Hey everyone, Slade here.
Welcome once again to [Our Bond]! On this episode, we have the aftermath of Administrator's defeat and the fallout within the Integrity Knights of said event.
Without further ado… enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online nor the characters; heavens forbid that destiny.
Chapter 5: [Fallout]
84th Floor, Integrity Knights' debriefing room. Central Cathedral.
25th day of the 5th month ~ 10:00 hrs.
Eugeo's POV.
This is definitely awkward… Eugeo fidgeted nervously as he felt multiple eyes staring intently at him. To make matters worse, his sleep deprived state made a gigantic effort to not fall asleep while sitting amidst the deadliest warriors in all of Underworld.
Within the large room he was in, ALL available Integrity Knights were seated around a gigantic table. And much to the boy's dismay, he was forced to sit with them.
Ten pairs of rather hostile eyes were watching every move he made. If he did something that none of them liked, he was probably as good as death. And even if he was seated between Alice and Edith for extra protection, it wasn't enough to reassure him.
Thankfully, nothing dreadful happened to him… yet.
As he waited for the meeting to officially begin, he stared at the Integrity Knights that surrounded him. He met most of them, under terrible circumstances, but there were two new faces that he hadn't seen up until them.
Across the table was Fanatio Synthesis Two, the vice commander of the Integrity Knights. She was a beautiful woman of dark-purple wavy hair and golden eyes. She wore the same armor as all the Integrity Knights, hers being white and purple in color. However, unlike the first time they met (and fought) her helmet was nowhere to be seen.
Close to Fanatio were the Four Whirling Blades, a group of four knights that wore the full set of armor. If the uniforms of the Swordcraft Academy resembled the armor of the Integrity Knights, these four guys were newbies since they had no personalized colors.
Moving on he found Deusolbert Synthesis Ten, a man almost as tall as Bercouli with vibrant red hair and sturdy face. He was wearing a fiery red armor, his helmet resting on the table.
Siting at both sides of Deusolbert were Linel and Fizel, the two psychos wearing the bodies of little girls. The first had a pale-brown hair braided into two ponytails while the latter had an orange-blonde hair that didn't even reached her shoulders. Both girls wore nun attires, but they still were considered Integrity Knights. They looked bored beyond words, and, apparently, only Deusolbert's presence kept them in line.
The last knight Eugeo had already met was Eldrie, a man wearing light-blue armor with light blue hair and blue eyes. He scowled at him, obviously reminiscing their first encounter.
The new two faces, unlike the other Integrity Knights, stared at him with mild interest and confusion. The first was a dark-haired woman with stoic expression while the other was a nervous young man with green hair. Both of them clearly noticed the heavy air that surrounded the poor young man, something that only made them wonder more about his identity.
As for the only three knights that weren't staring daggers at him, Edith was calmly sitting while ignoring the many glares. Her eye was already healed, but at the moment it was hidden by her closed eyelid.
Alice, on the other hand, had a small frown plastered on her face. Unlike Edith, her eye was still missing for some reason. Eugeo asked her about it, but he received a very cryptic answer as a reward.
At the front of the room was Bercouli Synthesis One, the large and burly man he "met" at the Great Bath the night before. He was now free from the Deep Freeze Sacred Art thanks to Cardinal. Speaking about the small "girl," she was standing behind the towering Integrity Knight. Her presence was just as unusual as Eugeo's, but even then, most of the attention was directed at him.
Eugeo took a deep breath, putting a hand inside his right pocket. For some reason, this action comforted him a bit.
The silence would have stretched on if no one said anything. There was the utmost need to break the ice if something was to be discussed. And, fortunately, one of the two clueless Integrity Knights came to the rescue.
"Um, commander…" the green haired swordsman raised his hand awkwardly, his face somewhat nervous. "S-Scheta and I have awoken recently, and we don't fully understand the situation… B-but I w-wanted to a-ask about some rumors w-we have…"
"I am afraid those have to wait, Renly," Bercouli raised his palm, silencing him. "I know you and Scheta have been sleeping for too long, but this is a topic we can't postpone."
Renly nodded, slightly satisfied by the answer Bercouli gave him.
"Having that said, I am aware that all of you all have many questions as to why I summoned all of you to a meeting after the… eventful night we all had," Eugeo moved in his seat, feeling even more uncomfortable than before. The other knights weren't too happy about the reminder either, since the memories of two teens wiping their ass in battle was still very present. Renly and Scheta stared at each other in confusion. "And I know there might be some… bad blood between us and the two youngsters we faced in battle.
"However," his voice darkened tenfold. "I beg you to put aside your animosity for the time being. Not only for the sake of the meeting, but for the entirety of the Human Empire."
If any of the knights disagreed, they showed no signs about it.
He must have told the Knights we fought yesterday that Administrator is still alive, noted Eugeo in his mind. Otherwise, I doubt they would be this tame. As for the new ones, I believe he thinks ignorance is a blessing.
"Good. Lady Cardinal, you may speak now."
"Thank you, commander," Cardinal took a step forward, staring at the judging eyes of most of the knights. "Integrity Knights, my name is Cardinal. I am aware none of you have the slightest clue of who am I, or what am I doing inside the Axiom Church in an official meeting of yours. I am also aware that any words that can come out of my mouth can be taken as deception, lies, or even product of a child's imagination. However, I ask you to listen my tale and look at the evidence I, together with some of your fellow knights, have gathered. Then, and only then, you draw your own conclusions."
Eugeo narrowed his eyes, preparing himself of what was going to come. He already knew some of the tale behind Cardinal, but he was sure she and Kirito left some details in the dark.
"I am afraid there is no easy way to give you this information, so I'll be blunt. The Integrity Knights, the Axiom Church, the Senate, even the Administrator herself… they are made out of lies."
Eugeo fidgeted nervously below the table, already expecting the general outburst that followed Cardinal's statement. This was going to be a long meeting.
The library. Central Cathedral.
05:00 hrs.
Bercouli Synthesis One always was one of the most loyal members of the Integrity Knights towards their cause and Pontifex. He diligently followed each and every order that Administrator gave him, always keeping in mind his true objective: protect the Human Empire and its inhabitants at all costs.
However, being the eldest knight of the order, he realized that something within the Axiom Church was… fishy. First was the unusual amnesia he had every now and then. At first, he dismissed the loss of memory rather quickly; he was an old man after all. But the more and more he thought about those missing memories, he noticed that most were related to a date in which some changes were done to the Integrity Knights. For example, there was that time he was sent to Eastavarieth —for reasons he could no longer remember— only to receive Edith as their tenth knight a day or two later.
He was old, but he doubted his memory was that bad.
There also were the peculiar conversations he now and then had with the Pontifex… conversations that confused him mightily. Add the strange increase of the Dark Territory's army activity and he had no doubt that something was happening behind the scenes without his knowledge.
However, after having a talk with the small girl seated in front of him, he finally realized how much he truly ignored.
"Commander Bercouli, you have been quiet for several minutes by now," Cardinal pointed out, sipping casually the tea she held in her hand.
"I… I am not sure what to say about this… The real origins of the Pontifex, the Axiom Church, us as knights…" he sighed bitterly. "As far-fetched it might sound for many, for me it all makes sense."
"I understand your situation, commander," Cardinal nodded, leaving her empty cup on the table. "So, do you believe my words?"
