratched his cheek. "It's not just because Alice is cute," he said.

I blinked, mouth open, and stared at him. R-Right in front of Asuna like that?!

Not that I could blame him. The knight really was beautiful, even in the insufficient light cast by the bonfire. Her face was stern but still lovely. Her hair looked like molten gold in the light of the flickering firelight, and it seemed so soft and silky. I couldn't wait to see how she looked in the daylight! I bet Alice would be even more impressive then.

Asuna closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead, and Alice twitched as red bloomed over her cheeks and ears. Ritsu reached over and patted Ronie's knee gently. Eugeo sighed again, but seemed pretty used to that sort of thing. If he's Kirito's friend - I didn't miss that comment about six months ago! I knew they were hanging around together! - then he'd probably seen a couple of comments like that.

"But... the real reason... Sorry. We can't tell you right now. Alice should see the real world first, and then decide what she wants to do for herself." Kirito looked around. "...Is something wrong?"

"Nah, we're jus' in awe," I said.

"In awe?"

"The real world isn't heaven like ya think," I said to Alice, completely ignoring Kirito's question. "An' it's not a perfect utopia. Compared to this world, it's not as peaceful. It's way uglier and dirtier. But it's got its good points too. Lotsa folk out there who want to protect this world an' be friends with all 'a ya."

Alice stared at us, then nodded once. "Very well. Kirito's words, and yours as well, Lady Argo, have convinced me. I have questions, but they can wait until later. However, as Ritsu said, we should first defeat the enemy before us, and then make peace with the Dark Territory. I won't go anywhere until that happens."

"Fine." Alice looked at Asuna in surprise when the beautiful girl agreed. "Besides, now that we know Vecta is from the real world, it would be dangerous for us to leave the safety of the army. He'll be expecting that, I'm sure. That said, I'll join your people in the fight."

I grinned. "If yer Ry's big sis, then I'm gonna help out too. I might not be as powerful as A-chan, but I'm sure the two of us together can take on Vecta."

The soldiers around the fire let out a quiet cheer when we announced we were gonna help. Makes sense, since we looked like their goddesses and were going up against the dark god.

"We're glad to have you along. About your skill, how you split the ground open like that. Is there a limit to using that?" Bercouli asked.

"I can -"

"Sure is," I said before Asuna said something silly like 'If I need to'. "A-chan gets really bad headaches after usin' it, so let's not push her if we can help it."

Kirito's eyes widened. "Asuna, you're hurting yourself? You have to be more careful."

The beautiful girl smiled and rested her head against his shoulder. "It's okay, Kirito. My headache only lasted a little bit."

"...You shouldn't be so forward," Alice muttered, glaring at Asuna. "As for the rest of you... This is our world, remember? Protecting it is our responsibility, not theirs. Why do you look so disappointed!? How can we rely on an outsider's help to protect our own Human Empire? It's our turn now to show what we are capable of."

"Yes... you're right!" the green-haired knight said as he stood up. "Lady Asuna and Lady Argo aren't gods. Didn't they just say that they're humans like the rest of us? So if they're willing to fight hard, then we should fight even harder!"

Well, Asuna and Kirito are special cases... but in my case, yeah! You go, green-haired boy! I don't know your name, but you can do it!

Sheyta smiled. "If only to fight that pugilist again."

"You're right. It's our world! It's our duty to protect it!" The large soldier with the sideburns jumped to his feet and clenched a feet.

"Exactly," the elegant-looking woman who had wanted to sit next to Kirito added. "We can't possibly shame ourselves in front of our students, can we, Golgorosso?"

"Haha! My thoughts exactly!"

They all seem to be having fun. I'm glad that Asuna managed to inspire them. Kirito looked happy, since he must really love this world. I was... It hurt my lover, and I don't know if I could forgive it for that. But, I'll do everything I can to protect it and make Asuna and Kirito happy!

Even if that meant I had to go up against a god, or against the people who had created this place.


