Hey, what's going on guys, Extremepokemon here fresh of watching the latest trailer of SAO: Alicization: War of Underworld and I'll admit, I'm very excited about it when it comes out but a few nit-picks about it which I've already pointed out last chapter and well, here we are, thank you to the people who followed this story and asked questions, you'll get your answers in this very chapter, for those that need a reminder of what happened last chapter, go read it again so you can catch up to this part, also, I almost forgot to mention something about last chapter which is that our heroes are all bleeding and badly beaten up, also, Asuna does not tell the Human Empire anything about Kirito's past in SAO, ALO or GGO as it will be a plot point in future chapters, other than that, on with Chapter 2.
Notice: I do not own Sword Art Online or any of its characters, images, likeness etc as it's rightfully owned by Reki Kawahara, I'm just a fan of the product, anyway, let's do this.
Chapter 2: The Reckoning
We begin at the massive circle of Korean and Chinese players who are laughing along with PoH after the massive explosion that destroyed all 3 Carriages with the remaining Human Empire Army along with a small group of Japanese players watching in horror as their close friend was in 1 of those Carriages.
"Now you understand right, this is what happens when you rely on these so called "Heroes" to come and save you, you get your asses handed to you and rightfully so as they have done nothing but taken moments away from me as well as my family, now I'm going to take a member of your family from you." Says PoH in a cruel, sadistic manner as he picks up Bercouli and holds his knife across his neck.
"How could you do this, you evil monster?!" Screams Silica in her SAO Attire with tears in her eyes.
"I just told you, are you deaf or are you just stupid, as for that, after I kill this old son of a bitch, I'll kill you next, you slut!" Yells PoH in which Silica looks more scared when a Korean player drags her to where Bercouli was and points his sword at her neck.
"Silica!" Yelled Liz and Yuuki at the same time with tears out of their eyes, unaware that Asuna's hand is shaking near her weapon.
*No, I can't, no.* Thought Asuna as she's in conflict with her emotions and actions, her face has blood dripping from her forehead.
"Lady Asuna." Says Sortiliena with a concerned look on her face.
"Dammit, you sick SOB, haven't you done enough suffering and misery in your life?!" Yells Klein before being kicked in the head by a Chinese player.
"No, enough is never enough, now watch as your deaths will be painful for you and more satisfying for me to watch!" Shouted PoH laughing maniacally with a sick look on his face when another explosion occurs causing bits of wood and metal to fly into the air and hit the ground, unbeknownst by anyone, a wheel of the wheelchair slowly rolls from the wreckage with 1 of the Korean players leans in to Siune and whispers something.
"Do you know what's going on cause this is just getting weirder and weirder?" Says a red headed Korean in her language with Siune whispering back in Korean.
"First answer me this, how does this guy make you feel?" Asks Siune with a scared look.
"I'll be honest, he looks like he doesn't give a damn on any form of life, it's like he has no Heart nor Soul." Says the Korean with a slight dissatisfied look on her face.
"Now, what did he tell you before you all jumped in?" Asks Siune in Korean.
"He said: Japanese hackers have attacked the test servers of a new VRMMO-RPG jointly developed by volunteers of the United States, China and Korea and killing developers in the game world, I want you to fight together to stop the brutality and violence of the Japanese." Says the red head in Korean now looking at PoH who's just picked up Ronye by her collar and throws her to Silica in a violent way, laughing again with Silica landing on her side horribly.
"You've been deceived heavily, there is no developers in here, what that asshole filled your head with is lies for his bloodlust, it's sickening." Says Siune in Korean with the red head gasping in shock of what she just heard.
"Why, why would he do this, it's so sickening and evil, has this man got no conscience?" Asks the red head looking pale to which another Korean with green hair looks at her with concern.
"Are you alright, you look like you've seen a ghost." Says the player as the red head turns to face him.
"No, I suddenly feel like I'm going to throw up after what I just learned from 1 of the Japanese." Says the red head as the green haired boy lowers his weapon to set her down with a purple haired girl and a blonde boy.
"What did she tell you, you can tell us." Asks the blonde boy with the red head facing him.