Bercouli sat silently for a whole minute, a small frown in his face.
"I do," he finally said, crossing his arms. "There is no point in denying the evidence you gave me. But I do have a question, why telling me?"
"That is a rather complicated question, isn't it?" she mused, standing from her chair. "If I am not wrong, commander, you should have noticed the alarming increase on the Dark Territory's forces."
Bercouli almost chocked on his drink, coughing hard.
"How do you know about that?" he replied once he recovered from the surprise. "I thought you said you have been trapped here for years!"
"I have… but this is something I have known for centuries, Bercouli," she turned to the man, a serious expression on her face. "Actually, this is something both I and Administrator knew for a long time."
Bercouli stared at her with wide eyes and gaping mouth. He… he already suspected this… but, for centuries?
"This is product of the destiny, commander," she said gravely. "This is something that was bound to be ever since Underworld's creation. Something that the gods themselves planned since the beginning."
"Don't you mean goddesses?"
Cardinal was silent for a moment.
"What I am trying to say is that, soon, the Dark Territory will invade the Human Empire. The numbers would be far from what the Integrity Knights can handle," she narrowed her eyes. "You asked me why I told you the truth. Well, the reason I did so was because I am desperate, commander Bercouli," she admitted, a glint of sadness on her eyes. "I was the one who sent those two kids to the Cathedral, believing that within the 100th floor I would find something that might have prevented the war from erupting. Sadly, when I got to the floor once Administrator was defeated, I found that my plan was thwarted from the beginning.
"Simply put, I ran of options to prevent war," she concluded. "Now, the only alternative left for me, is to prepare the Human Realm for it. And, if I want to do so, I need the help of the Integrity Knights."
84th Floor, Integrity Knights' debriefing room. Central Cathedral.
10:40 hrs.
The silence that spread through the room was asphyxiating. Eugeo could practically feel the tension within.
After a necessary intervention of Bercouli, Cardinal was able to narrate everything about Administrator's past and true nature. The Integrity Knights were obviously skeptical at first, some of them even looking offended by the idea that her High Pontifex could be as wicked as Cardinal described her.
However, the longer her tale went on, most of the skepticism was gone and replaced by hesitation, especially among the oldest knights.
"Outrageous!" Eldrie, unable to keep his mouth shut, interrupted Cardinal while standing up. "Are you truly willing to believe this… girl,commander?" he almost spitted, gritting his teeth. "Her words are heresy and clear insult towards the church and her Eminence! Wiping memories? Kidnapping? Manipulation? This is absurd!"
Most of the knights stared at the "rookie" within their ranks as if a second head suddenly grew on his neck. Talking in such a manner to Bercouli was something no one even dared to do.
"Eldrie…" Alice spoke, tapping her fingers on the table. Eugeo, who was right beside her, flinched at her tone. While her words were oddly calm and composed, the expression on her face talked volumes in how pissed she was. "Sit. Down."
"But master! She's..."
"Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-one… Sit. Down."
A shudder crossed the blue haired man's spine, obeying without any further word. Once she was sure that Eldrie wasn't going to speak anything else, Alice spoke up.
"I know that Lady Cardinal's words might sound outrageous. Administrator is the woman who gave us a purpose and mission when we first 'awoke' in the Cathedral. Why shall any of us trust in the words of a complete stranger?" Alice stern face hardened. "That's what I thought at first when Eugeo told me the same things," she made a gesture to the boy beside her, "until I realized the truth."
She pointed at the bandage she wore, catching curious gazes of her comrades.
"Eldrie, before this meeting began, you asked me how I lost my eye," she focused on Eldrie, giving him a sad smile. "Both Eugeo and Kirito had nothing to do with it. The reason not only I, but Edith too, lost them was because the Pontifex… Administrator, she sealed our wills in order to prevent any of us going against her or the Taboo Index."
Her revelation shocked the knights, save for Bercouli, making them question once more the veracity on Cardinal's words.
"Alice is correct," Edith tapped her fingers in the table, her cheerful demeanor nowhere to be seen. "I myself heard the Prime Senator admitting that none of us come from the heavens, and that Alice was brought here against her will at a young age. This seal tried to stop me from teaching that swine a lesson…" she huffed. "It wasn't enough."
Most of the knights stared at the floor, incapable of processing such information. Their beliefs, their identities, were they all lies?
"I have a hard time believing in such a thing, commander…" Deusolbert frowned, clenching his fists. "However, this swordsman and his partner," he pointed at Eugeo. "They told me the same when we fought outside the Vault, and somehow everything they said makes sense," his gaze softened, some sadness visible in his eyes. "This information just confirms their words."
"A life as a normal human…" Renly muttered. "It feels… somehow… familiar…"
"I still don't get why you are telling us this information, Cardinal." Fanatio spoke up, not pleased with the rising tension in the room. "Be this true or be it not, the High Pontifex has always prioritized the well-being of the Human Realm above everything else. Besides, it is unclear how you, a woman that looks like a ten-year-old girl, knows this much about her Eminence."
Eugeo grunted silently at Fanatio's words. Were they that stubborn to listen to the truth? He paid attention to the other knights, finding that most of them were clearly thinking the same as their vice commander.
Are they all deaf?! Eugeo thought in a spike of anger. Haven't they heard what Administrator did?! How could they even think that everything she did was for the welfare of the empire?!
"I will answer your second question first," she tilted her hat and adjusted her tiny glasses. "I am a failed experiment of the Pontifex. After living too long, Administrator's memory decayed to the point she no longer could remember mundane things. As such, she tried to dump her unnecessary memories in the mind of a child from Centoria."
For the first time in the meeting, Eugeo was surprised by Cardinal's words. All she said until now was information he already knew by Kirito, who talked about this whole deal while ascending the almost endless stairs to the top of the Cathedral. Kirito, however, never mentioned who Cardinal truly was.
"The girl's soul was destroyed in order to continue with the procedure, but something went wrong. Instead of getting rid of useless information, Administrator split herself into two entities with different personality but with same authority." She made a dramatic pause. "That other entity is me, of course.
"And, for your other question… I am afraid I have run out of options to defend the Human Empire."
The library. Central Cathedral.
06:10 hrs.
"So, you want to reveal the truth to all of them to earn their trust…" Bercouli mused, rubbing his temples. "A daring move, since I am sure none of them would believe in your words no matter how much sense everything makes."
"That's why I am talking with you at this moment."
"So that I can help you convince my men?" his tone became hostile. Cardinal shrugged nonchalantly, not giving it much importance.
"Of course not. All I ask you is to give me the chance of telling them the truth. In fact, it would be beneficial if you don't express your own opinions. This way, they can arrive to their own conclusions. If they end up believing me, great. Otherwise…"
"Otherwise…?"
"I will have no other option than giving them a rough awakening about how misguided Administrator was on her ways," Cardinal looked down. "She is still alive, thanks to the anomaly between her and Kirito, and I have no idea if she would manage to break through the Sacred Art that is keeping her sealed on her room.
"If your knights obey her blindly, what else can I do to protect the empire from the Dark Territory? You all will be brainwashed and used once more, forced to sit idly while the enemy barges at our door."
Bercouli snorted.
"As much as I do not agree with that smug princess and her methods, she has proven me that she will always defend the empire, no matter the cost."
"But are you sure you are willing to pay that cost, Bercouli?"
