Hey everyone, Slade here.

Welcome once again to [Our Bond]! … a month later from schedule…

First of all, sorry for the delay. I will go into more details on the Author Notes at the end. However, just to make it clear for the get-go, I won't give up on this story anytime soon.

Now, this is usually the part when I give a short description of the chapter… but imma keep it real with you guys, I kinda no longer see the point of doing so. Therefore, from now on, no more of my crazy ramblings at the beginning unless it is something important. Well, except the following two lines:

*******.*******

Hello everyone, Slade here. Welcome back and enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online nor the characters; heavens forbid that destiny.

Chapter 7: [Life at the Cathedral]

93rd Floor, Integrity Knights' quarters. Central Cathedral.
25th day of the 5th month ~ 16:34 hrs.
Kirito's POV.

"Alright everyone, were back!" I nonchalantly pushed the mystical door wide open as a serious-looking Edith trailed behind me. "Sorry for the delay, but there were a few things Edith wanted me to… elaborate… on…"

My words trailed off slowly as I witnessed a troublesome scene unfold before me. Within the asphyxiating room was Alice, who glared daggers at none other than a wholly awake Administrator. Her body was tense, and her hand was dangerously dancing around Osmanthus' grip.

Eugeo was right beside her. His gaze was constantly shifting between Alice and Administrator. When he was staring at the former, his eyes softened in silent understanding, but whenever he happened to stare into the latter…

I have known Eugeo for two whole years, and only once I saw such loathing in his eyes. That day two sub-human creatures were murdered by my hand.

A spike of worry inevitably aroused within me. Although I trusted my… childhood friends to not lose their temper, there was always the risk of Administrator instigating the conflict. She was backed to a corner. She had nothing else to lose. Her emotions were clouding her judgement.

If worse came to be, then the whole room would turn into pure madness once the anomaly triggers. No one, not even Cardinal, would escape unscathed.

And yet… nothing happened.

Administrator just sat at the edge of her bed in complete silence. Her eyes faced —and endured— the spiteful glares with the most neutral front they could muster. But, despite her efforts, there were clear hints of doubt and fear. The way her irises trembled, her fidgeting, her shaking shoulders… she wasn't trying to start a conflict; rather, she was acting strong to save some of her dignity.

Or, at least, that was my assumption.

Cardinal's unusual nonchalance further reassured me that no conflict was about to being. She was keeping a keen eye on both parties, but she displayed little worry. After all, she should be enough to defuse any potential fight unless Perfect Weapon Control Arts were involved.

Then again, it wasn't certainty.

Having enough of witnessing this nonsensical standoff, I finally chose to make my presence known: "Alright, what the fuck is going on in here?!" my voice boomed, diverting Eugeo and Alice's attention.

I waited for an answer patiently. My glare practically daring any of them to answer something stupid.

"… nothing…" Alice replied between gritted teeth, sparing one last glance at Administrator. "I suppose we are done for today, aren't we, Cardinal?"

The diminutive girl gave a single nod, crossing her arms. "For today, yes. We shall continue our discussion tomorrow. For now, all of you must rest and recover."

"… then, if you excuse me…"

Without uttering anything else, the blonde girl turned around before marching towards the exit at a brisk pace. As her visage disappeared on the hallway outside, I couldn't help but frown in confusion at her behavior.

Don't get me wrong, I expected nothing but animosity between Alice and Administrator. Hell, everyone inside this room had more than enough reasons to loathe her. However, seeing Alice act in such way…

It doesn't suit her.

That was what bothered me. Her reaction felt strange… unbecoming of her.

Whether I was talking about the Integrity Knight, my childhood friend, or both, I was unsure. Wrapping my head around my "lost" memories was still hard. All I knew was that this reaction wasn't proper of "Alice."

And apparently, I wasn't the only one.

"Alice…" Eugeo whispered, his anger forgotten the moment his… our childhood friend exited the room in such fashion.

"I will go and talk to her," Edith sighed, staring at the door with thin veiled concern. "She must be tired, just like the rest of us." Then she turned towards Cardinal. "I am going to be honest here, Cardinal: I don't like leaving this to a later date, not after everything Kirito told us. First thing in the morning we finish this once we all have… cooled down.

"Oh, and kiddo…" her crimson eyes shone with a dangerous glint. "Make sure to keep her in a tight leash."

Without waiting for an answer, the girl quickly ran to catch up with Alice.

That girl will be trouble later down the road, I huffed silently. I just know it.

Now that there were only four of us left, the room's air felt less viced… though the tension had yet to vanish entirely.

"We should be on our way too," I quirked an eyebrow when Cardinal moved towards a table where, to my shock and mild horror, transformed strewn objects into… food? "This will have to do for the both of you. And don't worry, it's edible," she clarified after noticing my freaked-out face.

Close to me, Eugeo was gaping at the scene with no little amount of surprise. "Now I regret eating cake…"

In a surprising display of emotions, Cardinal smirked. "How was I supposed to cook inside a library? Now come over here for a bit."

Feeling that a bit of my innocence was somehow ripped apart by Cardinal, I mechanically followed her to the doorstep. There she instructed us to huddle closer.

"I know you both are tired, so I will be brief," the diminutive Acting Pontifex tilted her head forwards. "Although Quinella no longer poses a major threat on her own, she still is very dangerous. Therefore, as much as it pains me… I will have to ask both of you to watch over her for the next days."

"*Tch* Figures…" I didn't bother to hide my annoyance. "I guess mine is the nightshift, right?"

"I am afraid that will be the case, Kirito," the brunette gave me an apologetic look. "You two aren't Integrity Knights and, for the moment, you are the most available personnel we have. Therefore, until I find a better alternative to seal Quinella away, this is our best option and the safest one too."

"Can't you, I don't know, use the command Chudelkin used against Bercouli?" I suggested.

"The thought crossed my mind, yes, but the Deep Freeze Art will need some changes in order to work with her. Quinella originally designed that Sacred Art as a means to keep under control the Integrity Knights and some of her experiments. There is also the potential risk that the anomaly would deem it dangerous too if we are not careful enough."

Of course it couldn't be that easy… "It was worth asking anyway," I crossed my arms. "Then I guess I will babysit her for a while longer," I sighed deeply, turning slowly to face my friend. "You better be going," I pointed at his face with an impish smile. "You look like shit."

"I suppose I do…" he gave me a weak chuckle. "Haven't slept all night… only running on coffee," he rubbed his eyes in a vain attempt to shake his sleep. "Though, after all of this, I am not sure if I can catch some rest or not."

My cheerful expression dropped. "… I understand. Though, if it keeps bothering you, you can always come here. We can talk it out."

"I will hold you to that, Kirito," he gave me a small smile. "Thank you… for telling us."

"Hey, I owe you a lot. That's the least I can do…" my tone sobered further. "So, please, don't hesitate to visit and ask."

"Will do…" his smile widened. "See you around pal, ｢Stay Cool｣."

"Goddammit, Eugeo, I told you not to overuse that shit," I giggled. "Just go and hit the bed, buddy."

A few more words were exchanged before they were ready to part too. Eugeo waved at me as he walked down the hallway while Cardinal sealed the door as an extra precaution… but not before giving me one last warning: "Oh, I suggest sharing the food. I have no idea how the anomaly will react if any of you suddenly begins to starve too much. Who knows? You might end up eating each other."

The door closed the next second with a click, leaving me speechless and unnerved.

What the fuck?! I screamed on the inside. Where did that shit came from? I know that loli isn't "human" entirely, but she doesn't strike me as someone who would usually say this kind of bullshit either.

Half puzzled, half unnerved, it took me a couple of seconds to gather my wits. Now I won't sleep until she eats her share… joy.

Shivering one last time, I thought now was better than ever to finally address my… "unwilling roommate."

The problem was, though, that I had no idea how to address her.

