Ocean Turtle

"H-How's Kirito's doing?"

"Higa's operation just started," Dr. Rinko responds to the lieutenant colonel as he returns to Subcon. "Is the decoy working?"

"I had them throw our entire supply of smoke grenades. We should be able to distract them until the smoke clears from the corridor, but after that, we'll have to lock the bulkhead again. We don't have much time."

"Wel, Higa said we should see results in five minutes, at most." Rinko looks up to the display of the Underworld and notices a pulsing white spot. She hovers the cursor over it and reads its description. "Let's see… 'Limit, opposition quotient...detection threshold...report'? What is this?"

Kikuoka sits down in shock. "Wh-What?"

"Wh-What's wrong?"

Kikuoka expands the description. "There's no question. It's a new limit-breaking Fluctlight. But why now, of all times like this?"

"Wait, you mean it's a second ALICE?"

"Technically, it's not on the same level as Alice. It looks like the artificial Fluctlight broke its limits through emotional circuits rather than its logical circuits. Two of them happened during Jaymes' first hour within, but I paid them little attention… Oh no! It's moving towards the group of Americans to the south!"

"Kikuoka, while we're on the Medina Fluctlight, the Reserve Forces Module is not the only thing I've noticed about her. I don't truly know the extent, but it seems Administrator has passive control over anyone who doubts the structure of the Underworld, Whatever it is, it keeps the Fluctlights from acting as they should. However, I have noted that four Fluctlights have broken this chain. Somehow Kirito logically freed Alice from this shackle. Alongside Alice, a boy named Eugeo, Medina, and a girl named Eydis all did the same through a breakdown of emotions..."

Rinko does remember Jaymes reporting that two of the Fluctlights he was with had been freed from some sort of mechanism, but determined they're not on the level that makes them just like the Alice Fluctlight as well. Neither he, Kikuoka, or Higa spoke of it any further than that. Rinko decides to investigate it and finds what she's probably looking for. "Hey, Mr. Kikuoka? What is this external command inserted here? 'Injecting simulated pain into the right ocular region'? You were actually restricting the people of the Underworld like that?"

"N-No, we didn't do that! Of course we wouldn't! That would defeat the purpose. In fact, it's clearly sabotage."

"It is, isn't it. Not to mention, this code doesn't have Higa's idiosyncrasies. Something's commented out near the beginning. 'Code 871.' What's 871?"

"871? I've never even heard that number before. No, hold on. Hold on a sec. I think I just saw it somewhere." Kikuoka walks to his right and picks up a lab coat lying in a chair.

"That lab coat belongs to the staff member who just went down below with Higa, Mr. Yanai." Kikuoka holds the lab coat up and calls out the number again. "8 (ya) 7(na) 1(i)… Yanai!"

Higa grimaces as the bullet wound on his left shoulder pounds his nerves. He's lucky the man didn't shoot any lower. "Well, I didn't mean to hit you. I was only planning to mess with your work a little, then escape down to the Main Control side. It's not like anyone with Rath has died, so as long as we can retrieve Alice safely, it would've been a happy ending for everyone."

"No one has died? But if we don't take this chance to treat Kirito, he'll never regain consciousness again! And the one responsible for killing his soul will be you!"

"Oh, yeah, that's right. That brat can die. After all, he and the other boy were the ones who killed her. My precious Admi, that is!"

"Ad...mi?"

"The Pontifex of the Axiom Church, Her Eminence, Administrator!" Oh, that's right. Kirito killed her physical body, and later on, Jaymes destroyed her consciousness lingering in the Main Visualizer. "See, I'd promised her that I would do everything I can to help her assume absolute control over the Underworld. And even if the server got reinitialized, I'd preserve her Lightcube, or if she somehow managed to work the Orthinanos module, I'd protect her in this world."

"So you corrupted the Underworld?"

"No, she was the one who made first contact. When I was on the late shift one night, I suddenly heard this girl's voice over the speakers. That really startled me. She'd found the entire command list for the Underworld on her own and opened a line to our side. And then I used an STL to secretly visit Admi. It turns out that Admi's personality, voice, and mannerisms were all my ideals. She promised me that if I helped her, she'd make me her number one servant! But now she's dead. She was murdered in body and mind by those kids. I have to avenge her, or else poor Admi won't rest in peace, right? That's right. That's right. On second thought, I need to kill at least two people if I'm going to honor her memory, right?"

Asuna

She can't take it anymore. Seeing the Underworlders brutally executed by the reds has taken its toll on her. "Stop… Please, stop!" Asuna is so filled with despair that she drops her sword and freezes in horror at the scenes in front of her that she doesn't move as a red comes towards her and Koharu calls out and runs in to intervene.

"Stop!" The sudden command stops the fighting. The red soldier's sword hovers just above Asuna's head, and Koharu's dagger is the same distance, if not a millimeter closer, to the attacker's neck. Both sides lower their weapons and Koharu drags Asuna away. As she comes back, Asuna looks around, seeing not just the Underworlders, but her friends suffering as well. Klein lost his left arm and is tended by Zeliska, Silica tries to help a wounded Agil, Rain, Seven, and Strea lower an injured Philia and Premiere to the ground and Lisbeth looks exhausted. Of Koharu's old guild, Integral Factor, only Sanya remains, and they're caked in blood. Asuna can also see Kureha, Rei, Pitohui, and Itsuki as the sole remaining members of Crimson Squad along with Zeliska.

Asuna drops off Koharu and leans against Lisbeth, holding her from behind.

"Everyone… I… I did this to everyone."

"No. No, you didn't, Liz!" Asuna begins to weep but hears a growl from Koharu. Something has angered her… She looks up and spots PoH walking through his soldier to the girls.

"Lay down your weapons and surrender. Do that, and I won't kill you and those behind you."

"Don't be absurd," Sortilena shouts. "Do you really think we'd be reluctant to die at this point--"

"Listen to him," Asuna shouts back. "Please! You must live! No matter how humiliating it might be, please go on living! That's… That's our...our one…" Asuna turns to Koharu, the girl gripping her dagger tensely. Asuna knows all too well that Koharu wants her revenge for the loss of the last two years of her life and the lives claimed by Laughing Coffin in SAO. Jaymes was the same way back then, probably still the same now if he knows that PoH is here. But not like this, not when it comes to the cost of other lives. So Asuna lifts her hand to Koharu's and takes hold of it, like a big sister to her troubled younger sibling. "Koharu."

"But…"

"The fight, the one here, is over." Knowing what Asuna means, Koharu eventually relinquishes her blade, and the Underworlders follow after her, leading to a chorus of cheers from the red players.

"Yo. Long time no see, Lightning Flash and Kindred Assassin."

"PoH," Koharu spats.

PoH removes his hood and reveals a bright smile and excited auburn eyes. "Hey, that name brings back memories. I'm glad you remember it."

"Is this vengeance? For the Assault Team wiping out Laughing Coffin?"

As if it's the most absurd thing he's heard, PoH laughs at Asuna's suggestion of vengeance. "Are you a freaking idiot? Let me tell you something. The one who tipped off your Assault Team about Laughing Coffin's hideout? That was me."

No former SAO player around gasps as hard as Lisbeth from the revelation as she shudders in Asuna's hold. "You...you made Jaymes a killer…"

"Oh, yes, The Crimson Warrior had quite the spree. They say he not only avenged his partner, he was the only one who went orange in the aftermath as he killed the most. Though it seems it wasn't worth it, however you survived. But that was the point. I wanted to make you guys murderers. The Assault Team, posing as heroes, acting all high and mighty on the front lines!"

"That's what you wanted? To force Kirito and Jaymes to be burdened from PKing?"

"Yes. Absolutely, yes. I was watching that battle from hiding. When Professor Blackie snapped and killed two of them, I came this close to bursting into laughter and blowing my cover. As for Captain Red, seeing him search and kill for the one who killed the Kindred Assassin was the true entertainment. Five, in total, right? Wonderful."

"D-Do you know how much Kirito agonized and suffered over that?"

"And Jaymes as well!"

"Yeah? Glad to hear it. But that sounds suspicious. If they actually regretted it, wouldn't they be repulsed to even look at another VR game? Because of the guilt from the guys they've killed. I know one of them's here, so the other's in here, too, right? The red one must be elsewhere, and we didn't get much time earlier, so I'll ask the Black Swordsman myself."

Koharu almost rises but is held down by Asuna. She turns back to Ronie, nodding for her to go and retrieve Kirito. As Ronie does do, a thought pops in Asuna's mind and she turns to Tiese. Using Koharu's wrist, she taps her fingers against it. Tiese gets the gesture as Ronie wheels out Kirito to PoH, who begins to chuckle as Kirito is brought to him. Asuna then looks to Koharu, who understands what Asuna just did, and her eyes face Lisbeth, smiling in what seems to be a bad situation, yet the blacksmith and her friends know a plan when Asuna, Kirito, or Jaymes are hatching one.

"It's showtime!" So as PoH smiles at the presentation of Kirito, Asuna plans to give him a hell of a time...if Jaymes answers. But if he doesn't, she'll have to concoct another.

"These connections…" Yui, monitoring the connections of ALO and GGO players in the Underworld, spots new connections from neither sources coming into the Underworld. She opens a window and gasps. "Are they from the old SAO server? Who could it be?"

Asuna, Koharu, and the rest watch as Ronie is pushed their way and PoH walks up to Kirito, clearly confused by the boy's lack of awareness. "What is this? Hey, Blackie, wake up. You hear me, Mr. Black Swordsman?"

"Kirito kept trying to stand over and over during the battle,"

Asuna comforts Ronie and glares at PoH. "You get it, don't you? He fought and fought and fought to the end, and now he's wounded! So leave him alone! Please just leave Kirito alone!"

"Hey, hey, hey, you're kidding! This isn't any fun at all! Hey, I said wake up! Stand up! Good morning!"

Asuna gasps as Kirito is knocked to the ground. "Kirito!" She almost lurches forward, but a sword from a red player holds her back. So all she can do is watch Kirito get played with like an unwanted doll by PoH.

"What the hell? So you're busted for real? The great hero's a vegetable now?" PoH reaches down and grabs the light blue sword Kirito holds, finding the blade completely broken. However, Kirito finally acts as he reaches for the Blue Rose Sword. "You moved! What, you want this?" PoH plays with Kirito some more before throwing the broken sword away and picks Kirito up by his arm and smacks him. "Come on, say something!"

"You bastard… You bastard, don't you dare touch Kirito!" Klein breaks out of Zeliska's hold and gets up, but is brought down by a blade through his back.

"Klein!"

"Gah… You're the one bastard… I'll never forgive!" PoH says nothing back but holds his cleaver up just as another dark figure comes out and attacks PoH, forcing him to drop Kirito and move back. Asuna looks at the newcomer's sword, purple in color, but who could it be? It isn't Jaymes…

"Who the hell are you?"

"You're…"

"You're late," Kureha shouts as the hood comes down. "Where the hell were you, Eiji? And you changed appearances?" The ALO avatar of Eiji says nothing as he sprints forward and takes on PoH. Eiji gains the upper hand early on, reminding Asuna of his skill from Ordinal Scale. Jaymes and Kirito spoke highly of him after they took him on two-on-one, saying he managed to hold them both down for a while. Soon, PoH covers his blade with a dark aura and slams his cleaver into Eiji's sword.

"You scum. Get out of my face!" PoH pushes forward, knocking Eiji to the ground. Another aura wraps itself around PoH as he commands the red players. "He's a dirty Japanese! Don't forgive these cowardly hackers!" The scores of red players begin to march upon Eiji, but at that moment, a small fairy flies from the allied forces and drops to the ground surrounded by purple light.

Eiji rises. "Yuna."

"Eiji, sorry to keep you waiting! You too, vice-captain!" Kureha's growls are diluted by the confusion of the red players, who recognize Yuna just as they do. "Let's do this, Eiji!"

"Yeah."

PoH clicks his tongue. "Who the hell are you two?" Neither one answers as Yuna begins to sing, enhancing Eiji's stats.

"This is round two!" Eiji leaps forward with great speed, forcing PoH to recreate space by flipping away. As Yuna continues singing, sparkles fly over the red players, who now realize Yuna's here. Meanwhile, Eiji continues the fight against PoH, inspiring a sense of hope within Asuna, Koharu, and the rest of the allied force.

"Bastard. Who are you?"

"I'm...the Knights of the Blood Oath's… Nautilus!" As he launches forward again, his attire changes to reflect his days as a member of SAO's strongest guild. A guild he dishonored once...and won't do a second time.

Koharu drops her jaw. "Naut… He's so much cooler now. And Yuna, this Yuna, she's singing and boosting his stats as she, the other Yuuna, did back then."

"Never heard of you, scum." Eiji dodges PoH's swing and knocks him up with a leg sweep. PoH tries to counter while airborne, but Eiji reads it and forces PoH to drop back.

"True, back then I was...a completely useless weakling. But!" Eiji draws his sword back as it glows red with a sword skill. He flies forward with the thrusting skill, PoH barely getting past it. "For murdering so many of the other players and my comrades in Aincrad, you're the one person I'll never forgive!" Eiji leaps up, barely missing PoH with an aerial attack, and quickly flanks the murderer, grabs his arm, and throws him up. PoH lands as Eiji charges forward and leaps up, clashing with the younger man in the air. Both males land, but it is quickly seen who took the heavier damage. PoH has a bleeding wound on his face, but Eiji lost both his arms.

"A pissant Japanese like you. Did you really think...you could beat me?" Eiji is slashed and kicked towards the Japanese players. "Look at you now, you dirty Japanese! Time for you to go--Gah!"

Eiji leaped up and took a bite out of PoH's neck. "I'm not the same as I was before!"

"You little… You annoying bastard!" Eiji's back is slashed, and Yuna morphs into the SAO avatar of Yuuna as she runs to his side.

"Yuuna… Did I do what I needed to?"

"Good job, Eiji." Both Eiji and Yuuna disappear in a shower of light. At the same time, the malice of PoH regains control over the Koreans and Chinese players. Or at least most of them as a few call out for their comrades to resist the former leader of Laughing Coffin. That turns into internal sword fighting between the red players, which PoH finds fulfillment in as he walks over to Kirito's supine body.

"Just you wait. I'll wake you up soon. If you keep lying there in a daze, everyone's going to die… Argh!" PoH grips his blood-shooting shoulder and turns angrily to whoever just attacked him. The soldier who stood guard is now dead, and the result of it is a pleasing sight to PoH's eyes as his anger turns to ecstasy. Asuna looks up too, her jaw falling.

The rage-filled irises of Koharu, the Kindred Assassin...