84th Floor, Integrity Knights' debriefing room. Central Cathedral.
11:25 hrs.
"An all-out invasion?!" Renly stuttered out with a shriek. "But… that's…"
"A very likely scenario," Bercouli sighed. "The Dark Territory army has been more and more bold recently. If the Great Gate breaks, there is nothing else between their forcers and ours. It would be a carnage."
Eugeo stared at the table emptily, fidgeting nervously. He barely paid attention to the conversation once Cardinal revealed the event she labeled as "The Final Load Test." He was silent, his nervous mind jumping from thought after thought. However, one remained:
Why you never told me this, Kirito?
A small nudge in his side took Eugeo back to Underworld. It was from Alice, who gave him a sympathetic look.
"So… you spoke with truth…" Alice said in low voice. Eugeo stared at her for a second until he remembered some of his words at the exterior wall.
"I… I only said what I believed. I didn't know about this… until now."
If Alice was surprised by his words, she didn't spoke her mind about it.
"Is this enough answer for your questions, vice commander Fanatio?" Cardinal raised her voice, shutting the clamor inside the room.
"Yes… but it has raised other questions."
"Such as?" Cardinal quirked an eyebrow, a frown present on her lips.
"You were the one who sent this swordsman and his partner against the Pontifex, correct?"
The silence that followed was even worse than the previous ones. Cardinal stared at Fanatio emptily, while the other returned it.
"I did," she finally admitted, her tone completely devoid of emotions.
"If you truly wanted to defend the Empire, why did you send two kids to defeat the Pontifex and the Integrity Knights?"
She… is she still on Administrator's side…?
"Administrator wasn't taking a proper approach to the problem at hand. Kirito and Eugeo were sent on my behalf to stop Administrator's schemes. However, I never planned on eliminating the Integrity Knights."
"So, you do admit that you wanted the High Pontifex dead."
Why doesn't she get it?
"For good reasons."
"What reasons could those be?!"
"WHAT ABOUT THE CONDITIONS BACK AT THE HUMAN EMPIRE?!" Eugeo, unable to hold his temper anymore, stood up so abruptly that the chair he was using was sent crashing down on the ground. "You are all blind, aren't you?!" He growled. "I promised myself to not despise any of you or your blindness… you were deceived by Administrator after all. But… to stubbornly defend her?" he pointed at a random direction, his eyes flaring with emotion. "Out there, people are suffering! They follow ridiculous laws, they are chained to Sacred Tasks, and they are doomed to be nothing in their lives. All the while, nobles are feasting, laughing, and using the average people as they see fit. And why do they have that freedom? Because Administrator, of course!"
"Eugeo…" Alice told him from her seat, but he was far from done.
"I have seen nobles bending, twisting and using loopholes in the Taboo Index," he raised a hand to his chest, grabbing his clothes tightly. "Kirito and I were sent here because two bastards were going to rape Tiese and Ronye! They did that to those innocent girls only because they claimed law was behind them!" tears now ran from his eyes. "They are good girls… diligent, humble, and kind. They wanted to defend a friend of theirs from those sick bastards, and they simply… they simply…"
He found no strength to go on, tears threatening to fall.
"This… this is all because of the Taboo Index and Administrator's leniency with the you dare to defend her?!" he stared at Fanatio and the other knights. "What about the Senate? Have any of you watched what really dwells in those floors? Have any of you not ignored that poor girl Operator? Or the experiments behind Linel and Fizel?" he shook his head towards the two girls present. "Do any of you find any of those actions truly justified?
"Are you that blind? Or… ARE YOU THAT DUMB?!"
A loud tap in the floor interrupted Eugeo's rant, the force behind the blow making the sound reverberate through the meeting room.
"That's enough, Eugeo." Cardinal calmly said, adjusting her glasses.
"But Cardinal! They…"
"While you raised valid points, none of those proves that Administrator's demise was for the greater good. Not if a war is about to break lose."
The boy wanted to protest further, but he relented when Alice grabbed him in the shoulder.
"Anger is not the solution, Eugeo," she breathed between her teeth, so that only he could hear it. "I am just as angry as you, but I know losing our temper won't help." Eugeo hesitated for a second, before composing himself, pick his chair up, sit down and remain silent.
His words, despite coming from the bottom of his heart, barely changed at all the stoic Fanatio. Eldrie was giving him a disdainful stare. Deusolbert remained silent, Renly and Scheta did not showed any emotion and Bercouli had a complicated expression in his face.
Kirito was right… He thought with sadness, giving the bad eye to the knights. They are too ignorant to even care.
"Vice commander Fanatio," Cardinal tone became a thousand times colder than before, frowning. "If you insist to uphold your faith on the Pontifex…" she turned to the wall, hitting it with her staff. Right after, a door appeared from thin air on that same spot. "If you truly believe in Administrator, then cross this door. Perhaps this would… enlighten your perspective."
100th Floor, the Administrator's quarters. Central Cathedral.
06:11 hrs.
"This is…" Bercouli said, breath completely lost.
"That is the Sword Golem, a monster created by Administrator to defend the empire. It is made by thirty divine swords of the highest priority around," Cardinal narrowed her eyes, completely disgusted by just staring at the creature.
"But there is no way that someone or something can use that number of blades with that kind of authority."
"I am afraid… there is a way," with a sigh, she pulled out a purple crystal from her pocket... the same one Kirito stole from the Golem to defeat it. "Through the use of this Piety Module, the Golem is controlled by the collective thoughts of thirty human memories that Administrator herself extracted."
"Thirty…" Bercouli muttered, widening his eyes. "You can't possibly imply that…"
"Yes commander," she then pointed at the ceiling. "Up there, you see those sparkling lights? Those are, in reality, the Integrity Knights' true memories; those who were stolen by Administrator. They control the swords… swords that were made by the transmutation of their families, friends, and acquaintances. In other words, the Integrity Knights never where Quinella's objective nor of her interest," she nodded at the Sword Golem, "this was her true goal."
84th Floor, Integrity Knights' debriefing room. Central Cathedral.
11:28 hrs.
Truth could be a thousand more times painful than deceit. People might try to deny it, run from it, or foolishly ignore it; some others might cover them in a sea of lies to hide what is within. However, once the truth finally reaches the surface, hell breaks loose.
Anger, despise, wrath, resentment… those are to be expected. In this case, however? For the Integrity Knights, the truth did much more than that.
Eldrie denied with her head slowly, his eyes wide open while his mouth moved up and down. Deusolbert frowned until his eyebrows made a single line, his fist clenched. The Four Whirling Blades stood motionless, paralyzed. Renly bent forward twice, barely able to hold his vomit back. Scheta did not reacted openly, but there was a visible scowl in her face. Linel and Fizel were the least affected by the revelation, but their eyes watched the monster warily.
Fanatio… she straight up cried silently while watching the monster. The first tears appeared after Cardinal told them how Administrator created the swords.
Bercouli, Alice, Edith and Eugeo already knew about it, Cardinal told them most of the Sword Golem's true nature hours before the meeting began. Even then, they felt an incredible amount of repulsion and aversion towards the creature.
"This is the truth of the Sword Golem and the High Pontifex," Cardinal spoke coldly, unable to keep facing the monstrosity. "She cares for nothing else than keeping the realm as it is. She cares not of the people within, their lives or their freedom. As long as this land could still be labeled as 'Human Empire,' she will sacrifice everything and everyone for it. Everything else, is irrelevant.