After the meeting, Asuna and I got changed in our assigned tents; Stacia's pearly-white armor was replaced by a soft-looking frilly thigh-length nightgown that hugged her body but still looked like it breathed really well. My own multi-colored dress slid off of me as I switched to comfy shorts and a nice tunic - Ronie had brought me something like what Asuna wore at first, but I'd managed to convince her to get me something a little more easy to move in.

Besides, unlike Asuna, I wasn't dressing up to impress my boyfriend, nyeheheh.

"Are we... doing the right thing?"

Asuna's hesitant question floated in the air between us for a second. I peeked outside, but the guard we'd been assigned was pacing around the tent. He was only there to stop people from going in without permission, anyway. So, I turned back to Asuna and hugged her.

"Ya mean, fighting in a war? It'll be fine, A-chan. Yeah, we're supposed ta grab Alice an' leave, but this's the second time she said she doesn't wanna. We better make a good impression on her, so why not?"

And, privately, I thought that it would be better to keep Alice out of their hands even a little bit longer. Once they knew the structure of the Fluctlight and could make the copies... They wouldn't need the Underworld or Ritsu's world at all. What would happen to all these people?

I was an info broker, but some questions were better left unanswered.

"Now c'mon. Let's sneak outta here an' go see Ry an' Kii-boy. I wanna cuddle up next ta Ry, and it'd be better ta keep Kii-boy outta trouble."

"Honestly," Asuna snorted. "I leave him alone for a week, and he's already become friends with two more girls. I'm not even surprised anymore. But I am going to remind him who he belongs to."

"Nya hah hah! Long as he 'members that, yer happy?"

Asuna blushed. "W-Well, I don't want to tell him he can't be around them. And Ronie seems really nice." Not Alice? Heh. Someone's holding a grudge about being attacked~. "As long as I know he loves me, I suppose I don't mind too much."

I didn't tell her that she pretty much already had it in the bag. I saw that ring on her finger, she already knew.

Once that poor guard paced past our tent entrance and started heading around the back, Asuna and I snuck out of the tent. It was only a few steps until we were hidden in the shadows of the nearby trees. After making sure we hadn't gotten caught, the two of us moved through the camp and snuck around some of the other tents.

"Heheh... Kinda feels like when we snuck into the Forest Elf camp, years ago, doesn't it, A-chan?"

"At least we won't have to fight those crazy enemies if we get caught," Asuna said with a quiet giggle.

"Still can't believe ya managed ta knock that mob off 'is feet in a single shot. Yer somethin' else, A-chan."

"Stop it, you're just as impressive. How were we supposed to fight without the best info broker guiding us along the way?"

"Now who needs ta stop it!"

Most of the army had gone to bed, aside from a few sentries keeping watch for enemies among the forest, so Asuna and I were able to sneak through the pretty empty camp without getting caught. Asuna had closed her eyes for a second and then pointed in a direction, saying that Kirito was in that direction.

Must be nice to have a radar for...

Oh! Ry's wagon is that way, deeper in the supply tent area! Neat. Guess I have it too.

Asuna and I took a few steps towards the large blue tent, before a flash of blue and gold made us stop.

"I knew you'd come."

Alice said that and shook her head, making her long braid dance.

She was dressed in a light blue nightgown, far simpler than Asuna's, that fell to her knees. She also had her arms folded across her chest and stern eyes.

The two girls locked eyes and stared at each other while I watched in interest. Then, finally, Alice sighed. Oh hoh? Has Asuna won? What did Alice see?

"Alright. Let's make a deal," the knight said as she approached Asuna. "We can put our differences aside. And, I'll tell you everything I know of him. In return, if you agree, you need to tell me everything you know about Kirito as well."

Asuna smiled. Uh oh, Asuna's competitive side has activated! "It's a deal! But... we go back a long way. So there's a lot to talk about."

Asuna's smug grin made Alice flinch. "Just how long were you and him together?"