I could ignore her for sure. That was always an option available to me. However, if we both were supposed to share the room for the next couple of days, or weeks, interaction was unavoidable.

A very awkward and contemptuous interaction.

I had no plans to befriend her or to magically change her view of the world while I was here. She didn't deserve something like that. Nor I was a damn hero to accomplish such feat. I only wanted to get the hell out of this damn Cathedral; Eugeo and Alice alongside me if possible.

Cardinal better hurry in adapting the Deep Freeze Art. I don't know how long we can tolerate each other.

"You were awfully quiet, Administrator," I spoke aloud, turning around slowly. "Mind telling me why-"

The words were caught in my throat once she was on my line of sight. Administrator was still on her bed, sitting right at the edge while watching the door intensely. However, there was something else… something that sent shivers down my spine.

At first, I couldn't identify what it was exactly. Her expression was completely neutral as her eyes faced forwards, ignoring me entirely.

She was lost elsewhere.

It was only then when it hit me. Her eyes, her expression, I have seen it before…

That expression was back. It was close to her terrified grimace while asleep, yet different altogether. There was some fear, that hadn't change. But said fear was drowning under a stronger emotion… one that was perhaps worse than fear.

Despair. Hopelessness.

Perhaps only now she was realizing her situation.

"What the hell are you looking at?" I must have been staring at her for far longer than what I intended. Administrator recovered enough to ask me with an angry grimace… though even that looked forced.

"… you and I have to talk…" I spoke slowly, measuring my words.

"You and I have nothing to do with each other."

"Oh, believe me, I would be delighted if that was the case…" I crossed my arms. "We are going to be sharing this place, whether any of us like it or not. Unless we lay out some rules, it is my guess that we would windup killing each other before Monday."

"Perhaps that would be for the better…" she spat, her eyes finding interesting a corner of the room. "Better than suffering any longer from this humiliation."

So much for a normal conversation… I blew air from my nostrils, marching towards the "food" left by Cardinal. Although my appetite was ruined, the diminutive Acting High Pontifex's threat was still fresh in my mind.

"Fine, have it your way," I split the food in half, dropping carelessly her share on her bed. "Just don't test me and we're 'good'."

Quinella's POV.

That conversation was about an hour ago.

Or was it two hours? Perhaps three? I wasn't sure. Never once I felt necessity to keep track of time by instinct; all I had to do was to use a simple command to have all that information and so much more at my disposal.

But now…

My eyes were still lost on the ceiling above, following the spotless marble that lacked any cracks or imperfections. Minus the corners, there was no difference between one spot and the other.

And yet, I insisted on doing suck task. There was nothing else worth doing anyway…

There was nothing else I could do.

Not anymore. Not when he is around…

That stray thought cause the damn noise to return. That multitude of data that assaulted me from every corner whenever I lowered my guard. Anger, bitterness, sadness, frustration, resentment, indignation, aggravation, distress… they multiplied the longer I gave them the chance to fester.

Bad enough was that the Irregular Unit saw me right after his return. That Synthesis Thirty… that vulgar commoner I wrongfully chose to turn into my servant glared at me with the same, if not, more animosity than the boy when he first attacked me. Under the pressure of her blue eyes, I felt myself waver, crumbling under her very gaze.

There was also the Irregular's Unit companion. His venom wasn't as poisonous as that of the Integrator, but its weight certainly wasn't light either.

There was no reason to fear them. The anomaly "ensured" my safety even against the likes of Lyceris and my Integrity Knights. And yet I recoiled the moment their eyes focused on me fully due to all of these foul emotions!

It took me all my strength to resist her piercing glare and oppressive aura. Had she kept pressing me for just five more seconds…

Pitiful. Disgraceful. Laughable.

One of my hands clenched tightly on one of my knees. How could I crumble underneath such measly pressure? I asked myself. The Irregular Unit and even Lyceris… I was able to face them directly despite everything. Then why I almost broke against them?

The question gnawed me from the inside out despite my best attempts to distract myself with the spotless roof. Why did I feel so vulnerable? What caused that massive wave of relief once everyone else was gone?

Are there more traits behind this anomaly? I wondered. I just heard a fragment of Lyceris' explanation at the end. Is there key information which I ignore?

My convoluted thoughts lasted for another couple of minutes with no significant results. There was so much I ignored.

In a way, I felt no difference between staring at the ceiling and trying to come up with an explanation.

"-ing cold."

I perked up slightly when I barely caught what heard like a sentence. Turning around towards the only other person inside the room, I answered with an irritated glare.

The Irregular Unit sat comfortably on his bed, holding a book with his right hand. However, his eyes left the pages to focus on me. He stared at me, perhaps expecting an answer or something of sorts.

When he saw I had no intentions to reply, he spoke once again. "Your food is getting cold."

Silence. I wasn't going to grace him with a reply.

"Listen, I don't care what is going inside that thick skull of yours for the last thirty minutes you have been staring at the ceiling. But whatever it is, it can wait until you eat the 'food.' I don't know how long it will last until it rots."

My only answer was a frown before I turned back my attention to the ceiling above.

"Hah, look…" I heard some shuffling, perhaps him moving to a more comfortable spot. "You have two options and only two options. One, you eat that damn food on your own and save us both the trouble. Two, I stand up and shove them down your throat with my bare hands. Pick your poison."

"… And if I refuse?" my patience met its limit against his bothersome prodding, forcing me to give a verbal retort.

"Then we wait until the anomaly deems your starvation dangerous enough for it to interfere. It is possible it will force us to eat each other if push comes to shove," he then graced me with a deadpan, making an odd flourish with his free hand. "I heard once that our flesh tastes similar to that of the pig. Want to find out if its myth or truth?"

I scrunched my nose upwards, feeling incredibly disgusted by his remark. "How do you even know that?"

"｢Internet｣," he shrugged nonchalantly. "And as I said, I am not sure whether it's true or not."

"And how you came to the conclusion that we would go as far as to eat each other?"

"I did not, Cardinal did," he crossed his arms. "That loli can be quite disturbing every now and then."

Of course it was her, I huffed in annoyance. Even without being here, that pipsqueak is still a thorn on my side. "Fine, I will eat the damn food."

The Irregular Unit gave me one last shrug before returning to his book.

Without better options left, I had to obey his instructions and finally pay heed to the food the brat left. Without wasting any time, I proceeded to eat fast but carefully, doing my best to keep whatever dignity I had left.

If there's any left at all, that is, I drily remarked mentally, noticing how bland the food tasted with each bite.

"That girl can't even produce tasty food," I caught myself saying aloud as I bitterly took another bite of a piece of bread.

"You and I know she did it on purpose," the Irregular Unit grumbled back. "Even my share tasted like crap. But it was better than starving, I suppose."

"Such a petty brat," I huffed, taking another angry bite.

"Hum."

Without even fully realizing it, both the Irregular Unit and I found a common ground that day. It was brief, but we managed to have the inkling of a normal conversation.

What caused us to talk casually? Boredom? Annoyance? Tiredness? The anomaly?

Or perhaps we were secretly (or unknowingly) enthusiastic about food?

Whatever it was, it didn't last. Once I was done and all the plates were left aside, I returned to my musings and he to his book. We didn't talk to each other. Our eyes never met, even by chance. We were both in our respective worlds, close but separate.

I sat there thinking about many things, both productive and unproductive. My mind was still a tangle of foreign emotions and feelings. It would take me a while to sort them out and get used to them. In the meantime, all I could do was think.

84th Floor, Integrity Knights' debriefing room. Central Cathedral.
26th day of the 5th month ~ 09:39 hrs.

"They are running late," remarked Fanatio as she sat at the large, but empty, table. "We were pretty clear about the time yesterday."

A short pause came after her words. In the meantime, Bercouli could only smile sheepishly at her second-in-command.

"Don't be too hard on them, Fanatio," he shrugged off the problem; perhaps in a vain attempt to save his subordinates from a severe scolding. "It has only been a couple of minutes. Give 'em a bit more time."