"The knights? Mere experiments to create this monster. A means to an end. The Index? Laws to strip people of their capability to think for themselves. All of you? Puppets for her to use as she please until she fulfilled her plans."
Eugeo, despite himself, felt a tingle of satisfaction at the Knights distress. He hated to admit it, but seeing their shocked expressions nearly caused a tiny smile to spread in his lips.
Now, they understand, he thought.
"Now it all makes sense," Deusolbert snarled, taking a step forward. "My dreams… the Prime Senator's disdainful words… the Pontifex negligence… The sole fact we can't remember bringing four hundred citizens here… only for those innocents to become… this," he spit on the ground, right in front of the Sword Golem. "All those lies… only to murder the people she claimed to defend?!"
The words of the seventh Integrity Knight held unbelievable amounts of anger expressed in bitter words. His companions watched him with astonished faces —this was the first time they ever saw Deusolbert lose his temper.
"Commander…" the red-haired man turned to face Bercouli. "Did you know about this?"
Bercouli sighed, moving his weight to his opposite leg.
"I had my suspicions about Administrator hiding something from us, but never I imagined that she would willingly create something like this. I learned the truth a few hours ago by Cardinal."
Deusolbert frown softened, his mouth quivering.
"I'll take your word."
"I… wanted this to be a lie…" Fanatio said after cleaning her tears, her eyes hardening. "I hoped that your words were just deceit, Cardinal… not because I had doubts about them, but because what it meant to realize. Please, forgive my rudeness back then."
"There is nothing to apologize for, vice commander. I understand."
Fanatio gave her a meaningful smile to Cardinal and Bercouli. From the back of the group, Eldrie finally returned to his senses, his face unreadable.
"What we do now, commander Bercouli?" he pointed at the Golem. "I agree that we can't ignore this creature nor… Administrator. But what are we supposed to do with this? And the war?"
"Always the slow one, huh Eldrie," Edith grumbled, gaining a grunt for a response. "This means… we are no longer going to obey Administrator ever again and, from now on, we will defend the empire by ourselves."
"But we can't betray the Axiom…"
"You aren't betraying anything if the Administrator is under perpetual slumber, are you?" Edith smirked, crossing her arms. "Yesterday, not only the two invaders fought against the Pontifex, but Alice and I too," the Integrity Knights gaped at Edith. Renly and Scheta were the most shocked of all, some realization reaching their eyes. "We defeated her and, though she's alive and well, she fell on a deep slumber right after.
"In other words, Administrator is incapable to lead the Human Empire. And, since she is indisposed, it is our duty to defend our land as we see fit, right?"
Silence returned, but unlike before, the Knights showed no signs of opposition.
"If she was willing to sacrifice half the population…" one of the Four Whirling Blades, Dakira, spoke. "What else would she sacrifice if it wasn't enough?"
"Or, even worse, what if those sacrifices were unnecessary and there was no need to use these… abominations in the first place," Fanatio added. "I agree with Edith. If the Pontifex is truly incapable of exerting her authority above us, then we can act autonomously as long as we do it for the sake of the Human Empire.
"Perhaps Administrator always had the best intentions while creating the Sword Golem, but… I can't accept it."
A chorus of agreement was heard. Even Linel and Fizel agreed… though Eugeo suspected their reasons were different from the rest of the Knights. The only one who seemed doubtful was Eldrie, though his eyes reflected disgust whenever the Golem was in his line of sight.
"If that's all we had to argue, can I count with all of you?" Cardinal stood at the front, adjusting her glasses. "Will you all help us to defend the empire?"
Everyone agreed, even the two recently awakened knights despite they did not faced Kirito or Eugeo in combat the previous day.
"However, I have one thing that I can't take off my head since you revealed us the truth, Lady Cardinal," Deusolbert crossed his arms, his tone serious. "According to you, Administrator kept our memories in order to make the Sword Golem work. Is there… a way to recover them?"
The question dropped the mood in the room. The knights stared at the ground, their minds racing at the idea of finding out who they were before meeting Administrator.
Cardinal smiled empathetically before pointing her staff upwards. With that silent instruction, ten azure blue crystals descended from their spots in the ceiling. Wordlessly, Cardinal directed each crystal to their respective owners.
Of all the Integrity Knights, only Linel, Fizel, Edith and Alice received none. The former two never had their memories stolen, while the latter two…
"These are your memory crystals, make sure to keep them safe. They are the key to recover your former personalities and identities. However," hey voice turned deathly serious, even more than when she was explaining the nature of the Sword Golem. "I must warn you, recovering your memories would destroy your identities as Integrity Knights. Also, trying to forcefully remember your identities without replacing your Piety Module will harm your soul irreversibly."
The Integrity Knights stared at the little girl in horror, holding tightly each of their "former selves" with doubt carved in their faces.
"So, we can't remember who we once were…" Deusolbert clenched his jaw. "Not until our duty is done…"
"The choice is entirely yours to make," Cardinal replied. "If you so desire, I can do the process of de-synthesizing right now. But only if you agree to do so."
The red-haired man stared at the crystal for a whole minute, his face contorting into multiple expressions before settling on acceptance. "No, right now is not the moment," he turned at Bercouli, giving his superior a sharp nod. "There are things we all must do. Perhaps once everything is over… but only then."
With one last determined nod, the man lowered the hand that held his memories. Soon after, the rest of the Integrity Knights followed his example. From the sidelines, Alice and Edith gave them small smiles.
"Uhm, L-lady Edith…" Renly now raised his voice, making the ash-haired woman blink in surprise, "I have a question. You mentioned before that the Pontifex is under a deep slumber, didn't you?"
"I did Ren. Why?"
"If that's so, who is keeping watch on her?"
Edith was about to reply, but Bercouli did it first.
"We have the best suited man for the work at it, Renly. Though, I suppose that he isn't exactly pleased with the job… especially when he wanted to be present in this reunion."
"Wait…" some realization struck Fanatio's eyes. "Are you referring to the other boy, the one wearing black?"
Eugeo sighed, feeling exhausted just by the mention of his best friend. Meanwhile, Edith snorted, her face looking as if she bit a lemon. "Kirito, yes… he's 'in charge' of watching Administrator," he supplied. "Now that we are on that topic, perhaps it would be prudent to give you some context on what happened inside this floor yesterday."
He glanced at Cardinal, who gave him affirmative gestures.
"We would appreciate it." Renly spoke. "Though I would personally want to listen what happened from the beginning."
"If that's so, it would be better to return to the meeting room. I do not want to be inside this cursed room nor close to this creature far longer than what is needed." Cardinal suggested, something that all the Integrity Knights agreed without any objection.
Before crossing the door that connected the 100th floor with the meeting room, Eugeo sighed once more before stepping inside.
This will be a long day.
93rd Floor. Central Cathedral.
13:57 hrs.
The meeting dragged on for another two hours. Just as promised, Eugeo, Cardinal, Alice, and Edith retold all the events that happened since the underground prison jailbreak. Not much else was told or shared, not something worth mentioning that is.
Eugeo miraculously endured the long explanations he had to give in his and Kirito's behalf. By the time they finished with the battle at the topmost floor, he felt so exhausted and drained that falling asleep on the chair he sat felt very appealing.