"Let's see. I was his partner in battle for two years. And then we dated properly for a year and a half. And, for two weeks, we even lived together." She ticked off the dates on her finger and smiled happily. Alice's eyes widened and she gasped.

Then, the knight rallied. Oooh! "Is that so? Well, I fought by his side for one night. But, before that, we grew up together as childhood friends for ten whole years." She planted her hands on her hips and smiled proudly. "And now, we've fought side by side to save our world."

A powerful response! And it's put Asuna on the back foot, reeling from the powerful trump card of 'Childhood Friend'. But Alice miscalculated her foe's resilience, and wasted it too early, giving A-chan time to recover!

Nya hah hah! There's so many fun tidbits of info to sell! I wonder what Kirito would pay for this info~?

"...Really. That long?" Asuna asked with a dangerously sweet smile.

Both girls stared each other down for a second, electricity practically crackling between their eyes. Then...

"Excuse me..."

From behind a nearby tent, Ronie popped her head around. She was wearing a grey nightgown and a cute cat-eared sleeping cap, and had her hands clasped shyly in front of her chest. "Um, he... he was my mentor, and I cleaned his room for two months. And I also learned sword skills from him. He also brought me honey pies from the Prancing Deer Cafe! I know I didn't spend as much time with him as either of you, but... I'd like to swap stories with you..."

Aww, she's so earnest! I wanted to pat her head and tell her that it's alright.

Asuna and Alice shared a look, before they smiled. "All right. You're more than welcome to join us if you want, Ronie!" Asuna said. Ronie smiled so happily.

"Pardon me for intruding... Would you have room for one more in your group?" The tall woman approaching us was the female soldier at the meeting. Her hair was tied in a long ponytail, and she wore a fancy blue nightgown.

...Hmm, that's a lotta girls with long hair on Kirito's radar... Guess Kii-boy's got a type!

"Hello there. I saw you at that meeting," Asuna said.

"I am an Imperial Knight of Norlangarth. My name is Sortiliena Serlut. I was going to wait until after the battle to see him, but since Kirito and I share a bit of history, I couldn't stop myself from coming to see you."

I glanced at Asuna to see a muscle in her cheek twitching. Huh, is Kirito in trouble~?

Alice sighed, then smiled. "Understandable, Chief Guard Serlut. How do you know Kirito?"

"You may call me Liena if it pleases you, Lady Knight." Liena cleared her throat. "Kirito was a primary trainee at the North Centoria Swordcraft Academy, where I too was studying. For one year, he served as my page. We trained together, and in so doing, I taught him some of my sword skills."

Having such a beautiful girl as his mentor? I wonder, how exactly did they train…?

Asuna looked at the others, but nobody had any complaints. So, she turned back to Liena. "Okay. It already sounds like you'll have tons of neat stories. Welcome to the club, Liena."

"...And you, Argo?" Alice asked in the tone of voice of a girl that was totally resigned to what was happening around her.

"Mm... What would ya say if I told ya I knew ev-ery-thing about Kii-boy~?" I tapped my lips thoughtfully, and then snickered at the look on her face. "Nya hah hah! Don't worry, don't worry. I'll stay outta this. I gotta go take care 'a my boy, y'know. Jus' think 'a me as... as Kii-boy's big sister. But, if ya ever have any questions, feel free to come to me. All information is for sale~, that's my motto!"

"Just... get out of here, Argo," Asuna said.

I waved goodbye to the girls cheerfully as they all wandered off to wherever they were going - Alice's tent, I think - and then pushed deeper into the supply tents, where I could somehow sense Rythin. When I got to his tent, I looked around, but nobody was there.

"Huh. Woulda 'xpected Ricchan ta be waiting."

"Well, I'm right here."

I will deny squeaking in surprise. Though, I'll admit I jumped when Ritsu appeared behind me. "Gah! Snuck up on me!"

She smiled. "Sorry. It's force of habit to erase my presence these days. And, maybe I wanted to prank you a little."