"With all due respect sir, time is of the essence," the stern woman insisted. "Too much was discussed and revealed last morning, yet only a fraction of our forces was present. It is imperative to contact with the others as fast as we can. We are already running on borrowed time."

"Are you talking about the Dark Territory, or about the High Pontifex?" the man inquired.

Fanatio stopped herself for a moment. Her exposed face curled into a nervous frown, something that worried Bercouli further.

"The latter, commander."

"I see," Bercouli crossed his arms. "I take that Lady Cardinal's most recent news troubled you?"

"How could they not?" in a rare moment of unrestrained frustration, Fanatio slammed her fist on the table just beside her helmet. "She is awake, commander. She will remain a threat until Lady Cardinal finds a way to use the Deep Freeze Art on her safely."

"For all we know, one of these days we can wake up and find everything back to… 'normal'," her voice began to diminish to a whisper. "We won't even notice. Everything around us would be 'exactly how they are meant to be,' like nothing at all changed."

Bercouli softened his gaze; it was rare to see this side of Fanatio. She was a dutiful and stern woman, but even she had her own doubts and insecurities.

"That won't happen," Bercouli reassured her with a kind smile. "Cardinal told us about her loss of powers, remember?" he smiled even further. "She can't escape her room without help. There are also those two youngsters watching over her."

"True," she conceded. "Though what about that so-called anomaly? Isn't the black one, Kirito, a potential threat too?"

"Heh, I doubt it," with a short laugh, the commander shifted in his seat to look directly at Fanatio. "Though we only fought once, he doesn't strike me as a weak-willed man. Otherwise, the High Pontifex would have never been defeated."

"… It is true he proved to be quite… headstrong when we crossed blades…" Fanatio tilted her head sideways, tapping the table absentmindedly. "Quite a strange fellow he is."

"And young Eugeo seems no push-over too. Remember how he confronted you at the meeting despite being surrounded by everyone?"

"Granted, he did so in a burst of rage."

"But he did it anyway," Bercouli insisted. "Those two might be unpredictable wildcards, but I think they deserve some trust. We owe them that much."

"I suppose we do, don't we?" the vice commander sighed. "I haven't thanked that boy, Kirito, for what he did at floor 50. Those daggers were valuable, and he wasted one on me…"

"Ah, that reminds me. Eugeo's retelling of their climb was quite interesting… especially everything about the 50th floor…"

Though Bercouli's smile never vanished, there was something hiding underneath that petrified Fanatio.

"R-really now, c-commander?" she couldn't help but stutter for some reason. "W-what exactly p-picked your interest, if I m-may ask?"

"About that clash of your Perfect Weapon Control Arts," he leaned on the table. "It must have been impressive, no? And quite… dangerous too…"

If Fanatio wasn't shaking before, she was now. Her hands, despite clasped together, were trembling like crazy as she did her best to not look at Bercouli directly. For a second, she cursed herself from taking off her helmet; though, in hindsight, little help or safety it would have provided from Bercouli's hawk-like glare.

"But he must have exaggerated, right? Despite Chudelkin's orders to prioritize the capture of the wildcards, I also reminded you all to be careful. I understand situations such as Deusolbert or Alice's defeat, in which the two wildcards either bested or tricked them. However, to make such dangerous thing as to clash two powerful Perfect Weapon Control Arts… that certainly is something else entirely."

"Ah… aha… ha…"

"That's why I wanted to hear your side of things, Fanatio," an oppressive aura took over the whole room as rivers of sweat ran down the vice commander's brow. "Eugeo, he… he was only exaggerating, right?"

"W-well…"

"You didn't used Heaven Piercing Sword's art to its fullest, riiiiiight?"

Fanatio felt trapped. No, it was far worse than just trapped. Had Kirito been there, he would have used nothing less than "screwed" to describe her situation. No one, not even the oldest of knights saw their commander truly angry. He had shown concern and even disappointment, but never once he displayed wrath.

And, if the dark aura oozing from Bercouli was any clue, he was absolutely pissed.

But the gods above (if they were real at all) chose to smile upon Fanatio at the last moment. Three polite, and quite hesitant, knocks came from the door. In a second, all the negativity vanished from the room, almost as if there was none to begin with.

Only then could Fanatio turn and face Bercouli. The man still had his usual smile; his blue eyes fixed on the door.

"C-commander Bercouli?" a tuft of green peeked from the now open door. It was Renly. "S-sorry from being late, but…"

"Ah, Renly! I suppose Scheta and Eldrie are with you too?" the shy Integrity Knight nodded sheepishly. "Then come in! You aren't too late anyway."

Renly hesitated on the doorstep, but nonetheless complied. Behind him appeared Eldrie and Scheta too, the former apparently sulking while the latter had her usual unreadable deadpan.

"I am very sorry, commander," Eldrie wasted no time to apologize. "It took me longer to arrive after I ran onto…"

"Bah, don't worry too much about it," Bercouli smirked. "We have more important matters to discuss anyway. Any potential… scolding can wait."

From the sidelines, Fanatio shuddered.

"Anyway, your mission is quite simple. All of you three, alongside Fanatio, must contact all the Integrity Knights scattered around the Human Empire and give them these documents. It goes without saying that no one but them must read them, so please be discreet while delivering them. Now, each of you will take one region. Fanatio will head to Norlangarth while the rest…"

3rd Floor, the Equipment Vault. Central Cathedral.
17:00 hrs.

Deusolbert was a man that rarely could be seen distracted for some reason or another. Even among his peers, his discipline and focus were only surpassed by Fanatio's and, sometimes, by his own commander. This trait of his proved to be useful in his old duty of patrolling Norlangarth and its borders with the Dark Territory.

However, no amount of discipline could have prepared him for the heavy revelations Cardinal exposed. As one of the oldest Integrators, it was only natural for him to question everything he has heard, seen, and done in his long life.

Just a couple of days ago, he could perfectly claim to hold one of the most noble and righteous title within the Human Empire: An Integrity Knight. A soldier that guarded the Human Empire from harm and corruption; both from inside and the outside.

But now? After listening to Eugeo's story? After facing the Sword Golem and its origins? After holding his past-self in his own palms?

After discovering he was the man who took Alice away from her old life?

That young boy, Eugeo, told him everything two days ago. He was the knight who came to Rulid. He was the one to wrongfully accuse a little girl of a crime she never did. He was the one who forced the leader of the village to turn over his own daughter. He was the one who chained a defenseless little girl to his dragon like some sort of wild animal.

And Deusolbert had the gall to call Alice his comrade for the last six years?

Sure, Alice Zuberg and Alice Synthesis Thirty were two separate identities. However, in his eyes, there was no difference at all. If he wronged the first, the second would naturally suffer too.

I owe her more than what I can pay in a lifetime, the red-haired knight lamented silently. How am I supposed to look her in the eyes from now on?

More gloomy thoughts pestered him as he walked along the multiple rows within the Equipment Vault. He was supposed to make an inventory of all the equipment that could be used for the upcoming war, but the intrusive feelings slowed him down considerably. In the two hours he had been inside, he had only cataloged an eighth of the Vault's contents. At this pace, he would need to stay awake until dawn.

No use in dwelling any longer on those thoughts, he told himself, pinching his brow tightly. Your punishment can wait, Deusolbert Synthesis Seven. Once the war is over, you will answer for what you did to your "comrade" … if you survive the war, that is.

With a long sigh, the man straightened himself before resuming his task. If he hurried and focused, he might be able to finish in three or four hours.

He was currently inspecting a set of armor, checking its properties and Life while simultaneously writing them down in some notes he was carrying. The task was repetitive and dull, making his mind prone to return to those remorseful thoughts.

But he was still an Integrity Knight. Even while distracted, he was one of the greatest warriors of the empire. Therefore, despite all the noise clouding his judgement, he was capable to notice a shift inside the room.