Fortunately for him (?), Alice made sure to keep him awake by pinching or poking his side whenever he was about to doze off.
Somethings never change… Eugeo smiled fondly, albeit tiredly, as he walked down the hallways of the 93rd floor. Despite his body was begging for some hours of sleep, he still had business with his best friend. This, of course, included two Integrity Knights and a miniature "Acting High Pontifex" in the mix.
"Ahh, so tired…" Edith groaned from her spot, stretching her arms. "I will need to take a really long bath to recover~"
Her words, though harmless at a first glance, caused the blonde girl in their group to jump in her place in alarm. Eugeo, who was still struggling with his lethargic state, wasn't ready when Alice suddenly used him as some sort of human shield against Edith, who failed to catch her "little sister" before running away.
"Aww, c'mon Alice. You are pretty tired too~" the girl whined in disappointment, trying to capture the blonde who was skillfully dodging any of her attempts (much to Eugeo's dismay). "Is it bad to bath with your sister?"
"I won't grace you with a reply, Lady Edith!"
"You two seem to be pretty lively," commented the diminutive girl with a small smile. "Is good to see that your mood has somewhat risen."
Her words sobered the group a bit, reminding them of the serious talk they just had.
"I know I asked many times before," the girl continued while walking. "But are you sure you don't want to have them back?"
There was no need for her to specify what was she referring to.
"I am," Alice was the first one to reply. "I already made a promise…" her eyes met Eugeo's, who subconsciously put a hand over his right pocket. "My curiosity is irrelevant."
Cardinal hummed in agreement, waiting patiently for the other knight to answer. Edith, unlike Alice, seemed to be quite hesitant for a moment. Perhaps due to Administrator's words last night?
However, her doubts disappeared a second right after, replaced with a rather resolute expression, "I must decline too, Lady Cardinal."
The girl smiled empathetically at the two knights. "If that's your wish, I will respect it."
They kept walking in silence for a couple of minutes until a particular door came into view. Eugeo perked up at said entrance, conflicting emotions swirling underneath his tired visage.
Why did you hide all of this to me, Kirito? The boy sighed deeply.
"So, Lady Cardinal…" the brunette perked up at Alice's sudden question. "I know we purposefully avoided to explain too much about Administrator's condition, but what exactly are we going to do with her and Kirito?"
Cardinal closed her eyes, deep in thought. "For the moment I will analyze both of their fluctlights, looking for some sort of explanation to this so-called 'anomaly.' Then… we shall see."
That was the reason the four of them were heading towards the dorm where Kirito and Administrator were left. Cardinal, due to the many preparations she had to do for the meeting, barely had time to check on them. She only visited Kirito briefly before parting to the meeting, and he was… well, his usual self as far as she could see.
"We should just end her now that she's asleep," Edith mumbled darkly to herself. Unfortunately for her, Alice did catch her words.
"We already went over this, Edith," the blonde glared at her senior sternly. "We must not do anything rash until we finally understand what is going on. For both our and Kirito's sake."
"I know, I know…" the girl sighed loudly, shrugging off Alice's scolding. "It's just… knowing that she is still around…"
"We will find a way out of this, Edith," Cardinal, who now arrived at the door, gave the Integrity Knight a determined look. "Trust me."
Though Edith replied with a huff, her expression indicated that she was satisfied with the short girl's answer.
Now that all of them were before the entrance to the room, Cardinal wasted no time in unlocking the door (which was sealed from the outside through Sacred Arts). As the diminutive girl reached for the doorknob, a slight spike of worry assaulted the four newcomers. What if Administrator suddenly awoke while they were gone? What if Kirito was taken by surprise and then subdued by Administrator? What if by a miserable twist of fate, the anomaly manipulated Kirito to betray them, and both him and Quinella were currently escaping the Cathedral?
This brought hesitation even in the second most powerful fluctlight within the Human Empire, her hand briefly frozen in the doorknob. However, after taking a deep breath and adjusting her glasses, Cardinal steadied her resolve and pushed the door open…
And much to all the present's relief… the room was just how they left it.
The place was intact, no signs of a fight or any sort of struggle. Administrator, their main source of worry, was still asleep in her bed and completely unaware of their presence. Kirito, on the other hand, was sitting in his bed with his gaze lost elsewhere…
But his eyes… there was something wrong in his eyes.
His dark irises, usually stoic and serious in nature, now reflected a terrible mixture of complicated feelings as they stared into nothingness.
This was signal enough that something wasn't right.
It took him a full second to even notice their arrival. His distant eyes slowly focused on the now open door as a myriad of emotions flashed through his irises: annoyance, irritation, anxiety, restlessness, exhaustion…
Fear.
The boy then straightened himself before crossing his arms. Then, with a tired voice that would be fitting of a man twice his age, he spoke:
"You took your sweet time coming in here, assholes…"
93rd Floor, Integrity Knights' quarters. Central Cathedral.
11:30 hrs.
Kirito's POV.
Time sure crawls when waiting… I huffed while shifting on the mattress, trying to find a more comfortable spot. I swear, these beds are really stiff.
I drummed my fingers on the pages of a book I was currently reading. Its contents were interesting enough to serve as a distraction, but I knew that nothing could truly take my mind away from my current dilemma.
A dilemma that was sleeping peacefully at the other side of the small room.
On another bed there was a woman resting above the blankets. We were close enough that, if I watched closely, I could see her chest rising up and down with each breath she took; this, of course, indicating that she was alive.
Her eyelids were closed tightly, yet a peaceful expression adorned her face. Some people might argue that the view was, at the very least, cute.
For me… it was worrisome.
After all, just a couple of hours ago, this woman and I were at each other's throats both figuratively and literally.
I can't read properly, not with her this close… I sighed in resignation, dropping the book. Look at me, a former weeb and hikikomori that found interest on gardening of all things. This new hobby of mine must never see the light in the real world. A fond smile crossed my lips. Argo would love to have even more blackmail material on me, Klein would laugh his ass off for months, and Sugu would…
My smile slowly faltered. She's out there, in the middle of a fucking war between RATH and those mercenaries. My hands gripped tightly the blankets. I don't care how she got there; I will make Kikuoka answer for this…
Dark thoughts crossed my mind. Not only of what I will do to Kikuoka if I ever have a real chance to get my hands on him… but of what could happen to my own sister…
My pulse accelerated at each imaginary scenario, my whole body shaking in a mixture of fear and anger.
Calm yourself, Kirito… I forcefully released the poor bedsheets beneath me. She'll be fine, Kirito. Calm yourself! Remember your lessons, Kirito… breathe in… breathe out… let those thoughts pass… breathe in… breathe out…
Minutes ticked by until I finally recovered full control over myself. It has been long since I had one of these. My heart was still racing, but at least I was in control once again. Yesterday fucked me up really bad.
Once I was calm enough, I stood up from the bed. I had to do something, even stretching my limbs would do.
As I did, my eyes were inevitably drawn to Administrator's sleeping form.
To think she's the least of my concerns right now… I huffed. Just wonderful.
I scanned her up and down, looking for any irregularity in case she was just pretending to be asleep. The longer my eyes bore in her figure, the harder it was to keep the memories of yesterday at bay.