"Yeah, yeah, ya had yer fun." I grinned back. "So, Ry's inside the tent?"

Ritsu nodded. "I... kept him safe. But... I'm sorry that he got hurt in the first place. If only I was faster..."

"Ah ah, none of that." I waved my finger at her. "Ya did a great job, an' I'm gonna make sure the first thing he does when he wakes up is thank ya fer bein' an amazing nurse."

Ritsu nodded and smiled, but there was still a shadow of something in her eyes. Jealousy, maybe? Longing?

Whatever it was, it was honest. "Ya... really care about Ry, don't ya?"

"I-I... Um, I..."

I reached up and patted her head. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm not mad or anythin' like that. We'll have ta talk 'bout it later, 'kay? Fer right now, let's just set that aside and go see Ry."

Ritsu nodded and the two of us headed into her tent. Rythin was curled up on the bed, fast asleep with a blanket covering most of his body, but I was still able to take his hand in mine and get comfortable on one of the pillows scattered on the floor.

The AI girl smiled at me and said, "I'll be right outside if you need anything."

"Yeah. Thanks, Ricchan."

And like that, I was alone with Rythin in the room. The only thing moving was the slow, steady rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed. I reached out and gripped his hand with one of mine. It sat limply in my grasp, and he didn't even twitch.

...Damn it, Rythin.

"You dummy," I muttered. "All this because you feel guilty? Who told ya it was yer fault, huh?"

I sniffled and wiped my eyes. "You did a great job, you did everything right! It's not yer fault at all, so why'd ya go an' blame yourself? You know I believe in you. No matter what, we'll always be together at the end of the day. So even if ya forgot everything, I wouldn't blame ya. We'd just have to make all-new memories together, fresh ones that'd be even better than the old ones! So... stop feeling guilty already, got it? Hurry up. Hurry up and come back to me!"

That's what I wanted. From the deepest depths of my heart, all I wanted was for him to wake up and say my name.

I wanted it so badly that I could see it in my mind, playing out that distant dream over and over again...


In this mental landscape, I was technically free to exist as I wished. I could jump to infinite heights, make my body harder than diamond, or even change my form. If I wanted to, I could become like Korosensei and be the ultimate lifeform.

But I didn't want that. No. I wanted a match against Yuuki, both of us at our best! So my heart responded to that desire, and we fought in Alfheim once again.

"Haah!" Yuuki shouted as she rocketed forward, sword glowing as she tried to stab through me. I exhaled and brought my dagger up in a guard, preparing to move -

- and brought my blade up to meet Yuuki's thrust. The tip of her sword clashed against the flat of my dagger, sparks flying out as metal clashed in protest, and I felt myself being pushed back by her power. I didn't fight it, and I fell backwards in a controlled tumble I learned from E Class. A hiss of breath rushed out as I pulled my arms back, bracing myself against the ground. Yuuki's sword passed over my head and I grinned at the look of surprise on her face as I brought my legs up.

Using her own speed against her, I kicked and rolled, coming up to a knee. Yuuki's sword flashed up as she flew over my head, and she twisted in midair to land roughly in a three-point landing, sliding back on her feet and free hand. Both of us rose to our feet, and Yuuki grinned. "That was new, Rythin!"

My hand came up to probe at the injury that her sword had inflicted as I kicked her away. It was just a light scratch on my cheek, the red damage mark small, but it was a reminder of exactly how dangerous she could be. "And you're still just as strong, Yuuki," I said. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Now let's go!"

For once I took the initiative and rushed Yuuki, closing the distance as fast as I could. Her weapons was longer than mine, and stronger; I needed to take advantage of my higher speed and skill in close-quarters combat. My dagger flashed and danced, seeking her body, and the smoothness of my moves surprised even me. The drills that Karasuma had made us do, out in the field, every day - they'd burned into my muscle memory, coming out without thinking. Yuuki's eyes widened for a second before she moved her sword, reflexively blocking my blows.