His senses alerted him that something was wrong. That he wasn't alone. There was someone else inside the Vault.

He heard no sound. He saw no shadow moving around the room. No, it was his intuition that urged him that there was someone, or something, watching him.

He reached slowly for his sword. He could have gone for his Conflagrant Flame Bow instead, but he feared that such movement would have alerted the stranger.

"Who's there?!" he exclaimed, turning around while brandishing his blade.

A minute of silence ensued in which Deusolbert stared at the multiple rows of weapons and armor before him. He felt the presence of the intruder hiding behind the closest one to his left.

Just as he was about to confront the stranger head on, a disappointed voice reached his ears.

"Aw, he found us, Nel…"

"I told you that he would do it, Zel. He always does."

Behind the row in which he detected the presence emerged not one, but two individuals. Both were young girls no older than ten years old. They wore nun outfits despite being Integrity Knights.

They were Linel and Fizel.

"You two?" Deusolbert huffed in annoyance, sheathing his sword. "What are you doing in here?"

"We are booooooored," whined Fizel, the one with short hair. "We are just wandering about trying to find something to do."

To emphasize her companion's words, Linel nodded up and down fervently.

"Bored? Aren't you supposed to be doing something elsewhere?"

"That is the problem, we have nothing to do. Right, Zel?"

"Hat Girl never gave us instructions. She only dismissed us with a weird look before running away all morning with those four again."

"Hat Girl?" the seventh Integrity Knight gave them a disapproving grimace. "You mean Lady Cardinal."

"Yes, Hat Girl," Fizel shrugged nonchalantly.

"Do not call her names," the man scowled. "She is the Acting High Pontifex now. She is your superior."

"Why are we supposed to respect her? She came out of nowhere." "True. She also looks our age too!" "Hmm! Hmm!"

Deusolbert sighed tiredly, wiping his face with a gloved hand. "Enough. You are both Integrity Knights, at least by title. Act as such."

"But you all refuse to acknowledge us as Integrators," Fizel crossed her arms with a childish pout. Linel, on the other hand, nodded sagely.

Meanwhile, their senior was already losing any hope to change the minds of these two troublemakers. They had been always like this, misbehaved children who only sought for mischief, tomfoolery, and murder. He had tried multiple times to shape them into true members of their order, but never once he felt there was significant progress. Now, with Chudelkin and Administrator gone, he supposed these two would be worse than before.

"Nee, Nel~"

"What is it, Zel?"

"Have you ever seen Deusolbert like this before?"

"Not that I remember, Nel. He always has that scary look on him."

"True. He always seems to be angry."

"Agreed."

"But now he seems a bit… concerned."

"Hum…"

"I don't have time to deal with any of this," Deusolbert gave them a stern look. "Unless you have something important to do here, then scatter elsewhere. Bercouli ordered me to make an inventory of everything inside the Vault and I have lost enough time as it is."

The two girls paused a bit at his ultimatum. They seemed to debate something internally for a couple of seconds before replying: "Can we help you?" "Hum!"

Deusolbert had to step back for a second. The brats… they were offering voluntarily to help?!

He eyed them suspiciously. Those two girls never offered to anything unless it had to do with assassination or murder, be it directly or indirectly. For example, the only reason they agreed to study Sacred Arts was to learn how to use them in combat.

Therefore, he had all the reasons to be suspicious.

"What are you two planning?"

"We are planning nothing!" "We are just bored to the point that helping around seems acceptable."

"… as long as you don't cause any trouble, then your help is welcome."

"Yay!" "We will begin right away!"

After Deusolbert gave them an extra notebook and pen he was carrying, the two child-like Integrity Knights ran off to the closest shelf and immediately got to work.

The seventh knight stared at them with a small smile. He knew those two were still planning some mischief; they always did. Perhaps they would try to take some swords or daggers for themselves before leaving, or perhaps they would try to play some prank on him later. Regardless of their motives, he still thanked their help.

Although, I wonder, why did their presence feel… off?

52nd Floor, Second Training Grounds. Central Cathedral.
28th day of the 5th month ~ 15:00 hrs.
Kirito

If I had to describe the sight before me, I would certainly say "overkill."

The 52nd floor was just a massive training room that put to shame those back at the Swordcraft Academy in both size and quality. The whole place was large enough to effectively accommodate around a fifty people or so without much problem, a number that far surpassed the number of Integrity Knights currently active.

And this was meant to be the secondary training grounds?

If so, I wondered just how incredible the main grounds were. Also, why the heck they had two floors dedicated entirely to training? And why were they far away from the Integrity Knight's quarters no less?

In hindsight, there was no need to make this whole place a hundred floors high, I mused while walking around the massive room. Other than Administrator's ego, I see no other point. That would also explain the many unnecessary rooms Eugeo and I came across while climbing this place.

Dumb designs apart, I had to admit that they kept this building interesting. And, after spending three days inside a tiny and boring room, places as spacious as this one felt like a blessing.

Here should do it. I came to a halt, nodding in approval at the spot I chose. Now, let's warm up for a bit.

Believe it or not, there was a time in which I loathed training (or any physical activity for that matter). It is no exaggeration that after dropping kendo for the first time, I ran away at the mere mention of exercise or workout.

However, just as many things, it all changed after Aincrad. Whether I like it or not, I had to rigorously farm and grind just to keep up with the Frontlines. Sure, any action done in the game left no physical exhaustion or backlash, but the endless killing of trash mobs for countless hours was mentally taxing anyway.

Once the game was cleared, I was in dire need to find something to do once my body recovered from its two-year slumber. Kendo, ironically, was the best solution I came up with. Ah, I could still remember Suguha's speechless face when I expressed my interest on picking up where I left off.

Sadly, I couldn't spare too much time just training. Catching up with studies, working with Kikuoka, spending time with the crew in ALO… it left little room to practice.

Unfortunately for me, my days of evading training like the plague came to an ultimate end almost two years ago when I met Sortiliena Serlut. Though she is a kind-hearted woman, her lessons were ruthless and unforgiving. My only saving grace was that she barely spent time forcing me to do the same strike a hundred times. Instead, we usually sparred until I was thrashed around thoroughly.

Despite the one-sided and merciless beating, at least I never got bored. Furthermore, I slowly began to like training… just a tiny bit.

Unfortunately for me, there was no one I could spar at the moment.

Done with the warm-up, I released Night Sky from its scabbard. For a brief moment, I got lost staring directly at the sword's dark edge; a single thought repeating itself on my mind: If only I had another one…

With one hefty sigh, I pushed those thoughts aside and began my routine.

My training was simple: do a brief warm-up, try some Serlut Style swings, follow up with basic Sword Skills, step up and try some hard ones, and culminate with some kendo moves I still remembered. This was pretty much all I did on my own ever since Liena graduated. By now, each of the moves were so ingrained on me that I barely had to give them any thought.

Therefore, as I swung Night Sky around the training grounds, my mind drifted.

Two weeks… I grimaced, landing an Active Water on thin air. I have to wait two weeks.

As she promised, Cardinal held a second meeting following Administrator's awakening. It was early in the morning the day prior, per Edith's request. This time around, everyone was in better shape after a well-deserved rest; Eugeo's bags were gone, Alice was more composed, and Edith had calmed down overnight. And me? Well, I wasn't about to burst in paranoia, so that was something.

This new reunion served to wrap up things previously discussed. There were no groundbreaking revelations or shocking news worth mentioning… at least until the very end of the meeting.

Just as we were about to leave Cardinal's library, the diminutive Pontifex finally gave me some good news: she expected to have the modified Deep Freeze Art ready in about two weeks.

Granted, delays and setbacks could still happen. Two weeks was the most optimistic estimation she could give, and that was without considering the major wildcard known as The Anomaly.