"She told me that we've been deceived, that guy told us that the Japanese were killing Developers in here, but there is no Developers in here, instead we're just butchering and slaughtering people for sport, not to mention that these people we're suppose to be stopping look very desperate for us to stop fighting, hell, did we even ask why we're doing this, no, we just hopped in without a 2nd thought or thinking." Says the red head with the group turning to PoH in shock and the blonde boy clenching his fists in anger.
*Damn, what the hell are we doing this for, we got to do something if we have to help.* Thought the blonde boy as he reaches for his axe and pulls it out until.
"Hey, what in God's name do you think you're doing, the battle is over, you got what you wanted, these people here have suffered enough or are you just a sick son of a bitch that just wants nothing but chaos?!" Shouted the green haired boy with nearly everyone in the Korean side gasping in shock and anger and turn to the Chinese, with 1 of them saying in the language.
"How dare you accuse this man of treacherous things that you clearly have no proof of!" Shouted the Chinese player with a furious face as PoH just walks back to Bercouli and kicks his ribs until a wheel of the wheelchair brushes him, he looks at it then looks at the Carriage explosion with a curious and confused look on his face.
*This wheel, it wasn't here a few moments ago, could it be?* Thought PoH as he looks at the wreckage and back at Ronye with a look of anger and a touch of fear as he grabs her by her collar and lifts her up.
"Ronye!" Shouted Lisbeth before looking back at the Koreans and Chinese as they look like they're about to come to blows with each other with a look of fear.
Ronye looks so scared that she can't make a sound as PoH growls at her with an insane look on his face.
*Someone, please help me!* Thought Ronye with a scared look on her face with Asuna twitching her hand to her weapon.
"Tell me who was in that Carriage or you're going to get your head separated from your shoulders with this little friend I'm holding!" Shouted PoH as now the Chinese and Koreans start fighting to which he looks with a sinister sickening grin with Ronye struggling to break free.
"Never, you took the one who's changed my life for the better away from us, he never gave up on me and I'll never give up on him, for my heart and soul will always have his memory!" Shouted Ronye back in defiance before being thrown back to the ground with Asuna still in conflict.
"No, I can't, I must, but I can't." Says Asuna as she tries to reach for her weapon with Yuuki putting her hand on her back causing Asuna to face her.
"Hey, whatever it is you need to do, we're right behind you for support, go, take our hearts and souls to give that sicko the righteous beating he deserves." Says Yuuki with a smile with Asuna now nodding back with confidence after looking at everyone smiling and giving a thumbs up, she then draws her weapons out.
*This is for everyone including you Kirito.* Thought Asuna as she shouts a battle cry with her weapon glowing with PoH caught off guard as Asuna causes him to stagger but he quickly recovers.
"Ho, so the Lightning Flash still has some fight left within her, oh I'm going to enjoy this, let's see what you got!" Shouted PoH as he tries to strike Asuna with his blade only for her to deflect it as she counterattacks.
"You're going to pay for taking the life of who I love with all my heart and spirit." Says Asuna with anger as she goes on the attack.
*You're not the only one who loves him.* Thought Silica, Lisbeth, Yuuki, Ronye, Sortiliena, Alicia and Sakuya with their hands on their chest and blushing as they pray with their eyes closed.
As Asuna takes the fight to PoH with all her will, we head down south to another group is walking with 2 people on dragons, the 2 people on Dragons are Alice Synthesis 30 and Eydis, on the ground leading the group is Sinon and Leafa riding on horses with Linel and Fizel behind them, they are currently heading to the World's End Altar.
"So Alice, how do you recon this is going to work?" Asks Eydis with a curious look on her face.
"I don't know, but we'll figure it out once we get there, I just hope Sinon and Leafa know what to do." Says Alice as she now looks forward.
"Hey Leafa, you feel that?" Asks Sinon with a look of worry.
"Yeah, I got a bad feeling about this, but I also got a sickening feeling about everyone that's behind us." Says Leafa with a worried look on her face.
"Yeah, I just hope that they'll be fine, I also hope that Kirito will rise again when we need him the most." Says Sinon with her face blushing.
"Yeah, we can only hope." Says Leafa before looking back in front of her.
"Hey Nel, how do you recon the army is doing?" Asks Fizel with a worried look on her face.