"Woah!" she gasped, locking her blade against mine. "You're stronger, now! Guess all that time in E Class helped you, huh?"

"Yeah!" I disengaged the lock and spun, crouching low in a slash at her legs. Yuuki hopped over it and unleashed a Sword Skill, aiming for my chest. I barely rolled to the side as the tip of her glowing blade slammed into the ground next to my ribs. I realized I was smiling, even as I twisted my body and wrapped my arms around Yuuki in a hold designed to pin her in place and cut her oxygen off.

Choking, Yuuki reared back and scrabbled at my arms and legs. I didn't let her get a grip, knowing how strong she was as a STR build, and tightened my hold. I just needed to hold it for five... four... three...

With a shout, Yuuki charged backwards as fast as she could. I realized what she was doing almost immediately, but there was nothing I could really do; if I let go to avoid the slam, I'd lose my chance at victory, but if I didn't... I couldn't let go, and my only hope was to hold on until the last second, and then flip off. But my timing was off, and Yuuki put on an extra burst of speed that I didn't expect. My back slammed roughly into a tree, hard enough for a loud crack to be heard as the tree bark splintered, and I lost my grip with a cry of pain.

Yuuki stumbled forward, coughing and panting for breath as I slumped to the dirt ground to land on all fours. Gritting my teeth and pushing through the pain, I rose to my feet, swaying a little bit until I was upright. In front of me, Yuuki brandished her blade again, shoulders rising and falling with each gulp of air. "That was close!" she panted, grinning widely. I realized that my own lips were spread in a grin. "But is that all you've got?!"

With a shout, Yuuki rushed me, sword slashing through the air. My eyes widened and I centered myself with a quick exhale, starting to move forward. It wasn't quick, I didn't run or dodge, but Yuuki couldn't touch me. Her sword passed close, but no matter what attack she tried, the edge or point of her sword passed right where I had been standing an instant ago.

"Huh? What the heck?" she yelped just before I lashed out, slamming my fist into her cheek. Yuuki's head snapped to the side, making her nearly spin in place, and I jumped in the air to continue my combo. My knee rose up in a spinning kick and my leg struck her -

- right at her crossed arms, absorbing the brunt of my attack. Yuuki still slid back from the force of the blow as I landed, but she was grinning. "You're still good," I said, laughing despite the fact my attack failed.

She laughed. "That was so cool! It was like you were moving but it was really hard to focus on you, how'd you do that?"

"Practice. And... I learned it from someone else." Thank you, Nagisa. Your gift is gratefully received. Grinning, I looked at Yuuki. "Ready for round two?"

"Yeah, let's go!"

Both Yuuki and I were injured, but that just spurred us on to fight even harder. When she charged, sword held at the ready, I raced to the side and kept moving even as she turned to chase after me. Our blades locked and clashed, no matter who was attacking or where. I pulled on all my assassination training, using the enhanced kinetic vision I'd developed to keep track of Yuuki's blade even as I tried to find holes in her guard. As befitting the Ultimate Sword, though, her ability to attack and defend at the same time was flawless.

Yuuki shouted and pulled back her sword, and I realized what she was about to do. Vorpal Thrust. If I didn't move, she'd pierce my chest - and put herself in range for a counter blow. I'd be able to survive just long enough to trade with her; a perfect draw, with both of us defeated.

"Haaaaaah!"

Yuuki rocketed forward...

-and I dodged out of the way, tucking into a roll that carried me beyond her.

She skidded to a halt, blade outstretched, and her coat settled around her. "Huh... Gotta say, I expected you to take the hit," Yuuki said as she flourished her sword and turned to me.

"Sorry, but... I don't think I should do that anymore."

Yuuki stared at me silently... and then she smiled in a huge grin. "Yeah! Now you're getting it! But we're outta time, so... it's time for you to go down already!"

With that, Yuuki pulled back her sword, and I realized what was coming. Her ultimate move, Mother's Rosario.