[Bones cracking…]
[Muscles ripping…]
[Joints teared apart…]
[Screams…]
[Blood…]
[Pain…]
No matter what I do inside this damn room, my mind just can't be quiet for five fucking minutes, my hands bawled into fists, trying my best to resist the sudden urge to scratch my wrists.
Yesterday, my desire to contact with the real world was enough to distract me from the horrible memories and the phantom pains. However, now that there was nothing around me to make those thoughts go away, the same questions wormed its way into my mind:
Is it still active?
The anomaly, is it still there?
Hopelessly, I had to endure the slow flow of time with these thoughts repeating themselves like a broken record. As my restlessness grew, the more I let those whispers fester.
Those blackouts the man in the Real World mentioned… They were the cause behind the lights, weren't they? The first one cursed both of us to protect each other… but what about the second one?
Did it fix us? No, that's just wishful thinking. But how can I be so sure? Cardinal didn't bother to discover it, nor did I until now. Is there a possibility that after the second light fell on us, the anomaly was gone as well?
I knew there was a way to clear my doubts… to prove whether it was gone or not. It was a "simple solution," but if the anomaly was indeed gone…
Then all will end while she sleeps. I shook in my place, feeling sick all of the sudden.
Killing wasn't new for me, not after SAO. However, it always was in the midst of battle, never by assassination. Even those worms, Raios and Humbert, were granted the chance to fight for their pitiful lives before they were executed. Though I saw no real problem in getting rid of Administrator… the fact she was no longer an active threat… and doing it as she slept…
I promised myself to never fall as low as… them.
But after hours filled with doubt and restlessness, it was only a matter of time before I surrendered against my curiosity.
I am not like them. I reminded myself. I am not the Coffin… despite all the blood… I would never be them. I must know if… if the anomaly is still there.
Slowly, I picked up Night Sky, which was resting beside my bed on its scabbard. I marched towards the sleeping woman, doing my best to control the urge to turn back and let her be. As I stared down at her, nausea came, though it remained ignored.
Raising the blade above my head, I slowly brought it down until the edge was touching her exposed neck, the cold wood brushing against her skin. I kept the blade steady, making sure to not go any further below. I spared a glance at her face. She was still fast asleep, not even reacting to the presence of Night Sky. My arm shook in its place as more doubts came to me.
I am not like them… I said to myself, trying to gather my wits. This is not for fun, nor for pleasure. I must be sure… I have to be sure.
And, if she dies… if she is gone… so are our problems.
My arm steadied one more…
"…"
"…"
"What the hell am I doing?" I sighed, pulling my sword away from her. She might have toyed with me… she might have disrespected her memory… she might have almost killed all of us… but even then… even then I haven't fall this low to murder someone in their sleep with the pretense of "experimenting".
Neither does she deserves to be "forgiven", but I won't taint my hands this way.
Just as I was about to move out of the way, I noticed the tips of the fingers of my free hand were shining. This made me frown. The fuck…?
My gaze returned to Administrator briefly. Did it react preemptively? Or…
No this is all pointless, I sighed as I dispelled the Sacred Art, whichever it was. Though at least I know it is still there.
With a grunt, I returned Night Sky to its scabbard and strapped it on my belt. Turning at my left, I laid my eyes on one of the two doors within the room. The closest one led to an inner bathroom while the other one led to the hallway. Opening the former, I stepped inside.
There was only a large bathtub and the closest thing Underworld had for a sink. There was no toilet, mainly because humans didn't need to defecate inside Underworld. While many would find this strange, I was far too used to it after my time in SAO, so I only took it in stride. Besides, as long as I was not actively thinking about it, there was no urge to do so.
Reaching for the sink, I quickly washed my face with some water I created using Sacred Arts. I allowed the coldness wash away my nerves, even if it was just a little. Calm down, Kirito. I told myself, staring at the mirror in front of me. Cardinal will be able to find some way to solve the anomaly, and then you can get rid of Administrator for good. Until then, you have to keep it together.
After repeating the same mantra for a while, I straightened before returning to the room.
As I was just stepping outside, I caught some movement at the corner of my eyes. Instinctively, I whipped my head towards the source…
… and was met with silver irises staring back.
"!"
"?!"
My virtual heart stopped for a whole second.
Administrator had woken up.
My mind screamed in alarm as we stared at each other.
No, this is ridiculous! She's supposed to be asleep until Cardinal says otherwise! How is she awake?! The anomaly shouldn't… my eyes widened even further in realization. It was me… that Sacred Art I conjured under the effects of the anomaly must have awakened her!
Our staring contest dragged on uninterrupted. None of us spoke. None of us moved. It was almost as if a pair of dangerous animals met by pure chance in the middle of the forest. We battled against our inner confusion and turmoil as we waited the other to act.
As we pierced each other with glares, it was impossible not to notice the myriad of emotions reflected in our eyes: confusion, recognition, realization, humiliation, wrath, fury, alarm, rage, fear… All in less than a couple of seconds.
"Irregular… Unit…"
Her voice broke the silence like a hammer falling into thin glass. And, almost like a signal, it prompted us to finally act.
Night Sky was freed from the scabbard in a blink. Administrator stood up from the bed while aiming her right hand at my direction.
Despite the room was small and rather cramped, the few steps it would take me to reach her might give Administrator enough time to unleash a Sacred Art. Likewise, she had no time to cast a complicated incantation without me catching up.
Much to my irritation, this conflict just reached another deadlock.
But unlike then, this time around this confrontation felt entirely pointless. Something that was reflected in our mutual frustration and mental exhaustion.
"Why?"
Though my alarm had yet to fade, I actually raised an eyebrow at the sudden and, frankly, random question. Her hair hid partially her face, making it hard for me to read her expression.
"Why did I had to share my Life with someone… no, something like you…?" she elaborated, her outstretched arm shaking. "A monster… willing to murder my entire world on a whim! Of all the people I could have done such an unthinkable sacrilege… it had to be you.
"You… you ruined everything!" she snarled between gritted teeth as her left fist balled into a fist. "You waltzed into my Empire, broke my rules, turned two of my puppets against me, defeated my ultimate creation, and humiliated me even while unconscious!" she took a step forward, ignoring the slight advantage she just gave me. "And all… for what?! To avenge the fate of your 'friend'? To enact retribution in the name of your valet? To return to your world? To destroy mine?!"
Despite the precarious position we were in, she kept advancing with each of her words. Her trembling arm barely pointed at my general direction.
What is she doing? I frowned. This doesn't seem to be a convoluted plan nor a clever trick. Then why is she getting closer?! Is she too overly confident with the anomaly?
A meter. It was all that separated us. The tip of my weapon was just a breath away from her. From this distance, it was completely clear who had the advantage. Yet, Administrator barely seemed worried.
Now, having her this close, I could perfectly see her face hidden underneath her long strands of hair…
And, to my incredulity, long rivers of tears were falling down her cheeks.
"Why?" her face twisted into one of deep anguish. "Why you had to ruin everything…?"
She didn't close the distance because she was too confident. Nor she was taunting me.
Her emotions just overwhelmed her.
It was then when I remembered something that Cardinal told me the first time we met. After all I had to go throughout the day, and after almost losing my mind to blind rage, I forgot a tiny detail: Administrator wasn't supposed to feel anything.
Cardinal claimed that little after Quinella became the Administrator, she sealed all emotions that could potentially bring her distress. Anger, sadness, anxiety… fear… all those were locked and sealed away in hopes to control the sub-process she inherited from the Cardinal System.