"I don't know Zel, the group that Leafa and Sinon came in with looked strong, but I can only imagine and hope for the best, the same goes for the rest of the army." Says Linel before facing forward.
The group moves further down south as fast as they can until Sinon spots something far ahead, the group stops and parks their horses with Eydis and Alice landing.
"What's wrong Sinon?" Asks Fizel with her hand on her dagger, ready to draw.
"Dark Territory soldiers specifically Orcs, Goblins, Giants and Dark Knights." Says Sinon with everyone except for Alice drawing their weapons out, ready for battle.
"Let's make a quick, clear path through these guys, we don't have anymore time to waste." Says Leafa with everyone looking determined to strike down the enemy that's in their way.
"Amayori, take me into the air, we're going to burn them down into the ground!" Growled Alice with determination.
But before they can attack, a loud rumbling is heard causing everyone to look around looking a bit startled.
"What was that?" Asks Eydis looking around the area.
"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good." Says Linel with the rumbling growing louder and louder.
"Um guys, you really should look up at the sky." Says Leafa pointing to the sky with everyone looking up and gasping in shock as dark, black clouds flow in the air with lightning flashing and a maniacal laugh is heard.
"Who was that?" Asks Fizel now with the group looking a bit nervous as the cause of the laugh answers.
"The End is here, I'm coming to consume everything this world has to offer, along with your souls and I'm going to start with you Alice, or should I say: Priestess of Light?" Says the voice in a dark, sickening, evil tone causing everyone to gasp as a figure descends from the sky, he's wearing a black crown like headband on his fore head, black knight boots with black knee guards, his pants and top are military like dark grey, he also has a dark black cape with red symbols, he has his sword equipped, he even has black fingerless gloves, his name is Gabriel Miller aka Subtilizer aka Emperor Vector.
"No, it can't be." Says Alice looking shocked as Gabriel continues his descend with more lightning strikes and thunder rumbling with the Dark Territory soldiers cheering, when he lands, flames appear from the ground, causing the group to jump at the sight with Gabriel showing no fear.
"I thought he was dead, didn't Commander Bercouli kill him?" Asks Eydis with a concerned look on her face.
"He did, I saw it with my own 2 eyes that he and this evil scumbag fought, it was really close but Bercouli won and Vector was dead, but how can he be alive?" Says Sinon with Gabriel laughing causing everyone to face him with worried looks.
"That does not matter now, what does matter is your inevitable destruction, not to mention how sweet it will be when I consume your souls, go ahead and take them out, but leave the 1 in golden armour to me, she's mine." Says Gabriel with a sick, demented look on his face as the Dark forces rush out at the group with Gabriel taking to the skies toward Alice, Sinon quickly takes off and fires some arrows at Gabriel, who cuts them in half.
*No way, damn, how am I going to beat this guy?* Thought Sinon as she tries again only for Gabriel to evade with quick speed.
As the fight for survival goes on, something strange happens when Eydis slices an Orc in half, splitting him, only for 2 more to appear out of thin air.
"What the hell, how is it possible for 2 more Orcs to appear out of nothing?" Asks Eydis to herself as she kills a couple of Goblins with several more appearing out of thin air.
The most effective of the group is Fizel and Linel as they've cut a clear path to push through but the gap is instantly filled back up, they try again, only for the same result to happen, Gabriel tries to use his black smoke to put Sinon to sleep, only for her to evade really fast.
"I'll get you sooner than you think!" Shouted Gabriel with fury.
*I can't keep doing this forever, help me Kirito, lend me your strength to keep fighting.* Thought Sinon as she closes her eyes and clutches her bow, it glows a bright blue and changes shape from a bow to her PGM Ultima Ratio Hecate II sniper rifle, she opens her eyes and smiles with Leafa being the first to look.
"Sinon, you got your weapon back." Says Leafa with Sinon opening her eyes and looking to the north.
*Thank you Kirito, now let me repay you for your kindness and your heart.* Thought Sinon as she glows blue with a trail of it flying north, Leafa starts to glow too with a green colour.
*Please Kirito, come back and fight for us, we need you now more than ever.* Thought Leafa as the green trail also flies north.