Speaking of which, for some reason Cardinal began to call the four of us as "Wildcards" out of the blue. The name was fitting though, so I didn't complain.

Better than anything I could come up with at least, I remarked after the post-motion of the sword skill Cyclone. Wildcards… it does have a nice ring to it.

Back on topic, until Cardinal completed the new Deep Freeze Art, Eugeo and I were in charge on keeping an eye over Administrator. Starting today, while one was busy babysitting her, the other had the liberty to wander around the Cathedral. Eugeo's shift would begin at 14:00 hrs. and finish at 20:00 hrs. I, on the other hand, had to spent far more time with her; though some of it would be spent while asleep, so it was not much of a problem.

What truly began to concern me was Administrator's… odd behavior.

Throughout yesterday and today's morning, she spent the whole time staring at the void while laying on her own bed. The only times she even moved around was to pick her share of food. One time she tried to read one of the books I brought to the room, but she quickly left it a couple of minutes later.

In a way, her inaction was rather… unnerving. She didn't talk or insult me, she didn't attack me, she didn't try to escape; heck, she didn't glare nor stare at me! It made me wonder if this was a convoluted plan of hers to make me lower my guard… or if she truly and thoroughly gave up.

I know what I told her when she woke up. She had "lost." It was more than a taunt or a bluff, it was a cold fact. However, given our short interactions at floor 100, she never struck me as someone who calmly nor silently accept defeat. She would fight back with every ounce of her being if she could scrap the tiniest victory on her enemy; she proved that much when she tried to attack me once awake.

But now there was no rebellion. There was no direct opposition.

… it doesn't matter anyway…. I froze after my last strike, the tip of Night Sky a breath away from touching the ground. Two weeks. Two more weeks and my only concern will be the war.

"Phew, that was quite the show, kiddo. Fancy moves too."

I was startled by the feminine voice who chose to speak up from behind me. With a sharp turn, I had to stop myself from unleashing a Sword Skill once I got a better look at the speaker. It was Edith.

"What the fuck?!" I yelled in both surprise and annoyance. "Do not sneak up on me like that! I could have attacked you!"

"Hey, I didn't sneak up on you; I have been here for several minutes!"

"Several minutes?" I scrunched my nose. "Do you even make a noise while walking?"

"While my stealth is rather decent, I think you were just to absorbed to notice."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. I swear, my troublesome thoughts will be my end one of these days. "Whatever."

Sheathing Night Sky, I strode towards the closest bench to rest for a bit. "To what do I owe the pleasure anyway? Came to check on the troublesome 'Wildcard'?"

"Nah, I was just passing by," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, according to Cardinal I am a "Wildcard" too, remember?"

"Fair enough," I crooked my neck sideways. "Anyway, what brings you to the Second Training Grounds? Came to blow off some steam?"

"Something like that," she huffed, taking a seat right beside me. "I was supposed to return to my duty at the Great Gate yesterday, but Bercouli ordered me to stay put until we contact with the other Integrity Knights."

"Let me guess, boredom?"

"You have no idea…" she deflated comically. "The Cathedral is huge, but other than the Great Bath there is no other entertainment. Sure, the Cloudtop Garden and Rose Garden are nice places to relax, but I have been around for longer than two centuries. Even those wonders lost their appeal after so long."

"I see," I hummed, playing with Night Sky on my hands. "What about Alice? Don't you spend time with her?"

Edith made a pained expression, diverting her gaze. "We… we haven't talked much lately."

This made me frown in confusion. Alice and Edith seemed to be fine last time I saw them. Furthermore, judging how Edith acted around Alice, I could have sworn that they were really close. Weren't for my recovered memories, I could have sworn they were indeed sisters.

"Something happened?" I voiced my concerns. "Between the two you, I mean."

"No. No, not really," Edith sighed. "She has been acting strange ever since that discussion at Cardinal's library. I tried to ask her, but she wouldn't tell me."

I shifted on my seat, staring at the ceiling in deep thought for a moment.

"I suppose it was too much for her, and too personal as well," I finally said. "Give her some time. If Alice Zuberg and Alice Synthesis Thirty have something in common, is that they are very tough cookies. She won't be down for too long."

Edith perked up a bit. For some reason, instead of thanking me directly, she stared at me with a strange look on her face.

"What is it? Something between my teeth?"

"Aren't you mad at me?"

"… Hah?" I did a double take at that. "No, I am not mad at you. Should I be?"

Edith looked sheepish for a second, scratching her long hair. "I did threaten you that day too."

"Oh… that…" I waved dismissively at her. "I would have done the same thing. Remember, I too have a little sister to look out for. If anyone dares to threaten my sister, I will gut them on the spot. In fact, there is already one asshole on that list. So, yeah, I quite understand you, Edith."

For a second time, Edith just stared at me. This time, however, she answered without me probing. "Jeez, kiddo. How can you talk about such things so lightly?"

"My personal charm, I suppose," I chuckled. "Besides, do you think I am that bad? Cardinal is far worse than I."

"Is she?"

"You have no idea…" I smirked. "So, we are good?"

"Eh, I suppose we are. As long as you keep your promise, we are good."

"Peachy."

We sat in silence for a while longer. It was nice to know that Edith wasn't going to question my every move. In fact, she seemed to be quite nice on my book. A tad laid-back and overprotective, but I had no right to judge.

"So… wanna spar?"

"… sure, why not?"

"Wanna do a friendly bet?"

"Not in a million years, you boisterous sis-con."

93rd Floor, Kirito and Quinella's room. Central Cathedral.
29th day of the 5th month ~ 01:06 hrs.
Quinella's POV.

I opened my eyes; though, for a second, I hesitated whether or not I truly pried open my eyelids. Everything around me was dark, very dark.

My mind, still drowsy, was initially confused. Why was so dark? My quarters were always very well-lit thanks to multiple system commands. If the light bothered me, all I had to do was to close the thick curtains of my bed.

Was I still dreaming? No, I had no dreams once I ascended to godhood. Then, why everything was covered in shadows? Where were my curtains? Why the bed felt so stiff?

Finally, after the initial confusion, my memories came back. The Irregular Unit, the anomaly, the battle… my defeat…

It was back in a second, crushing all hopes that all was just a dream… again.

This wasn't the first time I innocently hoped to wake up and find everything back to normal. In fact, this was slowly becoming too usual to my liking.

For some reason, sleep eluded me these last two days.

It was infuriating and, at the same time, an unreal experience. After two centuries of sleeping for long periods of time, I was now having trouble sleeping for longer than two or three hours before waking up in the middle of the night. The room was always covered in darkness (the artificial illumination was triggered through system commands), and it took me an eternity to finally return to slumber… just to wake up later before dawn.

To my chagrin, I now felt the need to rest too. So, throughout the day, I felt incredibly tired.

It happened again… I cursed mentally, feeling the urge to scream in frustration. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!

I wanted to scream. I wanted to pull my hair in desperation. Bit my nails. Punch the walls. Hit the bed. Anything would do as an outlet to my frustration.

Yet I held my hands. I shushed my cries of rage and sorrow. I forced myself to remain at the bed while these disgusting emotions ate me away. I wouldn't accomplish anything by doing such disgraceful things.

No, what I had to do was to bid my time. I had to plan slowly but methodically a way out of this mess. Despite all hardships and humiliations, I had to bottle all dark thoughts until the time was ripe for my revenge.

I had to come up with some plan, some plot, some strategy, some idea… something.

And I tried. Oh, I truly tried.

I spent the long and monotonous days inside this cursed room thinking. It was pretty much all I could do under the watchful gaze of the Irregular Unit and his friend. Numerous plans and plots ran through my mind, no matter how outlandish or ridiculous they were. I was in dire need of a way out before Lyceris found a way around the anomaly.

However, all of those plans ended up washed away by the sea of doubts and hesitation that plagued my mind. Would any of them work? Could I even pull them off? If I somehow did, then what? If I reached Centoria and claimed to be the High Pontifex, it was my word against theirs. And without System Commands to back up my claims, then how…?

I am doing it again… I clicked my tongue. I always end up doing the same thing over and over again!

Defeated, all I could do was grit my teeth whilst holding back tears of frustration. I had to keep thinking. I had to keep trying. I had to fight back against those despairing thoughts. I had to make my way through my turbulent and bothersome emotions.

It was exhausting. It was draining.

It was, ultimately, useless.

I tried to look for a way out, I truly did. But I found none.

I just… did nothing whilst waiting.

This is why my nights were so miserable. I was in the dark until dawn, prisoner of my own mind and unable to find a way out.

But, today, something changed.

The darkness surrounding me… the oppressive emptiness… it was dispelled by a tiny light.

At first, I thought that my mind was playing tricks on me; that my lack of sleep finally affected my own sanity. But, as time ticked by, the light had yet to disappear.

Curiosity grew bit by bit. What was this light? The only one who could have casted it was the Irregular Unit, but what for?

I slowly turned around, brushing aside the bedsheets with my movements.

"…"

It was him. The Irregular Unit was awake atop of his bed, staring emptily at the tip of his index finger where a white ball of light faintly glowed. His features, barely illuminated, revealed an emotionless grimace.

However, my movement must have alerted him. His eyes, previously fixed on the light, moved slowly towards my general direction. Soon, his shinning dark orbs were staring at me.

"Did I wake you up?" he whispered.

"…"

Unwillingly, we began a staring contest. I refused to answer, and he refused to stare elsewhere. I was not interested in a conversation, let alone one with him of all people.

"Still with that silent treatment, huh…" he sighed deeply, his voice sounding hoarse for some reason. "Anyway, you should go back to sleep. I will turn off the light later. I… I am sorry if I woke you up…"

"Pff," I scoffed in disdain at that last sentence of his. His pathetic attempts to fake concern were laughable. "I don't need, or want, your apologies," I turned my back on him. "As if you, of all people, would truly care."

"…"

"…"

"You can't sleep either, right? I have seen the bags under your eyes; you have had them since yesterday's morning."

"… so what?"

"I don't know…" he paused for a second. "You want to talk for a bit?"

I stiffened on my place. Then, slowly, I turned back to face him for a second time.

"And why in the world would I even want to talk with someone like you, Irregular Unit? No, scratch that; what even makes you think that I would desire a conversation with you?"

The boy tilted his head sideways, lost in thought for a second. A moment later, he just shrugged. "No reason, really. I just can't sleep tonight. Thought that, I don't know, we could distract ourselves by talking for a bit."

I was about to make a sarcastic remark. Talking, he said. As if we could be civilized with each other even if we tried.

But there was something that ultimately held my tongue. Why was the Irregular Unit asking such a thing? We haven't talked in the last two days, not even insulted each other. Why now, of all times, he wanted to talk?

There was a reason why he wanted to have this conversation. A sign of vulnerability, perhaps? Or just a mere whim that no one but him could comprehend?

Regardless, this was a unique opportunity to get information out of him. If I was lucky, I may actually be capable of coming up with a plan to get out of this mess.

Not that refusing will change much, I thought. Sleeping is out of question and thinking is getting me nowhere. This is the best I've got.

Therefore, despite how distasteful it was, I accepted his offer.

"I will humor you," came my final reply. "But annoy me, and this conversation is over."

"Eh, no promises."

"*Tch*" I sat at the bed just like him. "Well? What do you want to ask?"

"Hum…" he scratched his chin for a second. "Do you hate gardening?"

"Huh?" I was slightly taken aback by his random question. Not that I was expecting something deep from him… but I definitely didn't see that one coming.

"Gardening. Do you hate it?" he repeated himself.

Still caught off-guard, I stammered my reply: "W-what even prompted you to ask that?"

The Irregular Unit pointed at a small stack of books inside the room. "I saw you pick one of those. You tried to read it, but you dropped it rather quickly."

"Why wouldn't I?" I scoffed. "They are not worth my attention."

"Then why do you have two gardens inside the Cathedral? The Rose Garden I can understand, given said flower's properties. But what about the Cloudtop Garden? Was it just a random whim?"

"I…" a pause. Although I hated to admit it, the Irregular Unit had a point. Why did I create the Cloudtop Garden in the first place? It happened so long ago…

I know there was a reason. Unlike the Great Bath (which was a reward to Synthesis One), I remember that it was my idea to create said garden. But for what purpose? The details felt there, at the corner of my mind. Yet, when I tried to recall I just… couldn't.

"I can't… I can't remember?" a small throb in my head made me wince. "There was a reason; I know there was. But I can't…"

Silence returned as I attempted to bring back the memory, but to no avail. Eventually, I just gave up entirely.

"Must be one of those memories who got 'ripped apart' from you," the Irregular Unit commented casually. "Regardless, you must still remember your 'likes' and 'dislikes,' no?" he pressed on the topic. "So, do you hate gardening?"

I shot him an irritated glance, already regretting to have accepted his request. Why in the world I thought any of this could be of use?! He was the Irregular Unit after all.

Although I was tempted to end the conversation, it was still too early to give up. Maybe it was my frustration, the lack of sleep, my dwindling sanity, or all of the above, but I felt oddly inclined to continue with this nonsense for a little bit longer. Perhaps, if I played my cards correctly, I could steer the topic into something of utility.

Against my better judgement, I actually gave it some thought before replying. "I don't hate it nor like it. When gardens can be created through a string of commands, why should I bother to learn how to do it the mundane way?"

"You got me there," the Irregular Unit sighed. "Then it's no surprise you dropped the book so quickly. Have you, I don't know, a hobby or something?"

"I had to sleep the last centuries just to keep my memory bank from overflowing. Do you seriously think I would lose time doing something as pointless as a 'hobby'?" I asked rhetorically, rolling my eyes. "Your stupidity sometimes overwhelms me, Irregular Unit."

"Ok, ok, I fucking get the point," he twisted his mouth in disgust. "Sorry for thinking that someone like you would do something as human as a pastime…" he grumbled something else under his breath. "And what about before becoming 'Administrator'?"

"Hah?"

"If 'Administrator' was so mighty and so important for something as meaningless as a hobby, what about 'Quinella'? Surely she had something other than evil and convoluted plans on her mind."

I frowned deeply in disgust. "Do not use that name in front of me."

"Whatever. Did 'Her Eminence' had a hobby before?"

"…"

"…"

"This is pointless," I shook my head sideways in dissatisfaction. "I don't know why the hell I agreed to do this."

"Complain later and answer the question. We both can't sleep anyway."

"… You are really testing my patience, Irregular Unit…"

His only answer was an uninterested shrug.

Count to ten, Administrator… I pinched the bridge of my nose. Count to ten. The Irregular Unit is a childish and selfish bastard who enjoys poking fun at other's expense. Do not give him the pleasure to see you burst in anger or frustration…

This was a trick I discovered while musing silently these last days. For some reason, counting numbers helped me to calm down the sea of intricate and unstable emotions.

Once I was calm enough, I focused back on the Irregular Unit. He was just sitting on the same spot, waiting patiently for my answer. Unfortunately, this meant that if I chose to ignore him, he would only become more irritating until I gave him what he wanted.

He was that kind of a person. I saw it myself on his memories.

Therefore, just to not make this awful night any worse, I had no option but to take seriously his question: Before reaching godhood, was there something I liked to do?

My immediate answer would be the study of Sacred Arts. However, even for me that didn't feel right. My studies were both my Sacred Task and the reason I became Administrator on the first place, so I doubted that counted as a 'hobby.' Was there truly nothing else?

Just when I was about to give up, a memory from long ago came to mind. It was fuzzy and very old, over three hundred and fifty years old. Before I was given my Sacred Task.

Back then I was just a child, perhaps no older than five. Someone, a tall figure with shoulder-length hair, was teaching me something. It was distant, but I could still recall bits of that time…

That person… she was my mother. She had brown hair, beautiful and wavy. Her eyes… they were just like mine. Even after all these years, I was capable of remembering her with unusual clarity. The only thing that eluded me was her name.

My mother was a very doting one, perhaps too doting for my own good. She loved to spoil me a lot, especially when it was about food. My favorite was the sweet bread she herself baked, going as far as to eat a whole basket throughout a single day (much to my father's chagrin).

One day I happened to ask her about the sweet bread. I was curious at the time. How were they made? Why did they taste so good? Could I always eat those sweets?

As a reply, my mother picked me up and walked towards the kitchen where she… where she…

"I baked a cake…" I muttered, feeling… strange. "It was only once, and a long time ago. But… but I recall going with my mom to the kitchen. There she tried to teach me… but the cake was… an absolute… mess…"

Yes, my first and only try ended up in total disaster. Despite my mom helped me throughout the whole process, I somehow managed to burn the bread to the point it was indistinguishable from coal.

Certainly, not one of my proudest creations.

Adding insult to injury, the Irregular Unit wasted no time in mocking me.

"Hoh? What exactly happened to the bread?" he gave me an eat-shit grin. "Was it hard as stone? Was it burnt it to a crisp? Was it poisonous? Did it grow legs and crawled out of the oven?"

"None of your concern!" I spat, trying to hide an unwanted spike of embarrassment.

As a response, he just chuckled.

I am truly regretting this, I somberly remarked. He's only mocking me and annoying me to no end. Besides, what kind of conversation is this? Hobbies? Like and dislikes? What purpose they serve beside his own amusement?

"Well, I can't exactly judge," he finally said after his fit of giggles. "The first time I tried to grow a plant, the poor thing died before actually breaking out the seed."

"Something to be expected from a barbarian like yourself," I huffed.

"Hey, give me some credit. I actually managed to grow zephyria flowers in Norlangarth soil. I deserved due respect."

"Oh please. Do you expect some praise from me?" I rolled my eyes. "Such a self-centered bastard you are, Irregular Unit."

"You are one to talk, Quinella…"

And so, despite his annoying attitude, his infuriating personality, my troublesome emotions, and the unholy hour, our conversation continued for longer than any of us expected. A conversation full of witty remarks and insults for sure, but a conversation at the end of the day.

I'm ashamed to admit that I was so carried away by this inane activity that I forgot my original intention of gathering information. But, if I had to be honest, it did help me to forget my troublesome emotions for a bit.

In the end, we just talked. We ignored that we were enemies, ignored that we hated each other, and ignored the many times we almost killed each other. Sure, we tried to get under the other's skin, but those remarks lacked the venom from the previous days.

An hour later, we found ourselves tired and ready to finally go to sleep. Then, with a half-hearted goodnight from the Irregular Unit, he turned off the lights and drifted into sleep. I followed him soon after.

For some reason, that night I was finally able to sleep uninterrupted.

The moment the light inside the room faded, "It" stirred.

Although "It" had no way to see through the sturdy marble, "It" somehow knew both of them fell asleep. Good, none of them had felt "It's" presence.

"It" had been standing on the hallway just outside the room for quite a while. "It" has been thinking… no, debating if whether it was wise to force "Its" way inside. Both of "Its" targets were just across this single door, unaware of "Its" presence. Would there be any better chance to pounce at them now that they were vulnerable?

The Fallen was tired, extremely so. The Irregular was recovering from quite the inner turmoil. Even with the anomaly up, "It" should be capable of subduing both of them.

However, a greater part of "It" begged to differ. "It" still lacked the authority to break through the Failure's System Command. Furthermore, the command would immediately alert the Failure of an intruder. Breaking through the Cathedral's walls was a no-go too.

Although both were indispensable for "Its" plans, acting hastily would only lead to "Its" downfall.

"It" had already run too many risks the last days. "It" was almost discovered by Thirty-one on the hallways and by Seven at the Vault. A little more careless, and "Its" plans would crumble immediately.

Finally, after long and gruesome minutes of debate, "It" relented. Slowly, almost painfully, "Its" shadowy figure walked away from the door and unto the hallways. The Irregular Unit and the Fallen could wait, was "Its" ultimate conclusion.

"It" already had most of the components needed. "It" had a hard time collecting each of them without anyone being the wiser. However, "It" knew it was only time until the Failure discovered the missing data and objects. If "It" was to succeed, then more preparations were needed.

Three days. That's everything "It" needed.

93rd Floor, Kirito and Quinella's room. Central Cathedral.
31st day of the 5th month ~ 13:49 hrs.
Quinella's POV.

"Here, take it."

I slowly lowered the book I was holding in my hands, giving an inquisitory gaze towards the object the Irregular Unit was handing me.

"What is that?" I raised an eyebrow at the book he was presenting me. "Another of your boring books for girls?" I pointed at the one I was holding, which was (to no one's surprise) about plants and flowers.

"Ha, ha, very fucking funny," he scoffed. "For your information, your Eminence, this is not one of my 'boring books'."

"Either way, I don't want it," I shrugged.

"Really now? You have been bitching since yesterday that there is nothing interesting to read in my collection."

"All the more reason to ignore you," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "What is the catch? Is it about the many types of insects you can find in Southacroith? The tamable species of birds in Eastabarieth? A compendium of medicinal herbs found in Wesdarath?"

The Irregular Unit paused for a second, giving me a nasty glare from his spot.

"I miss when we didn't talk to each other."

"You were the one who started it all."

"Shut it. You agreed to do it too."

And I am still wondering why… I rolled my eyes. "Isn't about time for you to go anyway?" I asked this time. "Your partner must arrive soon. What will he think if he finds out that his best friend 'flirting' with… *bonk* Ouch! Hey!"

I had to rub the spot in my forehead where the Irregular Unit smacked me with the book. Though he didn't hit me too hard, it stung a bit.

"I am the smartass in this room, Quinella. Don't forget it."

"DON'T USE THAT DAMN NAME!"

"Make me."

This, sadly, quickly became our daily routine after that night. For some reason, the Irregular Unit and I began to talk more often with each other, or, I should say, insult each other.

He began calling me Quinella instead of Administrator, much to my chagrin. I, on the other hand, wasted no opportunity in criticizing him or his tastes. In exchange, the Irregular Unit made one of his many witty comments.

It was irritating yet entertaining at the same time. An odd combination for sure, but at least it distracted me from the bothersome emotions.

Why we were doing such pointless thing though, was still beyond me.

"Go to hell, Irregular Unit."

"Make sure to warm my seat, sweetie. I will go right after you."

"Brute."

"Bitch."

"Okay, that's enough!" I finally shouted. "What in the world is in that damn book for you to be this adamant?!"

Flashing a victorious smirk, the Irregular Unit handed me once again the book. In response, I snatched the damn thing from his fingers with a scowl.

Giving him one last hateful look, I spared a glance at the cover…

"Hana's recipe book…?" I widened my eyes in surprise. Hana was my personal chef who also cooked for the Integrity Knights at floor 94. "Where did you get this?"

"The Cathedral's residents finally returned yesterday," he replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Before coming back, I thought about grabbing something decent to eat for a change. Personally, I am getting tired of 'transmutated cake'," he made a brief scowl at the mention of Cardinal's awful meals. "Anyway, I met the chef, Hana. She gave me some food without asking who I was and what was I doing there; she must have thought I was a new Integrity Knight or something. When I asked if I could see the recipe, she actually gave me the damn book without asking too many questions."

"I see…" that sounded like Hana, alright; however… "Why are you giving me this book?"

"Well, you said that you cooked once before," he waved his hands dismissingly. "If you find my books really boring, perhaps this one might interest you."

I sat in silence, staring at the cover. This book… the Irregular Unit… he was… he was…

What was he trying to do?