Yet I could vividly remember the look in her eyes when our wills clashed just before the light fell on us. The hate in her eyes. The loathing in her expression…
The fear in her very soul.
Later, once we awoke, she displayed a wider range of emotions; hatred primarily, but she displayed them. But even then, she never openly cried.
But now…
Whether it was because of trauma or the anomaly, it mattered not. Her emotions, they were entirely back.
And they were overwhelming her.
I was so deep in thought that perhaps I had a weird expression plastered on my face. This detail wasn't lost to the woman before me.
"What with that face, Irregular Unit?!" she exclaimed. "Are you ignoring me?! You dare to mock me further?!" a vein was throbbing in her forehead. "You miserable insect! You, fiendish and spineless vermin!"
Dreadful threats and poisonous words were sent into my way uninterrupted. Despite how close we were, despite how Night Sky was terribly close to her chest, despite the pitiful expression and bitter tears, despite the lack of light on the tip of her fingers… she ignored all and chose to berate me.
I see… my brows furrowed into a straight line. So that's what this is all about, huh…
"It's over…"
"What was that, Irregular Unit?!"
"I said it's over, Quinella!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "It's fucking over!"
"…"
Utter silence ensued. Administrator's verbal assault ceased entirely, replaced by uncanny silence. Her whole expression froze in place and her words were caught in her throat. Even her shaking arm was now hanging motionless in the air.
Her eyes, wide as plates, stared at me emptily.
"What…?"
Her loud screams were reduced to a single quiet whisper. If we weren't this close to each other, I might have missed it.
"Open your goddamn eyes, Quinella!" I spat, lowering my blade. "This is futile, dammit! Fighting? Cursing? All that shit is pointless now! Even if we brawl senselessly until we turn each other to shreds, what the hell would that change?!" I pointed at her accusingly. "It was over the moment you were knocked out yesterday. Swear and cuss all you want, but nothing will change!
"I had enough of this shit! Left out of the damn meeting… waiting inside this tiny room for hours… watching over the bitch I dislike the most… tolerating her nonsense once she woke up… I am tired... I HAD ENOUGH!
"Save me the headache and get this inside that thick skull of yours: you lost! Get over this damn tantrum of yours already! Whether you fight or cry yourself to sleep, it doesn't matter anymore! Must I have to spell it, Quinella?
"You! Lost!"
Two words. Those last two words were the last nail in the coffin. Despite there was no verbal reply, I immediately knew just by the look in her face that, for the first time in her long life, Administrator surrendered.
For the first time, a "goddess" like her gave up.
Quinella's POV.
[You. Lost.]
Just two words. Nothing else. Simple words that even a child could understand perfectly and the implications behind it.
And yet, every time those words echoed in my mind, I was left petrified.
My whole body refused to move whist my mind endured the painful throb that begun since my eyes met with the Irregular Unit's. My thoughts felt slippery, leaving just as fast as they came. And though I had yet to identify what caused this massive unrest in both mind and heart, I knew it all was thanks to him; the outsider, the insufferable vermin… that monster.
How else was I supposed to describe the creature that stared down at me? He was a terrible monster that invaded my home, destroyed my plans, tarnished my pride, and ultimately cornered me.
How? How can a creature as weak and pathetic such as the outsider do this to me?
Whenever I was close to crush his body and spirit, he always slipped away alive like a miserable cockroach. And, whenever she escaped my grasp, he always bit back with the ferocity of a rabid dog.
How he did this to me?! This was the only coherent thought I could formulate. How can I lose?!
The throb intensified, making me feel that my head was about to explode. The sheer number of foreign data that my fluctlight had to process… it was too much to handle. Worst part was that my chest clenched painfully with each passing thought…
What was this unknown data? What were these things I was experimenting? Why my heart felt such pain?
…
Felt…
Feel…
Feelings…
Yes, it wasn't unknown data. I actually knew what it was. However, it had been so long since the last time. When was it? I already forgot.
Feelings… this data are feelings…
My distress only grew. I got rid of this noise centuries ago. I vanished these unnecessary thoughts from my fluctlight a lifetime ago. They were sealed away, deep inside my soul! No mortal should be capable of releasing them! Even that girl, Lyceris, would spend days figuring out how to undo my work!
[You. Lost.]
My heart cried in pain as those miserable feelings impaled my soul with their noise. The confusion… misery… the desperation… the stress… the agitation… it was too much.
The sadness of having my work taken away.
The frustration of helplessness.
The fear of losing.
It was overwhelming.
It was painful.
Why must I feel once again? Why must I be punished this way?
It took most of my strength to ignore the raging emotions and focus on the boy before me. He was just standing there with his sword lowered, staring at me tiredly.
I… I can still stand and crush him! I clenched my right fist. I am a goddess! He isn't that strong! I am above and beyond any mortal, an outsider shouldn't be any different! He is just mocking me… provoking me!
This world belongs to me! ME! The High Pontifex, the goddess… the almighty sage that conquered reality itself! How can a monster win over me?!
But I couldn't find strength within myself to do anything. Those annoying feelings were sapping away my energy and resolve.
And his eyes… the eyes of the Irregular Unit… I never saw such coldness before.
No, that wasn't right. I already saw such a thing. He stared at me the same way the moment I insulted his valet; it was just that I ignored the cruel and merciless darkness that was sent to me through those dark irises of his.
I felt small, tiny.
These damn feelings… these disgusting distractions!
I knew that rivers of tears ran down my cheeks. It made me feel furious and humiliated… but even those were lost in the sea of emotions that assaulted me without quarter.
Under this trance, I was only able to croak a single sentence:
"Lies…" I whispered, almost pleadingly. "Those are nothing but… lies…"
No witty answer. No scornful reply. Instead, all I got was silence. The Irregular Unit, the monster who taunted and deceived, chose to ignore my weak claims. He just backed away with a disgusted frown, disappearing from my sight. Perhaps he just saw no need to deceive me this time around.
He… he doesn't see me as a threat anymore.
Before I noticed, I fell into the ground. The throb was unbearable, and all strength had left my legs.
Was this how it was supposed to end? Neck-deep in despair as this monster was staring down at me?
No, I can't lose… this had to be tactic of his, I reasoned, fighting against my shaking body. This is one of his bluffs! It has to be! He is a coward that fights with ploys and trickery! He must be trying to use these damn feelings against me! To make me feel vulnerable! He plans to weaken me and shatter my spirit!
[You. Lost.]
I won't tolerate it.
The throb relented.
I won't accept it.
All the unbearable noise quietened.
I won't allow it!
My fists clenched tight enough to draw blood.
Slowly I turned my head towards the Irregular Unit. The boy, perhaps overconfident in my "defeat", was staring elsewhere in deep thought. It could have been just a brief moment of distraction, a short slip-up of his.
A single portion of the "foreign data" that assaulted me returned. Instead of drowning my mind with noise, this single fragment actually gave me strength to move my weakened limbs.
Wrath. Pure and unadulterated wrath.
I was angry at him; at his actions, his words, his mocking smile and his miserable bravado.
I wanted to punish him. I needed to smite him.