Alice also glows a bright yellow with a trail flying north as they fight for their lives as well as Fizel, Linel and Eydis, we head back north to Asuna and PoH fighting with PoH having the upper hand and majority of the Koreans and Chinese are wiped out with some remaining, the Human empire along with the players are cheering Asuna on with everything they got.
"What's wrong Lightning Flash, getting tired yet, cause it won't be long until I finish my long awaited revenge on you and your stupid friends for ruining my life!" Yelled PoH with a sick look on his face as he force Asuna to 1 knee.
"Asuna, no!" Yelled Iskahn clenching his fists with a feeling of powerless.
"Come on Asuna, you can do this, don't quit, don't give up." Says Lisbeth with tears coming out of her eyes as she puts her hands together like a prayer, she starts glow dark red, people around her does the same, Silica, Yuuki, Klein, Alicia who's also crying, Agil, Sakuya, the Sleeping Knights, Bercouli, Fanatio, Deusolbert, Renly, Scheta and Iskahn begin to glow with the glow trail from the South coming to enter Asuna as she glows bright pink with her beginning to stand up, causing PoH to move back in disbelief and the Human Empire gasp also in disbelief
*Thank you everyone, I promise that this will not go unwasted.* Thought Asuna with a smile on her face as she yells for another strike, hit PoH's blade, causing him to stagger, she strikes again and again with PoH staggering backwards.
*What, what is this feeling I got, this not like anything I've felt before.* Thought PoH as Asuna hits him again.
*Now's the time to use that Skill I've been practicing.* Thought Asuna with her Rapier glowing purple, she begins her attack, shocking everybody including Yuuki who smiles with tears of joy.
"I knew it, all this time, you can do my Sword Skill, I'm so happy right now, go give him hell." Says Yuuki smiling as Asuna continues using Mother's Rosario, she keeps causing PoH to stagger.
*This is it, my final strike, this is for everyone that I hold dear in my heart, and this is for you, Kirito.* Thought Asuna as she executes her final strike knocking PoH off his feet, he struggles to get up with a demented look like he's smiling.
"Yes, yes, that's the Lightning Flash I remember so well, you've exceeded my expectations, now prepare to die!" Says PoH as he swings his blade at Asuna who can't move, before the blow is landed, everyone starts glowing again with the trails of different colours from the south of the Dark Territory appearing again with the glows flying to the wreckage and into the ground to where Kirito is, the glows enter his heart, we see the handle of the Blue Rose touched by his hand with it glowing ice blue, Kirito starts to glow gold.
To be Continued: Next Time: Salvation
So that does it for Chapter 2 otherwise known as The Reckoning, next time, we go to Kirito and see what's been happening, that will be something to look forward to I promise you that, also yes Ronye is a part of the Harem, that answers the questions you asked me, back to Kirito, he will be taking all of Chapter 3 which in my opinion will be the most emotional chapter I have ever written in my life, will contain several fan favourites there too which hopefully will be good, oh side note for those wondering, Gabriel has actually merged his Subtilizer account with Emperor Vector and his real life personality, it came to my head as I was walking and I thought it would be cool, I'll leave that for you to decide, I also wanted to have music play for Gabriel's arrival like Dead Silent by Def Rebel or Metallica's Now that we're dead but none of them worked for me I even wanted Kirito to have music as well but that's been scrapped, anyway, I'm going to get started on Chapter 3 when this is uploaded, so get ready for an emotional roller coaster ride, and thank you all so much for giving me the opportunity to be creative and write stuff like this with all my heart and soul, I really hope you're all enjoying reading this as I'm writing this, but before I go and write Chapter 3, I got 3 more announcements, 1. when this whole thing is finished, there's some outtakes that'll be posted which hopefully will be funny, 2. When the final battle occurs and it will happen I'm honestly thinking of putting Yuki Kajiura's OST's in it which is a major toss up for me, I'll figure it out when I come to it and 3. I'm currently working on a one shot which just came to me, hopefully you'll be interested in it, other than that, thank you all so much for reading this, hope you check out Chapter 3 when it's out, don't forget to ask any questions you may have as I'll be happy to answer them, Don't forget to Rate, Review and follow for more stuff like this, stay calm, stay healthy and stay safe in these uncertain times and I'll see you guys in the next Chapter, Peace out.