I crouched and raised my dagger, devoting all of my attention to defense. "Take this!" Yuuki exclaimed, before striking with her blade. The glowing point struck at my left shoulder and crossed to my right hip - and I managed to block the strikes without using a Sword Skill of my own, just simple knowledge of how to redirect attacks and use momentum against them.

Yuuki's eyes widened as she brought her sword up for the next five blows of the combo, and the beaming smile on her face told me everything I needed to know. I managed to avoid the next five blows by utilizing the trick I'd stolen from Nagisa, but I got hasty on the last attack and it clipped my hip, doing an incredible amount of damage for just one strike. I reeled, knocked off-balance, and I knew I wouldn't be able to dodge her finishing blow. So...

...I thrust forward with my dagger as Yuuki struck. We clashed with twin shouts, and colored energy exploded from the impact of our blades striking. The dust rose, dyed in the colors of our lights.

When it cleared, I realized that our weapons had collided between both of us. There was a moment of silence before both blades shattered simultaneously. It was a complete and total draw.

I fell back, landing on the grass and staring up at the huge tree looming overhead. It had been like a small skip in reality; one moment I'd been standing on the battlefield with Yuuki, and now we were both lying on our backs, woundless, staring up at the sky. "It's not your fault, ya know."

"...I know. But I know it here, not here," I said, tapping my temple and then my chest.

Yuuki sat up and snorted. "Dork. Not cool at all!"

She playfully punched my shoulder when I sat up. I shrugged off the light tap. "Yeah, but I've been waiting to get to use that line forever, can you blame me?"

"Guess not. Anyway, this is prob'ly goodbye for good," she said. "I think someone's calling for you."

She was right; I could feel a pull, somewhere from beyond the horizon. A connection I couldn't see was tugging at me. "Okay. I'll say this fast, then." I stood up and turned to face Yuuki as she did the same.

"Yuuki... I'm sorry for the way I treated you. I lashed out, and blamed it on you."

Yuuki smiled. "Eheheh! You're forgiven! We're cool now, got it? That one was on you, but what you're worried about now... That's not your fault at all. So stop worrying about it!"

I couldn't help but shake my head. "You have such a strange way of looking at the world." She laughed brightly, and I grinned. "And Yuuki... Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for Asuna."

Yuuki grinned, and as the sunlight brightened, the last thing I saw was that cheerful smile on her face. "See ya later, Rythin," she said. "Say hi to Asuna for me, would ya?"


...

...

...I opened my eyes.


And so the goddesses descend. And... things are changing, aren't they? Just a little, tiny bit.

The goddess account that I've chosen for Argo is... technically not a real one? It's 'real' in the sense that the goddess Lunaria is named by the story and exists in the world. So, I figured I might as well. (Plus, picturing Argo in a flowing dress, against every instinct of her preferred style? Kinda funny.) Her abilities will come into play a little bit later.

Really, Asuna and Alice have such a fun dynamic that I wanted to keep something like it in the story. It also helps that Alice has become protective enough by this point that she'd react poorly to a strange woman coming out of Rythin's wagon. Also the two of them glaring at each other and fussing over Kirito is kinda hilarious, especially when Ritsu realized exactly how she screwed up.

Other than that, it's a lot of talking? For those wondering, Eugeo broke the Seal through his emotion circuits rather than logical ones; he didn't decide that following the rules was wrong, he just needed to save Ronie and Tiese. It's something mentioned a little bit later, but Kikuoka and the others aren't quite as interested in him. That doesn't mean he's not a good result, just that it also helps explain why his Fluctlight breaking the seal was missed.

The Meeting of the Kirito Girls won't be televised or shown on-screen because Argo had better things to do. Namely, spend the night with her boyfriend.

Speaking of Rythin! I chose Yuuki to be the person he talks to/fights because she's one of the few people that he's actively regretted how he acted around her. Sure he has his fair share of awkward childhood memories (who doesn't), but Yuuki is an active regret. I hope the fight makes sense and shows a good amount of the growth he's gone through!

Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed!