The stage soon opened once more, this time showing the group standing against the Administrator as she looked down on them with a shadowed creature behind her.

Act 3

Alicization Uniting

The scene opened back to the 99th floor where the group witnessed Kirito clashing with Eugeo, who was recently turned into an Integrity Knight by the Pontifex.

"Wow...they are really going at it." Ivy said.

"But...how could he have been synthesized so quickly? He is way too accustomed to battle. That should not have been possible." Alice said.

"Maybe...the Administrator removes memories but...maybe the only reason it was so quick is cause she glossed over them instead of actually removing them." Law said.

"So...maybe Kirito just needs to remind him of the memories that are being blocked. But, there's no telling what they could be." Subaru said.

"Yeah, but with these two matching blow for blow, neither of them are giving an inch." Roy said.

Kirito continued to battle with Eugeo with all he had. "Remember why we even came here! We came to get Alice back!" Kirito called out as Eugeo looked over to Alice as a purple triangle glowed on his forehead.

"Alice…" Eugeo muttered.

"So...do you remember…" Kirito said before Eugeo struck his sword down to the ground as ice started to overtake the group.

"(Eugeo...you can't possibly...wait...is this...some sort of...? I see…)" Ethox thought as the ice overtook them as Eugeo headed up to the 100th floor.

"Gh…" David grunted as he started to absorb the ice.

"Don't...least not yet." Theo said.

"What? But Eugeo…" Flamberge said.

"Knew we could easily escape. It's prep for an ambush." Theo said.

"Don't worry. With how much power he used on this, it'll take a while to absorb all of this. By that time, we'll be right on cue." David said.

"But...why did he…" Ultra asked.

"Eugeo...remembered." Kirito said. "He's setting up a trap. He's likely got Administrator fooled so he can try and kill her."

"Guess you were right, Sachiko. Eugeo didn't completely fall under the Administrator's manipulation." Tsubaki said.

"The key was Alice. That was the memory she glossed over. But it came back when Kirito mentioned her name." Sachiko said.

"Well well...looks like our time to move is coming." Sir Saiyan said as they saw Chudelkin coming down the lift. "Likely come to make sure we died."

"Hehehehahaha! These arrogant fools, they thought they could go against the Pontifex. They really were quite pathetic in the end." Chudelkin laughed.

"Oh...we're pathetic are we?" Tatsuya said as the group started to break free.

"Didn't it even occur to you that you were walking into a trap?" Miriam asked.

"Gah! This can't be! He betrayed us." Chudelkin said running for the lift.

"Eugeo… I'll use the ice you tried to freeze us with for my new technique…" David said. "Arctic Style Elite Art: Dragon Storm!" he shouted as ice dragons shot out of his hands, firing on Chudelkin.

"Thermal Element!" Chudelkin said, creating a large being of fire. "Get him, my genie!" he said as the ice dragons were tearing through the fire elemental. "What?!" he said as the ice dragons converged on the lone prime senator. He soon stood there, burned and charred as he collapsed to the ground.

"Whoa… A-Amazing!" Eri said.

"Now...nothing stands between us and her." Theo said as they got on the platform and rode up to the 100th floor where sitting on a bed was a lone woman with long purple hair and a weakened Eugeo. "So is this her?"

"Yes. She still has not aged since the last time I saw her 6 years ago." Alice said.

"So, she's the cause of all of this, huh?" Tsubaki asked.

"Huh...so you defeated Chudelkin. Well, that was anticlimactic but I gained info from seeing it. How unsightly." she said waving a hand and flinging his body to the wall.

"Don't sweat it. We don't want your praise." David said.

"Not after what you did, stripping Alice of her free will and her memories." Miriam said.

"I think I figured out the mystery of you irregulars. You are humans, not from this world, but from the otherside, aren't you?" Administrator said.

"Well, most of us are humans, anyway." Tatsuya said.

"Doesn't really matter. Seems that little imp has gone and filled your heads with nonsense." Administrator said.

"You're going to end up destroying this world. You created the Integrity Knights but even they won't be enough when the Dark Territory invades." Erza said.

"Not to mention this whole "Taboo Index" nonsense." Mark said. "All it does is allow the nobles to trample over everyone else while you watch from this tower. You're sick!"

"He's right! What good is a society that doesn't respect people?" David asked.

"Why should I care what my subjects do while I rule?" Administrator said. "They do not inconvenience me so why should I care?"

"Because it shows the mark of a true ruler and leader, which doesn't take a genius to know you're neither of those." Leopardmon said.

"You're nothing more than a tyrant! Letting your own greed consume you and deceiving these people." Ace said.

"Okay...you're starting to bore me with these trivialities. These people are not true people, simply my puppets. What they want doesn't matter." Administrator said, as a large beast made of swords appeared in the room. "This...is what will eliminate the Dark Territory. My Sword Golem."

"The heck? How did you….wait...you...you didn't…" Ayase said, shaking a bit.

"Of course I did. Humans are an excellent resource for these things. I'll just need half of the entire empire to make an army of these." Administrator said.

"How rotten… You really don't care about anyone but yourself. Talking to scum like you is a waste of time." David said.

"Same with you, scum from the other world." Administrator said. "I will not let this world reset, nor will I allow the final load test to commence. And this beast will make sure I rule for all eternity."

"We can't take on both of them at once." Ethox said.

"We won't have to." Theo said taking one of the daggers Cardinal had given them and stabbing it into the ground as emerging from it was Cardinal itself.

"It seems you did well." Cardinal said, looking to Administrator as the two of them started to fight.

"Alright. Now we can focus on her little pet...made of blades. Now we've seen everything." Eri said.

"Indeed." Miriam said, summoning Blue Rose. "Such a monstrosity cannot exist, especially at the cost of many lives."

"This thing is basically the equivalent of a divine blade. It won't break easily." Cobalt said.

"Then we'll just have to hit hard until it breaks apart." Duran said.

"Yeah, if only it's that simple." David said.

"Yeah, but we always find a way, right?" Ace asked.

"Right." Shirou replied.

The group quickly started to battle against the sword golem, the beast having a slight advantage over them as it was resisting their attacks as Administrator battled with Cardinal before striking the latter down with multiple lightning bolts.

"Cardinal." Miriam said.

"Miriam, focus!" Kasumi said.

"Power Stone, Hammer Knuckle!" Miriam called, intercepting with the Glutton Train's massive fist.

"Cardinal…" Theo said seeing the girl use the last of her strength to make Eugeo into a sword. "Your death won't be in vain." he said as his keyblade glowed. "It's time….to use my own skill." he said as the twelve signs of the zodiac appeared behind him. "Sacred Strike...of the Twelve Sacred Stars!" he said clashing with the Sword Golem, managing to break one of its swords.

"That's it!" Ethox realized. "I'll follow your lead! Unparalleled Eastern Art: Twisted Spirit Purification Slash!" he called as he struck another sword on the creature, shattering the blade.

"We'll have to keep the pressure on him somehow." Eri said.

"Look!" Ayase said, spotting a strange module inside the golem. "I bet that's what's keeping the thing together."

"Maybe. We'll have to dig our way into those blades to reach it. That means you're up, girls." Revali said.

"Here we go." Eri said as she, Ayase and Tsubaki leapt into the air. "We're going to beat this thing." she said as the three combined their spears and spun right towards it.

"Dragoon Sister's DrillDrill!" they said drilling right through the Golem's body before puncturing its piety module, destroying the whole thing.

"How dare…" Administrator said before one of the broken swords flew off and sliced off her arm. "What? But...metal objects can't hurt me."

"True but this was a divine blade. They don't really follow the rules." Theo said. "How's it feel to feel pain after so long, Quinella?" he said as Administrator scowled at them.

"How does it feel to have your ultimate weapon dismantled by a bunch of kids?" Tsubaki asked.

"If I were her, it would be very demoralizing." Belladonna said.

"If you wish to continue suffering by my hand...I'll be quite happy to oblige you!" Administrator said with a look of anger on her face.

"Yep. She's pissed." Luke said.

"Don't worry...I'll be glad to finish her." Kirito said, gripping a crystal sword as he clashed with Administrator along with the others. The fighting went all across the room before Kirito ended up losing an arm after slicing off Administrator's remaining one.

"Damn you!" she said, gripping some of them with her hair.

"Got to give her credit for one thing. She's very persistent." Cheetah said.

"Wow...that's some do. But…" Ethox said before slicing it apart. "Could do with a cut!"

"Haaaa!" Kirito called out as he pierced through her chest with his blade.

"How...unfortunate. In the end, neither blade was metal. Even with all the resources here, I cannot heal myself. I have no choice." Administrator said stepping on the floor as rising up was a device shaped like a laptop as she used her hair to type something in before she started to float.

"What is...no! Stop her!" Connie said.

"Too late." Administrator said as she continued to float higher. "Farewell, children. Next time we meet, will be in your world."

"Your emminence." a voice called out as they saw Chudelkin crawling towards her.

"He's still alive after all of that? Wow." David said.

"You still...owe me...your body!" he said, jumping onto Administrator. However, his body ignited on fire, lighting up both him and her as she screamed in pain.

"Let go, you cretin! Let me go this instant!" she demanded as she burned. "No….No!" she called out before she was incinerated in a burst of flames.

"A fitting end for someone like her." Ace said.

"Looks like it really is true in this case: love really is an inferno." Tsubaki said.

"Even though that love is a little...sleazy." David said.

"Well, I'd say that our quest here in the tower is complete." Sir Sayian said.

"Though, it wasn't without casualties." Cheetah said as Kirito mourned Eugeo and Cardinal.

"They sacrificed themselves so that we would pull through." Eri said.

"And with Administrator dead, their deaths won't ever be in vain." Theo said. "These two...we can never thank them enough."

"Yeah." Ace said. "May your souls rest peacefully in Devaloka."

Mark said nothing, only lowering his head in silence.

"Well...since we're here...we should try and establish a connection to the outside." Ayase said going to the command console. "Hello? Anyone there? Please answer. We're here." she said before they heard sounds on the other side.

"That...that was gunfire." Zoro said.

"What the heck is going on over there?" David asked.

Back on the Ocean Turtle…

"Oh man…" Chihiro said huddled by Mukuro, Rachel and Lei as two JSDF officials were firing against a number of masked men.

"These people...they're mercenaries. Likely American." Mukuro said. "We need to get out of here. We can't risk any civilian casualties."

"Yes. And I'm almost...holy crap. Someone from Underworld is trying to contact us." Hyperion said.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" Ayase asked.

"Is zat you, Ayase? Did you manage to take control of ze Pontifex?" Rachel asked.

"How do you guys…" Ayase asked.

"Franky, Jeremie and Double D have been keeping track from the ship. They tried to communicate but nothing came through." Mukuro said as she returned fire against the mercenaries.

"What's going on out there? Sounds like a warzone." Tatsuya said.

"Some weird masked mercenaries infiltrated the base and started attacking." Lei said, firing her machine gun.

"Though they aren't the only problems. The Galaxy King is facing a similar invasion, although this one is by Unversed, demons and goblins as well as Lost Beasts." Mukuro said.

"No freaking way. He's here?" Kasumi asked.

"We haven't seen him yet, but this does seem like something he'd pull. Look, you need to find Alice and get her to the World's End Altar." Mukuro said. "The merc's...they're here for her."

"Understood. We'll get on it." Cheetah said.

"Ah!" Chihiro said, looking on his personal computer. "They've infiltrated the power supply."

"Not good. It'll cause a surge. They're cutting the power! Not good!" Mukuro said.

It was just then, back in the cathedral, Kirito felt a surge through his body as he collapsed to the ground, completely motionless and unresponsive.

"Kirito!" Ace said.

"No!" Mark said, racing up to the fallen boy. "C'mon, don't you leave us now! Wake up, man!"

"What happened out there?" Ayase demanded.

"They cut the power and caused a surge. Kirito was connected to a machine on that system. His fluctlight got cooked. He's not dead but his brain is unresponsive." Hyperion said. "Forget what I said for now. Just get to somewhere safe in Underworld while we sort out this mess on the outside."

"Got it. Be careful out there, everyone." David said.

Meanwhile, on the outside…

"My lord...it seems we've found them. They are inside a virtual world with the final hero. Thoughts?" Sentibug asked Ehto as they stepped onboard the Ocean Turtle.

"Hmm. A virtual world...I've never tried to gain access to one of those before. But...there's always a first time for everything." Ehto said, smiling.

Act 3: Alicization Uniting

END