For a second, I forgot about everything. My "defeat", the raging emotions, my clear disadvantage… all in favor of one thing:
Revenge…
"Don't you dare to look down on me…" in my mind I formulated a quick System Command. Which was? Not even I was fully aware; I only knew it would cause him great pain without actually killing him. Whether it succeeded or not, I didn't care. "IRREGULAR UNIT, YOU BASTARD!"
My strength returned with the burning passion of my hatred. In a blink, my arm was raised at the distracted boy.
But, to my surprise, so was his sword aimed at my throat.
"!"
"Did you really thought it would be that easy?" the Irregular Unit grimaced with a sigh. "I already told you, Quinella, there is no use in continuing with this bullshit!"
"I don't care!" I replied immediately. "I don't care anymore! That I 'lost'? That this anomaly is still on? To hell with all of that, Irregular Unit! I won't allow you to look down on me, monster! Not now, nor ever!
"The hell are you talking about, crazy bit-…?"
"DISCHARGE!"
My voice echoed inside the room. The expression in the Irregular Unit's face was priceless; he was truly surprised that I actually tried to attack him.
Perhaps that was the reason he didn't reacted at first. Perhaps he was too confident that I would desist because of the anomaly. But I was just as done as he was… no, I was far more done than him. I was going to have my vengeance on him regardless of the risks and consequences.
I threw away all reason and caution for this single attack on him. Was this product of those emotions getting the best of me? Probably.
As such, as I blissfully enjoyed his panicked expression, I didn't notice something vital:
My fingers, they weren't shinning.
Therefore, as both of us waited with bated breath for my attack, whole seconds ticked by…
And nothing happened.
I blinked in confusion. This wasn't the anomaly; my spell would've been interrupted otherwise. Did I accidentally misspell a word?
"Ehem…! I said, DISCHARGE!" I repeated myself, but to no avail. "H-huh? D-discharge! Discharge! Discharge! DISCHARGE!"
I repeated the whole Sacred Art thrice, but nothing happened at all. What is happening? My eyes unwillingly sought for the Irregular Unit. He was still staring at me, but he was as confused as I.
No, this might be an accident. Yes, I might not remember it correctly! That damn limit of a fluctlight memory bank… I can try other commands.
I immediately tried a second Sacred Art. This time, the Irregular Unit just flinched the moment I finished my chant. Unfortunately, just like before, it yielded no results. Dammit, two in a row? Barely discouraged, I tried other three different healing Sacred Arts…
None of them worked.
My confusion gave way to dread. Gone was my original intention to murder the Irregular Unit. All my focus went into discovering what was happening.
I used other commands, these different in nature. To my surprise, the Irregular Unit didn't step in this time around. He was most likely watching in silence… watching how none of my Sacred Arts worked.
Dread gave way to fear. How was this possible? Did the anomaly mess up my memories? No, that was not it. I was sure I said everything right. I was sure I got everything right…
Why…? Why won't they work?!
Fear gave way to panic. I tried all commands I could remember, from the most basic, to the most complicated. None worked. Is there not enough Sacred Power in this room? No, even then I should be capable of using one of the lowest spells! Did that brat seal this room from Sacred Power? No, that's not either. Not even I found a way to do so reliably without using a ridiculously convoluted spell.
Then what?! What is happening here?!
All color was drained from my face. There must be spatial resources here, and my System Authority is absolute… then why? Why won't the System answer my calls?!
There was one last thing I hadn't tried yet. Fearfully and with shaking hands, I slowly moved my index finger on an "S" shaped pattern. This was the symbol of the status window, the only place in which one could see their Life and Authority.
I held my breath the moment the window came into view. Most of the elements on my window seemed to be completely normal… there was the Life, the ID, the Object Control Authority…
But when I saw the System Control Authority one… instead of numbers, I was welcomed with illegible and random characters that popped in an out at irregular intervals.
My mouth opened in a silent scream, and everything around me suddenly went dark.
And that's a wrap! At least for today that is.
Happy new year everyone! (Ignore the fact I'm currently posting this chapter January 30th in my time zone). A fresh start and the story already has… HOLY! Over 50 follows? Damn guys, you sure know how to motivate an author, especially given the nature of this fanfic (odd shipping and all). Thank you all for your support!
However, I must admit that this time around I had a hard time finishing this chapter, hence me posting at the very end of the month. Not because I wasn't motivated or because I was super busy… but because this chapter had at least SIX different written versions, particularly the second part where we focus on Kirito and Quinella.
I kid you not, this is something I have been thinking and planning for months, even before the second chapter was posted. The reason is simple: the first contact between Kirito and Quinella once the battle was done was crucial to determine where would the story go.
I had versions where Quinella lost her memories, versions in which the two brawled like idiots the moment she awoke, versions in which Quinella was awake since the beginning… If I could count the alternative versions that weren't written, I might reach the dozen.
But, in the end, I had to kick and chew my own ass until I finally made a decision. This chapter, naturally, is the outcome.
Therefore, at this point, the only thing I can do is to make it work.
Now, we can finally focus on the chapter itself… dear god, hope I didn't bore you to death with my ramblings.
The first half is all about Cardinal giving the rude awakening that the Integrity Knights needed. I saw fitting to have this meeting right away, since it made the most sense logically speaking. And won't you look at that, they received their memory crystals! Well, everyone but Edith and Alice; after all, they received theirs several hours prior to the meeting. I wonder… what's the deal with Eugeo and that new tick of his? Hmm…
Then came Kirito and Quinella. As our protagonist correctly guessed, yes, he is the reason Quinella woke up in the first place. Although he refused entirely to attack Administrator while unconscious, the anomaly still reacted to Cardinal's spell by classifying it as a potential threat to her integrity.
Why did Kirito refused to attack Quinella? Simple; in this AU he's just a dick that does whatever it takes to "survive", not a psycho who seeks murder for pleasure or for the sake of it. Although a fair share of PTSD and stress might push the boundaries a bit…
Now for the most important part of the chapter, the aftermath of the second blackout. As you can see, the second time also had their own effects on both Kirito and Quinella, the former a little more subtle than the latter. For Quinella, it made her lose her Sacred Arts. For Kirito… well, I suppose you might have an idea after reading the chapter, but why spoil the fun and say it outright? However, I can finally say that this are the last traits of the anomaly to have in mind.
Speaking of which, next chapter we will finally have all the explanations about the anomaly, including the new traits. I will apologize in advance; it will be a mountain of exposition that we sadly must overcome to progress the story.
But that's it for this long… loooooooong Author Notes. Now, on with the reviews!
Sergey: Don't worry pal, I know that Quinella is not fitting to "love normally". As for a "happy ending" between our two brick-heads… I will leave the answer as a surprise~
Inphernalmenace: Hmm, why is Suguha there indeed? Was it a whim of mine? Or…?
Dranzer: Yeah, this reminds me that I must give explanations sooner than later…
Quantum Fang: Quinella is a character that indeed has great potential, just as many of the Underworld characters. Sadly, there aren't too many stories focused on her or the rest of the Underworld's roster when compared with other SAO characters.
Juanitoramirez5022: Boy, what a timing you have! I was planning to upload TODAY, and I received your review just some hours prior to finish my last revision. Indeed, as you saw I post monthly and I plan to keep it up for a while longer. So, don't worry about me or the story until the last day of the month has gone by (at least in my time zone)!
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… yes, Quinella now joined the first POV gang.
See you next chapter!