Handing me this book served no purpose for him. It is true he claimed that my insults annoyed him, but to go as far as to give me this book just because I talked about my failure at cooking when I was a child?

Once again, the thunderstorm of conflicting emotions returned.

"You are right on one thing, though, I should get going," he sighed, stretching for a bit. "Eugeo will be here in no time."

Still stunned, it took me a couple of seconds to realize that the Irregular Unit was already marching towards the door. For a moment I felt the temptation to ask further. Why giving me this book? Why he chose to start talking with me out of the blue that night?

I had too many questions. If only I could finally set my emotions apart and settle on a single one…

Before I could speak up, the room's door was opened from the outside. However, to our collective surprise, it wasn't the Irregular Unit's partner who stepped in.

It was Lyceris.

"Good morning, Kirito," my counterpart saluted the Irregular Unit with a polite smile. The both of us, however, were still confused by the little brat's presence.

"Morning, Cardinal…" the Irregular Unit scratched his head, peeking outside the door for a moment. "What brings you here this early? And where is Eugeo?"

"Well, I have some matters to discuss with Quinella," Lyceris gave me a side-glance that couldn't signal anything good. "I sent Eugeo to the training grounds. You may want to join him there. Think of this as a… how do you call it? Rest day? Yes, a rest day for the two of you."

"A rest day?" the Irregular Unit echoed, looking just as confused as I was. "I mean, I have no objections there but…" he now stared at me with suspicious eyes. "Is there a reason you want to talk to her alone?"

"Just a couple of data I discovered at the 100th floor, nothing you should worry too much about," the brat dismissed him with a wave.

"Ooookay?" the Irregular Unit frowned deeply, clearly not buying her words. "Well, she's all yours. I will be off then. Just remember to share with the class if you found anything important."

"Will do, Kirito."

Without exchanging any other words, the Irregular Unit exited the room briskly, closing the door right behind him.

In the meantime, Lyceris and I engaged on a short staring contest. This time, I was the one to break the silence. "What do you want now?"

"Straight to the point, I see…" Lyceris crossed her arms. "Then I have no reason to stall this any further."

The short girl walked up to me. Because I sat at the bed, we were both at the same eye-level. We glared daggers at each other for a whole minute until Lyceris finally chose to speak.

"What exactly did you do to the Console, Quinella?"

**** Author's Notes ****

** Explanations and Crazy Ramblings **

And that's a wrap! At least for today that is.

Hey everyone. It has been quite a while, huh. Two months to be precise.

Well, I said at the beginning that I owed you explanations, so I won't be beating around the bush. You see, this chapter was almost ready by the end of the previous month. However, once I re-read it… I didn't like it. As in 'burn this crap on a fire' I didn't like it.

As you saw, this chapter was a setup for what is to come on this arc. There wasn't really a progress besides how Kirito and Quinella interact with each other. Therefore, it was hard to chose what to include and what to not.

The original chapter was VERY different from this one. The problem was that most of its scenes lacked any real importance or relevance in the grand scheme of things. A "filler" if you will.

I know that this chapter's version can also be taken as a "filler," but at least it is better than my first attempt. Trust me, none of you would have liked to read that monstrosity. Even then, I admit that I am not entirely satisfied with the outcome (might just be my perfectionist side surfacing).

Anyway, after I began to build the chapter from the ground-up, I updated my profile. In there, I stated that I would have it ready for the middle of April, and chapter 8 would be ready for the month's end.

Oh, how mistaken I was.

Turns out, school just chose to drown me in workload. That, coupled with the "filler" nature of this chapter, made me write far slower than usual.

All of this led up to this very moment. Me delivering chapter 7 at the end of April.

Certainly, I bit more than I could chew, even if it was unknowingly. Therefore, if I am forced to postpone a chapter in future updates, I will always give me another month just to make sure I got it in time.

The long story shot is… I am sorry guys.

But, hey, I am still here alive and kickin'. As long as I breathe, this story won't be abandoned or on a permanent "hiatus."

** The chapter itself **

So… there are many things to unpack. The brief interaction between the four Wildcards and Quinella, Bercouli and Fanatio, Deusolbert and the brats, Kirito and Edith, the night's conversation, "It," and Cardinal's final appearance… Phew, it was sure a lot.

First of all, the Wildcards and Quinella. As you can see, Eugeo and Alice are now the most hateful towards the former Administrator of Underworld. Sure, Kirito hates her, but his hatred is currently diverted into someone else entirely (*cough* *cough* Kikuoka *cough* cough*). Edith, although pissed with her former boss, is more worried about Alice than anything else.

The next two scenes focus entirely on the other Integrators and how they are coping with the revelations. Nothing else to add, except perhaps some strange things that were hinted here and there.

Now, Kirito and Edith. I know that this Kirito is more prone to violence than his canon self, and that Edith is serious when it comes down to Alice's safety. However, given the context in this story, it was hard for me to think them as passive-aggressive acquaintances. Both of them are overprotective with their respective sisters; if there is anyone that would understand Edith in this regard, is this Kirito. And, then again, Kirito's hatred can be traced elsewhere.

The next major scene, and my personal favorite, is "the talk." As it is hinted, there is a reason why Kirito desired to talk with Quinella. What reason exactly, remains a mystery. However, this interaction will serve to finally break the awkward and passive-aggressive ice that kept our two protagonists separated.

As for "It" … who might "It" be? Perhaps Cardinal might shed some light about "It" in the next chapter.

But that's it for this Author Notes. Now, on with the reviews!

** Reviews! **

Sergey: Sorry for the late update. Yet, fret not, I won't abandon the story.

- Yup, too many things ended up happening and the same time, causing this clusterfuck we lovingly call as "the anomaly." Although it was never implied in canon, the gameverse addressed the possibility of RATH having interest on Eugeo had he survived. Eh, I wouldn't call it encouraging… but they are trying (?). Caring Edith is best Edith. Hope this chapter's conversations were of your liking!

juanitoramirez5022: Thanks for the compliment! The Integrators might not take it as well as the Wildcards, that's for sure.

Dranzer: Many things, in fact. Sure, she is at her lowest point in her life, yet she is also the fluctlight with highest Object Control in Underworld, she has knowledge of Swords Skills made by Kayaba, she knows a thousand Sacred Arts (even though she herself can't cast them), Incarnation is still a thing, and there is also the anomaly (drawbacks aside). However, due to the anomaly's nature, she can't recover her Sacred Arts to protect him. The anomaly only "uses" what the two of them have at their disposal, such as Kirito's unique ability. Now that she can't cast Sacred Arts, not even the anomaly can override such bug. But this doesn't imply that the anomaly can't find a way out by using Kirito.

- In order for Quinella to recover her System Control, something as big as the blackout has to happen. Whether internal, or external. -

Inphernalmenace: It sure was a heavy-handed treatment. But, in my opinion, it was necessary. As I told Dranzer, Quinella still has many skills in her repertoire besides the Sacred Arts and she most definitely isn't removed from the board. The current problem is her all-time low and her lack of a weapon, but that might change sooner than what you think. And no, although the "regression" and her loss of Sacred Arts were caused by the same blackout, one didn't cause the other. In other words, these are independent consequences. Sorry if I didn't explain myself very well on that chapter.

Roffan: That's a nice theory. Hang around to find out if you nailed it!

Quantum Fang: I don't think having some empathy for her is that bad… hopefully. Oh, trust me, someone will absolutely rock her point of view and it will be unpleasant. But, who exactly will that someone be, I will not tell yet.

Anyway… what are your thoughts about this new chapter? Loved it? Hated it? Regardless of your thoughts, thank you once again for taking some of your precious time to read this story.

On a final note… Is it me, or before we know it Kirito and Quinella will begin to act like an old marriage arguing?

PS: Really, go and follow wishineitor on Twitter! This story's cover is made by him!

See you next chapter!